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of his own father Narses, king of the Persians, whether the tent brought to him made of Babylonian skins was beautiful; and he said that, if he should take the kingdom, he would make one more beautiful than this from human skins; and having seized it he fell from the kingdom, having two brothers, one of whom, Sapor, he seized and blinded, and the other, Hormisdas, he kept in prison; whose mother, with the connivance of his wife, having fashioned iron chains with a certain art, filled them inside with pearls, and having begged the guards, she took away the former chains as being too heavy, and put those on, so that, if he were able to escape, he might carry wealth with him without weight. And his wife gave him a small file, and having given supper to the guards, she made them fall asleep. And he, finding a suitable opportunity, broke his chains and fled, and using a horse over distances in the guise of a slave, he was generously received by Licinius. And he was such a javelin-thrower, that he alone is said to have had a bloodless spear, which afterwards he was painted holding in a portrait. 2. Julian was seen by some of his fellow heretics hanging in the air over a boundless and wild sea, always expecting to fall into the sea, and an iron raven held him with its claws, and with an iron beak struck his head unceasingly. This man, having come to Tarsus, sought out a certain well-to-do one-eyed priest of Asclepius who was ashamed to be seen by him on account of his blindness, and he kissed his afflicted eye in front of everyone. 3. Numerianus was accused by someone of having stolen public funds; but he denied it; and the accuser, having no proofs, said, "And who, O best of kings, of the guilty will pay the penalty, if to deny is alone sufficient to escape?" But Julian said, "And who will be found innocent, if the accuser is believed without proofs?" 4. Jovian was once following Julian, and, as it happened, he stepped on his cloak. And he, turning to him, and as if interpreting the future, said, "If only he were a man." And after his death, Jovian succeeded him. 179Exc. De virt.: That Julian the God-hater and Christ-hater stayed up all night writing speeches, and he displayed these before the senatorial council. And he also honored those occupied with education, especially those who professed philosophy. While he was practicing these things, the rulers of the provinces, wanting to take the property of the Christians, subjected many to punishments. And Julian, though at first gentle to those who approached him, was not so then, but overlooked many of the things being done by those who seemed to favor Hellenism. And once he forbade Christians from partaking of a Greek education, and from serving in the imperial bodyguard. Among these were Jovian and Valentinian and Valens, who reigned after him. And when he was on the road to Persia, having passed through Asia to Syria and the city of Antioch, he procured a great deal of money from the Christians, and being on the point of being roused against the populace, as though it had mocked him, he was appeased by Salustius, the praetorian prefect. 180 Ibid.: That this John says concerning Julian the Apostate, that he alone governed the Roman state well, and restored it, had not demonic forces stood in opposition; for of all education, he had comprehended both Roman matters, and not least the Greek language to the highest degree, being quick to see what must be done, and readier to announce and explain it, having a sure memory of all things, wise in heavenly matters, and prudent in human affairs. And towards his friends he was magnanimous and generous, except insofar as he was not scrutinizing nor exact in their acquisitions in the manner befitting such an emperor. At any rate, there were some who cast blame on the man's reputation through their own shortcomings, taking many things belonging to others on the pretext of their Hellenic persuasion, not only with the emperor's ignorance, but even while he was forbidding it. But at least to the settlers of the nations the

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τοῦ ἰδίου πατρὸς Ναρσαίου, βασιλέως Περσῶν, εἰ καλὴ εἴη ἡ σκηνὴ ἡ προσαχθεῖσα αὐτῷ ἐκ δερμάτων Βαβυλωνίων· ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ὡς, εἰ καὶ κρατήσει τῆς βασιλείας, καλλίονα ταύτης ποιήσει ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνων δερμάτων· καὶ κρατήσας ἐξέπεσε τῆς βασιλείας, ἔχων δύο ἀδελφοὺς, ὧν τὸν μὲν ἕνα Σάπωρον κρατήσας ἐτύφλωσε, τὸν δ' ἕτερον Ὁρμίσδην εἶχεν ἐν φυλακῇ· οὗ ἡ μήτηρ, συνειδυίας καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γυναικὸς, δεσμοὺς σιδηροῦς τέχνῃ τινὶ κατασκευάσασα μαργαριτῶν ἔσωθεν ἐνέπλησε, καὶ δεηθεῖσα τῶν φυλάκων, τοὺς μὲν προτέρους δεσμοὺς ὡς βαρεῖς ἀφείλετο, ἐκείνους δὲ ἐπιτέθεικεν, ὡς ἂν, εἰ δυνηθείη φυγεῖν, ἄνευ βάρους πλοῦτον ἐπιφέροιτο. Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ῥινίον αὐτῷ δέδωκεν, καὶ δειπνίσασα τοὺς φύλακας ὑπνῶσαι ἐποίησεν. Ὁ δὲ καιρὸν εὑρὼν ἐπιτήδειον τὰ δεσμὰ ῥήξας ἔφυγε, καὶ ἵππῳ χρησάμενος κατὰ διαστήματα ἐν σχήματι δουλικῷ παρὰ Λικιννίου φιλοτίμως ὑπεδέχθη. Ἦν δὲ ἀκοντιστὴς τοιοῦτος, ὥστε ἐκεῖνον μόνον ἀναίμακτον λέγεται ἐσχηκέναι τὸ δόρυ, ὃ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν εἰκόνι κατέχων ἐγράφη. 2. Ἰουλιανὸς ὡράθη τισὶ συναιρεσιώταις αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ πελάγους ἀπείρου καὶ ἀγρίου ἐν τῷ ἀέρι κρεμάμενος, εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἀεὶ πεσεῖσθαι προσδοκῶν, καὶ σιδηροῦς κόραξ εἴχετο αὐτοῦ τοῖς ὄνυξι, ῥάμφει δὲ σιδηρῷ τὴν αὐτοῦ κορυφὴν ἀπαύστως ἔπληττεν. Οὗτος ἐλθὼν εἰς Ταρσὸν, εὐδαίμονά τινα μονόφθαλμον ἱερέα Ἀσκληπιοῦ διὰ τὴν τυφλότητα αἰσχυνόμενον ὁραθῆναι αὐτῷ, ἀναζητήσας, τὸν ἠτυχηκότα ὀφθαλμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον πάντων κατεφίλησε. 3. Νουμεριανὸς κατηγορεῖτο ὑπὸ τινὸς ὡς κεκλοφὼς δημόσια χρήματα· ὁ δ' ἔξαρνος ἦν· ὁ δὲ κατήγορος οὐκ ἔχων ἐλέγχους, «Καὶ τίς, ἔφη, βασιλέων ἄριστε, τῶν ὑπαιτίων δίκην ὑπόσχῃ, εἰ πρὸς ἐκφυγεῖν τὸ ἀρνηθῆναι μόνον ἀρκεύει;» Ὁ δὲ Ἰουλιανὸς,» Καὶ τίς, ἔφη ἀναίτιος εὑρεθήσεται, εἰ ὁ κατήγορος ἐλέγχων χωρὶς πιστεύοιτο;» 4. Ἰοβιανὸς ἠκολούθει ποτὲ Ἰουλιανῷ, καὶ, συμβὰν οὕτω, τὴν χλαμύδα αὐτοῦ ἐπάτησεν. Ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἑρμηνεύων τὸ μέλλον εἶπεν, «Εἴθε γοῦν ἄνθρωπος ἦν.» Καὶ μετὰ θάνατον αὐτοῦ Ἰοβιανὸς αὐτὸν διεδέξατο. 179Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι Ἰουλιανὸς ὁ μισόθεος καὶ μισόχριστος διανυκτερεύων λόγους συνέγραφε, καὶ τούτους ἐπὶ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς ἐπεδείκνυτο. Ἐτίμα δὲ καὶ τοὺς περὶ παιδείαν ἀσχολουμένους, μάλιστα τοὺς φιλοσοφίαν ἐπαγγελλομένους. Ταῦτα αὐτοῦ ἀσκοῦντος οἱ τῶν ἐπαρχῶν ἄρχοντες λαμβάνειν τὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν βουλόμενοι πολλοὺς τιμωρίαις ὑπέβαλλον. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἰουλιανὸς κατ' ἀρχὰς τοῖς προσιοῦσιν ἤπιος ὢν, οὐχ ὁμοίως τότε διεγένετο, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ τῶν πραττομένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἑλληνίζειν δοκούντων παρεώρα. Καί ποτε Χριστιανοὺς ἐκώλυσεν Ἑλληνικῆς παιδείας μεταλαμβάνειν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν βασιλικὴν δορυφορίαν στρατεύεσθαι. Ἐν οἷς ἦν Ἰοβιανός τε καὶ Βαλεντινιανὸς καὶ Οὐάλης, οἱ μετ' αὐτὸν βασιλεύσαντες. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶχε τῆς ἐπὶ Πέρσας ὁδοῦ, διά τε τῆς Ἀσίας ἐπὶ Συρίαν καὶ τὴν Ἀντιόχου διελθὼν πόλιν πλεῖστα παρὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐπορίσατο χρήματα, καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν κατὰ τοῦ δήμου διεγερθεὶς, ὡς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀποσκώψαντος, ὑπὸ Σαλουστίου τοῦ τῶν πραιτωρίων ἐπάρχου παρεκλήθη. 180 Ibid.: Ὅτι φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάννης οὑτοσὶ περὶ τοῦ Παραβάτου Ἰουλιανοῦ, ὡς μόνος τὸ Ῥωμαϊκὸν καλῶς διῴκησεν, ἀνώρθωσέ τε αὐτὸ, εἰ μὴ ἐς ἐναντίωσιν τὰ ἐκ τοῦ δαιμονίου κατέστη· πάσης γὰρ παιδείας τά τε Ῥωμαίων, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ Ἑλληνίδα γλῶτταν ἐς ἄκρον συνειλήφει, ὀξὺς μὲν ὢν συνιδεῖν τὸ πρακτέον, ἑτοιμότερος δὲ τοῦτο ἐξαγγεῖλαί τε καὶ ἑρμηνεῦσαι, μνήμην τε ἁπάντων βεβαίαν ἔχων, σοφὸς μὲν τὰ οὐράνια, ἔμφρων δὲ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα. Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς φίλους μεγαλόφρων τε καὶ ἐλευθέριος, πλὴν ὅσον οὐκ ἐξητασμένος οὐδὲ ἀκριβὴς ἦν ἐν ταῖς τούτων κτήσεσι τὸν ἁρμόζοντα τοιῷδε βασιλεῖ τρόπον. Ἐγένοντο γοῦν τινες οἳ μῶμον τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς δόξῃ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀνέθεσαν μειονεκτήμασι, πολλὰ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων λαμβάνοντες προφάσει τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς δοκήσεως, οὐ μόνον ἀγνοοῦντος τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀλλὰ καὶ κωλύοντος. Τοῖς γε μὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐποίκοις τὰ