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he cleansed 4.16.13 and made temperate. Many other things were also accomplished by him beyond human power and skill, and indeed this also. There was a serpent, or some other kind of reptile, before the city, which destroyed passers-by with its breath; for it lurked beside a main road. When Arsacius came there, he prayed, and the serpent automatically came out of its lair and, twice dashing its head against the ground, killed itself. And so they related these things, who said they had heard them from those who had seen Arsacius himself. 4.16.14 But the bishops, having been checked in their rush to the synod on account of the calamity of Nicomedia, some waited for what would again seem best to the emperor, while others declared by letter the opinion they held concerning the faith. And the emperor, being at a loss what to do, writes to Basil inquiring what should be done about 4.16.15 the synod. He, as was fitting, praised him for his piety in a letter and, after consoling him for the calamity of Nicomedia with examples from sacred histories, urged him to hasten the synod and not to give up, since the effort was for the sake of piety, and not to send away without result the priests gathered for this purpose, who had once come out and were on their journey. He appointed for the synod the place of Nicaea instead of Nicomedia, so that there the matters concerning 4.16.16 the faith might be set right, where also the investigation had begun. And Basil wrote back such things, reasoning that in this way he would make known what was pleasing to the emperor, inasmuch as he himself had at the beginning approved that the synod be held in Nicaea. Having received Basil's letter, he at first ordered them to assemble in Nicaea at the beginning of summer, except if any were weak in body; and that these should send in their place whichever presbyters or deacons they might choose, so as to declare their opinion and to deliberate about the doubtful points 4.16.17 and to agree together on all matters. And that ten from the western parts and as many from the east, whom those assembling might choose by common consent, should come to the palace and relate what had been decided, so that he himself might also see if they were in agreement with each other according to the sacred scriptures, and concerning 4.16.18 the things to be done, might accomplish them in whatever way might seem best. But after this, having deliberated, he commanded all to remain wherever they were staying or in their own churches, until a place for the synod should be appointed and notice given to come to it. And he writes to Basil by letter to inquire of all the bishops throughout the East where it was fitting to hold the synod, so that at the beginning of spring this might be made clear to all; for he supposed it was not well to hold a synod in Nicaea, as the people 4.16.1 there had been exhausted by earthquakes. And Basil, prefixing the emperor's letters to his own letter, made it known to the bishops of each nation to consider with haste and to declare quickly the pleasing place. But as is wont in such matters, since not all chose the same place, Basil comes to the emperor; and he was then staying in Sirmium. And he finds there some other bishops for their own needs, and Mark of Arethusa and George who had been entrusted to preside over the church of Alex-4.16. andria. And since it was now decided that the synod should be held in Seleucia of Isauria, those around Valens (for he too was indeed staying in Sirmium), delighting in the heresy of the Anomoeans, endeavor to have the bishops present at the camp sign a certain prepared formula of faith, in which the name of "sub4.16.21 stance" was not included. But while the synod was being eagerly promoted, those around Eudoxius and Acacius, and Ursacius and Valens, reasoned that of the bishops everywhere some zealously held the faith of Nicaea, and others that set forth at the dedication of the church of Antioch, and that each contained the name of "substance" and declared the Son to be in all things like the Father, and that, if all were to assemble in the same place, they would readily vote against the doctrine of Aetius, which they themselves praised and which was openly dissonant with both, they managed to have those from the west at Ariminum

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ἐκαθάρισεν 4.16.13 καὶ σωφρονεῖν ἐποίησε. πεπόνητο δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ πολλὰ ἄλλα ὑπὲρ ἀνθρωπείαν δύναμιν καὶ τέχνην καὶ μέντοι καὶ τόδε. δράκων ἦν ἢ ἕτερον ἑρπετοῦ γένος πρὸ τῆς πόλεως, ὃ τοὺς παροδίτας τῷ φυσήματι ἀπώλλυε· παρὰ γὰρ λεωφόρον ἐφώλευεν. ἔνθα δὴ παραγενόμενος ᾿Αρσάκιος ηὔξατο, καὶ ὁ ὄφις αὐτομάτως τοῦ φωλεοῦ ἐξῆλθε καὶ δὶς τῷ ἐδάφει τὴν κεφαλὴν προσρήξας ἑαυτὸν ἀνεῖλε. καὶ τὰ μὲν ὧδε ἀφηγήσαντο, οἳ παρὰ τῶν ᾿Αρσάκιον αὐτὸν θεασαμένων ἀκηκοέναι ἔφασαν. 4.16.14 Οἱ δὲ ἐπίσκοποι ἀνακοπέντες τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν σύνοδον ὁρμῆς διὰ τὸ Νικομηδείας πάθος, οἱ μὲν περιέμενον τὰ δόξοντα πάλιν τῷ βασιλεῖ, οἱ δὲ ἣν ἔχουσι δόξαν περὶ τῆς πίστεως διὰ γραμμάτων ἐδήλωσαν. ἀπορῶν δὲ περὶ τοῦ πρακτέου ὁ κρατῶν γράφει Βασιλείῳ πυνθανόμενος ὅ τί ποτε χρὴ περὶ 4.16.15 τῆς συνόδου ποιεῖν. ὁ δὲ ὡς εἰκὸς ἐπὶ εὐσεβείᾳ δι' ἐπιστολῆς ἐπαινέσας αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει Νικομηδείας παραμυθησάμενος ἐξ ὑποδειγμάτων ἱερῶν ἱστοριῶν παροτρύνει ἐπιταχῦναι τὴν σύνοδον καὶ μὴ καθυφεῖναι, ὡς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας τῆς σπουδῆς οὔσης, μηδὲ ἀπράκτους ἀποπέμψαι τοὺς ἐπὶ τούτῳ συλλεγομένους ἱερέας, ἅπαξ ἐξεληλυθότας καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ὄντας. ὥρισε δὲ τῇ συνόδῳ τόπον ἀντὶ Νικομηδείας τὴν Νίκαιαν, ὥστε ἐκεῖ τὰ περὶ 4.16.16 τῆς πίστεως διορθωθῆναι, ἔνθα καὶ ζητεῖσθαι ἤρξατο. καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος τοιαῦτα ἀντέγραψε τεκμηράμενος ὧδέ πῃ κεχαρισμένα βασιλεῖ δηλώσειν, καθότι καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ἐδοκίμασε γενέσθαι τὴν σύνοδον. δεξάμενος δὲ τὴν Βασιλείου ἐπιστολὴν τὰ μὲν πρῶτα προσέταξεν ἀρχομένου τοῦ θέρους συνελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς Νίκαιαν, πλὴν εἰ μή τινες εἶεν τοῖς σώμασιν ἀσθενεῖς· ἐκπέμψαι δὲ τούτους ἀντὶ αὐτῶν, οὓς ἂν ἕλωνται πρεσβυτέρους ἢ διακόνους, ὥστε τὴν αὐτῶν γνώμην δηλῶσαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀμφιβόλων 4.16.17 βουλεύσασθαι καὶ κοινῇ περὶ πάντων ὁμοφρονῆσαι. δέκα δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑσπερίων μερῶν καὶ τοσούτους ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω, οὓς ἂν κοινῇ γνώμῃ ἐπιλέξωνται οἱ συνιόντες, ἀφικέσθαι εἰς τὰ βασίλεια καὶ τὰ δόξαντα ἀφηγήσασθαι, ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸν συνιδεῖν, εἰ κατὰ τὰς ἱερὰς γραφὰς συνέβησαν ἀλλήλοις, καὶ περὶ 4.16.18 τῶν πρακτέων ὅπῃ ἂν ἄριστα δοκῇ ἐπιτελέσαι. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα βουλευσάμενος προσέταξε πάντας ἔνθα ἂν διάγωσιν ἢ ἐν ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐκκλησίαις ἐπιμεῖναι, μέχρις ἂν ὁρισθείη τῇ συνόδῳ τόπος καὶ σημανθείη εἰς τοῦτον ἀφικέσθαι. γράφει δὲ τῷ Βασιλείῳ δι' ἐπιστολῶν πυθέσθαι πάντων τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν ἕω ἐπισκόπων ὅπῃ ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν σύνοδον προσῆκεν, ὥστε ἔαρος ἀρχομένου τοῦτο πᾶσι γενέσθαι δῆλον· ἐν Νικαίᾳ γὰρ ὡς κεκμηκότος τοῦ τῇδε 4.16.1 ἔθνους ὑπὸ σεισμῶν οὐ καλῶς ἔχειν ὑπέλαβε σύνοδον ποιεῖν. ὁ δὲ Βασίλειος ἰδίας ἐπιστολῆς προτάξας τὰ βασιλέως γράμματα τοῖς κατὰ ἔθνος ἐπισκόποις ἐδήλωσε σπουδῇ διασκέψασθαι καὶ τὸν ἀρέσοντα τόπον ἐν τάχει δηλῶσαι. Οἷα δὲ φιλεῖ ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις, οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ἐπιλεξαμένων πάντων παραγίνεται πρὸς βασιλέα Βασίλειος· διέτριβε δὲ τότε ἐν Σιρμίῳ. καὶ καταλαμβάνει ἐνθάδε ἄλλους τέ τινας ἐπισκόπους κατ' ἰδίας χρείας καὶ Μᾶρκον τὸν ᾿Αρεθούσιον καὶ Γεώργιον τὸν ἐπιτραπέντα προστατεῖν τῆς ᾿Αλεξ-4.16. ανδρέων ἐκκλησίας. δόξαν δὲ ἤδη ἐν Σελευκείᾳ τῆς ᾿Ισαυρίας γενέσθαι τὴν σύνοδον, οἱ ἀμφὶ Οὐάλεντα (καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ οὗτος τῷ Σιρμίῳ ἐνεδήμει) τῇ τῶν ᾿Ανομοίων αἱρέσει χαίροντες σπουδάζουσι τοὺς τῷ στρατοπέδῳ παρόντας ἐπισκόπους εἰς ἕτοιμον γραφήν τινα πίστεως ὑπογράψαι, ἐν ᾗ τὸ τῆς οὐ4.16.21 σίας οὐκ ἐνέκειτο ὄνομα. σπουδαζομένης δὲ τῆς συνόδου λογισάμενοι οἱ ἀμφὶ Εὐδόξιον καὶ ᾿Ακάκιον, Οὐρσάκιόν τε καὶ Οὐάλεντα, ὡς τῶν πανταχῇ ἐπισκόπων οἱ μὲν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν, οἱ δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀφιερώσει τῆς ᾿Αντιοχέων ἐκκλησίας ἐκτεθεῖσαν ζηλοῦσιν, ἑκατέρα τε τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα ἔχει καὶ κατὰ πάντα ὅμοιον τῷ πατρὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἀποφαίνει, καὶ ὡς, εἰ πάντες εἰς ταὐτὸν συνέλθωσιν, ἑτοίμως καταψηφίσονται τῆς ᾿Αετίου δόξης, ἣν αὐτοὶ ἐπῄνουν ἄντικρυς ἑκατέρας ἀπᾴδουσαν, κατορθοῦσι τοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς δύσεως ἐν ᾿Αριμήνῳ