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has made to sit in council. Then Theudas says to the emperor: O Emperor, live forever, protected by the favor of the greatest gods. For I have heard that you have fought a great fight against the Galileans and have been crowned with the most splendid diadems of victory. Therefore I have come, that we might together celebrate a festival of thanksgiving, that we might sacrifice beautiful youths and fair maidens to the immortal gods, and that we might offer a hundred bulls and very many animals besides these, so that we may have them as invincible allies for the future as well, smoothing our whole life for us. To this the emperor said, We have not conquered, o elder; we have not conquered, but rather we have been utterly defeated. For those who were for us have suddenly become against us. and finding our battle-line frenzied and manic and weak, they completely overthrew it. But now, if any power and strength is in you to help our prostrate religion and to set it upright again, report it to me. And Theudas gave such answers 444 to the emperor: Do not fear the objections and idle talk of the Galileans, o emperor; for what are the things said by them to rational and sensible men? Which, in my opinion, will be more easily cast down than a leaf shaken by the wind. For they will not endure to come before my face, let alone join in argument and proceed to propositions and counter-arguments with me. But, so that this present contest and whatever else we might wish may come to us straightaway and matters may proceed smoothly, adorn this public festival, and put on the favor of the gods like some mighty weapon; and may it be well with you. Having thus boasted, he who was mighty in wickedness and meditated iniquity all the day (for let David speak with us), and who gave his neighbor a murky potion of overthrow, as Isaiah says, with the cooperation of the evil spirits accompanying him, he made the emperor completely forget the thoughts that reminded him of salvation and to cling carefully again to his customary ways. Whence also, when imperial letters had circulated everywhere for all to assemble at their abominable festival, one could see the crowds streaming, with sheep and cattle and various kinds of animals being led. Therefore, when all had assembled, the emperor arose with the deceiver Theudas and proceeded to the temple, bringing one hundred and twenty bulls to sacrifice, and many animals. And they celebrated their accursed festival, so that the city resounded with 446 the voice of the irrational animals, and the very air was polluted by the savor of the sacrifices. When these things were thus accomplished, and the spirits of wickedness had boasted greatly in the victory of Theudas, and the temple-wardens had confessed their thanks to him, the emperor returned again to the palace. And he says to Theudas: Behold now, as you commanded, we have spared no effort in the splendid celebration of the festival and the abundance of the sacrifices. It is now time, therefore, to fulfill what you have promised and to rescue my son, who has apostatized from our worship, from the error of the Christians, and to reconcile him to the benevolent gods. For I, having tried every art and device, found no cure for the evil; but I saw that his mind was stronger than all things. If I approached him gently and mildly, I found him not paying attention to me at all; if I treated him harshly and severely, I saw him rather raised to despair. To your wisdom, therefore, I commit the matters of the misfortune that has befallen me. If, therefore, being delivered from this through you, I shall see my son again serving my gods with me and enjoying the desires of this pleasant life and kingdom, I will erect a golden statue to you, and I will cause you to be honored by all equally with the gods for all endless time to come. Theudas, therefore, having inclined a hearing ear to the evil one, and from

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συνεδριάζειν πεποίηκεν. εἶτα λέγει Θευδᾶς τῷ βασιλεῖ· Βασιλεῦ, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ζῆθι, τῇ τῶν μεγίστων θεῶν εὐμενείᾳ σκεπόμενος. ἤκουσα γὰρ ἀγῶνά σε μέγαν ἀγωνίσασθαι κατὰ τῶν Γαλιλαίων καὶ λαμπροτάτοις διαδήμασι νίκης καταστεφθῆναι. διὸ ἐλήλυθα, ἵνα εὐχαριστήριον ἑορτὴν ὁμοῦ τελέσωμεν, νεανίσκους τε ὡραίους καὶ κόρας εὐόπτους τοῖς ἀθανάτοις θεοῖς καταθύσωμεν, ταύρους τε ἑκατὸν καὶ ζῷα τούτοις πλεῖστα προσενέγκωμεν, ὡς ἂν ἔχοιμεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς συμμάχους ἀηττήτους, ὅλον ἡμῖν τὸν βίον ἐξομαλίζοντας. Πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεύς, Οὐ νενικήκαμεν, ἔφη, ὦ πρεσβύτα· οὐ νενικήκαμεν, ἀλλ' ἀνὰ κράτος μᾶλλον ἡττήμεθα. οἱ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐξαίφνης γεγόνασι. παράβακχόν τε καὶ μανικὴν καὶ ἀσθενῆ τὴν ἡμετέραν εὑρόντες παράταξιν, τέλεον ταύτην κατέβαλον. νυνὶ δέ, εἴ τίς σοι δύναμις πρόσεστι καὶ ἰσχὺς εἰς τὸ βοηθῆσαι τῇ κάτω κειμένῃ θρησκείᾳ ἡμῶν καὶ ταύτην αὖθις ἀνορθῶσαι, ἀνάγγειλόν μοι. Ὁ δὲ Θευδᾶς τοιαύτας ἐδίδου τὰς ἀποκρίσεις 444 τῷ βασιλεῖ· Τὰς μὲν τῶν Γαλιλαίων ἐνστάσεις καὶ ματαιολογίας μὴ φοβοῦ, βασιλεῦ· τίνα γάρ εἰσι τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν λεγόμενα πρὸς ἄνδρας λογικοὺς καὶ ἐχέφρονας; ἅτινα, ἐμοὶ δόξαν, ῥᾳδίως καταβληθήσεται μᾶλλον ἢ φύλλον ἀνέμῳ κατασεισθέν. οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ πρόσωπόν μου ἐλθεῖν ὑπομενοῦσι μὴ ὅτι γε καὶ λόγον συνᾶραι καὶ εἰς προτάσεις μοι καὶ ἀντιθέσεις χωρῆσαι. ἀλλ', ἵνα τοῦτό τε τὸ προκείμενον ἀγώνισμα καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἂν βουληθείημεν ἐπ' εὐθείας ἡμῖν γένοιτο καὶ κατὰ ῥοῦν τὰ πράγματα χωρήσειε, τὴν ἑορτὴν κόσμησον ταύτην τὴν δημοτελῆ, καὶ τὴν εὐμένειαν τῶν θεῶν ὥσπερ τι κραταιὸν περιβαλοῦ ὅπλον· καὶ εὖ σοι γένηται. Οὕτω καυχησάμενος ὁ ἐν κακίᾳ δυνατὸς εἶναι ἀνομίαν τε ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελετήσας (συμφθεγγέσθω γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ ∆αυΐδ), ἀνατροπὴν δὲ θολεράν, καθά φησιν Ἠσαΐας, τῷ πλησίον ποτίσας, συνεργίᾳ τῶν συμπαρομαρτούντων αὐτῷ πονηρῶν πνευμάτων ἐπιλαθέσθαι τὸν βασιλέα παντάπασι τῶν πρὸς σωτηρίαν ὑπομιμνησκόντων λογισμῶν πεποίηκε καὶ τῶν συνήθων πάλιν ἐπιμελῶς ἔχεσθαι. ἔνθεν τοὶ καὶ γραμμάτων βασιλικῶν πανταχοῦ διαπεφοιτηκότων τοῦ συνελθεῖν πάντας ἐν τῇ μυσαρᾷ πανηγύρει αὐτῶν, ἦν ἰδεῖν συρρέοντα τὰ πλήθη, πρόβατά τε καὶ βόας καὶ διάφορα γένη ζῴων ἀγόμενα. Πάντων τοίνυν συνεληλυθότων, ἀναστὰς ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ τοῦ ἀπατεῶνος Θευδᾶ πρὸς τὸν ναὸν ἐχώρει, ταύρους καταθῦσαι φέρων ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι καὶ ζῷα πολλά. καὶ ἐτέλουν τὴν ἐπάρατον αὐτῶν ἑορτήν, ὡς περιηχεῖσθαι μὲν τὴν πόλιν ὑπὸ 446 τῆς τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων φωνῆς, τῇ δὲ τῶν θυσιῶν κνίσῃ καὶ αὐτὸν μολύνεσθαι τὸν ἀέρα. τούτων οὕτω τελεσθέντων, καὶ τῶν τῆς πονηρίας πνευμάτων λίαν ἐγκαυχησαμένων ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ τοῦ Θευδᾶ, καὶ χάριτας αὐτῷ ὁμολογησάντων τῶν νεωκόρων, εἰς τὸ παλάτιον αὖθις ἐπανῆκεν ὁ βασιλεύς. καί φησι τῷ Θευδᾷ· Ἰδοὺ δή, καθὰ ἐκέλευσας, οὐδεμίαν ἐνελίπομεν σπουδὴν ἐπὶ τῇ λαμπροφορίᾳ τῆς πανηγύρεως καὶ δαψιλείᾳ τῶν θυσιῶν. καιρὸς οὖν ἤδη τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα πληρῶσαι καὶ τὸν ἀποστατήσαντα τῶν ἡμετέρων σεβασμάτων υἱόν μου τῆς πλάνης ἀναρρύσασθαι τῶν Χριστιανῶν, καὶ τοῖς εὐμενέσι καταλλάξαι θεοῖς. ἐγὼ γὰρ τέχνην πᾶσαν καὶ χεῖρα κινήσας οὐδεμίαν εὗρον τοῦ κακοῦ θεραπείαν· ἀλλὰ πάντων κρείττονα τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώμην ἐθεασάμην. εἰ πράως αὐτῷ ἐνέτυχον καὶ ἠπίως, οὐδὲ τὸν νοῦν μοι προσέχοντα ὅλως εὕρισκον· εἰ αὐστηρῶς ἐχρησάμην καὶ ἐμβριθῶς, εἰς ἀπόνοιαν μᾶλλον αἰρόμενον ἐθεώρουν. τῇ σῇ λοιπὸν σοφίᾳ τὰ τῆς ἐπελθούσης μοι συμφορᾶς ἀνατίθημι. εἰ οὖν, ταύτης ἀπαλλαγεὶς διὰ σοῦ, τὸν ἐμὸν αὖθις ὄψομαι υἱὸν σὺν ἐμοὶ τοῖς θεοῖς μου λατρεύοντα καὶ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τῆς ἐνηδόνου ζωῆς ταύτης καὶ βασιλείας ἀπολαύοντα, στήλην σοι ἀνεγείρας χρυσῆν, ἴσα θεοῖς θήσομαι παρὰ πάντων τιμᾶσθαι εἰς τὸν ἐπιόντα ἀτελεύτητον χρόνον. Ὁ Θευδᾶς τοίνυν οὖς εὐήκοον ὑποκλίνας τῷ πονηρῷ, καὶ παρ'