91

turning 1.250 frequently he was seeing the wheels going up. Whom the king having seen and having become angry asked for what reason, turning frequently, he did not allow the chariot to run straight. He, with fear, made his defense, "Seeing the wheels going up and coming down, I perceive the instability of life, how the low become high and the high low." Which Cyrus having heard and understood, he released him, and having honored him kindly, made him get up into the chariot, and deemed worthy of freedom not only him but also the rest. This Cyrus ruled over the Persians and Medes, Chaldeans and Assyrians, Syria and the Lydians. This man captures Croesus. And having wished to burn him with fire, on account of Solon he spared him in the following way. Croesus, going away to be burned, cried out, "O Solon, O Solon." Cyrus, having heard this, inquired for what reason he named Solon, and from him he hears that "When having taken Solon captive I brought him, boasting in my glory and in the wealth of my kingdom I said to him, 'Can you find, O Solon, anyone happier than me?' And he said to me that 'Diogenes the cynic is happier than you, and many others.' Whom having sent away as being out of his mind, I have now perceived that all the things of the world are nothing. For see that I was benefited in nothing from the wealth of my kingdom." Then Cyrus, having understood, not only left him unpunished, but also having honored him, he took him as a counselor and a tutor for his son Cambyses. This 1.251 Croesus, wishing to fight with Cyrus, asked for an oracle, and receives one such as this: "Croesus, having crossed the Halys, will destroy a great empire." Which not having understood, he lost his own kingdom. Cyrus, therefore, having subdued Croesus, had Daniel as a companion on account of his prophecy, and as a table-companion. And he decreed the return for the people with a splendid proclamation. Then also Bel was destroyed by his counsels, and the dragon was destroyed by the wisdom of Daniel, and his worshipers perished, and he himself for a second time was delivered from the fierceness of the lions, and those who had slandered him were destroyed in their place. This man was called Cyrus in Greek, but Artaxerxes and Arthasastha in Persian. This Cyrus is killed by the queen of the Massagetae; for having pretended through messages to be his servant, she sent to him gifts and sheep and much wine in skins, and when Cyrus' men were drunk, she came out and killed almost all of them, and having taken Cyrus she threw his head into a skin, saying, "Be satisfied, insatiable Cyrus." After Belshazzar the son of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius the Astyages held the rule for seventeen years; in whose time Daniel discerns the seventy-year period of the captivity, and the mystery of the seven weeks is revealed to him. And if anyone should wish to examine the account accurately and to count up the times, beginning from the going forth of the word according to the prophet to rebuild Jerusalem, that is, from Nehemiah son of Achel, the chief 1.252 cupbearer of Artaxerxes, who, having been deemed worthy and permitted, goes up to build Jerusalem, he will find the seventy weeks being completed, four hundred and ninety years, at that time when the transgression is finished and sin is brought to an end and vision is sealed and he prophesies and a holy of holies is anointed, that is, at the coming of Christ and the rest of the dispensation. Cyrus the Persian, having overthrown the dynasty of the Medes and Assyrians, and having taken control of all of Asia, reigned for thirty-one years. In his first year the seventy-year period of the captivity is completed. And in the following year he permits those of the Hebrews who were able to go up to Jerusalem to dwell, and he ordered the temple to be built. And the return was led by Jeshua the son of Jozadak the high priest and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And Jeshua and his companions, having laid the foundation of the temple, for forty-two whole years were hindered from completing the work, until Darius the

91

ἐπιστρεφό 1.250 μενος συχνῶς ἑώρα τοὺς τροχοὺς ἀναβαίνοντας. ὃν θεασάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ θυμωθεὶς ἤρετο τίνος χάριν πυκνῶς στρεφόμενος οὐκ ἐᾷ τὸ ἅρμα κατ' εὐθεῖαν τρέχειν. ὅσπερ μετὰ φόβου ἀπελο γήσατο "τοὺς τροχοὺς ὁρῶν ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐν νοῶ τὸ ἄστατον τοῦ βίου, πῶς τὰ κάτω ἄνω γίνονται καὶ τὰ ἄνω κάτω." ὅπερ ἀκούσας ὁ Κῦρος καὶ αἰσθόμενος ἔλυσεν αὐτόν, καὶ τιμήσας φιλοφρόνως ἀνεβίβασεν ἐν τῷ ἅρματι, καὶ ἐλευθερίας ἠξίωσεν οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς. οὗτος ὁ Κῦρος Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων Χαλδαίων τε καὶ Ἀσσυρίων, Συρίας καὶ Λυδῶν ἐκράτησεν. Οὗτος τὸν Κροῖσον αἰχμαλωτίζει. καὶ θελήσας αὐτὸν πυρὶ κατακαῦσαι διὰ Σόλωνα ἐφείσατο τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. ἀπερχόμενος ὁ Κροῖσος καῆναι ἀνέκραξεν "ὦ Σόλων, ὦ Σόλων." τοῦτο ἀκού σας ὁ Κῦρος ἐπύθετο τίνος χάριν ὀνομάζει τὸν Σόλωνα, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀκούει ὅτι ὅτε αἰχμαλωτεύσας τὸν Σόλωνα ἤνεγκα αὐτόν, καυχώμενος ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου καὶ ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ τῆς βασιλείας μου εἶπον αὐτῷ "δύνασαι εὑρεῖν ὦ Σόλων εὐδαιμονέστερόν μου;" καὶ εἴρηκέ μοι ὅτι ∆ιογένης ὁ κυνικὸς εὐδαιμονέστερός σού ἐστι καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοί. ὃν ἀποπεμψάμενος ὡς ἔξηχον, ἀρτίως ᾐσθόμην ὅτι πάντα τοῦ κόσμου οὐδέν εἰσιν. ἴδε γὰρ ὅτι οὐδὲν ὠφελήθην ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς βασιλείας μου. τηνικαῦτα αἰσθόμενος ὁ Κῦ ρος οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀτιμώρητον εἴασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιμήσας σύμ βουλον προσήκατο καὶ παιδαγωγὸν τοῦ παιδὸς Καμβύσου. οὗτος 1.251 ὁ Κροῖσος βουλόμενος τῷ Κύρῳ μαχέσασθαι ᾔτησε χρησμόν, καὶ λαμβάνει τοιοῦτον "Κροῖσος Ἅλυν διαβὰς μεγάλην ἀρχὴν καταλύ σει." ὃν μὴ νοηθεὶς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ ἀπώλεσε. Κῦρος τοίνυν τὸν Κροῖσον ὑποτάξας, τὸν ∆ανιὴλ συμβιω τὴν διὰ τὴν προφητείαν εἶχε καὶ ὁμοέστιον. καὶ τῷ λαῷ δὲ τὴν ἐπάνοδον μετὰ λαμπροῦ τοῦ κηρύγματος ἐθέσπισε. τότε καὶ ὁ Βὴλ ταῖς αὐτοῦ συμβουλίαις κατεστράφη, καὶ ὁ δράκων τῇ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ἀντανῄρηται συνέσει, καὶ οἱ τούτου θεραπευταὶ ἀπώλοντο, καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ δεύτερον τῆς τῶν λεόντων ὠμότητος ἐρρύσθη, καὶ οἱ τοῦτον διαβαλόντες ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀντανῃροῦντο. οὗτος Κῦρος μὲν Ἑλληνιστὶ ἐκαλεῖτο, Ἀρταξέρξης δὲ καὶ Ἀρθασασθὰς Περσιστί.τοῦτον τὸν Κῦρον κτείνει ἡ βασιλὶς Μασσαγετῶν· προσποιησα μένη γὰρ διὰ μηνυμάτων εἶναι αὐτοῦ δούλη, ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ δῶρα καὶ πρόβατα καὶ οἶνον πολὺν μετὰ ἀσκῶν, καὶ μεθυσάντων τῶν περὶ τὸν Κῦρον ἐξελθοῦσα σχεδὸν πάντας ἀπέκτεινε, καὶ λαβο μένη τοῦ Κύρου ἔβαλε τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀσκόν, λέγουσα "κορέσθητι, ἀκόρεστε Κῦρε." Μετὰ Βαλτάσαρ τὸν υἱὸν Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἐκράτησε τῆς ἀρχῆς ∆αρεῖος ὁ Ἀστυάγης ἔτη ιζʹ· ἐφ' οὗ ∆ανιὴλ τὸν ἑβδομη κονταετῆ τῆς μετοικεσίας χρόνον διαγινώσκει, καὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδο μάδων αὐτῷ τὸ μυστήριον ἀποκαλύπτεται. καὶ εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσαι βουληθῇ τὸν λόγον καὶ διαριθμήσασθαι τοὺς χρόνους, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ ἐξόδου λόγων κατὰ τὸν προφήτην τοῦ οἰκοδομηθῆ ναι Ἱερουσαλήμ, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ Νεεμίου υἱοῦ Ἀχελῆ τοῦ ἀρχιοι 1.252 νοχόου Ἀρταξέρξου, ὃς ἀξιωθεὶς καὶ ἐπιτραπεὶς ἄνεισιν οἰκοδο μῆσαι τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, εὑρήσει τὰς οʹ συμπεραινομένας ἑβδομά δας, ἔτη υ ϟʹ, ἐπὶ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ὅτε παλαιοῦται τὸ παράπτωμα καὶ συντελεῖται ἡ ἁμαρτία καὶ σφραγίζεται ὅραμα καὶ προφητεύει καὶ χρίεται ἅγιος ἁγίων, τουτέστιν ἐπὶ τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν πραγματείαν. Κῦρος ὁ Πέρσης καταλύσας τὴν Μήδων καὶ Ἀσσυρίων δυ ναστείαν, κρατήσας δὲ τῆς Ἀσίας ἁπάσης ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη λαʹ. τούτου τῷ πρώτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ ἑβδομηκονταετὴς χρόνος τῆς μετοικεσίας συμπληροῦται. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑπομένῳ ἔτει συγχωρεῖ τοὺς δυναμένους τῶν Ἑβραίων οἰκίζειν ἀνελθόντας εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ τὸν ναὸν οἰκοδομηθῆναι προσέταξε. τῆς δὲ ἐπανόδου ἡγοῦντο Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ μεγάλου ἱερέως καὶ Ζοροβάβελ ὁ τοῦ Σαλαθιήλ, καὶ προφήτης Ἀγγαῖος, καὶ Ζαχαρίας ὁ τοῦ Ἀδδώ. καταθέμενοι δὲ οἱ περὶ Ἰησοῦν τοῦ ναοῦ τὴν ἕδραν ἐφ' ὅλοις τεσσαράκοντα καὶ δύο ἔτεσι τὸ ἔργον ἐκωλύοντο συμπεραιῶσαι, μέχρις οὗ ∆αρεῖος ὁ