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had come to the end of their dominion. And I pass over the things of old, when the rule of the Romans was bounded in the east by the Euphrates and Tigris, and in the west by Sicily and the regions beyond Apulia, and it had the Ethiopians to the south and the northern regions to the north; I leave these things aside. But you surely know from hearing that inland from this very sea, a distance of not two or three days, but in some places even ten and more than that, was then held by our people, apart from all the islands, even the greatest ones. But, with God willing or rather permitting, for the exaction of our offenses against Him, when the fatherland itself suffered as if it were a kind of heart, all things were killed along with it; and the Italians, the Persians, the Bulgars and Triballians and all the others divided them up, and there were some things which even Romans subject to the empire, having appropriated them, were ruling on their own. But our own territories were defined by Nicaea and Prusa 211 and thirdly Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. Therefore, what need is there to say how the other things were brought back to life again and are being brought back to life little by little, with the divine having mercy again? But it was not possible to hold even these things securely, with the queen city being absent. For what enemy has not reproached us, if we ever sent an embassy anywhere, as people without a city and living by necessity far from the royal throne? that we were therefore defining our fatherland by the stars, seeking to reclaim the remaining parts from those holding them, and that our conduct was not reasonable. And for this reason, although the emperors before us labored much, and we ourselves suffered not a few things at first, nothing was accomplished; for both to keep watch in vain over a city being guarded and for those who try to labor in vain over one that lies in enemy hands, is especially the work of God, of God who knows how to guard the one thought to be in danger, though it be unguarded, and to abandon the one fortified with strong soldiers to fall into the hands of the enemy; for to have striven much and greatly for it and to have passed through so many terrible things, accomplishing nothing, though being many times more numerous than the inhabitants, was a sign from God showing that the giving of it would be His work and His alone, out of mercy, to whom indeed the taking of it was also credited. The mistress of compassion has therefore come, and this strange thing has happened, during the reign of us who, one might say, have something good. And indeed it is right for us, having received back our fatherland, to give thanks and to hope that, just as when this fell the remaining parts fell with it, so too, now that it has been recalled, it is impossible that these will not be recalled; for Justice will turn back again, and the necks of many who were formerly arrogant—let it be said with God's help—will be bowed down to a more humble state. If, then, our fathers did not see the mercy of God, yet it has been granted to us to see it, being their sons; for both the benefaction and the punishment of God happen not to persons, but most of all to generations. This was done also in the case of those of old. And having promised to the fathers that good 213 land formerly announced to Abraham, that they would receive it as soon as they were delivered from Egypt, He caused their bones to fall in the desert, but He fulfilled the promise for their sons, and the promise did not fail; thus are the divine acts administered with just measures and weights. It is time, therefore, to move house, as God commands, not with sun-shades made of leaves in wagons—for these things were of old—but being sheltered by the grace of God. And indeed, let one of the archons be sent at once from here and let him take the houses in which he will dwell with his whole household. If it should happen that his ancestral ones and those of his family still survive, it would be well; but if not, let him choose suitable ones; for it was necessary, as God gives the grace, to act according to His laws and to bestow generously his portion to each. For it is right to consider that the divine bestows its favor not to us alone, but also to you; and just as being cast away was a common experience for those drinking the cup of wrath together, so also is being recalled a universal experience for those receiving the benefaction; and others will follow in succession, and thus again what was emptied

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τὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀρχῆς κατηντήκεσαν. Καὶ παρεῶ τὰ πάλαι, ὅτε ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴ πρὸς ἕω μὲν Εὐφράτῃ καὶ Τίγριδι, πρὸς δύσιν δὲ Σικελίᾳ καὶ τοῖς πρόσω Πουλείας ὡρίζετο, Αἰθίοπας δ' εἶχε πρὸς νότον καὶ πρὸς βορρᾶν τὰ προσάρκτια· ἀφίημι ταῦτα. Ἀλλ' οἴδατε πάντως ἀκούοντες ὡς ταύτης δὴ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐντὸς πρὸς ἤπειρον οὐ δυοῖν καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅπου καὶ δέκα καὶ τούτων πλέον, τόπου διάστημα παρὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων τότε κατείχετο, χωρὶς ἁπασῶν νήσων, καὶ τῶν μεγίστων. Ἀλλά, Θεοῦ θέλοντος ἢ μᾶλλον παραχωροῦντος, κατ' εἴσπραξιν τῶν εἰς ἐκεῖνον πλημμελημάτων, αὐτῆς ὡσανεί τινος καρδίας τῆς πατρίδος παθούσης, συνενεκρώθησαν πάντα· καὶ τὰ μὲν Ἰταλοί, τὰ δὲ Πέρσαι, Βούλγαροί τε καὶ Τριβαλλοὶ καὶ πάντες ἄλλοι διεμερίσαντο, ἔστι δ' ἃ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι τῇ βασιλείᾳ ὑπήκοοι νοσφισά μενοι καθ' αὑτοὺς ἦσαν δεσπόζοντες. Τὰ δέ γ' ἡμέτερα Νικαίᾳ καὶ Προύσῃ 211 καὶ τρίτῃ Φιλαδελφείᾳ καὶ τοῖς πέριξ διεγνωρίζοντο. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα πῶς καὶ αὖθις ἀνεζωώθησαν καί γε ἀναζωοῦνται κατὰ μικρόν, ἐλεοῦντος πάλιν τοῦ θείου, τί χρὴ καὶ λέγειν; Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτων ἦν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχειν, λειπούσης τῆς βασιλίδος. Ποῖος γὰρ ἡμῖν οὐ προσκρούων ὠνείδισεν, εἴ που καὶ διαπρεσβευσαίμεθα, ὡς ἀπόλισι καὶ πόρρω τοῦ βασιλείου θρόνου κατ' ἀνάγκην διάγουσιν; Ἄστρασι τοίνυν τὴν πατρίδα διασημαινομένους ζητεῖν τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ ἀνακαλεῖσθαι παρὰ τῶν κατεχόντων, μηδ' εἶναι τὴν ἀγωγὴν εὔλογον. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν βασιλέων πολλὰ πονεσάντων, οὐκ ὀλίγα δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν πρότριτα παθόντων, οὐδὲν ἠνύσθη· τὸ γὰρ καὶ φυλαττο μένης πόλεως εἰς κενὸν ἀγρυπνεῖν καὶ εἰς χεῖρας κειμένης αὖθις γενέσθαι εἰς μάτην τοὺς πειρωμένους πονεῖν, Θεοῦ ἐστι μάλιστα, Θεοῦ ὃς οἶδε καὶ τὴν εἰς κίνδυνον νομιζομένην κεῖσθαι φυλάττειν, ἀφύλακτον οὖσαν, καὶ τὴν ἰσχυροῖς ὁπλίταις ὠχυρωμένην ἐγκαταλείπειν εἰς χεῖρας πίπτειν τῶν πολεμίων· τὸ γὰρ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα πραγματευσαμένους περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ διὰ τοσούτων περαιωθέντας δεινῶν, μηδὲν ἐξανύειν, πολλαπλασίους ὄντας τῶν ἐνοικούντων, δεικνύντος Θεοῦ ἦν ὡς ἔργον ἐκείνου καὶ μόνου ἐξ ἐλέους ἔσται τὸ δοῦναι, οὗ δὴ καὶ τὸ λαβεῖν ἐπιστεύετο. Ἔφθασε τοίνυν ἡ τῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας κυρία, καὶ τὸ ξένον, ἡμῶν βασιλευόντων τῶν τις ἂν εἴποι ἀγαθὸν ἐχόντων. Καὶ δὴ εὐχαριστεῖν ἐστι δίκαιον ἀπολαβόντας τὴν πατρίδα καί γε ἐλπίζειν, ὥσπερ, καταπεσούσης ταύτης, συγκατέπιπτον τὰ λοιπά, οὕτως, ἀνακληθείσης αὐτῆς, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως οὐκ ἀνακληθήσεσθαι ταῦτα· ἡ γὰρ παλίμπους περιστήσεται ∆ίκη, καὶ πολλῶν πρὶν φρυαττομένων αὐχένες σὺν Θεῷ δ' εἰρήσθωκαθυποκλιθήσονται πρὸς τὸ ταπεινότερον. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὐκ εἶδον τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλεος, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν γέγονεν, υἱοῖς ἐκείνων γε οὖσιν· οὐ γὰρ προσώποις, ἀλλὰ γένεσιν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, καὶ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ γενέσθαι. Τοῦτ' ἐπράχθη καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πάλαι. Καὶ τοῖς πατράσιν ἐπαγγειλάμενος τὴν ἀγαθὴν 213 γῆν ἐκείνην τὴν πάλαι προαγγελθεῖσαν τῷ Ἀβραάμ, ὡς αὐτίκα τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἀπαλλαγεῖσι ληψομένοις ἐκείνην, ὁ δὲ ἐκείνων μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου πεσεῖν τὰ ὀστᾶ παρεσκεύασε, τοῖς δ' υἱέσι πληροῖ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, καὶ οὐ διέπεσεν ἡ ὑπόσχεσις· οὕτω δικαίοις μέτροις καὶ σταθμοῖς αἱ θεῖαι πράξεις οἰκονο μοῦνται. Καιρὸς γοῦν μετοικεῖν, προστάσσοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ σκιαδείοις ἐκ φύλλων ἐν λαμπήναιςταῦτα γὰρ ἦσαν τὸ πάλαι, ἀλλὰ σκεπομένοις χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ δὴ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἅμα πεμφθήτω τις τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ λαμβανέτω τοὺς οἴκους οἷ πανοικεὶ κατοικήσει. Εἰ μὲν συμβαίνοι τοὺς πατρίους εἶναι καὶ τοὺς τοῦ γένους περιόντας ἔτι, εὖ ἂν σχήσοι· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλά τις ἐκλεγέσθω τοὺς ἁρμοδίους· ἐχρῆν γάρ, Θεοῦ διδόντος τὴν χάριν, κατὰ νόμους ἐκείνου ποιεῖν καὶ προσφιλοτιμεῖσθαι τὸ μέρος ἑκάστῳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμῖν μόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῖν δίκαιον ἡγεῖσθαι τὸ θεῖον χαρίζεσθαι· καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ἀπερρῖφθαι κοινὸν τὸ τῆς ὀργῆς ἅμα πίνουσι κόνδυ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἐπανακαλεῖσθαι καθολικὸν τὴν εὐεργεσίαν λαμβάνουσιν· ἕψονται δ' ἐφεξῆς ἄλλοι, καὶ οὕτω πάλιν τὸ κενωθὲν