107

they barely persuaded and enslaved their minds, dividing them with gold. And now winning over this one, now that one with their messages, at one time paying court, at another making promises, they won over the many, and especially the notable ones; who indeed, growing softer daily, gave the others cause to suspect that they were betraying them. Yet, even sensing the change, they did not know what they should do; for they supposed that only those who made a truce were saved, and many joined them daily out of fear of being in danger. But there were also some who considered death in war much better than the expected punishment, if they should give way and be betrayed, and for these reasons they wished to hold out to the end.

13. Apology of the Zygians to one another on behalf of the one whom they had received as John. But those who put forward arguments in defense of the pretender had the upper hand. And: "For what," they said, "just thing have we done regarding this foreigner, whether he be that man, or another? Since having received him we laid down our lives for him, putting forward our wives and our own legitimate children, so that he who fled for refuge into our hands might be saved, shall we now, changing our minds, abandon him? And what will we have as a defense to those who blame us for betraying him? That he incited us against our will? But he came upon us when we were eager to suffer for our master. But that he threw our affairs into confusion? But someone might rather blame us for our eagerness than him. But that he impersonated the emperor and came as a suppliant? And first, who knows if these things are true? It would be easier for them to present another instead of the real one and to deceive us, if we should find out, than for this man, being another, to impersonate that one. Then let this also be so. Yet all have a desire for more, and it is desirable for each one to be himself the one who strives to obtain noble things; but if not, then even to seem to be exalted has 267 a not insignificant share of ambition. Why then, ceasing to blame ourselves, who were thus carried away and undertook the risk, do we cast blame upon him and, instead of saving him, surround him with the greatest danger? Besides, even if the most terrible things have been done by him, at least the guise of supplication is sufficient to save even the worst of men. For one should not consider what he might suffer, but what it is worthy for us to do." With some saying these things, it seemed to some that great matters would be disgraced if they should abandon the suppliant. And so they ruled out continuously fighting—for this would be a necessity if they did not overcome all; but this was impossible—as being dangerous and otherwise unseemly, but on the other hand they judged it blameworthy and entirely unjust towards the one who had come to make a truce after abandoning the stranger, if he, having trusted them, should be slain. Therefore, taking the middle course, they refused to betray him, but to make a truce for themselves in this way, if they wished; but if not, they agreed to fight to the end. While so much time was being wasted and some were unable to do anything, and others did not respond, the stranger was allowed to flee to the Persians; but those who had promises and agreements from the men here made a truce, having received pledges that they would not suffer. But they, having been made tame by the truces with them, treated the others badly and harshly and imposed upon them penalties that were not bearable and greater than they could endure; and as for driving them out from there into exile, which they would gladly have done as the greatest punishment, they were nevertheless prevented from doing so, lest they should also leave the heights deserted of men able to withstand the attacks of the Persians. Having accomplished these things concerning the Tricoccians and the Zygians, they returned to their homes.

14. How the patriarch was disposed when he learned what had happened and how he excommunicated the emperor. However, the event concerning the boy John, being too great to be concealed, became known also to the patriarch. But he, upon hearing it, considered the news terrible and did not know what he should do, nor could he be restrained, being distraught. Then, not judging it safe for himself to remain silent in the face of such deeds and not to proceed with rebukes, having summoned the hierarchs around him and having first complained terribly that he had been mocked and that the laws

107

μόλις ἔπειθον καὶ ἐδούλουν τὰς γνώμας, χρυσίῳ μερίζοντες. Καὶ νῦν μὲν τοῦτον, νῦν δ' ἐκεῖνον ὑπερχόμενοι τοῖς μηνύμασι, τοῦτο μὲν θεραπεύοντες, τοῦτο δέ γε καὶ ὑπισχνούμενοι, παρέπειθον τοὺς πολλούς, καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς ἐπιδήλους· οἳ δὴ ὁσημέραι πλέον μαλακιζόμενοι ὑποψίαν τοῦ προδιδόναι παρεῖχον τοῖς ἄλλοις. Πλὴν καὶ τῆς μεταβολῆς αἰσθανόμενοι οὐκ εἶχον ὅ τι καὶ πράξειαν· μόνους γὰρ τοὺς σπενδομένους ὑπελάμβανον σῴζεσθαι, κἀκείνοις ὁσημέραι πολλοὶ προσετίθεντο δέει τοῦ κινδυνεύειν. Ἦσαν δὲ καί τινες οἳ πολὺ κρείτ τονα τὸν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἡγοῦντο θάνατον τῆς προσδοκωμένης, εἰ καθυφεῖντο καὶ προδοθεῖεν, κολάσεως, καὶ ἀντέχειν διὰ ταῦτα διὰ τέλους ἤθελον.

ιγʹ. Ἀπολογία τῶν Ζυγηνῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὃν ὡς Ἰωάννην ὑπεδέξαντο. Ἐπλεονέκτουν δὲ μᾶλλον οἱ καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τυφλώττοντος προβαλλόμενοι. Καί· «Τί γάρ, ἔλεγον, δίκαιον ἡμῖν πέπρακται ἐπὶ τῷ ἀλλοδαπῷ τῷδε, εἰ κἀκεῖνος εἴη, εἰ ἄλλος; Ἐπειδὴ δεξάμενοι ἐτίθεμεν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τὰς ψυχάς, γυναῖκας καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ γνήσια προβαλλόμενοι, ἐς ὃ σωθείη ὁ εἰς χεῖρας ἡμετέρας καταφυγών, νῦν μεταβαλόντες καταπροώμεθα; Τί δ' ἡμῖν εἰς ἀπολογίαν πρὸς τοὺς μεμφομένους ἐσεῖται προδοῦσι; Ὅτι παρώτρυνε μὴ θέλοντας; Ἀλλ' ἡμῖν γλιχομένοις ὑπὲρ δεσπότου πάσχειν ἐπέστη. Ἀλλ' ὅτι τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐν ταραχῇ κατέστησεν; Ἀλλ' ἡμῖν γε προθυμουμένοις μᾶλλον ἢ τούτῳ μέμψαιτό τις. Ἀλλ' ὅτι ὑπεκρίθη τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προσικέ τευσε; Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τίς οἶδεν ἂν ἀληθῆ ταῦτα; Ῥᾷον αὐτοῖς ἄλλον ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ἐμφανίζειν καὶ ἀπατᾶν, εἰ ἐπισταῖμεν, ἢ τοῦτον ἄλλον ὄντα ἐκεῖνον ὑποκρινεῖσθαι. Εἶτα ἔστω καὶ τοῦτο. Πλὴν πᾶσι μὲν ἡ τοῦ πλείονος ἔφεσις, καὶ ἀγαπητὸν μὲν αὐτὸν ἕκαστον ὄντα τὸν σπουδαζόμενον τῶν καλῶν τυγχάνειν· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δοκοῦντα μεγαλύνεσθαι μοῖραν 267 οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν φιλοτιμίας ἔχει. Τί οὖν ἑαυτοῖς ἀφέμενοι μέμφεσθαι, συναρπασθεῖσιν οὕτως καὶ κίνδυνον ἐπανῃρημένοις, μῶμον ἐκείνῳ προστρί βομεν καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ σῴζειν μεγίστῳ κινδύνῳ περιβάλλομεν; Ἄλλως τε, εἰ καί οἱ τὰ παγχάλεπα πέπρακται, τὸ γοῦν σχῆμα τῆς ἱκετείας ἱκανὸν καὶ τὸν κάκιστον σῴζειν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν τί παθεῖν ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ τί ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς ἄξιον προσκοπεῖν.» Ταῦτά τινων λεγόντων, ἐδόκει τισὶν ἀδοξεῖν τὰ μεγάλα, εἰ καταπροοῖντο τὸν ἱκέτην. Καὶ τὸ μὲν διηνεκῶς πολεμεῖνκαὶ γὰρ ἂν ἀνάγκῃ τοῦτ' εἶναι μὴ περιγενομένους τῶν πάντων· τοῦτο δ' ἦν ἀδύνατονὡς κινδυνῶδες καὶ ἄλλως ὂν ἀπρεπὲς ἀπέλεγον, τὸ δ' αὖθις καταπροεμένους τὸν ξένον σπένδεσθαι ἐπίμωμον ἔκρινον καὶ ἄδικον πάντη πρὸς τὸν ἡκότα, εἰ πιστεύσας ἐκείνοις σφάζοιτο. Τῷ τοι καὶ τὴν μέσην χωροῦντες, αὐτὸν μὲν ἀπεῖπον μὴ προδιδόναι, αὐτοὺς δὲ σπένδεσθαι οὕτως, εἰ θέλοιεν· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τέλους μαχεῖσθαι συνετίθεντο. Ἐν τοσούτῳ οὖν τοῦ καιροῦ τριβομένου καὶ τῶν μὲν μηδὲν ἐχόντων ποιεῖν, τῶν δὲ μή τι ἀποκρινεῖσθαι, ὁ μὲν ξένος ἀνεῖτο φεύγειν εἰς Πέρσας· οἷς δ' ἦσαν ὑποσχέσεις παρὰ τῶν τῇδε καὶ συνθεσίαι, ἐσπένδοντο, τὰ πιστὰ λαβόντες τοῦ μὴ παθεῖν. Οἱ δέ, ταῖς σπονδαῖς πρὸς ἐκείνους ἡμερωθέντες, τοῖς ἄλλοις κακῶς καὶ ἀπηνῶς προσ εφέροντο καὶ προσετίμων ζημίαις οὐ φορηταῖς καὶ μείζοσιν ἢ ὥστ' ἐνεγκεῖν ἐκείνους· τὸ δ' ἐλαύνειν ἐκεῖθεν ἐξορίζοντας, ἄσμενοι ἂν εἰς τιμωρίαν μεγίστην πράξοντες, ὅμως ἐκωλύοντο πράττειν, μὴ καὶ τὰς ἄκρας ἐρημοῦν ἀνδρῶν τὰς ὁρμὰς τῶν Περσῶν ἀνέχειν δυναμένων. Ταῦτα περὶ τοὺς Τρικοκκιώτας καὶ τοὺς Ζυγηνοὺς διαπραξάμενοι, ἀνεχώρουν ἐπ' οἴκων.

ιδʹ. Ὅπως διετέθη ὁ πατριάρχης μαθὼν τὰ συμβάντα καὶ ὅπως τὸν βασιλέα ἀφώρισεν. Τὸ μέντοι περὶ τὸν παῖδα Ἰωάννην συμβάν, μέγιστον ὂν ἢ ὥστε κρυβῆναι, ἔκπυστον γέγονε καὶ τῷ πατριάρχῃ. Ὁ δ' ἀκούσας ἐν δεινῷ ἐτίθει τὴν ἀγγελίαν καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν ὅ τι καὶ πράξοι, οὐδὲ καθεκτὸς ἦν ἀλύων. Εἶτα μὴ κρίνας ἀσφαλὲς ἑαυτῷ ἐπὶ τοιαύταις πράξεσι σιωπᾶν καὶ μὴ ἐπεξιέναι ἐπιτιμῶντα, προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς περὶ αὑτὸν ἱεράρχας καὶ δεινὰ σχετλιάσας τὸ πρῶτον ὡς χλευασθεὶς καὶ ὅτι νόμοι