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“it is better to fall from a height than from the tongue,” as was well said by one of the wise, they may learn by deed, seeing into what a pit you yourself have fallen from incontinence; and secondly, that you may be freed from fears and dangers for life. For if you had not now been brought here and obtained forgiveness, you would have lived a life in no way more tolerable than that of Cain, groaning and trembling upon the earth and expecting to be destroyed at once by everyone you met. But now, having obtained forgiveness, you will live pleasantly and without fear, with no one any longer able to demand satisfaction for the sins committed against me.” Such things the emperor said to Marcus. But those present, expecting to see some strange form of death, then suddenly, contrary to expectation, seeing the emperor’s mercy towards Marcus and the saving verdict brought forth, both marveled at the emperor for his compassion and rejoiced with Marcus for his salvation, and each considering the good deed his own, they said it was fitting for you, O Emperor, to call God Father and with boldness ask for forgiveness of sins, as one who forgives the debts of him who has offended. After these and certain other such things were said by the crowd, the assembly was dismissed with astonishment and joy. 2. But the emperor, considering it intolerable that the bishops who had offended the patriarch should not receive forgiveness, 1.317 sent the Grand Domestic to the patriarch to converse with him, as if from himself, about reconciliation with the bishops, and on his own account to take care of the peace as much as was possible. He, having come to the patriarch and pleaded much and often on behalf of the bishops, since he accomplished nothing, but the patriarch clung inexorably to his anger and said that he would not grant forgiveness no matter what might happen, unless they first paid the penalty for their audacious acts; and he said that he was not acting unjustly if he summoned them to trial; the Grand Domestic, interrupting, said, “but the terms of justice would not be equal for you and for them if you were to sit both as judge and accuser, while they were forced to have the same man as both arbiter and prosecutor. But if you promise not to disregard their right, and to judge the matters not by anger but by the power of justice itself, they will appear at the court on the appointed day.” And the patriarch said, “That it is fitting for me and the rest of my brother bishops to judge such matters, not even you yourself would deny. But that I, as the wronged party, now drag them into court, I will sit not as judge, but as one being judged, with the other bishops judging. And if indeed I should also judge, may I never be so mad, nor driven to such absurdity, as to judge with anger and not with right reasoning concerning the matters, and especially now, when not on behalf of another—for there might be some excuse—but when I am about to cast my vote concerning myself.” And having appointed a day on which all the bishops would be present, 1.318 as the trial was to be held, the Grand Domestic, taking his leave of the patriarch, departed for home; but the patriarch said to those present that he did not know what the Grand Domestic meant by his promise for the trial, or with what confidence he said the bishops would appear for trial, being so self-condemned, unless something rather new had been devised by him. And of those present, some said that they themselves could not understand what it could mean, while others suspected that he had not received a true report of the matters, but being overwhelmed by many and continuous cares, he had not made an accurate examination of what had been heard. For it is not likely that, having learned about them—how on no pretext, but obeying only the command of the emperor, they themselves came and drove him from the flock, against all reason of justice, and locked him in a prison like one of those caught in the most terrible crimes, and they themselves took the church under their own control and, committing the greatest injustices and aggressions, taught the people about virtue, not even blushing, but even priding themselves on their usurpation—he would promise that they would appear for the trial; for he himself would have condemned them beforehand on all counts. The

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κρεῖσσον ἀπὸ ὕψους ἢ ἀπὸ γλώσσης πεσεῖν, ὑπὸ τῶν σοφῶν τινος καλῶς εἰρημένον, ἔργῳ διδαχθῶσιν, ὁρῶντες εἰς οἷον βάραθρον ἐξ ἀκρασίας περιπέπτωκας αὐτός· δεύτερον δὲ, τοῦ σὲ διὰ βίου φόβων καὶ κινδύνων ἀπαλλαγῆναι. εἰ γὰρ μὴ νῦν ἐνθάδε ἀχθεὶς ἐτύγχανες συγγνώμης, κατ' οὐδὲν ἀνεκτότερον ἂν ἔζης τοῦ Κάϊν βίον, στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ παρὰ παντὸς τοῦ προστυχόντος οἰόμενος αὐτίκα ἀπολεῖσθαι. νυνὶ δὲ συγγνώμης τυχὼν, ἡδέως βιώσεις καὶ ἀδεῶς, οὐδενὸς ἔτι δυναμένου τῶν εἰς ἐμὲ ἡμαρτημένων εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖν.» Τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Μάρκον εἶπεν. οἱ παρόντες δὲ ἀλλόκοτον μέν τινα ὄψεσθαι ἰδέαν θανάτου προσδοκῶντες, ἔπειτα ἐξαίφνης παρὰ δόξαν τὸν εἰς τὸν Μάρκον τοῦ βασιλέως ἔλεον καὶ τὴν σώζουσαν ψῆφον ἰδόντες ἐξενηνεγμένην, ἐθαύμαζόν τε τῆς συμπαθείας τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τῷ Μάρκῳ συνέχαιρον τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ οἰκείαν ἕκαστος οἰόμενοι τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, σοὶ προσήκειν ἔλεγον, βασιλεῦ, πατέρα τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας τῶν ἡμαρτημένων τὴν συγγνώμην αἰτεῖν, ὡς ἀφιέντι τῷ προσκεκρουκότι τὰ ὀφειλόμενα. τούτων καί τινων ἑτέρων τοιούτων ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους εἰρημένων, σὺν ἐκπλήξει καὶ χαρᾷ ὁ σύλλογος διελύθη. βʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ τὸ καὶ τοὺς τῷ πατριάρχῃ προσκεκρουκότας ἀρχιερέας μὴ τυχεῖν συγγνώμης ἡγούμενος οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν, 1.317 τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἔπεμψε πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην διαλεξόμενον μὲν αὐτῷ καὶ ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερέας διαλλαγῆς, καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ δὲ καθ' ὅσον ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ ἐπιμελησόμενον τῆς εἰρήνης. ὃς πρὸς πατριάρχην ἐλθὼν καὶ πολλὰ πολλάκις ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀρχιερέων δεηθεὶς, ἐπεὶ ἤνυε μηδὲν, ἀλλ' ἀπαραιτήτως ὁ πατριάρχης εἴχετο τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ οὐδ' ἂν εἴ τι γένοιτο συγγνώμην ἔλεγε παρασχεῖν, εἰ μὴ δίκην δοῖεν πρότερον τῶν τετολμημένων· καὶ οὐδὲ ἀδικεῖν ἔλεγεν εἰ ἐπὶ δίκην προκαλεῖται· ὑπολαβὼν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος, «ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εἴη σοί τε κἀκείνοις ἐξ ἴσου τὰ τῆς δίκης» ἔφη «εἰ σὺ μὲν καθεδῇ δικάζων τε ἅμα καὶ ἐγκαλῶν, αὐτοὶ δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ διαιτητῇ τε ἅμα ἀναγκάζοιντο χρῆσθαι καὶ κατηγόρῳ. εἰ δὲ μὴ παρόψεσθαι τὸ δίκαιον αὐτῶν, μήτε μὴν ὀργῇ μᾶλλον ἢ αὐτῇ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ δικαίου τὰ πράγματα δικάσειν ἐπαγγέλλῃ, ἀπαντήσουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ δικαστήριον ἡμέρᾳ τακτῇ.» ὁ πατριάρχης δὲ «τὸ μὲν ἐμοὶ τὴν δίκην προσήκειν τῶν τοιούτων καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν, οὐκ ἂν οὐδ' αὐτὸς» εἶπεν «ἀρνηθείης. ὅτι δὲ αὐτὸς ὡς ἠδικημένος εἰς δικαστήριον ἕλκω νῦν, οὐ δικαστὴς, ἀλλὰ κρινόμενος καθεδοῦμαι, τῶν ἄλλων δικαζόντων ἀρχιερέων. εἰ δ' ἄρα δικάζοιμι καὶ αὐτὸς, μή ποτε τοσοῦτον μανείην, μηδ' ἀτοπίας εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐξελάσαιμι, ὥστε ὀργῇ δικάζειν καὶ μὴ τοῖς ὀρθοῖς περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων λογισμοῖς, καὶ μάλιστα νυνὶ, ὅτ' οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑτέρου, ἦν γὰρ ἄν τις συγγνώμη, ἀλλ' ὅτε περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἐξάγειν μέλλω.» καὶ τάξαντες ἡμέραν ἐν ᾗ παρέσονται πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, 1.318 ὡς τῆς δίκης ἐσομένης, ὁ μέγας μὲν δομέστικος τῷ πατριάρχῃ συνταξάμενος, οἴκαδε ἀπεχώρει· ὁ πατριάρχης δὲ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας ἀγνοεῖν ἔφη ὅ,τι τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ τὴν πρὸς τὴν δίκην ἐπαγγελίαν νοεῖν, ἢ τίνι θαῤῥοῦντα πρὸς τὴν δίκην ἀπαντήσεσθαι τοὺς ἀρχιερέας φάναι, οὕτως αὐτοκατακρίτους ὄντας, εἰ μή τι καινότερον ἐπινενόηται αὐτῷ. οἱ παρόντες δὲ, οἱ μὲν οὐδ' αὐτοὶ ἔφασαν τί δύνασθαι συνεῖναι, οἱ δὲ ὑπώπτευον, μὴ οὐκ ἀληθῆ τὴν περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔσχεν ἀπαγγελίαν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ πολλῶν καὶ συνεχῶν περιῤῥεόμενος φροντίδων, οὐκ ἀκριβῆ τὴν ἐξέτασιν ἐποιήσατο τῶν ἀκουσθέντων. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν εἰκὸς πυθόμενον περὶ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἐπ' οὐδεμιᾷ προφάσει, ἀλλὰ μόνῃ τῇ προστάξει πειθόμενοι βασιλέως, αὐτόν τε ἐξήλασαν ἐλθόντες τῆς ποίμνης δι' ἑαυτῶν παρὰ πάντα τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον καὶ κατέκλεισαν ἐν φρουρᾷ ὥσπερ τινὰ τῶν ἐπὶ δεινοτάτοις ἑαλωκότων, αὐτοί τε ὑφ' ἑαυτοῖς ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ἀδικοῦντες καὶ πλεονεκτοῦντες ἐδίδασκον τὸν λαὸν περὶ ἀρετῆς, μὴ δὲ ἐρυθριῶντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ σεμνυνόμενοι τῇ ἁρπαγῇ, ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἀπαντήσειν εἰς τὴν δίκην· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἂν αὐτῶν ἁπάσαις πρότερον κατέγνω. ὁ