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let him approve, and I will accept what has been decided. If again we should be compelled to do something that seems advantageous, he himself would then approve, and though I know I will not be conceded by many, 375 I shall be grieved. "Thus the ruinous thing," he says, "will devolve upon me 375 beyond all others." The emperor said these things, leading them, as it were, to concord. But he did not persuade them; for this was far from being the case, inasmuch as, while seeming to be a slave to his own will, he afforded them the chance to resist and oppose him in whatever he said. Therefore, on account of these things, the discussions became longer than necessary, and the emperor was considering what should be done. For he heard that many, and the most important ones—on the one hand those around the former patriarch John, on the other those around the patriarch of Alexandria, and as many as Isaac Raoul had with him, who indeed, having been blinded in his eyes because of what had happened before and having remained in the schism of the church right up until John's time, and having made peace in this matter, was already again in disagreement on account of the current proceedings, he heard, at any rate, that these and many other very important men were opposing and resisting the action.

(3) And because of this, having decided to go to John, in order to win him over, since that man too, contemplating something profound, as he later showed, wished to see the emperor and 376 sending messengers asked him to come (and at the same time the occasion called for it; for the beginning of the forty days' fast was at hand and it was the days of cheesefare), with all eagerness he comes to John. And indeed, when he arrived, with high priests also present there, embarrassment trips up the emperor. This was it: he approaches John, and is overcome by reverence for him, and presents himself ready, if that man should wish to bless him. But he said, "But may God bless you and not I." Meanwhile he also asks if he considered him a patriarch. And he, whether wanting to receive the blessing, or indeed also being embarrassed because of the occasion, so as not to cause grief by refusing, or thirdly, feigning goodwill from him for whatever he might do, putting on a cheerful face (for the decision in these matters belongs to the high priests, not the emperor) confesses that he considers John to be patriarch. And he, having at once caught the lion in his snares, "and if I am patriarch," he says, "since the matter of my resignation has not yet been fully approved, but I am still commemorated in the great church and in many monasteries, I place under anathema from the Holy 377 Trinity anyone who shall wish to install the lord Athanasius as patriarch." He said these things, and openly condemned, just as that man's awkwardness, so also the deception and credulity of the emperor, by which, having forgotten the former things, he might again attempt the latter. But the emperor, on the one hand ashamed of the trickery, and that arising from his simplicity, and on the other hand also managing his precautions for escaping mockery, turns away from him saying nothing, but he pressed very hard upon and was angered at the high priests there who were suspected of cooperating. And those present then with the patriarch by invitation were Babylas of Ancyra, Nicephorus of Crete and Luke of Bizye. Nevertheless, wishing to correct the report, lest he might seem to have been excommunicated without distinction, having called together again on the next day those whom he was accustomed to call together, he brought a charge of deception, exposed the drama, and also relaxed his zeal for Athanasius, if that one, having heard, in the manner of Sapphira and Ananias was berating John, for giving the priesthood to God, as he himself wrote when he resigned, and then taking it back again.

4. Now the emperor's mother was gravely ill and was at her last breaths; and the second day of the second week of the 378 fasts saw the empress dead, a woman possessed of many graces. And with her was buried an infinite multitude of the needy, whom she assisted daily. And her acts of piety, practiced to a greater degree, drew the emperor to them. And so for the time being the matters that had been set in motion were at a standstill; but he, preparing the funeral magnificently for the lady, he himself and the magnates and all the clergy and monks, and as many as there were of the citizenry, coming together

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δοκιμαζέτω, καὶ τὸ δόξαν δέξομαι. εἴ τι δ' ἐσαῦθις δοκοῦν συνοῖσον πράττειν ἀναγκαζοίμεθα, αὐ τὸς καὶ τότε ἂν δοκιμάσειε, κἂν πολλοῖς οἶδα μὴ συγχωρούμενος 375 λυπηθήσομαι. οὕτω τὸ ἀτηρὸν παρὰ πάντας ἐμοί" φησί "περι 375 στήσεται." ταῦτ' ἔλεγε βασιλεύς, ἐνάγων ὡς δῆθεν αὐτοὺς ἐς ὁμόνοιαν. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔπειθε· πολλῷ γὰρ ἥκιστα τοῦτο, ὅσῳ καὶ δοκῶν δουλεύειν ἰδίῳ θελήματι ἀντέχειν παρεῖχε καὶ ἀντισπᾶν σφίσι πρὸς ὅ τι καὶ λέγοι. Μακρότεροι μὲν οὖν διὰ ταῦτα λόγοι τῆς χρείας ἐγίνοντο, καὶ βασιλεὺς τὸ ποιητέον διενοεῖτο. ἤκουε γὰρ καὶ πολλοὺς καὶ τοὺς μεγίστους, τοῦτο μὲν τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν πατριαρχεύσαντα Ἰωάννην, τοῦτο δὲ τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀλεξανδρείας, καὶ ὅσους εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Ῥαοὺλ Ἰσαάκιος, ὃς δὴ καὶ τὰ ὄμματα πηρωθεὶς διὰ τὰ συμβάντα πρότερον καὶ μέχρι καὶ Ἰωάννου ἐν τῷ τῆς ἐκκλησίας σχίσματι διαμείνας, εἰρηνεύσας ἐν τούτῳ, ἤδη καὶ πάλιν διὰ τὰ προβαίνοντα διεφέρετο, ἤκουε γοῦν τούτους καὶ ἄλλους πλείονας καὶ μεγίστους τῇ πράξει προσιστα μένους καὶ ἀντιβαίνοντας.

(3) καὶ διὰ ταῦτα δόξαν ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, ὅπως ὑποποιήσαιτο, ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνος βαθύ τι σκεπτόμενος, ὡς ἔδειξεν ὕστερον, βασιλέα ἤθελε βλέπειν καὶ 376 πέμπων προσελθεῖν ἠξίου (ἅμα δέ γε καὶ ὁ καιρὸς ἐκάλει· τὰ γὰρ τῆς τεσσαρακοστῆς ἐφειστήκει εἰσόδια καὶ τυροφαγίας ἦσαν ἡμέραι), ὅλαις προθυμίαις παρ' Ἰωάννην γίνεται. καὶ δὴ ἐπι στάντα, παρευρεθέντων καὶ ἀρχιερέων ἐκεῖ, ἡ δυσωπία σφάλ λει τὸν ἄνακτα. ἡ δ' ἦν, πρόσεισι μὲν Ἰωάννῃ, καὶ εὐλαβείας ἡττᾶται τῆς πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἕτοιμον ἑαυτὸν παρέχει, εἰ ἐκεῖνος εὐλογεῖν βούλοιτο. ὁ δὲ "ἀλλὰ θεὸς εὐλογήσαι σε καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ" ἔφη. τέως δὲ καὶ εἰ πατριάρχην αὐτὸν λογίζοιτο ἐρωτᾷ. καὶ ὃς εἴτε τὴν εὐλογίαν λαμβάνειν θέλων, εἴτε μὴν καὶ διὰ τὸν και ρὸν δυσωπούμενος, ὡς μὴ λυπήσειεν ἀρνησάμενος, εἴτε καὶ τρίτον τὴν ἀπ' ἐκείνου πρὸς ὅ τι πράττοι ὑποποιούμενος εὔνοιαν, τὸ ἱλαρὸν καθιστὰς (ἀρχιερέων γάρ, οὐ βασιλέως εἶναι τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀπόφασιν) ὁμολογεῖ πατριάρχην ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν Ἰωάννην. καὶ ὃς ἐν δεσμοῖς εὐθὺς ἐπισχὼν τὸν λέοντα, "καὶ εἰ πατριάρχης ἐγώ" φησίν, "ὅτι καὶ οὔπω τελέως τὰ τῆς ἐμῆς παραιτήσεως οὐκ ἐδοκιμάσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ ἐν πολ λαῖς μοναῖς μνημονεύομαι, ὑπ' ἀφορισμὸν τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁγίας 377 τριάδος ἄγω τὸν βουληθησόμενον πατριάρχην τὸν κύριν Ἀθανά σιον καθιστᾶν." ταῦτ' εἶπε, καὶ προφανῶς κατεγίνωσκεν, ὥσπερ ἐκείνου σκαιότητα, οὕτως ἀπάτην καὶ εὐκολίαν τοῦ ἄνακτος, οἷς ὅτι τῶν προτέρων ἀμνημονήσας καὶ τοῖς δευτέροις ἐσαῦθις ἐπι χειροίη. βασιλεὺς δὲ τοῦτο μὲν αἰδεσθεὶς τὴν φενάκην, καὶ ταῦτα τὴν ἐξ ἁπλότητος, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ διαφευ ξεῖσθαι τὴν χλεύην προνοίας οἰκονομῶν, ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὐδὲν εἰπὼν ἀποστρέφεται, τοῖς δ' ἀρχιερεῦσι τοῖς τῇδε ὡς συμπράττειν ὑπο πτευθεῖσι καὶ λίαν ἐπεῖχε καὶ προσωργίζετο. ἦσαν δὲ ἐκ προ κλήσεως τότε παρευρεθέντες τῷ πατριάρχῃ ὅ τε Ἀγκύρας Βαβύ λας, ὁ Κρήτης Νικηφόρος καὶ ὁ Βιτζίνης Λουκᾶς. ὅμως δὲ τὴν φήμην θέλων ἐπανορθοῦν, μήπως δόξοι καὶ ἀδιαστάλτως ἀφορισθείς, συγκαλέσας καὶ αὖθις τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ οὓς συγκαλεῖν εἴθιστο, ἐπεγκαλεῖ μὲν τὴν ἀπάτην, ἀπογυμνοῖ δὲ τὸ δρᾶμα, ὑποχαλᾷ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀθανασίῳ προθυμίας, εἰ κἀκεῖνος ἀκούσας Σαπφείρας καὶ Ἀνανίου τρόπον τῷ Ἰωάννῃ προσέτριβε, δόντι θεῷ τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ὡς αὐτὸς παραιτούμενος ἔγραφε, καὶ πάλιν ἀναλαμβάνοντι.

4. Τῷ μὲν οὖν βασιλεῖ ἡ μήτηρ ἐνόσει δεινῶς καὶ πρὸς ἀναπνοαῖς ἦν ταῖς ἐσχάταις· καὶ ἡ δευτέρα τῆς δευτέρας τῶν νη 378 στειῶν ἑβδομάδος νεκρὰν τὴν ἄνασσαν εἶδε, γυναῖκα πολλαῖς κατακώχιμον χάρισι. συντέθαπτο δέ οἱ καὶ ἐνδεῶν πλῆθος ἄπει ρον, οἷς καθ' ἡμέραν ἐπήρκει. καί οἱ τὰ τῆς ὁσίας πρὸς τὸ μεγαλειότερον ἐξασκούμενα πρὸς ἑαυτὰ ἐφεῖλκε τὸν ἄνακτα. καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν κινουμένων ἠπράκτει τέως· ὁ δὲ τὴν ἐκφορὰν μεγα λοπρεπῶς ἐξαρτυόμενος τῇ δεσποίνῃ, αὐτὸς καὶ μεγιστᾶνες καὶ κλῆρος ἅπας καὶ μοναχοί, καὶ ὅσον ἦν τὸ τῆς πολιτείας, συνελ θόντες