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Having learned that the disease of Marcion had assailed certain villages, he wrote to the one shepherding at that time, both urging him to drive out the disease and offering the assistance of the imperial laws. Therefore, that he carried the care of the churches in his soul, according to the divine apostle, these things are also sufficient to teach. And it is possible to learn of his boldness from another source as well. A certain Gainas, a Scythian by race, but more barbaric in his mind, possessing a tyrannical spirit, was general at that time, having many of his own people as subjects, and leading with them both the cavalry and infantry of the Romans. And not only did all the others shudder at him, but also the emperor himself, 332 suspecting the tyranny being planned. This man, having also partaken of the plague of Arius, demanded that the emperor give him one of the divine shrines. But he said he would consider it and promised to gratify him. And having summoned the divine John, he told him the request, reminded him of Gainas' power, hinted at the planned tyranny, and begged him to bridle the barbarian's temper by the concession. But that noble man said: “Do not promise such things, O emperor,” he said, “nor command that the holy things be given to dogs. For I will not endure to lead out those who confess and praise God the Word, and to hand over the divine temple to those who blaspheme Him. And do not fear that barbarian, O emperor, but having summoned us both, both me and him, you listen quietly to what is said, and I will bridle his tongue and persuade him not to ask for that which it is not expedient to give.” When the emperor heard these things, he was pleased and on the next day summoned them both. And Gainas demanded the promise, but the great John spoke against it, saying that it was not lawful for an emperor, if he chose to be pious, to act so boldly against divine things. And when Gainas said that he too ought to have a house of prayer; “Every,” said the great John, “divine 333 house is open to you, and no one prevents you from praying when you are eager to.” “But I,” said Gainas, “belong to another company, and with them I ask to have one divine house; and I ask very justly, having endured many warlike struggles on behalf of the Romans.” “But you have,” he said, “rewards greater than your labors; for you are a general and have been deemed worthy of the consular robe, and you must consider what you were formerly and what you have now become, and what your former poverty was and what your present abundance is, and what kind of clothes you wore before you crossed the Ister, and what you are clothed in now. Consider, therefore, how few the labors, and how great the rewards, and do not be ungrateful to those who have honored you.” Using such words, the teacher of the world silenced Gainas and forced him to keep quiet. But when some time had passed, he revealed the tyranny he had long planned, and having gathered his army in Thrace, he plundered and ravaged most of it. Having learned these things, everyone cowered, both rulers and ruled, and no one wished to draw up for battle against him nor did they suppose it safe to send an embassy; for each one suspected the barbarity of his mind. Then, leaving aside all the others as being afraid, they persuaded this great champion to undertake the embassy. But he, considering neither the opposition that had occurred nor the disagreement that had arisen from it, set out eagerly for Thrace. But when Gainas recognized the ambassador and remembered the boldness shown on behalf of piety, he both went to meet him from afar and placed the man's 334 right hand to his own eyes, and moreover he also brought his children to his sacred knees. Thus virtue is by nature able to both make ashamed and to strike with awe even the most hostile men. But envy could not bear the flashes of his wisdom, but using its own machinations, it deprived the ruling city, or rather, the whole inhabited world, of his tongue and mind. But I, having come to this part of the history, do not know what to do. For to relate the things against this man

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τὴν Μαρκίωνος νόσον κώμαις τισὶν ἐπισκῆψαι μαθών, ἐπέστειλε τῷ τηνικαῦτα ποιμαίνοντι, καὶ προτρέπων ἐξελάσαι τὴν νόσον καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλικῶν νόμων ἐπικουρίαν ὀρέγων. ὅπως μὲν οὖν τὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν μέριμναν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ περιέφερε κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον, ἱκανὰ καὶ ταῦτα διδάξαι. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν αὐτοῦ τὴν παρρησίαν μαθεῖν. Γαϊνάς τις, Σκύθης μὲν τὸ γένος, βαρβαρικώτερος δὲ τὴν γνώμην, φρονήματι τυραννικῷ κεχρημένος ἐστρατήγει κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, πολλοὺς μὲν καὶ τῶν ὁμοφύλων ὑπηκόους ἔχων, ἄγων δὲ μετὰ τούτων καὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων τήν τε ἱππικὴν καὶ τὴν πεζὴν στρατιάν. ἐπεφρί κεσαν δὲ αὐτὸν οὐ μόνον οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς 332 τὴν μελετωμένην ὑφορώμενος τυραννίδα. οὗτος καὶ τῆς Ἀρείου λώβης μεταλαχών, ἕνα οἱ ἠξίου δοῦναι τὸν βασιλέα τῶν θείων σηκῶν. ὁ δὲ σκοπήσειν ἔφη καὶ θεραπεύσειν αὐτὸν ἐπηγγείλατο. καὶ τὸν θεῖον μεταπεμψάμενος Ἰωάννην, καὶ τὴν αἴτησιν εἶπε καὶ τῆς δυναστείας ἀνέμνησε καὶ τὴν μελετωμένην ὑπῃνίξατο τυραννίδα καὶ παρεκάλει τῇ δόσει χαλινῶσαι τὸν τοῦ βαρβάρου θυμόν. ὁ δὲ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ· "μὴ τοιαῦτα", ἔφη, "ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὑπισχνοῦ μηδὲ διδόναι παρα κελεύου τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσίν. οὐ γὰρ ἀνέξομαι τοὺς μὲν τὸν θεὸν λόγον θεολογοῦντάς τε καὶ ὑμνοῦντας ἐξαγαγεῖν, τοῖς δὲ τοῦτον βλασφημοῦσιν ἐκδοῦναι τὸν θεῖον νεών. καὶ μή τοι δείσῃς τὸν βάρ βαρον ἐκεῖνον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἀλλ' ἄμφω καλέσας, ἐμέ τε κἀκεῖνον, σὺ μὲν ἡσυχῆ τῶν λεγομένων ἐπάκουε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκείνου χαλινώσω τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ πείσω ἥκιστα αἰτῆσαι ὃ μὴ δοῦναι συμφέρει". Τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἥσθη τε καὶ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἀμφοτέ ρους ἐκάλεσε. καὶ ὁ μὲν Γαϊνὰς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐξῄτει, ὁ δὲ μέγας Ἰωάννης ἀντέλεγε φάσκων οὐκ ἐξεῖναι βασιλεῖ τῶν θείων κατατολμᾶν, εὐσεβεῖν γε προαιρουμένῳ. ἐκείνου δὲ λέγοντος ὡς χρὴ καὶ αὐτὸν εὐκτήριον ἔχειν οἶκον· "ἅπας σοι", ἔφη ὁ μέγας Ἰωάννης, "θεῖος 333 οἶκος ἀνέῳκται καὶ οὐδείς σε εἴργει προσεύξασθαι προθυμούμενον". "ἀλλ' ἐγώ", ἔφη ὁ Γαϊνάς, "ἑτέρας ὑπάρχω συμμορίας καὶ σὺν ἐκείνοις ἕνα θεῖον ἔχειν οἶκον αἰτῶ· καὶ μάλα γε δικαίως αἰτῶ, πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ Ῥωμαίων πολεμικοὺς ὑπομένων ἀγῶνας." "ἀλλ' ἔχεις", ἔφη, "μείζους τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις· στρατηγός τε γὰρ εἶ καὶ τῆς ὑπατικῆς ἠξιώθης στολῆς, καὶ χρή σε σκοπῆσαι τί μὲν ἦσθα πάλαι, τί δὲ γεγένησαι νῦν, καὶ τίς μὲν ἡ προτέρα πενία, τίς δὲ ἡ παροῦσα περιουσία, καὶ ὁποίοις μὲν ἐσθήμασιν ἐκέχρησο πρὶν διαβῆναι τὸν Ἴστρον, ὁποῖα δὲ νῦν περιβέβλησαι. σκόπησον τοίνυν ὡς ὀλίγοι οἱ πόνοι, μέγιστα δὲ τὰ γέρα, καὶ μὴ γίνου περὶ τοὺς τετιμηκότας ἀχάριστος". τοιοῖσδε χρώμενος λόγοις ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος ἐπεστόμισε τὸν Γαϊνὰν καὶ σιγὴν ἄγειν ἠνάγκασε. Χρόνου δὲ διελθόντος τὴν πάλαι μελετηθεῖσαν ἐκεῖνος ἐγύμνωσε τυραννίδα, καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ συναγαγὼν ἐληΐζετό τε καὶ ἐδῄου τὰ πλεῖστα. ταῦτα μεμαθηκότες κατέπτηξαν ἅπαντες καὶ ἄρχοντες καὶ ἀρχόμενοι, καὶ οὔτε παρατάττεσθαί τις πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐβούλετο οὔτε πρεσβεύεσθαι ἀδεὲς ὑπελάμβανε· τὸ γὰρ τῆς γνώμης βάρβαρον ἕκαστος ὑφωρᾶτο. τότε τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ὡς δεδιότας καταλιπόντες, τὸν μέγαν τοῦτον ἔπεισαν ἀριστέα τὴν πρεσβείαν ποιήσασθαι. ὁ δὲ οὔτε τὴν γεγενημένην ἀντίστασιν λογισάμενος οὔτε τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνης φυεῖσαν διαφοράν, προθύμως εἰς τὴν Θρᾴκην ἐξώρ μησε. γνοὺς δὲ ἐκεῖνος τὸν πρεσβευτὴν καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας γεγενημένην ἐνθυμηθεὶς παρρησίαν, ὑπήντησέ τε πόρρωθεν καὶ τὴν 334 ἐκείνου δεξιὰν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς περιτέθεικε, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτοῦ προσεκόμισε γόνασιν. οὕτω πέφυκεν ἀρετὴ καται δεῖν τε καὶ καταπλήττειν καὶ τοὺς ἄγαν δυσμενεστάτους. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ὁ φθόνος τὰς τῆς ἐκείνου φιλοσοφίας μαρ μαρυγάς, ἀλλὰ ταῖς οἰκείαις χρησάμενος μηχαναῖς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, τῆς ἐκείνου γλώττης ἐστέρησε καὶ φρενός. ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τῷδε τῷ μέρει τῆς ἱστορίας γενό μενος οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι πάθω. διηγήσασθαι γὰρ τὴν κατὰ τούτου