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He commands Lucius with a threat to keep quiet, and ordered that Probatius and the eunuchs with him be punished as being the cause of such disturbances, and he sent Athanasius, who had become a very dear friend to him from their association at that time, to Egypt, commanding him to lead the churches and the people as seemed best to him. For it is said that he praised him exceedingly for the virtue he possessed, both on account of his life and his wisdom and his words. 6.5.5 In this way, the faith of those who had assembled in Nicaea, having been warred against in the intervening time, as was said before, again prevailed under the present reign. But not long after it was destined to experience similar trouble. For as it seems, the prophecy of Antony the monk did not find its fulfillment only in what happened to the church under Constantius, but there still remained the events 6.5.6 that happened after this under Valens. For it is said that, before those of the Arian heresy took control of the churches, during the reign of Constantius, Antony saw in a dream mules kicking the altar and overturning the holy table, and that he immediately foretold that the church would be seized by confusion and an uprising of heretics, under the influence of spurious and mixed doctrines. But the events that happened before and after this proved that these things had been truly seen and spoken. 6.6.1 But Jovian, having been in power for about eight months, died suddenly on the road at Dadastana, a place in Bithynia, while departing for Constantinople, either having dined too lavishly, as some say, or from the odor of the room in which he was sleeping, which had been recently plastered with lime; for a dampness arose and the walls became excessively moist, because many coals were burning there for warmth, as it was the winter season. 6.6.2 When the army arrived at Nicaea in Bithynia, they proclaimed 6.6.3 Valentinian emperor, a good man and worthy of the rule. He happened to be present then, returned from his exile. For it is said that, when Julian ruled the Romans, he drove him from the army, being a tribune of the regiment of those called the Jovians, and punished him with perpetual exile, on the pretext that he had not properly arrayed the soldiers under him against the ene6.6.4 mies, but the truth was for this reason: While Julian was still staying among the Gauls in the west, he came to a certain temple to offer sacrifice; and Valentinian was with him; for it was an old custom for the Romans that the commander of the Jovians and the Herculians (these are regiments of distinguished soldiers, the one deriving its name from Hercules, the other from Jupiter) should follow close behind the emperor as if they were bodyguards. 6.6.5 When he was about to cross the threshold of the temple, a priest holding some wet branches, according to the Greek custom, sprinkled those entering; and when a drop fell on his robe, Valentinian took it badly (for he was a Christian) and reviled the one who was sprinkling. And they say that, with the emperor watching, he immediately cut off and threw away, along with 6.6.6 the very drop, as much of the robe as had been wet. Julian, being angry from that moment, not long after condemned him to live perpetually in Melitene of Armenia, alleging as a reason his laxity concerning the soldiers under him; for he did not wish to appear to be harming him on account of his religion, so that he might not be deemed worthy of the honors of a martyr or confessor; for for this reason he also spared the other Christians, seeing them procuring glory and consolidation for their doctrine through dangers, as has been said before. 6.6.7 When Jovian was entrusted with the rule of the Romans, having been recalled from exile to Nicaea, and it happened that the former died, after the army and those holding the high offices had deliberated, by the vote of all he is chosen 6.6.8 to be emperor. And when he had received the insignia of office, and the soldiers were shouting for him to make another his partner in the imperial power, he said, "To have chosen me to rule you, O soldiers, was in your power

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Λούκιον μὲν σὺν ἀπειλῇ ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν ἐπιτάττει, Προβάτιον δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν εὐνούχους ὡς αἰτίους τῶν τοιούτων θορύβων σωφρονισθῆναι προσέταξε, τὸν δὲ ᾿Αθανάσιον ἐκ τῆς τότε συνουσίας τὰ μάλιστα φίλον αὐτῷ γενόμενον ἀπέστειλεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ᾗ ἄριστα αὐτῷ δοκοίη τὰς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τοὺς λαοὺς ἄγειν κελεύσας. λέγεται γὰρ εἰσάγαν αὐτὸν ἧς εἶχεν ἀρετῆς ἐπαινέσαι, βίου τε ἕνεκεν καὶ φρονήσεως καὶ λόγων. 6.5.5 ῟Ωδε μὲν τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνεληλυθότων ἡ πίστις, τὸν ἐν μέσῳ χρόνον πολεμηθεῖσα, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἴρηται, αὖθις ἐπὶ τῆς παρούσης ἡγεμονίας ὑπερέσχεν. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ τῆς ὁμοίας ἔμελλε πειρᾶσθαι ταραχῆς. ὡς ἔοικε γάρ, οὐκ ἐπὶ μόνοις τοῖς ἐπὶ Κωνσταντίου τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ συμβᾶσι πέρας εἶχεν ἡ ᾿Αντωνίου τοῦ μοναχοῦ πρόρρησις, ἀλλ' ἐλείπετο ἔτι καὶ τὰ 6.5.6 μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ Οὐάλεντος γενόμενα. λέγεται γάρ, πρὶν κρατῆσαι τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως, ἐπὶ τῆς Κωνσταντίου βασιλείας ὄναρ ἰδεῖν ᾿Αντώνιον ἡμιόνους τὸ θυσιαστήριον λακτίζοντας καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν τράπεζαν ἀνατρέποντας, καὶ αὐτίκα προειπεῖν, ὡς ὑπὸ νόθων καὶ ἐπιμίκτων δογμάτων καταλήψεται τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ταραχὴ καὶ ἑτεροδόξων ἐπανάστασις. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἀψευδῶς τεθεᾶσθαί τε καὶ εἰρῆσθαι ἀπέδειξε τὰ πρὸ τοῦ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα γεγενημένα. 6.6.1 ῾Ο δὲ ᾿Ιοβιανὸς ἀμφὶ ὀκτὼ μῆνας ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ διαγενόμενος, ἀπιὼν ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἐξαπίνης ἐν ∆αδαστάνοις χωρίῳ τῆς Βιθυνίας καθ' ὁδὸν ἐτελεύτησεν, ἢ ἀφειδέστερον, ὥς τινες λέγουσι, δειπνήσας ἢ ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδμῆς τοῦ οἰκήματος, ἐν ᾧ ἐκάθευδεν, ἀσβέστῳ προσφάτως χρισθέντος· ἐπιγενέσθαι γὰρ ἰκμάδα καὶ νοτισθῆναι τοὺς τοίχους ἀμέτρως, πολλῶν ἀνθράκων αὐτόθι καιομένων ὡς ἐν ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος διὰ τὴν ἀλέαν. 6.6.2 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ εἰς Νίκαιαν τῆς Βιθυνίας ἀφίκετο ἡ στρατιά, ἀναγορεύουσι 6.6.3 βασιλέα Οὐαλεντινιανόν, ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν καὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἄξιον. ἔτυχε δὲ τότε παρὼν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπερορίας φυγῆς. λέγεται γὰρ ὡς, ἡνίκα ᾿Ιουλιανὸς ἐκράτει ῾Ρωμαίων, συνταγματάρχην αὐτὸν ὄντα τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν καλουμένων ᾿Ιοβιανῶν, τῆς στρατείας ἀπεώσατο καὶ ἀιδίῳ φυγῇ ἐζημίωσε, πρόφασιν μὲν ὡς οὐ δεόντως ἔταξε τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν στρατιώτας πρὸς τοὺς πολε6.6.4 μίους, τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἐντεῦθεν· ἔτι διάγων ᾿Ιουλιανὸς ἐν τοῖς πρὸς δύσιν Γαλάταις ἧκεν εἴς τινα ναὸν θύσων· συνῆν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Οὐαλεντινιανός· ἔθος γὰρ παλαιὸν ῾Ρωμαίοις τὸν ἡγούμενον τῶν ᾿Ιοβιανῶν καὶ ῾Ερκουλιανῶν(τάγματα δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἐν λόγῳ στρατιωτῶν, τὸ μὲν ἀφ' ῾Ηρακλέος, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ ∆ιὸς λαχόντα τὴν προσηγορίαν) κατὰ νώτου ἐγγὺς ὡσανεὶ φύλακας 6.6.5 ἕπεσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔμελλεν ὑπεραμείβειν τοῦ ναοῦ τὸν οὐδόν, θαλλούς τινας διαβρόχους κατέχων ὁ ἱερεὺς νόμῳ ῾Ελληνικῷ περιέρραινε τοὺς εἰσιόντας· ἐκπεσούσης δὲ σταγόνος ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐσθῆτα χαλεπῶς ἤνεγκεν Οὐαλεντινιανός (ἦν γὰρ Χριστιανός) καὶ τῷ ῥαίνοντι ἐλοιδορήσατο· φασὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ὁρῶντος αὐτίκα περιτεμεῖν καὶ ἀπορρῖψαι σὺν 6.6.6 αὐτῇ τῇ ψεκάδι ὅσον ἐβράχη τῆς ἐσθῆτος. τὸ δὲ ἐξ ἐκείνου μηνιῶν ᾿Ιουλιανὸς οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον κατεδίκασεν αὐτοῦ τὴν Μελιτινὴν τῆς ᾿Αρμε-νίας διηνεκῶς οἰκεῖν, αἰτίαν σκηψάμενος τὴν περὶ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν στρατιώτας ῥᾳστώνην· οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο δόξαι διὰ τὴν θρησκείαν κακῶς αὐτὸν ποιεῖν, ἵνα μὴ μάρτυρος ἢ ὁμολογητοῦ γερῶν ἀξιωθείη· καθότι ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐφείσατο Χριστιανῶν, ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς εὔκλειαν καὶ σύστασιν τοῦ δόγματος τοῖς κινδύνοις ποριζομένους, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἴρηται. 6.6.7 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ ᾿Ιοβιανὸς ἐπετράπη τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν, μετακληθεὶςἀπὸ τῆς φυγῆς εἰς Νίκαιαν, συμβὰν ἐκεῖνον τελευτῆσαι, βουλευσαμένων τοῦ τε στρατοπέδου καὶ τῶν τὰς μεγάλας ἀρχὰς ἐχόντων, ψήφῳ πάντων αἱρεῖται 6.6.8 βασιλεύειν. ὡς δὲ τὰ σύμβολα τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐδέξατο, κεκραγότων τῶν στρατιωτῶν κοινωνὸν αὐτῷ τῆς βασιλείας ἕτερον ποιήσασθαι «τὸ μὲν ἑλέσθαι με», ἔφη, «ἄρχειν ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες στρατιῶται, ἐν ὑμῖν