124
the outcomes Peter, celebrated the prophecy in public and brought forward into the midst the one writing beautifully and showed him to be master of the history. 8.13.15 Many other wonders of the prediction of future events occur throughout the Roman state, which if we should undertake to record in greater detail, all time would fail us. 8.13.16 Indeed it is said that Maurice was ambitious concerning the magnificence of letters and honored very splendidly those who had contended for the finest of studies. That he built the sanctuary of Paul the Cilician at Tarsus, who preached throughout nearly the whole inhabited world the saving and wondrous proclamation of Christ Jesus the 8.13.17 only-begotten son of God. It is also reported that the emperor Maurice remitted the third part of the taxes to his subjects, and generously gave thirty talents to the Byzantines, so that they might rebuild the aqueduct. 8.14.1 But let what wondrously happened concerning Euphemia the martyr at that time not escape the lovers of history, but let us extend the account a little; for narratives that have received divine illumination generously bestow much benefit from themselves to the souls of the hearers. 8.14.2 The city of Chalcedon is situated at the mouth of the Pontus, opposite the city of the Byzantines. In it is established a church of Euphemia the martyr, where an ancient tradition has it that the all-holy body of the martyr is placed in a tomb. 8.14.3 Therefore every year on the day of her martyrdom a most wondrous sign occurs, and, to speak plainly, most unbelievable to those who have not seen it, on account of the excellence of that divine power. 8.14.4 For with the body lying in the tomb for some four hundred years already, on the aforementioned day in the sight of the crowds the one presiding over the priestly church there draws up springs of blood from the dead body with sponges; 8.14.5 and you might see, as from a newly-slain body, the bloods mingled with the ichors of wounds, blended with some self-generating myrrhs, and the priest making distributions of these to the crowds in small vessels made of glass. 8.14.6 Therefore a certain thought entered the Emperor Maurice in the twelfth year of his imperial power through a spiritual indifference concerning divine things, and the wonders are belittled, and the miracle is rejected by him, and he attributes the mystery to the fraudulent devices of men. 8.14.7 The tomb is therefore stripped of its silver adornment, and the monument is guarded with seals; for so the audacity of unbelief wished. 8.14.8 But when the appointed day arrived, the secret is tested, the mystery is examined, the wonders are put to the proof, and she becomes an indisputable witness of her own power through the wonders, and again rivers of perfumed blood spring from the monument, and the mystery gushes forth in emissions, and sponges are fattened with the fragrance of blood, and the martyr multiplies the flow; for God, being disbelieved, does not know to begrudge knowledge. 8.14. Thus then the martyr instructed the unbelief of the king; but the emperor sent back in return for the gushings of blood an outpouring of tears, and for the flows of myrrh he gave in exchange the rain of his eyes, saying, "Wonderful is God in his saints." 8.14.10 But since we have looked too mindfully at the digression, it is time also to be mindful of the return, and to record in more detail the things that have happened concerning the tyranny. 8.15.1 Therefore Constantina, the daughter of the emperor Tiberius, along with her three daughters, the tyrant made a prisoner in a certain private house; and the house was called that of Leo. 8.15.2 And in the fifth month the tyrant, having composed his own proclamation in letters, sent out to Chosroes Lilius as messenger of his tyrannical appointment
124
τὰς ἐκβάσεις ὁ Πέτρος, ἐς τὸ φανερὸν τὴν προαγόρευσιν ἐθριάμβευσε τόν τε εἰς κάλλος γράφοντα ἐς μέσον προὐβάλλετο καὶ κύριον αὐτὸν τῆς ἱστορίας ἐδεί8.13.15 κνυεν. πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἕτερα κατὰ τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων πολιτείαν τῆς τῶν μελλόντων προαγορεύσεως θαύματα γίνεται, ἃ εἰ διεξοδικώτερον ἀναγράφειν διεγχειρήσομεν, ὁ πᾶς ἡμᾶς αἰὼν ἐπιλείψειεν. 8.13.16 Μενοῦνγε λέγεται τὸν Μαυρίκιον φιλοτίμως ἔχειν περὶ τὴν τῶν λόγων μεγαλοπρέπειαν τιμᾶν τε λίαν λαμπρῶς τοὺς ἐνηθληκότας περὶ τὰ κάλλιστα τῶν μαθημάτων. τοῦτον δείμασθαι καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τῆς Ταρσοῦ ἱερὸν Παύλου τοῦ Κίλικος, τοῦ κατευαγγελισαμένου ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ σχεδὸν τὸ σωτήριόν τε καὶ παράδοξον κήρυγμα Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ τοῦ 8.13.17 μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. ἀναφέρεται δὲ καὶ τὴν τρίτην μοῖραν τῶν φόρων συγχωρῆσαι τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τὸν βασιλέα Μαυρίκιον, τάλαντά τε τριάκοντα τοῖς Βυζαντίοις φιλοτιμήσασθαι, ὅπως τὸν τῶν ὑδάτων ὁλκὸν νεουργήσοιντο. 8.14.1 Μὴ παραδράμοι δὲ τοὺς φιλοΐστορας καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Εὐφημίαν τὴν μάρτυρα παραδόξως συμβεβηκότα κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ, ἀλλά τι μικρὸν παρεκτείνωμεν τὸν λόγον· τὰ γὰρ θείας ἐλλάμψεως διηγήματα τετευχότα πολλὴν ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ἀκουόντων τὴν παρ' ἑαυτῶν φιλοτιμοῦνται ὠφέ8.14.2 λειαν. Χαλκηδὼν πόλις καθίδρυται ἐπὶ στόματος Πόντου, ἐς τὸ ἀντιπέρας τοῦ τῶν Βυζαντίων πολίσματος. ἐν ταύτῃ νεὼς ἵδρυται Εὐφημίας τῆς μάρτυρος, ἔνθα πρεσβύτης λόγος καθέστηκε τὸ πανίερον σῶμα ἐπὶ σηκῷ καθεστάναι τῆς μάρ8.14.3 τυρος. γίνεται τοιγαροῦν καθ' ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ κατ' αὐτὴν μαρτυρίου σημεῖον παραδοξότατον καὶ τοῖς μὴ τεθεαμένοις συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν ἀπιστότατον διὰ 8.14.4 τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῆς θείας ἐνεργείας ἐκείνης. τετρακοσίοις γὰρ ἤδη που ἐνιαυτοῖς ἐν τῷ τάφῳ ἐγκειμένου τοῦ σώματος, κατὰ τὴν προαγορευθεῖσαν ἡμέραν ἐπ' ὄψεσι τῶν ὄχλων ὁ τῆς ἱερατικῆς τῶν αὐτόθι προεστὼς ἐκκλησίας σπόγγοις 8.14.5 ἀπὸ σώματος τεθνεῶτος πηγὰς αἱμάτων ἀρύεται· καὶ ἴδοις ἂν ὡς ἀπό τινος σώματος νεοσφαγοῦς ἰχῶρσι τραυμάτων ἀναμεμιγμένα τὰ αἵματα, μύροις συγκεκραμένα αὐτοφυέσι τισίν, καὶ τούτων τὰς διανομὰς ἐπὶ σκευῶν ἐξ ὑέλου πε8.14.6 ποιημένων μικρῶν τοῖς ὄχλοις τὸν ἱερέα ποιούμενον. εἰσέρχεται τοίνυν εἰς τὸν βασιλέα Μαυρίκιον ἔννοιά τις τῷ δυοκαιδεκάτῳ χρόνῳ τῆς αὐτοκρατορικῆς ἐξουσίας ῥαθυμίᾳ περὶ τὰ θεῖα ψυχῆς, καὶ σμικρολογεῖται τὰ θαύματα, καὶ ἀποδοκιμάζεται παρ' αὐτῷ τὸ παράδοξον, καὶ ῥᾳδιουργικαῖς ἐπι8.14.7 νοίαις ἀνθρώπων ἀνατίθησι τὸ μυστήριον. ἀπογυμνοῦται τοιγαροῦν τὸν ἀργύρεον κόσμον ὁ τάφος, καὶ περιφρουρεῖται ταῖς σφραγῖσι τὸ μνῆμα· οὕτω γὰρ τὸ τῆς ἀπιστίας θράσος 8.14.8 ἠβούλετο. ἐπεὶ δ' ἡ κυρία ἐπεδήμει ἡμέρα, βασανίζεται τὸ ἀπόρρητον, ἐξετάζεται τὸ μυστήριον, τὰ θαύματα δοκιμάζεται, καὶ γίνεται τῆς ἑαυτῆς δυνάμεως διὰ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀπαρά-γραφος μάρτυς, καὶ πάλιν μεμυρισμένων αἱμάτων ἀπὸ τοῦ μνήματος πηγάζουσι ποταμοί, καὶ βλύζει ταῖς ἐκπομπαῖς τὸ μυστήριον, καὶ πιαίνονται σπόγγοι εὐωδίας αἱμάτων, καὶ πολυπλασιάζει ἡ μάρτυς τὴν ἔκροιαν· οὐκ οἶδε γὰρ γνώσεως 8.14. φθονῆσαι θεὸς ἀπιστούμενος. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἡ μάρτυς ἐπαιδαγώγει τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ ἄπιστον· ὁ δ' αὐτοκράτωρ ἀντέπεμπε ταῖς τῶν αἱμάτων ἐκβλύσεσι τὴν τῶν δακρύων ἐπίχυσιν, καὶ ταῖς ἐκροίαις τῶν μύρων ἀντεδίδου τῶν ὀμμά-των τὸν ὄμβρον, "θαυμαστὸς" φάσκων "ὁ θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ." 8.14.10 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ λίαν νουνεχόντως πρὸς τὴν παρέκβασιν εἴδομεν, ἀναμνησθῆναι καὶ τῆς ὑποστροφῆς ὁ καιρός, καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν τυραννίδα γεγενημένα διεξοδικώτερον ἀναγράψασθαι. 8.15.1 Κωνσταντῖναν τοιγαροῦν τὴν παῖδα Τιβερίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἅμα τρισὶ θυγατράσιν ἐν ἰδιωτικῇ οἰκίᾳ τινὶ κατάκλειστον ὁ τύραννος ἐποιήσατο· Λέοντος δ' ὁ οἶκος 8.15.2 προσηγορεύετο. μηνὶ δὲ πέμπτῳ καὶ γράμμασι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀναγόρευσιν συντάξας ὁ τύραννος πρὸς Χοσρόην ἐξέπεμπε Λίλιον ἄγγελον τῆς τυραννικῆς χειροτονίας