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he had a lodging; and having sought for him everywhere, even in the upper rooms of the houses, they departed, having failed in their purpose; for they thought that, since the multitude had forgotten its former commotion, if they attacked when all were turned to sleep, they would easily carry out the emperor's order and keep the city free 6.12.12 from sedition. But everyone was naturally amazed that Athanasius was not found. For whether he withdrew because of a divine power foretelling it or because some people brought him news, both amount to the same thing. And it seemed to be a matter of foresight, even on a human level, to learn of the plot beforehand at such a critical moment and to be on his guard. But others say that, foreseeing the irrational movement of the crowd, and fearing lest he should be thought the cause of the terrible things that would result, he spent all this time in his father's tomb. And so, having escaped in this way, he remained hidden. 6.12.13 Not long after, the emperor wrote for him to return and take possession of his church. I conjecture that Valens came to this decision contrary to his intention, either taking into account the prevailing opinion concerning Athanasius, and that on his account Valentinian was likely to find fault, since he held the dogma of those assembled at Nicaea, or being suspicious of a commotion from his many admirers, lest they should start some new trouble to the detriment of public 6.12.14 affairs. I think it is also likely that the leaders of the Arian heresy did not press the matter concerning him too eagerly, reasoning that if he were expelled from the city he would again trouble the emperors and would from this have an opportunity of conversing with them and would persuade Valens, and would even provoke Valentinian to anger as being of one mind. For they were especially fearful, having experienced his excellence from the events that occurred under 6.12.15 Constantius. For to such an extent did he then also prevail over the plotting of his adversaries, that they gladly ceded to him the churches throughout Egypt, and on this point Constantius, with difficulty, yielded to letters for him to return from Italy. So then, the reason why Athanasius, unlike the others, was not deprived of his 6.12.16 church, I conjecture to be this. But for the rest, a persecution occurred almost like a pagan one; for exiles beyond the frontier were eagerly sought for those who refused to hold the same opinions, and houses of prayer were taken away from some and handed over to others; but Egypt, for the time being, was unacquainted with these things, as long as Athanasius was still alive. 6.13.1 It seemed good to the emperor Valens to take possession of Antioch on the Orontes. While he was on his way, Eudoxius ended his life, after having presided over the churches in Constantinople for eleven years, and they were entrusted to Demophilus, who was ordained as his successor by those who held the opinions of 6.13.2 Arius. But those of the dogma of the synod of Nicaea, thinking that this had happened for them at a critical time, elected a certain Evagrius to be their bishop. Eustathius, who had presided over the church of the Syrian Antiochenes, ordained him. For having been recalled from exile beyond the frontier by Jovian, he was then secretly staying in Constantinople, teaching those of the same opinion as himself and exhorting them to remain in the same mind concerning the divine. 6.13.3 From this, those of the Arian heresy were stirred up to sedition and harshly persecuted the supporters of the ordination of Evagrius; and the emperor, learning of these things, for the time being halted his journey at Nicomedia; and fearing for the city, lest it should suffer from sedition, he saw fit to send soldiers to 6.13.4 Constantinople, whom he considered sufficient for this purpose. And having arrested Eustathius, he ordered him to reside in Bizye, a city of Thrace, and Evagrius to be led away elsewhere. And so matters stood. 6.14.1 But those who held the opinions of Arius, becoming more insolent, as usually happens to the successful, plotted unbearable things against those of the opposite opinion. But they, being outraged in their persons, handed over to magistrates and prisons, and having their property gradually spent by the
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καταγώγιον εἶχε· πανταχῇ τε καὶ εἰς τὰς ὑπερῴους οἰκήσεις ἀναζητήσαντες αὐτὸν ἀπεχώρουν διαμαρτόντες τῆς βουλῆς· ᾤοντο γὰρ λοιπὸν τοῦ πλήθους ἐπιλελησμένου τῆς προτέρας κινήσεως, εἰ ἐπίθοιντο πάντων πρὸς ὕπνον τετραμμένων, ῥᾳδίως τὴν βασιλέως πρόσταξιν ἐπιτελέσειν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀστα6.12.12 σίαστον φυλάξειν. θαῦμα δὲ πάντας εἰκότως εἶχεν ᾿Αθανασίου μὴ εὑρεθέντος. εἴτε γὰρ θείας δυνάμεως προειπούσης ὑπανεχώρησεν εἴτε τινῶν ἀγγειλάντων, ἀμφότερα εἰς ταὐτὸν τελεῖ. καὶ προμηθείας ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐδόκει εἰς ἀναγκαῖον ὧδε καιρὸν προμαθεῖν τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ φυλάξασθαι. ἕτεροι δέ φασιν, ὡς τὴν τοῦ πλήθους παράλογον κίνησιν προορῶν, δείσας τε μὴ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν συμβησομένων δεινῶν αἴτιος εἶναι δόξῃ, πάντα τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐν πατρῴῳ μνήματι διέτριβεν. καὶ ὁ μὲν ὧδε διαφυγὼν ἐλάνθανεν. 6.12.13 Οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον ἔγραψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπανελθεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἔχειν. τεκμαίρομαι δὲ Οὐάλεντα παρὰ σκοπὸν ἐπὶ ταύτην τὴν γραφὴν ἐλθεῖν, ἢ τὴν κρατοῦσαν περὶ ᾿Αθανασίου δόξαν λογιζόμενον καὶ ὅτι τούτου χάριν εἰκὸς ἦν μέμψασθαι Οὐαλεντινιανόν, ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντων τὸ δόγμα ἐπρέσβευεν, ἢ τῶν ἐπαινούντων αὐτὸν πολλῶν ὄντων τὴν κίνησιν ὑφορώμενον, μή τι νεωτερίσωσιν ἐπὶ βλάβῃ τῶν κοινῶν πραγ6.12.14 μάτων. οἶμαι δὲ ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ τοὺς προεστῶτας τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως μὴ λίαν ἐπιθέσθαι τῇ περὶ τούτου σπουδῇ, λογισαμένους ὡς τῆς πόλεως ἐκβληθεὶς αὖθις ἐνοχλήσει τοῖς βασιλεύουσι καὶ ἀφορμὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἕξει τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁμιλίας καὶ μεταπείσει Οὐάλεντα, Οὐαλεντινιανὸν δὲ καὶ εἰς ὀργὴν κινήσει ὡς ὁμόφρονα. μάλιστα γὰρ περιδεεῖς ἦσαν ἐκ τῶν ἐπὶ Κων6.12.15 σταντίου συμβάντων πεπειραμένοι τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀρετῆς. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γὰρ καὶ τότε τῆς τῶν ἐναντίων ἐκράτησεν ἐπιβουλῆς, ὡς ἀσμένως αὐτῷ παραχωρῆσαι τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ μόλις εἶξαι Κωνσταντίου γράμμασιν ἐκ τῆς ᾿Ιταλίας ἐπανελθεῖν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν αἴτιον καθότι ᾿Αθανάσιος ἐπίσης τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐκ ἀφῃρέθη 6.12.16 τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τοῦτο εἰκάζω εἶναι. τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς μονονουχὶ διωγμὸς συνέβη ῾Ελληνικῷ παραπλήσιος· φυγαί τε γὰρ ὑπερόριοι ἐσπουδάζοντο τῶν τὰ αὐτὰ φρονεῖν ἀναινομένων, καὶ εὐκτήριοι οἶκοι τῶν μὲν ἀφῃροῦντο, τοῖς δὲ παρεδίδοντο· ἡ δὲ Αἴγυπτος τέως τούτων ἀπείρατος ἦν ἔτι ᾿Αθανασίου τῷ βίῳ περιόντος. 6.13.1 Τῷ δὲ βασιλεῖ Οὐάλεντι τὴν παρ' ᾿Ορόντῃ ᾿Αντιόχειαν καταλαβεῖν ἐδόκει. ἐχομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ τῆς ὁδοῦ τελευτᾷ τὸν βίον Εὐδόξιος, ἐπὶ ἕνδεκα ἐνιαυτοῖς κρατήσας τῶν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐκκλησιῶν, ἐπιτρέπεται δὲ ταύτας ∆ημόφιλος, χειροτονηθεὶς εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ διαδοχὴν παρὰ τῶν τὰ 6.13.2 ᾿Αρείου φρονούντων. οἱ δὲ τοῦ δόγματος τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδου, νομίσαντες εἰς καιρὸν αὐτοῖς τόδε συμβεβηκέναι, ψηφίζονται Εὐάγριόν τινα ἐπισκοπεῖν αὐτῶν. χειροτονεῖ δὲ τοῦτον Εὐστάθιος, ὃς τὴν ᾿Αντιοχέων Σύρων διεῖπεν ἐκκλησίαν. μετακληθεὶς γὰρ ὑπὸ ᾿Ιοβιανοῦ ἐκ τῆς ὑπερορίας φυγῆς λάθρα τότε ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει διέτριβε τοὺς ὁμοδόξους αὐτῷ διδάσκων καὶ προτρέπων ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μένειν περὶ τὸ θεῖον γνώμης. 6.13.3 ἐντεῦθεν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως πρὸς στάσιν ἀνακινηθέντες χαλεπῶς ἐδίωκον τοὺς σπουδαστὰς τῆς Εὐαγρίου χειροτονίας· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ταῦτα γνοὺς ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ τέως τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπέσχεν· δείσας δὲ περὶ τῆς πόλεως, μή τι πάθοι ὑπὸ στάσεως, συνεῖδεν πέμψαι στρατιώτας εἰς Κων6.13.4 σταντινούπολιν, οὓς ἱκανοὺς ἐνόμισεν εἰς τοῦτο. Εὐστάθιον δὲ συλληφθέντα προσέταξεν ἐν Βιζύῃ πόλει τῆς Θρᾴκης διάγειν καὶ Εὐάγριον ἑτέρωθι ἀπάγεσθαι. καὶ τὰ μὲν ὧδε ἔσχε. 6.14.1 Θρασύτεροι δέ, ὡς φιλεῖ συμβαίνειν τοῖς εὐτυχοῦσι, γενόμενοι οἱ τὰ ᾿Αρείου φρονοῦντες οὐκ ἀνεκτὰ ἐπεβούλευον τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐναντίας δόξης. οἱ δὲ εἴς τε τὸ σῶμα ὑβριζόμενοι, ἄρχουσί τε καὶ δεσμωτηρίοις παραδιδόμενοι καὶ τὰς οὐσίας κατ' ὀλίγον δαπανώμενοι ταῖς