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he said to flee the place and the persons, and rightly so, as one might suppose; for for a patriarch to be judged, with the emperor present, and with magnates and laymen present, and in the palace, and this when the emperor was so disposed and already committed to a hostile stance, was neither worthy nor just at all. As he said these things to the messengers of the patriarch, what was said was committed to writing, so that he might not be slandered in any way. Those who returned reported everything with certainty to those who had sent them, and the assembly was dissolved. This having happened twice and then three times after certain critical intervals—for they who did such things also cared for the canons—nothing more came of these things than that the patriarch refused the manner of the trial, while they wrote back to him that, since the emperor was justified in being the supervisor in ecclesiastical matters, it was neither just nor reasonable for such things, being of the greatest importance, to be set in motion without imperial oversight.

5. How the patriarch came to the emperor and how he was nearly deceived. But while these things were being done, the patriarch, realizing what was also true, that nothing else was stirring up such things than the ruler's hostility toward him, when he was in danger of curing evil with evil—namely, the animosity and troublesomeness toward that man with the condemnation of the patriarch—so that he also wished these things to be disposed of, overlooking all small-mindedness, mounted a horse, which he was not previously accustomed to do since he took the see of Constantine, and approached the emperor. The day on which these things were done was the Lord's Day. The emperor, then, thinking that the moment for which he had long been seeking had arrived, that of the relaxation of tensions—for the patriarch's mounting a horse 343 and acting contrary to his custom, and the matters being stirred up, as he had come to the very brink of condemnation, and that he had come to propitiate him, convinced him to think such things—both met him kindly and received him gladly as he approached and spoke a great many pleasant things. So when the time for the sacred liturgy arrived and the ruler was now about to enter the church, he sent one of his own men and gave firm instructions to those in charge of the liturgy, ordering that as soon as they saw him they should neither wait for his approach to venerate the holy icons, nor do anything else to delay, but that the deacon should immediately exclaim, "Bless," and the priest should bless God with a loud voice as is customary and begin the liturgy. This was entirely the purpose for which he had arranged these things: to bring the hierarch into the church with him and thence to have silently effected the lifting of the ban. And indeed, the preparations for the sacred liturgy had been made, and the whole clergy, having changed into the proper vestments, were expectantly waiting for the emperor who was about to arrive at any moment. But the emperor, cleverly holding the patriarch by his sacred mantle, at certain intervals, at one moment stood still and spoke, and at another led him towards the church. But when he stepped upon the threshold and the deacon cried out "Bless" and immediately the priest's blessing followed, the patriarch was startled by the unexpected event and, at once perceiving the trick, he pulled back and slipped from the ruler's hand and: "Why," he said, "do you so deceitfully steal the blessing and outwit the divine, being a man, when it is neither right nor expedient?" And also: "These are fine things indeed," he said reproachfully, "and fitting for an emperor who chooses to rule lawfully, and surely tolerable for others to hear, so as to even praise them," he was at once an eagle, leaving that man abashed and flying away, and running on foot as fast as possible through the iron gate of the triclinium, he went as fast as his feet could carry him toward the sea and, embarking on a boat, reached his own quarters. The emperor, however, having been insulted, as it were, and put to shame, nevertheless feigned magnanimity. And when the sacred liturgy had reached its end, he came out, and standing in the Alexian triclinium, having summoned those of the hierarchs and of the clergy who were present, he charged the patriarch with harshness, and: "Behold,

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τόπον καὶ πρόσωπα φεύγειν ἔλεγε, καὶ δικαίως, ὡς οἴεσθαι· πατριάρχην γὰρ κρίνεσθαι, παρόντος μὲν βασιλέως, παρόντων δὲ μεγιστάνων καὶ κοσμικῶν, καὶ ἐν ἀνακτόρων, καὶ ταῦτα καὶ βασιλέως οὕτως ἔχοντος καὶ εἰς ἄμυναν προειλημμένου, οὐκ ἄξιον οὐδὲ τῶν δικαίων εἶναι τὸ σύμπαν. Ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους τοῦ πατριάρ χου λέγοντος, γραφῇ ἐδίδοντο τὰ λεγόμενα, ὡς μή τι συκοφαντηθείη. Οἱ δ' ὑποστρέφοντες ἐδήλουν πάντα μετ' ἀσφαλείας τοῖς ἀποστείλασι, καὶ ὁ σύλλογος διελύετο. Τοῦτο δὶς εἶτα καὶ τρὶς γεγονὸς ἔκ τινων καιριακῶν διαλειμμάτωνἔμελε γὰρ καὶ κανόνων ἐκείνοις τοιαῦτα πράττουσιν, οὐδὲν ἦν πλέον ἐκ τούτων ὅτι μὴ τὸν πατριάρχην παραιτεῖσθαι τὸν τρόπον τῆς κρίσεως, τοὺς δ' ἀντεπιστέλλειν ἐκείνῳ, ὡς ἐπιστημονάρχου τοῦ βασιλέως εἶναι δικαιουμένου ἐν τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς πράγμασι, μὴ δίκαιον εἶναι μηδ' εὔλογον τὰ τοιαῦτα, μέγιστ' ὄντα, δίχα βασιλικῆς ἐπιστασίας κινεῖσθαι.

εʹ. Ὅπως ὁ πατριάρχης πρὸς βασιλέα ἀφίκοιτο καὶ ὅπως παρὰ μικρὸν παραλογισθείη. Ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ταῦτ' ἐπράττετο, ἐννοήσας ὁ πατριάρχης, ὃ καὶ ἀληθὲς ἦν, ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν ἄλλο τὸ κινοῦν τοιαῦτα ἢ τὸ τοῦ κρατοῦντος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀμυντικόν, ὅτε καὶ κινδυνεύοι κακῷ τὸ κακὸν ἰᾶσθαι, τῇ τοῦ πατριάρχου καταδίκῃ τὸ πρὸς ἐκείνου ἀπεχθὲς καὶ ὀχλῶδες, ὥστε καὶ ἀπεσκευάσθαι ταῦτα βούλεσθαι, παριδὼν πᾶσαν μικροψυχίαν, ἵππου τε ἐπιβαίνει, μὴ πρότε ρον εἰωθὼς ἐξ οὗ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου κατέλαβε, καὶ βασιλεῖ πρόσεισιν. Ἡμέρα δ' ἦν καθ' ἣν ταῦτ' ἐπράττετο κυριώνυμος. Ὁ γοῦν βασιλεύς, καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον οἰηθεὶς ἐπιστῆναι ὃν καὶ ἐζήτει πάλαι, τὸν τῆς ἀνέσεως ἔπειθε γὰρ ἐννοεῖν τοιαῦτ' ἐκεῖνον τό τ' ἐπιβῆναι ἵππου τὸν πατριάρχην 343 καὶ παρὰ τὸ σύνηθες πρᾶξαι, τά τε κινούμενα, ὡς ἐν χρῷ καταδίκης αὐτὸν γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ ὡς ἐκμειλίξασθαι παραγένοιτο, φιλοφρόνως τε ὑπαντᾷ καὶ ἀσμένως ὑποδέχεται προσιόντα καὶ πλεῖστον ὅσον ὁμιλεῖ τὰ χαρίεντα. Ὡς γοῦν καιρὸς τῆς ἱερᾶς λειτουργίας ἐπέστη καὶ ἤδη ἦν ὁ κρατῶν πρὸς τῷ τῷ ναῷ ἐπιστῆναι, πέμψας ἐκεῖνός τινα τῶν αὑτοῦ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς λειτουργίας κατησφαλίζετο καὶ ἐκέλευεν, ἅμα θεασαμένους αὐτόν, μήτε περιμένειν τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἁγίας εἰκόνας προσέλευσιν αὐτοῦ προσκυνήσοντος, μήτ' ἄλλο τι περιαργοῦντας πράττειν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἐκφωνεῖν μὲν τὸν διάκονον τὸ Εὐλόγησον, εὐλογεῖν δὲ τὸν Θεὸν μεγαλοφώνως τὸν ἱερέα κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες καὶ τῆς λει τουργίας ἀπάρχεσθαι. Τοῦτο δ' ἦν πάντως πρὸς ὃ ταῦτ' ἐκεῖνος παρε σκευάζετο, τὸ τὸν ἱεράρχην ἅμ' αὑτῷ ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας συναγαγεῖν κἀντεῦθεν σιωπηλῶς τὴν τοῦ δεσμοῦ λύσιν πραγματευσάμενον ἔχειν. Καὶ δὴ ηὐτρέπιστο μὲν τὰ τῆς ἱερᾶς λειτουργίας, ὁ κλῆρος δ' ἅπας, μετασκευασάμενος τοῖς εἰκόσι, καραδοκοῦντες τὸν βασιλέα ὅσον οὔπω ἀφιξόμενον περιέμενον. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, εὐστόχως τοῦ ἱεροῦ μανδύου τὸν πατριάρχην κατέχων, κατά τινα ποσὰ διαστήματα, ἅμα μὲν ἱστάμενος ὡμίλει, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸν ναὸν προσήγετο. Ὡς δέ ποτε τοῦ οὐδοῦ ἐπέβη καὶ ὁ διάκονος τὸ Εὐλόγησον ἐξεβόα καὶ εὐθὺς ἡ τοῦ ἱερέως εὐλόγησις, ἐκσπᾶ ται τῷ παραδόξῳ ὁ πατριάρχης καί, τὸν δόλον συνεὶς αὐτίκα, ἀντέσπα καὶ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἐξώλισθε καί· «Τί, λέγων, οὕτω δολερῶς κλέπτεις τὴν εὐλογίαν καὶ παραλογίζῃ τὸ θεῖον, ἄνθρωπος ὤν, οὐ δέον ὂν οὐδὲ συμφέρον;» Ἔτι δὲ καί· «Καλά γε ταῦτα, προσονειδίζων, καί γε βασιλεῖ καὶ ἐννόμως ἄρχειν προαιρουμένῳ πρέποντα καὶ δὴ φορητὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀκοῦσαι, ὥστε καὶ ἐπαινεῖν», εὐθὺς ἀετὸς ἦν λιπὼν ἐκεῖνον καταιδεσθέντα καὶ ἀφιπτάμενος καί, διὰ τῆς σιδηρᾶς τοῦ τρικλίνου πύλης ὡς τάχος πεζῇ διαθέων, ᾗ ποδῶν εἶχεν ἐχώρει πρὸς θάλασσαν καί, νεὼς ἐπιβάς, κατελάμβανε τὰ οἰκεῖα. Ὁ μέντοι γε βασιλεύς, ὑβριοπαθήσας οἷον καὶ αἰδεσθείς, προσποι εῖται δ' οὖν ὅμως τὸ μεγαλόψυχον. Καὶ ἐπεὶ τέλος ἡ ἱερὰ λειτουργία ἐλάμβα νεν, ἐξελθών, σταθεὶς ἐν τῷ Ἀλεξιακῷ τρικλίνῳ, τούς τε τῶν ἱεραρχῶν παρατυχόντας καὶ τοὺς τοῦ κλήρου μεταστειλάμενος, ἐπενεκάλει τῷ πατριάρχῃ σκληρότητα, καί· «Ἴδετε,