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to converse. From the present things it is clear that the former things among them were also false; from these things it is clear that the former things among us were also true, the things concerning John and Paul and Peter and all the others. For since they have succeeded to their piety, for this reason they also displayed their boldness; since they were brought up under the same laws, for this reason they also emulated their virtue. So we have no need of writings to show the apostolic virtue, since the facts themselves cry out, and the disciples reveal their teachers; we have no need of words, to show the nonsense of the Greeks and the pusillanimity of their philosophers, since the facts themselves, both present and past, cry out that everything among them is myth and stage-play and hypocrisy. Not only the monks but also the priests displayed the same magnanimity, and shared in our salvation. And one of them departed to the military camp, putting everything second to your love, and was himself ready, if he could not persuade the emperor, to die; but these men, remaining here, and displaying the same things as the monks, holding back the judges with their own hands, did not permit them to enter, until they should promise about the outcome of the trial; and when they saw them refusing, they too again used great boldness; but when they saw them consenting, touching their feet and knees, and kissing their hands, they displayed both virtues in abundance, both freedom and reasonableness. For that their boldness was not rashness, they especially showed by kissing their knees and touching their feet; again, that these things were not flattery, nor any servility, nor did they come from an unfree mind, what went before testified to their boldness. We have not only reaped these good things from the trial, but also much self-control, much reasonableness; and our city suddenly became a monastery. No one would have so adorned it, even if he had set up golden statues in the marketplace, as it is now bright and renowned, having provided the beautiful statues of virtue, and displayed its own wealth. 49.176 indeed burdensome, but even they brought much gain. For what was burdensome, tell me, of the things that happened? that it fenced off the theater, that it made the hippodrome inaccessible, that it shut up and buried the springs of wickedness? May these things indeed never be opened again. From here the roots of wickedness sprouted in the city, from here are those who slander its character, who sell their voices to the dancers, and for three obols toast away their own salvation to them, who turn everything upside down. Are you distressed by these things, beloved? For these things, then, you should rejoice, and be glad, and give thanks to the emperor, because his punishment has become a correction, and the penalty an instruction, and the wrath a lesson. But that our baths have been closed? But this too is not unbearable, and to lead back to philosophy, even against their will, those who live a delicate and effeminate and dissolute life. But that he took away the dignity of the city, and no longer allowed it to be called a metropolis? But what should he have done? Praise what had happened, and give thanks? And who would not have blamed him, for not showing his indignation even in appearance? Do you not see that fathers do many such things to their own sons? they turn away from them, and bar them from their table. This is what the emperor also did, imposing such punishments that had no harm, but brought much correction. Consider what we expected, and what has happened, and then we will know especially the grace of God. Are you pained that the dignity of the city has been taken away? learn what the dignity of the city is, and then you will know clearly, that if its inhabitants do not betray it, no one else will be able to take away the dignity of a city. Not being a metropolis, nor having size and beauty of buildings, nor having many columns, and wide porticoes and

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διαλέγεσθαι. Ἀπὸ τῶν νῦν εὔδηλον, ὅτι καὶ τὰ πρότερα ἦν ψευδῆ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνοις· ἀπὸ τούτων δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ τὰ πρότερα ἦν ἀληθῆ τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν, τὰ περὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ Παύλου καὶ Πέτρου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν ἐκείνων εὐσέβειαν διεδέξαντο, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν παῤῥησίαν ἐπεδείξαντο· ἐπειδὴ τοῖς αὐτοῖς νόμοις ἐτράφησαν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀρετὴν ἐζήλωσαν. Ὥστε οὐ χρεία γραμμάτων ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δεῖξαι τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ἀρετὴν, τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν βοώντων, καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν τοὺς διδασκάλους ἐνδεικνύντων· οὐ χρεία λόγων ἡμῖν, ὥστε τὸν τῶν Ἑλλήνων δεῖξαι λῆρον καὶ τὴν τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς φιλοσόφων μικροψυχίαν, τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν βοώντων τῶν νῦν καὶ τῶν προτέρων, ὡς ἅπαντα τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς μῦθος καὶ σκηνὴ καὶ ὑπόκρισις. Οὐχ οἱ μοναχοὶ δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπεδείξαντο μεγαλοψυχίαν, καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν διενείμαντο σωτηρίαν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀπῆρε, πάντα δεύτερα θέμενος τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης, καὶ αὐτὸς ἕτοιμος ὢν, εἰ μὴ πείσειε τὸν βασιλέα, ἀποθανεῖν· οὗτοι δὲ ἐνταῦθα μείναντες, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς μοναχοῖς ἐπιδειξάμενοι, ταῖς οἰκείαις χερσὶ τοὺς δικάζοντας κατέχοντες οὐκ ἐπέτρεπον εἰσελθεῖν, πρὶν ἢ περὶ τοῦ τέλους ὑποσχέσθαι τῆς δίκης· καὶ ἡνίκα μὲν ἑώρων ἀνανεύοντας, πολλῇ τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ καὶ αὐτοὶ πάλιν ἐκέχρηντο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδον ἐπινεύσαντας, ποδῶν ἁψάμενοι καὶ γονάτων, καὶ χεῖρας καταφιλήσαντες, ἑκατέραν τὴν ἀρετὴν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἐπεδείξαντο, τήν τε ἐλευθερίαν, τήν τε ἐπιείκειαν. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν θρασύτητος ἡ παῤῥησία, τῷ καταφιλῆσαι γόνατα καὶ ποδῶν ἅψασθαι μάλιστα ἔδειξαν· πάλιν ὅτι ταῦτα κολακεία οὐκ ἦν, οὐδὲ δουλοπρέπειά τις, οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀνελευθέρου γνώμης ἐγίνετο, τὰ φθάσαντα ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτῶν τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Οὐ ταῦτα δὲ μόνον ἀπὸ τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τὰ καλὰ ἐκαρπωσάμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν σωφροσύνην, πολλὴν ἐπιείκειαν· καὶ μοναστήριον ἡμῖν ἡ πόλις ἐξαίφνης ἐγένετο. Οὐκ ἄν τις αὐτὴν οὕτως ἐκόσμησεν, εἰ χρυσοῦς ἀνδριάντας ἀνέστησεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ὡς νῦν ἐστι λαμπρὰ καὶ περιφανὴς τοὺς καλοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀνδριάντας παρασχομένη, καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἐπιδείξασα πλοῦτον. 49.176 μὲν οὖν φορτικὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ πολὺ τὸ κέρδος ἤνεγκε. Τί γὰρ ἐπαχθὲς, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν γενομένων; ὅτι τὴν ὀρχήστραν ἀνέφραξεν, ὅτι τὸν ἰππόδρομον ἄβατον ἐποίησεν, ὅτι τὰς τῆς πονηρίας πηγὰς ἀπέκλεισε καὶ κατέχωσε; Μηδὲ ἀνοιχθῆναι μὲν οὖν εἴη ταῦτά ποτε. Ἐντεῦθεν αἱ ῥίζαι τῆς πονηρίας ἐβλάστησαν τῇ πόλει, ἐντεῦθεν οἱ τὸ ἦθος αὐτῆς διαβάλλοντές εἰσιν, οἱ τὰς αὐτῶν φωνὰς τοῖς ὀρχουμένοις πωλοῦντες, καὶ τριῶν ὀβολῶν τὴν ἑαυτῶν προπίνοντες ἐκείνοις σωτηρίαν, οἱ πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω κινοῦντες. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἀσχάλλεις, ἀγαπητέ; ∆ιὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ χαίρειν χρὴ, καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι, καὶ χάριτας ὁμολογεῖν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἡ κόλασις αὐτοῦ διόρθωσις γέγονε, καὶ ἡ τιμωρία παιδαγωγία, καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ διδασκαλία. Ἀλλ' ὅτι τὰ βαλανεῖα ἡμῖν ἀποκέκλεισται; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀφόρητον, καὶ ἄκοντας τοὺς τὸν ἁβρὸν καὶ χαῦνον καὶ διαλελυμένον βίον ζῶντας πρὸς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐπαναγαγεῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀφεῖλε ἀξίωμα, καὶ οὐκέτι καλεῖσθαι αὐτὴν μητρόπολιν εἴασεν; Ἀλλὰ τί ποιῆσαι ἐχρῆν; ἐπαινέσαι τὰ γεγενημένα, καὶ χάριν ὁμολογῆσαι; Καὶ τίς οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν ἐμέμψατο, ὅτι οὐδὲ μέχρι σχήματος ἐπεδείξατο τὴν ἀγανάκτησιν; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς πατέρας, ὅτι πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ποιοῦσιν εἰς τοὺς υἱοὺς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν; ἀποστρέφονται, καὶ τραπέζης εἴργουσι. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποίησε τοιαύτας ἐπιθεὶς τιμωρίας, βλάβην μὲν οὐδεμίαν ἐχούσας, πολλὴν δὲ φερούσας τὴν διόρθωσιν. Ἐννόησον τίνα προσεδοκήσαμεν, καὶ τίνα γέγονε, καὶ τότε μάλιστα εἰσόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν χάριν. Ἀλγεῖς ὅτι τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀξίωμα ἀφῄρηται; μάθε τί ποτέ ἐστι τῆς πόλεως ἀξίωμα, καὶ τότε εἴσῃ σαφῶς, ὅτι ἐὰν οἱ οἰκοῦντες αὐτὸ μὴ προδῶσιν, οὐδεὶς ἕτερος ἀφελέσθαι δυνήσεται ἀξίωμα πόλεως. Οὐ τὸ μητρόπολιν εἶναι, οὐδὲ τὸ μέγεθος ἔχειν καὶ κάλλος οἰκοδομημάτων, οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοὺς κίονας, καὶ στοὰς εὐρείας καὶ