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When the Grand Domestic had spoken, Barys was not to be restrained, but said he would not neglect to bring whatever help he could to the emperor who was in such extreme danger; not only because as a physician, if he did not advise what was necessary, he would pay the ultimate penalties, but also because he had been bound by oaths to the emperor to make the truth about his condition clear to him. But now, with the emperor by no means going to be among the living, why must we neglect the salvation of his soul, suspended by empty hopes? As Barys was saying such things and was already rushing to make them clear to the emperor, the Grand Domestic threatened to kill him if he did not stop doing so. And knowing him to be a great coward and intending to create a disturbance, he led him outside and said to the Romans present: "Men of Rome, this physician here does not want to obey me at all, but confident in himself as one who knows things present and things to come, he is determined to turn our emperor from an emperor into a monk. If indeed what is being done is to your liking, you yourselves would know." They immediately surrounded the physician, made no small commotion, and threatened that they would devise for him some new form of death, 1.406 if he did not cease from undertaking such things. And he was afraid and obeyed those who were threatening him. But the emperor, although the illness was growing and receiving no small increase day by day, nevertheless had his mind sound and was not at all impaired by the illness, although it was in his head; and he continually called for his spiritual father and had an unusually passionate desire for the monastic habit, and entrusted the task to the spiritual father who was present; saying that it was not at all surprising if, in the absence of his usual one, he himself were to do the same things. But he strongly put it off and said he would not undertake it, lest he should wish to fall even from the priesthood itself, as one who was unlawfully and illegally undertaking sacred rites. For thus had it been legislated by the divine fathers. And he was persuaded, but he bore the failure to receive the habit heavily. And being silent for a little while and coming to the thought of his sins and how he would pay the penalty for all of them before the incorruptible and dreadful tribunal, he shed tears from his eyes and lamented himself for a considerable time. Then he enjoined his final commands on his attendants, and adjured them by God that when they should carry him away, departed from the body, to be deemed worthy of holy rites, they should first take him to the house of the Grand Domestic, and having laid him there for some time, so taking him up from there, they should hide him under a stone, so that it might be manifest to all that not even 1.407 death itself, which makes one forget all things here, was strong enough to dull his friendship for that man. Those present, therefore, both lamented at what was said and marveled at the excess of their friendship for each other, that it was so preserved in its prime even until the end. 17. After this, the emperor summoned the Grand Domestic and said, "I know clearly, O best of friends, that this day will not only seem more hateful to you than any unlucky day, but it will also bring great difficulties and circumstances. For it is necessary for you to be divided between providence for the rule of the Romans, fearing lest through my death some of the established order be disturbed, and between my loss, leaving no excess of despair, reasonably reckoning that the very dearest friend, whom neither time, which causes all things to flow away and fade, nor the unstable and uncertain nature of affairs, nor any necessity whatsoever was able to separate even for a little while from your friendship, now death, stronger even than nature itself, coming upon him, cuts him off and separates him savagely; and it leaves you a body without a soul, and takes me, an inactive soul, bitterly pained by the separation. But what can one do? For it is necessary to accept the laws laid down by the creator of nature. But come now, 1.408 for the little of life that remains, having bid farewell to all else, recline on my bed and place your dearest head upon my knees and lay your hands upon my eyes. Perhaps this will provide some comfort to the soul of the

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τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου εἰρηκότος, ὁ Βαρὺς οὐ καθεκτὸς ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐ περιόψεσθαι ἔφασκε βασιλεῖ οὕτως ἐν ἐσχάτοις κινδύνοις ὄντι μὴ τὴν δυνατὴν βοήθειαν εἰσενεγκεῖν· οὐ μόνον ὡς ἰατρὸς ὢν, εἰ μὴ τὰ δέοντα παραινέσει, τὰς ἐσχάτας τίσων δίκας, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ὅρκοις πρὸς βασιλέως κατελήφθη ἔνδηλα αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι τἀληθῆ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ. νυνὶ δὲ ἤδη οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ βασιλέως ἐν τοῖς ζῶσιν ἐσομένου, τί χρὴ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς σωτηρίας ἀμελεῖν ἐλπίσι κεναῖς αἰωρουμένους; Τοιαῦτα λέγοντι Βαρεῖ καὶ ἤδη ὡρμημένῳ βασιλεῖ δῆλα ποιεῖν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ἠπείλησεν ἀποκτενεῖν, εἰ μὴ παύοιτο τοιαῦτα δρῶν. εἰδώς τε αὐτὸν δειλότατον ὄντα καὶ θορυβῆσαι διανοηθεὶς, ἐξαγαγὼν ἔξω, τοῖς παροῦσι Ῥωμαίων εἶπεν· «Ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, ἰατρὸς οὑτοσὶἐμοὶ μὲν πείθεσθαι βούλεται οὐδαμῶς, ἑαυτῷ δὲ πεποιθὼς ὡς δή τις ὢν τῶν τε τὰ ὄντα καὶ τὰ ἐσόμενα εἰδότων, ὥρμηται ἡμῖν τὸν βασιλέα μονάζοντα ἐκ βασιλέως ἀποδεῖξαι. εἰ δὴ τὰ πραττόμενα ὑμῖν κατὰ γνώμην, εἰδείητε ἂν αὐτοί.» οἱ δ' αὐτίκα περιστάντες τὸν ἰατρὸν, ἐθορύβησάν τε οὐ μετρίως καὶ καινήν τινα αὐτῷ ἠπείλησαν ἰδέαν ἐξευρήσειν θανάτου, 1.406 εἰ μὴ παύοιτο τοιούτοις ἐγχειρῶν. ὁ δὲ ἔδεισέ τε καὶ ἐπείθετο τοῖς ἀπειλοῦσι. βασιλεὺς δὲ, καίτοι τοῦ νοσήματος αὐξανομένου καὶ προσθήκην οὐ μικρὰν ὁσημέραι δεχομένου, ὅμως εἶχεν ὑγιῶς τὰς φρένας καὶ οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ νοσήματος, καίτοι περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ὄντος, παρεβλάπτετο· καὶ τὸν πνευματικὸν πατέρα συνεχῶς ἀνεκαλεῖτο καὶ ἐρωτικῶς εἶχεν ἀτόπως περὶ τὸ Ναζιραίων σχῆμα, τῷ τε παρόντι ἐπέτρεπε πνευματικῷ τὸ ἔργον· οὐδὲν εἶναι λέγων θαυμαστὸν, εἰ ἀπόντος ἐκείνου τοῦ συνήθους, αὐτὸς τὰ ἴσα δρῴη. ὁ δὲ ἀνεβάλλετό τε ἰσχυρῶς καὶ ἔφασκεν οὐκ ἐγχειρήσειν, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο καὶ αὐτῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐκπεσεῖσθαι, ὡς ἐκθέσμως καὶ παρανόμως ἐγχειρῶν τοῖς ἱεροῖς. οὕτω γὰρ εἶναι τοῖς θείοις πατράσι νενομοθετημένον. ὁ δ' ἐπείθετο μὲν, βαρέως δὲ ἤνεγκε τοῦ σχήματος τὴν ἀποτυχίαν. σιωπήσας δὲ ἐπὶ μικρὸν καὶ τῶν τε πεπλημμελημένων εἰς ἔννοιαν ἐλθὼν καὶ ὡς πάντων ἐκείνων ὑφέξει δίκας ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀδεκάστου καὶ φρικτοῦ δικαστηρίου, δάκρυά τε ἠφίει τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἐθρήνησεν αὑτὸν ἐφ' ἱκανόν. εἶτα τῇ περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπέσκηπτε θεραπείᾳ τελευταίας ἐντολὰς, καὶ ὥρκιζεν αὐτοῖς τὸν θεὸν, ὡς ἐπειδὰν ἀναλύσαντα τοῦ σώματος ἐπὶ τῷ ὁσίας ἀπάγωσιν ἀξιῶσαι, ἐπὶ τὴν μεγάλου δομεστίκου οἰκίαν ἀγαγόντας πρῶτον, καὶ καταθέντας χρόνον τινὰ, οὕτως ἐκεῖθεν ἀραμένους, ὑπὸ λίθον κατακρύψαι, ὡς ἂν γένοιτο πᾶσι καταφανὲς, ὡς οὐδ' 1.407 αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν τῇδε πάντων θάνατος ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι ποιῶν, ἴσχυσεν αὐτοῦ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον φιλίαν ἀμβλῦναι. οἱ μὲν οὖν παρόντες ἐθρήνησάν τε ἐπὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν ἐθαύμασαν τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτῶν φιλίας, ὅτι καὶ ἄχρι τελευτῆς οὕτως ἐν ἀκμῇ διετηρήθη. ιζʹ. Μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον μετακαλεσάμενος «οἶδα μὲν» εἶπεν «ὦ φίλων ἄριστε, σαφῶς, ὡς ἡ νῦν ἡμέρα οὐ μόνον ἀποφράδος πάσης ἐχθίων σοι φανεῖται, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγάλας οἴσει τὰς δυσχερείας καὶ περιστάσεις. ἀνάγκη γὰρ πρός τε τὴν πρόνοιαν τῆς ἀρχῆς μερίζεσθαι Ῥωμαίων, δεδοικότι μὴ διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν τελευτὴν τῶν καθεστηκότων τι κινηθῇ, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀποστέρησιν οὐδεμίαν ὑπερβολὴν ἀθυμίας ἀπολείπειν, λογιζόμενον εἰκότως ὅτι τὸν πάνυ φίλτατον καὶ ὃν οὔτε χρόνος ὁ πάντ' ἀποῤῥέειν καὶ ἀπανθεῖν ποιῶν, οὔθ' ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἄστατος καὶ ἀβέβαιος φύσις, οὔτ' ἀνάγκη τις οὐδεμία τῆς σῆς ἴσχυσε φιλίας ἀποστῆσαι κἂν πρὸς βραχὺ, νῦν ὁ καὶ αὐτῆς φύσεως ἰσχυρότερος θάνατος ἐπελθὼν ἀποτέμνει τε καὶ διαζεύγνυσιν ἀνημέρως· καὶ σὲ μὲν ἀπολείπει σῶμα χωρὶς ψυχῆς, ἐμὲ δὲ ἀνενέργητον ψυχὴν παραλαμβάνει πικρῶς ὀδυνωμένην τὴν διάζευξιν. ἀλλὰ τί ἄν τις πάθοι; στέργειν γὰρ ἀνάγκη τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τῆς φύσεως κειμένους θεσμούς. οὐ μὴν 1.408 ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ λειπόμενον ὀλίγον τῆς ζωῆς, τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι χαίρειν εἰπὼν, ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης ἀνακλίθητι τῆς ἐμῆς καὶ τὴν σοὶ φιλτάτην κεφαλὴν τοῖς γόνασιν ἐπίθες καὶ χεῖρας ἐπίβαλε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. ἴσως τοῦτο παραμυθίαν τινὰ προξενήσει τῇ ψυχῇ τοῦ