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and it happened in the case of Stephen; and secondly, giving them, after they had sated their anger, a chance to recover from their madness; and thirdly, showing that this happened by His permission. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. O the great pollution! For whose sake did he gratify them, committing murders simply and rashly? Now it was the day of Unleavened Bread. Again the superfluous scrupulosity of the Jews; they did not prevent the killing, but they were doing such things at such a time. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him 60.198 to four quaternions of soldiers. And this was a mark of his anger and fear. He killed, it says, James the brother of John with the sword. Do you see their courage? For lest anyone should say that for this reason they boldly face death without danger and without fear, since God snatches them away, for this reason He allows them to be killed, and especially the leaders, persuading their killers that not even these things deter and hinder them. Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly by the Church to God for him. The contest, then, concerned vital matters. For both the killing of that one made them very fearful, and the imprisonment of this one. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell. And striking Peter on the side, he raised him up, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. See, on that very night he snatched him away. And a light shone in the cell, lest he think it was a fantasy; and no one saw the light except him. For if this also happened, and yet he thought it was a fantasy because of its unexpectedness; if this had not happened, how much more so; thus he was prepared for death. The fact that he remained there many days and was not saved, was causing this. And why, he says, did He not let him fall into the hands of Herod, and then snatch him away? Because that would have led to astonishment; but this happened for their sake. For they would not have been thought to be human, if he did all things in a manner befitting God. And in the case of Stephen, what did He not do? Did He not show his face to them as that of an angel? What, indeed, was lacking here as well? And the angel said to him, Gird yourself and put on your sandals. Again here he shows 60.199 that it did not happen through malice; for no one who is in a hurry and wanting to break out takes such pains as to even get his sandals, so as to even gird himself. And he did so. And he says to him, Cast your garment about you, and follow me. And he went out and followed him; and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. And when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord. Behold, a second sign. When the angel departed, then Peter understood. And when they were past, they went on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter, coming to himself, said, Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. Now I know, he says, not then. But why does this happen, and Peter is not aware of what is happening, although he had already enjoyed such a deliverance, when they were all released? He wishes the deliverance to happen to him suddenly, and for him to gain awareness after he has been delivered. The fact that the chains fell from his hands is great proof that he did not flee. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to answer, named Rhoda. And when she recognized Peter's voice, she did not open the gate for joy. See Peter not departing immediately, but first bringing the good news to his own. But running in

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καὶ ἐπὶ Στεφάνου γέγονε· δεύτερον δὲ, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς μετὰ τὸ ἐμπλῆσαι τὸν θυμὸν ἀνενεγκεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μανίας· καὶ τρίτον, δεικνὺς, ὅτι κατὰ συγχώρησιν αὐτοῦ γέγονε τοῦτο. Ἰδὼν δὲ, ὅτι ἀρεστόν ἐστι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, προσέθετο συλλαβεῖν καὶ Πέτρον. Ὢ τῆς μιαρίας τῆς πολλῆς! Ὑπὲρ τίνων αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίζετο, φόνους ποιῶν ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ; Ἦν δὲ ἡμέρα τῶν Ἀζύμων. Πάλιν ἡ περιττὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀκριβολογία· ἀνελεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἐκώλυον, ἐν δὲ καιρῷ τοιούτῳ τοιαῦτα ἔπραττον. Ὃν καὶ πιάσας ἔθετο εἰς φυλακὴν, παραδοὺς 60.198 τέσσαρσι τετραδίοις στρατιωτῶν. Καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ τοῦτο ἦν καὶ τοῦ δέους. Ἀνεῖλε, φησὶ, Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ. Εἶδες αὐτῶν τὴν ἀνδρείαν; Ἵνα γὰρ μηδεὶς λέγῃ, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἀκινδύνως καὶ ἀδεῶς κατατολμῶσι τοῦ θανάτου, ἅτε ἐξαρπάζοντος αὐτοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο ἀναιρεθῆναι συγχωρεῖ, καὶ τοὺς κορυφαίους μάλιστα, πείθων αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀναιροῦντας, ὅτι οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἀφίστησιν αὐτοὺς καὶ κωλύει. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος ἐτηρεῖτο ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ· προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν ἐκτενὴς γινομένη ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Περὶ τὰ καίρια λοιπὸν ἦν ὁ ἀγών. Καὶ τὸ ἐκεῖνον γὰρ ἀναιρεθῆναι, περιδεεῖς ἐποίει, καὶ τὸ τοῦτον ἐμβεβλῆσθαι. Ὅτε δὲ ἔμελλε προάγειν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἡρώδης, τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ ἦν ὁ Πέτρος κοιμώμενος μεταξὺ δύο στρατιωτῶν δεδεμένος ἁλύσεσι δυσί· φύλακές τε πρὸ τῆς θύρας ἐτήρουν τὴν φυλακήν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐπέστη, καὶ φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι. Πατάξας τὴν πλευρὰν τοῦ Πέτρου ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν, λέγων, Ἀνάστα ἐν τάχει. Καὶ ἐξέπεσον αὐτοῦ αἱ ἁλύσεις ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν. Ὅρα, κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν νύκτα αὐτὸν ἐξήρπασε. Καὶ φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ φαντασίαν εἶναι· καὶ τὸ φῶς οὐδεὶς εἶδε πλὴν ἐκείνου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο γέγονε, καὶ ὅμως ἐνόμιζε φαντασίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ἀπροσδόκητον· εἰ μὴ τοῦτο γέγονε, πολλῷ πλέον· οὕτω παρετάττετο πρὸς τὸν θάνατον. Τὸ γοῦν πολλὰς ἡμέρας ἐκεῖ μείναντα μὴ σωθῆναι, τοῦτο ἐποίει. Καὶ διὰ τί, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἐμπεσεῖν Ἡρώδου, καὶ τότε ἐξήρπασεν; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνο μὲν εἰς ἔκπληξιν ἤγαγεν ἄν· τοῦτο δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐγένετο. Οὐκ ἂν γὰρ ἐνομίσθησαν ἄνθρωποι εἶναι, εἰ θεοπρεπῶς πάντα ἐποίει. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Στεφάνου τί οὐκ ἐποίησεν; οὐχ ὡς ἀγγέλου τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῖς ἔδειξε; Τί δὲ ὅλως ἐνέλιπε καὶ ἐνταῦθα; Εἶπέ τε ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτόν· Περίζωσαι καὶ ὑπόδησαι τὰ σανδάλιά σου. Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα δεί 60.199 κνυσιν, ὅτι οὐ κακουργίᾳ γέγονεν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἐπειγόμενος καὶ διορύξαι βουλόμενος, τοσαύτην ποιεῖται σπουδὴν, ὥστε καὶ τὰ σανδάλια αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν, ὥστε καὶ ζώσασθαι. Ἐποίησε δὲ οὕτω. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Περιβαλοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου, καὶ ἀκολούθει μοι. Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ· καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει, ὅτι ἀληθές ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου· ἐδόκει δὲ ὅραμα βλέπειν. ∆ιελθόντες δὲ πρώτην φυλακὴν καὶ δευτέραν, ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην τὴν σιδηρᾶν τὴν φέρουσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἥτις αὐτομάτη ἠνοίχθη αὐτοῖς. Ἰδοὺ δεύτερον σημεῖον. Ὅτε ἀπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος, τότε ἐνόησεν ὁ Πέτρος. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες προῆλθον ῥύμην μίαν, καὶ εὐθέως ὁ ἄγγελος ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀπέστη. Καὶ ὁ Πέτρος γενόμενος ἐν ἑαυτῷ, εἶπε· Νῦν οἶδα, ὅτι ἀληθῶς ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Κύριος τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξείλετό με ἐκ χειρὸς Ἡρώδου καὶ πάσης τῆς προσδοκίας τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Νῦν ἔγνων, φησὶν, οὐ τότε. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ γίνεται τοῦτο, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Πέτρος ἐν αἰσθήσει τῶν γινομένων, καίτοι ἤδη τοιαύτης ἀπολαύσας ἀπαλλαγῆς, ὅτε οἱ πάντες ἀπελύθησαν; Ἀθρόον βούλεται τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τότε τὴν αἴσθησιν λαβεῖν. Τὸ τὰς ἁλύσεις δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν πεσεῖν, μέγα τεκμήριον τοῦ μὴ φυγεῖν. Συνιδών τε ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Μάρκου, οὗ ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ συνηθροισμένοι καὶ προσευχόμενοι. Κρούσαντος δὲ τοῦ Πέτρου τὴν θύραν τοῦ πυλῶνος, προσῆλθε παιδίσκη ὑπακοῦσαι, ὀνόματι Ῥόδη. Καὶ ἐπιγνοῦσα τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Πέτρου, ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς οὐκ ἤνοιξε τὸν πυλῶνα. Ὅρα τὸν Πέτρον οὐκ εὐθέως ἀναχωροῦντα, ἀλλὰ πρότερον εὐαγγελιζόμενον τοὺς αὐτοῦ. Εἰσδραμοῦσα δὲ