148

they adopted the customs and laws of the Hebrews. from 6.38.14 that time many of them still live in the Jewish manner even now. Not long before the present reign, they also began to become Christians. They shared in the faith in Christ through their association with the priests and monks who lived near them, who practiced philosophy in the neighboring deserts, living well and working wonders. It is said that at that time a whole tribe also converted to Christianity when Zocomus, its phylarch, was baptized for the following reason. 6.38.15 Being childless, he came to meet a monk by reputation and bemoaned his misfortune; for having children is of great importance to the Saracens, and I think to all barbarians. But he, encouraging him to be of good courage, prayed and sent him away, promising that he would have a son if he would believe in Christ. And when God confirmed the promise by deed and a child was born to him, Zoco6.38.16 mus himself was initiated and led those under him to this. And from that time, they say this tribe became prosperous and numerous, and formidable to the Persians and the other Saracens. So this is the manner in which the Saracens first converted to Christianity and what we have received concerning the first to become bishop among them. 6.3.1 But those in the city who were zealous for the doctrine of the council of Nicaea took courage again, and especially the Alexandrians in Egypt. And when Peter returned at that time from Rome with letters from Damasus confirming both the decrees of Nicaea and his own ordination, they handed over the churches. 6.3.2 But Lucius, being driven out, sailed away to Constantinople. But Valens the emperor, being naturally occupied with cares, had no leisure to proceed against them; for as soon as he arrived in Constantinople, he was regarded with great suspicion and hatred by the people. For the barbarians, having ravaged Thrace and already advanced as far as the suburbs, were attempting to attack the very walls, with no one hindering 6.3.3 them. The city bore this grievously, and they held the emperor to blame because he did not go out against them but delayed to make war, and they spread the rumor that he himself was bringing on the enemy. Finally, while watching in the hippodrome, they openly cried out against him as one who was neglecting public affairs, and demanded arms, as they would fight themselves. 6.3.4 But Valens, being insulted, marched against the barbarians, but threatened that if he returned, he would punish the people for their insults at that time and because they had previously sided with Procopius the tyrant. 6.40.1 As he was going out of Constantinople, Isaac, a man who was a monk, good in other respects and one who despised dangers for the sake of the divine, approached him and said, "Restore, O emperor, the churches that were taken away to those who believe rightly and keep the tradition of those who gathered at Nicaea, and you will win the war." But the emperor, being angry, ordered him to be arrested and kept in bonds, until he should return and exact punishment for his audacity. But he replied, "But you shall not return," he said, "if you do not restore the churches." 6.40.2 And so it came to pass. For when he went forth with the army, the Goths, being pursued, retreated. But he, now departing and passing through Thrace, came to Adrianople. And not being far from the barbarians who were encamped in a safe place, he engaged them sooner than was necessary, not having first arranged 6.40.3 how and where he should draw up his army. And when his cavalry was scattered and the infantry was routed, being pursued by the enemy, he dismounted from his horse while fleeing into a certain small house or tower with a few who accompanied him, and entered and was hidden. But the barbarians ran upon him as if to capture him, and pressing forward, they ran past. For they did not suspect that he was hiding 6.40.4 there. But some of those with him, when most of the barbarians had already passed the place, and a few were behind, shot at those passing by from the roof. And upon this they cried out: "Valens is here." And those nearby who happened to hear, both in front and

148

῾Εβραίων ἔθεσι καὶ νόμοις προσέθεντο. ἐξ 6.38.14 ἐκείνου τε παρ' αὐτοῖς εἰσέτι νῦν πολλοὶ ᾿Ιουδαϊκῶς ζῶσιν. οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ δὲ τῆς παρούσης βασιλείας καὶ χριστιανίζειν ἤρξαντο. μετέσχον δὲ τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πίστεως ταῖς συνουσίαις τῶν προσοικούντων αὐτοῖς ἱερέων καὶ μοναχῶν, οἳ ἐν ταῖς πέλας ἐρημίαις ἐφιλοσόφουν εὖ βιοῦντες καὶ θαυματουργοῦντες. λέγεται δὲ τότε καὶ φυλὴν ὅλην εἰς Χριστιανισμὸν μεταβαλεῖν Ζωκόμου τοῦ ταύτης φυλάρχου ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε βαπτισθέντος. 6.38.15 ἄπαις ὢν κατὰ κλέος ἀνδρὸς μοναχοῦ ἦλθεν αὐτῷ συντευξόμενος καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν ἀπωδύρατο· περὶ πολλοῦ γάρ ἐστι παιδοποιία Σαρακηνοῖς, οἶμαι δὲ καὶ πᾶσι βαρβάροις· ὁ δὲ θαρρεῖν παρακελευσάμενος ηὔξατο καὶ ἀπέπεμψεν, ἕξειν αὐτὸν υἱὸν ὑποσχόμενος, εἰ πιστεύσειεν εἰς Χριστόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ θεὸς ἔργῳ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐβεβαίωσεν καὶ ἐτέχθη αὐτῷ παῖς, αὐτός τε Ζώκο6.38.16 μος ἐμυήθη καὶ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἤγαγεν. ἐξ ἐκείνου τε ταύτην τὴν φυλὴν γενέσθαι φασὶν εὐδαίμονα καὶ πολυάνθρωπον, Πέρσαις τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Σαρακηνοῖς φοβεράν. ὃν μὲν δὴ τρόπον Σαρακηνοὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς Χριστιανισμὸν μετέβαλον καὶ οἷα περὶ τοῦ πρώτου παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπισκοπήσαντος παρειλήφαμεν, ὧδε ἔχει. 6.3.1 Οἱ δὲ κατὰ πόλιν τὸ δόγμα τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδου ζηλοῦντες πάλιν ἀνεθάρρουν, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ κατ' Αἴγυπτον ᾿Αλεξανδρεῖς. ἐπανελθόντι δὲ τότε Πέτρῳ ἀπὸ τῆς ῾Ρώμης μετὰ γραμμάτων ∆αμάσου τά τε ἐν Νικαίᾳ δόξαντα καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ χειροτονίαν κυρούντων παρέδωκαν τὰς ἐκκλησίας. 6.3.2 ὁ δὲ Λούκιος ἐξελαθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἀπέπλευσεν. Οὐάλης δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς εἰκὸς ἐν φροντίσι γενόμενος ἐπεξιέναι τούτοις σχολὴν οὐκ ἦγεν· ἅμα γὰρ ἧκεν εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν, ἐν ὑπονοίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ μίσει παρὰ τῷ δήμῳ ἐγένετο. οἱ γὰρ βάρβαροι τὴν Θρᾴκην δῃώσαντες καὶ μέχρι τῶν προαστείων ἤδη προελθόντες καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς τείχεσι μηδενὸς κωλύον6.3.3 τος προσβάλλειν ἐπεχείρουν. ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ χαλεπῶς ἡ πόλις ἔφερε, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα, ὅτι μὴ ἀντεπεξῄει ἀλλ' ἀνεβάλλετο πολεμεῖν, ἐν αἰτίᾳ ἐποιοῦντο καὶ ἐλογοποίουν ὡς αὐτὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπάγοιτο. τελευτῶντες δὲ καὶ ἐν ἱπποδρομίᾳ θεώμενοι εἰς τὸ φανερὸν αὐτοῦ κατεβόων ὡς τὰ κοινὰ πράγματα περιορῶντος, καὶ ὅπλα ᾔτουν ὡς αὐτοὶ πολεμήσοντες. 6.3.4 ὁ δὲ Οὐάλης ὑβρισθεὶς ἐπεστράτευσε τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἠπείλησε δέ, ἢν ὑποστρέψῃ, τιμωρήσειν αὐτῷ τῶν τότε ὕβρεων τοῦ δήμου καὶ ὅτι πρότερον Προκοπίῳ τῷ τυράννῳ προσέθεντο. 6.40.1 ᾿Εξιόντι δὲ αὐτῷ τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως προσελθὼν ᾿Ισαάκιος ἀνὴρ μοναχὸς τά τε ἄλλα ἀγαθὸς καὶ διὰ τὸ θεῖον κινδύνων καταφρονῶν «ἀπόδος», ἔφη, «ὦ βασιλεῦ, τοῖς ὀρθῶς δοξάζουσι καὶ τὴν παράδοσιν φυλάττουσι τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνεληλυθότων τὰς ἀφαιρεθείσας ἐκκλησίας, καὶ νικήσεις τὸν πόλεμον.» ὀργισθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν συλληφθῆναι καὶ δέσμιον φυλάττεσθαι, ἄχρις ἐπανελθὼν δίκην εἰσπράξηται τοῦ τολμήματος. ὁ δὲ ὑπολαβών «ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑποστρέψεις», ἔφη, «μὴ ἀποδιδοὺς τὰς ἐκκλησίας.» 6.40.2 καὶ ἀπέβη οὕτως. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ στρατῷ ἐπεξῆλθεν, οἱ μὲν Γότθοι διωκόμενοι ὑπεχώρουν· ὁ δὲ ἀπιὼν ἤδη παραμείψας τὴν Θρᾴκην ἧκεν εἰς τὴν ᾿Αδριανούπολιν. οὐκ ἀπὸ πολλοῦ τε γενόμενος τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ χωρίῳ στρατοπεδευομένοις θᾶττον ἢ ἔδει συμβάλλει, μὴ προδιαθεὶς 6.40.3 ᾗ χρὴ καὶ ὅπῃ τάξαι τὴν στρατιάν. διασπασθείσης δὲ αὐτῷ τῆς ἵππου καὶ τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ τραπέντος διωκόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων εἴς τι δωμάτιον ἢ πύργον ἅμα ὀλίγοις ξυνεπομένοις αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ φεύγειν ἀποβὰς τοῦ ἵππου εἰσέδυ καὶ ἔλαθεν. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ἔθεον ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὡς αἱρήσοντες, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω ἱέμενοι παρέτρεχον· οὐ γὰρ ὑπενόουν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖσε κρύπ6.40.4 τεσθαι. τῶν δ' αὖ σὺν αὐτῷ τινες, ἤδη τῶν πλειόνων βαρβάρων ὑπερβαλόντων τὸν τῇδε χῶρον, ὀλίγων δὲ κατόπιν ὄντων, ἐκ τοῦ ὀρόφου τοὺς παριόντας ἐτόξευον· οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀνέκραγον· «ἐνθάδε Οὐάλης ἐστίν.» ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ προστυχόντες πλησίον ἔμπροσθέν τε καὶ