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he raised up, and conquered many barbarians, but we remember none of those things; but this saying is sung even to this day, and all those after us and those after them will hear it. And not only is this the wonderful thing, that they will hear it, but that both those who say it say it with praises and acclamations, and those who hear it accept it; and there is no one who, having heard this, will endure to be silent, but at once cried out, and praised the one who said it, and prayed that countless good things might befall him even when he departed. If he enjoyed so much glory from men because of that saying, how many crowns will he enjoy from the man-loving God? And why should I speak of Constantine and of examples from others, when I should appeal to you from what is in your own house and from your own right 49.217 actions? Do you remember recently, when this festival arrived, you sent a letter to all the world commanding that those who dwell in the prison be released, and their crimes be forgiven, and, as if those things were not sufficient to show your philanthropy, you said through your letters, "Would that it were possible for me to call also those who have departed, and raise them up, and restore them to their former life!" Remember these words now; behold, it is time to call those who have departed, and raise them up, and restore them to their former life. For these have already died, even before the sentence has been delivered, and the city is now encamped by the very gates of Hades. Raise it up from there, then, without money, without expense, without any time or labor. For it is enough for you only to speak, and to raise up the city that lies in darkness. Now grant that it be called henceforth from your philanthropy; for it will not know so much gratitude to the one who founded it in the beginning, as to your decree; and very rightly so. For he gave it a beginning and departed, but you will raise it up when it has grown and become great, and has fallen after this great prosperity. It would not be so wonderful if, when enemies had captured it, and barbarians had overrun it, you had delivered it from the danger, as it is wonderful to spare it now; for that, many kings have often done; but this you alone will do, and first, against all expectation. And so that is nothing wonderful nor paradoxical, but is among the things that always happen, to stand up for one's subjects; but to have suffered so many and such things and to let go of anger, this surpasses all human nature. Consider that now you must deliberate not only about that city, but also about your own glory; or rather, even about all of Christianity. Now Jews and Greeks, and the whole world, and barbarians—for even they have heard these things—are gaping toward you, waiting to see what sort of sentence you will pass upon what has happened; and if you bring forth a philanthropic and gentle one, all will praise the doctrine, and will glorify God, and will say to one another: "Amazing! How great is the power of Christianity! A man who has no equal on earth, who is lord to destroy and ruin all things, it has restrained and bridled, and taught him to practice a philosophy which not even a private citizen would have displayed. Truly great is the God of the Christians, who makes angels out of men and establishes them as superior to all natural necessity." For do not fear that superfluous fear, nor listen to those who say that the other cities will be worse and will be more contemptuous if this one is not punished. For if you were unable to proceed against them, and they prevailed against you by violence in doing these things, and your power was equal, it would have been reasonable to suspect these things; but if they are cowering and have died beforehand from fear, and have run to your feet through me, and expect nothing else each day than the pit of destruction, and are making common supplications, looking to heaven, and calling upon God to come and join in the same embassy with us, and just as those who are at their last breaths, each one has given instructions concerning his own affairs, how is this not superfluous

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ἐκεῖνος ἀνέστησε, καὶ πολλοὺς βαρβάρους ἐνίκησεν, ἀλλ' οὐδενὸς ἐκείνων μεμνήμεθα· τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τοῦτο μέχρι τῆς σήμερον ᾄδεται, καὶ οἱ μεθ' ἡμᾶς αὐτὸ καὶ οἱ μετ' ἐκείνους ἀκούσονται πάντες. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἀκούσονται, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ μετ' ἐπαίνων καὶ εὐφημίας οἵ τε λέγοντες λέγουσιν, οἵ τε ἀκούοντες δέχονται· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, ὃς ἀνέξεται σιγῆσαι τοῦτο ἀκούσας, ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ τε ἀνέκραξε, καὶ τὸν εἰρηκότα ἐπῄνεσε, καὶ μυρία αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπελθόντι γίνεσθαι ηὔξατο ἀγαθά. Εἰ δὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοσαύτης ἀπήλαυσε δόξης δι' ἐκεῖνο τὸ ῥῆμα, πόσων ἀπολαύσεται παρὰ τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ στεφάνων; Καὶ τί χρὴ λέγειν Κωνσταντῖνον καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια παραδείγματα, δέον οἴκοθέν σε καὶ ἐκ τῶν σῶν παρακα 49.217 λεῖν κατορθωμάτων; Μέμνησαι πρώην, ὅτε τῆς ἑορτῆς ταύτης καταλαβούσης ἐπιστολὴν ἔπεμψας πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης κελεύουσαν τοὺς τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦντας ἀφεῖναι, καὶ συγχωρεῖν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐγκλήματα, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀρκούντων ἐκείνων δεῖξαί σου τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ἔλεγες διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων, ὅτι Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ τοὺς ἀπελθόντας καλέσαι καὶ ἀναστῆσαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἀναγαγεῖν ζωήν! Τούτων ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ῥημάτων νῦν· ἰδοὺ καιρὸς τοὺς ἀπελθόντας καλέσαι καὶ ἀναστῆσαι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐπαναγαγεῖν ζωήν. Καὶ οὗτοι γὰρ ἤδη τεθνήκασι, καὶ πρὶν ἢ τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενεχθῆναι, καὶ παρ' αὐτὰς ἡ πόλις ἐσκήνωται τὰς τοῦ ᾅδου πύλας νῦν. Ἀνάστησον οὖν αὐτὴν ἐκεῖθεν χωρὶς χρημάτων, χωρὶς δαπάνης. χωρὶς χρόνου καὶ πόνου τινός. Ἀρκεῖ γάρ σοι φθέγξασθαι μόνον, καὶ ἀναστῆσαι τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἐν σκότῳ κειμένην. Νῦν δὸς αὐτὴν καλεῖσθαι λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοσαύτην εἴσεται χάριν τῷ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτὴν οἰκίσαντι, ὅσην τῇ ψήφῳ τῇ σῇ· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴν αὐτῇ δοὺς ἀπῆλθε, σὺ δὲ αὐξηθεῖσαν καὶ γενομένην μεγάλην, καὶ μετὰ τὴν πολλὴν ταύτην εὐημερίαν κατενεχθεῖσαν ἀναστήσεις. Οὐκ ἦν οὕτω θαυμαστὸν, εἰ πολεμίων αὐτὴν ἑλόντων, καὶ βαρβάρων καταδραμόντων, ἀπήλλαξας τοῦ κινδύνου, ὡς ἔστι θαυμαστὸν τὸ φείσασθαι νῦν· ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ πολλοὶ πολλάκις βασιλέων ἐποίησαν· τοῦτο δὲ σὺ μόνος ἐργάσῃ, καὶ πρῶτος παρὰ προσδοκίαν ἅπασαν. Κἀκεῖνο μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲ παράδοξον, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀεὶ συμβαινόντων ἐστὶ, τὸ τῶν ὑπηκόων προΐστασθαι, τὸ δὲ τοσαῦτα παθόντα καὶ τοιαῦτα ἀφεῖναι τὴν ὀργὴν, τοῦτο πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερβαίνει φύσιν. Ἐννόησον ὅτι νῦν οὐ περὶ τῆς πόλεώς σοι βουλευτέον μόνον ἐστὶν ἐκείνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῆς δόξης τῆς σῆς· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ παντός. Νῦν καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ Ἕλληνες,καὶ πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη, καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ταῦτα ἤκουσαν πρὸς σὲ κεχήνασιν ἀναμένοντες ἰδεῖν, οἵαν οἴσεις κατὰ τῶν γεγενημένων τὴν ψῆφον· κἂν μὲν φιλάνθρωπον ἐξενέγκῃς καὶ ἥμερον, ἐπαινέσονται τὸ δόγμα πάντες, καὶ δοξάσουσι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐροῦσι· Βαβαὶ, πόση τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ ἡ δύναμις! ἄνθρωπον οὐδένα ἔχοντα ὁμότιμον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, κύριον ὄντα ἀπολέσαι πάντα καὶ διαφθεῖραι, κατέσχε καὶ ἐχαλίνωσε, καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπαίδευσε φιλοσοφίαν, ἣν οὐδ' ἂν ἰδιώτης ἄνθρωπος ἐπεδείξατο· ὄντως μέγας ὁ τῶν Χριστιανῶν Θεὸς, ὃς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀγγέλους ποιεῖ καὶ πάσης ἀνάγκης φυσικῆς ἀνωτέρους καθίστησιν. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ τὸν περιττὸν ἐκεῖνον δείσῃς φόβον, μηδὲ ἀνάσχῃ λεγόντων τινῶν, ὡς αἱ λοιπαὶ χείρους ἔσονται πόλεις καὶ καταφρονήσουσι μᾶλλον, ταύτης μὴ κολασθείσης. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀδυνάτως εἶχες ἐπεξελθεῖν, καὶ βίᾳ σου περιεγένοντο ταῦτα ποιήσαντες, καὶ ἰσοστάσιος ἦν ἡ δύναμις, εἰκότως ταῦτα ὑποπτεύειν ἐχρῆν· εἰ δὲ κατεπτήχασι καὶ προαπέθανον τῷ δέει, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πόδας ἔδραμον τοὺς σοὺς δι' ἐμοῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον καθ' ἑκάστην προσδοκῶσι τὴν ἡμέραν, ἢ τὸ βάραθρον, καὶ λιτὰς ποιοῦνται κοινὰς, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν βλέποντες, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλοῦντες ἐλθεῖν καὶ συνεφάψασθαι τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν πρεσβείας, καὶ καθάπερ οἱ πρὸς τὰς ἐσχάτας ὄντες ἀναπνοὰς, περὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἕκαστος ἐπέσκηψε τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, πῶς οὐ περιττὸν τοῦτο