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to change her opinion; for she was of the Macedonian heresy. And yet Vicentius the presbyter, who was of the same opinion with her and equally venerated the coffin of the prophet and ministered around it, immediately followed and entered into communion with those of the Catholic Church, having sworn an oath, as the adherents of Macedonius say, that he would never change their opinion, but finally openly declaring that if the Baptist chose to follow the emperor, he himself would also enter into communion with him without any disagreement. 7.21.7 He was a Persian by birth, and during the reign of Constantius, when a persecution overtook the Christians in Persia, he fled with 7.21.8 his cousin Addas and came to the Romans. But he was enrolled among the clergy and advanced to the rank of presbyter; while Addas, having married, greatly benefited the church by leaving a son, Auxentius, a man most faithful in divine matters and diligent concerning his friends, harmonious in life, a lover of literature, and very learned in the things recorded by the Greeks and the ecclesiastical writers, moderate in character, suitable for the emperor and his court, and who had undertaken a distinguished military career. But much is said of him by the most esteemed 7.21. monks and by worthy men who had experience of him. But Matrona remained in the village of Kosilaos until her death; she lived a very holy and modest life as the leader of sacred virgins; of whom I learned that many still survive, bearing a character worthy of the training under Matrona. 7.22.1 And so Theodosius, ruling in peace the empire which began in the East, was zealous in these things and very diligently served the Deity. Meanwhile, 7.22.2 it was reported that the emperor Valentinian had died by strangulation. It was said that this end had been contrived for him through the chamberlain eunuchs, by certain others of the court and by Arbogast, who was in command of his troops, because they found the young man taking after his father in ruling and becoming angry at many of their decisions. But others think that he took his own life, because he attempted certain improper things in the heat of his youth and was prevented, and for this reason did not deign to live, because as emperor he was not permitted to do what he wished. 7.22.3 Indeed, they say that this youth, by the nobility of his body and the excellence of his imperial ways, seemed extraordinarily worthy of the rule and such as to surpass 7.22.4 his father in magnanimity and justice, had he reached manhood. And being such a person, he died in this way; but a certain Eugenius, who was not soundly disposed concerning the dogma of the Christians, leaped upon the rule and put on the symbols of imperial power; and he thought he would securely master the enterprise, being led on by the words of men who promised to know the future through certain sacrifices and inspections of entrails and 7.22.5 the positions of the stars. And others of the Roman officials were zealous about these things, including Flavianus, the prefect at that time, an eloquent man who seemed prudent in political affairs, and who, moreover, was thought to know the future accurately through his knowledge of every kind of divination. For by this he especially persuaded Eugenius to prepare for war, asserting that the imperial power was fated for him and that victory in battle would occur and a change of the religion of the 7.22.6 Christians. And Eugenius, deluded by these hopes, raised a very large army and, having previously seized the gates near Italy, which the Romans call the Julian Alps, he guarded them, as they had a single narrow pass, fenced in on both sides by precipices and very high mountains. 7.22.7 But Theodosius, considering what outcome the war against him would have and whether he ought to advance against him or wait for him to approach, decided to use as a counselor on this matter John the monk in the Thebaid, who, it has been said in the preceding account, became at that time most renowned for his foreknowledge of future events; and Eutropius, who was one of his faithful men in the palace

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θέσθαι τῆς δόξης· ἦν γὰρ τῆς Μακεδονίου αἱρέσεως. καίτοι γε Βικέντιος πρεσβύτερος, ὁμόδοξος ὢν αὐτῇ καὶ τὴν σορὸν τοῦ προφήτου ἐπίσης θεραπεύων καὶ περὶ ταύτην ἱερώμενος, ἠκολούθησεν αὐτίκα καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας ἐκοινώνησεν, ἀπώμοτον μέν, ὡς λέγουσιν οἱ τὰ Μακεδονίου φρονοῦντες, ποιησάμενος μήποτε μεταθήσεσθαι τῆς αὐτῶν δόξης, τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον εἰς τὸ προφανὲς ὁρίσας, ὡς εἰ ἕλοιτο ὁ βαπτιστὴς ἀκολουθῆσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ αὐτὸν κοινωνήσειν αὐτῷ μηδὲν διαφερόμενον. 7.21.7 ἐγένετο δὲ οὗτος Πέρσης τὸ γένος, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς Κωνσταντίου βασιλείας διωγμοῦ καταλαβόντος τοὺς ἐν Περσίδι Χριστιανοὺς φεύγων ἅμα ᾿Αδδᾷ τῷ 7.21.8 αὐτοῦ ἀνεψιῷ εἰς ῾Ρωμαίους ἦλθεν. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν κλήρῳ ἐγκατελέγη καὶ εἰς πρεσβυτέρου προῆλθεν ἀξίαν· ᾿Αδδᾶς δὲ γήμας μέγιστα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὠφέλησε παῖδα καταλιπὼν Αὐξέντιον, ἄνδρα περὶ τὸ θεῖον πιστότατον καὶ περὶ φίλους σπουδαῖον, ἐμμελῆ δὲ τὸν βίον καὶ φιλόλογον καὶ πολυμαθῆ τῶν ῞Ελλησι καὶ τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς συγγραφεῦσιν ἱστορημένων, μέτριον δὲ τὸ ἦθος καὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἐπιτήδειον καὶ λαμπρᾶς ἐπειλημμένον στρατείας. ἀλλὰ τοῦδε μὲν πολύς ἐστι λόγος παρά τε εὐδοκιμωτάτοις 7.21. μοναχοῖς καὶ σπουδαίοις ἀνδράσι, οἵπερ αὐτοῦ ἐπειράθησαν. ἡ δὲ Ματρώνα μέχρι τελευτῆς ἐν τῇ Κοσιλάου κώμῃ διέτριβε· διεβίω δὲ ἱεροπρεπῶς μάλα καὶ σωφρόνως ἱερῶν παρθένων ἡγουμένη· ὧν εἰσέτι νῦν πολλὰς περιεῖναι ἐπυθόμην, τῆς ὑπὸ Ματρώναν παιδεύσεως ἄξιον φερούσας ἦθος. 7.22.1 Καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεοδόσιος ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὴν πρὸς ἕω ἀρχομένην ἰθύνων ἐν τούτοις ἐσπούδαζεν καὶ ἐπιμελῶς μάλα τὸ θεῖον ἐθεράπευεν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ 7.22.2 ἀγγέλλεται Οὐαλεντινιανὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀγχόνῃ ἀπολωλέναι. ἐλέγετο δὲ ταύτην αὐτῷ καττῦσαι τὴν τελευτὴν διὰ τῶν θαλαμηπόλων εὐνούχων ἄλλους τέ τινας τῶν ἀμφὶ τὰ βασίλεια καὶ ᾿Αρουαγάστην τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ στρατευμάτων τεταγμένον, καθότι πατρῴζοντα τὸν νέον εὗρον περὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ πρὸς πολλὰ τῶν ἐκείνοις δοκούντων χαλεπαίνοντα. οἱ δὲ αὐτὸν ἡγοῦνται αὐτόχειρα ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι, ὡς ἐπιχειροῦντά τισιν οὐ δέον ἐν τῷ ζέοντι τῆς ἡλικίας καὶ κωλυόμενον καὶ τούτου χάριν οὐ καταξιώσαντα ζῆν, 7.22.3 ὅτι βασιλεύων μὴ συγχωροῖτο ποιεῖν ἃ βούλεται. φασί γε μὴν τοῦτο τὸ μειράκιον εὐγενείᾳ σώματος καὶ βασιλικῶν τρόπων ἀρετῇ ὑπερφυῶς δόξαι τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἄξιον καὶ οἷος μεγαλοψυχίᾳ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ὑπερβα7.22.4 λέσθαι τὸν αὐτοῦ πατέρα, εἰ παρῆλθεν εἰς ἄνδρας. καὶ ὁ μὲν τοιοῦτος ὢν ὧδε τέθνηκεν· Εὐγένιος δέ τις οὐχ ὑγιῶς διακείμενος περὶ τὸ δόγμα τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐπεισπηδᾷ τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ τὰ σύμβολα τῆς βασιλείας ἀμφιέννυται· ᾤετο δὲ τοῦ ἐπιχειρήματος ἀσφαλῶς κρατήσειν ὑπαγόμενος λόγοις ἀνθρώπων εἰδέναι τὸ μέλλον ὑπισχνουμένων σφαγίοις τισὶ καὶ ἡπατοσκοπίαις καὶ 7.22.5 καταλήψει ἀστέρων. ἐσπούδαζον δὲ περὶ ταῦτα ἄλλοι τε τῶν ἐν τέλει ῾Ρωμαίων καὶ Φλαβιανὸς ὁ τότε ὕπαρχος, ἀνὴρ ἐλλόγιμος καὶ περὶ τὰ πολιτικὰ ἐχέφρων εἶναι δοκῶν, προσέτι δὲ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα ἀκριβοῦν νομιζόμενος ἐπιστήμῃ παντοδαπῆς μαντείας. ταύτῃ γὰρ μάλιστα τὸν Εὐγένιον ἔπεισεν εἰς πόλεμον παρασκευάσασθαι, μοιρίδιον εἶναι αὐτῷ τὴν βασιλείαν ἰσχυριζόμενος καὶ νίκην ἐπὶ τῇ μάχῃ ξυμβήσεσθαι καὶ μεταβολὴν τῆς τῶν 7.22.6 Χριστιανῶν θρησκείας. καὶ Εὐγένιος μὲν ταύταις ταῖς ἐλπίσι βουκολούμενος πλείστην ἤγειρε στρατιὰν καὶ τὰς πρὸς τῇ ᾿Ιταλίᾳ πύλας, ἃς ᾿Ιουλίας ῎Αλπεις ῾Ρωμαῖοι καλοῦσι, προκαταλαβὼν ἐφρούρει, ὡς ἐν στενῷ μίαν πάροδον ἐχούσας, ἑκατέρωθεν περιπεφραγμένας ἀπορρῶξι καὶ ὑψηλοτάτοις ὄρεσι. 7.22.7 Θεοδόσιος δὲ διανοούμενος, πῇ ἄρα τὴν ἀπόβασιν ἕξει ὁ πρὸς αὐτὸν πόλεμος καὶ πότερον ἐπ' αὐτὸν χωρεῖν δεῖ ἢ ἐπιόντα περιμένειν, ἔγνωκε περὶ τούτου συμβούλῳ χρήσασθαι ᾿Ιωάννῃ τῷ ἐν Θηβαΐδι μοναχῷ, ὃν ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἴρηται ἐπιφανέστατον τηνικάδε γενέσθαι ἐπὶ προγνώσει τῶν ἐσομένων· καὶ Εὐτρόπιον, ὃς πιστὸς ἦν αὐτῷ τῶν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις