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the fear? They would not have suffered so much, if they had been ordered to be slaughtered, as they suffer now, living for so many days with fear and trembling, and when evening comes, not expecting to see the dawn, and when day has broken, 49.218 not hoping to reach the evening. Many have even fallen among wild beasts while seeking the deserts, and have moved to inaccessible places, not only men, but also little children, and free and respectable women, hiding for many nights and days in caves and ravines and the holes of the desert. And a new kind of captivity holds the city; for while the buildings and the walls are standing, they are suffering things more grievous than cities that have been burned; with no barbarian present, nor enemy appearing, they are in a more wretched state than those who have been captured, and a single leaf stirring scares them all away every day. And all know these things; and if they had seen it razed to the ground, they would not have been so sobered, as they are now hearing of these its misfortunes. Do not think, therefore, that the other cities will be worse. You would not, if you had razed the other cities, have so sobered them, as you have now, by the uncertain expectation of what is to come, chastened them more sharply than any punishment. And do not bring upon them further misfortunes, but let them now breathe again. For to punish the guilty and to exact a penalty for what has been done, is in every way easy and simple; but to spare the insolent, and to give pardon to those who have sinned unpardonably, is the part of one or two alone perhaps, and especially when the one insulted is an emperor; and to subdue a city by fear is easy, but to make all men lovers of and persuade them to be well-disposed toward your reign, and to make not only common, but also private prayers for your rule, is a difficult accomplishment; and though one should spend countless sums of money, though one should move countless armies, though one should do anything whatsoever, he will not easily be able to draw to himself the disposition of so many people, which will now be easy and simple. For both those who have received the benefit, and those who have heard of it will be disposed toward you in the same way as those who have received the benefit. For how much money would you have purchased, for how many labors would you have purchased, in a brief moment of time, to win over the whole world, and to persuade both the men who now exist and all who will come hereafter to wish for your head all that they pray for for their own children! If you receive these things from men, consider how great a reward you will receive from God, not only for what is happening now, but also for the good deeds accomplished by others hereafter. For if it should ever happen that such a thing should occur as has now happened, which may it not, and some who have been insulted should resolve to proceed against the insolent, your gentleness and your philosophy will be to them in place of all teaching and exhortation, and they will blush and be ashamed to appear inferior, having such an example of philosophy. So that you will be the teacher of all who come after, and you will hold the prize of victory over them, even if they should reach the very height of philosophy. For it is not the same thing to be the first to begin such gentleness oneself, and to imitate the good deeds of others while looking to them. For this reason, whatever philanthropy and clemency those after you may show, you will receive the reward with them; for he who has provided the root, would also be the cause of the fruits. For this reason, no one is able now to share with you the reward for philanthropy; for the good deed has become yours alone; but you, with all those after these times, if any such should ever appear, will be able to share the good deed equally with them, and to carry off as great a portion as teachers do over their students; and even if no such person should appear, 49.219 again the encomiums and praises will increase for you with each generation. For consider how great a thing it is for all those after these times to hear, that when a city so great and liable to chastisement and punishment had been made, with all shuddering, and generals and prefects being afraid

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τὸ δέος; Οὐκ ἂν, εἰ σφαγῆναι ἐκελεύσθησαν, τοσαῦτα ἂν ἔπαθον, ὅσα πάσχουσι νῦν ἡμέραις τοσαύταις φόβῳ καὶ τρόμῳ συζῶντες, καὶ ἑσπέρας καταλαβούσης οὐ προσδοκῶντες ὄψεσθαι τὴν ἕω, καὶ ἡμέρας γενομένης 49.218 οὐκ ἐλπίζουσιν εἰς ἑσπέραν ἀφίξεσθαι. Πολλοὶ καὶ θηρίοις ἐνέπεσον τὰς ἐρήμους διώκοντες, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀβάτους μετοικισθέντες, οὐκ ἄνδρες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παιδία μικρὰ, καὶ γυναῖκες ἐλεύθεραι καὶ εὐσχήμονες πολλὰς νύκτας καὶ ἡμέρας ἐν σπηλαίοις καὶ φάραγξι καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς κατακρυπτόμεναι τῆς ἐρήμου. Καὶ καινὸς αἰχμαλωσίας κατέχει τὴν πόλιν τρόπος· τῶν γὰρ οἰκοδομημάτων καὶ τῶν τοιχῶν ἑστηκότων χαλεπώτερα τῶν ἐμπρησθεισῶν πάσχουσι πόλεων· οὐδενὸς βαρβάρου παρόντος, οὐδὲ πολεμίου φαινομένου ἀθλιώτερον τῶν ἁλόντων διάκεινται, καὶ φύλλον κινούμενον μόνον πάντας αὐτοὺς ἀποσοβεῖ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Καὶ ταῦτα ἴσασιν ἅπαντες· καὶ εἰ κατασκαφεῖσαν αὐτὴν εἶδον, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως ἐσωφρονίσθησαν, ὡς νῦν ταύτας αὐτῆς ἀκούοντες τὰς συμφοράς. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο νομίσῃς, ὡς χείρους ἔσονται αἱ λοιπαὶ πόλεις. Οὐκ ἂν, εἰ κατέσκαψας τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, οὕτως αὐτὰς ἐσωφρόνισας, ὡς νῦν διὰ τῆς ἀδήλου τῶν ἐσομένων προσδοκίας σφοδρότερον πάσης κολάσεως παιδεύσας αὐτούς. Καὶ μὴ περαιτέρω προενέγκῃς αὐτοῖς τὰς συμφορὰς, ἀλλ' ἄφες ἀναπνεῦσαι λοιπόν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ κολάσαι τοὺς ὑπευθύνους καὶ δίκην ἀπαιτῆσαι τῶν πεπραγμένων, ῥᾴδιον πάντως καὶ εὔκολον· τὸ δὲ φείσασθαι τῶν ὑβρικότων, καὶ συγγνώμην δοῦναι τοῖς ἀσύγγνωστα ἡμαρτηκόσιν, ἑνός που καὶ δευτέρου μόλις ἐστὶ, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν βασιλεὺς ὁ ὑβρισμένος ᾖ· καὶ τὸ φόβῳ δὲ ὑποτάξαι πόλιν εὔκολον, τὸ δὲ πάντας ἐραστὰς καταστῆσαι καὶ μετ' εὐνοίας πεῖσαι διακεῖσθαι περὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τὴν σὴν, καὶ μὴ μόνον κοινὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδίας ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς ἀρχῆς ποιεῖσθαι εὐχὰς, δυσκατόρθωτον· κἂν μυρία τις ἀναλώσῃ χρήματα, κἂν μυρία κινήσῃ στρατόπεδα, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐργάσηται, οὐκ εὐκόλως τοσούτων ἀνθρώπων διάθεσιν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι δυνήσεται, ὃ νῦν ῥᾴδιον ἔσται καὶ εὔκολον. Οἵ τε γὰρ εὐεργετηθέντες, οἵ τε ἀκούσαντες ὁμοίως τοῖς εὐεργετηθεῖσι περὶ σὲ διακείσονται. Πόσων ἂν ἐπρίω χρημάτων, πόσων ἂν ἐπρίω πόνων ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν ἀνακτήσασθαι, καὶ πεῖσαι τούς τε νῦν ὄντας ἀνθρώπους τούς τε ἐσομένους ἅπαντας ὅσα τοῖς αὐτῶν εὔχονται παισὶ, τοσαῦτα καὶ τῇ σῇ κεφαλῇ! Εἰ δὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ταῦτα, ἐννόησον ὅσον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λήψῃ τὸν μισθὸν, οὐχὶ τῶν νῦν γινομένων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα παρ' ἑτέρων κατορθουμένων. Εἰ γάρ ποτε συμβαίη γενέσθαι τοιοῦτον, οἷον δὴ γέγονε νῦν, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, καί τινες τῶν ὑβρισμένων βουλεύσωνται ἐπεξελθεῖν τοῖς ὑβρικόσιν, ἡ πραότης ἡ σὴ καὶ ἡ φιλοσοφία ἀντὶ πάσης ἔσται διδασκαλίας αὐτοῖς καὶ παραινέσεως, καὶ ἐρυθριάσουσι καὶ καταισχυνθήσονται τοιοῦτον ἔχοντες φιλοσοφίας παράδειγμα, ἐλάττους φανῆναι. Ὥστε τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα πάντων ἔσῃ διδάσκαλος, καὶ τὰ νικητήρια κατ' αὐτῶν ἕξεις, κἂν εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν κορυφὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας φθάσωσιν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον αὐτὸν κατάρξαι τοσαύτης πραότητος πρῶτον, καὶ πρὸς ἑτέρους βλέποντα μιμήσασθαι τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων κατορθωθέντα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὅσην ἂν οἱ μετὰ σὲ φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ ἡμερότητα ἐπιδείξωνται, σὺ λήψῃ τὸν μισθὸν μετ' ἐκείνων· ὁ γὰρ τὴν ῥίζαν παρασχὼν, οὗτος ἂν εἴη καὶ τῶν καρπῶν αἴτιος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μετὰ σοῦ μὲν οὐδεὶς δύναται μερίζεσθαι νῦν τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ μισθόν· σὸν γὰρ τὸ κατόρθωμα γέγονε μόνον· σὺ δὲ μετὰ πάντων τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα, εἴ τινές ποτε τοιοῦτοι φανεῖεν, ἐξ ἴσης δυνήσῃ μετ' αὐτῶν διανείμασθαι τὸ κατόρθωμα, καὶ τοσαύτην ἀπενέγκασθαι μοῖραν, ὅσην ἐπὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς οἱ διδάσκαλοι· κἂν μηδεὶς γένηται τοιοῦ 49.219 τος, πάλιν σοι τὰ τῶν ἐγκωμίων καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπιδίδωσι τὴν γενεάν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ἡλίκον ἐστὶ τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα πάντας ἀκούειν, ὅτι πόλεως οὕτω μεγάλης καὶ ὑπευθύνου κολάσει καὶ τιμωρίᾳ γενομένης, πεφρικότων ἁπάντων, καὶ δεδοικότων στρατηγῶν καὶ ὑπάρχων