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And concerning Gregorius the asecretis of the astronomers. And the emperor showed much care and zeal for the students, making them his messmates and table-companions each day and providing money and holding gracious conversations with them. And not much time passed, they mastered the great sciences and arts through the blandishments and intelligence of the emperor, and having selected judges and scribes and metropolitans from among them, he honored them, and with wisdom he adorned and enriched the state of the Romans. 447 15 But he also repaired for renovation the imperial robes and the ancient crowns and diadems that had been damaged, and he beautified the Boukoleon with small figures, which he had brought from various places, and there he made a fish-pond. But also he investigated and visited the prisoners held in the prison in the city and from the themes outside, and freed them from their bonds, so that all acclaimed salutary praises for the good and Christ-imitating emperor Constantine. And he honored virtue and knowledge as no other of those who had reigned; and whomever he had found possessing knowledge and a nature and aptitude for the laws, he promoted and established him on a higher throne. And it was possible to see justice and good order in all things, as the porphyrogennetos philosophized on and embraced this. And the emperor set forth a law; for seeing much greed poured out by the insatiable and by the rulers who had infiltrated the midst of the provinces and districts and were oppressing the wretched poor, and by the plunder of the powerful who had acquired suburban estates through various methodical causes, he determined to carry out their removal. What does the one wise in all things do? Having gathered the senate at hand, he acts with a method, for the rich who since his proclamation had infiltrated and bought or been gifted or seized places or fields for estates without payment to be 448 driven out, and he struck a small blow against the outrage and the greed of the insatiable. 16 But the gentle and serene lord did not refuse the disputes and pleas and standings of those who approached him to judge by himself, but he also did not delay in judging with the judges. When both the judges and the advocates of the litigants stood by his tribunal, he would refute their arguments and their deceptions; for nothing escaped his shrewdness, no lie composed with truth, no plausible thing mixed into the narrative, no overly elaborate writings secretly composed, which escaped even the very diligent under a veil of truth. Hence, instructed by fear before the judgment, each one became his own judge in the case for the one who had been wronged. 17 It is necessary then to speak about the common concerns of the emperor and his countless reforms and administrations. For with regard to the generals everywhere and the imperial protonotaries and those in the villages, provinces, and cities, and further still, with regard to letters being sent to the leaders of nations, and these being read by him, their subject was immediately determined, what must be done concerning matters from the East and what concerning matters from the West, and through these he mostly passed as if on wings, receiving embassies, writing to rulers, 449 correcting the changes that had occurred rashly. The same Constantine appeared as counselor, administrator, general, soldier, commander, leader. And who could relate or speak of the excellences of such a man? 18 It is necessary then also to speak about the hospital of the holy one. The emperor Constantine, seeing it was very small, builds it with very long structures, so that all who are afflicted by such a disease might be gathered together, and anointing their flesh with ointments, unfailing provisions

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εἰς δὲ τὸ τῶν ἀστρονόμων Γρηγόριον ἀσηκρῆτιν. καὶ πολ- λὴν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ σπουδὴν εἰς τοὺς φοιτητὰς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐποι- εῖτο, ὁμοδιαίτους καὶ ὁμοτραπέζους τούτους καθ' ἑκάστην ποιῶν καὶ ἀργύρια παρέχων καὶ ὁμιλίας μετ' αὐτῶν προσηνεῖς ποιούμε- νος. καὶ οὐ πολὺς χρόνος διελθών, τὰς μεγάλας ἐπιστήμας καὶ τέχνας τῇ θωπείᾳ καὶ συνέσει τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος κατωρθώσαντο, καὶ κριτὰς καὶ ἀντιγραφεῖς καὶ μητροπολίτας ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκλεξάμε- νος τετίμηκεν, καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν ̔Ρωμαίων τῇ σοφίᾳ κατεκόσμη- σεν καὶ κατεπλούτισεν. 447 15 ̓Αλλὰ καὶ τὰς βασιλικὰς στολὰς καὶ τὰ εκπαλαι στέμ- ματα καὶ διαδήματα φθαρέντα εἰς ἀνακαίνισιν διωρθώσατο, καὶ τὸν Βουκολέοντα ζῳδίοις, ἐκ διαφόρων τόπων ἀγαγών, ἐκαλλώ- πισεν, κἀκεῖσε ἰχθυοτροφεῖον ἐποίησεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ φυ- λακῇ τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τῶν εξωθεν θεμάτων κατεχομένων δεσμίων ἠρεύνησε καὶ ἐπεσκέψατο καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν ἐλυτρώσατο, ὡς πάντας σωτήρια ἐπευφημοῦν τὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ χριστομίμητον ανακτα Κων- σταντῖνον. τὴν δὲ ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν ουτως ἐτίμησεν ὡς αλ- λος οὐδεὶς τῶν βεβασιλευκότων· καὶ οντινα γνῶσιν εχοντα καὶ πρὸς τοὺς νόμους φύσιν καὶ ἐπιτηδειότητα εὑρηκὼς ην, προανεβί- βασεν καὶ εἰς ὑψηλότερον θρόνον ἀποκατέστησεν. καὶ ην ἰδεῖν δικαιοδοσίαν καὶ εὐνομίαν ἐν πᾶσιν, ὡς τοῦ πορφυρογεννήτου ταύτην φιλοσοφοῦντος καὶ κατασπαζομένου. καὶ νόμον ὁ αὐτο- κράτωρ ἐξέθετο· ἰδὼν γὰρ πολὺ πλεονεκτικὸν παρὰ τῶν ἀκορέ- στων ἐκχυθὲν καὶ τῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἐπαρχιῶν καὶ χωρίων ὑπεισελ- θόντων ἀρχόντων καὶ τοὺς ταλαιπώρους πένητας καταδυναστευόν- των, καὶ καθ' ἁρπαγὴν τῶν δυνατῶν προάστεια προσκτησαμένων διὰ ποικίλης τῆς μεθόδου αἰτίας, εγνωσεν ποιήσασθαι τὴν τού- των ἀφαίρεσιν. τί ποιεῖ ὁ σοφὸς ἐν πᾶσιν; συναγαγὼν τῇ ὑπὸ χεῖρα βουλευτικῇ ποιεῖται μεθόδῳ, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀναρρήσεως αὐ- τοῦ ὑπεισελθόντας πλουσίους καὶ ἐξωνησαμένους η δωρησαμένους καὶ κατακρατήσαντας τόπια η ἀγροὺς εἰς χωρία ἀναργύρους ἐκ- 448 διώκεσθαι, καὶ μικρόν τι τῆς λώβης καὶ τῆς πλεονεξίας τῶν ἀκο- ρέστων ἀπερράπισεν. 16 ̔Ο δὲ ἐπιεικὴς καὶ γαληνὸς δεσπότης οὐδὲ τὰς τῶν προσιόντων ἀμφισβητήσεις καὶ δικαιολογίας καὶ στάσεις ἀπέγρα- φεν τοῦ δικάζειν δι' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς δικασταῖς συνδικάζων οὐκ ἀνεβάλλετο. παρισταμένων τῷ ἐκείνου βήματι τῶν τε δικα- ζόντων τῶν τε συνηγορούντων τῶν δικαζομένων, ἀπεκρούετο τὰς τούτων δικαιολογίας καὶ τὰς ἀπάτας αὐτῶν· οὐδὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀγχί- νοιαν αὐτοῦ διέφυγεν, οὐ ψεῦδος ἀληθείᾳ συγκείμενον, οὐ τὶ πι- θανὸν τῇ διηγήσει συγκεραννύμενον, οὐ περίεργοι συγγραφαὶ καὶ κρύβδην συντεθειμέναι, αιτινες καὶ τοὺς αγαν δραστηρίους διέλα- θον ἐν ἀληθείας παραπετάσματι. ἐντεῦθεν τῷ φόβῳ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως παιδαγωγηθέντες, δικαστὴς δι' ἑαυτοῦ εκαστος τῆς δίκης τῷ ἠδικηκότι ἐγένετο. 17 Χρὴ ουν περὶ κοινῶν φροντίδων τοῦ ανακτος καὶ τῶν ἀπείρων διορθωμάτων καὶ διοικημάτων αὐτοῦ ἐξειπεῖν. τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ γὰρ στρατηγῶν καὶ βασιλικῶν πρωτονοταρίων καὶ τῶν ἐν κώμαις ἐπαρχίαις τε καὶ πόλεσιν, ετι μὴν καὶ εἰς ἀρχηγοὺς ἐθνῶν ἀποστελλομένων γραμμάτων, καὶ τούτων παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀναγινωσκο- μένων, εὐθὺς τὸ φρόντισμα αὐτῶν διωρίζετο τί μὲν δέον περὶ τῶν ἐξ ̓Ανατολῆς γεγενῆσθαι τί δὲ περὶ τῶν ἀφ' ̔Εσπέρας, καὶ τού-τοις ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ωσπερ πτηνὸς διήρχετο, πρεσβείας δεχόμενος, αρχουσιν ἐπιστέλλων, τὰς προπετῶς γεγενημένας μεταβολὰς ἐπαν- 449 ορθούμενος. ὁ αὐτὸς Κωνσταντῖνος βουλευτής, φροντιστής, στρα- τηγός, στρατιώτης, στρατίαρχος, ἡγεμὼν ἀνεφαίνετο. καὶ τίς αν τὰ τοιούτου προτερήματα ἐξείποι η φράσῃ; 18 Χρὴ ουν καὶ περὶ τοῦ νοσοκομείου τοῦ ὁσίου ἐξειπεῖν. ὁ βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντῖνος θεασάμενος αὐτὸ σμικρότατον οἰκοδο- μαῖς μακροτάταις κατασκευάζει, ὡς ἐπισυνάγεσθαι πάντας τοὺς τοιᾷδε νόσῳ κυριευομένους, καὶ ἀλείμμασι τὰς σάρκας αὐτῶν περιχρίων, χορηγίας ἀνελλιπεῖς