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in Constantinople, and when a feast occurred, and after offering the gifts at the holy table, he immediately departed.

And when Nectarius, the patriarch at that time, indicated that he wished to learn the reason, he said, “With difficulty have I been taught the difference between an emperor and a priest; for I know only Ambrose to be worthily called a bishop.” So beneficial is a rebuke offered by a man resplendent with virtue. The emperor also had another source of benefit; for his wife, whose name was Flacilla, continually reminded him of the divine laws. For the power of the empire did not puff her up, but the magnitude of the benefaction worked in her a greater affection for the benefactor. For she exercised every kind of care for the maimed brethren and those otherwise disabled in body, 1.560 becoming a worker with her own hands and herself offering cups and setting out food. For going around the guesthouses of the churches she herself tended to the bedridden; and whatever is considered the work of servants and handmaidens, she herself fulfilled. And to her husband and emperor she continually said, “It is always fitting for you, O husband, to consider who you were, and who you have now become. Govern this empire, therefore, lawfully, and in this way you will serve the one who gave it.” It happened that this wonderful and truly praiseworthy empress died before her husband. And after some time, being pressured by constant wars, the emperor imposed a certain new tax on the cities. But the city of Antioch could not bear the new tax; for the populace, seeing the tax-collectors being punished, began a disturbance, and they pulled down the bronze statue of the all-praised Flacilla and dragged it through much of the city. When the emperor learned these things, he became exceedingly angry and took away the city's privileges and gave the leadership to the neighboring city; for Laodicea had long been jealous of Antioch. And after this he threatened to burn it and reduce the city to a village. And the magistrates even put some to death, having caught them in the very act, before the emperor knew of the tragedy. But while the emperor ordered all these things, they were not carried out, because of the law that Ambrose the Great had advised to be enacted. And when those bearing those threats arrived, all were in fear, 1.561 shuddering at the threats, and they procured their safety by flight. But the ascetics of virtue who lived in the mountains (and these were many and excellent) offered many exhortations and entreaties to those sent by the emperor. But Macedonius, that most divine man, though knowing nothing of the affairs of this life, and being completely unacquainted with the divine oracles, but living on the mountain peaks and praying to God night and day, being struck with awe neither by the emperor's anger nor by the authority of those who were sent, came into the middle of the city, and taking hold of the cloak of one of those who were sent, he commands him to dismount from his horse. And they, seeing a little old man clad in mean rags, were at first angry, but when some admired the man's virtue, they dismounted from their horses and, taking hold of his knees, sought pardon. But he, filled with divine wisdom, used these words toward them: “Say to the emperor, O my friends: You are not only an emperor but also a man; therefore, do not look only at the empire, but also consider your nature. For being a man, you rule over those of your own kind. And human nature has been created according to the divine image and likeness. Therefore, do not so cruelly and harshly command the image of God to be slaughtered; for you provoke the Creator by punishing his image. For consider how you are doing these things because you are displeased on account of a bronze statue. But how much the animate and living and rational differs from the inanimate is clear 1.562 to all who have understanding. And besides these things, consider this also, that for us it is easy, in place of the one statue,

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ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, καὶ ἑορτῆς γενομένης, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἱερᾷ τραπέζῃ τὰ δῶρα προσενεγκὼν εὐθὺς ἐξελήλυθεν.

Νεκταρίου δὲ τοῦ τηνικαῦτα πατριάρχου δεδηλωκότος μαθεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν "μόγις" ἔφη "βασιλέως καὶ ἱερέως διαφορὰν ἐδιδάχθην· Ἀμβρόσιον γὰρ οἶδα μόνον ἀξίως ἐπίσκοπον καλούμενον." τοσοῦτον ὀνίνησιν ἔλεγχος παρὰ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετῇ λάμποντος προσφερόμενος. Εἶχε δὲ καὶ ἄλλην ἀφορμὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὠφελείας· ἡ γὰρ τούτου σύζυγος, ᾗ Πλακίλλα ὄνομα, τῶν θείων αὐτὸν συνεχῶς ἀνεμίμνησκε νόμων. οὐ γὰρ ἐπῇρεν αὐτὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἡ δυ ναστεία, ἀλλὰ τῆς εὐεργεσίας τὸ μέγεθος μεῖζον τὸ περὶ τὸν εὐερ γέτην εἰργάζετο φίλτρον. τῶν γὰρ λελωβημένων ἀδελφῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλως τὸ σῶμα πεπηρωμένων παντοδαπὴν ἐποιεῖτο φροντίδα, 1.560 αὐτουργὸς αὕτη γινομένη καὶ δι' ἑαυτῆς ὀρέγουσα κύλικας καὶ τροφὰς παρατιθεῖσα. τοὺς γὰρ ξενῶνας τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν περινο στοῦσα τοὺς κλινοπετεῖς δι' ἑαυτῆς ἐθεράπευσε· καὶ ὅσα οἰκετῶν καὶ θεραπαινίδων ἔργα νενόμισται, αὐτὴ ἐξεπλήρου. καὶ τῷ ὁμό ζυγι δὲ καὶ βασιλεῖ συνεχῶς ἐπέλεγεν "ἀεί σε, ὦ ἄνερ, προσήκει λογίζεσθαι τίς μὲν ἦσθα, τίς δὲ γέγονας νῦν. κυβέρνησον οὖν τὴν βασιλείαν ταύτην ἐννόμως, καὶ οὕτω θεραπεύσεις τὸν δεδω κότα." ταύτην τὴν θαυμασίαν καὶ ὄντως ἀξιέπαινον βασίλισσαν συνέβη πρὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀποβιῶναι. μετά τινα δὲ χρόνον ὑπὸ τῶν συνεχῶν πολέμων βιαζόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰσφοράν τινα ξένην ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐπιτέθεικεν. ἡ δὲ Ἀντιόχου πόλις τὸ καινὸν τέλος οὐκ ἤνεγκεν· ὁρῶν γὰρ ὁ δῆμος τοὺς εἰσπραττομένους τιμωρουμένους ἀρχὴν ἀταξίας ἐλάμβανε, καὶ τὴν χαλκῆν εἰκόνα τῆς πανευφήμου Πλακίλλης κατήνεγκέ τε καὶ πολὺ τῆς πόλεως ἔσυρε. ταῦτα πυ θόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ λίαν χαλεπήνας τά τε τῆς πόλεως ἀφείλετο προνόμια καὶ τῇ γειτνιαζούσῃ πόλει τὴν ἡγεμονίαν δέδωκεν· ἐζη λοτύπει γὰρ ἡ Λαοδίκεια τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἄνωθεν. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ ἐμπρήσειν ἠπείλει καὶ εἰς κώμην τὸ ἄστυ κατασκευάσαι. οἱ δέ γε ἄρχοντες καί τινας ἀνεῖλον, παρ' αὐτὸ συλλαβόντες τὸ τόλ μημα, πρὶν γνῶναι τὸν βασιλέα τὴν τραγῳδίαν. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ὁ βασιλεὺς προσέταττε μέν, οὐκ ἐγίνετο δέ, τοῦ νόμου κωλύοντος ὃν Ἀμβρόσιος ὁ μέγας τεθῆναι παρῄνεσεν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφίκοντο οἱ τὰς ἀπειλὰς ἐκείνας κομίζοντες, ἐν δέει μὲν ἦσαν ἅπαντες τὰς 1.561 ἀπειλὰς πεφρικότες, καὶ φυγῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπορίσαντο, οἱ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν οἰκοῦντες τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀσκηταὶ (πολλοὶ δὲ ἦσαν οὗτοι καὶ ἄριστοι) πολλὰς τὰς παραινέσεις καὶ παρακλήσεις τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποσταλεῖσι προσήνεγκαν. ἀλλὰ καὶ Μακεδόνιος ὁ θειό τατος, οὐδὲν μὲν τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐπιστάμενος, καὶ τῶν θείων δὲ λογίων πάμπαν ἄπειρος ὤν, ἐν δὲ ταῖς τῶν ὀρῶν κορυφαῖς διαιτώμενος καὶ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν τοῦ θεοῦ δεόμενος, οὐ τοῦ βα σιλέως τὴν ὀργὴν καταπλαγεὶς οὔτε τῶν σταλέντων τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἐν μέσῳ τῷ ἄστει γενόμενος, τῆς χλαμύδος θατέρου τῶν ἀποστα λέντων λαβόμενος ἀποβῆναι τοῦ ἵππου κελεύει. οἱ δὲ μικρὸν γε ρόντιον ἰδόντες εὐτελῆ ῥάκια περιβεβλημένον πρῶτα μὲν ἐχαλέπη ναν, ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐζήλωσαν ἀρετήν, ἀπέβησάν τε τῶν ἵππων καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου γονάτων ἐπιλαβόμενοι συγγνώμην ἐζήτουν. ὁ δὲ τῆς θείας σοφίας ἐμφορηθεὶς τοιοῖσδε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐχρήσατο λόγοις "εἴπατε, ὦ φίλοι ἄνδρες, τῷ βασιλεῖ· οὐ βασι λεὺς εἶ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνθρωπος· μὴ τοίνυν μόνην ὅρα τὴν βα σιλείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν φύσιν λογίζου. ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ὢν ὁμο φυῶν βασιλεύεις. κατ' εἰκόνα δὲ θείαν καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡ τῶν ἀν θρώπων δεδημιούργηται φύσις. μὴ τοίνυν ὠμῶς οὕτως καὶ ἀπη νῶς τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα κατασφαγῆναι κελεύσῃς· παροξύνῃς γὰρ τὸν δημιουργόν, τὴν ἐκείνου κολάζων εἰκόνα. σκόπησον γὰρ ὡς καὶ σὺ χαλκῆς ἕνεκα δυσχεραίνων εἰκόνος ταῦτα ποιεῖς. ὅσον δὲ τῆς ἀψύχου διαφέρει ἡ ἔμψυχός τε καὶ ζῶσα καὶ λογική, δῆλον 1.562 ἅπασι τοῖς νοῦν ἔχουσι. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις λογίσασθε κἀκεῖνο, ὡς ἡμῖν μὲν ῥᾴδιον ἀντὶ τῆς μιᾶς εἰκόνος