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Yes. The tribune answered, I with a great sum obtained this citizenship. But Paul said, But I was free born. And straightway they departed from him which should have examined him. And the tribune also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. But I, he says, was even born so. So he was also of a Roman father. What then comes from this? Having unbound him, he brought him down to the Jews. Thus it was not a falsehood to call himself a Roman, because he also benefited from it, being released from his bonds; and how, listen: On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty, wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear; and brought Paul down, and set him before them. And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said. No longer to the tribune, but to the multitude and all the people does he speak. And what does he say? Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. What he says is this: I am not conscious of having wronged you in anything, nor of doing anything worthy of these bonds. What then the high priest? When he ought to have been pricked to the heart for what things he had been unjustly bound for their sake, he even adds to it, and commands him to be struck; which is also clear from what followed. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Fine indeed; a gentle high priest. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall. For sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. 2. Some then say, that knowing, he speaks ironically; but it seems to me, that he did not know at all that he was high priest; for he would have honored him; wherefore he also defends himself as if there were an accusation, and adds, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. What then? he says; for if he were not a ruler, ought one to simply insult another? By no means, but rather to endure even when insulted. But it is worth inquiring, how elsewhere the same man says, Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it, here he does the contrary, and not only reviles, but also curses? Far from it, he appears to have done neither of these things; but to the one who looks closely, the words are more of boldness than of anger; otherwise, he did not wish to appear contemptible to the tribune. For if he himself had forborne to scourge him as one about to be delivered to the Jews, to be struck by the servants would rather have made that one bolder; for this reason he does not address the servant, but the one who gave the order, establishing this. And the phrase, Thou whited wall, and sittest thou judging me according to the law, he said, almost saying this to him: Being responsible and worthy of a myriad of blows. See then how the people were astonished at his boldness. For it was necessary to overturn the whole thing, they rather behave outrageously. And he himself reads the law, since he wishes to show that not because he was afraid, nor because it was not worthy to hear 60.335, he said these things thus, but obeying the law even here. And I am strongly persuaded that he did not know he was high priest, having returned after a long time, not being constantly with Jews, and seeing him there in the midst with many others; for the high priest was no longer conspicuous when there were many and different ones. Thus it seems to me that he directed this also at them, showing that he obeys the law, and for this reason he makes his defense. But let us look at what was said from the beginning. While I prayed, he says, in the temple, it happened that I was in a trance. That he might show that it was not simply a fantasy, for this reason he added, While I prayed. Make haste, and get thee quickly, he says, for they will not receive thy testimony. Here he shows that he did not flee fearing their dangers, but because they did not receive his testimony. But why did he say that, They themselves know that I was binding? Not contradicting Christ, may it not be; but wishing to learn something so paradoxical. Go, he says, for I to the Gentiles far hence

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Ναί. Ἀπεκρίθη ὁ χιλίαρχος· Ἐγὼπολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλός φησιν· Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι. Εὐθέως δὲ ἀπέστησαν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ οἱ μέλλοντες ἀνετάζειν αὐτόν. Καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος δὲ ἐφοβήθη ἐπιγνοὺς, ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι, καὶ ὅτι ἦν αὐτὸν δεδεκώς. Ἐγὼ δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ γεγέννημαι. Ἄρα καὶ πατρὸς ἦν Ῥωμαίου. Τί οὖν ἀπὸ τούτου γίνεται; Λύσας κατήγαγεν αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους. Οὕτως οὐκ ἦν ψεῦδος τὸ εἰπεῖν ἑαυτὸν Ῥωμαῖον, ὅτι καὶ ἀπώνατο ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λυθεὶς τοῦ δεσμοῦ· καὶ πῶς, ἄκουε· Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον βουλόμενος γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς, τὸ τί κατηγορεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἔλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐκέλευσε συνελθεῖν τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ πᾶν τὸ συνέδριον· καὶ καταγαγὼν τὸν Παῦλον, ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς. Ἀτενίσας δὲ Παῦλος τῷ συνεδρίῳ εἶπεν. Οὐκέτι πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὸν δῆμον πάντα διαλέγεται. Καὶ τί φησιν; Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἐγὼ πάσῃ συνειδήσει ἀγαθῇ πεπολίτευμαι τῷ Θεῷ ἄχρι ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας. Ὃ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Οὐ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ τι ἠδικηκὼς ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲ ἄξιον τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων πράττων. Τί οὖν ὁ ἀρχιερεύς; ∆έον κατανυγῆναι ἐφ' οἷς εἰς χάριν αὐτῶν ἀδίκως ἐδέδετο, ὁ δὲ καὶ προσεπιτίθησι, καὶ κελεύει τύπτεσθαι αὐτόν· ὃ καὶ δῆλον ἐξ ὧν ὑπήγαγεν. Ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἀνανίας τοῖς παρεστῶσιν αὐτὸν ἐπέταξε τύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ στόμα. Καλά γε· ἐπιεικὴς ὁ ἀρχιερεύς. Τότε ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπε· Τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ Θεὸς, τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε. Καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ παρανομῶν κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι; Οἱ δὲ παρεστῶτες εἶπον· Τὸν ἀρχιερέα τοῦ Θεοῦ λοιδορεῖς; Ἔφη τε ὁ Παῦλος· Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀρχιερεύς· γέγραπται γάρ· Ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς. βʹ. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν φασιν, ὅτι εἰδὼς εἰρωνεύεται· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ, ὅτι οὐδὲ ὅλως ᾔδει, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀρχιερεύς· ἦ γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἐτίμησε· διὸ καὶ ἀπολογεῖται ὡς κατηγορίας οὔσης, καὶ ἐπάγει· Ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς. Τί οὖν; φησίν· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἄρχων ἦν, ἄλλον ἁπλῶς ὑβρίζειν ἔδει; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑβριζόμενον μᾶλλον ἐνεγκεῖν. Ἄξιον δὲ ζητῆσαι, πῶς ἀλλαχοῦ ὁ αὐτὸς λέγων, Λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν, διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα, ἐνταῦθα τοὐναντίον ποιεῖ, καὶ οὐ λοιδορεῖται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαρᾶται; Ἄπαγε, οὐδέτερον τούτων φαίνεται πεποιηκώς· ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀκριβῶς σκοποῦντι παῤῥησίας μᾶλλόν ἐστι τὰ ῥήματα ἢ θυμοῦ· ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλετο εὐκαταφρόνητος φανῆναι τῷ χιλιάρχῳ. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐφείσατο μαστίξαι ὡς δὴ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐκδίδοσθαι μέλλοντα, τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν τύπτεσθαι, μᾶλλον ἂν ἐκεῖνον θρασύτερον εἰργάσατο· διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν παῖδα ἀποτείνεται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν ἐπιτάξαντα, τοῦτο κατασκευάζων. Τὸ δὲ, Τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε, καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, εἶπε, μονονουχὶ τοῦτο αὐτῷ λέγων· Ὑπεύθυνος ὢν καὶ μυρίων πληγῶν ἄξιος. Ὅρα γοῦν πῶς αὐτοῦ κατεπλάγησαν τὴν παῤῥησίαν ὁ δῆμος. ∆έον γὰρ ἀνατρέψαι τὸ πᾶν, παροινοῦσι μᾶλλον. Αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ τὸν νόμον ὑπαναγινώσκει, ἐπειδὴ βούλεται δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τὸ φοβηθῆναι, οὐδὲ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἄξιον εἶναι ἀκοῦ 60.335 σαι, ταῦτα οὕτως εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ νόμῳ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πειθόμενος. Καὶ σφόδρα πείθομαι μὴ εἰδέναι αὐτὸν, ὅτι ἀρχιερεύς ἐστι, διὰ μακροῦ μὲν ἐπανελθόντα χρόνου, μὴ συγγινόμενον δὲ συνεχῶς Ἰουδαίοις, ὁρῶντα δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνον ἐν τῷ μέσῳ μετὰ πολλῶν καὶ ἑτέρων· οὐκέτι γὰρ δῆλος ἦν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς πολλῶν ὄντων καὶ διαφόρων. Οὕτω μοι καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποτείνασθαι δοκεῖ, δεικνὺς, ὅτι νόμῳ πείθεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπολογεῖται. Ἴδωμεν δὲ ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Προσευχομένου μου, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, ἐγένετο γενέσθαι με ἐν ἐκστάσει. Ἵνα δηλώσῃ, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς φαντασία ἦν, διὰ τοῦτο προσέθηκε τὸ, Προσευχομένου μου. Σπεῦσον καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει, φησὶ, διότι οὐ παραδέξονταί σου τὴν μαρτυρίαν. Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐχὶ φοβούμενος αὐτῶν τοὺς κινδύνους ἔφυγεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐκ ἐδέχοντο τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ εἶπεν, ὅτι Αὐτοὶ ἐπίστανται, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἤμην δεσμεύων; Οὐκ ἀντιλέγων τῷ Χριστῷ, μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ βουλόμενος μαθεῖν τὸ οὕτω παράδοξον. Πορεύου, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν