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together with the tribunes and the most prominent men of the city, and at Festus' command, Paul was brought in.

1. See what an audience is gathered for Paul! With the most prominent,

60.358 it says, of the city; for the governor and the king, having gathered all the guards, thus meet. And with them the tribunes and the chief men of the city have also come; for these he calls the most prominent. Then Paul too is brought; and see how, when he has been brought, 60.359 he is proclaimed by Festus; for not only does he acquit him of the charges, but he even defends him. What does he say? King Agrippa, and all you men who are present with us, you see this man, about whom the whole multitude of the Jews petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had done nothing deserving of death, and since he himself appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. About whom I have nothing definite to write to my lord; therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, when sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him. Consider how he accuses them, but acquits this man. Oh, the abundance of justifications! The governor finds no way to condemn him, though a thousand examinations have been made; but they declared this man to be worthy of death. For this reason he also said: 'But when I found,' he says, 'that he had done nothing deserving of death'; then he added, saying: 'About whom I have nothing definite to write to my lord.' And this belongs to Paul's purity, that the judge has nothing to say about him. 'Therefore I have brought him forth,' he says, 'before you'; 'For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to signify the charges against him.' See into what great difficulties the Jews cast their rulers. What then of Agrippa? Wishing to learn something about these things, he said to Paul: 'You are permitted to speak for yourself.' With great desire to hear, the king permits him to speak. But Paul then speaks with boldness, not flattering, but for this reason saying he is blessed, because he makes his speech to one who knows all things; and that it is for this reason, listen to what he puts forward, saying: 'Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, made his defense.' Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed, that I am to make my defense before you today, especially as you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. And yet, if he were conscious of guilt, he ought to have been afraid, being judged by one who knew everything; but this belongs to a clear conscience, not to refuse a judge who knows precisely what has happened, but even to rejoice; whence also he considers himself blessed, and says: 'I beg you to hear me patiently.' Since he is about to prolong his speech and say something about himself, for this reason he entreated him beforehand, and says: 'My manner of life from my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know, having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.' What he says is this: How could I have become a seditionist, being such a youth and testified to by all? Then also from the sect, the trustworthiness of what he said; for he adds: 'According to the strictest sect of the religion I lived.' And since it was likely again for some to say: 'What then, if the sect is admirable, but you are wicked?' see how he addresses the underlying suspicion; for he calls as witnesses all the Jews who know his life and his conduct. 'For all 60.360 the Jews know,' he says, 'having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify.' And now for the hope made to our fathers

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σύν τε τοῖς χιλιάρχοις καὶ ἀνδράσι τοῖς κατ' ἐξοχὴν οὖσι τῆς πόλεως, καὶ κελεύσαντος τοῦ Φήστου, ἤχθη ὁ Παῦλος.

αʹ. Ὅρα οἷον συλλέγεται ἀκροατήριον τῷ Παύλῳ· Τοῖς 60.358 κατ' ἐξοχὴν,

φησὶ, τῆς πόλεως· τοὺς δορυφόρους γὰρ πάντας συναγαγὼν ὁ ἄρχων καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς, οὕτως ἀπαντῶσι. Σὺν αὐτοῖς δὲ καὶ οἱ χιλίαρχοι καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι τῆς πόλεως παραγεγόνασιν· τούτους γὰρ κατ' ἐξοχὴν καλεῖ. Εἶτα καὶ Παῦλος ἄγεται· καὶ ὅρα, πῶς αὐτοῦ ἀχθέντος 60.359 ἀνακηρύττεται ὑπὸ τοῦ Φήστου· οὐ μόνον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀφίησι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπεραπολογεῖται. Τί λέγων; Ἀγρίππα βασιλεῦ, καὶ πάντες οἱ συμπαρόντες ἡμῖν ἄνδρες, θεωρεῖτε τοῦτον, περὶ οὗ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐνέτυχόν μοι ἔν τε Ἱεροσολύμοις καὶ ἐνθάδε, ἐπιβοῶντες μὴ δεῖν ζῇν αὐτὸν μηκέτι. Ἐγὼ δὲ καταλαβόμενος μηδὲν ἄξιον θανάτου αὐτὸν πεπραχέναι, καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τούτου ἐπικαλεσαμένου τὸν Σεβαστὸν, ἔκρινα πέμπειν αὐτόν. Περὶ οὗ ἀσφαλές τι γράψαι τῷ κυρίῳ οὐκ ἔχω· διὸ προήγαγον αὐτὸν ἐφ' ὑμῶν καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ σοῦ, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ὅπως τῆς ἀνακρίσεως γενομένης, σχῶ τι γράψαι. Ἄλογον γάρ μοι δοκεῖ, πέμποντα δέσμιον μὴ καὶ τὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ αἰτίας σημᾶναι. Σκόπει, πῶς ἐκείνων μὲν κατηγορεῖ, τοῦτον δὲ ἀφίησιν. Ὢ τῆς τῶν δικαιωμάτων περιουσίας! ὅπως καταδικάσῃ, οὐχ εὑρίσκει ὁ ἄρχων, μυρίας γενομένης ἐξετάσεως· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοῦτον ἄξιον θανάτου ἔφασκον εἶναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ δὲ καταλαβόμενος, φησὶ, μηδὲν ἄξιον θανάτου πεπραχέναι αὐτόν· εἶτα ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Περὶ οὗ ἀσφαλές τι γράψαι τῷ κυρίῳ οὐκ ἔχω. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Παύλου καθαρότητος τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν τὸν δικαστὴν, ὅ τι εἴπῃ περὶ αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὸ προήγαγον αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἐφ' ὑμῶν· Ἄλογον γάρ μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, πέμποντα δέσμιον, μὴ καὶ τὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ αἰτίας σημᾶναι. Ὅρα εἰς οἵας ἐνέβαλον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν ἀπορίας μεγάλας. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἀγρίππας; Ἐπὶ τούτοις βουλόμενός τι μαθεῖν, πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη· Ἐπιτρέπεταί σοι ὑπὲρ σεαυτοῦ λέγειν. Τῇ πολλῇ περὶ τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπιτρέπει αὐτῷ λέγειν ὁ βασιλεύς. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος μετὰ παῤῥησίας φθέγγεται λοιπὸν, οὐ κολακεύων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο μακάριον ἑαυτὸν φάσκων εἶναι, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς πάντα εἰδότα τὸν λόγον ποιεῖται· καὶ ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο, ἄκουε ἃ δὴ καὶ προτείνεται λέγων· Τότε ὁ Παῦλος ἀπελογεῖτο, ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα. Περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον, ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων ἀπολογεῖσθαι σήμερον, μάλιστα γνώστην ὄντα σε πάντων τῶν κατὰ Ἰουδαίους ἐθῶν καὶ ζητημάτων· διὸ δέομαί σου μακροθύμως ἀκοῦσαί μου. Καίτοι γε, εἰ συνῄδει ἑαυτῷ, φοβηθῆναι ἐχρῆν παρὰ τῷ πάντα εἰδότι δικαζόμενον· ἀλλὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος τοῦτό ἐστιν, τὸ μὴ παραιτεῖσθαι δικαστὴν τὸν ἀκριβῶς εἰδότα τὰ γεγενημένα, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρειν· ὅθεν καὶ μακάριον ἑαυτὸν ἡγεῖται, καὶ λέγει· ∆έομαί σου μακροθύμως ἀκοῦσαί μου. Ἐπειδὴ μέλλει λόγον ἐκτείνειν καὶ λέγειν τι περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο προλαβὼν παρεκάλεσε, καί φησι· Τὴν μὲν οὖν βίωσίν μου τὴν ἐκ νεότητος, τὴν ἀπαρχῆς γενομένην ἐν τῷ ἔθνει μου ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, ἴσασι πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος. Ὃ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστι· Πῶς ἂν στασιαστὴς ἐγενόμην, ὁ νέος τοιοῦτος ὢν καὶ μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων; Εἶτα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς αἱρέσεως ἡ πίστις οὗ εἶπεν· ἐπάγει γάρ· Κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς θρησκείας ἔζησα. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πάλιν εἰκὸς ἦν τινας εἰπεῖν· Τί οὖν, εἰ ἡ μὲν αἵρεσις θαυμαστὴ, σὺ δὲ πονηρός; ὅρα πῶς τὸ ὑφορμοῦν θεραπεύει· μάρτυρας γὰρ καλεῖ πάντας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς γινώσκοντας τὸν αὐτοῦ βίον καὶ τὴν ἀναστροφήν. Ἴσασι 60.360 γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντες Ἰουδαῖοι, προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν. Καὶ νῦν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν γενομένης