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receiving him, he immediately adorned him with silk garments and made him splendid with other distinguished attire. Seeing Basil enrolled among these men and thinking that he far surpassed the others in physical strength and spiritual courage, he appointed him protostrator. And always striving for what lay ahead, day by day he was loved more and more by Theophilos, and was admired for his own excellent qualities; for he was noble in hand and courageous in spirit, and quick and skillful in everything he was commanded to do. And while Basil was engaged in these things, his mother was eager to learn how things had gone for him on his journey and what sort of rest from his labors had received him. And being despondent and distressed, she saw in her sleep a great plant resembling a cypress, standing inside her courtyard, thick with golden leaves and having golden branches and a golden trunk, upon which her son Basil was seated. When she awoke, she related the vision to one of the pious women; and she advised her to be of good cheer about her son, and interpreting what had been seen, she declared that her son would become emperor of the Romans. Therefore, adding this to what went before, the mother from this point on was no longer distressed about him, but rejoiced and nurtured good hopes for her son. It happened at that time that Theophilos, Basil's master, was sent to the Peloponnese 2.191 on account of public affairs. Basil also followed him, fulfilling the service assigned to him. And when they came to Achaia, Theophilos went into the church of the first-called Andrew to pray, but Basil did not enter with him then, being occupied, as it seems, with his own duty. But later, he too, fulfilling his duties to the apostle and seizing the opportunity, entered the church alone. And there was a certain monk residing in the divine sanctuary of the apostle, who had practiced virtue throughout his life. This man, when Theophilos entered with so great a retinue, neither received him nor rose to greet him nor deemed him worthy of even a small address, but later when Basil entered alone, as has been said, he rose up as if for one of his superiors, and offered the acclamation that is customary and fitting for emperors. When some of those present there saw this, they reported it to the woman who was pre-eminent in those parts in both character and nobility, who was named Danielis after her husband. And she, not ignorant of the monk's insight, nor that he had been deemed worthy of the gift of foresight, was not neglectful of what was said, but as soon as she heard, she summoned the monk and spoke reproachful words to him, saying, "For so long a time, spiritual father, have I been known to you, and you know me to be distinguished in this place among all the many, and yet you have never risen upon seeing me, nor have you blessed me; nor have you bestowed such kindness 2.192 upon my son or my grandson. And how is it that now, seeing a man who is humble and a foreigner and living a poor life, you have risen up and honored him as an emperor?" "I did not see the man as one of the common sort," the monk replied, "but seeing him as an emperor of the Romans preordained by Christ from God, I arose and acclaimed him; for to those who are honored by God, honor from men is also surely owed." So Theophilos, having accomplished what was commanded, set out again on the road to the capital city, but Basil, being seized by a bodily illness, was left behind there; but having received the appropriate care, he was preparing for the journey up. The aforementioned woman Danielis, summoning him, received him with great gifts and favors, seeking nothing else from him than to be bound by the bond of spiritual brotherhood to her son John. But he, considering his own lowliness and the distinction of the woman as being far above him, was declining the request;

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λαμβάνων Σηρικαῖς τε εὐθὺς ἐκόσμει ἐσθῆσι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ κατα στολῇ διαπρεπῶς κατελάμπρυνε. τούτοις ἐγκαταλεγέντα τὸν Βα σίλειον καὶ κατὰ πολὺ προύχειν τῶν ἄλλων δοκοῦντα κατὰ τὴν σωματικὴν ῥώμην καὶ ψυχικὴν ἀνδρίαν πρωτοστράτωρα τοῦτον προβάλλεται. ἀεὶ δὲ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ἐπὶ πλέον ἠγαπᾶτο παρὰ τοῦ Θεοφίλου, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς οἰ κείοις προτερήμασιν ἐθαυμάζετο· ἦν γὰρ κατά τε χεῖρα γενναῖος καὶ κατὰ ψυχὴν θαρραλέος καὶ πρὸς πᾶν τὸ κελευόμενον ὀξύς τε καὶ ἐπιτήδειος. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Βασίλειος ἦν ἐν τούτοις, ἡ δὲ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ ἐγλί χετο μαθεῖν πῶς αὐτῷ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἔσχε καὶ ποία τις αὐτὸν παῦλα τῶν πόνων ἐδέξατο. δυσθυμοῦσα δὲ καὶ ἀσχάλλουσα ὁρᾷ καθ' ὕπνους μέγα φυτὸν κυπαρίσσῳ προσεοικός, ἔνδον τῆς αὐλῆς αὐτῆς ἑστηκός, χρυσοῖς πυκαζόμενον φύλλοις καὶ χρυσοῦς τοὺς κλάδους καὶ τὸ στέλεχος ἔχον, οὗ ἐφύπερθεν ὁ ταύτης υἱὸς Βασί λειος ἐκαθέζετο. διυπνισθεῖσα δὲ διηγεῖται τὸ ὅραμά τινι τῶν εὐλαβῶν γυναικῶν· ἡ δὲ εὐθυμεῖν τε ἐπέτρεπεν ἐπὶ τῷ υἱῷ, καὶ τὸ ὁραθὲν ἐπικρίνουσα βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων γενέσθαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς ἀπεφαίνετο. τοῖς προτέροις οὖν καὶ τοῦτο προσλαβοῦσα λοιπὸν ἡ μήτηρ οὐκέτι τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐδυσφόρει, ἀλλ' ἔχαιρε καὶ χρηστὰς ἐπὶ τῷ υἱῷ ἔτρεφε τὰς ἐλπίδας. Συνέβη δὲ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ Θεόφιλον τὸν τοῦ Βασιλείου κύριον δημοσίων χάριν πραγμάτων ἀποσταλῆναι εἰς Πελοπόννη 2.191 σον. εἵπετο τούτῳ καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος, τὴν ἀφωρισμένην αὐτῷ ὑπηρεσίαν ἀποπληρῶν. ἐλθόντων δὲ εἰς Ἀχαΐαν εἰσῄει μὲν ὁ Θεό φιλος εἰς τὸν τοῦ πρωτοκλήτου Ἀνδρέου ναὸν προσευξόμενος, οὐ συνεισῆλθε δ' αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος τότε, τῇ οἰκείᾳ διακονίᾳ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἀπασχοληθείς. ὕστερον δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ ἀποστόλῳ ἀποπληρῶν τὰ καθήκοντα, καιροῦ δραξάμενος, εἴσεισι μόνος εἰς τὸν ναόν. ἐφήδρευε δέ τις τῷ θείῳ τεμένει τοῦ ἀποστόλου μοναχὸς ἀρετῆς ἀντιποιούμενος διὰ βίου. οὗτος τὸν μὲν Θεόφιλον εἰσελθόντα μετὰ τοσαύτης δορυφορίας οὔτε ὑπεδέξατο οὔτε ἀναστὰς κατησπά σατο οὔτε τινὸς ἠξίωσε μικρᾶς γοῦν προσρήσεως, ὕστερον δὲ τοῦ Βασιλείου εἰσερχομένου, ὡς εἴρηται, μόνου ὑπεξανέστη τε ὥς τινι τῶν κρειττόνων, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἔθους τοῖς βασιλεῦσι πρέπουσαν προσή νεγκεν εὐφημίαν. ὅπερ τῶν ἐκεῖσε παρατυχόντων ἰδόντες τινὲς τῇ κατὰ τοὺς τόπους ἐκείνους πρωτευούσῃ κατά τε τρόπον καὶ εὐγέ νειαν γυναικί, ἣ ∆ανιηλὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ταύτης ἀνδρὸς ὠνομάζετο, ἀπαγγέλλουσιν. ἐκείνη δὲ τὸ διοπτικὸν τοῦ μοναχοῦ, μηδ' ὅτι προορατικοῦ χαρίσματος ἠξίωται ἀγνοοῦσα, οὐκ ἐγένετο περὶ τὸ λεχθὲν ἀμελής, ἀλλ' ἅμα τε ἤκουσε καὶ προσκαλεσαμένη τὸν μο ναχὸν ὀνειδιστικὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν διεξῄει ῥήματα, "τοσοῦτος χρόνος" λέγουσα, "πάτερ πνευματικέ, ἐξ οὗ σοι γνώριμος ἐγὼ καθέστηκα, καὶ οἶδάς με κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐν πᾶσι τῶν πολλῶν διαφέρουσαν, καὶ οὐδέποτε οὔτε ἐπηγέρθης θεασάμενός με οὔτε ἐπηύξω μοι· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῷ ἐμῷ υἱῷ οὔτε ἐγγόνῳ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀπένειμας φιλο 2.192 φροσύνην. καὶ πῶς νῦν ἄνθρωπον εὐτελῆ καὶ ξένον καὶ πένητα διανύοντα βίον ἰδὼν ὑπεξανέστης καὶ ὡς βασιλέα ἐτίμησας;" "οὐχ ὡς ἕνα τῶν τυχόντων εἶδον τὸν ἄνδρα ἐγώ" ἀντέφησεν ὁ μοναχός, "ἀλλ' ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ προκεχειρισμέ νον ἰδὼν ἐξανέστην καὶ ἐπευφήμησα· τοῖς γὰρ ὑπὸ θεοῦ τετιμη μένοις ὀφειλομένη πάντως ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τιμή." Ὁ μὲν οὖν Θεόφιλος τὰ προστεταγμένα ἀνύσας εἴχετο πάλιν τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλίδα ὁδοῦ, ὁ δὲ Βασίλειος ἀσθενείᾳ συσχεθεὶς σώματος αὐτόθι καταλιμπάνεται· ἐπιμελείας δὲ τῆς προσηκούσης τυχὼν πρὸς τὴν ἄνοδον ἡτοιμάζετο. ὃν μετακαλεσαμένη ἡ προρ ρηθεῖσα γυνὴ ∆ανιηλὶς δώροις αὐτὸν καὶ μεγάλοις δεξιοῦται χαρί σμασι, μηδὲν ἕτερον ἐπιζητήσασα παρ' αὐτοῦ ἢ πνευματικῆς ἀδελφότητος συνδέσμῳ συνδεθῆναι πρὸς Ἰωάννην τὸν ταύτης υἱόν. ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἀποβλέπων εὐτελὲς καὶ τὸ περιφανὲς τῆς γυναικὸς ὡς ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν μᾶλλον οὖσαν διωθεῖτο τὴν ἔντευξιν·