Eusebius Book 9, Section 7

Passages / Book 9 / Section 7

9.7.1

VII. Ἀνὰ μέσας γέ τοι τὰς πόλεις, ὃ μηδὲ ἄλλοτέ ποτε, ψηφίσματα πόλεων καθ’ ἡμῶν καὶ βασιλικῶν πρὸς ταῦτα διατάξεων ἀντιγραφαὶ στήλαις ἐντετυπωμένα χαλκαῖς ἀνωρθοῦντο, οἵ τε παῖδες ἀνὰ τὰ διδασκαλεῖα Ἰησοῦν καὶ Πιλάτον καὶ τὰ ἐφ’ ὕβρει πλασθέντα ὑπομνήματα διὰ στόματος κατὰ πᾶσαν ἔφερον ἡμέραν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

VII. In fact, in the midst of the cities—a thing that never happened before—petitions presented against us by cities, and rescripts containing imperial ordinances in reply, were set up, engraved on brazen tablets; while the children in the schools had every day on their lips the names of Jesus and Pilate and the Memoirs forged to insult us.

9.7.2

Ἐνταῦθά μοι ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι φαίνεται αὐτὴν δὴ ταύτην τὴν ἐν στήλαις ἀνατεθεῖσαν τοῦ Μαξιμίνου γραφὴν ἐντάξαι, ἵν᾿ ὁμοῦ τῆς τε τοῦ θεομισείας ἡ ἀλαζὼν καὶ ὑπερήφανος αὐθάδεια φανερὰ κατασταίη καὶ τῆς παρὰ πόδας αὐτὸν μετελθούσης ἱερᾶς δίκης ἡ ἄυπνος κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν μιδοπονηρία, πρὸς ἦς ἐλαθεὶς οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν τἀναντία περὶ ἡμῶν ἐβουλεύσατό τε καὶ δι’ ἐγγράφων νόμων ἐδογμάτισεν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

At this point I think it necessary to insert this same document of Maximin that was set up on tablets, so as to make manifest at once the boastful, overweening arrogance of this hater of God, and the divine justice that followed close upon his heels, with its sleepless hatred of evil in wicked men. It was this which smote him; and not long afterwards he reversed his policy with regard to us, and made a decree by laws in writing.

9.7.3

ΑΝΤΙΓΡΑΦΟΝ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑΣ ΤΗΕ ΜΑΞΙΜΙΝΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΑ ΚΑΘ᾿ ΗΜΩΝ ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΑ ΑΝΤΙΓΡΑΦΗΣ ΑΠΟ ΕΝ ΤΥΡΩΙ ΣΤΗΛΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΛΗΦΘΕΙΣΗΣ

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

Copy of a Translation of the Rescript of Maximin in answer to petitions against us, taken from the tablet at Tyre.

9.7.4

“Ἤδη ποτὲ ἡ ἀσθενὴς θρασύτης τῆς ἀνθρωπίνησ διανοίας ἴσχυσεν πᾶσαν πλάνης ἀμαυρότητα καὶ ὁμίχλην ἀποσεισαμένη καὶ ἀνασκεδάσασα, ἥτις πρὸ τούτου οὐ τοσοῦτον τῶν ἀσεβῶν ὅσον τῶν ἀθλίων ἀνθρώπων τὰς αἰσθήσεις ὀλεθρίῳ ἀγνοίας σκότῳ ἐνειληθείσς ἐπολιόρκει, ἐπιγνῶναι ὡς τῆ τῶν ἀθανάτων θεῶν φιλαγάθῳ προνοίᾳ διοικεῖται καὶ σταθεροποιεῖται· ὅπερ πρᾶγμα ἄπιστόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν ὄπως κεχαρισμένον ὅπως τε ἥδιστον καὶ προσφιλὲς ἡμῖν γέγονεν ὡς μέγιστον δεῖγμα τῆς θεοφιλοῦς ὑμῶν προαιρέσεως δεδωκέναι, ὁπότε καὶ πρὸ τούτου οὐδενὶ ἄγνωστον ἦν ὁποίας παρατηρήσεως καὶ θεοσεβείας πρὸς τοὺς ἀθανάτους θεοὺς ἐτυγχάνετε ὄντες, οἷς οὐ φιλῶν καὶ ὑποκένων ῥημάτων πίστις, ἀλλὰ συνεχὴς 1 καὶ παράδοξος 2 ἔργων ἐπισήμων γνωρίζεται. διόπερ ἐπαξίως ἡ ὑμετέρα πόλις θεῶν ἀθανάτων [φόβον]3 ἵδρυμά καὶ οἰκητήριον ἐπικαλοῖτο· πολλοῖς γοῦν παραδείγμασιν καταφαίνεται τῆ τῶν οὐρανίων θεῶν αὐτὴν ἐπιδημίᾳ ἀνθεῖν. ἰδοὺ τοίνυν ἡ ὑμετέρα πόλις πάντων τῶν ἰδίᾳ διαφερόντων αὐτῆς ἀμελήσασα καὶ τὰς πρότερον τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς πραγμάτων δεήσεις παριδοῦσα, ὅτε πάλιν ᾔσθετο τοὺς τῆς ἐπαράτου ματαιότητος γεγονότας ἕρπειν ἄρχεσθαι καὶ ὥσπερ ἀμεληθεῖσαν καὶ κεκοιμημένην πυρὰν ἀναζωπυρουμένων τῶν πυρσῶν μεγίστας πυρκαϊὰς ἀναπληροῦσαν, εὐθέως πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν εὐσέβειαν, ὥσπερ πρὸς μητρόπολιν πασῶν θεοσεβειῶν, χωρίς τινος μελλήσεως κατέφυγεν , ἴασίν τινα καὶ βοήθειαν ἀπαιτοῦσα· ἥντινα διάνοιαν σωτηριώδη διὰ τὴν πίστιν τῆς ὑμετέρας θεοσεβείας τοὺς θεοὺς ὑμῖν ἐμβεβληκέναι δῆλόν ἐστιν. ἐκεῖνος τοιγαροῦν, ἐκεῖνος ὁ ὕφιστος καὶ μέγιστος Ζεύς, ὁ προκαθήμενος τῆς λαμπροτάτης ὑμῶν πόλεως, ὁ τοὺς πατρῴους ὑμῶν θεοὺς καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ τέκνα καὶ ἐστίαν καὶ οἴκους ἀπὸ πάσης ὀλεθρίου φθορᾶς ῥυόμενος, ταῖς ὑμετέραις ψυχαῖς τὸ σωτήριον ἐνέπνευσεν βούλημα, ἐπιδεικνὺς καὶ ἐμφαίνων ὅπως ἐξαίρετόν ἐστιν καὶ λαμπρὸν καὶ σωτηριῶδες μετὰ τοῦ ὀφειλομένου σεβάσματος τῆ θρῃσκείᾳ καὶ ταῖς ἱεροθῃσκείαις τῶν ἀθανάτων θεῶν προσιέναι. τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἀνόητος ἢ νοῦ παντὸς ἀλλότριος εὑρεθῆναι δύναται, ὃς οὐκ αἴσθεται τῆ φιλαγάθῳ τῶν θεῶν σπουδῇ συμβαίνειν μήτε τὴν γῆν τὰ παραδιδόμενα αὐτῇ σπέρματα ἀρνεῖσθαι τὴν τῶν γεωργῶν ἐλπίδα κενῇ προσδοκίᾳ σφάλλουσαν, μηδ’ αὖ ἀσεβοῦς πολέμου πρόσοφιν ἀνεπικωλύτως ἐπὶ γῆς στηρίζεσθαι καὶ φθαρείσης τῆς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εὐκρασίας αὐχμῶντα τὰ σώματα πρὸς θάνατον κατασύρεσθαι, μηδὲ μὴν ἀμέτρων ἀνέμων πνεύμασι τὴν θάλασσαν κυμαίνουσαν κορυφοῦσθαι, μηδέ γε καταιγίδας ἀπροσδοκήτους καταρρηγνυμένας ὀλέθριον χειμῶνα ἐπεγείρειν, ἔτι τοίνυν μηδὲ τὴν τροφὸν ἁπάντων καὶ μητέρα γῆν ἀπὸ τῶν κατωτάτω λαγόνων ἑαυτῆς ἐν φοβερῷ τρόμῳ καταδυομένην μηδέ γε τὰ ἐπικείμενα ὄρη χασμάτων γινομένων καταλύεσθαι, ἅπερ πάντα καὶ τούτων ἔτι πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα κατὰ πρὸ τούτου πολλάκις γεγονέναι οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ. καὶ ταῦτα σύμπαντα διὰ τὴν ὀλέθριον πλάνην τῆς ὑποκένου ματαιότητος τῶν ἀθεμίτων ἐκείνων ἀνθρώπων ἐγίνετο, ἡνίκα κατὰ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἐπεπόλαζεν καὶ σχεδὸν εἰπεῖν τὰ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης αἰσχύναις ἐπίεζεν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

“Now at length, the feeble boldness of the human mind has shaken off and dispersed all blinding mists of error, that error which hitherto was attacking the senses of men not so much wicked as wretched, and was wrapping them in the baneful darkness of ignorance; and it has been enabled to recognize that it is governed and established by the benevolent providence of the immortal gods. It passes belief to say how grateful, how exceeding pleasant and agreeable, it has proved to us that you have given a very great proof of your godly disposition; since even before this none could be ignorant what regard and piety you were displaying towards the immortal gods, in whom is manifested a faith, not of bare and empty words, but constant and admirable in its noble deeds. Wherefore your city might worthily be called a temple and dwelling-place of the immortal gods. Certainly, by many signs it appears that it flourishes because there the immortal gods sojourn. Behold therefore, your city put away all thought for its own private advantage and neglected former requests for its own affairs, when once again it perceived that the followers of that accursed folly were beginning to spread, as a neglected and smouldering pyre which, when its fires are rekindled into flame, forms once more a mighty conflagration. Then immediately and without any delay it had recourse to our piety, as to a metropolis of all religious feeling, requesting some healing and help. It is evident that the gods have placed in your heart this saving thought on account of your faith and godly fear. Accordingly it was he, the most exalted and mighty, even Zeus, he who presides over your far-famed city, he who protects your ancestral gods and women and children and hearth and home from all destruction, who inspired your hearts with this saving purpose; it was he who plainly showed how excellent and splendid and saving a thing it is to draw nigh to the worship and sacred rites of the immortal gods with due reverence. For who can be found so senseless or bereft of all intelligence as not to perceive that it is by the benevolent care of the gods that the earth does not refuse the seeds committed to it, and thus disappoint the husbandmen of their hope with vain expectation? Or, again, that the spectre of unholy war does not plant itself without opposition upon the earth, so that squalid bodies are dragged off to death, while the wholesome air of heaven is polluted? Or, indeed, that the sea does not toss and swell under the blasts of immoderate winds? Or that hurricanes do not burst without warning and stir up a death-dealing tempest? Or, still further, that the earth, the nurse and mother of all, does not sink from its deepest hollows with fearful tremor, and the mountains that lie upon it crash into the resulting chasms? For all these evils, and evils even more terrible, have happened many a time before this, as everyone knows. And all these things happened at once because of the baneful error and vain folly of those unholy men, when that error took possession of their souls, and, one might almost say, oppressed the whole world everywhere with its deeds of shame."

9.7.5

τούτοις μεθ’ ἕτερα ἐπιλέγει· “ ἐφοράτωσαν ἐν τοῖς πλατέσιν ἤδη πεδίοις ἀνθοῦντα τὰ λήια καὶ τοῖς ἀστάχυσιν ἐπικυμαίνοντα καὶ τοὺς λειμῶνας δι’ εὐομβρίαν φυαῖς καὶ ἄνθεσιν λαμπομένους καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος κατάστασιν εὔκρατόν τε καὶ πραοτάτην ἀποδοθεῖσαν, χαιρέτωσαν λοιπὸν ἅπαντες διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας εὐσεβείας ἱερουργίας τε καὶ τιμῆς τῆς τοῦ δυνατωτάτου καὶ στερροτάτου ἀέρος ἐξευμενισθείης 1 καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς εὐδινοτάτης εἰρήνης βεβαίως μεθ’ ἡσυχίας ἀπολαύοντες ἡδυνέσθωσαν. καὶ ὅσοι τῆς τυφλῆς ἐκείνης πλάνης καὶ περιόδου παντάπασιν ὠφεληθέντες εἰς ὀρθὴν καὶ καλλίστην διάνοιαν ἐπανῆλθον, μειζόνως μὲν οὗν χαιρέτωσαν ὡς ἂν ἐκ χειμῶνος ἀπροσδοκήτου ἢ νόσου βαρείας ἀποσπασθέντες καὶ ἡδεῖαν εἰς τοὐπιὸν ζωῆς ἀπόλαυσιν καρπωσάμενοι· εἰ δὲ τῇ ἐπαράτῳ αὐτῶν ματαιότητι ἐπιμένοιεν, πολλῷ πόρρωθεν τῆς ὑμετέρας πόλεως καὶ περιχώρου, καθὼς ἠξιώσατε, ἀποχωρισθέντες ἐξελαθήτωσαν, ἵν᾿ οὕτως κατ’ ἀκολουθίαν τῆς ἀξιεπαίνου περὶ τοῦτο σπουδῆς παντὸς μιάσματος καὶ ἀσεβείας ἀποχωρισθεῖσα ἡ ὑμετέρα πόλις καὶ τὴν ἔμφυτον αὐτῇ πρόθεσιν μετὰ τοῦ ὀφειλομένου σεβάσματος ταῖς τῶν ἀθανάτων θεῶν ἱερουργίαις ὑπακούοι.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

After other remarks he adds: “Let them behold in the broad plains the crops already ripe, with waving ears of corn, the meadows, thanks to opportune rains, brilliant with plants and flowers, and the weather that has been granted us temperate and very mild; further, let all rejoice since through our piety, through the sacrifices and veneration we have rendered, the most powerful and intractable air has been propitiated, and let them take pleasure in that they therefore enjoy the most serene peace securely and in quiet. And let as many as have been wholly rescued from that blind folly and error and returned to a right and goodly frame of mind rejoice indeed the more, as if they were delivered from an unexpected hurricane or severe illness and were reaping life’s sweet enjoyment for the future. But if they persist in their accursed folly, let them be separated and driven far away from your city and neighbourhood, even as you requested; that so, in accordance with your praiseworthy zeal in this respect, your city may be separated from all pollution and impiety, and, following its natural desire, may respond with due reverence to the worship of the immortal gods.”

9.7.6

Ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅσῳ προσφιλὴς ἡμῖν γέγονεν ἢ περὶ τούτου ἀξίωσις ὑμῶν, καὶ χωρὶς ψηφισμάτων καὶ χωρὶς δεήσεως αὐθαιρέτῳ βουλήσει ἡ ἡμετέρα προθυμοτάτη φιλαγαθίας ψυχή, ἐπιτρέπομεν τῆ ὑμετέρᾳ καθοσιώσει ὁποίαν δ’ ἂν βουληθῆτε μεγαλοδωρεὰν ἀντὶ ταύτης ὑμῶν τῆς φιλοθέου προθέσεως αἰτῆσαι. καὶ ἤδη μὲν τοῦτο ποιεῖν καὶ λαβεῖν ἀξιώσατε· τεύξεσθε γὰρ αὐτῆς χωρίς τινος ὑπερθέσεως· ἥτις παρασχεθεῖσα τῆ ὑμετέρᾳ πόλει εἰς ἅπαντα τὸν αἰῶνα τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἀθανάτους θεοὺς φιλοθέου εὐσεβείας παρέξει μαρτυρίαν, τοῦ δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀξίων ἐπάθλων τετυχηκέναι παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλαγαθίας ταύτης ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν τῆς τοῦ βίου προαιρέσεως υἱοῖς τε καὶ ἐκγόνοις ὑμετέροις ἐπιδειχθήσεται.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

“And that you may know how pleasing this your request has been to us, and how fully disposed to benevolence our soul is, of its own accord, apart from petitions and entreaties: we permit your Devotedness to ask whatsoever bounty you wish, in return for this your godly intent. And now let it be your resolve so to do and receive. For you will obtain your bounty without delay, the granting of which to your city will furnish a testimony for evermore of our godly piety towards the immortal gods, and a proof to your sons and descendants that you have met with the due meed of reward from our benevolence on account of these your principles of conduct."

9.7.7

Ταῦτα δὴ καθ’ ἡμῶν κατὰ πᾶσαν ἐπαρχίαν ἀνεστηλίτευτο, πάσης ἐλπίδος, τὸ γοῦν ἐπ’ ἀνθρώποις, ἀγαθῆς τὰ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἀποκλείοντα· ὡς κατ’ αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ θεῖον ἐκεῖνο λόγιον, εἰ δυνατόν, ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοὺς σκανδαλίζεσθαι. ἢδη γέ τοι σχεδὸν τῆς παρὰ τοῖς παρὰ τοῖς πλείστοις ἀποψυχούσης προσδοκίας, ἀθρόως, καθ᾿ ὁδὸν ἔτι τὴν πορείαν ἔν τισιν χώραις διανυόντων τῶν τὴν προκειμένην καθ᾿ ἡμῶν γραφὴν διακόνουμένων, ὁ τῆς ἰδίας ἐκκλησίας ὑπέρμαχος θεὸς μόνον οὐχὶ τὴν τοῦ τυράννου καθ᾿ ἡμῶν ἐπιστομίζων μεγαλαυχίαν, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οὐράνιον συμμαχίαν ἐπεδείκνυτο.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

This was emblazoned against us in every province, excluding every ray of hope from our condition, at least as far as human help is concerned; so that, in accordance with the divine oracle itself, if possible even the elect themselves should be caused to stumble at these things. In truth, expectation was already almost failing in very many souls, when all at once, while those serving the writ set forth against us were on their way and had not yet finished their journey in some districts, the Champion of His own Church, even God, stopping, as it were, the proud boasting of the tyrant against us, displayed His heavenly aid on our behalf.