Modestus at Edessa. Imperial officials in the ecclesiastical histories of Rufinus, Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret

1 Rufinus, HE 11.5

Edessa in Mesopotamia, a city with congregations of the faithful, is adorned with relics of the apostle Thomas. When the emperor saw for himself that these congregations, which had been ejected from the churches, were holding a service there in a field, he is said to have been inflamed with such anger that he struck his prefect with his fist, since they had not been driven from there too as he had ordered. But he [the prefect], although he was a pagan and had received mistreatment from the emperor, nevertheless, with regard for humanity, made it clear to the citizens through secret messages that he would be setting out to slaughter the populace on the next day, that they might take care not to be found in that place. Going forth the next morning with his entourage, he inspired greater terror than usual and did everything to make sure that as few people – and, if possible, no-one – would be endangered. He nonetheless saw a greater crowd than normal heading towards the site, running headlong and hurrying as if they were scared lest anyone might miss out on death. In amidst this he saw a little woman hurrying and running out her house with such haste that she did not take the time to shut the door, nor to properly cover herself up with clothes as is appropriate for a woman, dragging along her small child, and moving in such a rush that she broke through the ranks of his entourage. Then he could bear it no longer and said, “Seize the woman and bring her here”. And when she had been brought before him, he said, ‘miserable woman, where are you hurrying with such speed?’ She said, ‘To the field, where the Catholic congregation meets.’ He said, ‘Have you not heard that the prefect is proceeding there to kill everyone he finds?’ ‘I have heard, and so I am hurrying, that I might be found there.’ ‘And why are you dragging that little child along?’ She said, ‘So that he too may be deemed worthy to achieve martyrdom.’ When the most moderate man heard these things, he order his entourage to turn around and his carriage to go back to the palace. And having entered, he said, ‘Emperor, I am prepared to suffer death, if you order, but I cannot carry out the task which you ordered.’ And when he had informed him of everything to do with the woman, he checked the emperor’s madness.

Edessa namque Mesopotamiae urbs fidelium populorum est Thomae apostoli reliquiis decorata. ubi cum per se imperator populos vidisset ecclesiis eiectos in campo habere conventiculum, tanta dicitur iracundia accensus, ut praefectum suum pugno percuteret, cur non fuissent inde quoque, sicut iusserat, deturbati. at ille licet esset paganus et iniuriis ab imperatore fuisset adfectus, tamen consideratione humanitatis altera die ad vastandum populum processurus facit hoc ipsum civibus per occulta indicia clarescere, quo scilicet cavere se possent, ne invenirentur in loco. mane processurus terrorem solito maiorem per officium movet agit que omnia, quo quam minimi vel, si fieri posset, nulli periclitarentur. videt tamen frequentiorem solito populum tendere ad locum, currere praecipites et festinare, tamquam vererentur, ne qui deesset ad mortem. interea videt quandam mulierculam ita festinam et properam domo sua prorumpere, ut nec claudere ostium nec operiri, ut mulierum habitum decet, diligentius potuisset, infantem quoque parvulum se cum trahentem cursu que rapido inrupto etiam officii agmine festinantem. tum ille ultra non ferens: 'adprehendite', inquit, 'mulierem et huc deducite'. cum que fuisset adducta: 'quo', inquit, 'infelix mulier, properas tam festina?' 'ad campum', ait, 'quo catholicorum populus convenit'. 'et non', inquit, 'audisti, quia praefectus illuc pergit, ut omnes interficiat, quos invenerit?' 'audivi et ideo festino, ut ibi inveniar'. 'et quo', 'parvulum istum trahis?' 'ut et ipse', ait, 'martyrium consequi mereatur'. quae cum audisset vir moderatissimus, redire officium et converti vehiculum ad palatium iubet et ingressus ait: 'imperator, subire mortem, si iubeas, paratus sum, opus vero, quod praecipis, implere non possum'. cum que edocuisset cuncta de muliere, repressit imperatoris insaniam.

2 Socrates, HE 4.18.

It is necessary to speak also of what happened in Edessa in Mesopotamia. For in this city there is the famous and notable martyrion of the apostle Thomas, in which services are constantly happening because of the holiness of the place. The emperor Valens decided to find out about this place and when he learnt that all of the multitude who gathered together there were opposed to his heresy, he is said to have struck the prefect with his hand, because he had not arranged to expel them from there. And when the prefect, after being mistreated in this way, was unwillingly prepared to carry out the wrath of the emperor (for he did not wish to carry out the slaughter of so many people), he communicated in secret that no-one ought to be found in the martyrion. But no-one took heed of either the advice or the threat: for the very next day everyone streamed into the house of prayer. When the prefect pressed on towards the martyrion with a force of many soldiers to fulfil the wrath of the emperor, a certain poor woman was rushing to the martyrion dragging her own small child along by the hand, and cut across the ranks of the prefect’s bodyguards. Angered by this, the prefect ordered the woman to be brought to him and said to her, ‘Miserable woman, where are you rushing to in such a disorderly way?’ And she said, ‘Where the others are assembling.’ And he said, ‘Have you not heard that the prefect is going to kill all the people he finds there?’ And the woman said, ‘I have heard and so I am hurrying there, that I might be found there.’ ‘And why are you dragging your little child?’ When the prefect said this, the woman said, ‘So that he too might be deemed worthy of martyrdom.’ When the man heard this, he formed the opinion that those assembling were out of their minds, and going straight to see the emperor he informed him that all of them were ready to die on account of their faith and said that it was senseless that he should destroy so many people in such a short time, and persuaded the emperor to halt his anger. In this way the Edessenes escaped being massacred by their own emperor.

Λεκτέον δὲ οἷα καὶ ἐν Ἐδέσῃ τῆς Μεσοποταμίας ἐγίνετο. Ἐν γὰρ τῇδε τῇ πόλει Θωμᾶ τοῦ ἀποστόλου μαρτύριόν ἐστι λαμπρὸν καὶ περιφανές, συνεχεῖς τε ἐν αὐτῷ συνάξεις ἐπιτελοῦνται διὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου ἁγιότητα. Τοῦτο ἱστορῆσαι ὁ βασιλεὺς {Οὐάλης} θελήσας καὶ μαθὼν πᾶν τῆς αὐτῷ ἀπεχθοῦς αἱρέσεως εἶναι τῶν συνερχομένων τὸ πλῆθος, λέγεται τῇ χειρὶ πλῆξαι τὸν ὕπαρχον, διότι μὴ προενόησεν ἐξελάσαι κἀκεῖθεν αὐτούς. Ὡς δὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος περιυβρισθεὶς ἕτοιμος ἦν ἄκων ὑπουργεῖν τῇ βασιλέως ὀργῇ (οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο τοσούτων ἀνδρῶν φόνον ἐργάζεσθαι), λαθραίως δηλοῖ, ὅπως ἂν μηδεὶς ἐν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ καταληφθῇ. Ἀλλὰ προσεῖχεν οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ τῇ συμβουλῇ οὐδὲ τῇ ἀπειλῇ· πάντες γὰρ τῇ ἑξῆς εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον τόπον συνέρρεον. Ὡς δὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος σὺν χειρὶ πολλῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον ἔσπευδεν ἐκπληρώσων τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ὀργήν, γυνή τις πενιχρὰ τὸ ἑαυτῆς παιδίον ἐκ χειρὸς ἕλκουσα ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον ἔτρεχεν, καὶ διακόπτει τὸ τάγμα τῶν δορυφορούντων τὸν ὕπαρχον. Ἀγανακτήσας δὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος προσάγεσθαι αὑτῷ τὴν γυναῖκα κελεύει, καί φησι πρὸς αὐτήν· “Ὦ ταλαίπωρον γύναιον, ποῦ τρέχεις οὕτως ἀκόσμως;” Ἡ δέ· “Ἔνθα, φησίν, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι συντρέχουσιν.”. Ὁ δέ· “Οὐκ ἀκήκοας, ἔφη, ὅτι ὁ ὕπαρχος μέλλει πάντας ἀναιρεῖν οὓς ἂν εὑρίσκῃ;” Καὶ ἡ γυνή· “Ἤκουσα, ἔφη, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σπεύδω, ὥστε ἐκεῖ εὑρεθῆναι.”. “Καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο τὸ μικρὸν ἕλκεις παιδίον;” φήσαντος τοῦ ὑπάρχου ἡ γυνή φησιν· “Ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸ μαρτυρίου καταξιωθῆναι.” Ταῦτα ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐτεκμῄρατο τῶν συνερχομένων τὴν ἀπόνοιαν, καὶ εὐθὺς παραγενόμενος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐδίδασκεν αὐτόν, ὡς εἴησαν πάντες ἕτοιμοι ὑπὲρ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀποθνήσκειν πίστεως· καὶ ἄλογον εἶναι εἰπὼν τοσούτους ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ ἀνελεῖν, παρέπεισε τὸν βασιλέα παύσασθαι τῆς ὀργῆς. Τοῦτον τὸν πεισε τὸν βασιλέα παύσασθαι τῆς ὀργῆς. Τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον Ἐδεσηνοὶ τὸ μὴ καταπολεμηθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκείου βασιλέως ἐξέφυγον.

3 Sozomen, HE 6.18.2 – 7.

When [the emperor] learnt that there was a famous house of prayer at Edessa named after Thomas the apostle, he went to find out about it. Once he saw the members of the Catholic Church congregating on the plain before the city, since their own churches there had been taken as well, he is said to have roundly reproached the prefect and punched him in the jaw, since he had allowed such services to take place in contravention of his command. But Modestus (for that was the name of the prefect), although he was heterodox, secretly revealed to the Edessenes that they should be on their guard the next day and not to come together in the customary place to pray. For he had been ordered by the emperor to exact punishment on those that were caught. And he made these threats, with the plan that either few or none would be endangered, and because he was eager to avert the wrath of the ruler. But the Edessenes, thinking nothing of the threat, rushed there together at first light more quickly than before and filled the customary place. Modestus, getting word of this, did not know what to do and at a loss went along with the others to the plain. A certain woman, dragging along a little child and heedlessly trailing her cloak contrary to the appropriate dress of a woman, cut across the ranks of the soldiers being led by the prefect, as if driven by an urgent matter. And Modestus, seeing this, ordered her to be seized. When he had summoned her, he demanded she say why she was racing along.

When she said it was so that she could more quickly reach the plain where the members of the Catholic Church were gathering, Modestus said, ‘are you the only one who doesn’t know that right this moment the prefect is going to go there and will kill all the people he finds there?’ She said, ‘Yes, I heard, and so I need to hurry, so I do not get there too late and miss out on martyrdom on behalf of God.’ The prefect replied, ‘But why do you lead this little child along with you?’ She said, ‘that he too might take part in the common suffering and be deemed worthy of the same honours.’ Modestus, amazed by the bravery of the woman, returned to the palace. And informing the ruler about her he persuaded him that it was not necessary to carry out the plan, which he showed to be dishonourable and pointless. And in this way the whole city of Edessa professed their unity as regards to doctrine.

μαθὼν δὲ ἐν Ἐδέσσῃ εὐκτήριον ἐπιφανὲς εἶναι Θωμᾶ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐπώνυμον, ἦλθε τοῦτο ἱστορῆσαι. ἀφαιρεθέντων δὲ κἀνταῦθα τῶν εὐκτηρίων οἴκων θεασάμενος ἐν πεδίῳ πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως συνηγμένους τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας λέγεται τὸν [καθόλου] ὕπαρχον λοιδορήσασθαι καὶ πὺξ κατὰ τῆς σιαγόνος πλῆξαι, ὡς παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ πρόσταξιν συγχωρήσαντα γενέσθαι τοιαύτας συνόδους. ὁ δὲ Μόδεστος (τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα τῷ ὑπάρχῳ ἦν) καίπερ ἑτερόδοξος ὢν λάθρα τοῖς Ἐδεσσηνοῖς ἐμήνυσε φυλάξασθαι τὴν ὑστεραίαν καὶ μὴ συνελθεῖν εἰς τὸν εἰωθότα τόπον εὐξομένους· εἶναι γὰρ αὐτῷ προστεταγμένον παρὰ βασιλέως τιμωρεῖσθαι τοὺς ἁλισκομένους. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα ἠπείλει ἢ ὀλίγους ἢ μηδένα κινδυνεῦσαι προνοῶν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παραιτεῖσθαι σπουδάζων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κρατοῦντος ὀργήν. οἱ δὲ Ἐδεσσηνοὶ παρ’ οὐδὲν ποιησάμενοι τὴν ἀπειλὴν σπουδαιότερον ἢ πρὸ τοῦ συνέρρεον ἕωθεν καὶ τὸν εἰωθότα τόπον ἐπλήρουν. ὁ δὲ Μόδεστος ἀγγελθέντος τούτου οὐκ εἶχεν ὅ τι καὶ ποιήσειεν, ἀμηχανῶν δὲ τοῖς παροῦσιν ὅμως ἐπὶ τὸ πεδίον ᾔει. γυνὴ δέ τις παιδάριον ἕλκουσα καὶ τὸ φᾶρος εἰκῇ ἐπισυρομένη παρὰ τὸν πρέποντα γυναικὶ κόσμον, ὡς ἐπί τι σπουδαῖον ἐπειγομένη, τὴν ἡγουμένην τοῦ ὑπάρχου στρατιωτικὴν στίχα διέτεμεν. ἰδὼν δὲ Μόδεστος προσέταξεν αὐτὴν συλληφθῆναι, καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἀπῄτει λέγειν τοῦ δρόμου τὴν αἰτίαν. τῆς δὲ εἰπούσης, ἵνα θᾶττον καταλάβοι τὸ πεδίον ἔνθα συνίασι οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας, “μόνη γοῦν”, ἔφη Μόδεστος, “οὐκ ἔγνως αὐτίκα μέλλειν ἐκεῖσε τὸν ὕπαρχον ἰέναι καὶ οὓς ἂν εὕροι πάντας ἀναιρήσειν;” “ναίχι ἀκήκοα”, φησί, “καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα δρόμου δεῖ μοι, ἵνα μὴ τοῦ καιροῦ κατόπιν γένωμαι καὶ ἁμάρτω τῆς περὶ θεοῦ μαρτυρίας.” “ἀτὰρ τί καὶ τοῦτο τὸ παιδάριον μεθ’ ἑαυτῆς ἄγεις;” ἤρετο ὁ ὕπαρχος. “ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτός”, ἔφη, “τοῦ κοινοῦ πάθους μετάσχοι καὶ τῶν ἴσων ἀξιωθείη.” θαυμάσας δὲ ὁ Μόδεστος τὴν γυναῖκα τῆς ἀνδρείας ἀνέστρεψεν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια· καὶ κοινωσάμενος τῷ κρατοῦντι περὶ αὐτῆς ἔπεισε μὴ χρῆναι τὸ δόξαν ἐπιτελεῖν, αἰσχρὸν τοῦτο καὶ ἀσύμφορον ἐπιδείξας. ἡ μὲν δὴ Ἐδεσσηνῶν πόλις πανδημεὶ τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ὑπὲρ τοῦ δόγματος ὡμολόγησεν.

4 Theodoret, HE 4.17 – 18.6.

17. Then Valens once again, having deprived the flock of its shepherd, set up a wolf in his place. And when everyone, leaving the city, assembled before it, he arrived at Edessa, and he ordered the prefect, who was Modestus at that time, to gather under him the soldiers who usually collected taxes, to take the army units present, and to disperse the crowd assembled there by hitting them with sticks and clubs and, if necessary, by using other weapons. So, at dawn, the prefect went to carry out his orders. Crossing the agora, he saw a little woman carrying a little one in her arms and proceeding with great haste, and she even cut across the ranks of those he was leading, disregarding them all. For a soul fired with divine zeal has no room for human fears, but considers such fears laughable and childish. So when the prefect saw her and understood what was happening, he summoned her and asked where she was going. And she said, ‘I have learned that plots have been hatched against the servants of God, and I want to catch up with my fellow believers. I am seeking to suffer with them the slaughter which you are inflicting.’ ‘But the little one’, the prefect said, ‘why on earth are you bringing him?’ And she said, ‘that he might share with me this desirable death.’ When the prefect learned this from the woman and through her found out about their collective desire, he reported it to the emperor and made it clear that the planned slaughter would be pointless. ‘For’, as he said, ‘we will only reap infamy from this deed, and we will not quench their desire’.

Having said these things, he would not permit the masses to undergo the trial of the tortures they had hoped for. But he ordered the leaders to be summoned, that is the presbyters and deacons, and they were given two choices, either to persuade (the others) to be in communion with the wolf, or to be driven out of the city and be sent to some remote regions. And when he assembled everyone, he used gentle words to try to persuade them to obey the emperor’s orders. For he said it was utter madness for them to oppose the emperor, who ruled over countless people, when they were only a few.

18. And when they all stood there in silence, the prefect said to their leader (who was Eulogius, a man worthy of praise), ‘Why won’t you answer what I’ve said?’ And Eulogius said, ‘I do not think I need to answer when I’ve not been asked a question’. And the prefect said, ‘But I went through many arguments recommending what is beneficial for you.’ But Eulogius said that those things had been directed towards everyone there, and he thought it improper to push the others aside to give an answer. ‘But if you’re asking me alone, I will give you my opinion.’ ‘Alright then’, said the prefect, ‘be in communion with the emperor.’ But [Eulogius] said with irony and great elegance, ‘so he is performing mass now, and in addition to the imperial office he has also assumed the priesthood?’ The prefect became angry when he realised he was being sarcastic, and after throwing abuse at the presbyter he added this: ‘I didn’t say that, you fool, but I advised you to be in communion with those with whom the emperor himself is in communion.’ When the presbyter replied that they had a shepherd and they followed his commands, he seized eighty of them and sent them to Thrace. While they were being taken there, they enjoyed the greatest welcome: for cities and villages came out to meet them and honour the victorious athletes. But envy armed their opponents and made them report to the emperor, that what was regarded as disgrace had brought great honour for those men. Learning this Valens ordered that they be divided into pairs and scattered, with some sent to Thrace, some to the borders of Arabia, and others to the little towns of the Thebaid. And they say that those whom nature had bound together, savage men separated, and divided brothers from one another. Eulogius was the leader of the last group and Protogenes his deputy, and they were exiled to Antinoë of the Thebaid.

Πάλιν τοίνυν ὁ Βάλης, τὴν ποίμνην τοῦ ποιμένος γυμνώσας, λύκον ἀντὶ ποιμένος ἐπέστησεν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἅπαντες τὴν πόλιν καταλιπόντες πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως συνηθροίζοντο, ἀφίκετο μὲν αὐτὸς εἰς τὴν Ἔδεσσαν, τῷ δὲ ὑπάρχῳ προσέταξε (Μόδεστος δὲ τηνικαῦτα ἦν) τούς τε ὑπ’ αὐτὸν στρατιώτας ἀθροῖσαι οἳ τὰς εἰσφορὰς εἰσπράττειν εἰώθασι, καὶ τῆς ὁπλιτικῆς δυνάμεως τοὺς παρόντας παραλαβεῖν καὶ τὸ συναθροιζόμενον σκεδάσαι πλῆθος, καὶ ῥάβδοις παίοντας καὶ ῥοπάλοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πολεμικοῖς ὀργάνοις εἰ δεήσοι χρωμένους. ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω τοίνυν ὁ ὕπαρχος τὸ κελευόμενον ἔδρα. διιὼν δὲ τὴν ἀγορὰν εἶδε γύναιον βρέφος φέρον ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ μάλα γε ἐπειγόμενον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὴν τῶν ἡγουμένων διέκοψε τάξιν, πάντων ἐκείνων καταφρονήσασα. ψυχὴ γὰρ ὑπὸ θείου ζήλου πυρπολουμένη οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον εἰσδέχεται δέος, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοιαῦτα δείματα γέλωτα νομίζει καὶ παιδιάν. τότε δὴ ταύτην ὁ ὕπαρχος θεασάμενος καὶ συνεὶς τὸ γιγνόμενον, ἤγαγέ τε καὶ ἤρετο ὅποι βαδίζοι. ἡ δέ· “μεμάθηκα”, ἔφη, “τὰς κατὰ τῶν θείων θεραπόντων τυρευθείσας ἐπιβουλὰς καὶ θέλω τοὺς ὁμοπίστους καταλαβεῖν, ὀριγνωμένη ἵνα σὺν ἐκείνοις δέξωμαι τὰς ὑφ’ ὑμῶν ἐπιφερομένας σφαγάς”. “τὸ δὲ βρέφος”, ἔφη ὁ ὕπαρχος, “τί δή ποτε φέρεις;” ἡ δὲ ἔφη· “ἵνα καὶ τοῦτό μοι τῆς ἀξιεράστου τελευτῆς κοινωνήσῃ”. ταῦτα ὁ ὕπαρχος παρὰ τῆς ἀνθρώπου μαθὼν καὶ διὰ ταύτης τὴν ἁπάντων ἐγνωκὼς προθυμίαν, ἀπήγγειλέ τε τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὸν ἐσόμενον μάτην ἐδήλωσε φόνον· “δύσκλειαν γάρ”, ἔφη, “μόνον ἐκ τοῦ δρωμένου δρεψόμεθα, ἐκείνων δὲ τὴν προθυμίαν οὐ σβέσομεν”. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα εἰπὼν τὸ μὲν πλῆθος πεῖραν λαβεῖν τῶν προσδοκηθέντων οὐκ εἴασε λυπηρῶν· τοὺς δὲ τούτων ἡγουμένους, πρεσβυτέρους φημὶ καὶ διακόνους, ἀγαγεῖν τε προσετάχθη καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ πεῖσαι κοινωνῆσαι τῷ λύκῳ, ἢ τοῦ ἄστεως ἐξελάσαι καὶ εἴς τινας ἐσχατιὰς παραπέμψαι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ συνήθροισεν ἅπαντας, ἠπίοις χρώμενος λόγοις πείθειν ἐπειρᾶτο ταῖς βασιλέως νομοθεσίαις ἀκολουθεῖν· παραπληξίας γὰρ ἔλεγεν εἶναι μεστὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ τηλικούτων καὶ τοσούτων ἡγουμένῳ εὐαριθμήτους ἀντιτείνειν ἀνθρώπους. ἐπειδὴ δὲ σιγῶντες εἱστήκεισαν ἅπαντες, πρὸς τὸν τούτων ἡγούμενον (Εὐλόγιος δὲ ἦν, ἀνὴρ ἀξιέπαινος,) εἶπεν ὁ ὕπαρχος· “τί δή ποτε οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ πρὸς τὰ παρ’ ἡμῶν εἰρημένα;” ὁ δέ· “οὐκ ᾠήθην”, ἔφη, “χρῆναι μηδὲν ἐρωτηθεὶς ἀποκρίνεσθαι”. “καὶ μήν”, ὁ ὕπαρχος ἔφη, “πολλοὺς διεξελήλυθα λόγους παραινῶν ὑμῖν τὰ συνοίσοντα”. ὁ δὲ Εὐλόγιος πρὸς ἅπαντας ἔφη ἐκεῖνα εἰρῆσθαι, καὶ ἄτοπον ὑπειληφέναι τοὺς ἄλλους παρωσάμενον ἀποκρίνασθαι. “εἰ δὲ ἐμὲ μόνον ἔροιο, τὴν γνώμην δηλώσω τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ”. “Τοιγάρτοι”, ἔφη ὁ ὕπαρχος, “κοινώνησον τῷ βασιλεῖ”. ὁ δὲ εἰρωνικῶς τε καὶ μάλα χαριέντως· “προσφέρει γάρ”, ἔφη, “καὶ μετὰ τῆς βασιλείας καὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης μετέλαχεν;” ὁ δὲ ὕπαρχος τῆς εἰρωνείας αἰσθόμενος ἐχαλέπηνε, καὶ λοιδορίαις κατὰ τοῦ πρεσβύτου χρησάμενος καὶ ταῦτα προστέθεικεν· “οὐ τοῦτο εἶπον, ἐμβρόντητε, ἀλλ’ οἷς κοινωνεῖ ὁ βασιλεύς, κοινωνῆσαι ὑμῖν παρῄνεσα”. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶπεν ὁ πρεσβύτης καὶ ποιμένα ἔχειν καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου νεύμασιν ἕπεσθαι, ὀγδοήκοντα κατὰ ταὐτὸν συλλαβὼν εἰς τὴν Θρᾴκην ἐξέπεμψεν. ἀπαγόμενοι δὲ θεραπείας ἀπήλαυον ὅτι μάλιστα πλείστης· καὶ πόλεις γὰρ ὑπήντων καὶ κῶμαι, γεραίρουσαι τοὺς νικηφόρους ἀγωνιστάς. ἀλλ’ ὁ φθόνος τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ὁπλίσας φάναι τῷ βασιλεῖ παρεσκεύασεν, ὡς τιμὴν παμπόλλην τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐκείνοις ἡ νομισθεῖσα προὐξένησεν ἀτιμία. ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Βάλης ἀνὰ δύο διαιρεθῆναι προσέταξε, καὶ τοὺς μὲν εἰς τὴν Θρᾴκην, τοὺς δὲ εἰς τὰς τῆς Ἀραβίας ἐσχατιάς, ἄλλους δὲ εἰς τὰς τῆς Θηβαΐδος διασπαρῆναι πολίχνας. φασὶ δὲ καὶ οὓς ἡ φύσις συνέζευξε διαζεῦξαι τοὺς ὠμοτάτους, καὶ ἀδελφοὺς ὄντας ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων χωρίσαι. Εὐλόγιον δὲ τὸν τῶν ἄλλων ἡγούμενον καὶ Πρωτογένην τὸν μετ’ ἐκεῖνον εἰς Ἀντινὼ τὴν Θηβαίων ἐξέπεμψεν.