Fromthesepanegyricsthehistorians^81oftheagemightborrowtheirextraordinary，and，perhaps，fabuloustales；oftheproudchallengeofaPersianhero，whowasentangledbythenet，anddespatchedbythesword，ofAreobindustheGoth；ofthetenthousandImmortals，whowereslainintheattackoftheRomancamp；andofthehundredthousandArabs，orSaracens，whowereimpelledbyapanicterrortothrowthemselvesheadlongintotheEuphrates。Sucheventsmaybedisbelievedordisregarded；butthecharityofabishop，AcaciusofAmida，whosenamemighthavedignifiedthesaintlycalendar，shallnotbelostinoblivion。

　　Boldlydeclaring，thatvasesofgoldandsilverareuselesstoaGodwhoneithereatsnordrinks，thegenerousprelatesoldtheplateofthechurchofAmida；employedthepriceintheredemptionofseventhousandPersiancaptives；suppliedtheirwantswithaffectionateliberality；anddismissedthemtotheirnativecountry，toinformtheirkingofthetruespiritofthereligionwhichhepersecuted。Thepracticeofbenevolenceinthemidstofwarmustalwaystendtoassuagetheanimosityofcontendingnations；andIwishtopersuademyself，thatAcaciuscontributedtotherestorationofpeace。Intheconferencewhichwasheldonthelimitsofthetwoempires，theRomanambassadorsdegradedthepersonalcharacteroftheirsovereign，byavainattempttomagnifytheextentofhispower；whentheyseriouslyadvisedthePersianstoprevent，byatimelyaccommodation，thewrathofamonarch，whowasyetignorantofthisdistantwar。A

　　truceofonehundredyearswassolemnlyratified；andalthoughtherevolutionsofArmeniamightthreatenthepublictranquillity，theessentialconditionsofthistreatywererespectednearfourscoreyearsbythesuccessorsofConstantineandArtaxerxes。

　　[Footnote80:Theodoret，l。v。c。39Tillemont。Mem。Ecclestom。

　　xii。356—364。Assemanni，Bibliot。Oriental。tom。iii。p。396，tom。iv。p。61。TheodoretblamestherashnessofAbdas，butextolstheconstancyofhismartyrdom。YetIdonotclearlyunderstandthecasuistrywhichprohibitsourrepairingthedamagewhichwehaveunlawfullycommitted。]

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