The Holy Monk Aphraates

On the north side of the river Orontes lies the palace. On the south side a vast two-story colonnade is built on the city wall, with lofty towers at either end. Between the palace and the river runs a public road, open to travelers from the town through the gate in this quarter and leading out to the country in the suburbs. The godly Aphraates was once passing along this road on his way to the soldiers’ training ground, to do his duty of serving his flock. The emperor happened to be looking down from a gallery in the palace, and saw him going by in a cloak of untanned goatskin, walking quickly, though he was an old man. When someone remarked that this was Aphraates, to whom the whole town was then devoted, the emperor called out: “Where are you going? Tell us.” Readily and cleverly he answered: “To pray for your empire.” “You had better stay at home,” said the emperor, “and pray alone, like a monk.” “Yes,” said the man of God, “that is what I was bound to do, and that is what I always did until now, as long as the Savior’s sheep were at peace. But now that they are badly troubled and in great danger of being caught by wild beasts, I must leave nothing untried to save the young of the flock. “For tell me, sir: suppose I were a girl sitting in my room and looking after the house, and I saw a flash of flame fall and my father’s house catch fire. What ought I to do? Tell me. Sit inside, never mind that the house is burning, and wait for the flames to reach me? Or say goodbye to my room, run up and down, fetch water, and try to put the fire out? Of course you will say the second, for that is what a quick and spirited girl would do. And that is what I am doing now, sir. You have set fire to our Father’s house, and we are running about trying to put it out.” [a]

So said Aphraates, and the emperor threatened him and said no more. But one of the chamberlains of the imperial bedchamber, who threatened the godly man somewhat more violently, met with the following fate. He had charge of the bath, and immediately after this conversation he went down to get it ready for the emperor. As he went in he lost his wits, stepped into the boiling water before it had been mixed with the cold, and so met his end. The emperor sat waiting for him to announce that the bath was ready for him to enter. When a good while had passed, he sent other officers to find out the cause of the delay. They went in and looked all about the room, and found the chamberlain killed by the heat, lying dead in the boiling water. When this became known to the emperor, they saw the power of Aphraates’ prayers. Even so, they did not turn from their ungodly doctrines, but hardened their hearts like Pharaoh. And the deluded emperor, though he had learned of the holy man’s miracle, kept on with his mad rage against godliness.