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Often appears with: religious persecution and toleration · fate, destiny, and necessity · the rise and fall of greatness · diplomacy and embassies · decius persecution · conquest, plunder, and captives · war with rome · thiatira and jezebel · temple of st. john · smyrna · seven sleepers legend · seven sleepers
Usually: narrative (4) · argument (3) · skepticism (3) · curiosity (2) · detachment (2) · reflection (1) · captivity (1) · confronting death (1) · injustice endured (1) · sudden reversal of fortune (1)
“This easy and universal belief, observes the philosophical historian of the Decline and Fall, "so expressive of the sense of mankind, may be ascribed to the genuine merit of the fable itself.” Charles Lyell, Principles of Geology · observation
“Such justification did not apply to the present circumstances; for as these old friendly relations had been broken off by them, and the existing hostility was owing entirely to the Aetolians themselves, the services of the past could be of no assistance to them in the present.” Polybius, The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 2 (of 2) · precept
“But with the Romans for a man ‘to commit himself to their good faith’ is held to be equivalent to ‘surrendering unconditionally.” Polybius, The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 2 (of 2) · observation
“What else should they do? but Demetrius will come to my rescue.” Plutarch, Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans · observation
The revelation addresses individual congregations—Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thiatira—praising some works and warning against false teaching, with threats of removal or punishment and rewards for “overcomers.”
The second Chapter. Unto the angel of the congregation of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the vij. stars in his right hand, and walketh in the midst of the vij. golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not forbear them which are evil: and examinedst them which say they are apostles, and are not: and hast found them liars. And hast suffered, and has…
After the battle, Demetrius flees to Ephesus, then sails to Greece expecting Athenian loyalty; Athens denies him entry and sends Deidamia away to Megara, prompting his recovery of resolve despite the political rebuff.
asked him how soon the army would move, he is said to have answered him sharply, "Are you afraid lest you, of all the army, should not hear the trumpet?" There were now, however, inauspicious signs, which affected his spirits. Demetrius, in a dream, had seen Alexander, completely armed, appear and demand of him what word they intended to give in the time of the battle; and Demetrius answering that he intended the w…
Gibbon dismisses ecclesiastical legend by analyzing the Seven Sleepers: youths of Ephesus sleep for 187 years, awaken under Theodosius, and become a universal Christian-to-Islamic tale reflecting human love of sudden time gaps.
37 (return) [ See the Chronicles of Idatius, Isidore, Prosper, and Marcellinus. They mark the same year, but different days, for the surprisal of Carthage.] A new city had arisen from its ruins, with the title of a colony; and though Carthage might yield to the royal prerogatives of Constantinople, and perhaps to the trade of Alexandria, or the splendor of Antioch, she still maintained the second r…
Lyell argues that geologists can become as inconsistent as dreamers, illustrating this with the Seven Sleepers legend and its later spread from Christianity into Islam.
if a geologist form theories under a similar delusion, we cannot expect him to preserve more consistency in his speculations than in the train of ideas in an ordinary dream. It may afford, perhaps, a lively illustration of the principle here insisted upon, if I recall to the reader's recollection the legend of the Seven Sleepers. The scene of that popular fable was placed in the two centuries which elapsed between t…
Polybius reflects on why people repeat the same foolish credulity, then outlines Roman-era hopes for Greek liberty, discusses Antiochus’s desire to seize Ephesus, and praises Attalus’s wealth, virtue, and succession.
[Sidenote: Foolish credulity, see ch. 13; and 31, 21.] +40.+ Why is it that, though deceived again and again by the same things and persons, we are unable to abandon our blind folly? For this particular kind of fraud has often been committed before now, and by many. That other men should allow themselves to be taken in is perhaps not astonishing; but it is wonderful that those should do so who are the authors and or…
Antiochus the Great arrives in Chalcis in Euboea, completes a marriage at age fifty, and spends the winter in festivities despite the Roman war; he later flees with his bride to Ephesus after defeat.
[Sidenote: Antiochus wintering in Chalcis, B.C. 192-191.] +8.+ Antiochus the Great came to Chalcis in Euboea, and there completed his marriage, when he was fifty years old, and had already undertaken his two most important labours, the liberation of Greece—as he called it—and the war with Rome. However, having fallen in love with a young lady of Chalcis, he was bent on marrying her, though the war was still going on…
Returning into Roman territory, Belisarius keeps Antonina in custody; Photius arrives in fury at Ephesus, forces revelations from Calligonus, and extracts Theodosius from sanctuary, while Theodora relocates prisoners and later humiliates Belisarius’s compliance.
When Belisarius entered Roman territory, he found that his wife had arrived from Byzantium. He kept her in custody in disgrace, and was frequently minded to put her to death, but had not the heart to do so, being overpowered, I believe, by the ardour of his love. Others, however, say that his mind and resolution were destroyed by the enchantments which his wife employed against him. Meanwhile, Photius arrived in a s…
Xerxes sends Artemisia to escort his sons to Ephesus, appoints Hermotimos over them, and then Herodotus digresses into Hermotimos’s origins, eunuch trade, and his revenge over Panionios in Sardis.
body of the army, and it must then be for me to deliver over to thee Hellas reduced to subjection, choosing for this purpose thirty myriads 64 from the army." 101. Hearing this Xerxes was rejoiced and delighted so far as he might be after his misfortunes, 65 and to Mardonios he said that when he had taken counsel he would reply and say which of these two things he would do. So when he was taking counsel with those o…