huge mass of stones, fearing lest, as he himself had attained the
sovereignty through obedience to the predictions of these waters, others
might learn a similar lesson; and Julian immediately ordered the bodies
which had been buried around it to be removed with the same ceremonies
as those with which the Athenians had purified the island of Delos.

XII.

Sec. 1. About the same time, on the 22nd of October, the splendid temple of
Apollo, at Daphne, which that furious and cruel king Antiochus Epiphanes
had built with the statue of the god, equal in size to that of Olympian
Jupiter, was suddenly burnt down.

2. This terrible accident inflamed the emperor with such anger, that he
instantly ordered investigations of unprecedented severity to be
instituted, and the chief church of Antioch to be shut up. For he
suspected that the Christians had done it out of envy, not being able to
bear the sight of the magnificent colonnade which surrounded the temple.

3. But it was reported, though the rumour was most vague, that the
temple had been burnt by means of Asclepiades the philosopher, of whom
we have made mention while relating the actions of Magnentius. He is
said to have come to the suburb in which the temple stood to pay a visit
to Julian, and being accustomed to carry with him wherever he went a
small silver statue of the Heavenly Venus, he placed it at the feet of
the image of Apollo, and then, according to his custom, having lighted
wax tapers in front of it, he went away. At midnight, when no one was
there to give any assistance, some sparks flying about stuck to the aged
timbers; and from that dry fuel a fire was kindled which burnt
everything it could reach, however separated from it by the height of
the building.

4. The same year also, just as winter was approaching, there was a
fearful scarcity of water, so that some rivers were dried up, and
fountains too, which had hitherto abounded with copious springs. But
afterwards they all were fully restored.

5. And on the second of December, as evening was coming on, all that
remained of Nicomedia was destroyed by an earthquake, and no small
portion of Nicaea.

XIV.

Sec. 1. These events caused great concern to the emperor; but still he did
not neglect other affairs of urgency, till the time of entering on his
intended campaign should arrive. But in the midst of his important and
serious concerns, it appeared superfluous that, without any plausible
reason, an