Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GOSPEL OF PHILOSOPHIC HEATHENISM225the Roman State or his own life, * and in working Omiracles, especially such as consist in detecting andexpelling evil spirits. He is accompanied not onlyby Damis, who never leaves him, but by a number ofdisciples.He begins by residing at Ephesus for some time,where ambassadors from the surrounding cities waitupon him, esteeming him " the guide of life," and theadviser in the erection of altars and statues. Thechief act which he performs at Ephesus is that whe:the plague has made its way there, he, being aSmyrna, transports himself in a moment thither. Asoon as he arrived,1 he collected all the people togetheand said to them, " Be not afraid, for I will this daput a stop to the disease." - Saying this he carried thepeople of all ages to the theatre where now stands thestatue of the Averter. Here they beheld an old manbegging alms, who had a strange way of winking withhis eyes. He had a wallet in his hand in which hd crusts of bread. He was clad in rags andhad a most squalid appearance. Apollonius bade thEphesians surround him and pelt him with stonesThey were shocked at the thought of'killing a strangein so wretched a plight, for at this time the poor ma:appeared in the act of supplication, and doing all hcould to excite their compassion. But Apolloniusunmoved by this, insisted that what he commandedshould be executed, and bade them not let him escape.When some of the bystanders began to throw stones,he who lately appeared only capable of winking withhis eyes, darted them flaming with fire and furyHence the Ephesians saw that he was a demon, andpelting him with stones till they piled a1 Book iv. 10VOL. TIT. P