Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GOSPEL OF PHILOSOPHIC HEATHENISM 237of their treasury to those who wanted money, so didApollonius impart his wisdom to those who were filledwith the love of it, permitting them to ask him anyquestions they pleased.Having thus passed two years in Greece, he sailedto Ionia with all his company, dwelling chiefly inSmyrna and Ephesus, but likewise visiting the othercities, and everywhere welcomed with delight. It isat Ephesus that he has a vision of the murder ofDomitian as it is happening at Rome. He was conversingin one of the groves, when he paused in hisdiscourse, lowered his voice, hesitated, looked on theground, advanced three or four steps and cried out," Strike the tyrant, strike !" as if the whole scene waspassing before him. Thirty days afterwards a messagefrom the new emperor, Nerva, reaches him, whichsaid that he was reigning by the counsels of thegods and Apollonius, and would be more secure if hehad his presence and advice. Therefore Apolloniusanswered enigmatically, " We shall live together a verylong time, in which we shall not command others, norshall others command us." And presently he partswith Damis under pretext of charging him with aletter for the emperor, though in reality to carry outthe word which had been always in his mouth," Conceal your life, but, if you cannot do that, concealyour death." Wishing then to separate fromDamis, that he might have no witnesses of his departure,he invented this letter with which to sendhim to Home. Now Damis said, that though he knewnot what was coming, he was affected at leaving him.Apollonius, however, who knew it well, said nothing tohim as if he should not see him any more, but had sofull a conviction of living for ever as to charge him,