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Defence of his flight

10. Their real grievance is not that Athanasius is a coward, but that he is free.

Who then does not perceive their craftiness? Is it not very evident to every one that they do not reproach me with cowardice from regard to virtue, but that being athirst for blood, they employ these their base devices as nets, thinking thereby to catch those whom they seek to destroy? That such is their character is shewn by their actions, which have convicted them of possessing dispositions more savage than wild beasts, and more cruel than Babylonians. But although the proof against them is sufficiently clear from all this, yet since they still dissemble with soft words after the manner of their ‘father the devil ¹,’ and pretend to charge me with cowardice, while they are themselves more cowardly than hares; let us consider what is written in the Sacred Scriptures respecting such cases as this. For thus they will be shewn to fight against the Scriptures no less than against me, while they detract from the virtues of the Saints.

For if they reproach men for hiding themselves from those who seek to destroy them, and accuse those who flee from their persecutors, what will they do when they see Jacob fleeing from his brother Esau, and Moses withdrawing into Midian for fear of Pharaoh? What excuse will they make for David, after all this idle talk, for fleeing from his house on account of Saul, when he sent to kill him, and for hiding himself in the cave, and for changing his appearance, until he withdrew from Abimelech ², and escaped his designs against him? What will they say, they who are ready to say anything, when they see the great Elijah, after calling upon God and raising the dead, hiding himself for fear of Ahab, and fleeing from the threats of Jezebel? At which time also the sons of the prophets, when they were sought after, hid themselves with the assistance of Obadiah, and lay concealed in caves ³.

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Apologie de Saint Athanase sur sa fuite

10.

Qui ne comprend leur scélératesse? Pour qui n’est-il pas évident qu’ils ne m’adressent pas ce reproche de lâcheté par vertu, mais qu’altérés de sang ils se servent de ces artifices comme de filets pour prendre ceux qu’ils veulent mettre à mort? Tels les montrent leurs actes, telle ils prouvent qu’est leur nature, plus farouche que celle des bêtes féroces, plus cruelle que celle des Babyloniens.

Ce qui précède suffirait pour les convaincre; néanmoins, comme à l’exemple de leur père, le grand calomniateur, ils simulent la bonté avec leurs tendres propos sur ma lâcheté, plus lâches eux-mêmes que les lièvres, examinons ce que, dans de telles circonstances, disent les divines Ecritures. On verra qu’ils ne sont pas moins acharnés à les combattre et à calomnier les vertus des saints. S’ils insultent ceux qui se dérobent aux coups des assassins, s’ils calomnient ceux qui fuient devant la persécution, que feront-ils à la vue de Jacob fuyant devant son frère Esaü, de Moïse se retirant dans la terre de Madian par peur de Pharaon? Futiles discoureurs, comment justifieront-ils David, lorsqu’il se sauve de sa maison devant les sicaires de Saül, se cache dans une caverne et change son visage, jusqu’à ce qu’il ait échappé à Abimélech et à ses embûches? Que diront-ils, ces habiles parleurs, quand le grand Elle, qui voyait Dieu répondre à son appel et ressuscitait les morts, se dérobe à la fureur d’Achab et fuit devant les menaces de Jézabel? Car, alors aussi, recherchés par les persécuteurs, les fils des prophètes se cachaient dans le secret des cavernes avec le secours d’Abdias.¹