12. When Turbo had made this
statement, Archelaus was intensely excited; but Marcellus remained
unmoved, for he expected that God would come to the help of His
truth. Archelaus, however, had additional cares in his anxiety
about the people, like the shepherd who becomes concerned for his sheep
when secret perils threaten them from the wolves. Accordingly
Marcellus loaded Turbo with the most liberal gifts, and instructed him
to remain in the house of Archelaus the bishop.15371537 But on that selfsame day Manes
arrived, bringing along with him certain chosen youths and virgins to
the number of twenty-two.15381538 And first of all he sought for
Turbo at the door of the house of Marcellus; and on failing to find him
there, he went in to salute Marcellus. On seeing him, Marcellus
at first was struck with astonishment at the costume in which he
presented himself. For he wore a kind of shoe which is usually
called in common speech the quadrisole;15391539 he had also a party-coloured cloak, of a
somewhat airy15401540 appearance; in his
hand he grasped a very sturdy staff of ebony-wood;15411541 he carried a Babylonian book under his left
arm; his legs were swathed in trousers of different colours, the one
being red, and the other green as a leek; and his whole mien was like
that of some old Persian master and commandant.15421542 Thereupon Marcellus sent forthwith
for Archelaus, who arrived so quickly as almost to outstrip the word,
and on entering was greatly tempted at once to break out against him,
being provoked to that instantly by the very sight of his costume and
his appearance, though more especially also by the fact that he had
himself been turning over in his mind in his retirement15431543 the various
matters which he had learned from the recital of Turbo, and had thus
come carefully prepared. But Marcellus, in his great
thoughtfulness, repressed all zeal for mere wrangling, and decided to
hear both parties. With that view he invited the leading men of
the city; and from among them he selected as judges of the
discussion certain adherents of the Gentile religion, four in
number. The names of these umpires were as follows:
Manippus, a person deeply versed in the art of grammar and the practice
of rhetoric; Ægialeus,15441544
a very eminent physician, and a man of the highest reputation for
learning; and Claudius and Cleobolus,15451545 two brothers famed as
rhetoricians.15461546 A splendid
assemblage was thus convened; so large, indeed, that the house of
Marcellus, which was of immense size, was filled with those who had
been called to be hearers. And when the parties who proposed to
speak in opposition to each other 187had taken their places in view of all,
then those who had been elected as judges took their seats in a
position elevated above all others: and the task of commencing
the disputation was assigned to Manes. Accordingly, when silence
was secured, he began15471547
the discussion in the following terms:15481548—