earth and the animals. Then Augustus went up into the
hippodrome and seated himself as was his wont, and Augarus came before
him and displayed the earth and the animals, telling over from what
district each portion of earth was and what animals they were. Then he
gave orders to put the earth in different parts of the hippodrome, and
to gather all the animals into one place and then to release them. So
the attendants did as he directed. And the animals, separating from each
other, went each to that portion of earth which was from the district in
which it itself had been taken. And Augustus looked upon the performance
carefully for a very long time, and he was wondering that nature
untaught makes animals miss their native land. Then Augarus, suddenly
laying hold upon his knees, said: "But as for me, O Master, what
thoughts dost thou think I have, who possess a wife and children and a
kingdom, small indeed, but in the land of my fathers?" And the emperor,
overcome and compelled by the truth of his saying, granted not at all
willingly that he should go away, and bade him ask besides whatever he
wished. And when Augarus had secured this, he begged of Augustus to
build him a hippodrome in the city of Edessa. And he granted also this.
Thus then Augarus departed from Rome and came to Edessa. And the
citizens enquired of him whether he had come bringing any good thing for
them from the Emperor Augustus. And he answering said he had brought to
the inhabitants of Edessa pain without loss and pleasure without gain,
hinting at the fortune of the hippodrome.

At a later time when Augarus was well advanced in years, he was seized
with an exceedingly violent attack of gout. And being distressed by the
pains and his inability to move in consequence of them, he carried the
matter to the physicians, and from the whole land he gathered all who
were skilled in these matters. But later he abandoned these men (for
they did not succeed in discovering any cure for the trouble), and
finding himself helpless, he bewailed the fate which was upon him. But
about that time Jesus, the Son of God, was in the body and moving among
the men of Palestine, shewing manifestly by the fact that he never
sinned at all, and also by his performing even things impossible, that
he was the Son of God in very truth; for he called the dead and raised
them up as if from sleep, and opened the eyes of men who had been born
blind, and cleansed those whose whole bodies were