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Julian, wishing to snake a campaign against the Persians, dispatched
the trustiest of his officers to all the oracles throughout the Roman
Empire, while he himself went as a suppliant to implore the Pythian
oracle of Daphne to make known to him the future. The oracle
responded that the corpses lying hard by were becoming an obstacle to
divination; that they must first be removed to another spot; and that
then he would utter his prophecy, for, said he, "I could say
nothing, if the grove be not purified." Now at that time there were
lying there the relics of the victorious martyr Babylas and the lads
who had gloriously suffered with him, and the lying prophet was plainly
stopped from uttering his wonted lies by the holy influence of
Babylas. Julian was aware of this, for his ancient piety had taught
him the power of victorious martyrs, and so be removed no other body
from the spot, but only ordered the worshippers of Christ to translate
the relics of the victorious martyrs. They marched with joy to the
grove, put the coffin on a car and went before it leading a vast
concourse of people, singing the psalms of David, while at every
pause they shouted "Shame be to all them that worship molten
images." For they understood the translation of the martyr to mean
defeat for the demon.
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