The Angels Were Amazed

By Mihai Oara

Human history has had many mysterious episodes for which there is no easy explanation. Why did the magi decide to take a long and dangerous journey, all the way from Persia to Jerusalem, to bring gifts to a supposed future king? What about the Chi-Rho sign in the sky that encouraged Constantine's soldiers to fight the army of Maxentius and win a great victory in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, which led to the recognition of Christianity in the Roman Empire? Why did Atilla give up on his march to Rome at a time when he had military supremacy in Italy? Why did the Mongols, poised to conquer the whole of Europe, suddenly stop and go back home? Why did the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI, decide to stay and die in the city when the fall of Constantinople was imminent?

God's hand appears in all these episodes. He is sending His angels, who take on human appearance and make the light and barely noticeable push that changes the direction of history. In dealing with humans, they do not use supernatural powers, only their wisdom and skills. God's grandiose plans for humanity, beyond their immediate comprehension, are gradually revealed to them. They act as God's ministering spirits, in constant contemplation of God's wonderful creation and His love for mankind.

While interesting and engaging, the stories in this book follow a common thread and convey deep truths about God and men.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890439710

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The Angels Were Amazed

Mihai Oara

ISBN 979-8-89043-970-3 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89043-971-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Mihai Oara

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

History Mysteries

The First Constantine

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

Maxentius

The Angel

Constantine

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

The Incarnation

The Spirit World

The Annunciation

The Humans

The Magi

Visits on Earth

The Earth

The Rules

Anthony

Baby Nicholas

Order and Chaos

Attila the Hun

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

Aquileia

Milan

The Death of Atilla

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

The Enamored Angel

Improper Attachments

The Persian Girl

Subutai the Valiant

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

The Russian Steppes

Transylvania

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

The Last Constantine

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

On Human Death

The Death of an Empire

The Last Days

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

Epilogue

The Resurrection

Encounters on the Other Side

Man and Cosmos

Postface

About the Author

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

—Hebrews 13:2 KJV

History Mysteries

It was the last class of the medieval history fall course at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Professor Robert Holland was trying to start and finish each class on time, with some left for questions and answers and discussions. He constantly failed and kept telling the students that discussions were postponed for the next class and later for the last class of the fall semester. Now was the time, and the atmosphere in the lecture hall was relaxed and pleasant. Vacation was near.

There were a couple of questions from the students, mostly intended to complete their knowledge in preparation for the coming final exam. But this was not what the professor had in mind. His lectures were usually dry, filled with facts and dates and digressions about sources, but now he suddenly wanted to instill some passion for history in his students. He came with an open question meant to provoke interesting discussions.

Can you think of unexplained episodes in the events I have presented in my lectures? I am not referring to what you did not understand because you did not pay enough attention. Here he smiled. I mean what historians do not know. You can mention such episodes in the form of questions.

The students looked at each other, and a few moments of silence followed. Finally, Sarah Briggs raised her hand, and the professor invited her to speak.

Sir, you started the course with the advent of Constantine the Great on the scene. We all know about the Battle of the Milvian bridge, in which he defeated Maxentius to become the sole emperor of the Western Roman Empire. I have, in fact, three questions. The first is this: how was it possible that the son of a Thracian innkeeper could rise to the position of Roman emperor? The second: why did Maxentius, well provisioned and defended by the walls of Rome, venture to come out and fight Constantine? The third: What do you think was the sign that Constantine saw in the sky before the battle? Was it real? Did it really happen?

The professor smiled and said, At this time, I am not giving you the answers. I only wanted to make you curious. You can read more on your own and come up with your answers. Let's listen to other questions about mysteries of history.

A murmur of disappointment came from the students, then another two hands were in the air.

My question is about Atilla, said Howard Lampert. The story we have heard is that after his encounter with Pope Gregory, he gave up the invasion of Italy and ordered his troops back home. Why? We cannot believe that this successful, fierce, and cruel king could be easily convinced by a priest.

Shen Yang, a Chinese American girl, asked, I have a similar question: why did the Mongols, at the peak of their power and conquest, stop their invasion of Europe and return back home to Mongolia?

We have time for one more question, said the professor.

Irene Papazakos raised her hand and, when prompted, asked, Before the fall of Constantinople, when it was obvious that the city would fall, why did Emperor Constantine not try to flee the city in some Venetian ship and continue the war from another location?

The professor looked at his watch and smiled.

I will let you think about these questions. If you come to the continuation of this course in the spring, we will reserve some time in the first class to attempt some answers, and I want your own hypotheses first. But remember, human history is driven by objective material causes, so I do not want to hear some fairy tales with angels and miracles.

The First Constantine

Excerpt from Professor Holland's Medieval History Course

As I have already told you in my last lecture after Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Empire went through a very bad period and was torn apart by unending civil wars. Some general in Gaul proclaimed himself emperor, came to Rome, then defeated, dethroned, and killed the current emperor and took his place. In a year or two, another general from Thrace took the throne in a similar fashion, and the same story repeated itself again and again.

After more than a century of trouble, the empire finally became stable under Emperor Diocletian. He was an intelligent man but not wise, as subsequent history proved. He consolidated his power and became authoritarian and cruel, controlling the empire through a strong bureaucracy. He started a persecution of Christians, and many martyrs remembered in Christianity are from his reign. He did many foolish things, for instance, debasing the currency by reducing the quantity of gold in the coins. He thought it was a good idea, allowing him to pay for his army and administration.

As economists now know, this led to raising prices, which he blamed on the greed of merchants. To counter inflation, he gave a decree fixing all prices, which in turn led to shortages and the development of a black market. In the end, he had to accept defeat and revert to other means to pay for his armies. Despite all his measures, the empire continued to decline.

Not being able to administer such a great empire, he had an idea that seemed good at the time but planted the seed for future civil wars. He divided the empire into two: the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire, each with its own emperor with the title of augustus. He remained in the East and acted as the senior emperor. In the West, he appointed Maximian. Each of the augusti had a direct successor with the title of caesar. Thus, the empire was actually led by four men. Diocletian ruled in Thrace, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean, with his caesar, Galerius, ruling in Syria. Maximian ruled in Italy, with his caesar, Constantius, in Gaul and Britannia. This was the tetrarchy, which was not to last a long time.

Diocletian eventually retired, which was an unheard-of action in the Roman Empire, and Galerius took his place as the augustus of the East. Maximian had to follow Diocletian's example and also retire, although reluctantly. Constantius became augustus in the West and Galerius in the East. Severus was appointed caesar under Constantius, and Maximinus Gaia as caesar under Galerius. Soon the whole edifice started to crumble.

Here, Constantine, Constantius's son, enters the story. He was, in fact, an illegitimate child, born from the relation between Constantius—at that time a Roman officer—and Helena, the daughter of an innkeeper in Naissus, in the province of Moesia, south of the Danube. Constantius recognized his son and later brought him to the West, where he was campaigning against rebellious tribes, and gave him major responsibilities.

Already sick, Constantius soon died, and his troops promptly acclaimed Constantine as augustus, which was not exactly how succession was supposed to work. Galerius, the senior emperor, could not do too much about it. Therefore, he accepted the new augustus. Since the rules were already broken, Maxentius, the son of Maximian, grabbed the opportunity to proclaim himself augustus. Galerius tried to stop him, sending Severus against him, but he was defeated and taken prisoner. The West now had two emperors: Maxentius in Rome, North Africa, and Spain, and Constantine in Gaul and Britannia. It was a state that could not persist and would inevitably lead to a clash.

Constantine was the one who moved first. He, with about a quarter of his forces, crossed the Alps and descended into Italy. He was victorious in several clashes, and the northern Italian cities opened their gates to him. After he consolidated his control there, he moved south and came close to Rome.

Maxentius

Emperor Maxentius was sitting at a large oak table, from where he was directing his empire, now reduced to the city of Rome. His brother-in-law Constantine, the husband of his sister Fausta, was outside the city walls, ready to assault him with his legions brought from Gaul. Maxentius was in such predicaments before, such as when Galerius and Severus came to dethrone him and were later defeated. While Galerius cautiously withdrew from Italy, Severus was taken prisoner. Maxentius initially promised to treat him well, but reasons of state later had him killed. He hoped that a similar fate was awaiting Constantine.

The emperor did not live in his palace on the Palatine Hill but instead in his own luxurious villa. It was much safer, for he was afraid of various conspiracies brewing inside the city. His spies kept informing him of plots, dirty songs heard in various drinking places, and bad jokes targeting the emperor. Who was loyal, and who was not? He could not know with any certainty. He was suspicious of the senators, the servants, and all the rich people of Rome. He was even suspicious of his Praetorian Guard and its prefect.

There were a few exceptions, like Quintus Pomponius. Once, when Maxentius's troops were about to cross a river, the emperor wanted to display his courage and give an example to his soldiers by jumping with his horse in the middle of the current, which was quite strong. He fell from the horse, and to his amazement, nobody came to his aid except Quintus, a soldier of the Praetorian Guard. He was immediately rewarded with a promotion to the rank of centurion.

Tortured by many worries, Maxentius called for Quintus and relaxed as soon as he entered the room. Quintus saluted with respect and devotion and looked at the emperor as a god, or at least the master of the world.

Quintus, started the emperor, I have an important mission for you. It is not difficult but requires some wisdom.

Quintus was known for his bravery and loyalty but not for his wisdom. Sometimes he was the subject of jokes related to his intellect, to which he was very sensitive, always trying to prove the quality of his judgments.

Here is what you need to do, continued the emperor. I have information from reliable sources that senator Lucius Cornelius Cotta is cooking something against me. We do not know if he communicates with Constantine, but we know that he has a circle of friends with whom he meets and whose minds he poisons with his lies about me.

I am ready to go and arrest him, jumped the Praetorian.

Not so fast, said the emperor, smiling. I know that there is a meeting tonight at his villa. We know that some prominent people will come, including other senators, merchants, and public officials. We cannot arrest all of them as that may have unpredictable consequences, including some spontaneous revolt. It would be hard to prove that they are all guilty. What we need is to stop the meeting and find who the conspirators are. But, Cotta, you can arrest him and bring him for an interrogation.

Quintus gave a brisk salute and left the room. He found ten of his trusted soldiers and briefed them on their mission. They waited until the evening before going to the senator's villa.

At the villa, the servants were preparing for the party. About fifteen guests of various ranks and wealth were expected. They started to arrive late afternoon, some walking but most in their horse-drawn carriages.

One of the guests, Gaius Marcius Labeus, a rich grain merchant, took some precautions, knowing that they were going to discuss sensitive political issues. What if this is a trap? Fortunately, he noticed an old man sitting on a signpost stone with the name of the street, Via Pulchra, and he had an idea. This man looked strange, dressed in an old white tunic. He seemed to be in his fifties or sixties, but he was fit and slender. Most strikingly, his face was serene, and he had a permanent smile on his face. Next to him was a small piece of white cloth on which two instruments were laid: a small pan flute and a horn, the powerful Roman trumpet.

Gaius figured it out and made sure his wife, sitting next to him in the carriage, recognized his powers of observation and deduction.

This man is a beggar. He earns some money by singing on the street corners. Perhaps he is a good musician, and people show their appreciation by giving him money and food. He plays the flute, but I do not know what the trumpet is for. Who knows how he ended up here because our private guards do not usually let people of his kind wander in this neighborhood. Please wait a moment. I want to talk with him.

He stopped the carriage, stepped out, and talked with the man.

Stranger, he said, perhaps you play that flute very well and make some money with that. However, I will give you a task that will pay you ten times what you make in a day.

The old man was still looking forward, but then he turned to the esteemed Gaius Marcius Labeus and said,

Worthy is the worker of his pay,

For a denarius, I'll do what you say.

He did not look excited or eager to get his pay but otherwise looked very trustworthy.

Can you play the trumpet? asked Gaius.

The old man answered,

If necessary, for a short time span

To play the trumpet, I surely can.

Perfect, said Gaius, handing him a denarius. This is the simple thing you must do to earn this money. If you see a group of soldiers coming toward this villa, sound the trumpet. Do not worry about their reaction. They will think that you are a man of feeble mind, which is how you look anyway.

Gaius smiled at his own wits, which he hoped his wife would perceived. They continued in their carriage and entered the house.

Cotta was waiting for them on a terrace. It was a nice October day with the most pleasant weather. Cotta welcomed each one of his guests and pulled each one aside for a private, confidential talk. He had the same message for all but dressed it in words that avoided a direct implication of conspiracy.

We did not gather here to oppose the emperor. We gather to discuss what we can do to release Rome from the present predicament. Then he whispered to the guest's ear, We have to be careful. One of us here may be an informer.

While the others listened in silence, Gaius responded and told him that he had paid a guard, a beggar sitting outside in the street, to sound the alarm if suspicious characters approached the villa. The beggar had a trumpet, which he would sound if such an event occurred.

Very good, said the senator, wondering why he did not think of this. If that happens, we have an exit behind the house, which we will use. Better tell everyone of this and move your carriages there.

After all the guests arrived, the senator ordered his servants to bring a delicious meal of salt fish (fresh fish was hard to get in those days when Rome was surrounded), cheese, and wine. The dessert consisted of pancakes fried with honey and sesame seeds. There were fewer courses than usual, as this was not supposed to be an overindulgent meal. He did not want his guests to become ill from too much food and wine or for their blood to rush from the head to the stomach. After they were all satisfied, Cotta talked in a loud voice to draw everybody's attention.

Honorable guests, Rome is again surrounded by troops. It did not happen for a long time. Fortunately, this is not Hannibal, nor are we scared by an army of Gauls set on looting, pillaging, and raping. It is, however, a most unfortunate situation. Not only us, but the whole of Rome will suffer in the case of a long siege.

His guests nodded in approval.

I can confirm that, jumped Lucius Porcius, a rich owner of a number of houses of prostitution in the city. If it comes to famine, people will pay high prices for food and stop visiting our brothels or pay very little for them. Unfortunately, I will still have to feed our girls anyway.

High prices for food will leave many poor people without money, said Appius, the owner of many buildings in the poor quarters of the city. I have a responsibility to these people. Besides, they will not be able to pay their rent, and that would ruin me.

Perhaps you think that food speculators will do better, said Gneus, a food merchant. But this is not the case. I used to have ships coming to Rome with grains from Ostia by the Tiber. This flow is now interrupted. I still get a trickle of high-priced items—which I was happy to provide here before our party—but high-priced items cannot replace the high volume of simple staples. In three months, I will be ruined.

Yes, reflected a voice from a corner, in three months, we'll all fall to the level of plebeians.

The senator decided that it was time to end this defeatist mood.

The question now is what we do about it, said the senator. Do we wait for things to unravel, or do we do something as the rich, powerful, and influential citizens we are?

There was silence again until Appius dared to speak.

There are two opponents here, Maxentius and Constantine. One will win, and one will lose. I do not think that a peaceful agreement is possible. We must decide on which side we are.

At that point, a certain Flavius, terrified by the direction the discussion was taking, stood up and declared in a strong voice, My heart, my body, and my mind are entirely on the side of the true emperor, Maxentius. I want everybody to hear this. If anybody ever asks you about me, please remember my words.

Flavius, do not be so boisterous, intervened the senator. I know you are playing both sides, or rather, the most convenient one. If Constantine enters the city tomorrow, you will declare eternal loyalty to him.

Flavius sat down and said nothing. He seemed to be lost, and he looked around to see the other guests' reactions, but they were all silent. Apparently, they were coming to an impasse, as treason in the form of opposition to Maxentius was in the air. However, nobody dared suggest any action. Finally, Gneus came up with an observation that opened the door to some action.

Look, said Gneus, for us, the real problem is not Maxentius or Constantine but the duration of the siege. The more time it takes, the worse we all are. Therefore, the key is to shorten the siege. We cannot influence Constantine, but we can do something here, inside Rome. Of course, we cannot—

At that point, Lucius Porcius, who, despite the host's intention, had a little too much wine, started to sing in a loud voice a song circulating on the streets of Rome,

Emperor's glory to uphold,

To him, his wife has sold.

It was indeed common knowledge that Maxentius paid high-ranking officials to lend him their wives. However, the guests looked around in horror, and Flavius shouted to him to shut up.

Gneus hesitated for a moment, then continued, We cannot influence the emperor directly. We can try to speak to him, but there is little chance to push him in any direction, for he has a superior opinion of his military and political judgments. We must find an indirect way to impress him. We can perhaps appeal to his pride.

I have a perfect solution, jumped Petronius, the owner of a transportation enterprise. You send some of your servants in the crowd to shout something like ‘Go fight, Maxentius,' and that will push him to fight. Maybe we can think of some better words.

Yes, it must be something more provocative, to both shame him for inaction and embolden him to action. What about ‘Constantine is invincible'?

They all agreed that this may produce the desired effect. What remained was to organize the servants to shout those words. Each guest was afraid to send his own servants, as Maxentius's people might figure out that this was an organized act and, even worse, who was behind it. The senator came up with a suggestion.

We can send some of our men to recruit and pay others to shout these slogans. It would be much harder to identify their source.

Meanwhile, Quintus, who had chosen ten of his Praetorians, left their quarters with them. Usually, the Praetorians did not walk through Rome armed, and now they carried only their short swords, the gladii. The sun was setting when Quintus and his band of Praetorian Guards arrived on Via Pulchra. They walked along the street and looked with amazement and envy at the imposing villas. Quintus suddenly realized that, despite his information, he did not know for sure which of the houses belonged to the senator Lucius Cornelius Cotta.

This street was deserted, unlike the narrow streets in the poor quarters of Rome, which, until the late hours of the night, were filled with plebeians, prostitutes, animals, and drunkards engaged in noisy brawls. Here, everything was quiet and clean, no doubt because the private guards hired by the rich were making sure that no low-class people could enter the neighborhood. The only problem was that Quintus had no one to ask for directions. Fortunately, they spotted an old man sitting on a signpost. As they approached him, they noticed his strange appearance—the white tunic, the white hair, and a trumpet laid down on the ground on a piece of white cloth. The flute was already in his hands. He was playing it as they approached, and they could distinguish a sad and meditative tune.

Old man, said Quintus, do you know where the villa of Senator Cotta is?

The old man smiled, put the flute to his mouth, and continued to play it.

Hey, you, shouted one of the soldiers, my commander asked you a question.

The old man stopped and responded,

I do not know this person's face.

I know of stars and know his place.

He put the flute to his mouth and started to play again, looking undisturbed. First, Quintus thought this man was a servant or a slave from one of the villas, then that he was a beggar, but now he began to suspect that this was a nut case, a man of feeble mind. He knew the old wisdom that with a fool, one must speak as a fool, so he said, Distinguished lord, please tell us where Senator Lucius Cornelius Cotta lives. The old man looked happy and content and continued to play his flute, saying nothing.

A soldier by the name of Antonius lost his temper, took his short sword, the gladius, and pushed its tip on the old man's shoulder, not to wound him but to wake him from his dreams. He was almost falling on his back but then bounced back. His tune changed from a sad and meditative mood to one more cheerful, from the music accompanying a Greek tragedy to that of a tavern party. His face was as relaxed and radiant as before, and he said,

Antonius, the wooden cups you stole

Do you still have, or have you gambled all?"

Antonius froze, then mumbled, How do you know my name?

But the name was not the only problem. A week before, when they searched the house of a merchant suspected of treason, he took the liberty to take some nice cups from the house and put them into a bag that he was carrying. His companions knew about this small breach of discipline. They also knew that in the subsequent days, he gambled with them, playing dice with his friends. The soldiers looked at each other to see if anyone knew anything about this old man's knowledge.

I believe he was hanging somewhere near the tavern where we gambled, ventured one of them, called Cajus. He must have heard us talking.

As if to answer Cajus, the old man started to sing,

My eyes the tavern I have not been

But saw your girl with Lucius spin.

Lucius, the target of the verses, shouted, He is lying!

Cajus had a girl, the daughter of an olive shop owner, whom he often met. He gave her gifts and obtained much more in return. All his friends knew about the girl, including Lucius, who thought it would be funny to play a prank on Cajus and mess with her. Cajus turned to him with eyes full of anger. "So that is true, filius canis! I suspected that already."

They were about to start fighting when Quintus, their commander, intervened. It was already late, and they were in danger of arriving too late at the subversive meeting. Still he could not abstain from asking the old man a question. If the man was an oracle endowed with the supernatural power of knowledge, maybe he would tell him something about himself.

What do you have to tell about me? he asked.

Emperor save, when he will sink!

He'll promise you the tribune rank.

It was clear: he would be close when the emperor would be in danger of sinking in some river or lake. Quintus will save the life of the emperor, and he will be raised to the rank of tribune. Not bad. Some needed to be of the equestrian class and wait ten or more years to reach that rank, if ever. However, sometimes promotions were made based purely on valor. Nobody would then dare to make jokes about