{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-in-illud-profecti-in-pagum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-in-illud-profecti-in-pagum","title":"In illud Profecti in pagum","title_source":"In illud Profecti in pagum","author":"Athanasius the Great of Alexandria","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T07:11:27Z","cost_usd":0.00739},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-in-illud-profecti-in-pagum","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-in-illud-profecti-in-pagum","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/In%20illud%20Profecti%20in%20pagum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":13,"english_words":3493,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":14258,"commentary_units":78,"commentary_kinds":6,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":21,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-in-illud-profecti-in-pagum","abstract":"In illud Profecti in pagum is a Greek treatise attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria, surviving in a single manuscript. Likely composed during his third exile in the 350s, it defends Nicene orthodoxy against Arian opponents in Egypt. The work quotes a non-canonical saying, possibly from apocryphal or oral tradition, and uses scriptural allusions typical of Athanasius. It was later cited at the Second Council of Nicaea (787) as a patristic witness against iconoclasm, though its original context is anti-Arian. The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus, obscuring textual variants.","historical_context":"The treatise is dated to the 350s, during Athanasius’ third exile, when he defended Nicene orthodoxy against Arian opponents in Egypt. It survives only in a single Greek manuscript tradition, with no known independent Syriac or Coptic witness. The work was quoted in the Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea (787) as a patristic witness against iconoclasm, though its original context is anti-Arian. The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings from the sole manuscript are not recorded, so textual uncertainties remain invisible. The genre is 'other,' and the date is unknown beyond the 4th century.","significance":"This work is significant as a rare example of Athanasius’ anti-Arian polemic from his exile period, later repurposed in iconoclastic debates. Its citation at Nicaea II shows its enduring authority, while the non-canonical saying highlights the fluidity of early Christian traditions. The single-manuscript survival underscores the fragility of patristic texts.","timeline":[{"date":"4th c.","event":"Composition of In illud Profecti in pagum by Athanasius of Alexandria, likely during his third exile in the 350s."},{"date":"787","event":"Quoted at the Second Council of Nicaea as a patristic witness against iconoclasm."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Survives in a single Greek manuscript; no independent Syriac or Coptic witness known."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Published in the Khazarzar edition without critical apparatus, obscuring textual variants."}],"relations":[{"work":"Infancy Gospel of Thomas","relation":"The non-canonical saying may derive from this or related apocryphal tradition.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Second Council of Nicaea","relation":"Cited as patristic witness against iconoclasm.","key":"wikipedia:Second Council of Nicaea","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Athanasius of Alexandria","relation":"Attributed to Athanasius; part of his anti-Arian corpus.","key":"wikipedia:Athanasius of Alexandria","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Nicene Creed","relation":"Defends Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism.","key":"wikipedia:Nicene Creed","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Date is uncertain; the 350s is a scholarly estimate based on Athanasius’ exile.","Authorship is traditionally attributed to Athanasius but not definitively proven.","Survives only in a single manuscript; textual variants are unrecorded in the Khazarzar edition.","The non-canonical saying's source is unknown; it may be apocryphal or oral."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000427,"generated":"2026-11-15T07:11:27Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/In%20illud%20Profecti%20in%20pagum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-in-illud-profecti-in-pagum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":13,"translated":13,"commentary_passages":13,"commentary_units":78,"english_words":3493,"source_letters":14258,"commentary_kinds":6},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work survives only in a single Greek manuscript tradition, with no known independent Syriac or Coptic witness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise is dated to the 350s, during Athanasius’ third exile, when he defended Nicene orthodoxy against Arian opponents in Egypt.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Quoted in the Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea (787) as a patristic witness against iconoclasm, though its original context is anti-Arian.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings from the sole manuscript are not recorded, so textual uncertainties remain invisible.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 13 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":13},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Τοῦ Ἀθανασίου, ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας, εἰς τό· «πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον.» «Οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονήσαντες» καὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κατα φρονήσαντες καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ μοχθήσαντες, οὗτοι πρὸ τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν εὑρέσεως ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ διέτριβον. οἶμαι γὰρ καὶ τὸν σοφώτατον Σολομῶντα διὰ τοῦτο λέγειν, ὅτι «καιρὸς τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι.» τουτέστιν ἥμαρτες· ἡσύχασον. εἰ γὰρ καί ποτε ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ διατρίβων ἀπώλειαν τῇ σεαυτοῦ ψυχῇ περιεποιήσω, ἀλλὰ καιρὸς γέγονε τοῦ ζητῆσαι ἡμᾶς ταύτην. ὡς καὶ ὁ κύριος καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ χριστὸς ἐν εὐαγγελίοις διδάσκει λέγων· «ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε.» καὶ πότε δὲ ταύτην εὑρήσωμεν ἢ νῦν ὅτε ὁ κύριος παρὼν ἔλυσεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου δεσμῶν; ὡς καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος διδάσκει λέγων· «ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἰδοὺ νῦν ἡμέρα σωτηρίας.» καιρὸς οὖν ἠκολούθησε τοῦ ἀπολέσθαι τὴν ἐπισκοτοῦσαν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ καιρὸς ἐκάλεσε τοῦ ζητῆσαι τὸ πεπλανημένον, τοῦ λυθῆναι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν. ἦλθε γὰρ «ὁ λύων τοὺς πεπεδημένους καὶ ἀνορθῶν τοὺς κατερραγμένους.» ἦλθεν «ὁ κηρύσσων ἄφεσιν τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις καὶ τοῖς τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν.» «τότε» γὰρ «ἁλεῖται ὡς ἔλαφος ὁ χωλὸς καὶ τρανὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλων.» Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ ἐπιβάλωμεν τῷ ῥητῷ. κινεῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς εἰς πόθον τὸ τοῦ Σολομῶντος λεξείδιον. φησὶ γάρ·","english":"Of Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, on the saying: \"Go into the village opposite and you will find a colt tied up.\" \"Those who have set their minds on earthly things\" and have despised the commandment of God and have labored in this life, these before the discovery of good things spent their time in ignorance. For I think that even the most wise Solomon says this: \"There is a time to seek and a time to lose.\" That is, you have sinned; be still. For if ever, while spending time in ignorance, you procured destruction for your own soul, yet a time has come for us to seek this. As also our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ teaches in the Gospels, saying: \"Seek and you will find.\" And when shall we find this if not now, when the Lord, being present, has loosed us from the bonds of the devil? As also the blessed Apostle teaches, saying: \"Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.\" A time, then, has followed for the overshadowing sin to be lost, and a time has called for the wandering to be sought, for us to be loosed from the bonds. For he has come, \"the one who looses the fettered and raises up the broken.\" He has come, \"the one who proclaims release to captives and restoration of sight to the blind.\" \"For then,\" \"the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will be clear.\" And let us apply ourselves to the text in another way. For the little word of Solomon moves us to desire. For he says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον","severity":"info","text":"The opening lemma quotes a saying not found in the canonical Gospels; it likely derives from an apocryphal or oral tradition, possibly related to the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Greek B, ch. 10).","cites":[],"named_sources":["Infancy Gospel of Thomas"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Matthew 7:7 (ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε) and John 16:24, though the exact wording is a common Gospel exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἰδοὺ νῦν ἡμέρα σωτηρίας","severity":"info","text":"The phrase is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 6:2 (καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος) and Hebrews 10:30 (ἡμέρα σωτηρίας), typical of Athanasius's allusive style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ λύων τοὺς πεπεδημένους καὶ ἀνορθῶν τοὺς κατερραγμένους","severity":"info","text":"This description of Christ is not a direct biblical citation but a composite of Isaianic and Psalm imagery (e.g., Psalm 145:7 LXX, Isaiah 35:5-6).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τότε ἁλεῖται ὡς ἔλαφος ὁ χωλὸς καὶ τρανὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλων","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Isaiah 35:6 LXX (τότε ἁλεῖται ὡς ἔλαφος ὁ χωλός, καὶ τρανὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλων), used eschatologically.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σολομῶντα","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Solomon and the saying 'καιρὸς τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι' is not from the biblical Proverbs but from the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon (cf. 11:1-2) or a lost proverb.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the opening lemma is uncertain; it may be from an apocryphal Gospel or a lost patristic tradition.","The phrase 'καιρὸς τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι' is not directly attested in the canonical Wisdom of Solomon; its origin is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"«καιρὸς τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι.» ἐπειδὴ πολλῷ τῷ χρόνῳ πλανώμενον ἦν τὸ γένος τὸ ἀνθρώπινον καὶ ἀπολλύμενον ταῖς τοῦ διαβόλου πανουργίαις, καιρὸς γέγονε τοῦ ζητηθῆναι τοῦτο καὶ ἀνακληθῆναι ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ ἐλευθερωθῆναι ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν. χρεία γὰρ ἦν ζητῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ μαθεῖν, ὅτι «τὸ μὲν γράμμα ἀποκτενεῖ, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ.» τούτου οὖν ἀνυσθέντος καιρὸς γέγονε τοῦ ἀπολέσθαι τὸν τύπον καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ γράμμα τι σκιάν. «μέχρι» γὰρ «καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἦσαν ἐπικείμενα.» τοῦ δὲ τελειοτέρου φανέντος «τὸ ἐκ μέρους κατήργηται.» «ὅτε» γὰρ «ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου.» ἀμέλει ὁ σωτήρ φησιν· «ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.» τουτέστιν ὁ ζητήσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὴν οὖσαν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ταχυνάτω τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτήν, μὴ συγχωρῶν αὐτὴν ἐγχρονίζειν ἐν κακίᾳ, ἵνα καιρὸν λάβῃ, ζητήσας αὖθις εὑρήσει αὐτὴν ἐν ἀρετῇ. καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις βούλεται εὑρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἐκτὸς κολάσεως, ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν πρὸς τὸ παρόν, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσῃ· τὸ δὲ ἀπολέσαι ἐνταῦθα διδάσκει ὁ σωτήρ, οὐχ ἵνα ἀπώλειαν τῇ ψυχῇ ἑαυτῶν περιποιησώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐν καιρῷ μαρτυρίου μὴ φεισώμεθα χρημάτων, μὴ κτημάτων, μὴ τέκνων, μὴ γονέων, μὴ σώματος, μηδὲ αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς· ἀλλὰ παραδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς μέχρι θανάτου, ἵνα, ὡς προεῖπον, εὕρωμεν τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐν τῇ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείᾳ. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ διδάσκων ἔλεγεν·","english":"There is a time to seek and a time to lose.\" Since the human race had been wandering for a long time and was being destroyed by the wiles of the devil, the time had come for it to be sought out and recalled from captivity and freed from its bonds. For it was necessary for us to seek and learn that \"the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.\" When this was accomplished, the time had come for the type and the shadow in the letter to be lost. \"For they were imposed only until the time of correction.\" When the more perfect appeared, \"the partial was abolished.\" \"For when I was a child, I spoke as a child; but when I became a man, I abolished the things of the child.\" Indeed, the Savior says: \"He who finds his soul will lose it, and he who loses his soul for my sake will find it.\" That is, he who has sought his soul and found it to be in sins, let him hasten to lose it, not allowing it to linger in wickedness, so that, having taken the opportunity, seeking again, he will find it in virtue. For if anyone wishes to find his own soul free from punishment, he will lose it for the present, in order to gain Christ. The Savior here teaches \"to lose\" not that we should procure destruction for our own soul, but that at the time of martyrdom we should spare neither money, nor possessions, nor children, nor parents, nor the body, nor even the soul itself; but we should surrender ourselves even unto death, so that, as I said before, we may find our own soul in the kingdom of heaven. For thus the Savior also taught, saying:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"καιρὸς τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is attributed to Solomon, likely referencing Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, though the wording is adapted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ μὲν γράμμα ἀποκτενεῖ, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ","severity":"info","text":"A direct quotation of 2 Corinthians 3:6, contrasting literal and spiritual interpretation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἦσαν ἐπικείμενα","severity":"info","text":"An echo of Hebrews 9:10, referring to temporary ordinances superseded by a more perfect revelation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ ἐκ μέρους κατήργηται","severity":"info","text":"Likely a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:10, indicating the partial is abolished when the perfect appears.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν","severity":"info","text":"A saying attributed to the Savior, not found in canonical Gospels; possibly from an apocryphal source or oral tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage interprets 'losing the soul' as martyrdom, reflecting Athanasius's context of persecution and the value of spiritual renunciation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the Savior's saying about finding and losing the soul is uncertain; it may be apocryphal or a free adaptation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"«ὁ ἀγαπῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ τέκνα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος» καὶ «ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.» Εἴ τις οὖν βούλεται εὑρεῖν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ. χρὴ τοίνυν ἀπολέσθαι ἐν ἡμῖν τὴν κακίαν, ἵνα ζητήσαντες τὴν ἀρετὴν εὕρωμεν αὐτήν. ἐὰν γὰρ μή τις παύσηται ὀργῆς, πῶς πραότητα μελετήσει; ἐὰν μή τις ἀπολέσῃ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν πορνείαν, πῶς σωφροσύνην ἐπαγγέλλεται; πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀπολέσθαι προσήκει ἐν ἡμῖν πᾶσαν φιλαργυρίαν καὶ εἰδωλολατρίαν καὶ εἶθ'\n\nοὕτω ζητῆσαι ἀκτημοσύνην καὶ θεοσέβειαν. «ἐζήτησα» γὰρ φησὶν «ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου, ἐζήτησα αὐτὸν καὶ εὗρον αὐτὸν καὶ εἰσήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον μητρός μου καὶ εἰς τὸ ταμίειον τῆς συλλαβούσης με.» οὗτος δέ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ σημαι νόμενος, «κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων,» ὁ διὰ τὰς ἡμετέρας ἁμαρτίας κατελθὼν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ συλληφθεὶς καὶ τεχθεὶς καὶ ἐν φάτνῃ ἀνακλιθείς, ἕως οὗ σώσῃ τὸ γένος τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. οὕτω γὰρ φειδόμενος ἡμῶν ἀποστέλλει καὶ νῦν τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτούς· «πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι.» καὶ πορεύονται οἱ ἅγιοι ἀπόστολοι καὶ λύουσι τὸν πῶλον κατὰ τὰ κελευσθέντα αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου. μεγάλων δέ ἐστιν ἀνδρῶν λῦσαι τὸν πῶλον τοῦτον, ἀγαπητοί. μεγάλων δέ φημι, οὐ τὴν σωματικὴν ἡλικίαν, ἀλλὰ μεγάλων ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, μεγάλων ἐν φρονήσει, ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ, ἐν ἀρετῇ. ὁποῖος μαρτυρεῖται καὶ Μωϋσῆς γεγονέναι, ὡς ὅταν ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγῃ περὶ αὐτοῦ·","english":"The one who loves father or mother or children more than me is not worthy of me\" and \"the one who loses his soul for my sake will find it.\" If, then, anyone wishes to find his soul, he will lose it in the present time. Therefore, it is necessary that wickedness be lost in us, so that, seeking virtue, we may find it. For if one does not cease from anger, how will he practice gentleness? If one does not lose fornication from himself, how does he profess temperance? First, it is fitting that all love of money and idolatry be lost in us, and then\n\nin this way to seek poverty and piety. For it says, \"I sought the one whom my soul loved; I sought him and found him and brought him into the house of my mother and into the chamber of the one who conceived me.\" This is Christ who is signified, \"the Lord of the powers,\" who came down from heaven because of our sins and was conceived and born and laid in a manger, until he saves the human race. For thus, sparing us, he even now sends his own disciples into the village opposite, saying to them, \"Go into the village opposite and you will find a colt tied; untie it and bring it to me.\" And the holy apostles go and untie the colt according to what was commanded them by the Lord. It is for great men to untie this colt, beloved. And I say great, not in bodily stature, but great in faith, in love, in righteousness, great in prudence, in courage, in virtue. Such as Moses is testified to have been, as when the apostle says about him:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ ἀγαπῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ τέκνα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος","severity":"info","text":"The first quotation is not a direct biblical verse but a dominical saying, possibly from an apocryphal or oral tradition; it echoes Matthew 10:37-38 but with different wording.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν","severity":"info","text":"The second quotation is also unattested in the canonical Gospels; it may derive from a variant of the sayings tradition about losing and finding the soul, akin to Matthew 10:39.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐζήτησα γὰρ φησὶν ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου","severity":"info","text":"This extended quotation is from the Song of Songs (Canticle) 3:1-4, LXX: 'I sought the one whom my soul loved... and brought him into my mother's house.' Athanasius applies it typologically to Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Lord of the powers' (κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων) is a Christological title, possibly echoing Psalm 24:8 LXX or early Christian liturgical usage, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶλον δεδεμένον","severity":"info","text":"The 'tied colt' (πῶλον δεδεμένον) is a symbolic image from the lost Gospel of the Nazarenes or an apocryphal tradition; it is not found in the canonical Gospels and likely serves as an allegory for the human soul bound by sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a series of conditional exhortations (lose wickedness to find virtue) to a typological exegesis of Song of Songs, then to a narrative command about the colt, linking moral purification to apostolic mission.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the dominical sayings about loving family and losing the soul is uncertain; they may be from an apocryphal gospel or Athanasius's own paraphrase.","The identity of the 'colt' and the 'village opposite' is ambiguous; they are likely allegorical, but the specific referent (e.g., the human soul, the pagan world) is not explicit."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"«πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς φαραώ.» ἀλλὰ καὶ προκόπτων Ἰσαὰκ μέγας ἐγένετο. τῶν γὰρ οὕτω μεγάλων ἐστὶ λῦσαι τὸν πῶλον τοῦτον. καὶ εἴθε κἀγὼ τηλικοῦτος ἤμην, ὡς δυνηθῆναί με τῶν παρόντων λῦσαι τοὺς δεσμούς. ἕκαστος γὰρ ἡμῶν δέδεται τοῖς τῆς ἁμαρτίας δεσμοῖς ὡς καὶ ἡ γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ λέγουσα, ὅτι «σειραῖς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕκαστος σφίγγεται.» εὐξώμεθα οὖν, ἵνα καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποστείλῃ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητάς, ὅπως καὶ ἡμᾶς λύσωσιν ἀφ' ὧν ἕκαστος ἡμῶν δέδεται δεσμῶν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῶν δέδεται φιλαργυρίᾳ, ὁ δὲ συμπέπλεκται πορνείᾳ· καὶ ἄλλος μὲν τῇ μέθῃ συν δέδεται, ἕτερος δὲ κεκράτηται ὑπὸ κενοδοξίας· καὶ ὃς μὲν ἀδικεῖ, ὃς δὲ ἁρπάζει τὰ τοῦ πλησίον καὶ τοῦ πένητος, ἄλλος δὲ τόκον ἐπὶ τόκῳ λαμβάνει. καὶ τέλος πάντες ἠσθενήσαμεν ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις ἑαυτῶν καὶ χρῄζομεν τῆς παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἰάσεως· καὶ χρῄζομεν αὐτοῦ, ἵνα καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποστείλῃ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς καὶ λύσωσιν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου δεσμῶν. οὕτω γάρ φησι πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς· «πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον· λύσαντες αὐτὸν ἀγάγετέ μοι.» κώμην δὲ τὴν κατέναντι ὅταν ἀκού σῃς, τὸν περίγειον τόπον ὑπολάμβανε· ἡ γὰρ πόλις ἐστὶν ἐπουράνιος. ὡς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος γράφει λέγων· «οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν,» «ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ θεός.» καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτός φησιν·","english":"By faith Moses, having become great, denied being called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” But also Isaac, advancing, became great. For it is for those who are so great to loose this colt. And would that I too were such as to be able to loose the bonds of the present things. For each of us is bound by the bonds of sin, as Scripture also bears witness, saying, “Each is constrained by the chains of his own sins.” Let us pray, then, that Jesus may send his own disciples to us also, that they may loose us from the bonds by which each of us is bound. For one of us is bound by love of money, another is entangled with fornication; another is bound together with drunkenness, another is held by vainglory; and one does injustice, another seizes the possessions of his neighbor and the poor, another takes interest upon interest. And finally, we have all become weak in our own injustices and need healing from the Savior; and we need him, that he may send his own disciples to us also and loose us from the bonds of the devil. For thus he says to the disciples: “Go into the village opposite and you will find a colt bound; having loosed it, bring it to me.” And when you hear “the village opposite,” understand the earthly place; for the city is the heavenly one. As the blessed Paul writes, saying: “For we have no abiding city here, but we seek the one to come,” “of which God is the craftsman and creator.” And again the same says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς φαραώ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Moses denying being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter is not a direct biblical quotation but an allusion to Exodus 2:10, where Moses is adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. Athanasius interprets this as an act of faith and renunciation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"σειραῖς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕκαστος σφίγγεται","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'each is constrained by the chains of his own sins' echoes Proverbs 5:22 (LXX) or similar sapiential texts, though not verbatim. Athanasius uses it to emphasize personal responsibility for sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον· λύσαντες αὐτὸν ἀγάγετέ μοι","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of a saying attributed to Jesus, not found in the canonical Gospels but possibly from an apocryphal or oral tradition. The 'colt' (πῶλον) symbolizes the soul or humanity bound by sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius attributes this to Paul, but it is not a direct quotation from the Pauline epistles. It may be a loose paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 or Hebrews 13:14, emphasizing the transience of earthly life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κώμην δὲ τὴν κατέναντι","severity":"info","text":"The 'village opposite' is interpreted allegorically as the earthly realm, contrasting with the heavenly city. This reflects Alexandrian exegesis, where spatial terms signify spiritual realities.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ θεός","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'of which God is the craftsman and creator' echoes Platonic and Philonic language, later influential in Christian cosmology. Athanasius adapts it to describe the heavenly city as God's creation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the saying about the colt is unclear; it may be from an apocryphal gospel or oral tradition. The attribution of the Pauline quotation is imprecise, possibly a conflation of multiple passages."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"«οὐ γὰρ προσεληλύθατε ψηλαφωμένῳ ὄρει καὶ κεκαυμένῳ πυρί, ἀλλὰ προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ, καὶ μυριάσιν ἀγγέλων πανηγύρει.» Τοιοῦτοι δὲ ἦσαν πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ ὅσιοι κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον πολι τευόμενοι ταύτης ὀρέγονται. ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· «εἰ γὰρ ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ' ἧς ἐξεβλήθησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι· νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τουτέστιν ἐπουρανίου.» τοιοῦτοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ ἅγιοι ἀπόστολοι καὶ μαθηταὶ τοῦ κυρίου, οἵτινες μετὰ τοῦ Πέτρου λέγουσιν· «ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι.» ἀποστέλλονται οὖν λῦσαι τὸν προειρημένον πῶλον. ἡ γὰρ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παρουσία καὶ φιλανθρωπία ἀνεκαλέσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κατέναντι κώμης εἰς τὴν ἐπουράνιον πόλιν, τὴν ἄνω Ἰερουσαλήμ. οἶμαι γὰρ ὅτι διὰ τὴν γενομένην τοῦ Ἀδὰμ παρακοὴν ἐξεβλήθημεν ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου καὶ εἰς κώμην τὴν κατέναντι ἀπῳκίσθημεν. «ἐξέβαλε» γάρ φησιν «ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμ καὶ κατῴκισεν αὐτὸν ἀπέναντι τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς.» καὶ ὧδε οὖν εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην ἀποστέλλονται οἱ μαθηταὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λῦσαι τὸν προλεχθέντα πῶλον. καὶ ὅρα μήποτε διὰ τὸν ἐκβληθέντα ἀπέναντι τοῦ παραδείσου οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀποστέλλονται εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λῦσαι τὸν πῶλον τοῦτον. διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο","english":"For you have not approached a mountain that is groped and burned by fire, but you have approached the mountain of Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the festal assembly of myriads of angels.” Such were all the saints and holy ones who, according to Paul, living as citizens, yearn for this. For hear him saying: “For if they remembered that from which they were cast out, they would have an opportunity to return; but now they yearn for something better, that is, the heavenly.” Such were the holy apostles and disciples of the Lord, who say with Peter: “Behold, we have left everything and followed you.” They are therefore sent to loose the aforementioned colt. For the presence and philanthropy of our Savior recalled us from the village opposite to the heavenly city, the upper Jerusalem. For I think that because of the disobedience that occurred with Adam, we were cast out of paradise and were settled in the village opposite. For it says: “God cast out Adam and settled him opposite the paradise of delight.” And so here, the disciples are sent by Jesus into the village opposite to loose the aforementioned colt. And see whether, because of the one cast out opposite paradise, the disciples are sent by Jesus into the village opposite to loose this colt. For because of this","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase conflates Ps 47:2 LXX (Zion) and the Pauline image of the heavenly Jerusalem (Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"εἰ γὰρ ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ' ἧς ἐξεβλήθησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι· νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τουτέστιν ἐπουρανίου","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Paul, likely 2 Cor 5:2 or a lost Pauline fragment, emphasizing yearning for the heavenly over the earthly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι","severity":"info","text":"Echoes the apostles' renunciation in the Gospels (cf. Matt 4:20; Mark 1:18) and Peter's confession in Acts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξέβαλε γάρ φησιν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμ καὶ κατῴκισεν αὐτὸν ἀπέναντι τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς","severity":"info","text":"A free citation of Gen 3:23-24 LXX, where God expels Adam and places him opposite the garden of Eden.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κώμην τὴν κατέναντι","severity":"info","text":"The 'village opposite' is an allegorical type for the fallen world, contrasted with the heavenly Jerusalem; a common theme in Alexandrian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"καὶ ὅρα μήποτε","severity":"info","text":"This rhetorical question ('and see whether') signals a typological parallel between Adam's exile and the disciples' mission, a key structural move in the homily.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'colt' (πῶλος) is not explicitly defined; it may symbolize the unbridled human condition or a specific scriptural figure (cf. Zech 9:9).","The source of the Pauline paraphrase is uncertain; it may be a lost apocryphon or a conflation of 2 Cor 5:2 and Gal 4:26."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"ἐπεδήμησεν ὁ σωτὴρ καταλιπὼν τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα πρόβατα τὰ μὴ πεπλανημένα, ὅπως πορευθεὶς ζητήσῃ τὸ πεπλανημένον καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸ χαίρει ἐπ' αὐτῷ. συγχαίρουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι «ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι.» ζητητέον δὲ εἰ μόνοι τῆς τοῦ πώλου διακονίας ἕνεκεν ἀπεστάλησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην. οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι πρὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀόρατοι δυνάμεις διηκόνουν τῷ Ἰησοῦ. ἴσως οὖν καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς δυνάμεις μαθητευομένας αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος ἀπέστειλεν ἅμα τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πέτρον εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην λῦσαι τὸν πῶλον. ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ περὶ τοῦ κυρίου λέγοντος· «καὶ ἰδού» φησιν «ἄγγελοι ἐλθόντες διηκόνουν αὐτῷ.» περὶ δὲ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος βοᾷ Δαυὶδ λέγων· «ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος, ἄρτον οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς.» μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἐν σώματι διατρίβων καὶ εἰς τὸν βίον τοῦτον περισπώμενος νομιζέτω ὅτι ἔνδον ἐστὶ πόλεως. οὐ δύναται γὰρ ὁ «τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονῶν» ἐν ταύτη τῇ μεγάλῃ πόλει εὑρεθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐν κώμῃ ἔτι διατρίβει ὁ τοιοῦτος. «τὸ» γὰρ «φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν ἐστιν.» εἰδέναι οὖν δεῖ, ὅτι ὁ κώμην οἰκῶν οὐ πολιτεύεται τῇ ψυχῇ, οὐ στρατηγεῖ τῇ γνώμῃ, οὐκ ἄρχει ἑαυτοῦ· πόλεως γὰρ μεγάλης ἀληθῶς ταῦτα ἴδια. ὅταν γάρ τις ἐν ἀρετῇ πολιτεύηται καὶ σωφροσύνην στρατηγήσῃ καὶ σοφίαν βουλεύσηται καὶ ἐγκρατείας ἄρξῃ, τότε τῶν ἁγίων μιμητὴς γενήσεται. οἱ γὰρ ἅγιοι «οὐκ ἔχουσιν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν, ἀλλ'« ὡς προεῖπον «τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦσιν,» «ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ θεός.» ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγον τος· ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς «περιπατοῦντες» ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὸ πολίτευμα ἔχομεν.","english":"The Savior came down, leaving behind the ninety-nine sheep that were not led astray, so that he might go and seek the one that had strayed, and having found it, he rejoices over it. And the angels also rejoice together \"over one repentant sinner.\" But it must be investigated whether the disciples were sent to the village opposite solely for the sake of the service of the colt. For I know that before the apostles, invisible powers were serving Jesus. Perhaps, then, the Lord also sent these powers, who were being discipled by him, together with those around Peter to the village opposite to untie the colt. For listen to the evangelist speaking about the Lord: \"And behold,\" he says, \"angels came and served him.\" And concerning humanity, David cries out, saying: \"A man ate the bread of angels; he gave them the bread of heaven.\" Therefore, let no one who dwells in a body and is distracted by this life think that he is within the city. For he who \"is mindful of the flesh\" cannot be found in this great city, but such a one still dwells in a village. For \"the mind-set of the flesh is enmity toward God.\" So it must be known that he who inhabits a village does not live as a citizen in his soul, does not command his mind, does not rule himself; for these things are truly proper to a great city. For when someone lives as a citizen in virtue, commands temperance, deliberates wisdom, and rules over self-control, then he will become an imitator of the saints. For the saints \"do not have a city that remains here,\" but, as I said before, \"they seek the future one,\" \"whose craftsman and creator is God.\" For listen to the apostle saying: \"Walking\" on the earth, we have our citizenship in the heavens.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι","severity":"info","text":"A clear allusion to the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14) and the angelic rejoicing over a repentant sinner, possibly echoing a liturgical or patristic commonplace.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος, ἄρτον οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς","severity":"info","text":"This citation of David is not found in the canonical Psalter; it may be a free adaptation or a quotation from a lost apocryphal psalm or a liturgical text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν ἐστιν","severity":"info","text":"Likely a paraphrase of Romans 8:7 or a similar Pauline passage on the flesh as hostile to God, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"περιπατοῦντες ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὸ πολίτευμα ἔχομεν","severity":"info","text":"Echoes Philippians 3:20 (citizenship in heaven) and possibly 2 Corinthians 5:17, but the phrasing is Athanasius' own synthesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κώμην","severity":"info","text":"The contrast between village (κώμη) and city (πόλις) reflects a common ascetic trope: the village represents worldly distraction, the city spiritual perfection. Athanasius uses this to exhort detachment from the body.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a parable (lost sheep) to a speculative question about the disciples' mission, then to a series of scriptural proofs and a moral exhortation on the village/city dichotomy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'invisible powers' sent with Peter is unclear; they may be angels or spiritual forces being discipled.","The source of the Davidic quotation is uncertain; it may be a non-canonical psalm or a patristic invention."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"καὶ ὑμῶν δὲ «τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπαρχέτω,» ἀγαπητοί. σημαίνει γὰρ ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ γῆς «περιπατοῦντες» τὴν προκοπὴν τὴν γενομένην τοῖς μετὰ τὰ ἐνθάδε ἐν οὐρανῷ πολιτεύεσθαι μέλλουσι. Πορευθέντες οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔλυσαν τὸν πῶλον. μαθητῶν γὰρ ἔργον ἐστὶ τὸ λῦσαι τὸν πῶλον τοῦτον καὶ μαθητῶν δυναμένων ποιεῖν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ διδασκάλου λεγόμενα. πολλοὶ γὰρ δοκοῦντες εἶναι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταί, οὐχ ὅπως τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λεγόμενα ποιῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιβουλεύουσι τῷ διδασκάλῳ ὡς ὁ τρισάθλιος καὶ προδότης Ἰούδας. πηλίκος δέ ἐστιν ὁ πῶλος οὗτος, ἀγαπητοί, ὡς μὴ ἕνα κύριον ἔχειν ἀλλὰ πολλούς; εἶπον γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς οἱ κύριοι τοῦ πώλου· «τί λύετε τὸν πῶλον;» ἆρα εἰ ἦν αἰσθητὸς ὁ πῶλος οὗτος, οὐκ ἤρκει ἕνα κύριον αὐτῷ παρακαθέζεσθαι; νῦν δὲ πολλοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰσι κύριοι κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. «εἶπον» γάρ φησιν «οἱ κύριοι αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς· τί λύετε τὸν πῶλον;» ἴσως γὰρ ἐροῦσι πρὸς αὐτούς· οὐχ ὁρᾶτε πόσοι αὐτῷ παρακαθεζόμεθα; πῶς δεδεμένος ἐστίν; πῶς ἐσχήκαμεν αὐτὸν ἔκδοτον; τί ἀποσπᾶτε ἀφ' ἡμῶν τὴν ἐργασίαν ἡμῶν; τί λύετε τὴν προσδοκίαν ἡμῶν; ἔτι οὗτος ἡμῖν ὑπολέλειπται καὶ τούτου ἡμᾶς ἀποστῆσαι βούλεσθε; ἐὰν οὗτος λυθῇ ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν, ἡμεῖς ἀντ' αὐτοῦ δεσμευόμεθα· τούτου γὰρ ἐλευθερουμένου ἡμεῖς καταδικαζόμεθα. ἐφοβοῦντο τοιγαροῦν οἱ ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες ὁρῶντες λυόμενον τὸν πῶλον. ἐταράσσοντο ἐν ἑαυταῖς αἱ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις, αἵτινες ᾐχμαλώτευσαν ἡμᾶς. ἀλλ' ὅτε ἐπεδήμησεν ὁ κύριος καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ χριστὸς καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν παρουσίαν, ἐφοβήθησαν ἀκούσαντες·","english":"And let your \"citizenship be in the heavens,\" beloved. For the holy Paul indicates by this that those who \"walk\" on earth are making progress toward the citizenship in heaven that awaits them after their time here. So the disciples went and untied the colt. For it is the work of disciples to untie this colt, and of disciples who are able to do what is said by the teacher. For many who seem to be disciples of Jesus not only fail to do what is said by him, but even plot against the teacher, like the thrice-wretched and traitor Judas. And how great is this colt, beloved, that it does not have one master but many? For the masters of the colt said to the disciples, \"Why are you untying the colt?\" For if this colt were perceptible, would it not suffice for one master to sit beside it? But now it has many masters according to the Gospel. For it says, \"Its masters said to the disciples, 'Why are you untying the colt?'\" For perhaps they will say to them, \"Do you not see how many of us sit beside it? How it is tied? How we have it in our custody? Why do you tear away from us our labor? Why do you undo our expectation? This one is still left to us, and do you wish to separate us from him? If this one is loosed from his bonds, we are bound in his place; for when he is freed, we are condemned.\" So the accursed demons were afraid, seeing the colt being untied. The opposing powers that had taken us captive were troubled within themselves. But when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ arrived and they recognized his presence, they were afraid, hearing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπαρχέτω","severity":"info","text":"A paraphrase of Philippians 3:20, where Paul writes 'ἡμῶν τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει'. Athanasius adapts the verb to an imperative, urging the audience to let their citizenship be in heaven.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"περιπατοῦντες","severity":"info","text":"Alludes to 2 Corinthians 10:3 or similar Pauline passages where 'walking' on earth is contrasted with heavenly citizenship. The phrase 'περιπατοῦντες ἐπὶ γῆς' echoes Paul's ethical exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶλος","severity":"info","text":"Here 'πῶλος' (colt) is allegorized as the human soul or the faithful, bound by demons and freed by Christ's disciples. The literal colt of the Gospel narrative is reinterpreted as a spiritual entity with multiple 'masters' (demons).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τρισάθλιος καὶ προδότης Ἰούδας","severity":"info","text":"Judas is called 'thrice-wretched and traitor', a common epithet in patristic literature (e.g., John Chrysostom). This reflects the early Christian tradition of vilifying Judas as the archetypal betrayer.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες","severity":"info","text":"The 'accursed demons' are identified with the 'masters of the colt', representing demonic powers that hold humanity captive. This allegorical reading of the Gospel narrative is typical of Alexandrian exegesis, especially in Athanasius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"εἶπον γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς οἱ κύριοι τοῦ πώλου","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius inserts a direct speech from the 'masters of the colt' (demons) to the disciples, expanding the Gospel narrative. This rhetorical device heightens the allegorical drama of liberation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'masters of the colt' is ambiguous: Athanasius interprets them as demons, but the Gospel text (Luke 13:15? or a variant) does not specify. The reading taken is allegorical, consistent with the work's overall typology."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"«ὑπάγετε εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ.» ἐφοβήθησαν ἀκούσαντες. «ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ.» ἐφοβήθησαν ἀκούσαντες· «πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος.» ἐφοβήθησαν μὴ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ καὶ τὸ σκότος καταλάμπων. ἤκουσαν γὰρ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει, ἴδετε φῶς μέγα.» πάντες οὖν περὶ τοῦ\n\nπώλου κεχήνασι, πάντες περὶ αὐτὸν κάθηνται· οὐδεὶς αὐτοῦ ἀφίσταται. οὕτω τηλικοῦτός ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ πῶλος, ὡς πάντας αὐτοῦ τοὺς κυρίους τηρεῖν αὐτόν. ἆρα, εἰ ἦν αἰσθητὸς οὗτος, οἱ κύριοι αὐτοῦ παρεκαθέζοντο αὐτῷ καὶ ὀνάριον αἰσθητὸν πολλῶν κυρίων γίνεται κτῆμα καὶ πάντες οἱ κεκτημένοι αὐτῷ παρακαθέζονται; οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν πραγμα τεύεται; οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν ἐν ἀγορᾷ βαδίζει; ἄλλο ἔργον οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ πάντες αὐτῶν ὁμοῦ περὶ αὐτὸ ἠσχόληνται; ἢ ὀνάριον αἰσθητὸν ἐπὶ ἀμφόδου δέδεται· ἔπαυλιν οὐκ ἔχει· φάτνην οὐκ ἔχει· εἰς ἀγορὰν οὐκ ἀπέρχεται· ἀλλὰ πῶλος αἰσθητὸς ἐπὶ ἀμφόδου δέδεται καὶ πάντες οἱ κύριοι αὐτοῦ αὐτῷ παρακαθέζονται τηροῦντες αὐτόν; ταῦτα λέγων οὐκ ἀναιρῶ τὴν ἱστορίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἀναιροῦμεν τὸ γράμμα διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ σῴζομεν τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος δύναμιν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος. Ἀληθῶς ἐπὶ ὀναρίου αἰσθητοῦ ὁ κύριος ἐπεκαθέσθη εἰσερχόμενος ἀπὸ Βηθανίας εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Ζαχαρίας προφητεύει λέγων· «εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών·","english":"Go into the outer darkness prepared for the devil and his angels.\" They were afraid when they heard it. \"Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon every force of the enemy.\" They were afraid when they heard it. \"Go forth and disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.\" They were afraid that this might be the one who also illuminates the darkness. For they heard the prophet saying, \"Galilee of the nations, the people sitting in darkness, behold a great light.\" So all are gaping at the colt, all sit around it; no one leaves it. So great is this colt that all its masters guard it. Now, if this were a sensible colt, would its masters sit beside it, and would a sensible little donkey become the possession of many masters, and would all who have acquired it sit beside it? Does none of them transact business? Does none of them walk in the marketplace? Have they no other work, but are all of them together occupied with it? Or is a sensible little donkey tied in a street? It has no stable; it has no manger; it does not go to the marketplace. But is a sensible colt tied in a street, and do all its masters sit beside it guarding it? In saying this I do not abolish the history; for we do not abolish the letter for the sake of the spirit, but we preserve the power of the spirit through the letter. Truly, the Lord sat upon a sensible little donkey when entering from Bethany into Jerusalem. For so also Zechariah prophesies, saying, \"Say to the daughter of Zion:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει, ἴδετε φῶς μέγα","severity":"info","text":"This is a free adaptation of Isaiah 9:2 (LXX: 'Galilee of the nations') combined with a light-darkness motif; not a direct biblical quotation but a prophetic paraphrase.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών","severity":"info","text":"The passage breaks off mid-quotation; the full reference is likely Zechariah 9:9 (LXX: 'Tell the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on a donkey.”') which Athanasius uses to link the colt to Christ's entry.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶλος","severity":"info","text":"The Greek πῶλος can mean 'colt' or 'foal' (of a horse or donkey); here it is consistently glossed as 'sensible little donkey' (ὀνάριον αἰσθητόν) to emphasize the literal animal in the historical narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from direct commands (the three 'they were afraid' clauses) to a rhetorical series of questions about the colt, then to a hermeneutical principle: 'we do not abolish the letter for the sake of the spirit.'","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον","severity":"info","text":"'Outer darkness' is a phrase found in early Christian apocalyptic (e.g., Shepherd of Hermas, Sim. 9.18) and later in patristic descriptions of hell; here it is prepared for the devil and his angels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text breaks off mid-sentence at 'εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών·' and the English draft ends similarly; the passage is incomplete, and the intended conclusion of the Zechariah citation is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text ends abruptly with a colon after 'εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών·', leaving the Zechariah quotation unfinished; the English draft follows this break. The exact continuation is not preserved in the source edition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ πῶλον υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου.» τῆς οὖν ἱστορίας ἀληθευούσης ζητῶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ καταχωρισθέντα πράγματα· ζητοῦμεν τὸν ἐναποκείμενον ἡμῖν θησαυρόν, ζητοῦμεν τοῦ πνεύματος τὴν δύναμιν. οὐ γὰρ ψιλῇ ἱστορίᾳ προσέχομεν· Ἰουδαίων γὰρ ἡ τοιαύτη ἀπόνοια. ἀμέλει ὁ κύριος καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ χριστὸς διελέγχων αὐτῶν τὴν ἄνοιαν ἔφησεν· «ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ὅτι ἐν αὐταῖς δοκεῖτε ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν,» ἀλλ' Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν ψιλῷ τῷ γράμματι προσέχοντες ἐλιμοκτονήθησαν. εἰδότες οὖν, ἀγαπητοί, ὅτι «τὸ μὲν γράμμα ἀποκτενεῖ, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ,» οὐ μόνον τῇ ἱστορίᾳ τῶν γραφῶν ἐξακολουθοῦμεν, οὐδὲ ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι ψιλῷ τῷ γράμματι προσέχομεν, ἀλλ' ὡς γέγραπται «ἐρευνᾶν τὰς γραφὰς» ὀφείλομεν, ἵν' οὕτω τὴν ἐκ τούτων μαρτυρίαν περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καταλαβεῖν δυνηθῶμεν. γελάσουσι γὰρ καὶ Ἕλληνες καθ' ἡμῶν λέγον τες, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ὁ καλούμενος Χριστός, εἰς ὀνάριον ἐπεκαθέσθη. καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλομεν οὐδὲ ἀρνούμεθα αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐν σώματι παρουσίαν. διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπεδήμησεν, ἵνα τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ζητήσας εὕρῃ καὶ τὸ πλανώμενον ἐπιστρέψῃ. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου βοᾷ λέγων· «ἐπιστρέψατε, υἱοὶ ἐπιστρέφοντες, κἀγὼ ἰάσομαι τὰ συντρίμματα ὑμῶν.» πράγματα οὖν ἐστι τὰ σημαινόμενα ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς, ἀγαπητοί. μέγας ἐστὶν οὗτος ὁ πῶλος, ὃς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγεται «υἱὸς νεώτερος.» καὶ γὰρ ὁ πῶλος ὄνος ἐστὶ νέος. καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐσμὲν ὁ πῶλος. ἐὰν δὲ λέγω «ἡμεῖς», πᾶσα ἡ ἀνθρωπότης ἐστίν.","english":"Behold, your king comes to you, meek and mounted on a donkey and a foal, the offspring of a beast of burden. Since the history is true, I seek the matters deposited within it; we seek the treasure laid up within us, we seek the power of the Spirit. For we do not attend to bare history; such folly belongs to the Jews. Indeed, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, refuting their senselessness, said: \"Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life.\" But the Jews, attending to the bare letter, starved to death. Knowing, therefore, beloved, that \"the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,\" we do not merely follow the history of the Scriptures, nor do we, like the Jews, attend to the bare letter, but as it is written, we ought \"to search the Scriptures,\" so that we may thus be able to comprehend the testimony concerning Jesus from them. For the Greeks will also laugh at us, saying that the God of the Christians, called Christ, sat upon a little donkey. And we do not doubt nor deny his bodily presence. For he came for this reason, that seeking the lost he might find it and turn back the wandering. For thus he cries out through the prophet, saying: \"Return, sons who are returning, and I will heal your brokenness.\" Therefore, beloved, the things signified in the divine Scriptures are realities. This foal is great, which elsewhere is called \"younger son.\" For the foal is a young donkey. And we, then, are the foal. And if I say \"we,\" it is all of humanity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ὅτι ἐν αὐταῖς δοκεῖτε ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν","severity":"info","text":"This saying is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of Jesus' words, possibly echoing John 5:39 or a lost tradition. Athanasius attributes it to Christ to contrast Jewish literalism with Christian spiritual exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ μὲν γράμμα ἀποκτενεῖ, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζῳοποιεῖ","severity":"info","text":"A citation of 2 Corinthians 3:6, a key Pauline prooftext for allegorical interpretation. Athanasius uses it to justify reading beyond the literal sense of Scripture.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπιστρέψατε, υἱοὶ ἐπιστρέφοντες, κἀγὼ ἰάσομαι τὰ συντρίμματα ὑμῶν","severity":"info","text":"This verse is not found in the canonical Septuagint; it may be a loose citation or a lost apocryphal prophecy. Athanasius presents it as a prophetic call for repentance and healing.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶλος","severity":"info","text":"πῶλος (pōlos) means 'foal' or 'young donkey.' Athanasius allegorizes it as 'younger son' (υἱὸς νεώτερος) and identifies it with all humanity, the object of Christ's salvific mission.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰουδαίων γὰρ ἡ τοιαύτη ἀπόνοια","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius contrasts Christian allegorical reading with Jewish literalism, a common polemical trope in patristic exegesis. This reflects broader anti-Jewish rhetoric in early Christian hermeneutics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"γελάσουσι γὰρ καὶ Ἕλληνες καθ' ἡμῶν","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius anticipates pagan mockery of Christ riding a donkey, a detail that could be used to ridicule Christian claims. He defends the incarnation as necessary for salvation, turning the objection into a theological point.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the saying 'Search the Scriptures...' is uncertain; it may be a paraphrase or a lost tradition.","The prophetic quotation 'Return, sons who are returning...' is not identifiable in the Septuagint; its origin is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"ὅντινα ἄνθρωπον οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύσαντες πρὸ τούτου κύριοι, αὐτοὶ ἔδησαν δεσμοῖς ἀλύτοις καὶ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν δεσμὸν ἐπὶ δεσμὸν κατέδησαν. καὶ σφοδρῶς αὐτὸν ἠσφαλίσαντο καὶ ὡς οἶμαι, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ κατέδησαν μὴ συγχω ροῦντες αὐτῷ διαβῆναι ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω. ἀλλ' ὁ φιλάνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ υἱὸς ὁ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπιδημήσας κελεύει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτούς· «πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι.» Πολλὰ οὖν παρέσχεν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὰ ὁ κύριος, ἀγαπητοί. οὐ μόνον γὰρ τοὺς δεσμοὺς ἡμῶν, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἔλυσεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ «ἐξουσίαν ἡμῖν ἔδωκε πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ.» ἦν γὰρ ὁ διάβολος καὶ «οἱ κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τούτου» λαβόντες ἡμᾶς αἰχμαλώτους καὶ δήσαντες ἡμᾶς προκόπτειν οὐκ ἐπέτρεπον καὶ δεσμοῖς ἀλύτοις δήσαντες οὐ συνεχώρουν βαδίζειν τῇ ὁδῷ τῇ ἀγαθῇ οὐδ' οὕτως ἡμῶν ἀφίσταντο. ἀλλὰ καὶ δεδεμένους ἡμᾶς ἐσχηκότες πάλιν περιεκάθηντο, ὠμοί τινες ὄντες καὶ ἄγριοι δεσπόται. ἀλλ' ὁ κύριος καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ χριστὸς ἐπεδήμησε «κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν.» ἀμέλει ἀποστέλλει τοὺς μαθητὰς","english":"The man whom the captors had previously taken as their own masters bound him with unbreakable bonds, and each of them fastened bond upon bond. And they secured him tightly, and I think they even bound his feet, not allowing him to cross over to better things. But the benevolent Son of God, who came for this purpose, commands his disciples, saying to them: \"Go to the village opposite, and you will find a foal tied up; untie it and bring it to me.\" So the Lord has provided us with many good things, beloved. For not only did he loose our bonds, those from sin, but he also \"gave us authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions, and upon every power of the enemy.\" For the devil and \"the world-rulers of this darkness\" had taken us captive and bound us, not allowing us to advance, and having bound us with unbreakable bonds, they did not permit us to walk on the good path, nor did they leave us even then. But even when they had us bound, they sat around us, being like savage and wild masters. But our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came \"to proclaim release to captives and restoration of sight to the blind.\" Indeed, he sends the disciples","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην καὶ εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of the disciples' mission in the apocryphal Gospel of the Nazarenes or a similar tradition, not found in the canonical Gospels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξουσίαν ἡμῖν ἔδωκε πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Psalm 91:13 LXX (90:13) and early Christian exorcistic language, but the exact phrasing is not a direct biblical quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is not a direct biblical citation but reflects themes of liberation and healing found in Isaiah 61:1 and the Gospels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τούτου","severity":"info","text":"This term, 'world-rulers of this darkness,' is a Pauline expression (cf. Ephesians 6:12) used here to personify demonic powers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"δεσμοῖς ἀλύτοις","severity":"info","text":"Unbreakable bonds (ἀλύτοις) are a common metaphor in early Christian literature for the inescapable chains of sin and demonic captivity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a narrative of binding and liberation to a direct address to the congregation, typical of Athanasius' homiletic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'village opposite' and the 'foal' is allegorical; the literal narrative is subordinated to spiritual interpretation.","The phrase 'world-rulers of this darkness' may be a conflation of Ephesians 6:12 and Gnostic terminology, but the text does not clarify."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"ἑαυτοῦ καὶ λύουσι τὸν πῶλον. εἶτα λύσας αὐτὸν καὶ φάτνην οἰκοδομεῖ αὐτῷ καὶ νομὴν αὐτῷ ἑτοιμάζει. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ προφήτης βουλόμενος δεῖξαι φησί· «κύριος ποιμαίνει με καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει. εἰς τόπον χλόης, ἐκεῖ με κατεσκήνωσεν, ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεως ἐξέθρεψέ με, τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐπέστρεψε.» καὶ πάλιν· «ὁ ἐξανατέλλων χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσι καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.» στραφέντες οὖν λοιπὸν εὐαισθητότεροι γενώμεθα καὶ ἀναγνωρίσωμεν ἑαυτῶν τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δεδομένα ἡμῖν ἀγαθὰ προθύμως δεξώμεθα. οὕτω γὰρ εὐχαριστοῦντες δυνάμεθα λέγειν σὺν τῷ Δαυίδ· «ἡτοίμασας ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν ἐξεναντίας τῶν θλιβόντων με.» τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστι καὶ τό· «ἔγνω βοῦς τὸν κτησάμενον καὶ ὄνος τὴν φάτνην τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ.» καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦτον τὸν πῶλον ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐπὶ φάτνης ἀνακλίνεται. ἆρα γὰρ τόπον οὐκ εἶχεν ὁ Ἰωσήφ; ἀνὴρ εὐγενὴς ὑπάρχων, ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ γένους βασιλικοῦ καταγόμενος, υἱὸς Δαυὶδ χρηματίζων καὶ τόπον οὐκ εἶχεν εἰ μὴ τὸ κατάλυμα, ἄλλος οὐχ ὑπῆρχε τόπος; ἢ δηλονότι πράγματα θεῖα ἦν τὰ οἰκονομούμενα. ἀμέλει καὶ τότε πάλιν ὁ ἀντίδικος ἡμῶν διάβολος ὁρῶν τὰ κατορθούμενα τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει συνήθως ἐφθόνησε. νομίσας γὰρ ἕνα τῶν πάντων εἶναι τὸν κύριον παρασκευάζει τὸν Ἡρώδην ζητῆσαι τὸν τεχθέντα ἀληθινὸν βασιλέα, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσῃ. ἴδιον γάρ ἐστι τοῦ παμμιάρου καὶ παγκακίστου τὸ ἀπολλύειν καὶ ἀποκτένειν· τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ ἴδιόν ἐστι τὸ σῴζειν καὶ τὸ περιποιεῖσθαι.","english":"He unties the colt. Then, having untied it, he builds a manger for it and prepares pasture for it. For this is what the prophet also wishes to show when he says: \"The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing. He has encamped me in a place of grass, he has nourished me upon water of rest, he has turned my soul.\" And again: \"He who causes grass to spring up for the cattle and herbage for the servitude of men.\" Let us therefore turn back, become more perceptive, and recognize our benefactor, and let us readily accept the good things given to us by him. For in this way, being grateful, we can say with David: \"You have prepared a table before me opposite those who oppress me.\" For such also is the saying: \"The ox knows its owner, and the donkey the manger of its master.\" And perhaps it is for this reason that Jesus is laid in a manger. For did Joseph not have a place? Being a noble man, a man descended from a royal line, called a son of David, did he have no place except the inn? Was there no other place? Or clearly, divine matters were being administered. Indeed, at that time again our adversary the devil, seeing the successes achieved for the human race, envied as usual. For, thinking the Lord to be one of all, he prepared Herod to seek the true king who had been born, in order to destroy him. For it is characteristic of the utterly vile and utterly wicked to destroy and to kill; but it is characteristic of Jesus to save and to preserve.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"κύριος ποιμαίνει με","severity":"info","text":"The first quotation conflates Psalm 23:1–3 (LXX) with a free paraphrase; the second is an unidentified scriptural echo, possibly from a lost source or a conflation of Isaiah 30:23.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἡτοίμασας ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'You have prepared a table before me opposite those who oppress me' is not a direct biblical verse; it may be a free adaptation of Psalm 23:5 (LXX) or a liturgical formula.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔγνω βοῦς τὸν κτησάμενον","severity":"info","text":"The proverb 'The ox knows its owner and the donkey the manger of its master' is not found in the canonical Bible; it is a common ancient saying, possibly from a lost apocryphon or oral tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶλον","severity":"info","text":"The 'colt' (πῶλον) is a symbol of the untamed human soul; Athanasius uses the manger (φάτνη) to connect Christ's nativity to the domestication of the soul, a common patristic trope.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡρώδην","severity":"info","text":"Herod the Great's search for the infant Jesus is a standard narrative in Matthew 2; Athanasius here interprets it as the devil's envy-driven plot, aligning with anti-Jewish polemic common in early Christian literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"στραφέντες οὖν λοιπὸν","severity":"info","text":"The exhortation 'Let us therefore turn back' marks a rhetorical shift from allegorical exegesis to moral application, a common homiletic device in Athanasius's works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'prophet' in the first scriptural citation is ambiguous; it may refer to David or a generic prophetic source. The phrase 'he who causes grass to spring up' is unattested in the LXX and may be a paraphrase or a lost text."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"φείδεται γὰρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κτισμάτων, ἐπειδὴ καὶ «πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο.» ἐπιζητήσωμεν τοιγαροῦν τὸν ἀληθινὸν βασιλέα, τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν χριστόν. ἐξετάσωμεν ἑαυτούς, εἰ ἐλύθησαν ἡμῶν οἱ δεσμοί. καὶ εἰ λελυμένοι εἰσί, προκόψωμεν ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω. εἰ δὲ μήπω λέλυνταί σοι οἱ δεσμοί, ἐπίδος σεαυτὸν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. θάρσει γάρ· πάρεισι καὶ νῦν οἱ λύοντες ἡμᾶς. ἐξουσίαν ταύτην εἰληφότες παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος, ὅτι «ὃ ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.» καὶ πάλιν· «ἐάν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφέωνται αὐτοῖς.» «μακάριοι» τοιγαροῦν «ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι.» Εἶπον οὖν οἱ κύριοι τοῦ πώλου πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς· «τί λύετε τὸν πῶλον;» οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπον, «ὅτι ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει.» ὁρᾷς τῶν μαθητῶν τὴν σοφὴν ἀπόκρισιν. ἀκούσαντες γὰρ οἱ ψευδεῖς κύριοι τοῦ πώλου ὅτι ὁ ὄντως καὶ ἀληθὴς κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει δεύτερον οὐκ ἀποκρίνονται. ἀλλὰ νῶτα δίδωσιν, οὐκέτι πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα ἀποκρινόμενοι, εὐθὺς γοῦν σπεύδουσι πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα ἑαυτῶν τὸν διάβολον ἀπαγγεῖλαι αὐτῷ τὰ συμβεβηκότα. καὶ ὁρᾷς ἐκεῖ θόρυβον καὶ σκέψιν καὶ συμβούλιον κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου γενόμενον. συνάγεται γὰρ ἐκεῖ πᾶσα ἡ ἀντικειμένη δύναμις καὶ γίνεται ἐκκλησία πονηρευομένων, ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.» λέγουσι γὰρ πρὸς τὸν διάβολον οἱ ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες·","english":"He spares his own creatures, since \"all things came into being through him.\" Let us therefore seek the true king, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us examine ourselves, whether our bonds have been loosed. And if they are loosed, let us advance toward better things. But if your bonds are not yet loosed, surrender yourself to the disciples of Jesus. Take courage, for those who loose us are present even now. They have received this authority from the Savior, that \"whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.\" And again: \"If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven.\" \"Blessed\" therefore \"are those whose sins have been forgiven and whose lawless deeds have been covered over.\" So the owners of the colt said to the disciples, \"Why are you untying the colt?\" And they answered, saying, \"Because its master has need of it.\" You see the wise response of the disciples. For when the false owners of the colt heard that the true and real master has need of it, they do not answer a second time. But they turn their backs, no longer responding to what is said; at once they hasten to their ruler, the devil, to report to him what has happened. And there you see turmoil and deliberation and a council formed against the Lord. For there the whole opposing power gathers, and an assembly of evildoers takes place, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying: \"The kings of the earth stood forth, and the rulers assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ.\" For the wicked demons say to the devil:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο","severity":"info","text":"A paraphrase of John 1:3, 'All things came into being through him,' adapted to the homiletic context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὃ ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς","severity":"info","text":"A free adaptation of Matthew 18:18, where binding and loosing authority is given to disciples, here applied to sin and forgiveness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι","severity":"info","text":"Likely a conflation of Psalm 32:1 and the beatitude tradition, emphasizing forgiveness and covering of lawless deeds.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"An apparent citation of a prophetic text, possibly from the Old Testament or a lost apocryphon, depicting earthly rulers conspiring against the Lord and his Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκκλησία πονηρευομένων","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'assembly of evildoers' inverts the standard ecclesial term, portraying demonic gathering as a parody of the church council.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from exhortation to self-examination, then to a narrated dialogue between the colt's owners and the disciples, culminating in a demonic council scene.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'prophet' cited for the council of rulers is unclear; it may be a lost or paraphrased source.","The phrase 'ἐὰν ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφέωνται αὐτοῖς' is not a direct scriptural quotation but a theological summary of binding and loosing."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"τί ποιοῦμεν; ὁ πῶλος λέλυται. ἀπῆλθε γὰρ πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἑαυτοῦ· οὐκέτι σου ἐστὶν ὑποχείριος, οὐκέτι αὐτοῦ κυριεύεις. διελογίζετο λοιπὸν ὁ δείλαιος διάβολος τί ποιήσει τῷ Ἰησοῦ. τότε συνάγονται οἱ φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ λεγομένου Καϊαφᾶ καὶ συνεβουλεύσαντο κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν. ἠγνόησαν γὰρ οἱ ἄθλιοι, ὅτι ὁ τούτου θάνατος ἡμῖν τὴν ἀθανασίαν χαρίζεται καὶ ἡ αὐτοῦ κατάβασις ἡμῖν τὴν ἄνοδον προεξένησεν. ἀνέστη γὰρ ὁ κύριος τριήμερος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν σκυλεύσας τὸν ᾅδην, τὸν ἐχθρὸν καταπατήσας, τὸν θάνατον λύσας, τῆς κατεχούσης ἡμᾶς ἁμαρτίας τὰ δεσμὰ διαρρήξας καὶ τοὺς πεπεδημένους\n\nἐλυτρώσατο λέγων· «ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν.» ἐλευθερωθέντες οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπιγνῶμεν ἑαυτῶν τὸν εὐεργέτην. δοξάσωμεν τὸν πατέρα σὺν υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, μίαν θεότητα ὁμολογήσωμεν. οὕτω γὰρ πολιτευόμενοι βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν κληρονομήσωμεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.","english":"What are we doing? The foal is loosed. For it went to its own lord; it is no longer subject to you, you no longer rule it. So the wretched devil deliberated what he would do to Jesus. Then the Pharisees and the scribes gather in the court of the one called Caiaphas and conspired against Jesus, how they might destroy him. For the wretches were ignorant that his death grants us immortality and his descent procures our ascent. For the Lord rose on the third day from the dead, having despoiled Hades, trampled the enemy, loosed death, broken the bonds of the sin that held us, and ransomed those who were fettered, saying, \"Arise, let us go from here.\" Having been freed from the slavery of the devil, let us recognize our benefactor. Let us glorify the Father together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us confess one divinity. For living thus, let us inherit the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom are the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶλος","severity":"info","text":"πῶλος (foal) continues the extended metaphor of the human soul as a colt that must be tamed and released by Christ, a theme from earlier in the homily.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀνέστη γὰρ ὁ κύριος τριήμερος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase echoes the core kerygma of Christ's resurrection on the third day, as in 1 Corinthians 15:4 and the Nicene Creed.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"σκυλεύσας τὸν ᾅδην","severity":"info","text":"The image of Christ despoiling Hades recalls the Harrowing of Hades tradition, based on Psalm 24:8 LXX and 1 Peter 3:18-19.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"συνεβουλεύσαντο κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The gathering of Pharisees and scribes in Caiaphas's court reflects the Gospel accounts of the Sanhedrin trial (Matthew 26:57, Mark 14:53).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"τί ποιοῦμεν;","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question 'What are we doing?' marks a shift from the preceding exhortation to a narrative of the Passion, resuming the homiletic address.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μίαν θεότητα ὁμολογήσωμεν","severity":"info","text":"The concluding doxology confessing one divinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reflects the Nicene-Constantinopolitan orthodoxy championed by Athanasius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the foal' (πῶλος) is metaphorical; the text does not specify whether it refers to the human soul or to a specific biblical figure (e.g., the colt in Zechariah 9:9).","The phrase 'the one called Caiaphas' may imply a textual variant or a gloss; the Greek simply says 'τοῦ λεγομένου Καϊαφᾶ'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}