{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ad-stagirium-a-daemone-vexatum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ad-stagirium-a-daemone-vexatum","title":"Ad Stagirium a daemone vexatum","title_source":"Ad Stagirium a daemone vexatum","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"other","date":null,"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-v4.1-flash:floor","provider":"Baidu","generated":"2026-11-15T18:25:27Z","cost_usd":0.017157},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ad-stagirium-a-daemone-vexatum","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ad-stagirium-a-daemone-vexatum","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":null,"url":null},"stats":{"passages":147,"english_words":41785,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":162544,"commentary_units":0,"commentary_kinds":0,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":0,"work_notes":0,"external_links":0,"timeline":0},"summary":{},"links":[],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ad-stagirium-a-daemone-vexatum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":147,"translated":147,"commentary_passages":0,"commentary_units":0,"english_words":41785,"source_letters":162508,"commentary_kinds":0},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[],"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 Greek; 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: 147 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar."}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":147},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΙΝΕΤΙΚΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΤΑΓΕΙΡΙΟΝ ΑΣΚΗΤΗΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΩΝΤΑ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ αʹ. Ἔδει μὲν ἡμᾶς, ὦ φίλτατε πάντων ἐμοὶ Σταγείριε, καὶ παρεῖναί σοι νῦν καὶ συνδιαταλαιπωρεῖσθαι, καὶ λό47.424 γῳ παρακαλοῦντα, καὶ ἔργῳ διακονούμενον, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα συλλαμβάνοντα, μέρος τι τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐπικουφίζειν. ὅσον ἡμῖν δυνατὸν ἦν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένεια, καὶ τὸ κατασκῆψαν τῇ κεφαλῇ κακὸν οἴκοι μένειν καταναγκάσαν, διακονίαν τοσοῦτον ἔχουσαν κέρδος ἡμᾶς ἀφείλετο, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὑπόλοιπον καὶ πρὸς παραμυθίαν τὴν σὴν, καὶ πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τὴν ἡμετέραν, τοῦτο κατὰ δύναμιν εἰσενεγκεῖν οὐκ ὀκνήσομεν. Ἴσως μὲν γὰρ ἔσται τι πλέον, πρὸς τὸ τὰ παρόντα σε φέρειν γενναίως· ἂν δὲ ἄρα μηδέν τί τοιοῦτον ἀνύσωμεν, τὸ γοῦν τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡκόντων ἐλλειφθῆναι μηδὲν, ῥᾷον ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι ποιήσει τοῦ λοιποῦ. Ὁ γὰρ ἅπαντα ἀναπληρώσας, ὅσαπερ ἂν οἴηται πρὸς λύσιν φέρειν τῶν κατεχόντων ἀνιαρῶν, κἂν μηδὲν περάνῃ, τῆς γοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν αἰτίας ἀφεῖται, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἄχθος ἀποθέμενος, τὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας φέρειν ἀναγκάζεται μόνον. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ μεγάλα δυναμένων ἐτύγχανον ὢν, οὐκ ἂν διέλιπον δεόμενος καὶ ἱκετεύων ὑπὲρ τῆς τιμίας ἐμοὶ κεφαλῆς· ἐπειδὴ δέ με τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἐκείνην καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πλῆθος παρῄρηται, τὴν διὰ ῥημάτων παράκλησιν πειράσομαί σοι προσαγαγεῖν.","english":"Of the same, an exhortatory discourse to Stagirius the ascetic, afflicted by demons, discourse one. 1. It was indeed fitting, O Stagirius, dearest to me of all men, that we should both be present with you now and share in your distress, and encourage you by word, and serve you by deed, and in all other ways assist you, and so lighten some portion of your despondency, as far as was possible for us. But since the weakness of the body, and the affliction that has fallen upon the head, have compelled us to remain at home, and have deprived us of a ministry that carries so great a profit, what remains both for your consolation and for our own benefit, this we shall not hesitate to contribute according to our ability. For perhaps there will be some gain toward your bearing the present circumstances nobly; but if indeed we accomplish nothing of that sort, at any rate the fact that nothing has been omitted of what was in our power will make us more at ease for the future. For he who has fulfilled everything, as many things as he thinks bring relief from the troubles that beset him, even if he accomplishes nothing, is at least freed from the blame that comes from his own reasonings, and having laid aside the burden of accusations, he is compelled to bear only the burden of despondency. If, then, I happened to be one of those who are held in esteem before God and are able to do great things, I would not cease entreating and supplicating on behalf of the head that is precious to me; but since the multitude of my sins has taken away from me that boldness and that strength, I shall attempt to bring you encouragement through words.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν τὰ σώματα καμνόντων, ἰατρῶν μὲν ἀφανίσαι τὰς ἀλγηδόνας καὶ παῦσαι τὴν νόσον, τὸ δὲ παρακαλεῖν οὐδὲ τῶν οἰκετῶν οἱ περὶ τὴν θεραπείαν ὄντες ἀφῄρηνται, ἀλλ' οὗτοι μάλιστά εἰσιν οἱ τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀναλίσκοντες λόγους, ὅταν εὔνοι τοῖς κεκτημένοις αὐτοὺς τύχωσιν ὄντες. Ἂν μὲν γάρ τι λεχθῇ παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ δυνάμενον σβέσαι τὴν ἄμετρον ταύτην ὀδύνην, ἅπερ εὐχόμεθα γέγονεν· ἂν δὲ μηδὲν εὕρωμεν φθέγξασθαι τοιοῦτο, τῆς γοῦν προθυμίας ἡμᾶς ἀποδέξεται πάντως ὁ κελεύσας διὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων καὶ συναπάγεσθαι τοῖς ταπεινοῖς. Δοκεῖ μὲν οὖν μία σοι τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπόθεσις εἶναι τοῦ πονηροῦ τούτου δαίμονος ἡ μανία· πολλὰ δὲ ἂν εὕροι τις ἐφεξῆς τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ῥίζης ταύτης τικτόμενα λυπηρά. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ λέγω νῦν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὧν ἀποδυρομένου σου πολλάκις ἤκουσα πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἡνίκα σὺν ἡμῖν ἦσθα· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὸ βιωτικώτερον ζῶντα τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον μηδὲν τοιοῦτο παθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἡνίκα ἐσταύρωσας τῷ κόσμῳ σαυτὸν, τηνικαῦτα αἴσθησιν τῆς νόσου λαβεῖν, ἱκανὸν θορυβῆσαι καὶ εἰς ἀμηχανίαν ἐμβαλεῖν· δεύτερον δὲ τὸ πολλοὺς μὲν καὶ τρυφῶντας τῶν τὰ αὐτὰ σοὶ νενοσηκότων, μικρὸν καρτερήσαντας χρόνον, ταύτης ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας, καὶ οὕτως εἰς τελείαν ὑγίειαν ἐπανελθεῖν, ὡς καὶ ὁμιλῆσαι γάμοις, καὶ πατέρας γενέσθαι παίδων πολλῶν, καὶ τῶν ἡδέων τοῦ παρόντος ἀπολαῦσαι βίου, καὶ μηδὲν τοιοῦτο πάλιν παθεῖν· σὲ δὲ τοσοῦτον ἕλκοντα χρόνον ἐν νηστείαις καὶ παννυχίσι καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ σκληραγωγίᾳ, μηδεμίαν λύσιν εὑρέσθαι τῶν κατεχόντων δεινῶν·","english":"For in the case of those who are ill in body, it belongs to physicians to make the pains disappear and to stop the disease, but the privilege of encouraging is not taken away even from the servants who are engaged in care, but these are especially the ones who spend many words on this subject, whenever they happen to be well-disposed toward those who possess them. For if something is said by us that is able to quench this measureless pain, what we pray for has come to pass; but if we find nothing of that sort to utter, at any rate the one who commanded through the blessed Paul to weep with those who weep and to be brought low with the humble will surely accept our eagerness. It seems, then, that to you there is one ground of despondency—the madness of this wicked demon; but one could find many grievous things born in succession from this root. And I do not say these things now from myself, but from what I often heard you lamenting to us when you were with us. And first, that while you lived a more ordinary life in the time before, you suffered nothing of the kind, but when you crucified yourself to the world, then you received the perception of the disease—this is enough to disturb and to cast one into perplexity. Second, that many even of those who live in luxury, having been afflicted with the same things as you, after enduring a short time, were delivered from this infirmity, and so returned to complete health as even to be joined in marriage, and to become fathers of many children, and to enjoy the pleasures of the present life, and never again to suffer anything of the kind; but you, having dragged on so long a time in fastings and all-night vigils and the rest of your austerity, have found no release from the evils that hold you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"τρίτον πρὸς τούτοις, τὸ τὸν ἅγιον ἐκεῖνον τοσαύτην ἐν ἄλλοις ἀνδράσι δύναμιν ἐπιδειξάμενον, μηδὲν ἐπὶ τῆς σῆς ἀγάπης δυνηθῆναι πρᾶξαι τοιοῦτο, μήτε ἐκεῖνον, μήτε τοὺς μετ' ἐκείνου, καὶ ταῦτα δυνατωτέρους ὄντας αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πάντας ὁμοίως ἐρυθριάσαντας ἀπελθεῖν. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ ἑτέρως σφόδρα ἔφης ἀλγεῖν, ὅτι οὕτω σου τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ τῆς ἀθυμίας περιεγένετο δύναμις, ὡς μικροῦ πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ βρόχον ὁρμῆσαι ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμὸν καὶ ἐπὶ κρημνόν. Ἔστι δέ τι καὶ πέμπτον ἐπὶ τούτοις, τὸ τοὺς μὲν\n\nὁμήλικας καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ταύτης ἠργμένους τῆς πολιτείας, ὁρᾷν ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ διάγοντας, σαυτὸν δὲ ἐν χαλεπωτάτῳ κλύδωνι κείμενον ἔτι καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦντα τὸ πάντων ἐλεεινότερον. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τοὺς δεδεμένους σιδήρῳ δακρύειν ἔφης δεῖν, ὡς τοὺς ταύτην περικειμένους τὴν ἅλυσιν. Ἔλεγες δέ μοι καὶ ἕτερον εἶναι πρὸς τούτοις τὸ μάλιστά σε θορυβοῦν· δεδοικέναι γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τρέμειν, μήποτε αἰσθόμενος, μεγάλα τοὺς ὑποδεξαμένους σε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἁγίους ἐργάσηται δεινά· τῇ τε γὰρ δυνάμει καὶ τῷ πλούτῳ θαῤῥοῦντα, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας κρατούμενον, πάντα τολμήσειν εἰς αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀφέξεσθαι τῶν ἐμπιπτόντων αὐτῷ. Καὶ μέχρι μὲν τοῦ παρόντος δυνηθῆναι τὴν μητέρα καὶ συγκαλύψαι τὸ γεγονὸς, καὶ ἐπιζητοῦντά σε παρακρούσασθαι πολλάκις αὐτόν· εἰ δὲ χρόνος ἐγγένηται πλείων, φωραθήσεσθαι τῆς μητρὸς τὴν ὑπόκρισιν, καὶ ἀφόρητον αὐτὸν ἐκείνῃ τε ἔσεσθαι καὶ τοῖς μοναχοῖς.","english":"Third, in addition to these things, that holy man who displayed so great a power among other men was able to accomplish nothing in the case of your love, neither he nor those with him, and that too though they were more powerful than he, but that all alike departed in shame. And along with these things you said that you were also grieved in another way exceedingly, because the power of despondency so prevailed over your soul that often you came near to rushing even upon a noose, and upon a river, and upon a precipice. And there is also a fifth thing in addition to these: that you see your companions and those who began this way of life together with you passing their time in good cheer, while you yourself lie in the most grievous tempest and still inhabit a prison, the most pitiable of all things. For you said that those bound in iron ought not to be wept for so much as those who wear this chain. And you told me that there is also another thing in addition to these that most disturbs you: for you fear concerning your father and tremble, lest at some time, perceiving it, he do great harm to the holy men who received you at the beginning; for trusting in his power and his wealth, and being mastered by despondency, he will dare all things against them, and will refrain from nothing that falls in his way. And up to the present your mother has been able to conceal what has happened and often to elude him when he seeks you; but if more time intervenes, the mother's pretense will be detected, and he will be unbearable both to her and to the monks.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ὁ δὲ τῶν κακῶν κολοφὼν τὸ μηδὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ἔχειν θαῤῥεῖν, μηδὲ εἰδέναι σαφῶς, εἴ ποτε ἔσται λύσις τῆς νόσου ταύτης καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴ, διὰ τὸ πολλάκις τοῦτο προσδοκήσαντα πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν. Ἱκανὰ γοῦν ταῦτα θορυβῆσαι ψυχὴν, καὶ πολλῆς ἐμπλῆσαι ταραχῆς, ἀλλὰ ψυχὴν τὴν παρειμένην καὶ ἀπαίδευτον καὶ νωθράν· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἢν ἐθελήσωμεν διαβλέψαι μικρὸν, καὶ λογισμοὺς ἀνακινῆσαι τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς, ὥσπερ τινὰ κόνιν λεπτὴν, ταύτας ἀποτιναξόμεθα τῆς ἀθυμίας τὰς ὑποθέσεις. Καίτοι μή με νομίσῃς διὰ τὸ ἔξω τοῦ πόνου καὶ τῆς ζάλης ταύτης ἑστάναι, ταῦτα ἐπαγγέλλεσθαί σοι μετ' εὐκολίας νῦν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἄπιστα δόξω λέγειν τισὶν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐρῶ· οὐ γὰρ δὴ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπιστήσεις ἡμῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπεπήδησέ σου τῇ ψυχῇ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ μιαρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος, καὶ μεταξὺ πάντων εὐχόμενον κατέβαλεν, οὐκ ἔτυχον μὲν παρὼν καὶ χάριν ἔχω τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ, ἔμαθον δὲ ἅπαντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας, ὡσπερανεὶ παρών. Ὁ γὰρ ἐμὸς φίλος καὶ σὸς Θεόφιλος ὁ Ἐφέσιος ἐλθὼν, ἅπαντά μοι σαφῶς διηγήσατο, τὴν στρέβλωσιν τῶν χειρῶν, τὴν διαστροφὴν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος ἀφρὸν, τὴν ἀποτρόπαιον καὶ ἄσημον ἐκείνην φωνὴν, τὸν τοῦ σώματος τρόμον, τὴν ἀναισθησίαν τὴν ἐπὶ πολὺ, τὸ ὄναρ τὸ κατὰ τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην φανέν· ἄγριον γάρ τινα ὗν βορβόρῳ μολυνθέντα πολλῷ συνεχῶς ἐπιπηδᾷν σοι καὶ προσπαλαίειν ἔφη· εἶτα τὸν παρακαθεύδοντα ὑπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ταραχθέντα, διεγερθῆναί τε, καὶ πάλιν σε κινούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος εὑρεῖν.","english":"The crowning point of these evils is not even to be able to be confident about the future, nor to know clearly whether there will ever be a release and deliverance from this sickness, because after often expecting this he again fell into the same things. These things are certainly enough to disturb a soul and to fill it with great confusion—but a soul that is slack, uneducated, and sluggish. But if we are willing to look a little, and to stir up our pious reasonings, we shall shake off these occasions of despondency like some fine dust. And yet do not suppose that because I stand outside this toil and storm, I now promise you these things with ease. For even if I shall seem to some to speak incredible things, nevertheless I will speak; for you will not, along with the others, disbelieve us too. For since that foul demon leaped upon your soul at the beginning, and cast you down in the midst of all while you were praying, I did not happen to be present—and I give thanks to the philanthropic God—but I learned everything with precision, as though I were present. For my friend and yours, Theophilos of Ephesus, came and clearly recounted to me everything: the twisting of the hands, the distortion of the eyes, the foam from the mouth, that abominable and inarticulate voice, the trembling of the body, the insensibility that lasted a long time, the dream that appeared that night. For he said that a certain wild boar, defiled with much mire, was continually leaping upon you and wrestling with you; then that the one lying beside you, disturbed by the vision, woke up and again found you moving under the demon.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"βʹ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ταῦτα ἀπήγγειλεν ἐκεῖνος, τοσαύτην ἡμῖν κατέχεε τὴν ἀχλὺν, ὅσην ὁ δαίμων οὗτος τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ σῇ. Ὡς δὲ μετὰ πολὺν ἀνήνεγκα χρόνον, οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ λοιπὸν τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ δεινῶν ἐδόκει εἶναι δεινὸν, οὔτε τῶν ἡδέων ἡδύ· ἀλλὰ πολλὴν καὶ πάλαι τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ ματαιότητα κατεγνωκὼς, πολλῷ πλέον τοῦτο ἔπαθον τότε, καὶ μείζων με πόθος εἰσῄει τῆς εὐλαβείας τῆς σῆς. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ φύσις τῶν ἀνιαρῶν· ἐπιτείνειν εἴωθε τὰς φιλίας ἀεὶ, καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ καὶ τὰς ἔχθρας δύνασθαι διαλύειν εὐκόλως. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστί τις οὕτως ἄθλιος οὐδὲ ἠλίθιος, ὃς ὁρῶν ἀλγοῦντα τὸν ἐχθρὸν, δυνήσεται φυλάξαι τὴν ἀπέχθειαν τὴν πρὸς αὐτόν. Εἰ δὲ ἐχθροὺς ἐλεοῦμεν καὶ φίλους ποιούμεθα, ὅταν τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων ὑπομείναντες ἴδωμεν, ἐννόησον τί πάσχειν εἰκὸς ἦν μὲ, τὸν ἁπάντων μοι φίλτατον, καὶ ὃν ἴσον ἄγω τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς, ἐν τοῖς ἀνηκέστοις ὁρῶντα κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀθυμίας λόγον. Μηδὲ νομίσῃς ἡμᾶς ἔξω τῆς θλίψεως ἑστάναι τῆς σῆς, μηδὲ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν παράκλησιν ὑποπτεύσῃς τὴν ἐμήν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοῦ σπαράττεσθαι καὶ καταβάλλεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν ἀπήλλαγμαι, τῆς γοῦν ἀθυμίας τῆς διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῆς ὀδύνης τὸ ἴσον σοι φέρω μέρος, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀπιστήσειέ μοι τῶν εἰδότων φιλεῖν ὡς χρὴ φιλεῖν. Φέρε οὖν ἀποτιναξώμεθα τὴν κόνιν· οὕτω γὰρ ἔσται φορητὴ καὶ κούφη τῆς ἀθυμίας ταύτης ἡ φύσις, μόνον ἢν μὴ θελήσωμεν ἁπλῶς ἐκδόντες ἑαυτοὺς τῷ πάθει σύρεσθαι κατὰ κρημνῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνανῆψαι καὶ λογίσασθαί τι τῶν δεόντων σπουδάσωμεν. Πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι δεινῶν","english":"2. Since, then, he reported these things, he poured over us as much darkness as this demon has over your love. But when after a long time I recovered, no longer did any of the terrible things in this world seem terrible to me, nor any of the pleasant things pleasant; but having long ago condemned the great vanity of life, I suffered this far more then, and a greater longing for your piety came upon me. For such is the nature of painful things: it is accustomed always to intensify friendships, and this is clear from the fact that it can also easily dissolve enmities. For there is no one so wretched or so foolish that, seeing his enemy in pain, he will be able to keep his hatred toward him. But if we pity enemies and make them friends when we see them enduring some unwanted thing, consider what it was fitting for me to suffer, who am the dearest of all to myself and whom I regard as equal to my own head, seeing him in incurable circumstances, in the matter of despondency. Do not think that we stand outside your affliction, nor suspect my consolation for this reason. For even if I have been released through the grace of God from being torn apart and cast down by the wicked demon, at any rate I bear an equal share with you of the despondency that comes from these things and of the pain, and no one who knows how to love as one ought would disbelieve me. Come, then, let us shake off the dust; for in this way the nature of this despondency will be bearable and light, only if we do not wish simply to give ourselves over to the passion and be dragged down precipices, but strive also to rouse ourselves and to reason about some of the things that are needful. For many of the things that seem to be terrible","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"μεγάλα μὲν φαίνεται καὶ ἀφόρητα πρὶν ἐξετασθῆναι καλῶς· εἰ δέ τις αὐτὰ τῷ λογισμῷ διασκέψηται, εὑρήσει πολλῷ τῆς ὑπονοίας καταδεέστερα· ὅπερ καὶ νῦν ἐλπίζω γενήσεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ διανάστησον σαυτὸν, καὶ μὴ τῇ ματαίᾳ καὶ ἀλόγῳ τῶν πολλῶν ἑπόμενος δόξῃ, σφοδρότερον ἐργάσῃ καθ' ἡμῶν τὸν ἐχθρόν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν πρός τινά μοι τῶν ἀπίστων ὁ λόγος ἦν, ἢ τῶν αὐτομάτως ἅπαντα φέρεσθαι νομιζόντων, ἢ τῶν πονηροῖς δαιμονίοις τοῦ κόσμου τὴν πρόνοιαν ἀνατιθέντων, πολλῆς ἄν μοι πραγματείας ἐδέησεν, ἵνα πρῶτον τὴν πεπλανημένην δόξαν ἐκβαλὼν, καὶ πείσας εἰδέναι τὴν ἀληθῆ τοῦ παντὸς πρόνοιαν, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ παρακαλεῖν τρέψω τὸν λόγον· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι ἀπὸ βρέφους τὰ ἱερὰ γράμματα οἶδας, καὶ τὰ ἀληθῆ καὶ σωτήρια δόγματα διαδεξάμενος ἐκ προγόνων πιστεύεις ἀκριβῶς ὅτι μέλει περὶ πάντων τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν πιστευόντων αὐτῷ, τοῦτο ἀφέντες τὸ μέρος, ἑτέρωθεν ποιησώμεθα τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἐπειδὴ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός· μᾶλλον δὲ ἀνωτέρω τὸν λόγον ἀγάγωμεν· πρὶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους γενέσθαι, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας δυνάμεις τὰς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἦν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀρχὴν οὐδέποτε τοῦ εἶναι λαβών. Ἀνενδεὴς δὲ ὢν ἀεὶ, τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον, ἐποίησεν ἀγγέλους, ἀρχαγγέλους, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τῶν ἀσωμάτων οὐσίας, ἐποίησε δὲ δι' ἕτερον μὲν οὐδὲν, δι' ἀγαθότητα δὲ μόνην. Ὧν γὰρ τῆς θεραπείας οὐκ ἔχρῃζε, τούτων οὐδ' ἂν δημιουργὸς ἐγένετο, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἦν ἀγαθός. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων δημιουργίαν ποιεῖ καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην πάλιν αἰτίαν, καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα τοῦτον.","english":"Great and unbearable do they appear before they are well examined; but if one considers them with reason, he will find them far less than the suspicion. Which I hope will now also come to pass. But rouse yourself, and do not, following the vain and irrational opinion of the many, make the enemy more vehement against us. If, then, my argument were addressed to some one of the unbelievers, either of those who think that all things are borne along at random, or of those who assign the providence of the world to evil demons, much labor would have been needed on my part, so that first casting out the erroneous opinion, and persuading them to know the true providence of the whole, I might thus turn my argument to exhortation. But since by the grace of God from infancy you know the sacred Scriptures, and having received the true and saving doctrines from your ancestors, you believe accurately that God cares for all things, and especially for those who believe in him, leaving this part aside, let us make our beginning from another point. Since God made the angels—or rather, let us lead the argument higher: before the angels came to be, and the other powers in the heavens, God was, never having received a beginning of being. And being always without need—for such is the Divine—he made angels, archangels, and the other essences of incorporeal beings, and he made them for no other reason than goodness alone. For those whose service he did not need, he would not have become their creator either, unless he were exceedingly good. And after the creation of these, he makes also man for this same cause again, and all this world.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Καὶ μυρίων αὐτὸν ἐμπλήσας ἀγαθῶν τὸν μικρὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ εὐτελῆ τοῖς τοσούτοις ἔργοις ἐπέστησε, τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἀποφήνας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπερ ἐστὶν αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Τὸ γὰρ, Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀνῃρῆσθαι τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ. Ποιήσας δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ καταστήσας τιμῇ, καθάπερ βασίλεια βασιλεῖ τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀπέταξε τὸν παράδεισον. Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις βουλόμενος αὐτῷ δεῖξαι καὶ ἑτέρωθεν ὅσον τῶν λοιπῶν ἀναβέβηκε ζώων, ἄγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἅπαντα, καὶ ὀνόματα ἐπιθεῖναι κελεύει πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ὅμως οὐδὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν δίδωσιν αὐτῷ πρὸς βοήθειαν· καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν προστίθησιν· Οὐ γὰρ εὑρέθη, φησὶ, βοηθὸς ὅμοιος αὐτῷ. Διδάξας δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ τούτων τὸ μέσον ἑκατέρας τῆς φύσεως, καὶ ὅτι πάντων αὐτὸς τιμιώτερος, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐν τοσούτῳ πλήθει ἴσον αὐτῷ, τότε δὴ κτίζει καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, κἀν τούτῳ πάλιν αὐτὸν τιμῶν καὶ φανερὸν ποιῶν, ὅτι δι' αὐτὸν γέγονε, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Οὐ γὰρ ἐκτίσθη ἀνὴρ διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ γυνὴ διὰ τὸν ἄνδρα. Οὐ τούτοις δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀπεσέμνυνεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγον αὐτῷ μόνῳ τῶν πάντων ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώσεως κατηξίωσε, καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁμιλίας ἀπολαύειν ἔδωκεν, ὡς ἀπολαύειν ἐκείνῳ δυνατὸν ἦν, καὶ ἀθανασίαν παρέξειν ὑπέσχετο, καὶ πολλῆς τῆς σοφίας ἐνέπλησε, καὶ πνευματικὴν χάριν ἐνέθηκεν, ὡς καὶ προφητεῦσαί τινα. Καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἐδωρήσατο οὐδενὸς προϋπηργμένου κατορθώματος παρ' αὐτοῦ. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνος μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα ἀγαθά;","english":"And having filled him with countless good things, he set that small and insignificant man over works so great, showing him upon the earth to be that very thing which he himself is in the heavens. For the words, Let us make man in our image and after our likeness, are nothing other than that he too should be invested with the rule over the things on the earth. And having made him and established him in so great honor, like a palace for a king he assigned to him the fairest of the things on earth, paradise. And besides these things, wishing to show him from another side also how far he has risen above the remaining living creatures, he brings them all to him, and commands him to give names to them all. And yet he gives him none of them for a helper; and he adds the reason: For there was not found, he says, a helper like him. And having taught him through these things also the middle position between each of the two natures, and that he himself is more honorable than all, and that in so great a multitude there is nothing equal to him, then indeed he creates the woman also, honoring him in this too and making it clear that she came into being for his sake, just as Paul also says: For the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. And not by these things only did he exalt him, but he also granted to him alone of all the gift of speech, and deemed him worthy of the knowledge of himself, and gave him to enjoy converse with him, as it was possible for that one to enjoy, and he promised to bestow immortality, and filled him with great wisdom, and implanted spiritual grace in him, so that some might even prophesy. And all these things he bestowed as gifts when no right action had been previously performed by him. What then did that man do after so many and such great good things?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Πιστότερον τοῦ ταῦτα δωρησαμένου τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐνόμισε, καὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἀλογήσας, προετίμησε τὴν ἀπάτην τοῦ παντελῶς αὐτὸν ἀφανίσαι σπουδάσαντος καὶ πάντων ἀθρόως ἐκβαλεῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ προετίμησεν, οὐδὲν οὔτε μέγα οὔτε μικρὸν εὐεργεσίας ἕνεκεν ἐπιδειξαμένου πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ ῥήματα προσενέγκαντος μόνον αὐτῷ. Ἆρ' οὖν ἐξήλειψεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς, τοσαύτην ἀγνωμοσύνην ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, γραμμῆς ἐπιδειξάμενον; Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον ἀκόλουθον ἦν, τὸν μυρία μὲν παθόντα καλὰ, ἀντὶ δὲ τούτων ἀπὸ παρακοῆς καὶ ἀχαριστίας εὐθέως τὰ προοίμια τοῦ βίου πεποιημένον, ἀπολέσαι καὶ ἐκ μέσου βαλεῖν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐχ ἧττον ἢ πρότερον εὐεργετῶν αὐτὸν διετέλεσε, δεικνὺς ὅτι, κἂν μυριάκις ἁμάρτωμεν καὶ ἀποστραφῶμεν αὐτὸν, τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν αὐτὸς οἰκονομῶν οὐ παύεται, ἵν' ἂν μὲν ἐπιστρέψωμεν, καὶ σωθῶμεν· ἂν δὲ ἐπιμένωμεν τῇ\n\nκακίᾳ, τὸ γοῦν αὐτὸν τὰ αὐτοῦ πράττειν ἐκ τούτου περιγίνεται. Δοκεῖ μὲν οὖν τὸ ἐκβαλεῖν τοῦ παραδείσου, καὶ τὸ κωλῦσαι τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ τὸ παραδοῦναι τῷ θανάτῳ, κολάζοντος εἶναι καὶ τιμωρουμένου· τὸ δὲ προνοοῦντός ἐστιν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ καὶ πρότερον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ παράδοξον εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ λεγόμενον, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀληθές· τὰ μὲν γὰρ γινόμενα ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις ἦν, τὰ δὲ ἀμφοτέρων τέλη σύμφωνα καὶ ἀκόλουθα. Οἷόν τι λέγω·","english":"He considered the enemy more trustworthy than the one who had given him these gifts, and disregarding the command of the one who had made him, he preferred the deceit of the one who was striving to destroy him utterly and to cast him out from all good things at once. And he preferred him, though that one had shown him nothing, neither great nor small, for the sake of beneficence, but had only offered him words. Did God, then, blot him out, who had shown such ingratitude from the beginning and, so to speak, from the very first line? For this would have been consistent with the reasoning of justice—to destroy and cast out of the midst the man who had experienced countless good things, and in return for these had made the prelude of his life one of disobedience and ingratitude from the start. But God did not cease to benefit him any less than before, showing that, even if we sin ten thousand times and turn away from him, he himself does not cease to arrange what pertains to our salvation, so that if we turn back, we may also be saved; but if we persist in wickedness, at least this much is gained from it—that he does his own part. So then, the casting out of paradise, the barring from the tree of life, and the handing over to death seem to be the acts of one who punishes and takes vengeance; but it is no less the act of one who provides, just as before. For even if what is said seems paradoxical, nevertheless it is true; for the things that happened were contrary to one another, but the ends of both were in harmony and consistent. What I mean is this:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Τὸ ἀποκλεῖσαι τοῦ παραδείσου, τὸ κατοικίσαι ἐναντίον, τὸ ἀποτρέψαι τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, τὸ κωλῦσαι, τὸ ποιῆσαι θνητὸν, τὸ τέως ἀνώτερον ἀποφῆναι τῆς ἀποφάσεως, πάντα δὴ καὶ τὰ ἐξ ἐκείνων καὶ τὰ ἐκ τούτων ὑπὲρ τῆς τούτου σωτηρίας ἐγένετο καὶ τιμῆς. Καὶ ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν προτέ47.429 ρων οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποιμι παντὶ γὰρ δῆλόν ἐστι, δεῖ δὲ τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα δοῦναι λόγον. γʹ. Πῶς οὖν εἰσόμεθα ὅτι καὶ τὰ δεύτερα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκείνῳ συμφερόντων ἦν; Ἂν ἐννοήσωμεν τί τούτων μὴ γενομένων ἔπαθεν ἄν. Τί οὖν ἂν ἔπαθεν; Εἰ, τοῦ διαβόλου μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν ἐπαγγειλαμένου δείξειν αὐτοὺς ἰσοθέους, ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔμεινε τιμῆς, τρισὶν ἂν περιέπεσε τοῖς ἐσχάτοις κακοῖς. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν ἂν ἐνόμισεν εἶναι βάσκανον, καὶ ἀπατεῶνα, καὶ ψεύστην· δεύτερον δὲ τὸν ἀληθῶς ἀπατεῶνα, καὶ τοῦ ψεύδους καὶ τῆς βασκανίας πατέρα, καὶ εὐεργέτην καὶ φίλον· καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἀθάνατα ἂν διετέλεσεν ἁμαρτάνων τοῦ λοιποῦ. Τούτων δὲ αὐτὸν ἁπάντων ἀπήλλαξεν, ἐκβαλὼν τοῦ παραδείσου τότε. Οὕτω που καὶ ἰατρὸς, ἀφεὶς μὲν τὸ ἕλκος μείζονα τὴν σηπεδόνα ἐργάζεται, ἐκκόπτων δὲ κωλύει περαιτέρω προελθεῖν τοῦ τραύματος τὴν κακίαν. Τί οὖν; φησίν. Οὐκ ἔστη μέχρι τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱδρῶτας καὶ πόνους προσέθηκεν, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὕτω πρὸς ἄνεσιν ἄχρηστον ὡς ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσις ἐστίν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἐπικειμένων οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν ἁμαρτάνοντες, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐτολμήσαμεν, εἰ πρὸς τρυφὴν καὶ ἀργίαν ἀνῆκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός; Πᾶσαν γὰρ κακίαν, φησὶν, ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἀργία.","english":"The closing of Paradise, the settling him opposite it, the barring from the tree of life, the restraint, the making him mortal, the for a time showing him superior to the sentence—all these things, both those that came from the former and those that came from the latter, were done for this man's salvation and honor. And concerning the former things I would say nothing, for it is clear to everyone; but one must give an account of the things that came after these. 3. How then shall we know that the second things also were for what was advantageous to him? If we consider what he would have suffered had these things not happened. What then would he have suffered? If, after the devil promised following the transgression to show them equal to gods, he had remained in the same honor, he would have fallen into three of the most extreme evils. For first, he would have thought God was envious, and a deceiver, and a liar; second, that the truly deceiver, and father of the lie and of envy, was a benefactor and friend; and besides these, he would have continued sinning immortally thereafter. But from all these things he freed him, by casting him out of Paradise then. In this way, surely, a physician also, leaving the sore, makes the putrefaction greater, but by cutting it out he prevents the evil of the wound from proceeding further. What then? he says. He did not stop at these things, but added both sweat and toil, because nothing is so useless for ease as the nature of men. For if, even with these things pressing upon us, we do not cease sinning, what would we not have dared, if God had let us go to luxury and idleness? For idleness, he says, has taught every evil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ τῷ λόγῳ τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν γινόμενα, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων δὲ συμβάντα τῶν ἡμετέρων. Ἐκάθισε γὰρ ὁ λαὸς, φησὶ, φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν, καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐλιπάνθη, ἐπαχύνθη, ἐπλατύνθη, καὶ ἀπελάκτισεν ὁ ἠγαπημένος. Συνῳδὰ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ φθέγγεται λέγων· Ὅταν ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς, τότε ἐξεζήτουν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπέστρεφον καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ διὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου φησὶν ὁ Θεός· Διὰ παντὸς παιδεύθητι, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἀποστῇ ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ σοῦ. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ τοῖς μοχθηροῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς χρηστοῖς, καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι καὶ κάμπτεσθαι πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἐστὶ, πάλιν ὁ προφήτης φησίν· Ἀγαθόν μοι, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐταπείνωσάς με, ὅπως ἂν μάθω τὰ δικαιώματά σου. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον δὲ ὁ Ἱερεμίας τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα ἐκβοᾷ εἰ καὶ μὴ ῥήμασι τοῖς αὐτοῖς· Ἀγαθὸν ἀνδρὶ ὅταν ἄρῃ ζυγὸν βαρὺν ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ· καθίσεται κατὰ μόνας, καὶ σιωπήσεται. Καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεῖται λέγων· Μὴ γένῃ φειδόμενός μου εἰς ἀλλοτρίωσιν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πονηρᾷ. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλος ὁ τοσοῦτον ἐν τῇ χάριτι διαλάμψας, καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ὑπερβὰς, ὅμως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδεῖτο τῆς ὠφελείας τούτου τοῦ καλοῦ· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἐδόθη μοι σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκὶ ἄγγελος Σατᾶν, ἵνα με κολαφίζῃ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι. Ὑπὲρ τούτου τρὶς τὸν Κύριον παρεκάλεσα, καὶ εἶπέ μοι· Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται. Καίτοι γε ἐνῆν καὶ χωρὶς διωγμῶν καὶ θλίψεων καὶ πόνων καὶ ἱδρώτων κατορθωθῆναι τὸ κήρυγμα, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ὁ Χριστὸς τῶν κηρυττόντων φειδόμενος.","english":"And what happens every day bears witness to this account, as do the things that happened in the time of our forebears. For the people sat down, it says, to eat and drink, and rose up to play; and again: The beloved one grew fat, grew thick, grew broad, and kicked. In harmony with these things the blessed David also speaks, saying: When he killed them, then they sought him, and they turned back and rose early to God. And to Jerusalem God says through Jeremiah: Be instructed at all times, Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from you. And that it is for salvation not only for the wicked but also for the good both to be humbled and to be bent low, the prophet again says: It is good for me, Lord, that you have humbled me, so that I might learn your statutes. And after him Jeremiah cries out these very same things, even if not in the same words: It is good for a man when he bears a heavy yoke from his youth; he shall sit alone and be silent. And concerning God himself he prays, saying: Do not become one who spares me for estrangement in an evil day. And the blessed Paul, who shone so greatly in grace and surpassed human nature, nevertheless also himself needed the benefit of this good thing; therefore he also said: A thorn was given to me in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me, so that I might not be exalted. For this I pleaded with the Lord three times, and he said to me: My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is perfected in weakness. And yet it was possible for the preaching to be accomplished even without persecutions and afflictions and labors and sweat, but nevertheless Christ did not wish it, sparing those who preach.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν αὐτοῖς· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἕξετε. Καὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις δὲ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν βαδίζειν, διὰ τῆς ἐστενοχωρημένης τοῦτο κελεύει ποιεῖν ὁδοῦ, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν ἑτέρωθεν ἐκεῖσε ἐλθεῖν. Οὕτως αἱ θλίψεις καὶ οἱ πειρασμοὶ καὶ τὰ συμβαίνοντα ἡμῖν ἀνιαρὰ τῶν χρηστῶν οὐχ ἧττον τὴν κηδεμονίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἐνδείκνυνται. Καὶ τί λέγω τὰς θλίψεις τὰς ἐνθάδε; τῆς γὰρ βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον ἡ τῆς γεέννης ἀπειλὴ παρίστησι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν αὐτοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ γέεννα ἠπείλητο,\n\nοὐκ ἄν τις ταχέως ἐπέτυχε τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μόνη ἡ τῶν χρηστῶν ἐπαγγελία προτρέψαι πρὸς ἀρετὴν, μὴ καὶ τοῦ φόβου τῶν δεινῶν ὠθοῦντος τοὺς ῥᾳθυμότερον πρὸς ἐκείνην διακειμένους. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοῦ παραδείσου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐξέβαλε τὸν πρωτόπλαστον, ὅτι ἡ παρασχεθεῖσα αὐτῷ τιμὴ χείρονα αὐτὸν ἀπειργάζετο ἂν, εἴπερ ἔμενεν ἀσάλευτος καὶ βεβαία ἐκείνη τῆς ἐντολῆς κινηθείσης. Καὶ τί λέγω τὸν Ἀδάμ; Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κάϊν ἐν παραδείσῳ στρεφόμενος, καὶ τρυφῆς ἀπολαύων τοσαύτης, ὅπου γε καὶ τούτων ἐστερημένος, καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν τιμωρίαν παρὰ πόδας ὁρῶν, οὐδ' οὕτως ἐσωφρονίζετο, ἀλλ' εἰς μείζονα κακίαν ἐξέπιπτε, φόνον πρῶτος αὐτὸς καὶ εὑρὼν καὶ τολμήσας, καὶ φόνον τὸν πάντων ἐναγέστερον; Οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ μικρὸν, οὐδ' ἐν χρόνῳ πολλῷ προσῆλθε τῷ καινῷ τούτῳ μιάσματι, ἀλλ' ἀθρόως καὶ ἐξαίφνης πρὸς αὐτὴν εὐθέως ἀνεπήδησε τὴν κορυφὴν, τὸν κοινωνήσαντα τῶν αὐτῶν ὠδίνων αὐτῷ, τὸν ἠδικηκότα οὐδὲν, πλὴν εἰ τὸ τιμῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν ἀδίκημα ᾤετο, τοῦτον λοχήσας καὶ ἀνελών.","english":"Therefore he says to them: In the world you will have tribulation. And to those who wish to walk into the kingdom, he commands them to do this through the narrow road, since it is not possible to come there by another way. Thus tribulations and temptations and the painful things that befall us no less demonstrate to us the care of God than do good things. And why do I speak of the tribulations here? For the threat of Gehenna no less than the kingdom of heaven sets forth his love for mankind. For if Gehenna had not been threatened, no one would have quickly attained the good things in the heavens. For the promise of good things alone is not sufficient to urge toward virtue, unless the fear of terrible things also pushes forward those who are more slackly disposed toward it. For this reason he also cast the first-formed man out from the beginning of paradise, because the honor granted to him would have made him worse, if indeed that honor had remained unshaken and firm when the commandment was moved. And why do I speak of Adam? For what would Cain not have done, turning about in paradise and enjoying such luxury, when even deprived of these things, and seeing his father's punishment at his very feet, he was not even so brought to his senses, but fell into greater wickedness, being himself the first both to discover and to dare murder, and murder the most accursed of all? For he did not come to this new pollution little by little, nor over a long time, but at once and suddenly he leaped straight to its very summit, lying in wait for and slaying him who had shared the same pangs with him, who had wronged him in nothing, except that he thought honoring God was a wrong.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Σὺ δέ μοι κἀνταῦθα πάλιν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν κατάμαθε· ὅτε μὲν γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸν ὕβρισε, διὰ τῶν λόγων αὐτὸν νουθετεῖ, καὶ παραμυθεῖται λυπούμενον· ὅτε δὲ ἐμάνη κατὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, τότε δὴ ἐπεξέρχεται, καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπάγει. Καίτοι καὶ τὰ πρότερα τῆς αὐτῆς κολάσεως, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ χαλεπωτέρας ἄξια ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, ὅταν τις τῶν οἰκετῶν τὰ μὲν ἀμείνω φυλάττῃ ἑαυτῷ, τὰ δὲ φαυλότερα τῷ δεσπότῃ προσάγῃ, δεινὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ ὕβρις εἶναι δοκεῖ, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Θεοῦ; Ὁ δὲ Κάϊν οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἥμαρτεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον οὐχ ἧττον, τὸ δυσχερᾶναι τῇ τιμῇ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἁμαρτὼν μετεγίνωσκεν, ἀποδεκτὸς τῆς καλλίστης ταύτης μεταβολῆς ἦν· νῦν δὲ οὐ μετανοίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζήλου καὶ βασκανίας ἡ σύγχυσις ἦν, καὶ τὸ τέλος ἀπέδειξε. Μόνον γὰρ οὐκ ὠργίζετο τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι μὴ ἐτίμησεν αὐτὸν ὑβρισθεὶς, καὶ προὔθηκε τὸν ἀκόλαστον τοῦ ἐπιεικοῦς· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτω σφοδρὰν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαιτούντων τὴν τιμωρίαν ἔλαττον πολλῷ τῆς ἀξίας κέχρηται τῷ πεπλημμεληκότι, καὶ φλεγμαίνουσαν αὐτοῦ καταστέλλειν πειρᾶται τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ θυμοῦ ἡ ἀθυμία ἐκείνη ἦν· διὸ καί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἡσύχασον. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, εἰδὼς μὲν οἷ προβήσεται κακοῦ, βουλόμενος δὲ πᾶσαν τοῖς ἀγνωμονοῦσιν ἐκκόψαι πρόφασιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκολάσθη παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, πολλὰ ἂν εἶπον τοιαῦτα πολλοί· οὐ γὰρ ἐνῆν παρακαλέσαι λόγῳ, καὶ νουθετῆσαι, καὶ ἐπιπλῆξαι πρότερον, καὶ τότε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιμένοντα μετελθεῖν; Πολλῆς ὠμότητος καὶ ἀπηνείας αὕτη ἡ κόλασις.","english":"But here again, observe with me the love of God for humanity. For when he [Cain] insulted God himself, he admonishes him through words and comforts him in his distress; but when he raged against his brother, then indeed he proceeds against him and brings punishment upon him. And yet the former things were worthy of the same punishment, or rather of even harsher. For if among humans, whenever one of the servants keeps the better things for himself and brings the inferior things to the master, the matter seems dreadful and an insult, how much more so in the case of God? But Cain not only sinned in this, but also in another matter no less serious—his resentment at the honor shown to his brother. For if he had repented as one who had sinned, he would have been accepted for this most excellent change; but as it was, the confusion was not of repentance but of jealousy and envy, and the outcome proved it. For he all but raged against God, because he did not honor him when he had been insulted, and preferred the profligate to the decent man. But nevertheless, even so, when his sins demanded severe punishment, he dealt with the offender far more leniently than he deserved, and tries to calm his inflamed soul. For that despondency came from anger; therefore he also says to him: Be still. And he said these things, knowing to what evil he would proceed, but wishing to cut off every pretext from those who are obstinate. For if he had been punished from the beginning, many would have said many such things: was it not possible to exhort by word, and admonish, and rebuke first, and then, if he persisted in the same things, to punish him? This punishment is one of great cruelty and harshness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο μακροθυμεῖ ταῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ὕβρεσιν ὁ Θεὸς, ἅμα μὲν ἐπιστομίζων ἐκείνους, ἅμα δὲ καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ τὸν πατέρα τοῦ Κάϊν δι' ἀγαθότητα ἐπαίδευσε, πρὸς δὲ καὶ εἰς μετάνοιαν ἄγων τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατὰ τὴν σκληρότητα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν ἐθησαύρισεν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ὀργὴν, τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἐπεξέρχεται· εἰ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὸν φόνον ἔμεινεν ἀτιμώρητος, καὶ ἐφ' ἕτερον ἂν προῆλθε μεῖζον κακόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι παρὰ ἄγνοιαν ἐπλημμέλησεν· ὃ γὰρ ὁ νεώτερος συνῆκε, πῶς ἂν οὗτος ἠγνόησε; Πλὴν ἀλλ', εἰ βούλει, κείσθω καὶ ἀγνοίας εἶναι τὸ πρότερον· μετὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι τὸ, Ἡσύχασον, μετὰ τὸ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, ἀπὸ ποίας ἀγνοίας ἐπὶ τὸν φόνον ἤρχετο, καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐμόλυνε, καὶ τοὺς τῆς φύσεως νόμους ἀνέτρεψεν; Ὁρᾷς ὡς οὐδὲ τὰ πρότερα τοῦ ἀγνοεῖν ἦν, ἀλλὰ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας καὶ μιαρίας τῆς ἐσχάτης; Τίς οὖν ἡ τούτων τιμωρία; Στένων ἔσῃ, φησὶ, καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Δοκεῖ μὲν οὖν ἡ κόλασις εἶναι πικρά· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐὰν τὸ ἁμάρτημα λογισώμεθα, καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν τιμωρίαν διασκεψώμεθα καλῶς. Ὅτε γὰρ προσήνεγκε κακῶς, ἤλγησεν, ὅτι ὑβρίσας οὐκ ἐτιμήθη παρὰ τοῦ ὑβρισθέντος Θεοῦ, νουθετοῦντα αὐτὸν διέπτυσε, φόνον ἐτόλμησε πρῶτος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ φόνου πολλῷ μίασμα ἐναγέστερον, ἐλύπησε τοὺς γεγεννηκότας, ἐψεύσατο τῷ Θεῷ. Μὴ γὰρ φύλαξ εἰμὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου; φησί· καὶ","english":"For this reason God is patient with insults against himself, at once putting those men to silence and at the same time showing that it was out of goodness that he disciplined Cain's father, and further leading those who came afterward to repentance through such kindness of his. But when, in his hardness and unrepentant heart, he stored up wrath for himself, then at last he exacts punishment; and if he had remained unpunished even after the murder, he would have proceeded to another, greater evil. For it cannot be said that he sinned through ignorance; for what the younger brother understood, how could this one have been ignorant of? Nevertheless, if you wish, let the former deed be set down as also due to ignorance; but after hearing the words \"Be quiet,\" after obtaining pardon, from what sort of ignorance did he proceed to murder, and defile the earth, and overturn the laws of nature? Do you see that not even the earlier deeds were matters of ignorance, but of wickedness and evil and the utmost pollution? What, then, is their punishment? \"You shall be,\" he says, \"groaning and trembling upon the earth.\" The chastisement seems, then, to be bitter; but it does not, if we reckon up the sin and also carefully consider the punishment itself. For when he brought his offering badly, he grieved that, having insulted God, he was not honored by the God he had insulted; he spat upon him as he admonished him; he dared to commit murder first, or rather something far more polluted than murder; he grieved those who had begotten him; he lied to God. For he says, \"Am I my brother's keeper?\" And","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"ἀντὶ τούτων ἁπάντων φόβῳ κολάζεται μόνον καὶ τρόμῳ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τὴν χρηστότητα τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πραοτέραν εἶναι μόνον τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν τιμωρίαν εἴποιμι ἂν φαίνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κέρδος αὐτὴν ἔχειν οὐ τὸ τυχόν. Τὸ δὲ κέρδος ἦν σωφρονίζεσθαι τοὺς ἑξῆς ἅπαντας, καὶ γίνεσθαι βελτίους διὰ τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἐπιτιμήσεως. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἴσον ἀκούειν ὅτι Κάϊν τις ἀνελὼν ἀδελφὸν ἀπέθανε, καὶ ὁρᾷν τὸν ἀνελόντα δίκην τίνοντα. Τότε μὲν γὰρ κἂν ἠπιστήθη τοῦτο λεγόμενον διὰ τὴν τοῦ μύσους ὑπερβολήν· νυνὶ δὲ φαινόμενος καὶ παρὼν, καὶ πολλοὺς καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον μάρτυρας τῆς τιμωρίας ποιούμενος, κατάδηλον καὶ πιστὸν καὶ τοῖς τότε καὶ τοῖς ἐφεξῆς κατέστησε τὸ γεγονός. Τί οὖν τοῦτο πρὸς ἐκεῖνον, φησί; Μάλιστα μὲν, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ προενόησε σωτηρίας, ὅτε προανέστελλεν αὐτοῦ τὴν λύσσαν τό γε αὐτοῦ μέρος διὰ τῆς τῶν λόγων παραινέσεως. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν αὐτήν τις ἐξετάσειε, καὶ ἐκ ταύτης πολλὴν ὄψεται τὴν ὠφέλειαν οὖσαν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀπέκτεινεν εὐθέως ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἄν τινα προθεσμίαν αὐτῷ μετανοίας καὶ βελτιώσεως ἔδωκε· τότε δὲ τρόμῳ καὶ δέει συζῶν, εἰ μὴ λίαν ἀναίσθητος ἦν, καὶ θηρίον μᾶλλον ἢ ἄνθρωπος, πολλὰ ἂν ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐκέρδανε τῆς ζωῆς. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἐλάττονα αὐτῷ τὴν μέλλουσαν κόλασιν διὰ ταύτης τῆς τιμωρίας εἰργάζετο. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ἐπαγόμενα ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λυπηρὰ ἢ κολαστήρια τῶν ἐκεῖ βασάνων ὑποτέμνεται μέρος οὐ μικρόν. Καὶ τούτου τὰς μαρτυρίας ἀπὸ τῶν θείων τις ἂν ἀγάγοι Γραφῶν.","english":"For all these things he is punished only with fear and trembling. But nevertheless I would say that the goodness of God is shown not only from the punishment being milder than the sin, but also from its having no ordinary gain. And the gain was that all who came after might be brought to their senses and become better through the rebuke inflicted on him. For this reason he did not put him to death; for it was not the same thing to hear that a certain Cain killed his brother and died, and to see the killer paying the penalty. For then, even if this were said, it would have been disbelieved because of the excess of the pollution; but as it was, being visible and present, and making many witnesses of the punishment for a long time, he made what had happened clear and credible both to those then and to those afterwards. What then is this to him, he says? In the first place, he also provided for his own salvation, in that he checked his frenzy beforehand, as far as lay in him, through the exhortation of words. But if one examines the punishment itself, he will see that from this too there was great benefit. For if God had killed him immediately, he would not have given him any appointed time for repentance and improvement; but as it was, living with trembling and fear, unless he was exceedingly insensible and more a beast than a man, he would have gained much from this life. And apart from these things, he was making his future punishment less by this punishment. For the painful things or chastisements brought upon us by God in the present life cut off no small part of the torments there. And one might bring the testimonies of this from the divine Scriptures.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Χριστὸς τοῖς μαθηταῖς διαλεγόμενος, καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Λάζαρον διηγούμενος, φησὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἱκετευόμενον παρὰ τοῦ πλουσίου ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ μικρὸν ἐπιστάξαι φλεγομένῃ τῇ γλώσσῃ εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν· Τέκνον, μνήσθητι ὅτι ἀπέλαβες σὺ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος τὰ κακά· νῦν δὲ οὗτος ὧδε παρακαλεῖται, σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος Παῦλον δὲ ὅταν εἴπω, τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγω πάλιν προστάγματα· αὐτὸς γὰρ τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην ἐκίνει ψυχὴν, τοῖς Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων ποτὲ περὶ τοῦ πεπορνευκότος, κελεύει τὸν τοιοῦτον παραδοθῆναι τῷ σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάλιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀναξίως τοῖς μυστηρίοις κοινωνούντων διαλεγόμενος, Διὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, πολλοὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄῤῥωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί. Εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν. Εἶδες φιλανθρωπίαν ἄφατον, καὶ πλοῦτον χρηστότητος ἄπειρον; εἶδες πῶς ἅπαντα πράττει καὶ πραγματεύεται ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα καὶ ἁμαρτάνοντες δυνηθῶμεν πραοτέραν τῆς ὀφειλομένης ὑποστῆναι τὴν κόλασιν, ἢ καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τέλεον; δʹ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις, τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀπατήσαντα ἠφάνισε; καὶ τοῦτο σφόδρα κηδόμενος ἡμῶν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς βίαν ὁ μιαρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐκράτει, εἶχεν ἄν τινα λόγον τὸ ζητούμενον· εἰ δὲ ταύτης μὲν ἀφῄρηται τῆς δυνάμεως, πείθων δὲ μόνον τὸ μὴ πεισθῆναι δὲ ἐφ' ἡμῖν, τίνος ἕνεκεν τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τὴν πρόφασιν περιαιρεῖς, καὶ τὴν τῶν στεφάνων ἐκκόπτεις ὑπόθεσιν;","english":"For Christ, conversing with his disciples and recounting the events concerning Lazarus, says that Abraham, entreated by the rich man to drip a little with the tip of his finger onto his burning tongue, said to him: \"Child, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus his evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.\" And Paul—when I say Paul, I mean again the ordinances of Christ; for he was moving that blessed soul, when writing to the Corinthians once concerning the man who had committed fornication, he commands that such a one be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again, speaking to the same people concerning those who partake of the mysteries unworthily, he says: \"For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and a good many sleep. For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged; but being judged by the Lord, we are chastened, so that we may not be condemned with the world.\" Did you see the ineffable love for humanity, and the boundless wealth of goodness? Did you see how God does and accomplishes all things, so that even when we sin we may be able to undergo a punishment gentler than what is owed, or even be delivered from it entirely? 4. But if someone should say, \"For what reason, then, did he not destroy the one who deceived from the beginning?\"—this too is out of his great care for us. For if that foul one were ruling by force, the question would have some basis; but if he has been deprived of this power, and only persuades, while not being persuaded lies in our power, for what reason do you remove the occasion of good repute, and cut off the ground for crowns?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις εἰ μὲν εἰδὼς αὐτὸν ἀκαταγώνιστον ὄντα, καὶ πάντων μέλλοντα κρατεῖν, εἶτα ἀφῆκεν, ἦν μὲν οὐδὲ οὕτως ἄξιον ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀπορεῖν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τότε παρ' ἡμᾶς ἐγίνετο τὸ κρατεῖν ἐκεῖνον καὶ νικᾶν τοὺς οὐ βιαζομένους, ἀλλ' ἑκόντας ὑποκλινομένους αὐτῷ· πλὴν ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἤρκεσεν ἂν τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀγνωμονεῖν. Εἰ δὲ πολλοὶ μὲν εἰσὶν οἱ περιγενόμενοι τῆς ἐκείνου δυνάμεως ἤδη, πολλοὶ δὲ οἱ περιεσόμενοι πάλιν, τί τοὺς μέλλοντας εὐδοκιμεῖν, καὶ λαμπρὰν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι νίκην, τοσαύτης ἀποστερεῖς τιμῆς; Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ εἴασεν, ἵνα αὐτὸν καταβάλωσιν οἱ πρότερον ἡττηθέντες ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· ὃ πάσης αὐτῷ κολάσεως μεῖζον, καὶ πρὸς ἐσχάτην κατάκρισιν ἀγαγεῖν ἱκανόν. Ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες αὐτοῦ περιέσονται, φησί. Καὶ τί τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ λεγόμενον; Πολλῷ γὰρ δικαιότερον τοὺς μὲν γενναίους λαμβάνειν\n\nἀφορμὰς, ἐν αἷς τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐπιδείξονται τὴν αὐτῶν, τοὺς δὲ οὐ τοιούτους ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας κολάζεσθαι ῥᾳθυμίας, ἢ διὰ τούτους ἐκείνους ἐπηρεάζεσθαι. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ ὁ φαῦλος, κἂν ἀδικῆται, οὐ παρὰ τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ νωθρείαν κρατούμενος· καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νικώντων αὐτόν· τότε δὲ ἂν οἱ σπουδαῖοι διὰ τοὺς φαύλους ἐπηρεάσθησαν, οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅπου τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ χρήσονται δι' ἐκείνους·","english":"Moreover, if he knew that he was invincible and would prevail over all, and then let him go, even so it would not be right to be at a loss about these things; for even then it was in our power that he should prevail and conquer those who did not force themselves but willingly submitted to him; yet nevertheless not even this would have sufficed for those who wish to be unreasonable. But if many are those who have already overcome his power, and many are those who will overcome it again, why do you deprive of so great an honor those who are going to distinguish themselves and display a brilliant victory? For this reason he let him go, so that those who were previously defeated by him might bring him down; which is greater than every punishment, and sufficient to bring him to the utmost condemnation. But not all will overcome him, he says. And what is this to the point being made? For it is far more just that the noble receive\n\nopportunities in which they will display their own purpose, and that those who are not such be punished for their own negligence, than that the former be maltreated on account of the latter. For now the base man, even if he is wronged, is overcome not by his adversary but by his own sluggishness; and the multitude of those who conquer him makes this clear; but then, if the earnest were maltreated on account of the base, having no place to exercise their courage because of them—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"καὶ ἐγένετο παρόμοιον, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἀγωνοθέτης ἀθλητὰς ἔχων δύο, τὸν μὲν καὶ συμπλακῆναι ἕτοιμον τῷ ἀνταγωνιστῇ, καὶ καρτερίαν ἐπιδείξασθαι πολλὴν, καὶ στέφανον ἀναδήσασθαι, τὸν δὲ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἐκείνης ἀργίαν προτιμῶντα καὶ τρυφὴν, λαβὼν ἐκ μέσου τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν, ἀμφοτέρους ἀπράκτους ἐκπέμψειε παρ' αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω μὲν γὰρ ὁ σπουδαῖος διὰ τὸν φαῦλον ἐπηρεάσθη, ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐκέτι διὰ τὸν γενναῖον κακὸς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν κακίαν τὴν αὑτοῦ. Καὶ νῦν μὲν δοκεῖ τὸ ζητούμενον αὐτοῖς εἶναι περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ὁ λόγος οὗτος προϊὼν τὴν αὐτοῦ πολλοῖς ἐγκαλέσει καὶ μέμψεται τὴν πρόνοιαν, καὶ τὴν δημιουργίαν ἅπασαν διαβαλεῖ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῆς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κατηγορήσει διαπλάσεως· διὰ τούτων μὲν γὰρ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ὧν οὐ δεῖ, καὶ εἰς μοιχείαν ἐμπίπτουσιν οἱ πολλοί· δι' ἐκείνου δὲ βλασφημοῦσι, καὶ τὰ ὀλέθρια τῶν δογμάτων προφέρουσιν ἕτεροι. Ἆρ' οὖν διὰ τοῦτο χωρὶς γλώττης καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν γενέσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐχρῆν; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἐκκόψομεν, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἀποτεμοῦμεν, ἐπειδὴ αὗται μὲν αἱμάτων πλήρεις εἰσὶν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ εἰς κακίαν τρέχουσι. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰ ὦτα τὴν ἀπήνειαν τοῦ λόγου τούτου δυνήσεται ἐκφυγεῖν· καὶ γὰρ ἀκοὴν ματαίαν παραδέχεται, καὶ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων φθορὰν παραπέμπει τῇ ψυχῇ· ὥστε καὶ ταῦτα ἀφαιρήσομεν. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ σῖτα, καὶ ποτὰ, καὶ οὐρανὸν, καὶ γῆν, καὶ θάλατταν, καὶ ἥλιον, καὶ φῶς, καὶ σελήνην, καὶ τὸν τῶν ἄστρων χορὸν, καὶ πάντα τῶν ἀλόγων τὰ γένη·","english":"And it became like this: as if some judge of a contest, having two athletes, the one ready both to grapple with the opponent and to display great endurance and to be crowned with the wreath, but the other preferring idleness and luxury to that hardship, taking the opponent out of the midst, should send both away from him without achievement. For in this way the earnest man was injured because of the base man, but that one was no longer bad because of the noble man, but because of his own wickedness. And now indeed what is sought by them seems to be about the devil; but as this argument proceeds in its sequence, it will accuse his providence to many and find fault with it, and will slander the whole creation of God. For it will also accuse the formation of the mouth and of the eyes; for through these men desire what they ought not, and many fall into adultery; and through that other they blaspheme, and others bring forth the destructive things of doctrines. Was it necessary, then, on this account for men to be born without tongue and eyes? Then we will also cut off the feet, and sever the hands, since these are full of blood, and those run to wickedness. But not even the ears will be able to escape the absurdity of this argument; for it receives vain hearing, and transmits the corruption of doctrines to the soul; so that we will take these away too. And if this, then also foods, and drinks, and heaven, and earth, and sea, and sun, and light, and moon, and the chorus of the stars, and all the kinds of irrational animals;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"ποῦ γὰρ ἔσται χρήσιμα ταῦτα, τοῦ δι' ὃν ἐγένετο πάντα κατακοπέντος οὕτως ἐλεεινῶς; Ὁρᾷς τὸν γέλωτα καὶ τὴν ἀτοπίαν εἰς ἢν ὁ λόγος καταστρέφειν ἀναγκάζεται; Ὁ γὰρ διάβολος ἑαυτῷ κακὸς, οὐχ ἡμῖν· ἡμεῖς γὰρ εἰ βουλοίμεθα καὶ πολλὰ καρπωσόμεθα δι' αὐτοῦ καλὰ, ἄκοντος μὲν καὶ μὴ βουλομένου· τὸ δὲ θαῦμα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ μεῖζον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἡ ὑπερβολή. Τὸ γὰρ βελτίους γίνεσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δάκνει μὲν αὐτὸν καὶ αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ καὶ λυπεῖ· ὅταν δὲ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦτο προξενῆται ἡμῖν, οὐδ' ἐνεγκεῖν δυνήσεται τὴν ἐπήρειαν. Πῶς οὖν προξενεῖται δι' αὐτοῦ; Δεδοικότες αὐτοῦ τὴν ὠμότητα καὶ τὰς συνεχεῖς ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τὰς ἐπαλλήλους μηχανὰς, τὸν πολὺν ὕπνον ἀποκρουόμεθα, νήφομεν, μεμνήμεθα τοῦ Κυρίου διαπαντός. Καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐμὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου, ἄκουσον πῶς διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν σχεδὸν ῥημάτων διεγείρει τοὺς καθεύδοντας τῶν πιστῶν. Τοῖς γὰρ Ἐφεσίοις ἐπιστέλλων οὕτω πώς φησιν· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, οὐ καταβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ διαναστῆσαι βουλόμενος. Καὶ ὁ Πέτρος δὲ, Νήψατε, φησὶ, γρηγορήσατε, ὅτι ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ, ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ· ᾧ ἀντίστητε στερεοὶ τῇ πίστει. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπε σφοδροτέρους ἐργάσασθαι θέλων, καὶ πεῖσαι πλείονα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὴν οἰκειότητα ἔχειν.","english":"For where will these things be useful, when the one for whose sake all things came to be has been cut down so pitiably? Do you see the absurdity and the ridiculousness into which the argument is compelled to turn? For the devil is evil to himself, not to us; for we, if we wish, will reap many good things even through him, unwilling and not wanting it—and the wonder is greater in this too, and the excess of God's love for humanity. For that people become better stings him, even by itself, and grieves him; but when this is brought about for us even through him, he will not be able to endure the insult. How, then, is it brought about through him? Fearing his cruelty and his continual plots and his successive devices, we drive off much sleep, we stay sober, we remember the Lord continually. And that this word is not mine, but that of the blessed Paul, hear how by nearly the same words he rouses the sleeping among the faithful. For writing to the Ephesians, he says something like this: Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. He said these things, however, not wishing to cast them down, but to stir them up. And Peter also says, Be sober, be watchful, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; resist him, firm in the faith. He said this wishing to make them more vehement and to persuade them to have greater intimacy with God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"Ὁ γὰρ ἐφεστῶτα τὸν ἐχθρὸν ὁρῶν, μᾶλλον προστρέχει καὶ συμπλέκεται τῷ δυναμένῳ βοηθεῖν. Οὕτω που καὶ τὰ παιδία τὰ μικρὰ, ὅταν μὲν ἴδῃ τι τῶν φοβερῶν, εἰς τὸν τῆς μητρὸς καταφεύγοντα κόλπον, καὶ ἐκκρεμασθέντα τῶν ἱματίων ἐκείνης, ἔχεται αὐτῶν ἀσφαλῶς, καὶ πολλῶν ἀνθελκόντων πολλάκις, οὐκ ἀφίσταται· ὅταν δὲ μηδὲν ᾖ τὸ θορυβοῦν, οὐδὲ καλούσης ἐκείνης καὶ ἐφελκομένης ἀνέχεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ καλοῦσαν διαπτύει, καὶ πολλὰ πρὸς τὸ ἐπισπάσασθαι μηχανωμένην ἀποστρέφεται, καὶ τραπέζης κειμένης καταφρονεῖ. Διὰ τοῦτο πολλαὶ τῶν μητέρων ἐπειδὰν\n\nμηδὲν ἰσχύσωσι παρακαλοῦσαι, μορμολύκεια καὶ φόβητρα κατασκευάζουσαι, οὕτως αὐτῶν σοφίζονται τὴν ἐπάνοδον, καὶ πείθουσι προσδραμεῖν πάλιν αὐταῖς. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν παιδίων γίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ Πονηρὸς φοβῇ καὶ ταράττῃ, τότε σωφρονιζόμεθα, τότε ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιγινώσκομεν, τότε μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς τῷ Θεῷ προστρέχομεν· εἰ δὲ ἠφανίσθη παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν οὗτος καὶ γέγονεν ἐκποδὼν, τάχα οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρελθόντων ἂν ἐπίστευσαν οἱ πολλοί· οἷον ὅτι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἠπάτησε, καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἐκείνων ἐξέβαλεν ἀγαθῶν· ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν φθόνῳ καὶ βασκανίᾳ τοῦτο πεποιηκέναι εἶπον ἄν. Ὅπου γὰρ καὶ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ ταῦτα τολμῶντες μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἀπάτης αὐτοῦ, εἰ μηδὲ ὅλως πεῖραν ἔλαβον τῆς κακουργίας ἐκείνου, τί οὐκ ἂν εἶπον, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐφθέγξαντο; Ὅλως δὲ εἰ χρὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας τοῖς γενομένοις προσέχειν, οὐδὲ εἰς ἅπαντα ἡμᾶς ὁ διάβολος ὠθεῖ, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐργάζεται κακὰ, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοῖς ῥᾳθυμίᾳ καὶ καταφρονήσει μόνον.","english":"For the one who sees the enemy standing over him runs all the more to the one who is able to help, and clings to him. So it is, surely, with little children: when one of them sees something frightening, they flee into their mother's bosom, and hanging from her garments they hold fast to them securely, and even when many often pull them back, they do not let go; but when there is nothing to alarm them, they do not endure it even when she calls and draws them, but they even spurn her when she calls, and turn away from her though she contrives many things to attract them, and when a table is set they despise it. For this reason many mothers, when\n\nthey have no strength in entreating, fashion bogeymen and frights, and so contrive their return, and persuade them to run back to them again. And this happens not only with children, but also with us. For when the Evil One frightens and disturbs us, then we are brought to our senses, then we recognize ourselves, then with great eagerness we run to God; but if he had vanished from the beginning and been got out of the way, perhaps many would not even have believed concerning the past—for instance, that he deceived man and cast him out from those many good things; but they would have said that God did this out of envy and malice. For where even now there are those who dare such things after so great a demonstration of his deceit, if they had not had any experience at all of that one's wickedness, what would they not have said, what would they not have uttered? And, to speak generally, if one must attend precisely to what has happened, the devil does not drive us into all things, but he himself works many evils, and we also work many for ourselves by mere laziness and contempt.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"Ποῦ γὰρ, ἵνα πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπανέλθωμεν, προσεπέλασεν ὁ διάβολος τῷ Κάϊν, καὶ τὸν φόνον πρᾶξαι παρῄνεσε; Τῇ μὲν γὰρ τούτου μητρὶ φαίνεται διαλεγόμενος καὶ τὴν ἀπάτην κατασκευάζων· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐκέτι, πλὴν εἴ τις αὐτὸν τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς ὑποβεβληκέναι φαίη, καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸν καταδεξάμενον καὶ πεισθέντα καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῷ παρεσχηκότα τῆς ἐφόδου. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτὸν εἴασεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐπέμενε παιδεύων καὶ νουθετῶν, δι' ὧν ἐδόκει κολάζειν αὐτόν. Καὶ τί λέγω τοῦ Κάϊν τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς, ὅπου γε καὶ ὁ κατακλυσμὸς, ἔνθα τοσούτων ἀνδρῶν ἀπώλεια δύναιτ' ἂν ἡμῖν ἐμφῆναι τὴν κηδεμονίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ ἀπροσδοκήτως ἐπήγαγεν ἐκεῖνα τὰ δεινὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ προεῖπε, καὶ οὐ πρὸ χρόνου βραχέος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ εἴκοσι ἐτῶν καὶ ἑκατόν. Ἔπειτα, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τὸ μῆκος τῆς προῤῥήσεως εἰς λήθην ἐμπέσωσι καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν, παρεσκεύασε τὴν κιβωτὸν τεκταίνεσθαι κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκείνων αὐτῶν, πάσης φωνῆς λαμπρότερον βοῶσαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀπειλήν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Κάϊν ἐξέπεσεν ἤδη τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων διανοίας, ἐκείνη δὲ πρὸ τῶν ὄψεων αὐτῶν κειμένη, συνεχῶς τῶν ἀπειληθέντων τὴν μνήμην διήγειρεν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐσωφρονίσθησαν, ἀλλ' ἐπέμενον προκαλούμενοι καὶ ἕλκοντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ κακά. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς οὔτε ἀπειλῆσαι κατακλυσμὸν οὔτε ἐπαγαγεῖν ἠθέλησεν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τὴν γέενναν αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἡμεῖς αἴτιοι τούτων· ὅπερ καὶ σοφώτατός τις συνιδὼν ἔλεγεν ὅτι, Ὁ Θεὸς θάνατον οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ τέρπεται ἐπ' ἀπωλείᾳ ζώντων. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου οὕτω φησί·","english":"For where—to return again to the beginning—did the devil approach Cain and urge him to commit murder? For he is seen conversing with that man's mother and contriving the deception; but here no longer, unless someone should say that he suggested the evil thoughts to him, and this too depended on the one who received them and was persuaded and gave him the opening for the assault. But nevertheless not even so did God leave him alone, but he continued instructing and admonishing him through the very things by which he seemed to punish him. And why do I speak of the punishment of Cain, one man, when even the flood, where the destruction of so many men could make clear to us the care of God? For first he did not bring those terrible things upon them simply or unexpectedly, but he foretold them, and not a short time before, but a hundred and twenty years before. Then, so that because of the length of the forewarning they might not fall into forgetfulness and negligence, he arranged for the ark to be built before their very eyes, crying out the threat of God more loudly than any voice. For Cain had already fallen out of the minds of men, but that ark, lying before their eyes, continually stirred up the memory of the things threatened. But not even so were they brought to their senses, but they persisted in provoking and drawing evils upon themselves. For God neither wished to threaten the flood nor to bring it on, just as not even Gehenna itself, but we are the cause of all these things; which indeed one of the wisest, having understood, said: \"God did not make death, nor does he delight in the destruction of the living.\" And he himself also says through the prophet:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"Μὴ γὰρ θελήσω τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν. Ὅταν δὲ μὴ ἐπιστραφῶμεν, τὴν ἀπώλειαν καὶ τὸν θάνατον ἡμεῖς καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπάγομεν, οὐχ ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς ἀπολέσθαι Θεὸς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου φυγεῖν ὁδὸν ὑποδεικνύς. Ἆρ' οὖν τοῦτο μόνον ἔχομεν εἰπεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, κέρδος δὲ οὐδὲν εὑρήσομεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγονός; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅσον καὶ τοῖς τετελευτηκόσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς μετ' ἐκείνους γεγενημένοις ὑπῆρξεν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ περαιτέρω προελθεῖν τῆς κακίας ἐκωλύθησαν· οἱ δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους ἐκείνων μειζόνως ἐκέρδανον, τῆς ζύμης, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, καὶ τῆς ὑποθέσεως τῶν κακῶν. ἀφανισθείσης ἐκ μέσου μετὰ τῶν τολμησάντων αὐτῶν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς παραδείγματος εὐκόλως δύναιντ' ἂν εὑρεῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ κακὰ, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔπραξαν πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν παρακαλούντων αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὰς πράξεις τὰς πονηράς; Ὅπερ ἵνα μὴ γένηται, μηδὲ τοσούτους διδασκάλους οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα φαυλότητος ἔχωσι, πάντας αὐτοὺς ἄρδην ἀπώλεσεν.","english":"For I do not will the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live. But when we do not turn back, it is we who bring destruction and death upon ourselves, not God, who does not will that we perish and who points out the way to escape the devil's path. Can we then say only this concerning the flood, and find no benefit that came from it? But it is not even possible to say how much benefit accrued both to those who perished themselves and to those who came after them. For those were prevented from advancing further in wickedness; and those after them gained all the more greatly from them, since the leaven, so to speak, and the foundation of evils was wiped out from their midst together with those who dared them. For if even without an example men could easily discover evils, what would they not have done when there were many urging them on to wicked deeds? So that this might not happen, nor those who came afterward have so many teachers of baseness, he destroyed them all utterly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"εʹ. Ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ σοφὸς λόγος, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ ἀνόητος, τῶν πράττειν μὲν οὐδὲν βουλομένων ἀγαθὸν, πάντα δὲ ζητούντων καὶ λεγόντων, ἵνα τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάγωσιν; Εἰ μὴ συνεχώρησε, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδ' ἂν προσῆλθεν ὁ διάβολος, οὐδ' ἂν ἠπάτησε τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἂν ἔμαθεν ὁ\n\nἈδὰμ ὅσον εἶχεν ἀγαθὸν, οὐδ' ἂν ἐκ τῆς ἀπονοίας ἐκείνης κατέβη ποτέ. Ὁ γὰρ τοσούτου ἑαυτὸν καταξιῶν, ὡς καὶ θεὸς γενέσθαι προσδοκᾷν, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐτόλμησεν οὗτος, μὴ σωφρονισθείς; Θῶμεν δὲ μήτε συμβεβουλευκέναι τι τὸν διάβολον, μήτε ὅλως διειλέχθαι τῇ Εὔᾳ περὶ τοῦ ξύλου· ἆρα ἂν ἄπταιστοι διετέλεσαν μὴ γενομένου τούτου; Οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς οὕτως εὐκόλως ἀναπεισθεὶς, οὗτος καὶ διαβόλου οὐκ ὄντος ταχέως ἂν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατέπεσεν· ὃ καὶ μείζω ἂν αὐτῷ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐποίησε. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων οὐδὲ νῦν τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου μόνον ἀπάτης τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς οἰκείας ἐπιθυμίας ἁλοῦσα κατέπεσεν ἡ γυνή. Καὶ τοῦτο ἡ Γραφὴ παρεδήλωσεν εἰποῦσα· Καὶ εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι καλὸν τὸ ξύλον εἰς βρῶσιν, καὶ ὅτι ἀρεστὸν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἰδεῖν, καὶ ὡραῖον τοῦ κατανοῆσαι· καὶ λαβοῦσα τοῦ καρποῦ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγε. Καὶ οὐ τὸν διάβολον ἀπαλλάττων τῶν τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἐγκλημάτων ταῦτα λέγω νῦν, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἑκόντες κατέπεσον, οὐδεὶς ἂν αὐτοὺς κατέβαλεν. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν παρ' ἑτέρου δεξάμενος ἀπάτην οὕτως εὐκόλως, οὗτος καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀπάτης ῥᾳθύμως καὶ χαύνως διέκειτο· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἴσχυσε τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνος, εἰ νηφούσῃ καὶ ἐγρηγορυίᾳ διελέγετο ψυχῇ.","english":"5. But what is this clever argument—or rather, this foolish one—of those who wish to do nothing good, but seek and say everything in order to bring the blame for their own sins upon God? \"If God had not permitted it,\" they say, \"the devil would not have come near, nor would he have deceived us in the first place.\" But neither would Adam have learned how great a good he possessed, nor would he ever have come down from that folly. For this man, who deemed himself worthy of such great things as even to expect to become a god—what would he not have dared, had he not been brought to his senses? But let us suppose that the devil neither gave any counsel nor conversed with Eve at all about the tree: would they then have remained free from stumbling if this had not happened? It is not possible to say so. For the man who was so easily persuaded by his wife would quickly have fallen into sin of his own accord even without a devil—which would also have made his punishment greater. And apart from these considerations, even now the whole matter is not merely the devil's deception, but the woman also fell, caught by her own desire. And Scripture indicated this when it said: \"And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes to look upon, and fair to contemplate; and she took of its fruit and ate.\" And I say these things now not to absolve the devil of the charges of his plotting, but wishing to show that if they had not fallen willingly, no one would have brought them down. For the one who so easily received deception from another was, even before the deception, in a careless and slack condition; for that one would not have prevailed so much, if he had been conversing with a sober and watchful soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες οἳ, ἐπειδὰν κατὰ τοῦτο διελεγχθῶσι τὸ μέρος, τὸν διάβολον ἀφέντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν μεταβαίνουσι, καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἡμαρτηκότος ἀπέχονται, ἐγκαλοῦσι δὲ τῷ Θεῷ λέγοντες, Τί γὰρ ἐδίδου πρόσταγμα, ἁμαρτήσοντας αὐτοὺς εἰδώς; Καὶ ταῦτα δέ ἐστι διαβόλου τὰ ῥήματα καὶ ἀσεβοῦς ἐννοίας εὑρήματα. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ τὸ δοῦναι τὴν ἐντολὴν μείζονος κηδεμονίας ἐστὶν, ἢ τὸ μὴ δοῦναι, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν. Ἔστω γὰρ ὁ Ἀδὰμ τὴν μὲν προαίρεσιν ἔχων οὕτω ῥᾴθυμον, ὡς τὸ τέλος ἀπέδειξε, δεχέσθω δὲ μηδεμίαν ἐντολὴν, ἀλλὰ μενέτω τρυφῶν· ἆρα ἡ ἀσθένεια καὶ ἡ ῥᾳθυμία ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνέσεως ταύτης ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἐπέδωκεν ἄν; Ἀλλὰ παντί που δῆλον, ὅτι πρὸς ἐσχάτην ἂν κατέπεσε κακίαν, ἄφροντις ὤν. Ὁ γὰρ μηδέπω θαῤῥεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀθανασίας ἔχων, ἀλλ' ἔτι μετέωρον τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην οὖσαν εἰδὼς, καὶ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἀλαζονείας καὶ ἀνοίας ἀρθεὶς, ὡς καὶ ἐλπίσαι γενέσθαι θεὸς, καὶ ταῦτα οὐδαμόθεν τὸν ταῦτα ἐπαγγειλάμενον πιστὸν ὁρῶν· εἰ βεβαίαν ἔσχε τὴν ἀθανασίαν, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἔφθασεν ἀπονοίας; τί δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐξήμαρτε; πότε δὲ ἂν ὑπήκουσε τοῦ Θεοῦ; Σὺ δὲ παρόμοιον ποιεῖς ἐγκαλῶν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις καὶ τὸν πορνεύειν ἀπαγορεύοντα μέμφοιτο, ἐπειδὴ οἱ ταῦτα ἀκουσόμενοι πορνεύειν ἔμελλον. Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης ταῦτα μανίας τὰ ῥήματα; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ δεξαμένῳ τὴν ἐντολὴν προσελθὼν ὁ διάβολος ἀποστῆναι τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεβούλευσε, καὶ τοῦτο εὐκόλως ἂν ἔπεισεν· ὁ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ προστάγματος δόσιν καταφρονήσας τοῦ δεδωκότος αὐτὸ, εἰ μηδὲν ὅλως ἠκηκόει παρ' αὐτοῦ, ταχέως ἂν ὅτι καὶ ὑπὸ δεσπότην ἐστὶν ἠγνόησε.","english":"But there are some who, when they are refuted on this point, leave the devil aside and move on to the commandment, and while they keep away from the one who has sinned, they bring a charge against God, saying, \"Why then did he give a commandment, knowing that they would sin?\" But these too are the devil's words and the inventions of an impious mind. For that giving the commandment is a matter of greater care than not giving it is clear from this. For let Adam have his will so easy-going, as the outcome proved, and let him receive no commandment, but let him remain in luxury. Would his weakness and slackness have advanced from this relaxation for the worse or for the better? But it is clear to everyone, surely, that he would have fallen into the utmost wickedness, being free from care. For the one who did not yet have confidence about immortality, but knew that this hope was still hanging in the balance, and was lifted up to such a height of arrogance and folly as even to hope to become a god—and that without seeing from anywhere that the one who promised this was trustworthy—if he had had immortality secure, to what depth of madness would he not have reached? What would he not have sinned? When would he have obeyed God? But you do something similar in bringing a charge, as if someone were to blame the one who forbids fornication, because those who would hear these things were going to commit fornication. And how are these words not those of the utmost madness? For if the devil, coming to him when he had not received the commandment, had advised him to revolt from God, he would easily have persuaded him; for the one who, after the giving of the commandment, despised the one who gave it—if he had heard nothing at all from him, he would quickly have failed to recognize even that he was under a master.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο προλαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς δι' ὧν προσέταξεν, ἐδίδαξεν ὅτι καὶ κύριον ἔχει, καὶ πάντα ὑπακούειν αὐτοῦ δεῖ. Καὶ τί πλέον ἀπὸ τούτου γέγονε; φησί. Μάλιστα μὲν, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἐγεγόνει, οὐδὲν τοῦτο παρὰ τὸν διδάξαντα Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸν μὴ δεξάμενον τὴν καλλίστην ταύτην παίδευσιν· νῦν δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀνόνητος γέγονε καὶ μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν ἡ δόσις τῆς ἐντολῆς. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ κρυβῆναι, καὶ τὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὁμολογῆσαι, καὶ τὸ σπουδάζειν τὸν μὲν ἄνδρα ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἐκείνην δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν ὄφιν τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν γεγενημένων μεταγαγεῖν, δεδοικότων ἐστὶ καὶ τρεμόντων καὶ τὸ κῦρος ἐπεγνωκότων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅσον δὲ κέρδος ἦν ἀπὸ τῆς σατανικῆς ἐκείνης προσδοκίας εἰς τοσοῦτον μετατεθῆναι φόβον, οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ. Ὁ γὰρ ἰσοθεΐαν φαντασθεὶς, αὐτὸς οὕτως ἐταπεινοῦτο καὶ συνεστέλλετο, ὡς ὑπὲρ τιμωρίας καὶ κολάσεως τρέμειν, καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐξαγγέλλειν τὴν αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν ἀνεπαισθήτως, ἀλλ' ἐπιγινώσκειν ταχέως καὶ συνορᾷν τὸ πλημμεληθὲν, οὐκ ἔστι μικρὸν, ἀλλ' ὁδός τις καὶ ἀρχὴ πρὸς διόρθωσιν ἄγουσα καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολήν. Πᾶσαν μὲν οὖν τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγαθότητα οὔτε μαθεῖν οὔτε διηγήσασθαι δυνατόν· ὧν δὲ","english":"For this reason God, having first taken the initiative through the things he commanded, taught that he also has a master, and that one must obey him in all things. And what more has come from this? he says. In the first place, even if nothing had come of it, this is no fault of God who taught, but of the one who did not receive this most excellent instruction; but as it is, not even so has the giving of the commandment after the transgression proved unprofitable. For the hiding, and the confessing of the sin, and the eagerness to transfer the cause of what had happened—the man to the woman, and she to the serpent—these are the marks of those who fear and tremble and have recognized the authority of God. And how great a gain it was to be transferred from that satanic expectation to so much fear, no one is ignorant. For he who had imagined himself equal to God was himself so humbled and brought low as to tremble for punishment and chastisement, and to declare his own sin. But to sin without perceiving it, yet to recognize quickly and discern the offense—this is no small thing, but a kind of road and beginning leading to correction and to change for the better. All the goodness of the Lord toward us, then, can neither be learned nor described; but of the things which","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"ἴσμεν τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐρῶ. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν τοσαύτην παρακοὴν, μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἁμαρτήματα, ὅτε πᾶσαν κατέσχε τὴν οἰκουμένην ἡ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τυραννὶς, ὅτε τὴν ἐσχάτην ἔδει δοῦναι δίκην λοιπὸν, καὶ ἀπολέσθαι παντελῶς, καὶ ἀνώνυμον τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γενέσθαι γένος, τότε τὴν μεγίστην περὶ ἡμᾶς εὐεργεσίαν ἐπεδείξατο, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ ἀπηλλοτριωμένων καὶ μισούντων αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστρεφομένων τὸν Μονογενῆ κατασφάξας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τούτου τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν καταλλαγὴν ἐργασάμενος ἡμῖν, καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ τὰ μυρία ἐπαγγειλάμενος δώσειν ἀγαθὰ, ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε, μήτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη. Τί ταύτης ἂν γένοιτο τῆς κηδεμονίας ἴσον, τῆς φιλανθρωπίας, τῆς ἀγαθότητος; Διὰ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτός φησι· Καθὼς ἀπέχει ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, οὕτως ἀπέχει ἡ ὁδός μου ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ διανοήματά μου ἀπὸ τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν. Καὶ ὁ πραότατος δὲ Δαυῒδ περὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ διαλεγόμενός φησι· Κατὰ τὸ ὕψος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐκραταίωσε Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν· καθ' ὅσον ἀπέχουσιν ἀνατολαὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν, ἐμάκρυνεν ἀφ' ἡμῶν τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· καθὼς οἰκτείρει πατὴρ υἱοὺς, ᾠκτείρησε Κύριος τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν· οὐχ ὅτι τοσοῦτον μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι παράδειγμα τῆς ἄκρας φιλοστοργίας ἕτερον μεῖζον οὐκ ἴσμεν. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι καὶ τούτου πλεῖον ὁ Ἡσαΐας ἐδίδαξε· τὴν γὰρ μητέρα εἰς τὸ ὑπόδειγμα παραλαβὼν τὴν πολὺ τοῦ πατρὸς συμπαθεστέραν πρὸς τὰ ἔκγονα οὖσαν, οὑτωσὶ λέγει·","english":"I know the sum of it; I will state it. For after so great a disobedience, after so many sins, when the tyranny of sin had taken hold of the whole inhabited world, when it was already time to exact the final penalty and to perish utterly, and for the race of men to become nameless, then he displayed the greatest beneficence toward us: for his enemies, for those estranged and hating him and turning away from the Only-Begotten, he slaughtered his own Son, and through him worked out for us reconciliation with himself, and promised to give the kingdom of heaven, and eternal life, and the countless good things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man. What could be equal to this care, this love for humanity, this goodness? For this reason he himself says: As the heaven is far from the earth, so is my way far from your ways, and my thoughts from your thoughts. And the gentlest David also, speaking of his love for humanity, says: As the height of heaven is from the earth, the Lord has strengthened his mercy upon those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, he has removed our iniquities far from us; as a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has had compassion on those who fear him; not only because it is so great, but because we know no other example of the utmost affection that is greater. Since Isaiah taught even more than this; for taking a mother as the example, who is far more compassionate toward her offspring than a father, he speaks thus:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"Μὴ ἐπιλήσεται γυνὴ τοῦ παιδίου αὐτῆς, ἢ τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτο ταῦτα γυνὴ, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαί σου, λέγει Κύριος· δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ τῆς φυσικῆς φιλοστοργίας ἀνώτερός ἐστιν ὁ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οἱ προφῆται, τοῖς δὲ Ἰουδαίοις αὐτὸς διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστός· Εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν; οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐμφαίνων διὰ τούτων, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι ὅσον τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν τὸ μέσον ἐστὶ, τοσοῦτον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίας πρὸς τὴν πατρικὴν τὸ διάφορον. Καὶ μηδὲ μέχρι τούτου πάλιν στῇς, ἀλλὰ τῷ νῷ καὶ περαιτέρω πρόϊθι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅσον ἀκοῦσαί σε δυνατὸν, εἴρηται· οὗ γὰρ ἡ σύνεσις ἄπειρος καὶ ἡ ἀγαθότης, δηλονότι καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία. Εἰ δὲ μὴ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν γινομένων αὐτὴν ὑποπτεύομεν, καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀπειρίας αὐτῆς σημεῖον. Πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ μεγάλα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας οἰκονομεῖται, ἃ αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἐστὶ φανερά. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἀγαθότητα τὸ ἡμέτερον γένος εὐεργετεῖ, οὔτε δὲ τῆς παρ' ἡμῶν δόξης δεόμενος, οὔτε ἀμοιβῆς χρῄζων τινὸς ἑτέρας, τὰ πλείονα ἀφίησι λανθάνειν ἡμᾶς· εἰ δέ ποτε καὶ ἀποκαλύψειε, καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν ποιεῖ, ἵνα εὐχαρίστως διατεθέντες πλείονα ἐπισπασώμεθα τὴν βοήθειαν. Μὴ τοίνυν ὑπὲρ τούτων μόνον ὧν ἴσμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐκ ἴσμεν εὐχαριστῶμεν αὐτῷ· οὐ γὰρ ἑκόντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄκοντας οἶδεν εὖ ποιεῖν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος εἰδὼς πάντοτε καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν εὐχαριστεῖν παρῄνει.","english":"Will a woman forget her own child, or not have compassion on the offspring of her womb? And even if a woman should forget these things, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord—showing that the mercy of God is higher even than natural affection. And the prophets said these things; but Christ himself, conversing with the Jews, said: If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him? By these words he shows nothing else than that, as great as is the distance between the good and the evil, so great is the difference between God's care and a father's. And do not stop again at this point, but go forward in thought even further; for this too has been said as far as you are able to hear it; for where his understanding is boundless, so evidently is his goodness and his love for mankind. And if we do not suspect it in each of the things that happen, this too is a sign of its boundlessness. For many and great things are arranged each day for our salvation, which are manifest to him alone. For since through goodness he benefits our race, and neither needs glory from us nor requires any other recompense, he lets most things escape our notice; but if at some time he does reveal them, he does this too for our sake, so that, being disposed with gratitude, we may draw down greater help. Let us therefore give thanks to him not only for the things we know, but also for the things we do not know; for he knows how to do good not only to the willing but also to the unwilling. Knowing this, Paul also always urged us to give thanks in all things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"Ὅτι δὲ οὐ κοινῇ πάντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστου κήδεται, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἀκούειν λέγοντος ἔστιν· Οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς αὐτὸν λέγων. Βούλεται μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοὺς μὴ πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ σωθῆναι μεταβαλλομένους καὶ πιστεῦσαι πάντας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὃς θέλει πάντας ἀνθρώπους σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν· καὶ, πάλιν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου, Ἔλεον θέλω, καὶ οὐ θυσίαν. Ὅταν δὲ μηδὲ τοσαύτης ἐπιμελείας ἀπολαύσαντες ἐθελήσωσι γενέσθαι βελτίους, καὶ ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀφίησιν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῆς οὐρανίου ζωῆς ἑαυτοὺς ἑκόντες ἀπεστέρησαν, τὰ γοῦν εἰς τὸν παρόντα βίον αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα χορηγεῖ, τὸν\n\nἥλιον ἀνατέλλων ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχων ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα τὰ πρὸς τὴν σύστασιν τῆς παρούσης παρέχων ζωῆς. Εἰ δὲ ἐχθρῶν τοσαύτην ποιεῖται πρόνοιαν, τοὺς πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ καὶ θεραπεύοντας αὐτὸν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν αὐτῶν πῶς περιόψεταί ποτε; Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλ' ἐν πλείονι πάντων τούτους ἔχει σπουδῇ· Ὑμῶν γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς πᾶσαι ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν.","english":"That he cares not only for all in common, but also for each one individually, this too one may hear him saying again: It is not the will before my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish—speaking of those who believe in him. For he wills that even those who do not believe in him be saved by changing and believing, all of them, as Paul also says: Who wills all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; and he himself said to the Jews: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; and again through the prophet: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. But when, having enjoyed not even so great a care, they will to become better and to know the truth, not even so does he abandon them; but since they have willingly deprived themselves of heavenly life, at any rate he supplies them with all things for the present life—causing his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and raining on the just and the unjust, and providing all other things for the maintenance of the present life. But if he makes so great a provision for enemies, how will he ever overlook those who believe in him and serve him according to their power? It is not so, it is not; but he holds these in greater zeal than all. For your hairs, he says, even all the hairs of your head are numbered.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"ςʹ. Ὥστε ὅταν ἐννοήσῃς ὅτι πατέρα, καὶ οἰκίαν, καὶ φίλους, καὶ συγγενεῖς, καὶ πλοῦτον ἄφατον, καὶ δόξαν πολλὴν ῥίψας ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, εἶτα τοσαύτην θλῖψιν ὑπομένεις νῦν, μὴ καταβάλλῃς σαυτόν· ἐξ ὧν γὰρ ἡ ἀπορία τίκτεται λογισμῶν, ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀπορίας ἡμῖν ἔσται λύσις. Πῶς; Ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι τὸν Θεόν· ἐπηγγείλατο δὲ τοῖς ταῦτα καταλιποῦσι ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Κατέλιπες δὲ σὺ πάντα καὶ διέπτυσας· τί οὖν ἐστι λοιπὸν τὸ κωλύον σε θαῤῥεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως; ὁ κατέχων σε πειρασμὸς νῦν; Καὶ τί τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὴν αἰώνιον ἡμῖν ἐπηγγείλατο ζωήν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας πληροῦσθαι ἔμελλεν, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀσχάλλειν ἐχρῆν· τὸν γὰρ εὐλαβῆ καὶ πιστὸν ἄνδρα οὕτω βεβαίως διακεῖσθαι χρὴ πρὸς τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὥστε κἂν ἐναντία αὐταῖς φαίνηται τὰ γινόμενα, μηδὲ οὕτω ταράττεσθαι, μηδὲ ἀπογινώσκειν τὴν ἔκβασιν. Ὅρα γοῦν· ὁ πιστὸς Ἀβραὰμ τίνα μὲν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐδέξατο, τίνα δὲ πράττειν ἠναγκάζετο; Ἡ μὲν ὑπόσχεσις ἦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ πᾶσαν ἐμπλήσειν τὴν οἰκουμένην, τὸ δὲ πρόσταγμα, αὐτὸν τοῦτον καταθῦσαι τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, ἐξ οὗ ἔμελλε πᾶσα πληροῦσθαι ἡ γῆ. Τί οὖν; ἐθορύβει τοῦτο τὸν δίκαιον; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαύτης διαφωνίας οὔσης καὶ μάχης τῇ κελεύσει πρὸς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, οὐκ ἐταράχθη, οὐδὲ ἰλιγγίασεν, οὐδὲ εἶπέ τι τοιοῦτον ἐκεῖνος· Ἕτερα ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ ἕτερά με πράττειν ἀναγκάζει νῦν ὁ Θεός· ἀπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς τούτου τὸ πολύ μοι τῶν ἐκγόνων ὑπέσχετο πλῆθος, καὶ τοῦτον κατασφάξαι κελεύει νῦν· πῶς οὖν τοῦτο ἔσται, τῆς ῥίζης ἐκκεκομμένης;","english":"28. So when you consider that you threw away from your hands father, home, friends, relatives, untold wealth, and great glory for the sake of Christ, and then you now endure such great affliction, do not cast yourself down. For from the very things out of which perplexity of thoughts is born, from these same things the solution of the perplexity will also come to us. How? It is impossible for God to lie; and he promised eternal life to those who leave these things. You have left all things and spat them out; what then remains that prevents you from being confident about the promise? The temptation that now holds you? And what is this compared to the promise? For it was not here that he promised us eternal life; but even if the things of the promise were going to be fulfilled here as well, not even so ought one to be distressed. For the devout and faithful man ought to be so firmly disposed toward the promises of God that even if what happens appears contrary to them, he is not even so disturbed, nor does he give up on the outcome. Consider, then: what promise did faithful Abraham receive, and what was he compelled to do? The promise was that from Isaac he would fill the whole inhabited world, and the command was to sacrifice this very Isaac, from whom the whole earth was going to be filled. What then? Did this trouble the righteous man? By no means. But even though there was such a disagreement and conflict between the command and the promise, he was not disturbed, nor did he grow dizzy, nor did he say anything like this: \"He promised one thing, and now God compels me to do another. From this child he promised me a great multitude of descendants, and now he commands me to slaughter him. How then will this be, when the root has been cut off?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"Ἠπάτησέ με ἄρα, καὶ διέπαιξεν. Οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐνενόησε· καὶ μάλα γε εἰκότως. Ὅταν γὰρ Θεὸς ὁ ὑπισχνούμενος ᾖ, κἂν μυρία δοκῇ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἀναιρεῖν, οὐ χρὴ θορυβεῖσθαι περὶ τοῦ τέλους οὐδὲ ἀμφισβητεῖν. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως ἔργον ἐστὶ, πόρον ἐκ τῶν ἀπόρων εὑρεῖν, καθάπερ ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος τότε ἐλογίζετο. Διόπερ αὐτοῦ κατεπλάγη τὴν πίστιν ὁ Παῦλος, οὕτως εἰπών· Πίστει προσενήνοχεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ πειραζόμενος, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ προσέφερεν ὁ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀναδεξάμενος· αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα ἐμφαίνων καὶ αἰνιττόμενος, ἅπερ εἶπον ἐγὼ νῦν. Οὐκ ἐκεῖνος δὲ μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τούτου πάλιν ἀπόγονος Ἰωσὴφ διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου καὶ πολλῶν πραγμάτων κινδυνεύουσαν ὁρῶν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, ἔμενεν ἀκλινής· πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον ἑώρα μόνον· εἰ δὲ εἰς ἀνθρωπίνους κατέπεσε λογισμοὺς, καὶ ἀπέγνω τοῦ τέλους. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ δειχθεῖσα ὄψις αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τῶν γεννησαμένων τὴν προσκύνησιν προὔλεγε· τὰ δὲ γινόμενα οὐ τοιαῦτα ἦν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ τούτων ἀπέχοντα. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτοὶ οἱ προσκυνεῖν μέλλοντες εἰς λάκκον αὐτὸν ἐμβάλλουσι, καὶ ἀνδράσιν ἀποδόμενοι βαρβάροις εἰς ἀλλοτρίαν καὶ πόῤῥω κειμένην πέμπουσι γῆν· καὶ οὕτως ἐναντία τοῖς δειχθεῖσιν ἐδόκει τὰ γινόμενα εἶναι, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀθλίους ἐκείνους διαχλευάζειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγειν· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἐνυπνιαστὴς ἐκεῖνος ἔρχεται· νῦν οὖν δεῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥίψωμεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἕνα τῶν λάκκων, καὶ ἐροῦμεν· Θηρίον πονηρὸν κατέφαγεν αὐτόν· καὶ ὀψόμεθα τί ἔσται τὰ ἐνύπνια αὐτοῦ.","english":"He deceived me, then, and mocked me. He said none of these things, nor even thought them—and very reasonably so. For when it is God who makes the promise, even if countless things seem to destroy the promise, one must not be disturbed about the outcome nor dispute it. For this very thing is especially the work of God's power: to find a way out of the impossible, just as that blessed man reasoned at that time. Therefore Paul was struck with wonder at his faith, saying thus: By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only-begotten son—making plain and hinting at the very things I have now said. Nor was he alone, but Joseph his descendant also, seeing the promise in danger through a long time and many circumstances, remained unswerving; for he looked only to the one who had promised. But if he had fallen into human reasonings, he would have despaired of the outcome. For the vision shown to him foretold the worship of him by his brothers and by his parents; but the events were not of that sort, but far removed from them. For first, those very men who were to worship him cast him into a pit, and after selling him to barbarian men they sent him to a foreign land lying far away; and so the events seemed to be contrary to what had been shown, so that even those wretched men mocked him and said: Behold, that dreamer comes; now then, come, let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say: An evil beast has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οἱ πριάμενοι οὐδὲ ἐλευθέρῳ τινὶ, ἀλλὰ δούλῳ πάλιν αὐτὸν ἀποδίδονται βασιλικῷ. Καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτων ἔστη τὰ δεινά· ἀλλὰ συκοφαντίᾳ δεσποίνης περιπεσὼν καὶ κατακριθεὶς ᾤκει τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔτη πολλὰ, καὶ διαφυγόντων ἑτέρων, αὐτὸς πλείονα χρόνον μένει ἐκεῖ. Καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν δυναμένων τὴν ἐκείνου\n\nθορυβῆσαι ψυχὴν, ἔμενε τούτοις ἅπασιν ἀπερίτρεπτος. Τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ τούτων ἀπορώτερα. Ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο, βασιλεία οὐρανῶν, καὶ αἰώνιος ζωὴ, καὶ ἀφθαρσία, καὶ τὰ μυρία ἀγαθά· τὰ δὲ γινόμενα τέως καὶ συμβαίνοντα πολὺ τούτων ἀφέστηκε· θάνατος γάρ ἐστι καὶ φθορὰ καὶ τιμωρία καὶ κόλασις καὶ θλίψεις διάφοροι καὶ συνεχεῖς. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο ποιεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἐναντία ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ἐκβῆναι συγχωρεῖ; Δύο τὰ μέγιστα κατορθῶν, ἓν μὲν, τῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμεως τεκμήριον ἀναμφισβήτητον παρέχων ἡμῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἐξ ἀπεγνωσμένων δύναιτ' ἂν εἰς πέρας τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἀγαγεῖν· ἕτερον δὲ, τὴν ἡμετέραν παιδεύων ψυχὴν πάντα πιστεύειν αὐτῷ, κἂν ἐναντία τοῖς εἰρημένοις τὰ γινόμενα φαίνηται. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἰσχύς· οὐ καταισχύνει τὸν ἀντεχόμενον αὐτῆς εἰλικρινῶς. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἐνταῦθα λαβόντες οὕτω διετέθησαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν χρὴ, τοὺς οὐ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, ἀλλ' εἰς ἑτέρους αἰῶνας προσδοκῶντας τὴν ἔκβασιν τῶν χρηστῶν. Ἃ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα προεῖπε, θλῖψίς ἐστι καὶ στενοχωρία. Τί οὖν ἐστί σε τὸ θορυβοῦν; πόθεν τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ὑποπτεύεις τοῦ Θεοῦ;","english":"After this, those who had bought him hand him over again not to some free man but to a slave of the emperor. And the horrors did not stop even there; but falling foul of his mistress through slander and being condemned, he lived in prison for many years, and though others escaped, he himself remained there a longer time. And though so many things were capable of disturbing that man's soul, he remained unshaken by them all. Such too are our own circumstances, or rather far more perplexing than these. For what he promised—the kingdom of heaven, and eternal life, and incorruption, and the countless good things—while what is happening for now and befalling us is far removed from these: for there is death and corruption and punishment and chastisement and various and continual afflictions. For what reason, then, does God do this, and allow things contrary to his promises to come to pass? He accomplishes two very great things: one, providing us an indisputable proof of his own power, that he could bring his promises to fulfillment even from things despaired of; the other, training our soul to believe him in all things, even if what happens appears contrary to what was said. For such is the strength of hope: it does not put to shame the one who clings to it sincerely. For if those who received the promises here were so disposed, much more ought we to do this, who expect the outcome of the good things not in the present life but in other ages. For what he foretold here is affliction and distress. What, then, is it that disturbs you? From where do you suspect the promise of God?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"Τὸ γὰρ καταφρονῆσαι μὲν δι' αὐτὸν τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς, λέγειν δὲ πάλιν ἠμελῆσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ ἀπιστοῦντος καὶ ὑποπτεύοντος, καὶ ἀπάτην τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐκείνην εἶναι νομίζοντος· ὅπερ ἀληθῶς ἐστι δαιμονᾷν, καὶ τὸ τῆς γεέννης προκαλεῖσθαι πῦρ. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες οἳ βιωτικοῖς ἐνστρεφόμενοι πράγμασι, ἐν ἀνέσει διάγουσι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο προεῖπεν ὁ Χριστός· Ἀμὴν γὰρ, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι κλαύσετε καὶ θρηνήσετε ὑμεῖς· ὁ δὲ κόσμος χαρήσεται. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων δὲ γενεῶν Βαβυλώνιοι μὲν οἱ μηδὲ τὸν Θεὸν εἰδότες, ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ δυναστείᾳ ἦσαν καὶ τιμῇ, Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ καὶ δουλείᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις κακοῖς. Καὶ Λάζαρος μὲν ὁ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἄξιος καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῆς ἐκεῖ, εἱλκωμένος ταῖς τῶν κυνῶν προέκειτο γλώτταις, λιμῷ μαχόμενος διηνεκεῖ· ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τιμῇ καὶ δορυφορίᾳ καὶ ἀνέσει καὶ τρυφῇ· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν οὔτε οὗτος ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ τούτων ἀπώνατο, οὔτε Λάζαρος ἀπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ τῶν τραυμάτων εἰς τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ παρόντος παρεβλάβη βίου· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς, ἐν αὐχμῷ καὶ πνίγει βαρυτάτῳ παλαίων, καὶ ἐνίκησε καὶ ἐστεφανώθη. Διὰ τοῦτο καί τις σοφός φησι· Τέκνον, εἰ προσέρχῃ δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν· εὔθυνον τὴν καρδίαν σου, καὶ καρτέρησον, καὶ μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα φησὶν ὅτι, Ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμάζεται χρυσὸς, καὶ ἄνθρωποι δεκτοὶ ἐν καμίνῳ ταπεινώσεως. Καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· Τέκνον, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας Κυρίου, μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος.","english":"For to despise the whole world for his sake, and then to say again that he has been neglected by him, is nothing other than the act of one who disbelieves and suspects, and thinks that promise to be a deception—which is truly to be possessed by a demon, and to summon the fire of Gehenna. But there are some who, busying themselves with worldly affairs, live in ease; for Christ foretold this too: \"Amen, amen, I say to you,\" he says, \"that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.\" And in earlier generations too, the Babylonians, who did not even know God, were in wealth and power and honor, while the Jews were in captivity and slavery and the worst evils. And Lazarus, who was worthy of the heavens and of the kingdom there, covered with sores, lay exposed to the tongues of dogs, battling unceasing hunger; while the rich man was in honor and bodyguard and ease and luxury. Yet nevertheless neither did this man enjoy any of these things in Gehenna, nor was Lazarus, because of hunger and wounds, harmed in the least in the exactness of the present life; but like some noble athlete, wrestling in dust and the heaviest suffocation, he both conquered and was crowned. For this reason a certain wise man also says: \"Child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation; direct your heart, and endure, and do not hurry in the time of calamity.\" And after a little he says that \"gold is tested in fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.\" And again elsewhere he says: \"Child, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, nor grow faint when you are reproved by him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"Ὁ γὰρ τὸ χρυσίον εἰς τὴν κάμινον ἐμβάλλων οἶδε καὶ μέχρι τίνος αὐτὸ πυρωθῆναι δεῖ, καὶ πότε ἀνασπασθῆ47.440 ναι. Διὰ τοῦτο οὗτος μέν φησι· Μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς. Ὁ δὲ Σολομὼν αὐτὸ τοῦτο διδάσκων ἔλεγε· Μὴ ἐκλύου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος. Μέγα γὰρ ἡ θλῖψις, μέγα πρὸς τὸ δόκιμον ἐργάσασθαι ἄνδρα, καὶ παιδεῦσαι τῆς ὑπομονῆς τὴν ἀρετήν. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἂν περιτρέψῃ καὶ καταβάλῃ διὰ τῆς ὑπερβολῆς; Πιστὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ἡμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δυνάμεθα, ἀλλὰ σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ ποιήσει καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν τοῦ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς ὑπενεγκεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἀγάπης μὲν ἡ παιδεία, ἡ δὲ ἐγκατάλειψις ἀπὸ μίσους, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ αὐτοῦ φιλεῖν ὁμοῦ καὶ μισεῖν τὸν αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ παιδεύειν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐγκαταλιμπάνειν. Πῶς οὖν πολλοὶ κατέπεσον; φησίν. Ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστερήσαντες τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ καταλειφθέντες ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ ἀπολοῦνται. Μακρύνουσι δὲ μὴ φέροντες τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ παιδείας, ἀλλ' ὀργιζόμενοι καὶ δυσανασχετοῦντες· καὶ καθάπερ οἱ μοχθηροὶ τῶν παίδων, τῶν πατέρων αὐτοὺς πρὸς διδασκάλους πεμπόντων, ἂν τοὺς ἐκεῖ πόνους καὶ τὰς ὀλίγας φυγόντες πληγὰς τῆς τῶν γονέων ἀποπηδῶσιν ὄψεως, ἐκέρδανόν τε οὐδὲν, καὶ χείροσιν ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειραν κακοῖς, ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ λιμώττειν καὶ ἀλᾶσθαι καὶ νοσεῖν καὶ ἀτιμάζεσθαι","english":"For he who casts gold into the furnace knows both to what extent it must be heated and when it must be drawn out. Therefore this one says: Do not hasten in the time of calamity. And Solomon, teaching this very thing, said: Do not grow weary when you are reproved by him. For great is affliction, great for producing a proven man and for training the virtue of endurance. What then, he says, if he overturns and casts him down through excess? God is faithful, who will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will also provide the way out, so that we are able to endure it. For if discipline is from love, but abandonment is from hatred, it is not the same person's to love and to hate the same man at once, nor to discipline and to abandon at once. How then did many fall? he says. By depriving themselves of God, not by being forsaken by him. For behold, those who distance themselves from you shall perish. And they distance themselves by not bearing God's disciplines, but growing angry and resentful; and just like wicked children, when their fathers send them to teachers, if after fleeing the toils there and the few blows they leap away from the sight of their parents, they have gained nothing, and have plunged themselves into worse evils, starving and wandering in a strange land and falling sick and being dishonored","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"καὶ δουλεύειν ἀναγκαζόμενοι· οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ παιδείαν εὐχαρίστως μὴ φέροντες, ἀλλὰ δυσανασχετοῦντες, πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἐξ αὐτῆς καρπώσασθαι καὶ ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἑαυτοὺς περιβάλλουσι συμφοραῖς. Διὰ τοῦτο καρτερεῖν παρηγγέλμεθα, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν εὐθύνειν τὴν ἑαυτῶν. Ἀλλὰ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα πέπονθας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ παιδοτρίβαι πάντας ὁμοίως καὶ ἑνὶ τρόπῳ γυμνάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν ἀσθενεστέροις ἀσθενεῖς, τοῖς δὲ γενναίοις τοιούτους παρέχουσιν ἀνταγωνιστάς· ὁ γὰρ ἐλάττω τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως λαβὼν τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν, κἂν δι' ὅλης αὐτῷ συμπλέκηται τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐκεῖνος ἀγύμναστος ἔμεινε. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶ, τοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπανῃρημένους βίον, οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀθλεῖν ἐποίησε πόνοις; Ὅτι οὐ μία παρὰ Θεῷ γυμνασίας ἰδέα, οὐδὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἅπαντες δέονται, κἂν ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὦσι· καὶ γὰρ νοσοῦντες πολλοὶ ταῖς αὐταῖς νόσοις οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐδεήθησαν φαρμάκων, ἀλλ' ἑτέρων μὲν οὗτοι, ἑτέρων δὲ ἐκεῖνοι. Διὰ τοῦτο ποικίλοι καὶ διάφοροι τῶν μαστίγων οἱ τρόποι, καὶ ὁ μὲν νόσῳ δοκιμάζεται μακρᾷ, ὁ δὲ βαρυτάτῃ πενίᾳ, τῷ βιάζεσθαι καὶ ἀδικεῖσθαι ἕτερος, ἄλλος τῷ συνεχεῖς καὶ ἐπαλλήλους θανάτους καὶ παίδων καὶ τῶν αὐτῷ προσηκόντων ἰδεῖν· καὶ οὗτος μὲν τῷ παρὰ πάντων ἀποῤῥίπτεσθαι καὶ μηδ' ἑνὸς ἀξιοῦσθαι λόγου, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τῷ διαβάλλεσθαι ἐφ' οἷς οὐδὲν ἑαυτῷ σύνοιδε, καὶ πονηρᾶς δόξης ἀνέχεσθαι βάρος, καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλως· οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν ἅπαντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξαριθμήσασθαι νῦν. Τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον δοκεῖ μὲν, ὅσον πρὸς τὴν τῶν σῶν παράθεσιν συμφορῶν, κοῦφον εἶναι καὶ οὐδέν·","english":"and are compelled to serve; so too those who do not bear the discipline of God with gratitude, but chafe under it, in addition to reaping no benefit from it, also wrap themselves in the most extreme calamities. For this reason we have been commanded to endure and to make our own heart straight. But you have suffered things far more grievous. For neither do athletic trainers exercise all alike and in one manner, but to the weaker they provide weaker opponents, and to the noble such as are like them; for he who has received an opponent less than his own strength, even if he wrestles with him the whole day, that man remains untrained. How then, he says, has he not made those who have chosen the same manner of life to contend with the same labors? Because there is not one form of training with God, nor do all need the same things, even if they are in the same circumstances; for many who are sick with the same diseases have not needed the same remedies, but these needed one set and those another. For this reason the modes of scourging are varied and different, and one is tested by a long illness, another by the most grievous poverty, another by being violently treated and wronged, another by seeing continuous and successive deaths of children and of his own kin; and this one by being cast off by all and deemed worthy not even of a single word, that one by being slandered in matters of which he is conscious of nothing in himself, and by enduring the weight of evil repute, and another in another way; for it is not possible to enumerate all things accurately now. And each of these seems, in comparison with the calamities you have set beside them, to be light and nothing;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"εἰ δὲ ἐν πείρᾳ κατέστης αὐτῶν ἔμαθες ἂν ὅτι τοῦτο ἐφ' ᾧ σὺ νῦν ἀλύεις, ἐκείνων πολλῷ φορητότερον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ εἰσί τινες ἔλαττον ἡμῶν παιδευόμενοι, μὴ σκανδαλιζώμεθα ἐπὶ τούτῳ· ἡ γὰρ τῶν πόνων ἐπίτασις μισθῶν ἐπίτασίς ἐστι καὶ ἔρεισμα ἀσφαλὲς πρὸς τὸ μηκέτι ἑκόντας ἢ ἄκοντας ἐκπεσεῖν· καὶ γὰρ τῦφον καταστέλλει, καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀποστρέφει, καὶ φρο47.441 νιμωτέρους ποιεῖ, καὶ εὐλαβεστέρους ἐργάζεται. Καὶ ὅλως εἰ βούλοιτό τις ἐξαριθμεῖν ἅπαντα, πολλὰ ἂν εὕροι τὰ κέρδη τῶν πειρασμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς ὧν πολὺς παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ λόγος θλίψεως ἐκτὸς, κἂν ἡμῖν μὴ οὕτω φαίνηται. ζʹ. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος πολὺ τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπέμεινεν, οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐκείνου μείζων, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἴσος ἐστὶ, πῶς ἔνι μὴ δεηθῆναι τῆς βοηθείας ταύτης αὐτούς; Εἰ δέ τινες οὐδὲ ταῖς θλίψεσι ταύταις ἐσωφρονίσθησαν, οὐκέτι τοῦτο παρὰ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ τὴν παιδείαν ἐπαγαγόντος, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ὀλιγωρίαν ἐκείνων. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐπετέθη τὸ φάρμακον, παρὰ τὸ ἠμελῆσθαι ἔδοξαν ἂν ἀπολωλέναι· νῦν δὲ οὐ μικρὸν ἤνυσται τὸ μηδὲν αἰτιᾶσθαι τὸν ἰατρὸν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κάμνοντας καὶ τὴν ἀπροσεξίαν αὐτῶν. Εἰ δέ τινες πρὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν ὀρθὰ βαδίζοντες μετὰ τὴν τούτων ἐπαγωγὴν κατέπεσον, καὶ πάλιν ἕτεροι πᾶσαν ἐπερχόμενοι κακίαν, οὐδεμιᾶς θλίψεως ἐπειράθησαν, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας εἰς ἐσχάτας ἀναπνοὰς μυρίαις τρυχόμενοι συμφοραῖς διετέλεσαν, μηδενὶ τούτων θορυβώμεθα μηδὲ καταπίπτωμεν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἅπασαν δυνάμενοι καὶ ὀφείλοντες τῆς προνοίας αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκονομίαν εἰδέναι, ταῦτα ἠγνοοῦμεν, ἐχρῆν ἀθυμεῖν καὶ ταράττεσθαι·","english":"But if you had experience of them, you would have learned that this thing under which you now chafe is far more bearable than those. And if there are some who are disciplined less than we are, let us not be scandalized at this; for the intensification of labors is an intensification of rewards and a secure foundation, so that we may no longer fall away either willingly or unwillingly. For it checks arrogance, and turns aside laziness, and makes us more prudent, and renders us more circumspect. And in general, if one wished to enumerate everything, he would find many are the gains of trials, and there is no one who is of great account before God apart from affliction, even if it does not appear so to us. 7. For if the blessed Paul endured the matter greatly, and no one is greater than he, nor even equal to him, how is it possible for them not to need this assistance? But if some were not brought to their senses even by these afflictions, this is no longer due to the cause of him who brought the discipline, but to their own negligence. But if the remedy had not been applied, they would have seemed to perish through neglect; but now it is no small gain that the physician is blamed not at all, but rather the sick and their inattention. But if some, walking uprightly before their trials, fell after these were brought upon them, and again others, advancing into every kind of wickedness, experienced no affliction, while others from their earliest age to their last breath continued to be worn away by countless calamities, let us not be disturbed or cast down by any of these things. For if, being able and obliged to know the whole economy of his providence, we were ignorant of these things, we ought to be disheartened and troubled.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"εἰ δὲ καὶ ὁ τοσούτων ἀποῤῥήτων κοινωνήσας, καὶ εἰς τρίτον ἀνελθὼν οὐρανὸν, ἰλιγγίασε πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ἄβυσσον, καὶ διακύψας πρὸς τὸ βάθος τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεπλάγη μόνον, καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνεχώρησε, τί μάτην κόπτομεν ἑαυτοὺς πολυπραγμονοῦντες τὰ ἀνεξερεύνητα καὶ ζητοῦντες τὰ ἀνεξιχνίαστα; Καὶ ἰατρῷ μὲν τοῖς φαινομένοις ἡμῖν συμφέρουσι πολλάκις ἐναντία προστάττοντι, καὶ τὸ καταψυχθὲν μέλος ὑποθεῖναι κελεύοντι κρουνῷ, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἐργαζομένῳ παράδοξα οὐκ ἀντιλέξομεν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ φθάσαντες ἐπείσαμεν ἑαυτοὺς ὅτι τῷ τῆς τέχνης λόγῳ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, μετὰ προθυμίας εἴξομεν, καίτοι γε διαμαρτόντι πολλάκις· τὸν δὲ Θεὸν τὸν τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν ἀφεστηκότα ἐν ἅπασι, τὸν αὐτοσοφίαν ὄντα, τὸν οὐδέποτε διαμαρτάνοντα, πολυπραγμονήσομεν; Καὶ ὃν μὲν ἔδει λογισμοὺς ἀπαιτεῖν, τούτῳ πιστεύσομεν ἁπλῶς, ᾧ δὲ ἔδει μόνῳ πιστεύειν, τοῦτον εὐθύνας καὶ\n\nλόγους τῶν πραττομένων ἀπαιτήσομεν, καὶ δυσχερανοῦμεν τὴν ἄγνοιαν; Καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ψυχῆς εὐσεβοῦς; Μὴ, δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, μὴ πρὸς τοσοῦτον μανίας ἔλθωμεν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἅπασιν οἷς ἂν ἀπορῶμεν, ἐκεῖνο ἐπιλέγωμεν· Τὰ κρίματά σου ἄβυσσος πολλή. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας ἐστὶ τὸ μὴ πάντα ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι σαφῶς. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιστάμενοι τὰς αἰτίας τῶν γινομένων οὕτως ἐπειθόμεθα τῷ Θεῷ, οὐκ ἦν ἡμῖν πολὺς ὁ μισθὸς, οὐδὲ πίστεως τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπῆρξεν ἐπίδειξις· ὅταν δὲ μηδὲν τούτων εἰδότες καὶ οὕτω στέργωμεν εἴκειν ἅπασιν αὐτοῦ τοῖς προστάγμασι, καὶ εἰς ὑπακοὴν γνησίαν καὶ εἰς πίστιν εἰλικρινῆ, μέγιστα τὰς ἡμετέρας ὠφελοῦμεν ψυχάς.","english":"But if even the one who had shared in so many ineffable mysteries, and had ascended to the third heaven, grew dizzy before this abyss, and having peered into the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, was only overwhelmed and at once withdrew—why do we vainly wear ourselves out, busying ourselves over what cannot be searched out and seeking what cannot be traced? And to a physician, when he often prescribes things contrary to what seems to us beneficial, and bids us apply a chilled limb to a running stream, and does many other such paradoxical things, we will not object, but since we have already convinced ourselves that he does this by the principle of his art, we will yield with eagerness, even though he has often erred; but God, who is so far removed from us in all things, who is wisdom itself, who never errs—shall we busy ourselves over him? And the one to whom we ought to demand accounts, him we will trust simply; but the one whom alone we ought to trust, from him we will demand reckonings and reasons for what is done, and we will be vexed at our ignorance? And where is this worthy of a pious soul? Do not, I beg and implore, do not let us come to such great madness, but in all things wherein we are at a loss, let us say that word: Your judgments are a great abyss. For this very thing is also of God's wisdom—that we do not know all things clearly. For if, knowing the causes of what happens, we thus obeyed God, our reward would not be great, nor would the matter be a display of faith; but when, knowing none of these things, we still love to yield to all his commands, both for genuine obedience and for sincere faith, we greatly benefit our souls.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ἓν μόνον πεπεῖσθαι χρὴ, ὅτι συμφερόντως ἡμῖν ἅπαντα ἐπάγεται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸν δὲ τρόπον μηκέτι ζητεῖν, μηδὲ ἀγνοοῦντας ἀσχάλλειν ἢ ἀθυμεῖν. Οὔτε γὰρ δυνατὸν ταῦτα εἰδέναι, οὔτε συμφέρον, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὸ θνητοὺς εἶναι, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὸ ταχέως εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αἴρεσθαι. Πολλὰ ἡμεῖς πράττομεν τῶν τοῖς παισὶ τοῖς ἡμετέροις δοκούντων μὲν εἶναι βλαβερῶν, συμφερόντων δὲ ὅμως· καὶ οὔτε ἐκεῖνοι τὴν αἰτίαν ἀξιοῦσι μαθεῖν, οὔτε ἡμεῖς πρότερον ἑαυτοὺς πείσαντες ὅτι συμφέρει τὸ γινόμενον, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ πράττειν ἐρχόμεθα, ἀλλ' εἰς τοῦτο μόνον αὐτοὺς παιδαγωγοῦμεν εἴκειν οἷς ἂν ἐπιτάξωσιν οἱ πατέρες, καὶ μηδὲν περαιτέρω ζητεῖν. Εἶτα πρὸς μὲν τοὺς γονεῖς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως ἡμῖν ὄντας οὕτω διακεισόμεθα καὶ οὐκ ἀγανακτήσομεν, πρὸς δὲ τὸν Θεὸν, οὗ τὸ μέσον τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὅσον Θεοῦ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους, δυσχερανοῦμεν, ὅτι μὴ πάντα ἴσμεν; Καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς ἀσεβείας ἴσον; Πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς τοιούτους ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἀγανακτῶν ἔλεγε· Μενοῦν γε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ; Μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι, Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; Καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν τὸ τῶν παίδων ὑπόδειγμα, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τούτου πολλῷ μεῖζον ἔθηκε τὸ τοῦ κεραμέως, καὶ τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῦ πλαττομένου πηλοῦ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ πηλὸς, ᾗπερ ἂν ἄγωσιν αἱ χεῖρες τοῦ διατυποῦντος αὐτὸν, ἕπεται, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ᾗπερ ἂν ὁ Θεὸς κελεύῃ, ταύτῃ ἕπεσθαι, καὶ ἅπερ ἂν ἐπάγῃ, ταῦτα μετ' εὐχαριστίας δέχεσθαι χρὴ, οὐδὲν ἀντιλέγοντα, οὐδὲ περιεργαζόμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ μαθεῖν.","english":"For we must be persuaded of one thing only: that all things are brought upon us by God for our benefit; but we must no longer inquire into the manner, nor, being ignorant, be vexed or disheartened. For neither is it possible to know these things, nor is it beneficial—the one because we are mortal, the other because we are quickly lifted up into folly. We do many things that seem to our children to be harmful but are nevertheless beneficial; and neither do they think it worth learning the reason, nor do we, after first persuading ourselves that what is done is beneficial, then proceed to do it, but we train them in this one thing only: to yield to whatever their fathers command, and to seek nothing further. Then, shall we be so disposed toward parents, who are of the same nature as ourselves, and not be indignant, but be displeased with God, between whom and us the distance is as great as that between God and men, because we do not know all things? And what is equal to this impiety? For it was in indignation at such people that the blessed Paul said: Nay but, O man, who are you that reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? And I have used the example of children, but he set forth one far greater than this—that of the potter, and of the clay molded by him. For just as the clay follows wherever the hands of the one shaping it lead it, so also man must follow wherever God commands, and must receive with thanksgiving whatever he brings upon him, contradicting nothing, nor busying himself beyond measure in order to learn.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμῖν ταῦτα μόνοις ἐστὶν ἄπορα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πρὸ ἡμῶν ἁγίοις ἀνδράσιν ἐκείνοις καὶ θαυμαστοῖς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἰὼβ ἔλεγεν· Διὰ τί ἀσεβεῖς ζῶσι, πεπαλαίωνται δὲ πλούτῳ; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Δαβίδ· Παρ' ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου, ὅτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις, εἰρήνην ἁμαρτωλῶν θεωρῶν· ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάνευσις ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ στερέωμα ἐν τῇ μάστιγι αὐτῶν· ἐν κόποις ἀνθρώπων οὐκ εἰσὶ, καὶ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων οὐ μαστιγωθήσονται. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον δὲ ὁ Ἱερεμίας ἔλεγε· Δίκαιος εἶ, Κύριε, πλὴν κρίματα λαλήσω πρὸς σέ. Τί ὅτι ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν εὐθηνεῖται; Ἠπόρουν μὲν οὖν καὶ οὗτοι καὶ ἐζήτουν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξ ἴσης τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν, οὐδὲ ἐγκαλοῦντες τῷ Θεῷ, οὐδὲ καταγινώσκοντες ἀδικίαν ἐκ τῶν γινομένων αὐτοῦ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγεν· Ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου ὡς ὄρη Θεοῦ· τὰ κρίματά σου ἄβυσσος πολλή. Ὁ δὲ τοσαῦτα παθὼν, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ἔδωκεν ἀφροσύνην τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ μεταξὺ τοῦ βιβλίου ἔλεγε, τὸ ἀκατάληπτον αὐτοῦ τῆς σοφίας καὶ οἰκονομίας ἐξηγούμενος, ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῆς δημιουργίας διελέχθη· Ἰδοὺ ταῦτα μέρη ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ ἰκμάδα λόγου ἀκουσόμεθα ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὁ δὲ Ἱερεμίας αὐτὸ τοῦτο προορώμενος, μή τις ὑποπτεύσῃ ποτὲ, προτίθησι τῆς ἐρωτήσεως τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κρίσιν εἰπών· Δίκαιος εἶ, Κύριε· τοῦτ' ἔστιν, οἶδα μὲν ὅτι δικαίως ἅπαντα γίνεται παρὰ σοῦ, τὸν δὲ τρόπον οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι καθ' ὃν γίνεται. Τί οὖν, ἔμαθόν τι πλέον ἐκεῖνοι; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως μὲν οὖν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἔτυχον· ὃ καὶ δηλῶν ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ ἔλεγε· Καὶ ὑπέλαβον τοῦ γνῶναι, ὅτι τοῦτο κόπος ἐστὶν ἐναντίον μου.","english":"For these things are not difficult for us alone, but also for those holy and wonderful men before us. For Job said: Why do the ungodly live, and grow old in wealth? and the rest. And the blessed David: My steps had almost slipped, because I was envious at the lawless, when I saw the peace of sinners; because there is no refusal in their death, and no firmness in their scourge; they are not in the labors of men, and they shall not be scourged with men. And after him Jeremiah said: You are righteous, O Lord, yet I will speak judgments with you. Why is it that the way of the ungodly prospers? They too, then, were at a loss and sought, but not on equal terms with the ungodly, nor accusing God, nor condemning injustice from what He does. For the one said: Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are a great deep. And the other, having suffered so much, he says, did not give folly to God; and in the midst of the book he said, explaining the incomprehensibility of His wisdom and providence, since he had spoken concerning creation: Behold, these are parts of His ways, and at a drop of a word shall we hear of Him. And Jeremiah, foreseeing this very thing, lest anyone should ever suspect otherwise, sets before the question his own judgment, saying: You are righteous, O Lord; that is, I know that all things are done by You righteously, but the manner in which they are done I do not understand. What then, did those men learn anything more? But indeed they did not obtain an answer concerning these things; which the blessed David also indicating said: And I took it upon me to know, that this is labor before me.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"Οὐκ ἔτυχον δὲ ἀποκρίσεως, ἵνα τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα παιδεύσωσι μηδὲ ἐρωτᾷν. Καὶ ἐκεῖναι μὲν ἓν μόνον ἐζήτουν, διὰ τί οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ καὶ πλούτῳ, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐμάνθανον· οἱ δὲ νῦν πολλῷ πλείονα ἐκείνων πολυπραγμονοῦσι· ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ νῦν προτιθέμενα πολλῷ πλείονα\n\nἐκείνων ἐστίν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν σαφὴς λόγος τούτων ἐπιτετράφθω τῷ πάντα εἰδότι πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν.\n\nηʹ. Εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων γνωρίμων ἡμῖν ἐπινοῆσαι λύσιν καὶ παραμυθίαν τοῖς ζητουμένοις τινὰ, διὰ τοὺς σφόδρα ταῦτα περιεργαζομένους, ἐκεῖνό φημι, ὅτι τὸ μὲν τοὺς δικαίους ἐν θλίψεσιν εἶναι, ἐν ἀνέσει δὲ τοὺς πονηροὺς, οὐδὲ ζητήσεως ἄξιον λοιπὸν, τῆς βασιλείας ἀποκαλυφθείσης, καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα ἀντιδόσεως δειχθείσης ἡμῖν. Τοῦ γὰρ κατ' ἀξίαν ἐκεῖ μένοντος ἕκαστον, τί χρὴ ταράττεσθαι τοῖς γινομένοις ἐνθάδε καλοῖς ἢ κακοῖς; Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ προσέχοντας ὁ Θεὸς, ἅτε γενναίους ἀθλητὰς, τούτοις γυμνάζει τοῖς πόνοις, τοὺς δὲ ἀσθενεστέρους καὶ βραδυτέρους καὶ μηδὲν τῶν βαρυτέρων δυναμένους ἐνεγκεῖν πρότερον εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ἐνάγει προτροπήν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοὐναντίον συμβαίνει πολλάκις, καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν δικαίων ἐν ἀνέσει διάγουσι καὶ τιμῇ, τῶν δὲ πονηρῶν ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις κακοῖς, τέως μὲν ἡμῖν ἡ προτέρα ἀντίθεσις, ἡ λέγουσα κακοῦσθαι μὲν τοὺς δικαίους, τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκους τρυφᾷν, ἀνατρέπεται τῷ λόγῳ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ταύτην ἐπιλύσασθαι δεῖ, ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅτι οὐχ ἑνὶ τρόπῳ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομεῖν ὁ Θεὸς εἴωθεν, ἀλλ' εὔπορος ὢν πολλὰς ἡμῖν τέμνει τὰς πρὸς σωτηρίαν ὁδούς.","english":"They did not obtain an answer, so that they might teach those after them not even to ask. And those men sought only one thing—why the ungodly are in prosperity and wealth—and not even so did they learn; but those now busy themselves about far more things than they did, for the matters now set forth are far more numerous than those. Let the clear account of these things be entrusted to the one who knows all things before their birth.\n\n8. But if it is necessary, for the sake of those who are exceedingly curious about these things, that we ourselves also devise from what has already happened some solution and consolation known to us for the questions raised, I say this: that the righteous are in afflictions and the wicked at ease is no longer worthy of inquiry, now that the kingdom has been revealed and the recompense in the age to come has been shown to us. For since each one's portion remains there according to worth, why should one be disturbed by the good or evil things that happen here? For God, as with noble athletes, trains those who attend to him by these labors, while those who are weaker and slower and unable to endure any of the heavier things he first leads on by encouragement to good works. But if the opposite often happens, and many of the righteous live in ease and honor, while the wicked are in dishonor and the worst evils, for the present the former objection—which says that the righteous are ill-treated while the unjust live in luxury—is overturned by our argument. But if this too must be resolved, I would say this: that God is not accustomed to order our affairs in one way only, but being resourceful he cuts many paths for us to salvation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ τὸν περὶ τῶν μελλόντων καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως οὐκ ἀνέχονται δέξασθαι λόγον, διὰ τοῦτο ἐν βραχεῖ τῆς κρίσεως τὴν εἰκόνα ἐνθάδε δείκνυσιν, ὅταν κολάζῃ μὲν τοὺς πονηροὺς, εὐεργετῇ δὲ τοὺς χρηστούς. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁλοσχερῶς μὲν ἐν τῇ κρίσει γίνεται, ἐκ μέρους δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα νῦν, ἵνα οἱ πρὸς τὸν μακρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀναπεπτωκότες χρόνον τοῖς γοῦν ἐν τῷ παρόντι δρωμένοις ἐπιεικέστεροι γένωνται. Εἴτε γὰρ μηδεὶς ὅλως ἐκολάζετο τῶν πονηρῶν, μηδὲ ἐτιμᾶτο τῶν χρηστῶν, πολλοὶ τῶν διαπιστούντων τῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγῳ τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν ὡς κακῶν αἰτίαν ἔφευγον, τὴν δὲ πονηρίαν ὡς ἀγαθῶν πρόξενον ἐδίωκον· εἴτε πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἅπαντες ἀπελάμβανον, περιττὸν ἂν ἡγήσαντο εἶναι καὶ ψευδῆ τὸν τῆς κρίσεως λόγον. Ἵν' οὖν μήτε οὗτος διαπιστῆται, μήτε ὁ πολὺς καὶ χυδαῖος λαὸς φαυλότερος γίνηται καταφρονῶν, ἐπεξέρχεται καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων πολλοὺς, καὶ ἀμείβεται τῶν κατορθούντων ἐνίους, τῷ μὲν μὴ εἰς πάντας τοῦτο ποιεῖν, τὸν τῆς κρίσεως πιστούμενος λόγον, τῷ δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως κολάζειν τινὰς, τοὺς πολὺν ὕπνον καθεύδοντας διεγείρων. Ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ τιμωρεῖσθαι τοὺς πονηροὺς διανίστανται πολλοὶ τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ παθεῖν· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μὴ πάντας ἐνταῦθα τὰ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπολαβεῖν ἀναγκάζονται λογίζεσθαι ὅτι εἰς ἕτερόν τινα τοῦτο τεταμίευται καιρόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν δήπου δίκαιος ὢν ὁ Θεὸς περιεῖδε τοσούτους καὶ τῶν κακῶν ἀτιμωρήτους ἀπελθόντας, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μυρίοις κολασθέντας δεινοῖς, εἰ μὴ ἄλλην τινὰ αἰῶνος ἑκατέροις παρεσκευάκει κατάστασιν.","english":"For since many cannot endure to accept the account of things to come and of the resurrection, for this reason he shows here in brief the image of the judgment, when he punishes the wicked and benefits the good. For this happens wholly in the judgment, but in part also here and now, so that those who have fallen back on that long time may become more reasonable by at least the things done in the present. For if no wicked person were punished at all, nor any good person honored, many of those who disbelieve the account of the resurrection would flee virtue as the cause of evils and pursue wickedness as the procurer of good things; and if again all received here according to their desert, they would have considered the account of the judgment superfluous and false. In order, then, that this account may not be disbelieved, nor the great and common people become more base by despising it, he visits many of those who sin even here, and repays some of those who do right—by not doing this to all, confirming the account of the judgment; and by punishing some even before the judgment, awakening those who sleep a deep sleep. For by the punishment of the wicked many are roused through fear of suffering the same things; and by the fact that not all receive here according to their desert, they are compelled to reason that this has been stored up for another time. For surely God, being just, would not have overlooked so many of the wicked departing unpunished, and of the good being punished with countless terrors, unless he had prepared for both another state of an age.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"Διὸ οὐ πάντας, ἀλλ' ἐνίους κολάζει καὶ τιμᾷ, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Πέρσου, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐζεκίου· καίτοι πολλοὶ καὶ τῷ Ἀσσυρίῳ γεγόνασιν ἐξ ἴσης ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἐζεκίαν ἐνάρετοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ πάντων τοῦτο πεποίηκε· τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὅπερ ἔφην, ἐστὶ τὸ μηδέπω παρεῖναι τῆς κρίσεως τὸν καιρόν. Καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐμὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος, αὐτοῦ τοῦ κρίνειν ἡμᾶς τότε μέλλοντος ἄκουσον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ τὴν τελευτὴν τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ πύργου καταχωσθέντων καὶ τὴν τοῦ Πιλάτου μανίαν ἀπαγγέλλοντες, ἣν εἰς τοὺς τελευτηκότας ἐπεδείξατο, ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτῶν ἀναμίξας τὸ αἷμα, τί φησι; Δοκεῖτε ὅτι οἱ Γαλιλαῖοι οὗτοι ἁμαρτωλοὶ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς Γαλιλαίους ἐγένοντο, ὅτι τοιαῦτα πεπόνθασιν; Οὐχὶ, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσητε, πάντες ὁμοίως ἀπολεῖσθε. Ἢ ἐκεῖνοι οἱ δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ, ἐφ' οὓς ἔπεσεν ὁ πύργος ἐν τῷ Σιλωὰμ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς, δοκεῖτε ὅτι αὐτοὶ ὀφειλέται ἐγένοντο παρὰ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Ἱερουσαλήμ; Οὐχὶ, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσητε, πάντες ὡσαύτως ἀπολεῖσθε. Αὕτη τῆς ἀναβολῆς ἡ αἰτία. Διὰ τοῦτο τοὺς τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξίους","english":"Therefore he punishes and honors not all, but some, as in the case of the Persian, as in the case of Hezekiah; although many were equally impious with the Assyrian, and virtuous like Hezekiah, yet he did not do this in the case of all; and the cause, as I said, is that the time of judgment is not yet present. And that this is not my own account, hear it from him who is himself going to judge us then. For when those who reported to him the end of those buried by the tower, and the madness of Pilate which he showed toward the dead, mingling their blood with the sacrifices, came to him, what does he say? Do you think that these Galileans were sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish likewise. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they themselves were debtors beyond all those who dwell in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. This is the cause of the delay. For this reason those who are worthy of the same","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":41,"ref":"p41","source":"οὐχ ὁμοῦ πάντας κολάζειν εἴωθεν, ἵνα οἱ λειπόμενοι βελτίους ταῖς ἐκείνων γένωνται συμφοραῖς. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν οὕτως ἐπιλελύσθω. Σὺ δὲ ἴσως καὶ τὰ νῦν προτιθέμενα ζητεῖς, ἃ πολλῷ τούτων ἐστὶν ἀπορώτερα. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ τούτων ἡμῖν κατὰ δύναμιν γενομένων φανερῶν, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων λύσεως οἶμαί τινα προκαταβεβλῆσθαι διὰ τούτων ἀρχήν. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὅπερ ἀπορεῖς; Ὅτι πολλοὶ μέχρι τελευτῆς ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας πολλαῖς προσεπάλαισαν συμφοραῖς. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ περὶ τούτων εἴποιμι ἂν καὶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων, ὅτι προηγουμένως μὲν διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν αὐτοὺς κολάζει πονηρίαν· ἔπειτα δὲ ἵνα καὶ ἕτεροι κερδάνωσιν ἐκ τῶν τούτοις συμβαινόντων κακῶν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐπὶ πάντων τοῦτο γίνεται, οὔπω τῆς κρίσεως ὁ καιρός. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ὅταν πρὶν ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἡλικίαν τὴν διαγνωστικὴν τῶν καλῶν καὶ τῶν οὐ τοιούτων, ὡς μεγάλα ἠδικηκότες τινὲς κολάζονται; Τούτου μὲν οὐ μία τίς ἐστιν αἰτία, ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι. Καὶ γὰρ παρὰ τὴν τῶν γεννησαμένων ἀκρασίαν, καὶ παρὰ τὴν τῶν θρεψάντων ῥᾳθυμίαν, καὶ παρὰ τὴν τῶν ἀέρων ἀνωμαλίαν, καὶ παρὰ πολλὰ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα συμπτώματα τοῦτο γένοιτ' ἄν. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις πολλοὺς αὐτῶν οἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐσομένους πονηρούς· εἶτα ὥσπερ τισὶ πέδαις προκατέχει ταῖς τιμωρίαις ταύταις αὐτούς. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς καὶ τῶν ἐπαιτῶν πολλοὺς καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ θλίψει μυρία ἐργαζομένους δεινὰ, οὐ διὰ τὴν θλῖψιν, οὐδὲ διὰ τὸν λιμὸν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν πονηρίαν μόνον; Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤκουσά τινων λεγόντων ποτὲ, ὅτι γυναῖκα ἐλευθέραν καὶ κοσμίαν ἀπολαβόντες ἐπ' ἐρημίας ἐνύβρισαν. Καίτοι ποίας τοῦτο ἀνάγκης, ποίας θλίψεως ἔργον;","english":"He is not accustomed to punish all at once, so that those who remain may become better through the calamities of those others. And let these matters be resolved by us in this way. But perhaps you are now also inquiring into the questions presently set before us, which are much more perplexing than these. Nevertheless, since these have been made clear by us as far as we are able, I think that through them some beginning has been laid down beforehand for the solution of those questions as well. What then is it that perplexes you? That many, from their earliest age until death, have wrestled with many calamities. But I would say concerning both these and the former cases that, in the first place, he punishes them because of their own wickedness; and then, so that others too may profit from the evils that befall them. But if this does not happen in every case, the time of judgment has not yet come. What then, he says, when some are punished before they come to the age that can distinguish good from what is not so, as though they had done great wrongs? Of this there is not one cause only, but many and various. For this could happen because of the intemperance of the parents, and because of the negligence of those who reared them, and because of the irregularity of the airs, and because of many other such circumstances. Moreover, God knows that many of them will be wicked; and so, as it were, he holds them back beforehand with these punishments as with fetters. Or do you not see that many of the beggars, even in the midst of their affliction itself, do countless terrible things, not because of the affliction, nor because of the famine, but only because of their own wickedness? For I once heard some saying that, having taken a free and respectable woman in a deserted place, they abused her. And yet of what necessity, of what affliction was this the work?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":42,"ref":"p42","source":"Τί δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἔπραξαν οὗτοι δεινὸν, εἰ μὴ τοσούτῳ κατείχοντο δεσμῷ; Τῶν δὲ τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκούντων τὴν μανίαν καὶ τὴν λύτταν τίς ἂν ἐνέγκοι ῥᾳδίως; Καὶ οἱ δαιμο47.445 νῶντες δὲ οὐκ ἐλάττονα τούτων ἐργάζονται. Οὐ λέγω ταῦτα, ἅπερ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς τοῦ δαίμονος πράττουσι κατοχῆς, ἀλλὰ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς βακχείας παυσαμένης ἐκείνης. Καὶ γὰρ ἀδδηφαγοῦσι, καὶ κλέπτουσι, καὶ μεθύουσι, καὶ πολλῷ τούτων αἰσχρότερα πράττουσι. Καθάπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν κακούργων τοὺς μὲν πολλοὺς ἀφίησιν ἐπιπολὺ τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκεῖν ὁ κριτὴς, ὡς καὶ ἐκεῖ καταλῦσαι τὸν βίον πολλάκις, ὅταν δέ τινας τῶν πολλῶν νουθετῆσαι βούληται, ἕνα που καὶ δεύτερον ἐξ ἐκείνων λαβὼν, καὶ ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ καθίσας τοῦ βήματος, περιεστώτων ἁπάντων, οὕτως αὐτὸν κελεύει τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἄγεσθαι, καὶ οὐ πάντων αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν τῶν λοιπῶν φόβον χρεία τῶν πονηρῶν· οὕτω καὶ τῷ Θεῷ οὐ πάντων τῶν μοχθηρῶν, ὅταν ἡμᾶς σωφρονίσαι βούληται, δεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐνίους ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπολαβὼν, οὓς οἶδεν ἀδιορθώτως ἔχοντας, ἐνδείκνυται τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν, πολλὰ ἐκ τούτου κατορθῶν. Τούς τε γὰρ πονηροὺς οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν μεταβολὴν τῆς πονηρίας, εἰ βούλοιντο, παρακαλεῖ, τούς τε ἀγαθοὺς προσεκτικωτέρους ἐργάζεται, τὴν δὲ μακροθυμίαν ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγον, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ἅπασι καθίστησι φανερόν. Τί οὖν ταῦτα, φησὶ, πρὸς τοὺς ἐν συμφοραῖς ἅπασαν τὴν πρώτην τραφέντας ἡλικίαν, καὶ πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ διαγινώσκειν ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν, ἀποπνεύσαντας;","english":"What terrible thing would these men not have done, if they had not been held by so great a bond? But who could easily endure the madness and frenzy of those who inhabit the prison? And those possessed by demons do no less than these. I do not speak of the things they do during the time of the demon's possession, but of the things after that, when that bacchic frenzy has ceased. For they are gluttonous, and steal, and get drunk, and do many things more shameful than these. Just as, then, in the case of criminals, the judge allows the many to inhabit the prison for a long time, so that they often even end their life there, but when he wishes to admonish some of the many, taking one or perhaps two from among them, and seating himself on the high tribunal, with all standing around, he thus orders him to be led to death, and he has no need of all the wicked for the fear of the rest; so too God has no need of all the wicked, when he wishes to discipline us, but taking some from among them, whom he knows to be incurably disposed, he displays his power and his wrath, accomplishing many things by this. For in this way he both urges the wicked to change from their wickedness, if they are willing, and makes the good more attentive, and demonstrates his own long-suffering, and makes the doctrine concerning the resurrection, as I said before, clear to all. What then, he says, does this have to do with those who were raised in misfortunes their entire first age, and who breathed their last before they came to know good or evil?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":43,"ref":"p43","source":"Καὶ τί πάσχουσιν οὗτοι δεινὸν, εἰπέ μοι, οὔπω τὴν αἴσθησιν ὧν πάσχουσιν ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ τὸ λυπεῖσθαι καὶ χαίρειν μεμαθηκότες; Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ τούτῳ μόνον τὸν λόγον ἐπιλύομαι τοῦτον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ γονεῖς καὶ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ συγγενεῖς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων ἐσωφρονίσθησαν συμφορῶν· τοῦτο δὲ κέρδος οὐ μικρὸν, ἐξ ὧν ἕτερος ἠδίκηται οὐδὲν, ὠφελεῖσθαι τὰ μέγιστα ἕτερον. Εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ ἄλλην αἰτίαν τινὰ ἄῤῥητον εἶναι, μόνῳ τῷ ποιήσαντι ἡμᾶς φανεράν.\n\nθʹ. Εἷς ἔτι λείπεται λόγος, τί δήποτε οἱ τὰ ὀρθὰ βαδίζοντες πρὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν μετὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς κατέπεσον. Τίς οὖν ὁ καλῶς τοὺς τὰ ὀρθὰ βαδίζοντας ἐπιστάμενος, πλὴν τοῦ πλάσαντος καταμόνας τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν, καὶ συνιέντος εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν; Πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλάκις τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι χρηστῶν, πάντων εἰσὶ πονηρότεροι. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπεδείχθη μὲν ἤδη καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι\n\nβίῳ, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἐνίων, περιστάσεώς τινος γινομένης καὶ ἀνάγκης. Ὅταν δὲ ὁ δοκιμάζων τὰς καρδίας καὶ τοὺς νεφροὺς, ὁ ζῶν καὶ ἐνεργὴς καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον, ὁ διικνούμενος μέχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, ὁ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καθέζηται δικάζων ἡμῖν, τότε δὴ, τότε οὐκ ὀλίγους τινὰς ἐκ πολλῶν, ἀλλὰ πάντας ἐκκαλυπτομένους ὄψει τοὺς τοιούτους· καὶ οὔτε δορὰ προβάτου τὸν λύκον δύναιτ' ἂν, οὔτε κονίασις τάφου τὸν ἔνδον ἀποκρύψαι μολυσμόν. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ κτίσις ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιον τοῦ τότε κρίνοντος, ἀλλὰ πάντα γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ· ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν Κορινθίοις ἔλεγεν·","english":"And what terrible thing do these men suffer, tell me, when they do not yet have perception of what they suffer, nor have learned to grieve and rejoice? But I resolve this argument not only by this consideration, but also because parents and brothers and relatives have been brought to their senses by such calamities; and this is no small gain, that while another has been wronged in no way, another is benefited most greatly. It is likely that there is also some other unutterable cause, manifest only to the One who made us.\n\n9. One argument still remains: why is it that those who were walking uprightly before their temptations fell after them? Who, then, is the one who knows well those who walk uprightly, except the One who formed our hearts in private, and who understands all our works? For many times many of those who seem to be good are worse than all others. And this has been demonstrated already even in the present life, but in the case of some, when some circumstance and necessity arose. But when the One who tests hearts and reins, the living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, the One who penetrates even to the division of soul and body, of joints and marrow, the discerner of thoughts and intentions, sits in judgment over us, then, then you will see not a few out of many, but all such persons exposed; and neither a sheep's skin could hide the wolf, nor the whitewashing of a tomb hide the defilement within. For no creature is hidden before the One who judges then, but all things are naked and laid bare to his eyes; which Paul also, making clear to the Corinthians, said:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":44,"ref":"p44","source":"Ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους, καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὑποκριτὰς ἀφέντες ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀρθῶς βιοῦντας ἔλθωμεν τῷ λόγῳ, πόθεν δῆλον, εἰ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα αὐτοῖς κατώρθωται, τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον ἠμέληται τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη; Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἀφῆκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μάθωσιν ὅτι οὐ τῇ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει κατώρθουν ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλὰ τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις βέλτιον εἶναι κατορθοῦντας ἐπαίρεσθαι ἢ ταπεινωθῆναι πεσόντας, πολὺ καὶ τῆς ἀλαζονείας ἀγνοεῖ τὴν ζημίαν καὶ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ κέρδος. Εὖ γὰρ ἴσθι σαφῶς ὅτι ἄνθρωπος μετὰ ἀπονοίας κατορθῶν, εἴ γε ὅλως τοῦτό ἐστι κατορθοῦν, ταχέως ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀπώλειαν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ὀλισθῆσαι συγχωρηθεὶς, καὶ μετριάζειν μαθὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ πτώματος, καὶ ἀναστήσεται, καὶ ἀνακτήσεται ἑαυτὸν θᾶττον, εἴ γε βούλοιτο· ὁ δὲ δοκῶν μὲν εὖ πράττειν μετὰ ἀλαζονείας, μηδὲν δὲ πάσχων δεινὸν, οὔτε αἴσθησιν τῆς οἰκείας λήψεται παρανομίας ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐξήσει τὸ δεινὸν, καὶ λήσεται κενὸς ἐνθένδε ἀπελθών· καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος ὁ Φαρισαῖος, ὃς ἀνῆλθε μὲν δοκῶν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἅπασι πλουτεῖν, κατῆλθε δὲ μαθὼν ὅτι καὶ τοῦ τελώνου πενέστερος ἦν. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἕτερον εἶδος πολλὴν ἔχον ἰσχὺν πρὸς τὸ κενῶσαι τὰ μετὰ πολλῶν ἱδρώτων καὶ πόνων συναχθέντα καλὰ, ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας ἄνεμος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἄνεμος ἀληθῶς εἰσελθὼν ἐκφυσᾷ ἅπαντας τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς θησαυρούς. Ἰδοὺ οὖν καὶ δευτέρα πρόφασις ἡμῖν ἀνεφάνη τῶν τὰ ὀρθὰ βαδιζόντων, ὡς ἔφης.","english":"So do not judge before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts. But so that, leaving aside the hypocrites, we may come in our discourse to those who live rightly: how is it clear whether in other respects they have succeeded, but have neglected the chief of goods, humility? And for this reason God left them, so that they might learn that they were not succeeding in those things by their own power, but by the grace of God. But if someone should say that it is better to succeed and be elated than to be humbled by falling, he is greatly ignorant of the harm of arrogance and the gain of humility. For know well and clearly that a man who succeeds with presumption—if indeed this is at all to succeed—will quickly fall into the utmost destruction. And he who is permitted to slip, and learns moderation from the fall, will both rise again and recover himself more quickly, if indeed he so wishes; but he who seems to do well with arrogance, and suffers nothing terrible, will never even gain perception of his own transgression, but will also increase the evil, and will depart from here empty without noticing it—just like that Pharisee, who went up thinking he was rich in all good things, but came down having learned that he was poorer even than the tax collector. There is also another kind of thing that has great power to empty out the good things gathered with many sweats and labors: the wind of vainglory. For like a wind, it truly enters and blows away all the treasures of virtue. Behold, then, a second pretext has appeared to us concerning those who walk in right paths, as you said.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":45,"ref":"p45","source":"Πολλοὶ γὰρ παρ' ἡμῖν δοκοῦντες ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς πολλοὺς ὑπομεμενηκέναι πόνους, καὶ ὑπομένοντες δὲ, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ὁρῶντες τιμὴν, καὶ οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἅπαντα ἔπραττον, ἀφείθησαν πειρασμῷ περιπεσεῖν, ἵνα τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἀποστερηθέντες δόξης δι' ἣν ἅπαντα ἐζημιώθησαν, καὶ μαθόντες τὴν φύσιν αὐτῆς ὡς οὐδὲν ἄμεινον ἄνθους χόρτου διάκειται, τῷ Θεῷ μόνῳ προσέχωσι τοῦ λοιποῦ, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν ἅπαντα πράττωσι. Καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ πρὸς τούτοις εἰσὶ λόγοι τούτων πολλῷ πλείους, ἡμῖν μὲν ἀφανεῖς, ὡς ἔφην, γνώριμοι δὲ τῷ πεποιηκότι αὐτοὺς Θεῷ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀσχάλλωμεν ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις, ἀλλ' εὐχαριστῶμεν· τοῦτο γὰρ οἰκετῶν εὐγνωμόνων ἐστί. Σὺ δὲ θαυμάζων ὅτι μὴ πρότερον, ἡνίκα ἐτρύφας καὶ τὴν κοσμικὴν περιέκεισο φαντασίαν, ἀλλὰ νῦν, ὅτε πάντα ἐκεῖνα ἔῤῥιψας, καὶ σαυτὸν ὅλον ἀνέθηκας τῷ Θεῷ, τότε ἐπεπήδησεν οὗτος ὁ μιαρὸς, παραπλήσιον ποιεῖς ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ἐθαύμαζες, τί δήποτε τοῖς μὲν θεαταῖς οὐδεὶς ἐνοχλεῖ, τῷ δὲ ἀπογραψαμένῳ πρὸς τὸ πυκτεύειν, καὶ γυμνασθέντι, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθέντι, τούτῳ μόνῳ πάντων ἔπεισιν ὁ ἀνταγωνιστὴς, πατάσσων τὴν κεφαλὴν, καὶ κόπτων τὸ πρόσωπον. Οὐ δὴ τοῦ τό ἐστι θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲ ἀθυμίας ἄξιον, εἰ πυκτεύειν ἡμῖν ἑλομένοις, ἐκεῖνος θλίβει καὶ ἀνιᾷ καὶ βαρύνει· οὗτος γὰρ τῶν πυκτευόντων ὁ νόμος· ἀλλ' εἰ περιτρέπει καὶ καταβάλλει καὶ τὸ βραβεῖον ἀφαιρεῖται, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δεινόν. Ἕως δ' ἂν τοῦτο μὴ δύνηται, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἔβλαψεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ὤνησε τῇ σφοδρᾷ συμπλοκῇ σεμνοτέρους ἡμᾶς ποιήσας.","english":"For many among us who seemed to have endured many toils for the sake of virtue, and who were enduring them, because they looked to the honor that comes from men and did not do all things with a view to God, were allowed to fall into temptation, so that, being deprived of the glory that comes from the many, for which they had suffered loss in all things, and having learned its nature—that it is in no better state than the flower of grass—they might attend to God alone for the rest of their lives and do all things for his sake. And there are other accounts besides these, far more numerous than these, hidden from us, as I said, but known to the God who made them. Let us not, then, be vexed at what happens, but let us give thanks; for this is the mark of grateful servants. But you, marveling that it was not earlier, when you were living in luxury and clothed in worldly display, but now, when you have cast all that aside and dedicated your whole self to God, that this foul creature leaped upon you—you are doing something much like marveling why on earth no one troubles the spectators, but only the man who has enrolled for boxing, who has trained, and who has entered the contest—upon him alone of all does the adversary come, striking his head and battering his face. So it is not this that is wonderful or worthy of discouragement—that when we have chosen to box, that one oppresses and vexes and weighs us down; for this is the law of boxers—but if he overturns us and casts us down and takes away the prize, this is the terrible thing. As long as he cannot do this, he has not only done us no harm, but has even benefited us greatly, making us more honorable by the fierce struggle.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":46,"ref":"p46","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ πάντων ἀμείνων, ὁ πλείονα τραύματα ἐπιδεῖξαι ἔχων, καὶ τὰ μονομάχια πρὸς τοὺς εὐτονωτέρους τῶν πολεμίων ἀναδεξάμενος· καὶ τῶν ἀθλητῶν δὲ τοὺς τοῖς\n\nἀκαθαιρέτοις συμπλεκομένους οὕτω γὰρ τοὺς φιλονεικοτέρους καλοῦσι τῶν ἀνταγωνιστῶν θαυμάζομεν· καὶ κυνηγέτης οὗτος μάλιστά ἐστιν ὁ κρατούμενος, ὁ τὰ δυσάλωτα τῶν θηρίων καταδεχόμενος. Ἀναιδής ἐστι καὶ ἀκατάπληκτος οὗτος ὁ δαίμων; διὰ τοῦτό σε ἐκπληττόμενος καὶ θαυμάζων οὐ παύομαι, ὅτι πρὸς τοιοῦτον κληρωθεὶς ἀνταγωνιστὴν οὐ κατέπεσες, οὐδὲ ἐξέδωκας σεαυτὸν, ἀλλ' ἔμεινας ἀκλινὴς μηδαμόθεν περιτρεπόμενος.\n\nιʹ. Καὶ ὅτι σε οὐ κολακεύων ταῦτα λέγω νῦν, ἀλλὰ ἀληθῶς τὰ μέγιστα ἀπὸ τῆς θλίψεως ταύτης ἐκαρπώσω, ἀνάσχου μετὰ παῤῥησίας λεγόντων ἡμῶν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἄλλως δυναίμην τούτου παρασχεῖν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. Οἶσθά που καὶ μέμνησαι τὴν προτέραν σου διαγωγὴν, τὴν πρὸ τούτου λέγω τοῦ πειρασμοῦ· οὐκοῦν ἐξέτασον ἐκείνην καλῶς, καὶ ἀντίθες τῇ παρούσῃ τῇ μετὰ τὸν πειρασμὸν, καὶ τότε ὄψει τὸ κέρδος ὅσον ἀπὸ ταύτης σοι γέγονε τῆς συμπλοκῆς. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐν νηστείαις καὶ παννυχίσι, καὶ τῇ περὶ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν σπουδῇ, καὶ τῇ περὶ τὰς εὐχὰς καρτερίᾳ, πολλὴ γέγονεν ἡ ἐπίτασις, καὶ τὸ ἀδιάχυτον δὲ καὶ ταπεινὸν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς σοι κατώρθωται· πρότερον δέ σοι βιβλίων λόγος ἦν οὐδεὶς, πᾶσα δέ σοι φροντὶς καὶ πόνος εἰς τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἀνηλίσκετο τῶν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ φυτῶν.","english":"For in the camps that man is the better than all, the one who has more wounds to show, and who has taken upon himself the single combats against the stronger of the enemies; and among the athletes we admire those who grapple with the unconquered—for so they call the more contentious of the antagonists—and the hunter is most of all the one who is held fast, the one who takes on the beasts that are hard to catch. Is this demon shameless and undaunted? Therefore I do not cease being astonished at you and marveling, because, allotted such an antagonist, you did not fall, nor did you give yourself up, but you remained unbending, turned aside from no quarter.\n\n10. And that I say these things now not flattering you, but that you have truly reaped the greatest fruits from this affliction, bear with us speaking with boldness; for I could not otherwise provide the proof of this. You know somewhere and remember your former manner of life—I mean the one before this trial. So examine that well, and set it beside the present one, the one after the trial, and then you will see how great the gain has come to you from this encounter. For now both in fastings and in all-night vigils, and in your zeal for reading, and in your endurance in prayers, there has been much intensification, and the undistracted and humble state has been accomplished by you beyond measure; but formerly there was no account of books for you, and all your care and toil was spent on the tending of the plants in the garden.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":47,"ref":"p47","source":"Πολλῶν δέ σε καὶ εἰς ἀπόνοιαν σκωπτόντων ἤκουον τότε, καὶ ταύτῃ τὴν τοῦ γένους αἰτιωμένων λαμπρότητα, καὶ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς δόξαν, καὶ τὸ ἐν πλούτῳ τετράφθαι πολλῷ· τὴν δὲ ἐν ταῖς παννυχίσι ῥᾳθυμίαν καὶ αὐτὸς οἶδας σαφῶς. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἄλλων μετὰ τὴν βαθεῖαν ἑσπέραν ἀνισταμένων εὐθέως, αὐτὸς ἔμενες ὕπνῳ κατεχόμενος βαθεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς διεγείροντας ἐδυσχέραινες. Ἀλλὰ νῦν πάντα λέλυται ἐκεῖνα, καὶ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον μεταβέβληται, ἐξ οὗ τὴν μάχην καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἀνεδέξω τοῦτον. Εἰ δὲ ἔροιό με, τί δήποτέ σοι τρυφῶντι καὶ πρὸς τὰ τοῦ κόσμου πράγματα ἐπτοημένῳ οὐ συνεχώρησεν ἀντιστῆναι τὸν δαίμονα τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκεῖνο ἂν ἀποκρινοίμην ἐγὼ, ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο τῆς αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίας ἦν· ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι σε τότε εὐκαταγώνιστον εὑρὼν ταχέως ἀπολεῖ. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ εὐθέως ἐπὶ τὸν τῶν μοναχῶν ἐλθόντα βίον πρὸς τὴν πάλην ταύτην ἐκάλεσεν, ἀλλ' ἀφῆκεν ἐγγυμνασθῆναι καὶ χρόνον ἀναμεῖναι μακρὸν, εἶθ' ὅτε καρτερικώτατος γέγονας, τηνικαῦτα πρὸς τὸ ἐπίπονον τοῦτο στάδιον εἵλκυσεν. Ἔτι οὖν τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ στρεφομένων μεμνήσῃ, καὶ τὸν οἰκέτην ἄξεις εἰς μέσον τὸν σόν· ἐκεῖνον μὲν γάρ σε οἶμαι αἰνίττεσθαι, ὅταν λέγῃς ὅτι πολλοὶ τῶν βιωτικῶν ἀνδρῶν ταύτῃ περιπεσόντες τῇ νόσῳ ταχίστης καὶ τελείας ἔτυ47.448 χον ἀπαλλαγῆς. Ἀλλ' ὁ οἰκέτης, ὦ φίλτατε, ὁ σὸς καὶ ὅσοι τῶν αὐτῶν ἔτυχον ἐκείνῳ, οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς αὐτῷ προσεπλάκησαν, οἷσπερ καὶ σὺ νῦν· ἐκείνῳ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ὑπὲρ τοῦ φοβῆσαι μόνον, καὶ τῷ φόβῳ ποιῆσαι βελτίους, τοῦτο ἐπαφῆκε τὸ θηρίον ὁ Θεός·","english":"I heard many at that time mocking you even to the point of madness, and blaming for this the splendor of your family, and the glory of your father, and your having been raised in great wealth; and the slackness in the all-night vigils you yourself also know clearly. For often, when others rose immediately after deep evening, you yourself remained held fast by deep sleep, and you were vexed at those who tried to wake you. But now all those things have been dissolved and changed for the better, since you took up this battle and war. And if you should ask me why God did not permit this demon to oppose you while you were still living in luxury and excited about the affairs of the world, I would answer this: that this too was part of His care for you. For He knew that, finding you then easy to overthrow, he would quickly destroy you. Therefore He did not call you to this wrestling match even immediately when you came to the monastic life, but He allowed you to train beforehand and to wait a long time, and then, when you had become most steadfast, at that point He drew you to this toilsome arena. Since, then, you still remember those who are occupied in the world, and you bring your servant into the middle of the discussion—for I think you are hinting at him when you say that many men of worldly life who fell into this disease obtained the swiftest and most complete release. But your servant, O dearest friend, and all those who obtained the same as he, did not become entangled in the same things as he did in the same way as you now; for to him and to such men God let loose this beast only for the purpose of frightening them, and by fear making them better.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":48,"ref":"p48","source":"σοὶ δὲ, ὥστε ἀγωνίσασθαι γενναίως, καὶ νικῆσαι λαμπρῶς, καὶ τὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἀναδήσασθαι στέφανον. Νίκη δέ ἐστιν, οὐχ ὅταν τις, τοῦ θεάτρου ἔτι συνεστῶτος, παλαίοντα αὑτὸν ἑλκύσας ἀπαγάγῃ τοῦ ἀνταγωνιστοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀφῇ συμπλακῆναι διαπαντὸς, εἶτα παλαίων καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας εἰς ἐνθυμήσεις ἀτόπους ἄγων ἰσχύσῃ μηδέν. Καὶ ὅτι οὕτω ταῦτ' ἔχει, ἐκεῖθεν συλλογιοῦμαι καλῶς. Παντί που δῆλόν ἐστι, κἂν αὐτὸς μετριάζειν ἐθέλῃς, ὅσον τῆς τοῦ οἰκέτου ζωῆς βελτίων ἡ σὴ διενήνοχεν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ λόγος σοῦ τῷ Θεῷ πλείων καὶ φροντὶς, ἢ ἐκείνου. Τούτου δὲ ὄντος δήλου, κἀκεῖνο ὁμοίως ἔσται φανερὸν, ὅτι εἰ μίσους αὕτη συγχώρησις ἦν, οὐκ ἂν εἰς ὃν μᾶλλον ἠγάπα ταύτην ἐξέτεινε, τὸν ἥττονα πολὺ ὄντα τοῦτον ταχέως τοῦ δαίμονος ἐξαρπάσας. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτου μόνον τοῦτο ἰσχυρισαίμην ἂν ἔγωγε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ὧν ἐγκαταλελεῖφθαι δοκεῖς, ἐκ τούτων μάλιστα, ὅτι σφόδρα μέλει τῷ Θεῷ τῶν σῶν, ἀποδεῖξαι πειράσομαι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ πολλὴν ἐποιήσω σπουδὴν, μηδὲ ἀποδημίας ἐστείλω μακρὰς, ὥστε συγγενέσθαι ἀνδράσιν ἁγίοις καὶ ἱκανοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα λύειν δεσμὰ, ἴσως ἄν τις ἠπόρησε τῶν πολλῶν, οὐ σφόδρα τῆς αἰτίας οὔσης ἐναργοῦς, δι' ἣν τοσοῦτον εἴασε χρόνον· ἐπειδὴ","english":"For you, so as to strive nobly, and to conquer splendidly, and to be crowned with the crown of endurance. And victory is not when someone, while the theater is still assembled, drags himself away from his opponent and leads him off, but when he lets him grapple completely, and then, by wrestling and through despondency leading him into absurd thoughts, he prevails in nothing. And that these things are so, I will reason well from that. It is clear to everyone, even if you yourself wish to be modest, how much better your life differs from the life of the servant. Therefore both your account with God and his care are greater than his. And since this is clear, that also will be equally evident, that if this were a forgiveness of hatred, he would not have extended it to the one he loved more, snatching this one, who is far weaker, quickly from the demon. And I would not assert this from this alone, but also from the very things in which you seem to have been abandoned—from these especially I will try to demonstrate that God cares greatly for your affairs. For if you had not made great effort, nor undertaken long journeys, so as to associate with holy men and those able to loose such bonds, perhaps one of the many would have been at a loss, since the cause is not very clear, for which he allowed so much time; since","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":49,"ref":"p49","source":"δὲ καὶ τόπους μαρτύρων καταλαβὼν, ἔνθα πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπους ἐσθιόντων ἰάθησαν, καὶ τοῖς θαυμαστοῖς καὶ γενναίοις ἐκείνοις καὶ μηδέποτε διημαρτηκόσι πολὺν ὑπὲρ τούτου συνῴκησας χρόνον, καὶ οὐδὲν ὅλως παραλιπὼν τῶν φερόντων εἰς τὴν τοῦ πάθους ἀπαλλαγὴν, ἐπανῆλθες πάλιν τὸν πολέμιον ἔχων μετὰ σαυτοῦ, φανερὰν καὶ ἐναργῆ καὶ τοῖς σφόδρα ἀνοήτοις τῆς περὶ σὲ Θεοῦ προνοίας ἐκόμισας τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν τοσαύτην χάριν ἐνεπόδισεν, οὐδ' ἂν τοὺς αὐτοῦ δούλους αἰσχυνθῆναι ἠνέσχετο, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα πρὸς τὴν εὐδοκίμησιν καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν μᾶλλον ἑώρα τὴν σήν. Ὥσθ' ὅπερ δοκεῖ σημεῖον εἶναι τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦτο τῆς πολλῆς αὐτοῦ περὶ σὲ φιλοστοργίας καὶ σπουδῆς σημεῖόν ἐστι.\n\nΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΤΑΓΕΙΡΙΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΟΤΙ Η ΑΘΥΜΙΑ ΧΑΛΕΠΩΤΕΡΑ ΚΑΙ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΟΣ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ αʹ. Ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας εἰρήσθω, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἀποστρεφόμενος οὐδὲ μισῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἀγαπῶν, τούτῳ γυμνάζει τῷ τρόπῳ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως σφόδρα ἔφης ἀλγεῖν, ὡς καὶ πολλάκις σε ἀναπείθειν τὸν δαίμονα εἰς πέλαγος ἢ κατὰ κρημνῶν ἀφανίσαι σαυτὸν, ἢ ἄλλῳ τινὶ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τὴν παροῦσαν καταλῦσαι ζωὴν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων μικρὰ διαλεχθῆναι βούλομαι τῶν λογισμῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνου μόνον ἐστὶν αὕτη ἡ συμβουλὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας τῆς σῆς, καὶ ταύτης μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκείνου, τάχα δὲ καὶ μόνης ταύτης. Καὶ δῆλον ἐξ ὧν πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν μὴ δαιμονώντων ἀπὸ τοῦ λυπεῖσθαι μόνον τοιαῦτα βουλεύονται.","english":"And having occupied the places of the martyrs, where many even of those who ate men were healed, and having lived a long time for this purpose with those wondrous and noble men who never failed, and having left out nothing at all of the things that contribute to release from the passion, you returned again having the enemy with you; you brought a clear and vivid proof of God's providence concerning you even to the very foolish. For he would not have hindered so great a grace, nor would he have endured that his own servants be put to shame, unless he saw very much more toward your good repute and your benefit. So that which seems to be a sign of God's abandonment is a sign of his great affection and zeal for you.\n\nOf the same author, to Stagirius, and that despondency is harsher and a demon's word, second discourse 1. Let these things be said by us concerning God's providence, and that it is not turning away nor hating, but loving exceedingly, that he trains in this way. But since you said that you also grieve in another way exceedingly, so that the demon often persuades you to destroy yourself in the sea or down a cliff, or by some other such manner to dissolve the present life, I wish to speak briefly about these thoughts. For this counsel is not his alone, but also of your despondency, and of this more than of him, and perhaps of this alone. And it is clear from the fact that many even of those not possessed by demons, from grieving only, deliberate such things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":50,"ref":"p50","source":"Ταύτην οὖν ἔκβαλε καὶ ἀπέλασον τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἕξει λοιπὸν ἐκεῖνος ἰσχὺν, οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὸ πείθειν τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ παραινεῖν τὴν ἀρχήν. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ καθάπερ οἱ τοιχωρύχοι καταλαμβανούσης νυκτὸς, τὸ φῶς ἀποσβέσαντες, καὶ ὑφελέσθαι τὰ ὄντα, καὶ τοὺς τούτων κυρίους μετὰ πολλῆς ἀποσφάξαι τῆς εὐκολίας δύναιντ' ἄν· οὕτω καὶ οὗτος ἀντὶ νυκτὸς καὶ σκότους τὴν ἀθυμίαν κατασκεδάσας, πάντας ὑφελέσθαι πειρᾶται τοὺς πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν λογισμοὺς, ἵνα ἐρήμην καὶ ἀβοήθητον λαβὼν τὴν ψυχὴν μυρίαις κατατρώσῃ πληγαῖς. Ὅταν δέ τις τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδι τοῦτο διασκεδάσας τὸ σκότος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης καταφυγὼν, σπεύσῃ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἐκείνας εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καταθεῖναι ψυχὴν, ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν ἐπὶ τὸν λῃστὴν μεταθήσει τὸν θόρυβον· καὶ γὰρ οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα κακουργοῦντες, ὅταν αὐτοὺς ἐλέγξῃ τις, καὶ δείξῃ τὸ φῶς, τρέμουσιν, ἰλιγγιῶσι, ταράττονται. Καὶ πῶς ἄν τις, φησὶ, ταύτης ἀπαλλαγείη τῆς ὀδύνης, μὴ πρότερον τοῦ κινοῦντος αὐτὴν δαίμονος ἀπαλλαγείς; Οὐχ ὁ δαίμων ἐστὶν ὁ τὴν ἀθυμίαν κινῶν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνη ἡ ποιοῦσα τὸν δαίμονα ἰσχυρὸν, καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὑποβάλλουσα τοὺς πονηρούς. Καὶ μαρτυρήσειεν ἂν ἡμῖν ἐνταῦθα ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· οὐ γὰρ δαίμονά τινα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ταύτης ἀμετρίαν δεδοικὼς ἐπέστελλε Κορινθίοις φείσασθαι λοιπὸν τοῦ πεπλημμεληκότος ἐφ' οἷς ἐξήμαρτε, Μήπως τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ, φησὶν, ὁ τοιοῦτος. Εἰ δὲ βούλει, τῷ λόγῳ τέως ὑποθώμεθα τὸν μὲν δαίμονα ἐπικεῖσθαι, τὴν δὲ ἀθυμίαν ἐξηλάσθαι τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς· τίς ἔσται βλάβη λοιπόν;","english":"Cast this out, therefore, and drive it away from the soul, and that one will no longer have any strength, not only to persuade such things, but not even to suggest them at all. For now, just as housebreakers, when night comes on, having extinguished the light, can both steal the possessions and slaughter their owners with great ease, so too this one, spreading despondency in place of night and darkness, tries to steal away all the reasonings that lead to safety, so that, taking the soul desolate and helpless, he may wound it with countless blows. But when someone, by hope in God, has scattered this darkness and, fleeing to the sun of righteousness, hastens to deposit those rays into his own soul, he will transfer the turmoil from his own reasonings to the robber; for those who perpetrate such evils, when someone convicts them and shows the light, tremble, grow dizzy, and are thrown into confusion. And how, he says, could one be rid of this pain without first being rid of the demon who stirs it up? It is not the demon who stirs up despondency, but that very thing which makes the demon strong and suggests the evil reasonings. And the blessed Paul would bear witness to us here; for it was not some demon, but the excess of this, that he feared when he enjoined the Corinthians to spare the one who had erred for the sins he had committed, lest, he says, such a one be swallowed up by excessive grief. But if you wish, let us for now suppose in argument that the demon is pressing upon you, but that despondency has been driven out of your soul; what harm will there be thereafter?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":51,"ref":"p51","source":"τί καθ' ἑαυτὸν οὗτος ἢ μικρὸν ἢ μέγα δύναιτ' ἂν ἀδικῆσαι ἡμᾶς; Ἐκείνη δὲ καὶ τούτου μὴ παρόντος πολλὰ ἂν ἐργάσαιτο δεινά· καὶ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν βρόχους ἁψάντων, ἢ ξίφει διαφθαρέντων, ἢ ποταμοῖς ἀποπνιγέντων, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρως πως ἀπολεσάντων ἑαυτοὺς, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐπὶ τοὺς βιαίους τούτους θανάτους ὠσθέντας εὑρήσομεν· εἰ δέ τινες καὶ τῶν δαιμονώντων εἶεν ἐν τούτοις, καὶ τούτων τὴν ἀπώλειαν οὐ τῷ δαίμονι λογιστέον, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῆς\n\nἀθυμίας τυραννίδι καὶ βίᾳ. Καὶ πῶς ἔνεστι, φησὶ, μὴ ἀθυμεῖν; Ἂν τῆς τῶν πολλῶν περὶ τοῦ πράγματος δόξης ἀποστὰς τὰ ἄνω φρονῇς. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἐπειδὴ τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα δεινὸν εἶναι νομίζεται, καὶ σοὶ δοκεῖ· εἰ δὲ θελήσαις αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ, τῆς ματαίας καὶ πεπλανημένης προλήψεως ἀπαλλαγεὶς, μετὰ ἀκριβείας κατιδεῖν, εὑρήσεις οὐδεμίαν ἔχον ἀθυμίας ἀφορμὴν, ὡς καὶ ἤδη πολλάκις ἡμῖν ἀποδέδεικται. Τῶν δὲ ὁμηλίκων ἕνεκεν καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἐκείνων εὐφροσύνην καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς παῤῥησίαν ὁρῶντά σε ἡγοῦμαι συγχεῖσθαι καὶ καταπίπτειν ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅτι, εἰ μὲν τούτων ἐν ἐγκρατείᾳ καὶ κοσμιότητι καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ τοῦ βίου φιλοσοφίᾳ διαγόντων, αὐτὸς ἐν χαμαιτυπείοις καὶ κύβοις καὶ κώμοις τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἀνήλισκες, λόγον ἂν εἶχεν ἡ τῆς ἀθυμίας πρόφασις· εἰ δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς ἔτι βαδίζεις ὁδὸν, τί ποτέ ἐστί σε τὸ λυποῦν; Ἐγὼ γὰρ, εἰ μὲν πρὸς ἕτερόν μοί τινα τῶν εὐκόλως ἐπαιρομένων ὁ λόγος ἦν, κἂν ἀπεσιώπησα ταῦτα, ἃ μέλλω. πρὸς σὲ νῦν ἐρεῖν·","english":"What could this one by himself do to harm us, either small or great? But that one, even when this one is not present, could work many terrible things; and we shall find that the majority of those who have hanged themselves with nooses, or destroyed themselves with a sword, or drowned themselves in rivers, or in some other way made away with themselves, were driven by despondency to these violent deaths. And if some of the demon-possessed are among these, the destruction of these too must not be attributed to the demon, but to the tyranny and violence of despondency. And how is it possible, he says, not to be despondent? If, departing from the opinion of the many concerning the matter, you think on things above. For now, since the many consider the matter to be terrible, it seems so to you as well; but if you would wish to look at it by itself with precision, freed from vain and mistaken preconception, you will find that it has no occasion for despondency, as has already been demonstrated by us many times. But concerning those of your own age—for I think that when you see their cheerfulness and their boldness toward their brothers, you are confounded and cast down—I would say this: if, while these were living in self-control and orderliness and the rest of the philosophy of life, you yourself were spending all your time in brothels and dice and revels, the pretext for despondency would have a reason; but if you are still walking the same road as they, what is it that grieves you? For I, if my argument were addressed to some other one of those who are easily elated, I would even have kept silent about these things which I am now about to say to you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":52,"ref":"p52","source":"ἐπειδὴ δὲ σφόδρα θαῤῥῶ, ὅτι, κἂν μυρία σέ τις ἐπαινῇ καὶ θαυμάζῃ, τοῦ μετριάζειν οὐκ ἀποστήσῃ ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ μενεῖς καὶ οὕτως ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τάττων σαυτὸν, οὐδὲν ὑποστειλάμενος ἅπαντα ἐρῶ. Τοσαύτην γὰρ ἀκούω τὴν ἐπίδοσιν τῆς εὐλαβείας γεγενῆσθαι τῆς σῆς, ὡς μηκέτι σοι πρὸς ἐκεῖνα τὰ μειράκια, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοὺς μεγάλους καὶ θαυμαστοὺς ἄνδρας εἶναι τὴν ἅμιλλαν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐκείνων σε ἀποδέειν λέγουσιν, οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῆς νηστείας λόγον· πῶς γὰρ, ὕδατι καὶ ἄρτῳ μόνον, καὶ ταῦτα ἡμέραν παρ' ἡμέραν τρεφόμενον; οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῶν παννυχίδων καιρὸν, ἀλλ' ὁμοίως αὐτοῖς ἐφεξῆς πολλὰς νύκτας ἀΰπνους παρέλκειν. Τῇ δὲ μεθ' ἡμέραν διαγωγῇ πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἤδη καὶ ἀποκρύψαι φασί· καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἐρχομένων ἀκούω διηγουμένων, ὅτι σοι πᾶς ὁ καιρὸς εἰς εὐχὰς καὶ δάκρυα ἀναλίσκεται· καὶ καθάπερ οἱ σιγὴν ἀσκοῦντες, ἢ καὶ μόνους ἐν οἰκίσκῳ κατακλείσαντες ἑαυτοὺς, πρὸς οὐδένα οὐδὲν φθέγγονται, οὕτω καὶ σὲ λέγουσιν ἐν πλήθει τοσούτῳ στρεφόμενον διατελεῖν. Τὸν δὲ τῆς καρδίας σου συντριμμὸν, καὶ τὸν αὐχμὸν, καὶ τὴν ἀλγηδόνα καὶ πεφρίκασι διηγούμενοι, καὶ πολλοὺς ἐνταῦθα τὰ σὰ κατένυξαν ἀπαγγέλλοντες· Οὐκ ἀντιβλέπει, φησὶν, οὐδενὶ τῶν εἰσιόντων ἐκεῖ, οὐδ' ἀνίησι τῶν συνεχῶν πόνων ἑαυτόν· πολλάκις ἐδείσαμεν μὴ πηρώσῃ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῖς ὀδυρμοῖς, μὴ πλήξῃ τὰς μήνιγγας τῇ σφοδρότητι τῆς ἀγρυπνίας καὶ τῇ ἀνενδότῳ καὶ διηνεκεῖ περὶ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν σπουδῇ. βʹ.","english":"Since I am very confident that, even if countless people were to praise and admire you, you will never abandon moderation, but will remain as you are, ranking yourself among the last, I will speak everything without holding anything back. For I hear that such has been the increase of your piety that your contest is no longer against those youths, but against the great and wonderful men. For they say that you fall short of none of them—not in the matter of fasting; for how could you, when you are nourished on water and bread alone, and that every other day? Nor in the time of all-night vigils, but you pass many nights in succession sleepless like them. And in your daily conduct they say you have already surpassed many of them; for I hear those who come from there recounting that all your time is spent in prayers and tears; and just as those who practice silence, or who have shut themselves alone in a cell, speak to no one, so too they say you continue even while moving about in so great a crowd. And your heart's contrition, and your dryness, and your pain they have shuddered at as they recount them, and many here they have pierced with compunction by reporting your ways. He does not look anyone in the face, they say, of those who enter there, nor does he let himself off from his continual labors; often we have feared lest he blind his eyes with his lamentations, lest he injure his membranes by the intensity of his sleeplessness and his unremitting and ceaseless zeal for reading.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":53,"ref":"p53","source":"Ταῦτα οὖν σε λυπεῖ καὶ θορυβεῖ, ὅτι τοσοῦτον παρήλασας τοὺς ὁμήλικας, ὅτι καὶ σφοδρὸν καὶ ἀναίσχυντον ἔχων τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ τοὺς μετὰ σοῦ τρέχοντας ὑπερηκόντισας. Ἆρ' οὐκ εἰκότως ἔλεγον ὅτι ἡ ἀθυμία αὕτη προλήψεως μόνον ἐστὶν, ἐρευνωμένη δὲ καὶ εὐθυμίας ἡμῖν ὑποθέσεις παρέχει πολλάς; Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ μὴ δαιμονᾷν, ὅταν ὁ βίος ἠμελημένος ᾖ; ποῖον δὲ βλάβος ἀπὸ τοῦ δαιμονᾷν, ὅταν τὰ τῆς πολιτείας ἠκριβωμένα τύχῃ καὶ συγκεκροτημένα καλῶς; Ἀλλ' ἴσως αἰσχύνῃ καὶ ἐρυθριᾷς, ὅταν σε καταβάλῃ παρόντων τινῶν; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό σοι πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑποθέσεως συμβαίνει τῆς αὐτῆς, ὅτι τῇ τῶν πολλῶν δόξῃ, λογισμῷ δὲ οὐδέποτε τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπέτρεψας. Τὸ γὰρ καταπεσεῖν οὐ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ σὺ πάσχειν φὴς, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἁμαρτίᾳ περιπεσεῖν· ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πτώσει καλὸν αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ ἀλγεῖν. Νῦν δὲ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς οὐδεμίαν ἔχουσιν αἰσχύνην καταδυόμεθα, τὰ δὲ ὄντως αἰσχρὰ καὶ πολλοῦ γέμοντα γέλωτος καὶ κολάσεως ἐσχάτης, ταῦτα δρῶντες οὐδὲν ἡγούμεθα πάσχειν δεινόν· ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν ψυχῆς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐνεργείας πιπτούσης οὐδεὶς ὁ πενθῶν· εἰ δέ ποτέ τι τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο πάθοι, δεινὸν καὶ ἀφόρητον εἶναι δοκεῖ. Ἆρα οὐ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δαιμονᾷν, τὸ οὕτω διακεῖσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ περὶ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων σφάλλεσθαι κρίσιν; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ μέθης τοῦτο ἔπασχες, ἐχρῆν καταδύεσθαι καὶ ἀθυμεῖν, προαιρέσεως γὰρ τὸ ἔγκλημα ἦν· εἰ δὲ τῆς ἑτέρου βίας τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, οὐ τὸν ἐπηρεαζόμενον, οὐδὲ τὸν ὑπομένοντα τὴν βίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸν δρῶντα αἰσχύνεσθαι","english":"These things, then, grieve and disturb you: that you have so far surpassed those of your own age, and that, though you have a violent and shameless adversary, you have with great measure outrun those who run alongside you. Was I not right in saying that this despondency is merely a matter of preconception, and that when examined it provides us with many occasions for good cheer? For tell me, what profit is there in not being demon-possessed, when one's life is neglected? And what harm is there from being demon-possessed, when the affairs of one's conduct have been brought to exactness and well compacted? But perhaps you are ashamed and blush when he throws you down in the presence of others? But this again happens to you from the same underlying cause: that you have entrusted the matter to the opinion of the many, but never to reasoning. For to fall down is not what you say you suffer, but to fall into sin; at this fall it is noble to be ashamed and to grieve. But now, over things that have no shame at all we sink down, while the things that are truly shameful and full of great laughter and of the utmost punishment—these we do and think we suffer nothing terrible. But while the soul falls each day through the working of sins, there is no one who mourns; but if ever this body should suffer something, it seems dreadful and unbearable. Is this not what being demon-possessed is—to have the soul in such a state and to go astray in one's judgment of matters? For if you suffered this from drunkenness, you ought to sink down and be despondent, for the blame would belong to choice; but if the matter is from another's violence, it is not the one who is abused, nor the one who endures the violence, but the one who does it who ought to be ashamed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":54,"ref":"p54","source":"δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἀγορᾷ εἴ ποτε γενομένης μάχης ἕτερος τὸν ἕτερον ὤσας κατέβαλε, τὸν καταβαλόντα, οὐ τὸν πεσόντα ἅπαντες αἰτιώμεθα. Καλὸν τὸ ἐρυθριᾷν, ἀλλ' ὅταν τι πράττωμεν τῶν κόλασιν φερόντων ἡμῖν παρὰ τῷ τότε μέλλοντι κρίνειν ἡμᾶς· ἕως δ' ἂν μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ὦμεν συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐγκαλυπτόμεθα; Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἴ τίς σε μόνον ἀπολαβὼν ἔτυπτεν ἁπλῶς καὶ μηδὲν ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν, ἢ πάλιν κατέῤῥιπτεν εἰς τὴν γῆν, σὺ δὲ πάντα πράως ἐνεγκὼν ἀπηλλάγης, οὐκ αἰσχύνης τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν, ἀλλὰ φιλοσοφίας καὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἐπαί47.451 νων. Εἶτα ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἐπηρεαζόντων, τὸ φέρειν τὴν ἐπήρειαν ἔπαινος· τοῦ δὲ πάντων πονηροτέρου τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιοῦντος, ὁ τὴν ἐκείνου μανίαν γενναίως ἐνεγκὼν καταδύσεται ὡς ἐπίψογον πρᾶγμα ποιῶν; Καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς ἐναντιώσεως ἀλογώτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς πτώσεως ἀναστὰς ἐκείνης, ἄτοπόν τι πρᾶξαι προήχθης ἢ εἰπεῖν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἂν ἐκώλυσα ὑπὲρ τούτων κατακόπτεσθαι καὶ ἀλγεῖν· εἰ δὲ μετὰ εὐχαριστίας ἅπαντα φέρεις, καὶ εἰς προσευχὰς εὐθέως τρέπεις σαυτὸν, τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ ποιοῦν τὴν αἰσχύνην; Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἀλγεινὰ τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὀνείδη. Καὶ τί τούτων ἐπονειδιστότερον γένοιτ' ἂν, οἳ μηδὲ ἅπερ ὀνειδίζειν χρὴ δύναιντ' ἂν εἰδέναι καλῶς; Οὗτοι γὰρ ἀληθῶς εἰσιν οἱ μαινόμενοι καὶ δαιμονῶντες, οἱ τὰ πράγματα ὡς ἔχει φύσεως μὴ μεμαθηκότες ὁρᾷν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἐπαίνων ἄξια ψέγοντες, τὰ δὲ ἐπονείδιστα εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐπαινουμένων τάξιν μετατιθέντες. Πολλὰ καὶ οἱ τὴν φρενῖτιν νοσοῦντες λέγουσι τοὺς παρόντας κακὰ, ἀλλ' οἱ ἀκούοντες οὐχ ἡγοῦνται ὑβρίζεσθαι.","english":"It is necessary. For if ever in the marketplace a fight has arisen and one man has pushed another and thrown him down, we all blame the one who threw him down, not the one who fell. It is good to blush, but only when we are doing something that brings us punishment from the one who is then going to judge us; but as long as we are conscious of nothing of that sort in ourselves, for what reason do we cover our faces? For neither, if someone took you alone aside and simply struck you, having nothing to accuse you of, or again threw you down to the ground, and you, having borne it all meekly, went away—the matter was not one of shame, but of philosophy and the greatest praises. Then, when men are abusing us, to bear the abuse is a praise; but when the one more wicked than all does this very same thing, will the man who has nobly borne that one's madness sink down as though he were doing something blameworthy? And what could be more irrational than this contradiction? For if, having risen up from that fall, you were led on to do or say something absurd, I myself would not have prevented you from being cut to pieces and grieving over these things; but if you bear all things with thanksgiving and turn yourself straightway to prayers, what then is it that produces the shame? But perhaps the reproaches from others are painful. And what could be more disgraceful than these men, who are not even able to know well the very things that one ought to reproach? For these are truly the mad and demon-possessed, who have not learned to see things as they are by nature, but blame the things worthy of praise, and transfer the disgraceful things into the rank of the praised. Many also of those sick with frenzy say evil things against those present, but those who hear do not consider themselves insulted.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":55,"ref":"p55","source":"Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ σὺ τῶν ἐξεστηκότων ἐκείνων ἀκούων, αἰσχύνην καὶ ὕβριν τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι νόμιζε, ἵνα μή ποτε ἀληθῶς ἐπονείδιστον καταστήσῃς σαυτὸν παροξύνων τὸν Θεόν. Ὅταν γὰρ τὰ πρὸς παιδείαν καὶ ὠφέλειαν ἐπαγόμενα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ταῦτα ὄνειδος εἶναι νομίσῃς, ὅρα ποῦ τελευτᾷ τὸ κακόν. γʹ. Εἰ γὰρ βούλει τοὺς ἀληθῶς αἰσχύνης καὶ ὀνείδους ἀξίους ἰδεῖν, ἐγώ σοι πειράσομαι ἐκ πολλῶν ὀλίγους ὑποδεῖξαι τῷ λόγῳ. Θέασαι τοὺς περὶ τὰς εὐμορφίας ἐπτοημένους τῶν γυναικῶν, τοὺς περὶ χρήματα μαινομένους, τοὺς δυναστείας καὶ δόξης ἐρῶντας, καὶ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτων καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ παθεῖν αἱρουμένους, τοὺς ὑπὸ βασκανίας τηκομένους, τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας τοῖς ἠδικηκόσιν οὐδὲν, τοὺς μελαγχολῶντας ἁπλῶς, τοὺς περὶ τὰ μάταια τοῦ βίου λυττῶντας ἀεί· ταῦτά ἐστι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μανίας ἔργα καὶ κολάσεως ἄξια, ταῦτα ὀνείδους καὶ αἰσχύνης καὶ γέλωτος. Εἰ δέ τις ὑπὸ δαίμονος ἐνοχλούμενος φιλοσοφίαν καὶ οὕτως ἐν τῷ βίῳ πολλὴν ἐπιδεικνύοιτο, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ὀνειδίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι καὶ στεφανοῦσθαι παρὰ πάντων ἂν εἴη δίκαιος, μετὰ τοσούτων δεσμῶν δρόμον οὕτως ἐπίπονον τρέχων, καὶ τὴν ἀνάντη καὶ τραχεῖαν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναβαίνων ὁδόν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα πῶς καὶ ἕτερόν με μικροῦ δεῖν παρελήλυθεν, ᾧ πλεονεκτεῖς τῶν ἀδελφῶν· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ ῥᾳδίως, εἰ καί τί σοι πεπλημμέληται, διὰ τῆς θλίψεως ταύτης καὶ ταῦτα ἀποδύσασθαι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Καὶ τοῦτο γέγονε δῆλον ἡμῖν ἐξ ὧν ἔφθην ἤδη διαλεχθεὶς, ὅτε περὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τοῦ παρὰ τοῖς Κορινθίοις πεπορνευκότος ἔλεγον. Ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρὸς δέδοικα, φησί·","english":"Do not, then, when you hear those who are out of their minds, consider the matter to be a shame and an outrage, lest you ever truly make yourself reproachable by provoking God. For when you consider the things brought upon you by God for discipline and benefit to be a reproach, see where the evil ends. 3. For if you wish to see those who are truly worthy of shame and reproach, I will try to show you a few out of many by my argument. Look at those who are frantic over the beauties of women, those who are mad for money, those who lust after power and glory, and who choose both to do and to suffer everything for the sake of these things, those who are consumed by envy, those who plot against those who have done them no wrong, those who are simply melancholy, those who are always raving after the vain things of life; these and such things are works of madness and worthy of punishment, these are worthy of reproach and shame and laughter. But if someone troubled by a demon should display philosophy even so, and much of it in his life, he would be justly not only not reproached, but even admired and crowned by all, running so toilsome a race with so many bonds, and ascending the uphill and rough road of virtue. But I do not know how another point has almost escaped me, in which you have an advantage over your brothers; and this is that you easily, even if you have committed some fault, strip off these sins through this affliction. And this has become clear to us from what I have already discussed, when I spoke about Lazarus and the one who committed fornication among the Corinthians. But I am afraid for the father, he says.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":56,"ref":"p56","source":"κἂν γὰρ τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ πράως ἐνεγκεῖν δυνηθῶ, τὰς ἐκείνου συμφορὰς καὶ τὴν μανίαν πῶς οἴσομεν ῥᾳδίως, εἴ ποτε αἴσθοιτό τι τούτων; Τέως μὲν οὐκ ᾔσθετο. Πολλῆς δὲ μικροψυχίας ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὕστερόν ποτε συμβησομένων ἢ μηδὲ ὅλως συμβησομένων τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἤδη καρποῦσθαι καὶ κόπτεσθαι. Πόθεν γὰρ, ὅτι καὶ αἰσθήσεται, δῆλον ἡμῖν; Μᾶλλον δὲ ἔστω δῆλον, καὶ συγκεχωρήσθω, εἰ βούλει, καὶ αἰσθήσεσθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ μεγάλα ἐργάσεσθαι δεινά· ἐπαινῶ μέν σε ἀλγοῦντα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκείνου κακῶν, οὐκ ἀξιῶ δὲ μετὰ τῆς σαυτοῦ ζημίας τοῦτο ποιεῖν· τοὺς γὰρ τὰ ἄνω φρονοῦντας καὶ μὴ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐ θυμοῦ μόνον καὶ ἐπιθυμίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων παθῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀθυμίας κρατεῖν δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πλείονα ἡμᾶς ἐκείνων ἐργάσεται δεινὰ, καὶ χρὴ πρὸς αὐτὸ γενναίως ἐνίστασθαι μὴ μέλλοντας ἀπόλλυσθαι παντελῶς. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ\n\nαὐτὸς αἴτιος ἔμελλες ἔσεσθαι τῶν τῷ πατρὶ συμβαινόντων ἀνιαρῶν, καλῶς ἂν ἐδεδοίκεις καὶ ἔτρεμες, τοσαύτης ἀπωλείας γενόμενος αἴτιος· εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν περιπείρειν βούλεται τοῖς ἐσχάτοις κακοῖς, οὐδεὶς πρὸς σὲ τούτων λόγος, πλὴν ὅσον πατρὶ συναλγεῖν χρή. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων οὐδὲ ἴσμεν, ὅπως οἴσει ταύτην τὴν ἀκοήν· πολλὰ γὰρ ἐναντία τοῖς προσδοκηθεῖσιν ἐξέβη πολλάκις· κἀκεῖνο μὲν τῶν παραδόξως καὶ σπανίως συμβαινόντων ἐστὶ, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τῶν εἰκότων καὶ τῶν σφόδρα ἐνδεχομένων. Πόθεν δὴ τοῦτο δῆλον; Πολὺν τῶν νόθων ποιεῖται λόγον, καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἐκείνους φίλτρον ἱκανὸν ταύτην αὐτοῦ συσκιάσαι τὴν ἀθυμίαν. Μὴ δὴ μάτην ὀδύνα σαυτὸν ταῖς φροντίσιν.","english":"For even if I could bear my own troubles gently, how shall we easily bear his misfortunes and his madness, if ever he should become aware of any of these things? For the present he has not become aware. But it is a mark of great faint-heartedness to reap despondency already and to beat oneself over things that will happen at some later time, or will not happen at all. For how is it clear to us that he will even perceive it? Rather, let it be clear, and let it be granted, if you wish, both that he will perceive it and that he will do great harm; I praise you for grieving over his evils, but I do not think you should do this at your own loss. For those who set their minds on things above and not on things on the earth must master not only anger and desire and the other passions, but despondency as well. For this too will work greater evils in us than in them, and we must stand against it bravely, since we are not about to perish utterly. For if you were going to be the cause of the painful things that befall your father, you would rightly fear and tremble, having become the cause of so great a destruction; but if he himself wishes to pierce himself through with the worst evils, there is no account of these things to be rendered to you, except insofar as one ought to grieve together with a father. Apart from these things, we do not even know how he will bear this report; for many things have often turned out contrary to expectations. And that is among the things that happen unexpectedly and rarely, while this is among things that are likely and very much possible. From where, then, is this clear? He makes much account of the bastards, and his affection toward them is sufficient to overshadow this despondency of his. Do not, then, pain yourself in vain with your anxieties.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":57,"ref":"p57","source":"Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀλγεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρὸς χρὴ, ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀλόγοις δαπάναις, ἐπὶ τοῖς κώμοις, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ τύφῳ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ τυραννίδι, ἐπὶ τῇ μοιχείᾳ τῇ νῦν. Ἢ μικρὸν οἴει κακὸν τὸ γυναικὸς ἔνδον οὔσης τῆς ὑμετέρας μητρὸς, ἑτέρᾳ προσφθείρεσθαι κόρῃ, καὶ παιδοποιεῖν ἐκ παρανόμων γάμων; Ταῦτα πένθους ἄξια, ταῦτα δακρύων, τὰ φανερὰ καὶ εἰς τέλος ἐκβάντα κακά· τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ σοὶ συμβησόμενα ἴσως μὲν ἔσται δεινὰ, ἴσως δὲ οὐ δεινὰ, πολλῆς δὲ ἀλογίας ὑπὲρ τῶν οὕτως ἀδήλων ὡμολογημένην ὑπομένειν ἤδη βάσανον. Θῶμεν δὲ αὐτὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος ἀπαντήσεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τάχιστον ἕξει τέλος, καὶ πρὶν ἢ καλῶς ἐξαφθῆναι σβεσθήσεται. Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ τοσαύτῃ προσέχων τρυφῇ, καὶ πραγμάτων ἐπιμελούμενος πολλῶν, καὶ παρασίτους τρέφων καὶ κόλακας, καὶ οὕτω τῆς κόρης ἐκείνης περικαιόμενος, ἐξ ἧς ἔχει τοὺς ἐξ ἡμισείας ὑμῖν ἀδελφοὺς, κἂν λάβῃ τῶν σῶν αἴσθησιν, βραχεῖαν λήψεται καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀξίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ οἷς εἶπον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἤδη γεγενημένοις στοχάζομαι· οἶσθα γὰρ, οἶσθα σαφῶς, ὅτι σφόδρα σε πρὸ τούτων φιλῶν, καὶ πάντα τὴν σὴν ἡγούμενος κεφαλὴν, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸν τῶν μοναχῶν μετέστης βίον, πάντα τὸν πόθον ἐκεῖνον ἔσβεσε, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα αἰσχρὸν ἡγήσατο, καὶ τῆς τῶν προγόνων λαμπρότητος ἀνάξιον, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ δόξαν καταισχύνειν σε ἔλεγε· καὶ εἰ μὴ ἡ τῆς φύσεως αὐτὸν κατεῖχεν ἀνάγκη, τάχα ἄν σε καὶ ἀπεκήρυξεν.","english":"But if one must grieve over the father, it is for his senseless expenditures, his revels, his arrogance, his tyranny, his present adultery. Or do you think it a small evil that, while your mother is at home, he should be attached to another girl and beget children from unlawful unions? These things are worthy of mourning, worthy of tears—the evils that are manifest and have run their course to the end. But the things that will befall you are perhaps terrible, perhaps not terrible; yet it is great folly to submit to a confessed ordeal now for things so uncertain. But let us grant that they will come upon you with great severity; still, they will have a very swift end, and before they are well kindled they will be quenched. For a man who devotes himself to such luxury, and manages many affairs, and supports parasites and flatterers, and is so inflamed with passion for that girl by whom he has the brothers who are half yours—even if he should become aware of your situation, he will take it lightly and as worth nothing. And I conjecture this not only from what I have said but also from what has already happened. For you know, you know clearly, that though he loved you exceedingly before these things and regarded your head as everything, when you changed to the monastic life he quenched all that longing, and considered the matter shameful and unworthy of the splendor of his ancestors, and said that you were disgracing his own reputation; and if the constraint of nature had not held him back, perhaps he would even have disowned you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":58,"ref":"p58","source":"Ὥστε, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἀναίσθητον τὸ λεγόμενον, οἶμαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἡσθῆναι τῷ γεγονότι, ὡς δίκην σου δεδωκότος ὑπὲρ ὧν πολλάκις παρακαλοῦντος καὶ ἀπαγαγεῖν βουλομένου ταύτης τοῦ βίου τῆς καρτερίας, οὐδὲ μέχρι ῥημάτων ἠνέσχου τὴν συμβουλήν.\n\nδʹ. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ φόβου οὗ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου δέδοικας, ταῦτα ἂν ἔχοιμι λέγειν, ἱκανά γε ὄντα, ὡς οἶμαι, πάντα τὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων σοι γενόμενον λῦσαι φόβον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔλεγες τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν κακῶν εἶναι τὸ μηδὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ἔχειν θαῤῥεῖν, μηδὲ εἰδέναι πότερον ἔσται τις λύσις ποτὲ τούτων, ἢ καὶ μέχρι τελευ47.453 τῆς βουλήσεταί σοι πυκτεύειν ὁ τὸν ἀγῶνά σοι τοῦτον θεὶς, ἀκριβὲς μὲν οὐδὲν οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ τούτων ἔχω λέγειν, οὐδὲ ἀποφαίνεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων, ἐκεῖνο μέντοι οἶδα σαφῶς, καὶ αὐτὸν δέ σε οὕτω πεπεῖσθαι ἀξιῶ, ὅτι ὁπότερον ἂν γένηται τούτων, συμφερόντως ἔσται καὶ πρὸς ἡμῶν· κἂν οὕτω δὲ διακείμενος ᾖς, ταχέως καὶ τὸν κολοφῶνα τούτων, ὡς λέγεις, ἀποκρούσῃ τῶν κακῶν. Πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ κἀκεῖνο λογίζεσθαι χρὴ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν τῶν ἐπάθλων καὶ τῶν στεφάνων καιρὸς ὁ μέλλων ἐστὶν αἰὼν, τῶν δὲ παλαισμάτων καὶ τῶν ἱδρώτων ὁ παρών. Καὶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι δῆλον ἡμῖν βουλόμενος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Οὕτω τρέχω ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως, οὕτω πυκτεύω ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων, ἀλλ' ὑπωπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγῶ, μήπως ἄλλοις κηρύξας αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πρὸς τὴν τελευτὴν ἔφθασε, τηνικαῦτα τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην ἀφῆκε φωνήν· Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα, λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος·","english":"So that, unless the saying is utterly senseless, I think he even took pleasure in what happened, as though you had paid the penalty for the many times he urged you and wished to draw you away from this endurance of life, and you did not endure the advice even as far as words.\n\n4. And concerning the father and the fear you have felt on his account, this is what I have to say, being sufficient, I think, to dispel all the fear that has arisen in you concerning these things. But since you said that the chief of evils is not even to be able to have confidence concerning the future, nor to know whether there will ever be some release from these things, or whether the one who set this contest before you will wish to contend with you even to the end, I myself have nothing certain to say about these things, nor to declare concerning the future; this, however, I know clearly, and I think it right that you yourself be persuaded of it, that whichever of these comes to pass, it will be for our advantage and for our good; and even if you are so disposed, you will quickly beat off, as you say, the capstone of these evils. In addition to this, one must also consider that the time of the prizes and the crowns is the age to come, while the time of the wrestling and the sweat is the present. And wishing to make this clear to us, the blessed Paul said: So I run as not uncertainly, so I box as not beating the air, but I buffet my body and bring it into subjection, lest after preaching to others I myself become disqualified. And when he had reached the end, then he uttered that blessed cry: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":59,"ref":"p59","source":"δεικνὺς ὅτι πάντα τὸν βίον ἐναγώνιον ἡμῖν εἶναι δεῖ καὶ ἐπίπονον, εἴ γε μέλλοιμεν τῆς ἀναπαύσεως τῆς αἰωνίου καὶ τῶν μυρίων ἀπολαύσεσθαι ἀγαθῶν. Εἰ δὲ βούλοιτό τις ῥᾳθυμῶν καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαύειν ἡδέων, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ τοῖς πονοῦσιν ἀποκειμένων μισθῶν, ἑαυτὸν\n\nπαρακρούεται καὶ ἀπατᾷ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀθλητῶν ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ καιροῦ τῶν ἀγώνων ἄνεσιν ἐπιζητῶν αἰσχύνην καὶ ἀδοξίαν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου ἑαυτῷ προξενεῖ, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ πάντα πόνον γενναίως ἐνεγκὼν στεφάνους καὶ δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀγῶσι, καὶ λυθέντων αὐτῶν καρποῦται παρὰ τῶν θεατῶν· οὕτω καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν. Ὁ μὲν τὸν καιρὸν τῶν πόνων ἀνέσεως ποιούμενος καιρὸν, ὅταν ἀναπαύσασθαι δέῃ τὴν ἀγήρω ἐκείνην ἄνεσιν, τηνικαῦτα οἰμώξεται καὶ βρύξει τοὺς ὀδόντας, καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα πείσεται δεινά· ὁ δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὰς θλίψεις προθύμως ἐνεγκὼν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ λαμπρὸς ἔσται καὶ ἐπίδοξος δόξαν τὴν ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀληθῆ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν βιωτικῶν ὁ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν πραγμάτων συγχέων πάντων ἐκπεσεῖται τῶν προκειμένων αὐτῷ, καὶ μυρίαις ἑαυτὸν περιβαλεῖ συμφοραῖς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν τοῦτο πείσεται ὁ τὴν τάξιν τῶν καιρῶν οὐκ εἰδώς. Εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅτι Θλῖψιν ἕξετε ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Εἶπεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· Καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται· οὐ τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διώξεις λέγων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλάς. Εἶπεν Ἰὼβ, ὅτι Πειρατήριόν ἐστιν ἀνθρώπου ὁ βίος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τί τοίνυν ἀσχάλλεις ἐν τῷ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας θλιβόμενος καιρῷ;","english":"showing that our whole life must be one of struggle and toil, if indeed we are to enjoy eternal rest and the countless good things. But if anyone, in his laziness, wishes to enjoy the pleasures here as well as the rewards laid up there for those who toil, he deceives and cheats himself. For just as in the case of athletes, the one who seeks relaxation at the time of the contests procures for himself shame and dishonor for all his life, while the one who in the stadium has nobly endured every toil reaps crowns and glory and praise, both during the contests themselves and, when they are over, from the spectators; so too with us. The one who makes the time of toils a time of relaxation, when he must rest in that ageless rest, will then wail and gnash his teeth and suffer the worst of evils; but the one who here has borne his afflictions eagerly will be radiant both here and there, and glorious with the immortal and true glory. For if in worldly matters the one who confuses the proper timing of affairs will fall short of everything set before him and will involve himself in countless calamities, much more in spiritual matters will this befall the one who does not know the order of the times. Christ said, You will have tribulation in the world. Blessed Paul said, And all who wish to live piously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted—meaning not only persecutions from men, but also the plots of demons. Job said, that the life of man upon the earth is a trial. Why then are you distressed, being pressed hard in the time of misery?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":60,"ref":"p60","source":"Τότε γὰρ ἀλγεῖν ἐχρῆν, εἰ ὃν προεῖπεν ὁ Χριστὸς θλίψεως εἶναι χρόνον, τοῦτον ἐποιούμεθα τρυφῆς καὶ ἀναπαύσεως καιρόν· εἰ καθ' ὃν ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ πονεῖν προσετάχθημεν, κατὰ τοῦτον ἀνεπεπτώκειμεν· εἰ τὴν εὐρύχωρον ἐβαδίζομεν ὁδὸν, αὐτοῦ τὴν τεθλιμμένην κελεύσαντος. Οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡμῖν εἵπετο λοιπὸν τὸ ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν ἐκείνοις κολάζεσθαι. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴποις, φησὶ, πρὸς τοὺς καὶ ἐνταῦθα μετ' εὐρυχωρίας βαδίζοντας, καὶ ἐκεῖ μέλλοντας ἀναπαύεσθαι; Καὶ τίς οὗτός ἐστιν; ἐγὼ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πείθομαι λόγῳ μόνον, τῷ λέγοντι ὅτι, Στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν· ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἔνι διὰ τῆς στενῆς ἐν εὐρυχωρίᾳ βαδίσαι ποτὲ, παντί που δῆλόν ἐστιν. Ὅπου γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀγώνων οὐδεὶς ἱδρώτων χωρὶς στέφανον ἀνεδήσατο καὶ ταῦτα τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως ἔχων κοινωνοῦντας τοὺς ἀνταγωνιστὰς, ἔνθα πονηραὶ δυνάμεις ἡμῖν ἀνταίρουσι, πῶς ἔνι θλίψεως καὶ στενοχωρίας ἐκτὸς περιγενέσθαι τῆς μανίας ἐκείνων; εʹ. Ἀλλὰ μέχρι τίνος ἀπὸ λογισμῶν ταῦτα ἐξετάζομεν, ἐξὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς μακαρίους καὶ γενναίους ἀθλητὰς καταφυγεῖν τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων γεγενημένους χρόνων; Ἐξέτασον γὰρ ἅπαντας τοὺς τότε ὀνομαστοὺς, καὶ πάντας, ἀπὸ τῶν θλίψεων ὄψει παῤῥησίαν ἐσχηκότας πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ εἰ βούλει γε, ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου πρῶτον ἔλθωμεν παῖδα, τὸ ἀρνίον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸν Ἄβελ, τὸν ἠδικηκότα μὲν οὐδὲν, τὰ δὲ τῶν δεινότατα εἰργασμένων ὑπομείναντα. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτιῶν τίνομεν δίκας τοὺς πειρασμούς· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐκολάζετο, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι δίκαιος ἦν.","english":"For then it would have been right to grieve, if the time that Christ foretold to be a time of affliction, this we were making a season of luxury and rest; if, in the period when we were commanded to struggle and toil, we had been slack; if we were walking the broad way, when he commanded the narrow one. For thus thereafter it would necessarily have followed for us to be punished in those ages. What then, he says, would you say to those who walk here also with room to spare, and are going to rest there? And who is this? For I am persuaded by the word of Christ alone, which says, Narrow and afflicted is the way that leads to life; and that it is never possible to walk through the narrow way with room to spare is surely clear to everyone. For where in external contests no one has been crowned without sweat, and that though his opponents share the same nature, where wicked powers rise up against us, how is it possible to prevail apart from affliction and constraint, away from their madness? 5. But until when shall we examine these things from reasonings, when it is possible to flee to the blessed and noble athletes who lived in former times? For examine all those who were famous then, and you will see that all obtained boldness before God from afflictions. And if you wish, let us come first to the first child of the first-formed man, the lamb of Christ, Abel, who did no wrong, but endured the things of those who had done the most terrible deeds. For we pay the penalties of sins through temptations; but that righteous man was punished for no other reason than that he was righteous.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":61,"ref":"p61","source":"Καὶ ἕως μὲν οὐδὲν μέγα ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἐπεγίνωσκεν αὐτὸν ὁ ἀδελφός· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς θυσίας διέλαμψε, καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν ἠγνόησεν ὑπὸ τοῦ φθόνου πηρωθείς. Πόθεν οὖν οἶδας εἰ καὶ νῦν ἡ αὐτὴ αἰτία τὸν διάβολον ἤγειρε, καὶ τοῦ βίου σου τὸ λαμπρὸν πρὸς τὴν μάχην αὐτὸν ταύτην ἐξεκαλέσατο; Εἰ δὲ γελᾷς ταῦτά μου τὰ ῥήματα, ἐπαινῶ μέν σε τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης, οὐ μὴν τοῦ οὕτω διακεῖσθαι παύσομαι. Εἰ γὰρ στέαρ προσενεγκὼν οὕτως εὐδοκίμησεν ἐκεῖνος, ὁ μηδὲν τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἀλλ' ὅλον ἑαυτὸν ἀναθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἂν παρώξυνε καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν ἐχθρόν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς συνεχώρησεν αὐτὸν ἐπελθεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ τότε τὸν φόνον γενέσθαι ἐκώλυσεν, ἀλλ' ἀφῆκεν εἰς τὰς τοῦ μιαιφόνου χεῖρας τὸν δίκαιον ἐμπεσεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξήρπασε τὸν δι' αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναιρούμενον τιμήν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐβούλετο ἐλαττωθῆναι τοὺς στεφάνους αὐτῷ· διὰ τοῦτο μέχρι τέλους ἀφῆκε δραμεῖν αὐτόν. Καὶ ποία κόλασις ὁ θάνατος; φησίν. Εἴθε μὲν οὖν κἀγὼ ταύτην τὴν τιμωρίαν ὑπέμεινα νῦν. Ταῦτα λέγεις, ἀγαπητὲ, νῦν, πρότερον δὲ πάντων τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐδόκει εἶναι χαλεπώτατον, καὶ πάσης τιμωρίας ἐλεεινότερον. Διὸ καὶ ἐν τῷ","english":"And as long as he displayed nothing great, his brother recognized him; but when he shone forth from the sacrifice, he no longer knew even his very nature, blinded by envy. How then do you know whether even now the same cause has stirred up the devil, and the splendor of your life has provoked him to this very battle? And if you laugh at these words of mine, I praise you indeed for your humility, but I will not cease from being so disposed. For if that man, by offering fat, was so well-pleasing—he who dedicated nothing of external things but his whole self to God—how much more would he have provoked the enemy against himself. And God permitted him to come upon him; for neither then did he prevent the murder from happening, but he let the righteous man fall into the hands of the murderer, and did not snatch him away, though the honor was being taken away for his sake and for him; for he did not wish his crowns to be diminished; therefore he let him run to the end. And what punishment is death? he says. Would that I too had now undergone this penalty. You say these things, beloved, now, but previously the matter seemed to be the most difficult of all, and more pitiable than every punishment. Therefore also in the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":62,"ref":"p62","source":"νόμῳ Μωσέως οἱ τὰ μέγιστα ἠδικηκότες καὶ συγγνώμης μείζονα, ταύτην ὑπεῖχον τὴν κόλασιν. Καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἔξωθεν νομοθέταις ἔτι καὶ νῦν οὐδαμῶς ἑτέρως κολάζονται πάντες, ὅσοιπερ ἂν ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις ἁλῶσι κακοῖς· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς παρανόμοις ὁ δίκαιος ἔπασχε, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα, ὅσῳ καὶ παρὰ ἀδελφικῆς δεξιᾶς ἐδέχετο τὴν πληγήν. Τί δὲ ὁ Νῶε; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος δίκαιος καὶ τέλειος ἦν, καὶ πάντων διεφθαρμένων μόνος εὐηρέστησε τῷ Θεῷ, πάντων τῶν ἄλλων προσκεκρουκότων αὐτῷ. Μυρίας μὲν οὖν θλίψεις ὑπέμεινε πολλὰς καὶ κακάς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν οὗτος εὐθέως καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲ ἔπαθε τοῦτο, ὃ κοῦφον εἶναί σοι φαίνεται, ἀλλὰ μακρᾶς ἠνείχετο ζωῆς, ἐν τοῖς τοσούτοις ἔτεσι τῶν ἀχθοφορούντων καὶ βαρυτάτῳ φορτίῳ πιεζομένων διαπαντὸς οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενος. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτίκα μάλα ποιήσω σοι φανερὸν, πρότερον ἐκεῖνο εἰπών. Ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον οὗτος δεσμωτήριον ᾤκησε, δεσμωτήριον ξένον καὶ φοβερόν. Ἵνα γὰρ τὸ πλῆθος ἀφῶ τῶν θηρίων καὶ τῶν ἑρπετῶν, οἷς τοσοῦτον συνέζησε χρόνον εἰς τοιαύ47.455 την ἀπειλημμένος στενοχωρίαν, τί οἴει πάσχειν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατάγου τῶν βροντῶν, ὑπὸ τοῦ ψόφου τῶν ὑετῶν; Ἄβυσσος ἡ μὲν κάτωθεν ἀνεῤῥήγνυτο, ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν κατεφέρετο· ὁ δὲ ἔνδον ἐκάθητο μόνος μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τέλους εἶχε θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν γινομένων σφοδρότητι προαποτεθνήκει τῷ δέει.","english":"Under the law of Moses, those who had committed the greatest wrongs and offenses beyond forgiveness underwent this punishment. And among the lawgivers outside, even now all are in no other way punished, as many as are convicted of the most shameful evils; yet nevertheless the righteous man suffered the same things as the lawless, or rather far harsher things, inasmuch as he received the blow even from a brother's right hand. But what of Noah? For he too was righteous and perfect, and when all were corrupted, he alone was well-pleasing to God, while all the others had provoked him. Countless afflictions, many and grievous, he endured. For he did not die at once like that man, nor did he suffer this, which seems to you a light thing, but he endured a long life, throughout so many years being in no better condition than those who toil and are pressed by a most heavy burden. And I will make this clear to you presently, having first said that. For a whole year he dwelt in a prison, a strange and fearful prison. For to pass over the multitude of beasts and reptiles, with which he lived for so long a time, confined in such a narrow space, what do you think he suffered from the crash of the thunders, from the roar of the rains? The abyss was bursting forth from below, and from above it was pouring down; and he sat inside alone with his sons. For even if he could have confidence concerning the end, yet by the violence of what was happening he had died beforehand through fear.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":63,"ref":"p63","source":"Ὅπου γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἰκίας ἔχοντες ἡδρασμένας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πόλεις οἰκοῦντες, ὅμως ὅταν ἴδωμεν κατενεχθέντα σφοδρότερον ὀλίγον τοῦ συνήθους ὑετὸν, καταπίπτομεν καὶ συστελλόμεθα, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ἔπαθε μόνος ἔνδον ὢν, καὶ τὴν φρικωδεστάτην ἐκείνην ἄβυσσον ἐννοῶν καὶ τῶν ἀποπνιγέντων τὰ διάφορα γένη; Ἱκανὸν μὲν οὖν ἐκπλῆξαι ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ πόλιν μίαν ἢ καὶ οἰκίαν μόνην ἐπικλυσθεῖσαν καλυφθῆναι τοῖς κύμασι, τὸ δὲ τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν τοῦτο παθεῖν, οὐδὲ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, πῶς ἂν διέθηκε τὸν ἐν μέσῳ τῷ κλυδωνίῳ περιφερόμενον. Τὸν μὲν οὖν ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον τοσούτῳ συνείχετο δέει. Ἐπειδὴ δέ ποτε ὁ κατακλυσμὸς ἐπαύσατο, ὁ μὲν φόβος ἐνεδίδου λοιπὸν, ἐπετείνετο δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας αὐτῷ, καὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ προκύψαντα χειμὼν ἕτερος διεδέχετο τοῦ προτέρου οὐχ ἥττων. τὴν πολλὴν ἐρημίαν ὁρῶντα, καὶ τὸν βίαιον θάνατον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ τῶν ἀναιρεθέντων τὰ σώματα τῇ ἰλύϊ πεφυρμένα καὶ τῷ πηλῷ, καὶ πάντας ὁμοῦ ἀνθρώπους τε καὶ ὄνους καὶ τὰ τούτων ἀτιμότερα γένη μιᾷ τῇ ἐλεεινοτάτῃ καταχωσθέντα ταφῇ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ σφόδρα ἁμαρτωλοὶ οἱ ταῦτα πεπονθότες ἦσαν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁ Νῶε, καὶ ἔπασχέ τι πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ δίκαιος ὢν, καὶ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας μάλιστα πάντων πονηροτάτους εἰδὼς, ὅτε κατασφαττομένους εἶδε καὶ καταπίπτοντας, τοῦτο τὸ κοινὸν ἔπαθε καὶ ἐδάκρυσε· καίτοι διὰ τοῦτο προλαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς ἅπασαν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτῶν ἐξεκάλυψε, καὶ αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτὴν ἐποπτεῦσαι παρεσκεύασεν, ἵν' ὅταν αὐτοὺς κολαζομένους ἴδῃ, γενναίως ἐνέγκῃ τὴν συμφοράν.","english":"For if we, who have houses firmly planted on the earth and dwell in cities, nevertheless whenever we see rain falling a little more violently than usual, are cast down and shrink back, what would that man not have suffered, being alone inside, and pondering that most terrifying abyss and the various kinds of those who were drowned? Indeed, it is enough to strike a soul with amazement that a single city, or even a single house, should be flooded and covered by the waves; but that the whole inhabited world should suffer this—it is not even possible to say how it would have affected the man being tossed about in the midst of the surge. Throughout that year, then, he was held fast by so great a fear. But when at last the flood ceased, his fear began to give way, yet his despondency increased, and another storm, no less than the former, succeeded it as he looked out from the ark: seeing the great desolation, and that violent death, and the bodies of those who had perished smeared with slime and mud, and all alike—men and donkeys and the more dishonorable kinds of these—buried in one most pitiable burial. For even if those who suffered these things were exceedingly sinful, nevertheless Noah was a man, and he felt something toward his own kind. For Ezekiel also, being righteous and knowing the Israelites to be the most wicked of all, when he saw them being slaughtered and falling, suffered this common feeling and wept; and yet God, foreseeing this, had beforehand uncovered to him all their impiety and prepared him to look upon it with his own eyes, so that when he saw them being punished, he might bear the calamity nobly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":64,"ref":"p64","source":"Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοσαύτης παραμυθίας προπαρασκευασθείσης αὐτῷ, καὶ οὕτως ἠλέγχετο, καὶ πεσὼν ἐβόα λέγων· Οἴμοι, Κύριε, ἐξαλείφεις σὺ τὸ κατάλοιπον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; Οὐχ ἅπαξ δὲ τοῦτο ἔπαθε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν ὅτε τὸν Ἰεχονίαν εἶδεν ἀναιρούμενον. Ὥστε καὶ ὁ Νῶε εἰ καὶ μυρία αὐτοῖς συνῄδει κακὰ, οὐκ ἦν οὔτε τούτου, οὔτε τοῦ Μωσέως ἀνδρειότερος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ προφήτῃ πολλάκις ἔπαθε, καὶ ἁμαρτάνοντας ὁρῶν, ὅτε τιμωρεῖσθαι ἔδει, ἤλγει, καὶ μᾶλλον ὠδυνᾶτο τῶν κολαζομένων αὐτῶν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Νῶε καὶ ἡ συμφορὰ χαλεπωτέρα ἦν· μόνος γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τοιοῦτος ἐγένετο θάνατος. Τοσούτοις τοίνυν συνεχομένῳ κακοῖς, τῇ μονώσει, τῇ πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον συμπαθείᾳ, τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀπολωλότων, τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς τελευτῆς, τῇ τῆς γῆς ἐρημίᾳ, καὶ πάντοθεν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀθυμίας αἰρομένης καὶ ἀκμαζούσης σφοδρῶς, ἐπιτίθεται εὐθέως καὶ ἡ τοῦ παιδὸς ὕβρις, πρᾶγμα ἀφόρητον, καὶ πολλῆς μὲν αἰσχύνης, πολλῆς δὲ γέμον ὀδύνης. Ὅσῳ γὰρ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὰ παρὰ τῶν φίλων ὀνείδη βαρύτερα, τοσούτῳ τούτων αὐτῶν τὰ παρὰ τῶν παίδων","english":"But nevertheless, even though so great a consolation had been prepared for him beforehand, he was still reproved, and having fallen he cried out, saying: \"Alas, Lord, do you blot out the remnant of Israel?\" Nor did he suffer this only once, but again when he saw Jechoniah being destroyed. So that even Noah, even if he knew countless evils about them, was not braver than this man or than Moses. For he too often suffered the same things as the prophet, and seeing them sinning, when they ought to be punished, he grieved, and was pained more than those who were being chastised themselves. But in the case of Noah the calamity was even more grievous; for he alone became such a death. Held fast, then, by so many evils—by his solitude, by his compassion toward those of his own race, by the multitude of those who perished, by the manner of their end, by the desolation of the earth—and with despondency lifted up on every side and raging violently, the insolence of his son also immediately assailed him, a thing unbearable, and full of much shame and much pain. For to the degree that reproaches from friends are heavier than those from enemies, to that same degree those from children","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":65,"ref":"p65","source":"ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀφορητότερα. Ὅταν γὰρ ὃν ἐγέννησεν, ὃν ἔθρεψεν, ὃν ἐπαίδευσεν, ὑπὲρ οὗ πολλοὺς μόχθους καὶ πόνους καὶ φροντίδας ἠνέσχετο, τοῦτον ἁπάντων ὑβριστικώτερον αὐτῷ κεχρημένον ἴδῃ, οὐδὲ ἐνεγκεῖν τὸ πολὺ πένθος δυνήσεται τῆς ψυχῆς ὁ τοῦτο παθών. Ἡ γὰρ ὕβρις τοῖς ἐλευθέροις καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὴν μὲν ἔστιν ἀφόρητος, ὅταν δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν παίδων γίνηται, κἂν εἰς ἔκστασιν ἀγάγοι τὸν πάσχοντα· οὕτω βαρυτάτη ἐστίν. Σὺ δέ μοι μὴ μόνον ἐκεῖνο τὸ τόλμημα ἐννόει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου μάνθανε, πῶς αὐτῷ καὶ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ἅπαντα ἐχρῆτο οὗτος ὁ ὑβριστής. Ὁ γὰρ ἐν χερσὶν ἔτι τὸν φόβον τῶν γεγενημένων ἔχων, καὶ ἄρτι τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἐκείνης ἀπαλλαγεὶς, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰς συμφορὰς ἔτι θεωρῶν, καὶ μηδὲ οὕτω σωφρονισθεὶς, ἀλλ' ὑβρίσας εἰς ὃν ἥκιστα πάντων ἐχρῆν, καὶ μηδὲ τῷ θανάτῳ τῶν πολλῶν, μηδὲ τῇ ἐρημίᾳ, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδὲ ἄλλῳ τινὶ τῶν τότε συμβεβηκότων βελτίων γενόμενος, τίς ἦν πρὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, ὅτε καὶ πολλοὺς εἶχε τοὺς παρακαλοῦντας ἐπὶ τὴν κακίαν αὐτόν; Τότε γὰρ, τότε χαλεπώτερον κλυδώνιον ὑπέμεινεν ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος τοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ γενομένου καὶ διὰ τοῦτον, καὶ διὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ πλῆθος ὑδάτων αὐτὸν περιεῖχε μόνον, πρὸ δὲ τούτου κακίας ἀβύσσῳ πάντοθεν συνείχετο, καὶ τῶν κυμάτων αὐτῷ σφοδρότερον αἱ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐπιβουλαὶ προσεῤῥήγνυντο.","english":"even more unbearable. For when a man sees the one he begot, the one he reared, the one he educated, for whom he endured many toils and labors and anxieties, treating him more outrageously than all others, the one who suffers this will not be able to bear the great grief of his soul. For insolence is in itself unbearable to free men, but when it comes even from one's children, it could drive the sufferer to distraction; so heavy is it. But do not consider that audacious act alone; learn from it also how this insolent man treated him all the time before. For he who still had in his hands the fear of what had happened, and had just been released from that prison, and was still beholding the calamities of the world, and not even so was brought to his senses, but insulted the one whom he least of all ought to have insulted, and became no better for the death of the many, nor for the desolation, nor for the wrath of God, nor for any other of the things that then happened—what was he before the flood, when he had many to urge him on to wickedness? For then, then that righteous man endured a more grievous tempest than the one that came afterward at the flood, both because of this man and because of all the others. For at the flood only a mass of waters surrounded him, but before it he was hemmed in on every side by an abyss of wickedness, and the plots of wicked men broke upon him more violently than the waves.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":66,"ref":"p66","source":"Μόνος γὰρ εἰς τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ἀπολειφθεὶς ἀνδρῶν παρανόμων καὶ μιαρῶν, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἔπασχε δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὅμως πολὺν τὸν γέλωτα καὶ πολλὰ τὰ σκώμματα ἔφερεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, ἀλλ' ὅτε περὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ καὶ τῶν μελλουσῶν αὐτοῖς διελέγετο συμφορῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅσην ἔχει δύναμιν πρὸς τὸ ταράξαι ψυχὴν, μαρτυρήσειεν ἂν ἡμῖν ὁ ἐκ κοιλίας ἁγιασθεὶς, ὁ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς προφητείας μέλλων ἀφίστασθαι. Εἶπον γὰρ, φησὶν, Οὐ μὴ προφητεύσω. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων αὐτὸ μόνον τὸ μηδένα ὁμόψυχον, μηδὲ ὁμότροπον ἔχειν, πόσην ἀηδίαν, πόσην αὐτῷ κατεσκεύαζε τὴν ἀθυμίαν; Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ συναλγεῖν αὐτοῖς μυρία ἔπασχε δεινά. Οὐ γὰρ δήπου τελευτῶντας μόνον ἐνορῶντες οὕτως ἀλγοῦσιν οἱ δίκαιοι τοὺς πονηροὺς, ἁμαρτάνοντας δὲ οὐκ ἔτι, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τούτῳ δάκνονται, ἢ ἐκείνῳ· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν ἄν τις μάθοι καλῶς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐβόα πικρόν· Οἴμοι, ψυχὴ, ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν εὐλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ κατορθῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὑπάρχει. Ἕτερος δὲ ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Ἱνατί μοι ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους ἐπιβλέπειν; Καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδικουμένων δὲ σφόδρα κοπτόμενος, ἐθρήνει λέγων· Ποιήσεις τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὡς τοὺς ἰχθύας τῆς θαλάσσης οὐκ ἔχοντας ἡγούμενον. Εἰ δὲ τότε ταῦτα ἐγίνετο, καὶ νόμων ὄντων, καὶ ἀρχόντων, καὶ δικαστηρίων, καὶ ἱερέων, καὶ προφητῶν, καὶ κολάσεων, ἐννόησον μεθ' ὅσης ὑπερβολῆς ἅπαντα ἐτολμᾶτο ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε, ὅτε τούτων οὐδὲν κατεῖχεν αὐτούς. Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν προφητῶν οὐδὲ πολὺς ὁ τῆς ζωῆς χρόνος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα·","english":"For left alone among so great a multitude of lawless and polluted men, even if he suffered no harm, nevertheless he bore much laughter and many mockeries—if not before, at least when he spoke to them about the ark and the calamities that were to come upon them. And how great is the power of this to trouble a soul, he who was sanctified from the womb would testify to us, he who for this reason was even about to desist from prophecy. For he said, \"I will surely not prophesy.\" Apart from these things, the mere fact of having no one of like soul or like character—how great a disgust, how great a despondency it produced in him! And not only this, but also by grieving with them he suffered countless evils. For surely the righteous do not grieve so only when they see the wicked coming to their end, but no longer when they sin—rather they are bitten far more by this than by that; and one may well learn this from the prophets. For one cried out bitterly: \"Woe, O soul, for the devout has perished from the earth, and he who sets things right among men does not exist.\" Another said to God: \"Why have you shown me labors and toils to look upon?\" And being greatly struck on behalf of those who were wronged, he lamented, saying: \"You will make men like the fish of the sea, which have no leader.\" But if these things happened then, when there were laws, and rulers, and courts, and priests, and prophets, and punishments, consider with what excess all things were dared in the time of Noah, when none of these restrained them. And in the case of the prophets, the time of life was not even long, but seventy years and eighty.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":67,"ref":"p67","source":"τότε δὲ καὶ εἰς ἑξακόσια ἔτη καὶ πλείονα ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐτείνετο βίος. Ἵν' οὖν πάντα τὰ εἰρημένα. παρῶ, πόσα πράγματα ἔχειν ἠναγκάζετο, οὕτω μακρὰν ὁδεύων ὁδὸν, καὶ μηδὲ μικρὸν ἐν τοσούτῳ μήκει παρατραπῆναι σπουδάζων, πολλῶν ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ κωλυμάτων ὄντων; Καὶ τί λέγω πολλῶν, πάσης μὲν οὖν διόλου τοιαύτης οὔσης τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἀπὸ τῶν τερμάτων τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τὰ τέρματα πάσης σκοπέλων καὶ ἀκανθῶν καὶ θηρίων καὶ αὐχμοῦ καὶ λοιμοῦ καὶ κρυμοῦ καὶ κακούργων πεπληρωμένης; Καὶ γὰρ εὐκολώτερον τετριμμένην ἀτραπὸν ἐν τῷ βαθυτάτῳ τῆς νυκτὸς ὁδεύειν διαπαντὸς, ἢ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδὸν κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς καιρούς· τοσοῦτοι οἱ τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ βιαζόμενοι παρατρέπειν ἦσαν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἅπασιν ἅπερ ἂν ἐθέλωσι πράττειν ἐξῇ, εἷς δὲ μόνος ὁ τὴν ἐναντίαν αὐτοῖς βαδίζων ᾖ, πῶς δυνήσεται πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἐλθεῖν πάντων ὠθούντων ὀπίσω καὶ ἀνακρουόντων αὐτόν; Ὅσην γὰρ ἔχει δυσκολίαν τὸ μετὰ πολλῶν ὄντας κατορθοῦν, δηλοῦσιν οἱ τὰς ἐρημίας κατειληφότες νῦν, ὅτε τῇ","english":"But at that time the life of men was extended even to six hundred years and more. To pass over, then, all that has been said, how many troubles was he compelled to endure, traveling so long a road and striving not to be turned aside even a little over so great a length, when there were many obstacles in between? And why do I say many? Since the whole road was entirely of such a kind, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the whole world, filled with rocks and thorns and wild beasts and drought and plague and frost and evildoers. For it was easier to walk a worn path in the deepest night continually than the road of virtue in those times; so many were those who were forcing his steps aside. For when it is permitted to all to do whatever they wish, and there is but one alone who walks the opposite way to them, how will he be able to reach the end when all are pushing him back and driving him back? For how great a difficulty it is to succeed when one is among many, those who have occupied the deserts now show, when by the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":68,"ref":"p68","source":"τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι τὴν εὐζωΐαν πανταχοῦ διεσπαρμένην ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὅτε καὶ ὁμόνοιαν καὶ φιλοστοργίαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οὐ μικράν. Ἀλλὰ τότε τούτων οὐδὲν ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θηρίων ἀγριώτερον πάντες διέκειντο πρὸς αὐτόν. ςʹ. Τί οὖν τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ὀδυνηρότερον τοῦ βίου; τί ταύτης μοχθηρότερον τῆς ζωῆς; Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἀχθοφορούντων διαπαντὸς καὶ μηδέποτε ἀναπνεόντων ἐπηγγειλάμην δείξειν αὐτὸν οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενον· ὁ δὲ λόγος πολλῷ πλέον ἐποίησεν, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἄμεινον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ φορτικώτερον ἐκείνων ἔχοντα ἀποφήνας ἡμῖν. Δοκεῖ μὲν οὖν πολλοῖς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ τὸν ἅπαντα διατετελεκέναι χρόνον, ὅθεν καὶ τοὺς εὐημεροῦντας καὶ πανταχόθεν κομῶντας αὐτῷ παραβάλλειν εἰώθασι. Φέρε οὖν ἐξετάσωμεν τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτῷ. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὗτος πολλῷ καὶ τοῦ Νῶε καὶ τοῦ Ἄβελ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲν ἐρῶ, ἕως ἂν ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐξέτασις θῆται τὴν ψῆφον ἡμῖν. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐν Περσίδι, καὶ εἴ τι μέχρι τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἐτῶν αὐτῷ συνέβη λυπηρὸν, οὐδεὶς δύναιτ' ἂν εἰδέναι σαφῶς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Μωϋσῆς ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου τὴν ἱστορίαν ἡμῖν ἔγραψεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἡλικίαν ταύτην ἀφεὶς, ἀπὸ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα πεποίηται τοῦ διηγήματος τὴν ἀρχήν. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τὰ αὐτὰ πάσχειν τῷ Νῶε εἰκὸς ἦν, μεταξὺ τοσούτων ἀσεβῶν καὶ βαρβάρων μόνον βουλόμενον εὐσεβεῖν, τοῦτο οὐκ ἔτι τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁμοίως ἄδηλόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ σφόδρα ἀνόητοι στοχάσαιντο ῥᾳδίως αὐτό. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα παρείσθω νῦν·","english":"By God's grace it is possible to see the good life scattered everywhere, when there is also no small concord and affection toward one another. But at that time none of these things existed, but all were disposed toward him more savagely than wild beasts. 6. What, then, could be more painful than this life? What more wretched than this existence? I, for my part, promised to show that he was in no better condition than those who carry burdens continually and never breathe freely; but the account has done far more, showing us that he was not only in no better condition, but also far more burdened than they. Now it seems to many that Abraham spent his entire time in cheerfulness, which is why they are accustomed to compare with him those who prosper and are adorned on every side. Come, then, let us examine what happened to him. For to me this man is far greater than both Noah and Abel—or rather, I will say nothing until the examination of the facts casts its vote for us. Now the things in Persia, and whatever painful thing happened to him up to his seventieth year, no one could know clearly. For not even the blessed Moses wrote the history of that time for us, but passing over that entire period of his life, he made the beginning of his narrative from the events after these. But that it was likely that he also suffered the same things as Noah, wishing to be pious alone in the midst of so many impious and barbarous men—this is no longer equally unclear to others, but even the very foolish could easily conjecture it. Nevertheless, let these things also be passed over now.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":69,"ref":"p69","source":"ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀποδημίας αὐτοῦ ποιησώμεθα τοῦ λόγου τὴν ἀρχὴν, πρότερον ἐκεῖνο ἐξετάσαντες, πόσον ἡ τῶν Χαλδαίων γῆ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἀφέστηκεν, ἢ ποία τις ἦν ἡ τῶν ὁδῶν κατασκευὴ, πῶς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ τῆς ἐπιμιξίας τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους διέκειτο, τίς ὁ τῆς πολιτείας τρόπος ἦν. Μὴ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ εὐκόλως ὑπήκουσεν ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα εὔκολον εἶναι δοκείτω νῦν, μηδ' ὅτι συντόμως καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ τὸ γεγονὸς διηγήσατο ὁ Μωσῆς, καὶ τὸ ἔργον τὴν τῶν ῥημάτων βραχύτητα μιμεῖσθαι νόμιζε· εἰπεῖν μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ διηγήσασθαι ῥᾴδιον, πρᾶξαι δὲ οὐκέτι ὁμοίως εὔπορον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα χαλεπόν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος καὶ ὅσον τὸ μέσον ἐστὶ τούτων τῶν χωρίων μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἂν εἴποιεν ὅσοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖθεν διέβησαν, εἰ δή τινές εἰ47.458 σιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐκείνων μὲν οὐδενὶ, τῶν δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐξωτέραν χώραν ἀφικομένων συγγενόμενοί τινι, καὶ τὸν χρόνον αὐτὸν ἐρωτήσαντες ὅσον ὁδοιπορεῖν ἠναγκάσθη, ἠκούσαμεν ὅτι τριάκοντα πέντε ἡμερῶν ἀριθμόν· καὶ Βαβυλῶνα μὲν οὐκ εἰδέναι ἔφη, τῶν δὲ ἐκεῖ γενομένων ἀκηκοέναι, ὅτι ἑτέρα τοσαύτη πάλιν ἐκεῖθέν ἐστιν ὁδός. Καὶ τὸ μὲν διάστημα τοσοῦτον καὶ τότε ἦν, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν· ἡ δὲ κατασκευὴ τῶν ὁδῶν οὐκ ἔθ' ὁμοίως ὡς καὶ νῦν καὶ τότε διάκειται. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ καὶ σταθμοῖς διείληπται συνεχέσι καὶ πόλεσι καὶ ἀγροῖς, καὶ ὁδοιπόροις δὲ βαδίζων ἄν τις ἐντύχοι πολλοῖς, ὅπερ καὶ σταθμοῦ καὶ πόλεως καὶ ἀγροῦ οὐχ ἧττον εἰς ἀσφαλείας λόγον ἐστί.","english":"Let us begin our account from his departure, having first examined this question: how far the land of the Chaldeans is distant from Palestine, and what sort of condition the roads were in, how matters of intercourse between people stood, and what the manner of their civic life was. For let it not seem, just because that righteous man obeyed readily, that the matter is easy now; nor, because Moses narrated what happened briefly and in few words, suppose that the deed imitates the brevity of the words. To say and narrate these things is easy, but to do them is no longer equally feasible—rather, exceedingly difficult. Now the length of the journey and how great the distance between these regions is, those who have crossed over to us from there could say with precision—if indeed there are any such. But we, having met with none of those, but with someone who had reached the outer country, and having asked him about the time itself, how long he was compelled to travel, heard that it was a number of thirty-five days; and he said he did not know Babylon, but had heard from those who had been there that there is again another journey of equal length from there. And the distance was so great then, and is so now; but the condition of the roads is no longer the same as it is now and was then. For now it is divided up by continuous posting-stations and cities and fields, and one walking would meet many travelers, which is no less a matter of safety than a posting-station and a city and a field.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":70,"ref":"p70","source":"Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας οἱ τῶν πόλεων ἄρχοντες ἄνδρας καὶ ῥώμῃ σώματος τῶν ἄλλων διαφέροντας καὶ ἀκοντίῳ καὶ σφενδόνῃ τοσοῦτον δυναμένους ἀρκεῖν, ὅσον τοῖς βέλεσι μὲν οἱ τοξόται, οἱ δὲ ὁπλῖται τοῖς δόρασι, τούτους συντάξαντες, καὶ ἄρχοντας αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσαντες, εἰς οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἀπησχόλησαν, ἀλλὰ μόνον τὴν τῶν ὁδῶν ἐπέτρεψαν φυλακήν. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ ἑτέραν πάλιν τούτων ἀκριβεστέραν ἀσφάλειαν ἐπενόησαν. Οἰκήματα γὰρ κατὰ χιλίων βημάτων διάστημα δειμάμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, νυκτερινοὺς αὐτοῖς ἐγκατέστησαν φύλακας, τὴν ἐκείνων ἀγρυπνίαν καὶ τὴν σχολὴν μέγιστον κώλυμα τοῖς τῶν κακούργων ἐφόδοις ἐπιτειχίσαντες. Τότε δὲ οὐδὲν τούτων ἦν, οὐκ ἀγροὶ συνεχεῖς, οὐ πόλεις, οὐ σταθμοὶ, οὐ καταγώγιον, οὐ τὸ συνοδοιπόρον ταχέως ἰδεῖν, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τούτων οὐδέν· τὴν γὰρ τῆς ἀτραποῦ τραχύτητα καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀέρων ἀνωμαλίαν παρίημι νῦν, καίτοι γε ἱκανὰ, ἐκείνων μὴ προσόντων, λυπῆσαι τοὺς ὁδοιποροῦντας ἱκανῶς. Καὶ μαρτυρήσαιεν ἄν μοι οἱ ζεύγεσι καὶ ὑποζυγίοις χρώμενοι, καὶ μηδὲ οὕτω τῆς συνήθους ἐπιβαίνειν","english":"Besides these, the rulers of the cities, having arranged men who surpassed others in bodily strength and who were as effective with javelin and sling as archers are with arrows and hoplites with spears, and having set commanders over them, occupied them with nothing else but entrusted them solely with the guarding of the roads. Along with these they devised yet another, more exact safeguard than these. For having built houses along the road at intervals of a thousand paces, they stationed night-watchers in them, setting up their wakefulness and leisure as the greatest obstacle, a wall against the incursions of evildoers. But at that time none of these things existed—no continuous fields, no cities, no stations, no lodging, no quickly finding a fellow traveler, nor any other of these things at all; for I now pass over the roughness of the path and the irregularity of the airs, although these are sufficient, even without those things being present, to distress travelers considerably. And those who use teams and beasts of burden could bear witness to me, who not even thus are able to set foot on the customary","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":71,"ref":"p71","source":"τολμῶντες ὁδοῦ, εἰ μὴ πρότερον αὐτὴν στορέσαιεν λίθοις, καὶ τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ῥυάκων χαράδρας ἀναπληρώσαντες ἰσόπεδον οὕτως ἐργάσαιντο. Τότε δὲ ἐρημοτέρα μὲν τῶν ἀοικήτων ἦν, ἀπορωτέρα δὲ τῶν ὀρῶν, σφαλερωτέρα δὲ τῶν βαράθρων καὶ τῶν κρημνῶν. Καὶ τὸ πάντων δὲ χαλεπώτερον οὐκ εἶπον, πῶς τὰ τῆς ἐπιμιξίας διέκειτο, ὃ καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ πολλῷ πλείονα καὶ μείζονα παρεῖχε πράγματα αὐτοῖς, κατὰ ἔθνη, μᾶλλον δὲ κατὰ πόλιν ἁπάντων διηρημένων. Οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ νῦν μία ἀρχὴ κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον τῆς οἰκουμένης τέταται μέρος, καὶ ἑνὶ πάντες δουλεύουσιν ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς διοικοῦνται νόμοις, οὕτω καὶ τότε ἦν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ σῶμα ἓν εἰς πολλὰ μέρη κατατμηθὲν, οὕτω καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διέσπαστο γένος, καὶ πολεμίους ἐκ πολεμίων ἀμείβειν ὁ δίκαιος ἠναγκάζετο, πρὶν ἢ τοὺς προτέρους διαφυγεῖν, ἑτέροις ἐμπίπτων ἀεὶ, πὴ μὲν πολυαρχίας, πὴ δὲ ἀναρχίας οὔσης. Τί οὖν ταύτης χαλεπώτερον τῆς ζωῆς; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ μόνον ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ πατρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀδελφιδοῦ. Ἦν δὲ οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν οἰκετῶν φροντὶς μικρὰ, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἐτύγχανον ὄντες, μὴ ὅτι γε ὅτε ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας, ἠναγκάζοντο εἶναι διαπαντός. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ᾔδει σαφῶς ὅπου στήσεται τὰ τῆς πλάνης αὐτῷ, οὐκ ἦν οὕτω τὸ τῶν φροντίδων ἀφόρητον· νῦν δὲ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀδιορίστως ἀκούσας Γῆν, οὐ τήνδε ἢ τήνδε, ἀλλ', Ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω, πανταχοῦ περιῄει τῷ νῷ, καὶ πολὺν ἐδέχετο θόρυβον τῇ ψυχῇ, μηδαμοῦ τῷ λογισμῷ στῆναι δυνάμενος, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ ὑποπτεύειν ἔχων, καὶ μεριμνᾷν ἀναγκαζόμενος.","english":"daring to travel a road unless they first paved it with stones and filled up the ravines from the torrents and so made it level. But at that time it was more desolate than uninhabited places, more impassable than mountains, more treacherous than pits and cliffs. And the hardest thing of all I have not mentioned: how the matter of intercourse stood, which gave them far more and greater trouble than the road itself, since all were divided by nations, or rather by city. For it was not as now, when one rule is extended over the greater part of the inhabited world, and all serve one man, and are administered by the same laws; but as one body cut into many parts, so the race of men was torn apart, and the righteous man was compelled to exchange enemies for enemies, falling in with others always before escaping the former, here through many rulers, there through anarchy. What life, then, was harder than this? For he feared and trembled not only for himself, but also for his father and wife and nephew. Nor was the care of servants a small matter, if indeed they happened to be in their own country, let alone when they were compelled to be always in a foreign land. And if he had clearly known where the affairs of his wandering would come to a stop, the burden of cares would not have been so unbearable; but now, having heard simply and without definition, \"A land,\" not this one or that one, but \"which I will show you,\" he went about everywhere in his mind, and received great turmoil in his soul, unable to come to a stop anywhere in his reasoning, but having much to suspect and being compelled to be anxious.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":72,"ref":"p72","source":"Εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀφίξεσθαι τὰ πέρατα προσδοκᾷν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν ὠκεανόν· ὥστε εἰ καὶ μὴ πᾶσαν ἐπῆλθε τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ τὴν φροντίδα τῆς τοσαύτης ὁδοιπορίας ὑπέμεινεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς μέχρι τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἥξων οὕτω παρεσκευάκει τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἑψόμενος πανταχοῦ, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐκβῆναι κελεύηται, κἂν εἰς τὰς ἐκτὸς ταύτης νήσους ἐλθεῖν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τἀναντία προσδοκᾷν ἔπειθε τὸ τοῦ προστάγματος ἀδιόριστον, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν χαλεπόν. Τὸν γὰρ μέλλοντά τι φορτικὸν ὑπομένειν, πολλῷ κουφότερον εἰδέναι σαφῶς ὅπερ ὑποστήσεται, καὶ πρὸς ὃ παρασκευάσεται, ἢ πανταχοῦ ῥέμβεσθαι τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ νῦν μὲν τὰ χρηστὰ, νῦν δὲ τἀναντία προσδοκᾷν, καὶ ὑπὲρ μηδενὸς τούτων ἔχειν θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀμφοτέροις ὁμοίως ἀπιστεῖν.\n\nζʹ. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πρὶν ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἐπαγγελθεῖσαν γῆν· ἐπειδὴ δέ ποτε τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐπελάβετο, καὶ λοιπὸν ἀναπαύσασθαι προσεδόκησε, τότε δὴ μείζονα ἐν τῷ λιμένι τὸν χειμῶνα εὕρισκεν. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο εἰς ὀδύνης λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων ἀφορητότερον, ὅταν τις ἀπηλλάχθαι νομίσας καὶ πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἥκειν αὐτὸ, καὶ φροντίδα καὶ μέριμναν ἅπασαν ἀποθέμενος, πάλιν ἄνωθεν ἀρχὴν ἑτέραν εὕρῃ τῶν δυσχερῶν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔτι παρεσκευασμένος πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ ῥᾷον ἂν ἐνέγκοι τὴν τούτων ἐπαγωγήν· ὁ δὲ ἀναπεσὼν καὶ τῶν φροντίδων ἀπολύσας τοὺς λογισμοὺς, ἂν συμβῇ τι τοιοῦτον πάλιν, οἷον καὶ πρότερον, διπλῇ πως ταράττεται, καὶ εὐχείρωτος γίνεται τῷ τε ἀπροσδοκήτῳ καὶ τῷ διαλελύσθαι τὴν σπουδὴν ἅπασαν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν παρασκευήν. Τίς οὖν ὁ χειμὼν ἦν;","english":"For it is likely that he expected him to reach even the very ends of the inhabited world, and the ocean itself; so that even if he did not traverse the whole earth, yet he endured the anxiety of so great a journey. For he had not prepared his soul as one who would go only as far as Palestine, but as one who would follow everywhere, even if he were commanded to go beyond the inhabited world, and to come to the islands outside it. But if the undefined character of the command persuaded him to expect the opposite, this too was again difficult. For one who is about to endure some burden, it is far lighter to know clearly what he will undergo, and what he is preparing for, than to wander everywhere in his reasoning, and now to expect good things, now the opposite, and to have confidence in none of these, but to distrust both alike.\n\n7. And these things were before he came into the promised land; but when at last he had reached Palestine, and for the rest expected to rest, then indeed he found a greater storm in the harbor. And this is no small ground for pain, but even more unbearable than all things, when someone, thinking he has been delivered and has come to the very end itself, and having laid aside all care and anxiety, again from the beginning finds another beginning of troubles. For one who is still prepared for terrible things would more easily bear their onset; but one who has reclined and released his thoughts from cares, if something such as before should happen again, is somehow disturbed twofold, and becomes easy to overcome both by the unexpected and by his having dissolved all his zeal and preparation. What then was the storm?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":73,"ref":"p73","source":"Λιμὸς οὕτω σφοδρὸς τὴν Παλαιστίνην κατέλαβε τότε, ὡς ἀναστῆσαι εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον καταγαγεῖν. Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐκεῖ ὡς λύσιν εὑρήσων τοῦ κακοῦ, τοῦ λιμοῦ πάλιν χαλεπωτέρᾳ περιέπεσε συμφορᾷ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων κινδυνεύειν ἀναγκαζόμενος· καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον τότε κατέστη φόβον, ὥστε, ὃ πᾶσίν ἐστι πάντων ἀφορητότερον, τὸ τὰς γυναῖκας ὑβρίζεσθαι τὰς αὐτῶν, τοῦτο ἑλέσθαι. Εἰς τοσαύτην γὰρ τότε ἦλθεν ἀνάγκην, ὡς καὶ ὑπηρετήσασθαι τῇ ὑποκρίσει, οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἐλεεινότερον; Ὁποίαν γὰρ αὐτὸν νομίζεις ἔχειν ψυχὴν, ὅτε τῇ γυναικὶ τοιαῦτα συμβουλεύειν ἠναγκάζετο; Γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ· ἔσται οὖν ὡς ἂν ἴδωσί σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἐροῦσιν ὅτι, Γυνὴ αὐτοῦ αὕτη· καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσί με, σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται. Εἰπὲ οὖν ὅτι, Ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι, ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σὲ, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκεν σοῦ. Καὶ\n\nταῦτα ἐφθέγξατο τὰ ῥήματα ὁ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πατρίδα, καὶ οἰκίαν, καὶ φίλους, καὶ συγγενεῖς, καὶ τἄλλα πάντα ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἀφεὶς, ὁ τοιαύτην ταλαιπωρίαν καὶ τοσοῦτον πόνον ἐν τῷ μακρῷ τούτῳ καιρῷ κατὰ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ὑποστάς· καὶ ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, οἷον ὅτι Ἐγκατέλιπέ με ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπεστράφη, καὶ τῆς οἰκείας προνοίας ἐξέβαλεν· ἀλλ' ἔφερε γενναίως πάντα καὶ πιστῶς, καὶ ὃν ἐχρῆν μάλιστα πάντων ὑβριζομένης ὀργίζεσθαι τῆς γυναικὸς ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς βίας, ὅπως μήτε φανερὰ γένηται ἡ ὕβρις, ἅπαντα ἔπραττε. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅσην ἀθυμίαν ἔχει καὶ ὀδύνην, λόγῳ μὲν παραστῆσαι οὐ δυνατὸν, ἴσασι δὲ ὅσοι γυναῖκας ἔσχον καὶ εἰς ζηλοτυπίας ὑποψίαν ἐνέπεσον.","english":"At that time a famine so severe seized Palestine that it immediately drove him from there and brought him down to Egypt. But when he came there expecting to find relief from the trouble, he fell again into a more grievous calamity of famine, being compelled to be in danger of his very life; and at that time he was brought into such great fear that he chose the thing which is more unbearable than all things to everyone—that their own wives be violated. For he came then into such great necessity that he even served the pretense—and what could be more pitiable than that? For what sort of soul do you think he had when he was compelled to give such counsel to his wife? I know that you are a woman fair of face; therefore it shall be that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, \"This is his wife,\" and they will kill me, but they will keep you alive. Say, therefore, that you are his sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul shall live because of you. And these words were spoken by the man who for God's sake had left behind his homeland, his house, his friends, his relatives, and all the other things in his house—the man who endured such hardship and so great toil during this long time on his journey; and yet he said none of these things, such as, \"God has abandoned me, he has turned away, and has cast me out of his own providence\"; but he bore all things nobly and faithfully, and when his wife was being violated, though he above all ought to have been enraged by the great violence, he did everything so that the violation should not become manifest. But how much dejection and pain this involves cannot be set forth in words, but those know it who have had wives and have fallen into suspicion of jealousy.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":74,"ref":"p74","source":"Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῷ πάθει τούτῳ καὶ ὁ Σολομὼν οὕτως εἰπών· Μεστὸς γὰρ ζήλου θυμὸς ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, οὐ φείσεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, οὐδὲ ἀνταλλάξεται οὐδενὸς λύτρου τὴν ἔχθραν, οὐδὲ μὴ διαλυθῇ πολλῶν δώρων. Καὶ πάλιν· Κραταιὰ ὡς θάνατος ἡ ἀγάπη, σκληρὸς ὡς ᾅδης ὁ ζῆλος. Εἰ δὲ ὁ ζηλοτυπῶν οὕτως ἐκκαίεται, ὁ τοσούτοις κρατούμενος κακοῖς, ὡς ἀναγκάζεσθαι καὶ κολακεύειν τὸν ὑβριστὴν, καὶ ὃν ἀμύνασθαι ἔδει πάντα ποιεῖν ὅπως ῥᾳδίως ἀπολαύσηται τῆς αὐτοῦ γυναικὸς ὁ μοιχὸς, τίνος οὐκ ἐλεεινότερος ἦν; Λαβόντων δὲ καὶ τούτων πέρας τῶν κακῶν, ἕτερα πάλιν ἐτίκτετο δεινὰ, καὶ τὸν λιμὸν ἐκεῖνον διεδέχετο πόλεμος. Τὴν γὰρ τῶν ποιμένων μάχην καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν διανομὴν ἀφίημι νῦν, καίτοι γε ἐπ' ἄλλων ταῦτα ἐξεταζόμενα ἱκανὰ πολλὴν ἀθυμίαν ἐμβαλεῖν. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ διασωθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τοσούτων γενόμενος κύριος ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ὃν ἐχρῆν ἐκστῆναι πάντων αὐτῷ, καὶ τοῖς ποιμέσιν ἐπιτιμῆσαι τοῖς αὐτοῦ, οὗτος προτεινομένης αἱρέσεως ἐπιτρέχει τοῖς εὐφορωτέροις τῶν χωρίων, καὶ τὰ ἐρημότερα ἐκείνῳ καταλιμπάνει μέρη. τίς ἂν ἐνέγκοι ῥᾳδίως, οὐ τὴν ζημίαν λέγω, ἀλλὰ τὸ τιμήσας ἀτιμασθῆναι καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον ἐνεγκεῖν, ὃ πάσης ζημίας χαλεπώτερον εἶναι δοκεῖ; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἅπαντα ταῦτα παρίημι νῦν· περὶ γὰρ τοῦ πατριάρχου, οὐ περί τινος τῶν πολλῶν ὁ λόγος ἐστὶν ἡμῖν.","english":"Solomon also bears witness to this passion, saying: \"For the spirit of a man is full of jealousy for his wife; he will not spare in the day of judgment, nor will he exchange his enmity for any ransom, nor will he be reconciled by many gifts.\" And again: \"Love is strong as death; jealousy is hard as Hades.\" But if the jealous man is so inflamed, he who is mastered by so many evils that he is compelled even to flatter the insulter, and to do everything to the one whom he ought to have punished so that the adulterer may easily enjoy his wife—of whom was he not more pitiable? And when these evils had also reached their end, other terrors were again brought forth, and war succeeded that famine. For I now pass over the quarrel of the shepherds and the division against his nephew, although these things, when examined in the case of others, are sufficient to cast great despondency. For when the man who had been saved by him and had become master of so many goods—and who ought to have yielded everything to him and to have rebuked his own shepherds—this man, when a choice was offered, runs to the more fertile districts and leaves the more desolate parts to him. Who could easily bear—I do not speak of the loss, but of being dishonored after honoring, and of suffering the lesser portion, which seems to be more grievous than any loss? Nevertheless, I now pass over all these things; for our discourse concerns the patriarch, not any one of the many.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":75,"ref":"p75","source":"ηʹ. Διαδέχεται δὴ τὸν λιμὸν ἐκεῖνον ὁ πόλεμος τῶν Περσῶν, καὶ ἀναγκάζεται ἐπιστρατεύειν αὐτοῖς, οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτὴν ἀκεραίων ἑκατέρων ἔτι μενόντων τῶν μερῶν, ἀλλὰ προτροπωθέντων ἁπάντων, καὶ τῆς νίκης παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις οὔσης, καὶ οὐδενὸς αὐτοὺς ἔτι ἐνεγκεῖν δυναμένου, τῶν μὲν ἄρδην κατακοπέντων, τῶν δὲ κρυπτομένων, τῶν δὲ δουλευόντων παρ' αὐτοῖς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν αὐτὸν τούτων οἴκοι μένειν ἔπεισεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς σφοδρᾶς ἀθυμίας τῶν γενομένων πληγεὶς ἀπῄει κοινωνήσων ἐκείνοις τῶν κακῶν, καὶ εἰς προῦπτον ῥίψων θάνατον ἑαυτόν. Τὸ γὰρ μετὰ τριακοσίων οἰκετῶν καὶ μικρῷ πλειόνων πρὸς τοσαύτην παρατάττεσθαι στρατιὰν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ ταῦτα λογιζομένου ἦν, καὶ πρὸς αἰχμαλωσίαν καὶ πρὸς τιμωρίαν, καὶ πρὸς μυρίους παρεσκευασμένου θανάτους. Ἀπῆλθε μὲν οὖν ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς βαρβαρικῆς ἀπολαύσων ὠμότητος· τῇ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίᾳ διασωθεὶς, καὶ ἐπανελθὼν μετὰ τῆς λείας καὶ τοῦ συγγενοῦς, ἠναγκάζετο πάλιν τὰ οἰκεῖα θρηνεῖν κακὰ, τὴν ἀπαιδίαν λέγω, καὶ τὸ μηδένα ἔχειν τοῦ κλήρου διάδοχον. Μὴ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ τότε ἤκουσας ἀποδυρομένου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ λέγοντος, Τί μοι δώσεις; ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπόλλυμαι ἄτεκνος· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πρόσφατον τὴν λύπην ταύτην εἶναι νόμιζε· ἡ γὰρ μέριμνα αὕτη καὶ ἡ φροντὶς μετὰ τῆς νύμφης εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ δικαίου, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς νύμφης αὐτῆς.","english":"8. That famine is succeeded by the war of the Persians, and he is compelled to march out against them, not while both sides still remained intact from the beginning, but when all had been put to flight, and victory was with the enemy, and no one was any longer able to withstand them—some having been cut down utterly, some hiding, and some serving as slaves among them. Yet none of these things persuaded him to stay at home, but, struck by the violent despondency over what had happened, he went off to share in those evils and to throw himself into manifest death. For to array himself with three hundred servants and a little more against so great an army was nothing other than reckoning on these things—captivity and punishment—and preparing himself for countless deaths. So he departed as though he too would taste of the barbarian cruelty; but having been preserved by the philanthropy of God and having returned with the spoil and his kinsman, he was compelled again to lament his own misfortunes—I mean his childlessness, and that he had no heir to his lot. For do not suppose, because you heard him then lamenting to God and saying, \"What will you give me? And I am dying childless,\" that this grief was therefore recent; for this care and anxiety entered the house of the righteous man together with the bride—or rather even before the bride herself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":76,"ref":"p76","source":"Ἔθος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἅπασιν, ὅταν μόνον ἀρξώμεθα βουλεύεσθαι καὶ διαλέγεσθαι περὶ γάμου, πάσαις ταῖς τοῦ πράγματος ὑπονύττεσθαι φροντίσιν, ὧν ἁπασῶν τὸ κεφάλαιον ἡ τῶν παίδων ἐστὶ, καὶ ὁ φόβος οὗτος ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης τὰς ἡμετέρας κατασείει ψυχάς. Εἰ δὲ συμβαίη, γενομένων τῶν γάμων, πρῶτον ἔτος ἢ δεύτερον ἢ καὶ τρίτον παρελθεῖν, ἐπιτείνεται μὲν τὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας, τὰ δὲ τῶν χρηστοτέρων ἐλπίδων ἀτονώτερα γίνεται· ἑτέρου δὲ προστεθέντος πλείονος χρόνου, παντελῶς λοιπὸν ἀφίστανται μὲν ἐκεῖναι, κρατεῖ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς αὕτη πᾶσιν ἐπισκοτοῦσα τοῖς ἡδίστοις,\n\nκαὶ μηδενὸς αἴσθησιν συγχωροῦσα λαβεῖν. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῷ συνεβεβήκει τῶν τοσούτων ἀνιαρῶν, ἀλλὰ πάντα κατὰ νοῦν ἐγεγόνει, ἱκανὴ ἡ τῆς ἀπαιδίας ἀθυμία πᾶσι παρακολουθοῦσα τοῖς γινομένοις συσκιάσαι πᾶσαν εὐθυμίαν καὶ καταβαλεῖν. Ἡ γὰρ ἐπαγγελία τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς ἐσχάτῳ γήρᾳ, ὅτε τὰ τῆς φύσεως ἀπέγνωστο, τότε ἐγένετο· τὸν δὲ ἔμπροσθεν πάντα χρόνον τοσοῦτον ὄντα ἀλγῶν καὶ κοπτόμενος διετέλει, καὶ ὅσῳ τὸν πλοῦτον αὐξόμενον ἑώρα, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐπένθει, τοῦ διαδεξομένου τοῦτον οὐκ ὄντος. Τί γὰρ οἴει πάσχειν αὐτὸν, ὅτε ἤκουσε· Πάροικον ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐν γῇ οὐκ ἰδίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ κακώσουσιν καὶ ταπεινώσουσιν ἔτη τετρακόσια; Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ νῦν μὲν κελεύουσα λαβεῖν τὴν ἑαυτῆς παιδίσκην, νῦν δὲ ἐπειδὴ ἔλαβεν ἐγκαλοῦσα καὶ μεμφομένη, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν καλοῦσα κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναγκάζουσα τὴν τῆς εὐνῆς κεκοινωνηκυῖαν, καὶ παῖδα αὐτῷ μέλλουσαν τίκτειν λοιπὸν ἐκβάλλειν, τίνα οὐκ ἂν εἰς ἀθυμίαν τὴν ἐσχάτην ἐνέβαλε;","english":"For it is a habit common to us all, whenever we have only begun to deliberate and converse about marriage, to be pricked by all the anxieties of the matter, of which the sum total is the matter of children, and this fear shakes our souls from that very day. But if it should happen, once the marriages have taken place, that a first year or a second or even a third has passed, the feelings of discouragement are intensified, and the hopes of better things grow weaker; and when another longer time has been added, those hopes at last wholly withdraw, and this discouragement prevails over the soul, casting darkness over all its sweetest things, and not allowing it to perceive anything. So that even if none of so many distressing things had befallen him, but all had gone according to his mind, the discouragement of childlessness, following upon all that happens, would be enough to overshadow and cast down every cheerfulness. For the promise of God came at the very end of old age, when the powers of nature were despaired of; but all the time before, so long as it was, he continued in grief and anguish, and the more he saw his wealth increasing, the more he mourned, since there was no one to succeed to it. For what do you think he suffered when he heard: Your seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them, and afflict and humble them four hundred years? And the woman, now commanding him to take her own maidservant, now, when he had taken her, accusing and blaming him, and calling on God against him, and forcing him to cast out her who had shared his bed and was now about to bear him a child—into what extreme discouragement would she not have plunged him?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":77,"ref":"p77","source":"Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ καί τινι μικρὰ εἶναι δοκεῖ νῦν, λογισάμενος ὅτι ὁλόκληροι οἰκίαι τούτων ἕνεκεν ἀνετράπησαν, θαυμαζέτω τὸν δίκαιον Εἰ γὰρ καὶ γενναίως ἔφερε διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἄνθρωπος ἦν, καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων τούτων ἐδάκνετο καὶ ὠδυνᾶτο. Ἐπανέρχεται δὲ πάλιν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἡ θεράπαινα τοῦ δεσπότου, καὶ τίκτει τὸν νόθον αὐτῷ, καὶ γίνεται πατὴρ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ μετὰ τὸν μακρὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον· καὶ εἶχε μέν τινα τὸ πρᾶγμα ἡδονὴν, μείζονα δὲ τὴν ἀθυμίαν. Ὁ γὰρ νόθος αὐτὸν ὑπεμίμνησκε τοῦ γνησίου, καὶ μείζονα τοῦ πράγματος ἐπιθυμίαν ἐνέβαλε. Τὸ γὰρ, Οὐ κληρονομήσει σε οὗτος, ἀλλ' ὃς ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ σοῦ, περὶ τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ εἰρῆσθαι ἐνόμισεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὐδέπω εἴρητο περὶ τῆς Σάῤῥας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ τρανοτέραν ἔλαβεν ἐπαγγελίαν περὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ χρόνος ὡρίζετο τῷ τόκῳ, πρὶν ἢ πάλιν αὐτὸν ἡσθῆναι ταῖς ἐλπίσι ταύταις, τὰ τῶν Σοδομιτῶν πάθη πολλὴν αὐτοῦ κατέχεεν ἀθυμίας ἀχλύν. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε τὸ πρᾶγμα τὸν δίκαιον διετάραξεν, ἐκ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς ἱκετηρίας, ἣν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἔθηκε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, παντί που δῆλόν ἐστι· ὅτε δὲ καὶ κατενεχθέντα τὸν φρικωδέστατον ἐκεῖνον εἶδεν ὑετὸν, καὶ πάντα κόνιν καὶ τέφραν ἐξαίφνης γεγενημένα, οὐδὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ λοιπὸν ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ οἰκίας ὁρῶντες πόῤῥωθεν καιομένας ἐξιστάμεθα καὶ καταπίπτομεν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας καὶ τοῦ φόβου, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθεν ἐκεῖνος πόλεις ὅλας καὶ χώρας μετὰ τῶν οἰκητόρων οὐκ ἐμπρησμῷ τῷ συνήθει, ἀλλὰ ξένῳ καὶ φοβερῷ κατακαιομένας ὁρῶν; Ἆρ' οὐ δοκεῖ σοι τοῦ δικαίου τὰ πάθη τῶν ἐπαλλήλων ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ κυμάτων μιμεῖσθαι τὸ συνεχές;","english":"For if these things seem to anyone now to be small, let him consider that whole households were overturned for their sake, and let him marvel at the righteous man. For even if he bore them nobly because of the fear of God, nevertheless he was a man, and he was pricked and pained by all these things. But the master's servant-girl comes back again into the house, and bears him the bastard child, and Abraham becomes a father after that long time; and the matter had a certain pleasure, but a greater discouragement. For the bastard child kept reminding him of the legitimate one, and cast into him a greater desire for the matter. For he thought that the words, \"This one shall not inherit you, but he who shall come out of you,\" were spoken concerning Ishmael; for nothing had yet been said concerning Sarah. But when he had at last received a clearer promise concerning Isaac, and a time was appointed for the birth, before he could rejoice again in these hopes, the sufferings of the Sodomites poured a great mist of discouragement over him. For that the matter disturbed the righteous man not as it happened by chance is clear to everyone from his own words and the supplication which he set before God on their behalf; but when he saw that most dreadful rain brought down, and all things suddenly become dust and ashes, he was no longer even in himself. For if we, seeing houses burning from afar, are beside ourselves and fall down from discouragement and fear, what would he not have suffered, seeing whole cities and lands with their inhabitants burned up, not by ordinary fire, but by a strange and fearful one? Does it not seem to you that the sufferings of the righteous man imitate the continuity of the waves succeeding one another in the sea?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":78,"ref":"p78","source":"Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ, οὔπω τῶν προτέρων ἀφανισθέντων, κορυφοῦται τὰ δεύτερα, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ δικαίου τούτου ζωῆς διόλου συνέβαινε. Καὶ γὰρ ἔτι τῶν ἐν Σοδόμοις ἀκμαζόντων κακῶν, ὁ τῶν Γεράρων βασιλεὺς τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ Φαραὼ τολμῆσαι κατὰ τῆς Σάῤῥας ἐπεχείρησε· καὶ πάλιν ἡ γυνὴ τὴν ἐλεεινὴν ὑπόκρισιν ὑποκρίνεσθαι ἠναγκά ζετο, καὶ ἡ ὕβρις εἰς ἔργον ἐξῆλθεν ἂν, εἰ μὴ πάλιν ὁ Θεὸς διεκώλυσεν. Ὁμοῦ δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἁπάσης εὐφραινομένης ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ παιδὸς τόκῳ, μόνος ὁ δίκαιος ἐν ἡδονῇ τοσαύτῃ λυπεῖσθαι ἠναγκάζετο καὶ ἀθυμεῖν, τὴν παλλακὴν μετὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ἐκβάλλειν ἀναγκαζόμενος. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ νόθος ἦν ὁ Ἰσμαὴλ καὶ ἐκ παιδίσκης, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ τῆς φύσεως τυραννὶς οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀναξίας ἥττων ἐγίνετο, οὐδὲ ἀσθενεστέραν ἐποίει τὴν τῶν πατρικῶν σπλάγχνων ἀνάγκην ἡ δυσγένεια τῆς μητρός· καὶ τοῦτο ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς Βίβλου ἔστι μαθεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ στεῤῥὸς καὶ ἀνδρεῖος, ὁ τὸν μονογενῆ ταῖς οἰκείαις καταδεξάμενος σφάξαι χερσὶν, οὗτος ἤλγει, ὅτε αὐτῷ ταῦτα ἐπέταττεν ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ οὐδ' ἂν εἶξεν οὐδ' ἂν ἐπείσθη τῇ Σάῤῥᾳ, καίτοι πλείονα τότε παῤῥησίαν ἐχούσῃ, καὶ λεγούσῃ πρὸς αὐτὸν, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα αὐτὸν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος κατέκαμψεν. Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ κελεύσαντος ἐξέπεμπε, μὴ τὴν ὀδύνην λελύσθαι νόμιζε τοῦτο γὰρ ἀδύνατον ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὴν σφοδρὰν ὑπακοὴν θαύμασον, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς συμπαθείας καμπτόμενος οὐκ ἀντέλεγε τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ'","english":"For just as there, before the former things had been done away, the second things are brought to a head, so also throughout the life of this righteous man it happened. For while the evils in Sodom were still at their height, the king of Gerar attempted to dare the same things as Pharaoh against Sarah; and again the woman was compelled to play that pitiable pretense, and the outrage would have been carried into deed, had God not again prevented it. And while the child and the wife and the whole household together were rejoicing at the birth of the child, the righteous man alone was compelled to grieve and be disheartened amid such great pleasure, being forced to cast out the concubine with the child. For even if Ishmael was a bastard and born of a slave-girl, nevertheless the tyranny of nature was in no way lessened by her unworthiness, nor did the lowliness of the mother's birth make the compulsion of fatherly affection weaker; and this can be learned from the Book itself. For the firm and courageous man, who accepted to slaughter his only-begotten with his own hands, this man grieved when his wife commanded him these things, and he would not have yielded nor been persuaded by Sarah, although she then had greater boldness and spoke to him, unless the fear of God had greatly bowed him down. So that when you hear that he sent them out at God's command, do not suppose that this dissolved his pain—for that was impossible—but marvel at his fervent obedience, that even though bent by compassion he did not contradict God, but","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":79,"ref":"p79","source":"ἐξέπεμπε μὲν τὸ παιδίον μετὰ τῆς μητρὸς, οὐδὲ ὅποι πορεύσεται εἰδὼς, ἐκαρτέρει δὲ καὶ ἠνείχετο ὀδυνώμενος· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως κρείττων ἦν. θʹ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ γνησίου παιδὸς ἔπαθε. Μὴ γάρ τις λεγέτω ὅτι οὐκ ἤλγει, οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν πατέρων ὑπέμεινε, μηδὲ πέρα τοῦ μέτρου δεῖξαι βουλόμενος φιλοσοφοῦντα, τὸ κεφάλαιον ἀποστερείτω τῶν ἐγκωμίων αὐτόν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις ἁλόντας, καὶ πολὺν χρόνον ταύτης ἀπολαύσαντας τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ἀγνῶτας ὄντας, καὶ οὐδὲ ὀφθέντας ἡμῖν ποτε, τούτους ἐξαίφνης ὁρῶντες ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἀπαγομένους συστελλόμεθα καὶ ἀλγοῦμεν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ δακρύομεν· ὁ τὸν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ τὸν γνήσιον τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν παρ' ἐλπίδας τεχθέντα, τὸν μετὰ χρόνον τοσοῦτον, τὸν πρὸς ἐσχάτῳ γήρᾳ καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα μείζονα αἴρει τὴν φλόγα, τοῦτον ἔτι νέον ὄντα ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ χερσὶ καταθῦσαι καὶ κατακαῦσαι κελευόμενος, οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον ἔπαθε; καὶ τί τῶν ταῦτα λεγόντων καταγελαστότερον; Εἰ γὰρ λίθος ἦν, εἰ γὰρ σίδηρος, εἰ γὰρ αὐτοαδάμας, οὐκ ἂν ἐκάμφθη καὶ κατεκλάσθη πρὸς τὴν ὥραν τοῦ παιδὸς καὶ γὰρ ἦν αὐτὸ τῆς ἡλικίας τὸ ἄνθος ἄγων, πρὸς τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν ῥημάτων, πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειαν τῆς ψυχῆς; Ἠρώτησεν οὖν τὸν πατέρα λέγων· Ἰδοὺ τὰ ξύλα καὶ τὸ πῦρ, ποῦ ἔστι τὸ πρόβατον; ἤκουσεν ὅτι, Ὁ Θεὸς ὄψεται ἑαυτῷ πρόβατον εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, ὦ τέκνον· καὶ οὐδὲν περιειργάσατο πλέον. Ἑώρα τὸν πατέρα δεσμεύοντα αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἀντέτεινεν· ἐπετέθη τοῖς ξύλοις, καὶ οὐκ ἀπεπήδησεν· εἶδε τὴν μάχαιραν κατ' αὐτοῦ φερομένην, καὶ οὐκ ἐταράχθη. Τί ταύτης εὐλαβέστερον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς;","english":"He sent the child away with his mother, not even knowing where he would go, and he endured and bore up in his pain; for he was not stronger than nature. 9. This, too, he suffered in the case of his legitimate son. For let no one say that he did not grieve, nor that he did not endure the things that fathers endure, nor, wishing to show him philosophizing beyond measure, deprive him of the chief part of his praises. For if, when we see those caught in the most shameful acts, who have enjoyed this life for a long time, who are unknown to us and have never even been seen by us, suddenly being led to death in the marketplace, we shrink back and grieve, and often even weep—then he who was commanded to sacrifice and burn with his own hands his own legitimate son, his only-begotten, born beyond hope, after so long a time, in extreme old age (for these things too raise the flame higher), while he was still young—did he suffer nothing human? And what is more ridiculous than those who say these things? For if he were stone, if he were iron, if he were adamant itself, would he not have been bent and broken at the hour of the child—for he was in the very flower of his age, in the understanding of his words, in the piety of his soul? He asked his father, saying: Behold the wood and the fire, where is the sheep? He heard: God will see to a sheep for himself for a whole burnt offering, O child; and he did nothing more. He saw his father binding him, and he did not resist; he was laid upon the wood, and he did not leap off; he saw the knife being brought against him, and he was not disturbed. What soul could be more pious than this?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":80,"ref":"p80","source":"Ἔτι οὖν τολμήσει τις εἰπεῖν ὡς οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τούτων ἁπάντων ἔπαθεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ; Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον καταθύειν ἔμελλεν, εἰ γὰρ θηρίον ἦν, ἆρα ἂν ἀναλγητὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν; Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστι· μὴ τοσαύτην ὠμότητα καταγνῷς τοῦ δικαίου· καὶ γὰρ ἤλγει καὶ διεκόπτετο. Ὁ Θεὸς, φησὶν, ὄψεται πρόβατον ἑαυτῷ εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, τέκνον. Πόσης οἴει ταῦτα συμπαθείας εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα; Ἀλλ' ὅμως κατεῖχε κάτω τὴν ὀδύνην καὶ ἐπίεζε, καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης ἅπαντα τῆς προθυμίας ἔπραττε, μεθ' ὅσης οἱ μηδενὶ τούτων κατεχόμενοι τῶν κωλυμάτων. Καταθύσας τοίνυν αὐτὸν καὶ γὰρ κατέθυσε τῇ προθυμίᾳ, παραδίδωσιν ὑγιῆ καὶ σῶον τῇ μητρί· λαβοῦσα δὲ ἐκείνη, πρὶν ἐμπλησθῆναι καλῶς τοῦ παιδὸς, καταλύει τὸν βίον. Κἀκεῖνο δὲ οὐ μικρῶς ἐλύπει τὸν Ἀβραάμ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολὺν αὐτῷ συνεγεγόνει χρόνον, οὐδὲν ἦν ἱκανὸν πεῖσαι ῥᾷον ἐνεγκεῖν τὴν συμφοράν· αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο πλείονα αὐτῷ παρεῖχε τὴν ἀθυμίαν· τοὺς γὰρ ἐπὶ πολὺ συνοικήσαντας, καὶ πολλὴν τῆς ἑαυτῶν καὶ φιλίας καὶ ἀρετῆς δεδωκότας πεῖραν ἡμῖν, τούτους μάλιστα πάντων ζητοῦμεν. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει, αὐτὸς ἐδήλωσεν ὁ πατριάρχης πενθήσας καὶ θρηνήσας αὐτήν. Τί δ' ἄν τις λέγοι τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ παιδὸς φροντίδας, τὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς τούτου γυναικὸς, τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν τούτου, τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα, ἅπερ εἰ κατ' ἀκρίβειάν τις ἐξετάζειν ἐθέλοι, πολὺ τοῦ νῦν δειχθέντος ὀδυνηρότερον ὄψεται τοῦ δικαίου τὸν βίον καὶ πλειόνων γέμοντα φροντίδων;","english":"Will anyone still dare to say that Abraham suffered nothing from all these things? For if he was about to sacrifice an enemy and an adversary—if it were a wild beast—would he have done these things without pain? It is not so, it is not so; do not impute such cruelty to the righteous man; for he was in pain and was torn apart. \"God,\" he says, \"will see for himself a sheep for a whole burnt offering, child.\" Of how much compassion do you think these words are? But nevertheless he held his grief down and pressed it back, and he did everything with as much eagerness as those who are held back by none of these hindrances. Having therefore sacrificed him—for he did sacrifice him in his eagerness—he hands him back sound and whole to his mother; and she, having received him, before she could be properly filled with the child, departs this life. And that too did not pain Abraham a little. For even if she had lived with him a long time, nothing would have been sufficient to persuade him to bear the misfortune more easily; indeed this very thing gave him greater discouragement; for those who have lived together for a long time, and have given us much proof of their own friendship and virtue, these we seek most of all. And that this is so, the patriarch himself showed by mourning and lamenting her. But why should one speak of his cares for the child, his cares for this man's wife, his cares for this man's brothers, and all the other things, which if one wished to examine accurately, he will see the life of the righteous man as much more painful than what has now been shown, and full of more cares?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":81,"ref":"p81","source":"Τὰ γὰρ κεφαλαιωδέστερα μόνον εἰποῦσα ἡ Γραφὴ, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα παρῆκεν ἐξετάζειν ἡμῖν, ὅσα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν γίνεσθαι εἰκὸς ἐν οἰκίᾳ, ἔνθα οἰκετῶν πλῆθος καὶ ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ καὶ παιδία καὶ πραγμάτων ἐπιμέλεια πολλῶν. Ναὶ, φησίν· ἀλλ' ἐκείνῳ μεγίστην καθ' ἕκαστον τούτων παραμυθίαν ἔφερε τῶν λυπηρῶν τὸ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάντα ὑπομένειν ἐκεῖνα. Οὐκοῦν καὶ σὲ τοῦτο παραμυθήσεται νῦν· καὶ γάρ σοι τὸν πειρασμὸν τοῦτον ὁ συγχωρήσας ἐπελθεῖν οὐδεὶς ἕτερός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἢ ὁ Θεός. Εἰ γὰρ χοίροις ἐπιπηδῆσαι οὐκ ἂν ἐτόλμησαν οἱ πονηροὶ δαίμονες ἐκεῖνοι, μὴ ἐπιτρέψαντος αὐτοῦ τότε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῇ σῇ τιμίᾳ ψυχῇ. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκείνῳ τὸ γενναίως ἅπαντα φέρειν καὶ εὐχαρίστως πολὺν ἤνεγκε μισθὸν, οὕτως οἴσει καὶ σοὶ, μόνον ἂν μὴ δυσχεραίνῃς μηδὲ ἀγανακτῇς, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων εὐχαριστῇς τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ ἔπαθε μὲν ἅπερ ἔπαθεσυγχωρήσαντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἔφερε δὲ αὐτῷ τοὺς\n\nστεφάνους οὐ τὸ παθεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ γενναίως πρὸς ἅπαντα στῆναι τὰ δεινά· καὶ θαυμάζομεν αὐτὸν ἅπαντες, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ πάντων αὐτὸν ἀπεστέρησεν ὁ διάβολος, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις οὐχ ἥμαρτεν, οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ. ιʹ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἐβουλόμην μὲν καὶ τοὺς θρήνους αὐτοῦ τοὺς μακροὺς, καὶ τῶν παθῶν τὴν σφοδρότητα ἐκθεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ· ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ μὴ πολὺ ποιῆσαι τὸ μῆκος ἐπάνειμι πρὸς τὸν Ἰσαάκ. Σὺ δὲ εἰ βούλει μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ ἐκείνου μαθεῖν, τὸ βιβλίον αὐτοῦ μετὰ χεῖρας λαβὼν διάκυψον πρὸς τὴν ἄβυσσον τῶν συμφορῶν, καὶ πολλὴν ἐν ἐκείνοις παραμυθίαν εὑρήσεις τῶν σῶν.","english":"For Scripture, having mentioned only the most important things, has passed over all the rest for us to examine—all that would naturally happen each day in a household where there is a multitude of servants, and a man and a woman and children, and the care of many affairs. Yes, he says; but for that man the greatest consolation in each of these troubles was that he endured those things for God's sake. Therefore this will now console you as well; for the one who allowed this trial to come upon you is no other than God. For if those wicked demons would not have dared to rush upon the swine without his permission then, much less upon your honored soul. Just as, therefore, for that man the bearing of all things nobly and with thanksgiving brought him a great reward, so it will bring you also, provided only that you do not chafe or resent, but give thanks to the loving-kind God for all things. Since indeed blessed Job suffered what he suffered by God's permission, yet what brought him his crowns was not merely the suffering, but also standing nobly against all his terrible afflictions; and we all marvel at him, not because the devil deprived him of everything, but because in all these things he did not sin, nor with his lips. 10. Since I have mentioned Job, I wished also to set forth in my discourse his long lamentations and the vehemence of his sufferings; but to avoid making the length too great, I return to Isaac. But if you wish to learn those things accurately, take his book in your hands and look down into the abyss of his calamities, and you will find in them great consolation for your own.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":82,"ref":"p82","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλῷ βελτίων ἡμῶν ὁ δίκαιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πολλῷ μείζονα τὴν ἐνέργειαν παρετάξατο· καὶ γὰρ σφοδρότερον ἔπνευσε κατ' ἐκείνου ὁ Πονηρὸς τότε. Τὰ δὲ κατορθώματα οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν πειρασμῶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν πραττομένων δυνάμει κρίνεται. Ὥστε κἂν ἐλάττων οὗτος ὁ νῦν ἀγὼν, οὐδέν σε τοῦτο εἰς τοὺς στεφάνους παραβλάψαι δυνήσεται. Ὁ γὰρ τὰ δύο τάλαντα προσενεγκὼν οὐκ ἔλαττον ἤνεγκε τοῦ τὰ πέντε ἐπιδείξαντος. Διὰ τί; Ὅτι εἰ καὶ ἡ πρόσοδος οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ, ἀλλ' ἡ προθυμία ἡ αὐτὴ, ὅθεν καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἑκάτερος ἔτυχε τιμῆς ἀκούσας, Εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ Κυρίου σου. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἰσαάκ, Ἀποδημίαν μὲν οὐκ ἐστείλατο μακρὰν, καθάπερ ὁ πατὴρ, οὐδὲ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀφεῖναι ἠναγκάσθη γῆν, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τῶν κακῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπέμεινε, τῆς ἀπαιδίας τὸν φόβον. Ὡς δὲ ἔλυσε τὸ δεινὸν εὐξάμενος, ἕτερος αὐτὸν διεδέξατο φόβος ἐκείνου μείζων· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἴσον ὑπὲρ ἀπαιδίας τρέμειν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς ῥίζης αὐτῆς. Οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὴ διεκόπτετο ταῖς ὠδῖσιν ὡς πικροτέραν θανάτου παντὸς ὑπομένειν ζωήν· καὶ τοῦτο αὐτῆς ἄκουσον λεγούσης, Εἰ οὕτω μοι μέλλει γίνεσθαι, ἱνατί μοι τὸ ζῇν; Λιμοῦ δὲ πεῖραν ἔλαβε μὲν καὶ αὐτός· εἰ δὲ μὴ κατῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ὁ πατὴρ μικροῦ δεῖν ἔπαθεν ἐκεῖ, ταῦτα καὶ οὗτος ὑπέμεινε καὶ ἐκινδύνευεν ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτοῦ γυναικός. Καὶ τὸν πατέρα μὲν ἐτίμων οἱ πρόσοικοι πάντες, τοῦτον δὲ ὡς ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον ἤλαυνον καὶ τῶν οἰκείων αὐτὸν οὐκ ἠφίεσαν ἀπολαῦσαι πόνων, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ καθιστῶντες πολλῇ, αὐτοὶ μετ' ἐξουσίας ἐν τοῖς μόχθοις ἐτρύφων τοῖς ἐκείνου.","english":"For even if the righteous man was far better than we are, he was also matched against a far greater activity; for the Evil One breathed more fiercely against him then. But achievements are judged not by the measure of the temptations, but by the power of those who perform them. So even if this present struggle is lesser, this will be able to do you no harm as regards your crowns. For the one who brought forward the two talents carried off no less than the one who displayed the five. Why? Because even if the income was not the same, the eagerness was the same, and hence each of them received the same honor, hearing, Enter into the joy of your Lord. What then of Isaac? He did not set out on a long journey, as his father did, nor was he compelled to leave his own land, as that one was, but he too endured the chief of evils, the fear of childlessness. And when he had dissolved that dread by prayer, another fear succeeded it, greater than the former; for it was not the same to tremble for childlessness as for the very root of it. For she was so cut through by her birth-pangs that she endured a life more bitter than any death; and hear her saying this: If it is to be so with me, why should I live? He also had experience of famine; but if he did not go down into Egypt, yet what his father nearly suffered there, these things he too endured and was in danger concerning his own wife. And all his neighbors honored his father, but him they drove out as an enemy and foe, and they did not allow him to enjoy the fruits of his own labors, but while putting him in great straits, they themselves reveled with authority in his toils.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":83,"ref":"p83","source":"Ὡς δέ ποτε καὶ τούτους οὗτος φίλους ἐκτήσατο, καὶ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ τοὺς παῖδας εἶδε γενομένους τοὺς αὐτοῦ, τότε δὴ, τότε, ὅτε πολλὴν προσεδόκησε παραμυθίαν εὑρήσειν, καὶ γηροκόμους ἕξειν καλοὺς, εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀθυμίαν ἐνέπεσε. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ὁ πρεσβύτερος γυναῖκα λαβὼν παρὰ τὸ τῷ πατρὶ δοκοῦν, τούτῳ γε αὐτῷ σφόδρα αὐτὸν ἠνίασε, καὶ τῷ μάχην καὶ πόλεμον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσαγαγεῖν. Μυρίοις γὰρ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐκεῖναι παρέβαλλον αὐτοὺς κακοῖς, ἅπερ ἅπαντα εἰπεῖν παραιτουμένη ἡ Γραφὴ, δι' ἑνὸς ῥήματος τὸ πᾶν ᾐνίξατο εἰποῦσα, ὅτι Ἤριζον τῇ Ῥεβέκκᾳ· καὶ τοῖς οἰκίας ἔχουσι καὶ παῖδας ἤδη γεγαμηκότας κατέλιπεν εἰδέναι τὸ λεχθέν. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ μάλιστα πάντων ἴσασιν ἀκριβῶς ὅσον ἐστὶ κακὸν ἐμφιλονείκως διατεθῆναι τὴν τοῦ νυμφίου μητέρα καὶ τὴν νύμφην, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν οἰκίαν οἰκῶσιν ἀμφότεροι μίαν. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν διηνεκὲς ἦν τὸ δεινόν. Τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις συμβὰν, ἡ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πήρωσις, ὅπερ ὅσον ἐστὶ κακὸν οἱ παθόντες ἴσασι μόνον· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο, ἡ περὶ τὰς εὐλογίας ἀποτυχία τοῦ παιδὸς, ὑφ' ἧς οὕτως ἐπλήγη τὴν ψυχὴν, ὡς αὐτοῦ πικρότερον ἀναβοῆσαι τοῦ τὴν ἀπάτην ὑπομείναντος, καὶ ἀπολογήσασθαι πρὸς αὐτόν· οὐ γὰρ ἑκὼν ἠδικηκέναι ἔλεγεν, ἀλλ' ἀπατηθείς. Τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ἐδείκνυ τραγῳδίαν, καὶ τὸ δρᾶμα τῶν Θηβαίων ἀνετύπου μειρακίων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ἡλικίας καὶ πηρώσεως καταφρονήσας ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐξέβαλε τῆς οἰκίας τὸν νεώτερον ἀδελφόν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀπέκτεινε καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος, ἡ τῆς μητρὸς σοφία τοῦτο διεκώλυσεν·","english":"But when he had at length gained these too as friends, and saw his own children grown to manhood, then, yes then, when he expected to find great consolation and to have good support in his old age, he fell into the utmost despondency. For first, the elder son, having taken a wife from the foreigners against his father's judgment, greatly vexed him in this very matter, and brought war and battle into the house. For those women assailed them with countless evils, all of which Scripture, declining to relate them all, hinted at in a single phrase, saying, \"They contended with Rebekah\"; and it has left it to those who have households and children already married to know what was said. For they above all know precisely how great an evil it is for the mother of the bridegroom and the bride to be disposed to constant quarreling, and especially when both dwell in one house. This, then, was a continuous affliction. But what happened after these things—the blinding of his eyes—only those who have suffered it know how great an evil it is. And after this, the son's failure to obtain the blessings, by which he was so struck in his soul that he cried out more bitterly than the one who had suffered the deception, and made his defense to him; for he said he had not wronged him willingly, but had been deceived. The events from there on displayed the tragedy on the stage and depicted the drama of the Theban youths. For here too the elder, despising his father's age and blindness, cast the younger brother out of the house. But if he did not kill him as that one did, the wisdom of the mother prevented it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":84,"ref":"p84","source":"ἠπείλησε μὲν γὰρ καὶ οὗτος τὸν φόνον, καὶ τὴν τελευτὴν ἀνέμενε τοῦ πατρός. Μαθοῦσα δὲ ἡ μήτηρ, καὶ τῷ πατρὶ διαλεχθεῖσα, ἐξήρπασεν αὐτὸν τῶν ἐκείνου χειρῶν, καὶ τὸν μὲν θεραπεύοντα αὐτοὺς καὶ εὐνοϊκῶς διακείμενον φυγαδεύειν ἠναγκάζοντο, τὸν\n\nδὲ μοχθηρὸν καὶ ἀβίωτον αὐτοῖς καθιστῶντα τὸν βίον τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτή φησιν ἡ Ῥεβέκκα παρ' ἑαυτοῖς κατεῖχον διηνεκῶς. Ἀποδράντος τοίνυν ἐκείνου τοῦ διαπαντὸς ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας τραφέντος ἦν γὰρ ἄπλαστος οἰκῶν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ πολλὰ μετὰ τῆς μητρὸς οἰκουροῦντος, πόσα μὲν ἦν εἰκὸς τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν ὀδύρεσθαι καὶ θρηνεῖν μεμνημένην τοῦ παιδὸς διαπαντὸς, καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ὁρῶσαν οὐδὲν τῶν νεκρῶν ἄμεινον διακείμενον καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ διὰ τὴν νόσον; πόσῳ δὲ τὸν γέροντα πένθει κατέχεσθαι μετὰ τῶν οἰκείων καὶ τὰς τῆς γυναικὸς ἀναγκαζόμενον θρηνεῖν συμφοράς; Ὅτε δὲ ἔμελλε τελευτᾷν ἐκείνη, τί ἄρα οὐκ εἶπε, τί δὲ οὐκ ἐφθέγξατο, ἃ καὶ λίθον τῆξαι ἱκανὰ, οὐχ ὁρῶσα τὸν παῖδα παρεστῶτα καὶ δακρύοντα, καὶ καθαιροῦντα ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ συλλαμβάνοντα στόμα, καὶ περιστέλλοντα, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἐπιμελούμενον, ἅπερ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου πικρότερα τοῖς γεγεννηκόσιν εἶναι δοκεῖ; Ὁ δὲ Ἰσαὰκ οὕτως αὐτὴν ἀποπνέουσαν ὁρῶν, ὁποίαν ἐκέκτητο ψυχὴν καὶ τότε καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνης τελευτήν; ιαʹ. Τοιοῦτος ἡμῖν ὁ πολλῶν εὐθυμότερος εἶναι δοκῶν ἀποπέφανται. Τὸν δὲ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ βίον ἀρκεῖ μὲν καὶ χωρὶς ἐξετάσεως δεῖξαι αὐτὴ ἡ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἀπόφασις· τῷ γὰρ Φαραὼ τότε διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγε· Μικραὶ καὶ πονηραὶ αἱ ἡμέραι μου, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίκοντο εἰς τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν πατέρων μου·","english":"For he too threatened murder and waited for his father's death. But his mother, learning of it and speaking with his father, snatched him from that man's hands; and they were compelled to send into exile the one who cared for them and was well disposed toward them, while the wicked one who made life unlivable for them—for this is what Rebecca herself says—they kept continually with them. When, then, that man had run away—the one who had been brought up in the household all along, for he dwelt in the house unformed and for the most part stayed at home with his mother—how was it likely that Rebecca lamented and mourned, remembering her child continually, and seeing her husband no better off than the dead, both because of his age and because of his illness? And with how much grief was the old man possessed, along with his household, being compelled to mourn his wife's calamities? And when she was about to die, what did she not say, what did she not utter, things sufficient to melt even a stone—not seeing her child standing by and weeping, and wiping her eyes, and closing her mouth, and wrapping her, and tending to all the other things which seem to parents bitterer than death itself? And Isaac, seeing her thus breathing her last—what sort of soul did he possess both then and after her death? 11. Such has he shown himself to be—the one who seemed to be more cheerful than many. But as for Jacob's life, Jacob's own declaration is sufficient to show it even without examination; for speaking to Pharaoh at that time he said: \"Few and evil are my days, and they have not reached the days of my fathers.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":85,"ref":"p85","source":"τοῦτ' ἔστι, καὶ βραχύτερον καὶ μοχθηρότερον ἐβίωσα βίον. Χωρὶς δὲ τῆς ἀποφάσεως οὕτως εἰσὶ περιφανεῖς αἱ συμφοραὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν πολλῶν τινας αὐτὰς ἀγνοεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πάππος ὁ τούτου, εἰ καὶ μακρὰν ἐστείλατο τὴν ἀποδημίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ κελεύοντος, ὅπερ παραμυθίαν αὐτῷ τὴν μεγίστην ἔφερεν· οὗτος δὲ ἀδελφὸν φεύγων ἐπιβουλεύοντα καὶ φονῶντα κατ' αὐτοῦ· κἀκεῖνος μὲν οὐδέποτε ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων χορηγίας ὠδύρετο· οὗτος δὲ ἀγαπητὸν ἡγεῖτο καὶ εὐκτὸν, τὸ ἱματίου καὶ ἄρτου εὐπορῆσαι μόνον. Διασωθεὶς δὲ, καὶ τῶν τῆς ὁδοιπορίας κακῶν ἀπαλλαγεὶς, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς συγγενεῖς ἐλθὼν τοὺς αὑτοῦ, ἠναγκάζετο δουλεύειν ὁ ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ τοσαύτῃ τραφείς. Οἶσθα δὲ ὅτι πανταχοῦ μὲν ἡ δουλεία πικρόν· ὅταν δέ τις παρὰ τοῖς ὁμοτίμοις τὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν ὑπομένειν ἀναγκάζηται, καὶ ταῦτα μηδέποτε τοῦ πράγματος πεῖραν λαβὼν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ τρυφῇ τὴν πρώτην ἅπασαν ἡλικίαν διαγαγὼν, ἀφόρητον γίνεται τὸ δεινόν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἔφερε πάντα γενναίως. Καὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ ποιμαντικῇ αὐτοῦ ταλαιπωρίας ἀκούεις διηγουμένου, καὶ λέγοντος· Ἐγὼ ἀπετίννυον παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ κλέμματα ἡμέρας καὶ κλέμματα νυκτός· ἐγενόμην συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύματι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἀφίστατο ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου. Ταῦτά μοι εἴκοσι ἔτη. Ταῦτα ἔπασχεν ὁ τὸν ἄπλαστον βίον βεβιωκὼς, ὁ οἰκίαν οἰκήσας διαπαντὸς, καὶ μετὰ τοὺς τοσούτους μόχθους καὶ τὰς ζημίας καὶ τὸν πολὺν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον, τὴν πικρὰν ἀπάτην ὑπέμεινε τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ γυναικί.","english":"That is, I lived a life both shorter and more wretched. But apart from the sentence, his calamities are so manifest that not even any of the many are ignorant of them. For his grandfather, even if he set out on a long journey abroad, yet it was at God's command, which brought him the greatest consolation; but this man was fleeing a brother who plotted against him and sought to murder him. And the former never lamented over the supply of necessities; but this man considered it beloved and desirable merely to have plenty of a cloak and bread. And having been preserved and delivered from the hardships of the journey, and having come to his own relatives, he who had been raised in such abundance was compelled to be a slave. And you know that slavery is bitter everywhere; but when someone is compelled to endure the lot of household slaves among those of equal rank, and this when he had never had experience of the matter, but had spent his entire early life in freedom and luxury, the evil becomes unbearable; yet nevertheless he bore all things nobly. And you hear him recounting the hardships in his shepherding, and saying: I atoned for myself for thefts by day and thefts by night; I was scorched by the heat of the day and the frost of the night, and sleep departed from my eyes. These things for twenty years. These things he suffered who had lived an unformed life, who had dwelt in a house continually, and after so many toils and losses and that long time, he endured the bitter deception concerning his wife.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":86,"ref":"p86","source":"Εἰ γὰρ μὴ δεδουλεύκει τὰ ἑπτὰ ἔτη, εἰ γὰρ μηδὲν ὧν ἀπωδύρατο πρὸς τὸν κηδεστὴν ἔπαθεν, εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἤρα τῆς παιδὸς, αὐτὸ μόνον τὸ κατεγγυηθῆναι μὲν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀμείνω, δοθῆναι δὲ τὴν φαυλοτέραν ἀντ' ἐκείνης, πόσην ἀθυμίαν, πόσον θόρυβον, πόσην ἐπήρειαν παρεῖχε τῷ μακαρίῳ τότε ἐκείνῳ! Ἄλλος μὲν οὖν εἴ τις ἦν, οὐκ ἂν ῥᾳδίως τὴν ἐπήρειαν ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τῶν κηδεστῶν ἀνέτρεψεν ἂν τὴν οἰκίαν συσφάξας ἑαυτὸν ἐκείνοις, ἢ καὶ ἄλλῳ τινὶ συνδιαφθείρας τρόπῳ· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνεξίκακος καὶ μακρόθυμος ἦν ὁ Ἰακὼβ, τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐβουλεύσατο τὴν ἀρχήν· κελευσθεὶς δὲ ἕτερα ἑπτὰ ἔτη δουλεῦσαι πάλιν, ὑπήκουσεν ἑτοίμως· οὕτως ἦν πρᾶος καὶ ἐπιεικής. Εἰ δὲ ὁ τῆς κόρης ἔρως συναντελαμβάνετο τῇ τῶν τρόπων ἐπιεικείᾳ, πάλιν μοι τῆς ἀθυμίας λέγεις τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ὅσην ὀδύνην ὑπέμεινεν, ὅτε τῆς οὕτως ἀγαπωμένης ἀπεστερεῖτο, καὶ προσδοκῶν αὐτὴν ἔνδον ἔχειν, εἰς ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν πάλιν ἀναβολὴν ἐξεκρούετο, καὶ τοὺς κρυμοὺς καὶ τὰ θάλπη καὶ τὰς ἀγρυπνίας καὶ τὰς ζημίας τὰς συνεχεῖς. Λαβὼν δὲ καὶ ταύτην ὕστερον, καὶ ζῶν παρὰ τῷ κηδεστῇ βίον ταλαίπωρον καὶ ἐπίμοχθον, ἐφθονεῖτο καὶ οὕτως, καὶ δευτέραν ἀπάτην ὑπέμενεν","english":"For if he had not served those seven years, if he had suffered none of the things he lamented before his father-in-law, if he had not loved the girl, the mere fact that the better one was betrothed to him but the inferior one was given to him instead of her—how much discouragement, how much turmoil, how much insolent outrage did this bring to that blessed man of that time! Now if it had been anyone else, he would not easily have borne the outrage, but he would have overturned the whole house of his fathers-in-law, slaughtering himself upon them, or destroying himself along with them in some other way. But since Jacob was forbearing of evil and long-suffering, he did not do this, nor did he even consider it at all; and when he was ordered to serve another seven years, he obeyed readily—so gentle and equitable was he. But if the love of the girl joined forces with the equity of his character, you tell me again the excess of his discouragement. For consider how much pain he endured when he was deprived of her who was so loved, and expecting to have her within, he was thrust out again into a postponement of seven years, along with the frosts and the heats and the sleepless nights and the continual losses. And having received her also afterward, and living beside his father-in-law a wretched and toilsome life, he was envied even so, and he endured a second deception.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":87,"ref":"p87","source":"ἐπὶ τοῖς μισθοῖς, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὸν διήλεγξε λέγων ὅτι, Παρελογίσω με δέκα ἀμνάσιν. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦ κηδεστοῦ καὶ οἱ τῶν γυναικῶν ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ κηδεστοῦ μᾶλλον ἐξεθηριώθησαν πρὸς αὐτόν. Τὸ δὲ πάντων χαλεπώτερον ἦν, ἡ ἐρωμένη, δι' ἣν ἔτη δὶς ἑπτὰ δουλεύειν εἵλετο, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἀπεπνίγετο, τὴν μὲν ἀδελφὴν τίκτουσαν ὁρῶσα, ἑαυτὴν δὲ οὐδὲ ἐλπίδα τοῦ πράγματος ἔχουσαν, καὶ εἰς τοσαύτην ἔκστασιν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐξηνέχθη τότε, ὡς ἐγκαλεῖν καὶ μέμφεσθαι τῷ ἀνδρὶ, καὶ θάνατον ἀπειλεῖν καθ' ἑαυτῆς, εἰ μὴ τέκοι· Δὸς γάρ μοι τέκνα, φησίν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, τελευτήσω ἐγώ. Τί τοίνυν εὐφρᾶναι αὐτὸν δυνατὸν ἦν, τῆς μὲν οὕτω ποθουμένης τοιαῦτα ὀδυρομένης, τῶν δὲ ταύτης ἀδελφῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων αὐτῷ καὶ πάντα πραττόντων, ὅπως εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην ἔλθῃ πενίαν; Εἰ δὲ τὰ χωρὶς ἱδρώτων ἐπιδιδόμενα ταῖς γυναιξὶν, ὅταν ἀφαιρῆται, πολλὴν φέρει τὴν ἀθυμίαν, ὁ κινδυνεύων ὑπὲρ τῶν πόνοις κτηθέντων οἰκείοις πῶς ἂν πράως ταύτην ἤνεγκε τὴν ζημίαν; Αἰσθόμενος τοίνυν ὅτι δι' ὑποψίας εἶχον αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπεβλέποντο, λαθὼν ἀνεχώρησεν ὡς φυγάς· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἐλεεινότερον; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας μετὰ φόβων καὶ κινδύνων ἀποδημήσας εἰς τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν ἐμπίπτειν βάραθρα ἠναγκάζετο. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀδελφὸν φυγὼν ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν κηδεστὴν, ὑπὸ δὲ τούτου πάλιν ἐλαυνόμενος, εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐμπίπτειν ἐβιάζετο· καὶ τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκεῖνο ὑπέμεινεν, ὃ περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας Κυρίου φησὶν ὁ Ἀμώς·","english":"concerning the wages, as he himself also reproached him, saying, \"You have deceived me with ten lambs.\" And along with the father-in-law, the brothers of the women were stirred to greater savagery against him than the father-in-law himself. But the hardest thing of all was that the beloved woman, for whom he chose to serve twice seven years, was suffocated by despondency, seeing her sister giving birth while she herself had not even a hope of the matter, and she was carried away at that time by despondency into such a frenzy that she reproached and blamed her husband and threatened death against herself if she did not give birth; for she says, \"Give me children; but if not, I will die.\" What, then, could have gladdened him, when the one so deeply desired was lamenting such things, and her sisters were plotting against him and doing everything so that he might come into the utmost poverty? But if the things granted to women without labors, when taken away, bring great despondency, how would one who was in danger concerning things acquired by his own toils have borne this loss gently? Perceiving, then, that they held him in suspicion and looked at him askance, he withdrew secretly like a fugitive. What could be more pitiable than this? For having departed from his own country and from a foreign land with fears and dangers, he was compelled to fall again into the same abysses. For having fled his brother, he came to his father-in-law, but being driven out again by this one, he was forced to fall in with his brother; and he endured that prophetic saying which Amos speaks concerning the day of the Lord:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":88,"ref":"p88","source":"Ὃν τρόπον ἐάν τις ἐκφύγῃ ἀπὸ προσώπου λέοντος, καὶ ἐμπέσῃ αὐτῷ ἄρκτος, καὶ εἰσπηδήσῃ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπερείσῃ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν τοῖχον, καὶ δάκῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ὄφις. Τί δὲ δεῖ λέγειν τὸν τρόμον ὃν ὑπέστη καταληφθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Λάβαν, τὰς θλίψεις τὰς κατὰ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν, θρεμμάτων τοσούτων καὶ παίδων ἀκολουθούντων αὐτῷ; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἀδελφικὴν ὄψιν ὁρᾷν ἔμελλεν, οὐ ταυτὸ ἔπασχε τοῖς ὁρῶσι τὴν παρὰ τοῖς ποιηταῖς πλαττομένην ὑπ' ἐκείνων Γοργόνος κεφαλήν; οὐχ ὡς τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἀπιὼν, οὕτως ἅπαντα διετάττετος Ἄκουσον τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ μάθε τὴν ἐναποκειμένην αὐτοῦ φλόγα τῇ ψυχῇ· Ἐξελοῦ με, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ χειρὸς Ἡσαῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου, ὅτι φοβοῦμαι ἐγὼ αὐτὸν, μήποτε ἐλθὼν πατάξῃ με καὶ μητέρα ἐπὶ τέκνοις. Σὺ δέ μοι εἶπας, Εὖ σε ποιήσω. Πόσην οὐκ ἂν εὐφροσύνην ἐξέβαλεν οὗτος ὁ φόβος, εἰ καὶ πάντα τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ διατετελεκὼς ἦν; Νῦν δὲ ἅπας ὁ βίος αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐν ᾗ τὰς εὐλογίας μέλλων λαμβάνειν προαποτεθνήκει τῷ δέει, διὰ συμφορῶν ἐπλέκετο καὶ ἐπιβουλῶν. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ αὐτὸν δέος τότε κατεῖχεν, ὡς μηδὲ μετὰ τὴν συντυχίαν, καίτοι γε χρηστῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως αὐτῷ χρησαμένου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, θαῤῥῆσαι καὶ ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ἀγωνίαν. Παρακαλοῦντος γοῦν ἐκείνου συναπελθεῖν, καθάπερ θηρίου τινὸς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι μέλλων, οὕτως ἠξίου καὶ ἐσοφίζετο τὴν ἀναχώρησιν λέγων· Ὁ κύριός μου, γινώσκεις ὅτι τὰ παιδία ἁπαλώτερα, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ αἱ βόες λοχεύονται ἐπ' ἐμέ· καὶ ἐὰν οὖν καταδιώξω αὐτὰ, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ ἀποθανοῦνται πάντα τὰ κτήνη.","english":"In the manner that if someone flees from the face of a lion, and a bear meets him, and he leaps into his house, and he presses his hand against the wall, and the snake bites him. But what need is there to speak of the trembling that he underwent when he was overtaken by Laban, the afflictions on the journey, with so many flocks and children following him? But since he was about to see his brother's face, did he not suffer the same as those who see the Gorgon's head fabricated by the poets? Did he not arrange everything as one going to death? Hear his words, and learn the flame stored up in his soul: \"Deliver me,\" he says, \"O God, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mother with the children. But you said to me, I will do you good.\" How much gladness would this fear not have cast out, even if he had spent all the preceding time in cheerfulness? But now his whole life, even from that day when he was about to receive the blessings, had died beforehand in dread, and was woven through with calamities and plots. For so much fear possessed him then that not even after the meeting, although his brother had treated him kindly and humanely, could he take courage and lay aside his agony. When that one urged him to go along, he thought he was about to escape some wild beast, and thus he deemed it fit and contrived his departure, saying: \"My lord, you know that the children are more delicate, and the sheep and the cattle are giving birth among me; and if I therefore drive them hard, in one day all the livestock will die.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":89,"ref":"p89","source":"Προελθέτω ὁ κύριός μου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐνισχύσω ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, κατὰ σχολὴν τῆς πορεύσεως τῆς ἐναντίον μου, καὶ κατὰ πόδας τῶν παιδαρίων μου, ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν με πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου εἰς Σηείρ. Καὶ ἀναπνεύσας μικρὸν ἀπὸ τῶν κινδύνων ἐκείνων, εἰς ἕτερον πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον ἐνέπεσε πάλιν φόβον. Τῆς γὰρ θυγατρὸς ἁρπαγείσης, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἤλγει τῇ ὕβρει τῆς παιδός· ὡς δὲ παρεμυθεῖτο τὸ γεγονὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ υἱὸς νόμῳ γάμου λήψεσθαι γυναῖκα αὐτὴν ὑποσχόμενος, καὶ ἐπῄνεσε τὴν γνώμην ὁ Ἰακὼβ, συνέχεαν τὰς συνθήκας οἱ περὶ τὸν Λευῒ, καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὔτανδρον ἀνελόντες εἰς τοσοῦτον τὸν γεγεννηκότα κατέστησαν τρόμον, ὡς καὶ μετοικῆσαι ἐκεῖθεν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ πάντας ἐκπολεμωθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰακὼβ τῷ Συμεὼν καὶ τῶν Λευΐ· Μισητόν με πεποιήκατε, ὥστε πονηρόν με εἶναι πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσι τὴν γῆν, ἔν τε τοῖς Χαναναίοις καὶ τοῖς Φερεζαίοις, ἐγὼ δὲ ὀλιγοστός εἰμι ἐν ἀριθμῷ, καὶ συναχθέντες","english":"Let my lord go on ahead of his servant, and I will strengthen myself on the way, at the pace of the journey that is before me, and at the foot of my children, until I come to my lord in Seir. And having breathed a little from those dangers, he fell again into another fear far more grievous. For when his daughter was carried off, at first he grieved at the outrage done to the girl; but when the king's son consoled him for what had happened by promising that he would take her as a wife by the law of marriage, and Jacob praised the intention, the men around Levi confounded the agreements, and having destroyed the city with all its people, they brought the one who had begotten them into such great terror that he even moved away from there because all had been made hostile to him. For, it says, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have made me hateful, so that I am evil in the eyes of all who dwell in the land, both among the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and I am few in number, and having gathered together","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":90,"ref":"p90","source":"ἐπ' ἐμὲ συγκόψουσί με καὶ ἐκτριβήσομαι ἐγὼ, καὶ ὁ οἶκός μου. Καὶ γὰρ ἂν πάντας αὐτοὺς κατέσφαξαν ἄρδην οἱ πρόσοικοι, εἰ μὴ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία κατέσχεν ἐκείνων τὸν θυμὸν, καὶ πέρας ἐκείνοις ἐπέθηκε τοῖς κακοῖς· Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶ, φόβος Θεοῦ ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις τὰς περικύκλῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ κατεδίωξαν ὀπίσω τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Τί οὖν μετὰ τὴν τούτων ἀπαλλαγήν; ἆρα ἀνέπνευσε; Τότε μὲν οὖν αὐτῷ τῶν κακῶν ἐπῆλθεν ὁ κολοφὼν, ὁ τῆς ἐρωμένης θάνατος, ἄωρός τε ὁμοῦ καὶ βίαιος ὤν. Ἔτεκε γὰρ, φησὶ, Ῥαχὴλ, καὶ ἐδυστόκησεν ἐν τῷ τοκετῷ. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ σκληρῶς αὐτὴν τίκτειν, εἶπεν αὐτῇ ἡ μαῖα, Θάρσει, καὶ γὰρ οὗτός ἐστί σοι υἱός. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀφιέναι αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπέθνησκε γὰρ, ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Υἱὸς ὀδύνης μου. Καὶ τοῦ πένθους ἀκμάζοντος ἔτι, προσέθηκε τῇ ἀθυμίᾳ ὁ Ῥουβὴν εἰς τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς εὐνὴν ἐνυβρίσας· ὅπερ οὕτως ἔφερε χαλεπῶς, ὡς καὶ τελευτῶν ἐπαράσασθαι τῷ παιδὶ, ὅτε μάλιστα συμπαθέστερον ἔχουσι πρὸς τὰ ἔκγονα οἱ γονεῖς, καὶ ταῦτα πρωτοτόκῳ πάντων ὄντι τῶν ἄλλων· οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο πρὸς φιλοστοργίας δύναται λόγον. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἡ τῆς ἀθυμίας παρώσατο βία, καὶ καλέσας αὐτὸν ἔλεγε· Ῥουβὴν πρωτότοκός μου, ἰσχύς μου, καὶ ἀρχὴ τέκνων μου, σκληρὸς φέρεσθαι, καὶ σκληρὸς αὐθάδης· ἐξύβρισας, ὡς ὕδωρ μὴ ἐκζέσῃς· ἀνέβης γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην τοῦ πατρός σου· τότε ἐμίανας τὴν στρωμνὴν οὗ ἀνέβης. Ὡς δὲ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ γέγονεν ὁ τῆς ἀγαπωμένης γυναικὸς υἱὸς, καὶ παραμυθίαν αὐτὸν ἕξειν προσεδόκησε τῆς ἐπ' ἐκείνῃ λύπης, τότε αὐτῷ πολύτροποι διὰ τούτου κατεσκευάζοντο συμφοραί·","english":"They will crush me and I will be worn away, I and my house. For their neighbors would have slaughtered them all utterly, had not the philanthropy of God restrained their anger and put an end to their evils. For, it says, the fear of God came upon all the cities round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Israel. What then after their deliverance from these things? Did he breathe again? At that time, then, the crowning point of his evils came upon him—the death of the beloved, both untimely and violent. For, it says, Rachel gave birth and had a difficult delivery in the childbirth. And it came to pass, while she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, Take courage, for this also is a son to you. And it came to pass, as she was giving up her soul—for she was dying—she called his name Son of my sorrow. And while the mourning was still at its height, Reuben added to his despondency by insulting his father's bed; which he bore so grievously that at the very end he cursed the child, at the time when parents are most compassionate toward their offspring, and this when he was the firstborn of all the others; and this is no small matter for the account of affection. But nevertheless the violence of despondency thrust all these things aside, and calling him he said: Reuben, my firstborn, my strength, and the beginning of my children, hard to bear, and hard and self-willed; you have acted insolently, as water that does not boil over; for you went up to your father's couch; then you defiled the bed where you went up. But when the son of the beloved woman had come of age, and he expected to have consolation from him for the grief over her, then through him manifold calamities were being prepared for him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":91,"ref":"p91","source":"οἱ γὰρ ἀδελφοὶ τὸν χιτωνίσκον τὸν ἐκείνου βάψαντες αἵματι καὶ ἐπιδείξαντες τῷ πατρὶ, ποικίλον αὐτῷ τὸ πένθος εἰργάσαντο. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τελευτὴν ἐπένθει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς τελευτῆς, καὶ πολλὰ ἦν τὰ συγχέοντα αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν· ὅτι ὁ τῆς φιλουμένης υἱὸς, ὅτι ὁ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων βελτίων, ὅτι ὁ μάλιστα ἀγαπώμενος, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ τῆς ἡλικίας ἄνθει, ὅτι παρ' αὐτοῦ πεμφθεὶς, ὅτι μηδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, μηδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης, μηδὲ παρεστῶτος τοῦ πατρὸς, μηδὲ εἰπών τι καὶ ἀκούσας, ὅτι μὴ τῷ κοινῷ πάντων θανάτῳ, ὅτι ζῶν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν θηρίων ὠμότητος ἐσπαράττετο, ὅτι μηδὲ τὰ λείψανα συναγαγεῖν εὕρισκε καὶ παραδοῦναι τῇ γῇ, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν νεότητι ταῦτα ὑπέμεινεν, ὅτε ἐνεγκεῖν δυνατὸν ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐσχάτῳ γήρᾳ. Καὶ ἦν θέαμα πάντων ἐλεεινότερον ἰδεῖν, πολιὰν αἰσχυνομένην κόνει, καὶ στῆθος γηραλέον διαῤῥηγνυμένου τοῦ χιτῶνος γυμνούμενον, καὶ θρήνους παρακλήσεως μείζονας· Διέῤῥηξε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰακὼβ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιέθετο σάκκον ἐπὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπένθει τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας πολλάς. Συνήχθησαν δὲ πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες, καὶ ἦλθον παρακαλέσαι αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελε παρακληθῆναι λέγων ὅτι, Καταβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν υἱόν μου πενθῶν εἰς ᾅδου. Ὥσπερ δὲ δέον μηδέποτε καθαρεύειν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀθυμίας, οὕτως, ἀρξαμένης ταύτης θεραπεύεσθαι τῆς πληγῆς, λιμὸς ἐπελθὼν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἅπασαν κατασχὼν ἐλύπει μὲν αὐτὸν σφόδρα τὸ πρότερον·","english":"For his brothers dipped his tunic in blood and showed it to their father, fashioning for him a grief of many colors. For he mourned not only the death but also the manner of the death, and there were many things that confounded his soul: that he was the son of his beloved, that he was better than all the others, that he was the most loved, that it was in the very bloom of his age, that he had been sent by him, that it was neither at home nor on his bed nor with his father standing by, nor after saying anything or hearing anything, that it was not by the common death of all, that while alive he was torn apart by the savagery of beasts, that he could not even gather up the remains and give them to the earth, that he did not endure these things in his youth, when it was possible to bear them, but in extreme old age. And it was a sight more pitiable than all to see: gray hair shamed with dust, and an aged breast laid bare as his garment was torn, and lamentations greater than consolation. For Jacob, it says, tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and daughters gathered together and came to console him, but he would not be consoled, saying, I will go down to my son mourning into Hades. And just as it was fitting that his soul should never be free of despondency, so, when this wound began to be healed, a famine came upon him and seized the whole land, greatly afflicting him as before.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":92,"ref":"p92","source":"ὡς δὲ ἀνελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου οἱ υἱοὶ παραμυθίαν ἐκομίσαντο τοῦ κακοῦ ἑτέρᾳ λύπῃ ταύτην ἀναμίξαντες ἤγαγον, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ λιμοῦ λύσεως ἡδονὴν συνέχεεν ἡ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀποδημία. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τὸν Βενιαμὶν ἀπῄτουν αὐτὸν, ὃν μόνον εἶχε παραψυχὴν καὶ τῆς ἀπελθούσης γυναικὸς καὶ τοῦ θηριοβρώτου παιδός. Οὐ ταῦτα δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀντέχεσθαι ἐποίει τοῦ Βενιαμὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἡλικίας, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀνατροφῆς. Οὐ καταβήσεται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ υἱός μου μεθ' ὑμῶν, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανε, καὶ αὐτὸς μόνος καταλέλειπται, καὶ συμβήσεται αὐτὸν μαλακισθῆναι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, ἐν ᾗ ἂν πορεύησθε, καὶ κατάξετέ μου τὸ γῆρας μετὰ λύπης εἰς ᾅδου. Τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον διὰ ταῦτα πάντα παρητεῖτο, καὶ οὐκ ἔφασκε δώσειν αὐτόν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ σφοδρὸς ἐπέπεσεν ὁ λιμὸς, καὶ μείζονος τῆς ἀνάγκης ᾔσθετο, καίτοι σφόδρα ἀποδυρόμενος, Τί γάρ με ἐκακοποιήσατε, φησὶν, ἀπαγγείλαντες τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ εἰ ἔστιν ὑμῖν ἀδελφός; καὶ τοῦτο πάντων ὀδυνηρότερον","english":"But when the sons came up from Egypt, they brought comfort for the evil, mixing it with another grief and so brought it; and the pleasure from the relief of the famine was confounded by the departure of the child. And not this only, but also because they demanded Benjamin himself, whom he had as his only consolation both for the wife who had departed and for the child devoured by beasts. And it was not these things alone that made him cling to Benjamin, but also the things of his age and of his upbringing. For he says, My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he alone is left, and it will happen that he is weakened on the way in which you go, and you will bring my old age down with grief to Hades. At first, then, for all these reasons he kept refusing and said he would not give him; but when the famine fell upon them violently and he perceived the necessity to be greater, though lamenting exceedingly, he says, Why did you do me this evil, by reporting to the man whether you had a brother? And this was more painful than all","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":93,"ref":"p93","source":"ὑπέμενε τὰ ἐλεεινὰ ῥήματα φθεγγόμενος ὁ Ἰακὼβ, Ἰωσὴφ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔστι, Συμεὼν οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ τὸν Βενιαμὶν λήψεσθε; ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἐγένετο ταῦτα πάντα· καὶ ὀδυρόμενος ὅτι μετὰ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τὸν Συμεῶνα ἐπεχείρουν καὶ τὸν Βενιαμὶν ἀποσπάσαι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδεικνύμενος ὅτι πάντα πείσεται μᾶλλον ἢ ἀφέξεται τοῦ παιδὸς, νικηθεὶς ὕστερον αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ χερσὶν ἐξεδίδου λέγων· Καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὑμῶν λάβετε, καὶ ἀναστάντες κατάβητε πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον· ὁ δὲ Θεός μου δῴη ὑμῖν χάριν ἐναντίον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἀποστείλαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὑμῶν τὸν ἕνα, καὶ τὸν Βενιαμίν· ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ καθάπερ ἠτέκνωμαι, ἠτέκνωμαι. Οὕτω σφόδρα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐκρατήθη κακοῖς, ὡς καὶ τῶν σπλάγχνων σπαραττομένων, καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐλαττουμένων αὐτῷ τῶν παίδων, ἅπαντα ὑπομένειν τῇ τῶν μειζόνων ὑπερβολῇ· καὶ γὰρ μείζων αὐτὸν ἀθυμία κατεῖχεν ὑπὲρ τούτων τῆς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχουσα προσδοκίαν διορθώσεως συμφορὰ, εἰ καὶ σφοδρὰς φέρει τὰς ἀθυμίας ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ταχέως αὐτὰς ἐξωθεῖ, εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμβαλοῦσα τὸν λογισμόν· ἡ δὲ ἔτι μετέωρος οὖσα οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀναπαύσασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν, τῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἀδηλίᾳ ἐπιτείνουσα ἀεὶ καὶ ἀνανεοῦσα τὴν ἀγωνίαν ἡμῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἄν τις μάθοι καλῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ μακαρίου Δαβὶδ, ὃς ἔτι ζῶντος μὲν ἐθρήνει τοῦ παιδὸς, τελευτήσαντος δὲ ἀνῆκε τοῦ πένθους ἑαυτόν. Ἀπορούντων δὲ ὑπὲρ τούτου τῶν παίδων, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτώντων αὐτὸν, τοῦτον εἶπε τὸν λογισμὸν, ὅνπερ ἐγὼ νῦν. Εἰκότως οὖν κἀκεῖνος ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐδεδοίκει μᾶλλον καὶ ἔτρεμεν.","english":"Jacob kept uttering those pitiful words: \"Joseph is not, Simeon is not, and will you take Benjamin? All these things have come upon me.\" And lamenting that after Joseph and Simeon they were attempting to tear Benjamin away from him too, and showing that he would suffer anything rather than let go of the child, he was later overcome and with his own hands gave him up, saying: \"Take your brother also, and arise and go down to the man; and may my God give you favor before the man, and send back your brother, the one, and Benjamin; for as for me, even as I have been bereaved, I have been bereaved.\" So greatly was he mastered by his many troubles that, with his very entrails torn and his children gradually diminishing, he endured all things because of the excess of the greater griefs; for a greater despondency held him concerning these than concerning Joseph. For a calamity that has no expectation of remedy, even if it brings us violent despondencies, nevertheless quickly drives them out, casting the reasoning into despair; but the one still hanging in suspense does not allow the soul to rest, intensifying and ever renewing our agony by the uncertainty of what is to come. And one may learn this well from the blessed David, who wept while the child was still alive, but when it died released himself from mourning. And when his children were at a loss about this and asked him the reason, he spoke this very reasoning that I now speak. With good reason, then, that man also had feared and trembled more concerning these things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":94,"ref":"p94","source":"Ἀλλ' ἡ ποθεινὴ θέα καὶ τὸ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἰδεῖν εὐθυμίαν αὐτῷ παρέσχεν ὕστερον. Καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος; Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ σφοδρῷ καταφλεχθέντα μέλη πυρὶ, κἂν μυριάκις καταψύχῃ τις, οὐδὲν ὀνίνησιν· οὕτω καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν κατώδυνον γενομένην ἐκείνῳ, καὶ τῇ τῆς ἀθυμίας σφόδρα κατακαυθεῖσαν φλογὶ, οὐδὲν ἦν ἀνακτήσασθαι ἱκανὸν, καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε οὐδὲ τὴν αἴσθησιν εἰκὸς εἶναι τρανήν· ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Βερζελλὶ παραιτούμενος τὸν Δαβὶδ ἔλεγε· Πόσαι αἱ ἡμέραι ἐτῶν ζωῆς μου ἔσονταί μοι ἐκεῖ, ἵνα ἀναβῶ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ; Υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν εἰμι σήμερον· εἰ γνώσομαι ἀναμέσον ἀγαθοῦ ἢ ἀναμέσον κακοῦ, εἰ γεύσεται ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅσα ἂν ἐσθίῃ, ἢ ὅσα ἂν πίνῃ, ἢ ἀκούσομαι φωνὴν ᾀδόντων ἢ ᾀδουσῶν; Καὶ ἱνατί γίνεται ὁ δοῦλός σου φορτίον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα; Ἀλλὰ τί χρὴ ἀφ' ἑτέρων ταῦτα στοχάζεσθαι, αὐτοῦ παρὸν ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ πεπονθότος; Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ τὸν υἱὸν ἰδεῖν, φησὶν, ἐρωτώμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαραὼ περὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ· Μικραὶ, φησὶ, καὶ πονηραὶ αἱ ἡμέραι μου, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίκοντο εἰς τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν πατέρων μου· οὕτως ἐνακμάζουσαν αὐτοῦ τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν μνήμην τῶν γεγενημένων εἶχε διαπαντός.","english":"But the longed-for sight and seeing Joseph later gave him cheerfulness. And what was the gain? For just as limbs scorched by a fierce fire—even if one cools them countless times, it does no good—so too with that man's soul, which had become deeply distressed and had been thoroughly burned by the flame of despondency, nothing was able to restore it, especially since the perception was not likely to be clear either; which is exactly what Barzillai also said when declining David: \"How many are the days of the years of my life that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am a son of eighty years today; can I know between good and evil, or will your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks, or will I hear the voice of singing men or singing women? And why should your servant become a burden to my lord the king?\" But why must one infer these things from others, when it is possible to hear the sufferer himself? For after seeing his son, he says, when asked by Pharaoh about his life: \"Few and evil are my days,\" he says, \"and they have not reached the days of my fathers\"—so persistently did the memory of what had happened flourish in his soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":95,"ref":"p95","source":"ιβʹ. Ἀλλ' ὁ λαμπρὸς καὶ ἐπίδοξος οὗτος υἱὸς ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τίνα οὐκ ἀπέκρυψε ταῖς συμφοραῖς; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πατὴρ ὁ τούτου ἕνα μόνον εἶχεν ἀδελφὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα, οὗτος δὲ πολλῷ πλείους· καὶ ὁ μὲν τὴν πρώτην ἡλικίαν ἅπασαν ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ ἐτρέφετο καὶ ἀνέσει πολλῇ, ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας καὶ ἔτι παιδίον ὢν τὰς τῆς ὁδοιπορίας φέρειν ἠναγκάζετο ταλαιπωρίας. Καὶ τῷ μὲν Ἰακὼβ παρῆν ἡ μήτηρ ἐπικουφίζουσα τὴν ἐπιβουλήν· οὗτος δὲ ἔτι νέος ὢν, καὶ ὅτε μάλιστα ἔχρῃζε τῆς μητρὸς, τότε ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τῆς βοηθείας ταύτης καθίστατο. Πρὸς τούτοις ὁ μὲν Ἡσαῦ μέχρις ἀπειλῆς μόνης ἐλύπησε τὸν Ἰακώβ· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξήγαγον τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς φθονοῦντες καὶ διαβάλλοντες αὐτὸν διετέλουν· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν χαλεπώτερον, τοὺς συνοικοῦντας πολεμίους ἔχειν ἀεί; Καὶ γὰρ ψόγον κατήνεγκαν κατ' αὐτοῦ πονηρὸν, καὶ ἰδόντες ὅτι αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ φιλεῖ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, ἐμίσησαν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο αὐτῷ λαλεῖν οὐδὲν εἰρηνικόν. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῖς ἐμπόροις γενέσθαι, οὔτε τὸ ὑπὸ τῷ σπάδοντι, τοσοῦτον εἶναι φαίην ἂν κακόν· πολλῷ γὰρ αὐτῷ φιλανθρωπότερον ἐχρήσαντο οὗτοι τῶν ἀδελφῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἡμερώτερος γέγονε τῶν συμφορῶν ὁ χειμών· σφοδροτέρα γὰρ ἐμπεσοῦσα καταιγὶς πάλιν αὐτὸν κατέδυσε.","english":"12. But this illustrious and famous son, Joseph—whom did he not surpass in misfortunes? For his father had only one brother who plotted against him, but this man had many more; and the one was nurtured through his entire early life in abundance and great ease, while the other, in a foreign land and still a child, was compelled to endure the hardships of travel. And Jacob had his mother to lighten the plot against him; but this man, while still young, and precisely when he most needed his mother, was then left in a wilderness devoid of that help. Besides this, Esau grieved Jacob only as far as threats; but these men carried the plot through to action, and before the plot they continually envied and slandered him—and what could be worse than to have those living with him as enemies always? For they brought a wicked accusation against him, and seeing that his father loved him more than his other sons, they hated him, and could not speak to him peaceably. For neither to fall under the merchants nor under the eunuch would I say was so great an evil; for these treated him far more humanely than his brothers did. But nevertheless not even so did the storm of his misfortunes grow gentler; for a more violent squall fell upon him and again sank him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":96,"ref":"p96","source":"Τάχα μέ τις οἴεται τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τῆς δεσποίνης ἐρεῖν· ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸ ταύτης χαλεπωτέραν ἄλλην ἐρῶ. Δεινὸν μὲν γὰρ, ἀληθῶς δεινὸν, καὶ τὸ συκοφαντηθῆναι ἐπὶ τοιούτοις, καὶ τὸ κατακριθῆναι, καὶ τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῆσαι χρόνον οὕτω μακρὸν, παῖδα ἐλεύθερον καὶ εὐγενῆ καὶ ταύτης ἄπειρον τῆς ἀνάγκης· πολλῷ δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων βαρύτερον τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας οἶμαι χειμῶνα γεγενῆσθαι αὐτῷ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ μηδεμιᾶς ἐπιθυμίας ἐνοχλούμενος διέπτυσε τὸν ἐκείνης ἔρωτα, οὐ σφόδρα ἐπαινῶ, οὐδὲ θαυμάζω τὸν ἄνδρα ἐγὼ πειθόμενος τῷ Χριστῷ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως εὐνουχισθέντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἑαυτοὺς εὐνουχίσαντας ἀξιοῦσθαί φησι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν· εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, ποίαν ἂν ἤρατο νίκην; κατὰ τίνος στέφανον ἀνεδήσατο; τίνα καταγωνισάμενος ἀνεκηρύττετο, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ προσπαλαίοντος αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπιχειροῦντος καταβαλεῖν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς τοῖς ἀλόγοις μὴ μιγνυμένους εἰς σωφροσύνης ἐπαινοῦμεν λόγον, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ ἐγκεῖσθαι τῇ φύσει τῆς μίξεως τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκείνης. Εἰ τοίνυν μηδὲ τῷ μακαρίῳ τότε ἐκείνῳ τοῦτο ἠνώχλει τὸ πῦρ, τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ θαυμάζομεν; Εἰ δὲ, ὅτε πάντων τῶν καιρῶν σφοδρότερον ἡ φλὸξ αἴρεται εἰκοστὸν γὰρ λοιπὸν ἦγεν ἔτος, καὶ ὅτε ἀνύποιστός ἐστιν ἡ τυραννὶς καὶ μηδενὸς αὐτὴν αὔξοντος, τότε ἡ ἀκόλαστος ἐπέθετο τῷ μειρακίῳ, τοσαύτην ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῆς μαγγανευμάτων καὶ καλλωπισμάτων προσθεῖσα τῇ φλογὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν, ὅσην ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως εἶχε·","english":"Perhaps someone supposes that I will speak of the plot of the mistress; but I will speak of another, more grievous than this. For it is terrible—truly terrible—both to be slandered in such matters, and to be condemned, and to dwell in prison for so long a time, a free and noble child and unacquainted with this necessity; but far heavier than all these, I think, was the storm that came upon him from his age. For if, troubled by no desire, he spat out her love, I do not greatly praise him, nor do I marvel at the man, persuaded as I am by Christ. For he says that not those who have been made eunuchs by nature, but those who have made themselves eunuchs, are deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven. But if this were not so, what victory would he have won? Over whom did he bind the crown? Having conquered whom was he proclaimed, when there was no one wrestling against him and attempting to throw him down? For neither do we praise those who do not mate with irrational beasts in the account of chastity, because the desire for that mating is not implanted in their nature. If, then, that fire did not trouble even that blessed man at that time, for what reason do we marvel at him for chastity? But if, when the flame rises more fiercely than at all other times—for he was now in his twentieth year—and when the tyranny is unbearable and no one increases it, then the shameless woman set upon the youth, adding to the flame from her sorceries and adornments as much strength as it had from nature—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":97,"ref":"p97","source":"πῶς ἄν τις τὸν χειμῶνα διηγήσαιτο τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τὸν θόρυβον καὶ τὴν ἀγωνίαν, τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας ἔνδοθεν ταρασσούσης αὐτὸν, καὶ τῶν παρὰ τῆς Αἰγυπτίας μηχανημάτων ἔξωθεν προσβαλλόντων, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ μέχρι μιᾶς ἡμέρας καὶ δευτέρας, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ χρόνον πολύν; Ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸν οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ τρέμειν οἴομαι τότε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνης ἀλγεῖν, πρὸς τοσοῦτον κρημνὸν ἐπειγομένης ἐλθεῖν· καὶ τοῦτο ἐξ ὧν μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπιεικείας ἀποκρίνεται πρὸς αὐτὴν δῆλον ἡμῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐνῆν, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, καὶ ὑβριστικώτερον καὶ θρασύτερον διαλεχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτήν· καὶ γὰρ ἂν εὐκόλως πάντα ἤνεγκεν ἐκείνη διὰ τὸν ἔρωτα· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον οὔτε ἐφθέγξατο οὔτε ἐνενόησεν, ἀλλὰ λογισμοὺς ἀνακινήσας εὐσεβεῖς, καὶ δι' ὧν ᾤετο μόνον ἐντρέψειν αὐτὴν, οὐδὲν πλέον προσέθηκεν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ κύριός μου οὐ γινώσκει οὐδὲν δι' ἐμὲ τῶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν αὐτῷ δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρί μου, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερέχει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ταύτῃ οὐδὲν ἐμοῦ, οὐδὲ ὑπεξῄρηται ἀπ' ἐμοῦ οὐδὲν πλὴν σοῦ, διὰ τὸ σὲ γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ εἶναι· καὶ πῶς ποιήσω τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ πονηρὸν, καὶ ἁμαρτήσομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ; Καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ἐπιείκειαν καὶ τὴν τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐπίδειξιν ἐσυκοφαντήθη, καὶ συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεός. Ἐδέθη, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἤλεγξε τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν, καὶ τὴν ἄδικον διαβολὴν τῆς γυναικός· ἐβούλετο γὰρ καὶ πολλοὺς αὐτῷ τοὺς μισθοὺς καὶ λαμπροτέρους γενέσθαι τοὺς στεφάνους, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν δούλων τοῦ βασιλέως ἀφεθέντων αὐτὸς ἔμενεν ἔνδον ἔτι.","english":"How could one describe the winter of the soul, the turmoil and the agony, when nature and age stirred him from within, and the devices of the Egyptian woman assailed him from without, and this not for one day or a second, but for a long time? For I think that he trembled then not only for himself, but also grieved for her, as she rushed toward so great a precipice; and this is clear to us from the way he answered her with great gentleness. For it was possible, if he had wished, to speak to her more insultingly and more boldly—indeed she would easily have borne anything because of her love—but he neither said nor thought anything of the kind; instead, stirring up pious reasonings, and by those means by which he thought alone to shame her, he added nothing more. For behold, he says, my master knows nothing because of me of what is in his house, and all that he has he has given into my hand, and he is not greater in this house than I, nor has anything been withheld from me except you, because you are his wife; and how shall I do this wicked thing, and sin before God? And after such gentleness and such a display of chastity he was slandered, and God permitted it. He was bound, and not even so did he expose the plot and the unjust accusation of the woman; for he wished both that his rewards should be many and his crowns more splendid, and for this reason, even when the servants of the king were released, he himself remained inside still.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":98,"ref":"p98","source":"Σὺ δέ μοι μὴ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος εἴπῃς, ἀλλ' ἐξέτασον αὐτοῦ τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ ὄψει τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς ψυχῆς. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ἐπιλῦσαι τὸ ὄναρ ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν οἰνοχόον· Ἀλλὰ μνήσθητί μου διὰ σεαυτοῦ, ὅταν εὖ σοι γένηται, καὶ ποιήσεις ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἔλεος, καὶ μνησθήσῃ περὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸς Φαραὼ, καὶ ἐξάξεις με ἐκ τοῦ ὀχυρώματος τούτου, ὅτι κλοπῇ ἐκλάπην ἐκ γῆς Ἑβραίων, καὶ ὧδε οὐκ ἐποίησα οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' ἐνέβαλόν με εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ λάκκου τούτου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ καθεῖρχθαι ἔφερεν εὐκόλως, τὸ γοῦν τοιούτοις συζῇν ἀνδράσι, τυμβωρύχοις, κλέπταις, πατραλοίαις, μοιχοῖς, ἀνδροφόνοις τούτων γὰρ ἁπάντων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων τὸ οἴκημα τοῦτο ἐμπέπληστο, πάντων αὐτῷ βαρύτερον ἦν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον αὐτὸν ἐλύπει καὶ ἔθλιβεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πολλοὺς ὁρᾷν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην ταριχευομένους ἐκεῖ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ μὲν οἰκέτης, ὅπερ ἀποδύρῃ καὶ σὺ νῦν, ἀπηλλάττετο τῶν δεσμῶν, ὁ δὲ ἐλεύθερος ἔμενε ταλαιπωρούμενος ἔτι. Εἰ δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν λέγοι τις, πάλιν μοι τὸν ἐσμὸν τῶν","english":"Do not tell me of the jailer's humanity, but examine his words, and you will see the pain of his soul. For after he had interpreted the dream, he said to the cupbearer: But remember me through yourself, when it goes well with you, and you will do mercy upon me, and you will remember me to Pharaoh, and you will bring me out of this stronghold, because I was stolen by theft from the land of the Hebrews, and here I did nothing, but they cast me into the house of this pit. For even if he bore being imprisoned easily, at any rate living with such men—tomb-robbers, thieves, parricides, adulterers, murderers—for this dwelling was filled with all these and such as these, was heavier to him than everything. And it was not only this that distressed and oppressed him, but also seeing many there preserved in vain and to no purpose. Nevertheless, the servant was released from his bonds—the very thing you now bewail—while the free man remained still in misery. And if one should mention the kingdom, again to me the swarm of","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":99,"ref":"p99","source":"φροντίδων καὶ τῆς ἀγρυπνίας καὶ τῶν μυρίων πραγμάτων ἐρεῖ, ἅπερ ἅπαντα τοῖς τὸν ἡσύχιον καὶ ἀπράγμονα βίον ἀσπαζομένοις οὐ σφόδρα ἐστὶ καθ' ἡδονήν. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἐκείνοις μὲν εἰ καί τι χρηστὸν ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ' οὔπω τῆς βασιλείας τετρανωμένης, οὐδὲ τῆς τῶν μελλόντων ἐπαγγελίας οὔσης φανερᾶς· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἔνθα τοσαῦτα πρόκειται ἀγαθὰ, καὶ πᾶσι τὸ πρᾶγμα δῆλόν ἐστιν, ἀλγήσει τις, εἰπέ μοι, εἰ καὶ μηδενὸς κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἀπολαύσεται χρηστοῦ, ὅλως δὲ χρηστὸν ἡγήσεταί τι τῶν ἐνθάδε γινομένων ἐκεῖνα εἰδώς; Καὶ τί ταύτης ταπεινότερον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς, εἰ προσδοκῶσα μικρὸν ὕστερον μεταναστήσεσθαι πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, τὰς ἐνταῦθα ἀνέσεις ἐπιζητοίη, καὶ τὴν σκιᾶς οὐδὲν διαφέρουσαν εὐθυμίαν; Ματαιότης γὰρ, φησὶ, ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης. Εἰ δὲ ὁ μάλιστα πάντων ἀνθρώπων πεῖραν τῆς τοῦ βίου λαβὼν ἡδονῆς, τοιαύτην ἐξήνεγκε κατ' αὐτῆς τὴν ἀπόφασιν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς οὕτω διακεῖσθαι καὶ φρονεῖν χρὴ, τοὺς οὐδὲν μὲν κοινὸν πρὸς τὴν γῆν ἔχοντας, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἄνω πόλιν ἐγγραφέντας, καὶ πάντα μετοικίσαι τὸν νοῦν κελευσθέντας ἐκεῖ.","english":"He will speak of anxieties and sleeplessness and countless affairs, all of which are not at all pleasant to those who embrace the quiet and untroubled life. Apart from these things, for those men, even if some good came about, it was not yet with the kingdom made clear, nor with the promise of future things being manifest. But here, where so many good things lie before us, and the matter is clear to all, will someone grieve, tell me, even if he enjoys no good thing in the present life, and will he consider anything that happens here to be good at all, knowing those things? And what could be more base than this soul, if, expecting to depart to heaven a little later, it should seek out relaxations here, and a cheerfulness that differs nothing from a shadow? For vanity of vanities, it says, all is vanity. But if the man who more than all men had experience of the pleasure of life pronounced such a verdict against it, how much more ought we to be disposed and minded in this way, we who have nothing in common with the earth, but have been enrolled in the city above, and have been commanded to transfer our whole mind there.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":100,"ref":"p100","source":"ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΤΑΓΕΙΡΙΟΝ ΠΕΡΙ ΑΘΥΜΙΑΣ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΤΡΙΤΟΣ αʹ. Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα σβέσαι τῆς ἀθυμίας τὴν φλόγα, καὶ πεῖσαι ῥᾷον διακεῖσθαι τὴν ψυχήν· ὥστε δὲ ἐκ περιουσίας γενέσθαι τὴν παραμυθίαν, καὶ τοῦτον ἔγνωκά σοι προσθεῖναι τὸν λόγον, ἐκεῖνό σε πρῶτον ἐρόμενος· εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τίς σε εἰς βασιλείαν ἐκάλει τὴν ἐν τῇ γῇ, εἶτα πρὶν εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσελθεῖν, καὶ τὸν στέφανον ἀναδήσασθαι, ἔμελλες ἐν πανδοχείῳ καταλύειν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ βόρβορος καὶ καπνὸς, καὶ ὁδοιπόρων θόρυβος, καὶ λῃστῶν ταραχὴ, καὶ στενοχωρία καὶ θλῖψις πολλὴ, ἆρα ἂν ἀπεστράφης πρὸς ἐκεῖνα τὰ λυπηρὰ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἁπάντων αὐτῶν ὡς οὐδὲν ὄντων κατεφρόνησας; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον τῆς μὲν γῆς μέλλοντα κρατεῖν μηδενὶ τῶν ἐμπιπτόντων συστέλλεσθαι δυσχερῶν ταῖς τῆς βασιλείας ἐλπίσι γαυρούμενον, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς στελλόμενον καταπίπτειν καὶ θορυβεῖσθαι ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐν τῷ καταγωγίῳ τούτῳ συμβαινόντων ἡμῖν λυπηρῶν; Καταγωγίου γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἐν πανδοχείῳ μονῆς οὐδὲν αὕτη ἡ τοῦ βίου τούτου κατάστασις διενήνοχεν· καὶ τοῦτο οἱ ἅγιοι δεῖξαι βουλόμενοι ξένους καὶ παρεπιδήμους ἐκάλουν ἑαυτοὺς, διὰ τούτων παιδεύοντες ἡμᾶς τῶν ῥημάτων καὶ τῶν χρηστῶν καὶ τῶν ἀνιαρῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ καταγελᾷν, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπαλλαγέντας ὅλην προσδῆσαι τῷ οὐρανῷ τὴν ψυχήν. Φέρε οὖν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἁγίους ἔλθωμεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἐπὶ τὸν Μωσέα μεταθέντες τὸν λόγον.","english":"Of the same author, the third discourse to Stagirius, on despondency. 1. What has been said is indeed sufficient to quench the flame of despondency and to persuade the soul to be more easily disposed; but so that the consolation may be abundant, I have decided to add this discourse as well, first asking you this question: tell me, if someone were calling you to a kingdom on earth, and then, before entering the city and putting on the crown, you were going to lodge in an inn, in which there is both filth and smoke, and the clamor of travelers, and the turmoil of robbers, and cramped quarters and much distress—would you have turned away from those unpleasant things, and would you not rather have despised them all as though they were nothing? How then is it not absurd that one who is about to rule the earth should be dismayed by none of the difficulties that befall him, exulting in the hopes of the kingdom, but that one who is bound for the heavens should collapse and be disturbed at each of the unpleasant things that happen to us in this lodging-place? For this present condition of life differs in no way from a lodging-place and a stay at an inn; and wishing to show this, the saints called themselves strangers and sojourners, by these words teaching us to laugh at both the pleasant and the painful things in the present life, and, having been released from the earth, to bind the whole soul to heaven. Come then, let us go to the saints themselves, transferring our discourse from Joseph to Moses.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":101,"ref":"p101","source":"Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ πάντων πραότατος τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τίκτεται μὲν τῶν οἰκείων πραττόντων κακῶς, ἀλλοτριωθεὶς δὲ τῶν τεκόντων αὐτὸν, καὶ τοὺς γεννησαμένους ἀγνοήσας πᾶσαν τὴν πρώτην ἡλικίαν ὑπὸ βαρβάρων ἀνδρῶν ἀνατρέφεται· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν χαλεπώτερον Ἑβραίῳ μειρακίῳ καὶ νοῦν ἔχοντι, κἂν μυριάκις εἶναι δοκῇ βασιλέως υἱός; Τότε δὲ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἦν τὸ δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τὸ ὁμόφυλον ἅπαν ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἑώρα συμφοραῖς. Ὁ γὰρ μηδὲ ζῇν ἀνασχόμενος, μηδὲ ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ γεγράφθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἐκείνων χωρὶς, πῶς ἂν τῶν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀπέλαυσε καλῶν ἐν τοσούτῳ κλύδωνι κειμένους ὁρῶν ἅπαντας; Εἰ γὰρ ἡμᾶς τοὺς μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον γεγενημένους καὶ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτο δικαίωμα συμπαθείας πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἔχοντας τοσοῦτος ἔλεος εἰσέρχεται τῆς παιδοκτονίας ἐκείνης, τί οὐκ ἂν ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος ἔπαθε, πολλῷ μὲν τῷ πόθῳ πρὸς πᾶν τὸ ἔθνος συνδεδεμένος, ὄψεσι δὲ τὰς ἐκείνων παραλαμβάνων συμφορὰς, καὶ τοὺς ταῦτα ἐργαζομένους τὰ κακὰ γονεῖς ἐπιγράφεσθαι ἀναγκαζόμενος; Ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ τῶν τεκόντων μᾶλλον τοὺς ἀθλίους παῖδας","english":"For this man, the gentlest of all men on earth, is born while his own people are faring badly, and being estranged from those who begot him, and not knowing his parents, he is reared throughout his earliest age by barbarian men. What could be more grievous than this for a Hebrew youth who has understanding, even if he seems ten thousand times to be a king's son? But at that time this was not the only dreadful thing, but also that he saw his whole race in the utmost misfortunes. For he who did not even endure to live, nor to be written in the book of God, apart from their salvation—how would he have enjoyed the good things in the palaces, seeing all men lying in such a great surge of troubles? For if such great pity for that slaughter of children enters into us, who have come into being after so much time and have no such claim of sympathy toward the Jews, what would that blessed man not have suffered, bound to the whole nation by much longing, and receiving their misfortunes through sights, and being compelled to inscribe as parents those who wrought these evils? For I count him even more than the parents—the wretched children","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":102,"ref":"p102","source":"ἐκείνους οἶμαι τότε πενθεῖν· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐξ ὧν μετὰ ταῦτα ἔπραξεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὔτε πείθειν εἶχεν, οὔτε ἀναγκάζειν ἠδύνατο τὸν δοκοῦντα εἶναι πατέρα καταλύειν τὸ θηριῶδες καὶ τυραννικὸν ἐπίταγμα, αὐτὸς ὁμόσε λοιπὸν τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐχώρει κακοῖς. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο θαυμάζω τοσοῦτον νῦν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ φόνου στοχαζόμενος ὅσην ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι χρόνῳ φλόγα ἀθυμίας ἔτρεφε, ταύτην μᾶλλον ἐκπλήττομαι. Ὁ γὰρ εἰς φόνον ἀποῤῥήξας τὴν ὠδῖνα ἐκείνην, ἐδήλωσε διὰ τῶν ἐσχάτων τὰ πρότερα. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν μετὰ τοσαύτης αὐτοῖς σφοδρότητος ἤμυνεν, εἰ μὴ τῶν πατέρων μᾶλλον τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐτήκετο κακοῖς. Τί οὖν ἐπειδὴ ἤμυνε, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀνέπαυσε μικρὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐκείνης; ἆρα ἠδυνήθη τέλεον ἀπο47.473 λαῦσαι τῆς παραμυθίας ἐκείνης τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκδικήσεως γεγενημένης; Δευτέρα μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔφθασεν ἡμέρα, καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἑτέρα χαλεπωτέρα διεδέχετο τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον ὀδύνη, καὶ φόβος τοσοῦτος, ὡς καὶ ἀπελάσαι τῆς Αἰγύπτου πάσης αὐτόν. Δεινὸν μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸ ὑφ' ὁτουοῦν ἀκούειν κακῶς, ὅταν δὲ καὶ τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων τις ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν ᾖ, καὶ τὰς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐεργεσίας ὀνειδίζῃ καὶ προφέρῃ, Μὴ ἀνελεῖν με γὰρ σὺ, φησὶ, θέλεις, ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες χθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον; τότε δὴ, τότε ἡ ὕβρις ἀφόρητος γίνεται, καὶ δύναιτ' ἂν καὶ ἀποπνίξαι τὸν ὑβριζόμενον· τοσοῦτον μετὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐπάγει καὶ τὸν θυμόν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Μωσέως καὶ τρίτον ἕτερον τούτοις προσῆν, ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως φόβος, ὃς οὕτως ἐκράτησε τῆς τοῦ δικαίου ψυχῆς, ὡς καὶ τῆς χώρας ἁπάσης αὐτὸν ἐκβαλεῖν. Γίνεται δὴ οὖν φυγὰς ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως υἱός·","english":"I think those men were then in mourning; and this is clear from what he did afterwards. For since he could neither persuade nor compel the man who seemed to be his father to abolish that brutish and tyrannical decree, he himself thereafter advanced to close quarters with their evils. And I do not marvel so much at this now, but judging from the murder how great a flame of despondency he was nourishing in the past time, at that I am the more astonished. For the man who burst forth into murder made that former travail clear through his final acts. For he would not have defended them with such vehemence, unless he had been consumed more by the evils of those fathers. What then, when he had defended them and rested his soul a little from that despondency? Was he able to enjoy that consolation completely, the one that came from the vengeance? A second day did not arrive before another, more grievous than the first, succeeded to that blessed man's pain, and such fear as to drive him out of all Egypt. It is a terrible thing, then, to be spoken ill of by anyone at all, but when the one doing this is also one of those who have been benefited, and he reproaches and throws in his face the benefits done to him—\"Do you not wish to kill me,\" he says, \"in the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?\"—then indeed, then the insolence becomes unbearable, and it could even strangle the one insulted; so much anger does it bring along with the despondency. And in the case of Moses a third thing besides these was present, the fear of the king, which so mastered the soul of the righteous man as to cast him out of the whole country. So then the son of the king becomes a fugitive.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":103,"ref":"p103","source":"ὥστε εἴ τις αὐτὸν μακαρίζει διὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀνατροφὴν νῦν μνημονευέτω τῆς ἀφθονίας ἐκείνης, καὶ μυρίας αὐτὴν ὄψεται ἀθυμίας καὶ δυσκολίας ὑπόθεσιν τῷ δικαίῳ γεγενημένην. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον ἐν ἰδιωτικῇ τραφέντα οἰκίᾳ, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν μόχθους, πολλὰς δὲ ἀποδημίας καὶ ταλαιπωρίας ὑπομείναντα πλάνας ἀνέχεσθαι μακρὰς, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας ὑπομένειν τε κακὰ, καὶ μηδὲ εἰς βραχεῖαν πεῖραν τούτων ἐλθόντα ποτὲ, ἀλλ' ἐν πολυτελείᾳ διατελέσαντα τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο παθεῖν· πολλῷ γὰρ οὗτος ἐκείνου χαλεπωτέρας αἰσθήσεται τῆς φυγῆς, εἴ ποτε εἰς ταύτην καταστῆναι συμβαίη τὴν ἀνάγκην αὐτῷ· ὃ δὴ κἀκείνῳ τότε συνέβαινε. Καὶ γενόμενος φυγὰς, κατάγεται μὲν παρὰ ἀνδρὶ εἰδωλολάτρῃ καὶ ἀλλοφύλῳ· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ εἰς ἀθυμίας λόγον οὐ μικρὸν, ξενίζεσθαι παρὰ τῷ δαιμονίοις ἱερωμένῳ χρόνον οὕτω μακρόν. Ἐγχειρισθεὶς δὲ τὴν τῶν ποιμνίων ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἐκείνου, οὕτω τὰ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη διετέλεσεν. Εἰ δέ τινι τοῦτο μηδὲν εἶναι δοκεῖ δεινὸν, ἐξετάσωμεν τοὺς μὴ διὰ φόβον καὶ δέος ἀποδημοῦντας καὶ κρυπτομένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἑκοντὶ μικρὸν τῆς οἰκίας διασπωμένους, πῶς ἀλύουσι, πῶς δυσχεραίνουσι, πόσων ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἐπάνοδον τίθενται. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ φόβος προσῇ καὶ βίος ταλαίπωρος, καὶ τὰ φορτικὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐπαχθῆ τῆς ἡδίστης ἐπανόδου κουφότερα φαίνηται, θέα μοι τὸ ποικίλον τῆς συμφορᾶς. Μὴ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἀκούσῃς τὸ, ἐποίμαινεν, ἀλλ' ἀναμνήσθητι νῦν τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ Ἰακὼβ, ὧν πρὸς τὸν κηδεστὴν ἀπωδύρετο λέγων· Ἐγὼ ἀπετίννυον παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ κλέμματα ἡμέρας καὶ κλέμματα νυκτός·","english":"So if anyone calls him blessed because of his upbringing in the palace, let him now remember that abundance, and he will see that it became for the righteous man a source of countless despondencies and hardships. For it is not the same thing for one who has been raised in a private household, and has endured many toils, many journeys and miseries, to bear long wanderings and to endure the evils of a foreign land, and for one who has never even come to a brief experience of these things, but has spent his entire time in luxury, to suffer this very same thing; for the latter will feel the exile far more bitterly than the former, if ever it should befall him to be brought into this necessity; which is exactly what happened to that man then. And having become a fugitive, he is received as a guest by an idolater and a foreigner; and this too is no small ground for despondency, to be a guest for so long a time with one consecrated to demons. And having been entrusted with the care of that man's flocks, he spent the forty years in this way. But if this seems to anyone to be no terrible thing, let us examine those who go abroad and hide themselves not out of fear and dread, but those who of their own will are torn away a little from their household—how they are distressed, how they are vexed, how many good things they count their return to be. But when fear is also present, and a wretched life, and these burdensome and grievous things seem lighter than the sweetest return, behold for me the manifold nature of the misfortune. For do not hear the word \"he shepherded\" in a simple way, but now recall the words of Jacob, which he lamented to his father-in-law, saying: I myself bore the losses by day and the losses by night.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":104,"ref":"p104","source":"ἐγενόμην τῆς ἡμέρας συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύματι, καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἀφίστατο ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα καὶ τούτῳ συμβαίνειν εἰκὸς ἦν, ἐπὶ πλείοσιν ἔτεσι καὶ μετὰ μείζονος τῆς σφοδρότητος, ὅσῳ καὶ ἡ χώρα τῆς χώρας ἐρημοτέρα. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀπωδύρατο ταῦτα ὁ Μωϋσῆς, οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν ἂν, εἰ μὴ εἰς πολλὴν τοῦ πράγματος κατέστη τὴν ἀνάγκην, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης τοῦ κηδεστοῦ εἰς ταῦτα ἐλθεῖν ἐβιάσθη τὰ ῥήματα. Ἱκανὴ μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτὴ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἀλλοτρία ταπεινῶσαι τὸν ἄνδρα, τὸν καὶ χρείας ἕνεκεν ἀποδημοῦντα μόνον. Ὡς γὰρ ὄρνεον, φησὶν, ὅταν ἐκπετασθῇ ἐκ τῆς νοσσιᾶς αὐτοῦ, οὕτως ἄνθρωπος δουλοῦται, ὅταν ἀποξενωθῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων τόπων. Τότε δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἰδίας σωτηρίας εἶχε θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις οἰκέτης ὠμὸν δεσπότην ἀποδρὰς τρέμει διαπαντὸς, καὶ δέδοικε μὴ ἁλῷ· οὕτω καὶ ὁ\n\nμακάριος Μωσῆς φόβῳ συνέζη διηνεκεῖ· καὶ δῆλον ἐξ ὧν καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον κελεύοντος ἀπελθεῖν, ἀναδύεται καὶ ὀκνεῖ, καὶ ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὅτι. Ὁ ζητῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τέθνηκεν.","english":"I was scorched by the heat of the day and by the frost of the night, and sleep departed from my eyes. For it was likely that all these things happened to this man as well, over more years and with greater severity, in proportion as that land was more desolate than the other. But if Moses did not lament these things—for that blessed man would not have said it, unless he had come into great necessity of the matter, and was forced by the inconsiderateness of his father-in-law to come to these words. Now this foreign land is itself sufficient to humble a man, even one who is away from home only for the sake of need. For as a bird, he says, when it has flown out of its nest, so a man is enslaved when he is estranged from his own places. But then, in addition to this, he could not even be confident concerning his own safety, but like some servant who has run away from a cruel master, he trembles continually and fears lest he be caught; so also the blessed Moses lived with continual fear; and this is clear from the fact that even when God after so long a time commanded him to depart, he shrinks back and hesitates, and that too after hearing: He who seeks his own soul is dead.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":105,"ref":"p105","source":"βʹ. Ἐπειδὴ δέ ποτε ἐπείσθη καὶ ἀπῆλθε, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἠναγκάσθη καταλιπεῖν, πάλιν μέμψεις καὶ ὕβρεις καὶ ἀπειλαὶ παρὰ τοῦ κρατοῦντος τῆς Αἰγύπτου τότε, κατηγορίαι δὲ καὶ ἀραὶ παρὰ τῶν εὐεργετουμένων αὐτῶν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἔλεγεν· Ἱνατί, Μωσῆ καὶ Ἀαρὼν, διαστρέφετε τὸν λαὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν; Ἀπέλθετε ἕκαστος ὑμῶν πρὸς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· οἱ δὲ Ἰσραηλῖται· Ἴδοι, φασὶν, ὁ Θεὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ κρίναι, ὅτι ἐβδελύξατε τὴν ὀσμὴν ἡμῶν ἐνώπιον Φαραὼ, καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ, δοῦναι ῥομφαίαν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἀποκτεῖναι ἡμᾶς. Λυπηρὰ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα καὶ ἐπαχθῆ, τὸ δὲ πάντων φορτικώτερον ἐκεῖνο ἦν, ὅτι εἰσελθὼν καὶ μυρία ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἀγαθὰ, ἐλευθερίαν, ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν, ἔδοξεν εἶναι ἀπατεών. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐπεκουφίσθη τὸ τῆς ἐπικειμένης δουλείας βάρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ χαλεπώτερον ἐπετείνετο, καὶ ὁ προσδοκηθεὶς ἐλευθερωτὴς ἔσεσθαι τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπαγγειλάμενος, τῶν στρεβλώσεων καὶ τῶν μαστίγων αἴτιος ἔδοξεν εἶναι, καὶ ἐπίβουλος καὶ λυμεών. Τίς οὐκ ἂν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας κατεπόθη ῥᾳδίως, ὑποσχόμενος μὲν λύσιν τῶν τοσούτων κακῶν, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν προσθήκην ἑτέρων χαλεπωτέρων ἰδών; Ἠθύμει μὲν οὖν ὡς ἀθυμεῖν εἰκὸς τὸν ταῦτα ἀκούοντα καὶ ὁρῶντα, οὐ παρετρέπετο δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ἀκλινὴς, καίτοι ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις τῶν γινομένων οὐ συμβαινόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαχομένων. Προσελθὼν δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ διαλεχθεὶς ὑπὲρ τούτων, καὶ ἀποδυράμενος πολλά· εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριε, διὰ τί ἐκάκωσας τὸν λαόν σου, καὶ ἱνατί ἀπέστειλάς με;","english":"2. But when at length he was persuaded and departed, and was compelled to leave his wife and children, again there were censures and insults and threats from the ruler of Egypt at that time, and accusations and curses from those very men who were being benefited. The one, then, was saying: Why, Moses and Aaron, do you pervert the people from their works? Go, each of you, to his own works. And the Israelites were saying: May God see you and judge, because you have made our odor abominable before Pharaoh and before his servants, to give a sword into their hands to kill us. These things, then, were painful and grievous, but heavier than all was that, having come in and promised countless good things—freedom, release from the evils that lay upon them—he seemed to be a deceiver. For not only was the burden of the slavery that lay upon them not lightened, but it was even stretched to something worse, and he who was expected to be the liberator of the whole nation, and who had promised this, seemed to be the cause of the tortures and the scourges, and a plotter and a destroyer. Who would not easily have been swallowed up by despondency, having promised release from so many evils, but after the promise seeing an addition of others more grievous? He was despondent, then, as it was likely a man would be despondent who heard and saw these things, but he was not turned aside by the suffering, but remained unbending, although the promises did not accord with what was happening, but were even in conflict. And coming to God, and conversing about these things, and lamenting much—for he said, it says: Lord, why have you afflicted your people, and why have you sent me?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":106,"ref":"p106","source":"καὶ ἀφ' οὗ εἰσπεπόρευμαι πρὸς Φαραὼ λαλῆσαι ἐπὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι, ἐκάκωσε τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ οὐκ ἐῤῥύσω τὸν λαόν σου· ταῦτα δὴ οὖν θρηνήσας, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν ἀκούσας ἅπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἀπαγγέλλει μὲν αὐτὰ τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις πάλιν, οὐ παραδέχονται δὲ ἐκεῖνοι τῷ κρατεῖσθαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑπὸ τοῦ καμάτου καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας. Οὐκ εἰσήκουσαν γὰρ Μωσέως, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων τῶν σκληρῶν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν αὐτὸν ἔθλιβεν. Ὡς δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν σημείων ἐγίνετο, καὶ πολλάκις ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαραὼ διαπαιχθεὶς ἤνεγκε γενναίως καὶ ταύτην τὴν χλευασίαν, ἀπαλλαγεὶς τῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ θαῤῥήσας μετὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων λοιπὸν, πρὶν ἀναπνεῦσαι τέλεον, τῷ προτέρῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ μείζονι τοῦ προτέρου κατελαμβάνετο φόβῳ. Οὔπω γὰρ ὅλαι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἅπαντας μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων εἶδον πλησίον ἑστῶτας αὐτῶν, καὶ ταυτὸν ἔπασχον, οἷον εἰ δραπέται τινὲς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας ἄφνω τοῖς τῶν δεσποτῶν ἐμπεσόντες ὀφθαλμοῖς· ἢ εἰ καθάπερ αὐτοὶ δὴ οὗτοι εἴποτε συμβὰν χρηστοῖς ὀνείρασιν ἐντρυφήσαντες, καὶ ταύτην φαντασθέντες τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν, εἶτα διεγερθέντες εὗρον ἑαυτοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ πάλιν, καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις κακοῖς. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ οἶδα τί ἄν τις αὐτοὺς φαίη νομίζειν ὄναρ, τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς, ἢ τὴν παροῦσαν ὄψιν ἐκείνην τὴν φρικώδη καὶ φοβεράν· τοσαύτη κατεσκεδάσθη τοῖς ἁπάντων ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀθυμίας ἀχλύς. Ὁ δὲ Μωσῆς καὶ μείζονι σκότῳ συνεχόμενος ἦν. Οὐ γὰρ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐδεδοίκει μόνον, καθάπερ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ Ἰσραηλῖται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους μετ' ἐκείνων.","english":"And from the time I went in to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has afflicted this people, and you have not delivered your people. Having lamented these things, and having again heard the same things as before, he reports them again to the Israelites, but they do not accept them, because their souls were overpowered by the toil and the despondency. For they did not listen to Moses, it says, because of their despondency and because of the hard labors. And this did not afflict him in an ordinary way. But when he was at the signs, and had often been mocked by Pharaoh and bore it nobly, and had also borne this mockery, and had departed from Egypt, and was now confident together with the Jews, before he could fully breathe again, he was seized by the former fear, or rather by one far greater than the former. For not yet three whole days had passed, and they saw all the barbarians standing near them with their weapons, and they suffered the same as if some fugitives in a foreign land had suddenly fallen into the eyes of their masters; or as if these very men, having once happened to revel in pleasant dreams and having imagined this deliverance, then awoke and found themselves in Egypt again, and in the same evils. Or rather, I do not know what one would say they thought was the dream—the three days of their deliverance, or that present vision, dreadful and fearful. So great a mist of despondency was poured over the eyes of all. But Moses was held by an even greater darkness. For he had not only feared the Egyptians, as the rest of the Israelites did, but also these men along with them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":107,"ref":"p107","source":"Ἀμφότεροι γὰρ ὡς ἀπατεῶνι καὶ εἴρωνι προσεῖχον λοιπὸν, οἱ μὲν μετὰ τοῦ καταγελᾷν καὶ ἐπεμβαίνειν, οἱ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ δάκνεσθαι καὶ ἀθυμεῖν. Ἀλλὰ τί χρὴ τούτοις τεκμαίρεσθαι τὴν ἀθυμίαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, παρὸν ἐκ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐνεχθείσης φωνῆς πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὀδύνης καταμαθεῖν; Σιγῶντι γὰρ καὶ μηδὲ διᾶραι τὰ χείλη τολμῶντι, φησὶν ὁ Θεός· Τί βοᾷς πρὸς μέ; τὸν θόρυβον τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ δι' ἑνὸς ῥήματος τούτου ἐμφαίνων ἡμῖν. γʹ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐλύθη τὸ δέος, καὶ μείζονα πάλιν ᾔρετο τὰ δεινά. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ χαλεπώτερον αὐτῷ δι' ὅλης ἐκέχρηντο τῆς\n\nὁδοῦ οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ δημαγωγούμενοι καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ μυρίων ἀπολαύσαντες ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπέκειντο σφοδρῶς ἄγχοντες, καὶ κρέα ἀπαιτοῦντες αὐτὸν τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τοῖς μὲν παροῦσιν ἀχαριστοῦντες, τὰ δὲ πρότερα ἐπιζητοῦντες, ὃ πάντων βαρύτερον ἦν. Τί γὰρ χαλεπώτερον ἂν ἔπαθεν, εἰ μαινομένων καὶ παραπαιόντων ἀνδρῶν ἐπετέτραπτο στρατηγεῖν; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ταῦτα πάντα γενναίως ἔφερεν ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ· καὶ εἰ μὲν μὴ φιλοστόργως εἶχε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, φορητὸν ἂν ἦν τὸ δεινὸν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν γινομένων μόνον παρεῖχεν ἀλγεῖν· νῦν δὲ τῶν γονέων μᾶλλον περὶ αὐτοὺς διατεθεὶς, ἀπὸ τῆς κηδεμονίας ταύτης καὶ ἑτέραν εἶχεν ἀθυμίας ἀνάγκην, τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων διαστροφῆς καὶ μιαρίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἔδακνε τὸ ὑβρίζεσθαι, ὡς τὸ ἐκείνους εἶναι τοὺς ὑβριστάς. Δεινὸν μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸ πρὸ τῆς χορηγίας τῆς παραδόξου τροφῆς ἐκείνης ἀχαριστεῖν·","english":"For both sides were now treating him as a deceiver and a mocker—some with ridicule and insolence, others with resentment and despondency. But why must one infer the man's despondency from these things, when it is possible to learn all his grief from the voice brought down from above? For when he was silent and did not dare even to open his lips, God says: Why do you cry out to me? By this one utterance he makes clear to us the turmoil of his soul. 3. But when this fear too was dissolved, the evils again rose greater. For the Egyptians and Pharaoh treated him more harshly throughout the whole journey—those who were led as a people by him and had enjoyed countless goods through him. And first they pressed upon him violently, choking him and demanding back the meat they had in Egypt, ungrateful for what was present and seeking after the former things, which was heavier than all. For what harsher thing could he have suffered, if he had been entrusted to command mad and deranged men? But nevertheless that blessed man bore all these things nobly; and if he had not been affectionately disposed toward them, the terrible thing would have been bearable, and it would have caused him pain only for what was done to himself; but as it was, being disposed toward them more than parents are, from this care he had another compulsion of despondency—that over their perversion and vileness. For being insulted did not sting him as much as that they were the insulter. It was terrible, then, even before the extraordinary provision of that food, to be ungrateful.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":108,"ref":"p108","source":"οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς θαύμασι τὴν κακίαν ἐπεδείκνυον τὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν παρανομίαν καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν τὴν περὶ τὴν συλλογὴν, καὶ μικρὸν προελθόντες πάλιν ἐγόγγυζον, πάλιν ἐμέμφοντο ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ· καθ' ἕκαστον δὲ τούτων μᾶλλον τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος ἐκόπτετο καὶ ἠθύμει. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε τὸν μόσχον εἰργάσαντο, αὐτοὶ μὲν ἔπαιζον καὶ ἐτρύφων· ὁ δὲ πενθῶν καὶ ἀνιώμενος καὶ καταρώμενος ἑαυτῷ τὴν χαλεπὴν ἐκείνην ἀρὰν Μωσῆς ἦν, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ὅλως ἔπειθεν ἀποστῆναι τῆς συμπαθείας τῆς πρὸς αὐτούς. Τοὺς οὖν οὕτως ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ποθουμένους ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἀεὶ προβαίνοντας ὁρῶν, πόσῃ λύπῃ, πόσοις δὲ ἄρα συνανεστρέφετο δάκρυσιν! Εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις υἱὸν ἔχων οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ζῇν, εἴ ποτε αἴσθοιτο πρὸς κακίαν αὐτὸν ἀποκλίναντα, καὶ εἰ πάντων αὐτὸς πονηρότερος ὢν τύχοι, τὸν μυριάδας τοσαύτας ἐν τάξει παίδων κεκτημένον, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ παῖδας φιλοῦντα· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν ηὔξατο πατὴρ συναπολέσθαι παιδὶ μηδὲν ἡμαρτηκὼς, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος· τὸν δὴ οὕτω παῖδας κεκτημένον τοσούτους, μισοπόνηρόν τε ὄντα καὶ φιλάγαθον, τί οἴει πάσχειν πάντας αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος συνθήματος εἰς τὸν τῆς κακίας κρημνὸν καταδραμόντας ἰδόντα; Οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἰ μὴ σφόδρα αὐτὸν ἐσκότωσε καὶ ἐκ βάθρων αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀνέτρεψεν ὁ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐκείνης ἴλιγγος, τὰς πλάκας ἂν ἔῤῥιψεν ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν καὶ συνέτριψεν, ἀλλ' ἰάσατο ταχέως τὴν συμφοράν. Ἀλλὰ τί ποιήσας, εἰπέ; καὶ γὰρ ὁ τῆς ἰατρείας τρόπος, εἰ καὶ παρεμυθήσατο τὸ γεγονὸς, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ αὐτὸς πολλῶν ἔγεμε δακρύων·","english":"But others even in the midst of the wonders displayed their own wickedness—their lawlessness and their greed concerning the collection—and after advancing a little they again murmured, again blamed the benefactions of God; and at each of these things that blessed man was more cut to the heart than the sinners themselves and was disheartened. For when they made the calf, they were playing and reveling, but Moses was mourning and grieving and cursing himself with that grievous curse, and nothing at all persuaded him to withdraw from his sympathy for them. Seeing, then, those who were so longed for by him always advancing toward the worse, with how much grief, with how many tears did he live! For if someone having one son could not go on living if ever he perceived him inclining toward wickedness—and even if he himself happened to be worse than all—the one who had so many thousands in the rank of children, or rather who loved them even more than children (for no father would pray to perish together with a son who had done nothing wrong, as that man did)—the one who had so many children, being both a hater of wickedness and a lover of goodness, what do you think he suffered when he saw them all, as if by some signal, rushing down into the precipice of wickedness? For unless that dizziness of despondency had greatly darkened him and overturned his soul from its foundations, he would have thrown the tablets from his hands and shattered them, but he quickly healed the calamity. But tell me, what did he do? For the manner of the healing, even if it assuaged what had happened, nevertheless was itself full of many tears.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":109,"ref":"p109","source":"καὶ οὐδεὶς οὕτω λίθινος ἦν, ὡς μηδὲν παθεῖν ἀδελφοὺς καὶ συγγενεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων σφαττομένους ὁρῶν, καὶ εἰς τρισχιλίων σωμάτων ἀριθμὸν τὴν ἐλεεινὴν ταύτην ἐκτεινομένην σφαγήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ὅταν ἐπί τινι λαμβάνωμεν δεινῷ, στρεβλοῦμεν μὲν, καὶ μαστιγοῦμεν, οὐκ ἀναλγητὶ δὲ τοῦτο πράττομεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ θλίψεως οὐκ ἐλάττονος τῶν πασχόντων αὐτῶν. δʹ. Πολλοῦ δὴ τότε πένθους αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἔχοντος, ἑτέρα πάλιν ἀγωνία προσετίθετο. Οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ αὐτοῖς στρατηγήσειν, ἀλλ' ἐγκαταλείψειν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀγγέλῳ παραδώσειν τὴν προστασίαν αὐτῶν ἠπείλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὃ πάντων ἀφορητότερον ἦν τῷ Μωσῇ. Ἄκουσον γοῦν οἷά φησι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Εἰ μὴ σὺ αὐτὸς συμπορεύῃ μοι, μὴ ἀναγάγῃς με ἐντεῦθεν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς φόβοι φόβους, καὶ λῦπαι διεδέχοντο λύπας; Καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτων ἵστατο τὸ δεινόν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο ἔπεισε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐπένευσεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, καὶ τὴν χάριν ἔδωκε, πάλιν ἑτέραις αὐτὸν περιέβαλλον ὀδύναις, τὸν ἵλεων γενόμενον παροξύνοντες, καὶ ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἑαυτοὺς περιπείροντες συμφοραῖς. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν σφαγὴν τὴν πολυδάκρυτον οὕτω προσέκρουσαν πάλιν, ὡς ἐκκαλέσασθαι καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν ἐκεῖνον, ὃς μικροῦ πάντας ἀνήλωσεν ἂν, εἰ μὴ καὶ οὕτω πολλῇ περὶ αὐτοὺς φιλανθρωπίᾳ ἐχρήσατο. Τῷ δὲ Μωϋσῇ διπλῆν ἐν ἅπασι τὴν ἀθυμίαν εἶναι συνέβαινε, τῷ τε ἐκείνους ἀπόλλυσθαι, καὶ τῷ τοὺς ὑπολειπομένους ἀδιορθώτους μένειν καὶ μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων κερδαίνειν συμφορᾶς. Οὔπω γὰρ τέλος εἶχεν ἐκεῖνος ὁ θάνατος, καὶ","english":"And no one was so made of stone as to feel nothing when he saw brothers and kinsmen slaughtered by their own people, and this pitiable slaughter stretching out to the number of three thousand bodies. For we too, when we catch our own children in some dreadful act, torture them and scourge them, yet we do not do this without feeling, but with distress no less than that of the sufferers themselves. 4. Since great mourning then held both him and the camp, another struggle was added besides. For God threatened that he would no longer lead them, but would abandon them and hand over their protection to an angel—which was more unbearable to Moses than all else. Hear, then, what he says to God: If you yourself do not go with me, do not lead me up from here. Do you see how fears succeeded fears, and griefs followed griefs? And the evil did not stop even there; but when he had persuaded God of this, and the lover of mankind consented and gave the favor, again other pains encompassed him, as they provoked the merciful one and dragged themselves into the utmost calamities. For after that tearful slaughter they again stumbled so as to call down upon themselves that conflagration which would have consumed almost all, had he not even so shown great loving-kindness toward them. And for Moses, discouragement in all things was doubled—both because those men were perishing, and because those who remained stayed uncorrected and gained nothing from the calamity of those others. For that death had not yet reached its end, and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":110,"ref":"p110","source":"οἱ περιλειφθέντες τῶν κρομμύων ἐμέμνηντο, καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐδυσχέραινον λέγοντες· Τίς ἡμᾶς ψωμιεῖ κρέας; Ἐμνήσθημεν γὰρ τοὺς ἰχθύας, οὓς ἠσθίομεν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τοὺς σικυοὺς καὶ τοὺς πέπονας καὶ τὰ πράσα καὶ τὰ κρόμμυα καὶ τὰ σκόροδα. Νῦν δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν κατάξηρος, οὐδὲν πλὴν εἰς τὸ μάννα οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν. Ἔνθα μηκέτι φέρων τὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην αὐτῶν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, παραιτεῖται τὴν προστασίαν νικηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας, καὶ θάνατον εὔχεται ἀντὶ τῆς πικρᾶς ἐκείνης ζωῆς. Ἐπάκουσον δὴ καὶ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτῶν· Καὶ εἶπε Μωϋσῆς, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Ἱνατί ἐκάκωσας τὸν θεράποντά σου, καὶ διὰ τί οὐχ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐναντίον σοῦ, ἐπιθεῖναι τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ἐπ' ἐμέ; Μὴ ἐγὼ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔλαβον πάντα τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἢ ἐγὼ ἔτεκον αὐτὸν, ὅτι λέγεις μοι, Λάβε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου, ὡσεὶ ἄραι τιθηνὸς τὸν θηλάζοντα, εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ὤμοσα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν; Πόθεν μοι κρέα δοῦναι παντὶ τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, ὅτι κλαίουσιν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ λέγοντες, Δὸς ἡμῖν κρέα, ἵνα φάγωμεν; Οὐ δυνήσομαι ἐγὼ μόνος φέρειν τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, ὅτι βαρύτερόν μοι ἐστὶ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· εἰ δὲ οὕτως οὐ ποιεῖς μοι, ἀπόκτεινόν με ἀναιρέσει, εἰ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐναντίον σου. Ταῦτα ἐκεῖνος ἐφθέγξατο ὁ εἰπὼν, Καὶ νῦν, εἰ μὲν ἀφῇς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ἧς ἔγραψας. Οὕτως αὐτὸν ἡ ἀθυμία περιέτρεψεν. Ὅπερ πάσχουσι καὶ γονεῖς πολλάκις δυσανασχετοῦντες τοῖς γινομένοις ὑπὸ τῶν παιδίων. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ μετὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα οὐκ ἐπαύσατο τῆς συμπαθείας τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἐξ ὧν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐποίησε, δῆλον ἡμῖν.","english":"Those of us who were left remembered the onions and were displeased with what was before us, saying: Who will give us meat to eat? For we remembered the fish that we ate in Egypt, and the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic. But now our soul is dried up, and our eyes are on nothing except the manna. Then Moses, no longer able to bear their ingratitude, begged to be released from his leadership, overcome by despondency, and prayed for death instead of that bitter life. Hear also their words: And Moses, it says, said to God: Why have you afflicted your servant, and why have I not found favor before you, that you should lay the burden of this people upon me? Did I conceive all this people in my womb, or did I give birth to them, that you say to me, Take them into your bosom, as a nurse would take up the nursing child, into the land which I swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people, for they weep before me, saying, Give us meat, that we may eat? I am not able to bear this people alone, for this matter is too heavy for me; but if you will deal thus with me, kill me outright, if I have found favor before you. These words were spoken by the one who had said, And now, if you will forgive their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me out of the book which you have written. So greatly did despondency overturn him. The same thing happens often to parents who are vexed by what their children do. For that even after these words he did not cease from his compassion toward them is clear to us from what he did afterward.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":111,"ref":"p111","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ τοὺς κατασκόπους ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρουν, καὶ λίθοις αὐτὸν ἔβαλλον, διαφυγὼν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εὐχὴν πάλιν ἐτρέπετο, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρεκάλει ἵλεων γενέσθαι τοῖς βουλομένοις αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν· οὕτω καὶ τῆς φυσικῆς φιλοστοργίας σφοδρότερον αὐτῷ τὸ φίλτρον ἐνέκειτο. Τῶν τοίνυν κατασκόπων ἀποθανόντων, καὶ τοῦ πένθους ἀκμάζοντος, οὐδέπω παρελθόντος χρόνου, πάλιν ἑτέρας ἔπλεκον ἀθυμίας ὑποθέσεις αὐτῷ, πρῶτον μὲν οὐκ ἀνασχόμενοι κωλύοντος πολεμεῖν, δεύτερον δὲ κατακοπέντες ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀμαληκιτῶν· ἦσαν δὲ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τούτου τῇ χολέρᾳ καὶ τῇ γαστριμαργίᾳ δαπανηθέντες ἱκανῶς. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπέκτεινε, φησὶν, ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν, ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν. Θεασάμενος δὲ καὶ τὸν θάνατον ἐκεῖνον τὸν πολὺν, οὔπω τῆς ἀθυμίας τῆς ἐπὶ τούτῳ πεπαυμένης, ἑτέρῳ πάλιν ἐβάλλετο πένθει, καὶ εἰς τοιαύτην ἀνάγκην καθίστατο, ὡς τοὺς ἀγαπητοὺς καὶ φιλτάτους τούτους εὔξασθαι ξένῳ τινὶ καὶ παραδόξῳ θανάτῳ καταλῦσαι τὸν βίον· οὕτως οἱ μὲν πυρὸς ἁφθέντος ἐξαίφνης ἐκαύθησαν, οἱ δὲ γενομένου χάσματος κατεπόθησαν· καὶ οὔτε εὐαρίθμητοί τινες, ἀλλὰ πεντεκαίδεκα χιλιάδων ἀνδρῶν πλείους οἱ ταῦτα παθόντες ἦσαν. Τούτου δὲ γενομένου, πῶς τοὺς ἐκείνων συγγενεῖς, πῶς τοὺς φίλους πρὸς τὸν Μωσέα διακεῖσθαι εἰκὸς ἦν; πῶς δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν Μωσῆν, ὁρῶντα καὶ παῖδας ὀρφανοὺς καὶ γυναῖκας χήρας ἀπὸ ταύτης γενομένας τῆς συμφορᾶς, καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τελευτήσαντας, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοὺς ἐκείνου καυθέντας ὑπὲρ παρανομίας τινός·","english":"For after they had killed the spies, they set upon him and were stoning him, and escaping from their hands he turned again to prayer on their behalf, and he besought God to be merciful to those who wished to kill him; so much more intensely than natural affection did his love press upon him. So then, when the spies had died and the mourning was at its height, before any time had yet passed, they were again weaving for him other occasions of discouragement: first, because they could not endure that he forbade them to go to war; and second, because they were cut down by the Amalekites. And even before this war they had been sufficiently consumed by the plague and by gluttony. For he killed them, it says, in the greater part of them, while the food was still in their mouth. And when he had seen that great slaughter as well, while the discouragement over this had not yet ceased, he was struck again by another grief, and was brought into such necessity that these beloved and dearest ones prayed to end their life by some strange and extraordinary death; thus some, when fire was kindled, were suddenly burned, and others, when a chasm opened, were swallowed up; and those who suffered these things were not a few in number, but more than fifteen thousand men. When this had happened, how was it likely that their kinsmen, how their friends, were disposed toward Moses? And how was Moses himself disposed, seeing both children orphaned and women made widows by this calamity, and his sister and his brother dead, and that man's sons burned for some transgression—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":112,"ref":"p112","source":"Τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον ἱκανὸν καὶ μηδὲν πεπονθυῖαν θλῖψαι ψυχὴν, μήτι γε τοσούτοις ἤδη κατεργασθεῖσαν κακοῖς. Ὡς δὲ τὸν Χαναναῖον εἷλον, καὶ μακρὰν ἐκύκλουν ὁδὸν, πάλιν ἐγόγγυζον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ πάλιν ἀπώλλυντο, νόσῳ μὲν οὐκ ἔτι καθάπερ καὶ πρώην, οὐδὲ πυρὶ καὶ χάσματι καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἰοβόλων δὲ δήγμασιν ὄφεων, οἳ πάντας ἂν αὐτοὺς ἀπώλεσαν, εἰ μὴ πάλιν ὁ Μωσῆς προσελθὼν ἱκέτευσε τὸν Θεόν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ταύτης ἀπηλλάγησαν τῆς φθορᾶς καὶ τὰς ἀρὰς τοῦ μάντεως ἐξέφυγον, πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς ἔῤῥιψαν κατὰ τῶν χαλεπωτάτων κρημνῶν, καὶ μετὰ τὰς εὐλογίας τοῦ Βαλαὰμ, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ γὰρ τῆς ἐκείνου προαιρέσεως ἦν τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλὰ τῆς κινούσης αὐτὸν δυνάμεως, ἐπόρνευσαν εἰς τὰς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων θυγατέρας, καὶ ἐτελέσθησαν τῷ Βεελφεγώρ. Ὁ δὲ Μωσῆς τὴν τοσαύτην ὁρῶν αἰσχύνην καὶ τὸν γέλωτα, πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλους κατακόπτειν ἐκέλευσε\n\nλέγων· Ἀποκτείνατε ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ τὸν τετελεσμένον τῷ Βεελφεγώρ· καθάπερ ἐπί τινος τραύματος πολλὰς μὲν λαβόντος τομὰς καὶ καύσεις, οὐδὲν δὲ ἄμεινον ταύτῃ διατεθέντος, κελεύοι τις πάλιν τέμνειν καὶ καίειν τὸ περιλειφθέν. Σὺ δὲ ταύτας ἀκούων τὰς δυσκολίας, μὴ ταύτας μόνον συμβεβηκέναι νόμιζε, καίτοι καὶ τῶν κειμένων οὐκ ὀλίγας παρέλιπον, τοὺς πολέμους, τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐναντιώσεις, τὰς μακρὰς ὁδοιπορίας, τῆς ἀδελφῆς τὴν ὕβριν, τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἐφ' ᾗ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνος ὁ πραότατος ἤλγησε Μωσῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως κἂν ἅπαντά τις συναγάγῃ μετὰ ἀκριβείας, οὐδὲ μυριοστὸν μέρος τὰ γεγραμμένα τῶν γεγενημένων ἐστίν.","english":"Each one of these things is enough to distress a soul that has suffered nothing, let alone one already worn down by so many evils. But when they had taken the Canaanite and were circling a long road, the Jews again murmured, and again they were being destroyed—not, as before, by disease, nor by fire and a chasm as previously, but by the bites of venomous serpents, which would have destroyed them all, had not Moses again come near and besought God. And when they had been delivered from this destruction too and had escaped the curses of the seer, they again threw themselves down the most grievous precipices, and after the blessings of Balaam—or rather of God, for the words were not from his own choice but from the power that moved him—they committed fornication with the daughters of the foreigners and were initiated into Beelphegor. And Moses, seeing so great a shame and the mockery, again ordered them to cut one another down,\n\nsaying: Kill each one his neighbor, the one initiated into Beelphegor—just as in the case of a wound that has received many incisions and cauterizations and has not been made any better by this, one might order the remaining part to be cut and cauterized again. But you, hearing these difficulties, do not suppose that only these things happened, although I have passed over not a few of those that lie before us: the wars, the oppositions of enemies, the long journeys, the outrage against his sister, the punishment for which that gentlest of men, Moses, grieved the more. But nevertheless, even if one gathers them all with precision, what has been written is not even a ten-thousandth part of what happened.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":113,"ref":"p113","source":"Εἰ γὰρ οἰκετῶν τις ὀλίγων ἐν οἰκίᾳ προεστὼς, καὶ παροξυσμῶν καὶ λύπης μυρίας ἔχει προφάσεις· ὁ μυριάδων τοσούτων ἐν τεσσαράκοντα ἔτεσιν ἐπιτροπεῦσαι καταναγκασθεὶς, καὶ ἐν ἐρήμῳ, ἔνθα μήτε ἀὴρ μήτε ὕδωρ ἦν, πόσα πράγματα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἔχειν ἠναγκάζετο, πόσας φροντίδας, πόσας ἀθυμίας καὶ ζώντων καὶ τελευτησάντων! Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τελευτήσαντας ἅπαντας εἶδεν οὓς ἐξήγαγε, πλὴν ἀνδρῶν δύο μόνων, καὶ τοὺς ἀπ' ἐκείνων γεγενημένους οὐκ ἠξιώθη εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας εἰσαγαγεῖν· ἀλλ' εἶδε μὲν αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους Ναβαῦ, καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτῆς ἐδιδάχθη καλῶς, ἀπολαῦσαι δὲ αὐτῆς οὐ συνεχωρήθη μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ἔξω, καὶ ἀπέθνησκεν· ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπωδύρατο πρὸς τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας λέγων· Καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐθυμώθη μοι περὶ τῶν λεγομένων ὑφ' ὑμῶν, καὶ ὤμοσεν ἵνα μὴ διαβῶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην τοῦτον, καὶ ἵνα μὴ εἰσέλθω εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἣν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς δίδωσί σοι ἐν κλήρῳ. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀποθνήσκω ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ, καὶ οὐ διαβαίνω τὸν Ἰορδάνην τοῦτον· ὑμεῖς δὲ διαβήσεσθε, καὶ κληρονομήσετε τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθὴν ταύτην. Καὶ τὸ δὴ πάντων δεινότερον, ὅτι μετὰ λύπης αὐτὸν εἰς ᾅδου κατήγαγε· τὰ γὰρ μέλλοντα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους διαδέξασθαι προέμαθε κακὰ, τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν, τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν, τὰς ἀφάτους συμφορὰς, ὡς μηκέτι μόνον αὐτὸν οἷς ἑώρα καὶ τοῖς γεγενημένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς μηδέπω συμβεβηκόσι κατατρύχεσθαι τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ πρώτης ἡλικίας ἀρξάμενος ὀδυνᾶσθαι καὶ ἀδημονεῖν μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀθυμίας τὸν βίον κατέλυσεν.","english":"For if one of a few servants put in charge of a household has countless occasions for irritation and grief, how many troubles was he compelled to have each day, how many cares, how many despondencies—both for the living and for the dead—who was forced to govern so many thousands in the wilderness for forty years, where there was neither air nor water! For he saw all those whom he had led out die, except only two men, and he was not deemed worthy to lead those born from them into the land of promise; but he saw it from the summit of Mount Nabau, and was well taught its nature, yet he was not permitted to enjoy it with the rest of the Israelites, but remained outside and died. On account of this he himself also lamented to the Israelites, saying: And the Lord God was angry with me because of the things spoken by you, and he swore that I should not cross this Jordan, and that I should not enter into the land which the Lord God gives you as an inheritance. For I am dying in this land, and I do not cross this Jordan; but you shall cross over and inherit this good land. And what is more terrible than all, that he brought him down to Hades with grief; for he foreknew the evils that were going to succeed the Jews—the idolatry, the captivity, the unspeakable calamities—so that his soul was worn down no longer only by what he saw and what had happened, but also by what had not yet come to pass. For beginning from his earliest age to feel pain and anguish, he ended his life with the same despondency.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":114,"ref":"p114","source":"εʹ. Ὁ δὲ διαδεξάμενος αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦς συναπέλαυσε μὲν αὐτῷ πάντων, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τῶν ἀνιαρῶν· εἰ δέ τι διὰ τὸ νέον τῆς ἡλικίας ἐξέφυγε, τοῦτο μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν ἀνεπλήρωσεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὅτε ἔζη μόνον ὁ Μωσῆς τὰ ἱμάτια διέῤῥηξε καὶ σποδὸν κατεπάσατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τελευτήσαντος πάλιν εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν, μᾶλλον δὲ εἰς μείζονα κατέστη ταύτης ἀνάγκην οὐ χρόνον βραχὺν, ἀλλὰ δι' ὅλης ἡμέρας πρηνὴς κείμενος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἄκουσον δὴ καὶ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὀδυρμῶν· Καὶ διέῤῥηξε, φησὶν, Ἰησοῦς τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐναντίον Κυρίου ἕως ἑσπέρας, αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπεβάλοντο χοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ εἶπεν Ἰησοῦς· Δέομαι, Κύριε, ἱνατί διεβίβασεν ὁ παῖς σου τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον τὸν Ἰορδάνην παραδοῦναι αὐτὸν τῷ Ἀμοῤῥαίῳ ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς; Εἰ κατεμείναμεν καὶ κατωκίσθημεν παρὰ τὸν Ἰορδάνην. Καὶ τί ἐρῶ ἐπεὶ μετέβαλεν Ἰσραὴλ τὸν αὐχένα αὐτοῦ ἀπέναντι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ; Καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Χαναναῖος καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν περικυκλώσουσιν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἐκτρίψουσιν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Θεὸς ἐνέφηνεν αὐτῷ τῆς ἥττης τὸ αἴτιον· καὶ μαθὼν πάντας ἄρδην ἀπώλεσεν, οὐ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ οἰκείους, καὶ τῶν θρεμμάτων τὸ πλῆθος, ὅπερ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν αὐτῷ τὴν ψυχὴν διετάραξεν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀλλοτρίους ὁρῶντες κολαζομένους οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν ἀνεχόμεθα, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθεν ἐκεῖνος τοὺς ὁμοφύλους καὶ συστρατιώτας τοιούτοις περιβάλλων κακοῖς; τί δὲ ἡ τῶν Γαβαωνιτῶν ἀπάτη καὶ ἡ γενομένη κατὰ τῶν πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κατοικησάντων φυλῶν ὑποψία;","english":"5. Joshua, who succeeded him, shared in, so to speak, all his troubles; and if anything he escaped because of the youth of his age, this he made up for after that man's death. For it was not only while Moses was alive that he tore his garments and sprinkled ashes, but even after he had died he again came into the same necessity, or rather into a greater one than this—not for a short time, but lying prone on the ground the whole day. Hear indeed both his words and his lamentations: And Joshua, it says, tore his garments, and fell on his face on the ground before the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads, and Joshua said: I beseech you, Lord, why has your servant brought this people across the Jordan, to deliver them to the Amorite to destroy us? If only we had remained and settled beside the Jordan. And what shall I say, since Israel has turned its neck before its enemy? And when the Canaanite hears and all who dwell in the land, they will surround us and wipe us out from the land. When God heard these things, he showed him the cause of the defeat; and when he learned it, he destroyed them all utterly—not only the one who had sinned, but also his relatives and kin, and the multitude of their livestock, which did not disturb his soul in an ordinary way. For if we, seeing strangers punished, cannot even bear to look, what would that man not have suffered, surrounding his own countrymen and fellow soldiers with such evils? And what of the deception of the Gibeonites and the suspicion that arose against the tribes that dwelt beyond the Jordan?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":115,"ref":"p115","source":"τί δὲ τὸ πολέ47.479 μοις καὶ μάχαις συναναστρέφεσθαι διαπαντός; καὶ ποίαν ἂν ἀφῆκεν ἐν καταστάσει ψυχὴν γενέσθαι; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ νικῶν διετέλει, ἀλλ' ὅμως τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τροπαίων ἡδονὴν ἡ τῶν\n\nπεριλειπομένων φροντὶς συνετάραττε, καὶ ἡ τῶν κλήρων δὲ διανομὴ πολὺν μὲν πόνον, πολλὰς δὲ παρεῖχεν αὐτῷ τὰς δυσκολίας. Καὶ ἴσασιν ὅσοι καὶ τὴν τυχοῦσαν οὐσίαν διανεῖμαι ἐτάχθησαν ἀδελφοῖς ἢ τοῖς ἑτέρωθεν γινομένοις κληρονόμοις τινός. Τὰς γὰρ ἑξῆς τοῦ λαοῦ συμφορὰς οὐδὲ οἶμαι δεῖν λέγειν· οὐ γὰρ εἴ τις ὀδυνηρὸν βίον διήγαγε, πρόκειται νῦν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' εἴ τις τῶν σφόδρα εὐηρεστηκότων τῷ Θεῷ.\n\nςʹ. Διόπερ, εἰ δοκεῖ, τὸν Ἠλὶ παρέλθωμεν· καὶ γὰρ οὗτος τῶν προσκεκρουκότων ἐστὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν παίδων κακίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ ῥᾳθυμίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ὅτι πονηροὺς εἶχε παῖδας ἐκολάζετο, ἀλλ' ὅτι πέρα τοῦ δέοντος φειδωλὸς ἦν, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμοις ἐνυβριζομένοις οὐκ ἤμυνεν· ἅπερ καὶ αὐτὸς συνιδὼν μετὰ τὴν σφοδρὰν ἀπειλὴν ἔλεγε· Κύριος αὐτὸς τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιήσει. Διὸ δὴ τοῦτον παρελθόντες ἔλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, ὃς ἐτράφη μὲν ἐκ παιδὸς ἐν τῷ ναῷ, ηὐδοκίμει δὲ διαπαντὸς ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ· τοσαύτην δὲ ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας ἐπεδείξατο τὴν ἀρετὴν, ὡς πρὶν εἰς ἄνδρας ἐλθεῖν τοῖς θαυμαστοῖς ἐγκριθῆναι προφήταις, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ πράγματος ἐπιλελοιπότος τότε. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν, φησὶν, ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα, καὶ ῥῆμα τίμιον ἦν.","english":"What then is it to be constantly engaged in wars and battles? And what kind of soul would he have left behind in a settled state? For even if he continued always victorious, nevertheless the pleasure from his trophies was disturbed by anxiety about those who remained, and the distribution of the allotments caused him much toil and many difficulties. And those know this who have been appointed to divide even a chance possession among brothers or among those who become heirs of someone from elsewhere. For the subsequent calamities of the people I do not think it necessary to mention; for it is not now proposed to speak of whether someone led a painful life, but whether someone was among those who were exceedingly well-pleasing to God.\n\n6. Therefore, if it seems good, let us pass by Eli; for he too is among those who offended because of the wickedness of his sons, or rather because of his own negligence. For he was not punished because he had wicked sons, but because he was more sparing than was fitting, and did not defend the laws of God when they were being outraged; which he himself, having understood after the severe threat, said: \"The Lord himself will do what is pleasing before him.\" Therefore, passing him by, let us come to Samuel, who was brought up from childhood in the temple, and was always well-approved before God; and he displayed such virtue from his earliest age that before coming to manhood he was counted among the wondrous prophets, and this at a time when the matter had failed. For, it says, there was no vision distinguishing, and a precious word was.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":116,"ref":"p116","source":"Οὗτος δὴ οὖν ὁ Σαμουὴλ, ὁ μετὰ πολλῶν δακρύων τεχθεὶς, πρῶτον μὲν ὁρῶν ἑαυτοῦ τὸν διδάσκαλον ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἐλεεινῷ ἀπενεχθέντα θανάτῳ, οὕτω συνεχύθη καὶ ἐταράχθη, ὡς εἰκὸς εὐγνώμονα μαθητὴν καὶ φιλόστοργον. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς Ἰουδαϊκὰς ἠναγκάζετο συνεχῶς θρηνεῖν συμφοράς. Οἱ δὲ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἄδικοι ὄντες καὶ μοχθηροὶ, καὶ εἰς ἔσχατον πονηρίας ἐλαύνοντες, τούτῳ τε ἐλύπουν αὐτὸν καὶ τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι κληρονομῆσαι τῆς ἐκείνῳ παρασχεθείσης τιμῆς. Ταύτην διαδέχεται τὴν ἀθυμίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ διαδέχεται, οὐ γὰρ ἐπαύσατο, ἀλλὰ προστίθεται ταύτῃ ἡ τῆς τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν αἰτήσεως παρανομία, ἔνθα οὕτω κατέπεσεν, ὡς καὶ παρακλήσεως δεηθῆναι πολλῆς. Ἄκουσον οὖν τί φησιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· Οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐμέ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οὕτως αὐτῶν ἐκήδετο ὡς εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο ἁμαρτεῖν τοῦ διαλιπεῖν εὐχομένῳ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν. Τούτους δὴ οὖν ὁρῶν τοὺς οὕτως ἀγαπωμένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κακῶς πράττοντας, καὶ πταίοντας ἐν πολέμοις, καὶ παροργίζοντας τὸν Θεὸν, τίνος ἂν ᾔσθετο ἡδονῆς; ποῖον δὲ ἂν καιρὸν ἀθυμίας καὶ δακρύων διήγαγε χωρίς; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ κατέστησε βασιλέα τὸν Σαοὺλ, ἐπάλληλοι πάλιν αὐτῷ ὀδύναι καὶ συνεχεῖς προσετίθεντο. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε τὴν θυσίαν ἀνήνεγκε παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, καὶ ὅτε τοὺς Ἀμαληκίτας κρατήσας ἐφείσατο τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτῶν, καὶ τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ κελευσθὲν, οὕτως ἐπλήγη τὴν ψυχὴν, ὡς μηκέτι τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας πενθεῖν καὶ δακρύειν αὐτὸν, ὅτε καὶ ἐπετιμήθη διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας σφοδρόν.","english":"This Samuel, then, who was born with many tears, first, when he saw his own teacher carried off to that pitiable death, was so confounded and disturbed, as was fitting for a grateful and affectionate disciple. After this, he was also compelled to lament continually the calamities of the Jews. And his sons, being unjust and wicked, and driving on to the utmost of evil, both grieved him by this and by their not being able to inherit the honor that had been granted to him. Upon this despondency succeeds—or rather does not succeed, for it did not cease, but is added to it—the lawlessness of the Israelites' request, where he fell so low as even to need much consolation. Hear, then, what God says to him: They have not rejected you, but me. Nevertheless, even after these things he cared for them so as to say to them: But far be it from me to sin by ceasing to pray for you. Seeing these, then, who were so loved by him, faring badly, and stumbling in wars, and provoking God to anger, what pleasure would he have felt? What season would he have passed without despondency and tears? And when he also established Saul as king, successive and continual pains were again added to him. For when he offered the sacrifice contrary to what was pleasing to God, and when, having conquered the Amalekites, he spared their king, and this contrary to the command, he was so struck in soul that he no longer saw the man, but from that time until his last day mourned and wept for him, when he was also rebuked because of the vehemence of his despondency.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":117,"ref":"p117","source":"Ἕως πότε γὰρ, φησὶ, σὺ πενθεῖς ἐπὶ Σαοὺλ, κἀγὼ ἀπῶσμαι αὐτόν; Εἰ δὲ τούτων γεγενημένων ἐπένθει, τίς ἦν ἄρα, ὅτε τοὺς τοσούτους ἔσφαξεν ἱερέας ἐκεῖνος εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην; ὅτε τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα, δεύτερον ἦλθεν ἀνελεῖν; ὅτε γυμνὸν αὐτὸν εἶδε προφητεύοντα καὶ καταπίπτοντα; ὅτε τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἤκουσε μυρία πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀποδυρομένου καὶ ἐντυγχάνοντος;\n\nζʹ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἐμνήσθην, οὐκ οἶδα τί πράξω· πότερον τοὺς θρήνους αὐτοῦ τοὺς μακροὺς καὶ συνεχεῖς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς ἀναγεγραμμένους εἰς μέσον ἀγάγω νῦν, ἢ τούτους ἀφεὶς ἀναλέξασθαί σοι κατὰ σχολὴν, αὐτὸς τὰς ἐκείνου διέλθω συμφοράς. Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ Δαυῒδ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἐν τῷ ποιμαίνειν ὑπέμεινε δεινὰ, καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἀέρων ἀνωμαλίαις καὶ τῇ τῶν θηρίων ἀγριότητι μαχόμενος· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐξ ὧν ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἔφησεν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸς πρὸς τὸν Σαοὺλ διελέγετο περὶ τοῦ λέοντος καὶ τῆς ἄρκτου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν βίον ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνον πρὸ ὥρας εἰς τὰ τοῦ πολέμου πράγματα ἔπιπτε, τὴν μὲν τῶν ἀδελφῶν βασκανίαν ἀφίημι, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα τοῦτό ἐστι φορτικόν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ κατώρθωκε τὴν λαμπρὰν νίκην","english":"For how long, he says, will you mourn over Saul, and I have rejected him? But if he mourned after these things had happened, what was it when that man slaughtered so many priests rashly and in vain? When he came a second time to destroy his benefactor who had done no wrong? When he saw him prophesying naked and falling down? When he heard David lamenting countless things before him and pleading? \n\n7. Since I have mentioned David, I do not know what to do: whether I should now bring forward his long and continuous laments recorded in the Psalms, or set these aside for you to read at leisure, and myself go through his calamities. This David, then, endured many terrible things even while shepherding, fighting against the irregularities of the air and the savagery of wild beasts; and this can be seen partly from what Jacob said, and partly from what he himself said to Saul about the lion and the bear. But since, leaving that life behind, he rushed prematurely into the affairs of war, I pass over the envy of his brothers, even though this is very burdensome; but since he achieved the splendid victory","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":118,"ref":"p118","source":"ἐκείνην καὶ θαυμαστὴν μονομαχίαν ἀναδεξάμενος, εὗρε τοῦ καταβληθέντος Γολιὰθ σφοδρότερον ἐχθρὸν τὸν εὐεργετηθέντα Σαούλ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν παρετάττετο, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν φιλούντων προσωπεῖον ὑποδὺς, καὶ τὸν τιμῶντα καὶ κηδόμενον ὑποκρινάμενος, οὕτως αὐτὸν διετίθει τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅσον ἐστὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαμβάνειν κακὰ, ἄκουσον τοῦ μακαρίου προφήτου τοῦτο συνεχῶς θρηνοῦντος καὶ δυσανασχετοῦντος καὶ λέγοντος, Εἰ ἀνταποδίδοταί μοι κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ μηδενὸς προσόντος δεινοῦ τοῦτο αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ πολλῆς ἀθυμίας ἄξιον, δι' ὑποψίας εἶναι τὸν στρατηγὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἀηδῶς ὁρᾶσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τί λέγω στρατηγὸν βασιλεῖ; Κἂν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἡμεῖς τοῦτο πάθωμεν, δυσχεραίνομεν· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ἐπιβουλαὶ ῥάπτωνται κατὰ τῆς τοῦ μισουμένου ζωῆς, τίς ἂν γένοιτο βίος τούτου πικρότερος; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἅπαντα ἔφερε καὶ ἠνείχετο, καὶ συνῆν τῷ φονῶντι κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐστρατήγει τοὺς ἐκείνου πολέμους. Ἐπειδὴ δέ ποτε καὶ ἀπεδήμησε καὶ πόῤῥω τοῦ πολέμου κατέστησεν ἑαυτὸν, τοῦτο μὲν αὐτὸ τὸ πόῤῥω εἶναι, καὶ τὴν ἔχθραν ποιῆσαι φανερὰν, εἶχέ τι πλέον εἰς τὸν τοῦ θαῤῥεῖν λόγον· μετὰ δὲ τετρακοσίων ἀνδρῶν πρὸς τοσαύτην ἀναγκαζόμενος παρατάττεσθαι στρατιὰν, ἔτρεμε πλέον ἢ πρότερον. Ὁ γὰρ μήτε πόλιν, μήτε φρούριον, μήτε συμμάχους, μήτε προσόδους κεκτημένος, ἐννόησον τίς ἦν, πρὸς τὸν ταῦτα ἔχοντα πάντα ἀναγκαζόμενος πολεμεῖν, καὶ πλὴν τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ σπηλαίων, οὐδὲ ὅποι καταφύγοι δυνάμενος εὑρεῖν.","english":"Having taken up that wondrous single combat, he found the man he had benefited, Saul, a fiercer enemy than the Goliath who had been struck down. For he did not array himself openly against him, but putting on the mask of a friend and feigning to honor and care for him, he treated him in the manner of enemies. But how great an evil it is to receive evils in return for good things—hear the blessed prophet continually lamenting and resenting this and saying, \"If evils are repaid to me for good things.\" Indeed, even when no danger is present, this very thing by itself is worthy of great discouragement—for the general to be held in suspicion by the king, and to be seen by him with displeasure. And why do I speak of a general and a king? For even if we suffer this at the hands of our own household, we are vexed; but when plots are also being woven against the life of the one who is hated, what life could be more bitter than his? Nevertheless he bore and endured all things, and was with the one who was murdering him, and commanded his wars. But when at length he also departed and removed himself far from the war, this very thing—being far away, and making the enmity manifest—gave him somewhat more ground for confidence; but when he was compelled to array himself with four hundred men against so great an army, he trembled more than before. For consider what he was—possessing neither city, nor fortress, nor allies, nor revenues—when he was compelled to wage war against the one who had all these things, and could find no place to flee except the desert and the caves there.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":119,"ref":"p119","source":"Καὶ γὰρ Κεϊλὰ πόλιν οὕτω καλουμένην λαβὼν, εὐθέως αὐτῆς ἀπεπήδησε τοῦ ἱερέως εἰπόντος, ὅτι αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ἐκεῖ μένοντα τῶν τοῦ Σαοὺλ οὐχ ὑπεξαρπάσει χειρῶν. Ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς οὗτος ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ τὰς τοῦ Σαοὺλ χεῖρας διαδρὰς, καὶ τὴν ἐν Νομβὰ γενομένην τραγῳδίαν ἀπαγγείλας τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτε καὶ τὴν πικρὰν ἐκείνην ἔῤῥηξε φωνήν· Ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰμὶ ὁ αἴτιος τῶν ψυχῶν ὅλου τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου. Ὥστε συνὼν αὐτῷ διαπαντὸς οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐκείνης ὑπόμνησις ἦν. Βλέπων γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸν, ἀεὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐμέμνητο τῶν ἱερέων· μνημονεύων δὲ τῆς ἀπωλείας, καὶ τῆς το47.481 σαύτης σφαγῆς τὴν αἰτίαν ἀνατιθεὶς ἑαυτῷ, καταδίκου παντὸς ἀθλιώτερον ἐβίου βίον. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον τὸ ἐνοχλοῦν ἦν, ἱκανὸν τρῶσαι ψυχὴν καὶ ἀνελεῖν τὸ ἱερέων σφαγέα λογίζεσθαι τοσούτων ἑαυτόν. Πληγεὶς δὲ τούτῳ τῷ λογισμῷ, τῷ καὶ νυκτὸς καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν σητὸς μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ διατρώγοντι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ ἄλλα ἐφεξῆς ἐδέχετο τραύματα συνεχῆ καὶ ἐπάλληλα. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε αὐτὸν ὁ Νάβαλ διὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν ὕβρισε, καὶ δραπέτην καὶ φυγάδα καὶ ἀγνώμονα δοῦλον ἐκάλεσεν, οὐκ ἀναλγητὶ τὰ ῥήματα ἤνεγκε· καὶ ὅτε πρὸς τὸν Ἀγχοῦς ἀπελθὼν, τοὺς μαινομένους ὑπεκρίνετο, καὶ κατέπιπτε, καὶ τὰ ὄμματα διαστρέφων καὶ πολὺν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀφρὸν ἀφιεὶς, τῶν ἀληθῶς δαιμονώντων μᾶλλον ἐτήκετο, λογιζόμενος εἰς οἵαν κατέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ἀνάγκην ὁ τοσαῦτα εὐεργετηθείς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ μικρὸν ἀνέθη, παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις γενόμενος, ἔδει μὲν ἐπιστρατεύειν τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐχθροῖς·","english":"For having taken the city called Keilah, he immediately sprang away from it, when the priest said that God would not snatch him out of Saul's hands if he remained there. And this priest was that very man who had escaped Saul's hands and had reported to the king the tragedy that took place in Nob, when he also uttered that bitter cry: \"For I,\" he says, \"am the cause of the souls of your father's whole house.\" So that being with him continually was nothing other than a reminder of that despondency. For looking at him, he always remembered the destruction of the priests; and remembering the destruction, and attributing the cause of so great a slaughter to himself, he lived a life more wretched than any condemned man. For even if nothing else was troubling him, it was enough to wound a soul and destroy it to reckon himself the slaughterer of so many priests. And struck by this reasoning, which gnawed through his soul more than a moth both by night and by day, he received other wounds in succession, continuous and following one upon another. For when Nabal insulted him through his servants and called him a runaway and a fugitive and an ungrateful slave, he did not bear the words without pain; and when he went to Achish and pretended to be mad, and fell down, and twisted his eyes and let much foam flow from his mouth, he was more consumed than those truly possessed by demons, reckoning into what necessity he had brought himself, he who had been so greatly benefited. But when he had breathed a little, having come to be among the enemies, he had to campaign against their enemies;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":120,"ref":"p120","source":"διαφθονούμενοι δὲ αὐτῷ οἱ σατράπαι, καὶ διαβαλεῖν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα βουλόμενοι, ἐξέπεμπον αὐτὸν τῆς στρατιᾶς ὡς ἄχρηστον αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐπίβουλον καὶ προδότην ἐσόμενον. Ἐθυμώθησαν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπ' αὐτῷ οἱ σατράπαι τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Ἀπόστρεψον τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὸν τόπον οὗ κατέστησας αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μὴ ἐρχέσθω μεθ' ἡμῶν εἰς πόλεμον, καὶ μὴ γινέσθω ἐπίβουλος τῇ παρεμβολῇ. Καὶ ἐν τίνι διαλλαγήσεται οὗτος τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ, ἢ οὐχὶ ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων; Ὁ δὲ τοῖς ῥήμασι τούτοις πληγεὶς ἀνεχώρησε μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὕβρεως καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας. Ἐλθὼν δὲ οἴκοι τοσαῦτα εὗρε κακὰ, ὡς μικροῦ δεῖν καὶ ἀποπνιγῆναι τῇ λύπῃ. Τὰ γὰρ τότε συμβεβηκότα δεινὰ ἦν μὲν ἱκανὰ καὶ προμελετηθέντα τὴν ἐκείνου σκοτῶσαι ψυχήν· τοῦ δὲ ἀπροσδοκήτου προστεθέντος καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδας, διπλάσια τῶν ὄντων ἐφαίνετο, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ἦν φορητά. Ἀπῄει μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἀναπαυσόμενος οἴκοι, καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐκείνης εὑρήσων","english":"But his satraps, corrupted against him and wishing to denounce him to the king, sent him away from the army as useless to them and as one who would be a plotter and a traitor. For the satraps of the foreigners, it says, were enraged against him, and they say to him: Send the man back, and let him return to the place where you appointed him, and let him not go with us into battle, and let him not become a plotter against the camp. And by what means will this man be reconciled to his lord, if not by the heads of those men? And he, struck by these words, withdrew with great insult and despondency. But coming home, he found so many evils that he nearly choked with grief. For the terrible things that had happened at that time were sufficient, even when rehearsed beforehand, to darken his soul; but when the unexpected was added, and beyond hope, they appeared double what they were, and were no longer bearable. For he was going away as one who would rest at home, and would find relief from that despondency","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":121,"ref":"p121","source":"παραμυθίαν τὰ παιδία καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας· ἐπιστὰς δὲ ἄφνω ἤκουε μὲν ὅτι οὗτοι παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις δουλεύουσιν, ἐθεώρει δὲ πῦρ καὶ καπνὸν καὶ αἷμα καὶ νεκροὺς, καὶ πρὶν ἢ τούτους ἀλγῆσαι καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ὀδύρασθαι, θηρίων χαλεπώτερον ἐπέπεσον οἱ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντες αὐτῷ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου κεφαλῆς ἕκαστος τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν εὑρέσθαι παραμυθίαν ζητῶν. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐναντίων ἀνέμων εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἐμπεσόντων πολὺς καὶ ἄγριος ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης ἐκείνης γίνεται ὁ χειμών· οὕτω καὶ τότε, καὶ ἀθυμίας καὶ φόβου τὴν τοῦ δικαίου διακοπτόντων ψυχὴν, πολλὴ ἦν ἡ ζάλη καὶ ὁ θόρυβος, τῶν παθῶν τούτων ἐπαλλήλων κρατούντων καὶ κρατουμένων συνεχῶς. Δυνηθεὶς δὲ ταῦτα διαδῦναι τὰ κακὰ, καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἀπολαβεῖν, καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἅπασαν, πρὶν ἢ πάλιν αἰσθέσθαι τῆς νίκης ἐκείνης, πλήττεται ἀγγελίᾳ πικρᾷ, τῇ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν σφαγῇ, ἣ τὴν ψυχὴν οὕτω κατέβαλε τὴν ἐκείνου, ὡς ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν θρήνων μαθεῖν· Ἐπέπεσε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἡ ἀγάπησίς σου, ὡς ἡ ἀγάπησις τῶν γυναικῶν. Καὶ τί λέγω τῶν θρήνων; Ὁ γὰρ τὸν ἐκείνου πατέρα, τὸν ἐχθρὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐπίβουλον καὶ μυριάκις τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐπιθυμήσαντα τῆς αὐτοῦ οὕτω δακρύσας, τί ἂν ἔπαθε τὸν ἐν ἐκείνοις παραστάντα τοῖς κινδύνοις αὐτῷ καὶ πολλάκις αὐτὸν τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπιβουλῆς ἐξελόμενον, καὶ ἀποῤῥήτων κοινωνήσαντα, καὶ συνθήκας ὑπὲρ πολλῶν θέμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν, τοῦτον, ὅτε αὐτῷ τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδοῦναι τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν κείνων ἠδύνατο, τότε ἐξαρπασθέντα τοῦ βίου μαθών;","english":"his children and wives as a consolation; but standing suddenly upon them, he heard that these were enslaved among the enemy, and he beheld fire and smoke and blood and corpses, and before they could grieve over these things and lament the captivity, the inhabitants of the city fell upon him more savagely than wild beasts, each one seeking from his head to find consolation for his own misfortunes. And just as when opposing winds fall upon the sea, great and fierce from that battle becomes the storm; so also then, with despondency and fear cutting through the soul of the righteous man, great was the tossing and the tumult, these passions prevailing over one another and being prevailed over continually. But when he was able to slip through these evils, and to recover the women, and all the captivity, before he could again perceive that victory, he is struck by a bitter message, that concerning the slaughter of Jonathan, which so cast down his soul, as one may learn from the laments: For your love fell upon me, it says, as the love of women. And why do I speak of the laments? For he who so wept for that man's father, his own enemy and plotter and one who ten thousand times desired his destruction—what would he have suffered for the one who stood by him in those dangers and often rescued him from his father's plotting, and shared secrets with him, and made covenants with him over many things—this man, when he was able to repay him the recompense for those benefits, then, learning that he had been snatched away from life?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":122,"ref":"p122","source":"ηʹ. Ἀκμάζοντος δὴ τούτου τοῦ πάθους, ἑτέρᾳ περιβάλλει πάλιν αὐτὸν ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀθυμίᾳ τὸν ἀπονητὶ καὶ μετὰ πάσης εὐκολίας πᾶσαν αὐτῷ παραδοῦναι τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπαγγειλάμενον, τοῦτον προαναρπάσας τῆς ὑποσχέσεως, καὶ δόλῳ διαχρησάμενος. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἤλγησεν ἐκείνῃ τῇ σφαγῇ, ὡς καὶ τότε καταράσασθαι τὸν Ἰωὰβ, καὶ παρ' αὐτὸν τῆς τελευτῆς τὸν καιρὸν ἐπισκῆψαι τῷ ἑαυτοῦ παιδὶ δίκην ταύτην εἰσπράξασθαι τῆς μιαιφονίας αὐτόν. Καὶ τὰ ῥήματα δὲ, ἅπερ αὐτὸν ἀνακαλῶν ἐθρήνησεν, ἱκανὰ τὸ πάθος ἡμῖν παραστῆσαι τῆς ψυχῆς· Ἐπῆρε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ τῷ τάφῳ Ἀβεννὴρ, καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰ κατὰ τὸν θάνατον Νάβαλ ἀποθανεῖται Ἀβεννὴρ, αἱ χεῖρές σου οὐκ ἐδέθησαν, οὐδὲ οἱ πόδες σου ἐν πέδαις, οὐδὲ προσήγαγες ὡς Νάβαλ· ἐνώπιον υἱοῦ ἀδικίας ἔπεσες. Τί δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο; Δολοφονεῖται μὲν ὁ Μεμφιβοσθὲ, καὶ τῇ διὰ τοῦτον αὐτῷ γενομένῃ λύπῃ καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πάλιν ἤλγησεν, ὡς καὶ ἀνελεῖν τοὺς φονεύσαντας ἡ τῶν χωλῶν καὶ κυλλῶν ἀντίστασις προστεθεῖσα σφόδρα αὐτὸν διετάραξε. Κρατήσας δὲ καὶ τούτων καὶ ἑτέρων πολεμίων, ἀνάγει μὲν τὴν κιβωτὸν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐφροσύνης· ἔτι δὲ αὐτῆς ἀναγομένης, καὶ πάντων χαιρόντων, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς εὐθυμίας πρᾶγμα συμβὰν πάντων ἠμαύρωσε τὴν ἡδονὴν, καὶ ἀθυμίᾳ καὶ φόβῳ πολλῷ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἔβαλε ψυχήν.","english":"8. While this passion was at its height, the commander once again enveloped him in another despondency—he who had promised to hand over the entire army to him without toil and with all ease—snatching him away beforehand from his promise and destroying him by treachery. For he grieved so greatly over that slaughter that even then he cursed Joab, and at the very time of his death he charged his own son to exact this penalty from him for the murder. And the words which he lamented when recalling him are sufficient to set before us the passion of his soul: For the king, it says, lifted up his voice and wept over the tomb of Abner, and said: Shall Abner die according to the death of Nabal? Your hands were not bound, nor your feet in fetters, nor did you bring them as Nabal; before a son of iniquity you fell. And what after this? Mephibosheth is treacherously slain, and by the grief that came to him on account of this—for again he grieved over this too—so that the opposition of the lame and the maimed, added to it, greatly disturbed him, that he wished to destroy the murderers. And having prevailed over these and other enemies, he brings up the ark with great gladness; but while it was still being brought up, and all were rejoicing, a thing that happened in the midst of the cheerfulness dimmed the pleasure of all, and cast the king's soul into great despondency and fear.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":123,"ref":"p123","source":"Τὸν γὰρ Ὀζᾶν βουληθέντα περιτρεπομένην ὀρθῶσαι τὴν κιβωτὸν, παραχρῆμα ἐπάταξε καὶ νεκρὸν ἔθηκεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀργὴ, καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ πολὺ κατέσεισε τοῦ Δαυῒδ τὴν ψυχὴν οὗτος ὁ φόβος, ὡς μὴ πρότερον τολμῆσαι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀνενεγκεῖν τὴν κιβωτὸν, πρὶν ἢ μαθεῖν ὅπως χρήσαιτο τῷ τότε αὐτὴν ὑποδεξαμένῳ Ἀβεδδαρᾶ. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τελευτήσαντος τοῦ Ἀμμανιτῶν βασιλέως, πρᾶγμα ἀνδρὸς χρηστοῦ καὶ φιλανθρώπου ποιῶν, ἔπεμψε παραμυθησόμενος τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἐκείνου, καὶ πείθων πράως ἐνεγκεῖν τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήν· ὁ δὲ ἀντὶ τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης ὑβρίσας τοὺς ἀπελθόντας αἰσχρῶς, οὕτως ἀπέπεμψε τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἆρά σοι μικρὸν εἶναι τοῦτο δοκεῖ πρὸς τὸ πλῆξαι ψυχὴν καὶ καταβαλεῖν; ἆρ' οὐχ ὁ πόλεμος ἐκεῖνος τοῦτο δείκνυσιν, ὁ μηδαμόθεν ἑτέρωθεν τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἐσχηκὼς, καὶ πρὸς τοσαύτην σφοδρότητα ἐκταθεὶς, ὡς μυρίοις αὐτὸν περιβαλεῖν κακοῖς; Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα, κἂν μυρίας τις αὐτοῖς ἀναμιγνύῃ τὰς ἡδονὰς, εἰς τὸν τῶν ὀδυνηρῶν βίον καταλέξαι τὴν ἐκείνου ζωήν· νῦν δὲ τοιαῦτα τὸ μετὰ ταῦτά ἐστιν, ὡς μηδὲ ἦρχθαι τῶν ἀληθῶς λυπηρῶν. Πάντα γὰρ μῦθον καὶ πᾶσαν τραγῳδίαν ἐνίκησε","english":"For when Uzzah wished to steady the ark that was toppling, the wrath of God struck him at once and put him to death, and this fear so greatly shook the soul of David that he did not dare to bring the ark up to himself until he had learned how he should deal with Obed-edom, who at that time had received it. After these things, when the king of the Ammonites died, doing the work of a kind and humane man, he sent to console his son and to persuade him to bear his father's death gently; but he, instead of this honor, shamefully insulted those who had gone and so sent them back to the king. Does this seem to you a small thing for striking down and casting down a soul? Does not that war demonstrate it, which had its occasion from nowhere else and was stretched to such vehemence as to surround him with countless evils? These things, then, are enough, even if one mingles countless pleasures with them, to reckon that man's life among the life of painful things; but now the things that follow are such that he has not even begun the truly grievous things. For he conquered every myth and every tragedy","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":124,"ref":"p124","source":"τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τούτου πάθη· οὕτως ἀλλόκοτα καὶ ἐπάλληλα προσέπεσεν αὐτοῦ τῇ οἰκίᾳ τὰ δεινὰ, κακῷ τὸ κακὸν ἀεὶ ἰάσασθαι σπουδαζόντων αὐτῷ. Ὅρα γάρ· ἠράσθη τῆς ἀδελφῆς ὁ Ἀμνὼν τῆς αὑτοῦ· ἐρασθεὶς ὕβρισεν εἰς αὐτὴν, ὑβρίσας ἐμίσησε, καὶ τὴν ὕβριν ἐξεπόμπευσε καὶ τὴν μίξιν, εὐθέως προστάξας τινὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐκβαλεῖν ἄκουσαν τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ παραπέμψαι διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς βοῶσαν καὶ ὀδυρομένην. Ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ καλέσας ἐπ' ἄριστον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἅπαντας, ἐν οἷς ἦν κἀκεῖνος ὁ ὑβριστὴς, ἑστιώμενον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ καὶ πίνοντα κατασφάττει διὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Εἶτα ἐξαναστάς τις ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ τὸ σαφὲς οὐ μαθὼν διὰ τὸν θόρυβον, ἀπήγγειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι τεθνήκασι πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτῷ. Καὶ ἐκάθητο θρηνῶν τὸν ἁπάντων φόνον τὸν οὐ γεγενημένον· ὡς δὲ ἔγνω τὸ σαφὲς, ἠπείλει μὲν τῷ παιδὶ, καὶ ἀναιρήσειν ἔλεγεν, ἀποδράντι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας τριῶν διατρίψαντι περίοδον ἐτῶν πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον ἔμενεν ὀργιζόμενος· καὶ οὐδ' ἂν τότε αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσεν, εἰ μὴ ἡ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σοφία καὶ ἄκοντα αὐτὸν εἰς ταύτην ἐνέβαλε τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. Καλέσας δὲ, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔσβεσε τῆς καρδίας τὴν πληγὴν, ἀλλ' ἕτερα πάλιν δύο αὐτὸν ἔτη τῆς ὄψεως ἀποστήσας τῆς αὑτοῦ, μόλις μετὰ τὸν μακρὸν χρόνον τοῦτον πάλιν ἀξιωθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, παῤῥησίας μετέδωκεν. Ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ τούτων μνησικακῶν, ἢ καὶ ἄλλως τυραννίδος ἐρῶν, ἐπανίσταται τῷ πατρὶ, καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς πλάνους καὶ τὰς φυγὰς, ἃς ὑπέμεινεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, ἐπανήγαγε, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ τοῦτον ἐκείνου χαλεπώτερον ἀπέδειξε τὸν καιρόν.","english":"the passions of this king; so strange and successive were the calamities that fell upon his house, as they eagerly sought to heal one evil with another. For observe: Amnon fell in love with his own sister; having fallen in love, he violated her; having violated her, he hated her, and he made a public show of the violation and the union, immediately ordering one of his servants to cast her out of the house against her will, and to escort her through the marketplace as she cried out and lamented. When Absalom learned this, and invited all his brothers to a banquet, among whom was that violator as well, he slaughtered him through his servants while he was feasting and drinking in their midst. Then someone rose up from there, and not learning the truth because of the uproar, reported to the king that all his children were dead. And he sat mourning the slaughter of all that had not happened; but when he learned the truth, he threatened his son and said he would kill him, but when he had fled and spent a period of three years in a foreign land, he remained angry all that time; and he would not even have called him back then, if the general's wisdom had not forced him, even unwilling, into this promise. But having called him back, not even so did he extinguish the wound of his heart, but again keeping him away from his sight for another two years, scarcely after this long time, being again persuaded by the general, did he grant him freedom of access. But he, bearing a grudge over these things, or otherwise desiring tyranny, rose up against his father, and again brought him back into the wanderings and flights which he had endured under Saul, or rather made that time far more grievous than that one.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":125,"ref":"p125","source":"Τότε μὲν γὰρ στρατηγὸς ὢν τοιαῦτα ἔπασχε, νῦν δὲ μετὰ τὸ χρόνους ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ ποιῆσαι πολλοὺς, καὶ κρατῆσαι τῶν πολεμίων ἁπάντων ὡς εἰπεῖν, μεταναστεύειν ἠναγκάζετο. Ὁ δὲ ἀναγκάζων οὐκ ἀλλότριός τις ἦν, οὐδὲ πολέμιος, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας, ὡς αὐτὸς ἀπωδύρετο λέγων, ἐξελθὼν τῆς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τότε μὲν ἐν ἀκμῇ τῆς ἡλικίας ἦν, καὶ φέρειν ἠδύνατο πάντα γενναίως· νυνὶ δὲ παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν, ὃν γηροτροφεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐχρῆν ὑπ' ἐκείνου τοῦ μιαροῦ, τότε ἐπεβουλεύετο καὶ ἐπολεμεῖτο, καὶ ἐξῄει μετὰ ὀλίγων τινῶν ἀνυπόδετος ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐγκαλυπτόμενος καὶ δακρύων. Οὐ γὰρ συμφορᾶς αὐτῷ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰσχύνης ὑπόθεσιν εἶχεν ὁ πόλεμος. Τοσούτῳ γὰρ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ὑβριστικώτερον ὁ υἱὸς ἐχρήσατο τῷ μακαρίῳ τότε ἐκείνῳ, ὡς καὶ εἰς τὰς παλλακὰς ἐνυβρίσαι τοῦ πατρὸς, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ λάθρα, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος, ὁρώντων ἁπάντων, καὶ τοὺς τῆς φύσεως θεσμοὺς καὶ τοὺς τῆς μίξεως νόμους διὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ὕβριζε μανίαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνοίας μεθύων, ἔτι τοῦ πολέμου συνεστῶτος, τὰ τῶν ἤδη νενικηκότων καὶ λαβόντων αἰχμαλώτους τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐτόλμα καὶ ἐπεδείκνυτο. Οὕτω τοίνυν ὄντα κατώδυνον καὶ φοβούμενον εὑρὼν ὁ Σιβὰ συνετάραξε πλέον καταψευσάμενος τοῦ δεσπότου, καὶ εἰπὼν, ὅτι τὰ τοῦ τυράννου φρονεῖ.","english":"For at that time, being a general, he suffered such things; but now, after he had spent many years in the kingdom and had conquered, so to speak, all his enemies, he was compelled to migrate. And the one compelling him was not some stranger, nor an enemy, but the one who came out of his own belly, as he himself lamented, saying. And then he was in the prime of life and could bear all things nobly; but now, at the very time when he ought to have been cared for in his old age by that vile man, then he was plotted against and warred upon, and the king went out with a few men, barefoot, veiled, and weeping. For that war was a source not only of calamity but also of shame for him. For so much more insolently than Saul did the son treat that blessed man of that time, that he even outraged his father's concubines, and this not secretly but on the roof, with all watching, and through his madness against his father he outraged both the ordinances of nature and the laws of union, and, drunk with folly, while the war was still raging, he dared and displayed the deeds of those who had already conquered and taken their enemies captive. Siba, then, finding him thus afflicted and afraid, disturbed him further by falsely accusing his master and saying that he was minded toward the tyrant's cause.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":126,"ref":"p126","source":"θʹ. Τοῦτον διαδέχεται ὁ Σεμεεὶ, μιαρός τις ἀνὴρ καὶ ἀχάριστος, καὶ μυρίοις ὀνείδεσιν ἔβαλλε καὶ λίθοις μετὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐκείνων· Ἔξελθε, φησὶν, ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων, καὶ ἀνὴρ ὁ παράνομος. Ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπὶ σὲ Κύριος πάντα τὰ αἵματα τοῦ οἴκου Σαοὺλ, ἀνθ' ὧν ἐβασίλευσας ἀντ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκε Κύριος τὴν βασιλείαν εἰς χεῖρας Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τοῦ υἱοῦ σου, καὶ ἔδειξέ σοι τὴν κακίαν σου, ὅτι ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων σὺ εἶ. Ὁ δὲ ἐτήκετο μὲν ταῦτα ἀκούων καὶ πάσχων, ὡς καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν θρήνων τοῦτο ἐδήλου, οὐδὲν δὲ ἐτόλμα περαιτέρω ποιεῖν· ἀλλ' εἰπὼν, Ἄφες αὐτὸν καταρᾶσθαι, ὅτι Κύριος εἴρηκεν αὐτῷ, ὅπως ἴδῃ τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου, καὶ ἀποδώῃ μοι Κύριος ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ κατάρας τῆς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ, ἀφῆκε ζῶντα ἀπελθεῖν· αὐτὸς δὲ περιέμενε τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χουσὶ μεριμνῶν καὶ τρέμων τί ποτε ἄρα ἔσται τὸ τέλος. Ὡς δὲ ἀπηγγέλθη καὶ ταῦτα, συνεκροτεῖτο ὁ πόλεμος πάντων πολέμων τῶν πώποτε γενομένων καινότατος ὢν, καὶ αἰνίγματι μᾶλλον ἐοικώς. Τὸν γὰρ αἴτιον τῶν τοσούτων κακῶν, καὶ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μάχῃ παρασχόντα τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἅπασαν, καὶ οὗ πεσόντος ἅπαντα λέλυτο τὰ δεινὰ, τοῦτον ἔχειν ἐν πολλῇ προνοίᾳ καὶ φειδοῖ τοὺς","english":"9. He is succeeded by Shimei, a vile and thankless man, who assailed him with countless reproaches and, along with those words, with stones: \"Come out,\" he said, \"man of bloodshed, and lawless man. The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in return for which you reigned in his place, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son, and he has shown you your wickedness, that you are a man of bloodshed.\" And he was melting away as he heard and suffered these things, as he showed even from his very lamentations, yet he dared to do nothing further; but saying, \"Let him curse, because the Lord has spoken to him, so that he may see my humiliation, and the Lord may repay me with good things in return for the curse on this day,\" he let him go away alive; but he himself waited, anxious about Hushai's affairs and trembling at what the end would ever be. And when these things too were reported, the war was being clashed together, the strangest of all wars that ever occurred, and more like a riddle. For the one who was the cause of so many evils, and who in that battle provided the entire occasion, and with whose fall all the terrors would have been dissolved—this man they held in great provision and sparing","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":127,"ref":"p127","source":"στρατηγοὺς παρεκάλει τοὺς αὐτοῦ, συνεχῶς ἐπιλέγων· Φείσασθέ μου τοῦ παιδαρίου Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Τί ταύτης ἂν γένοιτο τῆς ἀπορίας χεῖρον; τί τῆς ἀμηχανίας ἐλεεινότερον; Πόλεμον ἀναδέξασθαι ἠναγκάζετο, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὸ νικῆσαι καὶ τὸ κρατηθῆναι ὁμοίως ἀπευκτὸν ἦν αὐτῷ. Οὔτε γὰρ ἔλαττον ἔχειν ἤθελεν, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἐξέπεμψε στρατὸν, οὔτε περιγενέσθαι, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν τὸν συνέχοντα καὶ συγκροτοῦντα τὴν τῆς μάχης παράταξιν ἐκώλυσεν ἀνελεῖν. Κριθέντος δὲ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τέλος λαβόντος ὅπερ ἤθελεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοῦ πατραλοίου πεσόντος ἐκείνου, οἱ μὲν λοιποὶ πάντες ἦσαν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καὶ χαρᾷ, μόνος δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἐπένθει καὶ ἐδάκρυε, καὶ καθείρξας ἑαυτὸν ἀνεκαλεῖτο τὸν τεθνηκότα, καὶ ἐδυσχέραινεν ὅτι μὴ ἀντ' ἐκείνου τὴν τελευτὴν ἐδέξατο. Τίς δώσει γάρ μοι, φησὶ, θάνατον, ἀντὶ σοῦ, Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, υἱέ μου; Τί ταύτης ἠκούσθη πολυπλοκώτερον τῆς συμφορᾶς; Ὅτε μὲν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀνεῖλεν, ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν ἐσπούδαζεν, ὅτε δὲ ἐμάνη κατ' αὐτοῦ, τότε φείδεται τοῦ παιδός. Καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐπαύσατο θρηνῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ τὸν νεκρὸν, εἰ μὴ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ τὴν ἀτοπίαν τοῦ πράγματος ἔδειξε, καὶ σφοδρότερον διαλεχθεὶς ἀνέστησέ τε αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν σχήματι τῷ προσήκοντι δέξασθαι τὴν στρατιὰν παρεσκεύασε. Καὶ οὐδὲ τότε αὐτῷ τὰ τῶν δεινῶν τέλος ἐλάμβανεν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν ἐστασίασαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ στρατιῶται καὶ διῃρέθησαν· ὡς δὲ μόλις καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς κολακείας εἶξαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, πάλιν ἀποπηδήσαντες προσετέθησαν τῷ Σαβεὲ, καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἕτερος ἐτίκτετο πόλεμος τῶν τοῦ προτέρου λειψάνων μενόντων ἔτι.","english":"He kept calling his own commanders to him, saying continually, \"Spare me the boy Absalom.\" What could be worse than this perplexity? What more pitiable than this helplessness? He was compelled to undertake a war in which both to conquer and to be defeated were alike abhorrent to him. For he did not wish to have the lesser share, since otherwise he would not have sent out so great an army; nor did he wish to prevail, since otherwise he would not have forbidden the killing of the man who held together and marshaled the line of battle. But when the war was decided and had the end that God willed, and that parricide had fallen, all the rest were in gladness and joy, but he alone mourned and wept, and shutting himself in he called back the dead man, and was vexed that he had not received death in his stead. For he says, \"Who will give me death instead of you, Absalom, my son?\" What more intricate calamity than this was ever heard? When he killed his brother, he was eager to kill him; but when he raged against him, then he spares the boy. And he would not have ceased lamenting over the corpse for a long time, had not Joab come in and shown the absurdity of the matter, and after speaking more vehemently, roused him up and prepared him to receive the army in fitting attire. And not even then did the evils take their end for him, but first the soldiers quarreled with one another and were divided; and when at last with much flattery they yielded to the king, they again leaped away and joined themselves to Sheba, and again from the beginning another war was begotten, while the remnants of the former still remained.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":128,"ref":"p128","source":"Ὑπὲρ ὧν θορυβηθεὶς ὁ Δαυῒδ, καὶ συγκροτήσας τοὺς στρατιώτας, ἐξέπεμψε μετὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν· ὁ δὲ Ἰωὰβ τροπωσάμενος καὶ τοῦτον τὸν πόλεμον, οὐκ ἀφῆκε καθαρὰν ἀθυμίας γενέσθαι τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς νίκης ἡδονήν. Τὸν γὰρ συστράτηγον τὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν ὑποτάξαντα τῷ Δαυῒδ, τοῦτον ἁπλῶς καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν, ὑπὸ βασκανίας μανεὶς ἀνεῖλε καὶ διεχρήσατο· ὅπερ οὕτω διετάραξε τὸν βασιλέα καὶ συνέχεεν, ὡς καὶ περὶ τούτου τελευτῶντα ἐπισκῆψαι τῷ παιδὶ, καὶ δεηθῆναι μὴ περιιδεῖν ἀτιμώρητον ἀπελθόντα τὸν Ἀμισσᾶ. Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, οὕτω διακείμενος οὐδὲ ἐξειπεῖν ἐτόλμα τῆς ἀθυμίας τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, διὰ τὸ μυρίοις ἤδη προστεταλαιπωρηκέναι κακοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τοὺς πολέμους τούτους διεδέξατο λιμὸς τὴν χώραν πᾶσαν, καὶ τοῦ κακοῦ ζητῶν λύσιν εὑρεῖν, ἠναγκάζετο τοὺς τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἐκδοῦναι παῖδας εἰς σφαγήν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔλεγεν ὁ χρησμός· Ἐπὶ Σαοὺλ, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀδικία αὕτη διὰ τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτὸν τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας. Εἰ δέ τις μέμνηται πῶς τὸν Σαοὺλ ἐθρήνησεν, οἶδε τί καὶ τότε ἔπασχε παραδιδοὺς τοῖς Γαβαωνίταις αὐτούς· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ταῦτα ἔφερε, καὶ περαιτέρω πάλιν προῄει τὰ τῶν συμφορῶν. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸν λιμὸν ἐπέστη λοιμὸς, καὶ πίπτουσιν ἑβδομήκοντα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐν τῷ τῆς ἡμέρας ἡμίσει καιρῷ, ὅτε καὶ τὰ ἐλεεινὰ ἐκεῖνα ῥήματα φθέγγεται ὁ βασι47.485 λεύς. Ἰδὼν γὰρ τὸν ἄγγελον ἐσπασμένον τὴν ῥομφαίαν ἔλεγεν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ὁ ποιμὴν ἥμαρτον, καὶ ἐγὼ ὁ ποιμὴν ἐκακοποίησα, καὶ οὗτοι, τὸ ποίμνιον, τί ἐποίησαν; Γενέσθω ἐν ἐμοὶ ἡ χείρ σου, καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου.","english":"Because of these things David was alarmed and, having rallied the soldiers, sent them out with the commanders; but Joab, having routed this war as well, did not allow the pleasure from the victory to remain free of discouragement. For his fellow commander, who had subjected all the people to David, him he killed and dispatched, simply and having nothing to accuse him of, driven mad by envy; which so disturbed and confounded the king that at his death he even charged his son concerning this, and begged him not to overlook Amasa going off unpunished. And what is worse, being so disposed he did not even dare to speak out the cause of his discouragement, because he had already been worn down by countless evils. For after these wars famine succeeded throughout the whole land, and seeking to find a solution to the evil, he was compelled to hand over the sons of Saul for slaughter. For this is what the oracle said: \"On Saul,\" it says, \"and on his house is this injustice, because he put the Gibeonites to death.\" And if anyone remembers how he mourned for Saul, he knows what he also suffered then in handing them over to the Gibeonites; but nevertheless he bore these things too, and again the course of calamities went further. For after the famine came pestilence, and seventy thousand men fall in the space of half a day, when the king also utters those pitiable words. For seeing the angel with his sword drawn, he said: \"Behold, I the shepherd have sinned, and I the shepherd have done evil, and these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand be on me, and on my father's house.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":129,"ref":"p129","source":"Πάσας μὲν οὖν αὐτοῦ τὰς ἀθυμίας πρὸς ἀκρίβειαν οὐ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἐξειπεῖν· οὐδὲ γάρ εἰσιν ἀνάγραπτοι πᾶσαι· ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν θρήνων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὀδυρμῶν δυνατὸν στοχάσασθαι καὶ τῶν παραλειφθεισῶν τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ὡς οὐδέποτε διελίμπανε κοπτόμενος καὶ ἀλγῶν ὁ δίκαιος. Τί γάρ φησιν; Αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἐτῶν ἡμῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη· ἐὰν δὲ ἐν δυναστείαις, ὀγδοήκοντα ἔτη, καὶ τὸ πλεῖον αὐτῶν κόπος καὶ πόνος. Εἰ δὲ λέγοις ὅτι τῆς κοινῆς τοῦτο κατέγνω ζωῆς, οὐ τῆς αὐτοῦ μόνον, μεῖζόν τι ἢ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς βούλομαι λέγεις, καὶ λόγων ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάττεις πολλῶν, αὐτὸς ὁμολογῶν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐκείνου, ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἑτέρου τινὸς βίον ἔστιν εὑρεῖν μὴ πολλῷ πλείονα τῶν χρηστῶν ἔχοντα τὰ δυσχερῆ. Καὶ γὰρ, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφης καλῶς, οὐ τὰ αὐτοῦ μόνον ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων διασκεψάμενος, οὕτω ταύτην ἐξήνεγκε τὴν ἀπόφασιν, τὰ μὲν αὐτὰ τῷ\n\nπατριάρχῃ φθεγγόμενος, μετὰ δὲ μείζονος τῆς σφοδρότητος· ὃ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ μέρους, τοῦτο καθόλου οὗτος ὕστερον ἀπεφήνατο. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγε, Μικραὶ καὶ πονηραὶ αἱ ἡμέραι μου· οὗτος δὲ, Αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἐτῶν ἡμῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, τουτέστι πάντων ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τὸ πλεῖον αὐτῶν κόπος καὶ πόνος. ιʹ. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν, ὅπερ ἔφην, ἀφίημί σοι μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης κατὰ σχολὴν ἐπελθεῖν· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἥξω προφήτας, καίτοι γε οὐδαμοῦ τὸν βίον αὐτῶν ἀνάγραπτον ἀφῆκαν ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ εἰς τοσαύτην στενοχωρίαν ἐμπεσόντες, διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν κατασχόντων αὐτοὺς κακῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ ῥήματος ἑνὸς οἶμαι δυνήσεσθαι δεῖξαι πάντα τὸν βίον αὐτῶν ὄντα κατώδυνον.","english":"It is not possible for us to recount all his despondencies with exactness; for not all of them are recorded. But from his laments and wailings it is possible to conjecture the magnitude of those that were omitted as well, and that the righteous man never ceased being struck down and in pain. For what does he say? The days of the years of our life are seventy years in themselves; but if in powers, eighty years, and the greater part of them is toil and pain. But if you say that he made this condemnation of the common life, not of his own only, you say something greater than I myself wish to say, and you relieve us of many words, since you yourself confess that it is not only his life but not even any other man's that can be found not to have far more of the difficult than of the good. For indeed, just as you yourself well said, he examined not only his own circumstances but also those of others, and so uttered this verdict, speaking the same things as the patriarch, but with greater vehemence; for what that one said in part, this one later declared universally. For he said, Few and evil are my days; but this one, The days of the years of our life are seventy years in themselves, that is, of all men, and the greater part of them is toil and pain. 10. But these things, as I said, I leave to you to go through at leisure with all exactness; but I will come to the remaining prophets, although indeed they have left us their life nowhere recorded, yet nevertheless, having fallen into such great straits because of the excess of the evils that seized them, I think I will be able to show from a single utterance that their whole life was grievous.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":130,"ref":"p130","source":"Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν, ὃ κοινὸν πᾶσιν ὑπῆρχεν αὐτοῖς, στρεβλούμενοι, μαστιζόμενοι, πριζόμενοι, λιθαζόμενοι, φυλακιζόμενοι, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀποθνήσκοντες, περιερχόμενοι ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι τὸν ἅπαντα βίον διετέλουν. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἑτέραν εἶχον ἀθυμίας προσθήκην ταύτης χαλεπωτέραν, τὸ τὴν κακίαν ὁρᾷν προβαίνουσαν τῶν ταῦτα διατιθέντων αὐτοὺς, ἐφ' ᾧ μᾶλλον τῶν οἰκείων ἐδάκνοντο θλίψεων. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἔλεγεν· Ἀρὰ καὶ ψεῦδος, καὶ κλοπὴ καὶ μοιχεία καὶ φόνος κέχυται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ αἵματα ἐφ' αἵμασι μίσγουσι· τὸ ἀδεὲς καὶ πολύπλοκον καὶ δαψιλὲς τῆς κακίας ἐμφαίνων ἡμῖν. Ἕτερος δὲ ἐβόα πάλιν· Οἴμοι! ὅτι ἐγενόμην ὡς συνάγων καλάμην ἐν ἀμήτῳ, καὶ ὡς ἐπιφυλλίδα ἐν τρυγήτῳ οὐχ ὑπάρχοντος βότρυος· τὸ σπάνιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν διὰ τούτων θρηνῶν. Ἄλλος πάλιν ἕτερα τοιαῦτα ἀπωδύρετο. Ὁ δὲ αἰπόλος οὐ τὰς κακίας αὐτῶν ἐπένθει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς συμφορὰς μᾶλλον τῶν οἰκείων ἐθρήνει πειρασμῶν, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδεῖτο λέγων· Ἵλεως γενοῦ, Κύριε· τίς ἀναστήσει τὸν Ἰακὼβ, ὅτι ὀλιγοστός ἐστι; Μετανόησον, Κύριε, ἐπὶ τούτῳ. Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω τυγχάνει τῆς ἱκετηρίας· εἶπε γάρ· Καὶ οὐ μὴ γένηται, λέγει Κύριος. Ὁ δὲ Ἡσαΐας ἀκούσας ὅτι ἔρημος ἔσται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, οὐδὲ παρακαλεῖσθαι ἤθελεν, ἀλλ' ἐπένθει διηνεκῶς καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἄφετέ με, πι47.486 κρῶς κλαύσομαι, μὴ κατισχύσητε παρακαλεῖν με· ὁ γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου τρόπος πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνει συμφοράν.","english":"And first, what was common to them all: they were being racked, scourged, sawn asunder, stoned, imprisoned, put to death by the sword, wandering about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, and so they spent their whole life. And after this they had yet another addition to their despondency, harsher than this: to see the wickedness of those who brought these things upon them advancing, on account of which they were bitten more than by their own afflictions. And one said: \"Cursing and lying, and theft and adultery and murder have been poured out upon the earth, and they mingle blood with blood\"—showing us the fearless, manifold, and abundant nature of wickedness. Another cried out again: \"Woe is me! for I am become as one that gathers stubble in the harvest, and as a gleaning in the vintage when there is no cluster of grapes\"—lamenting by these words the scarcity of good men. Another again bewailed other such things. But the goatherd grieved not only for their wickedness, but lamented their calamities more than his own trials, and besought God, saying: \"Be propitious, O Lord; who shall raise up Jacob, for he is few in number? Repent, O Lord, concerning this.\" And not even so does he obtain his supplication; for he said: \"And it shall not come to pass, says the Lord.\" And Isaiah, having heard that the whole earth shall be desolate, did not even wish to be comforted, but mourned continually and said: \"Let me alone, I will weep bitterly, do not strive to comfort me; for the manner of death surpasses every calamity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":131,"ref":"p131","source":"Τοῦ δὲ Ἱερεμίου τοὺς θρήνους, καὶ τοὺς ἰδίᾳ συντεταγμένους, καὶ τοὺς πανταχοῦ τῆς προφητείας διεσπαρμένους, τούς τε ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως, τούς τε ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, τίς ἀδακρυτὶ δυνήσεται ἐπελθεῖν; Νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγε· Τίς δώσει τῇ κεφαλῇ μου ὕδωρ, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου πηγὴν δακρύων; καὶ κλαύσομαι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός· νῦν δέ· Τίς δώσει μοι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ σταθμὸν ἔσχατον, καὶ καταλείψω τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἀπ' αὐτῶν; ὅτι πάντες μοιχῶνται. Καὶ ποτὲ μὲν σχετλιάζων ἐβόα· Οἴμοι ἐγὼ, μήτηρ! ὡς τίνα με ἔτεκες ἄνδρα δικαζόμενον καὶ διακρινόμενον πάσῃ τῇ γῇ; ποτὲ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ κατηρᾶτο λέγων, Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ ἡμέρα, ἐν ᾗ ἐγεννήθην ἐν αὐτῇ. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ βορβόρου λάκκος, καὶ αἱ τῶν δεσμῶν θλίψεις, καὶ αἱ μάστιγες, καὶ αἱ ἐπιβουλαὶ, καὶ ὁ γέλως ὁ διηνεκὴς οὕτως αὐτὸν διέθηκαν, ὡς καὶ ἀπαγορεῦσαι λοιπόν. Τί δὲ ἡνίκα τῆς πόλεως ἁλούσης προνοίας ἔτυχε παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων καὶ τιμῆς; ἆρα ᾔσθετο τούτων; Τότε μὲν οὖν καὶ τοὺς πικροὺς θρήνους ἔγραψε τοὺς ἀπελθόντας πενθῶν, καὶ τῶν παρελθόντων δὲ οὐκ ἐλάττονα εἶδε δεινὰ, αὐτῶν τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πολέμου ὑπολειφθέντων παροξυνάντων τὸν Θεόν. Ἐπαγγειλάμενοι γὰρ πάντα αὐτῷ πεισθήσεσθαι καὶ μηδὲν ἀντερεῖν, εἰς Αἴγυπτον πάλιν κατῄεσαν, τοῦ χρησμοῦ τἀναντία λέγοντος, καὶ τὸν προφήτην κατῆγον μεθ' ἑαυτῶν, καὶ χαλεπώτερα τῶν προτέρων αὐτοῖς ἠνάγκαζον προαναφωνεῖν διὰ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης τῆς ἑαυτῶν. Τί δὲ ὁ Ἰεζεκιήλ; τί δὲ ὁ Δανιήλ; οὐκ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον διήγαγον;","english":"But who could go through the Lamentations of Jeremiah—both those composed separately and those scattered throughout the prophecy—those for the city and those for himself—without tears? For at one time he said: Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? and I will weep for this people day and night; and at another: Who will give me in the wilderness a last resting place, and I will leave this people, and depart from them? for they are all adulterers. And sometimes in indignation he cried out: Woe is me, mother! that you bore me a man judged and disputed with in all the earth; and sometimes he even cursed the day of his birth, saying, Cursed be the day in which I was born. But the pit of mire, and the afflictions of chains, and the scourges, and the plots, and the continual mockery so affected him that he finally gave up. But when the city was captured, did he obtain any providence or honor from the barbarians? Did he perceive these things? At that time, then, he also wrote the bitter laments, mourning for those who had perished, and he saw evils no less than those past, since those left from the war themselves provoked God. For having promised to obey him in all things and not to contradict at all, they went down again to Egypt, though the oracle said the opposite, and they brought the prophet down with them, and by their own folly forced him to foretell harsher things than the former. But what of Ezekiel? What of Daniel? Did they not spend their entire time in captivity?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":132,"ref":"p132","source":"Καὶ ὁ μὲν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐκολάζετο κακῶν, καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀπελθούσης τοσαύτην συμφορὰν ἀδακρυτὶ προσετάττετο φέρειν, οὗ τί βαρύτερον γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ μηδὲ θρηνεῖν συγχωρεῖσθαι τὰ οἰκεῖα κακά; Τὸ γὰρ ἐπὶ βολβίτων ἀναγκάζεσθαι τὸν ἄρτον ἐσθίειν\n\nτὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς μιᾶς πλευρᾶς κατακλίνεσθαι ἐπὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ ἑκατὸν, καὶ ὅσα ἕτερα τοιαῦτα ἐκελεύετο ὑπομένειν, παρίημι νῦν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῷ συμβεβήκει τῶν ἀνιαρῶν τῶν τε παραλειφθέντων ὑφ' ἡμῶν, τῶν τε λεχθέντων νῦν, αὐτὸ μόνον τὸ μεταξὺ τῶν πολεμίων εἶναι καὶ βαρβάρων καὶ ἀνδρῶν ἀκαθάρτων τὸν δίκαιον καὶ καθαρὸν, πάσης τιμωρίας χαλεπώτερον ἦν. Ὁ δὲ Δανιὴλ ἐδόκει μὲν τιμῆς ἀπολαύειν πολλῆς, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ζῇν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀναστρεφόμενος, καὶ ἐν δυναστείαις ὤν· εἰ δέ τις αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐχῆς ἐπακούσειε καὶ τὴν νηστείαν καταμάθοι, καὶ τοῦ προσώπου τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν καὶ τὰς ἱκετηρίας τὰς συνεχεῖς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν ταῦτα ἔπραττε γνοίη καλῶς, εἴσεται πάντων μάλιστα τοῦτον ἐν ὀδύναις ὄντα καὶ ἀθυμίαις. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ παρόντα μόνον αὐτὸν ἠνία κακὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα συνετάραττεν, ἅπερ καὶ μηδέπω γεγενημένα κατηξιώθη μαθεῖν προφητικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς· καὶ τῆς προτέρας οὐδέπω δουλείας ἀπαλλαγέντας ἰδὼν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἑτέραν αὐτοῖς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἠναγκάζετο προορᾷν, καὶ τὴν οὔπω κατασκευασθεῖσαν πόλιν, ταύτην ἁλισκομένην ἔβλεπε, καὶ ταῖς θυσίαις μολυνόμενον τὸν ναὸν καὶ ἐρημούμενον, καὶ τὴν ἁγιαστίαν ἀνατρεπομένην ἅπασαν. Διόπερ ἐπένθει καὶ ἐδάκρυε λέγων·","english":"And he was punished by hunger and thirst for the evils of others, and when his wife departed he was commanded to bear so great a calamity without tears—than which what could be heavier than not even being permitted to lament one's own evils? For to be compelled to eat his own bread upon dung, and to lie upon one side for ninety and a hundred days, and whatever other such things he was ordered to endure, I now pass over. For even if none of the grievous things had befallen him—neither those we have omitted nor those now mentioned—the mere fact of the righteous and pure man being amid enemies and barbarians and unclean men was harsher than any punishment. And Daniel seemed indeed to enjoy much honor, and not to live as in captivity, moving about in the palaces and being in positions of power; but if one should listen to his prayer and observe his fasting, and the alteration of his countenance and his continual supplications, and should well understand for what he did these things, he will know that this man above all was in pains and despondencies. For not only the present evils troubled him, but the future ones also disturbed him, which he was deemed worthy to learn by prophetic eyes even before they had come to pass; and seeing the Jews not yet freed from their former slavery, he was compelled to foresee another captivity for them, and he saw the city not yet built being captured, and the temple defiled by the sacrifices and laid waste, and all the sanctuary overturned. Therefore he mourned and wept, saying:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":133,"ref":"p133","source":"Ἡμῖν ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι, καὶ τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν, οἵτινες ἡμάρτομέν σοι τῷ Κυρίῳ.\n\nιαʹ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα πῶς μεταξὺ τῶν προφητῶν παρέδραμον τὴν οὐρανομήκη ψυχὴν, τὸν οὕτως οἰκήσαντα τὴν γῆν, ὡς τὸν οὐρανόν· οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ τῆς μηλωτῆς πλέον ἦν. Τί οὖν οὗτος ὁ μέγας καὶ θαυμαστὸς ἀνὴρ, εἴ γε ἄνδρα αὐτὸν δεῖ καλεῖν; Μετὰ τὴν παῤῥησίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἀχαὰβ, μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς καταπομπὴν, μετὰ τὴν τῶν ἱερέων σφαγὴν, μετὰ τὸ κλεῖσαι καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὸν οὐρανὸν, καθ' ὃν ἐβούλετο ἀμφότερα χρόνον, μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα κατορθώματα, οὕτως ἐκρατεῖτο τῷ φόβῳ καὶ τῇ τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπερβολῇ, ὡς ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα φθέγγεσθαι· Λάβε τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ κρείττων εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πατέρας μου. Ταῦτα ἐκεῖνος ὁ μηδέπω καὶ νῦν τετελευτηκώς. Καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπελθὼν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἐκάθευδεν ὑπὸ τῆς βαρυθυμίας κατακαμφθείς. Ὁ δὲ μαθητὴς ὁ τούτου οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα δισσὸν ἔλαβε τοῦ διδασκάλου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς θλίψεις πολλῷ μείζονας. Τούτους γοῦν ἡμῖν πρὸ μικροῦ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος παραδεικνὺς καὶ τὰς ταλαιπωρίας αὐτῶν ἀπαριθμούμενος ἔλεγεν· Ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος. Εὐκαίρως δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ μακάριος ἐπεισῆλθεν οὗτος· ὁ γὰρ καὶ μόνος ὀφθεὶς καὶ ἀρκέσας πρὸς παράκλησιν, οὗτος μετὰ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰσελθὼν, τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἀφανίσειεν ἀθυμίαν καὶ λύπην;","english":"To us belongs the shame of face, and to our kings, and to our rulers, and to our fathers, who have sinned against you, O Lord.\n\n11. But I do not know how, in the midst of the prophets, I passed over that heaven-high soul, the one who dwelt on the earth as though it were heaven; for nothing was more to him than his sheepskin cloak. What then did this great and wonderful man do—if indeed one should call him a man? After his boldness before Ahab, after the sending down of fire, after the slaughter of the priests, after closing and opening heaven at whatever time he wished for both, after so many and such great achievements, he was so mastered by fear and by the excess of despondency that he uttered these words: Take my soul from me, for I am no better than my fathers. This was said by that man who has not even yet died. And not only this, but he went away into the desert and slept, bowed down by heaviness of soul. But his disciple received not only a double portion of his teacher's spirit, but also afflictions far greater. At any rate, the blessed Paul, setting these men before us a little while ago and numbering their hardships, said: Of whom the world was not worthy. And the blessed one has come in upon us opportunely; for he who alone appeared and sufficed for consolation—this one, entering in after the others, what despondency and grief would he not dispel?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":134,"ref":"p134","source":"Τὸν μὲν οὖν λιμὸν, καὶ τὸ δίψος, καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν, καὶ τὰ ναυάγια, καὶ τὰς ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις διατριβὰς, καὶ τοὺς φόβους, καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τὰ δεσμωτήρια, καὶ τὰς πληγὰς, καὶ τὰς ἀγρυπνίας, καὶ τοὺς μυρίους θανάτους, καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα τοῦ κηρύγματος ἕνεκεν ὑπέμεινεν, οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν λέγειν. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ καὶ θλίψεις τινὰς, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἡδονὰς παρεῖχεν αὐτῷ· ἀλλ' ὅτε ἀπεστράφησαν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ, ὅτε Γαλάται ἐξετράπησαν, ἔθνος ὁλόκληρον καὶ εὐδοκιμηκὸς, ὅτε Κορίνθιοι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς Ἐκκλησίαν εἰς πολλὰ διέτεμον μέρη, καὶ τὸν πορνεύσαντα κολακεύσαντες εἰς ἀναισθησίαν ἤγαγον, τί αὐτὸν οἴει παθεῖν; πόσῳ κατασχεθῆναι σκότῳ τὴν ψυχήν; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τί δεῖ λογισμῶν ἡμῖν, παρὸν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτῶν; Κορινθίοις μὲν γὰρ ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐκ πολλῆς θλίψεως καὶ συνοχῆς καρδίας ἔγραψα ὑμῖν διὰ πολλῶν δακρύων· καὶ πάλιν, Μήπως ἐλθόντα με ταπεινώσῃ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων. Γαλάταις δὲ, Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Περὶ δὲ τῶν Ἀσιανῶν πρὸς τὸν μαθητὴν ἀποδύρεται. Οὐ ταῦτα δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἠνία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ σκόλοψ ὁ δοθεὶς αὐτῷ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἔθλιβε καὶ ἐστενοχώρει, ὡς πολλάκις ὑπὲρ τῆς τούτου λύσεως","english":"Therefore, the famine, the thirst, the nakedness, the shipwrecks, the sojourns in the deserts, the fears, the dangers, the plots, the prisons, the beatings, the sleepless nights, the countless deaths, and all the other things he endured for the sake of the preaching—I think there is no need to speak of them. For these things, even if they were certain afflictions, nevertheless also gave him pleasures. But when all those in Asia turned away from him, when the Galatians were turned aside—a whole nation and one that had been well reputed—when the Corinthians divided the church among them into many parts, and by flattering the one who had committed fornication led him into insensibility, what do you think he suffered? By how much darkness do you think his soul was seized? But why do we need reasonings, when it is possible to hear his own words? For writing to the Corinthians he said, Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; and again, Lest when I come, God should humble me, and I should mourn for many of those who have sinned before and have not repented. And to the Galatians, My little children, for whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you. And concerning the Asians he laments to his disciple. Nor did these things alone distress him, but also the thorn given to him so afflicted and constrained him that often, for the removal of this","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":135,"ref":"p135","source":"δεῖσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸ γὰρ τρὶς ἐνταῦθα τὸ πολλάκις ἐστίν. Ὅλως δὲ πότε ἀναπνεῦσαι ἴσχυσεν ὁ καὶ ἐπὶ ἀπουσίᾳ ἀδελφοῦ κοπτόμενος; Τῷ μή με εὑρεῖν, φησὶν, Τίτον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου, οὐκ ἔσχηκα ἄνεσιν. Καὶ ἐπὶ νόσῳ πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἔπασχεν. Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ ἠλέησεν αὐτὸν, φησὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἐπαφρᾶ Φιλιππησίοις ἔλεγεν, οὐκ αὐτὸν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμὲ, ἵνα μὴ λύπην ἐπὶ λύπῃ σχῶ. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀπατεῶσι καὶ ἀντιλέγουσιν αὐτῷ σφόδρα βαρυθυμῶν, Τιμοθέῳ ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν· Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδείξατο· ἀποδῴη αὐτῷ Κύριος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Τίνα οὖν ἀθυμίας καὶ ὀδύνης μικρὰν γοῦν ἔχειν ἀνακωχὴν ἠδύνατο, Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ εἰρημένα μόνον ἦν τὰ πολιορκοῦντα τὴν ἐκείνου ψυχὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερα πρὸς τούτοις, ἃ διηνεκῆ παρεῖχε τὴν ἀθυμίαν αὐτῷ· καὶ ταῦτα πόλιν αὐτὸς ἐξεκάλυψεν εἰπών· Χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτὸς ἡ ἐπισύστασίς μου ἡ καθ' ἡμέραν, ἡ μέριμνα πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν. Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι, Εἰ τοίνυν καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων αὐτὸς ἐπυροῦτο, οὐκ ἐνῆν σβεσθῆναι τὴν πύρωσιν ταύτην ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου ψυχῆς. Οὐ γὰρ διελίμπανον οἱ σκανδαλιζόμενοι, καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν παρέχοντες τῷ πυρί. Ὅπου γὰρ πόλεις καὶ ἔθνη δὲ πολλάκις ὁλόκληρα διέπεσε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἕνα καὶ δεύτερον εἶναι διαπαντὸς τοὺς τοῦτο πάσχοντας εἰκὸς ἦν, τοσούτων Ἐκκλησιῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην οὐσῶν. Θῶμεν δὲ, εἰ βούλει, τῷ λόγῳ, μηδὲ σκανδαλισθῆναί τινα, μηδὲ διαζευχθῆναι αὐτοῦ ποτε, μηδὲ ἄλλο τι τούτων αὐτῷ συμβεβηκέναι τῶν λυπηρῶν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτὸν δύναμαι καθαρὸν ἀθυμίας εὑρεῖν·","english":"to entreat God; for the \"thrice\" here means \"many times.\" And in general, when was he who was even distressed at the absence of a brother ever able to breathe freely? \"Because I did not find Titus my brother,\" he says, \"I had no rest.\" And again, in the case of sickness he suffered this same thing. For \"God had mercy on him,\" he says concerning Epaphras, writing to the Philippians, \"and not on him only, but on me also, so that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.\" And in the case of the deceivers and those who opposed him, being exceedingly heavy at heart, he said in his letter to Timothy: \"Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; may the Lord repay him according to his works.\" Who then was able to have even a little respite from despondency and pain? For it was not only the things mentioned that besieged his soul, but also others besides these, which gave him continual despondency; and these things he himself revealed when he said: \"Besides those things that are without, there is the daily pressure upon me, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?\" If, then, he himself burned at each one of those who stumbled, it was not possible for this burning to be quenched from his soul. For those who stumbled did not cease, providing fuel for the fire. For where cities and often whole nations fell away, it was far more likely that there were always one or two who suffered this, since there were so many churches throughout the world. But let us suppose, if you wish, in argument that no one stumbled, nor was ever separated from him, nor any other of these sorrowful things happened to him; for not even so can I find him free from despondency.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":136,"ref":"p136","source":"κἀν τούτῳ πάλιν οὐδένα δέομαι ἕτερον μάρτυρα λαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πεπονθότα αὐτόν. Τί γάρ φησιν; Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν συγγενῶν μου, τῶν κατὰ σάρκα, οἵτινές εἰσιν Ἰσραηλῖται. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Ποθεινότερον ἦν μοι εἰς γέενναν ἐμπεσεῖν, ἢ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ἀπιστοῦντας ὁρᾷν. Τὸ γὰρ, Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι, τοῦτό ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ τὴν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ κόλασιν ἑλόμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ δυνηθῆναι προσαγαγέσθαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἅπαντας, εὔδηλον ὅτι τούτου μὴ τυχὼν, τῶν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ κολαζομένων διῆγε βαρύτερον, ἐπείπερ ἐκεῖνο μᾶλλον αὐτῷ κατὰ γνώμην ἢ τοῦτο ἦν. ιβʹ. Σὺ δέ μοι καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν εἰρημένων μὴ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν λογίζου μόνον, ἐξ ἧς ἡ ἀθυμία τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐκείνοις ἐτίκτετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μέτρον τῆς λύπης, καὶ πολλῷ ταῦτα μείζονα ὄψει τῆς ὀδύνης τῆς σῆς. Τὸ γὰρ ἐξεταζόμενον νῦν τοῦτό ἐστιν, εἰ χαλεπώτερον ἤλγουν ἐκεῖνοι· μέτρον δὲ ἀθυμίας οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς τικτούσης αὐτὴν προφάσεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων δοκιμάζεσθαι πέφυκεν. Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν χρήματα ἀπολέσαντες μόνον μειζόνως ἤλγησαν τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς σῆς, καὶ οἱ μὲν εἰς πέλαγος ἔῤῥιψαν ἑαυτοὺς, οἱ δὲ καὶ βρόχων ἥψαντο, οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες τὴν ζημίαν· ἑτέρων δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔσβεσεν ἡ τῆς ἀθυμίας ταύτης ὑπερβολή· καίτοι δοκεῖ τὸ χρήματα ἀπολέσαι τοῦ παρὰ δαίμονος ἐνοχληθῆναι ἔλαττον εἶναι καὶ κουφότερον, ἀλλ' ὅμως πολλοὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἤνεγκαν, ὑπ' ἐκείνου δὲ ἡττήθησαν.","english":"And in this again I need no other witness, but the man who suffered it himself. For what does he say? \"I was praying to be accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites.\" What he means is this: it was more desirable to me to fall into Gehenna than to see the Israelites disbelieving. For \"I was praying to be accursed\" means this: and he who chose the punishment in Gehenna in order to be able to win over all the Jews, it is evident that, not obtaining this, he lived a life heavier than those punished in Gehenna, since that was more according to his mind than this. 12. But do not consider with me, in each of the things said, only the circumstance from which the despondency was produced in those men, but also the measure of the grief, and you will see these things much greater than your pain. For what is being examined now is this: whether those men grieved more severely; and the measure of despondency is naturally judged not only from the cause that produces it, but also from the words and from the deeds. Many, then, having lost money alone, grieved more greatly than your love, and some threw themselves into the sea, and others even laid hold of a noose, not enduring the loss; and the excess of this despondency extinguished the eyes of others; and yet losing money seems to be less and lighter than being troubled by a demon, but nevertheless many bore this, but were defeated by that.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":137,"ref":"p137","source":"Μὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς σεαυτοῦ ψυχῆς ταῦτα δοκίμαζε νῦν, μηδ' ὅτι σὺ καταγελᾷς τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ζημίας, ἤδη καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους οὕτω διακεῖσθαι νόμιζε· πολλοὺς γὰρ καὶ εἰς παραπληξίαν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην ζημίαν ἡ τούτων ἀφαίρεσις ἤγαγε. Γενναίαν μὲν γὰρ ψυχὴν οὐδέτερον δύναται τούτων καταβαλεῖν· ἡ δὲ ἀσθενὴς καὶ βιωτικώτερον διακειμένη ἐκείνῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τούτῳ δάκνεται. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσον λιμὸν δεδοικέναι διαπαντὸς καὶ δι' ἡμερῶν τινων διενοχλεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦ νοσήματος τούτου. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἐν βραχεῖ καιροῦ μέρει πᾶσά ἐστιν ἡ βία, καθάπερ πυρετοῦ τινος, ἢ φρίκης, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρας προσβαλούσης τινὸς περιόδου, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων ἐλάττονα πολλῷ κατέχει καιρόν· εἰ δὲ τῇ σφοδρότητι νικᾷ, πολλοὺς τῶν πυρεττόντων ἔχοιμ' ἂν δεῖξαι ἐγὼ πολλῷ τῶν δαιμονώντων μᾶλλον ἐξισταμένους, ὅταν ἐκείνῳ κατασχεθῶσι τῷ πυρί. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆς ἐνδείας ὁ φόβος τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπορίας, καθάπερ σὴς διηνεκὴς,\n\nοὕτω διαπαντὸς προσεδρεύων κατεσθίει τὴν τῶν πενομένων ψυχήν. Καὶ τί λέγω πενίαν; Εἰ γὰρ βουλοίμεθα πάσας τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπαριθμεῖν συμφορὰς, οὐχ ἡμεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς τάχα γελάσεις τοὺς σαυτοῦ θρήνους καὶ τὰς οἰμωγάς. Πάσας μὲν οὖν, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος αὐτῶν εἰπεῖν ἡμῖν δυνατόν· οὔτε γὰρ ἴσμεν αὐτὰς, οὔτε, εἰ καὶ ᾔδειμεν, ὅλος ὁ χρόνος ἂν ἡμῖν πρὸς τὴν διήγησιν ἤρκεσεν. Ὀλίγας δὲ ἐκ πολλῶν ἀναλεξάμενος, ἐκ τούτων σοι παρέξω κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ τὰς οὐκ εἰρημένας στοχάσασθαι. Ἀναμνήσθητι γὰρ τὸν φίλτατον γέροντα ἐκεῖνον, Δημόφιλον λέγω, τὸν ἐκ τῆς μεγάλης καὶ λαμπρᾶς οἰκίας.","english":"Do not judge these things now from your own soul, nor suppose that because you laugh at the loss of money, others are also so disposed; for the removal of these things has led many both to madness and to the utmost ruin. For neither of these can cast down a noble soul; but the weak soul, one disposed more toward the things of this life, is bitten more by the latter than by the former. Why is this? Because it is not the same thing to fear famine continually and to be troubled every few days by this disease. For here the whole violence lasts for a brief part of time, like a fever, or a chill, or some other periodic attack that comes on, and indeed it holds its season far shorter than these; but if it conquers by its vehemence, I could show you many of those sick with fever far more deranged than those possessed by demons, when they are seized by that fire. But since the fear of want, the lack of necessities, like a ceaseless moth, thus ever sitting by, devours the soul of the poor. And why do I speak of poverty? For if we wished to enumerate all the calamities of men, not only you, but perhaps you yourself would laugh at your own lamentations and wailings. All of them, then—or rather, we cannot speak even the smallest fraction of them; for neither do we know them, nor, even if we knew them, would all time suffice us for the telling. But having gathered a few from many, from these I will enable you, as far as I can, to conjecture also those not mentioned. For remember that most beloved old man, I mean Demophilus, from the great and illustrious house.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":138,"ref":"p138","source":"Οὗτος πέμπτον καὶ δέκατον ἔτος ἔχει λοιπὸν, ἐξ οὗ τῶν μὲν νεκρῶν οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διάκειται πρὸς τὸ ἐνεργεῖν, πλὴν ὅσον τρέμει διηνεκῶς, καὶ φθέγγεται, καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν τρανὴν τῶν οἰκείων ἔχει κακῶν· πενίᾳ δὲ ἐσχάτῃ συζῇ, καὶ τὸν διακονούμενον ἔχει νεανίσκον ἕνα, χρηστὸν μὲν καὶ φιλοδέσποτον, οὐ μὴν ἱκανὸν παραμυθήσασθαι τὴν συμφορὰν ἐκείνην· οὔτε γὰρ τῇ πενίᾳ ἀμῦναι ἔχει, οὔτε τὸν τῆς παρέσεως καταπαῦσαι τρόμον, ἀλλὰ ψωμὸν ἐνθεῖναι μόνον τῷ στόματι τοῦ δεσπότου οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸς τοῦτο ἀρκοῦσι βοηθῆσαι αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῷ, καὶ κύλικα προσαγαγεῖν, καὶ κορυζῶντα ἀπομύξαι δύναιτ' ἂν, ἕτερον δὲ τούτων εἰσενεγκεῖν πλέον οὐδέν. Ἀλλ' οὗτος μὲν πεντεκαίδεκα ἔτη ἔχει λοιπὸν ταλαιπωρούμενος οὕτως, ὡς ἔφην· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐννοῶ τὸν ὀκτὼ καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη εἰς τοῦτο καταναλώσαντα τὸ πάθος. Σὺ δέ μοι πρὸς τούτοις καὶ Ἀριστόξενον λόγισαι τὸν Βιθυνόν· τούτῳ γὰρ τὸ μὲν σῶμα οὐ διαλέλυται καθάπερ ἐκείνῳ τῷ γέροντι, νόσος δὲ ἐπίκειται πολλῷ τῆς παραλύσεως ἐκείνης χαλεπωτέρα. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦ ἤτρου σπασμοί τινες καὶ πάσης ἀλγηδόνος πικρότεροι πόνοι ποτὲ μὲν ὀβελίσκων χεῖρον διαπείροντες, ποτὲ δὲ πυρὸς σφοδρότερον διατρώγοντες, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα διενοχλοῦντες, παρὰ τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι τὸ πάθος μαινομένου περιτιθέασι δόξαν αὐτῷ· οὕτω διαστρέφοντες τὰς κόρας, οὕτω στραγγαλοῦντες τὰς χεῖρας μετὰ τῶν ποδῶν, τιθέασιν ἄφωνον.","english":"This man has now reached his fifteenth year, and in respect to activity he is no better off than the dead, except that he trembles continually, utters sounds, and has a clear perception of his own misfortunes. He lives in the utmost poverty and has one young attendant, a good man and devoted to his master, but not capable of alleviating that calamity; for he can neither ward off poverty nor stop the trembling of his paralysis, but can only put a morsel into his master's mouth—for his hands are not even sufficient for this assistance—and bring a cup, and wipe the nose of one who has a running cold, and he could do nothing more than these things. But this man has now spent fifteen years in such misery as I have described; and I consider the one who has consumed eight and thirty years in this affliction. In addition to these, reckon for me also Aristoxenus the Bithynian; for his body has not been dissolved like that old man's, but a disease lies upon him far more grievous than that paralysis. For through the abdomen, certain spasms and pains more bitter than all agony, sometimes piercing worse than spits, sometimes gnawing more fiercely than fire, and troubling him every day and night, give to those who do not know his affliction the opinion that he is mad—so do they distort his eyes, so do they twist his hands together with his feet, and render him speechless.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":139,"ref":"p139","source":"Αἱ δὲ κραυγαὶ καὶ οἱ κωκυτοὶ καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀνακράζει πολλάκις μετὰ τὴν ἀφωνίαν ἐκείνην τὰς τῶν ὠδινουσῶν νικῶσιν ὀλολυγὰς, καὶ πολλάκις τῶν πόῤῥωθεν οἰκούντων ἀῤῥώστους ἔχοντες, καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῆς ἀγρυπνίας ἐνοχλουμένους, ἔπεμψαν ἐγκαλοῦντες ὑπὲρ τῶν καμνόντων, ὡς χεῖρον ὑπὸ τῆς τούτου διατεθέντων φωνῆς. Γίνεται δὲ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐκ διαλειμμάτων μακρῶν, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις μὲν τῆς ἡμέρας, πολλάκις δὲ τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ λοιπὸν ἕκτος οὗτός ἐστιν ἐνιαυτὸς, ἐξ οὗ τῇ πονηρᾷ ταύτῃ παραδέδοται μάστιγι, καὶ οὔτε οἰκέτης πάρεστιν ὁ θεραπεύσων αὐτὸν, οὔτε ἰατρὸς παραμυθησόμενος, τοῦτο μὲν διὰ τὴν πενίαν, τοῦτο δὲ διὰ τὸ τὴν τέχνην αὐτοῖς ἐλεγχθῆναι τῷ πάθει· πολλὰ γὰρ πολλοὶ καμόντες καὶ γὰρ ἔτυχε πρὸ τούτου πολλὰ χρήματα ἔχων ἐκεῖνος ὤνησαν οὐδέν. Καὶ τὸ δὴ δεινότερον, οὐδὲ τῶν φίλων τις αὐτὸν ὁρᾷν ἐθέλει λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντες αὐτὸν ἐγκατέλιπον καὶ τῶν πολλὰ πρότερον εὐεργετηθέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δέ τις καὶ εἰσέλθοι ποτὲ, εὐθέως ἀπεπήδησε· τοσαύτης δυσωδίας τὸ δωμάτιον ἐμπέπλησται, τῷ μηδένα τὸν ἐπιμελούμενον εἶναι. Μία γὰρ αὐτῷ παιδίσκη παρακάθηται μόνη τοσαῦτα διακονοῦσα, ὅσα εἰκὸς δύνασθαι γυναῖκά τε οὖσαν, καὶ μόνην, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐργασίας διατρεφομένην τῶν χειρῶν. Πόσων οὖν δαιμόνων χαλεπώτερα τὰ ἐκείνου κακά!","english":"His cries and wailings—for he often shrieks after that speechlessness—surpass the ululations of women in labor, and often those living far away who had sick people, troubled by much sleeplessness, sent complaints on behalf of their patients, saying they had been made worse by his voice. This happens to him not at long intervals, but often by day and often by night, and this is now the sixth year since he was handed over to this evil scourge, and there is no servant present to care for him, nor a physician to comfort him—partly because of poverty, partly because their art had been shown useless in his affliction; for many who suffered much—and indeed before this he happened to have much money—benefited nothing. And what is worse still, no longer does any of his friends wish to see him, but all have abandoned him, even those who had previously been greatly benefited by him. And if anyone ever does enter, he immediately leaps back; so great a stench has filled the room, because there is no one to care for him. For a single maidservant sits by him alone, rendering as many services as it is reasonable for a woman to be able to render, and one alone, and one who is sustained by the work of her hands. How much harsher, then, are that man's evils than those of how many demons!","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":140,"ref":"p140","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῷ ἠνώχλει τούτων, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθεν ἐννοῶν τὸν χρόνον τὸν μακρὸν, ὃν ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης κατάκειται, τὴν δαπάνην τὴν πολλὴν καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην αὐτὸν ἐμβαλοῦσαν πενίαν, τῶν φίλων τὴν καταφρόνησιν, τῶν θεραπευσόντων τὴν ἐρημίαν, τὸ μηδὲ εἰ στήσεταί ποτε τὰ δεινὰ ταῦτα εἰδέναι, ὅπερ ἀεὶ σὺ πενθεῖς, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πεπεῖσθαι ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι οὐδὲ στήσεταί ποτε, ζῶντος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐμπνέοντος ἔτι; Ἡ γὰρ ἐπίτασις τοῦ νοσήματος καὶ τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον αὐτῷ προβαίνειν τὸ δεινὸν, τοῦτό φησιν.\n\nιγʹ. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ καθ' ἕκαστον τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα δεδυστυχηκότας ἀπαριθμῶν δόξω τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἀποκναίειν, ἄπιθι πρὸς τὸν ἐπιτραπέντα τὴν τοῦ ξενῶνος ἐπιστασίαν, καὶ κέλευσον εἰσαγαγεῖν σε πρὸς τοὺς κατακειμένους ἐκεῖ, ἵνα πᾶσαν ῥίζαν ἴδῃς παθῶν, καὶ ξένους νοσημάτων τρόπους, καὶ παντοδαπὰς ἀθυμίας ὑποθέσεις. Ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐλθὼν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι τούτῳ καταμαθὼν, βάδισον ἐπὶ τὰ προπύλαια τῶν βαλανείων, ἔνθα καὶ κόπρῳ καὶ καλάμῃ ἀντὶ ἱματίων καὶ οἴκων κεχρημένοι τινὲς κατάκεινται γυμνοὶ, κρυμῷ καὶ νόσῳ καὶ λιμῷ πολιορκούμενοι διηνεκεῖ, τῇ ὄψει μόνῃ καὶ τῷ τρόμῳ τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῷ ψόφῳ τῶν συγκρουόντων ὀδόντων παρακαλοῦντες τοὺς παριόντας, καὶ οὔτε φωνὴν ἀφεῖναι, οὔτε χεῖρας ἐκτεῖναι δυνάμενοι τῷ σφόδρα ἤδη τοῖς τοσούτοις ἐκτετῆχθαι κακοῖς. Ἀλλὰ μηδὲ μέχρι τούτων στῇς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῶν πτωχῶν καταγώγιον τὸ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἔξιθι, καὶ τότε ὄψει καλῶς, ὅτι ἡ δοκοῦσά σε συνέχειν ἀθυμία νῦν λιμήν ἐστιν εὔδιος.","english":"For even if none of these things troubled him, what would he not suffer in considering the long time during which he lies on his bed, the great expense that has plunged him into extreme poverty, the contempt of his friends, the desolation of those who should care for him, the not even knowing whether these evils will ever cease—which is what you always lament—or rather the being firmly convinced that they will never cease as long as he lives and still breathes? For the intensification of the disease and its advancing each day to the worse—this, he says, is the terrible thing.\n\n13. But that I may not seem to wear out my hearers by enumerating individually those who have suffered such misfortunes, go to the man entrusted with the oversight of the guest-house, and bid him lead you in to those lying there, so that you may see every root of the passions, and strange forms of disease, and every kind of occasion for despondency. From there, having gone to the prison and learned thoroughly all that is in that dwelling, walk on to the vestibule of the baths, where some lie naked, using dung and reeds instead of garments and houses, besieged by cold and disease and continual hunger, entreating passers-by only by their appearance and the trembling of their body and the chattering of their knocking teeth, able neither to utter a sound nor to stretch out their hands, so utterly wasted are they already by such great evils. But do not stop even at these, but go out also to the shelter of the poor before the city, and then you will clearly see that the despondency which seems to grip you is now a calm harbor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":141,"ref":"p141","source":"Τί γὰρ ἄν τις εἴποι τοὺς ἐλεφαντίᾳ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀναλισκομένους ἄνδρας, τὰς καρκίνῳ κατεσθιομένας γυναῖκας; Ταῦτα γὰρ ἀμφότερα τὰ νοσήματα μακρά τέ ἐστι καὶ ἀνίατα· θάτερον δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀπελαύνει τοὺς ἔχοντας, καὶ οὔτε λουτροῦ, οὔτε ἀγορᾶς, οὔτε ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν ἔνδον αὐτοῖς μετασχεῖν θέμις ἐστίν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον τὸ δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔχουσιν ἀφθονίας θαῤῥεῖν. Τί δὲ οἱ τὰ μέταλλα πολλάκις εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην καταδικασθέντες οἰκεῖν; Οὗτοι γὰρ ἅπαντες πολλῷ μείζονα τῶν δαιμο47.491 νώντων τὴν ὀδύνην ἔχουσιν. Εἰ δὲ ἀπιστεῖς, οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν. Οὐ γὰρ τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ τά τε οἰκεῖα καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια κρίνειν εἰώθαμεν κακὰ, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν λόγῳ καὶ ὄψει μόνον μαθόντες, ταῦτα δὲ τῇ πείρᾳ καὶ τῇ αἰσθήσει καὶ μετὰ τῆς συμπαθείας τῆς ἑαυτῶν· διόπερ αὐτὰ ἀφορητότερα εἶναι ἐκείνων νομίζομεν, κἂν λίαν ᾖ κοῦφα καὶ φορητά. Εἰ δέ τις τούτων πάντων ἀπαλλαγεὶς τήν τε φύσιν αὐτῶν καταμάθοι, τούς τε ἐμπεσόντας αὐτοῖς διασκέψαιτο, οὗτος ἀδέκαστον ὑπὲρ τούτων οἴσει τὴν ψῆφον ἡμῖν. Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐκεῖνο ἐρεῖς, ὅτι πάντα μὲν ἐκεῖνα τὰ πάθη περὶ τὸ σῶμα στρέφεται μόνον, αὕτη δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἅπτεται ἡ νόσος, καὶ τούτων πάντων ἐστὶ χαλεπωτέρα. Αὐτῷ μὲν οὖν τούτῳ μάλιστα αὐτὴν εὑρήσομεν ἐκείνων κουφοτέραν τυγχάνουσαν. Αὕτη μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ τὸ σῶμα διαφθείρει, καθάπερ ἐκεῖναι, καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ πρὸς βραχὺν ἐνοχλεῖ χρόνον·","english":"For what could one say of men being consumed little by little by elephantiasis, or of women being eaten away by cancer? For both of these diseases are long-lasting and incurable; and one of them even drives those who have it out of the city, and it is not lawful for them to share in either the baths, or the marketplace, or any other of the things within it. And this is not the only terrible thing, but also that they cannot even be confident of an abundance of necessities. And what of those who have often been condemned to dwell in the mines, vainly and to no purpose? For all these have an anguish much greater than that of the demon-possessed. And if you do not believe it, that is no wonder. For we are not accustomed to judge our own evils and those of others by the same standard, but we have learned the latter only by word and sight, while these by experience and perception and with our own sympathy; and therefore we consider them more unbearable than those, even if they are very light and bearable. But if someone, having been freed from all these things, were to examine their nature thoroughly and consider those who have fallen into them, he would bring us an undecided vote concerning these matters. But perhaps you will say that all those afflictions revolve only around the body, whereas this disease touches the soul, and is more grievous than all of them. Yet by this very thing we shall find it to be lighter than those. For this one does not destroy the body, as those do, and it troubles the soul for a short time only.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":142,"ref":"p142","source":"ἃς δὲ ἀπηριθμησάμεθα νῦν, φύονται μὲν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, τὴν δὲ λύμην ἅπασαν οὐ μέχρις ἐκείνης ἱστῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχὴν παραπέμπουσι, στρεβλοῦσαι αὐτὴν συνεχῶς καὶ διαφθείρουσαι διὰ τῆς ὀδύνης καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας τῆς πολλῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὄξος ἕλκει ἀσύμφορον, οὕτω προσπεσὸν πάθος ἐν σώματι καρδίαν λυπεῖ. Μὴ τοίνυν ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος τοῦτο τίκτεται λέγε μόνον, ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ παραπέμπει τὴν λύμην ἅπασαν καὶ τὴν φθορὰν τῇ ψυχῇ, τοῦτο ἐπίδειξον. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ λοιμὸς οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν σωμάτων τικτόμενος φθείρει τὰ σώματα, καὶ ὁ τῶν ἑρπετῶν ἰὸς πρόεισι μὲν ἐξ ἐκείνων, λυμαίνεται δὲ ἡμᾶς· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν παθῶν· τίκτεται μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, τὸν δὲ ἰὸν τῆς οἰκείας κακίας εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐκχεῖ. Πάσης γὰρ δαιμονικῆς ἐνεργείας βλαβερώτερον ἡ τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπερβολή· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ δαίμων ἐν οἷς ἂν κρατῇ, διὰ ταύτης κρατεῖ· κἂν ταύτην ἀφέλῃς, οὐδὲν παρ' ἐκείνου πείσεταί τις δεινόν, Καὶ πῶς ἔνι μὴ ἀθυμεῖν, φησίν; Ἐγὼ δέ σε ἐρήσομαι, πῶς οὐκ ἔνι μὴ ἀθυμεῖν; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μοιχεία καὶ φόνος, ἢ ἄλλο τί σοι τοιοῦτον τετόλμηται τῶν ἐκκλειόντων τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀθύμει καὶ πένθει, ὁ κωλύσων οὐδείς· εἰ δὲ τούτων τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι πάντων πόῤῥωθεν ἕστηκας, τί μάτην κόπτεις σαυτόν; ιδʹ. Τὴν γὰρ ἀθυμίαν ἐνέθηκεν ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ φύσει, οὐχ ἵνα ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀκαίρως καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις αὐτῇ χρώμεθα πράγμασιν, οὐδ' ἵνα φθείρωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὰ μέγιστα κερδάνωμεν ἐξ αὐτῆς. Πῶς δὲ κερδᾶναι ἔστιν; Ὅταν εἰς καιρὸν αὐτὴν παραλαμβάνωμεν· καιρὸς δ' ἀθυμίας οὐχ ὅταν πάσχωμεν κακῶς, ἀλλ'","english":"But those afflictions which we have just now enumerated are indeed produced in the flesh, yet they do not stop all their injury at that point, but pass it on even to the soul, torturing it continually and corrupting it through pain and great despondency. For just as, he says, vinegar draws in what is harmful, so a passion that falls upon the body grieves the heart. Do not, then, merely say that this is begotten from the body, but show that it does not pass on all its injury and corruption to the soul. Since even the plague, though not begotten from bodies, corrupts bodies, and the venom of serpents issues from them, yet harms us; so too with these passions: they are begotten from the body, but they pour out the venom of their own wickedness into our soul. For the excess of despondency is more harmful than every demonic operation; since even the demon, in whomsoever he prevails, prevails through this; and if you take this away, no one will suffer anything terrible from him. And how is it possible not to be despondent, he says? But I will ask you, how is it possible to be despondent? For if adultery and murder, or any other such thing of those that exclude from the kingdom of heaven, has been dared by you, be despondent and mourn—no one will prevent you; but if by the grace of God you stand far removed from all these things, why do you strike yourself in vain? 14. For God implanted despondency in our nature, not that we should use it simply and unseasonably and in contrary circumstances, nor that we should destroy ourselves, but that we should gain the greatest things from it. And how is it possible to gain? When we take it up at the right time; and the right time for despondency is not when we suffer badly, but...","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":143,"ref":"p143","source":"ὅταν δρῶμεν κακῶς· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν τάξιν ἀνεστρέψαμεν, καὶ τοὺς καιροὺς ἀντηλλαξάμεθα, καὶ ποιοῦντες μὲν μυρία κακὰ, οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ συστελλόμεθα· ἢν δὲ μικρόν τι παρ' ὁτουοῦν πάθωμεν, καταπίπτομεν, ἰλιγγιῶμεν, ἀπαλλαγῆναι καὶ ἀποστῆναι τοῦ βίου σπεύδομεν. Τοιγάρτοι διὰ τοῦτο φορτικὸν καὶ βαρὺ τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι ἡμῖν δοκεῖ, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ θυμὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα οἱ μὴ χρησάμενοι καλῶς μηδὲ εἰς δέον διέβαλον· καὶ συμβαίνει ταυτὸ, οἷον ἐπὶ τῶν φαρμάκων τῶν παρὰ τῶν ἰατρῶν διδομένων· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ὅταν μὴ τοῖς καταλλήλοις, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν κατεσκεύασται, ἀλλ' ἑτέροις ἀνθ' ἑτέρων ἐπιτεθῇ πάθεσιν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπήλλαξε τοῦ λυποῦντος τὸν κάμνοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπέτριψε τὸ νόσημα· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἡ ἀθυμία ποιεῖ, καὶ εἰκότως. Αὐστηρὸν γὰρ οὖσα καὶ διαβρωτικὸν φάρμακον, καὶ ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις καθαρτήριον τῆς πονηρίας τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅταν μὲν ἀργούσῃ ψυχῇ καὶ τρυφώσῃ καὶ πολὺν ἐχούσῃ τὸν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων φορυτὸν παρέχηται, μέγιστα τὸν δεξάμενον ὤνησεν· ὅταν δὲ ἀθλούσῃ καὶ ἀγωνιζομένῃ καὶ πονούσῃ καὶ μεμεριμνημένῃ καὶ πασχούσῃ κακῶς, πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ὠφελῆσαι, καὶ μεγάλα ἔβλαψεν, ἀσθενεστέραν ἐργασαμένη καὶ εὐκαταγώνιστον. Διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς μὲν ἑστηκόσι καὶ ἀγωνιζομένοις γράφων ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε, Χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε· πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε· τοῖς δὲ διαχυθεῖσι καὶ πολλὴν ἔχουσι τὴν φλεγμονὴν, Καὶ ὑμεῖς πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστὲ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λιπαινόμενος τῷ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων λιπασμῷ, ἰσχνούσθω καὶ καταξαινέσθω τῷ φαρμάκῳ τούτῳ·","english":"when we do evil; but we have overturned the order and exchanged the seasons, and though we commit countless evils, we are not restrained even for a moment; but if we suffer some small thing at anyone's hands, we collapse, we grow dizzy, we hasten to be released and to depart from life. Therefore for this reason the matter seems to us to be burdensome and heavy, just as indeed both anger and desire do. For those who have not used these well nor as they ought have also slandered them; and the same thing happens as in the case of medicines given by physicians; for when those are applied not to the appropriate conditions, and for which they were prepared, but to other ailments instead of others, they not only do not relieve the sufferer of what distresses him, but even aggravate the disease the more; which is exactly what despondency also does, and reasonably so. For being a harsh and corrosive medicine, and, as one might say, a purgative of the wickedness within us, when it is supplied to a soul that is idle and luxurious and has a great heap of sins, it benefits the one who receives it most greatly; but when it is supplied to one who is striving and contending and laboring and full of cares and suffering badly, besides doing no good, it has also greatly harmed, making him weaker and easy to overcome. For this reason Paul, writing to those who stood firm and were contending, said, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice; but to those who had been dissipated and had much inflammation, And you are puffed up, and did not rather mourn. For let the one who is fattened with the fattening of sins be made lean and be torn to pieces by this medicine;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":144,"ref":"p144","source":"ὁ δὲ εὐεκτῶν καὶ ἐν τῇ προσηκούσῃ καταστάσει διατηρῶν ἑαυτὸν, τίνος ἕνεκεν φθείροι τὴν εὐεξίαν διὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας; Οὕτω γάρ ἐστιν αὕτη δραστήριος, ὡς καὶ τοῖς δεομένοις αὐτῆς πλείονα τοῦ δέοντος ἐπιτεθεῖσα χρόνον μεγάλα ἐργάσασθαι κακά. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος δεδοικὼς, ταχέως αὐτὴν ἐκέλευσεν ἀφελεῖν μετὰ τὸ πρᾶξαι τὸ ἑαυτῆς, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν προσετίθει ταύτην, ἣν ἐγὼ λέγω νῦν· Μήπως γὰρ, φησὶ, τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος. Εἰ δὲ τοὺς ἐν χρείᾳ καθεστῶτας οἶδεν ἀπολλύναι προσπεσοῦσα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, τί ποτε ἐργάσεται τοὺς οὐδὲ ὅλως δεομένους αὐτῆς, ὅταν αὐτὴν πολλὴν ἐπισπάσωνται; Ναὶ, φησὶν, οἶδα τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς, ἀλλὰ πῶς αὐτὴν ἀποκρούσομαι, καὶ ἀποστήσω τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, οὐκ οἶδα. Καὶ ποίας τοῦτο δυσκολίας, ὦ φίλε; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιθυμία τις ἦν, καὶ σωμάτων ἔρως ἄτοπος, ἢ κενοδοξίας τυραννὶς, τὸ δυσκαταγώνιστον κακὸν, ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων παθῶν, καλῶς ἂν ἠπόρεις ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς· τοὺς γὰρ τοιούτοις ἁλόντας ἀδύνατον μὲν οὐδαμῶς, δύσκολον δὲ ὅμως ἀποδρᾶναι τὰ δίκτυα. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι τὴν ἡδονὴν ἔχουσι συμπράττουσαν καὶ βοηθοῦσαν αὐτοῖς· καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ τὰ πολλὰ πανταχόθεν περιβάλλουσα τοῖς ἑαλωκόσι σχοινία· καὶ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἔχει πρὸς τὸ κατορθωθῆναι χαλεπὸν, πεῖσαι τὴν ψυχὴν ὅλως θελῆσαι καὶ βουληθῆναι τὴν ἀπαλλαγήν· καὶ γίνεται παρόμοιον, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ψώραν ἢ κνησμονὴν ἀποθέσθαι ὀφείλων ἐνηδύνοιτο τῷ νοσήματι, καὶ εἴσω τοῦ πάθους ἑαυτὸν εἰσωθοῖ. Πρὸς δὲ τὴν τῆς λύπης ἀναχώρησιν οὐ μικρὸν ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἤνυσται, τὸ τέως ἀηδῶς ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτήν.","english":"But the one who is in good health and keeps himself in the proper condition, for what reason would he destroy his good health through despondency? For this is so effective that, when it is applied even to those who need it for a longer time than is fitting, it works great evils. And the blessed Paul, fearing this very thing, quickly ordered it to be removed after it had done its own work, and he added this reason, which I now state: Lest, he says, such a one be swallowed up by excessive grief. But if it knows how to destroy those who are in need when it falls upon them beyond measure, what will it do to those who do not need it at all, when they draw it upon themselves in great measure? Yes, he says, I know this myself, but how I shall repel it and drive it away from my soul, I do not know. And what difficulty is there in this, my friend? For if it were some desire, or an unnatural love of bodies, or the tyranny of vainglory, that difficult-to-contend-against evil, or some other such passion, you would rightly be at a loss about how to be rid of it; for those caught by such things cannot by any means, yet it is nevertheless difficult, escape the nets. Why is that? Because they have pleasure working with them and helping them; and this is what for the most part wraps those who are caught in ropes from every side; and this is the first difficulty in setting things right, to persuade the soul actually to wish and desire the removal; and it becomes like a case where someone who ought to put away a scab or an itch takes pleasure in the disease and thrusts himself further into the passion. But for the retreat of grief, this much has been accomplished for us, namely, to feel aversion toward it for the time being.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":145,"ref":"p145","source":"Ὁ γάρ τινι βαρυνόμενος, καὶ ἀποῤῥῖψαι σπουδάσει ταχέως αὐτό. Τί οὖν, ἂν σπεύδῃ μὲν, μὴ δύνηται δέ; Μὴ παυέσθω σπουδάζων, καὶ ταχέως δυνήσεται. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ὅτι τὸν Χριστιανὸν, εἴ ποτε λυποῖτο, δύο μόνον ὑποθέσεις ἀθυμίας ἔχειν δεῖ, ἢ ὅταν αὐτὸς, ἢ ὅταν ὁ πλησίον προσκρούσῃ Θεῷ· τῆς δὲ παρούσης λύπης οὐδεμίαν τῶν προφάσεων τούτων ῥίζαν ἐχούσης, εἰκῆ σαυτὸν ὀδυνᾷς. Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐ προσκρουσμάτων ταύτην τίνομεν δίκην; Μάλιστα μὲν δῆλόν ἐστι, πλὴν τέως οὐκ ἰσχυρίζομαι τοῦτο. Ἀλλ' ἔστω, εἰ βούλει, μηδὲ ἄδηλον, ὡς ἔφης, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα δῆλον, ὅτι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐστὶ τοῦτο ἀνταπόδοσις· διὰ τοῦτο οὖν ἀλγεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; Καὶ μὴν εὐθυμίας ἄξιον τὸ ἐνταῦθα διαλύσασθαι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακρίνεσθαι. Τὸν γὰρ ἀλγοῦντα οὐχ ὑπὲρ ὧν κολάζεται, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὧν ἁμαρτάνων παροξύνει τὸν Θεὸν,\n\nἀλγεῖν δεῖ· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτήματα ἀφίστησιν ἡμῶν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐχθρὸν ποιεῖ, τὰ δὲ τῶν κολάσεων καταλλάττει τε αὐτὸν ἡμῖν καὶ παρασκευάζει ἵλεων εἶναι καὶ ἐγγύς. Ὅτι δὲ οὔτε ἁμαρτημάτων ἐστὶν ἀντίδοσις, ἀλλὰ στεφάνων καὶ βραβείων ὑπόθεσις οὗτος ὁ ἱδρὼς καὶ ὁ πόνος, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀσώτως τὸν πρότερον βίον βιοὺς, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν μοναχῶν πολιτείαν μετέθηκας σεαυτὸν, ἦν μὲν οὐδὲ οὕτω ταύτην ὑποπτεῦσαι τὴν ὑποψίαν. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπάγει τὰς τιμωρίας ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα τρέψῃ πρὸς μετάνοιαν τοὺς ἀνενδότως ἔχοντας, τῆς μετανοίας ἐπιδειχθείσης, περιττὰ λοιπὸν τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας τούτου γε ἕνεκέν ἐστι.","english":"For the one who is weighed down by something will also hasten to cast it off quickly. What then, if he hastens but is unable? Let him not cease hastening, and he will soon be able. For consider that a Christian, if ever he is grieved, ought to have only two grounds for despondency: either when he himself, or when his neighbor, has offended God. But since the present grief has none of these reasons as its root, you are tormenting yourself in vain. And how is it clear, he says, that we are not paying this penalty for offenses? Indeed it is clear, though for now I do not insist on this. But let it be, if you wish, not even unclear, as you said, but even very clear, that this is a repayment for sins; is it for this reason, then, tell me, that you are in pain? And yet it is worthy of cheerfulness that sins are dissolved here, and that one is not condemned together with the world. For the one in pain ought to grieve not over what he is punished for, but over what he sins and provokes God by; for sins remove God from us and make him an enemy, but punishments reconcile him to us and prepare him to be propitious and near. But that this sweat and toil is not a repayment for sins, but a ground for crowns and prizes, is clear from this. For if, having lived your former life shamefully and dissolutely, you thus transferred yourself to the monastic way of life, not even in this way was it right to suspect this suspicion. For if God brings on punishments for this reason, that he might turn to repentance those who are unyielding, once repentance has been shown, the punishments are henceforth superfluous for this purpose at least.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":146,"ref":"p146","source":"Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἀπέχει τοῦ βούλεσθαι κολάζειν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς καὶ πολλάκις τιμωρίας ἄξια πράττοντας, καὶ πολλῆς δεομένους ἐπιστροφῆς, δι' ἀπειλῆς μόνον καὶ ῥημάτων φοβερῶν σωφρονίζειν ἡμᾶς. Καὶ τοῦτο ἴδοις ἂν ἐπί τε τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐπί τε τῆς πόλεως τῶν Νινευϊτῶν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὴν τιμωρίαν οὐκ ἐπήγαγε, τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπιδειξαμένων ἐκείνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀπειλὴν εὐθέως ἔλυσε. Πολλῷ γὰρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν αὐτὸς βούλεται μᾶλλον μηδὲν ἡμᾶς πάσχειν κακὸν, καὶ οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἑαυτοῦ φείσαιτ' ἂν, ὡς πάντων ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός. Εἶτα ὁ τοὺς πολλάκις μὲν ἡμαρτηκότας ῥήμασι φοβῶν, οὐ κολάζων, μετανοήσαντας δὲ καὶ ταύτης ἀπαλλάττων τῆς ἀγωνίας, σὲ τὸν τοσαύτην ἐπιδειξάμενον εὐλάβειάν τε καὶ ἀρετὴν οὐ μόνον τῆς ἀπειλῆς οὐκ ἀπήλλαξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ διὰ τῶν ἔργων παρεδίδου κολάσει; καὶ πῶς ἄν τις τοῦτο πιστεύσειε; Πλὴν ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν διέφθαρτό σοι καὶ πονηρὸς, ὅπερ ἔφην, ὁ πρὸ τούτου βίος ἦν, κἂν εἰς ἔννοιαν τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν τινι δυνατὸν ἦν· νῦν δὲ τοῦ μὲν παρόντος ἐλάττων ἐκεῖνος, κόσμιος δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ πολλῆς γέμων σεμνότητος ἦν, ὥστε τοῦτο πάντοθεν ἡμῖν εἶναι φανερὸν, ὅτι στεφάνων καὶ μείζονος ὑποθέσεώς ἐστι ταυτὶ τὰ παλαίσματα. Δεῖ μὲν οὖν, ὅπερ ἔφην, καὶ τούτους καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ἀνακινεῖν λογισμοὺς, δεῖ δὲ μετὰ τούτων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸ τούτων, εὐχαῖς καὶ ἱκετηρίαις τοῦτο διασκεδάζειν τὸ σκότος. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ, ὁ θαυμαστὸς ἐκεῖνος καὶ μέγας ἀνὴρ, τούτοις ἐχρήσατο τοῖς φαρμάκοις συνεχῶς, καὶ οὕτω τὰς πολλὰς τῶν θλίψεων ἀπεκρούετο ὀδύνας, νῦν μὲν εὐχόμενος καὶ λέγων· Αἱ θλίψεις τῆς καρδίας μου ἐπληθύνθησαν·","english":"For God is so far from wishing to punish us that even when we often do things worthy of punishment and need much correction, he only admonishes us by threat and fearful words. And you may see this in the case of Israel, and in the case of the city of the Ninevites. For he not only did not bring the punishment upon them, when they showed repentance, but he even straightway loosed the threat. For he himself wishes far more than we do that we suffer no evil at all, and no one would spare himself as God spares us all. Then he who frightens by words those who have often sinned, but does not punish them, and when they have repented releases them from this agony as well—has he not only not released you, who have shown such great piety and virtue, from the threat, but has even handed you over to punishment through deeds? And how could anyone believe this? Yet if your life before this had been corrupt and wicked, as I said, it would have been possible for someone to come to this thought; but as it is, that former life was inferior to the present one, and it too was orderly and full of much dignity, so that it is clear to us from every side that these struggles are for crowns and a greater prize. It is necessary, then, as I said, to stir up these thoughts and thoughts like them, and it is necessary along with these, or rather before these, to scatter this darkness by prayers and supplications. For the blessed David, that wonderful and great man, used these medicines continually, and in this way drove off the many pains of his afflictions, now praying and saying: The afflictions of my heart were multiplied;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":147,"ref":"p147","source":"ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν μου ἐξάγαγέ με· νῦν δὲ λογισμοὺς ἀνακινῶν εὐσεβεῖς· Ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἱνατί συνταράττεις με; Ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ. Καὶ πάλιν, ἀπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν τρεπόμενος ἐπὶ τὰς εὐχάς· Ἄνες μοι, φησὶν, ἵνα ἀναψύξω πρὸ τοῦ με ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξω· καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν εὐχῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς λογισμούς· Τί γάρ μοι ὑπάρχει ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ παρὰ σοῦ τί ἠθέλησα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ πρὸς μὲν τὴν γυναῖκα παραινοῦσαν τὰ σατανικὰ ῥήματα λογισμοῖς ἀπεμάχετο καὶ ἐπετίμα λέγων· Ἱνατί ὥσπερ μία τῶν ἀφρόνων γυναικῶν, οὕτως ἐλάλησας; Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Πρὸς δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετηρίαις ἐκέχρητο. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλος ἀμφοτέροις τούτοις ἐβοήθει τοῖς ἐν θλίψεσιν οὖσι καὶ πειρασμοῖς, νῦν μὲν λέγων· Εἰ δὲ ἐκτός ἐστε παιδείας, ἄρα νόθοι ἐστὲ, καὶ οὐχ υἱοί· τίς γάρ ἐστιν υἱὸς, ὃν οὐ παιδεύει πατήρ; νῦν δὲ εὐχόμενος, Πιστὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ὑμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνασθε· καὶ πάλιν, Εἴπερ δίκαιον παρὰ Θεῷ ἀνταποδοῦναι τοῖς θλίβουσιν ὑμᾶς θλῖψιν, καὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς θλιβομένοις ἄνεσιν. Ἂν οὖν τούτοις καὶ αὐτὸς θέλῃς χρῆσθαι τοῖς ὅπλοις, καὶ περιφράξῃς σεαυτὸν πανταχόθεν καλῶς, τοῖς μὲν λογισμοῖς ἀποτειχίζων τῆς ἀθυμίας τὴν ἔφοδον, ταῖς δὲ εὐχαῖς καὶ ταῖς σαυτοῦ καὶ ταῖς ἑτέρων τοῦτο ἰσχυρὸν τὸ τεῖχος ποιῶν, ταχέως αἰσθήσῃ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς παιδείας. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο μόνον κερδανεῖς τὸ τὰ παρόντα γενναίως ἐνεγκεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐγγυμνασάμενος αὐτοῖς καλῶς, καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντα λοιπὸν ἀνάλωτος ἔσῃ τὰ τοῦ βίου λυπηρά.","english":"Deliver me out of my necessities.\" But now he stirs up devout thoughts: \"Why are you sorrowful, my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I will give thanks to him.\" And again, turning from thoughts to prayers: \"Let me alone,\" he says, \"that I may be refreshed before I depart, and shall be no more.\" And from prayers back to thoughts: \"For what is there for me in heaven, and what have I desired from you on the earth?\" So too Job fought off with his thoughts the satanic words his wife advised, and rebuked her, saying: \"Why have you spoken like one of the foolish women? If we received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure evil things?\" But to God he had recourse in supplications. And the blessed Paul also came to the aid of those in afflictions and temptations by both of these means, now saying: \"But if you are outside of discipline, then you are bastards, and not sons; for who is a son whom a father does not discipline?\" and now praying: \"For God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able\"; and again: \"Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay those who afflict you with affliction, and to you who are afflicted, rest.\" If, then, you too are willing to use these weapons, and to fence yourself about well on every side, walling off the assault of despondency with thoughts, and making this wall strong by prayers, both your own and others', you will quickly perceive the fruits of discipline. For you will gain not only this—to bear the present circumstances nobly—but by training well in them, you will henceforth be invulnerable to all the painful things of life.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]}]}