{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-eclogae-ex-diversis-homiliis","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-eclogae-ex-diversis-homiliis","title":"Eclogae ex diversis homiliis","title_source":"Eclogae ex diversis homiliis","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"homily","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":"2026-11-15T18:29:53Z","cost_usd":0.085786},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-eclogae-ex-diversis-homiliis","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-eclogae-ex-diversis-homiliis","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":null,"url":null},"stats":{"passages":711,"english_words":208080,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":798374,"commentary_units":0,"commentary_kinds":0,"derived_notes":3,"ambiguities":0,"work_notes":0,"external_links":0,"timeline":0},"summary":{},"links":[],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-eclogae-ex-diversis-homiliis","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":711,"translated":711,"commentary_passages":0,"commentary_units":0,"english_words":208080,"source_letters":798327,"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: homily in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 711 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"3 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1; John 1:29."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar."}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":711},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ, ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ, ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ, ΕΚΛΟΓΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΩΝ ΛΟΓΩΝ.\n\nΟΜΙΛΙΑ Αʹ. Περὶ ἀγάπης.\n\nΒουλόμενος ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ἡμῶν συνδῆσαι πάντας ἀλλήλοις, ἀγαπητοὶ, τοιαύτην τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐνέθηκεν ἀνάγκην, ὡς ἐν τῷ τοῦ πλησίον συμφέροντι τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου δεδέσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ γεωργὸς οὐ τοσοῦτον σπείρει σῖτον, ὅσον ἀρκέσαι ἑαυτῷ, ἐπεὶ πάλαι καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀπώλεσεν ἄν· καὶ ὁ στρατιώτης οὐχ ἵνα ἑαυτὸν διασώσῃ, παρατάττεται πρὸς κινδύνους, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καταστήσῃ· καὶ ὁ ἔμπορος οὐ τοσαῦτα κομίζει ὅσα αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἀρκέσαι, ἀλλ' ὅσα καὶ ἑτέροις πολλοῖς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἑτέρως οὐκ ἠνείχοντο ἄνθρωποι τὰ τοῦ πλησίον ζητεῖν, εἰ μὴ εἰς ταύτην καταστήσειεν τὴν ἀνάγκην, διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως αὐτὰ συνέζευξεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησι πρότερον ἐπὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον συμφέρον ἐλθεῖν μὴ διὰ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων συμφερόντων ὁδεύσαντας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔνι σωθῆναι μὴ τοῦτο ἔχοντα· ἀλλὰ, κἂν τὴν ἄκραν φιλοσοφίαν ἀσκῇς, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἀπολλυμένων ἀμελῇς, οὐδεμίαν κτήσῃ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ παῤῥησίαν. Ἐὰν γὰρ ψωμίσω τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, φησὶν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, καὶ παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυθῇ, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. Εἰ δὲ βούλει μαθεῖν ἡλίκον ὅπλον ἐστὶ τὸ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐπισπάσασθαι, κἂν ἄπιστοί τινες εἶεν, καὶ τὸ πρᾶον εἶναι καὶ ἥμερον καὶ γλυκὺν παρεχόμενον τρόπον, ἄκουσον τί φησιν αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, πρὸς δικαστὴν εἰσιὼν ἄπιστον, κριθησόμενος· Μακάριον ἡγοῦμαι ἐμαυτὸν, μέλλων ἐπὶ σοῦ κρίνεσθαι.","english":"Of our father among the saints John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom, Selections from Various Discourses.\n\nHomily 1. On Love.\n\nWishing, beloved, to bind all people to one another, our man-loving God has implanted such a necessity in things that in the neighbor's advantage the other's advantage is bound up. For the farmer does not sow as much grain as would suffice for himself alone—since long ago he would have destroyed both himself and others—and the soldier does not array himself for dangers in order to save himself, but in order to establish the cities too in safety; and the merchant does not bring as much as would suffice for himself alone, but as much as would suffice for many others as well. For since people would not otherwise have endured to seek the things of their neighbor, unless he had brought them into this necessity, for this reason God has thus yoked these things together, and he does not allow one to come first to one's own advantage without having traveled through the advantages of others. For it is not possible to be saved without having this; but even if you practice the utmost philosophy, yet neglect the rest while they perish, you will obtain no boldness of speech before God. For if I feed [the poor] with my possessions, says the divine Apostle, and hand over my body that it be burned, but have not love, I am profited nothing. But if you wish to learn how great a weapon it is to win over the brothers—even if some are unbelievers—and to be gentle and mild and to present a sweet manner, hear what this same blessed Paul says as he enters before an unbelieving judge to be judged: I consider myself blessed, since I am about to be judged before you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν οὐ κολακεύων αὐτὸν, ἄπαγε, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἡμερότητος κερδᾶναι βουλόμενος. Διὸ καὶ ἐκ μέρους ἐκέρδανε, καὶ τὸν δικαστὴν εἷλεν ὁ τέως κατάδικος εἶναι νομιζόμενος, καὶ τὴν νίκην αὐτὸς ὁ χειρωθεὶς ὁμολογεῖ λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ παρόντων ἁπάντων, λέγων· Ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις, Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι. Τί οὖν ὁ Παῦλος; Εὐξαίμην ἂν ἔγωγε μὴ μόνον σὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς παρόντας ἅπαντας τοῦτο γενέσθαι ὅπερ ἐγώ. Ὅταν οὖν ἐκεῖνος μὲν τοσοῦτον ἀπαιτῇ μέτρον, ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδὲ τὸ ἔλαττον παρέχωμεν, τίνος ἐσόμεθα συγγνώμης ἄξιοι; Καὶ μὴ τὸ δεῖσθαι ἑτέρου αἰσχρόν τι εἶναι νόμιζε· τῆς γὰρ ἀφάτου σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο γέγονεν ἔργον. Εἰ γὰρ ἀλλήλων χρῄζομεν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἡ τῆς χρείας ἀνάγκη συνάγει εἰς φιλίαν ἡμᾶς· εἰ αὐτάρκεις ἧμεν, οὐκ ἂν ἦμεν θηρία ἀτίθασσα; Βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ ἡμᾶς ὑπέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀλλήλοις, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην συγκρουόμεθα ἀλλήλοις ἡμέραν· εἰ τοῦτον περιεῖλε τὸν χαλινὸν, τίς ἂν ταχέως ἠράσθη τῆς τοῦ πλησίον φιλίας; Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο μίαν οἰκίαν ἡμῖν τὸν κόσμον ἔδω κεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἕνα ἀνῆψε πᾶσι λύχνον, τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ἕνα ἐξέτεινεν ὄροφον, τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ μίαν ἀνῆκε τράπεζαν, τὴν γῆν. Καὶ οὐ τῷ μὲν πλουτοῦντι πλέον καὶ τιμιώτερον, τῷ πένητι δὲ εὐτελέστερον καὶ ἔλαττον ἐχαρίσατο, ἵνα πολλὴν καὶ ἀδιάσπαστον τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἕνωσιν ἔχωμεν, καὶ μή τις ἔχῃ λέγειν, Ὁ δεῖνά μοι φίλος οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ συγγενὴς, οὐδὲ γείτων, οὐδὲ ἔχω τι κοινὸν πρὸς αὐτόν· πῶς προσελεύσομαι, πῶς διαλέξομαι;","english":"He said this not to flatter him—far be it—but wishing to win him by gentleness. Therefore he also won him in part, and the one who had until then been considered a condemned man captured the judge, and the one who was overcome himself confesses the victory with a clear voice in the presence of all, saying: \"In a little you persuade me to become a Christian.\" What then does Paul say? \"I would pray to God that not only you but also all those present might become such as I am.\" When therefore that man demands so great a measure, and we do not provide even the lesser, of what forgiveness shall we be worthy? And do not consider it a shameful thing to be in need of another; for this has been the work of the ineffable wisdom of God. For if we need one another, and not even the compulsion of need draws us together into friendship—if we were self-sufficient, would we not be untamed beasts? By force and necessity God has subjected us to one another, and every day we clash with one another; if he removed this bridle, who would quickly fall in love with friendship for his neighbor? For this reason God gave us the world as one house, and lit one lamp for all, the sun, and stretched out one roof, the heaven, and set out one table, the earth. And he did not grant more and more honorable things to the rich man, and cheaper and less to the poor man, so that we might have a great and unbroken union with one another, and so that no one might have to say, \"So-and-so is not my friend, nor my relative, nor my neighbor, nor do I have anything in common with him; how shall I approach him, how shall I converse with him?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Οὐδὲ ὅσην φίλους πρὸς φίλους ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρὴ τὴν ἐγγύτητα, τοσαύτην ἡμᾶς ἔχειν δεῖ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἰκείωσιν, ἀλλ' ὅσην μέλος πρὸς μέλος. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἂν δύναιο λέγειν· Πόθεν μοι οἰκειότης καὶ ἐγγύτης πρὸς αὐτόν; καταγέλαστον γὰρ τοῦτο· οὕτως οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ δυνήσῃ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ μηδὲ συγγενὴς μηδὲ φίλος ἐστὶν, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, τῆς αὐτῆς σοι μετέχων\n\nφύσεως, τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχων Δεσπότην, καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κόσμῳ γενόμενος. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν χρημάτων τοὺς μηδὲν ὀφείλοντας ἐπαινοῦμεν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀγάπης τοὺς διηνεκῶς ὀφείλοντας ἀποδεχόμεθα καὶ θαυμάζομεν. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν καὶ συνάπτωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀλλήλοις, κἂν βούληταί τις ἀποστῆναι, μὴ σὺ ἀποῤῥαγῇς, μηδὲ τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐκεῖνο φθέγξῃ ῥῆμα· Ἐὰν φιλῇ με, φιλῶ· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ φιλῇ με ὀφθαλμὸς ὁ δεξιὸς, ἐξορύττω αὐτόν· ἀλλ' ὅταν σε μὴ βούληται φιλεῖν, τότε πλείονα ἐπιδείκνυσο τὴν ἀγάπην, ἵνα αὐτὸν ἐπισπάσῃ· καὶ γὰρ μέλος ἐστί· τὸ δὲ μέλος ὅταν ὑπὸ τινὸς ἀνάγκης ἀποσχίζηται τοῦ λοιποῦ σώματος, πάντα ποιοῦμεν, ὥστε ἑνῶσαι πάλιν αὐτὸ, καὶ πλείονα πρόνοιαν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα τότε. Καὶ γὰρ πλείων ὁ μισθὸς, ὅταν μὴ βουλόμενον φιλεῖν ἐφελκύσῃ. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ ἀρίστου κελεύει καλεῖν τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους ἡμῖν ἀντιδοῦναι, ἵνα αὐξηθῇ τὰ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ φιλίας τοῦτο δεῖ ποιεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ φιλούμενος φιλῶν, ἀπέδωκέ σοι τὴν ἀμοιβήν· ὁ δὲ φιλούμενος καὶ μὴ φιλῶν, τὸν Θεὸν ἀνθ' ἑαυτοῦ σοι χρεώστην κατέστησε. Καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, ὅταν μὲν φιλῇ σε, οὐ πολλῆς δεῖται τῆς σπουδῆς· ὅταν δὲ μὴ φιλῇ, τότε σου χρείαν ἔχει τῆς ἀντιλήψεως.","english":"We ought not to have toward one another only as much affection as friends are expected to show toward friends, but as much as one member has toward another member. For just as you could not say, “How is there any kinship or closeness between me and him?”—for that would be ridiculous—so neither could you say this about your brother. For even if he is neither a relative nor a friend, he is a human being, sharing the same nature as you, having the same Master, and having come into being in the same world. In the case of money, we praise those who owe nothing; but in the case of love, we welcome and admire those who are perpetually in debt. Let us therefore be persuaded and join ourselves to one another; and even if someone wishes to withdraw, do not you break away, nor utter that cold saying: “If he loves me, I love him; but if he does not love me, I will tear out my right eye.” Rather, when he does not wish to love you, then show the greater love, so that you may draw him to yourself. For he is a member; and when a member is severed from the rest of the body by some necessity, we do everything so as to unite it again, and we show greater care for it then. For the reward is greater when you draw in someone who does not wish to love. And if, at a banquet, he commands us to invite those who cannot repay us, so that the reward for the recompense may be increased, much more ought we to do this in the case of friendship. For the one who is loved and loves back has repaid you the recompense; but the one who is loved and does not love back has made God a debtor to you in his place. And apart from these things, when he loves you, he does not need much effort; but when he does not love you, then he has need of your help.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Μὴ τοίνυν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς σπουδῆς αἰτίαν ποιοῦ ῥᾳθυμίας, μηδὲ λέγε, ὅτι Ἐπειδὴ νοσεῖ, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῦ ἀμελῶ· καὶ γὰρ νόσος ἐστὶν ἡ κατάψυξις τῆς ἀγάπης· ἀλλὰ σὺ θέρμανον τὸ καταψυχθέν· τὸ γὰρ σφόδρα φιλεῖσθαι ἐθέλειν, ἀπὸ τοῦ σφόδρα φιλεῖν γίνεται. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ μὴ σφόδρα περὶ τινὰ ὦμεν διακείμενοι, οὐδὲ τῆς παρ' ἐκείνου σφοδρᾶς δεόμεθα φιλίας, κἂν μέγας ᾖ, κἂν περιφανής· ὅταν δὲ θερμῶς τινα καὶ γνησίως φιλῶμεν, κἂν εὐτελὴς ᾖ, κἂν μικρὸς ὁ φιλούμενος, μεγίστην τιθέμεθα δόξαν τὸ παρ' ἐκείνου φίλτρον. Εἰ δὲ ἀδελφῷ χρήσασθαι οὐκ οἶδας, πότε δυνήσῃ ἀλλοτρίῳ χρήσασθαι καλῶς; εἰ τὸ μέλος τὸ σὸν οὐκ ἐπίστασαι μεταχειρίσαι, πότε τὸν ἔξωθεν ἐπισπάσασθαι δυνήσῃ καὶ συνάψαι ἑαυτῷ; Βούλει μὴ ἀκούειν κακῶς; οὐκοῦν μηδὲ λέγε. Ἐπιθυμεῖς ἐπαινεῖσθαι; οὐκοῦν ἐγκωμίαζε. Ἐλεεῖσθαι βούλει; οὐκοῦν ἐλέει. Συγγνώμης θέλεις τυχεῖν; οὐκοῦν μεταδίδου. Θέλεις μὴ πλεονεκτεῖσθαι; οὐκοῦν μὴ ἅρπαζε. Τοιοῦτοι περὶ τοὺς πλησίον γινώμεθα, οἵους περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκείνους εἶναι βουλόμεθα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ψυχὴ ἄνευ σώματος οὐ καλεῖται ἄνθρωπος, οὐδ' αὖ σῶμα ἄνευ ψυχῆς, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἀγάπη πρὸς Θεὸν, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἀγάπην. Βούλει θεραπεύειν τὸν δεῖνα; οὐ κωλύω, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἰς ἑτέρου λύπην· οὐ γὰρ ἵνα κατ' ἀλλήλων συνταττώμεθα, διδάσκαλοι ἡμῖν ἐδόθησαν, ἀλλ' ἵνα πάντες ἀλλήλοις συνταττώμεθα. Διὰ τί εἷς εἶ; διὰ τί οὐκ ἐργάζῃ πολλούς; διὰ τί μὴ γίνῃ δημιουργὸς ἀγάπης; διὰ τί μὴ κατασκευάζεις φιλίαν τὸ μέγιστον τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐγκώμιον;","english":"Do not, then, make the cause of your zeal a cause of laziness, and do not say, \"Because he is sick, for this reason I neglect him.\" For sickness is the cooling of love. But you, warm what has grown cold. For to want to be loved greatly comes from loving greatly. For when we are not greatly disposed toward someone, we do not need that person's intense friendship either, even if he is great, even if he is distinguished; but when we love someone warmly and genuinely, even if the one loved is lowly, even if he is small, we account it the greatest glory to have that person's affection. But if you do not know how to treat a brother, when will you be able to treat a stranger well? If you do not know how to handle your own member, when will you be able to draw in the outsider and join him to yourself? Do you want not to be spoken ill of? Then do not speak ill either. Do you desire to be praised? Then praise. Do you want to be shown mercy? Then show mercy. Do you wish to obtain forgiveness? Then share it. Do you want not to be defrauded? Then do not seize. Let us become such toward our neighbors as we wish them to be toward us. For just as a soul without a body is not called a man, nor again a body without a soul, so neither is love toward God, unless it has love toward the neighbor as its companion. Do you want to serve a certain person? I do not forbid it, but not to the grief of another. For teachers were not given to us so that we might array ourselves against one another, but so that we might all array ourselves with one another. Why are you one? Why do you not make many? Why do you not become a craftsman of love? Why do you not construct friendship, the greatest praise of virtue?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ ἐκ συνθήκης εἶναι κακοὺς μᾶλλον παροξύνει τὸν Θεὸν, οὕτως τὸ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ εἶναι ἀγαθοὺς μᾶλλον εὐφραίνει. Μὴ γίνου μετὰ πολλῶν ἐπὶ κακίᾳ· κατασκεύασόν σοι φίλους πρὸ τῶν οἰκιῶν, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Εἰ ὁ εἰρηνοποιὸς υἱὸς Θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ φίλους κατασκευάζων πόσῳ μᾶλλον; εἰ ὁ καταλλάττων μόνον, υἱὸς Θεοῦ καλεῖται, ὁ τοὺς καταλλαττομένους φίλους ποιῶν, τίνος οὐκ ἔσται ἄξιος; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ μὲν διάβολος ἐχθροὺς ἡμᾶς κελεύει πᾶσι γίνεσθαι, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ φιλεῖν· καὶ ὁ μὲν τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθείᾳ προσηλώσας (τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πλοῦτος), οὐδὲ τὰς νύκτας ἀφίησιν ἀναπνεῦσαι μικρόν· ὁ δὲ τῆς μὲν περιττῆς ταύτης καὶ ἀνονήτου φροντίδος ἀφίησι, κελεύει δὲ συνάγειν τοὺς θησαυροὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, οὐκ ἐκ τῆς εἰς ἑτέρους ἀδικίας, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας δικαιοσύνης· κἀκεῖνος μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας καὶ ταλαιπωρίας οὐ μόνον οὐ δύναται προστῆναι κολαζομένοις ἡμῖν ἐκεῖ, καὶ κακῶς πάσχουσι διὰ τοὺς αὐτοῦ νόμους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτείνει τὴν φλόγα· οὗτος δὲ καὶ ποτήριον ἡμῖν ἐπιτάξας δοῦναι ψυχρὸν, οὐδὲ τούτου τὸν μισθὸν καὶ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀφίησιν ἡμᾶς ἀπολέσαι ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀντιδίδωσι τῆς δαψιλείας· πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας, τὴν οὕτω προσηνῆ δεσποτείαν καὶ τοσούτων γέμουσαν ἀγαθῶν μὴ φιλοῦντας, ἀχαρίστῳ καὶ ἀγνώμονι δουλεύειν τυράννῳ, καὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε ἐνταῦθα","english":"For just as being evil by agreement provokes God all the more, so being good in concord gladdens him all the more. Do not join with the many in evil; make friends for yourself before your houses, before all other things. If the peacemaker is a son of God, how much more is the one who makes friends? If the one who merely reconciles is called a son of God, of what will the one who makes those who are reconciled into friends not be worthy? For if the devil commands us to become enemies to all, while God commands us to greet and love them; and the one, having nailed us down to clay and brickmaking (for this is wealth), does not even allow us to breathe a little during the nights, while the other releases us from this excessive and unprofitable anxiety and commands us to gather treasures in the heavens, not from injustice toward others but from our own righteousness; and the former, after many sweats and hardships, not only is unable to stand by us when we are punished there and suffer badly because of his own laws, but even intensifies the flame; while the latter, having commanded us to give even a cup of cold water, never allows us to lose the reward and recompense even for this, but repays with great abundance—how is it not the height of folly, when such a gentle mastery and one so full of good things is loved, to be enslaved to a thankless and senseless tyrant, and nothing either here","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"οὔτε ἐκεῖ δυναμένῳ τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ καὶ προσήκοντας ὠφελεῖν; Μὴ οὖν δυσχεράνητε τοῖς εἰρημένοις· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ τὸν φιλοῦντά με, οὐχ ὅταν ἐπαινῇ με μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν ἐγκαλῇ διορθοῦσθαι, τότε φαίην ἂν μάλιστά με φιλεῖν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς πάντα ἐπαινεῖν, καὶ τὰ καλῶς ἔχοντα καὶ τὰ μὴ καλῶς, οὐκέτι φιλοῦντος, ἀλλ' ἀπατεῶνος καὶ εἴρωνος· τὸ δὲ ἐπαινεῖν μὲν, ἄν τι τῶν δεόντων γίνηται, ἐγκαλεῖν δὲ, ἄν τι διημάρτηται, τοῦτο φίλου καὶ κηδεμόνος ἐστί. Τὸν μὲν οὖν ἐχθρὸν οὐδὲ ἐπαινοῦντα δέχομαι, τὸν δὲ φίλον καὶ ἐγκαλοῦντα προσίεμαι· ἐκεῖνος κἂν φιλῇ με, ἀηδής ἐστιν· οὗτος κἂν τραυματίζῃ με, ποθεινός ἐστιν· Ἀξιοπιστότερα γὰρ, φησὶ τραύματα φίλου, ἢ ἑκούσια φιλήματα ἐχθροῦ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κἂν δικαίως κἂν ἀδίκως ἐγκαλῇ, οὐκ ὀνειδίσαι, ἀλλὰ διορθῶσαι βουλόμενος τοῦτο ποιεῖ· ὁ δὲ κἂν δικαίως ἐγκαλῇ, οὐχὶ διορθῶσαι, ἀλλ' ἐκπομπεῦσαι μᾶλλον σπουδάζων τοὺς ἐλέγχους ἐπάγει. Ὥστε οὐδὲν ὁμονοίας ἴσον, ἀγαπητοί· ὁ γὰρ εἷς πολλοστός ἐστιν οὕτως. Ἂν γὰρ ὁμόψυχοι ὦσι δύο ἢ δέκα, οὐκέτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ εἷς, ἀλλὰ δεκαπλασίων ἕκαστος αὐτῶν γίνεται· καὶ εὑρήσεις ἐν τοῖς δέκα τὸν ἕνα, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ τοὺς δέκα· κἂν ἐχθρὸν ἔχωσιν, ὁ τῷ ἑνὶ προσβαλὼν, ὡς τοῖς δέκα προσβαλὼν, οὕτως ἁλίσκεται. Ἠπόρησεν ὁ εἷς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἀπορίᾳ· τῷ γὰρ μείζονι μέρει τὸ ἀποροῦν συσκιάζεται. Ἕκαστος τούτων εἴκοσι χεῖρας ἔχει καὶ εἴκοσιν ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ πόδας τοσούτους, καὶ ψυχὰς ἔχει δέκα· οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐργάζεται πάντα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἑκατὸν γένοιτο, τὸ αὐτὸ ἔσται πάλιν.","english":"Nor is he able to benefit those who obey and belong to him there? Do not, then, be vexed at what has been said; for I too would say that the one who loves me loves me most not only when he praises me, but also when he reproves me so that I may be corrected. For to praise everything indiscriminately, both what is good and what is not good, is no longer the mark of one who loves, but of a deceiver and a dissembler; but to praise when something is done as it ought, and to reprove when something has gone wrong—this belongs to a friend and a guardian. Therefore I do not receive an enemy even when he praises, but I welcome a friend even when he reproves; the former, even if he loves me, is disagreeable; the latter, even if he wounds me, is longed for. For, it says, the wounds of a friend are more trustworthy than the willing kisses of an enemy. For the one, whether he reproves justly or unjustly, does this wishing not to reproach but to correct; but the other, even if he reproves justly, brings his accusations not to correct but rather eager to expose them publicly. So nothing is equal to concord, beloved; for thus the one is a fraction of the many. For if two or ten are of one mind, the one is no longer one, but each of them becomes tenfold; and you will find the one in the ten, and the ten in the one; and if they have an enemy, the one who attacks the one is caught just as if he had attacked the ten. The one was at a loss, but he is not in perplexity; for the perplexed part is overshadowed by the greater part. Each of these has twenty hands and twenty eyes and as many feet, and has ten souls; for he works all things not only with his own, but also with theirs. And if there should be a hundred, the same will be the case again.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ ἐν Περσίδι καὶ ἐν Ῥώμῃ δύναται εἶναι, καὶ ὅπερ ἡ φύσις οὐ δύναται, ἴσχυσεν ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης δύναμις. Ἐὰν οὖν χιλίους ἔχῃ φίλους ἢ δισχιλίους, ἐννόησον ποῦ πάλιν ὑπερβήσεται τὰ τῆς δυνάμεως. Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστι, τὸ χιλιοστὸν ποιῆσαι τὸν ἕνα. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐ κτώμεθα τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἑαυτοὺς καθιστῶμεν; μέχρι τίνος εἰς ἕνα καὶ δύο περιιστῶμεν αὐτήν; Κἂν γὰρ πένης ᾖ ὁ φίλους κεκτημένος, πολλῷ τῶν πλουσίων εὐπορώτερος καθέστηκεν· ἅπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἐπιχειρεῖ, ταῦτα ὁ φίλος ἀντ' ἐκείνου ἐρεῖ· καὶ ὅσα οὐ δύναται ἑαυτῷ χαρίσασθαι, δι' ἑτέρου χαρίσεται. Καὶ οὐκ ἔστι παθεῖν κακῶς τὸν ὑπὸ τοσούτων δορυφόρων φυλαττόμενον· οὐ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ σωματοφύλακες ἀκριβεῖς, ὡς οὗτοι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀνάγκῃ καὶ φόβῳ τὴν φυλακὴν ἐπιδείκνυνται, οἱ δὲ εὐνοίᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ· κἀκεῖνος μὲν τοὺς φύλακας αὐτοῦ δέδοικεν, οὗτος δὲ τούτοις μᾶλλον ἢ ἑαυτῷ θαῤῥεῖ. Καὶ ἄλλως· ποῖον οὕτω τεῖχος ἀῤῥαγὲς, ἁρμονίᾳ λίθων εὐμεγεθῶν ὠχυρωμένον, ἀπόρθητον γίνεται ταῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐφόδοις, ὡς τὸ σύστημα τῶν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπώντων καὶ ἐν ὁμοφροσύνῃ περιεσφιγμένων; τὰς γὰρ τοῦ διαβόλου προσβολὰς ἀποκρούεται· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Οἱ γὰρ μετ' ἀλλήλων κατ' ἐκείνου παρατασσόμενοι, ἀήττητοι γίνονται τοῖς αὐτοῦ μηχανήμασι, τὰ λαμπρὰ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐγείρονται τρόπαια. Καὶ καθάπερ αἱ τῆς λύρας νευραὶ πολλαὶ μὲν οὖσαι, εἰς μίαν δὲ νεύουσαι συμφωνίαν, τερπνότατόν τι μέλος ἠχοῦσιν· οὕτως οἱ πρὸς μίαν συγκεκραμένοι γνώμην, εὔηχον ἀνακρούονται τῆς ἀγάπης φθόγγον·","english":"The same man can be in Persia and in Rome, and what nature cannot do, the power of love has accomplished. If, then, he has a thousand friends or two thousand, consider where again the measure of his power will extend. For this is the wonderful thing, to make the one a thousand. Why, then, do we not acquire the power of love and establish ourselves in safety? Until when shall we confine it to one and two? For even if the man who has acquired friends is poor, he has become far more resourceful than the rich; for the things that he himself does not venture to say on his own behalf, his friend will say in his place; and whatever he cannot grant himself, he will grant through another. And it is not possible for the man guarded by so many bodyguards to suffer harm; for the king's bodyguards are not so exact as these. For the former display their guard by necessity and fear, but the latter by goodwill and love; and the king fears his guards, but this man trusts these more than himself. And besides: what wall so unbroken, fortified by the fitting together of great stones, becomes impregnable to the assaults of enemies, as the company of those who love one another and are bound together in unanimity? For it repels the attacks of the devil; and very reasonably so. For those who are drawn up together against him become invincible to his devices, and raise the splendid trophies of love. And just as the strings of a lyre, though many, when they are tuned to one harmony, sound a most delightful melody, so those who are blended into one mind strike up the sweet-sounding note of love.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν τῆς ἀγάπης γλυκύτερον γένοιτ' ἄν. Τί οὐκ ἂν ἐργάσαι φίλος γνήσιος; πόσην μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐμποιήσειεν ἡδονὴν, πόσην δὲ ὠφέλειαν, πόσην δὲ ἀσφάλειαν; κἂν μυρίους θησαυροὺς εἴπῃς, οὐδὲν ἀντάξιον γνησίου φίλου. Καὶ καθάπερ τὰ λαμπρὰ τῶν σωμάτων ἄνθος ἀποῤῥεῖ πρὸς τοὺς πλησίον τόπους· οὕτω καὶ φίλοι, οἷς ἂν παραγένωνται τόποις, τὴν ἑαυτῶν χάριν ἀφιᾶσι. Κρεῖσσον οὖν ἐν σκότῳ διάγειν, ἢ φίλων εἶναι χωρίς. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω πυρετὸς κατακαίειν εἴωθε σώματος φύσιν, ὡς τὰς ψυχὰς τὸ κεχωρίσθαι τῶν φιλουμένων. Τοιοῦτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῆς ἀγάπης ἔρως, ὡς τοὺς μὴ συμπαρόντας ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἀπόντας, ποθουμένους δὲ, καθ' ἑκάστην φαντάζεσθαι ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ τῶν μὲν ἐν χερσὶ πάντων ἀφίστησι, μόνῳ δὲ τῷ ποθουμένῳ προσδεσμεῖ τὴν τοῦ φιλοῦντος ψυχήν. Εἰ δὲ ἀγαπώμενόν τις ὁρῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ μεμνημένος τούτου, διανίσταται τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ\n\nὑψηλὸς γίνεται τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ πάντα εὐκόλως φέρει ἐντρυφῶν τῇ μνήμῃ· ὁ τὸν ὄντως ἀγαπῆσαι ἡμᾶς καταξιώσαντα ἔχων ἐν διανοίᾳ, καὶ μεμνημένος αὐτοῦ, πότε ἢ λυπηροῦ τινος αἰσθήσεται, ἢ φοβερόν τι καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον φοβηθήσεται; Οὐδέποτε. Εἰ γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δυνατῶν ἀγαπώμενοι φοβεροὶ πᾶσίν ἐσμεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Κἂν χρήματα δέῃ, κἂν σώματα, κἂν αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ ταύτης δοῦναι τῆς ἀγάπης, μὴ φεισώμεθα. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ διὰ ῥημάτων λέγειν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν, ἀλλὰ χρὴ καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων δεικνύειν ἀπόδειξιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔδειξε τὴν ἀγάπην.","english":"For nothing could be sweeter than love. What would a genuine friend not do? How much pleasure would he not instill, how much benefit, how much security? Even if you were to speak of countless treasures, nothing is of equal worth to a genuine friend. And just as the bright bloom of bodies flows out to the places nearby, so too friends release their own grace upon whatever places they come to. Better, then, to live in darkness than to be without friends. For fever does not so habitually burn up the nature of the body as separation from those who are loved consumes souls. For such is the love of love that it makes us imagine each day those who are not present with us but absent and longed for; and it removes everything that is in our hands and binds the soul of the one who loves to the beloved alone. And if someone, seeing the beloved—or rather, remembering him—is stirred in his soul and becomes lofty in his understanding, and bears all things easily, delighting in the memory—the one who has in his mind the One who truly deigned to love us, and remembers Him, when will he ever feel anything painful, or fear anything fearful and dangerous? Never. For if, being loved by powerful men, we are fearsome to all, much more so being loved by God. And if money is needed, or bodies, or the soul itself, to give for this love, let us not spare it. For it is not enough to say with words that we love, but we must also show the proof from deeds; for He too showed His love not only through words but also through deeds.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς τῶν μεγάλων οἰκίαις οἰκέτης ὁ τὰ αὑτοῦ, τοῦ δεσπότου ποιησάμενος, οὐ τὰ αὑτοῦ, τοῦ δεσπότου πεποίηκεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ δεσπότου, ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ὁμοίως αὐτῷ τοῖς ἐκείνου κέχρηται, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν μᾶλλον αὐτὸν δεδοίκασιν ἢ ἐκεῖνον· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κατεφρόνησεν, οὐχὶ κατεφρόνησε τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον μειζόνων ἐπέτυχε· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς. Μὴ τοίνυν φροντίζωμεν τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἵνα φροντίζωμεν τῶν ἡμε τέρων, ἀλλὰ καταφρονῶμεν αὐτῶν, ἵνα κτησώμεθα αὐτά. Ἂν γὰρ ἡμεῖς αὐτῶν καταφρονήσωμεν, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐπιμελήσεται· ἂν δὲ ἡμεῖς αὐτῶν ἐπιμελώμεθα, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν καταφρονήσει. Εἴ τις οὖν φιλεῖν ἐθέλει γνησίως καὶ δύναμιν ἀγάπης ἐπίστασθαι, ἐπὶ τὸν ταύτης τρόφιμον, τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, δραμέτω, κἀκεῖνος αὐτὸν διδάξει, ἡλίκος ἐστὶν ἆθλος ἐνεγκεῖν χωρισμὸν φιλουμένου, καὶ ἡλίκης δεόμενος ψυχῆς. Οὗτος γὰρ, οὗτος ὁ τὴν σάρκα ἀποδυσάμενος, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀποθέμενος, καὶ γυμνῇ σχεδὸν τὴν οἰκουμένην περιιὼν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ πᾶν πάθος ἐξορίσας τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων τὴν ἀπάθειαν μιμούμενος, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ῥᾳδίως ἔφερεν, ὡς ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ πάσχων σώματι, καὶ δεσμωτήρια καὶ ἁλύσεις καὶ ἀπαγωγὰς καὶ μάστιγας καὶ ἀπειλὰς καὶ θάνατον καὶ πᾶν κολάσεως εἶδος, μιᾶς δὲ ψυχῆς ἀγαπωμένης παρ' αὐτοῦ χωρισθεὶς, οὕτω συνεχύθη καὶ διεταράχθη, ὡς ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἀγαπώμενον προσδοκῶν ἰδεῖν οὐχ εὗρεν, εὐθέως καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀποπηδῆσαι. Τί τοῦτο, ὦ μακάριε Παῦλε;","english":"For if in the houses of the great, a servant who has made his own things his master's has not made his own things his master's, but his master's things his own, and in like manner with him he uses his master's things, and many of the servants fear him more than they fear their master; and since he despised his own things, he did not despise his own things, but rather obtained greater things—how much more in spiritual matters. Let us not, then, be anxious about our own things in order that we may be anxious about our own things, but let us despise them in order that we may possess them. For if we despise them, God will take care of them; but if we take care of them, God will despise them. If anyone, then, wishes to love genuinely and to know the power of love, let him run to the one who nurtured it, the blessed Paul, and he will teach him how great a contest it is to endure separation from a beloved one, and how great a soul it requires. For this man, this man who stripped off the flesh and laid aside the body and, going about the world with almost a naked soul, and banishing every passion from his mind and imitating the impassibility of the incorporeal powers—all other things he bore easily, as though suffering in another's body: prisons and chains and abductions and scourges and threats and death and every form of punishment. But when he was separated from one beloved soul, he was so confounded and disturbed that, when in the place where he expected to see his beloved one he did not find him, he immediately leapt away even from the city. What is this, O blessed Paul?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"ξύλῳ μὲν δεδεμένος, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν, καὶ μάστιγας ἔχων ἐπικειμένας, καὶ τὰ νῶτα αἵματι περιῤῥεόμενος, καὶ ἐμυσταγώγεις καὶ ἐβάπτιζες, καὶ θυσίαν προσῆγες, καὶ ἑνὸς οὐ κατεφρόνησας μέλλοντος σώζεσθαι· εἰς δὲ τὴν Τρῳάδα ἐλθὼν, καὶ τὴν ἄρουραν εὑρὼν ἐκκεκαθαρμένην, καὶ ἑτοίμην οὖσαν τὰ σπέρματα δέξασθαι, τοσοῦτον ἔῤῥιψας ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν κέρδος, καὶ ἀπεπήδησας εὐθέως; Ναὶ, φησί· πολλῇ γὰρ κατεσχέθην ἀθυμία; τυραννίδι, καὶ σφόδρα μου συνέχεε τὴν διάνοιαν ἡ Τίτου ἀπουσία· καὶ οὕτω μου ἐκράτησε, καὶ περιεγένετο, ὡς ἀναγκάσαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Εἶδες πῶς μέγιστος ἆθλος τὸ δυνηθῆναι ἐνεγκεῖν πράως ἀγαπωμένου χωρισμόν; πῶς ὀδυνηρὸν πρᾶγμα καὶ πικρόν; πῶς ὑψηλῆς δεόμενον καὶ νεανικῆς ψυχῆς; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι μόνον τὸ τῇ ψυχῇ συνδεδέσθαι, οὐδὲ ἀποχρῶνται τούτῳ εἰς παραμυθίαν. ἀλλὰ καὶ σωματικῆς δέονται παρουσίας, κἂν μὴ τοῦτο προσῇ, οὐ μικρὸν τῆς εὐφροσύνης ὑποτέτμηται μέρος. Βαβαὶ τοῦ διαπύρου ἔρωτος τῆς ἀγάπης· ὁ πυρὸς κατατολμῶν Παῦλος, ὁ ἀδαμάντινος, ὁ στεῤῥὸς, ὁ ἀκλινὴς, ὁ ἀκαμπὴς, ὁ λέγων, Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, θλῖψις, ἢ στενοχωρία, ἢ λιμὸς, ἢ διωγμὸς, ἢ γυμνότης, ἢ κίνδυνος, ἢ μάχαιρα; ὁ γῆς καὶ θαλάττης κατατολμῶν, ὁ τῶν ἀδαμαντίνων τοῦ θανάτου πυλῶν καταγελῶν· οὗτος, ἐπειδή τινων ἀγαπητῶν εἶδε δάκρυα, οὕτως κατεκλάσθη καὶ συνετρίβη, ὡς μηδὲ κρύψαι τὸ πάθος, ἀλλ' εἰπεῖν εὐθέως· Τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος· ἄβυσσος αὐτὸν οὐ συνέτριψεν ὑδάτων, καὶ μικρὰ δάκρυα συνέτριψεν καὶ συνέκλασε;","english":"Bound with wood, living in a prison, with lashes laid upon him, and his back streaming with blood, you were initiating and baptizing, and offering sacrifice, and you did not despise even one who was about to be saved; but when you came to Troas, and found the field cleared and ready to receive the seeds, did you cast away so great a gain from your hands, and leap away at once? Yes, he says; for I was seized by great despondency and tyranny, and the absence of Titus greatly confounded my mind; and it so mastered me and prevailed over me as to compel me to do this. Do you see how great a contest it is to be able to bear gently the separation from one who is loved? How painful and bitter a thing? How it needs a lofty and vigorous soul? For it is not enough for those who love merely to be bound together in soul, nor are they satisfied with this for consolation, but they also need bodily presence, and if this is not present, no small part of their gladness is cut off. Alas for the burning desire of love! Paul, who dared fire, the adamantine, the firm, the unbending, the inflexible, who says, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or famine, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? who dared earth and sea, who laughed at the adamantine gates of death—this man, when he saw the tears of certain beloved ones, was so broken and crushed that he did not even hide his passion, but said at once: What are you doing, weeping and crushing my heart? O the marvel! The abyss of waters did not crush him, and a few tears crushed and broke him down?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες καὶ συντρίβοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; ἐκείνην τὴν ἀδαμαντίνην ψυχὴν συντρίψαι δάκρυον ἴσχυσε; Ναὶ, φησί· πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης ἰσχύς· αὕτη μου περιγίνεται καὶ κρατεῖ· πρὸς πάντα γὰρ ἀντέχω, πλὴν τῆς ἀγάπης. Τίς οὐκ ἂν\n\nἐκπλαγείη; τίς οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειε; μᾶλλον δὲ τίς κατ' ἀξίαν ἐκπλαγείη καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἂν τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην καὶ οὐρανομήκη ψυχὴν, ὅτι δεδεμένος καὶ καθειργμένος ἀπὸ τοσούτου διαστήματος Φιλιππησίοις ἐπέστελλεν; ἴστε γὰρ ὅσον τὸ μέσον Μακεδονίας, καὶ Ῥώμης, Ἀλλ' οὔτε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος, οὔτε τοῦ χρόνου τὸ πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁ τῶν πραγμάτων ὄχλος, οὔτε ὁ κίνδυνος, καὶ τὰ ἐπάλληλα δεινὰ, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν, τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν μνήμην ἐξέβαλε τῶν μαθητῶν, ἀλλ' εἶχεν αὐτοὺς ἅπαντας ἐν διανοίᾳ. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτως αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἁλύσεσιν αἱ χεῖρες ἐδέδεντο, ὡς τῷ πόθῳ τῶν μαθητῶν ἡ ψυχὴ συνεδέδετο καὶ προσήλωτο. Καὶ καθάπερ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἀναβὰς ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω, καὶ καθίσας ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς αὐλαῖς, μυρίας εὐθέως δέχεται πανταχόθεν ἐπιστολάς· οὕτω δὴ κἀκεῖνος, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς αὐλαῖς τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ καθήμενος, πολλῷ πλείω καὶ ἐδέχετο καὶ ἔπεμπε συνεχῶς τὰ γράμματα τῶν πανταχόθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκείνου σοφίαν ὑπὲρ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς πραγμάτων ἀναφερόντων ἅπαντα· καὶ τοσούτῳ πλείονα πράγματα τοῦ βασιλέως ᾠκονόμει, ὅσῳ καὶ μείζονα ἀρχὴν ἐμπεπίστευτο.","english":"Why do you weep and crush my heart? What are you saying? Tell me: did a tear have the strength to crush that adamantine soul? Yes, he says; for great is the strength of love; it prevails over me and holds me fast; for I withstand all things except love. Who would not be struck with amazement? Who would not marvel? Or rather, who could worthily be struck with amazement and marvel at that noble and heaven-reaching soul, because, bound and imprisoned, from so great a distance he wrote to the Philippians? For you know how great is the distance between Macedonia and Rome. But neither the length of the journey, nor the multitude of time, nor the crowd of affairs, nor danger, and the calamities following one upon another, nor anything else, cast out the love and the remembrance of the disciples, but he held them all in his mind. And his hands were not so bound by his chains as his soul was bound and fastened to the longing for his disciples. And just as a king, having ascended his throne at dawn and sat in the royal courts, immediately receives countless letters from everywhere, so too that man, sitting in prison as in royal courts, both received and sent far more letters continually—those from everywhere referring all their own affairs to his wisdom; and he administered so many more affairs than the king, as he had been entrusted with a greater rule.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐστὶ δύναμις, ὡς οὐ τοὺς παρόντας μόνον καὶ πλησίον ὄντας ἡμῶν καὶ ὁρωμένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μακρὰν ἀφεστῶτας περιλαμβάνειν καὶ συγκολλᾷν καὶ συνδεῖν, καὶ οὔτε χρόνων πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁδῶν διάστημα, οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν, ψυχῆς φιλίαν δύναιτ' ἂν διακόψαι καὶ διατεμεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ οὕτω δεῖ φιλεῖν τὸν φιλοῦντα, ὡς, εἰ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αἰτηθῇ, καὶ δυνατὸν ᾖ, μὴ κωλῦσαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντάξιον γνησίου φίλου. Ἥδεται γὰρ ὁ φιλῶν ὁρῶν τὸν φιλούμενον καὶ διαχεῖται, συμπλέκεται αὐτῷ συμπλοκήν τινα κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν ἄῤῥητον ἔχουσαν τὴν ἡδονήν. Κἂν ἀναμνησθῇ μόνον αὐτοῦ, διανέστη τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἀνεπτερώθη, καὶ βλέπων τοῦτον καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· οὐ κορέννυται, οὐδὲν ἔστιν αὐτῷ ὅπερ μὴ ἔστιν ἐκείνου· ταὐτὰ αὐτῷ ἐπεύχεται ἅπερ καὶ ἑαυτῷ. Οἶδα ἐγώ τινα, ὃς ὑπὲρ φίλου τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας παρακαλῶν, παρεκάλει πρότερον εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ. Οἶδα καὶ Παῦλον τὴν ψυχὴν ἡδέως διδόντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ μὴ αἰτηθέντα, καὶ εἰς γέενναν ἐμπίπτειν ὑπὲρ τῶν φιλουμένων εὐχόμενον. Οὕτω γὰρ χρὴ φιλεῖν διαθέσει πεπυρωμένῃ, ὡς μὴ δοκεῖν ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν τὸν φιλούμενον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτῷ ὀφειλέτης εἶναι ἐν τῷ ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν ἐκεῖνον. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν, οὐκ ἐπιτάττειν βούλεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτάττεσθαι· χαίρει μᾶλλον ἐπιταττόμενος ἤπερ ἐπιτάττων. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν χαρίζεσθαι βούλεται μᾶλλον ἢ χάριν λαμβάνειν· θέλει γὰρ ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν τὸν φίλον, ἤπερ αὐτὸς ὀφείλειν ἐκείνῳ. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν καὶ βούλεται χαρίζεσθαι τῷ ἀγαπωμένῳ, καὶ οὐ βούλεται δοκεῖν χαρίζεσθαι·","english":"For such is the power of love that it embraces and glues together and binds not only those present and near to us and seen, but also those who stand far off, and neither a multitude of years, nor a distance of roads, nor any other such thing could cut through and sever the friendship of the soul. For thus one must love the one who loves, so that even if his very soul were asked of him, and it were possible, he would not hold it back; for not even then is it worthy of a genuine friend. For the one who loves rejoices when he sees the beloved and is melted, and is entwined with him in an embrace that has an ineffable pleasure in the soul. And if he only remembers him, he is stirred up in his mind and takes wing, and seeing him each day he is not sated; nothing is to him that is not that man's; he prays for the same things for him as for himself. I know a certain man who, entreating the holy men on behalf of a friend, asked them first to pray for him, and then for himself. I know Paul too, gladly giving his own soul though not asked, and praying to fall into Gehenna on behalf of those he loved. For thus one must love with a disposition set on fire, so as not to seem to have the beloved as a debtor, but to be himself a debtor to him in having him as a debtor. For the one who loves wishes not only to command but also to be commanded; he rejoices more in being commanded than in commanding. The one who loves wishes to grant favors rather than to receive a favor; for he wishes to have his friend as a debtor, rather than himself to owe him. The one who loves both wishes to grant favors to the beloved and does not wish to seem to grant favors.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"καὶ ἄρχειν αὐτὸς εὐεργεσίας, καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν ἄρχειν εὐεργεσίας. Καὶ μή μοι τοὺς ἁπλῶς φίλους ἐννοεῖτε, τοὺς κοινωνοὺς τῶν τραπεζῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ προσηγορίας μόνης φίλους λογιζομένους· εἴ τις ἔχει φίλον, οἷον λέγω, ἐπιγνώσεται τὰ ῥήματα. Τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς φίλος ἡδύτερος. Πολλοὶ γοῦν μετὰ τὴν τῶν φίλων τελευτὴν εὔξαντο μηκέτι ζῆσαι λοιπόν· καὶ γὰρ ὄντως καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς αὐτοῦ ποθεινότερος ὁ φίλος. Βέλτιον γὰρ ἡμῖν σβεσθῆναι τὸν ἥλιον, ἢ φίλων ἀποστερηθῆναι· πολλοὶ γὰρ τὸν ἥλιον ὁρῶντες, ἐν σκότῳ εἰσί· φίλων δὲ εὐποροῦντες, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐν θλίψει γένοιντο. Εἰ δέ τινός σε φιλία βλάπτει, ἔκκοπτε ἀπὸ σοῦ. Εἰ γάρ τινα τῶν ἡμετέρων μελῶν πολλάκις ἀποτέμνομεν, ὅταν αὐτά τε ἀνιάτως ἔχῃ, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς λυμαίνηται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦτο ποιεῖν χρή. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω βλαβερὸν, ὡς συνουσία πονηρά· ὅσα γὰρ ἀνάγκη μὴ δύναται, δύναται φιλία πολλάκις εἰς βλάβην καὶ ὠφέλειαν. Ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῦ βασιλέως συμφιλιάζων, οὐ δύναται φίλος τοῦ βασιλέως εἶναι. Τῆς γὰρ φιλίας τῆς διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν τὸ μῖσος τὸ δι' αὐτὸν πολλῷ βέλτιον. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ φιλώμεθα διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, ἡμεῖς ὀφειλέται αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν τῆς τιμῆς· ὅταν δὲ μισώμεθα, αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶ τῆς τιμῆς. Ὅσοι τοίνυν μηδὲ χρημάτων διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καταφρονοῦμεν, μᾶλλον δὲ δι' ἡμᾶς, φρίξωμεν, τὸ περὶ","english":"and to take the initiative in doing good himself, and not to seem to take the initiative in doing good. And do not think of friends in the ordinary sense—those who share our tables and are counted friends merely from the name; if anyone has a friend, such as I mean, he will recognize these words. A friend is sweeter than the present life. Many, at any rate, after the death of their friends have prayed to live no longer; for truly a friend is more desirable even than the light itself. For it is better for us that the sun be extinguished than to be deprived of friends; for many who see the sun are in darkness, while those who have an abundance of friends would never be in distress. But if anyone's friendship harms you, cut it off from yourself. For if we often cut off some of our own members, when they are incurably diseased and corrupt the rest, much more ought we to do this in the case of the soul. For nothing is so harmful as evil companionship; for whatever necessity cannot do, friendship often can, for harm and for benefit. But he who makes friends with the enemies of the king cannot be a friend of the king. For than the friendship that is for Christ's sake, the hatred that is for his sake is far better. For when we are loved for God's sake, we are his debtors for the honor; but when we are hated, he is our debtor for the honor. As many of us, then, as despise even money for Christ's sake—or rather for our own sake—let us shudder at the matter concerning","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ Παύλου φίλτρον ἐν διανοίᾳ λαμβάνοντες. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν Χριστὸν οὗτος ἐφίλει διὰ τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸν τὰ ἐκείνου, καὶ ἓν ἐδεδοίκει μόνον, τὸ μὴ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ γεέννης φοβερώτερον ἦν· ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ μένειν ἐν αὐτῇ βασιλείας ποθεινότερον. Ὅταν μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνος διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ πόθον καὶ εἰς γέενναν καταδέχεται ἐμπεσεῖν, καὶ βασιλείας ἐκπεσεῖν, εἴ γε ἀμφότερα ταῦτα προύκειτο, ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδὲ τοῦ παρόντος καταφρονῶμεν βίου, ἆρα ἄξιοι τῶν γοῦν ὑποδημάτων ἐσμὲν λοιπὸν τῶν ἐκείνου, τοσοῦτον ἀφεστηκότες αὐτοῦ τῆς μεγαλονοίας; Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Ὃς ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτήν· καὶ, Ὃς ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ πολὺς ὁ τοῦ κατορθώματος τούτου πόνος, καὶ αὐτὴν σχεδὸν ὑπερβαίνων τὴν φύσιν· καὶ τοῦτο ἴσασιν οἱ καταξιωθέντες τῶν στεφάνων τούτων καλῶς· λόγος γὰρ οὐδεὶς αὐτὸ παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται· οὕτω γενναίας τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι ψυχῆς, καὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς θαυμαστόν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο οὐδὲν μέγα ἔφησεν ὠφελεῖν, ἀγάπης χωρὶς, ὁ Παῦλος, κἂν τὴν ἀκτημοσύνην συνεζευγμένην ἔχῃ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὕτως εἴρηκε, τοῦτο ἤδη δεῖξαι πειράσομαι, πρότερον ἐκεῖνο ζητήσας, πῶς ὁ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ψωμίζων πάντα, δύναται μὴ ἔχειν ἀγάπην. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἕτοιμον ὄντα καῆναι, καὶ τὰ χαρίσματα ἔχοντα ἐγχωρεῖ ἴσως καὶ μὴ ἀγαπῆσαι· ὁ δὲ μὴ μόνον διδοὺς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψωμίζων, πῶς οὐκ ἀγαπᾷ; Τί οὖν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν;","english":"taking into our mind the love of Christ that Paul had. For he did not love Christ for the sake of Christ's own things, but for his sake the things that belong to him, and he feared only one thing: to fall away from the love that was toward him. For this was to him more fearful than Gehenna, just as remaining in it was more desirable than the kingdom. When, then, that man, out of longing for God, accepts even to fall into Gehenna and to fall away from the kingdom—if indeed both of these were set before him—while we do not even despise the present life, are we then worthy even of his sandals, so far removed are we from his greatness of mind? For this reason Christ also said: Whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it; and, Whoever confesses me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in heaven. For great is the toil of this achievement, and it almost surpasses nature itself; and those who have been deemed worthy of these crowns know this well, for no word will be able to set it forth; so noble is the deed of a soul, and wondrous beyond measure. But nevertheless Paul said that this wondrous thing, without love, is of no great profit, even if it has poverty joined to it. Why, then, he has spoken thus, I will now try to show, first inquiring into that question: how can the man who feeds all with his possessions be able to lack love? For it is perhaps possible for one who is ready to be burned and who has the gifts to lack love; but how does the man who not only gives his possessions but even feeds others not love? What, then, is one to say?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"Ἢ ὅτι τὸ οὐκ ὂν ὡς ὂν ὑπέθετο, ὅπερ ἀεὶ φιλεῖ ποιεῖν, ὅταν ὑπερβολὴν παραστῆσαι βουληθῇ· ὡς ὅταν Γαλάταις γράφων λέγῃ· Ἐὰν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν, παρ' ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω· καίτοι οὔτε αὐτὸς, οὔτε ἄγγελος ἔμελλε τοῦτο ποιεῖν· ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ὅλως ἐσόμενον τέθεικε. Καὶ πάλιν, ὅταν Ῥωμαίοις ἐπιστέλλῃ καὶ λέγῃ· Οὔτε ἄγγελοι, οὔτε ἀρχαὶ, οὔτε δυνάμεις δυνήσονται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο ἔμελλον ποιεῖν ἄγγελοι, ἀλλὰ κἀνταῦθα τὸ μὴ ὂν ὑποτίθεται· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς λέγων· Οὔτε κτίσις ἑτέρα· καίτοι γε ἑτέρα οὐκ ἔστι κτίσις· πᾶσαν γὰρ αὐτὴν περιέλαβε, καὶ τὰ ἄνω καὶ τὰ κάτω πάντα εἰπών· ἀλλ' ὅμως κἀνταῦθα τὸ μὴ ὂν καθ' ὑπόθεσιν τίθησιν, ὥστε δεῖξαι τὸν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς αὐτοῦ πόθον. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖ, λέγων, ὅτι Κἂν πάντα τις δῷ, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ, οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖται. Ἢ τοῦτο ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ἢ ὅτι βούλεται τοὺς παρέχοντας καὶ συγκεκολλῆσθαι τοῖς λαμβάνουσι, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς διδόναι ἀσυμπαθῶς, ἀλλ' ἐλεοῦντας καὶ κατακαμπτομένους, ἐπικλωμένους, καὶ συναλγοῦντας τοῖς δεομένοις. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ νενομοθέτηται· καὶ γὰρ ἠδύνατο τοὺς πένητας διατρέφειν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ χωρὶς τούτου· ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην συνδήσῃ, καὶ ἵνα διαθερμαινώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους, παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς ἐκέλευσε τρέφεσθαι. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι· Κρεῖσσον λόγος ἀγαθὸς ἢ δόσις· καὶ ἰδοὺ λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγαθόν. Καὶ αὐτός φησι· Ἔλεον θέλω, καὶ οὐ θυσίαν.","english":"Or that he set down what does not exist as though it existed, which is what he always does when he wishes to set forth an excess: as when, writing to the Galatians, he says, \"If we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed\"—although neither he himself nor an angel was going to do this; but to show the excess of the matter, he has set down even what would never happen at all. And again, when he writes to the Romans and says, \"Neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers will be able to separate us from the love of Christ\"—for neither were angels going to do this, but here too he sets down what does not exist; just as also in what follows he says, \"Nor any other creature\"—although there is no other creature; for he encompassed it all, speaking of all things both above and below; but nevertheless here too he sets down by hypothesis what does not exist, so as to show his love with excess. This indeed he also does here, saying, \"Even if one gives all things, but has not love, he is profited nothing.\" Or this is to say, or that he wishes those who give to be joined closely to those who receive, and not simply to give without sympathy, but with mercy and being bowed down, bending forward, and suffering together with those in need. For this reason also almsgiving has been legislated by God; for God was able to feed the poor even without this; but in order to bind us together in love, and that we might be warmed toward one another, he commanded them to be fed by us. For this reason also elsewhere he says, \"A good word is better than a gift\"; and behold, a word is better than a good gift. And he himself says, \"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔθος τούς τε εὐεργετουμένους φιλεῖν, τούς τε εὖ πάσχοντας πρὸς τοὺς εὐεργετοῦντας οἰκειότερον διακεῖσθαι, σύνδεσμον φιλίας ποιῶν, τοῦτο ἐνομοθέτησε. Καὶ ἵνα μάθητε ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ κατόρθωμα, ὑπογράψωμεν αὐτὴν τῷ λόγῳ, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς πράγμασιν αὐτὴν οὐχ ὁρῶμέν που φαινομένην, καὶ ἐννοήσωμεν, εἰ πανταχοῦ μετὰ δαψιλείας ἦν αὕτη, πόσα ἂν ἐγένετο ἀγαθά. Οὔτε γὰρ νόμων, οὔτε δικαστηρίων ἔδει, οὐ κολάσεων, οὐ τιμωριῶν, οὐκ ἄλλου τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενός. Εἰ γὰρ ἅπαντες ἠγάπων καὶ ἠγαπῶντο, οὐδὲν ἂν ἠδίκησεν οὐδεὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ φόνοι καὶ μάχαι καὶ πόλεμοι καὶ στάσεις καὶ ἁρπαγαὶ καὶ πλεονεξίαι καὶ πάντα ἂν ἐκποδὼν ἐγεγόνει τὰ πονηρὰ, καὶ μέχρις ὀνόματος ἂν ἠγνοήθη ἡ κακία. Τὰ μέντοι σημεῖα οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο εἰργάσαντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς κενοδοξίαν ἐπαίρει τοὺς μὴ προσέχοντας καὶ ἀπόνοιαν. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν τῆς ἀγάπης, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἀγαθὰ ἔχει\n\nπαρεζευγμένα τὰ κακά· οἷον ὁ ἀκτήμων φυσᾶται πολλάκις διὰ τοῦτο· ὁ λέγειν εἰδὼς καὶ δοξομανίαν νοσεῖ· ὁ ταπεινόφρων δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο πολλάκις κατὰ τὸ συνειδὸς μέγα φρονεῖ. Ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη πάσης τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπήλλακται λύμης· κατὰ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαπωμένου οὐκ ἄν τις ἐπαρθείη ποτέ. Καὶ μή μοι θῇς ἕνα ἀγαπῶντα, ἀλλὰ πάντας ὁμοίως, καὶ τότε αὐτῆς ὄψει τὴν ἀρετήν· μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ βούλει, πρῶτον ἕνα ἀγαπώμενον, καὶ ἕνα φιλοῦντα τίθει, φιλοῦντα μέντοι ὡς φιλεῖν ἄξιον· τὴν γὰρ γῆν οὕτως ὡς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἰκήσει, πανταχοῦ γαλήνῃ ἀπολαύων, καὶ μυρίους ἑαυτοῦ πλέκων στεφάνους.","english":"For since it is a custom that those who are benefited love, and those who are well treated are more intimately disposed toward their benefactors, he made this a bond of friendship and so legislated. And so that you may learn how great the achievement is, let us sketch it in words, since we do not see it appearing anywhere in practice, and let us consider: if this were everywhere with abundance, how many good things would have come about. For there would be no need of laws, nor of courts, nor of punishments, nor of penalties, nor of any other such thing. For if all loved and were loved, no one would have wronged anyone, but murders and battles and wars and factions and robberies and greed and all wicked things would have been removed, and evil would have been unknown even by name. Signs, however, would not have brought this about, but they even lift those who do not pay attention into vainglory and folly. And indeed the wondrous thing about love is that the other goods have evils yoked alongside them: for example, the man without possessions is often puffed up on this account; the man skilled in speaking is sick with love of glory; the humble-minded man, for this very reason, often thinks greatly of himself in his conscience. But love is freed from every such plague; for no one would ever be lifted up against the one he loves. And do not set before me one man loving, but all alike, and then you will see its virtue; or rather, if you wish, first set one man loved and one man loving—loving, however, as it is worthy to love. For such a man will inhabit the earth as heaven, enjoying calm everywhere, and weaving countless crowns for himself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος καὶ φθόνου καὶ ὀργῆς καὶ βασκανίας καὶ ἀπονοίας καὶ κενοδοξίας καὶ πονηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας καὶ παντὸς ἔρωτος ἀτόπου, καὶ παντὸς νοσήματος καθαρεύουσαν διατηρήσει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἑαυτῷ οὐκ ἄν τις ἐργάσαιτό τι κακόν· οὕτως οὐδὲ τοὺς πλησίον οὗτος. Τοιοῦτος δὲ ὢν, μετ' αὐτοῦ στήσεται τοῦ Γαβριὴλ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς βαδίζων. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀγάπην ἔχων τοιοῦτος. Ὁ δὲ σημεῖα ποιῶν καὶ γνῶσιν ἔχων ἀπηρτισμένην, ταύτης ἄνευ κἂν μυρίους ἐγείρῃ νεκροὺς, οὐδὲν μέγα ὀνήσει, πάντων ἀπεῤῥηγμένος, καὶ οὐδενὶ τῶν συνδούλων ἀναμιγνύναι ἑαυτὸν ἀνεχόμενος. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀκριβοῦς ἀγάπης σημεῖον ἔφησεν εἶναι τὸ τὸν πλησίον φιλεῖν Εἰ γὰρ φιλεῖς με, φησὶν, ὦ Πέτρε, τούτων πλέον, ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου· Εἶδες πῶς καὶ ἐντεῦθεν πάλιν ᾐνίξατο, ὅτι μαρτυρίου μεῖζον τοῦτο; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ παῖδά τις εἶχεν ἀγαπητὸν, καὶ ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἂν ἐπέδωκεν, εἶτά τις τὸν μὲν πατέρα ἐφίλει, τῷ δὲ παιδὶ μηδὲν ὅλως προσεῖχε, σφόδρα ἂν παρώξυνε τὸν πατέρα, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ᾔσθετο τῆς οἰκείας ἀγάπης, διὰ τὴν τοῦ παιδὸς ὑπεροψίαν. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ πατρὸς καὶ παιδὸς τοῦτο συμβαίνει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων· καὶ γὰρ πατέρων ἁπάντων ἐστὶ φιλοστοργότερος ὁ Θεός. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, Πρώτη καὶ μεγάλη ἐντολή· Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, ἐπήγαγε, Δευτέρα δὲ, καὶ οὐκ ἐσίγησεν, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκεν ὁμοίαν αὐτῇ· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτόν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς σχεδὸν ὑπερβολῆς ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ ταύτην· περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ φησιν, Ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου·","english":"For such a person will keep his own soul pure from envy and anger and malice and folly and vainglory and evil desire and every unnatural passion, and from every disease. For just as no one would do any evil to himself, so neither would he to his neighbors. And being such a person, he will stand with Gabriel himself, walking upon the earth. And the one who has love is such a person. But the one who performs signs and has complete knowledge, without this love, even if he raises ten thousand dead, will profit nothing, having been severed from all and not enduring to mingle himself with any of his fellow servants. For this reason Christ also said that the sign of exact love for him is loving one's neighbor. For if you love me, he says, O Peter, more than these, feed my sheep. Do you see how from this too he hinted again that this is greater than martyrdom? For if someone had a beloved child, for whom he would even give up his own life, and then someone loved the father but paid no attention at all to the child, he would greatly provoke the father, and he would not perceive his own love, because of the contempt for the child. But if this happens in the case of a father and child, much more in the case of God and men; for God is more affectionate than all fathers. For this reason, having said, The first and great commandment: You shall love the Lord your God, he added, And the second, and he did not keep silent, but added like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And see how with nearly the same excess he requires this one too; for concerning God he says, With your whole heart.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"περὶ δὲ τοῦ πλησίον σου, Ὡς σεαυτόν· ὅπερ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μετὰ ἀκριβείας τοῦτο ἐφυλάττετο, οὐ δοῦλος, οὐκ ἐλεύθερος ἦν, οὐκ ἄρχων, οὐκ ἀρχόμενος, οὐ πλούσιος, οὐ πένης, οὐ μικρὸς, οὐ μέγας, οὐ διάβολος ἂν ἐγνώσθη ποτέ· οὐ λέγω, οὗτος, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἕτερος τοιοῦτος, μᾶλλον δὲ εἰ καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ μυρίοι τοιοῦτοι ἦσαν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἴσχυσαν ἐκείνης οὔσης. Μᾶλλον γὰρ χόρτος ἤνεγκε πυρὸς ἐπαγωγὴν, ἢ φλόγα ἀγάπης διάβολος. Αὕτη τείχους ἰσχυροτέρα, αὕτη ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέρα· κἂν ἑτέραν αὐτῆς ἰσχυροτέραν εἴπῃς ὕλην, πάντα ὑπερβάλλει τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ στεῤῥότης. Ταύτην οὐ πλοῦτος, οὐ πενία νικᾷ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδ' ἂν ἦν πενία, οὐκ ἀμετρία πλούτου, εἰ ἀγάπη ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐξ ἑκατέρων ἀγαθὰ μόνον· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνου ἀφθονίαν ἐκαρπωσάμεθα ἂν, καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης ἀμεριμνίαν καὶ οὔτε τοῦ πλούτου τὰς φροντίδας, οὔτε τῆς πενίας τὸ δέος ὑπεμείναμεν ἄν. Καὶ τί λέγω τὰ ἐξ αὐτῆς κέρδη; αὐτὸ γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτὸ τὸ φιλεῖν, ἐννόησον ἡλίκον ἐστὶ, πόσην φέρει τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ἐν πόσῃ καθίστησι χάριτι τὴν ψυχήν· ὃ μάλιστα αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἐξαίρετον. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα τῆς ἀρετῆς μέρη συνεζευγμένον ἔχει τὸν πόνον· οἷον νηστεία, σωφροσύνη, ἀγρυπνία, βασκανίαν, ἐπιθυμίαν, ὑπεροψίαν· ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη μετὰ τοῦ κέρδους πολλὴν ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν, καὶ πόνον οὐδένα· καὶ καθάπερ μέλιττα ἀγαθὴ, τὰ πανταχόθεν συνάγουσα ἀγαθὰ, εἰς τὴν τοῦ φιλοῦντος κατατίθεται ψυχήν. Κἂν δουλεύῃ τις, ἡδίω τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀποφαίνει τὴν δουλείαν. Ὁ γὰρ φιλῶν οὐχ οὕτως ἐπιτάττων ὡς ἐπιταττόμενος χαίρει· καίτοι γε τὸ ἐπιτάττειν ἡδύ·","english":"And concerning your neighbor: \"As yourself\"—which is equivalent to \"with your whole heart.\" For if this were kept with exactness, there would be no slave, no free man, no ruler, no subject, no rich, no poor, no small, no great, and the devil would never have been known. I do not say this one, but even if another such as he existed—or rather, even if a hundred and ten thousand such existed—they would have no power while that love remained. For grass more readily endures the onset of fire than the devil endures the flame of love. This is stronger than a wall, this is firmer than adamant; and even if you name some other material stronger than it, the firmness of love surpasses all. Wealth does not conquer it, nor poverty; or rather, there would be no poverty, no excess of wealth, if love were present, but only the goods that come from both. For we would have reaped the abundance that comes from wealth, and the freedom from care that comes from poverty, and we would have endured neither the anxieties of wealth nor the fear of poverty. And why do I speak of the gains that come from it? Consider how great the very act of loving is in itself, how much gladness it brings, in how much grace it establishes the soul—which is its most excellent feature. For the other parts of virtue have toil yoked to them—for example, fasting, chastity, vigil, envy, desire, contempt; but love, along with its gain, has much pleasure and no toil. And like a good bee, gathering good things from every side, it deposits them in the soul of the one who loves. And even if someone is a slave, love makes slavery sweeter than freedom. For the one who loves rejoices not so much in commanding as in being commanded—although commanding is pleasant.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"ἀλλὰ μετατίθησιν αὕτη τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ πάντα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχουσα παραγίνεται τὰ ἀγαθὰ, πάσης μητρὸς ἠπιωτέρα, πάσης βασιλίδος εὐπορωτέρα, καὶ τὰ ἐπίπονα κοῦφα καὶ ῥᾷστα ποιεῖ, τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν εὔκολον, τὴν δὲ κακίαν πικροτάτην ἡμῖν ἀποφαίνουσα· Σκόπει δέ· τὸ δαπανᾷν\n\nλυπηρὸν εἶναι δοκεῖ, καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτὸ αὕτη ἡδύ· τὸ λαμβάνειν τὰ ἑτέρων ἡδὺ, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸ φαίνεσθαι ἡδὺ, ἀλλὰ φεύγειν, ὡς μοχθηρὸν, παρασκευάζει. Πάλιν τὸ κακῶς λέγειν γλυκὺ πᾶσιν εἶναι δοκεῖ· αὕτη τοῦτο μὲν πικρὸν ἀποφαίνεται, τὸ δὲ καλῶς λέγειν ἡδύ· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ὡς τὸν φιλούμενον ἐγκωμιάζειν ἡμῖν ἡδύ. Πάλιν ὁ θυμὸς ἔχει τινὰ ἡδονήν· ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα οὐκέτι, ἀλλὰ πάντα αὐτοῦ τὰ νεῦρα ἀνῄρηται· κἂν λυπήσῃ τὸν φιλοῦντα ὁ ἀγαπώμενος, θυμὸς μὲν οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται, δάκρυα δὲ καὶ παρακλήσεις καὶ ἱκετηρίαι· τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ παροξυνθῆναι. Κἂν ἴδῃ ἁμαρτάνοντα, πενθεῖ καὶ ὀδυνᾶται· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀδύνη αὕτη ἡδονὴν φέρει· τῆς γὰρ ἀγάπης καὶ τὰ δάκρυα καὶ ἡ λύπη γέλωτος παντὸς ἡδίω καὶ χαρᾶς. Οὐχ οὕτω γοῦν ἀναπαύονται οἱ γελῶντες, ὡς ὑπὲρ φίλων κλαίοντες· κἂν ἀπιστῇς, ἐπίσχες αὐτῶν τὰ δάκρυα, καὶ ὡς τὰ ἀνήκεστα παθόντες, οὕτω δυσχεραίνουσιν. Ἀλλ' ἡδονὴν ἔχει, φησὶν, ἄτοπον τὸ φιλεῖν. Ἄπαγε, καὶ εὐφήμει, ἄνθρωπε· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡδονῆς καθαρεύει τοιαύτης, ὡς ἀγάπη γνησία.","english":"But this love changes the nature of things, and having all things in its hands, it brings every good thing, gentler than any mother, richer in resources than any queen, and it makes labors light and most easy, showing virtue to be easy and vice to be most bitter to us. Consider: spending seems to be painful, and this love makes it pleasant; taking what belongs to others is pleasant, and it does not allow it to appear pleasant, but makes one flee from it as wicked. Again, speaking evil seems sweet to all; this love shows this to be bitter, but speaking well to be sweet; for nothing is so sweet to us as to praise the one we love. Again, anger has a certain pleasure; but here it is no longer so, but all its sinews have been destroyed; and even if the beloved grieves the one who loves him, anger appears nowhere, but tears and entreaties and supplications; so far is he from being provoked. And if he sees him sinning, he mourns and is in pain; but even this pain brings pleasure; for the tears and grief of love are sweeter than all laughter and joy. At any rate, those who laugh are not so refreshed as those who weep for friends; and if you do not believe it, stop their tears, and they are as distressed as if they had suffered irreparable things. But, he says, loving has an absurd pleasure. Away with you, and speak reverently, man; for nothing is so free from such pleasure as genuine love.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"Μὴ γάρ μοι ταύτην εἴπῃς τὴν δημώδη καὶ ἀγοραῖον, καὶ νόσον μᾶλλον ἢ ἀγάπην οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ ταύτην, ἢν ὁ Παῦλος ἐπιζητεῖ, τὴν τὸ συμφέρον τῶν ἀγαπωμένων σκοποῦσαν, καὶ ὄψει ὅτι πατέρων οὗτοι φιλοστοργότεροι, καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ χρήματα φιλοῦντες, οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιντο δαπανῆσαι χρήματα, ἀλλ' ἥδιον ἂν ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ γένοιντο, ἢ ἐκεῖνα ἴδοιεν ἐλαττούμενα· οὕτω καὶ ὁ πρός τινα ἡδέως ἔχων, μυρία ἂν ἕλοιτο παθεῖν, ἢ τὸν ἀγαπώμενον καταβλαπτόμενον ἰδεῖν. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἐὰν ἐχθροὶ ὦσι καὶ Ἕλληνες, οὐ δεῖ μισεῖν; Δεῖ μισεῖν μὲν, οὐκ ἐκείνους δὲ, ἀλλὰ τὸ δόγμα· οὐ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὴν πονηρὰν πρᾶξιν, τὴν διεφθαρμένην γνώμην. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἔργον Θεοῦ, ἡ δὲ πλάνη ἔργον τοῦ διαβόλου. Εἰ γὰρ δεῖ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ μισεῖν, οὐχὶ ἀσεβεῖς δεῖ μισεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς, καὶ οὕτως ἐσόμεθα θηρίων χείρους, πάντας ἀποστρεφόμενοι· καὶ ἀπονοίᾳ φυσώμενοι, καθάπερ ὁ Φαρισαῖος ἐκεῖνος. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως ἐκέλευσεν, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Νουθετεῖτε τοὺς ἀτάκτους, παραμυθεῖσθε τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, ἀντέχεσθε τῶν ἀσθενῶν, μακροθυμεῖτε πρὸς πάντας. Τί οὖν ὅταν λέγῃ, φησὶν, Εἴ τις οὐχ ὑπακούει τὸν λόγον ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, τοῦτον σημειοῦσθε, καὶ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε αὐτῷ; Μάλιστα μὲν περὶ ἀδελφῶν τοῦτο εἴρηται· πλὴν οὔτε τοῦτο ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ ἡμερότητος. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ περικόψῃς τὰ ἑξῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα προστίθει· καὶ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ νουθετεῖτε ὡς ἀδελφόν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὸ ἔργον μισεῖν τὸ φαῦλον, οὐ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐκέλευσε;","english":"Do not speak to me of that vulgar and marketplace love, which is a disease rather than love, but of this love that Paul seeks, the love that looks to the advantage of the beloved, and you will see that these are more affectionate than fathers, and just as those who love money would not choose to spend their money, but would rather be in straits than see it diminished, so too the one who is kindly disposed toward someone would choose to suffer countless things rather than see the beloved harmed. What then, he says, if they are enemies and Greeks, should we not hate them? We should hate, not them, but the doctrine; not the man, but the evil deed, the corrupted mind. For the man is the work of God, but the error is the work of the devil. For if we must hate the enemies of God, we must hate not only the impious but also sinners, and thus we will be worse than wild beasts, turning away from all; and puffed up with folly, like that Pharisee. But Paul did not command thus, but how? Admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. What then, he says, when he says, If anyone does not obey our word through the letter, mark this man and do not associate with him? This is said especially concerning brothers; yet not this either without qualification, but this too with gentleness. For do not cut off what follows, but add also what comes after; for having said, Do not associate, he added, And do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Do you see how he commanded us to hate the evil deed, not the man?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ἔργον τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ διασπᾷν ἡμᾶς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων· καὶ σφόδρα ἐσπούδακεν ἀνελεῖν τὴν ἀγάπην, ἵνα ἐκκόψῃ τῆς διορθώσεως τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ κατάσχῃ ἐκεῖνον ἐν πλάνῃ, σὲ δὲ ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ τε καὶ ἀπεχθείᾳ, εἶθ' οὕτως ἀποτειχίσῃ τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας τὴν ὁδόν. Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς μισῇ τὸν κάμνοντα καὶ φεύγῃ, καὶ ὁ κάμνων τὸν ἰατρὸν ἀποστρέφηται, πότε ἀναστήσεται ὁ νοσῶν, ὅταν μήτε ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸν καλῇ, μήτε οὗτος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπίῃ; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ ἀποστρέφῃ καὶ φεύγεις αὐτόν; ὅτι ἀσεβής ἐστιν; Οὐκοῦν διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ προσιέναι καὶ θεραπεύειν, ἵνα ἀναστήσῃς νοσοῦντα. Εἰ δὲ ἀνίατα νοσεῖ, ἀλλὰ σὺ τὸ σαυτοῦ ποιεῖν ἐκελεύσθης· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Ἰούδας ἀνίατα ἐνόσει, καὶ οὐ διέλιπεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς θεραπεύων. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ σὺ ἀποκάμῃς· κἂν γὰρ πολλὰ σπουδάσας μὴ ἀπαλλάξῃς τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτὸν, καὶ τοῦ ἀπαλλάξαντος λήψῃ τὸν μισθὸν, καὶ παρασκευάσεις αὐτὸν θαυμάζειν σου τὴν ἡμερότητα· καὶ οὕτως εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἡ δόξα ἅπασα αὕτη διαβήσεται. Κἂν γὰρ θαύματα ποιῇς, κἂν νεκροὺς ἐγείρῃς, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐργάσῃ, οὐδέποτέ σε οὕτω θαυμάσονται Ἕλληνες, ὡς ὅταν ἴδωσι πρᾶον καὶ ἥμερον καὶ γλυκὺν παρεχόμενον τρόπον. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο κατόρθωμα· πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ τέλεον ἀπαλλαγήσονται τοῦ κακοῦ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπισπάσασθαι δύναται, ὡς ἀγάπη. Ἐπ' ἐκείνοις μὲν γάρ σε καὶ ζηλοτυπήσουσι, τοῖς σημείοις λέγω καὶ τοῖς θαύμασιν· ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ καὶ","english":"For it is the devil's work to tear us apart from one another; and he has been exceedingly zealous to destroy love, so that he might cut off the path of correction, and hold that one fast in error, and you in unbelief and hatred, and then in this way wall off the path of that one's salvation. For when the physician hates the sick man and flees from him, and the sick man turns away from the physician, when will the sick man rise, when neither does the one call him, nor does the other go to him? And for what reason do you turn away and flee from him? Because he is impious? Then for this very reason you ought to draw near and care for him, so that you may raise up the sick man. But if he is sick incurably, still you were commanded to do your own part; since Judas also was incurably sick, and God did not cease caring for him. Do not, then, you either grow weary; for even if after much zeal you do not deliver him from his impiety, you will receive the reward of one who has delivered him, and you will dispose him to marvel at your gentleness; and in this way all this glory will pass over to God. For even if you work wonders, even if you raise the dead, even if you accomplish anything whatever, the Greeks will never marvel at you so much as when they see you presenting a meek and gentle and sweet manner. And this too is no small achievement; for many will be completely delivered from evil. For nothing is so able to draw people, as love. For on account of those things they will even envy you—I mean the signs and the wonders; but on account of this they will also","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"θαυμάσονται καὶ φιλήσουσι, φιλοῦντες δὲ, καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπιλήψονται ὁδῷ προβαίνοντες. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ εὐθέως γίνεται πιστὸς, μὴ θαύμαζε, μηδὲ ἐπείγου, μηδὲ ἅπαντα ὁμοῦ ζήτει, ἀλλ' ἔασον αὐτὸν τέως ἐπαινεῖν, φιλεῖν, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ὁδῷ προϊὼν ἥξει. Ἐπεὶ οὖν δημιουργὸς ἀρετῆς ἡ ἀγάπη, μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης ἐν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν καταφυτεύσωμεν αὐτὴν ψυχαῖς, ἵνα ἡμῖν πολλὰ κομίσῃ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ βρύοντα αὐτῆς διηνεκῶς τὸν καρπὸν ἔχωμεν, τὸν ἀεὶ τεθηλότα, καὶ οὐδέποτε μαραινόμενον. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ Πνεύματι δόξα, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Βʹ. Περὶ εὐχῆς.\n\nΜέγα ἀγαθὸν ἡ εὐχὴ, ἐὰν μετὰ διανοίας εὐχαρίστου γίνηται, ἐὰν παιδεύσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, μὴ μόνον λαμβάνοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ μὴ λαμβάνοντες, εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ γὰρ ποτὲ μὲν δίδωσι, ποτὲ δὲ οὐ δίδωσιν, ἀμφότερα χρησίμως· ὥστε κἂν λάβῃς, κἂν μὴ λάβῃς, ἔλαβες ἐν τῷ μὴ λαβεῖν· κἂν ἐπιτύχῃς, κἂν μὴ ἐπιτύχῃς, ἔτυχες ἐν τῷ μὴ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν λυσιτελέστερον. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ συμφέρον ἡμῖν ἦν πολλάκις τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν, πάντως ἔδωκεν ἄν· τὸ δὲ συμφερόντως ἀποτυχεῖν ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐστι. Μὴ δὴ πρὸς τὴν βραδυτῆτα τῆς τῶν αἰτουμένων δόσεως δυσχεραίνωμεν, ἀλλὰ ταύτῃ μᾶλλον πολλὴν τὴν καρτερίαν καὶ τὴν μακροθυμίαν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Μὴ γὰρ, καὶ πρὶν ἢ αἰτήσωμεν, οὐκ ἠδύνατο παρασχεῖν ὁ Θεός; ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναμένει, ἵνα ἀφορμὴν λάβῃ παρ' ἡμῶν τοῦ δικαίως ἡμᾶς ἀξιοῦν τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ προνοίας.","english":"They will marvel and love, and loving, they will lay hold of the truth as they advance step by step. But if he does not become a believer immediately, do not marvel, nor be impatient, nor seek everything at once, but allow him for a time to praise and to love, and advancing step by step he will come to this as well. Since, then, love is the creator of virtue, let us plant it in our own souls with all diligence, so that it may bring us many good things, and we may have its fruit flowing continually, ever flourishing and never withering. In this way, then, we shall also attain the eternal good things; may it come to pass that we all attain them, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the holy and good Spirit, be glory, unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 2. On Prayer.\n\nPrayer is a great good, if it is made with a grateful mind, if we train ourselves to give thanks to God not only when we receive but also when we do not receive. For sometimes he gives, and sometimes he does not give, and both are beneficial; so that whether you receive or do not receive, you have received in not receiving; and whether you succeed or do not succeed, you have succeeded in not succeeding. For there is a time when not receiving is more advantageous. For if not receiving had not often been to our advantage, he would certainly have given; but to fail advantageously is to succeed. Let us not, then, be vexed at the slowness of the giving of the things we ask for, but rather let us show great endurance and patience in this. For was God unable to provide even before we asked? But for this reason he waits, so that he may take from us an occasion to deem us worthy of his providence righteously.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"Κἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν τοίνυν τῶν αἰτηθέντων, κἂν μὴ ἐπιτύχωμεν, παραμένωμεν τῇ αἰτήσει· καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐπιτυγχάνοντες εὐχαριστῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποτυγχάνοντες. Τὸ γὰρ ἀποτυχεῖν ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς βούληται, οὐκ ἔλαττόν ἐστι τοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς τὰ συμφέροντα ἡμῖν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπίσταται· Ὥστε οὖν, κἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν, κἂν ἀποτύχωμεν, εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν, καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς δέχεσθαι ἅπερ αὐτὸς δοκιμάσει. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνανεύων ἡμῶν πρὸς τὰς αἰτήσεις ὑπερτίθεται πολλάκις ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ σοφιζόμενος ἡμῶν τὴν προσεδρείαν, καὶ βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐφέλκεσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος αἰτούμενος πολλάκις παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς οὐκ ἐπινεύει, οὐχὶ βουλόμενος μὴ δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ παιδὸς τὴν προσεδρείαν διὰ τούτου ἐπισπώμενος. Τὸ γὰρ ἀκούεσθαι εὐχόμενον, πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀξίους εἶναι λαβεῖν γίνεται, δεύτερον δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Θεοῦ προσεύχεσθαι, τρίτον ἐκ τοῦ συνεχῶς, τέταρτον ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲν βιωτικὸν αἰτεῖν, πέμπτον ἐκ τοῦ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ συνεπεισφέρειν ἅπαντα, καὶ πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ τὰ συμφέροντα ζητεῖν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκ τούτων τὸ ἀκούεσθαι γίνεται, οὕτως ἑτέρωθεν τὸ μὴ ἀκούεσθαι, κἂν δίκαιοι ὦσιν οἱ αἰτοῦντες. Τί γὰρ τοῦ Παύλου δικαιότερον γέγονεν; ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀσύμφορα ᾔτησεν, οὐκ ἠκούσθη· Ὑπὲρ τούτου τρὶς τὸν Κύριον παρεκάλεσα, φησὶ, καὶ εἶπέ μοι. Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, Τί δὲ Μωϋσέως πάλιν δικαιότερον; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος ἠκούετο· λέγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἱκανούσθω σοι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔτει εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας εἰσελθεῖν, ἀσύμφορον δὲ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐκ ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ Θεός.","english":"So then, whether we obtain what we ask or do not obtain it, let us persist in the asking; and let us give thanks not only when we succeed but also when we fail. For to fail, when God so wills, is not less than to succeed; for we do not know what is for our good, as he himself knows. Therefore, whether we succeed or fail, we ought to give thanks and to receive with joy whatever he may approve. For God does not turn away from our requests and put them off many times, but he does so to make our perseverance wise, and because he wishes to draw us to himself; just as a loving father, though asked many times by his child, does not consent, not because he does not wish to give, but because by this means he draws out the child's perseverance. For being heard in prayer comes first from being worthy to receive, second from praying according to God's laws, third from praying continually, fourth from asking nothing worldly, fifth from contributing everything on one's own part, and again from seeking what is beneficial. Just as being heard comes from these things, so not being heard comes from the opposite, even if those who ask are righteous. For what has been more righteous than Paul? But because he asked for what was not beneficial, he was not heard: \"Concerning this I besought the Lord three times,\" he says, \"and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you.\" And what again was more righteous than Moses? But neither was he heard, when God said, \"Let it suffice you.\" For because he asked to enter the land of promise, and this was not beneficial, God did not permit it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"Μετὰ τούτων καὶ ἕτερόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ ποιοῦν ἀκούεσθαι, ὅταν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐπιμένοντες προσευχώμεθα· ὃ καὶ περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλεγεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ· Μὴ προσεύχου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου· ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τί οὗτοι ποιοῦσιν; Οὐκ ἀπέστησαν, φησὶ, τῆς ἀσεβείας, καὶ σὺ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δέησιν ἀναφέρεις; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκούσομαί σου. Πάλιν ὅταν κατ' ἐχθρῶν αἰτῶμεν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀκουόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ παροξύνομεν τὸν Θεόν. Φάρμακον γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εὐχὴ, ἀλλὰ ἐὰν μὴ εἰδῶμεν τὸ φάρμακον πῶς ἐπιθεῖναι χρὴ, οὐδὲ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ καρπούμεθα\n\nπώποτε. Τοσοῦτον οὖν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς εὐχῆς προσεδρεία καλὸν, ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς Χαναναίας ἐκείνης παιδευόμεθα, ὅτι ὃ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀξιωσάντων ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐπένευσεν, αὕτη ἤνυσε, καὶ τῇ καρτερίᾳ εἰς ἔργον ἐξήνεγκε. Καὶ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων παρ' ἡμῶν βούλεται μᾶλλον τῶν ὑπευθύνων ἀξιοῦσθαι, ἢ παρ' ἑτέρων ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Ἀνθρώπων μὲν γὰρ δεόμενοι, καὶ δαπάνης χρημάτων δεόμεθα καὶ κολακείας δουλοπρεποῦς καὶ πολλῆς περιόδου καὶ πραγματείας· οὐ γὰρ ἐξ εὐθείας αὐτοῖς τοῖς κυρίοις δοῦναι τὴν χάριν ἔνι καὶ διαλεχθῆναι πολλάκις, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη πρότερον διακόνους καὶ οἰκονόμους αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπιτρόπους καὶ χρήμασι καὶ ῥήμασι, καὶ παντὶ θεραπεῦσαι τρόπῳ, καὶ τότε δι' ἐκείνων δυνηθῆναι τὴν αἴτησιν λαβεῖν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως· οὐ γὰρ δεῖται μεσιτῶν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀξιούντων, οὐδὲ οὕτω δι' ἑτέρων παρακαλούμενος, ὡς δι' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν δεομένων ἐπινεύει τῇ χάριτι. Πολλὰ γὰρ βούλεται ἀπαιτεῖσθαι, παρ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ χάριν ἔχει τούτου πολλήν·","english":"Along with these things there is also this: that we are not heard when we pray while persisting in our sins. This is what God also said to Jeremiah concerning the Jews: Do not pray for this people; or do you not see what they are doing? They have not ceased, he says, from their impiety, and you bring supplication on their behalf? But I will not hear you. Again, when we ask against our enemies, not only are we not heard, but we even provoke God. For prayer is a medicine, but if we do not know how the medicine ought to be applied, we never reap its power either.\n\nSo great, then, is the good of persistence in prayer, as we are taught by that Canaanite woman: what Christ did not grant when the apostles asked it, she accomplished, and by her endurance she brought it to fulfillment. For he wishes that requests for our own affairs be made to him by us who are accountable, rather than by others on our behalf. For when we entreat human beings, we need expenditure of money and servile flattery and much going about and trouble; for it is not possible to give the favor directly to the masters themselves and to converse with them often, but one must first court their servants and stewards and overseers with money and words and every manner of attention, and then through them be able to obtain the request. But with God it is not so; for he does not need mediators for those who ask, nor, when entreated through others, does he grant the favor in such a way as when we ourselves make the request. For God wishes to be asked for many things by us, and he is greatly grateful for this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"μόνος γὰρ οὗτος ὁ χρεώστης ὅταν ἀπαιτῆται χάριν ἔχει, καὶ ἃ μὴ ἐδανείσαμεν δίδωσι. Κἂν μὲν σφοδρῶς ἴδῃ ἐγκείμενον τὸν ἀπαιτοῦντα, καὶ ἃ μὴ ἔλαβε παρ' ἡμῶν, καταβάλλει· ἂν δὲ νωθρῶς, καὶ αὐτὸς διαναβάλλεται, οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἡδέως ἔχειν παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπαιτεῖσθαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μισῶν, οὐδὲ ἀποστρεφόμενος ἡμᾶς ἀναβάλλεται τῶν αἰτουμένων τὴν δόσιν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ τῇ μελλήσει τῆς δόσεως διηνεκῶς παρ' ἑαυτῷ κατέχειν βουλόμενος· καθάπερ καὶ πατέρες φιλόστοργοι ποιοῦσι· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τῶν ῥᾳθυμοτέρων παίδων τὴν διηνεκῆ προσεδρείαν τῇ τῆς δόσεως ἀναβολῇ σοφίζονται. Ἠκούσθης; ἐπὶ τούτῳ εὐχαρίστησον, ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσθης· οὐκ ἠκούσθης; παράμεινον ἵνα ἀκουσθῇς. Οὐ χρεία σοι μεσιτῶν, οὐδὲ πολλῆς τῆς περιδρομῆς καὶ τοῦ κολακεῦσαι ἑτέρους· ἀλλὰ κἂν ἔρημος ᾖς, κἂν ἀπροστάτευτος, αὐτὸς διὰ σαυτοῦ παρακαλέσας τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιτεύξῃ πάντως. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, κἂν μυρία προσκεκρουκότες ὦμεν, ὅταν καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω, καὶ μέσης ἡμέρας καὶ ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ φαινώμεθα τοῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς λελυπημένοις, τῇ συνεχείᾳ καὶ τῇ διηνεκεῖ τῆς ὄψεως συντυχίᾳ καταλύομεν ῥᾳδίως αὐτῶν τὴν ἔχθραν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο γένοιτ' ἄν. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως δι' ἑτέρων ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παρακαλούμενος ἐπινεύειν εἴωθεν, ὡς δι' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τῶν δεομένων, κἂν μυρίων ὦμεν γέμοντες κακῶν Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ μετὰ ῥᾳθυμίας εὐχόμενοι, καὶ τῇ μελλήσει τῆς δόσεως δυσχεραίνοντες. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπω, Παρακάλεσον τὸν Θεὸν, δεήθητι αὐτοῦ, ἱκέτευσον αὐτὸν, λέγει· Παρεκάλεσα ἅπαξ, δεύτερον, τρίτον, δέκατον, εἰκοστὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἔλαβον. Μὴ ἀποστῇς ἕως ἂν λάβῃς·","english":"For this debtor alone is grateful when repayment is demanded, and he gives what we did not lend. And if he sees the one demanding pressing hard, he pays back even what he did not receive from us; but if sluggishly, he too postpones, not because he does not wish to give, but because he is pleased to be asked by us. For God does not postpone the granting of what is asked out of hatred, nor out of turning away from us, but because by the delay of the gift he wishes to keep us continually with himself—just as affectionate fathers also do; for they too, by postponing the gift, train the more indolent children to continual attentiveness. Were you heard? Give thanks for this, because you were heard. Were you not heard? Persevere so that you may be heard. You have no need of mediators, nor of much running about and flattering others; but even if you are desolate, even if you have no protector, having entreated God yourself through yourself, you will certainly obtain your request. For if among men, even when we have offended in countless ways, whenever we appear at dawn, at midday, and in the evening to those who have been grieved against us, by our constancy and continual encounter of sight we easily dissolve their enmity, much more would this happen with God. For he is not so accustomed to nod assent when entreated by others on our behalf as when entreated by us ourselves who are in need, even if we are full of countless evils. Let those who pray with indifference, and are vexed at the delay of the gift, hear this. For when I say, Entreat God, beseech him, supplicate him, he says, I have entreated once, a second time, a third time, a tenth, a twentieth, and I have not received. Do not depart until you receive.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"τότε ἀπόστηθι, ὅταν λάβῃς· μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ τότε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τότε παράμενε· κἂν μὴ λάβῃς, αἴτει ἵνα λάβῃς· ὅταν δὲ λάβῃς, εὐχαρίστησον ὅτι ἔλαβες. Εἰσέρχονται πολλοὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἀπαρτίζουσι μυρίους στίχους εὐχῆς, καὶ ἐξέρχονται, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασι τί εἶπον· τὰ χείλη κινεῖται ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ οὐκ ἀκούει. Σὺ οὐκ ἀκούεις τῆς εὐχῆς σου, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν θέλεις ταύτης ἀκοῦσαι; Ἔκλινα, λέγεις, γόνατα. Ἀλλ' ἡ διάνοιά σου ἔξω ἐπέτετο· τὸ σῶμα ἔνδον, καὶ ἡ γνώμη σου ἔξω· τὸ στόμα σου ἔλεγε τὴν εὐχὴν, καὶ ἡ διάνοιά σου ἠρίθμει τοὺς τόκους, τὰ συμβόλαια, τὰ συναλλάγματα, τὰ κτήματα, τὰς τῶν φίλων συνουσίας. Ὁ γὰρ διάβολος πονηρὸς ὢν, καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐν καιρῷ εὐχῆς μεγάλα ἀνύομεν, τότε ἐπέρχεται (πολλάκις γὰρ ὕπτιοι κείμεθα ἐν κλίνῃ, καὶ οὐδὲν λογιζόμεθα· ἤλθομεν εὔξασθαι, καὶ τότε μυρίοι λογισμοὶ ἐπεισέρχονται), ἵνα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν κενοὺς καὶ ἀπράκτους δι' ὅλου ποιήσηται· καὶ πολλάκις πληρώσαντες τὴν εὐχὴν, μηδὲ ὡς ἀκούσαντες ἃ εἰρήκαμεν, ἀπήλθομεν. Ἂν οὖν ἐννοήσωμεν τοῦτο, εὐθέως αὐτὴν ἀναλάβωμεν, κἂν τὸ αὐτὸ πάθωμεν πάλιν, καὶ τρίτον, καὶ τέταρτον αὐτὴν εἴπωμεν, καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἀποστῶμεν εὐχόμενοι, ἕως ἂν ἅπασαν αὐτὴν μετὰ διανοίας νηφούσης καὶ λογισμοῦ προσέχοντος ἐκχέωμεν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Κἂν αἴσθηται ὁ διάβολος, ὅτι οὐ πρότερον ἀφιστάμεθα, ἕως ἂν μετὰ σπουδῆς αὐτὴν καὶ διανοίας νηφούσης εἴπωμεν, ἀποστήσεται λοιπὸν ἐφεδρεύων, εἰδὼς, ὅτι","english":"Then withdraw when you have received; or rather, not even then, but even then remain; and if you do not receive, ask so that you may receive; and when you have received, give thanks that you have received. Many enter the church, complete countless verses of prayer, and go out, and do not know what they have said; the lips move, but the hearing does not hear. You do not hear your own prayer, and you want God to hear it? I have knelt, you say. But your mind was flying outside; the body was inside, and your thought was outside; your mouth was saying the prayer, and your mind was counting interest, contracts, transactions, properties, gatherings of friends. For the devil, being wicked, and knowing that in the time of prayer we accomplish great things, then attacks (for often we lie on our backs in bed, and reckon nothing; we have come to pray, and then countless thoughts rush in), so that from that source he may make us empty and wholly ineffective; and often, having finished the prayer, we have gone away as if we had not even heard what we said. If, then, we perceive this, let us immediately take it up again; and even if we suffer the same thing again, and a third and a fourth time, let us say it again, and let us not cease praying until we pour it all out before God with a sober mind and attentive thought. And if the devil perceives that we do not withdraw until we have said it with earnestness and a sober mind, he will at last withdraw, watching in ambush, knowing that","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"οὐδὲν πλέον ἔσται αὐτῷ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἢ τὸ πολλάκις ἀναγκάζειν τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμᾶς ἀναλαμβάνειν εὐχήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ προσιόντες τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμεθα τὴν σπουδὴν, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς πλησίον παρεστῶτας πολλάκις ὁρᾷν, ἀλλὰ συντείνειν ἑαυτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, κἀκεῖνον μόνον φαντάζεσθαι ᾧ προσίεμεν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς χρὴ, καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς προσκαρτερεῖν, μὴ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε τὸν λογισμὸν περιαγομένους. Ἂν γὰρ ἡ γλῶττα μὲν προφέρῃ τὰ ῥήματα, ἡ δὲ διάνοια ἔξω ῥέμβηται, τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν περισκοποῦσα, τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν φανταζομένη, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ὄφελον ἔσται λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείων ἡ κατάκρισις. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώποις μὲν τοσοῦτον προσεδρεύομεν χρόνον, στρατευόμενοι καὶ ταλαιπωρούμενοι, διακονοῦντες δουλοπρεπῶς, καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει πολλάκις καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκπίπτοντες· τῷ Δεσπότῃ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ, ἔνθα πάντως ἐστὶν ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν ἀμοιβὴν πολλῷ μείζω τῶν πόνων, οὐ καρτεροῦμεν προσεδρεῦσαι μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης σπουδῆς; καὶ πόσης ταῦτα κολάσεως ἄξια; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν λαβεῖν ἦν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ συνεχῶς αὐτῷ διαλέγεσθαι, οὐχὶ μυρίων αἴτιόν ἐστιν ἀγαθῶν; Καὶ γὰρ μέγα ἀγαθὸν εὐχὴ καὶ τὸ διὰ ταύτης τῷ Θεῷ διαλέγεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ τις διαλεγόμενος ἐναρέτῳ οὐ μικρὰν ἐξ αὐτοῦ καρποῦται τὴν ὠφέλειαν, ὁ Θεῷ διαλέγεσθαι καταξιωθεὶς, πόσων ἀπολαύσεται ἀγαθῶν; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν οἰκέτας ἡμῖν κελεύειν ἅπαντα δουλεύειν τὸν χρόνον, ἡμᾶς δὲ μηδὲ τὴν ἐλάττω σχολὴν ἀπονέμειν τῷ Θεῷ; Οὐκ οἶδας σὺ τὰ συμφέροντα, ἄνθρωπε· πολλάκις αἰτεῖς ἐπιβλαβῆ καὶ σφαλερά.","english":"No advantage will come to him from his plot, except that he forces us often to take up the same prayer. For if, when we approach a man, we show such earnestness that we often do not even see those standing nearby, but concentrate our mind and imagine only that one to whom we are approaching, much more ought we to do this in the case of God, and to persist in prayers, not turning our reasoning here and there. For if the tongue utters the words, but the mind wanders outside, looking around at things in the house, imagining things in the marketplace, there will be no benefit for us thereafter, but even greater condemnation. For if we attend upon men for so much time, serving as soldiers and enduring hardship, ministering in slavish fashion, and often at the end falling short even of hope itself, shall we not endure to attend upon our Master with the earnestness that is fitting, where it is altogether possible to receive a reward far greater than our labors? And how much punishment are these things worth? For even if it were possible to receive nothing, is not this very thing—conversing with him continually—the cause of countless goods? For prayer is a great good, and so is conversing with God through it. For if one who converses with a virtuous man reaps no small benefit from him, how many goods will he enjoy who has been deemed worthy to converse with God? How then is it not absurd that we command our servants to slave for us all the time, but do not assign even the lesser leisure to God? You do not know what is beneficial, O man; often you ask for things harmful and dangerous.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ μᾶλλον κηδόμενός σου τῆς σωτηρίας, οὐ τῇ αἰτήσει σου προσέχει, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῆς αἰτήσεως τὸ συμφέρον σοι προνοεῖται. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ πατέρες οἱ σαρκικοὶ οὐ πάντως ἃ αἰτοῦσιν οἱ παῖδες διδόασιν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ καταφρονοῦσι τῶν αἰτούντων, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ αὐτῶν μᾶλλον κήδονται· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ καὶ μᾶλλον φιλῶν, καὶ πλέον ἁπάντων εἰδὼς τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν ποιεῖ. Ὅταν οὖν ἀποκάμῃς εὐχόμενος, καὶ μὴ λαμβάνῃς, ἐννόησον ποσάκις ἤκουσας πένητός σε καλοῦντος, καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουσας, καὶ οὐκ ἠγανάκτησεν ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲ ὕβρισέ σε· καίτοι σὺ μὲν ἀπὸ ὠμότητος τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας. Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτὸς τοῦ ὁμοδούλου δι' ὠμότητα μὴ ἀκούων, οὐκ ἀξιοῖς ἐγκαλεῖσθαι, τῷ Δεσπότῃ τοῦ δούλου διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν οὐκ ἀκούοντι ἐγκαλεῖς; Εἰ οὖν ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ βασιλεὺς ὢν, καὶ μυρίαις βαπτιζόμενος φροντίσι, καὶ πανταχόθεν περιελκόμενος, ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας παρεκάλει τὸν Θεὸν, τίνα ἂν ἔχοιμεν ἀπολογίαν καὶ συγγνώμην ἡμεῖς, τοσαύτην σχολὴν ἄγοντες, καὶ μὴ συνεχῶς αὐτὸν ἱκετεύοντες, καὶ ταῦτα τοσοῦτον μέλλοντες καρποῦσθαι κέρδος; Ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἀμήχανον, ἄνθρωπον μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης προθυμίας εὐχόμενον, καὶ παρακαλοῦντα τὸν Θεὸν συνεχῶς, ἁμαρτεῖν ποτε.","english":"But that one who cares more for your salvation does not attend to your request, but before your request he provides what is beneficial for you. For if fleshly fathers do not always give whatever their children ask, not because they despise those who ask, but because they care more for them, how much more does God, who both loves more and knows better than all what is beneficial for us, do it. When, then, you grow weary in praying and do not receive, consider how many times you heard a poor man calling you and did not answer, and he was not indignant, nor did he insult you; and yet you do this out of cruelty, while God does it out of love for humanity. If, therefore, you yourself, not listening to your fellow servant out of cruelty, do not think you deserve to be blamed, do you blame the Master of the servant for not listening out of love for humanity? If, then, the blessed David, being a king and immersed in countless cares and dragged about from every side, called upon God seven times a day, what defense and pardon could we have, who enjoy so much leisure and do not continually entreat him, and that when we are about to reap so great a gain? For it is impossible, impossible, for a man who prays with the proper zeal and continually entreats God ever to sin.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"Ὁ γὰρ διαθερμάνας αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναστήσας, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἑαυτὸν μετοικίσας, καὶ οὕτω τὸν Δεσπότην τὸν ἑαυτοῦ καλέσας, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναμνησθεὶς, καὶ περὶ τῆς συγχωρήσεως τούτων αὐτῷ διαλεχθεὶς, καὶ παρακαλέσας ἵλεων γενέσθαι καὶ ἥμερον, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις διατριβῆς, πᾶσαν ἀποτίθεται βιωτικὴν φροντίδα, καὶ πτεροῦται, καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων παθῶν ὑψηλότερος γίνεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω τοὺς κήπους αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ναμάτων εὐθαλεστέρους ποιοῦσιν, ὡς τὸ φυτὸν τῆς εὐχῆς αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν δακρύων ποτίζουσαι, πρὸς ὕψος μέγιστον ἀνατρέχειν ποιοῦσι, καὶ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τὸν εὐχόμενον ἵστασθαι παρασκευάζουσιν· ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ τὸ ἀκουσθῆναι γίνεται. Ἐπεὶ, ἂν τοῦ σώματος ἐπὶ γῆς κειμένου, καὶ τοῦ στόματος εἰκῆ ληροῦντος, ἡ διάνοια πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς περιέρχηται, πῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος δυνήσεται εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ηὔξατο; Ἐνώπιον γὰρ Κυρίου εὔχεται ὁ πάντοθεν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν συλλέγων, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχων κοινὸν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἑαυτὸν μετοικίσας τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ πάντα ἀνθρώπινον λογισμὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκβαλών. Οὕτω γὰρ δεῖ τὸν εὐχόμενον εὔχεσθαι, ὡς ὅλην ἑαυτοῦ","english":"For the one who has warmed his mind, and roused his soul, and transported himself to heaven, and thus called upon his own Master, and remembered his sins, and spoken with him about their forgiveness, and entreated him to become propitious and gentle—from his dwelling upon these words he lays aside every worldly care, and takes wing, and becomes higher than human passions. For the springs of streams do not make gardens so flourishing as the springs of tears water the plant of prayer, making the one who prays run back to the greatest height and preparing him to stand before the Lord; for from this especially comes being heard. Since, if while the body lies on the ground and the mouth babbles idly, the mind wanders everywhere through the house and the marketplace, how will such a one be able to say that he has prayed before God? For he prays before the Lord who gathers his soul from every side, and has nothing in common with the earth, but has transported himself to heaven itself, and has cast out every human reasoning from his soul. For the one who prays ought so to pray, as all of himself","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"συναγαγόντα καὶ συντείνοντα τὴν διάνοιαν, καλεῖν τὸν Θεὸν μετὰ ὀδυνωμένης ψυχῆς, καὶ μηδὲ μακροὺς ἀποτείνοντα λόγους, μηδὲ εἰς μῆκος τὴν ἱκετηρίαν ἐκτείνοντα, ἀλλ' ὀλίγα καὶ ψιλὰ λέγοντα ῥήματα· οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῶν ῥημάτων, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ νήψει τῆς διανοίας κεῖται τὸ ἀκουσθῆναι. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σαμουὴλ μητέρα, τὴν Ἄνναν, ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· φησὶ γοῦν ἐκείνη, Ἀδωναῒ Κύριε, Ἐλωῒ Σαβαὼθ, ἐὰν ἐπιβλέπων ἐπιβλέψῃς ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τῆς δούλης σου, καὶ δῷς τῇ δούλῃ σου σπέρμα ἀνδρὸς, δώσω αὐτὸ ἐνώπιόν σου δοτὸν, ἕως ἡμέρας θανάτου αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐ μὴ πίηται, καὶ σίδηρος οὐκ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Ποῖον τοῦτο πλῆθος ῥημάτων; ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ μετὰ προσοχῆς καὶ νήψεως ταύτην ἐποιήσατο τὴν εὐχὴν, πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν ἤνυσε, καὶ φύσιν πεπηρωμένην διώρθωσε, καὶ μήτραν ἀποκεκλεισμένην ἀνέῳξε, καὶ πρὸς παῤῥησίαν ἑαυτὴν πολλὴν ἐπανήγαγεν, ἐκ πέτρας ἀγόνου στάχυν κομῶντα θερίσασα. Δεῖ τοίνυν τὸν εὐχόμενον καὶ μὴ μακροὺς ἀποτείνειν λόγους, καὶ συνεχῶς εὔχεσθαι· βραχείας γὰρ καὶ πυκνὰς ποιεῖσθαι τὰς εὐχὰς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσαν, ἐξ ὀλίγων διαλειμμάτων. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ εἰς μῆκος ἐκτείνῃς τὸν λόγον, ὀλιγωρήσας πολλάκις, πολλὴν ἔδωκας τὴν ἄδειαν τῷ διαβόλῳ προσελθεῖν καὶ ὑποσκελίσαι, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀπαγαγεῖν τῶν λεγομένων· ἂν δὲ συνεχεῖς καὶ πυκνὰς ποιῇ τὰς εὐχὰς, τόν τε καιρὸν ἅπαντα τῇ πυκνότητι διαλαμβάνων, δυνήσῃ σωφρονεῖν εὐκόλως, καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς εὐχὰς μετὰ πολλῆς ποιήσῃ τῆς νήψεως. Βούλει μαθεῖν ἀγρυπνίαν προσευχῆς καὶ νῆψιν καὶ προσεδρείαν;","english":"gathering and concentrating the mind, to call upon God with a soul in pain, and not stretching out long words nor extending the supplication to great length, but speaking few and bare words; for being heard lies not in the abundance of words but in the sobriety of the mind. And this can be seen from the case of Samuel's mother, Hannah. For she says, \"O Lord Adonai, Eloi Sabaoth, if thou wilt indeed look upon the lowliness of thy handmaid, and give to thy handmaid a man-child, I will give him before thee as a gift until the day of his death, and he shall not drink wine or strong drink, and no iron shall come upon his head.\" What abundance of words is this? But nevertheless, since she made this prayer with attention and sobriety, she accomplished all that she desired, and she corrected a crippled nature, and opened a closed womb, and brought herself to great boldness, having reaped a ripened ear of grain from a barren rock. It is necessary, then, that the one who prays not stretch out long words, and that he pray continually; for Christ and Paul both commanded that prayers be made short and frequent, with brief intervals. For if you extend your speech to great length, often growing careless, you give the devil great license to approach and trip you up and lead your mind away from what is being said; but if you make your prayers continual and frequent, occupying all the time with their frequency, you will be able easily to be sober-minded, and you will make the prayers themselves with great sobriety. Do you wish to learn the vigilance of prayer, and the sobriety, and the perseverance?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"ἄπιθι πρὸς τὴν Ἄνναν, μάθε τί ἐποίησεν ἐκείνη. Ἀνέστησαν, φησὶ, πάντες ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης, καὶ ἐκείνη εὐθέως, οὐ πρὸς ὕπνον ἐτρέπετο, οὐ πρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν· ὅθεν μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης καθημένη, κούφη τις εἶναι, καὶ μὴ βεβαρημένη σιτίοις τισίν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοσαῦτα ἠφίει δάκρυα. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς νήστεις ὄντες καὶ ἄσιτοι μόλις οὕτως εὐχόμεθα, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδέποτε οὕτως εὐχόμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκείνη μετὰ τράπεζαν οὐκ ἂν ηὔξατο οὕτως, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἐν τῇ τραπέζῃ τοῖς ἀσίτοις ἐῴκει. Αἰσχυνθῶμεν οἱ ἄνδρες τὴν γυναῖκα, αἰσχυνθῶμεν οἱ ὑπὲρ βασιλείας ἱκετεύοντες καὶ χασμώμενοι, τὴν ὑπὲρ παιδίου δεομένην καὶ δακρύουσαν. Καὶ θέα μοι κἀντεῦθεν τὴν εὐλάβειαν· Φωνὴ αὐτῆς, φησὶν, οὐκ ἠκούετο, τὰ δὲ χείλη αὐτῆς ἐκινεῖτο. Οὕτως ὁ βουλόμενος ἀνύσαι, προσέρχεται τῷ Θεῷ, οὐ μαλακιζόμενος, οὐδὲ χασμώμενος, οὐδὲ ἐκλελυμένος, οὐδὲ κνώμενος, οὐδὲ ἀκηδιῶν. Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ὁ Θεὸς καὶ χωρὶς εὐχῆς δοῦναι; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ᾔδει καὶ πρὸ τῆς αἰτήσεως τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς γυναικός; Ἀλλ' εἰ ἔδωκε πρὸ τῆς αἰτήσεως, οὐκ ἂν ἐφάνη τῆς γυναικὸς ἡ προθυμία, οὐκ ἂν γέγονεν ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτῆς δήλη, οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἐντεῦθεν ἐκτήσατο μισθόν. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν αὐτῆς καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐλογίσατο αὐτὴν Ἠλεὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς εἰς μεθύουσαν, ὅρα καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τί φησί· Μὴ δῷς τὴν δούλην σου εἰς θυγατέρα λοιμὴν, ὅτι ἐκ πλήθους ἀδολεσχίας μου ἐκτέτακα καὶ ἕως τοῦ νῦν. Τοῦτο ἀληθῶς καρδίας συντετριμμένης, ὅταν πρὸς τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας μὴ χαλεπαίνωμεν μηδὲ δυσχεραίνωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπολογώμεθα.","english":"Go to Anna; learn what she did. They all rose, it says, from the table, and she immediately did not turn to sleep, nor to rest; whence it seems to me that even while sitting at the table she was light, and not weighed down by foods; for she would not have shed so many tears. For if we, being fasting and without food, scarcely pray thus, or rather never pray thus, much more would she not have prayed thus after the table, unless even at the table she had resembled those without food. Let us men be ashamed before the woman, let us who petition for a kingdom and yawn be ashamed before her who begs for a child and weeps. And observe from this her reverence: Her voice, it says, was not heard, but her lips were moving. Thus the one who wishes to succeed comes to God, not being soft, nor yawning, nor slackened, nor scratching himself, nor listless. For was God not able to give even without prayer? Did he not know the woman's desire even before the request? But if he had given before the request, the woman's eagerness would not have been shown, her virtue would not have become manifest, she would not have gained so great a reward from it. But let us see also her philosophy. For since Eli the priest reckoned her to be drunk, see also what she says to him: Do not give your servant as a daughter of pestilence, because out of the abundance of my talk I have stretched out until now. This is truly of a crushed heart, when we are not angered nor displeased at those who insult us, but even defend ourselves.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω ποιεῖ καρδίαν φιλόσοφον ὡς θλῖψις καὶ πένθος τὸ κατὰ Θεόν. Δέον οὖν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀρχομένους τραπέζης καὶ λήγοντας εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Ὁ γὰρ πρὸς τοῦτο παρεσκευασμένος, οὐδέποτε εἰς μέθην καὶ παροινίαν ἐκπεσεῖται, οὐδέποτε ὑπὸ ἀδηφαγίας διαῤῥαγήσεται, ἀλλὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν τῆς εὐχῆς ἀντὶ χαλινοῦ τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐπικειμένην ἔχων, μετὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος μέτρου τῶν παρακειμένων ἅψεται πάντων, καὶ πολλῆς μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν, πολλῆς δὲ τῆς εὐλογίας ἐμπλήσει τὸ σῶμα. Τράπεζα γὰρ ἀπὸ εὐχῆς ἀρχομένη, καὶ εἰς εὐχὴν καταλήγουσα, οὐδέποτε ὑστερηθήσεται, ἀλλὰ πηγῆς δαψιλέστερον ἅπαντα ἡμῖν οἴσει τὰ ἀγαθά. Μὴ δὴ τοσοῦτον παρῶμεν κέρδος. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον τοὺς μὲν οἰκέτας τοὺς ἡμετέρους, εἴ ποτέ τι τῶν παρακειμένων λάβοιεν παρ' ἡμῶν μέρος, εὐχαριστεῖν τε ἡμῖν καὶ μετ' εὐφημίας ἀναχωρεῖν, ἡμᾶς δὲ τοσούτων ἀπολαύοντας\n\nἀγαθῶν, μηδὲ τοσαύτην ἀποδιδόναι τῷ Θεῷ τὴν τιμήν. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο πολλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις πράγμασι παρὰ γνώμην ἡμῖν ἀπαντᾷ, ὅτι οὐ περὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ πρῶτον, καὶ τότε περὶ τὰ βιωτικὰ σπουδάζομεν πράγματα. Οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι ἐὰν ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσῃς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ μετάσχῃς τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς, μᾶλλόν σοι τὰ ἐν χερσὶν εὐμαρίζεται πράγματα; Ἀλλὰ βιωτικὰς ἔχεις φροντίδας; Διὰ ταύτας μὲν οὖν ἐνταῦθα ἀπάντησον, ἵνα τὴν εὔνοιαν ἐπισπασάμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς, οὕτω μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἐξέλθῃς· ἵνα ἔχῃς αὐτὸν σύμμαχον, ἵνα ἀκαταγώνιστος γένῃ τοῖς δαίμοσιν, ὑπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν χειρὸς βοηθούμενος.","english":"For nothing so makes the heart philosophical as grief and sorrow according to God. It is fitting, therefore, that we give thanks to God both when we begin the table and when we end it. For the one who has been prepared for this will never fall into drunkenness and insolence, never be burst apart by gluttony, but having the expectation of prayer set upon his thoughts like a bridle, he will touch all the things set before him with the proper measure, and he will fill his soul with much, and his body with much blessing. For a table that begins with prayer and ends in prayer will never be lacking, but will bring us all good things more abundantly than a spring. Let us not, then, pass by so great a gain. For it is absurd that our servants, if ever they receive some portion of the things set before them from us, give thanks to us and withdraw with words of good omen, while we, who enjoy so many good things, do not render even so much honor to God. For this reason many things happen to us contrary to our expectation, both in public and in private affairs, because we do not first devote our zeal to spiritual things, and then to the affairs of life. Do you not know that if you come and worship God, and share in the gathering here, the affairs in your hands become easier for you? But you have worldly cares? For these very things, then, come here, so that having drawn to yourself the goodwill of God through the gathering here, you may thus go out with safety; so that you may have him as an ally, so that you may become unconquerable by the demons, being helped by the hand from above.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"Ἂν γὰρ ἀπολαύσῃς εὐχῶν πνευματικῶν, ἂν μετάσχῃς εὐχῆς κοινῆς, ἂν ἐπισπάσῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν βοήθειαν, ἂν αὐτοῦ τοῖς ὅπλοις φραξάμενος οὕτως ἐξέλθῃς, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἀντιβλέψαι δυνήσεταί σοι λοιπὸν, μήτι γε ἄνθρωποι πονηροὶ σπουδάζοντες ἐπηρεάζειν καὶ συκοφαντεῖν· ἂν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἔλθῃς, καὶ γυμνὸς τῶν ὅπλων τούτων εὑρεθῇς, εὐχείρωτος ἔσῃ τοῖς ἐπηρεάζουσιν ἅπασι. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις, ὡς ἀδύνατον, ἄνθρωπον βιωτικὸν, δικαστηρίῳ προσηλωμένον, συνεχῶς εὔχεσθαι τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐκτρέχειν· δυνατὸν γὰρ, καὶ σφόδρα εὔκολον. Κἂν γὰρ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν δραμεῖν μὴ ῥᾴδιον, ἑστῶτα ἐκεῖ πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν καὶ τῷ δικαστηρίῳ προσηλωμένον εὔξασθαι δυνατόν. Καὶ τοῦτο πολλοὶ ἐποίησαν πολλάκις, καὶ βοῶντος τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἔνδοθεν, ἀπειλοῦντος, διατεινομένου, μαινομένου, πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἑστῶτες σφραγισάμενοι, καὶ ὀλίγα ῥήματα κατὰ διάνοιαν εὐξάμενοι, εἰσελθόντες μετέβαλον αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπράϋναν, καὶ ἥμερον ἐξ ἀγρίου κατέστησαν· καὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου, οὔτε ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῆς σιγῆς πρὸς τὴν εὐχὴν ταύτην ἐνεποδίσθησαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω φωνῆς χρεία, ὡς διανοίας, οὐδὲ ἐκτάσεως χειρῶν, ὡς συντεταμένης ψυχῆς, οὐδὲ σχήματος, ἀλλὰ φρονήματος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ μήτηρ Ἄννα, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ λαμπρὰν καὶ μεγάλην ἀφῆκε φωνὴν, διὰ τοῦτο ἠκούετο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μεγάλα ἔνδον μετὰ τὴν καρδίαν ἐβόα· Ἡ φωνὴ γὰρ αὐτῆς οὐκ ἠκούετο, φησὶ, καὶ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῆς ὁ Θεός.","english":"For if you have enjoyed spiritual prayers, if you have shared in common prayer, if you have drawn down God's help, if you have gone out thus fenced with his weapons, not even the devil himself will be able to look you in the face any longer, much less wicked men eager to insult and slander. But if you go from your house to the marketplace and are found stripped of these weapons, you will be an easy catch for all who insult you. And let no one say to me that it is impossible for a man of the world, one nailed to the courtroom, to pray continually throughout the day and to run to church; for it is possible, and very easy. For even if it is not easy to run to church, it is possible to pray while standing there before the doors, even while nailed to the courtroom. And many have done this often: while the magistrate inside was shouting, threatening, straining, raging, they stood before the doors, made the sign of the cross, and prayed a few words in their mind; then entering, they changed him and softened him, and made him gentle instead of savage. And they were hindered in this prayer by nothing—neither by the place, nor by the time, nor by the silence. For there is no such need of voice as of mind, nor of the stretching out of hands as of a soul stretched taut, nor of posture, but of disposition. Since even Samuel's mother Anna was heard not because she let out a bright and loud voice, but because she cried out great things within, after her heart; for her voice was not heard, it says, and God heard her.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"Μὴ δὴ οὖν προφασιζώμεθα λέγοντες, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν εὔκολον εὔξασθαί τινα, τοῖς βιωτικοῖς ἐνασχολούμενον πράγμασι, καὶ μηδὲ πλησίον εὐκτήριον οἶκον εὑρίσκοντα. Ὅπου γὰρ ἂν ᾖς, δύνασαι στῆσαί σου τὸ θυσιαστήριον· οὐδὲν γὰρ κωλύει τόπος, οὐδὲ ἐμποδίζει καιρός· ἀλλὰ κἂν μὴ γόνατα κλίνῃς, κἂν μὴ στῆθος τύψῃς, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνατείνῃς, διάνοιαν δὲ μόνον ἐπιδείξῃ θερμὴν, τὸ πᾶν ἀπήρτισας τῆς εὐχῆς. Ἔξεστι γὰρ καὶ εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβάλλοντα, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν βαδίζοντα, εὐχὰς ἐκτενεῖς ποιεῖσθαι· ἔξεστι καὶ ἐπ' ἐργαστηρίου καθήμενον καὶ δέρματα ῥάπτοντα, τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναθεῖναι πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην· ἔξεστι καὶ οἰκέτῃ καὶ ὠνουμένῳ, καὶ ἀναβαίνοντι καὶ καταβαίνοντι, καὶ μαγειρείῳ παρεστῶτι, ὅταν μὴ δυνατὸν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐλθεῖν, εὐχὴν ποιεῖσθαι ἐκτενῆ καὶ διεγηγερμένην. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνεται τόπον ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἓν ζητεῖ μόνον, διάνοιαν θερμὴν καὶ ψυχὴν σωφρονοῦσαν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος οὐκ ἐν οἴκῳ εὐκτηρίῳ, ἀλλ' ὕπτιος ἐπὶ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου κείμενος, καὶ οὐκ ὀρθὸς ἑστὼς οὐδὲ γόνατα κλίνων· οὐ γὰρ ἠφίει τὸ ξύλον ᾧ τοὺς πόδας ἐδέδετο· ἐπειδὴ μετὰ προθυμίας ηὔξατο κείμενος, τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔσεισε, καὶ τὰ θεμέλια διεσάλευσε, καὶ τὸν δεσμοφύλακα ἔδησε, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἱερὰν μετὰ ταῦτα μυσταγωγίαν ἐχειραγώγησε.","english":"Let us not, then, make excuses by saying that it is not easy for someone to pray when occupied with worldly affairs and finding no house of prayer nearby. For wherever you may be, you can set up your altar; no place hinders it, no time obstructs it. Even if you do not bend your knees, even if you do not beat your breast, even if you do not stretch out your hands toward heaven, but only show a fervent mind, you have completed the whole of prayer. For it is possible, whether entering the marketplace or walking by yourself, to offer earnest prayers; it is possible, even sitting at a workshop and stitching leather, to raise your soul to the Master; it is possible, whether you are a servant or a buyer, going up or coming down, or standing by the kitchen, when it is not possible to come to church, to offer a prayer earnest and alert. For God is not ashamed of a place, but seeks only one thing: a fervent mind and a sober soul. Indeed Paul, not in a house of prayer but lying on his back in the prison, and not standing upright nor bending his knees—for the wood to which his feet were bound did not allow it—since he prayed with eagerness while lying down, shook the prison, convulsed its foundations, bound the jailer, and afterward led him by the hand to the sacred initiation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"Καὶ ὁ Ἐζεκίας οὐκ ὀρθὸς ἑστὼς, οὐδὲ γόνατα κλίνων, ἀλλ' ὕπτιος ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης κείμενος διὰ τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν, στρέψας ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον, ἐπειδὴ τὸν Θεὸν θερμῶς ἐκάλεσε καὶ μετὰ ψυχῆς σωφρονούσης, καὶ ἀπόφασιν ἐξενεχθεῖσαν ἀνεκαλέσατο, καὶ πολλὴν ἐπεσπάσατο τὴν εὔνοιαν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανῆλθεν ὑγίειαν. Καὶ ὁ λῃστὴς ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τεταμένος, ἀπὸ ῥημάτων ὀλίγων τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἔτυχε· καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας ἐν βορβόρῳ καὶ λάκκῳ, καὶ ὁ Δανιὴλ ἐν λάκκῳ καὶ θηρίοις, καὶ ὁ Ἰωνᾶς ἐν αὐτῇ τοῦ κήτους τῇ νηδύϊ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλέσαντες, τὰ ἐπικείμενα δεινὰ διέλυσαν\n\nἅπαντα, καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν εὔνοιαν ἐπεσπάσαντο. Τί τοίνυν λέγειν ὀφείλεις εὐχόμενος; Ὅπερ ἡ Χαναναία· ὡς γὰρ ἐκείνη ἔλεγεν· Ἐλέησόν με, ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται· οὕτω λέγε καὶ σὺ, Ἐλέησόν με, ἡ ψυχή μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Μέγας γὰρ δαίμων ἡ ἁμαρτία· ὁ δαιμονῶν ἐλεεῖται· ὁ ἁμαρτάνων μισεῖται. Ἐλέησόν με. Βραχὺ τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ πέλαγος τῆς φιλανθρωπίας· ὅπου γὰρ ἔλεος, πάντα τὰ ἀγαθά. Κἂν ἔξω ἐκκλησίας ᾖς, κράζε καὶ λέγε, Ἐλέησόν με, εἰ καὶ μὴ κινῶν τὰ χείλη, ἀλλὰ τῇ διανοίᾳ βοῶν· καὶ σιωπώντων γὰρ ἀκούει ὁ Θεός. Οὐ ζητεῖται τόπος, ἀλλ' ἀρχὴ τρόπου. Ὁ Ἱερεμίαςἐν βορβόρῳ ἦν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπεσπάσατο· καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐν κοπρίᾳ ἦν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεων κατεσκεύασεν· ὁ Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὑπήκοον ἔσχε. Κἂν ἐν βαλανείῳ ᾖς, εὔχου· ὅπου ἐὰν ᾖς, εὔχου. Ναὸς εἶ, μὴ ζήτει τόπον. Θάλαττα ἦν ἔμπροσθεν, ὄπισθεν Αἰγύπτιοι, καὶ μέσος ὁ Μωϋσῆς μηδὲν λαλῶν· πολλὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ ἡ στενοχωρία·","english":"And Hezekiah, not standing upright nor bending his knees, but lying on his back on the bed because of his illness, turned himself toward the wall, and since he called upon God fervently and with a sober-minded soul, he both revoked the sentence that had been issued and drew upon himself great favor, and returned to his former health. And the robber stretched upon the cross, by a few words obtained the kingdom of heaven; and Jeremiah in the mire and the pit, and Daniel in the pit and among the beasts, and Jonah in the very belly of the sea-monster, having called upon God, dissolved all the terrors that beset them and drew down favor from on high. What, then, ought you to say when you pray? The very thing the Canaanite woman said. For as she said, Have mercy on me, my daughter is grievously demon-possessed; so say also you, Have mercy on me, my soul is grievously demon-possessed. For sin is a great demon; the one who is demon-possessed is shown mercy; the one who sins is hated. Have mercy on me. The word is brief, and a sea of loving-kindness; for where mercy is, there are all good things. And even if you are outside the church, cry out and say, Have mercy on me—even if not moving your lips, yet crying out with your mind; for God hears even those who are silent. No place is sought, but the beginning of a manner of life. Jeremiah was in the mire, and he drew God to himself; and Job was on the dung-heap, and he made God propitious; Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster, and he had God obedient to him. And even if you are in the bathhouse, pray; wherever you are, pray. You are a temple; do not seek a place. There was sea in front, Egyptians behind, and Moses in the middle saying nothing; for great is the constraint in prayer.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, Τί βοᾷς πρός με; Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ὅταν πειρασμὸς ἐπέλθῃ σοι, ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν κατάφυγε, τὸν Δεσπότην κάλεσον. Μὴ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, ἵνα ἀπέλθῃς εἰς τόπον; Θεὸς ἀεὶ ἐγγύς ἐστιν. Ἔτι γὰρ λαλοῦντός σου, ἐρῶ· Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Οὐδέπω τελεῖς τὴν εὐχὴν, καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ἴασιν δίδωσιν. Ἂν γὰρ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχῃς καθαρεύουσαν τῶν ἀτόπων παθῶν, κἂν ἐν ἀγορᾷ ᾖς, κἂν ἐν ὁδῷ, κἂν ἐν δικαστηρίῳ παρεστὼς, κἂν ἐν θαλάσσῃ, κἂν ἐν πανδοχείῳ, κἂν ἐπ' ἐργαστηρίῳ ἑστηκὼς, κἂν ὅπουπερ ἂν ᾖς, δυνήσῃ τὸν Θεὸν καλέσας ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς αἰτήσεως. Τί γὰρ βούλεται τῶν χειρῶν ἡ ἔκτασις ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ; Πολλαῖς πονηρίαις διακονοῦσιν αὗται· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κελευόμεθα αὐτὰς ἀνατείνειν, ἵνα ἡ τῆς εὐχῆς διακονία δεσμὸς αὐταῖς γένηται τῆς κακίας, καὶ ἀπαγωγὴ τῆς πονηρίας· ἵν', ὅταν μέλλῃς ἁρπάζειν, ἢ πλεονεκτεῖν, ἢ τύπτειν ἕτερον, ἀναμνησθῇς ὅτι ταύτας μέλλεις ἀντὶ συνηγόρων πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν πέμπειν, καὶ διὰ τούτων τὴν θυσίαν ἀναφέρειν ἐκείνην τὴν πνευματικὴν, καὶ μὴ καταισχύνῃς αὐτὰς, μηδὲ ἀπαῤῥησιάστους ἐργάσῃ, τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐργασίας. Κάθαιρε τοίνυν αὐτὰς ἐλεημοσύνῃ, φιλανθρωπίᾳ, προστασίᾳ τῶν δεομένων, καὶ οὕτως αὐτὰς εἰς εὐχὴν ἄγε. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνίπτοις αὐταῖς οὐκ ἐπιτρέπεις εἰς εὐχὴν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἁμαρτήμασιν οὐκ ἂν εἴης δίκαιος αὐτὰς μιαίνειν. Εἰ τὸ ἔλαττον δέδοικας τὸ ἀνίπτοις χερσὶν εὔχεσθαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μεῖζον φρίξον. Τὸ γὰρ μὲν ἀνίπτοις χερσὶ προσεύχεσθαι οὐ τοσοῦτον ἄτοπον· τὸ δὲ καταῤῥυπανθείσας αὐτὰς μυρίοις ἁμαρτήμασι προσάγειν, τοῦτο πολλὴν φέρει τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὸν ὄλεθρον.","english":"And God says to him, Why do you cry out to me? And so you too, whenever a trial comes upon you, flee to God, call upon the Master. For is He a man, that you should go away to a place? God is always near. For while you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am present. You have not yet finished the prayer, and He Himself gives the healing. For if you keep your mind pure from disordered passions, whether you are in the marketplace, or on the road, or standing in a courtroom, or at sea, or in an inn, or standing at a workshop, or wherever you may be, you will be able to call upon God and obtain your request. For what does the stretching out of the hands in prayer mean? These hands serve many wicked deeds; and for this reason we are commanded to raise them, so that the service of prayer may become for them a bond against evil and a leading away from wickedness; so that, when you are about to snatch, or to defraud, or to strike another, you may remember that you are about to send these hands as advocates to God, and through them to offer up that spiritual sacrifice, and that you may not put them to shame, nor make them without boldness of speech, by the service of wicked work. Purify them, then, by almsgiving, by love of humanity, by the protection of those in need, and so lead them to prayer. For if you do not permit them to come to prayer unwashed, much more would you not be right to defile them with sins. If you have feared the lesser thing, to pray with unwashed hands, much more tremble at the greater. For to pray with unwashed hands is not so great an impropriety; but to bring them defiled by countless sins—this brings great wrath and destruction.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"Βούλει μαθεῖν πόση ἡ δύναμις τῆς εὐχῆς τῆς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ γινομένης; Ἐδέδετό ποτε ὁ Πέτρος, καὶ ἁλύσεις περιέκειτο πολλάς. Προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν ἐκτενὴς ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας περὶ αὐτοῦ γινομένη· καὶ εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἀπήλλαξε τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου. Τί τοίνυν δυνατώτερον ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς εὐχῆς, ἣ τὸν στῦλον καὶ πύργον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὠφέλησε; Καὶ τοῖς μὲν κατηχουμένοις οὐδέπω τοῦτο ἐπιτέτραπται, ἐπειδὴ οὐδέπω πρὸς τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἔφθασαν ταύτην· ὑμῖν δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς μέχρι τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἐκτεταμένης, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν διοικούντων ταύτην καὶ ἐπισκοπούντων, παρακελεύεται ποιεῖσθαι τὰς δεήσεις. Καὶ ὑπακούετε μετὰ προθυμίας, ἔργῳ μαρτυροῦντες, ὅτι μεγάλη τῆς εὐχῆς ἡ δύναμίς ἐστι τῆς ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀπὸ τοῦ δήμου συμφώνως ἀναφερομένης. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων καταδίκους ἄνδρας ἀπαγομένους εἰς θάνατον, δῆμος προσελθὼν ἐξῃτήσατο, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος δυσωπηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν γνώμην ἀνέθετο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον παρ' ὑμῶν ὁ ἐπουράνιος δυσωπηθεὶς βασιλεὺς παρέξει τὴν αἴτησιν. Οὐκ ἠκούσατε ὅτι Πέτρος οὕτως ἐξηρπάγη τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου, ἐπειδὴ ἦν εὐχὴ ἐκτενὴς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ γινομένη; Πόσῳ νομίζετε μεῖζον εἶναι τῆς ἡμετέρας σμικρότητος τὸ ὑπὲρ δήμου τοσούτου προσιέναι καὶ παρακαλεῖν τὸν Θεόν; Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ δεηθῆναι παῤῥησίαν οὐκ ἔχω, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων· τῶν γὰρ εὐδοκιμούντων ἐστὶ τοῦτο. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς προσκεκρουκὼς ὦ, πῶς ὑπὲρ ἄλλου δεηθήσομαι; Ἕνα μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ","english":"Do you wish to learn how great is the power of the prayer that is made in the church? Peter was once bound, and many chains were laid upon him. And a fervent prayer was being made by the Church on his behalf; and immediately it released him from the prison. What, then, could be more powerful than this prayer, which benefited the pillar and tower of the Church? And to the catechumens this has not yet been permitted, since they have not yet attained to this boldness; but to you it is enjoined to make supplications both for the whole inhabited world and for the Church that is spread to the ends of the earth, and for those who administer and oversee it. And obey with eagerness, bearing witness by deed that great is the power of the prayer that is offered in the Church by the people with one accord. For if among men, when condemned men are being led away to death, a people comes forward and begs them off, and the king, moved by the multitude, reverses his decision, how much more will the heavenly King, moved by you, grant the petition. Have you not heard that Peter was thus snatched from the prison because a fervent prayer was being made on his behalf? How much greater do you think it is than our own littleness to come forward on behalf of so great a people and to entreat God? For if I myself do not have the boldness to pray on my own behalf, how much less on behalf of others; for this belongs to those who are of good repute. When, then, I myself am also at enmity with God, how shall I pray on behalf of another? For one man on behalf of","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"πολλῶν ἀξιοῦν, σφόδρα τολμηρὸν καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον παῤῥησίας· πολλοὺς δὲ ὁμοῦ συνελθόντας, ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν δέησιν, οὐδὲν φορτικὸν φανήσεται. Εὔξασθαι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας δυνατόν· οὕτω δὲ εὔξασθαι, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἀδύνατον, ὅπου πατέρων πλῆθος τοσοῦτον, ὅπου βοὴ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἀναπέμπεται. Οὐχ οὕτως ἀκούῃ κατὰ σαυτὸν τὸν Δεσπότην παρακαλῶν, ὡς μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν σῶν. Ἐνταῦθα γάρ ἐστι τὸ πλέον, οἷον ἡ ὁμόνοια καὶ ἡ συμφωνία, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ὁ σύνδεσμος, καὶ αἱ τῶν ἱερέων εὐχαί. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἱερεῖς παρεστήκασιν, ἵνα αἱ τοῦ πλήθους εὐχαὶ ἀσθενέστεραι οὖσαι, τῶν δυνατωτέρων τού των ἐπιλαβόμεναι, ὁμοῦ συνέλθωσιν αὐταῖς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Εἰ γὰρ Πέτρον ὠφέλησε τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ εὐχὴ, καὶ τὸν στύλον ἐκεῖνον ἐξέβαλε τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου· πῶς σὺ καταφρονεῖς τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῆς, εἰπέ μοι; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης δύναμις οὐ διείργεται διαστήματι τόπου, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡ τῆς εὐχῆς ἐνέργεια· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκείνη τοὺς ἀλλήλων ἀφεστηκότας συνδεῖ, οὕτω καὶ αὕτη τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελεῖν δυνήσεται. Καὶ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς, εἰ καὶ μὴ παρῆν τῷ σώματι τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν, οὐδὲν ἔλαττον τῶν πολεμούντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον εἰς τὴν μάχην συνετέλεσεν ἐκείνην τῇ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκτάσει τὰ πράγματα τῶν οἰκείων ἐπαίρων, καὶ φοβερὰ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ποιῶν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ κατόρθωμα σφόδρα μέγα εἶναι δύναιτ' ἂν, ὅταν μὴ τὸ κέρδος καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους διαδιδῶ. Κἂν γὰρ ἄσιτος μένῃς, κἂν χαμαὶ καθεύδῃς, κἂν τέφραν ἐσθίῃς, κἂν θρηνῇς διαπαντὸς, καὶ μηδένα ἕτερον ὠφελῇς, οὐδὲν μέγα ἐργάζῃ.","english":"To ask for many things is very bold and requires much confidence; but for many to come together and make supplication on behalf of one will not appear burdensome at all. For it is possible to pray even at home, but to pray thus, as in the church, is impossible—where there is so great a multitude of fathers, where a cry is sent up to God with one accord. You do not hear the Master so when you entreat Him by yourself as when you do so together with your brothers. For here is the greater part: the concord and harmony, the bond of love, and the prayers of the priests. For this reason the priests stand by, so that the prayers of the multitude, being weaker, may take hold of these stronger ones and come together with them into heaven. For if the prayer of the Church helped Peter and cast that pillar out of the prison, how do you despise its power, tell me? For just as the power of love is not separated by distance of place, so neither is the working of prayer; but just as that binds together those who are separated from one another, so this too will be able to benefit greatly those who are far away. For Moses too, even if he was not present in body with those who were fighting, contributed no less than those who fought—indeed much more—to that battle by the stretching out of his hands, lifting up the affairs of his own people and making them fearful to the enemy. For no achievement could be very great when its gain is not also passed on to others. For even if you remain fasting, even if you sleep on the ground, even if you eat ashes, even if you lament continually, and you benefit no one else, you accomplish nothing great.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"Καὶ γὰρ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα εἰργάσθη θαύματα καὶ σημεῖα· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν οὕτως αὐτὸν μέγαν ἐποίησεν, ὡς ἡ μακαρία ἐκείνη φωνὴ, ἣν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀφῆκε λέγων· Εἰ μὲν ἀφῇς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μὴ, κἀμὲ ἐξάλειψον. Καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐνδεικνύμενος, ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ ὁ ποιμὴν ἥμαρτον, καὶ ἐγὼ ἐκακοποίησα· καὶ οὗτοι τὸ ποίμνιον τί ἐποίησαν; Γενέσθω ἡ χείρ σου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου. Μεγάλα μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἀγγελικῆς ἄξια πολιτείας· τὸ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν ὑπερβολὴν πρὸς ταῦτα· τῆς γὰρ δόξης τῆς μελλούσης ηὔξατο ἐκπεσεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑτέρων σωτηρίας. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωνᾶς ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ συμφέρον ἐζήτησε, καὶ ἀπολέσθαι ἐκινδύνευσε, καὶ ἡ μὲν πόλις εἱστήκει, αὐτὸς δὲ κατεποντίζετο. Μεγάλα μὲν οὖν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τῆς τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἀρετῆς κατορθώματα· τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον καὶ ἡ κορωνὶς τῆς ἁγίας ψυχῆς ἐκείνης, ὅτι ἐξαλειφθῆναι εἵλετο τῆς βίβλου ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Τὸ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ὑπερηκόντισεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ συναπολέσθαι ἑτέροις ᾑρεῖτο· οὗτος δὲ οὐ συναπολέσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑτέρων σωζομένων αὐτὸς ἐκπεσεῖν ηὔχετο τῆς δόξης τῆς ἀπεράντου. Καλὸν οὖν εὐχῆς ἀπολαύειν τῆς τῶν ἁγίων, ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐνεργοὶ ὦμεν· ὡς, ἂν μὴ τοῦτο προσῇ, οὐδὲ ἡ ἑτέρων ὀνίνησι βοήθεια, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετ' ἐκείνης ἀπολλύμεθα. Τί γὰρ ὠφέλησεν Ἱερεμίας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους; οὐχὶ τρίτον προσῆλθε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τρίτον ἤκουσε, Μὴ προσεύχου, καὶ μὴ ἀξίου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαί σου;","english":"For many and great wonders and signs were also worked through Moses; but nothing made him so great as that blessed utterance which he sent up to God, saying: If you forgive them their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me out as well. And David too, showing this same thing, said: I, the shepherd, have sinned, and I have done wrong; and these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand be upon me, and upon my father's house. These things are indeed great and worthy of an angelic way of life; but Paul's exceeds them greatly. For he prayed to fall from the glory to come for the sake of the salvation of others. But Jonah, since he sought his own advantage, both came into danger of perishing, and the city stood while he himself was being drowned. Great indeed are the other achievements of Moses' virtue; but the chief and crowning point of that holy soul is that he chose to be blotted out of the book for the sake of the salvation of the Jews. But Paul's surpassed it by far. For the one chose to perish together with others; but this one did not choose to perish together with them, but prayed that, while others were saved, he himself might fall from the boundless glory. It is good, then, to enjoy the prayer of the saints, but only when we ourselves are also active; since, if this is not present, not even the help of others benefits us, but even with it we perish. For what did Jeremiah benefit the Jews? Did he not approach God a third time, and a third time hear: Do not pray, and do not entreat for this people, because I will not hear you?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"Τί ὠφέλησε τὸν Σαοὺλ ὁ Σαμουὴλ, μέχρις ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας εὐχόμενος, καὶ πενθῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ; Τί δαὶ καὶ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ὠφέλησεν; οὐχὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο ἁμαρτεῖν διαλείποντα εὐχόμενον ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν; οὐχὶ πάντες ἀπώλοντο; Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἐὰν στῇ Νῶε καὶ Ἰὼβ καὶ Δανιὴλ, οὐκ ἐξελοῦνται τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας, ἐπειδὴ ὑπερίσχυσεν ἡ κακία αὐτῶν. Τί οὖν; οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦσιν αἱ εὐχαί; Ὠφελοῦσι καὶ μεγάλα, ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ ἡμεῖς συμπράττωμεν. Καὶ εἰ βούλει μαθεῖν ὅσα ὠφέλησαν, ἐννόει μοι τὸν Κορνήλιον, τὴν Ταβιθά· ἄκουε δὲ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος· Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ Δαυῒδ τὸν παῖδά μου. Ἀλλὰ πότε; ἐπὶ Ἐζεκίου τοῦ δικαίου. Ἐπεὶ εἴ γε ἴσχυον εὐχαὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σφόδρα πονηρῶν, διὰ τί μὴ καὶ ὅτε ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἦλθεν, εἶπε τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐξ έδωκε τὴν πόλιν; Ἐπειδὴ μεῖζον ἴσχυσεν ἡ πονηρία. Καὶ\n\nαὐτὸς πάλιν οὗτος ὁ Σαμουὴλ ηὔξατο ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν, καὶ ἤνυσεν· ἀλλὰ πότε; Ὅτε καὶ αὐτοὶ εὐηρέστουν, τότε ἐτροπώσατο τοὺς ἐχθρούς. Καὶ τί μοι δεῖ τῆς παρ' ἑτέρων εὐχῆς, φησὶν, ὅταν ἐγὼ εὐαρεστῶ; Τί λέγεις, ἄνθρωπε; Παῦλος οὐκ εἶπεν, Τί μοι δεῖ εὐχῆς; Πέτρος οὐκ εἶπε, Τί μοι δεῖ εὐχῆς· καίτοι γε τῶν εὐχομένων οὐκ ὄντων ἀξίων αὐτοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἴσων· καὶ σὺ λέγεις, Τί μοι δεῖ εὐχῆς· Πέτρος οὐκ εἶπεν, Τί μοι δεῖ εὐχῆς; Εὐχὴ γὰρ ἦν, φησὶν, ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκτενὴς γενομένη πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ· καὶ εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἐξείλετο τῶν δεσμῶν· καὶ σὺ λέγεις, Τί μοι δεῖ εὐχῆς, Διὰ τοῦτό σοι δεῖ, ἐπειδὴ νομίζεις μὴ δεῖσθαι.","english":"What benefit did Samuel bring to Saul by praying for him to the very last day and mourning over him? And what benefit did he bring to the Israelites? Did he not say, \"Far be it from me to sin by ceasing to pray for you\"? Did they not all perish? For hear God saying through the prophet: \"Even if Noah and Job and Daniel should stand, they will not deliver their sons and their daughters, because their wickedness has prevailed.\" What then? Do prayers bring no benefit? They do bring benefit, and great benefit, but only when we also cooperate. And if you wish to learn how much they benefited, consider for me Cornelius, and Tabitha; and hear God also saying: \"I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.\" But when? In the days of Hezekiah the righteous. Since if prayers had power even over those who were exceedingly wicked, why did God not say this when Nebuchadnezzar came, but instead handed over the city? Because their wickedness prevailed the more. And again this same Samuel prayed for the Israelites and succeeded; but when? When they themselves were also well-pleasing to God, then he routed their enemies. And why do I need the prayer of others, he says, when I am well-pleasing to God? What are you saying, man? Did Paul say, \"Why do I need prayer\"? Did Peter say, \"Why do I need prayer\"—although those who were praying were not worthy of him, or rather not even equal to him? And you say, \"Why do I need prayer\"? Peter did not say, \"Why do I need prayer?\" For it was a prayer, it says, made earnestly by the Church to God on his behalf; and immediately it delivered him from his bonds. And you say, \"Why do I need prayer\"? For this very reason you need it, because you think you do not need it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":41,"ref":"p41","source":"Ἐὰν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἐξετάσῃ τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἡμῶν τὴν ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ τὴν ὀλιγωρίαν, καὶ ὅτε ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἑστῶτες καὶ παρακαλοῦντες αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ τοσαύτην αὐτῷ παρέχομεν τιμὴν, ὅσην τοῖς δεσπόταις οἱ δοῦλοι, ὅσην τοῖς ἄρχουσιν οἱ στρατιῶται, ὅσην τοῖς φίλοις οἱ φίλοι· φίλῳ μὲν γὰρ διαλεγόμενος, μετὰ τοῦ προσέχειν τοῦτο ποιεῖς· Θεῷ δὲ ἐντυγχάνων ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων, ὑπὲρ πλημμελημάτων τοσούτων συγχώρησιν αἰτῶν, καὶ συγγνώμην ἀξιῶν σοι γενέσθαι. ῥᾳθυμεῖς, καὶ τῶν γονάτων σου χαμαὶ κειμένων, πολλάκις περὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν πλανᾶσθαι τὴν διάνοιαν ἐᾷς, τοῦ στόματός σου ληροῦντος εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην; καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ἅπαξ οὐδὲ δὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις πάσχομεν. Ἐὰν τοῦτο μόνον θελήσῃ ὁ Θεὸς ἐξετάσαι, ἆρα ἕξομεν συγγνώμην; ἆρα δυνησόμεθα ἀπολογίας τυχεῖν; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι. Ἐὰν δὲ τὰς περιέργους ἡμῶν ὄψεις ὁ Θεὸς ἐξετάσῃ, καὶ τὰς πονηρὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἃς ἔχομεν ἐν διανοίᾳ, αἰσχροὺς καὶ ἀκαθάρτους δεχόμενοι λογισμοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνεξετάστου τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πλάνης, ἐὰν τὰς κακηγορίας ἃς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀλλήλοις λέγομεν κακῶς, εἰς μέσον παραγάγῃ, καὶ τὰς κρίσεις τὰς ἀκαίρους ἃς κατακρίνομεν τὸν πλησίον μηδὲν ἔχοντες πρᾶγμα, τούς τε δόλους οὓς κατ' ἀλλήλων ῥάπτομεν, νῦν μὲν παρόντα ἐπαινοῦντες τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ ὡς φίλῳ διαλεγόμενοι, ἀπόντα δὲ κατηγοροῦντες· ἆρα οὐχ ὑποστησόμεθα τὰς ὑπὲρ τούτων εὐθύνας; Τί δὲ τὴν βασκανίαν ἢν βασκαίνομεν πολλάκις εὐδοκιμοῦσιν, οὐ μόνον ἐχθροῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ φίλοις; καὶ ἡδόμεθα πασχόντων ἑτέρων κακῶς, καὶ νομίζομεν παραμυθίαν εἶναι τῆς οἰκείας συμφορᾶς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας δυσημερίας.","english":"For if God were to examine our laziness in prayers and our negligence, and that when we stand before him and entreat him, we do not render him as much honor as slaves render to their masters, as soldiers to their rulers, as friends to their friends—for when you converse with a friend, you do this with attention; but when you approach God on behalf of sins, asking forgiveness for so many transgressions, and deeming yourself worthy of pardon, you are lazy, and while your knees lie on the ground, you often let your mind wander about the marketplace and the house, while your mouth babbles idly and in vain? And we suffer this not once or twice, but often. If God wished to examine this alone, would we obtain pardon? Would we be able to find a defense? I for one do not think so. And if God were to examine our meddlesome glances, and the evil desires we have in our mind, receiving shameful and unclean thoughts from the unexamined wandering of the eyes; if he were to bring into the open the slanders we speak wickedly against one another each day, and the untimely judgments by which we condemn our neighbor when we have no cause, and the deceits we stitch together against one another—now praising the brother in his presence and conversing as with a friend, but accusing him in his absence—would we not undergo the reckoning for these things? And what of the envy with which we often envy those who prosper, not only enemies but also friends? And we take pleasure when others suffer badly, and we think that the misfortunes of others are a consolation for our own calamity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":42,"ref":"p42","source":"Εἰ γὰρ τῶν βιωτικῶν καὶ παρόντων ἀπέχεσθαι κελευόμεθα, πῶς οὔκ ἐσμεν ἄθλιοι καὶ ταλαίπωροι, ταῦτα αἰτοῦντες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἃ ἐκέλευσε καὶ ἔχοντας ἐκβάλλειν; εἰ οὐχὶ τῶν πιστῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀπίστων ὑπερεύχεσθαι προσταττόμεθα, ἐννόησον πόσον ἐστὶ κακὸν, κατεύχεσθαι τῶν ἀδελφῶν. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; προσέρχῃ τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεων ποιῆσαι, καὶ ἑτέρου κατεύχῃ; Ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῇς, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεταί σοι· καὶ οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀφίης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλεῖς μὴ ἀφεῖναι; Εἰ τῷ μὴ ἀφιέντι οὐκ ἀφίεται, τῷ καὶ τὸν Δεσπότην παρακαλοῦντι μὴ ἀφιέναι, πῶς ἀφεθήσεται; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ἔχειν ἐχθροὺς ὄνειδος, τὸ κατεύχεσθαι αὐτῶν ἐννόησον ἡλίκον κακόν. Δέον γάρ σε ἀπολογήσασθαι διὰ τί ἐχθροὺς ἔχεις, σὺ δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ κατηγορεῖς; καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης καὶ κακηγορῶν, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τοιούτῳ, ὅτε ἐλέους σοι δεῖ πολλοῦ; καὶ γὰρ ὑπὲρ οἰκείων προσῆλθες ἁμαρτημάτων δεόμενος. Μὴ τοίνυν μνημονεύσῃς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ἰδίων ἀναμνήσῃς. Ἂν γὰρ εἴπῃς, Πάταξον τὸν ἐχθρὸν, ἐνέφραξάς σου τὸ στόμα, οὐκέτι παῤῥησίαν ἔδωκας τῇ γλώττῃ· πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι παρώργισας τὸν δικαστὴν ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως· δεύτερον, ὅτι ἐναντία αἰτεῖς τῷ σχήματι τῆς εὐχῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων προσέρχῃ, πῶς ὑπὲρ κολάσεως διαλέγῃ; Τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν ἔδει ποιεῖν, καὶ δεῖσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ἵνα καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν μετὰ παῤῥησίας παρακαλέσωμεν. Ἂν γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εὔξῃ, κἂν μηδὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν σῶν εἴπῃς, τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσας.","english":"For if we are commanded to abstain from worldly and present things, how are we not wretched and miserable, asking from God those very things which he commanded us to cast out even when we have them? If we are enjoined to pray not only for the faithful but also for the unbelievers, consider how great an evil it is to curse one's brothers. What are you doing, man? You come to make God propitious, and you curse another? If you do not forgive, it will not be forgiven you; and not only do you yourself not forgive, but you even entreat God not to forgive? If the one who does not forgive is not forgiven, how will forgiveness be given to the one who begs the Master not to forgive? For if having enemies is a reproach, consider how great an evil it is to curse them. For when you ought to give an account of why you have enemies, you even bring accusations against them; and what pardon will you obtain, both reviling them and at such a time, when you have need of much mercy? For you have come asking mercy for your own sins. Do not, then, remember the sins of others, lest you remind him of your own. For if you say, Strike down the enemy, you have stopped your own mouth, you have no longer given boldness to your tongue: first, because you have provoked the judge right from the outset; second, because you ask things contrary to the form of your prayer. For if you come for the forgiveness of sins, how do you speak of punishment? You ought, on the contrary, to do the opposite, and to entreat on their behalf, so that we may also entreat boldly on our own behalf. For if you pray for them, even if you say nothing for your own, you have accomplished everything.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":43,"ref":"p43","source":"Εἰ τοίνυν οὐδὲν ψυχῆς ἀρωμένης μιαρώτερον, οὐδὲ γλώσσης τοιαῦτα φθεγγομένης ἀκαθαρτότερον, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ πάντα ποιεῖς, ὥστε μηδὲν εἰπεῖν εὐχόμενος τῶν παροξυνόντων σου τὸν Δεσπότην; Ἄνθρωπος εἶ, μὴ ἀσπίδων ἰὸν ἐμέσῃς· ἄνθρωπος εἶ, μὴ γένῃ θηρίον. Διὰ τοῦτό σοι στόμα γέγονεν, οὐχ ἵνα δάκνῃς,\n\nἀλλ' ἵνα θεραπεύῃς. Ἀναμνήσθητι τί σοι παρῄνεσα, φησὶν ὁ Θεός· συγχωρεῖν καὶ ἀφιέναι· σὺ δὲ καὶ ἐμὲ παρακαλεῖς κοινωνὸν γενέσθαι τῆς ἀνατροπῆς τῶν ἐμῶν προσταγμάτων, καὶ ἐσθίεις τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ φοινίττεις τὴν γλῶτταν, καθάπερ οἱ μαινόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων μελῶν τοὺς ὀδόντας. Πῶς οἴει τὸν διάβολον ἥδεσθαι καὶ γελᾷν, ὅταν τοιαύτης εὐχῆς ἀκούσῃ; πῶς τὸν Θεὸν παροξύνεσθαι καὶ ἀποστρέφεσθαι καὶ μισεῖν, ὅταν τοιαῦτα παρακαλῇς; Ἐννόησον τίνι προσέρχῃ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἄνθρωπε. Μὴ γὰρ ἄλλῳ προσέρχῃ Θεῷ; ἐκείνῳ προσέρχῃ τῷ εἰπόντι, Εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν. Πῶς οὖν αὐτῶν καταβοᾷς; πῶς παρακαλεῖς τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν οἰκεῖον λῦσαι νόμον; Οὔκ ἐστι τοῦτο ἱκέτου σχῆμα· οὐδεὶς ἱκετεύει, ἵνα ἄλλος ἀπόληται, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐτὸς σωθῇ. Τί τοίνυν σχῆμα μὲν ἱκέτου περίκεισαι, ῥήματα δὲ ἔχεις κατηγόρου; Καὶ ὅταν μὲν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν εὐχώμεθα, καὶ κνώμεθα καὶ χασμώμεθα, καὶ εἰς μυρίους ἐμπίπτομεν λογισμούς· ὅταν δὲ κατ' ἐχθρῶν, νήφοντες τοῦτο ποιοῦμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἶδεν ὁ διάβολος, ὅτι καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸ ξίφος ὠθοῦμεν, οὐ περιέλκει οὐδὲ περισπᾷ τότε, ἵνα μειζόνως ἡμᾶς λυμήνηται. Ἀλλὰ ἠδίκημαι, φῂς, καὶ θλίβομαι. Οὐκοῦν κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου εὖξαι, τοῦ πάντων μάλιστα ἀδικοῦντος ἡμᾶς· οὗτος γὰρ τίκτει καὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς·","english":"If, then, nothing is more defiled than a soul that utters curses, nor more unclean than a tongue that speaks such things, for what reason do you not do everything so as to utter nothing in prayer that provokes your Master? You are a man—do not vomit the venom of asps; you are a man—do not become a beast. For this reason a mouth has been given to you, not that you might bite, but that you might heal. Remember what I commanded you, says God: to forgive and to let go; but you even entreat me to become a partner in the overturning of my commandments, and you devour your brother, and you dye your tongue red, like those who in madness bite their own limbs. How do you think the devil rejoices and laughs when he hears such a prayer? How is God provoked and turns away and hates when you entreat such things? Consider to whom you come against your enemies, O man. Is it to some other god that you come? You come to that God who said, Pray for your enemies. How then do you cry out against them? How do you entreat God to dissolve his own law? This is not the posture of a suppliant; no one supplicates that another may perish, but that he himself may be saved. Why then do you wear the posture of a suppliant, but have the words of an accuser? And when we pray for ourselves, we scratch and yawn and fall into countless thoughts; but when against enemies, we do this soberly. For since the devil knows that we thrust the sword into ourselves, he does not drag us about or distract us then, so that he might harm us the more. But I have been wronged, you say, and I am oppressed. Therefore pray against the devil, who most of all wrongs us; for he is the one who gives birth to our enemies too.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":44,"ref":"p44","source":"ἂν δὲ κατ' ἐχθρῶν εὔξῃ, τὴν εὐχὴν ἣν ἐκεῖνος βούλεται, εὔχῃ, ὡσπεροῦν, ἂν ὑπὲρ ἐχθρῶν, κατὰ τούτου. Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀκατάλλακτος ἐχθρός· ἄνθρωπος δὲ ὅσα ἂν ποιῇ, φίλος ἐστὶ καὶ ἀδελφός. Τί τοίνυν τὸν ὄντως ἐχθρὸν ἀφεὶς, τὰ μέλη δάκνεις τὰ σά; Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, ἀγαπητοὶ, σπουδάσωμεν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ πολιτεύεσθαι, ἵνα καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Γʹ. Περὶ μετανοίας.\n\nΔιὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς τὸν περὶ μετανοίας κινῶ λόγον, ἵνα μήτε ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἀπογινώσκῃ, μήτε ὁ κατορθῶν μέγα φρονῇ. Δίκαιος εἶ; μὴ ἐκπέσῃς· ἁμαρτωλὸς εἶ; μὴ ἀπογνῷς· κἂν καθ' ἡμέραν ἁμαρτάνῃς, καθ' ἡμέραν μετανόει· ὅπερ ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις ποιοῦμεν ταῖς παλαιαῖς, ὅταν σαθρωθῶσιν, ὑπεξαιρούμεθα τὰ σεσαθρωμένα, καὶ καινὰ ἐπισκευάζομεν, καὶ οὐδέποτε συνεχοῦς ἐπιμελείας ἀπολείπομεν. Ἐὰν παλαιωθῇς ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀνακαίνισον σαυτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς μετανοίας. Καὶ ἔνι, φησὶ, μετανοήσαντα σωθῆναι; Καὶ πάνυ ἔνι. Πάντα τὸν βίον ἐν ἁμαρτίαις διέτριψα, καὶ ἐὰν μετανοήσω, σώζομαι; Καὶ πάνυ. Πόθεν δῆλον; Ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου φιλανθρωπίας. Μὴ τῇ μετανοίᾳ σου θάῤῥει· μὴ γὰρ ἡ μετάνοιά σου ἰσχύει τοσαῦτα κακὰ ἀποσμήξασθαι; Εἰ ἡ μετάνοια μόνη ἦν, εἰκότως ἐφόβου· ἐπεὶ δὲ τῇ μετανοίᾳ κεράννυται Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία, θάῤῥει, ὅτι περιγίνεταί σου τῆς κακίας.","english":"But if you pray against enemies, you are praying the prayer that he wants, just as, if you pray for enemies, you are praying against him. For this is the implacable enemy; but a human being, whatever he does, is a friend and a brother. Why, then, leaving aside the true enemy, do you bite your own members? Knowing these things, then, beloved, let us strive to conduct our lives according to the commandments of the Lord and his wills, so that we may also attain the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 3. On Repentance.\n\nFor this reason I continually bring forward the word concerning repentance, so that neither the one who sins may despair, nor the one who succeeds may think highly of himself. Are you righteous? Do not fall. Are you a sinner? Do not despair. Even if you sin daily, repent daily—just as we do in old houses: when they have become decayed, we remove the decayed parts and repair them with new ones, and we never cease from continual care. If you have grown old from sin, renew yourself by repentance. And is it possible, someone says, for one who has repented to be saved? It is entirely possible. I have spent my whole life in sins, and if I repent, am I saved? Entirely so. From where is this clear? From the Master's love for humanity. Do not trust in your repentance alone; for does your repentance have the strength to wipe away so many evils? If repentance were alone, you would reasonably be afraid; but since the love of God for humanity is mingled with repentance, have confidence, because it prevails over your wickedness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":45,"ref":"p45","source":"Πολὺ γὰρ φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοσοῦτον φιλάνθρωπος, ὡς οὐδὲ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐφείσατο, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ δούλους ἀγνώμονας. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε, Ἥμαρτον πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα, καὶ πῶς δύναμαι σωθῆναι; Σὺ οὐ δύνασαι, ὁ Δεσπότης σου δύναται, καὶ οὕτως ἐξαλείφει τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ὡς μήτε ἴχνος αὐτῶν μεῖναι. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων οὐκ ἔνι τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ κἂν μυριάκις σπουδάσῃ ὁ ἰατρὸς, κἂν φάρμακα ἐπιθήσῃ τῷ τραύματι, τὸ μὲν τραῦμα ἠφάνισεν, ἡ δὲ οὐλὴ ἐναπέμεινεν, ἔλεγχον τοῦ τραύματος περιφέρουσα τὴν ἀμορφίαν τῆς ὄψεως· καὶ φιλονεικεῖ μυρία ὁ ἰατρὸς, καὶ τὴν οὐλὴν ἐξαλεῖψαι οὐ δύναται· ἀντιπίπτει γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡ ἀσθένεια τῆς φύσεως, καὶ τὸ ἀνίσχυρον τῆς τέχνης, καὶ τὸ εὐτελὲς τῶν φαρμάκων. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ὅταν ἐξαλείφῃ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, οὐδὲ οὐλὴν ἀφίησιν οὐδὲ ἴχνος συγχωρεῖ μεῖναι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς ὑγείας καὶ τὴν εὐμορφίαν χαρίζεται, μετὰ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς τῆς κολάσεως, καὶ δικαιοσύνην δίδωσι, καὶ ποιεῖ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα ἴσον εἶναι τῷ μὴ","english":"For God is very loving toward humanity, and so loving toward humanity that he did not spare the Only-Begotten, in order to buy slaves who are ungrateful. And do not say to me, \"I have sinned many and great sins, and how can I be saved?\" You cannot, but your Master can, and he blots out sins in such a way that not even a trace of them remains. For in the case of bodies this is not possible; but even if a physician strives ten thousand times, even if he applies medicines to the wound, he has removed the wound, but the scar has remained, carrying around the disfigurement of its appearance as a reproach of the wound; and the physician contends endlessly and cannot erase the scar; for the weakness of nature, the feebleness of the art, and the cheapness of the medicines resist him. But when God blots out sins, he leaves not even a scar nor permits a trace to remain, but along with health he also grants beauty, along with release from punishment he also gives righteousness, and he makes the one who has sinned equal to the one who has not","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":46,"ref":"p46","source":"ἡμαρτηκότι. Κἂν γὰρ μυρία τραύματά τις ἔχων ἄνθρωπος, μετανοήσῃ καὶ ποιήσῃ τι χρηστὸν, οὕτως αὐτὰ ἐξαλείφει ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς μηδὲ οὐλὴν μηδὲ ἴχνος μηδὲ δεῖγμα φαίνεσθαι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Ὡσπεροῦν ἐν τῷ σώματι τραύματα καὶ φάρμακα, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ μετάνοια. Καὶ πρόσεχε ᾧ λέγω· τραῦμα καὶ φάρμακον, ἁμαρτία καὶ μετάνοια· τὸ τραῦμα μὲν ἡ ἁμαρτία, τὸ φάρμακον ἡ μετάνοια· τὸ τραῦμα μὲν τὴν σηπεδόνα ἔχει, τὸ φάρμακον τὸν καθαρισμὸν τῆς σηπεδόνος κέκτηται. Μὴ ἐν τῷ φαρμάκῳ σηπεδών; μὴ ἐν τῷ τραύματι ἴασις; οὐκ ἔχει ταῦτα τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν, κἀκεῖνα τὴν οἰκείαν; μὴ δύναται μεταβληθῆναι τοῦτο πρὸς ἐκεῖνο, ἢ ἐκεῖνο πρὸς τοῦτο; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἔλθωμεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων· ἡ ἁμαρτία τὴν αἰσχύνην ἔχει, ἡ μετάνοια τὴν παῤῥησίαν κέκτηται. Εἰδὼς οὖν ὁ Σατανᾶς, ὅτι ἡ μὲν ἁμαρτία ἔχει τὴν αἰσχύνην, πρᾶγμα ἱκανῶς ἀποκροῦσαι τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα δυνάμενον· ἡ δὲ μετάνοια ἔχει τὴν παῤῥησίαν, πρᾶγμα ἱκανὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι τὸν μετανοοῦντα, ἐνήλλαξε τὴν τάξιν, καὶ ἔδωκε τὴν αἰσχύνην τῇ μετανοίᾳ, καὶ τὴν παῤῥησίαν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ· καὶ ἐν μὲν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν αἰσχύνεσθαι· οἶδε γὰρ, ὅτι ἐὰν αἰσχυνθῇ, φεύγει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· ἐν δὲ τῇ μετανοίᾳ ποιεῖ αὐτὸν αἰσχύνεσθαι· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι αἰσχυνόμενος οὐ μετανοεῖ. Ὁ γὰρ μετανοήσας ἐφ' οἷς ἔπραξε δεινοῖς, κἂν μὴ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀξίαν ἐπιδείξηται τὴν μετάνοιαν, καὶ αὐτῆς ταύτης ὅμως ἕξει τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Τοῖς μὲν οὖν οὐδέπω κατασχεθεῖσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους παραινῶ μὴ ἁλῶναι· εὐκολώτερον γὰρ φυλάξασθαι μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν, ἢ ἐμπεσόντας ἀποστῆναι·","english":"having sinned. For even if a man has ten thousand wounds and repents and does some good thing, God so blots them out that neither a scar nor a trace nor a mark of the sins appears. Just as in the body there are wounds and medicines, so also in the soul there are sins and repentance. And pay attention to what I say: wound and medicine, sin and repentance; the wound is sin, the medicine is repentance; the wound has the putrefaction, the medicine possesses the cleansing of the putrefaction. Is there putrefaction in the medicine? Is there healing in the wound? Do not these have their proper order, and those their proper order? Can this be changed into that, or that into this? By no means. Let us come also to the sins of the soul: sin has shame, repentance possesses boldness. Satan, then, knowing that sin has shame—a thing sufficiently able to repel the one who sins—and that repentance has boldness—a thing sufficient to draw the one who repents—exchanged the order, and gave shame to repentance, and boldness to sin; and in sin he does not allow him to be ashamed, for he knows that if he is ashamed, he flees from sin; but in repentance he makes him ashamed, for he knows that one who is ashamed does not repent. For the one who has repented of the terrible things he has done, even if he does not show repentance worthy of his sins, will nevertheless receive the recompense of this very thing. To those, then, who have not yet been seized by the passion, I advise that they not be caught; for it is easier to guard against falling in than, having fallen in, to depart from it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":47,"ref":"p47","source":"τοῖς δὴ κατασχεθεῖσι καὶ κατεῤῥαγμένοις, ἐὰν θέλωσιν ἐπιδοῦναι ἑαυτοὺς ταχέως τῇ μετανοίᾳ, πολλὴν ἐπαγγέλλομαι σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὰ καλὰ καὶ τὰ κακὰ, ὅταν ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἡμῖν ἐνδιατρίψῃ, δυνατώτερα γίνεται. Καὶ φυτὸν ἄρτι μὲν φυτευθὲν ἐπὶ γῆς, εὐκόλως ἀνασπᾶται· χρόνῳ δὲ πολλῷ ῥιζωθὲν, οὐκέτι. Καὶ οἰκοδομὴ νεοπαγὴς μὲν οὖσα, περιτρέπεται εὐκόλως ὑπὸ τῶν ἐνοχλούντων· παγεῖσα δὲ καλῶς, πολλὰ παρέχει τοῖς καθαιρεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι τὰ πράγματα. Καὶ θηρίον τόποις ἐμφιλοχωρῆσαν πολλῷ χρόνῳ, δυσκόλως ἐλαύνεται. Καὶ καθάπερ πυρετὸς παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν προσβαλὼν, οὐ σφόδρα φλέγει τῇ δίψῃ τοὺς κάμνοντας· ἐπιδοὺς δὲ καὶ τὴν φλόγα ἐπάρας, ἀνίατα διψᾷν παρασκευάζει λοιπόν· κἂν παράσχῃ τις αὐτοῖς ἐμφορηθῆναι τοῦ πόματος, οὐ σβέννυσιν, ἀλλ' ἐκκαίει τὴν κάμινον· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πάθους συμβαίνει, ἂν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰσελαῦνον εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν μὴ κωλύσωμεν, μηδὲ ἀποκλείσωμεν τὰς θύρας, ἐπελθὸν λοιπὸν, ἀνίατον ἐργάζεται τοῖς δεξαμένοις τὸ νόσημα. Ὡσπεροῦν ὁ νωθρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ὀλίγωρος, κἂν πολὺν λάβῃ πρὸς μετάνοιαν χρόνον, οὐδὲν μέγα ἐργάσεται, οὐδὲ καταλλάξει τὸν Θεὸν ἑαυτῷ διὰ τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ διεγηγερμένος, καὶ τῇ προθυμίᾳ ζέων, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ, πολλοῦ χρόνου ἁμαρτήματα ἀφανίσαι δυνήσεται· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουσον. Οὐχὶ τρίτον ὁ Πέτρος ἠρνήσατο; οὐχὶ μεθ' ὅρκου τρίτον; οὐχὶ θεραπαινίδος εὐτελοῦς ῥήματα δείσας; Τί οὖν; πολλοῦ χρόνου ἐδέησεν αὐτῷ πρὸς μετάνοιαν; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλ' αὐτῇ τῇ νυκτὶ καὶ ὠλίσθησε καὶ ἀνέστη.","english":"To those who are held fast and broken down, if they wish to give themselves quickly to repentance, I promise great hope of salvation. For both good and evil things, when they abide in us longer, become stronger. A plant newly planted in the earth is easily pulled up, but once rooted by much time, no longer. A building newly built is easily overturned by those who trouble it, but once firmly set, it gives much trouble to those attempting to demolish it. A wild beast that has long haunted a place is driven out with difficulty. And just as a fever, when it attacks at the beginning, does not greatly inflame the sick with thirst, but once it has advanced and raised its flame, it thereafter makes them thirst incurably; and even if someone allows them to drink their fill, it does not quench but inflames the furnace—so too it happens with passion: if at the beginning, as it enters our soul, we do not hinder it nor shut the doors, once it has come in it renders the disease incurable for those who receive it. Just as the man sluggish and careless in soul, even if he takes much time for repentance, will accomplish nothing great, nor reconcile God to himself because of his laziness, so too the man who is awake and boiling with eagerness, and who displays repentance with great zeal, even in a brief moment of time will be able to wipe out the sins of much time. And how, listen. Did not Peter deny three times? Did he not deny three times with an oath? Did he not, fearing the words of a worthless maidservant? What then? Did he need much time for repentance? By no means; but in that very night he both slipped and rose again.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":48,"ref":"p48","source":"Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ χαλεπὸν ἐκεῖνο πτῶμα (ἀρνήσεως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἴσον κακὸν), πάλιν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανήγαγε τιμὴν ἡ μετάνοια, καὶ τὴν ἐπιστασίαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὴν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐνεχείρισε· καὶ ὃ πάντων μεῖζον, ἀπέδειξεν ἡμῖν αὐτὸν πλείονα τῶν ἀποστόλων ἁπάντων ἔχοντα τὴν εἰς τὸν Δεσπότην ἀγάπην. Τί δὲ οἱ Νινευῖται; ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ προφήτης, ἀνέγνω τὴν ἀπόφασιν καθάπερ ἐπιστολὴν βασιλικὴν, κόλασιν ἔχουσαν, καὶ ἐβόα λέγων· Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευὶ καταστραφήσεται. Ἤκουσαν ταῦτα ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ οὐ διηπίστησαν, οὐ κατεφρόνησαν, ἀλλ' εὐθέως δρόμος ἁπάντων ἐπὶ τὴν νηστείαν, ἀνδρῶν, γυναικῶν, παιδίων, καὶ οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν ἀλόγων φύσις ταύτης ἀτελὴς τῆς λειτουργίας ἦν· πανταχοῦ σάκκος, πανταχοῦ σποδὸς, πανταχοῦ θρῆνος καὶ οἰμωγαί.\n\nΚαὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τὸ διάδημα περικείμενος, ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου καταβὰς τοῦ βασιλικοῦ, σάκκον ὑπεστρώσατο καὶ σποδὸν κατεπάσσατο· καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν πρᾶγμα φοβερὸν καὶ παράδοξον, ὑπὸ σάκκου πορφυρίδα παρευδοκιμηθεῖσαν. Ὅπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἡ ἁλουργὶς, τοῦτο ἴσχυσεν ὁ σάκκος· ὅπερ οὐκ ἤνυσε τὸ διάδημα, τοῦτο κατώρθωσεν ἡ σποδός. Ἐννοήσωμεν τοίνυν ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ὅσα ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχει φορτία, καὶ ἀντιῤῥόπους ποιήσωμεν τὰς φιλανθρωπίας· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλείους, ἵνα μὴ μόνον σβεσθῶσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἡμῖν λογισθῶσιν αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ τοσαῦτα ᾖ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ὡς καὶ τὰ ἐγκλήματα ἀποδύσασθαι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὑπολειφθέντων εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἡμῖν λογισθῆναι, οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται τῆς κολάσεως.","english":"For after that grievous fall—for nothing is equal to the evil of denial—repentance brought him back again to his former honor, and entrusted to him the oversight of the Church throughout the whole inhabited world; and, what is greater than all, it showed him to us as having love for the Master greater than all the apostles. And what of the Ninevites? The prophet came to them, read the sentence like a royal letter, containing punishment, and cried out, saying: Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed. They heard these things, and did not disbelieve, did not despise them, but immediately there was a running of all—men, women, children—to the fast, and not even the nature of irrational beasts was without a share in this service; everywhere sackcloth, everywhere ashes, everywhere lamentation and wailing.\n\nFor indeed the very one who wore the diadem, coming down from the royal throne, spread sackcloth beneath him and sprinkled ashes upon himself; and it was a fearful and paradoxical thing to see, that purple was outdone by sackcloth. For what the purple robe could not achieve, sackcloth achieved; what the diadem did not accomplish, ashes brought to pass. Let each of us, then, consider how great a burden of sins he has, and let us make our acts of love to mankind of equal weight—or rather, far more abundant, so that not only may our sins be quenched, but our almsgiving may be reckoned to us for righteousness. For if our good deeds are not so great as both to strip off our accusations and, from what remains over, to be reckoned to us for righteousness, no one will rescue us from punishment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":49,"ref":"p49","source":"Ἄνθρωπον μὲν γὰρ παροξύνων, καὶ φίλους καὶ γείτονας καὶ θυρωροὺς παρακαλεῖς, καὶ χρήματα δαπανᾷς, καὶ πολλὰς ἀναλίσκεις ἡμέρας προσιὼν καὶ δεόμενος, κἂν ἅπαξ, κἂν δὶς, κἂν μυριάκις σε διακρούσηται παροξυνθεὶς, καθάπαξ οὐκ ἀναπίπτεις, ἀλλ' ἐναγώνιος μᾶλλον γενόμενος πλείονα τὴν ἱκετηρίαν τίθης· τοῦ δὲ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ παροξυνομένου, χασμώμεθα καὶ ἀναπίπτομεν καὶ τρυφῶμεν· καὶ πότε αὐτὸν ἐξιλεώσασθαι δυνησόμεθα; πῶς δὲ οὐκ αὐτῷ τούτῳ μειζόνως παροξυνοῦμεν μᾶλλον αὐτόν; τοῦ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνειν τὸ μηδὲ ἀλγεῖν ἁμαρτάνοντας, μᾶλλον ἀγανακτεῖν αὐτὸν ποιεῖ καὶ ὀργίζεσθαι. Καὶ μὴ εἴπῃς, ὅτι Πολλὰ ἥμαρτον, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Θεὸν ὀργιζόμενον. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ἄρχοντα ἐκεῖνον, τὸν μήτε Θεὸν φοβούμενον, μήτε ἀνθρώπους αἰσχυνόμενον ἐπέκαμψεν ἡ χήρα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐπισπάσεται ἡ συνεχὴς ἔντευξις. Ὥστε κἂν μὴ φίλος ᾖς, κἂν μὴ τὰ ὀφειλόμενα ἀπαιτῇς, κἂν τὰ πατρῷα κατεδηδοκὼς ᾖς καὶ καταναλωκὼς, καὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἐξ ὄψεως γενόμενος· κἂν ὀργιζομένῳ, κἂν ἀγανακτοῦντι προσέλθῃς, θέλησον μόνον ἐπανελθεῖν, καὶ πάντα ἀπολήψῃ, καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὴν καταδίκην σβέσεις εὐθέως. Σκοπὸς γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀδελφοὶ, μακροθυμεῖν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι. Διπλοῦς ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἵλεως, μνηστευόμενος αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐκ μετανοίας σωτηρίαν, καὶ τοῖς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπογόνοις τοῖς εἰς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδιδόναι μέλλουσι ταμιευόμενος τὴν εὐεργεσίαν. Καὶ ἵνα πάλιν ἀναλάβω τὸν λόγον, ὁ Θεὸς μακροθυμεῖ, ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων μετανοήσῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τικτομένοις μὴ ἀποκλείσῃ τὴν σωτηρίαν.","english":"For when you are provoked by a man, you call upon friends and neighbors and doorkeepers, you spend money, and you wear out many days in approaching him and begging, and even if once, even if twice, even if ten thousand times he rebuffs you in his irritation, you do not altogether give up, but becoming more earnest you make your supplication greater. But when the God of all is provoked, we yawn and give up and live in luxury. And when shall we be able to propitiate him? How shall we not provoke him all the more by this very thing? For it is not the sinning but the not even grieving when we sin that makes him more indignant and angry. And do not say, \"I have sinned much, and I cannot entreat God when he is angry.\" For if the widow bent that ruler who neither feared God nor was ashamed before men, much more will continual entreaty draw the good God. So even if you are not a friend, even if you are not demanding what is owed, even if you have devoured and consumed your father's goods, and have been out of sight for a long time—even if you approach him when he is angry, even when he is indignant, only be willing to return, and you will receive everything back, and you will quench his anger and your condemnation at once. For God's aim, brothers, is to be long-suffering toward those who sin. He is doubly gracious for salvation, wooing for them the salvation that comes from repentance, and storing up the benefit for their descendants who are going to advance in virtue. And to take up the argument again, God is long-suffering, so that the one who sins may repent, and so that he may not shut out salvation from those born from him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":50,"ref":"p50","source":"Κἂν γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἀμετανόητα πταίῃ, φείδεται τῆς ῥίζης πολλάκις, ἵνα φυλάξῃ τοὺς καρπούς· πολλάκις μὲν οὖν, καὶ αὐτῶν ἀναμένων τὴν σωτηρίαν· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. Θάῤῥα, ὁ πατὴρ Ἀβραὰμ, εἰδώλων ἦν καὶ προσκυνητὴς καὶ ποιητής· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἀσεβείας τὴν δίκην, καὶ εἰκότως. Εἰ γὰρ προλαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπέτεμε τὴν ῥίζαν, πόθεν ὁ τοσοῦτος καρπὸς τῆς πίστεως ἀνεδίδοτο; Τί τοῦ Ἡσαῦ μοχθηρότερον· τί τῆς κακίας ἐκείνης ἀναιδέστερον; οὐ πόρνος καὶ βέβηλος, ὥς φησιν ὁ Παῦλος; οὐ μητρολῴας καὶ πατρολῴας; οὐκ ἀδελφοῦ φονεὺς, ὅσον εἰς πρόθεσιν; οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ μισούμενος, ὡς ἡ Γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ, λέγουσα; Τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησα, τὸν δὲ Ἡσαῦ ἐμίσησα; Εἰ τοίνυν πόρνος καὶ ἀδελφοκτόνος καὶ βέβηλος καὶ μισούμενος, διὰ τί μὴ ἀφανίζηται; διὰ τί μὴ ἐκκόπτεται; διὰ τί παραχρῆμα τὴν προσήκουσαν τιμωρίαν οὐ δέχεται; Διὰ τί; καλὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς, ἀδελφοὶ, τὴν αἰτίαν εἰπεῖν. Εἰ ἐξεκόπη, μέγιστον καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης ὁ κόσμος ἀπώλλυε· καὶ ὁποῖον ἄκουε. Ἡσαῦ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ῥαγουὴλ, Ῥαγουὴλ τὸν Ζαρὰ, Ζαρὰ τὸν Ἰώβ. Ὁρᾷς πηλίκον ὑπομονῆς ἄνθος ἠφανίζετο, εἰ προλαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς δίκην ἀπῄτησε τὴν ῥίζαν; Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἐν κακίᾳ ὢν, ἀπογινωσκέτω· μηδεὶς ἐν ἀρετῇ ὢν, νυσταζέτω. Μήτε οὗτος θαῤῥείτω· πολλάκις γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ ἡ πόρνη παρελεύσεται, μήτε ἐκεῖνος ἀπογινωσκέτω· δυνατὸν γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς πρώτους παρελθεῖν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐπανέλθωμεν εἰς τὴν σφοδρὰν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ μέμνηται τῶν προτέρων. Οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεός· οὐ γὰρ ὀνειδίζει τὰ παρελθόντα, οὐδὲ λέγει, Διὰ τί τοσοῦτον ἀπελείφθης χρόνον; ἂν μετανοήσωμεν·","english":"For even if the sinner himself falls without repentance, he often spares the root, in order to preserve the fruits—often indeed, also awaiting their salvation; and how, listen. Tharra, the father of Abraham, was an idolater and a worshipper and maker of idols; but he did not give the penalty for his impiety here, and rightly so. For if God had anticipated and cut off the root, from where would such great fruit of faith have sprung up? What is more wicked than Esau? What more shameless than that evil? Was he not a fornicator and profane, as Paul says? Was he not a matricide and patricide? Was he not a murderer of his brother, as far as his intent goes? Was he not hated by God, as the Scripture testifies, saying, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau? If therefore he is a fornicator and a fratricide and profane and hated, why is he not destroyed? Why is he not cut off? Why does he not receive the fitting punishment immediately? Why? It is truly good, brothers, to state the reason. If he had been cut off, the world would have lost the greatest fruit of righteousness; and hear what kind. Esau begot Raguel, Raguel begot Zara, Zara begot Job. Do you see what a great flower of endurance was being destroyed, if God had anticipated and exacted punishment of the root? Let no one, therefore, who is in wickedness despair; let no one who is in virtue slumber. Neither let the former be confident—for often even the prostitute will surpass him—nor let the latter despair—for it is possible for him even to surpass the foremost. For when we return to the fervent love of God, he does not remember the former things. God is not like man; for he does not reproach the past, nor say, Why have you been left behind for so long a time? if we repent.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":51,"ref":"p51","source":"ἀλλὰ ἀγαπᾷ, ὅτε, ἂν προσέλθωμεν, μόνον ὡς χρὴ προσέλθωμεν. Τί\n\nγὰρ τοῦ Μανασσῆ χεῖρον; τί δὲ τοῦ Σολομῶντος μακαριώτερον; Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἠδυνήθη τὸν Θεὸν ἐξιλεώσασθαι, ὁ δὲ ἀπονυστάξας ἔπεσε. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἡσαῦ οὐκ ἔτυχε συγγνώμης, ὅτι οὐ μετενόησεν ὡς ἐχρῆν· τὰ γὰρ δάκρυα οὐκ ἦν μετανοίας, ἀλλὰ ἐπηρείας καὶ θυμοῦ. Μετενόησε καὶ Ἰούδας, ἀπήγξατο γάρ. Εἰ δὲ μετάνοιαν ἀκριβῆ θέλεις ἰδεῖν, ἄκουσον τὴν τοῦ Πέτρου μετάνοιαν μετὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὸν μέγα φρονεῖν, συνειδότα ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Χριστὸν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐξελθὼν ἔξω ἔκλαυσε πικρῶς· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρίοις ἑαυτὸν παρενέλαβε μετὰ ταῦτα κινδύνοις. Μετενόησε καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ, οὕτω λέγων· Λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου, ἐν δάκρυσί μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω· καὶ τὴν πάλαι γεγενημένην ἁμαρτίαν, μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἔτη, μετὰ τοσαύτας γενεὰς, ὡς νεωστὶ συμβᾶσαν ἐπένθει. Τὸν γὰρ μετανοοῦντα οὐκ ὀργίζεσθαι χρὴ οὐδὲ ἀγριαίνειν, ἀλλὰ συντρίβεσθαι ὡς κατεγνωσμένον, ὡς οὐκ ἔχοντα παῤῥησίαν, ὡς καταδεδικασμένον, ὡς ἀπὸ ἐλέους σωθῆναι ὀφείλοντα μόνον, ὡς ἀγνώμονα περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην φανέντα καὶ ἀδόκιμον καὶ μυρίων κολάσεων ἄξιον Μήτε οὖν ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ἀπογινωσκέτω, μήτε ὁ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ θαῤῥείτω· πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τοῦτόν φησιν ὁ Θεὸς, Ὁ δοκῶν ἑστάναι, βλεπέτω μὴ πέσῃ· πρὸς δὲ ἐκεῖνον, Μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται; Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ φυλάξαι δεῖται, ὅπερ ἔχει, ἐκεῖνος δὲ, γενέσθαι ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστιν· οὗτος διατηρῆσαι τὴν ὑγίειαν, ἐκεῖνος τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπαλλαγῆναι· κάμνει γάρ.","english":"But he loves, when we come, only as we ought to come. For who is worse than Manasseh? Who more blessed than Solomon? But the one was able to propitiate God, while the other nodded off and fell. For this reason Esau also did not obtain forgiveness, because he did not repent as he ought; for his tears were not of repentance, but of spite and rage. Judas also repented, for he hanged himself. But if you wish to see exact repentance, hear the repentance of Peter after the denial. For since it was likely that he thought highly of himself, knowing in his conscience that he loved Christ more than the others, for this reason he went out and wept bitterly; and not only this, but afterward he exposed himself to countless dangers. The blessed David also repented, saying thus: I will wash my bed every night; I will drench my couch with my tears; and the sin committed long ago, after so many years, after so many generations, he mourned as though it had happened recently. For the one who repents ought not to be angry or fierce, but to be crushed as one condemned, as one having no boldness, as one sentenced, as one who ought to be saved by mercy alone, as one who has shown himself ungrateful toward his benefactor and worthless and deserving of countless punishments. Therefore let neither the one on the stage despair, nor the one in the church be confident; for to this one God says, Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall; and to that one, Does not the one who falls rise again? For the one needs to guard what he has, the other to become what he is not; the one to preserve his health, the other to be released from sickness; for he is ill.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":52,"ref":"p52","source":"Πρὸς μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνόν φησιν, Ἴδε, ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τί σοι γένηται· πρὸς δὲ τοῦτον, Θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι· ἐγερθεὶς ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου, καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Κἂν γὰρ τριακονταοκτὼ ἔτη ἔχῃς, ὡς ὁ παράλυτος ἐκεῖνος, σπουδάσῃς δὲ γενέσθαι ὑγιὴς, οὐδεὶς ὁ κωλύων· μόνον θέλησον διαναστῆναι· ἅψαι μόνον τῆς ἐκεῖ φερούσης ὁδοῦ, καὶ προβήσῃ ταχέως· μὴ τὰς θύρας ἀποκλείσῃς, μὴ τὴν εἴσοδον φράξῃς. Βραχὺς ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς, ὀλίγος ὁ πόνος· εἰ δὲ καὶ πολὺς ἦν, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπαγορεύειν ἔδει. Κἂν γὰρ μὴ κάμῃς τὸν κάλλιστον τοῦτον κάματον τὸν ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ, ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐκείνῳ πάντως καμῇ, καὶ ταλαιπωρήσεις ἑτέρως. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα κἀκεῖ κάματος, διὰ τί μὴ τοῦτον αἱρούμεθα, τὸν πολὺν ἔχοντα τὸν καρπὸν καὶ μεγάλην τὴν ἀμοιβήν; Εἰ γὰρ ἀναξίους ὄντας ἡμᾶς εὐεργετεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἡμαρτηκότας φιλανθρωπεύεται, εἰ τῆς κακίας ἀποστάντες τὴν ἀρετὴν μεταδιώξομεν, τίνων οὐκ ἐπιτευξόμεθα, τίνων οὐκ ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῶν ἀγαθῶν; Τοὺς γὰρ νοῦν ἔχοντας αἱ εὐεργεσίαι μᾶλλον, ἢ αἱ τιμωρίαι ἐφέλκονται πρὸς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ πρὶν ἤ τι ἀγαθὸν ἡμᾶς ἐπιδείξασθαι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ κολάσεως ἄξια ἐργασαμένους, τοσαύτης ἠξίωσε τῆς εὐεργεσίας ὁ Θεὸς, εἰ εὐγνώμονες γενοίμεθα, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν εὐχαριστίαν ἐπιδειξοίμεθα, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον μεταβολὴν ποιησοίμεθα, πόσης οὐκ ἂν πάλιν ἀξιώσειε τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ φιλοτιμίας;","english":"To the one, then, he says, \"See, you have become well; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you\"; but to the other, \"Do you wish to become well? Rise, take up your bed, and go to your house.\" For even if you have thirty-eight years, like that paralytic, and you are eager to become well, no one will hinder you; only will to rise up; only touch the road that leads there, and you will advance quickly; do not shut the doors, do not block the entrance. The present time is brief, the labor is small; but even if it were great, not even so should we give up. For if you do not undergo this most noble labor, the labor of repentance, in that world you will certainly labor and be distressed in another way. But if there is labor both here and there, why do we not choose this one, which has much fruit and a great reward? For if God benefits us when we are unworthy, and shows love to us when we have sinned, if we depart from wickedness and pursue virtue, of what good things will we not attain, of what good things will we not partake? For benefits draw those who have understanding to obedience to the commandments more than punishments do. If, then, even before we had shown any good—or rather, even after we had done things worthy of punishment—God deemed us worthy of such great beneficence, if we become grateful and show thanksgiving for what has gone before, and make the change for the better, of how great a generosity from him will he not again deem us worthy?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":53,"ref":"p53","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς τοὺς προσκεκρουκότας τῶν οἰκετῶν, ἐὰν ἀπαγγείλωνται γενέσθαι βελτίους, καὶ προσιέμεθα καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας ἄγομεν τιμῆς, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πλείονος αὐτοῖς τῆς παῤῥησίας μεταδιδόαμεν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ἡμῶν τοῦτο ποιήσει, εἰ ἀντίῤῥοπον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπιδειξόμεθα τὴν μετάνοιαν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Δαυῒδ δῆλον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὑποσκελισθεὶς κατέπεσε, μοιχείας καὶ φόνου ἁλοὺς ἐγκλήματι, εἶτα οὐκ ἔμεινε κείμενος ἐν τῷ πτώματι, ἀλλὰ καὶ διανέστη πάλιν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐχθρὸν μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρετάξατο· οὕτως αὐτὸν γενναίως κατεπάλαισεν, ὡς καὶ τελευτήσας προστῆναι τῶν ἐκγόνων τῶν αὐτοῦ. Τῷ γὰρ Σολομῶντι τὴν μεγάλην ἐκείνην παρανομίαν τετολμηκότι, καὶ μυρίων ἀξίῳ γενομένῳ θανάτων, διὰ τὸν Δαυῒδ ὁ Θεός φησιν ἀφεῖναι τὴν βασιλείαν ὁλόκληρον, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Διαῤῥήσσων διαῤῥήξω τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ χειρός σου, καὶ δώσω αὐτὴν τῷ δούλῳ σου· πλὴν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις σου οὐ ποιήσω ταῦτα, διὰ Δαυῒδ τὸν πατέρα σου· ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ σου λήψομαι αὐτήν. Καὶ τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ δὲ μέλλοντι κινδυνεύειν","english":"For if we, when our own servants have offended us, if it is reported that they have become better, both receive them and restore them again to their former honor, and often even grant them greater freedom of speech, much more will God do this for us, if we show repentance as a counterweight to our sins. And this is clear from the account of the blessed David. For when he had been tripped up and fell, caught in the charge of adultery and murder, he did not then remain lying in the fall, but rose up again and arrayed himself with God against the enemy; thus he wrestled him down bravely, so that even after death he stood as protector of his descendants. For to Solomon, who had dared that great transgression and had become worthy of countless deaths, God says that for David's sake he would forgive the whole kingdom, speaking thus: \"I will surely tear the kingdom out of your hand, and I will give it to your servant; nevertheless in your days I will not do these things, for the sake of David your father; from the hand of your son I will take it.\" And to Hezekiah also, when he was about to be in danger","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":54,"ref":"p54","source":"ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐσχάτων, καίτοι γε ὄντι δικαίῳ, πάλιν διὰ τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον ἔλεγε βοηθεῖν· Ὑπερασπιῶ γὰρ, φησὶ, τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ, καὶ διὰ Δαυῒδ τὸν παῖδά μου. Ὡσπεροῦν ἐπὶ τῶν τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγνωμοσύνην ἐπιδεικνυμένων, διὰ τὴν προσοῦσαν αὐτῷ ἀγαθότητα ἀνακαλεῖται τὰς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀποφάσεις ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ μεταβαλλομένους προσίεται, καὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἀπαλλάττει τιμωρίας· οὕτω πάλιν ἐπειδὰν ἐπαγγέλληται ἢ ἀγαθά τινα παρέξειν, ἢ προθεσμίαν μετανοίας, ἴδῃ δὲ ἀναξίους γεγονότας, καὶ τότε πάλιν ἀνακαλεῖται αὐτοῦ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν χαλεπὸν, ὡς τὸ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐπιμένειν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ προλαμβάνων τὰς εὐεργεσίας εἰς ἡμᾶς κατατίθεται ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἡμαρτηκότας πάλιν συγγνώμης ἀξιοῖ, καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας παρὰ πόδας οὐκ ἐπάγει, ἵνα διὰ πάντων πρὸς μετάνοιαν ἡμᾶς ἐφελκύσηται, καὶ δι' ὧν εὐεργετεῖ καὶ δι' ὧν μακροθυμεῖ· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ δι' ὧν ἐνίους κολάζει, ἑτέρους ἐνάγειν βούλεται, ἵνα τῷ ἐκείνων φόβῳ σωφρονισθέντες, τῆς τιμωρίας τὴν πεῖραν διαφύγωσι. Ἥμαρτες πολλά; στῆθι λοιπὸν, ὑπόστρεψον τὴν ἐναντίαν, ὁμολόγησον τῷ Θεῷ χάριν, ὅτι σε οὐκ ἐν μέσοις ἀνήρπασε τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι, μὴ καὶ ἑτέραν ζήτει προθεσμίαν εἰς τὸ κακῶς ἐργάζεσθαι· μὴ λέγε, Ἔσται καιρὸς ὅταν ἐπιστρέψαι δέῃ· πολλοὶ μεταξὺ πλεονεκτοῦντες ἀνηρπάγησαν, καὶ ἀπῆλθον ἐπὶ φανερὰν δίκην· φοβήθητι μὴ καὶ σὺ τοῦτο πάθῃς ἀναπολογήτως. Ἀλλὰ πολλοῖς ἔδωκε προθεσμίαν ὁ Θεὸς ἐξομολογήσασθαι ἐν ἐσχάτῳ γήρᾳ. Τί οὖν, καὶ σοὶ δώσει; Ἴσως δώσει, φησί. Τί λέγεις, Ἴσως, καὶ Ἐνίοτε καὶ Πολλάκις;","english":"for the last things, although he was truly righteous, again because of that blessed man he said he would help: For I will shield this city, he says, for my sake, and for the sake of David my servant. Just as in the case of those who show their own good disposition, because of the goodness that is present in him God recalls his own decrees, and receives those who change, and delivers them from the punishment that lies upon them; so again, whenever he promises either to bestow certain good things, or a period of time for repentance, and sees that they have become unworthy, then again he recalls his own promises. For sinning is not so grievous as persisting in sins. For this reason God also, taking the lead, lays up benefits for us, and again deems those who have sinned worthy of forgiveness, and does not bring punishments at their very heels, so that through all things he may draw us to repentance, both through the things in which he benefits us and through the things in which he is long-suffering; and often also through the things in which he punishes some, he wishes to lead others, so that, disciplined by the fear of those, they may escape the experience of punishment. Have you sinned greatly? Stand firm from now on, turn back the opposite way, give thanks to God, because he did not snatch you away in the midst of your sins; do not seek another period of time for doing evil; do not say, There will be a time when one must turn back; many, while taking advantage in the meantime, were snatched away, and went off to manifest judgment; fear lest you too suffer this without defense. But God has given many a period of time to confess in extreme old age. What then, will he give it to you too? Perhaps he will give it, he says. What do you say, Perhaps, and Sometimes and Often?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":55,"ref":"p55","source":"ἐννόησον ὅτι περὶ ψυχῆς βουλεύῃ, καὶ τίθει καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον, καὶ λογίζου καὶ λέγε· Τί δαὶ, ἐὰν μὴ δῷ; Τί δαὶ, ἐὰν δῷ; φησίν. Ἔδωκε μὲν αὐτός· πλὴν τοῦτο ἐκείνου ἀσφαλέστερον καὶ κερδαλεώτερον. Ἐὰν μὲν γὰρ ἤδη ἄρξῃ, τὸ πᾶν ἐκέρδανας, ἄν τε λάβῃς, ἄν τε μὴ λάβῃς, προθεσμίαν· ἐὰν δὲ ἀεὶ μένῃς, δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο πολλάκις οὐ λήψῃ. Σὺ δὲ ἐς μὲν πόλεμον ἐξιὼν, οὐ λέγεις, Οὐκ ἀνάγκη διαθέσθαι, ἴσως ἐπανήξω· οὐδὲ περὶ γάμου βουλευόμενος λέγεις, Λάβω γυναῖκα πενιχρὰν, πολλοὶ παρὰ δόξαν καὶ οὕτως ἐπλούτησαν· οὐδὲ οἰκίαν οἰκοδομούμενος, Καταβάλω θεμελίους σαθροὺς, πολλαὶ καὶ οὕτως ἔστησαν οἰκίαι· ὑπὲρ δὲ ψυχῆς βουλευόμενος, τοῖς σαθροτέροις ἐγχειρεῖς, τὸ ἴσως καὶ ἐνίοτε καὶ πολλάκις τιθεὶς, καὶ τοῖς ἀδήλοις ἐπιτρέπεις σαυτόν; Οὐ τῷ ἀδήλῳ, φῂς, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίᾳ· φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ ὁ Θεός. Οἶδα κἀγώ· ἀλλ' ὁ φιλάνθρωπος οὗτος κἀκείνους, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ἀνήρπασε. Βούλει μαθεῖν πῶς ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἀγαθὸς ὁ Δεσπότης; ἀνῆλθεν ὁ τελώνης μυρίων γέμων κακῶν, καὶ εἰπὼν, Ἱλάσθητί μοι, μόνον, κατῆλθε δεδικαιωμένος. Καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου δέ φησιν ὁ Θεός· Δι' ἁμαρτίαν βραχύ τι ἐλύπησα αὐτόν· καὶ εἶδον ὅτι ἐλυπήθη, καὶ ἐπορεύθη στυγνὸς, καὶ ἰασάμην τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ. Τί τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ταύτης ἴσον; Ἵνα στυγνάσῃ μόνον, ἀφῆκε τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιοῦμεν· διὸ μάλιστα αὐτὸν παροργίζομεν. Ὁ γὰρ καὶ διὰ μικρῶν ἵλεως γενόμενος, ὅταν μηδὲ τούτων τύχῃ, εἰκότως ἀγανακτεῖ, καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀπαιτεῖ τιμωρίαν ἡμᾶς· ὑπερβαλλούσης γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο καταφρονήσεως. Τίς γοῦν ἐλυπήθη ποτὲ δι' ἁμαρτίας;","english":"Consider that you are deliberating about your soul, and set the opposite case before yourself as well, and reckon and say: What then, if he does not give? What then, if he does give? he says. He himself gave; yet this is safer and more profitable than that. For if you begin now, you have gained everything, whether you receive or do not receive, a fixed time; but if you always remain, for that very reason you will often not receive. You, when you go out to war, do not say, There is no need to make arrangements; perhaps I shall return; nor when deliberating about marriage do you say, Let me take a poor wife; many contrary to expectation have even so become rich; nor when building a house, Let me lay rotten foundations; many houses have even so stood; but when deliberating about your soul, do you set your hand to the more rotten things, putting the perhaps and sometimes and often, and entrust yourself to uncertainties? Not to uncertainty, you say, but to the loving-kindness of God; for God is loving-kind to man. I know it too; but this loving-kind God, as I said, snatched those men away as well. Do you wish to learn how good our Master is? The tax collector went up full of ten thousand evils, and having said only, Be propitious to me, he went down justified. And through the prophet God says: For a sin I grieved him a little; and I saw that he was grieved, and he went about sullen, and I healed his ways. What is equal to this loving-kindness? Only that he be sullen, and he forgave the sins. But we do not do even this very thing; therefore we especially provoke him to anger. For he who is propitiated even by small things, when he does not obtain even these, reasonably is indignant, and demands of us the ultimate punishment; for this is a mark of surpassing contempt. Who, then, was ever grieved on account of sin?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":56,"ref":"p56","source":"τίς ἐστέναξε; τίς τὸ στῆθος ἔπληξεν; Οὐδένα ἔγωγε οἶμαι· ἀλλὰ μυρίας μὲν ἡμέρας θρηνοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι, ὑπὲρ οἰκετῶν ἀποθανόντων, ὑπὲρ ζημίας χρημάτων, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἀπολλύντες καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, οὐδὲ εἰς νοῦν βαλλόμεθα. Πῶς οὖν δυνήσῃ τὸν Θεὸν ἐξιλεώσασθαι, ὅταν μηδὲ ὅτι ἥμαρτες εἰδῇς; Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἥμαρτον. Ναί μοι λέγεις τῇ γλώττῃ· εἰπὲ τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ ῥήματος στέναξον, ἵνα διηνεκῶς εὐθυ μῇς· καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἠλγοῦμεν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, εἰ ἐστενάζομεν ἐπὶ τοῖς πλημμελήμασιν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἄλλο ἡμᾶς ἐλύπησεν, τῆς ὀδύνης ταύτης πᾶσαν ἀθυμίαν παρωθουμένης. Ὡσπεροῦν τῷ στρουθῷ τῶν πτερῶν ὄφελος οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τῆς παγίδος ἁλόντι, ἀλλ' εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην πτερύσσεται· οὕτω σοι καὶ τῶν λογισμῶν οὐδὲν ὄφελος, ἐὰν κατὰ κράτος ὑπὸ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας ἁλῷς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἑνὸς οὐ θέλομεν ἀσχημονῆσαι ἐνταῦθα, ἐπὶ\n\nμυριάδων ἐκεῖ τοσούτων τί ποιήσομεν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ τῶν προτέρων ἀποστῆναι κακῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀμείνονα ἐπιδείξασθαι καλὰ, λέγεται μετάνοια· Ἔκκλινον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ εἰς ὑγίειαν ἡμῖν τὸ βέλος ἐξελεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ φάρμακα ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ τραύματι. Συμβαίνει δέ τινα μεταγνόντα κατορθῶσαι πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα, μεταξὺ δὲ ἁμαρτεῖν πάλιν τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἐκείνων ἁμαρτίαν ἀντίῤῥοπον· καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἱκανὸν εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμβαλεῖν, ὡς τῶν οἰκοδομηθέντων καθαιρεθέντων, καὶ πάντων ἐκείνων μάτην καὶ εἰς κενὸν πονηθέντων αὐτῷ.","english":"Who groaned? Who beat his breast? I, for my part, think no one; but people mourn for countless days over servants who have died, over loss of money, yet while we destroy our soul every day, we do not even take it to heart. How then will you be able to propitiate God, when you do not even know that you have sinned? Yes, he says, I have sinned. You say so to me with your tongue; say it with your mind, and groan together with the word, so that you may be set straight continually; for if we grieved over our sins, if we groaned over our transgressions, nothing else would distress us, since this pain pushes away all despondency. Just as a sparrow gains nothing from its wings when caught by the snare, but flutters in vain and to no purpose, so too your reasonings are of no benefit if you are caught by force by evil desire. For if we do not wish to be disgraced here before one person, what shall we do there before so many tens of thousands? For it is not only departing from former evils, but also displaying better good works, that is called repentance; for it says, Turn away from evil, and do good. For it is not enough for our health merely to remove the arrow, but also to apply medicines to the wound. And it happens that someone who has repented has set many great things right, but in between has sinned again with a sin that outweighs those right actions; and this especially is enough to cast him into despair, as though what was built has been torn down, and all those things have been labored over by him in vain and to no purpose.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":57,"ref":"p57","source":"Δεῖ δὲ ἐκεῖνο λογίζεσθαι, καὶ τοῦτον ἐκκρούειν τὸν λογισμὸν, ὅτι εἰ μὴ φθάσαντες κατορθωμάτων μέτρον ἀντίῤῥοπον τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένοις ἁμαρτήμασιν ἀπεθέμεθα, οὐδὲν ἂν ἡμᾶς σφόδρα καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς καταδῦναι ἐκώλυσε. Νυνὶ δὲ καθάπερ τις θώραξ ἰσχυρὸς βέλος ὀξὺ καὶ πικρὸν δεχόμενος, οὐκ ἀφῆκεν ἐργάσασθαι τὸ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς διατμηθεὶς τὸν πολὺν ἤμυνε τῷ σώματι κίνδυνον... Οὐ δεινὸν τοίνυν τὸν πολεμοῦντα τρωθῆναι, ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ τὴν πληγὴν ἀπογνῶναι καὶ ἀμελῆσαι τοῦ τραύματος. Οὐδεὶς ἔμπορος ἅπαξ ναυαγίῳ περιπεσὼν καὶ τὸν φόρτον ἀπολέσας, ἀπέστη τοῦ πλεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὰ μακρὰ διαβαίνει πελάγη, καὶ τὸν πρότερον ἀνακτᾶται πλοῦτον. Πολλάκις ἀθλητὰς θεωροῦμεν μετὰ πολλὰ πτώματα στεφανίτας γενομένους. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ στρατιώτης πολλάκις φυγὼν, ἔσχατον ἀριστεὺς ἀνεδείχθη, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἐκράτησε. Πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ἀρνησαμένων διὰ τὸν τῶν βασάνων φόβον, ἀνεμαχέσαντο πάλιν, καὶ τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἀπῆλθον ἀναδησάμενοι. Εἰ δὲ τούτων ἕκαστος ἐκ τῆς προτέρας πληγῆς ἀπέγνω, οὐκ ἂν τῶν δευτέρων ἀπέλαυσεν ἀγαθῶν. Ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"But we must consider that point too, and drive out this reasoning, that if we had not first laid down a measure of good deeds balancing the sins committed afterwards, nothing would have prevented us from being utterly and completely sunk. But as it is, just as a strong breastplate receiving a sharp and bitter arrow did not let it work its effect, but was itself cut through and warded off the great danger from the body... It is not terrible, then, for the warrior to be wounded, but rather to despair after the blow and neglect the wound. No merchant, having once fallen into shipwreck and lost his cargo, gave up sailing, but again crosses the sea and the long expanses of ocean, and recovers his former wealth. Often we see athletes, after many falls, becoming crowned victors. Indeed, a soldier too has often fled, and at last was shown to be a hero, and prevailed over the enemy. And many even of those who denied Christ out of fear of torments fought again, and went away having bound on the crown of martyrdom. But if each of these had despaired from the former blow, he would not have enjoyed the second blessings. May we all attain these, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":58,"ref":"p58","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Δʹ. Περὶ νηστείας καὶ σωφροσύνης.\n\nΒούλει μαθεῖν ὅσος κόσμος ἀνθρώποις ἡ νηστεία; ὅση ἀσφάλεια καὶ φυλακή; ἐννόησόν μοι τὸ μακάριον καὶ θαυμαστὸν γένος τῶν μοναζόντων. Οὗτοι γὰρ τοὺς ἐν μέσῳ θορύβους φυγόντες, καὶ πρὸς τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων ἀναδραμόντες, καὶ τὰς καλύβας ἐν τῇ τῆς ἐρημίας ἡσυχίᾳ καθάπερ ἐν εὐδιεινῷ τινι λιμένι πηξάμενοι, ταύτην συνέμπορον καὶ συγκοινωνὸν τοῦ βίου παντὸς ἔλαβον. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀγγέλους αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐποίησεν· οὐκ ἐκείνους δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ὅσους ἂν εὕρῃ προσιεμένους αὐτὴν, πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ὕψος ἀνάγει. Ἐκείνη καὶ νῦν ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸν πατρῷον συνήγαγεν οἶκον· ἐκείνη καὶ τοὺς πρὸ τούτου ῥᾳθυμοτέρους σήμερον πρὸς τὰς μητρικὰς ἐπανήγαγε χεῖρας. Εἰ δὲ προσδοκωμένη μόνον τοσαύτην ὑμῖν ἐνεποίησε τὴν σπουδὴν, φανεῖσα καὶ παραγενομένη πόσην ὑμῖν ἐργάσεται τὴν εὐλάβειαν; Εἰ ταύτης ἤκουσε τῆς φωνῆς ὁ Ἀδὰμ, οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσε τῆς δευτέρας τῆς λεγούσης, Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ταύτης παρήκουσε, διὰ τοῦτο θάνατος καὶ ἀθυμία καὶ φροντίδες, καὶ ζωὴ θανάτου παντὸς χαλεπωτέρα. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὑβρισθεῖσα θάνατον ἐπήγαγε τῷ ὑβρίσαντι, οὕτω πάλιν τιμηθεῖσα θάνατον ἀνεκαλέσατο. Τὴν γὰρ τῶν Νινευιτῶν πόλιν τὴν μεγάλην καὶ θαυμαστὴν ἐπὶ γόνυ κειμένην, παρὰ αὐτὸ τὸ βάραθρον τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνασαν, καὶ μέλλουσαν τὴν ἄνωθεν φερομένην δέχεσθαι πληγὴν, καθάπερ τις ἄνωθεν ἐπιστᾶσα δύναμις, ἐξ αὐτῶν ἥρπασε τῶν τοῦ δημίου χειρῶν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν ἐπανήγαγεν. Ἴδωμεν τοίνυν πῶς ἐνήστευσαν οἱ Νινευῖται, καὶ πῶς τῆς ὀργῆς ἀπηλλάγησαν ἐκείνης.","english":"Word 4. On fasting and chastity.\n\nDo you wish to learn how great a world fasting is for human beings, how great a security and safeguard? Consider for me the blessed and wondrous race of monks. For they, having fled the tumults in their midst and run up to the peaks of the mountains, and having pitched their huts in the stillness of the desert as in some calm harbor, took fasting as their companion and sharer in their whole life. For this reason it made them angels instead of human beings; and not only those, but also in the cities, as many as it finds welcoming it, it leads up to the same height of philosophy. It gathered us even now to our father's house; it brought back today to their mother's hands those who before this were rather slack. But if, when only expected, it produced such zeal in you, when it appears and arrives, how great a devotion will it work in you? If Adam had listened to its voice, he would not have listened to the second voice that says, \"You are earth, and to earth you shall return\"; but since he disobeyed it, therefore came death and despondency and cares, and a life harsher than any death. And just as, when insulted, it brought death upon the one who insulted it, so again, when honored, it recalled death. For the great and wondrous city of the Ninevites, lying on its knee, bowing its head at the very brink, and about to receive the blow borne from above, it seized, as if some power from above had stood over it, out of the very hands of the executioner and brought it back to life. Let us see, then, how the Ninevites fasted, and how they were delivered from that wrath.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":59,"ref":"p59","source":"Οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ τὰ κτήνη καὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ οἱ βόες μὴ νεμέσθωσαν, φησί. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ τὰ ἄλογα νηστεύει, καὶ ἵπποι καὶ ἡμίονοι σάκκῳ περιβάλλονται; Ναὶ, φησί· καθάπερ γὰρ εὐπόρου τινὸς τελευτήσαντος, οὐκ\n\nοἰκέτας μόνον, οὐδὲ θεραπαινίδας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἵππους οἱ προσήκοντες σάκκῳ περιβαλόντες, ἀκολουθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα κελεύουσι, τὸ μέγεθος τῆς συμφορᾶς ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, καὶ πρὸς ἔλεον ἅπαντας ἐπισπώμενοι, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης ἀπόλλυσθαι μελλούσης, καὶ τὴν ἄλογον φύσιν σάκκῳ περιέβαλον καὶ ζυγῷ νηστείας. Οὐκ ἔστι τὰ ἄλογα λόγῳ μαθεῖν, φησὶ, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργήν. Μανθανέτωσαν διὰ τοῦ λιμοῦ· καὶ γὰρ τὰ μέλλοντα κοινωνεῖν τῆς κολάσεως, κοινωνείτω καὶ τῆς νηστείας. Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν ἐνταῦθα συνόντων ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας σωματικῆς κωλυόμενοι, οὐ δύνανται ἄσιτοι διαμένειν, τούτοις παραινῶ, καὶ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τὴν σωματικὴν παραμυθεῖσθαι, καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας ταύτης τῆς πνευματικῆς μὴ ἀποστερεῖν ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ ταύτῃ μᾶλλον πλείονα τὴν σπουδὴν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν βρωμάτων κελεύει γίνεσθαι ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα χαλινοῦντες τὰ σκιρτήματα τῆς σαρκὸς, εὐήνιον αὐτὴν ἀπεργαζώμεθα πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐκπλήρωσιν. Εἰ δὲ μέλλοιμεν μηδὲ τὴν ἀπὸ νηστείας βοήθειαν ἑαυτοῖς προσάγειν διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένειαν, καὶ πλείονα τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, τὰ μέγιστα ζημιούμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ μετὰ νηστείας ἡ τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἔλλειψις οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ὀνίνησι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, εἰ μηδὲ τῷ φαρμάκῳ τῆς νηστείας χρήσασθαι δυνάμεθα, πλείονα τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐπιδειξόμεθα, πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐκπλήρωσιν.","english":"Let not humans and cattle and sheep and oxen graze,\" he says. What do you mean, tell me? Do even the irrational creatures fast, and are horses and mules clothed in sackcloth? Yes, he says; for just as when some wealthy man has died, his relatives clothe not only the household servants, nor the maidservants, but also the horses in sackcloth, and command them to follow to the tomb, displaying the magnitude of the calamity and drawing all to compassion, so indeed also when that city was about to perish, they clothed even the irrational nature in sackcloth and the yoke of fasting. The irrational creatures cannot learn the wrath of God by reason, he says; let them learn it through famine; for those who are to share in the punishment, let them share also in the fasting. But if some of those present here, hindered by bodily weakness, are unable to remain without food, to these I advise both to comfort their bodily weakness and not to deprive themselves of this spiritual teaching, but rather to show greater zeal in it. For it is for this reason that God commands abstinence from foods, so that by bridling the leaps of the flesh we may render it well-disciplined for the fulfillment of the commandments. But if we are to bring upon ourselves not even the help that comes from fasting because of the body's weakness, and to show greater negligence, we suffer the greatest loss. For if, even with fasting, the lack of good accomplishments profits us nothing, how much more, if we are unable even to use the medicine of fasting, shall we show greater negligence toward the fulfillment of the commandments.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":60,"ref":"p60","source":"Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τῶν βιωτικῶν μετέχοντες πραγμάτων, οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἀνάσχοιντο ἐπιτηδεύματος ἅψασθαι, μὴ πρότερον τὸ ἐκεῖθεν κέρδος περισκοπήσαντες, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς δίκαιον τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς τὰς ἑβδομάδας τῶν νηστειῶν παρατρέχειν, ἀλλὰ διερευνᾶσθαι τὴν ἑαυτῶν συνείδησιν, καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν βασανίζειν, καὶ σκοπεῖν, τί μὲν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἑβδομάδι κατώρθωται, τί δὲ ἐν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ, καὶ τίνα προσθήκην ἐδεξάμεθα εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν, καὶ ποῖον τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν παθῶν διωρθώσαμεν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ μέλλοιμεν οὕτω τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομεῖν, καὶ τοσαύτην ἐπιμέλειαν ποιεῖσθαι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ψυχῆς, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ὄφελος ἔσται τῆς νηστείας καὶ τῆς ἀσιτίας ἧς ὑπομένομεν. Εἰ τοίνυν δι' ἀσθένειαν σωματικὴν οὐ δύνασαι ἄσιτος παρατείνειν τὴν ἡμέραν, οὐδεὶς εὐφρονῶν ὑπὲρ τούτου σε ἐγκαλέσαι δυνήσεται. Δεσπότην γὰρ ἔχομεν ἥμερον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν ὑπὲρ δύναμιν παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπιζητοῦντα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν βρωμάτων καὶ τὴν νηστείαν ἁπλῶς ἀπαιτεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν γίνεσθαι, οὐδὲ διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα ἄσιτοι διαμένωμεν μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀφιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων, πᾶσαν τὴν σχολὴν ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἀναλίσκωμεν. Ὡς εἰ μετὰ νηφούσης διανοίας τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον ᾠκονομοῦμεν, καὶ περὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ πᾶσαν τὴν σπουδὴν ἐπεδεικνύμεθα, καὶ τῇ τροφῇ οὕτω προσίεμεν, ὡς τὴν χρείαν μόνον πληροῦν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀγαθαῖς πράξεσιν ἅπαντα τὸν βίον καταναλίσκειν, οὐδὲ χρεία ἦν ἡμῖν τῆς βοηθείας τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς νηστείας.","english":"For if those who engage in worldly affairs would never endure to undertake a practice without first looking carefully at the profit that comes from it, much more is it right for us to do this, and not simply to run past the weeks of the fasts, but to examine our own conscience, and to test our reasoning, and to consider what has been set right in this week, and what in the other, and what addition we have received for the day to come, and which of the passions within us we have corrected. For if we are not going to manage our own affairs in this way, and to take such great care of our own soul, there will be no benefit to us from the fast and the abstaining from food that we endure. If, then, because of bodily weakness, you are unable to continue the day without food, no one of sound mind will be able to accuse you on this account. For we have a gentle and humane Master, who seeks nothing from us beyond our strength. For he does not simply demand that the abstaining from foods and the fast be done by us, nor for this reason, that we remain without food only, but that, withdrawing ourselves from worldly affairs, we spend all our leisure on spiritual things. As if we were managing our life with a sober mind, and displaying all zeal for spiritual things, and approaching food so as to fulfill only the need, and consuming our whole life in good deeds, we would have no need of the help that comes from fasting.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":61,"ref":"p61","source":"Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ῥᾴθυμός ἐστιν ἡ φύσις ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη, καὶ τῇ τρυφῇ καὶ τῇ ἀνέσει μᾶλλον ἑαυτὴν ἐπιδίδωσι, διὰ τοῦτο καθάπερ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς νηστείας ἡμῖν ἰατρείαν ἐπενόησεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Δεσπότης, ἵνα καὶ τὰ τῆς τρυφῆς ἡμῖν ἐκκόπτηται, καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ βιωτικὰ φροντίδα μεταγάγωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐργασίαν. Ἀλλ' εἰσὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἳ καθάπερ θηρίῳ τῇ νηστείᾳ πυκτεύειν μέλλοντες, οὕτω τῇ γαστριμαργίᾳ καθοπλίζονται, καὶ διαῤῥήξαντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ σκοτώσαντες, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παραφροσύνης ὑποδέχονται τὸ γαληνὸν καὶ ἥμερον τῆς νηστείας ὄμμα. Καὶ ἐὰν ἐρωτήσω, τίνος ἕνεκεν εἰς βαλανεῖον τρέχεις σήμερον, λέγεις, Ἵνα καθαρῷ τῷ σώματι τὴν νηστείαν ὑποδέξωμαι· ἐὰν δὲ ἐρωτήσω, τίνος ἕνεκεν μεθύεις, πάλαι ἐρεῖς, Ἐπειδὴ τῇ νηστείᾳ εἰσιέναι μέλλω. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, σώματι μὲν καθαρῷ, ψυχῇ δὲ ἀκαθάρτῳ καὶ μεθυούσῃ τὴν καλλίστην νηστείαν ταύτην ὑποδέχεσθαι; Τοσοῦτον τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς ἐθίσωμεν ἐσθίειν, ὅσον πρὸς τὸ ζῇν μόνον, οὐχ ὅσον διασπᾶσθαι καὶ βαρύνεσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐγενόμεθα καὶ ζῶμεν, ἵνα φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο","english":"But since human nature is lazy and gives itself over more to luxury and ease, for this reason, like a loving father, the humane Master devised for us the healing that comes from fasting, so that both the things of luxury might be cut off from us, and we might transfer our care for worldly things to the work of spiritual things. But there are many people who, as though about to box against fasting as against a wild beast, thus arm themselves with gluttony, and having burst themselves and darkened themselves, with great madness they receive the calm and gentle eye of fasting. And if I ask, for what reason do you run to the bath today, you say, So that with a clean body I may receive fasting; but if I ask, for what reason are you drunk, you will say, Because I am about to enter upon fasting. How then is it not absurd to receive this most beautiful fasting with a clean body but an unclean and drunken soul? Let us therefore accustom ourselves to eat as much as is only for living, not as much as to be torn apart and weighed down. For we were not born and do not live for this, that we might eat and drink, but for this","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":62,"ref":"p62","source":"ἐσθίομεν, ἵνα ζῶμεν· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ζῇν διὰ τὸ φαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ζῇν τὸ φαγεῖν γέγονεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Πρὸς χρείαν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἡ ζωὴ συμμεμέτρηται. Τὸ οὖν περιττὸν τῆς φύσεως ἀποθέμενοι, τὸ ἀναγκαῖον μόνον ἀσπασώμεθα. Τί γὰρ τῆς τραπέζης ἐκείνης ἁγιώτερον γένοιτ' ἂν, ἔνθα μέθη μὲν καὶ ἀδηφαγία καὶ πᾶσα ἀσωτία ἀπελήλαται, θαυμαστὴ δέ τις ἀντεισενήνεκται περὶ τῆς φυλακῆς τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων ἅμιλλα· καὶ παρατηρεῖ μὲν ἀνὴρ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ ὅπως εἰς τὰ τῆς ἐπιορκίας μηδέποτε ἐμπέσῃ βάραθρα· φυλάττει δὲ γυνὴ τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ καταδίκη τῷ παραβάντι κεῖται μεγίστη· οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται δὲ οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν δούλων ὁ δεσπότης ἐλέγχεσθαι, οὐδὲ τοὺς οἰκέτας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τούτοις διορθοῦν; Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τὴν τοιαύτην οἰκίαν ἐκκλησίαν προσειπών. Ὅπου γὰρ σωφροσύνη τοσαύτη, ὡς ἐν καιρῷ τρυφῆς μεριμνᾷν ὑπὲρ τῶν θείων νόμων, καὶ τοὺς παρόντας ἅπαντας ὑπὲρ τούτου πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ φιλονεικεῖν, εὔδηλον ὅτι δαιμόνων μὲν ἅπασα πονηρὰ δύναμις ἀπελήλαται, ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ πάρεστιν ἐπὶ τῇ καλῇ τῶν δούλων φιλονεικίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ πολλὴ μὲν ἡ ἡδονὴ τῇ κακίᾳ, φησὶ, πολὺς δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ συνέζευκται ὁ πόνος καὶ ὁ ἱδρώς. Καὶ ποία σοι χάρις ἦν, τίνος δ' ἂν ἔλαβες μισθὸν, εἰ μὴ ἐπίπονον τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν; Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς ἔχω δεῖξαι φύσει τὸ μίγνυσθαι γυναιξὶ μισοῦντας· τούτους οὖν σώφρονας καλέσομεν ἢ στεφανώσομεν; Οὐδαμῶς· σωφροσύνη γάρ ἐστιν ἐγκράτεια, καὶ τὸ μαχομένων περιγενέσθαι τῶν ἡδονῶν. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν κύματα καταλαμβάνει παθῶν, τῶν θαλαττίων ἀγριώτερα, καὶ πολλὴν αὐτῇ ἐμποιοῦντα τὴν σύγχυσιν·","english":"We eat so that we may live; for it is not that living exists because of eating, but from the beginning eating came to be for the sake of living. Brothers, our life has been measured out for need, not for pleasure. Therefore, having set aside what is superfluous to nature, let us embrace only what is necessary. For what could be holier than that table where drunkenness and gluttony and every kind of debauchery are driven away, and a wondrous rivalry concerning the keeping of God's laws is brought in instead? A man watches over his wife, and sees to it that she never fall into the pit of perjury; a wife guards her husband, and the greatest condemnation is laid up for the one who transgresses; and the master is not ashamed even to be reproved by his slaves, nor to correct his household in these matters. No one would err in calling such a house a church. For where there is such chastity that in a time of luxury they take thought for the divine laws, and all those present strive and contend with one another concerning this, it is clear that every evil power of demons has been driven away, and Christ is present at the noble rivalry of his servants. But, he says, great is the pleasure of vice, and great is the toil and sweat yoked to virtue. And what favor would you have had, what reward would you have received, if the matter had not been laborious? For I can point to many who by nature hate intercourse with women; shall we then call these temperate, or crown them? By no means; for temperance is self-control, and to prevail over pleasures that fight against us. For often waves of passions seize our mind, wilder than the waves of the sea, and produce in it great confusion.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":63,"ref":"p63","source":"ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ῥᾴθυμος καὶ κατημελημένος, ἀρχομένου τοῦ χειμῶνος, εὐθέως θορυβεῖται, ταράττεται, κλονεῖται, περιορᾷ γινομένην ὑποβρύχιον τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν, καὶ ναυάγιον ὑπομένουσαν· ὁ δὲ καρτερὸς καὶ νεανικὸς, καθάπερ κυβερνήτην ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων, οὕτω τὸν λογισμὸν ἐπάνω τῶν παθῶν καθίσας, οὐ πρότερον ἀφίσταται πάντα ποιῶν, ἕως ἂν κατευθύνῃ τὸ σκάφος πρὸς τὸν εὔδιον τῆς φιλοσοφίας λιμένα. Μὴ δὴ καταμαλάττωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν ἰσχὺν μηδὲ ἐκκόπτωμεν τὰ νεῦρα ταῖς τῶν γυναικῶν ὁμιλίαις. Καὶ γὰρ ἄφατος καὶ πολλὴ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐντεῦθεν εἰσρεῖ κακία. Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ αἰσθανόμεθα τῇ φιλίᾳ μεθύοντες; Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ πάντων ἐστὶ δεινότατον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἴσμεν ὅπως ἐκνευριζόμεθα, καὶ κηροῦ παντὸς γινόμεθα μαλακώτεροι. Καθάπερ γάρ τις λέοντα γαῦρον καὶ βλοσυρὸν λαβὼν, εἶτα ἀποκείρας μὲν τὴν κόμην, ἀνελὼν δὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας, καὶ περιελὼν τοὺς ὄνυχας, αἰσχρὸν ποιεῖ καὶ καταγέλαστον, καὶ παιδίοις εὐκαταγώνιστον, τὸν φοβερὸν καὶ ἀφόρητον καὶ ἀπὸ μόνου τοῦ βρυχήματος πάντα σείοντα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὗται πάντας ὅσους ἂν λάβωσι, εὐχειρώτους τῷ διαβόλῳ ποιοῦσι, μαλακωτέρους, θερμοτέρους, ἀναισχύντους, ἀνοήτους, ἀκροχόλους, θρασεῖς, ἀκαίρους, ἀγεννεῖς, ἀπηνεῖς, δουλοπρεπεῖς, ἀνελευθέρους, ἰταμοὺς, φλυάρους, καὶ ἁπλῶς πάντα τὰ γυναικεῖα πάθη τὰ διεφθαρμένα φέρουσαι εἰς τὴν τούτων ἐναπομάττονται ψυχήν. Ἀμήχανον οὖν τὸν γυναιξὶ συνοικοῦντα μετὰ συμπαθείας τοσαύτης καὶ ταῖς ἐκείνων ἐντρεφόμενον ὁμιλίαις, μὴ ἀγύρτην τινὰ εἶναι καὶ ἀγοραῖον καὶ συρφετώδη·","english":"But the easygoing and negligent man, as winter begins, is immediately thrown into confusion, disturbed, shaken; he looks on while his soul is sunk beneath the passions and endures shipwreck; but the steadfast and manly man, having seated his reason over the passions like a helmsman at the tiller, does not desist, doing all he can, until he steers the vessel toward the calm harbor of philosophy. Let us not then soften our strength nor cut the sinews of it by associating with women. For from this an unspeakable and great evil flows into our souls. For what if we do not perceive it, being drunk with affection? For this very thing is the most terrible of all, that we do not even know how we are being enervated and become softer than any wax. For just as if someone took a proud and fierce lion, then sheared off its mane, removed its teeth, and stripped away its claws, and made it shameful and ridiculous and easy for little children to overcome—the lion that was fearful and unbearable and that shook all things by its mere roar—so too these women make all whom they capture easy for the devil to handle: softer, more heated, shameless, foolish, quick to anger, bold, untimely, ignoble, harsh, slavish, illiberal, headstrong, babbling, and, to put it simply, bringing all the corrupted passions of women, they stamp them upon the souls of these men. It is impossible, then, for the man who lives with a woman with such sympathy and is nourished on their conversation not to be some vagabond and marketplace loafer and one of the rabble.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":64,"ref":"p64","source":"κἂν γὰρ φθέγγηταί τι, πάντα ἀπὸ τῶν ἱστῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίων φθέγξεται, τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ τῇ ποιότητι τῶν γυναικείων ἀναχρωσθείσης ῥημάτων· κἂν ποιῇ τι, μετὰ πολλῆς τοῦτο ἐργάζεται δουλοπρεπείας, πόῤῥω τῆς Χριστιανοῖς πρεπούσης ἐλευθερίας ἑαυτὸν ἀποικίσας, καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν τῶν μεγάλων κατορθωμάτων γενόμενος χρήσιμος. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει δεῖξαι σαφῶς ἡμῖν, ὅτι οὐ χαίρεις αἰσχρὰ φθεγγόμενος, μηδὲ ἀκούειν ἀνέχου. Νῦν δὲ πότε δυνήσῃ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἱδρῶτας ἐνεγκεῖν, κατὰ μικρὸν ὑποῤῥέων ὑπὸ τοῦ γέλωτος καὶ τῶν αἰσχρῶν τούτων ῥημάτων; Καὶ γὰρ ἀγαπητὸν, ἁπάντων τούτων καθαρεύουσαν ψυχὴν, δυνηθῆναι γενέσθαι σεμνὴν καὶ σώφρονα. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις, ὅτι Οὐ δύναμαι σωθῆναι, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποτάξωμαι γυναικὶ, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποτάξωμαι παιδίοις, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποτάξωμαι πράγμασι μὴ γὰρ κώλυμα ὁ γάμος; βοηθός\n\nσοι δέδοται ἡ γυνή· μὴ γὰρ ἐπίβουλος; Οὐχὶ φαῦλος ὁ γάμος, ἀλλὰ κακὸν ἡ πορνεία. Ἐγὼ τῷ ἐμῷ κινδύνῳ ἐγγυῶμαί σοι τὴν σωτηρίαν. Εἰ δὲ φαύλη ἐστὶ, μὴ προφασίζου· καὶ γὰρ ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ Ἰὼβ πονηρὰ ἦν καὶ φαύλη, καὶ βλασφημεῖν αὐτῷ συνεβούλευε. Τί οὖν; ἔσεισε τὸν πύργον; κατήνεγκε τὸν ἀδάμαντα; περιεγένετο τῆς πέτρας; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλ' ἐκείνη προσέκρουσε, καὶ ὁ πύργος ἀσφαλέστερος ἐγένετο· ὁ καρπὸς ἐτρυγήθη, καὶ τὸ δένδρον οὐκ ἐσαλεύθη· τὰ φύλλα ἔπεσε, καὶ ἡ ῥίζα ἔμεινεν ἀσάλευτος.","english":"For even if he says something, he will say it all from the loom and the wool, his tongue having been dyed with the quality of women's words; and if he does anything, he does it with great servility, having removed himself far from the freedom that befits Christians, and having become useful for none of the great achievements. If, then, you wish to show us clearly that you do not take pleasure in speaking shameful things, do not endure to hear them either. But now, when will you be able to endure the sweats endured for chastity, slowly slipping away under laughter and these shameful words? For it is indeed desirable that a soul pure from all these things should be able to become reverent and chaste. And let no one say to me, \"I cannot be saved unless I renounce a wife, unless I renounce children, unless I renounce affairs.\" For is marriage a hindrance? The wife has been given to you as a helper; is she then a plotter? Marriage is not base, but fornication is evil. I pledge your salvation at my own risk. But if she is base, do not make excuses; for Job's wife was wicked and base, and she advised him to blaspheme. What then? Did she shake the tower? Did she bring down the adamant? Did she prevail over the rock? By no means; but she struck against it, and the tower became more secure; the fruit was harvested, and the tree was not shaken; the leaves fell, and the root remained unshaken.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":65,"ref":"p65","source":"Ὥσπερ οὖν κυβερνήτης ἐν λιμένι ναυάγιον ἐργαζόμενος οὐκ ἂν τύχοι συγγνώμης τινὸς, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος μετὰ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ γάμου τοὺς ἑτέρων διορύττων γάμους, ἢ γυναῖκα ἡντιναοῦν περιέργως ὁρῶν, οὐκ ἂν τύχοι τινὸς ἀπολογίας, οὔτε παρὰ ἀνθρώποις, οὔτε παρὰ Θεῷ, κἂν μυριάκις τὴν τῆς φύσεως ἐπιθυμίαν προβάλληται. Ποία γὰρ ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιθυμίας γένοιτο ἂν ἡδονὴ, ὅταν φόβος παρῇ καὶ ἀγωνία καὶ κίνδυνος καὶ δικαστηρίων φόβος καὶ εὐθυνῶν, καὶ δικαστοῦ θυμὸς λογίζεται καὶ ξίφος καὶ δήμιος καὶ βάραθρον καὶ ἀπαγωγή; Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος καὶ τὰς σκιὰς καὶ τοὺς τοίχους καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς λίθους καθάπερ φωνὴν ἀφιέντας, οὕτως ὑφορᾶται καὶ ὑποπτεύει, καὶ πάντα τρέμει καὶ δέδοικε, καὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν τοσούτων δεινῶν τὴν ψυχὴν καταδάκνεται. Ὥστε οὐχὶ κώλυμα ὁ γάμος, ἀλλὰ ἀσφάλεια μᾶλλον τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐστί. Τοσοῦτον γάρ ἐστιν ἡ παρθενία πρᾶγμα, καὶ τοσούτου δεῖται πόνου, ὅτι κατελθὼν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀγγέλους ποιήσῃ, καὶ τὴν ἄνω πολιτείαν ἐνταῦθα καταφυτεύσῃ, οὐδὲ τότε ἐθάῤῥησεν ἐπιτάξαι τοῦτο οὐδὲ εἰς νόμου τάξιν ἀγαγεῖν· ἀλλ' ἀποθνήσκειν μὲν δι' αὐτὸν ἐνομοθέτησεν, οὗ τί βαρύτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; καὶ σταυροῦσθαι διηνεκῶς, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς εὐεργετεῖν· παρθενεύειν δὲ οὐκ ἐνομοθέτησεν, ἀλλ' ἀφῆκεν ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων κεῖσθαι προαιρέσει, εἰπὼν, Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν, χωρείτω. Καὶ γὰρ μέγας ὁ ὄγκος τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ σφόδρα ἀποκεκρυμμένον τοῦτο τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ χωρίον. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦσι καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πολλὰ κατορθώσαντες.","english":"Just as a helmsman who causes a shipwreck in a harbor would obtain no pardon, so neither would a man, after the security that comes from marriage, who digs through the marriages of others, or who looks curiously at any woman whatsoever, obtain any defense, neither among men nor before God, even if he puts forward the desire of nature ten thousand times. For what pleasure could arise from such desire, when fear is present and agony and danger and fear of courts and of audits, and the anger of the judge is reckoned, and the sword and the executioner and the pit and abduction? For such a man suspects and is suspicious of shadows and walls and the very stones, as though they were uttering a voice, and he trembles and fears at everything, and by the expectation of so many terrors his soul is bitten through. So that marriage is not a hindrance, but rather a safeguard of chastity. For virginity is so great a matter, and needs so much labor, that Christ, having come down from heaven in order to make men angels and to plant the citizenship above here below, not even then dared to command this or to bring it into the rank of law; but he legislated to die for his sake—than which what could be heavier?—and to be crucified continually, and to benefit enemies; but he did not legislate to be virgin, but left it to lie in the free choice of the hearers, saying, \"Let the one who is able to receive it, receive it.\" For great is the bulk of the matter, and this region of virtue is very much hidden. And those in the Old Testament who accomplished many things make this clear.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":66,"ref":"p66","source":"Καὶ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς ἐκεῖνος ὁ μέγας, τῶν προφητῶν τὸ κεφάλαιον, ὁ γνήσιος τῷ Θεῷ φίλος, ὁ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσας παῤῥησίας, ὡς ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας γενομένας ὑπευθύνους κολάσει ἐξαρπάσαι θεηλάτου πληγῆς, ὁ τοσοῦτος καὶ τηλικοῦτος ἀνὴρ, θαλάττῃ μὲν ἐπέταξε, καὶ πέλαγος ἔσχισε, καὶ πέτρας διέῤῥηξε, καὶ ἀέρα μετέβαλε, καὶ τὸ Νειλῷον ὕδωρ ἐς αἷμα μετέστησε, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν μετεστοιχείωσε, καὶ μυρία ἕτερα ἐπεδείξατο θαύματα, καὶ ἀρετῆς πολλὰ κατορθώματα· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀγῶνας τούτους οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι ἴσχυσε, ἀλλ' ἐδεήθη γάμου καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἀσφαλείας· καὶ οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν εἰς τὸ τῆς παρθε νίας πέλαγος ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι, τὰ ἐκεῖθεν κύματα δεδοικώς. Καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης δὲ, ὁ τοῦ παιδὸς ἱερεὺς, τὸ μὲν τυραννικώτατον τῆς φύσεως ἴσχυσε καταπαλαῖσαι πάθος, καὶ παῖδα ἀνελεῖν ἐδυνήθη, καὶ παῖδα τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς ἡλικίας τῷ ἄνθει, ἐν αὐτῇ τῆς νεότητος τῇ ἀκμῇ, μονογενῆ, γνήσιον, καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν αὐτῷ δεδομένον, καὶ ἀναγαγεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος ἴσχυσε, καὶ μάχαιραν ἥρπασε, καὶ διὰ τοῦ λαιμοῦ τοῦ παιδὸς τὸ ξίφος ὤθησε· καὶ γὰρ ὤθησε καὶ ᾕμαξεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ τοσοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον ἰσχύσας διανύσαι ἆθλον, αὐτῆς ἐξελθὼν τῆς φύσεως, πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας τῆς παρθενίας ἀποδύσασθαι οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν, ἀλλ' ἔδεισε καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ σκάμματα ταῦτα, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ γάμου παραμυθίαν ἐπεσπάσατο. Καὶ ὁ δίκαιος δὲ Ἰὼβ, ὃς τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου συνέκοψεν ὄψιν, παιόμενος, οὐ παίων, καὶ ἅπαν ὑπέμεινε πειρασμῶν εἶδος, καὶ ἕκαστον μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἁπάσης·","english":"For that great Moses, the head of the prophets, the genuine friend of God, who enjoyed such great boldness of speech that he snatched six hundred thousand men who had become liable to punishment from a God-sent plague—that man, so great and so mighty, commanded the sea and split the deep, and rent the rocks, and changed the air, and turned the water of the Nile into blood, and transformed the whole creation, and displayed countless other wonders and many achievements of virtue; yet against these contests he had not the strength even to look, but he needed marriage and the security that comes from it; and he did not dare to give himself over to the sea of virginity, fearing the waves that come from it. And the patriarch too, the priest of his son, had the strength to wrestle down the most tyrannical passion of nature, and was able to slay his son—his son Isaac, in the very flower of his age, in the very prime of his youth, his only-begotten, his genuine son, given to him beyond all hope—and he had the strength to lead him up onto the mountain, and he seized the knife, and drove the sword through the child's throat; for he did drive it and drew blood. But nevertheless, he who had the strength to complete so great and so mighty a contest, going beyond nature itself, did not dare to strip for the contests of virginity, but he too feared these wrestling grounds, and drew to himself the consolation that comes from marriage. And the righteous Job, who cut off the devil's face—struck, not striking—endured every kind of trial, and each one with every excess.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":67,"ref":"p67","source":"τὰ γὰρ δοκοῦντα εἶναι λυπηρὰ καὶ ὄντα, ταῦτα πάντα εἰς ἓν ἐξεχύθη σῶμα, καὶ μιᾶς κατεσκεδάσθη ψυχῆς τῆς ἐκείνου· ὁ τοσοῦτος οὖν καὶ τηλικοῦτος ἀνὴρ, ὁ τοσαύτας ἀνάγκας φύσεως καταπατήσας, οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν οὐδὲ αὐτὸς εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦτον καθεῖναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναικὸς ἀπέλαυσε, καὶ πατὴρ ἐγένετο παίδων τοσούτων. Οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἀγαμίαν\n\nἐνομοθέτησεν ὁ Θεός· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΟΜΙΛΙΑ Εʹ. Περὶ εὐτυχίας καὶ δυστυχίας.\n\nΟἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅταν πλουτῶσιν, ὅταν εὐδοκιμῶσιν, ὅταν αὐτοῖς κατὰ ῥοῦν ἅπαντα φέρηται, ὅταν τῶν ἐχθρῶν κρατῶσι, τότε μεμνῆσθαι νομίζουσιν αὐτῶν τὸν Θεόν· διὰ τοῦτο οὔτε, ὅταν αὐτῶν ἐπιλανθάνηται, ἴσασιν. Οἱ γὰρ τῆς μνήμης τὸ σημεῖον οὐκ εἰδότες, οὐδὲ τὸ τῆς λήθης ἐπίστανται. Μνήμην γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω ποιεῖ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελεῖσθαι· ὥσπερ οὖν λήθην οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἢ τὸ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις εἶναι. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ὅταν ἐν συμφοραῖς ᾖς, ἄνθρωπε, μὴ λέγε, ὅτι Ἐπελάθετό μου ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ᾖς, κἂν πάντα σοι κατὰ ῥοῦν φέρηται, τότε μᾶλλον. Ἡ γὰρ νήφουσα καὶ ἐγρηγορυῖα ψυχὴ, οὐ μόνον ἐπειδὰν κατὰ ῥοῦν φέρηται τὰ πράγματα, τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγνωμοσύνην ἐπιδείκνυται, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐναντία τις πραγμάτων περίστασις παρακολουθήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν ἴσην εὐχαριστίαν ἀναφέρει, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολῆς χαυνουμένη. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ τῶν πλουσίων ὑδάτων φορὰ δεξαμένη τὸ ἐπιῤῥέον, πομφόλυγας διανίστησι, καὶ αἱ μὲν αὐτῶν ἅμα τῷ γενέσθαι ἐῤῥάγησαν, αἱ δὲ πλεῖον ὀγκωθεῖσαι μετέπειτα καὶ αὐταὶ ἐῤῥάγησαν·","english":"For the things that seem to be painful and are so, all these were poured out into one body and were scattered over one soul, that man's. So great and so eminent a man, who trampled underfoot so many constraints of nature, did not himself dare to enter this contest, but he also enjoyed a wife and became the father of so many children. For God nowhere\n\nlegislated celibacy; to whom belong glory and honor and worship, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHOMILY 5. On good fortune and misfortune.\n\nMost people, when they are rich, when they are held in esteem, when everything flows for them with the current, when they prevail over their enemies, then they think they remember God; for this reason they do not even know when he forgets them. For those who do not know the sign of remembrance do not understand that of forgetfulness either. For nothing produces remembrance with God so much as the cultivation of virtue; just as nothing else produces forgetfulness than being in sins. And so you too, when you are in misfortunes, O man, do not say, \"God has forgotten me,\" but when you are in sins—even if everything flows for you with the current—then all the more. For the sober and wakeful soul not only shows its own gratitude when affairs flow with the current, but even if some adverse circumstance of affairs follows, even then it offers up equal thanksgiving, being in no way puffed up by the change of affairs. For just as the stream of abundant waters, having received what flows in, stirs up bubbles, and some of them burst as soon as they are born, while others, swollen larger, afterward burst themselves as well—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":68,"ref":"p68","source":"τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἡ θάλασσα τοῦ βίου τούτου τοὺς μὲν ὀλίγον φανέντας ἐκάλυψε, τοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διαρκέσαντας καὶ αὐτοὺς κατεπόντισε. Καὶ τί ταράττῃ, φησὶν, εἰ ὁ δεῖνα ἐκβέβληται, καὶ ὁ δεῖνα εἰσενήνεκται; ὁ Χριστὸς ἐσταυροῦτο, καὶ Βαραββὰς ὁ λῃστὴς ἐξῃτεῖτο, προκριθεὶς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ ἀνδροφόνος. Ὅταν γὰρ μεταβολή τις γένηται πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον, τότε τῶν κολάκων ἀφαιρεῖται τὰ προσωπεῖα· τότε ὁ χορὸς ἐλέγχεται τῶν ὑποκριτῶν καὶ ἡ σκῆψις τοῦ πράγματος· ἀνοίγεται πάντων τὰ στόματα, Ὁ μιαρὸς, λέγοντες, ὁ πονηρὸς, ὁ παμπόνηρος, οὐ χθὲς αὐτὸν ἐκολάκευες; οὐ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ κατεφίλεις; Προσωπεῖον ἦν ἐκεῖνα· ἦλθεν ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ ἔῤῥιψα τὸ προσωπεῖον, καὶ ἀπεφηνάμην τῇ διανοίᾳ. Πολλοὶ δὲ κακοπραγοῦσι μὲν συναλγοῦσι τοῖς φίλοις, εὐδοκιμοῦσι δὲ οὐκ ἔτι συνήδονται. Τὸ γὰρ, Μετὰ χαιρόντων χαίρειν, οὐ μικρόν ἐστι κατόρθωμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ, Κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων, καὶ τοῦ προΐστασθαι τῶν ἐν κινδύνοις, κατὰ πολὺ μεῖζον. Πολλοὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύουσι μὲν συνεκινδύνευσαν, εὐδοκιμοῦσι δὲ οὐ συνήσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδήχθησαν, καὶ τὸ χαλεπώτερον ὑπομείναντες, πρὸς τὸ εὐκολώτερον ἠτόνησαν. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω παρανόμους ποιεῖ καὶ ἀνοήτους, ὡς τὸ πρὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν κεχηνέναι δόξαν· καὶ οὐδὲν εὐδοκίμους καὶ ἀδαμαντίνους ποιεῖ, ὡς τὸ αὐτῆς ὑπερορᾷν. Διὸ καὶ σφόδρα νεανικῆς δεῖ ψυχῆς τῷ μέλλοντι πρὸς τοσαύτην ἀντέχειν ῥύμην καὶ βίαν πνεύματος. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν μὲν εὐημερῇ, πάντων ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἄλλων προτίθησιν· ὅταν δὲ τἀναντία ὑπομένῃ, κατορύξαι ἑαυτὸν βούλεται, ὑποβρύχιος ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους γινόμενος.","english":"In the same way, the sea of this life covered those who appeared for a little while, and those who endured longer it likewise plunged down. And why are you disturbed, it says, if a certain man has been cast out and a certain man brought in? Christ was being crucified, and Barabbas the robber was demanded, the murderer preferred to the Savior. For whenever a change occurs for the worse, then the masks are taken from the flatterers; then the chorus of hypocrites is exposed, and the pretense of the matter; the mouths of all are opened, saying, The foul one, the wicked one, the utterly wicked one—were you not flattering him yesterday? Were you not kissing his hands? Those things were a mask; the time came, and I threw off the mask and showed my mind. But many feel pain with their friends when they fare badly, yet do not rejoice with them when they are held in honor. For to rejoice with those who rejoice is no small achievement, but it is far greater than to weep with those who weep and to stand before those in danger. For many shared danger with those in danger, but did not rejoice with them when they were held in honor, but were even stung, and having endured the harder thing, they grew faint toward the easier. For nothing makes men so lawless and foolish as gaping after the glory of the many; and nothing makes them held in honor and adamantine as despising it. Therefore one who is to withstand so great a rush and violence of spirit needs a very manly soul. For when he prospers, he sets himself before all others; but when he endures the opposite, he wishes to bury himself, becoming submerged by his passion.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":69,"ref":"p69","source":"Ἀλλ' οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες εἰς κάμινον ἐνεβλήθησαν, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπελάθοντο τῆς εὐλαβείας. Διὰ τοῦτο τεῖχος αὐτοῖς ἐγένετο τὸ πῦρ, καὶ στολὴ ἡ φλὸξ, καὶ πηγὴ ἡ κάμινος, καὶ δεδεμένους λαβοῦσα, λελυμένους παρέδωκεν· ἔλαβε θνητὰ σώματα, καὶ ὡς ἀθανάτων ἀπέσχετο· οὐκ ἔγνω τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλ' ᾐδέσθη τὴν εὐλάβειαν· ἔδησε τοὺς πόδας ὁ τύραννος, καὶ ἔδησαν οἱ πόδες τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Ὢ παραδόξου θαύματος· τοὺς δεδεμένους ἔλυσεν ἡ φλὸξ, καὶ αὐτὴ λοιπὸν ὑπὸ τῶν δεδεμένων ἐδέδετο. Μετέβαλε γὰρ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν φύσιν ἡ τῶν νεανίσκων εὐλάβεια· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τὴν φύσιν μετέβαλεν, ἀλλ', ὃ πολλῷ θαυμαστότερον ἦν, μενούσης τῆς φύσεως, τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἔστησεν· οὐ γὰρ ἔσβεσε τὸ πῦρ, ἀλλὰ καιόμενον ἀργὸν ἐποίησε. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων τοῦτο τῶν ἁγίων μόνον ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἱματίων αὐτῶν· καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὰ ἱμάτια Παύλου νοσήματα καὶ δαίμονας ἤλαυνε,\n\nκαὶ αἱ σκιαὶ Πέτρου θάνατον ἐφυγάδευον· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῶν παίδων τούτων τὰ ὑποδήματα τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς δύναμιν ἔσβεσαν. Οὐκ οἶδα πῶς εἴπω· τὸ γὰρ θαῦμα πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνει λόγου διήγησιν· καὶ γὰρ ἔσβεστο ἡ ἐνέργεια, καὶ οὐκ ἔσβεστο. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ τοῖς σώμασιν ὡμίλει τῶν ἁγίων ἐκείνων, ἔσβεστο· ὅτε δὲ διαῤῥῆξαι τὰ δεσμὰ ἔδει, οὐκ ἔσβεστο· τὰ γοῦν δεσμὰ διέῤῥηξε, καὶ τῶν ἀστραγάλων οὐχ ἥψατο. Εἶδες πόση ἡ ἐγγύτης, καὶ οὐκ ἠπατήθη τὸ πῦρ, οὐδὲ ἐνδοτέρω τῶν δεσμῶν προελθεῖν ἐτόλμησε; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἔδησεν ἐμβαλεῖν μέλλων; Ἵνα μεῖζον τὸ θαῦμα γένηται· ἵνα παραδοξότερον τὸ σημεῖον δειχθῇ·","english":"But the three children were cast into the furnace, and not even so did they forget their piety. Therefore the fire became a wall for them, and the flame a garment, and the furnace a fountain; and having received them bound, it delivered them loosed. It received mortal bodies, and kept away from them as from immortals; it did not recognize nature, but reverenced piety. The tyrant bound their feet, and their feet bound the operation of the fire. O strange wonder! The flame loosed those who were bound, and itself thereafter was bound by those who were bound. For the piety of the young men changed the nature of things; or rather, it did not change nature, but—which was far more wonderful—while nature remained, it stopped its operation. For it did not quench the fire, but made it burning yet idle. And what is wonderful and strange, this happened not only on the bodies of the saints, but also on their garments. And just as in the case of the apostles the garments of Paul drove out diseases and demons, and the shadows of Peter put death to flight, so also here the sandals of these children quenched the power of the fire. I do not know how to speak of it; for the wonder surpasses every narration of speech. For the operation was quenched, and was not quenched. For when it was in contact with the bodies of those saints, it was quenched; but when it was necessary to break the bonds, it was not quenched. At any rate, it broke the bonds, and did not touch their ankles. Do you see how great was the nearness, and the fire was not deceived, nor did it dare to proceed further within the bonds? And for what reason did he bind them when he was about to cast them in? So that the wonder might become greater; so that the sign might be shown more strange.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":70,"ref":"p70","source":"ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ὀφθαλμῶν ἀπάτην εἶναι τὰ ὁρώμενα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ πῦρ ἦν ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ, οὐκ ἂν τὰ δεσμὰ κατέφαγεν, οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἔξω καθημένους ἥρπασε· νῦν δὲ ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἔξω τὴν δύναμιν ἐπεδείξατο, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον τὴν ὑπακοὴν ἔδειξε. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν ὁ τύραννος τοὺς παῖδας μηδὲν παθόντας δεινὸν, ἄκουσον πῶς μετεβάλετο· Οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ἐξέλθετε, καὶ δεῦτε, φησίν. Οὐ πρὸ βραχέος ἔλεγε, Καὶ τίς ἐστι Θεὸς, ὃς δυνήσεται ἐξελέσθαι ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου; Τί γέγονε; πόθεν ἡ μεταβολὴ αὕτη; τοὺς ἔξω διαφθαρέντας εἶδες, καὶ τοὺς ἔνδον καλεῖς; πόθεν ἐπῆλθέ σοι τοιαῦτα φιλοσοφεῖν; εἶδες πόση μεταβολὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονε; διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρησεν ἅπαντα γενέσθαι, ὅσα ὁ τύραννος ἠθέλησεν, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φυλαττομένους οὐδεὶς παραβλάψαι δυνήσεται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν· ἀφῆκε τὸν διάβολον πᾶσαν αὑτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἐπιδείξασθαι, καὶ ὅτε ἐκένωσε τὰ βέλη πάντα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιβουλῆς ἐλείπετο τρόπος, τότε ἀνεβίβασε τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σκάμματος, ἵνα λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀναμφισβήτητος ἡ νίκη γένηται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην φωτίσας πᾶσαν, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς κλήσεως ἐτυφλώθη ποτέ· ἀλλ' ἡ πήρωσις ἐκείνου φωτισμὸς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐγένετο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔβλεπε κακῶς, ἐπήρωσεν αὐτὸν, καλῶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε ἀναβλέψαι χρησίμως· καὶ ἐπειδὴ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ οὕτω σφοδρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀπρόσιτος, σφοδρότερον δέχεται τὸν χαλινὸν, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς προθυμίας ἐκείνης ἀγόμενος, παρακούσῃ τῶν λεγομένων·","english":"So that you may not think that what was seen was a deception of the eyes. For if that fire had not been fire, it would not have consumed the bonds, nor would it have snatched them as they sat outside; but now, in the things outside it displayed its power, and in the things inside it showed obedience. And when the tyrant saw that the children had suffered nothing terrible, hear how he changed: \"Slaves of God the Most High, come out, and come here,\" he says. Not long before he was saying, \"And who is the God who will be able to deliver you out of my hands?\" What has happened? From where is this change? You saw those outside destroyed, and you call those inside? From where did it come upon you to philosophize such things? You saw how great a change came over the king. For this reason God also permitted all things to happen that the tyrant wished, in order to show that no one will be able to harm those who are guarded by him. For he did this also in the case of Job: he let the devil display all his power, and when he had emptied all his arrows, and no manner of plotting remained, then he brought the athlete up from the arena, so that the victory might be brilliant and beyond dispute. But also the blessed Paul, who enlightened the whole world, was once blinded at the time of his calling; but that blindness became the enlightenment of the world. For since he saw badly, God blinded him well, so that he might see again profitably; and since he persecuted the Church beyond measure, and was thus fierce and unapproachable, he receives a fiercer bridle, so that, being led by the rush of that zeal, he might not disobey what was said.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":71,"ref":"p71","source":"καὶ ἵνα μάθῃ τίνα πολεμεῖ, ὃν οὐ μόνον κολάζοντα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εὐεργετοῦντα ἐνεγκεῖν δύναται. Οὐ γὰρ σκότος αὐτὸν ἐπήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ὑπερβολὴ φωτὸς αὐτὸν ἐσκότισε. Τί δὲ ὁ Πέτρος; Ἐμβὰς, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς ἓν τῶν πλοίων τοῦ Σίμωνος, ἠρώτησεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐπαναγαγεῖν ὀλίγον. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπεμβαίνει τῷ πλοίῳ ὁ μὴ χρῄζων πλοίου, ἵνα τὸν τοῦ πλοίου Δεσπότην κερδάνῃ; Διὰ τί γὰρ καὶ παρακαλεῖ τὸν Σίμονα ὁ Κύριος; διὰ τί ὁ Σίμων διὰ πάσης τῆς νυκτὸς κοπιάσας, καὶ μηδὲν ἀνύσας, ἄπρακτος ἔμεινεν; Ἐδυσφόρει δὲ σφόδρα κεναῖς χερσὶν ἀποπλύνων τὰ δίκτυα, καὶ κόπον κόπῳ συνάπτων, καὶ μηδὲν πορίσασθαι ἔχων, ἠθύμει. Τούτου χάριν ὁ Κύριος θεωρήσας αὐτὸν καταστυγνάσαντα, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτόν· Μικρόν μοι δάνεισον τὸ πλοιάριόν σου, ναῦτα, ὅπως εἰσελθὼν, διδάξω ὅπερ βλέπεις κατακολουθοῦν μοι πλῆθος. Ὁ δὲ Σίμων ἔτι βεβαπτισμένος τῇ λύπῃ τῆς ἀποτυχίας, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· Πόθεν παραγέγονας, ἄνθρωπε; τί μοι δι' ὄχλου γίνῃ; ἄλλην περίβλεψαι σκάφην, εἴ γε βούλει τὴν λίμνην περιαυλίζεσθαι. Ὁρᾷς με πενθοῦντα, ὡς ἄρτου μὴ εὐποροῦντα, καὶ λόγον Θεοῦ χορηγεῖν ἐπαγγέλλῃ; οὐ περιβλέψομαι πόθεν ἀργύρια δανείσομαι, ἵνα τὴν πενθεράν μου, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκά μου θρέψω; Ἀλλά σοι τὸ πλοιάριον ὑποστρώσω, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν, ὡς τὴν νύκτα, ματαιοπονήσω; Εἰ ἐπιφέρῃ ναῦλον, ἐπίβηθί μου τῷ πλοίῳ· εἰ δὲ μὴ βαστάζεις, ἄπελθε, παρακαλῶ· ἐμὲ γὰρ δόσις, οὐ λόγος τρέφει. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν· Μὴ δυσχέραινε, Σίμων· ὄντως ὡς ναύτης λαλεῖς· μή μου ζημίαν τὴν παρουσίαν ἡγήσῃ, ἀλλ' εὐπορίαν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀπορίαν.","english":"And so that you may learn whom he is fighting against—one whom he is unable to endure not only when he punishes, but even when he benefits. For it was not darkness that blinded him, but an excess of light that darkened him. And what of Peter? Jesus, it says, having boarded one of Simon's boats, asked him to put out a little from the land. Do you see how he who has no need of a boat steps aboard the boat, in order to gain the boat's master? For why does the Lord also entreat Simon? Why did Simon, having toiled through the whole night and accomplished nothing, remain without success? He was greatly distressed, washing his nets with empty hands and joining toil to toil, and having nothing to show for it, he was disheartened. For this reason the Lord, seeing him downcast, says to him: Lend me your little boat for a moment, sailor, so that, having boarded it, I may teach the multitude you see following me. But Simon, still steeped in the grief of his failure, says to the Lord: Where have you come from, man? Why do you trouble me? Look for another vessel, if indeed you wish to sail around the lake. Do you see me mourning, as one who cannot afford bread, and do you promise to supply the word of God? Shall I not look around for where I might borrow silver, so that I may feed my mother-in-law and my wife? But shall I spread out my little boat for you, so that I may labor in vain by day as by night? If you bring the fare, board my boat; but if you cannot bear it, go away, I beg you; for it is payment, not a word, that feeds me. But the Lord says to him: Do not be vexed, Simon; you truly speak like a sailor. Do not regard my presence as a loss to you, but rather as gain, or rather as the end of your want.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":72,"ref":"p72","source":"Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Σίμων, καὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς μισθαποληψίας μικρὸν ἱλαρυνθεὶς τῷ προσώπῳ, ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ τὸν Κύριον ὑποδέχεται. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς, Καθίσας, φησὶν, ἐδίδασκεν ἐκ τοῦ πλοίου τοὺς ὄχλους· ὁ δὲ Σίμων ἀκούων ἤρξατο γογγύζειν, καὶ λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Παρὰ τούτου μισθὸν προσδοκῶ λαβεῖν; ἐπὶ ζημίᾳ νυχθημερινῇ\n\nπεριέπεσον· ἆρα τίς μοι συνήντησε σήμερον; Οὗτος περὶ ἀκτημοσύνης διαλέγεται, μηδένα μηδὲν ἔχειν διδάσκει· τάχα με θέλει καὶ τὸ πλοῖόν μου πωλῆσαι, ἵνα πτωχοῖς διανείμω. Παρὰ τούτου μισθὸν προσδοκῶ λαβεῖν; Εἶτα προσελθὼν τῷ Κυρίῳ, φησί· Τὰ μὲν ῥήματά σου καλὰ, καὶ ἡ φωνή σου ἡδεῖα, καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία σου τιμία· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐμοὶ τὸ τῆς συντάξεως πλήρωσον. Καὶ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν Σίμωνα· Μισθὸν λαβεῖν ἐπιζητεῖς παρ' ἐμοῦ· ἐπανάγαγε εἰς τὸ βάθος, καὶ χαλάσατε τὰ δίκτυα ὑμῶν εἰς ἄγραν. Ὁ δὲ Σίμων πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· Πάλιν ἁλιεύσω, καὶ δίκτυα χαλάσω, καὶ κόπον ὑπομείνω; εἴθε μὴ τὴν νύκτα κεναῖς ταῖς χερσὶν ἐψηλάφησα. Μὴ γὰρ τεχνικώτερος εἶ τῆς ἐμῆς ναυτιλίας· ἢ κέκτησαί τι ἐν τῷ ἀφανεῖ βυθῷ; δύνῃ διδάσκαλος εἶναι· μὴ γὰρ καὶ ἰχθύων θηρευτής; ἔξελθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· βλέπω γάρ σε μηδὲν βαστάζοντα. Τί τὸν καιρὸν ἀπολλύω; οὐ ταῦτα παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐμαρτυράμην σοι; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν Σίμωνα ἔφη· Μὴ ὡς ἄπορόν με πρόσεχε, Σίμων· μὴ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὸν κόλπον μου κατανόει· οὐκ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ στόματί μου τὸν μισθόν σου βαστάζω. Ἐπανάγαγε εἰς τὸ βάθος, καὶ χαλάσατε τὰ δίκτυα ὑμῶν εἰς ἄγραν. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἐπιστάτα, δι' ὅλης τῆς νυκτὸς κοπιάσαντες οὐδὲν ἐλάβομεν·","english":"When Simon heard this, and was cheered for a little while in his face by the hope of payment, he receives the Lord into the boat. And Jesus, it says, sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. But Simon, hearing, began to grumble and to say to himself: Am I expecting to receive a wage from this man? I have fallen into loss night and day. Has anyone met me today? This man discourses about poverty, he teaches that no one should have anything; perhaps he wants me to sell my boat too, so that I may distribute to the poor. Am I expecting to receive a wage from this man? Then, approaching the Lord, he says: Your words are good, and your voice is sweet, and your teaching is precious; but nevertheless, fulfill for me the matter of the payment. And the Lord to Simon: You seek to receive a wage from me; put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. But Simon to the Lord: Shall I fish again, and let down nets, and endure toil? Would that I had not groped through the night with empty hands. For you are not more skilled than my seamanship; or do you possess something in the unseen deep? You are able to be a teacher; are you also a hunter of fish? Depart from me, for I see you carrying nothing. Why do I waste the time? Did I not testify these things to you from the beginning? But the Lord said to Simon: Do not attend to me as though I were resourceless, Simon; do not examine my hands and my bosom; it is not in my hands, but in my mouth that I carry your wage. Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. But he says to him: Master, having toiled through the whole night, we took nothing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":73,"ref":"p73","source":"ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ῥήματί σου χαλάσω τὰ δίκτυα. Καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσαντες συνέκλεισαν πλῆθος ἰχθύων πολύ· διεῤῥήγνυτο δὲ τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν. Ὢ τῶν παραδόξων πραγμάτων! οὐ λείπει τῷ Πέτρῳ φροντίς. Διεῤῥήγνυτο τὸ δίκτυον, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν περιεβλέπετο, καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας κατενόει, καὶ τὸ θαῦμα ἐνενόει. Οὐκ ἴσχυε τὸν φόρτον ἑλκύσαι, καὶ βοηθοὺς ἐπεσπᾶτο. Συνδραμόντες γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ οἱ τοῦ ἑτέρου πλοίου, ἔνθα ἦν Ἰάκωβος, καὶ Ἰωάννης, ἤρξαντο τοὺς ἰχθύας συλλέγειν, καὶ ὅσον συνῆγον, τοσοῦτον ἐπληθύνοντο. Ἔσπευδον γὰρ οἱ ἰχθύες τίς πρῶτος ὑπουργήσει τῷ δεσποτικῷ προστάγματι· οἱ μικροὶ τοὺς μεγάλους παρέτρεχον, οἱ μέσοι τοὺς μείζονας ὑπερεπλεύριζον, οἱ μεγάλοι τοὺς μικροὺς ὑπερήλαντο· τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ἁλιέων οὐ περιέμενον, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἐκυβίστευον. Ὁ πυθμὴν τῆς λίμνης ἐκεκένωτο· οὐδεὶς τῶν ἰχθύων κάτω μένειν ἠνείχετο, ἀλλὰ τῶν δικτύων διαῤῥηγνυμένων, οἱ μὲν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἑαυτοὺς ἐκυβίστευον, οἱ δὲ ἔξωθεν τῶν δικτύων περιεστήκασι πρὸς τὸ θηραθῆναι κεχηνότες, καὶ πόῤῥω τούτων μένειν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενοι. Τί οὖν ὁ Σίμων; Ὁ δυσὶ πράγμασι περιπεσὼν, ὁ τὴν νύκτα κοπιάσας, καὶ μηδὲν πιάσας, καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπὶ τῷ ῥήματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πάντα θηρεύσας, ὡς εἶδε ταῦτα, προσέπεσε τῷ Κυρίῳ λέγων, Ἔξελθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι· ἔγνων λοιπὸν ὅστις εἶ. Οὐκ εἶδον ἰχθύων ἄγραν ποτὲ τοιαύτην. Ἔθος γὰρ, Δέσποτα, τοὺς ἰχθύας τῆς σαγήνης ἔνδον ἀποκλείεσθαι· τοὐναντίον δὲ βλέπω γενόμενον θαῦμα· ἔξωθεν οἱ ἰχθύες τὴν σαγήνην κρατοῦσιν.","english":"But at your word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish; and their nets were breaking. O the paradoxical things! Peter is not lacking in care. The net was breaking, and he was looking around at Christ, and observing the fish, and considering the wonder. He could not draw the load, and he pulled in helpers. For, it says, those in the other boat also, where James and John were, ran together, and they began to gather the fish, and as much as they gathered, so much the more they multiplied. For the fish were hastening, each to be first to serve the master's command; the small ones ran past the great, the middle ones swam over the larger, the great ones leaped over the small; they did not wait for the hands of the fishermen, but were tumbling themselves into the boat. The bottom of the lake had been emptied; none of the fish endured to remain below, but as the nets were breaking, some were tumbling themselves into the boat, and others stood outside the nets with mouths open to be caught, and not enduring to remain far from them. What then does Simon do? He who fell into two things, who toiled the night and caught nothing, and by day at the word of Jesus caught everything, when he saw these things, fell at the Lord's feet, saying, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man; I have now known who you are. I never saw such a catch of fish. For it is the custom, Master, for the fish to be shut inside the dragnet; but I see the opposite wonder happening: the fish hold the dragnet from outside.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":74,"ref":"p74","source":"Ἔπεχε λοιπὸν τὸ θεϊκόν σου τὸ πρόσταγμα, κατάλιπε τῇ λίμνῃ κἂν δύο πρὸς γονὴν ἰχθύας. Ἔξελθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, Δέσποτα· οὐ σὲ ἀπωθοῦμαι, ἀλλ' ἐμαυτὸν ταλανίζω· Ἔξελθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς; Μὴ φοβοῦ, Πέτρε· ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν. Ὢ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου δυνάμεως! ὢ τῆς τοῦ Πέτρου συνέσεως! μόνον ἤκουσε, καὶ εὐθέως ὑπήκουσεν. Οὐ τοὺς ἰχθύας ἐπώλησεν, οὐ τῇ γυναικὶ συνετάξατο, ἀλλὰ καταγαγὼν τὸ πλοῖον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀφεὶς ἅπαντα ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ. Διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ὄντα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρα ὁ πλούσιος, ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐκείνῳ χαλεπωτέραν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν βάσανον τὸ ἐν τῷ πυλῶνι τοῦ πλουσίου κεῖσθαι, καὶ ὁρᾷν τὰ ἀλλότρια ἀγαθὰ, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τούτῳ χαλεπωτέραν ποιῆται νῦν τὴν τιμωρίαν τοῦ ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ κεῖσθαι τὸ ὁρᾷν τοῦ Λαζάρου τὴν τρυφήν· ἵνα μὴ τῇ φύσει τῶν βασάνων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ παραθέσει τῆς ἐκείνου τιμῆς, ἀφορητοτέραν ἔχῃ τὴν κόλασιν. Καὶ καθάπερ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐκβαλὼν τοῦ παραδείσου, κατέναντι τοῦ παραδείσου κατῴκισεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα ἡ συνεχὴς ὄψις ἀνανεοῦσα τὸ πάθος ἀκριβέστερον αὐτῷ παράσχῃ τῆς ἐκπτώσεως τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν αἴσθησιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τοῦτον κατέναντι τοῦ Λαζάρου κατῴκισεν, ἵνα εἰδῇ τίνων ἀγαθῶν ἑαυτὸν","english":"Hold back your divine command, then; leave in the lake at least two fish for breeding. Depart from me, Master—I do not reject you, but I bewail myself. Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. What then does Jesus say? Do not fear, Peter; from now on you will be catching men. O the power of the Lord! O the understanding of Peter! He only heard, and immediately he obeyed. He did not sell the fish, he did not take leave of his wife, but bringing the boat to land and leaving everything, he followed him. And it was for this reason that the rich man saw Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham, so that just as the lying at the rich man's gate made his torment harder for him, and the seeing of another's goods, so now the being in Gehenna makes his punishment harder for him—the seeing of Lazarus's delight—so that not only by the nature of the torments, but also by the comparison of that man's honor, he might have his chastisement more unbearable. And just as when God cast Adam out of paradise, he settled him opposite paradise, so that the continual sight, renewing the passion, might give him a more exact sense of the loss of goods; so also he settled this man opposite Lazarus, so that he might know of what goods he","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":75,"ref":"p75","source":"ἀπεστέρησε. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐχὶ πρὸς τὸν Λάζαρον τὴν ἱκεσίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πλούσιος ἐποιήσατο; Ἠσχύνθη καὶ ἠρυθρίασε, καὶ ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν πραγμάτων ἐνόμισεν αὐτὸν μνησικακήσειν πάντως. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶ, τοσαύτης ἀπολαύων εὐπορίας, καὶ οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος, ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντα κακοῖς ὑπερεῖδον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ οὐδὲ ψιχίων μετέδωκα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς ὁ οὕτως ὑπεροφθεὶς, οὐκ ἐπινεύσει τῇ χάριτι. Καὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐκάλεσεν, ὃν ἐνόμιζεν ἀγνοεῖν τὰ γεγενημένα, οὐκ εἰδὼς, ὡς οὐκ οἴκοθεν ἔλεγεν ὁ πατριάρχης, ἅπερ ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ θείους ἀνεγίνωσκε νόμους αὐτῷ· καὶ τὸν δάκτυλον ἐπεζήτησεν ἐκεῖνον, ὃν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν κυνῶν ἀφῆκε προδοθῆναι πολλάκις. Ἀλλ' ὅρα φιλοστοργίαν δικαίου· οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπάνθρωπε καὶ ὠμὲ καὶ παμπόνηρε, τοσαῦτα κακὰ διαθεὶς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, φιλανθρωπίας μέμνησαι νῦν καὶ ἐλέους καὶ συγγνώμης; οὐκ αἰσχύνη, οὐδὲ ἐρυθριᾷς; Οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τί; Τέκνον, ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου· ψυχὴν γὰρ τεταπεινωμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς, φησίν· ἀρκεῖ τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας αὐτῷ, μὴ προσεπεμβαίνωμεν αὐτοῦ ταῖς συμφοραῖς. Οὗ κύριός εἰμι, φησὶ, μεταδίδωμί σοι· τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμέτερον. Ἀκούσωμεν τί φησιν ὁ πλούσιος πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραάμ· Πάτερ Ἀβραὰμ, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα βάψῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶσσάν μου, ὅτι ὀδυνῶμαι ἐν τῇ φλογὶ ταύτῃ. Διὰ τί οὖν οὐ ποιεῖται πρὸς τὸν Λάζαρον τὴν ἱκετηρίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην; καὶ εἰκότως· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντιβλέψαι ἐτόλμα τῷ πένητι.","english":"He was deprived. And for what reason did the rich man make his supplication not to Lazarus, but to Abraham? He was ashamed and blushed, and from his own circumstances he supposed that he would certainly bear a grudge. For if I, he says, enjoying such abundance and having been wronged in nothing, overlooked a man in such great evils and did not share even crumbs, much more will he himself, who was so greatly despised, not nod assent with grace. And he called upon Abraham, whom he supposed to be ignorant of what had happened, not knowing that the patriarch was not speaking from himself the things he said, but was reading divine laws to him; and he sought that finger which he had often allowed to be betrayed to the tongues of dogs. But see the affection of the righteous man: he did not say, Inhuman and cruel and utterly wicked man, having brought such great evils upon the man, do you now remember kindness and mercy and forgiveness? Are you not ashamed, do you not blush? He said none of these things, but what? Child, you received your good things; for do not disturb a humbled soul, he says; the things of his punishment are enough for him; let us not trample further upon his misfortunes. Of what I am lord, he says, I give you a share; but to depart from here to there is not ours. Let us hear what the rich man says to Abraham: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. Why then does he not make his entreaty to Lazarus, but to the patriarch? And reasonably so; for he did not dare even to look the poor man in the face.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":76,"ref":"p76","source":"Ἐνενόει γὰρ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπανθρωπίαν, καὶ τὸ ἀνηλεὲς λογιζόμενος, ὅπερ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπεδείξατο, ὑπώπτευεν αὐτὸν ἴσως μηδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἀξιῶσαι. Διὸ οὐδὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ποιεῖται τὴν παράκλησιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην ἱκετεύει. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐκέρδανέ τι πλέον. Ὁρᾷς πόσης ἀπολαύει τῆς τιμῆς καὶ τῆς προεδρίας ὁ παρὰ τὸν πυλῶνα κείμενος, ὁ εὐκαταφρόνητος, ὁ πένης, ὁ τῷ λιμῷ διηνεκῶς παλαίων, ὁ τοῖς ἕλκεσι πολιορκούμενος, ὁ τοῖς κυσὶ προκείμενος; Ἡδέως γὰρ ταῦτα στρέφω συνεχῶς, ἵνα μηδεὶς τῶν ἐν πενίᾳ, ἢ τῶν ἐν νόσοις ὄντων καὶ λιμῷ, καταφρονήσῃ ἑαυτὸν ταλανίζων· ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὑπομονῆς καὶ εὐχαριστίας ἅπαντα φέρων, ἤδη ταῖς χρησταῖς ἐλπίσι τρέφηται, τὰς ἀποῤῥήτους ἐκείνας ἀναμένων ἀμοιβὰς, καὶ τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"For he was conscious of his own inhumanity, and reckoning up the mercilessness that he had shown toward him, he suspected that perhaps he would not even deem him worthy of an answer. Therefore he does not make his supplication to him, but entreats the patriarch. But nevertheless not even in this way did he gain anything more. Do you see of how great honor and preeminence the man who lay at the gate enjoys—the contemptible man, the poor man, the one who wrestled continually with hunger, the one besieged by his sores, the one thrown before the dogs? For I gladly turn these things over continually, so that no one of those in poverty, or of those in sickness and hunger, may despise himself and count himself miserable; but bearing all things with endurance and thanksgiving, let him already be nourished by good hopes, awaiting those ineffable recompenses and the repayments for his labors; which may we all obtain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom befit glory, power, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":77,"ref":"p77","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΣΤʹ. Περὶ διδαχῆς καὶ νουθεσίας.\n\nΠρῴην μὲν ἐνεκαλοῦμεν τοῖς καταλιμπάνουσι τὴν εὐχὴν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἔξω τῆς ἐκκλησίας διατρίβουσι· νυνὶ δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον οὖσιν ἐγκαλέσαι βούλομαι, οὐχ ὅτι μένουσιν ἔνδον, ἀλλ' ὅτι μένοντες, τῶν ἔξω διατριβόντων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διάκεινται, κατὰ τὸν φρικωδέστατον ἐκεῖνον καιρὸν ἀλλήλοις διαλεγόμενοι, καὶ τῶν θείων ὑπερορῶντες λογίων. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ὁρᾷς τοσούτους δεσμώτας ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν σῶν ἑστηκότας πλησίον; Καὶ γὰρ ἅλυσις πονηρὰ καὶ χαλεπὴ τῶν δαιμόνων ἐστὶν ἡ ἐνέργεια, καὶ παντὸς σιδήρου χαλεπωτέρα, καὶ σὺ περὶ τῶν οὐδὲν προσηκόντων διαλέγῃ πραγμάτων; ἡ γὰρ ὄψις μόνη οὐχ ἱκανή σε καταπλῆξαι, καὶ εἰς συμπάθειαν ἀγαγεῖν; ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐν δεσμοῖς, καὶ σὺ ἐν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ; ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην, εἰπέ μοι, οὕτως ἀσυμπαθὴς ὢν, οὕτως ἀπάνθρωπος, οὕτως ὠμός; Οὐ θέλεις συναλγῆσαι τῷ ἀδελφῷ; κἂν ὑπὲρ σαυτοῦ δεῖσον καὶ ἀνάστηθι. Οὐ δέδοικας μήποτέ σου διαλεγομένου, ῥᾳθυμοῦντος, ὀλιγωροῦντος, δαίμων τις ἐκεῖθεν ἐκπηδήσας, σχολάζουσαν καὶ σεσαρωμένην εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἐπεισέλθοι μετὰ ἀδείας πολλῆς, ἀθύρωτον τὴν οἰκίαν εὑρών; Οὐ γὰρ δεῖ πάντας κοινῇ πηγὰς δακρύων ἀφεῖναι κατὰ τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην, καὶ","english":"HOMILY 6. On Teaching and Admonition.\n\nYesterday we were accusing those who abandon the prayer and spend that time outside the church; but now I wish to accuse those who are inside—not because they remain inside, but because, while remaining, they are no better off than those spending their time outside, conversing with one another at that most awe-inspiring hour and disregarding the divine oracles. What are you doing, man? Do you see so many prisoners from among your brothers standing nearby? For the working of the demons is a wicked and grievous chain, harsher than any iron—and you are conversing about matters that do not concern you at all? Is the mere sight of it not enough to strike you with dismay and lead you to compassion? Your brother is in chains, and you are at ease? What excuse will you have, tell me, being so without compassion, so inhuman, so cruel? Do you not wish to grieve with your brother? At least pray for yourself and stand up. Are you not afraid that at some point, while you are conversing, at ease, and negligent, some demon may leap out from there, find your soul idle and swept clean, and enter in with great freedom, finding the house without a door? For it is not right that all alike should let fountains of tears flow at that hour, and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":78,"ref":"p78","source":"διαβρόχους ὁρᾶσθαι πάντων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ θρήνους καὶ οἰμωγὰς γίνεσθαι περὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἁπάσης; Μετὰ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῶν μυστηρίων, μετὰ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τοῦ λουτροῦ, μετὰ τὸ συντάξασθαι τῷ Χριστῷ, ἴσχυσεν ὁ λύκος ἐκεῖνος ἁρπάσαι ἐκ τῆς ποίμνης τοὺς ἄρνας, καὶ κατέχειν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ὁρῶν τὴν συμφορὰν, οὐ δακρύεις; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ἀπολογίας ἄξια; Εἰ τὴν τοῦ γείτονος οἰκίαν εἶδες ἐμπυριζομένην, εἰπέ μοι, εἰ καὶ πάντων πολεμιώτατος ἦν ὁ γείτων, οὐκ ἂν ἔδραμες ἐπὶ τὸ σβέσαι τὴν πυρὰν, δεδοικὼς μὴ τὸ πῦρ ὁδῷ βαδίζον καὶ τῶν σῶν ἅψηται προθύρων; Τοῦτο καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων ἐπηρεαζομένων ἀδελφῶν ποίει. Καὶ γὰρ πυρά τίς ἐστι καὶ ἐμπρησμὸς χαλεπὸς τῶν δαιμόνων ἡ ἐνέργεια. Σκόπει δὴ καὶ τὴν σὴν ψυχὴν μὴ προκαταλάβῃ ὁδῷ βαδίζων ὁ δαίμων· καὶ ὅταν ἴδῃς παρόντα, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς πρόσφυγε τῷ Δεσπότῃ, ἵν' ἰδών σου τὴν θερμὴν καὶ διεγηγερμένην ψυχὴν ὁ δαίμων, ἄβατον αὐτῷ νομίσῃ λοιπὸν εἶναι τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν σήν. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἴδῃ χασμώμενον καὶ ῥᾳθυμοῦντα, ὡς εἰς ἔρημον καταγώγιον, ταχέως ἐπεισελεύσεται· ἂν δὲ καὶ συντεταμένον καὶ διεγηγερμένον, καὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν αὐτῶν ἐκκρεμάμενον οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι τολμήσει λοιπόν. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καταφρονεῖς, ἀλλὰ σαυτοῦ φεῖσαι, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς εἴσοδον ἀπόφραξον τῷ πονηρῷ δαίμονι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως αὐτοῦ τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἔφοδον ἀποτειχίζειν εἴωθεν, ὡς εὐχὴ καὶ δέησις ἐκτενής. Εἰ δὲ βούλει μαθεῖν ὅσον ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν τὸ δυνηθῆναι μετὰ τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας καὶ ἕτερον κερδᾶναι, ἄκουσον ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος τοῦ προφήτου·","english":"that the eyes of all are seen to be wet, and that there be lamentations and wailings over the whole Church? After the communion of the mysteries, after the enjoyment of the bath, after being joined to Christ, was that wolf able to snatch the lambs from the flock and to hold them with himself, and you, seeing the calamity, do you not weep? And where are these things worthy of defense? If you saw your neighbor's house set on fire, tell me, even if the neighbor were the most hostile of all, would you not have run to quench the blaze, fearing lest the fire, advancing along the road, should touch your own doorways? Do this also for the brothers who are being abused by the wicked demons. For the working of the demons is a fire and a grievous conflagration. Consider also your own soul, lest the demon, advancing along the road, seize it beforehand; and when you see him present, flee with great zeal to the Master, so that the demon, seeing your soul fervent and awakened, may reckon your mind henceforth to be inaccessible to him. For if he sees it yawning and sluggish, he will quickly enter in as into a deserted haunt; but if he sees it also stretched taut and awakened, and hanging upon the very heavens, he will no longer dare even to look back at it. So that even if you despise the brothers, spare yourself at least, and block the entrance against the wicked demon for your own soul. For nothing is so accustomed to wall off his assault against us as prayer and earnest supplication. But if you wish to learn how great a good it is to be able, along with one's own salvation, to gain another also, hear the prophet speaking in the person of God:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":79,"ref":"p79","source":"Ὁ ἐξάγων τίμιον ἐξ ἀναξίου, ὡς στόμα μου ἐστίν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ὁ ἐκ τῆς πλάνης, φησὶ, πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν χειραγωγῶν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁδηγῶν τὸν πλησίον κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην, ἐμὲ μιμεῖται. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς Θεὸς ὢν, καὶ τῆς οὐσίας ἐκείνης τῆς ἀποῤῥήτου τυγχάνων, καὶ σταυρὸν κατεδέξατο, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ὑπέμεινε δι' ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν, τί οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν αὐτοὶ δίκαιοι περὶ τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἐπιδείξασθαι καὶ τὰ μέλη τὰ ἡμέτερα, ὥστε καὶ τῆς φάρυγγος αὐτοὺς ἐξαρπάσαι τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς χειραγωγῆσαι ὁδόν; Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐδεσμάτων οἱ τὰ τῆς τραπέζης τοῖς αὐτῶν γνωρίμοις διαφυλάττοντες, μέγιστον ἀγάπης τεκμήριον ἐκφαίνουσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν τοῦτο γινόμενον πολὺν ἡμῖν παρέξει τὸν ἔπαινον. Ὁ γὰρ τὸν πλησίον διδάσκειν σπουδάζων, οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνον εὐεργετεῖ, ὅσον ἑαυτῷ μείζονα προξενεῖ τὸν μισθὸν, καὶ διπλοῦν καρποῦται τὸ κέρδος, τῆς τε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀμοιβῆς πλείονος ἀπολαύων, καὶ αὐτὸς, ὅτε τὸν ἀδελφὸν διδάσκειν ἐπιχειρεῖ, εἰς ὑπόμνησιν ἐρχόμενος, καὶ ἀνανεῶν τὴν μνήμην τῶν παρ' ἑαυτῷ εἰρημένων. Εἰ γὰρ εἰκόνα τις ἄψυχον ἀναθεὶς παιδὸς ἢ φίλου ἢ συγγενοῦς, νομίζει παρεῖναι ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἀπελθόντα, καὶ διὰ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτὸν φαντάζεται τῆς ἀψύχου, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς διὰ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τῆς τῶν ἁγίων παρουσίας ἀπολαύομεν, οὐχὶ τῶν σωμάτων αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ψυχῶν τὰς εἰκόνας ἔχοντες. Τὰ γὰρ παρ' αὐτῶν εἰρημένα, τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν εἰκόνες εἰσίν.","english":"He who brings out the precious from the worthless is as my mouth. What he means is this: he who leads his neighbor by hand from error to truth, or guides him from vice to virtue according to human capacity, imitates me. For if he, being God himself and possessing that ineffable essence, accepted the cross and endured all the other human things for our sake and our salvation, why should we not be just in showing kindness to those of the same race and to our own members, so as to snatch them from the devil's throat and guide them by hand to the path of virtue? For if in the case of perceptible foods those who set aside the things of the table for their own acquaintances display the greatest proof of love, much more will this, when done in spiritual matters, bring us great praise. For he who is zealous to teach his neighbor benefits not that one so much as he procures for himself a greater reward, and reaps a double profit, enjoying a greater recompense from God, and himself, when he undertakes to teach his brother, coming to recollection and renewing the memory of the things spoken by him. For if someone sets up a lifeless image of a child or a friend or a relative, and thinks that the departed one is present, and through the lifeless image pictures him to himself, much more do we, through the divine Scriptures, enjoy the presence of the saints, having the images not of their bodies but of their souls. For the things spoken by them are images of their souls.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":80,"ref":"p80","source":"Ὥσπερ οὖν οἱ ἰατροὶ οὐκ ἀναγκάζουσι τοὺς ἀῤῥώστους ἐπὶ τῶν κλινιδίων κατακειμένους εἰς τὰς οἰκίας αὐτῶν φέρεσθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ τρέχουσι πρὸς ἐκείνους τὰς ἀῤῥωστίας θεραπεύσοντες· οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίησον κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν σὴν, καὶ πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ἐπίδειξαι καὶ πρόνοιαν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀῤῥωστούντων κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀδελφῶν ἀνάῤῥωσιν, εἰδὼς ὅτι βραχὺς ὁ παρὼν βίος. Κἂν μὴ ταῦτα κερδάνωμεν τὰ κέρδη, οὐδεμίαν ἕξομεν ἐκεῖ σωτηρίαν· δύναται γὰρ πολλάκις μία κερδηθεῖσα ψυχὴ μυρίων ὄγκον ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφανίσαι, καὶ γενέσθαι ἡμῖν κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀντίψυχον. Εἰ γὰρ χήρας ἐνδύσασα καὶ πενίαν διορθωσαμένη ἡ Ταβιθὰ ἐκείνη, ἀπὸ θανάτου πάλιν εἰς ζωὴν ἐπανῆλθε, καὶ τὰ δάκρυα τῶν ἐλεηθέντων ψυχὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν ἐπανήγαγεν εἰς σῶμα πάλιν, οὔπω τῆς ἀναστάσεως φανείσης· τί οὐκ ἂν ἐργάσεται τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ δάκρυα, ὅσοι ὑπὸ\n\nσοῦ διασωθῶσιν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ταύτην περιστᾶσαι αἱ χῆραι ζῶσαν ἀπὸ νεκρᾶς ἔδειξαν· οὕτω καὶ σὲ τότε περιστάντες οἱ διασωθέντες νῦν, ποιήσουσι πολλῆς ἀπολαῦσαι φιλανθρωπίας, καὶ τῆς γεέννης τοῦ πυρὸς ἐξαρπάσουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὅπου χρημάτων δαπάνη, τοσοῦτοι οἱ στέφανοι, τοσοῦτος ὁ μισθὸς, τοσαύτη ἡ ἀμοιβή· ὅπου ψυχῆς ὠφέλεια, πῶς οὐ πολλὰ ἡμῖν ἔσται τὰ ἀγαθά; Οὐδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κατορθῶσαι δύναται, χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ πλησίον σωτηρίας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησι· Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου ἕκαστος· εἰδὼς ὅτι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῷ τοῦ πλησίον κεῖται συμφέροντι.","english":"Just as physicians do not force the sick who lie on their little beds to be carried to their own houses, but themselves run to them to heal their sicknesses, so also do you, according to your ability, and display all zeal and forethought for the restoration of the brothers who are sick in soul, knowing that the present life is brief. And if we do not gain these gains, we will have no salvation there; for often one soul gained can destroy the bulk of ten thousand sins, and become for us on that day a soul in exchange. For if that Tabitha, having clothed widows and corrected poverty, came back again from death to life, and the tears of those who had been shown mercy brought a departed soul back into the body again, before the resurrection had yet appeared—what will the tears of men not accomplish, as many as are saved by you? For just as the widows standing around her showed her alive from the dead, so also then the ones saved now, standing around you, will cause you to enjoy much loving-kindness, and will snatch you from the fire of Gehenna. For if where there is an expenditure of money there are so many crowns, so great a reward, so great a recompense, where there is the benefit of a soul, how will we not have many good things? No one is able to set his own affairs right without the salvation of his neighbor. For indeed Paul also says: Let no one seek his own, but each the other's; knowing that one's own interest lies in the advantage of one's neighbor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":81,"ref":"p81","source":"Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ ἀδικοῦντες καὶ πλεονεκτοῦντες, ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ, καὶ τοὺς ταῦτα παθόντας ἰδόντες (ὄψονται γὰρ πάντως, καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ πλουσίου καὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου τοῦτο), οὐδὲ ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα δυνήσονται, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν τι καὶ ἀπολογήσασθαι, ἀλλ' αἰσχύνης πολλῆς ἐμπλησθέντες καὶ καταγνώσεως, ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως τῆς ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τὴν κόλασιν ἀπελεύσονται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ διδάσκοντες καὶ νουθετοῦντες, ἰδόντες τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῶν διασωθέντας συνηγοροῦντας αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ, πολλῆς ἐμπλησθήσονται τῆς παῤῥησίας. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις· Τί γὰρ ἔχω κοινὸν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον; ἀλλότριός ἐστι καὶ ἄγνωστος. Ἕως ἂν ᾖ πιστὸς, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν σοι μετέχῃ μυστηρίων, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀπαντᾷ, καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν ἁπάντων ἐστὶν οἰκειότερος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐχ οἱ κλέπτοντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύριοι μὲν ὄντες κωλῦσαι, μὴ ποιοῦντες δὲ, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις διδοῦσι δίκην· οὕτως οὐχ οἱ ἀσεβοῦντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δυνάμενοι μὲν ἀπαγαγεῖν τῆς ἀσεβείας, μὴ βουλόμενοι δὲ, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις ὑποστήσονται τιμωρίαν. Ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἕνα τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀνασωσάτω, περιεργασάσθω, πολυπραγμονησάτω, ἵνα εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν σύναξιν μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας ἀπαντήσωμεν, δῶρα τῷ Θεῷ κομίζοντες, δῶρα πάντων τιμιώτερα, τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν πεπλανημένων ἐπαναγαγόντες· κἂν ὑβρισθῆναι δέῃ, κἂν πληγὰς λαβεῖν, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον ὑπομεῖναι, πάντα ποιήσωμεν, ὥστε αὐτοὺς ἀνακτήσασθαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ νοσοῦντες πολλάκις λακτίζουσι καὶ ὑβρίζουσιν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀνεχόμεθα, καὶ ταῖς ὕβρεσιν οὐ δακνόμεθα, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, τοῦ ταῦτα ἀσχημονοῦντος τὴν ὑγίειαν ἰδεῖν.","english":"For just as those who do wrong and take advantage, having gone there and seen those who have suffered these things (for they will certainly see them, and this is clear from the rich man and Lazarus), will not be able even to open their mouth, nor to say anything and defend themselves, but filled with great shame and condemnation, they will depart from the sight of those others to their punishment; so also those who teach and admonish, having seen those who were saved by them advocating for them there, will be filled with great boldness. And let no one say to me, \"What do I have in common with that person? He is a stranger and unknown.\" As long as he is a believer, and shares the same mysteries with you, and attends the same church, he is closer than all brothers and relatives. For just as not only those who steal, but also those who are able to prevent it but do not, give the same penalty as they do; so not only those who are impious, but also those who are able to lead away from impiety but do not wish to, will undergo the same punishment as they do. Let each of you save one of the brothers, look after him, busy himself about him, so that at the coming assembly we may appear with great boldness, bringing gifts to God, gifts more precious than all, having brought back the souls of those who have gone astray; and even if it is necessary to be insulted, even if to receive blows, even if to endure anything else whatsoever, let us do everything so as to recover them. For even the sick often kick and insult; but nevertheless we endure it, and we are not bitten by the insults, but we desire only one thing, to see the health of the one who behaves so shamefully.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":82,"ref":"p82","source":"Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν τῶν σωμάτων προνοοῦντας τοσαύτην ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ψυχῶν δὲ τοσούτων ἀπολλυμένων ῥᾳθυμεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι πάσχειν δεινὸν τῶν μελῶν ἡμῶν σηπομένων; Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ὁρᾷς τὸν ἀδελφὸν, εἰπέ μοι, κατὰ κρημνοῦ φερόμενον, ἠμελημένον ἔχοντα βίον, οὐ συνορῶντα τὸ δέον, καὶ οὐκ ὀρέγεις χεῖρα, οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖς καὶ ἐλέγχεις; ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ προσκροῦσαι αὐτῷ καὶ φανῆναι ἐπαχθὴς προτιμᾷς τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας; καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τίνα ἀπολογίαν; Οὐκ ἤκουσας τί τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεός; τὰ ὑποζύγια τῶν ἐχθρῶν μὴ περιορᾷν πλανώμενα, μηδὲ παρατρέχειν πεπτωκότα. Εἶτα Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν τὰ ἄλογα κελεύονται μὴ περιορᾷν τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀδελφῶν καθ' ἑκάστην ὑποσκελιζομένας περιοψόμεθα; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης τοῦτο ὠμότητος καὶ θηριωδίας, μηδὲ τοσαύτην ἀπονέμειν ἀνθρώποις πρόνοιαν, ὅσην τοῖς ἀλόγοις ἐκεῖνοι; Τοῦτο πάντα ἀνέστρεψε, τοῦτο τὸν βίον ἡμῶν συνέχεεν, ὅτι οὔτε ἐλεγχόμενοι φέρομεν γενναίως, οὔτε ἑτέρους ἐλέγχειν βουλόμεθα. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς ἐσμεν ἐλέγχοντες, ἐπειδὴ ἐκθηριούμεθα ἐλεγχόμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὅτι ἐλέγξας σε ἐπῃνεῖτο παρὰ σοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλεγχόμενος τὴν αὐτὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀπέδωκεν ἄν. Βούλει διορθῶσαι τὸν ἀδελφόν; δάκρυσον, εὖξαι τῷ Θεῷ, κατ' ἰδίαν λαβὼν παραίνεσον, συμβούλευσον, παρακάλεσον, δεῖξον ἀγάπην περὶ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα, πεῖσον αὐτὸν ὅτι κηδόμενος καὶ φροντίζων, οὐκ ἐκπομπεῦσαι βουλόμενος, περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν ὑπομιμνήσκεις·","english":"How then is it not absurd that those who care for bodies exercise such great diligence, but are slack when so many souls are perishing, and consider it no terrible thing to suffer when our members rot? What are you doing, man? Do you see your brother, tell me, being carried down a precipice, having a neglected life, not seeing what is needful, and do you not extend a hand, do you not rebuke and reprove? But do you prefer not to offend him and appear burdensome over his salvation? And what forgiveness will you have before God, and what defense? Have you not heard what God commanded the Jews? Not to overlook the beasts of burden of enemies when they go astray, nor to run past when they have fallen. Then the Jews are commanded not to overlook the irrational beasts of their enemies, but shall we overlook the souls of our brothers being tripped up every day? And how is this not of the utmost cruelty and beastliness, not to assign to human beings as much care as those assign to irrational beasts? This has overturned everything, this has confounded our life, that neither do we bear being reproved nobly, nor do we wish to reprove others. For this reason we are also burdensome when we reprove, because we become beastly when reproved. For if the brother knew that having reproved you he would be praised by you, he too, when reproved, would have rendered the same recompense. Do you wish to correct your brother? Weep, pray to God, take him aside privately and admonish, advise, entreat, show love toward the one who has sinned, persuade him that it is out of care and concern, not wishing to expose him, that you remind him of his sin.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":83,"ref":"p83","source":"κάτασχε πόδας, καταφίλησον χεῖρας, μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς, εἴ γε ἀληθῶς ἰατρεῦσαι βούλει. Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσι πολλάκις, δυσαρέστως ἔχοντας τοὺς κάμνοντας καταφιλοῦντες, παρακαλοῦντες, ἀναπείθουσι σωτήριον δέξασθαι φάρμακον. Κἂν ἀποθανεῖν δέῃ\n\nὑπὲρ τοῦ σωφρονίσαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν, μὴ ἀποκνήσῃς· μαρτύριόν σοι τοῦτό ἐστιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰωάννης μάρτυς ἦν· καίτοι γε οὐχὶ θῦσαι ἐκελεύσθη, οὐδὲ εἴδωλον προσκυνῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῶν ἱερῶν νόμων ὑβριζομένων τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπέθετο. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ἀγώνισαι μέχρι θανάτου ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ Κύριος πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Ἀρκεῖ εἷς ἄνθρωπος ζήλῳ πεπυρωμένος ὁλόκληρον διορθώσασθαι δῆμον. Καὶ μή μοι τις λεγέτω, Οὐδὲν ἔχω κοινὸν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν. Πρὸς τὸν διάβολον οὐδὲν ἔχομεν κοινὸν μόνον, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πολλὰ ἔχομεν κοινά· τῆς φύσεως ἡμῖν τῆς αὐτῆς μετέχουσι, τὴν αὐτὴν γῆν οἰκοῦσι, καὶ ταῖς αὐταῖς τρέφονται τροφαῖς, τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχουσι Δεσπότην, τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐδέξαντο νόμους. Μὴ τοίνυν ταῦτα λέγωμεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρέπουσαν ἀδελφοῖς κηδεμονίαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ μὲν μάχην ἴδοιμεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, προσιέναι καὶ καταλλάττειν τοὺς μαχομένους· καὶ τί λέγω μάχην; εἰ καταπεσόντα ἴδοιμεν ὄνον, πάντες χεῖρα ὀρέγομεν καὶ ἀναστῆσαι σπεύδομεν· τῶν δὲ ἀδελφῶν ἀπολλυμένων ἀμελεῖν καὶ πῶς οὐ δεινόν; Μὴ τοίνυν παύσῃ παραινῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὁρῶν ἀπολλύμενον, κἂν λοιδορῇ, κἂν ὑβρίζῃ, κἂν ἀπειλῇ ἐχθρὸς γενέσθαι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον ἐπανατείνηται, πάντα φέρε γενναίως, ὅπως αὐτοῦ κερδάνῃς τὴν σωτηρίαν.","english":"Hold his feet, kiss his hands, do not be ashamed, if indeed you truly wish to heal him. For doctors also often do this: kissing the sick who are in a disagreeable state, encouraging them, they persuade them to accept the saving remedy. And if it is necessary to die for the sake of bringing your brother to his senses, do not shrink back; this is a martyrdom for you; since John too was a martyr; although he was not commanded to sacrifice, nor to worship an idol, but for the sake of the sacred laws being outraged he laid down his head. And you therefore strive unto death for the truth, and the Lord will fight for you. One man fired with zeal is enough to set a whole people right. And let no one say to me, I have nothing in common with my brother. We have nothing in common with the devil only, but with men we have much in common: they partake of the same nature as we, they inhabit the same earth, and are nourished by the same food, they have the same Master, they have received the same laws. Let us not therefore say these things, but let us show the care that befits brothers. For how is it not absurd, if we should see a fight in the marketplace, to approach and reconcile those who are fighting—and why do I say a fight? If we should see a donkey fallen down, we all extend a hand and hasten to raise it up; but when brothers are perishing, to neglect them—how is this not dreadful? Do not therefore cease exhorting your brother when you see him perishing, even if he reviles you, even if he insults you, even if he threatens to become your enemy, even if he brandishes anything else at all; bear all things nobly, so that you may gain his salvation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":84,"ref":"p84","source":"Ἐὰν οὗτος ἐχθρός σου γένηται, ὁ Θεὸς ἔσται σοι φίλος, καὶ μεγάλοις σε κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἀμείψεται τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς. Μέγα μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς πενομένους· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον οἷον τὸ πλάνης ἀπαλλάττειν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ψυχῆς ἀντάξιον, οὐδὲ ὁ κόσμος ἅπας. Ὥστε κἂν μυρία δῷς χρήματα πένησιν, οὐδὲν τοσοῦτον ἐργάσῃ οἷον ὁ μίαν ἐπιστρέφων ψυχήν. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο ποιῶν, κατὰ Παῦλον γίνεται καὶ Πέτρον, οὐχὶ κινδυνεύων καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ λιμοὺς καὶ λοιμοὺς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὑποφέρων κακά· εἰρήνης γὰρ ὁ παρὼν καιρός· ἀλλὰ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας ἐπιδεικνύμενος. Καὶ τί λέγω Πέτρον καὶ Παῦλον; στόμα ἔσται τοῦ Χριστοῦ· Ὁ γὰρ ἐξάγων τίμιον ἐξ ἀναξίου, ὡς στόμα μου ἔσται, φησίν. Ἔξεστι τοίνυν καὶ οἴκοι καθημένοις, ταύτην τὴν ἁλείαν ἐργάζεσθαι· εἴ τις ἔχει φίλον καὶ συγγενῆ καὶ οἰκεῖον, ταῦτα ποιείτω, καὶ ἔσται κατὰ Πέτρον καὶ Παῦλον. Κἂν μὴ σήμερον πείσῃς, αὔριον πείσεις· κἂν μηδέποτε πείσῃς, σὺ τὸν μισθὸν ἕξεις ἀπηρτισμένον· κἂν μὴ πάντας πείσῃς, ὀλίγους ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν δυνήσῃ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντας ἔπεισαν, ἐπεὶ πᾶσι διελέχθησαν, τὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσι μισθὸν ἐκαρπώσαντο. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ πολλοὺς οὐ δύνασαι διδάξαι, καὶ τῶν ὀλίγων καταφρόνει, μηδὲ τῇ τῶν μεγάλων ἐπιθυμίᾳ, καὶ τῶν μικρῶν σεαυτὸν ἀφελκύσῃς. Κἂν ἑκατὸν μὴ δυνηθῇς, τῶν δέκα ἐπιμελήθητι· κἂν δέκα μὴ δυνηθῇς, μηδὲ τῶν πέντε καταφρονήσῃς· κἂν πέντε μὴ δυνηθῇς, τοῦ ἑνὸς μὴ ὑπερίδῃς. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ τέλος τῶν κατορθουμένων, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν γνώμην τῶν κατορθούντων ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς στεφάνους ὁρίζειν εἴωθε.","english":"If this man becomes your enemy, God will be your friend, and on that day he will repay you with great good things. For it is a great good also to show mercy to the poor, but nothing is like delivering someone from error; for nothing is equal in value to a soul, not even the whole world. So even if you give countless sums of money to the poor, you will not accomplish as much as the one who turns back a single soul. For the one who does this becomes like Paul and Peter, not risking danger as they did, nor enduring famines and plagues and the other evils—for the present time is one of peace—but showing the same zeal. And why do I say Peter and Paul? He will be the mouth of Christ; for he says, The one who brings out the precious from the worthless will be as my mouth. It is possible, then, even for those sitting at home to work this fishing; if anyone has a friend and relative and household member, let him do these things, and he will be like Peter and Paul. And if you do not persuade him today, you will persuade him tomorrow; and if you never persuade him, you will have your reward complete; and if you do not persuade all, you will be able to persuade a few out of the many. For the apostles also, even if they did not persuade all, since they spoke to all, reaped the reward for all. Do not, then, because you cannot teach many, despise the few, nor by your desire for great things drag yourself away from small ones. And if you cannot manage a hundred, take care of ten; and if you cannot manage ten, do not despise five; and if you cannot manage five, do not overlook one. For God is accustomed to appoint the crowns not according to the outcome of the achievements, but according to the intention of those who achieve them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":85,"ref":"p85","source":"Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ μὴ πεῖσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπεύθυνοι οἱ διδάσκοντες, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὴ συμβουλεῦσαι μόνον· τὸ μὲν γὰρ παραινέσαι μόνον ἡμέτερον, τὸ δὲ πεισθῆναι ἐκείνων. Καὶ καθάπερ ἡμῶν μὴ παραινεσάντων, κἂν μυρία κατορθώσωσιν ἐκεῖνοι, μόνοις αὐτοῖς ἅπας ὁ μισθὸς κείσεται, ἡμῖν δὲ οὐδὲν ἔσται κέρδος· οὕτως ἐὰν, ἡμῶν παραινεσάντων, ἐκεῖνοι μὴ προσέχωσιν, ἅπασα αὐτοὺς ἡ τιμωρία καταλήψεται, ἡμῖν δὲ οὐδὲν ἔσται ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολὺς ὁ μισθὸς ἀπαντήσεται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸ γὰρ ἡμῶν ἅπαν ἐπληρώσαμεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τοῖς προσέχουσι λέγων, ἔχει παραμυθίαν τοῦ λέγειν τὴν πειθὼ τῶν ἀκροωμένων· ὁ δὲ συνεχῶς λέγων, καὶ μὴ ἀκουόμενος, εἶτα οὐ παυόμενος τοῦ λέγειν, πλείονος ἂν εἴη τιμῆς ἄξιος, διὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν καὶ μηδενὸς προσέχοντος, τὸ αὐτοῦ πληρῶν πᾶν. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἡμῖν ὁ μισθὸς μείζων ἐκ τῆς ὑμετέρας παρακοῆς, ὅμως ἐπιθυμοῦμεν τοῦτον ἐλαττωθῆναι μᾶλλον, καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν αὐξηθῆναι σωτηρίαν, μισθὸν μέγαν τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐδοκίμησιν εἶναι νομίζοντες. Ἂν τοίνυν ἴδῃς τινὰ δεόμενον ψυχικῆς ἢ σωματικῆς θεραπείας, μὴ λέγε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, Τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ δεῖνα καὶ ὁ δεῖνα αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐθεράπευσεν; ἢ, ὅτι Ἐγὼ","english":"For we who teach are not responsible for not persuading our hearers, but only for not advising them; for to exhort is our part alone, but to be persuaded is theirs. And just as, if we have not exhorted, even if they accomplish countless good things, the whole reward will be laid up for them alone, and there will be no gain for us, so if, when we have exhorted, they do not pay attention, the whole punishment will overtake them, and there will be no charge against us, but even a great reward will meet us from God; for we have fulfilled everything that was ours. For the one who speaks to those who pay attention has as consolation for speaking the obedience of his hearers; but the one who speaks continually and is not heard, and then does not cease from speaking, would be worthy of greater honor, because he fulfills all his own part, as pleases God, even when no one pays attention. But even if our reward is greater because of your obedience, nevertheless we desire that it be diminished rather, and that your salvation be increased, considering your good repute to be a great reward. Therefore, if you see someone in need of care for soul or body, do not say to yourself, For what reason did this man and that man not care for him? or, that I","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":86,"ref":"p86","source":"κοσμικός εἰμι, γυναῖκα ἔχω καὶ παιδία· ταῦτα τῶν ἱερέων ἐστὶ, ταῦτα τῶν μοναχῶν. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, ἐὰν εὕρῃς χρυσίον κείμενον, μὴ λέγεις πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, Τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ δεῖνα καὶ δεῖνα αὐτὸ οὐκ ἀνείλοντο; οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ σπουδάζεις πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων διαρπάσαι. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πεπτωκότων ἀδελφῶν λογίζου, καὶ νόμιζε θησαυρὸν εὑρηκέναι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν ἐκείνων. Ὁ γὰρ ἐξάγων τίμιον ἐξ ἀναξίου, φησὶν, ὡς στόμα μου ἔσται. Καὶ τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον; ὃ γὰρ οὔτε νηστεία, οὔτε χαμευνία, οὐκ ἄλλο τι δύναται ἐργάσασθαι, τοῦτο ἡ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σωτηρία ποιεῖ. Μὴ γὰρ ἐγὼ ταῦτα ἐπαγγέλλομαι· αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο εἶπεν· Ὅτι κἂν ἕνα τινὰ ἐξαγάγῃς, φησὶν, ὡς στόμα μου ἔσται τὸ στόμα σου. Μὴ τοίνυν παριόντες λέγωμεν, Τίνες ἥμαρτον; ἀλλὰ σπουδάσωμεν, ὅπως αὐτοὺς διορθώσωμεν· καὶ μὴ τοῦτο σκοπῶμεν μόνον, εἰ πολλοὶ οἱ παρασυρόμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο σκοπήσωμεν, ὅπως αὐτοὺς ἀπαγάγωμεν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀσφαλίζεσθαι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς μὴ πεσεῖν, οὐκ ὀλίγην ἡμῖν προξενεῖ σωτηρίαν· τὸ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πολλὴν τὴν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἐπιμέλειαν, οὐ μικρὸν καὶ τοῦτο παρέχει τὸν ἔπαινον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἰατροὶ λέγουσι μὲν καὶ ὑγιαίνουσι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἃ δύναται τὴν ὑγίειαν διατηρῆσαι αὐτοῖς, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀποκρούσασθαι νόσον· ἀμελήσαντας δὲ τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων καὶ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιπεσόντας οὐ παρορῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν τότε μάλιστα ἐπιδείκνυνται πρόνοιαν, ὅπως αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάξωσι τῶν νοσημάτων. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ὅταν ἀδελφὸν δέῃ διορθῶσαι, κἂν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιδοῦναι δέῃ, μὴ παραιτήσῃ. Ὁ Δεσπότης ἡμῶν δι' ἡμᾶς ἀπέθανε·","english":"I am a man of the world, I have a wife and children; these things belong to the priests, these belong to the monks. Tell me, then, if you find gold lying there, do you not say to yourself, For what reason did this man and that man not take it up? By no means; but you hasten to snatch it before the others. So also in the case of fallen brothers, reason thus, and consider that you have found a treasure in your care for them. For he who brings forth the precious from the worthless, he says, shall be as my mouth. And what could be equal to this? For what neither fasting, nor sleeping on the ground, nor anything else can accomplish, the salvation of a brother brings about. For it is not I who promise these things; God himself said this: For even if you bring forth one person, he says, your mouth shall be as my mouth. Let us not, then, as we pass by, say, Who has sinned? but let us strive to correct them; and let us not consider only this, whether those being led astray are many, but let us consider that, how we may lead them away. For to safeguard brothers before sin so that they do not fall brings us no small salvation; but to show great care for them even after sin provides no small praise. For physicians also tell people who are healthy what can preserve their health for them and ward off every disease; but when they have neglected the instructions and fallen into illness, they do not overlook them, but then especially show great forethought, so that they may free them from their sicknesses. And you, therefore, whenever you must correct a brother, even if you must give up your life, do not refuse. Our Master died for us;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":87,"ref":"p87","source":"σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ λόγον προΐεσαι; καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην, ποίας ἀπολογίας τεύξῃ; πῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος στήσῃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ παῤῥησίας, εἰπέ μοι, τοσούτων ψυχῶν ἀπώλειαν παρορῶν; Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν τούτους εἰδέναι, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐδεήθην ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ταχίστην ἐποιησάμην διόρθωσιν. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἴ τινα εἶδες ἀπαγόμενον δικαίᾳ ψήφῳ καταδικασθέντα, εἶτα κύριος ᾖς ἐξαρπάσαι τῶν τοῦ δημίου χειρῶν· οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντα ἔπραξας, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξαι τῆς ἀπαγωγῆς; Τὸν δὲ ἀδελφὸν ὁρῶν οὐχ ὑπὸ δημίου, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου πρὸς τὸ βάραθρον τῆς ἀπωλείας ἑλκόμενον, οὐδὲ συμβουλὴν προέσθαι ὑπομένεις, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἐξελέσθαι τοῦ χαλεποῦ τούτου θηρίου; καὶ ποίας ἂν τύχοις συγγνώμης; Ἀλλ' ἰσχυρότερός σου καὶ δυνατώτερός ἐστιν; Ἐμοὶ δῆλον αὐτὸν κατάστησον, αἱρήσομαι τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποθέσθαι μᾶλλον, ἢ τῶν ἱερῶν αὐτὸν ἀφεῖναι ἐπιβῆναι προθύρων. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν παῖδας μετὰ ταλαιπωρίας ἄγειν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπὶ πράγματα προοίμια μὲν ἔχοντα ἐπίμοχθα, τὸ δὲ τέλος χρηστὸν, ἡμᾶς δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀπ' ἐναντίας περὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν διακεῖσθαι πραγμάτων; Καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις ἔξωθέν ποθεν ἡμῖν ἐπιστὰς, καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰ προστάγματα, καὶ τῆς πολιτείας τῆς ἡμετέρας καταμάθοι τὴν σύγχυσιν καλῶς, οὐκ οἶδα τίνας ἑτέρους μᾶλλον ἡμῶν ἐχθροὺς ὑπολήψεται εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐσπουδακότες τὴν ἐναντίαν αὐτοῦ ἐλθεῖν τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν, οὕτω ταύτην ὡδεύσαμεν τὴν ὁδόν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἃ μὲν ἐπιτάττῃ ποιεῖν, εὔκολα καὶ ῥᾷστα τοῖς βουλομένοις, ἃ δὲ ἀπαγορεύῃ, χαλεπὰ καὶ ἐπίπονα· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ προστεταγμένα ἀφέντες, τὰ κεκωλυμένα πράττωμεν·","english":"But you do not even put forward a word? And what forgiveness will you have, what defense will you obtain? How will you stand at the judgment seat of Christ with boldness, tell me, when you overlook the destruction of so many souls? If only it were possible for me to know them, I would not have needed you, but I would have made the correction as quickly as possible. Tell me, then, if you saw someone being led away, condemned by a just verdict, and then you were able to snatch him from the executioner's hands—would you not have done everything so as to deliver him from being led away? But when you see your brother being dragged not by an executioner but by the devil toward the abyss of destruction, do you not even endure to offer counsel, so as to rescue him from this savage beast? And what forgiveness would you obtain? But he is stronger and more powerful than you? Make him clear to me, and I will choose to lay down my head rather than to allow him to set foot on the sacred thresholds. For how is it not absurd that we raise our children with hardship from the beginning toward pursuits whose beginnings are laborious but whose end is good, while we ourselves are disposed in the opposite way concerning spiritual matters? For if someone from outside stood by us and accurately understood both the commandments of Christ and the confusion of our way of life, I do not know whom else he would suppose to be greater enemies of Christ than us. For just as if we had been eager to go against his commandments, so have we traveled this road. For when the things he commands us to do are easy and very simple for those who wish it, but the things he forbids are hard and laborious, we, having abandoned what has been commanded, do the things that have been forbidden.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":88,"ref":"p88","source":"ἆρα οὐχὶ φιλονεικοῦντας αὐτῷ ταῦτα ἁμαρτάνειν φήσουσιν ἡμᾶς ὡς ἐχθρούς; Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔθος ταῦτα τοῖς πλησίον παραινεῖν, δι' ὧν αὐτοὶ γεγόνασιν ἀγαθοί· οὕτω καὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς ἔθος ταῦτα εἰσηγεῖσθαι τοῖς πλησίον, δι' ὧν αὐτοὶ γεγόνασι φαῦλοι (ἓν γὰρ αὐτὸ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς πονηρίας αὐτῶν εἶδός ἐστι)· καὶ παραμυθίαν ἡγοῦνται τῆς οἰκείας κολάσεως τὴν ἑτέρων ἀπώλειαν. Τίς ὑμῶν, εἰπέ μοι, ἐν οἰκίᾳ γενόμενος πυκτίον ἔλαβε Χριστιανικὸν μετὰ χεῖρας, καὶ τὰ ἐγκείμενα ἐπῆλθε, καὶ ἠρεύνησε τὴν Γραφήν; Οὐδεὶς ἂν ἔχοι ταῦτα εἰπεῖν· ἀλλὰ πεττοὺς μὲν καὶ κύβους παρὰ τοῖς πλησίον εὑρήσομεν, βιβλία δὲ οὐδαμοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρ' ὀλίγοις· καὶ οὗτοι δὲ τοῖς οὐκ ἔχουσιν ὁμοίως διάκεινται, δήσαντες αὐτὰ καὶ ἀποθέμενοι ἐν κιβωτίοις διαπαντός· καὶ ἡ πᾶσα αὐτοῖς σπουδὴ, περὶ τὴν τῶν ὑμένων λεπτότητα, καὶ τὸ τῶν γραμμάτων\n\nκάλλος, οὐ περὶ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὠφελείας ἢ κέρδους τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτῶν πεποίηνται, ἀλλὰ πλούτου καὶ φιλοτιμίας ἐπίδειξιν ποιούμενοι, περὶ ταῦτα ἐσπουδάκασι. Τοσαύτη τῆς κενοδοξίας ἡ ὑπερβολή. Οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἀκούω φιλοτιμουμένου, ὅτι οἶδε τὰ ἐγκείμενα, ἀλλ' ὅτι χρυσοῖς ἔχει γράμμασιν ἐγγεγραμμένα. Ὁ εὐνοῦχος ἐκεῖνος βάρβαρος ὢν, καὶ μυρίαις συνεχόμενος φροντίσιν, οὐκ εἰδὼς ἅπερ ἀνεγίνωσκεν, ὅμως ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀχήματος καθήμενος. Εἰ δὲ ἐν ὁδῷ τοσαύτην σπουδὴν ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἐννόησον πόσην ἐν οἴκῳ διατρίβων· εἰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ὁδοιπορίας οὐκ ἠνείχετο χωρὶς ἀναγνώσεως μένειν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καθήμενος· εἰ μηδὲν εἰδὼς ὧν ἀνεγίνωσκεν οὐκ ἀφίστατο τῆς ἀναγνώσεως.","english":"Will they not say that we sin against him by striving against him as enemies? But just as it is customary for the good to recommend to their neighbors those things through which they themselves have become good, so also it is customary for the wicked to suggest to their neighbors those things through which they themselves have become base (for this too is one and the same form of their wickedness); and they consider the destruction of others a consolation for their own punishment. Tell me, who among you, having entered a house, has taken a Christian book in his hands, and gone over what is in it, and searched the Scripture? No one could say this; but we will find dice and gaming-cubes at our neighbors' houses, but books nowhere, except among a few; and these too are in the same condition as those who do not have them, having tied them up and stored them away in chests continually; and all their zeal is about the fineness of the membranes and the beauty of the letters, not about the reading. For they have not made their acquisition for benefit or profit, but making a display of wealth and vainglory, they have been zealous about these things. So great is the excess of their vainglory. For I hear no one taking pride that he knows what is in them, but that he has them inscribed with golden letters. That eunuch, being a barbarian and beset by countless cares, not knowing what he was reading, nevertheless was reading while sitting in his chariot. But if on the road he displayed so much zeal, consider how much he would display while spending time at home; if he could not endure to remain without reading during the time of his journey, much more while sitting at home; if, knowing nothing of what he was reading, he did not desist from the reading.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":89,"ref":"p89","source":"πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὸ μαθεῖν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ πεινῇν σωματικῆς εὐεξίας ἐστὶ σημεῖον, οὕτω καὶ τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν θείων λογίων ἐσπουδακέναι, τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ὑγείας τεκμήριον ἄν τις μέγιστον ποιήσαιτο. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν πολλάκις ὑμῖν ζητήματα κινοῦντές τινα, τὴν λύσιν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπάγομεν; Ἐθίζοντες ὑμᾶς μὴ διαπαντὸς μεμασημένην δέχεσθαι τὴν τροφὴν, ἀλλὰ πολλαχοῦ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπάγειν τὴν λύσιν τοῦ νοήματος· ὅπερ ποιοῦσιν αἱ περιστεραί. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι τοὺς νεοττοὺς, ἕως μὲν ἂν ἐν τῇ καλιᾷ μένωσι, τῷ οἰκείῳ τρέφουσι στόματι· ἐπειδὰν δὲ αὐτοὺς δυνηθῶσιν ἐξαγαγεῖν τῆς νοσσιᾶς, καὶ ἴδωσιν αὐτοῖς παγέντα τὰ πτερὰ, οὐκέτι τοῦτο λοιπὸν ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ φέρουσι μὲν τὸν κόκκον ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος, καὶ ἐπιδεικνύουσιν· ἐπειδὰν δὲ οἱ νεοττοὶ προσδοκήσαντες πλησίον ἔλθωσιν, αἱ μητέρες ἀφεῖσαι τὴν τροφὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους, δι' ἑαυτῶν κελεύουσιν ἀναλέγεσθαι. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν, λαμβάνοντες τὴν πνευματικὴν τροφὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος, καλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ὡς δηλώσοντες ὑμῖν συνήθως τὴν λύσιν· ἐπειδὰν δὲ προσέλθητε καὶ προσδοκήσητε δέξασθαι, ἀφίεμεν ῥήματα, ὥστε ὑμᾶς δι' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναδέξασθαι τὰ νοήματα. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ κιθαρῳδοὶ τοὺς δακτύλους τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτῶν λαμβάνοντες, ἡρέμα τοῖς φθόγγοις προσάγουσι, καὶ διαψηλαφᾷν μετ' ἐμπειρίας παιδεύουσι, διδάσκοντες ἐκ τῶν ἀφώνων δακτύλων τε καὶ νεύρων πάσης φωνῆς ἡδεῖάν τε καὶ γλυκυτέραν κατασκευάζειν φωνήν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθάρας ἅπτεται μὲν ὁ τεχνίτης τῶν νευρῶν, ἅπτεται δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄτεχνος·","english":"much more after learning. For just as hunger is a sign of bodily good health, so also earnest devotion to the hearing of the divine oracles one would make the greatest proof of health of soul. For what reason, when we often raise certain questions for you, do we not bring their solution? Training you not to receive food always pre-chewed, but in many places to bring forth the solution of the meaning yourselves—which is what doves do. For they too, while their nestlings remain in the nest, feed them with their own mouth; but when they are able to lead them out of the nest, and see their feathers grown firm, they no longer do this, but carry the grain in their mouth and show it; and when the nestlings, expecting it, come near, the mothers let the food fall on the ground and bid them gather it for themselves. So we also do: taking the spiritual food in our mouth, we call you, as about to show you the solution in the usual way; but when you come forward and expect to receive it, we let the words fall, so that you may take up the meanings by yourselves. And just as lyre-players, taking the fingers of their students, gently bring them to the notes, and train them to touch with experience, teaching them from silent fingers and strings to produce a voice sweeter and more pleasant than any voice—so indeed we also do. For just as on the lyre the skilled man touches the strings, and the unskilled man also touches them;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":90,"ref":"p90","source":"καὶ ὁ μὲν λυπεῖ τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ὁ δὲ ψυχαγωγεῖ καὶ τέρπει· καίτοι γε οἱ αὐτοὶ δάκτυλοι καὶ αἱ αὐταὶ νευραὶ, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ ἐμπειρία· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν· ἐπέρχονται μὲν πολλοὶ τὰ θεῖα λόγια, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες κερδαίνουσιν, οὐδὲ καρποῦνται πάντες· τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ἐπειδὴ οὔτε τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐμβαθύνουσιν, οὔτε μετὰ τέχνης τῆς κιθάρας ἅπτονται. Ὃ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθαρωδίας ἡ τέχνη, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξις. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀῤῥωστούντων οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον σύντομον καὶ ἐσχεδιασμένην παραθεῖναι τράπεζαν, ἀλλὰ δεῖ παρασκευάσαι τὰ σιτία, ἵνα, ἂν τοῦτο ὁ κάμνων μὴ βουληθῇ, τὸ ἕτερον λάβῃ, κἂν ἐκεῖνο μὴ προσίηται, τὸ ἄλλο δέξηται, κἂν τοῦτο διακρούσηται, ἐπιλάβηται θατέρου, καὶ τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τὴν δυσκολίαν νικήσωμεν, καὶ τῷ πολυτρόπῳ τῆς τραπέζης τὸ δυσάρεστον τῆς γνώμης θεραπεύσωμεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἑστιάσεως χρὴ ποιεῖν, ὅταν ἀσθενεῖς ὦμεν· ἵνα ἐκ ποικίλων καὶ πολλῶν παραδειγμάτων ῥᾳδία γένηται ὑμῖν τῶν συμφερόντων ἡ αἵρεσις. Μὴ δὴ βαρύνεσθε τὴν παραίνεσιν· εἰ γὰρ βαρύνεσθαι ἔδει, ἐμὲ ἔδει τὸν πολλάκις λέγοντα καὶ οὐκ ἀκουόμενον, οὐχὶ δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἀεὶ μὲν ἀκούοντας, ἀεὶ δὲ παρακούοντας. Ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι οἱ θείας ἀκροάσεως ὑπερορῶντες, καὶ τὸ εἶναι ἄνθρωποι διὰ τῆς ὑπεροψίας ταύτης ἀπώλεσαν, καὶ τῆς εὐγενείας αὐτῆς ἐξέπεσον;","english":"And the one grieves the hearer, while the other delights and charms the soul; and yet they are the same fingers and the same strings, but the skill is not the same. So indeed it is also with the divine Scriptures: many come to the divine oracles, but not all profit, nor do all bear fruit; and the reason is that they neither delve deeply into what is said, nor do they touch the lyre with skill. For what skill is to lyre-playing, that the demonstration through works is to the laws of God. And just as in the case of the sick it is not necessary to set before them a brief and hastily prepared table, but one must prepare foods of various kinds, so that if the patient does not wish for this, he may take the other, and if he does not accept that, he may receive another, and if he rejects this one, he may lay hold of the other, and by the variety we may overcome his fastidiousness, and by the manifold nature of the table we may heal the disagreeableness of his disposition—so also must we do in the case of the spiritual banquet, when we are weak, so that from various and many examples the choice of what is beneficial may become easy for you. Do not then be burdened by the exhortation; for if anyone should be burdened, it should be I, who speak often and am not heard, and not you, who always hear and always disobey. Or do you not know that those who despise the divine hearing have through this contempt destroyed even their very being as human beings, and have fallen away from their own nobility?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":91,"ref":"p91","source":"Ὁ μεγαλοφωνότατος Ἡσαΐας, εἰς τὴν πόλιν τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν μητρόπολιν εἰσελθὼν τὴν πολυάνθρωπον, τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα λέγω, ἐν μέσαις ταῖς ἀγοραῖς ἑστὼς, τοῦ δήμου παντὸς αὐτὸν περιεστῶτος, βουλόμενος δεῖξαι, ὅτι ὁ μὴ τοῖς θείοις προσέχων λογίοις, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, ἐβόα λέγων· Ἦλθον, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος· ἐκάλεσα,\n\nκαὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ὑπακουσόμενος. Διὰ τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ ἦλθε καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος· ἐκάλεσε καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ὑπακουσόμενος, πρὸς τὰ στοιχεῖα τρέπει τὸν λόγον, καί φησιν· Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, γῆ. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀπεστάλην, πρὸς ἀνθρώπους νοῦν ἔχοντας· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὔτε λόγον, οὔτε αἴσθησιν ἔχουσι, διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς οὐκ ἔχουσιν αἴσθησιν στοιχείοις διαλέγομαι, εἰς κατηγορίαν τῶν αἰσθήσει τετιμημένων μὲν, οὐ χρωμένων δὲ τῇ τιμῇ. Καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας ἐν μέσῳ τῷ πλήθει τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἑστὼς ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πόλει, ὥσπερ οὐδενὸς παρόντος, οὕτως ἐβόα· Πρὸς τίνα λαλήσω καὶ διαμαρτυροῦμαι; Τί λέγεις; τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ὁρῶν ἐρωτᾷς, πρὸς τίνα λαλήσεις; Ναὶ, φησί· τὸ πλῆθος γὰρ τοῦτο σωμάτων ἐστὶ πλῆθος οὐκ ἐχόντων ἀκοάς· Ἀπερίτμητα γὰρ τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ δύνανται ἀκούειν. Εἰ δὲ τοὺς παρόντας, ἐπειδὴ μὴ προσεῖχον μετὰ σπουδῆς τοῖς λεγομένοις, οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπους εἶναι φασὶν οἱ προφῆται· τί ἂν εἴποιμεν ἡμεῖς περὶ τῶν οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀκροωμένων, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐπιβῆναι τῶν ἱερῶν τούτων προθύρων ἀνεχομένων; Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἴ τις σῶμα ἀνθρώπου καὶ φωνὴν ἔχοι, οὗτος ἄνθρωπος· ἀλλ', εἴ τις ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου καὶ διάθεσιν ἔχοι. Οἶδα ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀηδῶς τῶν περὶ νουθεσίας ἀκούουσι λόγων· ἀλλὰ τί τὸ κέρδος τῆς σιγῆς;","english":"The most loud-voiced Isaiah, having entered the populous metropolis of the Jews—I mean Jerusalem—standing in the midst of the marketplaces, with the whole people standing around him, wishing to show that the one who does not attend to the divine oracles is not a man, cried out saying: \"I came, and there was no man; I called, and there was no one to answer.\" Therefore, since he came and there was no man, he called and there was no one to answer, he turns his word to the elements, and says: \"Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth.\" For I, he says, was sent to men, to men having understanding; but since they have neither reason nor perception, therefore I converse with the elements that have no perception, as an accusation against those honored with perception but not using the honor. And Jeremiah, standing in the midst of the multitude of the Jews in that very city, as though no one were present, cried out thus: \"To whom shall I speak and testify? What do you say? Seeing so great a multitude, do you ask, to whom shall you speak? Yes, he says; for this multitude is a multitude of bodies that do not have ears; for their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear.\" But if the prophets say that those present, because they did not attend with zeal to what was being said, are not even men, what should we say about those who not only do not listen, but do not even endure to set foot on these sacred forecourts? For it is not the case that if someone has a human body and voice, this one is a man; but if someone has a human soul and disposition. I know that many listen with displeasure to words of admonition; but what is the gain of silence?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":92,"ref":"p92","source":"κἂν γὰρ σιγήσω καὶ μηδὲν ἐνοχλήσω διὰ ῥημάτων, ἀδύνατον διὰ τῆς σιγῆς ταύτης τῆς κολάσεως ἀπαλλάξαι ὑμᾶς· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν ἐντεῦθεν γίνεται· ἐπιτείνεται τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας, καὶ οὐχ ὑμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμοὶ προξενεῖ τὴν κόλασιν ἡ τοιαύτη σιγή. Τίς οὖν ἡ τῶν ῥημάτων χάρις, ὅταν εἰς τὰ ἔργα μὴ βοηθῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταβλάπτῃ; τί τὸ κέρδος εὐφρᾶναι λόγῳ, καὶ λυπῆσαι πράγματι; τέρψαι τὴν ἀκοὴν, καὶ κολάσαι τὴν ψυχήν; Διόπερ ἀναγκαῖον ἐνταῦθα λυπεῖν, ἵνα μὴ τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀποδῶμεν ἐκεῖ τιμωρίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀνύποιστον ὑποστησώμεθα κόλασιν. Οὐ τοίνυν δυσχεραίνειν ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰρημένων χρὴ, ἀλλ' ἀποδέχεσθαι καὶ ἐπαινεῖν. Εἰ δέ τινες ἀσθενέστερον διάκεινται, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχονται ταύτης ἡμῶν τῆς ἀπολογίας, ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐμαυτοῦ νόμους ὑμῖν ἐξηγοῦμαι, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβάντα ἀναγινώσκω γράμματα· καὶ ἀνάγκη τὸν ταύτην ἐμπιστευθέντα τὴν διακονίαν, ἢ πάντα μετὰ παῤῥησίας εἰπεῖν τὰ ἐγκείμενα, τὸ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸ ἡδὺ πανταχοῦ τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς ἐκζητοῦντα, ἢ τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων ὑπιδόμενον ἀπέχθειαν, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων προέσθαι σωτηρίαν διὰ τῆς ἀκαίρου ταύτης χάριτος. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσι σφόδρα ἐπικίνδυνον τὸ τῶν θείων ἀποκρύπτεσθαί τι νόμων, καὶ ὅτι φόνων ὑπεύθυνοι οἱ διδάσκαλοι κρίνονται, ὅταν μὴ πάντα χωρὶς ὑποστολῆς ἐξηγῶνται τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ δικαιώματα, Παῦλον ὑμῖν καὶ τούτων πάλιν παρέξομαι μάρτυρα. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο συνεχῶς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκεί νην καταφεύγω ψυχὴν, ὅτι χρησμοί τινες εἰσὶ θεῖοι νόμοι τὰ Παύλου ῥήματα·","english":"For even if I keep silent and cause no disturbance by words, it is impossible by this silence to free you from punishment; rather, the opposite of everything happens from this: the punishments are intensified, and such silence brings punishment not only to you but also to me. What, then, is the grace of words, when it does not help toward works, but even harms? What is the gain of gladdening with speech and grieving in deed? Of delighting the hearing and punishing the soul? Therefore it is necessary to grieve here, so that we may not pay the ultimate punishment there, and undergo the unbearable chastisement. It is not, then, right to be displeased at what has been said, but to accept and praise it. But if some are in a weaker condition and do not endure this defense of ours, I would say this to them: I do not expound to you laws of my own, but I read letters that came down from heaven; and it is necessary for the one entrusted with this ministry either to say everything with boldness that lies in the text, seeking everywhere what is beneficial, not what is pleasant, for the hearers, or, looking to the dislike of the hearers and betraying both his own salvation and theirs through this untimely graciousness. For that it is exceedingly dangerous both for the speaker and for the hearers to conceal any of the divine laws, and that teachers are judged liable for murders when they do not expound all the ordinances of God without dissimulation, I will again present Paul to you as a witness of these things. For this reason I continually flee for refuge over all things to that holy soul, because the words of Paul are certain divine oracles, laws of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":93,"ref":"p93","source":"οὐ γὰρ Παῦλός ἐστιν ὁ λαλῶν, ἀλλὰ Χριστὸς ὁ τὴν ἐκείνου ψυχὴν κινῶν· δι' ἐκείνου γὰρ φθέγγεται πάντα, ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν. Τί τοίνυν φησί; Καθαρός εἰμι ἐγὼ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος πάντων. Διὰ τί; Οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὡς, εἰ ὑπεστείλατο τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι, οὐκ ἦν καθαρὸς ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀνδροφόνος ἐκρίνετο· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνδροφόνος τὸ σῶμα ἀναιρεῖ μόνον, καὶ τῷ παρόντι παραδίδωσι θανάτῳ· ὁ δὲ πρὸς χάριν δημηγορῶν, καὶ ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ποιῶν τοὺς ἀκροατὰς, τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπόλλυσι, καὶ πρὸς ἀθανάτους παραπέμπει κολάσεις καὶ τιμωρίας. Τίς οὖν οὕτως ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος καὶ ἀσυμπαθὴς, ὡς ἐγκαλεῖν τῷ λέγοντι καὶ διαλεγομένῳ περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεχῶς ὀργῆς. τοσαύτην κόλασιν ὑφίστασθαι μέλλοντι, εἰ σιγήσειεν; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐγὼ σιγήσας ἀπέκρυπτον τῇ σιγῇ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καλῶς ἐδυσχέρανεν ἕκαστος, καὶ ἠγανάκτει δικαίως, μὴ σιγῶντος ἐμοῦ· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν σιγώντων νῦν, ἀνάγκη πάντως ἐκεῖ φανῆναι τὰ πλημμελήματα, τί τὸ ὄφελος ἀπὸ τῆς σιγῆς γένοιτ' ἄν; Ὁ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον τῶν ἀκουόντων ὁρῶν, κἂν ἐγκωμιάζῃ αὐτὸν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ","english":"For it is not Paul who is speaking, but Christ who moves that man's soul; for through him he utters all the things that he said. What then does he say? \"I am clean from the blood of all.\" Why? \"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.\" So that, if he had shrunk from declaring it, he would not have been clean from the blood, but would have been judged as a murderer; and quite reasonably so. For the murderer destroys only the body and hands it over to the present death; but the one who speaks to please the crowd and makes his hearers more careless destroys the soul and sends it on to deathless punishments and torments. Who then is so cruel and inhuman and unsympathetic as to bring a charge against the one who speaks and discourses continually about the wrath of God, when he is about to undergo so great a punishment if he keeps silent? For if I kept silent and by my silence concealed sins, each person would rightly be vexed and justly indignant, since I was not silent; but if, even when we are silent now, the offenses must by all means appear there, what benefit could come from silence? The one who looks to the advantage of his hearers, even if he praises him, not only does not","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":94,"ref":"p94","source":"ἐγκαλεῖσθαι ἄξιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ στεφανοῦσθαι· κἂν σιγᾷ, τότε ἐγκαλεῖσθαι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ, εἰ ἐσίγησεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Γολιὰθ, οὐκ ἂν εἴασαν αὐτὸν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν παράταξιν, οὐδὲ τὸ λαμπρὸν ἐκεῖνο στῆσαι τρόπαιον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἤδη διελέχθην ὑμῖν πολλάκις, καὶ νῦν προλέγω, οὐκέτι παραινῶν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτάττων καὶ παραγγέλλων· ὁ βουλόμενος ἀκουέτω, ὁ δὲ μὴ βουλόμενος, ἀπειθείτω· ὅτι ἂν ἐπιμείνητε τοῖς παρ' ὑμῶν γινομένοις κακοῖς, οὐκ ἀνέξομαι, οὐδὲ δέξομαι ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲ ἀφήσω τῶν οὐδῶν ἐπιβῆναι τούτων. Τί γάρ μοι δεῖ πλήθους νοσούντων; Δώδεκα ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς πρὸς αὐτούς· Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε ὑπάγειν; Ἂν γὰρ δι' ὅλου κολακεύωμεν, πότε ἀνακτησόμεθα, πότε ὠφελήσομεν; Ἀλλ' εἰσὶ, φησὶν, αἱρέσεις πολλαὶ, καὶ μετατίθενται. Ψυχρὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος· Κρείσσων εἷς ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα Κυρίου, ἢ μυρίοι παράνομοι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ τί βούλει, εἰπέ μοι, μυρίους δραπέτας ἔχειν καὶ κλέπτας οἰκέτας, ἢ ἕνα εὔνουν; Ὁ βουλόμενος ἀποπηδάτω, οὐκ ἀνέχομαι οὐδενός. Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα τὰ πάντα διέφθειρεν· ἵνα ἀπέλθῃ, φησὶ, καὶ μετατεθῇ πρὸς ἑτέραν αἵρεσιν Ἀσθενής ἐστι, συγκατάβηθι. Μέχρι τίνος; μέχρι πότε; ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρίς; μὴ διαπαντός; Ἰδοὺ παρεγγυῶ πάλιν καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, ὅτι, Ἂν ἔλθω εἰς τὸ πάλιν, οὐ φείσομαι. Καὶ ὅταν μέλλω κρίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μακρὰν καὶ ὑμεῖς στήσεσθε καὶ ἡ παρ' ὑμῶν χάρις, ἐμοῦ τὰς εὐθύνας παρέχοντος. Ὥστε συμφέρει δάκνεσθαι διὰ τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων ἀλγηδόνος τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, ἵνα τῆς διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων αἰσχύνης ἀπαλλαγῶσιν.","english":"...is worthy to be accused, but also to be crowned; and if he keeps silent, then he is to be accused. For David too, if he had kept silent before Goliath, they would not have let him go out to the battle line, nor would he have set up that glorious trophy. For this reason I have already conversed with you many times, and now I forewarn you, no longer exhorting but commanding and giving orders: let the one who wishes hear, and let the one who does not wish disobey; for if you persist in the evils done by you, I will not endure it, nor will I receive you, nor will I allow you to set foot on these thresholds. For what need have I of a multitude of sick people? There were twelve disciples, and hear what Christ says to them: \"Do you also wish to go away?\" For if we flatter completely, when will we recover, when will we benefit? But there are, he says, many heresies, and they are being changed over. That saying is cold: Better is one who does the will of the Lord than ten thousand transgressors. Since, tell me, what do you wish—to have ten thousand runaway and thieving servants, or one well-disposed one? Let the one who wishes leap away; I tolerate no one. All these words have corrupted everything: \"So that he may depart,\" he says, \"and be transferred to another heresy—he is weak, condescend to him.\" Until when? Until when? Once and twice and three times? Not continually? Behold, I enjoin again and testify solemnly according to the blessed Paul, that \"if I come again, I will not spare.\" And when I am about to be judged at the tribunal of Christ, you too will stand far off, and your favor with you, while I give an account. So it is profitable for those who sin to be bitten by the pain of words, so that they may be freed from the shame that comes through deeds.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":95,"ref":"p95","source":"Οἶδα ὅτι πάντες ἐσμὲν ἐν ἐπιτιμίοις, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν· ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι ἁγνὴν καρδίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοιαύτην μὴ ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ τῷ δυναμένῳ ποιῆσαι ταύ την ἁγνὴν προσερχόμεθα. Οἶδα ὅτι δάκνει τὰ ῥήματα· ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; εἰ μὴ πικρὰ ἐπιθῶμεν τὰ φάρμακα, τὰ τραύματα οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται· ἂν πικρὰ ἐπιθῶμεν, ὑμεῖς τὴν ὀδύνην οὐ φέρετε. Στενά μοι πάντοθεν. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἀναγκαῖον ἀνασχεῖν τὴν χεῖρα λοιπόν· καὶ γὰρ ἱκανὰ τὰ εἰρημένα πρὸς διόρθωσιν τῶν προσεχόντων. Ἂν δὲ ἀδιόρθωτοι μείνωμεν, εἰς αὐτὰς τὰς τοῦ κριτοῦ παραδοθησόμεθα χεῖρας· ἴστε δὲ πάντως, ὡς φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μηδὲν κατωρθωκὼς ὅλως ῥᾳθυμεῖ καὶ ἀναπίπτει ταχέως· ὁ δὲ συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι μίαν γοῦν ἐντολὴν ἐπλήρωσέ τινα, εὔελπις ἀπὸ ταύτης γενόμενος, μετὰ πλείονος σπουδῆς ἐπὶ τὰς λοιπὰς βαδιεῖται πάλιν· εἶτα ἑτέραν προσλαβὼν ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἀποστήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν χρημάτων ὅσῳπερ ἄν τις πλείονα περιβάληται, τοσούτῳ πλειόνων ἐφίεται· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν κατορθωμάτων τοῦτο συμβαῖνον ἴδοι τις ἄν. Διὰ τοῦτο δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, τούτων μου τῶν ῥημάτων μὴ κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμέραν μέμνησθε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν διατρίβητε. Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν ὑμῖν ἀεὶ συγγίνεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἄν μοι τῆς μακρᾶς ταύτης ἐδέησε κατηγορίας· νῦν δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι, ἀντ' ἐμοῦ τῶν ἐμῶν μέμνησθε ῥημάτων· καὶ ἐπὶ τραπέζης καθήμενοι, ἐπεισιέναι με νομίζετε καὶ παρεστάναι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐνηχεῖν, ἅπερ ἐνταῦθα λέγω νῦν.","english":"I know that we are all under reproof, and that no one will boast of having a pure heart; but the dreadful thing is not this, that we do not have a pure heart, but that, not having such a one, we do not even come to him who is able to make it pure. I know that these words sting; but what am I to do? If we do not apply bitter medicines, the wounds will not be removed; if we apply bitter ones, you cannot bear the pain. I am hemmed in on every side. Nevertheless, it is now necessary to lift up the hand; for what has been said is sufficient for the correction of those who attend. But if we remain uncorrected, we shall be delivered into the very hands of the judge; and you surely know that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For he who has accomplished nothing at all grows careless and quickly falls back; but he who is conscious within himself that he has fulfilled at least one commandment, having from this become hopeful, will proceed again with greater zeal to the rest; then, taking on another, he will pass on from one to another. For if in the case of money, the more a man acquires, the more he desires; much more might one see this happening in the case of spiritual achievements. Therefore I beg and entreat you, do not remember these words of mine only for the present day, but also at home and in the marketplace, and wherever you may spend your time. Would that it were possible for me to be with you always, and I would not have needed this long accusation; but now, since this is not possible, remember my words in my stead; and when you sit at table, think that I have come in and am standing by, and am pouring in these things which I am now saying here.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":96,"ref":"p96","source":"Καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν περὶ ἐμοῦ λόγος γένηται ὑμῖν, ἀντὶ πάντων ταύτης μέμνησθε τῆς ἐντολῆς· καὶ ταύτην μοι τῆς περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀγάπης ἀπόδοτε τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παραινοῦμεν, οὐ τοῖς κακῶς μόνον λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσι διαλεγομένων ἑτέρων, τὰς ἀκοὰς ἀποφράττειν, καὶ τὸν προφήτην μιμεῖσθαι τὸν λέγοντα· Τὸν καταλαλοῦντα λάθρα τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτον ἐξεδίωκον. Καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν κατηγοροῦντα. Εἰ εἶχες ἐπαινέσαι τινὰ καὶ ἐγκωμιάσαι, ἤνοιξα ἂν τὰς ἀκοὰς, καὶ ἐδεξάμην τὸν λόγον· ἂν δὲ κακῶς θέλῃς εἰπεῖν, ἀποφράττω τὴν εἴσοδον τοῖς ῥήμασιν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνέχομαι κόπρον καὶ βόρβορον δέχεσθαι. Τί γάρ μοι κέρδος μαθεῖν ὅτι πονηρὸς ὁ δεῖνα; Μέγιστον μὲν οὖν ἀπὸ τούτου βλάβος καὶ ἐσχάτη ζημία. Ποίαν γὰρ ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν ἢ συγγνώμην, ὅταν τὰ ἡμέτερα μηδὲ εἰς νοῦν λαμβάνοντες, οὕτω τὰ ἀλλότρια\n\nπολυπραγμονῶμεν καὶ περιεργαζώμεθα; Βέλτιον γὰρ ἀγνοεῖν καλῶς, ἢ μανθάνειν κακῶς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ εἰδὼς τὴν αἰτίαν, ταχέως ἐπὶ τὴν εὔλογον ἥξει· ὁ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τὴν οὖσαν οὐκ οἶδε, τὴν οὐκ οὖσαν πλάττων, οὐ δυνήσεται τὴν οὖσαν ῥᾳδίως δέξασθαι· ἀλλὰ δεῖ πλείονος αὐτῷ καὶ πόνου καὶ ἱδρῶτος, ὥστε τὸ πρότερον ἀνελεῖν. Καὶ εἴ τινα ἴδῃς σκεύη κατασκευάσαντα ἱερὰ, ἢ ἄλλον τινὰ ἐκκλησίας κόσμον περὶ τοίχους καὶ ἔδαφος, μὴ κέλευε πραθῆναι ἢ ἀνατραπῆναι τὸ γινόμενον, ἵνα μὴ πηρώσῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν προθυμίαν· ἂν δὲ πρὶν ἢ κατασκευάσαι τις ἔρηται, κέλευε δοθῆναι πτωχοῖς. Καταφρόνει δὲ καὶ τῶν τοῦ βίου τερπνῶν ὡς οὐ μενόντων, καὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν ὡς οὐ βλαπτόντων.","english":"And wherever any mention of me is made among you, remember this one commandment in place of all others; and give me this recompense for my love toward you. And this too we exhort: that you stop your ears not only against those who speak evil, but also when others converse and you are listening, and imitate the prophet who says: \"Him who secretly slandered his neighbor, this one I drove out.\" And say to the accuser: If you had something to praise and commend, I would have opened my ears and received the word; but if you wish to speak evil, I block the entrance to your words; for I do not endure to receive dung and filth. For what profit is it to me to learn that so-and-so is wicked? The greatest harm, indeed, and the utmost loss comes from this. For what defense or pardon shall we have, when, not even taking our own affairs into account, we thus busy ourselves and meddle with the affairs of others? For it is better to be ignorant well than to learn badly. For he who does not know the cause will quickly come to the reasonable one; but he, since he does not know the true one, fashioning the false one, will not be able easily to receive the true one; but he needs more toil and sweat in order to remove the former. And if you see someone having prepared sacred vessels, or any other adornment of the church on the walls and floor, do not order what is being made to be sold or overturned, lest you cripple his zeal; but if someone asks before he has finished making it, order it to be given to the poor. And despise both the pleasant things of life as not enduring, and the painful things as not harming.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":97,"ref":"p97","source":"Ὡς γὰρ οἱ ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβοντες πάντα ποιοῦσι καὶ πραγματεύονται πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα κατάστασιν, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπείγονται τὴν ἡμέραν, τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν ἰδεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῶν μελλόντων ἐρῶν, οὔτε τοῖς λυπηροῖς παροῦσι ταπεινωθήσεται, οὔτε τοῖς χρηστοῖς ἐπαρθήσεται, ἀλλ' ἑκάτερα παραδραμεῖται, καθάπερ ὁδὸν βαδίζων. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, κἂν ὀλίγα ἔτη ζήσωμεν ἐνταῦθα, πολλὰ νομίζειν αὐτὰ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν μελλόντων. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς κατηγορῶν· μὴ γένοιτο· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἔργον Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα τῶν μελλόντων ὑμᾶς ἀλείφων, ὥστε μὴ ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν τοῖς παροῦσι, μηδὲ προσηλῶσθαι τῷ σώματι, μηδὲ κατὰ τοὺς μικροψύχους τῶν πολλῶν διακεῖσθαι, οἳ κἂν μυρία ζήσωσιν ἔτη, ὀλίγα ταῦτα εἶναί φασιν· ὧν τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀλογώτερον; εἰ οὐρανοῦ προκειμένου, καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθῶν, ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε, πρὸς τὰς σκιὰς κεχήνασι· καὶ τὸν εὔριπον τοῦ παρόντος διαπερᾷν οὐ βούλονται βίου, κύμασι διηνεκέσι καὶ χειμῶνι καὶ ναυαγίοις ἐγκαλινδούμενοι. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἔσπευδε καὶ ἠπείγετο· καὶ ἓν αὐτὸν κατεῖχε μόνον, ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρία, καὶ τὸ μὴ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοὺς ἐκπεσεῖν. Ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"For just as those who are sojourning in a foreign land do everything and transact all their business with a view to their settlement in their homeland, and day by day hasten to see the day that will bring them there, so too the one who longs for the things to come will neither be brought low by present sorrows nor elated by present blessings, but will pass by both, like a man walking along a road. In this way, then, we too ought to be disposed, and even if we live few years here, we should regard them as many because of our longing for the things to come. I say this not in accusation of the present life—God forbid, for this too is the work of God—but anointing you toward the love of the things to come, so that you may not linger fondly among present things, nor be riveted to the body, nor be disposed like the fainthearted among the many, who, even if they live ten thousand years, say that these are few. What could be more unreasonable than this? If heaven is set before us, and the good things in the heavens, which neither eye has seen nor ear has heard, and they gape at shadows, and do not wish to cross the strait of the present life, though they are tossed about in ceaseless waves and storm and shipwrecks. But Paul was not like this; rather he hastened and pressed on, and one thing alone possessed him: the salvation of men, and that they not fall away from the kingdom of God. May we all attain it, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":98,"ref":"p98","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Ζʹ. Περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης.\n\nὍταν ἁμαρτία συμβεβλημένη ᾖ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, οὕτω τρέχει μετ' εὐκολίας, ὡς δικαιοσύνην μετὰ ἀπονοίας οὖσαν ὑπερβῆναι καὶ προλαβεῖν· ἂν δὲ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης αὐτὴν συνάψῃς, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἀφίξεται; πόσους οὐ διαβήσεται οὐρανούς; παρ' αὐτὸν πάντως στήσεται τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν θρόνον ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἀγγέλων μετὰ παῤῥησίας πολλῆς. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὰ οἰκεῖα ὁμολογοῦντες ἁμαρτήματα, τοσαύτην ἑαυτοῖς προξενοῦσι τὴν παῤῥησίαν, οἱ τὰ πολλὰ μὲν ἑαυτοῖς συν ειδότες ἀγαθὰ, ταπεινοῦντες δὲ ἑαυτῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, πόσων οὐκ ἐπιτεύξονται στεφάνων; Ὥστε, κἂν μυρία ἄνωθεν οἰκοδομήσῃς, κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην, κἂν εὐχὰς, κἂν νηστείας, κἂν πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν, ταύτης μὴ προκαταβληθείσης, πάντα εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην ἐποικοδομηθήσεται. Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν, οὐδὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων κατορθωμάτων, ὃ χωρὶς αὐτῆς στῆναι δυνήσεται· ἀλλὰ κἂν σωφροσύνην εἴπῃς, κἂν παρθενίαν, κἂν χρημάτων ὑπεροψίαν, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, πάντα ἀκάθαρτα καὶ ἐναγῆ καὶ βδελυρὰ, ταπεινοφροσύνης ἀπούσης. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐκ δύο οὐσιῶν κατεσκεύασεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ἵν', ὅταν μὲν εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐπαρθῇς, καταστείλῃ σε τὸ εὐτελὲς τῆς σαρκός· ὅταν δὲ ἀνάξιόν τι καὶ ἀγεννὲς τῆς δοθείσης σοι παρὰ Θεοῦ τιμῆς ἐννοήσῃς, ἀναγάγῃ πρὸς τὸν τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων ζῆλον ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐγένεια. Μέγα γὰρ ἀγαθὸν τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι συγγένειαν, καὶ εἰδέναι πόθεν συνεστήκαμεν. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη ἀρκοῦσα διδασκαλία, ἡ τῆς φύσεως ἐπίσκεψις, πάντα τὰ πάθη καταστεῖλαι δυναμένη, καὶ ποιῆσαι γαλήνην ἐν διανοίᾳ.","english":"Homily 7. On humility.\n\nWhen sin has been combined with humility, it runs with such ease as to surpass and outstrip righteousness that is with arrogance; but if you join it with righteousness, where will it not reach? How many heavens will it not pass through? It will certainly stand by the very throne of God, in the midst of the angels, with great boldness. For if those who confess their own sins procure for themselves such boldness, those who are conscious of many good things in themselves but humble their own soul—how many crowns will they not obtain? So then, even if you build countless things from above—even almsgiving, even prayers, even fastings, even every virtue—if this has not been laid as a foundation first, all will be built upon in vain and to no purpose. For there is nothing, none of our achievements, that will be able to stand without it; but whether you name chastity, or virginity, or contempt of money, or anything at all, all are unclean and accursed and abominable when humility is absent. For this reason God constructed us from two substances, so that when you are lifted up into arrogance, the cheapness of the flesh may bring you down; but when you think something unworthy and base of the honor given to you by God, the nobility of the soul may lead you up to the zeal of the heavenly powers. For it is a great good to examine one's own kinship and to know from what we are composed. For this teaching alone, the examination of nature, is sufficient, able to restrain all the passions and to make a calm in the mind.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":99,"ref":"p99","source":"Ἀναλόγισαι τὴν φύσιν σου καὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν, καὶ ἀρκεῖ σοι τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ κατεστάλθαι διηνεκῶς. Ἐπλάσθη ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶδεν ὅπως ἐπλάσθη· οὐ γὰρ ἐχρῆν αὐτὸν μάρτυρα παρεῖναι\n\nτῶν γινομένων, ἵνα μὴ ἐπαίρηται κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτῃ ταπεινώσει περιβεβλημένος ἐπαίρεται, καὶ ἀγνοεῖ τὸν κτίσαντα, καὶ ἀθετεῖ τὸν πλάσαντα· εἰ ἔλαβε τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν, τίς ἂν ἐχώρησεν αὐτοῦ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τὴν ἀμετρίαν; Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς πλάσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ δυνάμεις μεγάλας ἐνέθηκε τῷ πλάσματι καὶ ταπεινώσεις πολλὰς, ἵνα διὰ μὲν τῆς ἐγκειμένης δυνάμεως ἡ χάρις τοῦ τεχνίτου θαυμάζηται, διὰ δὲ τῆς ταπεινώσεως τὸ φρόνημα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον καταστέλληται. Ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ γλῶσσαν φθεγγομένην, Θεὸν ὑμνοῦσαν, τὰ θεῖα ᾄδουσαν, ἑρμηνεύουσαν τὰ κάλλη τῆς κτίσεως. Διαλέγεται περὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς μικρὸν σαρκίον ἡ γλῶττα, οὐδὲ δύο δακτύλων ἔχουσα μέτρον· καὶ τί λέγω δακτύλων; οὐδὲ ἄκρου ὄνυχος· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἄκρον ἐκεῖνο τὸ μικρὸν φθέγγεται περὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ ὅτι μεγάλη τίς ἐστι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἑαυτῆς φύσιν ἐπαίρηται, πολλάκις καὶ φύματα καὶ τραύματα αὐτῇ περιπλέκεται, ἵνα μάθῃ ὅτι θνητὴ οὖσα περὶ ἀθανάτων λαλεῖ, καὶ ὀφείλει γνωρίζειν, τίς μὲν ἡ τοῦ κηρυττομένου δύναμις, καὶ τίς ἡ ἀσθένεια τοῦ κηρύττοντος. Ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὀφθαλμὸν, τὴν μικρὰν ἐκείνην κέγχρον, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς καθορᾷ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ περιλαμβάνων πᾶσαν τῇ ὄψει τὴν κτίσιν ἐπαίρηται, πολλάκις καὶ ὀφθαλμίαι καὶ λῆμαι καὶ δάκρυα καὶ ὅσα θολοῖ τὴν ὄψιν ἐπιγεννᾶται·","english":"Consider your nature and your makeup, and this is enough for you to be kept humble continually. Adam was formed from the earth, but he did not see how he was formed; for it was not fitting that he be present as a witness of what was happening, lest he exalt himself against God. For if, clothed in such great lowliness, he exalts himself and ignores the one who created him and rejects the one who formed him, if he had received what is beyond his nature, who could have contained the immensity of his pride? For this reason God, having formed man, both implanted great powers in the creature and many humiliations, so that through the power implanted in him the grace of the craftsman might be admired, and through the humiliations human pride might be kept down. He gave him a tongue that speaks, that hymns God, that sings of divine things, that interprets the beauties of creation. A little piece of flesh, the tongue, speaks about heaven and earth, though it has not even the measure of two fingers; and why do I say two fingers? Not even the tip of a nail; but that tiny tip speaks about heaven and earth. And so that it might not think that it is something great and exalt itself beyond its own nature, swellings and wounds are often entwined around it, so that it may learn that, being mortal, it speaks about immortal things, and that it ought to recognize what is the power of the one proclaimed and what is the weakness of the one proclaiming. He gave him an eye, that little millet-seed, and through it he beholds all creation. And so that, encompassing all creation with his sight, he might not exalt himself, ophthalmias and cataracts and tears and all the things that cloud the vision are often engendered in him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":100,"ref":"p100","source":"ἵνα ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀσθενείας ἑαυτὸν γνωρίζῃ, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς δημιουργίας τὸν τεχνίτην ἐκθειάζῃ. Εἰ οὖν τοιαύτην ἀσθένειαν περιφέρων ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὕτω τῆς ἰδίας εὐτελείας ἐπιλανθάνεται, ὡς καὶ κατὰ Δημιουργοῦ θρασύνεσθαι· εἰ ταύτης παντελῶς ἀπήλλακτο τῆς ἀσθενείας, τίς ἂν αὐτὸν ἤνεγκεν ἐπαιρόμενον; Ἐννόησον τίνι κοινωνεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, φυσώμενος καὶ πρὸς ἀλαζονείαν ἐπαιρόμενος, καὶ τοῦ ξένου τὴν θεραπείαν ἐπαισχυνόμενος. Καὶ πῶς τοῦτο γένοιτ' ἂν, φησί; Εἰ γὰρ εὐγενής τις εἴη καὶ περιφανὴς καὶ λαμπρὸς καὶ ἐπίσημος, αὐτὸς τοῦ ξένου νίψει τοὺς πόδας; καὶ πῶς οὐκ αἰσχρόν; Αἰσχρὸν μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ νίπτειν μᾶλλόν ἐστι. Κἂν γὰρ μυριάκις αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐγένειαν ἐπάρῃς καὶ τὴν περιφάνειαν καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα, τῆς αὐτῆς μετέχει τῷ νιπτομένῳ φύσεως, καὶ σύνδουλός ἐστι τοῦ θεραπευομένου καὶ ὁμότιμος. Ἐννόησον τίς τῶν μαθητῶν τοὺς πόδας ἔνιψε, καὶ παῦσαι περὶ εὐγενείας διαλεγόμενος. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ μέγα φρονεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς οὖσιν, οὐ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα ἐπιτήδειον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπίφθονον, ὡς ἄνθρωπος πλουτῶν· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ἀπόνοια προσῇ τούτῳ, διπλοῦς ὁ κρημνὸς γίνεται. Ὁ δὲ μετριάζειν εἰδὼς ὑποτέμνει τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ τῆς βασκανίας τὴν τυραννίδα, καὶ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἔχει ἅπερ ἔχει· τοιοῦτον τὸ μέγεθος τούτου. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη δίδωσι τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Μὴ τοίνυν μέγα φρονῶμεν ἐπὶ πλούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἐφ' ἑτέρῳ μηδενί. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς μέγα φρονῶν οἴχεται καὶ ἀπόλωλε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς σαρκικοῖς.","english":"so that from his weakness he might know himself, and from his creation he might extol the Craftsman. If then man, carrying about such weakness, thus forgets his own worthlessness, as even to be bold against the Creator—if he were wholly freed from this weakness, who could bear him when he exalts himself? Consider with whom you share, O man, puffed up and lifted up to arrogance, and ashamed to serve the stranger. And how could this be? says he. For if someone be well-born and distinguished and illustrious and eminent, shall he himself wash the feet of the stranger? And how is it not shameful? It is shameful rather not to wash. For even if you exalt his nobility ten thousand times, and his distinction and his splendor, he partakes of the same nature as the one being washed, and is a fellow-servant of the one being tended and of equal honor. Consider who washed the feet of the disciples, and cease discoursing about nobility. For not to think greatly of the things that are is useful not only for the things to come, but also for the things present. For nothing is so enviable as a man who is rich; but when folly is added to this, the precipice becomes double. But he who knows how to be moderate cuts off the tyranny of envy by humility, and possesses with safety what he possesses; such is its greatness. For it benefits us not only for the things to come, but even from here it already gives the recompenses. Let us not, then, think greatly of wealth, but neither of anything else. For if he who thinks greatly of spiritual things is ruined and destroyed, much more he who thinks greatly of fleshly things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":101,"ref":"p101","source":"Ἐννοήσωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν, ἀναλογισώμεθα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, μάθωμεν τίνες ἐσμὲν, καὶ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσιν. Οὗτος γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστιν ὁ ἑαυτὸν εἰδὼς, ὁ μηδὲν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι νομίζων. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως τῷ Θεῷ φίλον, ὡς τὸ μετὰ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἑαυτὸν ἀριθμῆσαι. Δεῦτε γὰρ, φησὶ, μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, τοῦ βασιλέως ὢν υἱὸς, δούλην ἐπελεγόμην μητέρα; εἰ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, ὁ τῆς ἀφανοῦς καὶ φαινομένης οὐσίας δημιουργὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπεδήμουν; εἰ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, φάτνης ἐδεχόμην πενίαν, ὁ τῆς κτίσεως ὅλης κεκτημένος τὸν πλοῦτον; εἰ μὴ ἤμην πρᾶος, τὸν νῶτόν μου παρεῖχον ὑπὲρ αἰχμαλώτων εἰς μάστιγας; Τί δέ; τὸ μεῖζον οὐ λέγω· εἰ μὴ πρᾶος ἤμην, ἄλλων τὸ παθεῖν χρεωστούντων, ὁ μηδὲν ὀφείλων ἐγὼ, τὸ τοῦ θανάτου χρέος ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων κατέβαλον, Οὕτως εἰμὶ πρᾶος, ὅτι ἥμαρτες σὺ, καὶ ἐμαστιγώθην ἐγώ· οὕτως εἰμὶ ταπεινὸς, ὅτι ἱκετεύειν τοὺς ἐμοὺς οὐκ αἰσχύνομαι δούλους, ἀλλ' αἱροῦμαι παρακαλεῖν, ἵνα μὴ κολάζειν ἀναγκασθῶ. Ὅταν οὖν εἰς ἔννοιαν ἔλθῃς θαύμασαι σαυτὸν ἐπὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, ἐννόησον τὸν","english":"Let us consider our own nature, let us reckon up our sins, let us learn what we are—and this is enough to give us a foundation for all humility. For that man is most truly the one who knows himself, who thinks himself to be nothing. For nothing is so dear to God as for a man to count himself among the last. For come, he says, learn from me, that I am gentle and humble in heart. For if I were not gentle, being a king's son, would I have chosen a slave woman as my mother? If I were not gentle, I, the maker of both invisible and visible substance, would I have come down to you? If I were not gentle, would I have accepted the poverty of a manger, I who possess the wealth of the whole creation? If I were not gentle, would I have offered my back to the whip for the sake of captives? And what more? I do not mention the greater thing: if I were not gentle, when others owed the debt of suffering, I who owed nothing paid down the debt of death on their behalf. So gentle am I, that you sinned and I was scourged; so humble am I, that I am not ashamed to entreat my own servants, but I choose to plead, so that I may not be compelled to punish. When, then, you come to marvel at yourself for your humility, consider the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":102,"ref":"p102","source":"Δεσπότην σου ποῦ κατῆλθεν, καὶ οὐκέτι θαυμάσεις σαυτὸν οὐδὲ ἐπαινέσεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταγελάσεις σαυτοῦ, ὡς οὐδὲν πεποιηκότος. Ταπεινὸς εἶ, καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ταπεινότερος, μὴ διὰ τοῦτο μέγα φρόνει, μηδὲ ἑτέροις ὀνείδιζε, καὶ ἀπολέσεις τὸ καύχημα. Διὰ τοῦτο ταπεινοφρονεῖς, ἵνα ἀπονοίας ἀπαλλαγῇς· ἂν τοίνυν δι' αὐτῆς εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐμπέσῃς, κρεῖττον μὴ ταπεινοφρονεῖν. Εἰ δέ τις λέγοι 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 παρανομίας λήψεταί ποτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐξήσει τὸ δεινὸν, καὶ λήσεται τῶν ἐνθένδε κενὸς ἀπερχόμενος. Καὶ τί δήποτε, φησὶν, οἱ τὰ ὀρθὰ βαδίζοντες πρὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν, μετὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς πολλάκις 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 ἡμῖν εἶναι χρηστῶν, πάντων εἰσὶ πονηρότεροι. Ἵνα δὲ τοὺς τοιούτους ἀφέντες, ἐπὶ τοὺς ὄντως βιοῦντας ὀρθῶς ἔλθωμεν τῷ λόγῳ, τίς οἶδεν εἰ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα αὐτοῖς κατώρθωται, τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον ἠμέληται τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη;","english":"Where did your Master descend to, that you no longer marvel at yourself or praise yourself, but even laugh at yourself as having done nothing? You are humble, and more humble than all men—do not be proud because of this, nor reproach others, and you will not destroy your boast. You are humble-minded for this reason, that you may be delivered from folly; if, then, through it you fall into folly, it is better not to be humble-minded. But if someone should say that it is better to be lifted up while succeeding than to be brought low while falling, he is greatly ignorant of the harm of arrogance and the gain of humility. For know this clearly, that a man who succeeds with folly—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 his fall, will both rise and recover himself more quickly, if indeed he wishes; but he who seems to do well with arrogance, and suffers nothing terrible, will never even perceive his own transgression, but will also increase the evil, and will depart from here empty without knowing it. And why, he says, did those who walked uprightly before their trials often fall after the trials? Who, then, is the one who knows well those who walk uprightly, except the one who formed our hearts individually, and understands all our works? For many, often, of those who seem to us to be good, are worse than all. But to leave such people aside and come in our discourse to those who truly live rightly—who knows whether in other respects they have succeeded, but the chief of goods, humility, has been neglected?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":103,"ref":"p103","source":"Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἀφῆκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μάθωσιν, ὅτι οὐ τῇ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει κατώρθουν ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλὰ τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπιείκεια γὰρ λέγεται, οὐχ ὅταν τις παρὰ τῶν ἐν δυναστείᾳ ἀδικούμενος φέρῃ πράως, ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν νομιζομένων ὑποδεεστέρων εἶναι ἐπηρεαζόμενος παραχωρῇ. Ὅρα γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ οἵαν εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους αὐτοῦ δούλους ἐπιδείκνυται θεραπείαν. Ἡνίκα γὰρ Ἰσαὰκ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Γεράρων καὶ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἀδίκως ἀπηλαύνετο τῶν ἰδίων πόνων, οὐκ ἐδυσχέραινεν, οὐδὲ μικρόψυχον ἐπεδείξατο, οὐδὲ ἀνεβόησε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, οὐδὲ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐδὲ ἀπολαύειν φρεάτων εἰμὶ κύριος; ἆρα μὴ ἔρημος γέγονα τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς; ἆρα μὴ τῆς προνοίας ἀπεστέρημαι τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου; Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον οὐκ ἐνενόησεν, οὐκ ἐλογίσατο, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐπιεικείας πάντα ἔφερε. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πλείονος ἀπέλαυσε τῆς τιμῆς, καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν συμμαχίας. Ὤφθη γὰρ αὐτῷ Κύριος ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ εἶπεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ πατρός σου· μὴ φοβοῦ, μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι καὶ εὐλογήσω σε. Θέλων γὰρ τὸν δίκαιον ἀνακτήσασθαι καὶ θαῤῥεῖν παρασκευάσαι, ἐπιφαίνεται αὐτῷ, καί φησιν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς ὁ τὸν πατέρα τὸν σὸν ἐπίδοξον ποιήσας, καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ περιφανείᾳ καταστήσας, καὶ ξένον ὄντα τῶν ἐγχωρίων λαμπρότερον ἀπεργασάμενος· ἐγώ εἰμι ἐκεῖνος, ὁ ἐκεῖνον οὕτως αὐξηθῆναι παρασκευάσας. Μὴ τοίνυν φοβοῦ, μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι, καὶ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου δι' Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα σου· πολλὰς γὰρ ὀφείλω τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἐκείνῳ τῆς εἰς ἐμὲ ὑπακοῆς. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ δίκαιος, ἐν ἀδείᾳ λοιπὸν γίνεται·","english":"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. For meekness is spoken of not when someone who is wronged by those in authority bears it gently, but when one who is being insulted even by those considered to be his inferiors yields. For observe the philanthropy of God, and what kind of care he shows toward his own servants. For when Isaac was unjustly driven out from his own labors by the king of Gerar and the inhabitants of the land, he was not vexed, nor did he display any petty-mindedness, nor did he cry out to himself, nor did he say, \"Am I not even master to enjoy wells? Have I perhaps become destitute of the help from above? Have I perhaps been deprived of the providence that comes from the Master?\" He thought none of these things, he reckoned none of them, but bore all things with meekness. For this reason he also enjoyed greater honor and the alliance from above. For the Lord appeared to him on that night and said: I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you and I will bless you. For wishing to restore the righteous man and to prepare him to be of good courage, he appears to him and says: I am the God who made your father glorious and established him in such great prominence, and made him, though a stranger to the inhabitants of the land, more splendid than they; I am the one who caused him to be increased thus. Do not fear, therefore, for I am with you, and I will multiply your seed through Abraham your father; for I owe him many recompenses for his obedience toward me. Having heard these things, the righteous man is henceforth in security.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":104,"ref":"p104","source":"ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, καὶ, Εὐλογήσω σε καὶ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου· οὗτος καὶ τὴν περιφάνειαν ἐχαρίσατο. Ὅρα πόση τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡ ἰσχύς· οἱ γὰρ πρῴην ἐλάσαντες, νῦν παραγενόμενοι πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον, οὐ μόνον ἀπολογοῦνται ὑπὲρ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων καὶ συγγνώμην αἰτοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνακηρύττουσι. Τίς γὰρ ἂν εἴη τούτου ἰσχυρότερος, τοῦ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἔχοντος; Ἰδόντες γὰρ, φασὶν, ἑωράκαμεν ὅτι Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. Ἴδωμεν δὲ πῶς καὶ ὁ τούτου υἱὸς Ἰακὼβ τὴν ἀποδημίαν ποιεῖται διωκόμενος· οὐ μικρὰν γὰρ κἀντεῦθεν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Πορευόμενος γὰρ εἰς Χαῤῥὰν, ἔδυ ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τῶν λίθων τοῦ τόπου, καὶ ἔθηκε πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκοιμήθη. Εἶδες ἄφατον φιλοσοφίαν; εἶδες πῶς οἱ παλαιοὶ τὰς ὁδοιπορίας ἐποιοῦντο; Ἀνὴρ ἐν οἰκίᾳ τραφεὶς, πολλῆς ἀπολαύσας θεραπείας, λαβὼν λίθον,\n\nἔθηκε πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα τοῦ παιδὸς τὴν ἀνδρείαν, τῷ λίθῳ ἀντὶ προσκεφαλαίου ἐχρήσατο, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους ἐκάθευδε· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου ὄψεως καταξιοῦται. Καί φησιν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ τοῦ πατρός σου· ἐγὼ καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην, καὶ τὸν πατέρα τὸν σὸν εἰς τοσαύτην περιφάνειαν αὐξηθῆναι πεποίηκα. Μὴ τοίνυν φοβοῦ, ἀλλὰ πίστευε ὅτι ἐγὼ ὁ κἀκείνοις τὰς ὑποσχέσεις πληρώσας, καὶ σὲ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀξιώσω προνοίας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, διαφυλάττων σε ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, οὗ ἐὰν πορευθῇς. Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶ, μόνος τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ποιεῖσθαι· ἐμὲ ἕξεις συνοδοιπόρον, ἐμὲ ἕξεις φύλακα ἐν πάσῃ ὁδῷ· μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι.","english":"For the one who said, \"I am with you,\" and, \"I will bless you and multiply your seed\"—this same one also granted the distinction. See how great is the strength of humility; for those who yesterday were driving him out, now having come to the righteous man, not only defend themselves concerning what has already happened and ask forgiveness, but also proclaim him. For who could be stronger than this man, who has God with him? For having seen, they say, we have seen that the Lord is with you. But let us see how his son Jacob also makes his journey while being pursued; for from this too we shall reap no small benefit. For as he was journeying to Harran, the sun set, and he took from the stones of the place, and placed them at his head, and slept. Did you see the ineffable philosophy? Did you see how the ancients made their journeys? A man raised in a house, enjoying much attendance, took a stone and placed it at his head. See the boy's courage: he used the stone instead of a pillow, and slept on the ground; for this reason he is also deemed worthy of the Master's vision. And he says: \"I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac your father; I have caused both the patriarch and your father to be increased to such great distinction. Do not therefore fear, but believe that I, who fulfilled the promises to them, will also deem you worthy of my providence. But even now I am with you, guarding you in the way, wherever you may go.\" Do not think, he says, that you make the journey alone; you will have me as a fellow traveler, you will have me as a guard in every way; for I am with you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":105,"ref":"p105","source":"Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει μεγάλα σου ποιῆσαι τὰ κατορθώματα, μὴ νόμιζε αὐτὰ εἶναι μεγάλα, ἀλλὰ χάριτι ὁμολόγει σώζεσθαι, ἵνα ὀφειλέτην ἑαυτῷ τὸν Θεὸν καταστήσῃς, οὐχὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης εὐγνωμοσύνης. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ κατορθῶμεν, τῶν κατορθωμάτων ὀφειλέτην ἔχομεν μόνον· ὅταν δὲ μηδὲ ἡγώμεθά τι κατωρθωκέναι, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ οὕτω διακεῖσθαι, καὶ μειζόνως ἢ ἐκείνων. Εἰ οὖν ταπεινοφρονεῖν βούλει, μὴ ἐν ῥήμασι μηδὲ ἐν σχήμασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν πράγμασι καὶ ἐν φθέγμασι τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδείκνυσο· καὶ μὴ πρὸς τοῦτον μὲν ταπεινὸς, πρὸς δὲ ἐκεῖνον θρασὺς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας ἔσο ταπεινὸς, κἂν φίλος ᾖ κἂν ἐχθρὸς, κἂν μέγας κἂν μικρός· τοῦτο γὰρ ταπεινοφροσύνη. Ἔστι γὰρ ταπεινὸν μὲν εἶναι, ὀξὺν δὲ καὶ ὀργίλον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὄφελος· πολλάκις γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς κατεχόμενος πάντα ἀπώλεσε. Τὴν γὰρ ἀληθῆ ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐντεῦθεν μάλιστα ἔστι διδάσκεσθαι τοὺς προσέχοντας. Ἐλθόντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς Καπερναοὺμ, προσῆλθον οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳ, καὶ εἶπον, Ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχμα; Καὶ ὅρα, αὐτῷ μὲν τῷ Χριστῷ οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν προσελθεῖν, τῷ Πέτρῳ δέ· καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος, ἀλλ' ἐπιεικέστερον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγκαλοῦντες, ἀλλ' ἐρωτῶντες ἔλεγον, Ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχμα; Τὴν μὲν γὰρ προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν οὐδέπω εἶχον, ἀλλ' ὡς περὶ ἀνθρώπου οὕτω διέκειντο· πλὴν ἀπένεμόν τινα αἰδῶ καὶ τιμὴν διὰ τὰ προλαβόντα σημεῖα. Τί οὖν ὁ Πέτρος; Ναὶ, φησί. Καὶ τούτοις μὲν εἶπεν ὅτι τελεῖ, αὐτῷ δὲ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἴσως ἐρυθριῶν ὑπὲρ τούτων αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι.","english":"If, then, you wish to make your good deeds great, do not think that they are great, but confess that you are saved by grace, so that you may make God your debtor, not only for your good deeds but also for such gratitude as this. For when we do right, we have God as a debtor for our good deeds alone; but when we do not even consider that we have done anything right, we have him as a debtor for this very disposition, and more greatly than for those deeds. If, then, you wish to be humble-minded, display virtue not in words nor in outward bearing only, but also in deeds and in speech; and do not be humble toward this one but bold toward that one, but be humble toward all, whether he be friend or enemy, whether great or small; for this is humility of mind. For to be humble but sharp-tempered and prone to anger brings no benefit; for often, mastered by anger, a man has destroyed everything. For true humility of mind can especially be learned from this by those who pay attention. When Jesus came to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma came to Peter and said, \"Does your teacher not pay the didrachma?\" And observe: they did not dare to approach Christ himself, but Peter; and not even him with great vehemence, but more gently. For they spoke not as accusing but as asking: \"Does your teacher not pay the didrachma?\" For they did not yet have the fitting opinion concerning him, but were disposed as toward a man; nevertheless they accorded him some reverence and honor because of the signs that had preceded. What then did Peter say? \"Yes,\" he says. And to them he said that he pays, but to him he did not say it, perhaps being ashamed to speak with him about these things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":106,"ref":"p106","source":"Τί οὖν ὁ τὰ πάντα σαφῶς εἰδὼς Θεός; Προλαβὼν αὐτόν φησι· Τί σοι δοκεῖ, Σίμων; οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσι τέλη ἢ κῆνσον; ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων; Ἔφη, Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἄρα γε ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἱυἱοί. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃ ὁ Πέτρος, ὅτι παρ' ἐκείνων ἀκηκοὼς λέγῃ, προλαμβάνει αὐτὸν, τοῦτό τε αὐτὸ δηλῶν, καὶ παῤῥησίαν αὐτῷ παρέχων ὀκνοῦντι προτέρῳ περὶ τούτων εἰπεῖν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Ἐλεύθερος μέν εἰμι τοῦ δοῦναι κῆνσον· εἰ γὰρ οἱ τῆς γῆς βασιλεῖς παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν οὐ λαμβάνουσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐμὲ ἀπηλλάχθαι δεῖ τῆς ἀπαιτήσεως ταύτης, οὐκ ἐπιγείου βασιλέως, ἀλλὰ τοῦ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὄντα με υἱὸν καὶ βασιλέα. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπών φησιν· Ἵνα δὲ μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτοὺς, πορευθεὶς εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον, καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἐν αὐτῷ στατῆρα· ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν, δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ. Ὅρα πῶς οὐ παραιτεῖται τὸν φόρον, οὔτε ἁπλῶς κελεύει δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ πρότερον δείξας οὐκ ὄντα ὑπεύθυνον, τότε δίδωσι· τὸ μὲν, ἵνα ἐκεῖνοι μὴ σκανδαλισθῶσι· τὸ δὲ, ἵνα μὴ οὗτοι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς ὀφείλων δίδωσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσθένειαν διορθούμενος. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐξ ἀποκειμένων κελεύει δοῦναι; Ἵνα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ δείξῃ Θεὸν ἑαυτὸν ὄντα τῶν ὅλων, καὶ ὅτι τῆς θαλάσσης κρατεῖ.","english":"What then does God, who knows all things clearly, do? He anticipates him and says: \"What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive taxes or tribute? From their sons, or from strangers?\" He said, \"From strangers.\" Jesus says to him, \"Then the sons are free.\" For lest Peter should think that he was speaking from what he had heard from those men, he anticipates him, both making this very thing clear and giving him boldness, since he was hesitating to speak first about these matters. And what he says is this: \"I am free from giving the tribute; for if the kings of the earth do not receive it from their sons but from their subjects, much more must I be exempt from this demand, since I am a son and king not of an earthly king but of the King of the heavens.\" And having said these things, he says: \"But lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and you will find in it a stater; take that and give it to them for me and you.\" See how he does not refuse the tax, nor does he simply command it to be given, but after first showing that he is not liable, then he gives it—partly so that those men might not be caused to stumble, and partly so that these might not be. For he does not give it as one who owes it, but as one correcting their weakness. And for what reason does he not command it to be given from stored funds? So that in this too he might show that he is God of all things, and that he rules the sea.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":107,"ref":"p107","source":"Οὐδὲ γὰρ μικρὸν ἦν ἀπὸ τῶν βυθῶν ἐκείνων προειπεῖν, ὅτι πρῶτος ἐμπεσεῖται ὁ τὸν φόρον τελῶν ἰχθὺς, καὶ ὥσπερ ἀμφίβληστρον εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἐκείνην ἀφέντα αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσταγμα, ἀναγαγεῖν τὸν κομίζοντα τὸν στατῆρα, καὶ τὴν θάλατταν οὕτω ποιῆσαι δωροφορεῖν, καὶ πάντοθεν τὴν ὑποταγὴν αὐτῆς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει μέγα δεῖξαί σου τὸ κατόρθωμα, μὴ μέγα φρόνει, καὶ\n\nτότε τοῦτο μεῖζον ἀπέφηνας. Εἰ γὰρ, ὅταν ἁμαρτωλοὶ ὦμεν, ἂν νομίσωμεν, τοῦτο εἶναι ὅπερ ἐσμὲν, δίκαιοι γινόμεθα, ὡσπεροῦν καὶ ὁ τελώνης· ὅταν δίκαιοι ὄντες ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι νομίζωμεν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Ἂν μὲν γὰρ εἴπῃς σαυτὸν εὐδόκιμον, γέγονας ἄχρηστος, κἂν εὐδόκιμος ᾖς· ἂν δὲ ἀχρεῖον ὀνομάσῃς, γέγονας εὔχρηστος, κἂν ἀδόκιμος ᾖς. Ὡς γὰρ ὑπερηφάνοις οἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀντιτάσσεσθαι, οὕτω διδόναι χάριν τοῖς ταπεινοῖς· ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει δόξα καὶ κράτος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Ηʹ. Περὶ ψυχῆς.\n\nἘοίκασιν οἱ ἔργοις κομῶντες ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν πίστιν ἀγνοήσαντες, λειψάνοις νεκρῶν, καλὰ μὲν ἐνδεδυμένοις, αἴσθησιν δὲ τῶν καλῶν οὐκ ἔχουσι. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἀνθρώπῳ ψυχὴν μὲν ἔχειν νεκρὰν, τοῖς δὲ ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις περιβεβλημένην; Τὰ ἔργα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι γίνεται ἀμοιβῆς καὶ στεφάνων· εἰ δὲ τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην ἀγνοεῖς, ὑπὲρ τίνος ἀθλεῖς; Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προηγεῖται τὸ ζῇν, καὶ οὕτω τὸ τρέφεσθαι· οὕτω δεῖ προηγεῖσθαι ἡμῶν τῆς ζωῆς τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἐλπίδα, τρέφεσθαι δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς. Τὸν γὰρ μὴ τρεφόμενον ἐγχωρεῖ ζῇν πολλάκις· τὸν δὲ μὴ ζῶντα οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ τρέφεσθαι.","english":"For it was no small thing to foretell from those depths that the fish that paid the tax would leap up first, and that, as it were casting a net into that abyss by his command, he would bring up the one carrying the stater, and make the sea thus bring gifts, and show its subjection from every side. If, then, you wish to show your great success, do not think highly of yourself, and then you have made it greater. For if, when we are sinners, should we think that this is what we are, we become righteous, just as the tax collector did; when, being righteous, we think ourselves to be sinners, how much more? For if you call yourself esteemed, you have become useless, even if you are esteemed; but if you name yourself useless, you have become useful, even if you are unesteemed. For as God knows how to oppose the proud, so he gives grace to the humble; for to him belongs glory and power, unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 9. On the soul.\n\nThose who pride themselves on good works and are ignorant of faith toward God resemble the remains of the dead, clothed in fine garments but without perception of the fine things. For what profit is it to a man to have a soul that is dead but clothed in good works? Works are done in hope of recompense and crowns; but if you do not know the judge of the contest, for what are you striving? For just as living comes before eating for humans, so the hope in Christ must come before our life, and we must be nourished also by good works. For one who is not nourished can often live; but one who is not living cannot be nourished.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":108,"ref":"p108","source":"Καὶ ἄνευ μὲν πίστεως τὸν ἐργαζόμενον ἔργα δικαιοσύνης, οὐ δυνήσῃ παραστῆσαι ζήσαντα· ἄνευ δὲ ἔργων τὸν πιστὸν δύναμαι δεῖξαι καὶ ζήσαντα καὶ βασιλείας ἀξιωθέντα. Οὐδεὶς ἄνευ πίστεως ἔζησεν· ὁ δὲ λῃστὴς πιστεύσας μόνον ἐδικαιώθη. Μὴ γάρ μοι λέγε, Οὐκ ἔσχε καιρὸν πολιτεύσασθαι· εἰ γὰρ ἐπέζησε τῇ πίστει καὶ ἔργων ἠμέλησεν, ἐξέπιπτε τῆς σωτηρίας. Μεμαρτύρητο καὶ Κορνήλιος ἐπὶ ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ προσευχαῖς, ἀλλὰ Χριστὸν ἠγνόει· καὶ ἐπεὶ εἶδεν ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ὀφθαλμὸς, ὁ μέγας κριτὴς, ὅτι καλὰ μὲν τὰ ἔργα, νεκρὰ δέ ἐστιν οὐκ ἔχοντα πίστιν, ἀποστέλλει βραβεύοντα τοῖς ἔργοις ἄγγελον, ὥστε τὸν καλῶς ἀθλοῦντα στεφανῶσαι τῇ πίστει, ὅς φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Κορνήλιε, αἱ προσευχαί σου καὶ αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι σου ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημοσύνην ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ τοίνυν εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησις, καὶ αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι ἐδέχθησαν, τί μοι τὸ λεῖπον εἰς δικαιοσύνην; Ἀλλὰ πέμψον, φησὶ, εἰς Ἰόππην, καὶ μετακάλεσαι Σίμωνα τὸν ἐπικαλούμενον Πέτρον, ὃς ἐλθὼν λαλήσει σοι τὰ ῥήματα, ἐν οἷς σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ ὅλος ὁ οἶκός σου. Εἰ οὖν ἐξ ὧν λέγει Πέτρος, σώζεται καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ, οὐκ εἶχεν οὐδέπω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἕως αὐτὴν τοῖς ἔργοις ἐβράβευσεν ἡ πίστις. Λέγεταί τις καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν φιλοσόφων εἰς οἰκίαν λαμπρὰν εἰσελθὼν, πολλῷ μὲν καταλαμπομένην χρυσίῳ, πολλῷ δὲ ἀστράπτουσαν τῷ τῶν μαρμάρων καὶ τῶν κιόνων κάλλει· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ ἔδαφος εἶδε πανταχοῦ τάπητας ἔχον ἐστρωμένους, εἰς τὴν ὄψιν ἐμπτύσαι τοῦ τῆς οἰκίας δεσπότου·","english":"Without faith, you cannot show that a worker of righteousness lived; but without works I can show that a believer both lived and was deemed worthy of the kingdom. No one lived without faith; but the robber was justified by believing alone. Do not tell me, \"He had no time to live a virtuous life\"; for if he had lived on in faith and neglected works, he would have fallen from salvation. Cornelius too was attested for his almsgiving and prayers, but he did not know Christ; and when the eye of truth, the great judge, saw that the works were good but dead, lacking faith, he sends an angel to award the prize to the works, so as to crown with faith the one who contended well, who says to him: \"Cornelius, your prayers and your almsgivings have gone up as a memorial before God.\" If, then, his petition was heard and his almsgivings were accepted, what is lacking for me in regard to righteousness? But, he says, send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, who when he comes will speak to you words by which you and your whole household will be saved. If, then, he and his household are saved by what Peter says, he did not yet have salvation from his works, until faith awarded it to his works. It is said that one of the pagan philosophers, entering a splendid house, brightly lit with much gold and flashing with the great beauty of its marbles and columns, when he saw the floor everywhere spread with carpets, spat in the face of the master of the house.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":109,"ref":"p109","source":"εἶτα ἐγκαλούμενος εἰπεῖν, διὰ τὸ μηδαμοῦ τῆς οἰκίας ἑτέρωθι τοῦτο ἐξεῖναι ποιῆσαι, εἰς τὴν ὄψιν ἀναγκασθῆναι ὑβρίσαι τὴν ἐκείνου. Ὁρᾷς ὡς καταγέλαστος ὁ τὰ ἔξωθεν καλλωπίζων ἐστὶ, καὶ παρὰ πᾶσιν εὐκαταφρόνητος τοῖς νοῦν ἔχουσι; καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ὅταν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν τοίχους καὶ τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα καλλωπίζῃς, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν περιορᾷς ῥακοδυτοῦσαν, αὐχμῶσαν, πεινῶσαν, τραυμάτων γέμουσαν, ὑπὸ μυρίων σπασσομένην κυνῶν, ποίαν οὐκ ἂν, εἰπέ μοι, ὑποστήσῃ τιμωρίαν; Χρήματα μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἀπολέσῃς, δυνήσῃ δοῦναι χρήματα, κἂν οἰκίαν, κἂν ἀνδράποδα, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον τῶν κτημάτων· ψυχὴν δὲ ἂν ἀπολέσῃς, ἑτέραν ἐπιδοῦναι ψυχὴν οὐ δυνήσῃ, ἀλλὰ κἂν τὸν κόσμον ἔχῃς ἅπαντα, κἂν βασιλεὺς τῆς οἰκουμένης ᾖς, οὐχ οἷός τε ἔσῃ τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἅπαντα καταβαλὼν μετὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης αὐτῆς ψυχὴν ἀγοράσαι μίαν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ σώματος, κἂν μυρία διαδήματα περικείμενος ᾖς, σῶμα δὲ ἔχῃς ἐπίνοσον φύσει καὶ ἀνιάτως ἔχον, οὐ δυνήσῃ κἂν τὴν βασιλείαν ἅπασαν ἐπιδῷς, τὸ σῶμα διορθῶσαι τοῦτο, κἂν μυρία σώματα προσθῇς καὶ πόλεις καὶ","english":"Then, when he was accused of saying it, because it was not permitted to do this anywhere else in the house, he was compelled to insult that man to his face. Do you see how ridiculous the man who adorns the outside is, and how easily despised by all who have understanding? And very reasonably so. For when you adorn the walls and the floor and all the other things, but neglect the soul, letting it go in rags, squalid, hungry, full of wounds, torn at by countless dogs, tell me, what punishment will you not undergo? For if you lose money, you can give money, and a house, and slaves, and any other of your possessions; but if you lose a soul, you cannot give another soul in its place, but even if you possess the whole world, even if you are king of the inhabited earth, you will not be able, by casting down all the things of the inhabited earth together with the inhabited earth itself, to buy one soul. For if in the case of the body, even if you are encircled with countless diadems, but have a body that is sickly by nature and incurably so, you will not be able, even if you give the whole kingdom, to restore this body, even if you add countless bodies and cities and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":110,"ref":"p110","source":"χρήματα· ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Πάντα διπλᾶ δέδωκεν ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ φύσει· δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς, δύο ὦτα, δύο χεῖρας, δύο πόδας· ἵνα ἐὰν τὸ ἕτερον τούτων βλαβῇ, διὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου τὴν χρείαν παραμυθώμεθα· ψυχὴν δὲ μίαν δέδωκεν ἡμῖν· ἂν ταύτην ἀπολέσωμεν, μετὰ τίνος ἐμβιοτεύσομεν; Ψυχὴ γὰρ καθάπαξ ὑπὸ φιλοχρηματίας ἁλοῦσα, οὐ ῥᾳδίως οὐδὲ εὐκόλως παραιτήσεται καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ εἰπεῖν τι τῶν παροξυνόντων Θεὸν, ἅτε καὶ ἑτέρου γενομένη δεσπότου δούλη, καὶ πάντα ἀπεναντίας ἐπιτάττοντος τῷ Θεῷ. Ψυχὴ καθάπαξ τῆς οἰκείας ἀπογνοῦσα σωτηρίας, οὐδαμοῦ τῆς μανίας ἀφίσταται, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἡνίας τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῆς ἐνδοῦσα ταῖς ἀλόγοις ἐπιθυμίαις, πανταχοῦ φέρεται, καὶ τοῖς ἀπαντῶσίν ἐστιν ἀφόρητος, ὑποφευγόντων μὲν ἁπάντων, κατασχεῖν δὲ τολμῶντος οὐδενὸς, ἀλλὰ πάντα τῆς κακίας κατατρέχει τὰ χωρία, ἕως ἂν εἰς αὐτὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας τὰ βάραθρα φέρουσα, κατακρημνίσῃ τὴν ἑαυτῆς σωτηρίαν. Ψυχὴ καθάπαξ ἁμαρτίᾳ σπεισαμένη, καὶ ἀναλγήτως διατεθεῖσα, πολλὴν παρέχει τῷ νοσήματι τὴν προσθήκην. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὗς ἐγκυλινδούμενος βορβόρῳ ἥδεται, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ ὑπὸ κακῆς συνηθείας καταχωσθεῖσα, οὐδὲ αἴσθησιν λαμβάνει τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων δυσωδίας· καὶ ὥσπερ γῆν μὴ βρεχομένην οὐκ ἔστι, κἂν μυρία τις βάλῃ σπέρματα, στάχυας ἐξενεγκεῖν, οὕτω ψυχὴν οὐκ ἔστι μὴ ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς φωτισθεῖσαν πρότερον, κἂν μυρία τις ἐκχέῃ ῥήματα, καρπόν τινα ἐπιδείξασθαι. Καὶ καθάπερ ἡ γῆ, ὅταν μὴ σπείρηται μηδὲ φυτεύηται, βοτάνην ἀναδίδωσιν ἁπλῶς·","english":"Money; how much more so in the case of the soul? God has given us all things double in our nature: two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet, so that if one of these is harmed, we may relieve our need through the other. But he has given us one soul. If we lose this, with what shall we live? For a soul once captured by love of money will not easily or readily refrain from doing and saying anything that provokes God, since it has become the slave of another master, one who commands everything in opposition to God. A soul that has once despaired of its own salvation does not depart from its madness anywhere, but yielding the reins of its salvation to irrational desires, it is carried everywhere and is unbearable to those it meets, while all flee from it and no one dares to restrain it; rather, it overruns every region of wickedness, until, carrying itself to the very abysses of destruction, it hurls down its own salvation. A soul that has once made a treaty with sin and become insensible brings great increase to the disease. For just as a pig wallowing in mire delights in it, so too a soul buried by evil habit does not even perceive the stench of sins. And just as it is impossible for land that is not watered to bring forth ears of grain, even if one casts countless seeds upon it, so it is impossible for a soul not first enlightened by the divine Scriptures to show any fruit, even if one pours out countless words. And just as the earth, when it is neither sown nor planted, simply puts forth herbage—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":111,"ref":"p111","source":"οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ, ὅταν μὴ ἔχῃ τι πρᾶξαι τῶν ἀναγκαίων, ἐπειδὴ ἀργεῖν οὐ δύναται, πάντως τοῦ πράττειν ἐπιθυμοῦσα, πονηροῖς ἑαυτὴν ἐκδίδωσι πράγμασιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων φλεγμονὴ, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπόνοια· εἶτα ἐξ ἀπονοίας ἐπιθυμία τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων ἐπακολουθεῖν εἴωθεν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν οἱ τῶν τραυμάτων καταφρονήσαντες, πυρετοὺς ἔτεκον καὶ σηπεδόνας καὶ θάνατον· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχῶν οἱ τῶν μικρῶν ὑπερορῶντες ἁμαρτημάτων, τὰ μείζονα ἐπεισάγουσι. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναγάγωμεν, οὐχ ἵνα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν εἰς τὴν γῆν κατασπάσωμεν. Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος! πῶς πάντες εἰς τὰ παρόντα κεχήνασι πράγματα, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων οὐδέποτε λαμβάνουσιν ἔννοιαν· ἀλλ' εἰς μὲν τὰς σωματικὰς ἀπολαύσεις ἀδιαλείπτως ἐπείγονται, τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς ἐῶσιν ἐν λιμῷ τήκεσθαι· καὶ μυρία καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν λαμβάνοντες τραύματα, οὐδέποτε αἴσθησιν λαμβάνουσι τῶν ἐν οἷς εἰσι κακῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν τοῦ σώματος θεραπείαν ἑαυτοῖς περιποιοῦνται, τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς ὑπερορῶσιν αὐχμώσης τε καὶ ῥυπώσης καὶ ὑπὸ μυρίων ἐνοχλουμένης κακῶν. Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτάς τε καὶ πόνους οὐδὲ τὸ θνητὸν σῶμα θανάτου κρεῖττον ἐργάζονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀθάνατον μετὰ τοῦ θνητοῦ ταῖς ἀθανάτοις ὑποβάλλουσι τιμωρίαις. Διὰ τοῦτο λίαν ὀλοφυρόμενος τὴν περικεχυμένην ἄνοιαν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχαῖς, καὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης αὐτοῖς ἀχλύος τὴν παχύτητα, ἐβουλόμην εὑρεῖν σκοπιάν τινα ὑψηλὴν, ὑποδεικνύουσάν μοι πάντα τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένη·","english":"So too the soul, when it has no necessary work to do, since it cannot be idle, and wholly desires to be doing something, gives itself over to evil deeds. For just as inflammation is in bodies, so is recklessness in the soul; then from recklessness the desire for things that are not fitting is accustomed to follow. And just as in bodies those who disregard wounds breed fevers and putrefactions and death, so too in souls those who overlook small sins introduce greater ones. For this reason God gave us the body from the earth, so that we might lead it too up to heaven, not so that through it we might drag the soul down to the earth. O the wonder! How all gape at the things of the present, and never take thought of the things to come; but they rush ceaselessly toward bodily pleasures, and let their souls waste away in hunger; and though they receive countless wounds each day, they never perceive the evils in which they are, but they procure for themselves the care of the body, while they overlook the soul as it is parched and filthy and troubled by countless evils. And what is yet more grievous, that after many sweats and toils they do not make even the mortal body stronger than death, but with the mortal they also subject the immortal to immortal punishments. For this reason, greatly lamenting the folly poured over the souls of men, and the thickness of the mist that lies upon them, I wished to find some high vantage point, showing me all the races of men.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":112,"ref":"p112","source":"ἠβουλόμην δὲ καὶ φωνῆς τυχεῖν πάντα περιηχούσης τὰ πέρατα, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀρκούσης τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ στῆναι καὶ βοῆσαι, καὶ Δαυϊδικὴν ἐκείνην ἀνακηρῦξαι φωνήν· Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ σώματος, κἂν τὸ τυχὸν καταλάβῃ πάθος, καὶ ἰατροὺς καλεῖν, καὶ χρήματα ἀναλίσκειν, καὶ καρτερίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀφίστασθαι ἅπαντα πράττοντας, ἕως ἂν ἀποθώμεθα τὸ λυποῦν· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν κεντουμένης, κρημνιζομένης, καὶ πάντα τρόπον ἀπολλυούσης ἑαυτὴν, οὐδὲ βραχὺν ἔχειν λόγον; Οὐ γὰρ τὸν ἔχοντα σηπεδόνα θρηνεῖν ἁπλῶς δεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἔχοντα καὶ εἰκῇ κείμενον, καὶ μὴ τυγχάνοντα ἰατρικῶν χειρῶν· τὸν δὲ τεμνόμενον καὶ καιόμενον, τοῦτον μάλιστα φαίημεν ἂν πρὸς ὑγίειαν ὁδεύειν, οὐ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τομῆς ὀδύνην βλέποντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης ὑγίειαν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς\n\nδιακεῖσθαι χρὴ, οὐχὶ τοὺς κολαζομένους, οὗτοι γὰρ πρὸς ὑγίειαν ἕλκονται, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἀτιμωρητὶ πενθεῖν καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ χρησταῖς συστρεφόμενος ἐλπίσι καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων θαῤῥῶν, ἀπεντεῦθεν ἤδη τῆς βασιλείας ἐγεύσατο· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω ψυχὴν εἴωθεν ἀνακτᾶσθαι καὶ ἀμείνω ποιεῖν, ὡς ἡ χρηστὴ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίς. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἅπασαν τὴν σπουδὴν εἰς τὸν καλλωπισμὸν κενοῦντες τῆς ἑαυτῶν οἰκίας, ἐν τοῖς ἔξω πλουτοῦντες, ἀμελοῦσι τῶν ἔνδον, καὶ ἔρημον καὶ αὐχμῶσαν καὶ ἀραχνίων γέμουσαν περιορῶσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ψυχήν·","english":"I wished also to obtain a voice that would resound to all the ends of the earth and suffice for all who are on the earth, and to stand and cry out and proclaim that voice of David: Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? For how is it not absurd that in the case of the body, even if some ordinary ailment overtakes it, we call physicians and spend money and show endurance, and do not desist from doing everything until we cast off what troubles us; but for the soul, though it is pierced every day, cast down, and destroying itself in every way, we do not give even a brief account? For one ought not simply to lament the one who has an ulcer, but the one who has it and lies neglected and does not obtain healing hands; but the one who is cut and cauterized, this one above all we would say is on the road to health, not looking at the pain from the cutting but at the health that comes from the pain. So also in the case of the soul one must be disposed, not lamenting those who are punished—for these are drawn toward health—but those who sin with impunity. For the one who is associated with good hopes and is confident about the things to come has already tasted of the kingdom from here on; for nothing is so accustomed to restore the soul and make it better as the good hope of things to come. For those who empty all their zeal into the adornment of their own house, being rich in things outside, neglect the things within, and overlook their own soul as desolate and parched and full of cobwebs.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":113,"ref":"p113","source":"ἂν δὲ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀμελήσαντες εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν διάνοιαν τὴν προθυμίαν καταναλώσωσιν ἅπασαν, πανταχόθεν αὐτὴν καλλωπίζοντες, καταγώγιον ἔσται τῷ Χριστῷ τῶν τοιούτων ἀνθρώπων ἡ ψυχή· τοῦ δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχοντος ἔνοικον, τί γένοιτ' ἂν μακαριώτερον; Τίνα οὖν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, ποίαν συγγνώμην, ὅταν μὲν τοῦ σώματος νοσοῦντος, ἔνθα καὶ ἀργύριόν ἐστι καταβαλεῖν, καὶ ἰατροὺς παρακαλέσαι, καὶ ὀδύνην ὑπομεῖναι πολλὴν, τοσαύτην ποιώμεθα πρόνοιαν· ψυχῆς δὲ καταφρονῶμεν; καὶ ταῦτα μήτε ἀργύριον καταβαλεῖν μέλλοντες, μήτε ἑτέρους διενοχλεῖν, μήτι ὀδύνας ὑφίστασθαι· ἀλλὰ, χωρὶς τούτων πάντων, διὰ τοῦ προελέσθαι καὶ βουληθῆναι μόνον πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς δυνάμενοι ποιήσασθαι τὴν διόρθωσιν, καὶ ἀκριβῶς εἰδότες, ὡς, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσαιμεν, τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποστησόμεθα δίκην, καὶ τὰς ἀπαραιτήτους κολάσεις καὶ τιμωρίας; Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦντες ἀεὶ μὲν ἐν κατηφείᾳ καὶ ὀδύναις εἰσὶ, μάλιστα δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην, καθ' ἣν ἂν μέλλωσιν ἐξάγεσθαι, καὶ παρ' αὐτὰς τὰς τοῦ δικάζοντος ἄγεσθαι θύρας, καὶ πρὸ τῶν κιγκλίδων ἑστῶτες, καὶ τῆς τοῦ κρίνοντος φωνῆς ἔνδοθεν ἀκούοντες, ἀποπήγνυνται τῷ φόβῳ, καὶ τῶν νεκρῶν οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διάκεινται· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μάλιστα μὲν ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καιρῷ ὀδυνᾶται καὶ στενοχωρεῖται, πολλῷ δὲ πλέον, ὅταν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποσπασθεῖσα πρὸς τὰς εὐθύνας τὰς ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν ἀπάγεσθαι μέλλῃ δικαστήριον. Διὰ τοῦτο πολλάκις ἀναδύεται καὶ πρὸς τὸ βάθος κάτω χωρεῖ, καὶ δέδοικε καὶ φρίττει, μέλλουσα τῆς σαρκὸς ἀφίπτασθαι.","english":"But if, disregarding outward things, they spend all their zeal upon their own mind, adorning it from every side, the soul of such men will be a dwelling-place for Christ. And for the one who has Christ dwelling in him, what could be more blessed? What defense, then, shall we have, what excuse, when, if the body is sick—where one must also pay out money, and call in physicians, and endure much pain—we take such great forethought, but despise the soul? And this, when we are not going to pay out money, nor trouble others, nor submit to pains; but, apart from all these things, by merely choosing and willing, we are able to effect the correction of them all, and we know full well that, if we do not do this, we shall undergo the final judgment, and the inexorable punishments and torments? And just as those who dwell in prison are always in dejection and pains, but especially on that day on which they are about to be led out, and to be brought to the very doors of the judge, and stand before the railings, and hear the voice of the judge within, they are frozen with fear, and are in no better state than the dead; so too the soul is in pain and distress especially in the very season of sin, but far more when, torn away from here, it is about to be led away to the accounts there and to the fearful tribunal. For this reason it often shrinks back and goes down to the depth below, and fears and shudders, when it is about to fly away from the flesh.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":114,"ref":"p114","source":"Τότε γὰρ, εἴτε ἥρπασέ τις, εἴτε ἐπλεονέκτησεν, εἴτε τινὰ ἐπηρέασεν, εἴτε τινὸς ἐχθρὸς γέγονεν ἀδίκως, εἴτε ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν εἰργάσατο δεινὸν, ἅπας ὁ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων χορὸς ἀνανεοῦται, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν φαίνεται πικρὸς ἑστηκὼς τοῦ συνειδότος κατήγορος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀθάνατος ἡμῖν γέγονεν ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ τὸ σῶμα δὲ ἔσται ἀθάνατον, ἵνα τῶν ἀτελευτήτων ἀπολαύσωμεν ἀγαθῶν. Ἂν δὲ τῇ γῇ προσηλωμένος ᾖς, τῶν οὐρανίων προκειμένων, ἐννόησον ὅση γίνεται εἰς τὸν δωρούμενον ὕβρις, ὅταν ἐκεῖνος μὲν τὰ ἄνω σοι προτείνῃ, σὺ δὲ οὐ πολὺν αὐτῶν ποιούμενος λόγον, τὴν γῆν ἀνταλλάσσῃ τῶν οὐρανίων. Ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ Θʹ. Περὶ τοῦ μὴ καταφρονεῖν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν ἁγίων μυστηρίων. Ὀλίγοι ἡμῖν σήμερον οἱ παραγενόμενοι. Ἄρα τί τὸ αἴτιον; μνήμην μαρτύρων ἐπιτελοῦμεν, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν ἀπήντησεν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ διάστημα τῆς ὁδοῦ εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν αὐτοὺς ἐνέβαλε· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τὸ διάστημα τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἀλλ' ἡ ῥᾳθυμία αὐτοῖς ἐνεπόδισεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν σπουδαῖον καὶ διεγηγερμένον τῇ προαιρέσει οὐδὲν δύναται κωλῦσαι· οὕτω τὸν ῥᾴθυμον καὶ ἀναπεπτωκότα πάντα δύναται κωλῦσαι. Οἱ μάρτυρες τὸ ἴδιον αἷμα ἐξέχεον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας· καὶ σὺ οὔτε βραχείας ὁδοῦ διάστημα καταφρονῆσαι δύνασαι; ἐκεῖνοι τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπέθεντο διὰ τὸν Χριστόν· σὺ δὲ οὔτε μικρὸν ἀπαντῆσαι θέλεις διὰ τὸν Δεσπότην; ὁ Δεσπότης διὰ σὲ ἀπέθανε, καὶ σὺ δι' αὐτὸν ὀκνεῖς; μνήμη μαρτύρων, καὶ σὺ ῥᾳθυμεῖς καὶ ἀναπέπτωκας;","english":"For then, whether someone has seized by force, or defrauded, or wronged someone, or become someone's enemy unjustly, or done any other dreadful thing, the whole chorus of sins is renewed, and the bitter accuser of conscience stands visible before the eyes. For this reason our soul has become immortal, and the body also will be immortal, so that we may enjoy unending goods. But if you are nailed to the earth while heavenly things lie before you, consider how great the insult done to the Giver, when he offers you the things above, but you, making no great account of them, exchange the things of heaven for the earth. May it be that we all obtain these things, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 9. On not despising the Church of God and the holy mysteries. Few have come to us today. What then is the cause? We are celebrating the memorial of the martyrs, and no one has met with us. But the distance of the journey cast them into negligence; or rather, it was not the distance of the journey, but negligence that hindered them. For just as nothing can hinder the earnest and awakened in purpose, so everything can hinder the lazy and slack. The martyrs poured out their own blood for the truth; and can you not despise the distance of a short journey? They laid down their head for Christ; and do you not wish to come even a little way for the Master? The Master died for you, and do you hesitate for his sake? It is the memorial of the martyrs, and you are negligent and slack?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":115,"ref":"p115","source":"Δέον ἐστί σε παραγενέσθαι, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν διάβολον ἡττώμενον, καὶ μάρτυρα νικῶντα, καὶ Θεὸν δοξαζόμενον, καὶ Ἐκκλησίαν στεφανουμένην. Ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι ἀπαντῆσαι. Ἐπειδὴ ἁμαρτωλὸς εἶ, ἀπάντησον, ἵνα γένῃ δίκαιος. Τίς δὲ τῶν\n\nἀνθρώπων ἄνευ ἁμαρτίας, εἰπέ μοι; Ἢ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεδρεύοντες ἁμαρτίαις εἰσὶ προσηλωμένοι; σάρκα γάρ εἰσιν ἐνδεδυμένοι, καὶ σώματι συμπεπλεγμένοι· καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ οἱ ἐπὶ θρόνου καθήμενοι καὶ διδάσκοντες, ἁμαρτίαις συμπεπλέγμεθα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπογινώσκομεν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας, οὐδὲ ἀπανθρωπίαν αὐτῷ περιάπτομεν. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἱερεῖς πάθει δουλεύειν παρεσκεύασεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ πάσχωσι, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις συγγνώμην δίδωσι. Πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη ταῦτα παραπληξίας καὶ ἀλογίας, ὅτι, ἂν μὲν κιθαρῳδὸς ἢ ὀρχηστὴς ἢ ἄλλος τις τῶν τοιούτων ἡμᾶς καλέσῃ, μετὰ σπουδῆς ἅπαντες τρέχομεν, καὶ χάριν αὐτῷ τῆς κλήσεως ἴσμεν, καὶ ἡμέρας ὁλοκλήρου τὸ ἥμισυ μέρος ἀναλίσκομεν ἐκείνῳ προσέχοντες μόνῳ· τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ διὰ προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων ἡμῖν διαλεγομένου χασμώμεθα, κνώμεθα, καὶ ἰλιγγιῶμεν· καὶ ἐν μὲν ἱπποδρομίαις, οὐκ ὀρόφου ἐπικειμένου τοῦ τὸν ὑετὸν στέγοντος, οἱ πλείους πολλῶν ὄμβρων καταφερομένων, καὶ ἀνέμου τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς τὰς ὄψεις ῥιπίζοντος, ἑστήκασι μαινόμενοι, καὶ ψύχους καὶ ὑετοῦ καὶ μήκους ὁδοῦ καταφρονοῦσι, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς οὔτε οἴκοι κατέχει, οὔτε ἐκεῖ κωλύει διαβῆναι· εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀπελθεῖν ὁ ὑετὸς ἡμῖν καὶ ὁ πηλὸς κώλυμα γίνεται.","english":"You ought to be present, and to see the devil defeated, and the martyr victorious, and God glorified, and the Church crowned. But I am a sinner, he says, and I cannot come. Because you are a sinner, come, so that you may become righteous. For who among men is without sin, tell me? Or do you not know that even those who sit at the altar are fastened to sins? For they are clothed in flesh and entangled with a body; and we ourselves who sit on the throne and teach are entangled in sins; but we do not despair of God's love for humanity, nor do we attribute inhumanity to him. For this reason God has arranged that even the priests themselves be enslaved to passion, so that from what they themselves suffer they may grant forgiveness to others. Of how much madness and irrationality would this not be, that if a lyre-player or a dancer or some other such person invites us, we all run with eagerness, and we are grateful to him for the invitation, and we spend half of an entire day attending to him alone; but when God speaks to us through prophets and apostles, we yawn, we scratch ourselves, and we grow dizzy; and at horse races, though no roof lies over them to keep off the rain, when many heavy showers pour down and the wind drives the water into their faces, most of them stand there raving, and they despise cold and rain and the length of the journey, and nothing keeps them at home, nor prevents them from crossing over there; but to go to the church, rain and mud become a hindrance to us.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":116,"ref":"p116","source":"Κἂν μὲν ἐρωτηθῶσι, τίς ἐστιν ὁ Ἀμὼς ἢ ὁ Ἀβδίας, ἢ ποῖος τῶν προφητῶν ὁ ἀριθμὸς ἢ τῶν ἀποστόλων, οὐδὲ χᾶναι δύνανται· ὑπὲρ δὲ ἵππων καὶ ἡνιόχων, καὶ σοφιστῶν καὶ ῥητόρων δεινότερον τὰς ἀπολογίας συντιθεῖσι. Καὶ πῶς ταῦτα ἀνεκτὰ, εἰπέ μοι; Παρῄνεσα πολλάκις εἰς θέατρα μὴ ἀναβαίνειν. Ἤκουσας, οὐκ ἐπείσθης· ἀνέβης εἰς τὸ θέατρον, παρήκουσάς μου τοῦ λόγου· μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς πάλιν εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι. Ἤκουσα, καὶ οὐκ ἐτήρησα, φησί· πῶς δύναμαι εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι; Τέως αὐτὸ τοῦτο οἶδας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐτήρησας, τέως αἰσχύνῃ, τέως ἐρυθριᾷς, τέως μηδενὸς ἐλέγχοντος τὸν χαλινὸν ἐπιφέρεις, τέως τὸν λόγον μου ἔχεις ἐῤῥιζωμένον, τέως μὴ φαινομένου μου, ἡ διδασκαλία μου καθαιρεῖ σε. Οὐκ ἐτήρησας; μᾶλλον εἴσελθε, ἵνα πάλιν ἀκούσας τηρήσῃς. Φάρμακον ἐὰν ἐπιτεθῇ σοι, καὶ μὴ καθαρίσῃ σε, τῇ ἄλλῃ ἡμέρᾳ οὐκ ἐπιτίθης αὐτὸ πάλιν; Ἔστω τις δρυτόμος, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, καὶ θελέτω τεμεῖν δρῦν· λαμβάνει ἀξίνην, εἶτα κόπτει τὴν ῥίζαν· ἐὰν δῷ μίαν πληγὴν, καὶ μὴ πέσῃ τὸ δένδρον, οὐ δίδωσιν ἄλλην πληγὴν, οὐ τετάρτην, οὐ πέμπτην, οὐ δεκάτην; Οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίει. Ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα ὑμᾶς ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ἐργάσωμαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα σπουδαιοτέρους καταστήσω. Εἰσῆλθες εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἄνθρωπε, ἠξιώθης τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ συντυχίας· ἐὰν μὴ ἀπολυθῇς, μὴ ἐξέλθῃς. Ἐὰν γὰρ πρὸ τῆς ἀπολύσεως ἐξέλθῃς, ὡς δραπέτης εὐθύνῃ. Τὴν ὅλην ἡμέραν ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς ἀναλίσκεις, καὶ δύο ὥρας ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς οὐκ ἀσχολῇ; Εἰς θέατρον πολλάκις ἀπέρχῃ, καὶ ἕως τῆς ἀπολύσεως οὐ κατέρχῃ· καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν εἰσέρχῃ, καὶ πρὸ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων ἐξέρχῃ;","english":"If they are asked who Amos is, or Obadiah, or what is the number of the prophets or of the apostles, they cannot even open their mouths; but on behalf of horses and charioteers, and sophists and orators, they compose their defenses more cleverly. And how are these things tolerable, tell me? I have often exhorted you not to go up to the theaters. You heard, you were not persuaded; you went up to the theater, you disregarded my word; do not be ashamed to enter in again and to hear. I heard, and I did not keep it, he says; how can I enter in and hear? For the present, you know this very thing, that you did not keep it; for the present, you are ashamed, for the present, you blush, for the present, though no one is convicting you, you apply the bridle to yourself, for the present, you have my word rooted in you, for the present, even when I do not appear, my teaching casts you down. You did not keep it? Rather, enter in, so that having heard again you may keep it. If a medicine is applied to you, and does not cleanse you, do you not apply it again on the next day? Let someone be a woodcutter, O man, and let him wish to cut down an oak; he takes an axe, then he strikes the root; if he gives one blow, and the tree does not fall, does he not give another blow, not a fourth, not a fifth, not a tenth? So also do you. I say these things, not so that I may make you more lazy, but so that I may make you more earnest. You entered into the church, O man, you were deemed worthy of the encounter with Christ; if you are not dismissed, do not go out. For if you go out before the dismissal, you are held accountable as a runaway. You spend the whole day on bodily things, and do you not have leisure for two hours for spiritual things? You often go off to the theater, and you do not come down until the dismissal; and do you enter into the church, and go out before the divine mysteries?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":117,"ref":"p117","source":"Φοβήθητι τὸν εἰρηκότα, Ὁ καταφρονῶν πράγματος, καταφρονηθήσεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ βασιλεῖ μὲν παρεστὼς, οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς μειδιάσαι ἀνέχῃ· τῷ δὲ τῶν ἁπάντων Δεσπότῃ παρεστηκὼς, οὐχ ἵστασαι μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου, ἀλλὰ γελᾷς αὐτοῦ πολλάκις ὀργιζομένου; οὐκ ἐννοεῖς ὅτι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ταύτῃ μειζόνως παροξύνεις αὐτόν; Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας, ὡς τοὺς μὴ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν συστελλομένους ἀποστρέφεσθαι εἴωθεν ὁ Θεός. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἑστὼς, κάλλη γυναικῶν περιεργάζῃ, καὶ οὐ φρίττεις οὕτως ἐνυβρίζων εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Πορνεῖόν σοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἡ ἐκκλησία καὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀτιμοτέρα; ἐν ἀγορᾷ μὲν γὰρ δέδοικας καὶ αἰσχύνῃ φανῆναι γυναῖκα περιεργαζόμενος· ἐν δὲ τῷ ναῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, αὐτοῦ διαλεγομένου σοι καὶ ἀπειλοῦντος ὑπὲρ τούτων, τοιούτων κατατολμᾷς κατ' αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν, καθ' ὃν ἀκούεις μὴ ταῦτα ποιεῖν, καὶ οὐ φρίττεις οὐδὲ ἐξέστηκας, ἐργαστήριον παρανομίας τὴν καρδίαν ἀποτελῶν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; Βέλτιον τοὺς τοιούτους πηροὺς εἶναι, ἢ εἰς ταῦτα κεχρῆσθαι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Ἐννόησον τίνος πλησίον ἕστηκας, ἐν τῇ ἱερᾷ καὶ φρικώδει μυσταγωγίᾳ, ἄνθρωπε, μετὰ τίνων μέλλεις καλεῖν τὸν Θεόν·","english":"Fear the one who said, \"He who despises a thing will be despised by it.\" And when you stand before a king, you do not even permit yourself to smile casually; but standing before the Master of all things, do you not stand with fear and trembling, but laugh while he is often angry? Do you not consider that by this you provoke him more greatly than by your sins? For God is not so accustomed to turn away from those who sin, as from those who do not shrink back after their sin. What are you doing, man? Standing in the church, you scrutinize the beauties of women, and you do not shudder at thus insulting the temple of God? Does the church seem to you to be a brothel and more dishonorable than the marketplace? For in the marketplace you fear and are ashamed to be seen scrutinizing a woman; but in the temple of God, while he himself is speaking to you and threatening on account of these things, do you dare such things at the very moment when you hear that you should not do them, and you do not shudder nor are you beside yourself, making your heart and your eyes a workshop of lawlessness? Better for such people to be blind than to use their eyes for these things. Consider near whom you stand, in the sacred and dreadful mystery, man, and with whom you are about to call upon God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":118,"ref":"p118","source":"μετὰ τῶν Χερουβὶμ, μετὰ τῶν Σεραφὶμ, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οὐρανίων δυνάμεων· ἀναλόγισαί σου τοὺς συγχορευτάς· ἀρκεῖ σοι τοῦτο εἰς νῆψιν, ὅταν ἐνθυμηθῇς, ὅτι σῶμα περικείμενος, καὶ σαρκὶ συμπεπλεγμένος, μετὰ τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων κατηξιώθης ἀνυμνεῖν τὸν κοινὸν Δεσπότην ἁπάντων. Μὴ τοίνυν διαλελυμένος τὴν προθυμίαν τῶν ἱερῶν κοινώνει καὶ μυστικῶν ὕμνων ἐκείνων, μὴ βιωτικοὺς κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἔχε λογισμούς· ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ γήϊνα τῆς διανοίας ἐξορίσας, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὅλον ἑαυτὸν μεταθεὶς, ὡς αὐτοῦ πλησίον ἑστὼς τοῦ θρόνου τῆς δόξης, καὶ μετὰ τῶν Σεραφὶμ ἱπτάμενος, οὕτως τῷ Θεῷ τὸν πανάγιον ὕμνον ἀνάφερε. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἑστάναι καλῶς κατὰ τὸν τῆς θείας μυσταγωγίας καιρὸν κελευόμεθα, ἵνα τοὺς χαμαὶ συρομένους λογισμοὺς ἀνορθώσωμεν, ἵνα τὴν ἔκλυσιν τὴν ἐκ τῶν βιωτικῶν γινομένην ἡμῖν πραγμάτων ἐκβαλόντες, ὀρθὴν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναστῆσαι δυνηθῶμεν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν. Οὐ γὰρ περὶ χειρῶν καὶ γονάτων λέγει τῶν τοῦ σώματος· οὐδὲ γὰρ δρομεῦσιν ἀνθρώποις, οὐδὲ παγκρατιασταῖς διαλέγεται· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν τῶν ἔνδον λογισμῶν προκαταβεβλημένην ὑπὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν, ἀναστῆσαι διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων παρακελεύεται. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν τῆς θείας συνάξεως καιρὸν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐκ ἄνθρωποι μόνον βοῶσι τὴν φρικωδεστάτην ἐκείνην βοὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄγγελοι προσπίπτουσι τῷ Δεσπότῃ, καὶ ἀρχάγγελοι δέονται· ἔχουσι γὰρ καὶ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῖς συμμαχοῦντα, καὶ τὴν προσφορὰν βοηθοῦσαν. Καὶ καθάπερ ἄνθρωποι κλάδους ἐλαιῶν ἐκκόψαντες ἐπισείουσι τοῖς βασιλεῦσι, διὰ τοῦ φυτοῦ ἐλέου καὶ φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοὺς ἀναμιμνήσκοντες·","english":"with the Cherubim, with the Seraphim, and the other heavenly powers; consider your fellow choristers; this is enough for your sobriety, when you reflect that, clothed in a body and entangled with flesh, you have been deemed worthy, together with the incorporeal powers, to hymn the common Master of all. Do not, then, with slackened zeal partake of those sacred and mystical hymns; do not have worldly thoughts at that time; but banishing all earthly things from your mind, and transferring your whole self to heaven, as one standing near the very throne of glory and flying with the Seraphim, so offer the all-holy hymn to God. For this reason we are well commanded to stand at the time of the divine initiation, so that we may lift up the thoughts that are dragged along the ground, so that, casting out the slackness that comes to us from worldly affairs, we may be able to raise up our soul upright before God. For he is not speaking of the hands and knees of the body; for he is not conversing with runners or with pancratiasts; but the strength of the inner thoughts, cast down beforehand by temptations, he exhorts to raise up through these words. For at the time of the divine assembly, brothers, not only do men cry out that most awe-inspiring cry, but angels also fall down before the Master, and archangels entreat; for they have the occasion assisting them, and the offering helping them. And just as men, cutting branches of olive, wave them before kings, reminding them through the plant of mercy and love for humanity;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":119,"ref":"p119","source":"οὕτω δὴ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι τότε ἀντὶ κλάδων ἐλαιῶν, αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα τὸ δεσποτικὸν προτεινόμενοι, τὸν Δεσπότην παρακαλοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως, μονονουχὶ λέγοντες, ὅτι Ὑπὲρ τούτων δεόμεθα, οὓς αὐτοὺς φθάσας οὕτως ἀγαπῆσαι κατηξίωσας, ὡς τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιδοῦναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ· ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐκχέομεν τὰς ἱκετηρίας, ὑπὲρ ὧν αὐτὸς τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεας· ὑπὲρ τούτων παρακαλοῦμεν, ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο κατέθυσας. Ἕκαστος τοίνυν ἀναλογιζέσθω παρ' ἑαυτῷ, ποῖον ἐλάττωμα διώρθωσε, ποῖον κατόρθωμα προσεκτήσατο, ποίαν ἁμαρτίαν ἀπενίψατο, κατὰ τί βελτίων ἐγένετο· κἂν μὲν εὕρῃ πλέον τι γενόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς νηστείας αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν καλὴν ταύτην ἐμπορίαν, καὶ συνίδῃ ἑαυτῷ πολλὴν πεποιημένῳ τῶν τραυμάτων ἐπιμέλειαν, προσερχέσθω· εἰ δὲ ἠμελημένος ἔμεινε, νηστείαν μὲν ἔχων ἐπιδείξασθαι μόνην, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οὐδὲν κατωρθωκὼς, ἔξω μενέτω, καὶ τότε εἰσιέτω, ὅταν ἅπαντα ἐκκαθάρῃ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ μὴ νηστεύοντα εἰκὸς καὶ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, σώματος ἀσθένειαν προβαλλόμενον· τὸν δὲ μὴ διορθώσαντα ἑαυτοῦ τὰ πλημμελήματα, ἀδύνατον ἀπολογίας τυχεῖν. Τῆς γὰρ ἐν ταῖς συνάξεσι ῥᾳθυμίας ἐὰν ἀπαιτήσῃ τὰς εὐθύνας ὁ Θεὸς, τί ποιήσομεν; Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο, ὅτι πολλάκις αὐτοῦ διαλεγομένου πρὸς πάντας ἡμᾶς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου, πολλοὺς καὶ μακροὺς ποιούμεθα πρὸς τοὺς πλησίον λόγους περὶ τῶν οὐδὲν ἡμῖν προσηκόντων πραγμάτων. Ἂν τοίνυν πάντα παρεὶς τὰ ἄλλα, ταύτης τῆς ἁμαρτίας θελήσῃ δίκην ἀπαιτῆσαι ἡμᾶς, ποία σωτηρίας ἔσται ἡμῖν ἐλπίς;","english":"Thus also the angels then, instead of olive branches, holding forth the Master's own body, entreat the Master on behalf of human nature, almost saying: \"It is for these that we plead, whom you yourself deigned so to love beforehand as to give your own soul; for these we pour out our supplications, for whom you yourself poured out your blood; for these we entreat, for whom you sacrificed this body.\" Let each one, then, reckon with himself: what defect he has corrected, what good work he has acquired, what sin he has washed away, in what respect he has become better. And if he finds that something more has come to him from the fast for this good commerce, and perceives in himself that he has taken great care of his wounds, let him draw near; but if he has remained neglected, having only the fast to show, and having set nothing else right, let him stay outside, and let him enter then, when he has cleansed all his sins. For it is reasonable that the one who does not fast should obtain forgiveness, pleading weakness of body; but it is impossible for the one who has not corrected his own transgressions to obtain a defense. For if God should demand an account of our slackness in the assemblies, what shall we do? For you surely know this, that often, while he is speaking to all of us through the prophet, we make many and long speeches to our neighbors about matters that do not concern us at all. If, then, passing over all other things, he should wish to exact from us the penalty for this sin, what hope of salvation will there be for us?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":120,"ref":"p120","source":"Μὴ γὰρ δὴ μικρὸν εἶναι νομίσῃς τὸ πλημμέλημα, ἀλλ' εἰ βούλει τὸ μέ63.627 γεθος αὐτοῦ κατιδεῖν, ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἐξέτασον, καὶ τότε ὄψει τῆς ἀτοπίας τὸ μέγεθος. Τόλμησον ἄρχοντος πρὸς σὲ φθεγγομένου, μᾶλλον δὲ φίλου τινὸς τῶν ὀλίγον σεμνοτέρων, ἀφεὶς αὐτὸν πρὸς οἰκέτην διαλέγεσθαι τὸν σαυτοῦ, καὶ τότε ὄψει ἡλίκον τολμᾷς ἐπὶ Θεοῦ τοῦτο ποιῶν. Ἐὰν γὰρ ᾖ τις τῶν ἐπιφανεστέρων ἐκεῖνος, καὶ δίκην σε ἔχει ἀπαιτῆσαι τῆς ὕβρεως· ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς τοσαῦτα καὶ πλείονα τούτων καθ' ἑκάστην ὑβριζόμενος τὴν ἡμέραν, οὐ παρ' ἑνὸς καὶ δύο καὶ τριῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ πάντων ἡμῶν σχεδὸν, ἀνέχεται καὶ μακροθυμεῖ. Καὶ βασιλέως μὲν ὀργὴν ἐπιγείου καταλῦσαι βουλόμενοι, μετὰ τῶν παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν συντρέχετε πάντες, καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς ὀργῆς πολλάκις τὸν κατάδικον ἐξαρπάζετε· τὸν δὲ οὐράνιον βασιλέα μέλλοντες ἵλεων ποιῆσαι καὶ\n\nἐξαρπάσειν τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἕνα οὐδὲ δύο καὶ τρεῖς καὶ ἑκατὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντας τοὺς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἔξω καθέζεσθε, καὶ οὐ συντρέχετε κοινῇ πάντες, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τὴν συμφωνίαν ὑμῶν αἰδεσθεὶς, κἀκείνοις ἀφῇ τὴν κόλασιν, καὶ ὑμῖν συγχωρήσῃ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα; Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς τύχῃς ὢν κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον, εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, εἰ γὰρ ἐν ἀπαραιτήτοις πράγμασιν, οὐχὶ παντὸς λέοντος σφοδρότερον ἅπαντα διαῤῥήξας τὰ δεσμὰ πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν ἱκετηρίαν αὐτομολήσεις; καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα; Τί γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας δυνατώτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; Μή μοι λέγε τείχη καὶ ὅπλα· τείχη τῷ χρόνῳ παλαιοῦνται, Ἐκκλησία δὲ οὐδέποτε γηρᾷ·","english":"Do not think that the offense is small, but if you wish to see its magnitude, examine this very thing among human beings, and then you will see the greatness of the absurdity. Dare to speak to a ruler, or rather to some friend of yours who is a little more dignified, dismissing him to converse with your own servant, and then you will see how great a thing you dare to do against God. For if that one is among the more distinguished, he even has the right to demand satisfaction from you for the insult; but God, insulted so many times and more than these each day, not by one or two or three people, but by almost all of us, endures and is long-suffering. And when you wish to avert the anger of an earthly king, you all run together with your children and wives, and often you snatch the condemned man from the royal anger; but when you are about to make the heavenly King propitious and to snatch all the sinners throughout the world from his anger—not one or two or three or a hundred, but all—you sit outside, and you do not all run together in common, so that God, respecting your concord, may both forgive them their punishment and forgive you your sins? For if you happen to be in the marketplace at that time, if you are at home, if you are in unavoidable affairs, will you not, breaking all bonds more violently than any lion, desert to the common supplication? And what hope of salvation will you have? For what could be more powerful than the Church of God? Do not tell me of walls and weapons; walls grow old with time, but the Church never grows old.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":121,"ref":"p121","source":"τείχη βάρβαροι καταλύουσιν, ἐκκλησίας δὲ οὐδὲ δαίμονες περιγίνονται. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ κόμπος τὰ ῥήματα, μαρτυρεῖ τὰ πράγματα. Πόσοι ἐπολέμησαν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ οἱ πολεμήσαντες ἀπώλοντο, αὕτη δὲ ὑπὲρ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβέβηκε; Τοιοῦτον ἔχει μέγεθος ἡ Ἐκκλησία· πολεμουμένη νικᾷ, ἐπιβουλευομένη περιγίνεται, ὑβριζομένη λαμπροτέρα καθίσταται. Συνήκατε τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην, ὅσα ἐκινεῖτο καθ' ἡμῶν ὅπλα, καὶ θυμὸς στρατιωτικὸς πυρὸς σφοδρότερος, καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὰς βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς ἀπηγόμεθα, καὶ θέατρον ἐγινόμεθα τῇ οἰκουμένῃ; ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ἐκείνων κατέπληξε. Διὰ τί; Ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν παρόντων δεινόν. Τί γάρ ἐστι δεινόν; θάνατος; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι δεινόν· ταχέως γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα ἀπερχόμεθα. Ἀλλὰ δήμευσις; Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι. Ἀλλ' ἐξορία; Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. Ἀλλὰ συκοφαντία; Χαίρετε, ὅταν εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν καθ' ὑμῶν ῥῆμα, ὅτι μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀπηγόμην, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν ὕβρις μοι τὸ γινόμενον· ὕβρις γὰρ ἓν μόνον, ἁμαρτία· κἂν ἡ οἰκουμένη σε ὑβρίσῃ, σὺ δὲ σαυτὸν μὴ ὑβρίσῃς, οὐχ ὑβρίσθης. Προδοσία μόνη ἡ τοῦ συνειδότος· μὴ προδῷ σε τὸ συνειδὸς, καὶ οὐδείς σε προδίδωσιν. Ἀπηγόμην, καὶ ἑώρων τὰ πράγματα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ ῥήματά μου πράγματα γινόμενα, καὶ τὴν προσομιλίαν μου τὴν διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς διὰ πραγμάτων κηρυττομένην. Ἐβουλόμην τοίνυν εἰδέναι, ποῦ διατρίβουσιν οἱ τῆς συνάξεως καταφρονήσαντες, καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης ἀπολειφθέντες τραπέζης. Μᾶλλον δὲ οἶδα σαφῶς·","english":"Barbarians tear down walls, but not even demons prevail against the Church. And that these words are no boast, the facts bear witness. How many have warred against the Church, and those who warred have perished, while she has risen above the heaven? Such is the greatness of the Church: when warred against, she conquers; when plotted against, she prevails; when insulted, she becomes more glorious. You understood that day—how many weapons were stirred up against us, and a soldier's fury fiercer than fire, and we were led away to the imperial courts, and we became a spectacle to the whole world? But by the grace of God none of those things overwhelmed us. Why? Because none of the things present is terrible. For what is terrible? Death? But it is not terrible; for we depart quickly to the harbor. But confiscation of property? Naked I came out, and naked I shall depart. But exile? The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. But slander? Rejoice when they speak every evil word against you, for your reward is great in the heavens. For even if I was led away, still what was happening was not an insult to me; for there is only one insult—sin; and even if the whole world insults you, but you do not insult yourself, you have not been insulted. Betrayal is only that of the conscience; let not your conscience betray you, and no one betrays you. I was led away, and I saw the facts—or rather, I saw my words becoming facts, and my discourse through words being proclaimed in the marketplace through deeds. I wished, then, to know where those who despised the assembly and abandoned this sacred table are spending their time. Or rather, I know clearly:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":122,"ref":"p122","source":"ἢ γὰρ περὶ ἀτόπων καὶ καταγελάστων πραγμάτων διαλέγονται, ἢ βιωτικαῖς εἰσι προσηλωμένοι φροντίσιν· ἀμφοτέρων δὲ ἡ διατριβὴ συγγνώμης ἀπεστέρηται, καὶ κόλασιν ἔχει τὴν ἐσχάτην. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς προτέρας οὐδὲ λόγων δεῖ, οὐδὲ ἀποδείξεως· ὅτι δὲ καὶ οἱ τὰ τῆς οἰκίας ἡμῖν προβαλλόμενοι πράγματα, καὶ τὴν ἀφόρητον ἐκεῖθεν ἀνάγκην λέγοντες, οὐδὲ οὗτοι δύνανται συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, μὴ τὰ πνευματικὰ τῶν γηΐνων προτιμῶντες πραγμάτων, παντί που δῆλον. Τίς γὰρ οἰκέτης, εἰπέ μοι, πρὶν ἢ δεσποτικὴν πληρώσει διακονίαν, τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν οἰκίαν ἐπιμελήσεταί ποτε; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἔνθα ψιλὸν ὄνομα ἡ δεσποτεία, τοσαύτην τοῖς κυρίοις παρέχειν τὴν αἰδὼ καὶ τὴν ὑπακοήν· τὸν δὲ ἀληθῶς Δεσπότην οὐχ ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων, μηδὲ τῆς αὐτῆς τοῖς ἡμετέροις συνδούλοις ἀξιοῦν θεραπείας; Εἴθε ἦν μοι δυνατὸν δεῖξαι τοῖς ὑμετέροις ὀφθαλμοῖς τὴν ἐκείνων ψυχὴν, καὶ εἴδετε ἂν ῥυπῶσαν, αὐχμῶσαν, κατῃσχυμμένην, τεταπεινωμένην καὶ ἀπαῤῥησίαστον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ βαλανείων οὐκ ἀπολαύοντα σώματα, αὐχμοῦ, καὶ ῥύπου γέμει πολλοῦ· οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ μὴ διδασκαλίας ἀπολαύουσα πνευματικῆς, πολλὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχει περικειμένην αὐτῇ τὴν κηλῖδα. Εἴθε ἦν δυνατὸν ἀναπτύξαι τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀπολιμπανομένων τῆς θείας συνάξεως· εἴθε ἦν δυνατὸν ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ συνειδὸς αὐτῶν εἰσεληλυθέναι· καὶ τότε εἴδετε ἂν καλῶς, πόσων τραυμάτων γέμουσιν, ὅσας ἀκάνθας ἔχουσι. Καθάπερ γὰρ γῆ γεωργικῶν οὐκ ἀπολαύουσα χειρῶν χερσοῦται καὶ ὑλομανεῖ·","english":"For they either discuss absurd and ridiculous matters, or they are nailed to worldly cares; and the pursuit of both is deprived of forgiveness, and has the ultimate punishment. And concerning the former, there is no need even of words or of proof; but that those who put before us the affairs of the household, and speak of the unbearable necessity from there, cannot obtain forgiveness either, unless they prefer spiritual things to earthly things, is surely clear to everyone. For tell me, what servant, before he fulfills his master's service, will ever attend to the matters of his own household? How then is it not absurd, in the case of men where lordship is a mere name, to give such reverence and obedience to masters; but the true Master, not only of us but also of the powers above, we do not deem worthy of the same service as our fellow servants? Would that it were possible for me to show your eyes the soul of those people, and you would have seen it filthy, squalid, put to shame, brought low, and without boldness. For just as bodies that do not enjoy the baths are full of squalor and much filth, so also a soul that does not enjoy spiritual teaching has the stain of many sins wrapped around it. Would that it were possible to open the hearts of those who forsake the divine assembly; would that it were possible for you to enter into their conscience; and then you would have seen well how many wounds they are full of, how many thorns they have. For just as land that does not enjoy the hands of farmers becomes barren and overgrown with brushwood;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":123,"ref":"p123","source":"οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ πνευματικῆς οὐκ ἀπολαύουσα διδασκαλίας, ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἐκπέμπει. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τῆς τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων μετέχοντες ἀκροάσεως, καὶ\n\nσυνεχεῖς ἐπῳδὰς τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἐπᾴδοντες τοῖς ἡμετέροις πάθεσι, μόλις κατέχομεν θυμὸν, μόλις χαλινοῦμεν ὀργὴν, μόλις ἐκβάλλομεν τηκεδόνα φθόνου, μόλις καταπαύομεν ἐπιθυμίαν, μόλις καταστέλλομεν τὰ ἀναίσχυντα θηρία· ἐκεῖνοι οἱ μηδέποτε ταύτης ἀπολαύοντες τῆς ἰατρείας, μηδὲ τῆς θείας ὑπακούοντες διδασκαλίας, ποίαν ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας ἕξουσιν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ λιμένος ἐξελθὼν, πανταχοῦ πλανᾶται, καὶ ὁ τοῦ φωτὸς ἀποστερηθεὶς πολλοῖς προσπίπτει· οὕτω καὶ ὁ εἰς λήθην ἐμπεσὼν τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ, φροντίσι καὶ μερίμναις καὶ ὀδύναις ἐκδίδοται διηνεκῶς. Καὶ καθάπερ ἀντεχομένου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὄντος, τὰ λυποῦντα ἐκποδὼν γίνεται· οὕτως ἀφισταμένου καὶ ἐπιλανθανομένου καὶ ψυχὴ διακόπτεται καὶ καρδία ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ οἱ λυποῦντες ἐπεμβαίνουσιν, ὥστε διὰ πάντων δακνομένους τοὺς ῥᾳθυμοτέρους, σπουδαιότερον ἐπανελθεῖν, ὅθεν ἐξέπεσον. Παιδεύσει γάρ σε ἡ ἀποστασία σου, φησὶ, καὶ ἡ κακία σου ἐλέγξει σε. Ὥστε καὶ ἡ ἐγκατάλειψις τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας εἶδός ἐστιν. Ὅταν γὰρ προνοῶν καὶ κηδόμενος καταφρονῆται, ἀφίησι μικρὸν καὶ ἐγκαταλιμπάνει, ἵνα τότε τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ἐκβληθείσης, σπουδαιότεροι οἱ ὀλίγωροι γένωνται. Πολλοὺς οἶμαι τῶν πρώην καταλιπόντων ἡμᾶς, καὶ πρὸς τὰ θέατρα τῆς παρανομίας αὐτομολησάντων, παρεῖναι σήμερον·","english":"Thus also a soul that does not enjoy spiritual teaching sends forth thorns and thistles. For if we, who each day partake of the hearing of the prophets and apostles, and who chant continuous incantations from the divine Scriptures over our passions, scarcely restrain anger, scarcely bridle wrath, scarcely cast out the wasting of envy, scarcely put an end to desire, scarcely subdue the shameless beasts—those who never enjoy this healing, nor obey the divine teaching, what hope of salvation will they have? For just as the man who has left the harbor wanders everywhere, and he who has been deprived of light falls upon many things, so also he who has fallen into forgetfulness of the fear of God is delivered over continually to cares and anxieties and pains. And just as, when God holds fast and is with us, the things that grieve us are removed, so when He withdraws and is forgotten, the soul is cut off and the heart is pained, and those who grieve us trample upon us, so that the more careless, being bitten through all things, may return more earnestly to the place from which they fell. For your apostasy will instruct you, says the Scripture, and your wickedness will reprove you. So that even the abandonment by God is a form of providence. For when He who provides and cares is despised, He lets go a little and abandons, so that then, when carelessness has been cast out, the fainthearted may become more earnest. I think many of those who formerly left us and deserted to the theaters of lawlessness are present today.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":124,"ref":"p124","source":"καὶ ἐβουλόμην τούτους εἰδέναι σαφῶς, ὥστε αὐτοὺς τῶν ἱερῶν ἐκβαλεῖν προθύρων, οὐχ ἵνα μένωσιν ἔξω διηνεκῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα διορθωθέντες ἐπανέλθωσι πάλιν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ πατέρες παῖδας σφαλλομένους τῆς οἰκίας ἐκβάλλουσι, καὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἀπείργουσιν, οὐχ ἵνα διαπαντὸς τούτων ἐκπέσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ βελτίους τῇ νουθεσίᾳ ταύτῃ γενόμενοι, μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης δόξης πρὸς τὸν πατρῷον ἐπανέλθωσι κλῆρον. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ποιμένες ποιοῦσι· τὰ ψώρας ἐμπεπλησμένα πρόβατα τῶν ὑγιαινόντων εἴργουσιν, ἵνα ἀποθέμενα τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν, μετὰ ἀσφαλείας πρὸς τὰ ὑγιαίνοντα ἐπανέλθῃ πάλιν, καὶ μὴ νοσοῦντα τὴν ἀγέλην ἅπασαν ἐμπλήσῃ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐκείνης. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐβουλόμεθα τούτους εἰδέναι· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοὺς διακρῖναι δυνάμεθα, ὁ λόγος αὐτοὺς ἐπιγνώσεται πάντως, καὶ τοῦ συνειδότος αὐτῶν ἐπιλαβόμενος πείσει ῥᾳδίως ἑκόντας αὐτοὺς ὑπεξελθεῖν· διδάσκων, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἔνδον ἐστὶ μόνος, ὁ τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς ἀξίαν παρέχων τὴν γνώμην· ὡς ὁ μετὰ πολιτείας διεφθαρμένης τοῦ ἱεροῦ τούτου μετέχων συλλόγου, κἂν τὸ σῶμα ἐνταῦθα εἰσάγῃ, ἐκβέβληται, καὶ τῶν ἀποκεκλεισμένων ἔξω καὶ μὴ δυναμένων τῆς ἱερᾶς μετασχεῖν τραπέζης, μᾶλλον ἀπελήλαται. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους ἐκβληθέντες καὶ μένοντες ἔξω, τέως χρηστὰς ἔχουσιν ἐλπίδας, κἂν ἐθέλωσι τὰ παραπτώματα διορθῶσαι, διὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἧς ἐξέπεσον δυνήσονται μετὰ καθαροῦ τοῦ συνειδότος πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν· οἱ δὲ μολύναντες ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ κελευσθέντες μὴ πρότερον ἐπιβῆναι, ἕως ἂν ἀποκαθάρωνται τὴν κηλῖδα τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων·","english":"And I wished that these people might know clearly, so as to cast them out from the sacred vestibules—not so that they might remain outside forever, but so that, once corrected, they might return again. For fathers also cast their erring children out of the house and keep them from the table, not so that they might fall away from these things forever, but so that, having become better through this admonition, they might return with fitting honor to the paternal inheritance. This is precisely what shepherds do as well: they keep the sheep full of scabies away from the healthy ones, so that, having laid aside their sickness, they might return again safely to the healthy ones, and so that, being sick, they might not fill the whole flock with that sickness. For this reason we too wished that these people might know; but even if we are unable to distinguish them with our eyes, the word will certainly recognize them, and laying hold of their conscience it will easily persuade them to withdraw of their own will, teaching that only that person is within who provides the disposition worthy of this sojourn here; so that one who, with a corrupted manner of life, partakes of this sacred assembly, even if he brings his body in here, has been cast out, and is more thoroughly driven away than those who are shut out and unable to partake of the sacred table. For those who have been cast out according to the laws of God and remain outside still have good hopes, and if they wish to correct their transgressions, through the Church from which they fell they will be able to return again with a clean conscience; but those who have defiled themselves, and have been commanded not to set foot inside until they are cleansed of the stain from their sins—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":125,"ref":"p125","source":"εἶτα ἀναισχυντοῦντες, χαλεπώτερον τὸ τραῦμα ἐργάζονται· οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν χαλεπὸν, ὡς ἡ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀναισχυντία. Πολλοὶ τῶν μυστηρίων ἅπαξ μεταλαμβάνουσι τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, ἕτεροι δὲ δὶς, ἄλλοι δὲ πολλάκις. Τίνας οὖν τούτων ἀποδεξόμεθα, τοὺς ἅπαξ, ἢ τοὺς πολλάκις, ἢ τοὺς ὀλιγάκις; Οὔτε τοὺς ἅπαξ, οὔτε τοὺς πολλάκις, οὔτε τοὺς ὀλιγάκις, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μετὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος, τοὺς μετὰ καθαρᾶς καρδίας, τοὺς μετὰ βίου ἀνεπιλήπτου. Οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἀεὶ προσιέτωσαν· οἱ δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτοι, μηδὲ ἅπαξ· κρῖμα γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς λαμβάνουσι καὶ κατάκριμα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ τροφὴ φύσει οὖσα θρεπτικὴ, ἐὰν εἰς κακόσιτον ἐμπέσῃ, πάντα ἀπόλλυσι καὶ διαφθείρει, καὶ γίνεται νόσου ἀφορμὴ, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὰ τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων. Τραπέζης ἀπολαύεις πνευματικῆς, τραπέζης βασιλικῆς, καὶ πάλιν φύρεις βορβόρῳ τὸ σῶμα; μύρῳ χρίεις, καὶ πάλιν δυσωδίας πληροῖς; Μετὰ ἐνιαυτὸν τῆς μεταλήψεως μετέχων οἴει ἀρκεῖν σοι πρὸς καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου, καὶ πάλιν ἑβδομάδος παρελθούσης ἐκδίδως σαυτὸν τοῖς προτέροις; Εἰπὲ δή μοι· ἐὰν ὑγιάνας εἰς","english":"Then, being shameless, they make the wound worse; for sinning is not so grievous as shamelessness after the sin. Many partake of the mysteries once a year, others twice, others many times. Which of these, then, shall we accept—those who partake once, or those who partake many times, or those who partake few times? Neither those who partake once, nor those who partake many times, nor those who partake few times, but those with a pure conscience, those with a clean heart, those with a blameless life. Let such people always draw near; but let those who are not such not even once; for they bring upon themselves judgment and condemnation. For just as food, being by nature nourishing, if it falls into a person with a bad digestion, destroys and corrupts everything, and becomes a source of disease, so too it is with the dread mysteries. Do you enjoy a spiritual table, a royal table, and then again defile your body with mire? Do you anoint yourself with myrrh, and then again fill yourself with foul odor? Partaking of communion after a year, do you think it suffices for you for the cleansing of the sins of the whole time, and then, when a week has passed, do you again give yourself over to your former ways? Tell me, then: if, having recovered your health, you","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":126,"ref":"p126","source":"τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας ἀπὸ νόσου μακρᾶς, πάλιν σαυτὸν ἐκδῷς τοῖς νοσοποιοῖς ἐκείνοις, οὐχὶ καὶ τὸν πρότερον κόπον ἀπώλεσας; Εἰ τοίνυν τὰ φυσικὰ μεθίσταται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως. Κἂν μὲν ὄζῃ τὸ στόμα, οὐδὲ τῶν κοινῶν μετέχεις σιτίων· τοσαύτης δὲ δυσωδίας οὔσης ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, μυστηρίων τολμᾷς κοινωνεῖν, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης; φησὶ γὰρ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος· Ὁ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ Κυρίου ἀναξίως, κρῖμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· τουτέστι, τὴν αὐτὴν δώσει δίκην, ὅσην ὑποστήσονται τιμωρίαν οἱ σταυρώσαντες τὸν Χριστόν. Καθάπερ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι οἱ σφαγεῖς ἔνοχοι ἐγένοντο τοῦ αἵματος· οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι οἱ ἀναξίως κοινωνοῦντες τῶν μυστηρίων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄν τε διαῤῥήξῃ τις τὴν πορφυρίδα τὴν βασιλικὴν, ἄν τε μολύνῃ βορβόρῳ, παραπλησίως εἰς τὸν ἐνδύντα αὐτὴν ἐνύβρισε βασι λέα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, οἵ τε ἀνελόντες τὸ σῶμα τὸ Δεσποτικὸν, οἵ τε ἀκαθάρτῳ δεχόμενοι τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὁμοίως ἐμπαροινοῦσι τῷ ἐνδύματι τῷ βασιλικῷ. Διέῤῥηξαν μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῷ σταυρῷ, μολύνει δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀκαθάρτῳ δεχόμενος αὐτὸ τῇ ψυχῇ. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ διάφορα τὰ τῆς παρανομίας, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῆς ὕβρεως ἴσα. Τοῦτο πολλῶν καθήψατο, τοῦτο πολλοὺς ἐθορύβησεν, ἔδακε τὸ συνειδὸς τῶν ἀκουόντων, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχὶ τῶν ἀκουόντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ λέγοντος, πρὸ ὑμῶν. Κοινὴ γὰρ ἡ διδασκαλία, κοινὰ τὰ τραύματα· διὸ καὶ κοινὰ τὰ φάρμακα ἐπιτίθημι.","english":"Forty days after a long illness, you again give yourself over to those things that cause illness—have you not also lost your former labor? If, then, natural things are changed, much more the things of the will. And if your mouth stinks, you do not even partake of common food; but when there is such foulness in your soul, do you dare to partake of the mysteries, tell me? And what forgiveness will you obtain? For the divine Apostle says: He who eats and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself; that is, he will receive the same penalty, as much punishment as those who crucified Christ will undergo. Just as those murderers became guilty of the blood, so also these who partake of the mysteries unworthily. For just as if someone tears the royal purple, or defiles it with mire, he insults the king who wears it in like manner; so too here, both those who destroyed the Master's body and those who receive it with an unclean mind alike outrage the royal garment. The Jews tore it, then, by the cross, but he who receives it with an unclean soul also defiles it. So that even if the transgressions differ, the insults are equal. This has touched many, this has disturbed many, it has pricked the conscience of the hearers—or rather not of the hearers only, but also of me who speak, before you. For the teaching is common, the wounds are common; therefore I also apply common remedies.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":127,"ref":"p127","source":"Τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἐγένετο ἔργον, ὥστε καὶ τὸν λέγοντα καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὑποκεῖσθαι νόμοις, τῆς αὐτῆς κοινωνεῖν φύσεως, ὁμοίως ἕκαστον ὑπεύθυνον εἶναι παραβαίνοντα. Διὰ τί; Ἵνα μετὰ συμμετρίας ποιῆται τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν· ἵνα συγγνωμονικὸς γίνηται τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν· ἵνα ἀναμιμνησκόμενος τῆς οἰκείας ἀσθενείας, μὴ ἀφόρητον ποιῆται τὸν ἔλεγχον. Ἂν τοίνυν ἴδῃς τινὰ τῶν μετὰ σοῦ συναγελαζομένων πορνεύοντα, καὶ μυστηρίοις προσερχόμενον, εἰπὲ τῷ διακονουμένῳ τὴν τούτων διανομήν· Ὁ δεῖνα ἀνάξιος μυστηρίων, κώλυσον τὸν βέβηλον τῶν ἁγίων. Εἰ γὰρ μηδὲ διηγεῖσθαι τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ τοιοῦτος ἄξιος, ἐννόησον οἷ προβήσεται τὰ τῆς κολάσεως αὐτῷ, ὅταν καὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἅπτηται τραπέζης· οὐκ αὐτῷ δὲ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοὶ τῷ συσκιάζοντι. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Καὶ ἐμοίχευες, ἀλλὰ, Μετὰ μοιχοῦ τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις. Βαβαὶ, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ κακὸν περιστέλλειν τῶν ἄλλων τὰς σηπεδόνας! κοινωνὸν γάρ σέ φησιν εἶναι τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ πλημμελήματι τιμωρίας· καὶ εἰκότως. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔχει τὸ πάθος εἰπεῖν, εἰ καὶ ἀσύγγνωστος ἡ πρόφασις· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτο. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τῆς ἡδονῆς οὐκ ἀπολαύων, τῆς κολάσεως κοινωνὸς καὶ μεριστὴς γίνῃ; Μὴ γάρ μοι ἐκεῖνο τὸ ῥῆμα λέγε, τῆς πολλῆς γέμον ἀναλγησίας· Τί δέ μοι μέλει; τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ μεριμνῶ. Τότε γὰρ μάλιστα μεριμνήσεις τὰ σὰ, ὅταν τὰ σὰ ζητῇς ἐν τῷ τοῦ πλησίον συμφέροντι· καθὰ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε, Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἵνα εὕρῃ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ.","english":"This was a work of God's love for humanity, so that both the speaker and the hearers are subject to the same laws, share the same nature, and each alike is liable when he transgresses. Why? So that he may administer reproof with due measure; so that he may be forbearing toward those who sin; so that, remembering his own weakness, he may not make his rebuke unbearable. If, then, you see one of those who herd together with you committing fornication and yet approaching the mysteries, say to the one who administers their distribution: Such a one is unworthy of the mysteries; bar the profane man from the holy things. For if such a man is not even worthy to recount the statutes of God, consider where his punishment will advance when he also touches the sacred table—and not for him alone, but for you also who cast your shadow over him. For he did not say, And you committed adultery, but, You set your portion with the adulterer. Alas, how great an evil it is to cover over the putrid sores of others! For he says that you are a partaker of the punishment for the offense; and rightly so. For the one who has the passion can plead it, even if the excuse is unforgivable; but you cannot even plead this. For what reason, then, when you do not enjoy the pleasure, do you become a partaker and sharer of the punishment? Do not say to me that saying which is full of great insensibility: What is it to me? I attend to my own affairs. For then you will attend to your own affairs most of all, when you seek your own in your neighbor's advantage; just as Paul also said, Let no one seek his own, so that he may find his own.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":128,"ref":"p128","source":"Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ ἡμαρτηκὼς πάντας ἀποστρεφομένους αὐτὸν ἴδῃ, μέγα τι καὶ πονηρὸν ἡγήσεται εἰργάσθαι ἂν δὲ μὴ μόνον μὴ ἀγανακτοῦντας μηδὲ δυσχεραίνοντας θεάσηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πράως φέροντας καὶ συνεφαπτομένους, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ συνειδότος διαφθείρει δικαστήριον, τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ψήφου συμπραττούσης αὐτοῦ τῇ διεφθαρμένῃ γνώμῃ. Πολλοὶ τὸ βάρος τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰρημένων ἐλέγχων οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες, μετὰ τὴν ἀναχώρησιν προσελθόντες, ἐδυσχέραινον, ἠγανάκτουν, Ἀπάγεις ἡμᾶς, λέγοντες, τῆς ἱερᾶς τραπέζης, καὶ τῆς κοινωνίας ἀποσοβεῖς; Διὰ τοῦτο δὲ ταῦτα ἠναγκάσθην εἰπεῖν, ἵνα μάθητε, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπάγω, ἀλλὰ συνάγω μᾶλλον· οὐδὲ ἀποσοβῶ, οὐδὲ ἀπείργω, ἀλλ' ἐπισπῶμαι διὰ τῶν ἐλέγχων πλέον. Ὁ γὰρ φόβος τῆς τιμωρίας, καθάπερ πῦρ εἰς κηρὸν, οὕτως εἰς τὸ συνειδὸς τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἐμπίπτων, λύει μὲν ἡμῶν καὶ τήκει τὰ πλημμελήματα διηνεκῶς ἐγκαθήμενος, καθαρὰν δὲ καὶ ἀποστίλβουσαν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν διάνοιαν, πλείονα τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἡμῖν ἐντίθησι. Καὶ καθάπερ ὁ πικρὰ φάρμακα τοῖς κακοσίτοις διδοὺς, καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐκκαθαίρων χυμοὺς, διεγείρει τὴν καταβεβλημένην ὄρεξιν, καὶ μετὰ","english":"For when the one who has sinned sees that all turn away from him, he will consider that he has done something great and evil; but if he sees them not only not indignant nor displeased, but even bearing it gently and joining in reproof, then the judgment-seat of conscience is corrupted, since the vote of the many cooperates with his corrupted opinion. Many, unable to bear the weight of the reproofs spoken to you, came forward after the departure and were displeased and indignant, saying, \"Are you driving us away from the sacred table and driving us off from communion?\" It was for this reason that I was compelled to say these things, so that you may learn that I do not drive away but rather gather together; nor do I drive off nor shut out, but I draw you in all the more through reproofs. For the fear of punishment, falling upon the conscience of sinners like fire upon wax, looses and melts away our transgressions, sitting continually upon them, and making the mind clean and shining, instills in us greater boldness. And just as one who gives bitter medicines to those with poor appetites, and purges out the evil humors, rouses the depressed appetite, and after","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":129,"ref":"p129","source":"πλείονος παρασκευάζει τῆς προθυμίας τῆς συνήθους ἅπτεσθαι τροφῆς· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ πικρὰ λέγων ῥήματα, καὶ καθαίρων τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τὸ βαρὺ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀποσκευαζόμενος φορτίον, δίδωσιν ἀναπνεῦσαι τῷ συνειδότι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἡδονῆς ἀπογεύσασθαι τοῦ σώματος παρασκευάζει τοῦ Δεσποτικοῦ. Εἰκότως ἄρα ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑπείκετε· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μεριμνᾷς· κἂν ταῦτα διαθῇ καλῶς, οὐδείς σοι τῶν ἄλλων ἔσται λόγος λοιπόν· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς, κἂν τὸν οἰκεῖον οἰκονομήσῃ βίον καλῶς, τὸν δὲ σὸν μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπιμελήσηται, μετὰ τῶν πονηρῶν εἰς τὴν γέενναν ἄπεισι· καὶ πολλάκις ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προδοθεὶς, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀπόλλυται. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σφοδρότερον τῶν ἀναξίως τῶν θείων μεταλαμβανόντων μυστηρίων καθηψάμεθα, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοὺς διακονουμένους διαλεχθῆναι λοιπὸν, ὥστε μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς διανέμειν ταυτὶ τὰ δῶρα· οὐ μικρὰ γὰρ κόλασις ὑμῖν ἐστιν. Εἰ γὰρ συνειδότες τινὶ πονηρίαν, συγχωρήσετε ταύτης μετασχεῖν τῆς τραπέζης, τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκζητηθήσεται τῶν ὑμετέρων. Κἂν στρα τηγὸς ᾖ, κἂν ὕπαρχος, κἂν αὐτὸς ὁ τὸ διάδημα περικείμενος, ἀναξίως δὲ προσίῃ, κώλυσον· μείζονα ἐκείνου τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχεις· μὴ παροξύνῃς τὸν Δεσπότην, οὐκ ἐκκαθαίρων τὸ σῶμα τούτου. Μὴ ξίφος δῷς ἀντὶ τῆς τροφῆς· ἀλλὰ κἂν ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας ἐκεῖνος ἔρχηται μεθέξων, κωλύσειν μὴ φοβηθῇς. Φοβήθητι τὸν Δεσπότην Θεὸν, μὴ τὸν ἄνθρωπον·","english":"It prepares one to partake of the customary food with greater eagerness; so too the one who speaks bitter words, and purges the evil thoughts of the mind, and sets aside the heavy burden of sins, gives the conscience room to breathe, and prepares it to taste with great pleasure of the Master's body. With good reason, then, the blessed Paul said: Obey those who rule over you, and submit; for they watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. For you care for your own affairs; and even if you arrange these well, no account will be required of you for others; but the priest, even if he manages his own life well, yet does not carefully attend to yours, will go with the wicked into Gehenna; and often, though not betrayed by his own, he is destroyed by others'. But since we have attacked more vigorously those who partake unworthily of the divine mysteries, it is necessary now to speak also to you who minister, so that you distribute these gifts with great zeal; for it is no small punishment for you. For if, knowing that someone is guilty of wickedness, you permit him to share in this table, their blood will be required at your hands. And even if he is a general, even if a prefect, even if he is the very one wearing the diadem, yet approaches unworthily, prevent him; you have greater authority than he; do not provoke the Master by not cleansing his body. Do not give a sword instead of food; but even if he comes to partake because of weakness, do not fear to prevent him. Fear the Master God, not the man.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":130,"ref":"p130","source":"ἂν τὸν ἄνθρωπον φοβηθῇς, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καταγελασθήσῃ, καὶ τὸν Δεσπότην παροξυνεῖς· ἂν δὲ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀνθρώποις αἰδέσιμος ἔσῃ, καὶ αὐτῷ φιλητός. Εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς οὐ τολμᾷς, ἐμοὶ πρόσαγε, οὐ συγχωρήσω ταῦτα τολμᾶσθαι· τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποστήσομαι πρότερον, ἢ τοῦ αἵματος μεταδώσω τοῦ Δεσποτικοῦ παρ' ἀξίαν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ προήσομαι πρότερον, ἢ μεταδώσω αἵματος οὕτω φρικώδους παρὰ τὸ προσῆκον. Κρεῖττον γὰρ στερηθῆναι τοῦ βίου μᾶλλον διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, ἢ διὰ τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὧ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ Ιʹ. Περὶ Προνοίας.\n\nΤίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀπατήσαντα ἐχθρὸν ἠφάνισεν ὁ Θεός; Εἰ πρὸς βίαν ἐκράτει, φησὶν, εἶχεν ἄν τινα λόγον τὸ ζητούμενον· εἰ δὲ ταύτης μὲν ἀφῄρηται τῆς δυνάμεως, πείθει δὲ μόνον, τὸ μὴ πεισθῆναι δὲ ἐφ' ἡμῖν, τίνος ἕνεκα τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τὴν πρόφασιν περιαιρεῖς, καὶ τὴν τῶν στεφάνων ἐκκόπτεις ὑπόθεσιν; Καὶ ἄλλως, εἰ μὲν εἰδὼς αὐτὸν πάντων περιεσόμενον ἀφῆκεν, οὐδ' οὕτως ἄξιον ἀπορεῖν· παρ' ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ κρατεῖν ἐκεῖνον, ἑκόντων ὑποκλινομένων, οὐ βιαζομένων· εἰ δὲ πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ ἤδη περιγενόμενοι, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἔσονται, τί τοὺς μέλλοντας εὐδοκιμεῖν τοσαύτης ἀποστερεῖς τιμῆς; Ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες αὐτοῦ περιέσονται. Ἀλλὰ πολλῷ δικαιότερον τοὺς μὲν γενναίους λαμβάνειν ἀφορμὰς, ἐν αἷς ἐπιδείξονται τὴν προαίρεσιν· τοὺς δὲ μὴ τοιούτους, ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας κολάζεσθαι ῥᾳθυμίας, ἢ διὰ τούτους ἐκείνους ἐπηρεάζεσθαι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ φαῦλος, κἂν ἠδίκηται, οὐ παρὰ τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ νωθρίαν·","english":"If you fear man, you will be laughed at by him and you will provoke the Master; but if you fear God, you will be respected by men and beloved by him. But if you yourself do not dare, bring them to me; I will not permit these things to be dared. I will depart from the soul sooner than impart the Master's blood unworthily, and I will pour out my own blood sooner than impart blood so aweful beyond what is fitting. For it is better to be deprived of life for God's sake than for the sake of life to [sin against] God himself. To whom be glory, power, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 10. On Providence.\n\nFor what reason did God not destroy the enemy who deceived from the beginning? If he ruled by force, he says, the question would have some basis; but if he has been deprived of this power and only persuades, and not being persuaded is up to us, for what reason do you remove the occasion of good repute and cut off the ground of crowns? And besides, if he let him go knowing that he would prevail over all, not even so is it worthy of perplexity; for it is from us that he prevails, when we willingly submit, not when we are compelled. But if many have already prevailed and many will again prevail, why do you deprive those who are going to earn good repute of such honor? But not all will prevail over him. But it is far more just that the noble receive occasions in which they will display their purpose, and that those who are not such be punished for their own negligence, rather than that those others be wronged on their account. For the base man, even if he has been wronged, is wronged not by his adversary but by his own sluggishness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":131,"ref":"p131","source":"καὶ δηλοῖ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νικώντων. Τότε δὲ ἂν οἱ σπουδαῖοι διὰ τοὺς φαύλους ἐπεβουλεύθησαν, οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅπου χρήσονται τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ. Οὕτω δ' ἂν καὶ τῆς τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῆς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κατηγορήσωσι διαπλάσεως (διὰ τούτων γὰρ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ὧν οὐ δεῖ, καὶ εἰς μοιχείαν ἐμπίπτουσιν οἱ πολλοί· δι' ἐκείνου δὲ βλασφημοῦσι, καὶ τὰ ὀλέθρια τῶν δογμάτων ἐκφέρουσιν ἕτεροι), ἆρ' οὖν διὰ τοῦτο χωρὶς γλώττης καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους γενέσθαι ἐχρῆν; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἀποτεμοῦμεν· αἱ μὲν γὰρ αἱμάτων πλήρεις, οἱ δὲ εἰς κακίαν τρέχουσι. Πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ τὰ ὦτα, ὅτι καὶ ματαίαν παραδέχεται ἀκοὴν, καὶ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων φθορὰν τῇ ψυχῇ\n\nπαραπέμπει· εἰ δὲ ταῦτα, καὶ σῖτα καὶ ποτὰ, καὶ οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν, καὶ σελήνην καὶ τὸν τῶν ἄστρων χορόν. Ποῦ γὰρ ἔσται ταῦτα χρήσιμα, τοῦ δι' ὃν ἐγένετο κατακοπέντος οὕτως ἐλεεινῶς; Ὁρᾷς τὸν γέλωτα καὶ τὴν ἀτοπίαν εἰς ἣν ὁ λόγος καταστρέφειν ἀναγκάζεται; Ὁ 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 καθ' ἑαυτὸ καὶ λυπεῖ· ὅταν δὲ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦτο προξενῆται ἡμῖν, οὐδ' ἐνεγκεῖν δυνήσεται τὴν ἐπήρειαν. Φασί τινες, ὡς, εἰ μὴ συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἂν προσῆλθεν ὁ διάβολος, οὐκ ἂν ἠπάτησε τὴν ἀρχὴν τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ταῦτα;","english":"And the multitude of those who conquer shows this. But then, if the earnest were plotted against because of the wicked, they would have no place to use their courage. And so, if they should accuse the very fashioning of the mouth and of the eyes (for through these they desire what they ought not, and many fall into adultery; and through that one they blaspheme, and others bring forth the destructive things of doctrines), ought humans, then, for this reason to have come into being without tongue and eyes? Then we shall cut off the hands too, and the feet; for the former are full of blood, and the latter run to wickedness. In addition to these, the ears also, because they admit vain hearing and convey the corruption of doctrines to the soul; and if these, then also foods and drinks, and heaven and earth and sea, and the moon and the chorus of the stars. For where will these be useful, if the one for whose sake they came to be has been cut to pieces so piteously? Do you see the laughter and the absurdity into which the argument is compelled to turn? The devil is evil to himself, not to us; for we, if we wish, will reap many good things through him, unwilling and not wishing it; but the wonder is greater in this too, and the excess of God's love for humanity. For humans becoming better stings him and grieves him both in itself; but when this is brought about for us even through him, he will not be able to endure the affront. Some say that, if God had not permitted it, the devil would not have come near, nor would he have deceived man in the beginning. What then shall we say to these things?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":132,"ref":"p132","source":"Ὅτι, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἐγεγόνει, οὐδ' ἂν ἔμαθεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ 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 μηδὲ συμβεβουλευκέναι τι τὸν διάβολον· ἆρα ἂν ἄπταιστος διετέλεσε μὴ γενομένου τούτου; Οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπὸ γυναικὸς οὕτως εὐκόλως ἀναπεισθεὶς, οὗτος καὶ διαβόλου οὐκ ὄντος ταχέως ἂν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατέπεσεν. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν παρ' ἑτέρου δεξάμενος οὕτως ἀπάτην εὐκόλως, οὗτος καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀπάτης ῥᾳθύμως καὶ χαύνως διέκειτο· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἴσχυσε τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνος, εἰ νηφούσῃ καὶ ἐγρηγορυίᾳ διελέγετο ψυχῇ. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν τοιοῦτον ἐδίδου πρόσταγμα τῷ Ἀδὰμ ὁ Θεὸς, ἁμαρτήσοντα εἰδώς; Ὅτι καὶ τὸ δοῦναι τὴν ἐντολὴν μείζονος κηδεμονίας ἐστὶν, ἢ τὸ μὴ δοῦναι. 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 ἐλπίσαι γενέσθαι θεὸς, καὶ ταῦτα, οὐδαμόθεν τὸν ταῦτα ἐπαγγειλάμενον πιστὸν ὁρῶν· εἰ βεβαίαν εἶχε τὴν ἀθανασίαν, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἔφθασεν ἀπονοίας; τί δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐξήμαρτε; πότε δὲ ἂν ὑπήκουσε τοῦ Θεοῦ;","english":"For if this had not happened, Adam would not even have learned how great a good he had, nor would he ever have been brought down from that folly. For this man who deemed himself worthy of such greatness as even to expect to become a god—what would he not have dared if he had not been brought to his senses? But let us suppose that the devil had not even given any counsel; would he then have remained without stumbling if this had not happened? It is not possible to say. For the man who was so easily persuaded by a woman—he would quickly have fallen into sin of his own accord even without a devil. For the one who so easily received deception from another—he was already disposed to slackness and laxity even before the deception; for that one would not have had such strength if he had been conversing with a sober and watchful soul. And for what reason did God give such a command to Adam, knowing that he would sin? Because even to give the commandment is a matter of greater care than not to give it. For let Adam have a disposition so slack as the outcome demonstrated, but let him receive no commandment, and let him remain in luxury; would his weakness and slackness have advanced from this relaxation toward the worse, or toward the better? But it is clear to everyone that, being free from care, he would have fallen into the utmost wickedness. For the man who did not yet have confidence concerning immortality, but knew that this hope was still hanging in suspense, and was lifted to such a height of arrogance and folly as to hope to become a god—and that, seeing from nowhere that the one who promised these things was trustworthy—if he had possessed immortality securely, to what depth of folly would he not have reached? What would he not have sinned? When would he ever have obeyed God?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":133,"ref":"p133","source":"Ὁ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ προστάγματος δόσιν οὕτω καταφρονήσας τοῦ δεδωκότος αὐτῷ τὸ πρόσταγμα, εἰ μηδὲν ὅλως ἠκηκόει παρ' αὐτοῦ, ταχέως ἂν, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὸ δεσποτείαν ἐστὶν, ἠγνόησεν. Εἰ μηδεὶς ὅλως ἐνταῦθα 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. Εἰ δὲ 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 τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπολαβεῖν, ἀναγκάζονται λογίζεσθαι, ὅτι εἰς ἕτερόν τινα τοῦτο ταμιεύεται καιρόν. Διὰ τοῦτο Κάϊν ἁμαρτήσαντα οὐκ ἀνεῖλεν εὐθὺς ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε δι' αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἑξῆς ἅπαντας σωφρονίζεσθαι, καὶ γίνεσθαι βελτίους διὰ τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἐπιτιμήσεως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἴσον ἀκούειν, ὅτι Κάϊν τις ἀνελὼν ἀδελφὸν ἀπέθανε, καὶ ὁρᾷν τὸν ἀνελόντα δίκην τίνοντα.","english":"For the man who, after the giving of the commandment, so despised the one who gave him the commandment—if he had heard nothing at all from him, he would quickly have been ignorant of the fact that he was also under dominion. If no one at all here were punished among the wicked, nor honored among the good, many of those who disbelieve the word of the resurrection would flee virtue as the cause of evils, and would pursue wickedness as the procurer of good things. But if again here all received according to desert, they would have considered the word of judgment to be superfluous and false. In order, therefore, that this man may not be disbelieved, nor the great and common people become more worthless by despising, 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 word of judgment; and by punishing some even before the judgment, awakening those who sleep a deep sleep. For from the punishment of the wicked many are roused by the fear of suffering the same things; and from the fact that not all receive according to desert here, they are compelled to reason that this is treasured up for some other time. For this reason God did not immediately put Cain to death when he sinned, so that through him all who followed might be disciplined, and become better through the rebuke given to that man. For it was not equal to hear that a certain Cain, having killed his brother, died, and to see the killer paying the penalty.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":134,"ref":"p134","source":"Τότε μὲν γὰρ κἂν ἠπιστήθη τοῦτο λεγόμενον διὰ τὴν τοῦ μίσους ὑπερβολὴν, νυνὶ δὲ φαινόμενος καὶ παρὼν, καὶ πολλοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον μάρτυρας τῆς τιμωρίας ποιούμενος, κατάδηλον καὶ πιστὸν καὶ τοῖς τότε καὶ τοῖς\n\nἐφεξῆς καθίστη τὸ γεγονός. Ἄλλως τε, εἰ μὲν 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 αὐτῷ τῆς τιμωρίας εἰργάζετο. Τὰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ἐπαγόμενα ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λυπηρὰ ἢ κολαστήρια, οὐ μικρὸν τῶν ἐκεῖ βασάνων ὑποτέμνεται μέρος. Διὰ τοῦτο τοὺς τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξίους τιμωριῶν, οὐχ ὁμοῦ πάντας κολάζειν εἴωθεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα οἱ λειπόμενοι βελτίους ταῖς ἐκείνων γένωνται συμφοραῖς· κολάζει δὲ καὶ πάντας ὁμοῦ πολλάκις, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, ἵνα ἐκεῖνοι μὲν περαιτέρω προελθεῖν τῆς κακίας κωλυθῶσιν, οἱ δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους ἐκείνων μειζόνως κερδάνωσι, τῆς ζύμης, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, καὶ τῆς ὑποθέσεως τῶν κακῶν ἀφανισθείσης ἐκ μέσου μετὰ τῶν τολμησάντων αὐτῶν, καὶ μὴ τοσούτους διδασκάλους φαυλότητος ἔχωσιν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς παραδείγματος εὐκόλως δύναιντ' ἂν εὑρεῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ κακὰ, τί ἂν ἔπραξαν πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν παρακαλούντων αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὰς πράξεις τὰς πονηράς; Τοῦτο οὖν μόνον πεπεῖσθαι χρὴ, ὅτι συμφερόντως ἡμῖν ἅπαντα οἰκονομεῖται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸν δὲ τρόπον μηκέτι ζητεῖν, μηδὲ ἀγνοοῦντας ἀσχάλλειν ἢ ἀθυμεῖν.","english":"For at that time, even if this statement was disbelieved because of the excess of hatred, yet now, appearing and present, and making many witnesses of the punishment for a long time, he rendered the event manifest and credible both to those then and to those thereafter. Besides, if God had killed him immediately, he would not have given him any appointed time for repentance and improvement; but then, 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. Apart from these things, through this punishment he was working out for him a lesser future chastisement. For the painful things or chastisements brought upon us by God in the present life cut off no small part of the torments there. For this reason God is accustomed not to punish all at once those who deserve the same punishments, so that those who remain may become better by their calamities; but he often punishes all together, as in the case of the flood, so that those men might be prevented from advancing further in wickedness, and those after them might gain more greatly from them, the leaven, as one might say, and the foundation of evils being removed from the midst together with those who dared them, and so that they might not have so many teachers of depravity. For if even without an example men could easily discover evils, what would they have done when there were many urging them on to wicked deeds? This alone, then, one must be persuaded of, that all things are administered for our benefit by God; but one must no longer inquire into the manner, nor, being ignorant, be vexed or disheartened.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":135,"ref":"p135","source":"Οὔτε γὰρ δυνατὸν ταῦτα εἰδέναι, οὔτε συμφέρον, τὸ μὲν διὰ τὸ θνητοὺς εἶναι, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὸ ταχέως εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αἴρεσθαι. Βούλεται μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοὺς μὴ πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ σωθῆναι μεταβαλλομένους ὁ Θεός· καθὼς καὶ αὐτός φησι, Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν. Ὅταν δὲ μὴ 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 παρ όντα βίον ἅπαντα αὐτοῖς χορηγεῖ, τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλων ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχων ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ πρὸς τὴν σύστασιν τῆς παρούσης παρέχων ζωῆς. Εἰ δὲ ἐχθρῶν τοσαύτην ποιεῖται πρόνοιαν, τοὺς πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ καὶ θεραπεύοντας αὐτὸν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν αὑτῶν, πῶς περιόψεται; Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ μέσου γέγονεν ὁ διάβολος; Ἔστω ἀνταγωνιστὴς εἷς, ἔστωσαν καὶ ἀθληταὶ δύο πρὸς ἐκεῖνον παλαίειν μέλλοντες· καὶ τούτων τῶν δύο ἀθλητῶν, ὁ μὲν ὑπὸ γαστριμαργίας ἔστω διεφθαρμένος, ἠμελημένος, ἐξησθενημένος, ἐκνενευρισμένος· ὁ δὲ σπουδάζων, εὐεκτῶν, ἐν παλαίστραις διατρίβων, ἐν γυμνασίοις πολλοῖς, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν περὶ τὴν ἄθλησιν ἐπιδεικνύμενος. Ἂν τοίνυν ἀνέλῃς τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν, τίνι ἐπηρέασας τούτων; ἆρα τῷ ῥᾳθύμῳ καὶ ἀμελεῖ, ἢ τῷ σπουδαίῳ καὶ τοσαῦτα πεπονηκότι; Εὔδηλον ὅτι τῷ σπουδαίῳ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὸν ῥᾴθυμον ἠδίκηται, ἀναιρεθέντος τοῦ ἀνταγωνιστοῦ· ὁ δὲ ῥᾴθυμος μένοντος τούτου, οὐκέτι διὰ τὸν σπουδαῖον ἐπηρέασται· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς οἰκείας ῥᾳθυμίας κατέπεσεν.","english":"For it is neither possible to know these things nor advantageous—the one because we are mortal, the other because we are quickly carried away into recklessness. For God wills that even those who do not believe him be saved by changing their ways, just as he himself says, \"I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.\" But when, having not enjoyed so great a care, they wish to become better and to recognize the truth, not even so does he abandon them; but since they have willingly deprived themselves of heavenly life, he supplies them with all things for the present life at least, causing his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sending rain on the just and the unjust, and providing all other things for the maintenance of the present life. But if he takes such forethought for enemies, how will he overlook those who believe in him and serve him according to their own ability? And for what reason has the devil not been removed from the midst? Let there be one adversary, and let there be two athletes about to wrestle against him; and of these two athletes, let the one be corrupted by gluttony, neglected, weakened, enervated; and the other diligent, in good condition, spending time in wrestling schools, in many gymnasiums, displaying all diligence for the contest. If, then, you remove the adversary, which of these have you harmed? Is it the lazy and negligent one, or the diligent one who has labored so much? It is clear that it is the diligent one. For the one has been wronged on account of the lazy man, since the adversary has been removed; but the lazy man, while he remains, is no longer wronged on account of the diligent man; for he has fallen from his own laziness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":136,"ref":"p136","source":"Ὁ τοίνυν ἀσθενὴς τὴν προαίρεσιν καὶ ἠμελημένος καὶ ῥᾴθυμος, καὶ διαβόλου οὐκ ὄντος, καταπίπτει ταχέως, καὶ εἰς βάραθρα πολλὰ κακίας ἑαυτὸν καταβάλλει. Κἂν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα μέλη ἔλθωμεν, καὶ ταῦτα εὑρήσομεν ἀπωλείας αἴτια, ἐὰν μὴ προσέχωμεν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ῥᾳθυμίαν. Σκόπει δέ· Ὀφθαλμὸς ἐδόθη, ἵνα βλέπων τὴν κτίσιν δοξάσῃς τὸν Κτίστην καὶ Δεσπότην· ἀλλ', ἐὰν μὴ καλῶς χρήσῃ τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ, μοιχείας σοι γίνεται πρόξενος. Γλῶττα ἐδόθη, ἵνα ὑμνῇς καὶ τὸν Ποιητὴν εὐφημῇς· ἀλλ', ἐὰν μὴ καλῶς προσέχῃς, βλασφημίας καὶ αἰσχρολογίας σοι γίνεται αἰτία. Χεῖρες ἐδόθησαν, ἵνα ἀνατείνῃς αὐτὰς εἰς εὐχάς· ἀλλ', ἐὰν μὴ νήφῃς, εἰς πλεονεξίαν ταύτας ἐκτείνεις. Πόδες ἐδόθησαν, ἵνα τρέχῃς εἰς καλὰ ἔργα· ἀλλ', ἐὰν ἀμελῇς, τὰς πονηρὰς δι' αὐτῶν ἕξεις πράξεις. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸν ἀσθενῆ πάντα βλάπτει, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ σωτήρια φάρμακα εἰς θάνατον ἐμβάλλει, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τὴν ἐκείνου. Ἀρκεῖ μόνον ἡ θεοπτία ἀπολέσαι τοὺς πονηρούς· εἰ γὰρ ἁγίων παρουσία","english":"Therefore the one who is weak in purpose, neglected, and slothful, even when the devil is not present, falls quickly and casts himself down into many pits of wickedness. For if we turn even to our own members, we shall find these too to be causes of destruction, if we do not pay attention—not because of their own nature, but because of our slothfulness. Consider: the eye was given so that, seeing creation, you might glorify the Creator and Master; but if you do not use the eye rightly, it becomes for you a procurer of adultery. The tongue was given so that you might hymn and praise the Maker; but if you do not pay attention rightly, it becomes for you a cause of blasphemy and foul speech. Hands were given so that you might raise them in prayer; but if you are not sober, you stretch them out for greed. Feet were given so that you might run to good works; but if you are negligent, through them you will have wicked deeds. Do you see that everything harms the weak man, and that even the very remedies of salvation plunge him into death—not because of their own nature, but because of his weakness? The vision of God alone is enough to destroy the wicked; for if the presence of saints","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":137,"ref":"p137","source":"ἀσθενῆ τῶν δαιμόνων ποιεῖ τὴν ἰσχὺν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅταν ἴδωμεν πραγμάτων ἀταξίαν καὶ ταραχὴν, μὴ τὸν Θεὸν αἰτιώμεθα, μηδὲ ἀπρονόητα εἶναι νομίζωμεν τὰ παρόντα· ἡ γὰρ ὄντως ἀταξία καὶ ταραχὴ, οὐχ ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐστὶ φορὰ, ἀλλ' ὁ οὕτω διακείμενος λογισμὸς, ὃς κἂν μυρίας εὐταξίας ἀπολαύῃ, ἕως ἂν μὴ τὴν ἀταξίαν τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ταραχὴν διορθώσηται, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τῆς ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν εὐταξίας ἔσται τὸ πλέον· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμὸς νοσῶν μὲν καὶ ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ φανοτάτῃ σκότος ὄψεται, καὶ ἕτερα ἀνθ' ἑτέρων, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀκτῖνος ἔσται πλέον· ὑγιαίνων δὲ καὶ ἐῤῥωμένος, καὶ ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ δυνήσεται τὸ σῶμα χειραγωγεῖν μετὰ ἀσφαλείας· οὕτω καὶ τῆς διανοίας τῆς ἡμετέρας ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς, ἕως μὲν ἂν ἐῤῥωμένος ᾖ, κἂν ἄτακτα εἶναι δοκοῦντα ἴδῃ, καλὰ ὄψεται· ὅταν δὲ διεφθαρμένος, κἂν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναγάγῃς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ πολλὴν ἀταξίαν καταγνώσεται καὶ ταραχήν. Διὰ τοῦτο οὔτε πάντας ἐνταῦθα ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μὴ ἀπογνῷς τὴν ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ἀπελπίσῃς τὴν κρίσιν, ὡς πάντων ἐνταῦθα διδόντων λόγον· οὔτε πάντας ἀφίησιν ἀτιμωρητὶ ἀπελθεῖν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἀπρονόητα τὰ πάντα εἶναι νομίσῃς. Εἴ τις ἀπιστεῖ τῇ ἀναστάσει, ἐννοείτω πόσα ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ δεχέσθω καὶ περὶ ἐκείνης ἀπόδειξιν. Καὶ γὰρ γῆν λαβὼν, ἔφυρε καὶ ἐποίησεν ἄνθρωπον, γῆν οὐκ οὖσαν πρὸ τούτου. Πῶς οὖν ἡ γῆ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος; πῶς δὲ αὐτὴ, οὐκ οὖσα, παρήγετο; ποίαν δὲ ὑποβάθραν ἔχει; καὶ τί μετὰ τὴν γῆν; καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνο πάλιν τὸ μετὰ τὴν γῆν;","english":"He makes the strength of the demons weak, and much more so the strength of God. When we see disorder and confusion in affairs, let us not blame God, nor think that present things are without providence; for the true disorder and confusion is not the movement of affairs, but the reasoning that is so disposed—which, even if it enjoys countless good orders, as long as it does not correct the disorder and confusion within itself, will have no advantage from the good order in affairs. But just as an eye that is diseased will see darkness even at brightest noon, and one thing in place of another, and will have no advantage from the ray of light; but when it is healthy and strong, it will be able even in the evening to guide the body safely—so too the eye of our mind, as long as it is strong, even if it sees things that seem disorderly, will see them as beautiful; but when it is corrupted, even if you bring heaven itself before it, it will condemn much disorder and confusion even in the things there. For this reason God does not require an account here from all, lest you despair of the resurrection and give up hope of the judgment, as though all were giving account here; nor does he let all go unpunished, lest you again think that all things are without providence. If anyone disbelieves the resurrection, let him consider how many things God made out of nothing, and let him accept the proof concerning that as well. For taking earth, he mixed it and made man—earth that did not exist before this. How then did the earth become man? How was it itself, not being, brought forth? What foundation does it have? And what is after the earth? And after that, again, what is after the earth?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":138,"ref":"p138","source":"πῶς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῆς παρήχθησαν ἅπαντα τὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ἄπειρα γένη, τὰ τῶν σπερμάτων, τὰ τῶν φυτῶν; τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀπορώτερον Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον σβεσθέντα ἀνάψαι λύχνον, καὶ μηδαμῶς φαινόμενον δεῖξαι πῦρ· οὐδὲ κατενεχθεῖσαν οἰκίαν ἀναστῆσαι, καὶ μηδὲ ὅλως ὑφεστῶσαν παραγαγεῖν. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ εἰ μηδὲν ἄλλο, ἀλλ' ἡ ὕλη ὑπέκειτο· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐδὲ ἡ οὐσία ἐφαίνετο. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ δυσκολώτερον ἡμῖν εἶναι δοκοῦν ἐποίησε πρότερον, ἵνα ἐκ τούτου τὸ εὐκολώτερον παραδείξῃ. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γεννήσεως δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας οὐ σπέρμα βραχὺ, πρῶτον ἄμορφον καὶ ἀτύπωτον, ἐνίεται εἰς τὴν ὑποδεχομένην μήτραν αὐτό; πόθεν οὖν ἡ τοσαύτη τοῦ ζώου διάπλασις; Τί δὲ ὁ σῖτος; οὐ κόκκος γυμνὸς εἰς τὴν γῆν καταβάλλεται; οὐ μετὰ τὸ καταβληθῆναι σήπεται; πόθεν ἄσταχυς καὶ ἀνθέρικες καὶ καλάμη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα; οὐ κεγχρὶς σύκου μικρὰ πολλάκις ἐμπεσοῦσα εἰς γῆν, καὶ ῥίζαν καὶ κλάδους καὶ καρπὸν ἤνεγκεν; Εἶτα τούτων μὲν ἕκαστον δέχῃ καὶ οὐ περιεργάζῃ, τὸν δὲ Θεὸν μόνον ἀπαιτεῖς εὐθύνας, μετασκευάζοντα ἡμῶν τὸ σῶμα; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα συγγνώμης ἄξια; Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀφῆκε τὸν διάβολον ὁ Θεὸς, τοιοῦτον πονηρὸν ὄντα, ὥστε ὑποσκελίζειν ἡμᾶς; Ἵνα τῷ φόβῳ συνωθούμενοι, καὶ τοῦ πολεμίου τὴν ἔφοδον προσδοκῶντες, πολλὴν τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν καὶ διηνεκῆ τὴν νῆψιν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ τὸν διάβολον διὰ τοῦτο κατέλιπε;","english":"How then were all the countless kinds of irrational creatures, of seeds, of plants, produced from it? For this is more puzzling than the resurrection. For it is not the same thing to rekindle a lamp that has been extinguished, and to show fire that in no way appears; nor to raise up a house that has been brought down, and to produce one that does not exist at all. For here, if nothing else, at least the material lay at hand; but there, not even the substance appeared. For this reason he made the harder thing first, so that from it he might demonstrate the easier. And in our own generation, is not a little seed, at first formless and shapeless, implanted into the womb that receives it? From where, then, comes such great formation of the living creature? And what of the wheat? Is it not cast into the earth as a bare grain? Does it not rot after being cast in? From where come the ear and the awns and the stalk and all the rest? Has not a small fig seed, often falling into the earth, brought forth both root and branches and fruit? Then you accept each of these and do not pry into them, but you demand an account from God alone, who transforms our body? And where are these things worthy of pardon? And for what reason did God leave the devil, being so wicked as to trip us up? So that, driven on by fear, and expecting the assault of the enemy, we might display great watchfulness and continual sobriety. And why do you marvel if God left the devil for this reason?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":139,"ref":"p139","source":"Κηδόμενος γὰρ ἡμῶν τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ διεγείρων ἡμῶν τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν, καὶ ὑπόθεσιν στεφάνων κατασκευάζων, αὐτὴν τὴν γέενναν διὰ τοῦτο κατεσκεύασεν, ἵνα ὁ τῆς τιμωρίας φόβος καὶ τῆς κολάσεως τὸ ἀφόρητον πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἡμᾶς συνωθήσῃ. Ἂν οὖν ποιήσῃς τι χρηστὸν, καὶ μὴ λάβῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν ἐνταῦθα, μὴ ταράττου· μετὰ προσθήκης ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι καιρῷ ἀναμένει σε τούτων ἡ ἀμοιβή. Κἂν ποιήσῃς τι πονηρὸν, καὶ μὴ δῷς δίκην, μὴ θάῤῥει· ἐκεῖ γάρ σε ἐκδέξεται ἡ τιμωρία, ἂν μὴ μεταβάλῃ καὶ γένῃ βελτίων. Θορυβῇ καὶ ἀλύεις καὶ πάντα ταραχῆς πληροῖς, ὁρῶν πολλοὺς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας καὶ εὐθηνουμένους, καὶ τῶν παρόντων ἀπολαύοντας, καὶ ἀλγεῖς ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίᾳ. Τί ποιεῖς; εἰπέ μοι· πόσοι ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐφεδρεύουσι; πόσοι τοίχους διορύττουσι; πόσοι δηλητηρίοις φαρμάκοις πολλοὺς ἀπώλεσαν; ἆρ' οὖν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐγκαλοῦμεν τῷ δικαστῇ; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ λαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ τὴν ψῆφον ἀφῇ, καὶ τὸν μὲν παθόντα κακῶς κολάσῃ, τὸν δὲ ποιήσαντα τιμήσῃ, καὶ στεφανώσας ἐκπέμψῃ, κατηγορίας ὄντως ἄξιος, καὶ ἐγκλημάτων ἐσχάτων· ὅταν δὲ μηδέπω ὦσι παραδοθέντες, αὐτὸς","english":"For out of care for our salvation, and to rouse our slothfulness, and to prepare an occasion for crowns, he established Gehenna itself for this reason, so that the fear of punishment and the unbearable nature of chastisement might drive us toward the kingdom. If, then, you do something good and do not receive its recompense here, do not be troubled; with increase, in the time to come, the reward for these things awaits you. And if you do something evil and do not pay the penalty, do not be confident; for there the punishment will await you, unless you change and become better. You are disturbed and distressed and fill everything with confusion, seeing many living in wickedness and prospering and enjoying present things, and you grieve at God's longsuffering. What are you doing? Tell me: how many lie in wait on the roads? How many break through walls? How many have destroyed many with poisonous drugs? Do we therefore bring charges against the judge on their account? By no means. For if, having taken them under his judgment, he released them, and punished the one who suffered wrong while honoring the one who did it, and sent him out crowned, he would be truly worthy of accusation and of the utmost charges; but when they have not yet been handed over, he himself","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":140,"ref":"p140","source":"τὰς εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖς, καὶ προλαβὼν καταγινώσκεις; Ἐννόησον τὰ σαυτῷ βεβιωμένα, ἄνθρωπε, εἰς τὸ σὸν εἴσελθε συνειδός· καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπαινέσεις σου τὴν ψῆφον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεταθήσῃ τὴν γνώμην, καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ἀποδέξῃ τὸν φιλάνθρωπον, καὶ χάριν εἴσῃ τῆς ἀνοχῆς, θαυμάσας τῆς ἀνεξικακίας αὐτόν. Εἰ γὰρ ἔμελλεν ἕκαστος παρ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα δίκην ἀπαιτεῖσθαι τῶν πεπλημμελημένων, οὐκ ἂν ἡμῶν ἔφθασε τὸ γένος πάλαι ἀνάρπαστον γενόμενον. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἀδελφοὶ, καταπέσωμεν· οὐ γὰρ οὕτω φροντίζομεν τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας, ὡς ὁ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἡμῖν μέλει τοῦ μηδὲν παθεῖν δεινὸν, ὡς τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῖν χαρισαμένῳ Θεῷ. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐν συμφοραῖς ἀφίησιν ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μὴ ἀποκάμωσιν, οὔτε ἐν ἀνέσει, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳθυμότεροι γένωνται· ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐναλλαγαῖς ποικίλλει τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν. Εἰ γὰρ πλοῖον ἄνευ κυβερνήτου οὐ συνίσταται, ἀλλὰ καταποντίζεται εὐκόλως· ὁ κόσμος πῶς ἂν συνέστη ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον χρόνον, μηδενὸς αὐτὸν κυβερνῶντος; Καὶ ἵνα μηδὲν πλέον εἴπω, νόμισον πλοῖον εἶναι τὸν κόσμον, τρόπιν ὑποκεῖσθαι τὴν γῆν, ἱστίον τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἐπιβάτας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, πέλαγος τὴν ὑποκειμένην ἄβυσσον· πῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τοσούτους χρόνους ναυάγιον οὐκ ἐγένετο; Ἔασον γοῦν πλοῖον μίαν ἡμέραν χωρὶς κυβερνήτου καὶ ναυτῶν, καὶ ὄψει καταποντιζόμενον εὐθέως. Ἀλλ' ὁ κόσμος οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔπαθε, πεντακισχίλια καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα λοιπὸν ἔχων ἔτη. Καὶ τί λέγω πλοῖον;","english":"Do you demand an account, and do you condemn beforehand? Consider the life you have lived, O man; enter into your own conscience; and not only will you not approve your own verdict, but you will even change your mind, and you will accept the Lover of mankind for his long-suffering, and you will be grateful for his forbearance, marveling at his forbearance toward evil. For if each person were to be required to give an account for his transgressions right at the moment of his sins, our race would long ago have been snatched away and ceased to be. Let us not, then, brothers, fall away; for we do not care for our own salvation as much as the One who made us, nor does it concern us so much to suffer nothing terrible as it does God, who has graciously given us our soul. For God neither always abandons men in calamities, lest they grow weary, nor in ease, lest they become more slack; but by alternations he varies their salvation. For if a ship does not hold together without a pilot, but is easily sunk, how would the world have held together for so long a time, with no one piloting it? And, to say no more, consider the world to be a ship, the earth laid beneath as the keel, the heaven as the sail, men as the passengers, the deep spread out beneath as the sea; how then has shipwreck not occurred over so many years? Just leave a ship for a single day without a pilot and sailors, and you will see it sunk at once. But the world has suffered nothing of the kind, having already five thousand and far more years. And why do I speak of a ship?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":141,"ref":"p141","source":"καλύβην μικρὰν ἐπήξατό τις ἐν ταῖς ἀμπέλοις, καὶ τοῦ καρποῦ συνερανισθέντος ἀφῆκεν ἔρημον, καὶ οὐδὲ δύο πολλάκις διαμένει ἡμέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαλύεται καὶ καταπίπτει ταχέως. Εἶτα καλύβη μὲν οὐκ ἂν στῇ χωρὶς τοῦ προνοοῦντος αὐτήν· δημιούργημα δὲ τοσοῦτον οὕτω καλὸν καὶ θαυμαστὸν, πῶς ἂν διέμεινεν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἀδιάπτωτον χρόνον, χωρὶς προνοίας τινός; Ἐννόησόν μοι τὸ κάλλος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, πόσον ἔχει χρόνον καὶ οὐκ ἠμαυρώσθη· ἐννόησόν μοι τῆς γῆς τὴν δύναμιν, πῶς οὐκ ἠτόνησεν αὐτῆς ἡ γαστὴρ, τοσοῦτον τίκτουσα χρόνον· ἐννόησόν μοι τὰς πηγὰς, πῶς ἀναβλύζουσι, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέλιπον ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν· ἐννόησόν μοι τὴν θάλασσαν, πόσους δεχομένη ποταμοὺς οὐχ ὑπερέβη τὸ μέτρον. Ἄξιον ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν εἰρημένων λέγειν· Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε! πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τέκτονι μὲν παρακαθήμενοι, καὶ διακλῶντα ξύλα καὶ διαπρίζοντα θεώμενοι, μὴ ἀπαιτεῖν λόγον μηδὲ εὐθύνας· καὶ ἰατρὸν καίοντα καὶ τέμνοντα σάρκας, καὶ ἐν οἰκίσκῳ κατακλείοντα, καὶ λιμῷ ἄγχοντα τὸν κάμνοντα, μὴ περιεργάζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἡσυχάζειν καὶ σιωπᾷν, τὴν δὲ ἄφατον σοφίαν, τὴν ἄφατον φιλανθρωπίαν περιεργάζεσθαι καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν; Καὶ βοηθῆσαι μὲν προέσθαι χρήματα ὑπὲρ ἀδικουμένων πενομένων οὐκ ἂν ῥᾳδίως ἕλοιντο· ἐξετάζουσι δὲ διόλου, διὰ τί ὁ δεῖνα πένης, διὰ τί ὁ δεῖνα πτωχὸς, διὰ τί ὁ δεῖνα πλούσιος. Οὐ κύπτεις κάτω καὶ καταγινώσκεις σαυτοῦ, καὶ ἐπιτιθεῖς χαλινὸν τῇ γλώσσῃ, καὶ καταστέλλεις τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ ἀφεὶς τὸ ταῦτα πολυπραγμονεῖν, τὴν περιεργίαν ταύτην ἐπὶ τὸν βίον στρέφεις τὸν σόν;","english":"Someone pitched a small hut in the vineyards, and when the fruit had been gathered in he left it deserted, and often it does not even last two days, but is quickly torn apart and falls down. Then, if a hut would not stand without someone caring for it, how could a creation so beautiful and wondrous as this have remained for so long a time without failing, apart from some providence? Consider for me the beauty of the sky, how long it has endured and has not grown dim; consider for me the power of the earth, how its womb has not grown weary, giving birth for so long a time; consider for me the springs, how they gush forth and have not failed since they came into being; consider for me the sea, how many rivers it receives and has not exceeded its measure. For each of the things said, it is fitting to say: How great are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have made them all. For how is it not absurd, when we sit beside a carpenter and watch him splitting and sawing wood, not to demand an account or reckoning from him; and when a doctor cauterizes and cuts flesh, and shuts a man up in a room, and chokes the sick man with hunger, not to pry into it, but to keep quiet and be silent—yet to pry into and meddle with the ineffable wisdom, the ineffable love of humanity? And they would not easily choose to spend money to help the wronged who are poor; but they examine thoroughly why this man is poor, why this man is destitute, why this man is rich. Do you not bow down and condemn yourself, and put a bridle on your tongue, and restrain your mind, and, ceasing to meddle in these things, turn this busy curiosity upon your own life?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":142,"ref":"p142","source":"Διάκυψον εἰς τὰ πεπραγμένα σοι, εἰς τὸ πέλαγος τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων σου· καὶ εἰ περίεργος εἶ καὶ πολυπράγμων, ἀπαίτησον σαυτὸν εὐθύνας τῶν ῥημάτων, τῶν πραγμάτων, ὧν κακῶς εἶπας, ὧν κακῶς ἐποίησας. Νῦν δὲ σαυτὸν μὲν ἀνεξέταστον ἀφίης, τῷ Θεῷ δὲ κάθῃ δικάζων, καὶ προστίθης σου τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἁμαρτήματα. Καὶ πῶς ταῦτα οὐκ ἄξια κολάσεως; Ἣν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀποφυγεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΑʹ. Περὶ πλούτου καὶ πενίας.\n\nὍταν ἴδῃς πλουτοῦντά τινα παρ' ἀξίαν, μὴ μακαρίσῃς, μὴ ζηλωτὸν νομίσῃς, μὴ καταγνῷς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας, μὴ μάτην φέρεσθαι καὶ εἰκῆ τὰ παρόντα νόμιζε· ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τοῦ πλουσίου, πῶς ὁ μὲν πρὸς ἄκρον ἐληλάκει εὐπορίας καὶ τρυφῆς, ὠμὸς ὢν καὶ ἀπηνὴς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος καὶ κυνῶν ἀγριώτερος ἁπάντων· καίτοι οἱ μὲν τὸν πένητα ἠλέουν καὶ ἐθεράπευον, οὐκ ὀκνοῦντες τῇ γλώττῃ ἅπτεσθαι τῶν ἑλκῶν τῶν κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος· ὁ δὲ οὐδὲ ψιχίων αὐτῷ μετεδίδου. Ὁ δὲ πένης ἐκεῖνος, ὁ ὄντως πλούσιος, ὁ ὄντως εὔπορος, εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς πενίας ἔσχατον κατέπεσε, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἠπόρει τροφῆς, καὶ νόσῳ καὶ λιμῷ διηνεκεῖ προσεπάλαιε. Καὶ ὁ μὲν πλείω τῆς χρείας εἶχεν· ὁ δὲ οὐδὲ τῆς συμμετρίας ἀπέλαυεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανεν, οὐ κατηγόρησε τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἐμέμψατο τὴν Πρόνοιαν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, ὅταν αὐτοὶ μὲν οἱ πάσχοντες κακῶς, οὕτω τὸν Δεσπότην εὐλογῶσιν ἐν πᾶσι, σὺ δὲ ὁ τῶν παλαισμάτων ἑστηκὼς ἔξω, ὑπὲρ τούτων βλασφημεῖς τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ ὧν εὐχαρίστως ἕτεροι φέρουσιν;","english":"Look into what you have done, into the sea of your sins; and if you are curious and meddlesome, demand an account of yourself for your words and your deeds, for the things you have spoken badly and the things you have done badly. But now you leave yourself unexamined, and you sit in judgment on God, and you add sins to your sins. And how are these things not worthy of punishment? May it be that we all escape it, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHOMILY 11. On wealth and poverty.\n\nWhen you see someone rich beyond his deserts, do not call him blessed, do not consider him enviable, do not condemn the providence of God, do not think that the things present are borne along in vain and at random; remember Lazarus and the rich man, how the one had reached the very height of wealth and luxury, being cruel and harsh and inhuman and wilder than all dogs—and yet people used to pity and tend the poor man, not shrinking from touching with their tongue the sores over his whole body; but he did not even share crumbs with him. And that poor man, the truly rich, the truly well-off, had fallen into the very extremity of poverty, and lacked even the necessary food, and wrestled with sickness and continual hunger. And the one had more than he needed; the other did not even enjoy a sufficiency; yet he did not grow embittered, he did not accuse God, he did not blame Providence. How then is it not absurd, when those who suffer evil themselves thus bless the Master in all things, that you, who stand outside the contests, blaspheme God on their account—on account of things which others bear with thanksgiving?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":143,"ref":"p143","source":"Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πάσχων δεινῶς, κἂν εἴπῃ τι ῥῆμα φορτικὸν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοσαύτης ὅσης ἕτερος, ἀλλ' ὅμως γε καὶ ἐλάττονος μετέχει συγγνώμης· ὁ δὲ ἔξω τῶν δεινῶν ἑστὼς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀπολλὺς, ποίας ἂν εἴη συγγνώμης ἄξιος, ὑπὲρ τούτων βλασφημῶν τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ὁ παθὼν κακῶς εὐχαριστεῖ, καὶ διαπαντὸς αὐτὸν ἀνυμνῶν οὐκ ἀφίσταται; Διὰ τί γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος, ἄνθρωπε, περισπούδαστος εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ; Διὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν πάντως τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τραπεζῶν, διὰ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ δορυφορίαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν διὰ τοῦτόν σε θεραπευόντων, διὰ τὸ δύνασθαι τοὺς λυποῦντας ἀμύνασθαι καὶ πᾶσιν εἶναι φοβερόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἑτέρας αἰτίας ἔχοις εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἡδονὴν καὶ κολακείαν, καὶ φόβον καὶ τιμωρίαν. Οὔτε γὰρ σοφώτερον οὔτε σωφρονέστερον ὁ πλοῦτος ποιεῖν εἴωθεν, οὐ χρηστὸν, οὐ φιλάνθρωπον, οὐκ ἄλλο τι μέρος τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν εἰσάγειν καὶ καταφυτεύειν. Οὐδ' ἂν ἰσχύῃς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι διὰ τί τούτων περισπούδαστός ἐστί σοι καὶ ποθεινὸς οὗτος· οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον οὐδὲν οἶδε τούτων καταφυτεύειν ἢ γεωργεῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἀποκείμενα εὕρῃ, λυμαίνεται καὶ κωλύει, ἔνια δὲ καὶ ἀνασπᾷ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία τούτων ἐπεισάγει. Ἀλλὰ μὴ εἴπω περὶ τούτων· οἱ γὰρ τῇ νόσῳ ταύτῃ ἑαλωκότες, οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιντο ἀκούειν, τῆς ἡδονῆς ὄντες ὅλοι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ γενόμενοι δοῦλοι, κατηγορουμένων αὐτῶν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐλεγχομένων.","english":"For the one who suffers terribly, even if he utters some burdensome and vexatious word, even if not of as great a kind as another, nevertheless he partakes of some forgiveness, though lesser. But the one standing outside of these terrors, and destroying his own soul on behalf of others, of what forgiveness would he be worthy, blaspheming God on behalf of those things for which the one who has suffered badly gives thanks, and does not cease from hymning him continually? For why, O man, does wealth seem to you to be earnestly sought after? Surely because of the pleasure from the tables, because of the honor and the bodyguard of those who serve you on account of it, because of being able to repel those who grieve you and to be feared by all. For you could not name other causes, but pleasure and flattery, and fear and punishment. For wealth is not accustomed to make one wiser or more temperate, nor does it introduce and plant into the soul anything good, or kindly, or humane, or any other part of virtue. Nor could you say, \"Why is this earnestly sought after and desired by you for these reasons?\" For it not only does not know how to plant or cultivate any of these good things, but even if it finds them stored up, it corrupts and hinders them, and some it even uproots and introduces the opposite of these. But let me not speak about these things; for those who have been captured by this disease would not endure to hear, being wholly of pleasure, and for this very reason having become slaves, while they are both accused and convicted.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":144,"ref":"p144","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, ποθεινὸς ὑμῖν ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ περιμάχητος εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὅτι τὰ χαλεπώτατα ἐν ὑμῖν τρέφει πάθη, ὀργήν τε εἰς ἔργον διεξάγων, καὶ τῆς δοξομανίας τὰς πομφόλυγας εἰς μείζονα ὄγκον ἐπαίρων, καὶ πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν διεγείρων; Διὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν μάλιστα ἀμεταστρεπτὶ φεύγειν αὐ63.638 τὸν χρὴ, ὅτι θηρία τινὰ ἄγρια καὶ χαλεπὰ εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν εἰσοικίζει τὴν ἡμετέραν, δι' αὐτῶν τῆς μὲν παρὰ πάντων ἀποστερῶν τιμῆς, τὴν δὲ ἐναντίαν ἐκείνης τοῖς ἐκείνης χρώμασιν ἀναχρωννὺς, καὶ οὕτω προσάγων τοῖς ἠπατημένοις καὶ πείθων ταύτην ἐκείνης εἶναι μείζω, οὐκ οὖσαν μὲν τῇ φύσει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὄψει μᾶλλον δοκοῦσαν εἶναι. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ κάλλη τῶν ἑταιριζομένων γυναικῶν, ἐπιτρίμμασι καὶ ὑπογραφαῖς συγκείμενα, κάλλους μὲν ἀπεστέρηνται, τὴν δὲ αἰσχρὰν ὄψιν καὶ δυσειδῆ καλήν τε καὶ εὐειδῆ παρὰ τοῖς ἠπατημένοις εἶναι δοκεῖ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος ἀτιμίαν τὴν τιμὴν μᾶλλον δείκνυσιν εἶναι. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰς ἐν τῷ φανερῷ διὰ φόβον καὶ θωπείαν γενομένας εὐφημίας ἴδῃς, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἑκάστου συνειδὸς τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτά σε κολακευόντων ἀνάπτυξον, καὶ ὄψει μυρίους ἔνδον καταβοῶντάς σου κατηγόρους, καὶ τῶν μάλιστα ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων μᾶλλον ἀποστρεφομένους σε καὶ μισοῦντας. Καὶ εἴποτε τὸ ἐκ τοῦ φόβου τούτου συγκείμενον προσωπεῖον μεταβολὴ πραγμάτων ἐπελθοῦσα ἀφανίσειέ τε καὶ διελέγξειε, καθάπερ τὰς ὄψεις ἐκείνας ἥλιος θερμοτέραν ἀκτῖνα ἀφεὶς, τότε ὄψει καλῶς, ὅτι παρὰ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ἐν ἐσχάτῃ μὲν ἦς ἀτιμίᾳ παρὰ τοῖς θεραπεύουσι· τιμῆς δὲ ἐνόμιζες ἀπολαύειν ὑπὸ τῶν μάλιστά σε μισούντων, καὶ ἐν ἐσχάταις συμφοραῖς","english":"Tell me, then, is it for this reason that wealth seems to you desirable and worth fighting over—because it nourishes the most grievous passions within you, driving anger into action, lifting the bubbles of vainglory to greater bulk, and stirring you to recklessness? It is for these reasons above all that one must flee it without turning back, because it settles certain wild and savage beasts in our mind, and through them deprives us of the honor that comes from all, while dyeing the opposite of that honor with its own colors, and thus bringing it before the deceived and persuading them that this is greater than that, though it is not so by nature but seems rather to be so in appearance. For just as the beauties of courtesans, composed of cosmetics and paint, are deprived of beauty, yet their shameful and ugly appearance seems beautiful and fair to the deceived, so too wealth shows honor to be rather dishonor. For do not look at the public praises that arise from fear and flattery, but unroll the conscience of each of those who flatter you in such matters, and you will see countless accusers crying out against you within, and turning away from you and hating you more than the bitterest enemies and foes. And whenever a change of circumstances comes and makes that mask composed of this fear disappear and exposes it—just as the sun, sending forth a warmer ray, does to those faces—then you will see clearly that in the former time you were in the utmost dishonor among those who served you, and you thought you were enjoying honor from those who hated you most, and in the utmost calamities","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":145,"ref":"p145","source":"ἐπιθυμούντων ἰδεῖν. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ζῶον εὐτελὲς, ἐπίκηρον, ὀλιγοχρόνιον, τοιοῦτον καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀσθενέστερον. Οὐ γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τελευτᾷ πολλάκις· καὶ ἴστε πάντες ὡς μυρία ἐνταῦθα ὑποδείγματα τοῦ ἀώρου πλούτου μεμαθήκατε. Καὶ ὁ μὲν κεκτημένος ζῇ, τὸ δὲ κτῆμα ἀπώλετο· καὶ εἴθε ἀπώλετο μόνον, καὶ μὴ καὶ τὸν κεκτημένον συναπώλλυεν. Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι τις, τὸν πλοῦτον ἀγνώμονα οἰκέτην καλέσας, οἰκέτην αἱμοβόρον καὶ ἀνδροφόνον, οἰκέτην ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόντα τῷ δεσπότῃ τὴν σφαγήν· καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, οὐχ ὅταν αὐτὸν καταλίπῃ, περιβάλλει κινδύνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὶν ἢ καταλίπῃ, θορυβεῖ αὐτὸν καὶ ταράττει. Τίς ἄρα Εὐτροπίου γέγονεν ὑψηλότερος; οὐ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην παρῆλθε τῷ πλούτῳ; οὐ πρὸς αὐτὰς τῶν ἀξιωμάτων ἀνέβη τὰς κορυφάς; οὐχὶ πάντες αὐτὸν ἔτρεμον καὶ ἐδεδοίκεισαν; Ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ γέγονε καὶ δεσμωτῶν ἀθλιώτερος, καὶ οἰκετῶν ἐλεεινότερος, καὶ τῶν λιμῷ τηκομένων πτωχῶν ἐνδεέστερος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ξίφη βλέπων ἠκονημένα, καὶ βάραθρον καὶ δημίους καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἀπαγωγήν· καὶ οὐδὲ εἴποτε γέγονεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐκείνης οἶδεν, οὐδὲ αὐτῆς αἰσθάνεται τῆς ἀκτῖνος· ἀλλ' ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ μέσῃ, καθάπερ ἐν πυκνοτάτῃ νυκτὶ περιεστοιχισμένος, οὕτω τὰς ὄψεις πεπήρωται· μᾶλλον δὲ, ὅσα ἂν φιλονεικήσωμεν, οὐ δυνησόμεθα λόγῳ παραστῆσαι τὸ πάθος, ὅπερ ὑπομένειν αὐτὸν εἰκὸς, καθ' ἑκάστην ὥραν ἀποτέμνεσθαι προσδοκῶντα. Πύξινον γὰρ αὐτοῦ βλέπω τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ τοῦ νῦν νεκρωθέντος ἅπαξ οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενον·","english":"desiring to see. For just as man is a cheap creature, perishable, short-lived, so too is wealth—or rather, not even such, but even weaker. For it often dies not with the man but even before the man; and you all know that you have learned countless examples here of wealth cut off before its time. And the one who possesses it lives on, while the possession is lost; and would that it were lost only, and did not destroy the possessor along with it. So one would not err in calling wealth a senseless servant, a bloodthirsty and murderous servant, a servant that repays its master with slaughter; and what is worse, it does not surround him with dangers only when it leaves him, but even before it leaves, it confounds and troubles him. Who, then, became higher than Eutropius? Did he not surpass the whole inhabited world in wealth? Did he not ascend to the very summits of dignities? Did not all tremble before him and fear him? But behold, he has become more wretched than prisoners, more pitiable than slaves, more destitute than the poor who waste away with hunger, seeing every day swords sharpened, and the pit, and executioners, and the lead-away to death; and he does not know that he ever stood in that pleasure, nor does he even perceive its ray; but at high noon, as if surrounded in the thickest night, so have his eyes been blinded; or rather, however much we strive, we shall not be able by speech to set forth the suffering which he is likely to endure, expecting to be cut off every hour. For I see his face like boxwood, and in no better condition than that of a man now once dead.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":146,"ref":"p146","source":"κτύπος δὲ τῶν ὀδόντων καὶ πάταγος καὶ τρόμος αὐτῷ τοῦ παντὸς σώματος πρόσεστι, καὶ φωνὴ διακοπτομένη, καὶ γλῶττα διαλυομένη, καὶ σχῆμα τοιοῦτον, οἷον εἰκὸς τὴν λιθίνην ἔχειν ψυχήν. Οὐκ ἔλεγόν σοι συνεχῶς ὅτι δραπέτης ἐστὶν ὁ πλοῦτος; σὺ δὲ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἠνείχου· οὐκ ἔλεγον ὅτι ἀγνώμων ἐστὶν οἰκέτης; σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλου πείθεσθαι. Ἰδοὺ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔδειξεν ἡ πεῖρα, ὅτι οὐ δραπέτης μόνον οὐδὲ ἀγνώμων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδροφόνος· οὗτος γάρ σε νῦν τρέμειν καὶ δεδοικέναι παρεσκεύασεν. Οὐκ ἔλεγόν σοι, ἡνίκα συνεχῶς ἐπετίμας μοι λέγοντι τἀληθῆ, ὅτι ἐγώ σε φιλῶ μᾶλλον τῶν κολακευόντων; ἐγὼ ὁ ἐλέγχων, πλέον κήδομαι τῶν χαριζομένων; οὐ προσετίθην τοῖς ῥήμασι τούτοις, ὅτι Ἀξιοπιστότερα τραύματα φίλων ὑπὲρ ἀκούσια φιλήματα ἐχθρῶν; Εἰ τῶν ἐμῶν ἠνείχου τραυμάτων, οὐκ ἄν σοι τὰ φιλήματα ἐκείνων τὸν θάνατον τοῦτον ἔτεκον· τὰ γὰρ ἐμὰ τραύματα ὑγίειαν ἐργάζεται, τὰ δὲ ἐκείνων φιλήματα νόσον ἀνίατον κατεσκεύασε. Πόθεν δὴ τοῦτο; Ἐκ τοῦ μὴ τὰς μεταβολὰς τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐννοεῖν σε πραγμάτων· εἰ γὰρ ἐδεδοίκεις μεταβολὴν, οὐκ ἂν ὑπέμεινας μεταβολήν· ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ οὔτε οἴκοθεν, οὔτε παρ' ἑτέρων ἐγένου βελτίων, διὰ τοῦτο τὴν πεῖραν τὴν διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ὑπέμεινας. Ἀεὶ λέγω, ὅτι ὁ πλοῦτος τοὺς κακῶς αὐτῷ χρωμένους προδίδωσι, καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ καιρὸς δεικνὺς τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τί κατέχεις αὐτὸν ἐν πειρασμῷ σε μὴ ὠφελοῦντα; Εἰ ἔχει ἰσχὺν, ὅταν ἐμπέσῃς εἰς ἀνάγκην, παρέστω σοι· εἰ δὲ τότε φεύγει, τί χρείαν αὐτοῦ ἔχεις; Ταῦτα λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι· καίτοι πολλοὶ ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἡμῖν·","english":"There is a gnashing of teeth and a clatter and trembling of his whole body, and a broken voice, and a dissolving tongue, and such an appearance as it is likely a soul of stone would have. Did I not tell you continually that wealth is a runaway? But you did not endure us. Did I not say that it is an ungrateful servant? But you were unwilling to be persuaded. Behold, experience has shown by the facts that it is not only a runaway and ungrateful, but also a murderer of men; for this is what has now made you tremble and be afraid. Did I not tell you, when you kept rebuking me for speaking the truth, that I love you more than those who flatter? That I who reprove care more than those who gratify? Did I not add to these words, that the wounds of friends are more trustworthy than the willing kisses of enemies? If you had endured my wounds, those kisses of theirs would not have brought forth this death for you; for my wounds work health, but their kisses have prepared an incurable disease. From where, then, is this? From your not considering the changes of human affairs; for if you had feared change, you would not have undergone change; but since you became no better either from yourself or from others, for this reason you have undergone the trial that comes through words, through facts. I always say that wealth betrays those who use it badly, and the time has come showing the truth of facts. Why do you hold on to it when it does not help you in trial? If it has strength, when you fall into necessity, let it stand by you; but if it flees then, what need do you have of it? These things I say, and saying them I will not cease; and yet many bring accusations against us.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":147,"ref":"p147","source":"Ἀεὶ λέγει, κεκόλληται τοῖς πλουσίοις. Καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ἀεὶ κεκόλληνται τοῖς πένησιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ κεκόλλημαι τοῖς πλουσίοις, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοῖς πλουσίοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς κακῶς τῷ πλούτῳ κεχρημένοις. Ἀεὶ λέγω, οὐ τὸν πλούσιον διαβάλλων, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἅρπαγα. Ἄλλο πλούσιος, ἄλλο ἅρπαξ· διαίρει τὰ πράγματα, μὴ σύγχεε τὰ ἄμικτα. Πλούσιος εἶ; οὐ κωλύω· ἁρπάζεις; κατηγορῶ. Ἔχεις τὰ σά; ἀπόλαυε· λαμβάνεις τὰ ἀλλότρια; οὐ σιωπῶ. Θέλεις με λιθάσαι; ἕτοιμός εἰμι καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἐκχέειν, μόνον ἂν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν σου κωλύσω· ἐμοὶ οὐ μέλει μῖσος, οὐ μέλει πόλεμος· ἑνός μοι μέλει, τῆς προκοπῆς τῶν ἀκουόντων. Καὶ οἱ πένητες ἐμὰ τέκνα, καὶ οἱ πλούσιοι ἐμὰ τέκνα· ἡ αὐτὴ γαστὴρ ἀμφοτέρους ὤδινεν, αἱ αὐταὶ ὠδῖνες ἀμφοτέρους ἔτεκον. Ὁ βουλόμενος λιθαζέτω, ὁ βουλόμενος μισείτω, ὁ βουλόμενος\n\nἐπιβουλευέτω· ὑποθῆκαί μοι στεφάνων αἱ ἐπιβουλαὶ, καὶ ἀριθμὸς βραβείων τὰ τραύματα. Οὐ δέδοικα ἐπιβουλήν· ἓν δέδοικα μόνον, ἁμαρτίαν. Μή μέ τις ἐλέγξῃ ἁμαρτάνοντα, καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη πολεμείτω μοι. Εἴδετε τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων τὴν εὐτέλειαν; εἴδετε τῆς δυναστείας τὸ ἐπίκηρον; εἴδετε τὸν πλοῦτον, ὃν ἀεὶ δραπέτην ἐκάλουν, οὐ δραπέτην δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδροφόνον; οὐ γὰρ καταλιμπάνει τοὺς ἔχοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφά ζει τοὺς ἔχοντας· ὅταν τις αὐτὸν θεραπεύσῃ, τότε μάλιστα αὐτὸν προδίδωσι. Τί θεραπεύεις πλοῦτον τὸν μηδέποτε κατασχεθῆναι δυνάμενον; Βούλει αὐτὸν κατασχεῖν; μὴ κατορύξῃς αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ δὸς εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῶν πενήτων. Θηρίον ἐστὶν ὁ πλοῦτος· ἐὰν κατέχηται, φεύγει· ἐὰν σκορπίζηται, μένει. Σκόρπισον, ἵνα μείνῃ·","english":"He says continually, \"He clings to the rich.\" For they too cling continually to the poor. But I cling to the rich—or rather, not to the rich, but to those who use wealth badly. I say continually: I am not slandering the rich man, but the robber. One thing is a rich man, another a robber; distinguish the matters, do not confuse things that cannot be mixed. Are you rich? I do not forbid it. Are you robbing? I accuse you. Do you have what is your own? Enjoy it. Do you take what belongs to others? I will not keep silent. Do you want to stone me? I am ready even to pour out my blood, if only I may hinder your sin. I do not care about hatred, I do not care about war; one thing I care about—the progress of my hearers. Both the poor are my children, and the rich are my children; the same womb travailed for both, the same pangs gave birth to both. Let him who wishes stone me, let him who wishes hate me, let him who wishes plot against me; plots against me are for me a setting of crowns, and wounds a number of prizes. I do not fear a plot; one thing only I fear—sin. Let no one convict me of sinning, and let the whole world wage war against me. Did you see the cheapness of human affairs? Did you see the precariousness of power? Did you see wealth, which I always called a runaway—and not a runaway only, but also a murderer? For it does not merely abandon those who have it, but it also slays those who have it; when someone tends it, then most of all it betrays him. Why do you tend wealth that can never be held fast? Do you want to hold it fast? Do not bury it, but give it into the hands of the poor. Wealth is a wild beast: if it is held, it flees; if it is scattered, it remains. Scatter it, that it may remain.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":148,"ref":"p148","source":"μὴ κατορύξῃς, ἵνα μὴ φύγῃ. Ποῦ ὁ πλοῦτος; ἡδέως ἂν ἐροίμην τοὺς ἀπελθόντας, ποῦ ὁ πλοῦτος; Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω οὐκ ὀνειδίζων, μὴ γένοιτο, οὐδὲ ἀναξαίνων τὰ ἕλκη, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἑτέρων ναυάγια ὑμῖν λιμένα κατασκευάζων. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ σήμερον πλούσιος αὔριον πένης. Διὸ καὶ πολλάκις ἐγέλασα διαθήκας ἀναγινώσκων λεγούσας· Ὁ δεῖνα μὲν ἐχέτω τὴν δεσποτείαν τῶν ἀγρῶν ἢ τῆς οἰκίας, τὴν δὲ χρῆσιν ἄλλος· πάντες γὰρ τὴν χρῆσιν ἔχομεν, δεσποτείαν δὲ οὐδείς. Κἂν γὰρ παρὰ πᾶσαν ἡμῶν τὴν ζωὴν παραμένῃ μηδεμίαν μεταβολὴν ὁ πλοῦτος δεχόμενος, καὶ ἑκόντες καὶ ἄκοντες ἐν τῇ τελευτῇ παραχωρήσομεν αὐτὸν ἑτέροις· τὴν χρῆσιν μὲν καρπωσάμενοι καὶ μόνον, τὴν δεσποτείαν δὲ οὒ, ἀλλὰ γυμνοὶ καὶ ἔρημοι πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀποδημοῦντες τὴν ζωήν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι δεσποτείαν ἔχουσιν, οἱ καὶ τῆς χρήσεως αὐτοῦ καταφρονήσαντες, καὶ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως καταγελάσαντες. Ὁ γὰρ τὰ ὄντα ῥίψας καὶ τοῖς πένησιν αὐτὰ διαδοὺς, ἐχρήσατο εἰς δέον τοῖς οὖσι, καὶ τὴν δεσποτείαν αὐτῶν ἔχων ἀπῆλθεν. Ὥστε εἴ τις θέλοι καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ τὴν δεσποτείαν ἔχειν, ἀπαλλαττέσθω τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων· ὡς ὅ γε μὴ τοῦτο ποιῶν, τῇ τελευτῇ μὲν αὐτῶν ἀποστήσεται πάντων, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς τελευτῆς μετὰ μυρίων αὐτὰ δεινῶν ἀποβαλεῖται καὶ κινδύνων. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι μεταβολὴ γίνεται καὶ ἀθρόως, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἀμελετήτως ὁ πλούσιος πρὸς τὴν τῆς πενίας ὑπομονὴν ἔρχεται. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τὸν πλοῦτον ζηλωτὸν εἶναι νομίζεις, καὶ τοὺς αὐτὸν κεκτημένους μακαρίζεις καὶ ζηλοῖς; Τίνι γὰρ διαφέρει ὁ πλούσιος τοῦ πένητος;","english":"Do not bury it, lest it flee. Where is wealth? I would gladly ask those who have departed: where is wealth? I say these things not to reproach—may it never be—nor to reopen wounds, but to build you a harbor from the shipwrecks of others. For the one who is rich today is poor tomorrow. Therefore I have often laughed while reading wills that say: \"Let so-and-so have the ownership of the fields or the house, and another the use of them.\" For we all have the use, but no one has the ownership. For even if wealth remains throughout our whole life without undergoing any change, willingly or unwillingly at death we will yield it to others, having reaped only its use and not its ownership, but departing naked and destitute from this life. From this it is clear that those have ownership who have despised its use and laughed at its enjoyment. For the one who throws away what he has and distributes it to the poor has used what he has as he ought, and has departed having the ownership of it. So if anyone wishes to have both the possession and the use and the ownership of these things, let him rid himself of all that he has; since the one who does not do this will at death depart from all of it, and often even before death he will lose it amid countless terrors and dangers. And this is not the only terrible thing, that a change takes place and suddenly, but also that the rich man comes to the endurance of poverty untrained. For what reason, then, do you think wealth is to be envied, and call blessed and envy those who possess it? For in what does the rich man differ from the poor man?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":149,"ref":"p149","source":"οὐχ ἓν σῶμα περιβάλλει; οὐ μίαν τρέφει γαστέρα; Διὰ τί δὲ καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχεις οἰκέτας; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν ἱματίοις τὴν χρείαν διώκειν δεῖ μόνον καὶ ἐν τραπέζῃ, οὕτω καὶ ἐν οἰκέταις. Καὶ γὰρ ἑνὶ τὸν ἕνα χρῆσθαι δεσπότην οἰκέτῃ μόνῳ ἐχρῆν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ δύο καὶ τρεῖς δεσπότας ἑνὶ οἰκέτῃ. Εἰ δὲ βαρὺ τοῦτο, ἐννόησον τοὺς οὐδένα ἔχοντας, καὶ εὐκολωτέρας ἀπολαύοντας θεραπείας. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ χεῖρας ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πόδας, ἵνα μὴ δεώμεθα οἰκετῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ χρείας ἕνεκεν τὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐπεισήχθη γένος, ἐπεὶ μετὰ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἐπλάσθη ἂν καὶ δοῦλος· ἀλλὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐστι τὸ ἐπιτίμιον καὶ ἡ κόλασις· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀναγκαῖον τὸ δοῦλον ἔχειν, ἕνα που μόνον ἔχειν, ἢ τὸ πολὺ, δεύτερον. Τί γάρ σοι βούλεται τὰ πλήθη τῶν οἰκετῶν, καὶ τὸ σοβεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς; μὴ γὰρ μεταξὺ θηρίων περιπατεῖς, ὅτι ἀπελαύνεις τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας; Μὴ φοβηθῇς· οὐδεὶς δάκνει τῶν προσιόντων καὶ πλησίον σοι βαδιζόντων. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὕβριν ἡγῇ τὸ μετὰ πάντων συμβαδίζειν; Καὶ πόσης τοῦτο μανίας, τὸν μὲν ἵππον πλησίον ἑπόμενον μὴ νομίζειν φέρειν ὕβριν, ἄνθρωπον δὲ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ μυρίων ἐλαύνοιτο σταδίων, καταισχύνειν ἡγεῖσθαι; Τί δὲ ταύτης χεῖρον τῆς ἀλογίας, ἀνθρώπους ἐλαύνειν καὶ διώ κειν, ἵνα τὸ κτῆνος μετ' εὐρυχωρίας παρέλθῃ; Τοσαύτη γὰρ τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῶν χρείας ἀνάγκη οἰκονομικῶς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεσκεύασται, ὅτι, κἂν πάντων ἀνθρώπων πλουσιώτερος ᾖ τις, οὐδὲ οὕτω ταύτης ἀπήλλακται τῆς συναφείας καὶ τοῦ δεῖσθαι τοῦ καταδεεστέρου.","english":"Does it not clothe one body? Does it not feed one stomach? And why do you have many servants? For just as in clothing and at table one must pursue only need, so also in servants. For indeed one master ought to have made use of one servant alone; or rather, even two and three masters for one servant. But if this is burdensome, consider those who have no one, and enjoy easier service. For this reason God gave us hands and feet, so that we might not need servants. For the race of servants was not introduced for the sake of need, since a slave would have been formed along with Adam; but it is the penalty and punishment of sin and disobedience. But if it is also necessary to have a slave, one should have only one, or at most a second. For what do the multitudes of servants mean to you, and the swaggering in the marketplace? Surely you are not walking among wild beasts, that you drive away those who meet you? Do not be afraid; none of those who approach and walk near you bites. But do you consider it an insult to walk along with everyone? And how great is this madness, not to think that a horse following near brings insult, but to consider that a man, unless he is driven from ten thousand stades away, shames you? What is worse than this irrationality, to drive and chase men away so that the beast may pass through with ample room? For so great is the necessity of our need for one another, arranged by God in the way of household management, that even if someone is richer than all men, not even so is he freed from this connection and from needing the lesser.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":150,"ref":"p150","source":"Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῶν πλουσίων οἱ πένητες δέονται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πλούσιοι τῶν πενήτων, καὶ οὗτοι μᾶλλον ἐκείνων, ἢ ἐκεῖνοι τούτων. Καὶ ἵνα τοῦτο\n\nσαφέστερον ἴδῃς, ποιήσωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ, δύο πόλεις, τὴν μὲν πλουσίων μόνων, τὴν δὲ πενήτων· καὶ μήτε ἐν τῇ τῶν πλουτούντων ἔστω τις πένης, μήτε ἐν τῇ τῶν πενήτων ἔστω τις πλούσιος ἀνήρ· καὶ ἴδωμεν ποία μᾶλλον ἀρκέσαι ἑαυτῇ δυνήσεται. Οὐκοῦν ἐν μὲν ἐκείνῃ, τῇ τῶν εὐπόρων, οὐδεὶς ἔσται δημιουργὸς, οὐκ οἰκοδόμος, οὐ τέκτων, οὐχ ὑποδηματοῤῥάφος, οὐκ ἀρτοποιὸς, οὐ γεωργὸς, οὐ χαλκοτύπος, οὐ σχοινοστρόφος, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν. Τίς γὰρ ἂν ἕλοιτο τῶν πλουτούντων ταῦτα μετιέναι ποτὲ, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ ταῦτα μεταχειρίζοντες, ὅταν εὐπορήσωσιν, οὐκ ἀνέχονται τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων τούτων ταλαιπωρίας; Πῶς οὖν ἡ πόλις στήσεται ἡμῖν αὕτη; Δόντες, φησὶν, ἀργύριον οἱ πλουτοῦντες, ταῦτα ὠνήσονται παρὰ τῶν πενήτων. Πῶς δὲ οἰκίας οἰκοδομήσονται, ἢ καὶ τοῦτο ὠνήσονται; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο φύσιν. Οὐκοῦν ἀνάγκη τοὺς τεχνίτας ἐκεῖ καλεῖν, καὶ διαφθείρειν τὸν νόμον ὃν ἐθήκαμεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, τὴν πόλιν οἰκίζοντες. Ἴδωμεν οὖν καὶ τὴν τῶν πενήτων πόλιν, εἰ καὶ αὕτη ὁμοίως ἐνδεῶς διακείσεται τῶν πλουτούντων ἐστερημένη· πρότερον διακαθάραντες τῷ λόγῳ τὸν πλοῦτον, οἷον χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, καὶ ἱμάτια σηρικὰ καὶ ἁλουργὰ καὶ διάχρυσα, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκεῖθεν ἀπελάσαντες. Τί οὖν; παρὰ τοῦτο ἐνδεῶς σχήσει τὰ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, εἰπέ μοι; Οὐδαμῶς.","english":"For it is not only the poor who need the rich, but the rich also need the poor, and these more than those, or those than these. And so that you may see this more clearly, let us, if you please, make two cities, one of rich men only, and the other of poor; and let there be no poor man in the city of the wealthy, nor any rich man in the city of the poor; and let us see which of them will be better able to suffice for itself. In that city, then, the city of the well-off, there will be no craftsman, no builder, no carpenter, no shoemaker, no baker, no farmer, no bronze-smith, no rope-maker, nor any other of such trades. For who among the rich would ever choose to pursue these things, seeing that even those who practice them, whenever they become well-off, do not endure the hardship that comes from these works? How, then, will this city of ours stand? The rich, he says, will give money and buy these things from the poor. But how will they build houses, or will they buy this too? But this could not be so by nature. Therefore it is necessary to call the craftsmen there, and to destroy the law which we laid down at the beginning when we founded the city. Let us then also look at the city of the poor, whether this too will be similarly in want when deprived of the rich; first purging wealth by our argument, as it were gold, silver, precious stones, and silk and purple and gold-woven garments, and driving this out from there. What then? Will the affairs of this city be in want because of this, tell me? By no means.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":151,"ref":"p151","source":"Ἄν τε γὰρ οἰκοδομεῖν δέῃ, ἄν τε σίδηρον χαλκεύειν, ἄν τε ἱμάτιον ὑφαίνειν, οὐ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου δεῖ καὶ μαργαριτῶν, ἀλλὰ τέχνης καὶ χειρῶν. Τί δέ; ἂν γεωργεῖν δέῃ καὶ σκάπτειν τὴν γῆν, πλουτούντων ἢ πενομένων χρεία; Παντί που δῆλον ὅτι πενήτων. Ποῦ οὖν δεησόμεθα τῶν πλουτούντων λοιπὸν, πλὴν εἰ μὴ καθελεῖν δέοι τὴν πόλιν ταύτην; Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ λάμποντα ἔξωθεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων καὶ τῆς πολλῆς δορυφορίας, ἀνάπτυξον αὐτοῦ τὸ συνειδὸς, καὶ πολλὴν εὑρήσεις τὴν κόνιν. Ἐννόησον τὸν Παῦλον, τὸν Πέτρον· ἐννόησον τὸν Ἰωάννην, τὸν Ἠλίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν, τὸν οὐκ ἔχοντα ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλῖναι· ἐκείνου γενοῦ ζηλωτὴς καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου δούλων, καὶ τὸν ἄφατον τούτων φαντάζου πλοῦτον. Εἰ δὲ μικρὸν διαβλέψας, ἐκ τούτου σκοτισθείης πάλιν, καθάπερ ἔν τινι ναυαγίῳ καταιγίδος ἐπελθούσης, ἄκουσον τῆς ἀποφάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ λεγούσης, ὅτι ἀδύνατον πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀπόφασιν ταύτην θὲς τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα, εἰ βούλει, τῷ λόγῳ ποίησον εἶναι χρυσὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὄψει ἴσον τῆς ζημίας τῆς ἐκεῖθέν σοι γινομένης. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν πλουτούντων ὑμῶν ἕκαστος ὁλόκληρον ἐκέκτητο κόσμον, καὶ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν τοσούτους εἶχεν ἀνθρώπους, ὅσοι νῦν εἰσι πανταχοῦ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης καὶ οἰκουμένης, καὶ ἕκαστος γῆν καὶ θάλατταν καὶ τὰ πανταχοῦ οἰκοδομήματα καὶ πόλεις καὶ ἔθνη ἐκέκτητο, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἀντὶ ὕδατος, ἀντὶ πηγῶν αὐτῷ τὸ χρυσίον ἐπέῤῥει, τριῶν ὀβολῶν οὐκ ἂν ἔφην ἀξίους εἶναι τοὺς οὕτω πλουτοῦντας, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκπεσόντας.","english":"For if there is need to build, or to forge iron, or to weave a garment, it is not gold and silver and pearls that are needed, but skill and hands. What then? If there is need to farm and dig the earth, is there need of the rich or of the poor? It is clear to everyone, surely, that it is of the poor. Where then shall we need the rich any longer, except when there is need to tear down this city? When therefore you see someone shining outwardly from his garments and his great bodyguard, unfold his conscience, and you will find much dust. Think of Paul, think of Peter; think of John, think of Elijah, or rather of the very Son of God himself, who had nowhere to lay his head; become a zealot for him and for his servants, and picture to yourself their ineffable wealth. But if, having glimpsed it a little, you are darkened again by this, as in some shipwreck when a squall comes on, hear the verdict of Christ saying that it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; and against this verdict set the mountains and the earth and the sea, and, if you wish, by your account make everything to be gold, and you will see nothing equal to the loss that comes to you from there. For if each of you who are rich possessed the whole world, and each of them had as many men as there now are everywhere on earth and sea and the inhabited world, and each possessed land and sea and buildings everywhere and cities and nations, and from every side gold flowed in to him instead of water, instead of springs, I would say that those who are thus rich, and have fallen from the kingdom, are not worth three obols.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":152,"ref":"p152","source":"Εἰ γὰρ νῦν χρημάτων τῶν ἀπολλυμένων ἐφιέμενοι, ὅταν μὴ ἐπιτύχωσι, βασανίζονται· εἰ λάβοιεν αἴσθησιν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, τί λοιπὸν ἀρκέσει εἰς παραμυθίαν αὐτοῖς; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἴ τίς σε εἰς βασίλεια εἰσήγαγε, καὶ παρόντων πάντων διαλεχθῆναί σοι τὸν βασιλέα παρεσκεύασε, καὶ ὁμοτράπεζον αὐτῷ καὶ ὁμοδίαιτον ἐποίησεν, οὐ πάντων ἂν ἔφης σαυτὸν εἶναι μακαριώτερον; Εἰς δὲ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβῆναι μέλλων, καὶ παρ' αὐτὸν ἑστάναι τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν ὅλων, καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἀντιλάμπειν, καὶ τῆς ἀπροσίτου δόξης ἀπολαύειν ἐκείνης, ἀμφιβάλλεις εἰ δέοι προέσθαι χρήματα, δέον εἰ καὶ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτὴν ἀποδύσασθαι ἔδει, σκιρτᾷν καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι καὶ πτεροῦσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς; Σὺ δὲ ἵνα μὲν ἀρχὴν λάβῃς τὴν παρέχουσάν σοι κλοπῶν ἀφορμὰς (οὐ γὰρ κέρδος ἐγὼ τὸ τοιοῦτο καλῶ), καὶ τὰ ὄντα ἐκβάλλεις, καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων δανεισάμενος, εἰ δέοι, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑποθέσθαι οὐ κατοκνεῖς· τῆς δὲ βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν προκειμένης τῆς οὐδένα διάδοχον ἐχούσης ἀρχῆς, ὀκνεῖς καὶ ἀναδύῃ καὶ πρὸς χρήματα κέχηνας; Ἀλλ' οἴμοι τῆς πολλῆς ἀναισθησίας! ὅτι τοιούτων","english":"For if now, desiring perishing wealth, they are tormented when they fail to obtain it, if they should gain a perception of those good things, what will be left that suffices for their consolation? Tell me, then, if someone led you into a palace, and with everyone present arranged for the king to converse with you, and made you a table-companion and a companion of his daily life, would you not say that you were more blessed than all? But when you are about to ascend into heaven, and to stand beside the King of all himself, and to shine forth in rivalry with the angels, and to enjoy that unapproachable glory, do you hesitate whether you ought to give up money—when you ought, even if it were necessary to strip off your very life, to leap and exult and take wing with pleasure? But you, in order to obtain an office that provides you with occasions for theft (for I do not call such a thing a profit), both cast out your possessions and, having borrowed from others' goods, if it were necessary, you do not shrink from putting up even your wife and children as security; but when the kingdom of the heavens lies before you, a rule that has no successor, do you hesitate and draw back and gape after money? But alas for the great insensibility! that of such things","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":153,"ref":"p153","source":"προσδοκωμένων ἀγαθῶν, ἔτι πρὸς τὰ παρόντα κεχήναμεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐννοοῦμεν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν κακουργίαν, ὃς διὰ τῶν μικρῶν τὰ μεγάλα ἡμᾶς ἀφαιρεῖται· καὶ δίδωσι πηλὸν, ἵνα ἁρπάσῃ οὐρανὸν, καὶ δείκνυσι σκιὰν, ἵνα ἐκβάλῃ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐν ὀνείροις φαντάζει (τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ παρὼν πλοῦτος), ἵνα, ἡμέρας γενομένης, δείξῃ πάντων πενεστέρους. Τίς γὰρ οὕτω πολέμιος διηνεκὴς καὶ ἀκόρεστος καθέστηκεν ὡς ὁ πλοῦτος, ζώντων μὲν ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολλὺς, τελευτώντων δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἐνυβρίζων, ὡς οὐδὲ τῇ γῇ κρύπτεσθαι συγχωρῶν, ὃ κοινὸν καὶ τῶν καταδίκων ἐστίν; Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν δίκην ἀπαιτήσαντες οἱ νομοθέται, οὐδὲν περαιτέρω περιεργάζονται· τοὺς δὲ κεκτημένους αὐτὸν ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ μετὰ θάνατον πικροτάτην ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην, γυμνοὺς προτιθεὶς καὶ ἀτάφους, θέαμα δεινὸν καὶ ἐλεεινόν. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ ψήφου τοῦτο πασχόντων καὶ θυμοῦ δικαστικοῦ χαλεπώτερα οὗτοι πάσχουσιν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν καὶ δευτέραν μείναντες ἄταφοι, τῇ γῇ παραδίδονται· οὗτοι δὲ, ὅταν παραδοθῶσι τῇ γῇ, τότε παρὰ τῶν τυμβωρύχων γυμνοῦνται καὶ καθυβρίζονται. Εἰ δὲ μὴ καὶ τὴν θήκην λαβόντες ἀπέρχονται, οὐκ ἔτι τῷ πλούτῳ χάρις, ἀλλὰ τῇ πενίᾳ κἀνταῦθα· ὡς εἴ γε καὶ ταύτην ἐνεχειρίσαμεν τῷ πλούτῳ, καὶ ἀφέντες ἀπὸ λίθου κατασκευάζειν αὐτὴν, ἐχαλκεύσαμεν ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ, καὶ ταύτην ἂν ἀπωλέσαμεν.","english":"of the good things we hope for, we still gape at the things present, and we do not consider the devil's malice, who through small things takes away great things from us; and he gives us mud, in order to snatch heaven away, and shows us a shadow, in order to cast us out from the truth, and presents illusions in dreams (for this is what present wealth is), in order that, when day comes, he may show us poorer than all. For who has ever been so relentless and insatiable an enemy as wealth, which while we are alive destroys the soul, and when we are dead outrages even the body, so as not even to allow it to be hidden in the earth, which is the common lot even of the condemned? For when the lawgivers have exacted from those men the penalty of death, they busy themselves no further; but wealth exacts a most bitter penalty from those who have possessed it even after death, exposing them naked and unburied, a dreadful and pitiable sight. For indeed these suffer worse things than those who suffer this by sentence of law and judicial anger. For those men, having remained unburied for the first day and the second, are handed over to the earth; but these, when they have been handed over to the earth, are then stripped and outraged by tomb robbers. And if they do not depart having received even a coffin, there is no longer any thanks for wealth, but for poverty even here; since if we had entrusted this too to wealth, and, leaving off building it from stone, had forged it from gold, we would have lost this as well.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":154,"ref":"p154","source":"Τί τοίνυν ἀθλιώτερον τοῦ πλουτοῦντος γένοιτ' ἂν, ὅταν μηδὲ θάνατος αὐτῷ παρέχῃ τὴν ἄδειαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ δείλαιον σῶμα ἐκείνου οὐδὲ τῆς ζωῆς ἀποστερηθὲν, ἀπήλλακται τῶν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ κακῶν, λῃστευόμενον καὶ συλούμενον διὰ τὸν τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἔρωτα ὑπὸ κακούργων καὶ τυμβωρύχων, τῶν πρὸς τὴν κόνιν καὶ τέφραν ἐπειγομένων πολεμεῖν, καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον, ἢ ἡνίκα ἔζη; Τότε μὲν γὰρ εἰς ταμιεῖον εἰσιόντες, τὰ κιβώτια μὲν ἐκένουν, τοῦ σώματος δὲ ἀπείχοντο, καὶ οὐκ ἂν τοσαῦτα ἔλαβον, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ γυμνῶσαι τὸ σῶμα νυνὶ δὲ οὐδὲ τούτου ἀπέχονται, ἀλλὰ κινοῦσιν αὐτὸ καὶ περιστρέφουσι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ὠμότητος ἐνυβρίζουσι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τῇ γῇ, γυμνὸν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν περιβολῆς καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων ποιήσαντες, οὕτως ἀφιᾶσιν ἐῤῥῖφθαι ἐν ἐρημίᾳ πολλῇ. Καὶ ἡ μὲν φύσις καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῷ καταλλάττει τότε· ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος καὶ τοὺς οὐδὲν ἔχοντας ἐγκαλεῖν ἐκπολεμεῖ, καὶ οὕτως ἐκθηριοῖ καὶ κατεξανίστησι τὴν κατὰ τοῦ νεκροῦ καὶ ἀκινήτου τῶν ἀπανθρώπων μανίαν, ὡς οὐδ' ἂν αὐτῶν τῶν σαρκῶν ἀπέσχοντο, εἴ γέ που χρήσιμα ἦν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ μέλη. Μὴ τοίνυν μέγα νομίζωμεν ἀγαθὸν εἶναι τὸν πλοῦτον· μέγα γὰρ ἀγαθὸν, οὐ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι χρήματα, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι φόβον Θεοῦ. Ἰδοὺ νῦν, εἴ τις ἦν δίκαιος, καὶ πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν ἔχων πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ καὶ πάντων πενέστερος ἦν, ἤρκει λῦσαι τὰ παρόντα δεινά· ἤρκει γὰρ μόνον τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτεῖναι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ καλέσαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὸ νέφος τοῦτο παρῆλθεν ἄν· χρυσίον δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπόκειται, καὶ πηλοῦ παντός ἐστιν ἀχρηστότερον πρὸς τὴν λύσιν τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν.","english":"What, then, could be more wretched than the rich man, when not even death provides him security, but that miserable body of his, even when deprived of life, has not been released from the evils of life, being plundered and despoiled because of his love of money by evildoers and tomb-robbers, who hasten to make war on dust and ashes, and far more cruelly than when he was alive? For then, entering the treasury, they would empty the chests but keep away from the body, and they would not take so much as to strip the body itself naked; but now they do not even keep away from this, but they move it and turn it about, and with great cruelty they insult it. For after it has been handed over to the earth, they make it naked both of its covering there and of that from its garments, and thus they leave it to be cast out in great desolation. And nature then reconciles even enemies to him; but wealth makes war even on those who have nothing to accuse him of, and so it stirs up and rouses the madness of the inhuman against the dead and motionless body, so that they would not have kept their hands even from his very flesh, if his limbs had been of any use to them. Let us not, then, consider wealth to be a great good; for the great good is not the possessing of money, but the possessing of the fear of God. Behold now, if there were any righteous man, even one having great boldness before God, even if he were poorer than all, he would suffice to loose the present terrors; for it would suffice only to stretch out his hands to heaven and call upon God, and this cloud would have passed away; but so much gold lies stored up, and it is more useless than all mud for the loosing of the evils that lie upon us.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":155,"ref":"p155","source":"Οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ κινδύνῳ, ἀλλὰ κἂν νόσος καταλάβῃ, κἂν θάνατος, κἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἐλέγχεται τῶν χρημάτων ἡ δύναμις, μηδεμίαν ἔχουσα παραμυθίαν τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν οἴκοθεν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ποῦ νῦν οἱ πλουτοῦντες, οἱ τόκους ἀριθμοῦντες καὶ τόκους τόκων, οἱ τὰ πάντων λαμβάνοντες καὶ οὐδέποτε κορεννύμενοι; Ἠκούσατε τῆς Πέτρου φωνῆς τῆς ἐπιδεικνυμένης πενίαν πλούτου μητέρα; τῆς οὐδὲν ἐχούσης καὶ τῶν τὰ διαδήματα περικειμένων εὐπορωτέρας; Αὕτη μὲν γὰρ ἡ μηδὲν ἔχουσα καὶ νεκροὺς ἀνίστα, καὶ χωλοὺς διώρθου, καὶ δαίμονας ἤλαυνε, καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐχαρίζετο, ἅπερ οἱ τὴν ἁλουργίδα περιβεβλημένοι, καὶ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ φοβερὰ στρατόπεδα ἄγοντες, οὐδέποτε ἴσχυσαν. Τί τοίνυν φησίν; Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι. Τί ταύτης σεμνότερον τῆς φωνῆς; τί μακαριώτερον καὶ εὐπορώτερον; Ἕτεροι μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐναβρύνονται λέγοντες· Ἔχω τόσα καὶ τόσα χρυσίου τάλαντα, καὶ πλέθρα γῆς ἄπειρα, καὶ οἰκίας καὶ ἀνδράποδα· οὗτος δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ πάντων εἶναι γυμνὸς, καὶ οὐ","english":"Not in this danger alone, but even if disease should overtake him, or death, or any other such thing, the power of wealth is exposed, having no consolation of its own to show for what has happened. Where now are those who are rich, who count interest upon interest, who take from all and are never satisfied? You have heard the voice of Peter, which demonstrates that poverty is the mother of wealth—the poverty that has nothing and is yet more resourceful than those who wear diadems. For she who had nothing raised the dead, set the lame right, drove out demons, and bestowed such gifts as those who are clothed in purple and lead great and fearsome armies were never able to accomplish. What, then, does he say? Silver and gold I do not have. What is more venerable than this voice? What more blessed and more resourceful? Others indeed exult in the opposite, saying: I have so many and so many talents of gold, and countless acres of land, and houses and slaves; but this man exults in being naked of all things, and not","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":156,"ref":"p156","source":"καταδύεται τῇ πενίᾳ οὐδὲ ἐγκαλύπτεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζεται· οὕτως ἔστι μηδὲν ἔχοντα τὰ πάντων κατέχειν, οὕτως ἔστι τὰ πάντων κεκτῆσθαι· ἂν δὲ κτησώμεθα τὰ πάντων, τῶν πάντων ἀπεστερήμεθα. Ὁ κοινὰ τοίνυν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ οὐκ ἴδια λογιζόμενος, οὐ τοῖς αὑτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων χρήσεται ὡς ἰδίοις· ὁ δὲ ἀποσχίζων καὶ ποιῶν ἑαυτὸν κύριον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μόνων, οὐδὲ τούτων ἔσται κύριος. Ὁ γὰρ μηδὲν ὅλως κεκτημένος, μήτε οἰκίαν, μήτε τράπεζαν, μήτε περιττὸν ἱμάτιον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάντων ἀπεστερημένος, ὡς ἰδίοις κέχρηται τοῖς κοινοῖς, καὶ παρὰ πάντων, ἅπερ ἂν θέλῃ λήψεται, καὶ οὕτω τὰ πάντων ὁ μηδὲν ἔχων κατέχει. Ὁ δὲ ἔχων τινὰ οὐδὲ τούτων ἔσται κύριος· οὔτε γὰρ δώσει τις τῷ κεκτημένῳ· καὶ λῃστῶν καὶ κλεπτῶν καὶ συκοφαντῶν καὶ μεταβολῆς πραγμάτων, καὶ πάντων μᾶλλον ἔσται, ἢ ἐκείνου τὰ ἐκείνου. Καὶ, εἰ βούλει, αὐτὸν τὸν ταῦτα εἰρηκότα καὶ πεπραχότα, τὸν σκηνοποιὸν, τὸν Κίλικα, τὸν οὐδὲ τίνος ἦν πατρίδος δῆλον, παραγάγω εἰς μέσον. Οὗτος γοῦν τὴν ἅπασαν διέδραμεν οἰκουμένην ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει καὶ γυμνότητι, οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐπιφερόμενος, οὐ πρὸς φίλον ἀπιὼν, οὐ πρὸς συνήθεις· καὶ γὰρ κοινὸς ἐν ἀρχῇ πολέμιος πᾶσιν ἦν· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὰ πάντα εἶχε μετὰ τὸ εἰσελθεῖν. Ὁ δὲ Ἀνανίας καὶ ἡ Σάπφειρα, ἵνα μικρόν τι τῶν ἰδίων κτήσωνται, πάντων ἐξέπεσον μετὰ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ζωῆς. Μετάστηθι τοίνυν τῶν σῶν, ἵνα ὡς ἰδίοις χρήσῃ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πονηρὰ συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ, κἂν τὰ πάντων περιβέβληται χρήματα, πάντων ἐστὶν ἀθλιώτερος·","english":"He sinks into poverty and does not cover it up, but even adorns himself with it. Thus it is possible for one who has nothing to possess the things of all; thus it is possible to have acquired the things of all. But if we acquire the things of all, we have been deprived of all. Therefore the one who reckons his possessions as common and not his own will use not only his own things but also the things of others as his own; but the one who separates himself and makes himself master of his own things alone will not even be master of these. For the one who has acquired nothing at all—neither a house, nor a table, nor a spare cloak—but for God's sake has been deprived of all things, uses common things as his own, and from all he will receive whatever he wishes, and thus the one who has nothing possesses the things of all. But the one who has something will not even be master of these; for no one will give to the one who possesses, and his possessions will belong to robbers and thieves and informers and changes of circumstances, and to all men rather than to him. And, if you wish, let me bring forward into the midst the very one who said and did these things—the tentmaker, the Cilician, the one whose fatherland not even is clear. At any rate, this man traversed the whole inhabited world in hunger and thirst and nakedness, carrying nothing at all, going to no friend, to no acquaintances; for at first he was a common enemy to all; yet nevertheless he had all things after he entered in. But Ananias and Sapphira, in order to acquire a little of their own, fell from all things, along with life itself. Depart then from your own things, so that you may use the things of others as your own. For just as the one who is conscious of evil in himself, even if he is clothed with the money of all, is more wretched than all—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":157,"ref":"p157","source":"οὕτω καὶ ὁ τὸ συνειδὸς κεκαθαρμένον ἔχων, κἂν ῥάκια περιβεβλημένος ᾖ, καὶ λιμῷ παλαίων, τῶν σφόδρα τρυφώντων ἐστὶν εὐθυμότερος. Διὰ τοῦτο χρήματα ἔχεις, ἵνα λύσῃς πενίαν, οὐχ ἵνα πραγματεύσῃ πενίαν· σὺ δὲ ἐν προσχήματι παραμυθίας μείζονα ἐργάζῃ τὴν συμφορὰν, καὶ πωλεῖς φιλανθρωπίαν χρημάτων. Πώλησον, οὐ κωλύω, ἀλλὰ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν. Μὴ μικρὰν λάβῃς τιμὴν τοῦ τοσούτου κατορθώματος τόκον ἑκατοστιαῖον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀθάνατον ζωὴν ἐκείνην. Τί πτωχὸς εἶ καὶ πένης καὶ μικρολόγος, ὀλίγου τὰ μεγάλα πωλῶν, χρημάτων ἀπολλυμένων; τί τὸν Θεὸν ἀφεὶς ἀνθρώπινα κερδαίνεις κέρδη; τί τὸν πλουτοῦντα παραδραμὼν, τὸν οὐκ ἔχοντα ἐνοχλεῖς, καὶ τὸν ἀποδιδόντα καταλιπὼν, τῷ ἀγνωμονοῦντι συμβάλλεις; Ἐκεῖνος ἀποδοῦναι ἐπιθυμεῖ, οὗτος δὲ καὶ δυσχεραίνει ἀποδιδούς· οὗτος μόλις τὴν ἑκατοστὴν ἀποδίδωσιν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἑκατονταπλασίονα, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον· οὗτος μετὰ ὕβρεων καὶ λοιδοριῶν, ἐκεῖνος μετὰ ἐπαίνων καὶ εὐφημίας· οὗτός σοι βασκανίαν ἐγείρει, ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ στεφάνους σοι πλέκει· οὗτος μόλις ἐνταῦθα, ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ ἐσχάτης τοῦτο ἀνοίας, τὸ μηδὲ εἰδέναι κερδαίνειν; Τὰ χρήματα δεῖ κεκτῆσθαι ἐν τάξει δεσποτῶν καὶ μὴ δούλων, ὥστε κρατεῖν αὐτὰ, καὶ μὴ κρατεῖσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν. Χρήματα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηται, ἵν' εἰς τὰς ἀναγκαίας αὐτοῖς χρώμεθα διακονίας, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς φυλακὴν ἀποθώμεθα· δούλου γὰρ τὸ τηρεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἀναλίσκειν τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ πολλὴν ἔχοντος τὴν ἐξουσίαν. Ὥστε οὐδὲν ἀφρονέστερον τοῦ χρημάτων δούλου· δοκεῖ κρατεῖν, κρατούμενος· δοκεῖ κύριος εἶναι, δοῦλος ὤν·","english":"Thus also the one who has a conscience purified, even if he is wrapped in rags and wrestling with famine, is more cheerful than those who live in great luxury. For this reason you have money, that you may loose poverty, not that you may traffic in poverty; but you, under the pretext of comfort, make the calamity greater, and you sell your philanthropy for money. Sell it—I do not forbid it—but for the kingdom of heaven. Do not take a small price for so great an achievement, a hundredfold interest, but that immortal life. Why are you poor and needy and petty, selling great things for little, when money perishes? Why do you forsake God and gain human profits? Why do you pass by the one who makes rich and trouble the one who has nothing, and leaving the one who repays, do business with the ungrateful? He desires to repay, but this one is even vexed in repaying; this one scarcely repays a hundredfold, but that one a hundred times over, and eternal life; this one with insults and abuse, that one with praises and acclamation; this one stirs up envy against you, but that one even weaves crowns for you; this one scarcely here, but that one both there and here. Is this not, then, the utmost folly, not even to know how to gain? Money must be possessed in the rank of masters and not of slaves, so as to rule them and not be ruled by them. For it is called money for this reason, that we may use it for the necessary services, not that we may lay it up for safekeeping; for it is the part of a slave to keep, but of a master to spend, and one who has great authority. So that nothing is more foolish than a slave of money; he seems to rule, while being ruled; he seems to be a master, while being a slave.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":158,"ref":"p158","source":"καὶ δεσμὰ περιτιθεὶς ἑαυτῷ, ὡς πάντων κρατῶν ἀγάλλεται· καὶ χαλεπώτερον τὸ θηρίον καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐργαζόμενος, εὐφραίνεται καὶ πηδᾷ αἰχμάλωτος γινόμενος· καὶ ὁρῶν κύνα λυττῶντα καὶ ἐφαλλόμενον αὐτοῦ τῇ ψυχῇ, ἀνθ' ὧν δῆσαι καὶ λιμῷ τῆξαι, ἄφθονον αὐτῷ παρέχει τροφὴν, ἵνα μειζόνως ἐφάλληται, καὶ φοβερώτερος ᾖ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ πολλὰ περιβάλλεσθαι νόμιζέ σοι προσγίνεσθαί τινα ἡδονὴν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ θέλειν πλουτεῖν. Ἂν γὰρ ἐπιθυμῇς πλουτεῖν, οὐδέποτε μαστιζόμενος παύσῃ· ἔρως γάρ ἐστιν οὗτος ἀτέλεστος, καὶ ὅσῳπερ ἂν προέλθῃς πλείονα ὁδὸν, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον τοῦ τέλους ἀφέστηκας, καὶ ὅσῳ ἂν πλειόνων ἑτέρων ἐπιθυμῇς, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐπιτείνεται τὰ τῆς βασάνου· ἐπεὶ καὶ διψῶντες τότε ἀνακτώμεθα ἑαυτοὺς, ὅταν ὅσον βουλόμεθα πίνωμεν· ἕως δ' ἂν διψῶμεν, κἂν πάσας ἐξαντλήσωμεν τὰς πηγὰς, μείζων ἡμῖν ἡ βάσανος γίνεται. Καὶ\n\nκαθάπερ τὸν δεσμώτην, ὅταν ἴδῃς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ νώτου, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν σεσιδηρωμένον, διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα ταλανίζεις· οὕτω καὶ τὸν πλούσιον, ὅταν θεάσῃ μυρία περιβεβλημένον πράγματα, μὴ διὰ ταῦτα πλούσιον, ἀλλὰ διὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν αὐτὰ ἄθλιον εἶναι νόμιζε· μετὰ γὰρ τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων καὶ δεσμοφύλακα ἔχει χαλεπὸν, τὸν πονηρὸν ἔρωτα τῶν χρημάτων, ὃς οὐκ ἀφίησιν ὑπερβῆναι τοῦτο τὸ δεσμωτήριον, ἀλλὰ μυρίας αὐτῷ κατασκευάζει καὶ πέδας καὶ φυλακὰς καὶ θύρας καὶ μοχλοὺς, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐνδοτέραν αὐτὸν ἐμβαλὼν φυλακὴν, πείθει καὶ ἥδεσθαι τοῖς δεσμοῖς τούτοις, ἵνα μηδὲ ἐλπίδα τινὰ ἀπαλλαγῆς εὕρῃ τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν.","english":"and wrapping himself in chains, he exults as though he were master of all; and working the beast against himself more grievously, he rejoices and leaps, becoming a captive; and seeing the dog raving and leaping upon his soul, instead of binding it and starving it to death, he provides it abundant food, so that it may leap upon him more violently and be more fearsome. Do not, then, suppose that any pleasure comes to you from being wrapped in many things, but from not wishing to be rich. For if you desire to be rich, you will never cease being scourged; for this is an insatiable love, and the further you advance, the farther you are from the end, and the more you desire other things, the more the torment is intensified; since we too restore ourselves when thirsty only when we drink as much as we wish; but as long as we are thirsty, even if we drain all the springs, our torment becomes greater. And just as, when you see a prisoner bound in iron on his back and on his hands, and often also on his feet, you pity him especially for this reason, so also when you behold the rich man wrapped in countless things, do not for these things consider him rich, but for these very things consider him wretched; for along with these chains he has a harsh jailer, the wicked love of money, which does not allow him to pass beyond this prison, but prepares for him countless fetters and guards and doors and bars, and casting him into the inner prison, persuades him even to take pleasure in these chains, so that he may find not even any hope of release from the evils that lie upon him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":159,"ref":"p159","source":"Οὐ τοσοῦτον γὰρ πένης ἐφίεται τῶν ἀναγκαίων, ὡς τῶν περιττῶν ὁ πλουτῶν· οὐδ' αὖ το σαύτην ἰσχὺν ἔχει πρὸς τὸ χρήσασθαι τῇ πονηρίᾳ, ὅσην δύναμιν οὗτος. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ βούλεται μᾶλλον καὶ δύναται, εὔδηλον ὅτι μᾶλλον καὶ πλείονα ἐργάσεται. Πλούσιόν σε ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα τοῖς δεομένοις βοηθῇς, ἵνα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα λύσῃς τὰ σαυτοῦ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων σωτηρίας· ἔδωκέ σοι χρήματα, οὐχ ἵνα κατακλείσῃς ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ τῷ σῷ, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐκχέῃς ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῇ σῇ. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτῶν ἄδηλον ἐποίησε καὶ οὐ μόνιμον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῆς περὶ αὐτὰ μανίας καταλύσῃ τὸν τόνον. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν οὐκ ἔχοντες θαῤῥεῖν οἱ κεκτημένοι περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὰς ὁρῶντες ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος τικτομένας ἐπιβουλὰς, οὕτως ἐκκαίονται περὶ τὸν ἐκείνων πόθον· εἰ καὶ τοῦτο τῷ πλούτῳ προσῆν, τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἀδιάπτωτον, τίνος ἂν ἐφείσαντο, τίνος ἂν ἀπέσχοντο; Τίς γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ Ἠλία πενέστερος ἦν; ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο πάντας ἐνίκα τοὺς πλουτοῦντας, ἐπειδὴ πένης ἦν, καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν πενίαν ἀπὸ πλουσίας εἵλετο διανοίας, καὶ ἅπαντα τῶν χρημάτων τὸν πλοῦτον ἐλάττονα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ μεγαλοψυχίας ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι, καὶ οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλοσοφίας. Εἰ γὰρ μεγάλα αὐτῷ τὰ παρόντα ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι, οὐκ ἂν μηλωτὴν ἐκτήσατο μόνην. Οὕτω γὰρ τῆς παρούσης κατέγνω ματαιότητος, ὡς καὶ πηλὸν ἐῤῥιμμένον τὸ χρυσίον ἑώρα. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ πένητος ἐδεῖτο, καὶ πρὸς τὸ στόμα δὲ ἐκεχήνει τοῦ μηδὲν πλέον μηλωτῆς ἔχοντος, ὁ τοσοῦτον χρυσίον ἔχων· οὕτω λαμπροτέρα τῆς πορφυρίδος ἡ μηλωτὴ ἦν, καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν αὐλῶν τὸ σπήλαιον τοῦ δικαίου.","english":"For a poor man does not desire necessities as much as the rich man desires superfluities; nor again does poverty have as much strength to employ wickedness as this man has power. If, then, he both wishes more and is able, it is evident that he will do more and greater things. God made you rich so that you might help those in need, so that you might loose your own sins through the salvation of others. He gave you money, not so that you might shut it up to your own destruction, but so that you might pour it out for your own salvation. For this reason he made the possession of it uncertain and not permanent, so that in this too he might break the intensity of your madness for it. For if now those who possess it cannot feel confident about it, but see many plots arising from the matter, and yet are so inflamed with longing for it—if this also belonged to wealth, namely security and freedom from failure, what would they spare, from what would they refrain? For who, tell me, was poorer than Elijah? But for this reason he conquered all the rich, because he was poor, and he chose poverty itself from a rich mind, and he considered the whole wealth of money to be less than his own magnanimity, and not worthy of his philosophy. For if he had considered his present possessions great, he would not have acquired only a sheepskin. For he so condemned the vanity of the present, that he saw gold as thrown mud. For this reason the king was in need of the poor man, and the one who had so much gold gaped at the mouth of the one who had nothing more than a sheepskin. Thus the sheepskin was more splendid than the purple, and the cave of the righteous man more than the royal courts.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":160,"ref":"p160","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνιὼν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ τὴν μηλωτὴν τῷ μαθητῇ κατέλιπε· Μετὰ ταύτης, φησὶ, τῷ διαβόλῳ ἐπάλαισα, ταύτην λαβὼν ὁπλίζου καὶ σὺ κατ' ἐκείνου. Ἰσχυρὸν γὰρ ὅπλον ἀκτημοσύνη καὶ ἀκαταγώνιστον καταγώγιον. Καὶ ἐδέξατο καθάπερ μεγίστην κληρονομίαν τὴν μηλωτὴν ὁ Ἐλισσαῖος· καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀληθῶς μεγίστη κληρονομία, καὶ παντὸς χρυσοῦ τιμιωτέρα. Καὶ ἦν διπλοῦς Ἠλίας ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἦν ἄνω Ἠλίας,καὶ κάτω Ἠλίας. Οἶδα ὅτι μακαρίζετε τὸν δίκαιον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ ἐβούλεσθε ἕκαστος αὐτὸς εἶναι. Τί οὖν, ἂν ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξω, ὅτι ἕτερόν τι πολλῷ μεῖζον ἐκείνου πάντες ἐλάβομεν; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἠλίας μηλωτὴν ἀφῆκε τῷ μαθητῇ· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναβαίνων, τὴν σάρκα ἡμῖν κατέλιπε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ὅταν τοίνυν χρημάτων ἀπώλειαν ἀκούσαντες, μὴ ταραχθῶμεν, ἀλλ' εἴπωμεν, Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα τὸν πλοῦτον εὑρήσομεν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοσαῦτα καρπώσῃ τὸν πλοῦτον ἀναλίσκων εἰς δεομένους, καὶ περιιὼν καὶ πένητας ἐπιζητῶν, καὶ σκορπίζων τὰ ὄντα τοῖς πεινῶσιν, ὅσα διὰ τούτου τοῦ ῥήματος κερδανεῖς. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ οὐχ οὕτω θαυμάζω τὴν οἰκίαν ἀνοίγοντα τοῖς δεομένοις, ὡς ἐκπλήττομαι καὶ ἀνακηρύττω τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν χρημάτων εὐχαρίστως φέροντα. Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος ἂν δυνηθῇ τῆς φύσεως τὰ κύματα κατευνάσας εἰπεῖν τὸ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἀδακρυτὶ, Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο, μετὰ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ αὐτοῦ στήσεται, μετὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἀνακηρυχθήσεται ἀπὸ μόνου τούτου τοῦ ῥήματος.","english":"For this reason, when he ascended into heaven, he left nothing else to his disciple but the sheepskin. \"With this,\" he says, \"I wrestled with the devil; take it and arm yourself likewise against him.\" For poverty is a strong weapon and an invincible dwelling. And Elisha received the sheepskin as the greatest inheritance; for it was truly the greatest inheritance, and more precious than all gold. And that man was a double Elijah, and Elijah was above and Elijah below. I know that you bless that righteous man, and each of you wishes to be him. What then, if I show you that we have all received something far greater than he? For Elijah left a sheepskin to his disciple; but the Son of Man, when he ascended, left us his own flesh. When, therefore, we hear of the loss of money, let us not be disturbed, but let us say, \"Blessed is God,\" and we shall find wealth far greater. For you will not reap as much wealth by spending it on the needy, going about and seeking out the poor, and scattering your possessions to the hungry, as you will gain through this word. Since I do not admire Job opening his house to the needy as much as I am struck with awe and proclaim him when he bears the plundering of his money with thanksgiving. For such a man, if he is able to calm the waves of his nature and say Job's words without tears—\"The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away\"—will stand with Abraham, will be proclaimed with Job because of this one word alone.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":161,"ref":"p161","source":"Ὅταν οὖν ἀφέληταί σοι χρυσίον ἢ διὰ λῃστῶν, ἢ δι' ἑτέρας τινὸς προφάσεως ὁ διάβολος, δόξασον τὸν Δεσπότην, καὶ πλέον ἔσῃ κεκερδηκὼς, καὶ διπλῆν δώσεις τῷ ἐχθρῷ τὴν πληγὴν, ὅτι τε οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανας, καὶ ὅτι ηὐχαρίστησας. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἴδῃ,\n\nὅτι σε ταπεινοῖ ἡ τῶν χρημάτων ζημία, καὶ πείθει κατὰ τοῦ. Δεσπότου δυσχερᾶναι, οὐδέποτε ἀποστήσεται τοῦτο ἐργαζόμενος· ἂν δὲ θεάσηται, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐ βλασφημεῖς τὸν πεποιηκότα Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐχαριστεῖς μᾶλλον αὐτῷ, ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν συμβαινόντων δεινῶν, ἀποστήσεται ἐπάγων τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, εἰδὼς, ὅτι εὐχαριστίας ὑπόθεσίς σοι γίνεται τῶν δεινῶν ἡ πεῖρα, καὶ λαμπροτέρους σοι τοὺς στεφάνους ἐργάζεται· ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ γέγονεν. Ἀφελόμενος γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ χρήματα, καὶ τὸ σῶμα πατάξας, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν εὐχάριστον μᾶλλον γινόμενον, οὐκ ἔτι προσελθεῖν ἐτόλμησεν, ἀλλ' αἰσχρὰν καὶ ἀσύγγνωστον ὑπομείνας ἧτταν ἀπῄει, λαμπρότερον ἐργασάμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἀθλητήν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἰὼβ μετὰ τὸ τοὺς στεφάνους τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς ἀνδρίας ἅπαντας ἀναδήσασθαι, διπλᾶ τὰ ἀπολωλότα ἀπείληφεν ἅπαντα· σὺ δὲ οὐχὶ διπλᾶ καὶ τριπλᾶ, ἀλλ' ἑκατονταπλασίονα ἀπολήψῃ πάντα, ἂν φέρῃς γενναίως, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσεις· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΒʹ. Περὶ γαστριμαργίας καὶ μέθης. Βούλεσθε ἴδωμεν τίνα ἡδονὴν ὁ πλοῦτος ἔχει καὶ τίνα τιμήν;","english":"When, therefore, the devil takes your gold from you, whether through robbers or through some other pretext, glorify the Master, and you will have gained all the more, and you will deal the enemy a double blow: both because you were not embittered and because you gave thanks. For if he sees that the loss of your money humbles you and persuades you to be embittered against the Master, he will never cease doing this; but if he beholds that you not only do not blaspheme the God who made you, but even give thanks to him the more for each of the terrible things that happen, he will withdraw, bringing trials no longer, knowing that the experience of terrible things becomes for you an occasion of thanksgiving and produces for you brighter crowns—which is exactly what happened in the case of Job. For when he had taken away his possessions and struck his body, since he saw him becoming more thankful, he no longer dared to approach, but departed having suffered a shameful and unforgivable defeat, having made God's athlete more illustrious. And Job, after crowning himself with all the crowns of endurance and courage, received back double all that he had lost; but you will receive back not double and triple, but a hundredfold all things, if you bear up nobly, and you will inherit eternal life; may it be granted to us all to obtain this, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen. Discourse 12. On gluttony and drunkenness. Do you wish us to see what pleasure wealth has, and what honor?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":162,"ref":"p162","source":"τὰς τραπέζας τῶν πλουτούντων ἐξετάσωμεν καὶ τῶν πενομένων, καὶ ἐρώμεθα τοὺς ἑστιωμένους, τίνες μάλιστά εἰσιν οἱ καθαρὰν καὶ γνησίαν καρπούμενοι ἡδονὴν, οἱ πρὸς διαμεμετρημένην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τῶν στιβάδων κατακείμενοι, καὶ τὰ δεῖπνα τοῖς ἀρίστοις συνάπτοντες, καὶ τὴν γαστέρα διαῤῥηγνύντες, καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις πληροῦντες, καὶ τῷ ὑπερόγκῳ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων φορτίῳ τὸ πλοῖον καταποντίζοντες, καὶ ὑπέραντλον ποιοῦντες τὴν ναῦν, καθάπερ ἐν ναυαγίῳ τοῦ σώματος καταποντίζοντες αὐτὴν, καὶ πέδας καὶ χειροπέδας καὶ γλωσσοπέδας ἐπινοοῦντες, καὶ ἅπαν καταδεσμοῦντες τὸ σῶμα ἁλύσεως σιδηρᾶς χαλεπωτέρῳ δεσμῷ, τῷ τῆς μέθης καὶ τρυφῆς, καὶ μήτε ὕπνον αἱρούμενοι γνήσιον καὶ εἰλικρινῆ, μήτε ὀνειράτων ἀπηλλαγμένοι φοβερῶν, τῶν τε μαινομένων ὄντες ἀθλιώτεροι, καὶ αὐθαίρετον τὸν δαίμονα ἐπεισάγοντες τῇ ψυχῇ. καὶ γέλως προκείμενοι τῷ θεάτρῳ τῶν οἰκετῶν, καὶ μηδένα εἰδότες τῶν παρόντων, μήτε εἰπεῖν μήτε ἀκοῦσαι δυνάμενοι, ἀλλὰ φοράδην ἀπὸ τῶν στιβάδων ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην ἀγόμενοι· ἢ οἱ νήφοντες καὶ ἐγρηγορότες καὶ τῇ χρείᾳ τὸ μέτρον ὁρίζοντες, καὶ μέγιστον ἥδυσμα τὸ πεινῇν καὶ τὸ διψῇν ἔχοντες. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡδονὴν καὶ ὑγείαν ἐργάζεται, ὡς τὸ πεινῶντα καὶ διψῶντα οὕτω τῶν προκειμένων ἅπτεσθαι, καὶ κόρον εἰδέναι τὴν χρείαν μόνην, καὶ μὴ μεῖζον τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιτιθέναι τὸ ἄχθος τῷ σώματι. Εἰ δὲ ἀπιστεῖς μου τῷ λόγῳ, κατάμαθε τὰ ἑκατέρων σώματα, καὶ τὴν ἑκάστου ψυχήν· οὐχὶ τῶν μὲν συμμέτρως ἑστιωμένων εὔρωστα τὰ σώματα, καὶ αἱ αἰσθήσεις τὴν οἰκείαν χρείαν πληροῦσαι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας;","english":"Let us examine the tables of the rich and of the poor, and let us ask those who are feasting, who are the ones who most truly enjoy a pure and genuine pleasure: those who recline on couches for a measured portion of the day, and join dinners to their finest meals, and burst their bellies, and fill their senses, and sink the ship with the excessive cargo of their delicacies, and make the vessel swamped, sinking it as in a shipwreck of the body, and devise fetters and handcuffs and tongue-cuffs, and bind the whole body with a bond harsher than an iron chain—the bond of drunkenness and luxury—and neither choose genuine and pure sleep, nor are free from fearful dreams, and are more wretched than madmen, and bring a self-chosen demon upon the soul? And they are exposed to laughter on the stage of their servants, and know no one of those present, nor are able either to speak or to hear, but are carried from the couches to the bed; or those who are sober and wakeful and set the measure by need, and have hunger and thirst as their greatest seasoning. For nothing produces pleasure and health so much as to touch what is set before one while hungry and thirsty, and to know satiety only as need, and not to lay upon the body a burden greater than its strength. But if you do not believe my word, consider the bodies of both, and the soul of each: are not the bodies of those who feast in moderation strong, and their senses fulfilling their proper need with great ease?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":163,"ref":"p163","source":"ἐκείνων δὲ πλαδαρὰ καὶ κηροῦ παντὸς μαλακώτερα, καὶ ἑσμῷ νοσημάτων πολιορκούμενα; Καὶ γὰρ ποδαλγίαι ταχέως αὐτοῖς ἐφίπτανται, καὶ τρόμος ἄκαιρος, καὶ γῆρας ἄωρον, καὶ κεφαλαλγίαι καὶ διατάσεις καὶ στομάχων πληρώσεις καὶ ὀρέξεων ἀναιρέσεις, καὶ διηνεκῶν δέονται ἰατρῶν, καὶ συνεχῶν τῶν φαρμάκων, καὶ καθημερινῆς τῆς θεραπείας. Ταῦτα οὖν ἡδονῆς, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ τίς ἂν εἴποι τῶν εἰδότων ὅ τί ποτέ ἐστιν ἡδονή; Ἡδονὴ γὰρ γίνεται τότε, ὅταν ἐπιθυμίας ἡγουμένης ἀπόλαυσις ᾖ· ἐπεὶ, ἐὰν ἀπόλαυσις μὲν ᾖ, ἐπιθυμία δὲ μηδαμοῦ φαίνηται, τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς πάντως οἴχεται καὶ ἠφάνισται. Καὶ καθάπερ πλοῖον μεῖζον τῆς οἰκείας συμμετρίας τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀγωγίμων δεξάμενον, τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ φόρτου βαρυνόμενον ὑποβρύχιον γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν ἡ φύσις πλείονα δεξαμένη τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως τὰ σιτία, ὑπέραντλος γίνεται, καὶ τὸ βάρος οὐ στέγουσα τῶν ἐπιβληθέντων, εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀπωλείας καταποντίζεται πέλαγος, καὶ ναύτας καὶ κυβερνήτην καὶ πρωρέα καὶ ἐπιβάτας καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν φόρτον μετὰ πάντων προσαπολλύει. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν οὕτω διακειμένων πλοίων, οὐ γαλήνη θαλάσσης,","english":"but those [pleasures] are flaccid and softer than any wax, and besieged by a swarm of diseases? For gout swiftly swoops down upon them, and untimely trembling, and premature old age, and headaches and distensions and fillings of the stomach and destructions of appetites, and they need physicians continually, and constant medicines, and daily treatment. Are these things, then, [works] of pleasure, tell me? And who among those who know what pleasure ever is would say so? For pleasure comes to be then, when, with desire leading the way, there is enjoyment; since, if there is enjoyment but desire appears nowhere, the things of pleasure are altogether gone and have vanished. And just as a ship that has taken on a cargo greater than its own proper measure, weighed down by the bulk of its freight, becomes submerged; so too the soul and the nature of our body, having received foods beyond its own capacity, becomes flooded over, and, unable to hold up under the weight of what has been loaded upon it, is sunk into the sea of destruction, and destroys together with all the sailors and the pilot and the bow-officer and the passengers and the cargo itself. Just as, then, in the case of ships in such a condition, [there is] no calm of the sea,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":164,"ref":"p164","source":"οὐκ ἐπιστήμη κυβερνήτου, οὐ ναυτῶν πλῆθος, οὐ κατασκευῆς ἐπιτηδειότης, οὐχ ὥρα ἔτους εὔκαιρος, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν τὴν οὕτω χειμαζομένην ὀνίνησι ναῦν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τρυφώντων γίνεται· οὐ διδασκαλία καὶ παραίνεσις, οὐ νουθεσία καὶ συμβουλία, οὐ φόβος τῶν μελλόντων, οὐκ αἰδὼς, οὐ κατηγορία τῶν παρόντων, καὶ ἄλλο οὐδὲν διασῶσαι δύναται τὴν οὕτω χειμαζομένην ψυχήν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν ὁ τοιοῦτος ἄχρηστος γίνεται, καὶ πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἀδόκιμος· ἐντεῦθεν, οὐκ ἄλλοθεν, χαλεποῖς καὶ ἀνιάτοις ἁλίσκονται νοσήμασιν οἱ τρυφῇ συζῶντες διηνεκεῖ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο νομίζοντες εἰς τόνδε παρῆχθαι τὸν βίον, ἵνα τρυφήσαντες, καὶ τὴν γαστέρα διαῤῥήξαντες, καὶ τὸ σῶμα πιάναντες, οὕτως ἀπέλθωσι, δαψιλεστέραν τῷ σκώληκι παρασκευάζοντες τράπεζαν τὴν ἐξ οἰκείων σαρκῶν. Καὶ γὰρ τρόμοις καὶ παρέσει καὶ φθόῃ καὶ κορύζαις καὶ ποδαλγίαις καὶ ἑτέροις πλείοσιν, ἅπερ ἰατρῶν λέγουσι παῖδες, ἁλώσιμοι γίγνονται. Δηλητηρίων γὰρ φαρμάκων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον αἱ τοιαῦται διακείσονται τράπεζαι· μᾶλλον δὲ εἰ δεῖ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, καὶ πολλῷ χεῖρον. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ εὐθέως ἀπήνεγκε τὸν λαβόντα, καὶ τὴν τελευτὴν ἀναισθήτως ἐπήγαγεν, ὡς μηδὲ αὐτῷ τούτῳ λυπῆσαι τὸν ἀποθανόντα· αὗται δὲ ζωὴν μυρίων θανάτων χαλεπωτέραν ἐπάγουσι τοῖς αὐτὰς περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένοις. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάθη πολλοὺς ἔχει τοὺς συναλγοῦντας· ὅσα δὲ ἀπὸ τρυφῆς καὶ μέθης γέγονεν, οὐδὲ βουλομένους τοὺς ὁρῶντας ἀφίησι συναλγῆσαι τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῶν χειρωθεῖσιν·","english":"Neither the skill of a pilot, nor a multitude of sailors, nor the fitness of the vessel's equipment, nor a favorable season of the year, nor anything else benefits a ship so storm-tossed; so too it is with those who live in luxury: neither teaching nor exhortation, nor admonition and counsel, nor fear of things to come, nor shame, nor the condemnation of things present, nor anything else can rescue a soul so storm-tossed. But such a man becomes useless even for the present life, and unfit for every good work; from this, not from anything else, those who live in continual luxury are caught by harsh and incurable diseases, and for this reason think they were brought into this life in order that, having lived in luxury, and burst their belly, and fattened their body, they might depart thus, preparing a more abundant table for the worm from their own flesh. For they become liable to tremblings and palsy and decay and catarrhs and gout and many other things which the sons of physicians speak of. For such tables are in no better condition than poisonous drugs; or rather, if one must speak the truth, far worse. For those [drugs] at once carry off the one who takes them, and bring on death without sensation, so as not even by this very thing to grieve the one who has died; but these bring upon those who value them highly a life more grievous than ten thousand deaths. And the other passions have many who grieve with them; but all that has come from luxury and drunkenness does not permit even those who see it, though they wish it, to grieve together with those subdued by them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":165,"ref":"p165","source":"ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν ὑπερβολὴ τοῦ κακοῦ πρὸς ἔλεον ἐπικάμπτει, ἡ δὲ ὑπόθεσις τοῦ νοσήματος παροξύνει τὸν εἰδότα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἐπηρεάσθησαν καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπεβουλεύθησαν, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ δημιουργοὶ τῶν νοσημάτων ἑαυτοῖς τούτων ἐγένοντο, ἑκόντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐκριπτοῦντες εἰς τὸ τῶν κακῶν βάραθρον. Οὐχ οὕτω σκορπίος ἢ ὄφις τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἡμῖν ἐγκαθήμενος λυμαίνεται πανταχόσε, ὡς ἡ τῆς τρυφῆς ἐπιθυμία πάντα ἀνατρέπει καὶ ἀπόλλυσι. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ θηρίοις ἐκείνοις μέχρι τοῦ σώματος ἡ ἐπιβουλή· αὕτη δὲ ὅταν ἐγκαθεσθῇ, μετὰ τοῦ σώματος καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν προσαπόλλυσιν. Εἰ οὖν λύμη πάντων ἐστὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ κατάγελως ἔσχατος, ὑμῶν αὐτῶν φείσασθε τῆς τοῦ σώματος ὑγείας. Οὐ λέγω πρὸς σκληραγωγίαν ἑαυτοὺς ἀγαγεῖν, ἂν μὴ βούλησθε· τὸ περιττὸν ἀνέλωμεν, τὸ τῆς χρείας ἔξω περικόψωμεν. Ποίαν γὰρ συγγνώμην ἔχομεν, ὅταν ἕτεροι μὲν μηδὲ τῆς χρείας ἀπολαύωσι κύριοι ὄντες, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν τρυφῶντες ὦμεν; Τίνα γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμεν τρυφᾷν μᾶλλον, τὸν λαχάνοις τρεφόμενον καὶ ὑγιαίνοντα, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχοντα ἀηδὲς, ἢ τὸν Συβαριτικὴν παρατιθέμενον τράπεζαν, καὶ μυρίων γέμοντα νοσημάτων; Εὔδηλον ὅτι ἐκεῖνον. Οὐκοῦν μηδὲν πλέον ζητῶμεν τῆς χρείας, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ὀσπρίοις δυνάμενος ἀρκεῖσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητείτω· ὁ δὲ ἀσθενέστερος, καὶ τῆς διὰ τῶν λαχάνων δεόμενος θεραπείας, μὴ κωλυέσθω. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τούτου τις ἀσθενέστερος εἴη, καὶ τῆς συμμέτρου τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν δέοιτο βοηθείας, οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἀπείρξομεν.","english":"But the excess of the evil bends one toward pity, while the nature of the disease provokes the one who knows. For they were not harmed by nature as those others were, nor were they plotted against by men, but they themselves became the makers of these diseases for themselves, willingly hurling themselves into the pit of evils. A scorpion or a serpent lodged in our inward parts does not ravage us everywhere as much as the desire for luxury overturns and destroys all things. For against those beasts the plot extends only as far as the body; but this desire, once it is lodged within, destroys the soul along with the body. If, then, the matter is the ruin of all and the utmost mockery, spare yourselves the health of your body. I do not say to bring yourselves to austerity, if you do not wish it; let us do away with excess, let us cut off what is beyond need. For what excuse do we have, when others, though able, do not even enjoy what is necessary, while we luxuriate beyond need? For whom should we say lives in luxury more—the one fed on vegetables and healthy, having nothing unpleasant, or the one setting before himself a Sybaritic table and full of countless diseases? It is clear that it is the former. Therefore let us seek nothing more than need, but let the one who is able to be content with pulses and to be healthy seek nothing more; and let the weaker one, who needs the treatment that comes through vegetables, not be hindered. And if someone should be weaker even than this one, and should need the moderate help that comes from meats, we will not exclude even this one.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":166,"ref":"p166","source":"Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵνα ἀνέλωμεν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διαφθείρωμεν, ταῦτα συμβουλεύομεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὰ περιττὰ περικόψωμεν· περιττὸν δέ ἐστιν, ὃ τῆς χρείας πλέον ἐστίν. Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς τούτου δυνάμεθα διάγειν ὑγιεινῶς καὶ εὐσχημόνως, περιττὸν πάντως ἐκεῖνό ἐστι προστεθέν. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε πρὸς τίνας ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη; πρὸς τὰς ἀσωμάτους δυνάμεις. Πῶς οὖν σάρκες ὄντες τούτων περιεσόμεθα; Εἰ γὰρ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους τις παλαίων δεῖται σωφρόνως ἑστιᾶσθαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον πρὸς δαίμονας· ὅταν δὲ μετὰ τῆς πολυσαρκίας καὶ τῷ πλούτῳ ὦμεν προσδεδεμένοι, πόθεν κρατήσαιμεν τῶν ἀντιπάλων; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθάρας, ὅταν ὦσι φθόγγοι ἀπαλοὶ καὶ μαλθακοὶ καὶ μὴ διατεταμένοι καλῶς, καὶ ἡ τῆς τέχνης ἀρετὴ ὑποτέμνεται, ἀναγκαζομένη δουλεύειν τῇ κακίᾳ τῶν νευρῶν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος, ὅταν πολλῆς ἀπολαύῃ παρ' ἡμῶν τῆς θεραπείας, πικρὰν ὑπομένει τὴν δουλείαν ἡ ψυχή. Μὴ τοίνυν λιπαίνωμεν τὸ σῶμα, μηδὲ ἐξίτηλον αὐτὸ καὶ χαῦνον τῇ τρυφῇ καθιστῶμεν. Οὐ","english":"For we do not give this advice in order to destroy men and corrupt them, but in order to cut off what is superfluous; and superfluous is whatever is more than need. For when we are able to live healthfully and decently even without this, that thing, when added, is altogether superfluous. Do you not see against whom our wrestling is? Against the incorporeal powers. How then, being flesh, shall we prevail over them? For if one who wrestles against men needs to eat temperately, much more one who wrestles against demons; but when we are bound fast both to much flesh and to wealth, how shall we overcome our adversaries? For just as with the lyre, when the notes are soft and slack and not well stretched, the excellence of the art is cut short, being compelled to serve the badness of the strings; so too with the body, when it enjoys much care from us, the soul endures a bitter slavery. Let us not, then, make the body sleek, nor render it faded and flabby by luxury. Not","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":167,"ref":"p167","source":"λέγω κατατρύχειν ἑαυτοὺς, οὐδὲ σκληραγωγεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον σιτεῖσθαι, ὃ καὶ ἡδονὴν ἔχει τὴν ὄντως ἡδονὴν, καὶ θρέψαι δύναται τὸ σῶμα, καὶ εὔτακτον ἡμῖν καὶ εὐάρμοστον πρὸς τὰς ἐνεργείας παρασχεῖν τῆς ψυχῆς, πεπηγὸς καλῶς καὶ συνηρμοσμένον. Ὅταν γὰρ ὑπέραντλον γένηται τῇ τρυφῇ, τοὺς γόμφους αὐτοὺς, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, καὶ τὰς ἁρμονίας, τῇ πλημμύρᾳ κατέχειν οὐ δύναται συμπεπηγυίας· ἐπεισελθοῦσα γὰρ ἡ πλημμύρα τὸ πᾶν διαλύει καὶ διαχεῖ. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὔταρκες, καὶ τροφὴ καὶ ἡδονὴ καὶ ὑγίεια· τὸ δὲ πλέον, λύμη καὶ ἀηδία καὶ νόσος. Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ τοῦ σώματος προσαπολλύει. Καὶ καθάπερ ἡ σφόδρα δίυγρος γῆ τίκτει τοὺς σκώληκας, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἔμφυτος τοῦ σώματος ἐπιθυμία, τῇ τροφῇ διαβρεχομένη, τίκτει τὰς ἡδονάς· καὶ τοῦ σώματος γενομένου μαλακωτέρου, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν συναπολαύειν τῆς λύμης. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸν διυλισμένον οἶνον πίνοντες, ἐν μέμψει, τί ἂν εἴποιμεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποδημίας διαποντίους στελλομένους ὑπὲρ οἴνου, καὶ πάντα κινοῦντας, ὥστε μηδὲν γένος λαθεῖν ἀμπέλου, καθάπερ μέλλοντας εὐθύνας διδόναι, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις καταγινώσκεσθαι, εἰ μὴ παντὸς γένους ἐμφορηθεῖεν οἴνου; Ὄντως οὐδὲν οὕτω τῷ δαίμονι φίλον, ὡς τρυφὴ καὶ γαστριμαργία. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἐργά ζεται κακὸν ἡ τρυφή; χοίρους ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ποιεῖ, καὶ χοίρων χείρους. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ χοῖρος βορβόρῳ ἐγκαλινδεῖται, καὶ κόπρῳ τρέφεται· οὗτος δὲ ἐκείνης βδελυκτοτέραν σιτεῖται τράπεζαν, μίξεις ἐπινοῶν ἀθέσμους, καὶ παρανόμους ἔρωτας. Ὁ τοιοῦτος οὐδὲν δαιμονῶντος διενήνοχε.","english":"I say to afflict yourselves, nor to practice harsh discipline, but to eat only so much as has pleasure—the true pleasure—and can nourish the body and render it well-ordered and harmonious for the energies of the soul, well compacted and fitted together. For when it becomes over-flooded with luxury, it cannot, as one might say, hold together its very joints and harmonies, compacted as they are, under the flood; for the flood, coming in, dissolves and disperses everything. For sufficiency is both nourishment and pleasure and health; but excess is injury and disgust and disease. And what is worse, it destroys the soul itself together with the body. And just as land that is exceedingly wet breeds worms, so also the innate desire of the body, soaked with food, breeds pleasures; and when the body becomes softer, the soul must necessarily share in the injury as well. For if those who drink wine that has been filtered are blamed, what should we say of those who undertake sea voyages for the sake of wine, and set everything in motion so that no kind of vine may escape them, as though they were about to give an account, or to be condemned for the utmost, unless they have gorged themselves on every kind of wine? Truly nothing is so dear to the demon as luxury and gluttony. For what evil does luxury not work? It makes pigs out of men, and worse than pigs. For the pig wallows in the mire and feeds on dung; but this man eats a table more abominable than that, devising unlawful unions and lawless loves. Such a man differs in no way from one possessed by a demon.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":168,"ref":"p168","source":"Καὶ τὸν μὲν δαιμονῶντα κἂν ἐλεῶμεν, τοῦτον δὲ ἀποστρεφόμεθα καὶ μισοῦμεν. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι αὐθαίρετον ἐπισπᾶται μανίαν, καὶ τὸ στόμα καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ῥῖνας, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς τὰ μέλη, ὀχετοὺς ἁμαρτίας ἐργάζεται. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἔνδον ἴδῃς, ὄψει καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν καθάπερ ἔν τινι χειμῶνι καὶ κρυμῷ πεπηγυῖαν καὶ ναρκῶσαν, καὶ οὐδὲ τὸ σκάφος ὠφελῆσαι δυναμένην διὰ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὑπερβολήν. Οἱ γὰρ μέθῃ καὶ ἀδηφαγίᾳ δεδουλωμένοι, οὔτε ὕπνον αἱροῦνται γνήσιον καὶ εἰλικρινῆ, οὔτε ὀνειράτων ἀπαλλάττονται φοβερῶν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τὰ μὲν ἄλογα ζῶα μηδὲν πλέον τῆς χρείας ἐπιζητεῖν, ἀνθρώπους δὲ λογικοὺς καὶ εἰκόνι Θεοῦ τετιμημένους, κἀκείνων ἀλογωτέρους γίνεσθαι, τοὺς τῆς συμμετρίας ὑπερβαίνοντας ὅρους; πόσῳ γὰρ τῶν οὕτω διακειμένων ἀνθρώπων βελτίων ὁ ὄνος! πόσῳ ἀμείνων ὁ κύων! Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄν τε φαγεῖν, ἄν τε πιεῖν δέῃ, ὅρον τὴν αὐτάρκειαν οἶδε, καὶ πέρα τῆς χρείας οὐ πρόεισι· κἂν μυρίοι οἱ καταναγκάζοντες ὦσι πολλάκις, οὐκ ἀνέξεται ἐξελθεῖν εἰς ἀμετρίαν· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ τούτων ἑαυτοὺς ἀτιμοτέρους εἶναι κεκρίκασι. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλογα πέρα τοῦ μέτρου τροφῆς ἀπολαύειν οὐκ ἀναγκάζουσι· κἂν ἔρηταί τις, Διὰ τί; Ἵνα μὴ καταβλάψωσιν, ἐροῦσιν· ἑαυτοῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ταύτην παρέχουσι τὴν πρόνοιαν· οὕτω κἀκείνων ἑαυτοὺς εὐτελεστέρους εἶναι νομίζουσι, καὶ περιορῶσι χειμαζομένους διηνεκῶς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς μέθης μόνον τὴν ἐκ τῆς μέθης βλάβην ὑπομένουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην· καὶ καθάπερ πυρετοῦ παρελθόντος, ἡ ἐκ τοῦ πυρετοῦ μένει λύμη·","english":"And while we may pity the demon-possessed man, this one we turn away from and hate. Why ever so? Because he draws madness upon himself by his own choice, and makes his mouth and eyes and nostrils, and simply all his members, channels of sin. And if you look at what is within, you will see the soul too, as it were frozen and benumbed in a kind of storm and frost, unable even to help the hull because of the excess of the storm. For those enslaved to drunkenness and gluttony neither obtain sleep that is genuine and pure, nor are they freed from fearful dreams. How then is it not absurd that irrational animals seek nothing beyond need, but men, rational and honored with the image of God, become more irrational than they, overstepping the bounds of due measure? For how much better than men so disposed is the donkey! How much better the dog! For when they must eat or drink, they know self-sufficiency as their limit, and do not go beyond need; and even if there are countless ones often compelling them, they will not endure to go out into excess; but these men have judged themselves to be more dishonored than these beasts. And they do not compel the irrational creatures to enjoy food beyond measure; and if someone asks, Why? they will say, So that they not be harmed; but for themselves they do not provide even this forethought; thus they think themselves cheaper than those beasts too, and overlook themselves being storm-tossed continually. For not only on the day of drunkenness do they undergo the harm from the drunkenness, but also after that day; and just as when a fever has passed, the damage from the fever remains;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":169,"ref":"p169","source":"οὕτω καὶ μέθης ἀπελθούσης, ἡ τῆς μέθης ζάλη καὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ σώματι στρέφεται· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄθλιον σῶμα κεῖται παραλυθὲν, καθάπερ ὑπὸ ναυαγίου σκάφος· ἡ δὲ τούτου ταλαιπωροτέρα ψυχὴ, καὶ τούτου διαλυθέντος, τὸν χειμῶνα διεγείρει, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀνάπτει σφοδρότερον. Ὅσα μὲν οὖν ἀπὸ μέθης προσγίνεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις κακὰ, εἰπεῖν αἰσχύνομαι, τῷ δὲ αὐτῶν καταλείπω συνειδότι τῷ ταῦτα ἀκριβέστερον εἰδότι. Τί γὰρ αἰσχρότερον τοῦ μεθύοντος καὶ ἁπλῶς περιφερομένου, καὶ τὸ χαλεπὸν ἐκεῖνο ναυάγιον ὑπομένοντος, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δῶρα παρὰ τῶν ἀνοήτων βλασφημεῖσθαι παρασκευάζοντος; Πολλῶν γὰρ ἀκούω λεγόντων, ὅταν ταῦτα συμβαίνῃ τὰ πάθη· Μὴ ἔστω οἶνος. Ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας! ὢ τῆς παραπληξίας! ἄλλων ἁμαρτανόντων, ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεαῖς ἐγκαλεῖς; Μὴ γὰρ οἶνος ἐποίησεν, ἄνθρωπε, τοῦτο τὸ κακόν; οὐχ ὁ οἶνος, ἀλλ' ἡ ἀκολασία τῶν\n\nἀπολαυόντων κακῶς. Εἰπὲ τοίνυν· Μὴ ἔστω μέθη, μὴ ἔστω τρυφή. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις, Μὴ ἔστω οἶνος, ἐρεῖς κατὰ μικρὸν προβαίνων, Μὴ ἔστω σίδηρος, διὰ τοὺς ἀνδροφόνους· Μὴ ἔστω νὺξ, διὰ τοὺς κλέπτας· Μὴ ἔστω φῶς, διὰ τοὺς συκοφάντας Μὴ ἔστω γυνὴ, διὰ τὰς πορνείας· καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς ἀναιρήσεις τὰ πράγματα. Μὴ τοίνυν τὸν οἶνον διάβαλλε, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέθην, καὶ τὸν κακῶς τῷ καλῷ χρησάμενον· καὶ λαβὼν τοῦτον αὐτὸν νήφοντα, ὑπόγραψον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην, καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Οἶνος ἐδόθη, ἵνα εὐφραινώμεθα, οὐχ ἵνα ἀσχημονῶμεν· ἵνα γελῶμεν, οὐχ ἵνα γελώμεθα· ἵνα ὑγιαίνωμεν, οὐχ ἵνα νοσῶμεν· ἵνα ἀσθένειαν σώματος διορθώμεθα, οὐχ ἵνα ψυχῆς ἰσχὺν καταβάλλωμεν. Ἐτίμησέ σε ὁ Θεὸς τῷ δώρῳ·","english":"Thus also, when the drunkenness has passed, the dizziness of the drunkenness turns round both in the soul and in the body; and the wretched body lies paralyzed, like a ship from a shipwreck; but the soul, more miserable than it, even when this has been dissolved, stirs up the storm and kindles the desire more violently. Now the evils that come upon men from drunkenness I am ashamed to speak of, but I leave them to their own conscience, which knows these things more accurately. For what is more shameful than the drunkard, simply carried about and enduring that grievous shipwreck, and causing the gifts of God to be blasphemed by fools? For I hear many saying, whenever these passions occur: Let there be no wine. O the folly! O the madness! When others sin, do you bring accusation against the gifts of God? For did wine do this evil, O man? Not wine, but the licentiousness of those\n\nwho use it badly. Say then: Let there be no drunkenness, let there be no luxury. But if you say, Let there be no wine, you will say, proceeding little by little, Let there be no iron, because of the murderers; Let there be no night, because of the thieves; Let there be no light, because of the informers; Let there be no woman, because of the fornications; and you will simply abolish all things. Do not therefore slander wine, but drunkenness, and the one who uses the good badly; and taking this man himself while sober, describe his shamefulness, and say to him: Wine was given that we might be glad, not that we might be shameful; that we might laugh, not that we might be laughed at; that we might be healthy, not that we might be sick; that we might correct weakness of body, not that we might cast down the strength of the soul. God honored you with the gift;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":170,"ref":"p170","source":"τί σαυτὸν ὑβρίζεις τῇ ἀμετρίᾳ; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἅγιος ἐκεῖνος Τιμόθεος καὶ νόσῳ κατεχόμενος, καὶ ἐπαλλήλους ἀῤῥωστίας ὑπομένων οὐ μετέλαβεν οἴνου, ἕως ἂν ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ διδάσκαλος, τίνα ἂν σχοίημεν συγγνώμην ἡμεῖς, ἐν ὑγείᾳ μεθύοντες; Ἐκείνῳ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγεν, Οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στόμαχόν σου καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας· ἡμῶν δὲ ἑκάστῳ ἐρεῖ· Οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὰς πορνείας, διὰ τὰς πυκνάς σου αἰσχρολογίας, καὶ τὰς ἑτέρας ἐπιθυμίας τὰς πονηρὰς, ἃς ἡ μέθη τίκτειν εἴωθεν. Οἶνος εἰς εὐφροσύνην ἐδόθη· Οἶνος, γὰρ, φησὶν, εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου· ὑμεῖς δὲ καὶ ταύτην αὐτοῦ λυμαίνεσθε τὴν ἀρετήν. Ποία γὰρ εὐφροσύνη τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἀλγηδόνας μυρίας ἔχειν, καὶ πάντα ὁρᾷν περιφερόμενα, καὶ σκότῳ δεινῷ κατέχεσθαι, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς πυρέττοντας δεῖσθαι τῶν ἐλαίῳ καταβρεχόντων τὰς κεφαλὰς, καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας νύκτας ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ τὸ φῶς σκότος, καὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀνεῳγμένων μηδὲ τὰ ἐν ποσὶ βλέπειν, καὶ τοῖς τοσούτοις καὶ τοιούτοις ἑαυτοὺς περιπείρειν κακοῖς; Τοῖς γὰρ ἐν μέθῃ καὶ ἀκολασίᾳ βιοῦσιν ἡ ἡμέρα πρὸς τὸ τῆς νυκτὸς μεταστρέφεται σκότος, οὐ τοῦ ἡλίου σβεννυμένου, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνων διανοίας σκοτιζομένης τῇ μέθῃ. Οἱ τῇ μέθῃ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόντες, ὅσῳ ἂν ἐκχέωσιν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν ἄκρατον, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸ δίψος ἐκκαίονται, καὶ ἡ μετάληψις ἀεὶ ὑπέκκαυμα τῆς δίψης γίνεται· καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς ἡδονῆς ἠμαύρωται λοιπὸν, τὸ δὲ δίψος ἀκατάπαυστον γεγονὸς, εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν κρημνὸν τῆς μέθης κατάγει τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῆς αἰχμαλώτους γεγενημένους.","english":"Why do you insult yourself by your excess? For if that holy Timothy, though held by illness and enduring successive infirmities, did not partake of wine until his teacher permitted it, what excuse would we have, who get drunk while in good health? For to him he said, \"Use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent illnesses\"; but to each of us he will say, \"Use a little wine because of your fornications, because of your frequent foul language, and the other evil desires that drunkenness is accustomed to give birth to.\" Wine was given for gladness—for \"Wine,\" he says, \"gladdens the heart of man\"—but you even corrupt this virtue of it. For what gladness is it to not be in yourselves, and to have countless pains, and to see everything spinning around, and to be held by dreadful darkness, and like those in fever to need people pouring oil on your heads, and to make days into nights, and light into darkness, and with your eyes open not to see what is at your feet, and to pierce yourselves through with so many and such great evils? For those who live in drunkenness and debauchery, the day is turned into the darkness of night—not because the sun is extinguished, but because their mind is darkened by drunkenness. Those who give themselves over to drunkenness, the more they pour unmixed wine into themselves, the more they are inflamed toward thirst, and the drinking is always kindling for the thirst; and the pleasures of it are henceforth dimmed, while the thirst, having become unceasing, leads down to the very precipice of drunkenness those who have been made captives by it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":171,"ref":"p171","source":"Ἐντεῦθεν μάλιστα ἄν τις ἐκπλαγείη τῆς ἀνοίας τοὺς τῇ μέθῃ προσηλωμένους, ὅτι οὐδὲ ὅσην ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσκῶν ἔχουσιν ἕτεροι τὴν φειδὼ, τοσαύτην ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι θέλουσιν οὗτοι. Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ οἱ τῶν οἴνων πρᾶται οὐκ ἐῶσι πλέον τοῦ δέοντος λαβεῖν, ὥστε μὴ διαῤῥαγῆναι· τὴν δὲ ἀθλίαν οὗτοι γαστέρα οὐδὲ ταύτης ἀξιοῦσι τῆς προνοίας, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὰν αὐτὴν ἐμπλήσωσι καὶ διαῤῥήξωσι, μέχρι τῶν ὤτων, μέχρι τῆς ῥινὸς, μέχρι τῆς φάρυγγος αὐτῆς πληροῦσιν ἅπαντα, πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν τῷ πνεύματι, τῇ τὸ ζῶον οἰκονομούσῃ δυνάμει, κατασκευάζοντες τὴν στενοχωρίαν. Μὴ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτό σοι γέγονε φάρυγξ, ἵνα μέχρι τοῦ στόματος ἄνω σεσηπότος οἴνου καὶ τῆς ἄλλης αὐτὸν ἀποπληρώσῃς διαφθορᾶς; Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὰς ἱερὰς ἀναπέμπῃς εὐχὰς τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τοὺς θείους ἀναγινώσκῃς νόμους, καὶ τοῖς πλησίον τὰ συμφέροντα συμβουλεύῃς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω τὰ σφοδρὰ τῶν ποταμίων ῥευμάτων τὰς ὄχθας εἴωθεν διατρώγειν καὶ ποιεῖν ὑφιζάνειν, ὡς τρυφὴ καὶ σπατάλη τὰ τῆς ὑγείας ἡμῶν ἐρείσματα πάντα ὑποσύρει ῥᾳδίως. Τὸ γὰρ παριέναι μετὰ ῥύμης τὰ βρώματα τό τε ἰσχυρὸν ἀποξέει τοῦ σώματος, καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀνδρεῖον κατασύρει καὶ χαυνοῖ. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τῷ τρυφῶντι τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι διασπᾶται, καὶ τὴν γαστέρα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διαῤῥήγνυσι, καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ὑγίειαν ὑποτέμνεται· ἀλλ' ὅτι τάχιον παραῤῥεῖ καὶ παρατρέχει, καὶ μέχρι μιᾶς ἡμέρας τὴν ἐκ τούτων ἐγγινομένην αὐτῷ χορηγίαν κατασχεῖν οὐ δύναται, ἀλλὰ διαπνευσθείσης ἐκείνης, ἕτερα ἐπεμβάλλειν ἀναγκάζεται πάλιν.","english":"From this, especially, one might be struck by the senselessness of those who are nailed to drunkenness, because they do not wish to show toward themselves as much restraint as others have toward their wineskins. For the sellers of wine do not allow those wineskins to receive more than is proper, so that they may not burst; but these men do not deem their wretched stomach worthy even of this forethought, but when they have filled it and burst it, they fill everything up to the ears, up to the nose, up to the very throat itself, thereby creating great distress for the spirit, for the power that governs the living being. For was your throat made for this, that when the wine has rotted as far up as your mouth you should fill it with that and with the rest of its corruption? Not for this, but that you might send up holy prayers to God, and read the divine laws, and counsel your neighbors in what is beneficial. For the violent currents of rivers are not so accustomed to gnaw away their banks and make them subside, as luxury and prodigality easily drag away all the supports of our health. For the passing through of foods with vehemence scrapes away the strength of the body, and drags down and enervates the courage of the soul. And this is not the only terrible thing for the luxurious man, that he is torn apart, and bursts his own stomach, and cuts off the health of body and soul; but that it flows past and runs by more quickly, and he is not able to retain until a single day the provision that comes to him from these things, but when that has been dissipated, he is compelled to throw in others again.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":172,"ref":"p172","source":"Οὐ τοίνυν τὸ φαγεῖν κακὸν, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλ' ἡ ἀδηφαγία, καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν ἐμπίμπλασθαι καὶ διαῤῥήγνυσθαι τὴν γαστέρα· ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ τὸ οἴνου συμμέτρου μετασχεῖν πονηρὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μέθῃ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι, καὶ τῶν λογισμῶν τὸ κριτήριον\n\nπαρατρέψαι διὰ τῆς ἀμετρίας. Σώματι γὰρ τοιούτῳ συνέπλεξεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Δεσπότης, ὃ μὴ δυνατὸν ἑτέρως συνεστάναι, εἰ μὴ ταύτης μεταλάβοι· μόνον τὰ τῆς ἀμετρίας ἐκκοπτέσθω· τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὑγίειαν τούτου καὶ εὐεξίαν τὰ μέγιστα συμβάλλεται. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾶτε καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπὸ τῶν πολυτελῶν τραπεζῶν, καὶ τῆς ἀμέτρου ἀδηφαγίας μυρία ἐπαγόμενα νοσήματα; Πόθεν ποδαλγίαι; πόθεν καρηβαρίαι; πόθεν ὁ τῶν χυμῶν τῶν διεφθαρμένων πλεονασμός; πόθεν τὰ ἄλλα μυρία νοσήματα; οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀμετρίας καὶ τοῦ πλέον τοῦ δέοντος ἐκχέειν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν ἄκρατον; Καθάπερ γὰρ πλοῖον ὑπέραντλον γεγονὸς, ταχέως καταβαπτίζεται καὶ ὑποβρύχιον γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ ἄνθρωπος, ὅταν τῇ ἀδηφαγίᾳ καὶ μέθῃ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδῷ, κατὰ κρημνῶν ἄπεισι, καὶ ὑποβρύχιον ἐργάζεται τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ κεῖται λοιπὸν καθάπερ νεκρὸς ἔμψυχος, πρὸς μὲν τὰ κακὰ πολλάκις ἐνεργεῖν δυνάμενος, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἅπαντα οὐδὲν ἄμεινον τῶν νεκρῶν διακείμενος. Τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ἡ μέθη δεινὸν, ὡς καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις πηρῶσαι δύνασθαι, καὶ τὸν λογικὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τὴν κατὰ πάντων ἀρχὴν ἀναδεδεγμένον καθάπερ νεκρὸν ἀνενέργητον δεσμοῖς τισιν ἀλύτοις πεδήσασα κεῖσθαι παρασκευάζει· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ νεκροῦ χεῖρον· ὁ μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸς τὰ καλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ κακὰ ἀνενέργητος, οὗτος δὲ κοινὸς ἅπασι γέλως πρόκειται.","english":"Eating, then, is not evil—may it never be!—but gluttony is, and filling oneself beyond need and bursting the belly. Just as, then, partaking of moderate wine is not wicked either, but giving oneself over to drunkenness and perverting the judgment of one's reason through excess. For the Master has woven us together with such a body, which cannot hold together otherwise unless it partake of this; only let the things of excess be cut off. For this contributes the greatest things to its health and good condition. Or do you not see every day, from luxurious tables and from immoderate gluttony, countless diseases being brought on? From where come gout, from where heaviness of the head, from where the excess of corrupted humors, from where the other countless diseases? Is it not from excess and from pouring out for themselves unmixed wine more than is fitting? For just as a ship that has become waterlogged is quickly sunk and goes under, so too a man, when he gives himself over to gluttony and drunkenness, goes over cliffs and makes his reason sink beneath the waves, and lies thereafter like a living corpse, able often to work at evils, but toward all good things disposed no better than the dead. So terrible is drunkenness that it can even cripple the senses, and it binds the rational man, the one who has received dominion over all things, as it were a dead and inactive man with certain unbreakable bonds, and makes him lie there; or rather, worse than a dead man. For the one is inactive toward both noble and base things, but this man is set forth as a common laughingstock to all.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":173,"ref":"p173","source":"Οἱ μὲν γὰρ φίλοι, οἰκείαν τὴν αἰσχύνην λογιζόμενοι, ἐγκαλύπτονται, καὶ αἰσχύνονται· οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ ἐφήδονται καὶ κωμῳδοῦσι καὶ ἐπαρῶνται, μονονουχὶ ταῦτα λέγοντες τὰ ῥήματα· Τοῦτον δεῖ ὅλως ζῇν; τοῦτον δεῖ ἀναπνεῖν τὸν ἀέρα; τὸ βόσκημα, τὸν χοῖρον; καὶ τὰ ἐκ φ. ἔτι τούτων χαλεπώτερα φθεγγόμενοι. Ἅπερ φυγόντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὅση δύναμις, τοσοῦτον σιτεῖσθαι σπουδάσωμεν, ὃ καὶ ἡδονὴν ἔχει τὴν ὄντως ἡδονὴν, καὶ θρέψαι δύναται τὸ σῶμα, καὶ εὔτακτον ἡμῖν καὶ εὐάρμοστον πρὸς τὰς ἐνεργείας παρασχεῖν τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἵνα καὶ τὸν παρόντα βίον εὐμαρῶς διανύσωμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτευξώμεθα ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΓʹ. Περὶ ἀῤῥωστίας καὶ ἰατρῶν.\n\nὍταν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιπέσῃς, ἄνθρωπε, ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Ἰὼβ, καὶ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκείνης σαρκός· ἁγία γὰρ ἦν καὶ καθαρὰ, καὶ τοιαῦτα ἔχουσα τραύματα. Τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἠῤῥώστησέ ποτε; τίς τοσαύτην πληγὴν ἐδέξατο, ἢ ἕτερον δεξάμενον εἶδεν; οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐκ ἔστι. Κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτῷ τὸ σῶμα ἐδαπανᾶτο, καὶ πηγὴ σκωλήκων αὐτῷ πάντοθεν ἔβρυεν ἀπὸ τῶν μελῶν, καὶ διηνεκὴς ἦν αὕτη ἡ ἐπιῤῥοὴ, καὶ πολλὴ πανταχόθεν ἡ δυσωδία, καὶ τὸ σῶμα κατὰ μικρὸν διαιρούμενον, καὶ τοιαύτῃ σηπεδόνι τηκόμενον, ἀηδῆ τὰ σιτία ἐποίει. Καὶ λιμὸς ἦν αὐτῷ ξένος καὶ παράδοξος· οὐ γὰρ διδομένης ἠδύνατο τῆς τροφῆς ἀπολαύειν· Βρόμον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁρῶ τὰ σιτία μου. Ἀλλ' ἱκανὴν εἶχεν οὗτος παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν, φησὶ, τῷ εἰδέναι τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῷ ταῦτα ἐπάγοντα.","english":"For friends, reckoning the shame their own, cover it up and are ashamed; but enemies rejoice and mock and curse, all but saying these very words: \"Must this man live at all? Must this man breathe the air—this fodder, this pig?\" And they utter things even harsher than these. Fleeing these things, beloved, with all our strength let us strive to eat only so much as has pleasure—the pleasure that is truly pleasure—and can nourish the body and render it orderly and well-fitted for the activities of the commandments of Christ, so that we may both pass through the present life with ease and attain to the good things to come, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 13. On Sickness and Physicians.\n\nWhen you fall into sickness, O man, remember the body of Job, and that holy flesh of his; for it was holy and pure, and had such wounds as these. For who ever was so sick? Who received so great a blow, or saw another receiving one? There is no one, there is not. Little by little his body was consumed, and a spring of worms gushed forth from his limbs on every side, and this flow was continual, and the stench was great from every part, and the body, being gradually divided and melting away with such putrefaction, made his food distasteful. And his hunger was strange and paradoxical; for though food was given, he could not enjoy it: \"For I see,\" he says, \"my food as a stench.\" But he had sufficient consolation and comfort, he says, in knowing that God was bringing these things upon him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":174,"ref":"p174","source":"Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν μάλιστα ἐτάραττε καὶ ἐθορύβει, ὅτι τὸν δίκαιον Θεὸν, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ παρ' αὐτοῦ θεραπευθέντα, τοῦτον ἐνόμιζεν αὐτῷ πολεμεῖν, καὶ πρόφασίν τινα εὔλογον εὑρεῖν τῶν γινομένων οὐκ εἶχεν. Εἰ δὲ ἀρκεῖν τοῦτο εἰς παράκλησιν νομίζεις, δυνήσῃ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ταύτην τὴν παραμυθίαν σχεῖν. Κἂν γὰρ μὴ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάθῃς τι τῶν δεινῶν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐπηρείας, εὐχαριστήσῃς δὲ, καὶ μὴ βλασφημήσῃς τὸν δυνάμενον κωλῦσαι μὲν, ἀφέντα δὲ τῆς σῆς ἕνεκεν δοκιμῆς· ὥσπερ οἱ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν παθόντες στεφανοῦνται, οὕτω καὶ σὺ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιτεύξῃ μισθῶν, ὅτι τὰς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπαχθείσας σοι συμφορὰς γενναίως ἤνεγκας, καὶ τῷ δυναμένῳ αὐτὰς κωλῦσαι, μὴ βουληθέντι δὲ, ηὐχαρίστησας. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀγαθός τίς ἐστι χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας, οὔτε κακός τίς ἐστι χωρὶς δικαιοσύνης· ἀμφοτέροις δὲ ἀμοιβὴ καὶ ἀντίδοσις. Ἐὰν ᾖ τις δίκαιος καὶ φαῦλον ἐργάσηταί τι, καὶ νοσήσῃ, καὶ τιμωρίᾳ παραδοθῇ, μὴ θορυβηθῇς, ἀλλ' εἰπὲ, ὅτι Οὗτος","english":"This, then, troubled and disturbed him most of all—that he thought the righteous God, who had been served by him in every way, was at war with him, and he could find no plausible pretext for what was happening. But if you think this suffices for consolation, you too can certainly have this same comfort. For even if you suffer some of these terrible things not on account of God, but from the malice of men, yet give thanks and do not blaspheme the one who was able to prevent them but allowed them for the sake of your testing—just as those who suffer for God's sake are crowned, so you too will obtain the same rewards, because you bore nobly the calamities brought upon you by men, and you gave thanks to the one who was able to prevent them but was not willing. For neither is anyone good without sin, nor is anyone evil without righteousness; and for both there is a recompense and a requital. If someone is righteous and does some base thing, and falls sick, and is handed over to punishment, do not be disturbed, but say, that This man","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":175,"ref":"p175","source":"ὁ δίκαιος μικρὸν πώποτε κακὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ ἀπολαμβάνει ὧδε, ἵνα ἐκεῖ μὴ κολασθῇ. Πάλιν ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἁμαρτωλὸν ἁρπάζοντα, πλεονεκτοῦντα, εὐθηνούμενον, μυρία ποιοῦντα κακὰ, μηδὲ οὕτως θορυβηθῇς, ἀλλ' εἰπέ· Οὗτος ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ὁ μυρία κακὰ ποιῶν, ποτέ τι ἀγαθὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ ἀπολαμβάνει ὧδε τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἵνα μὴ μισθὸν ἐκεῖ ἀπαιτήσῃ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ συνέβαινε καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχειν τινὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ τὸν πλούσιον πάλιν τι ἔχειν ἀγαθὸν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Ἀβραάμ· Ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐκεῖ, καὶ Λάζαρος τὰ κακὰ αὐτοῦ. Ὁποῖα; ἐποίησάς τι ἀγαθόν; ἀπέλαβες ἀντ' ἐκείνου τὸν πλοῦτον, τὴν ὑγίειαν, τὴν τρυφὴν, τὴν δυναστείαν, τὴν τιμὴν, καὶ οὐδέν σοι κεχρεώστηται. Τί οὖν ὁ Λάζαρος; οὐδὲν ἥμαρτε; Ναί· διὰ τοῦτο λέγει, Καὶ Λάζαρος τὰ κακὰ αὐτοῦ· ὅτε γὰρ σὺ τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἀπελάμβανες, τότε καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος τὰ κακά. Ὥστε ὅταν ἴδῃς δίκαιον κολαζόμενον, μακάριζε αὐτὸν καὶ λέγε· Οὗτος ὁ δίκαιος ἁμαρτίαν τινὰ ἔχει, καὶ ἀπολαμβάνει αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀπέρχεται ἐκεῖ καθαρός· εἰ δὲ πλέον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κολάζεται, προσθήκη δικαιοσύνης αὐτῷ λογίζεται. Καὶ πρόσεχε ᾧ λέγω· Ὁ Ἰὼβ δίκαιος ἦν, ἄμεμπτος, ἀληθινὸς, θεοσεβής· καὶ ἐκολάσθη αὐτῷ τὸ σῶμα ὧδε, ἵνα ἐκεῖ μισθὸν ἀπαιτήσῃ. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς αὐτόν· Οὐκ ἄλλως σοι οἴει με κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Ἆρα οὖν μήτι παρέτρεψε τὸν ἅγιον ἐκεῖνον Ἰὼβ ἡ τῆς γυναικὸς συμβουλή; τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν μᾶλλον ἐποίησε, καὶ ἐπτέρωσε μειζόνως αὐτὸν, ὡς καὶ ἐπιτιμῆσαι τῇ γυναικί.","english":"The righteous man has never done even a small evil, and he receives his due here, so that he may not be punished there. Again, if you see a sinner seizing, grasping for more, prospering, doing countless evils, do not be disturbed even so, but say: This sinner who does countless evils once did some good, and he receives his good things here, so that he may not demand his reward there. This can be seen also in the case of Lazarus. Since it happened that he too had certain sins, and the rich man again had some good, hear what Abraham says: You received your good things there, and Lazarus his evil things. Of what sort? Did you do some good? You received in return for that wealth, health, luxury, power, honor, and nothing is owed to you. What then of Lazarus? Did he not sin at all? Yes; therefore he says, And Lazarus his evil things; for when you were receiving your good things, then Lazarus was receiving his evil things. So when you see a righteous man being punished, call him blessed and say: This righteous man has some sin, and he receives it, and he departs there clean; but if he is punished beyond his sins, it is reckoned to him as an addition of righteousness. And pay attention to what I say: Job was righteous, blameless, true, God-fearing; and his body was punished here, so that he might demand his reward there. For God says to him: Do you think I have dealt with you otherwise than that you might appear righteous? Did the counsel of his wife, then, pervert that holy Job? On the contrary, it rather made him more fervent, so that he even rebuked his wife.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":176,"ref":"p176","source":"Ἡρεῖτο γὰρ μᾶλλον ὀδυνᾶσθαι καὶ ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι, καὶ μυρία πάσχειν δεινὰ, ἢ μετὰ βλασφημίας ἀπαλλαγήν τινα τῶν τοσούτων εὑρέσθαι κακῶν. Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπειδὰν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ τινὶ περιπέσωσι, βλασφημοῦσιν εὐθέως, καὶ τὸν μὲν πόνον ὑφίστανται τοῦ νοσήματος· τοῦ κέρδους δὲ τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἀποστεροῦνται. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ προστάτην καὶ κηδεμόνα βλασφημεῖς; οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ κατὰ κρημνοῦ φερόμενος, καὶ εἰς βάραθρον σαυτὸν ἐμβάλλων ἀπωλείας ἐσχάτης; Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ὁ διάβολος μυρία ἐπάγει δεινὰ, ἵνα εἰς ἐκεῖνό σε καταγάγῃ τὸ βάραθρον· κἂν μὲν ἴδῃ βλασφημοῦντα, ῥᾳδίως αὔξει τὴν ἀλγηδόνα καὶ μείζονα ποιεῖ, ἵνα κεντούμενος ἀποδυσπετήσῃς πάλιν· ἂν δὲ ἴδῃ γενναίως φέροντα, καὶ ὅσῳ τὸ πάθος ἐπιτείνεται, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστοῦντα τῷ Θεῷ, ἀφίσταται εὐθέως, ὡς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην παρεδρεύων λοιπόν. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν δυσχεραίνεις, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ βλασφημεῖς, καὶ εἴ τινι τῶν ἀδοκήτων περιπέσοις ποτέ; Μὴ γὰρ ἐὰν βλασφημήσῃς, κουφότερον τὸ πάθος ποιεῖς; ἐπιτείνεις μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ, καὶ χαλεπωτέραν ἐργάζῃ μάλιστα τὴν ὀδύνην. Ἀλλ' οὐ δύνασαι σιγᾷν, ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης κεντούμενος; Ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τῆς βλασφημίας εὐχαρίστησον, εὐφήμησον, δόξασον τὸν Θεόν. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ βλασφημήσῃς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ συμμαχίαν ἀπεκρούσω, καὶ σφοδρότερον εἰργάσω κατὰ σοῦ τὸν διάβολον· ἂν δὲ εὐχαριστήσῃς, τάς τε ἐπιβουλὰς ἀπεκρούσω τὰς τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος, καὶ τὴν τοῦ κηδεμόνος Θεοῦ θεραπείαν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπεσπάσω. Ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ὁρμᾷ πολλάκις ἡ γλῶσσα τὸ πονηρὸν ἐκεῖνο φθέγξασθαι ῥῆμα;","english":"For he chose rather to be in pain and misery and to suffer countless terrible things than to find, through blasphemy, any release from such great evils. But most people, whenever they fall into some illness, immediately blaspheme, and they endure the pain of the disease, but through their lack of endurance they are deprived of the profit that comes from it. What are you doing, man? Do you blaspheme your benefactor and savior and protector and guardian? Do you not perceive that you are being carried toward a cliff and casting yourself into the pit of final destruction? For this reason the devil brings countless terrible things upon you, so that he may drag you down into that pit; and if he sees you blaspheming, he easily increases the pain and makes it greater, so that, being stung, you may again despair; but if he sees you bearing it nobly, and the more the suffering is intensified, the more you give thanks to God, he withdraws immediately, since he now attends you in vain and to no purpose. For what reason, man, are you vexed and blaspheming, even if you should fall into some unexpected thing? For if you blaspheme, do you make the suffering lighter? No, you intensify it and make the pain especially more severe. But you cannot be silent, being stung by the pain? Then instead of blasphemy, give thanks, speak well, glorify God. For if you blaspheme, you have both driven away God's alliance and made the devil more violent against you; but if you give thanks, you have both driven away the plots of the wicked demon and drawn to yourself the care of God your guardian. But does the tongue often rush, from habit, to utter that wicked word?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":177,"ref":"p177","source":"Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὰν ὁρμήσῃ, πρὶν ἢ τὸ ῥῆμα ἐξενεγκεῖν, κατάδακε τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτὴν πάντοθεν σφοδρῶς. Βέλτιον αὐτὴν αἷμα ῥέειν νῦν, ἢ κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν σταγόνος ἐπιθυμοῦσαν, μὴ δυνηθῆναι τῆς παραμυθίας τυχεῖν, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ πλουσίου· βέλτιον αὐτὴν πρόσκαιρον ὑπομεῖναι πόνον, ἢ διηνεκῆ καὶ ἀθάνατα τηγανίζεσθαι τότε. Ὅταν οὖν νόσῳ περιπέσῃς χαλεπῇ, καὶ πολλοὶ παραγίνωνται ἀναγκάζοντες, οἱ μὲν ἐπῳδαῖς, οἱ δὲ περιάμμασιν, οἱ δὲ ἑτέροις τισὶ παραμυθήσασθαι τὸ κακὸν, σὺ δὲ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐνέγκῃς γενναίως τὸν ἐκ τῆς νόσου πόνον καὶ ἀκλινῶς, καὶ πάντα ἂν ἕλῃ παθεῖν ἢ ὑποστῆναί τι τῶν τοιούτων πρᾶξαι· τοῦτό σοι μαρτυρίου στέφανον φέρει. Καὶ μὴ ἀμφίβαλλε· καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν βασάνων ὀδύνας φέρει γενναίως, ὥστε μὴ προσκυνῆσαι τὸ εἴδωλον· οὕτω καὶ σὺ τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς νόσου φέρεις ἀλγηδόνας, ὥστε μηδενὸς δεηθῆναι τῶν παρ' ἐκείνου, μηδὲ πρᾶξαι\n\nἅπερ ἐπιτάττει. Ἀλλὰ σφοδρότεραι ἐκεῖναι; ἀλλ' αὗται μακρότεραι· ὥστε εἰς ἴσον καταλήγει, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ σφοδρότερον. Ὅταν γὰρ καύσων ἔνδον ἐνοχλῇ καὶ φλέγῃ, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων παραινούντων ἀποσείσῃ τὴν ἐπῳδὴν, οὐχὶ μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἀνεδήσω; Ὅταν γὰρ ἐκβάλλῃς τοὺς ἐπῳδοὺς μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὕβρεως ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας, πάντες ἀκούσαντες ἐπαινέσονται καὶ θαυμάσονται, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐροῦσιν· Ὁ δεῖνα ἀῤῥωστῶν, μυρία παρακαλούντων τινῶν καὶ παραινούντων καὶ συμβουλευόντων ἐπῳδαῖς χρήσασθαι μαγικαῖς τισιν, οὐ προσήκατο, ἀλλ' εἶπεν· Βέλτιον ἀποθανεῖν οὕτως, ἢ προδοῦναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν.","english":"But when it rushes on, before the word is uttered, bite it all over fiercely with your teeth. Better that it bleed now than that on that day, longing for a drop, it be unable to obtain relief, as in the case of the rich man; better to endure temporary pain now than to be roasted then with unending and immortal fire. When, therefore, you fall into a grievous illness, and many come pressing you—some urging incantations, others amulets, others some other means of alleviating the evil—but you, out of the fear of God, bear the pain of the illness nobly and without wavering, and choose rather to suffer anything than to do any such thing, this brings you the crown of martyrdom. And do not doubt it; for just as that man bears the pains of tortures nobly, so as not to worship the idol, so too do you bear the pains of illness, so as to need nothing from him, nor to do\n\nwhat he commands. But are those pains more violent? Yet these are longer; so it comes to the same, and often even more violent. For when a burning fever troubles you within and inflames you, and when others advise you, you shake off the incantation—have you not been crowned with the crown of martyrdom? For when you drive the sorcerers out of the house with great contempt, all who hear it will praise and marvel, and will say to one another: \"Such a one, being ill, when countless people were urging and advising and counseling him to use certain magical incantations, did not accept it, but said: 'Better to die thus than to betray piety.'","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":178,"ref":"p178","source":"Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοσοῦτοι οἱ ἔπαινοι, ἐννόησον πηλίκους ἐκεῖ λήψῃ στεφάνους, ὅταν τῶν ἀγγέλων παρόντων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων, παρελθὼν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ τῆς χειρός σου λαβόμενος, εἰς μέσον περιαγάγῃ τὸ θέατρον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ πάντων ἀκουόντων, εἴπῃ· Οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος πυρετῷ ποτε ληφθεὶς, μυρίων αὐτῷ παραινούντων ἀπαλλαγῆναι τοῦ πυρετοῦ, διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἐμὸν καὶ τὸν φόβον τὸν εἰς ἐμὲ, ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ προσκρούσῃ, διώσατο καὶ ἠτίμωσε τοὺς ὑπισχνουμένους αὐτὸν θεραπεύειν τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ, καὶ εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἐναποθανεῖν τῷ νοσήματι, ἢ προδοῦναι τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ εὔνοιαν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ποτίσαντας αὐτὸν καὶ θρέψαντας καὶ ἐνδύσαντας εἰς μέσον παράγει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς δι' αὐτὸν ἑλομένους ἀνέχεσθαι πυρετόν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον δοῦναι ἄρτον καὶ ἱμάτιον, καὶ νόσον μακρὰν ὑπομένειν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μεῖζον τοῦτο ἐκείνου· οὕτω καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἔσται λαμπρότερος. Ταῦτα καὶ ὑγιαίνοντες μελετῶμεν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγωμεν. Ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ μακαρίου Τιμοθέου, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἐκ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀνέπνευσεν, ἀλλὰ σύντροφος ἦν διηνεκεῖ τῷ σώματι. Εἰ δὲ ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ἅγιος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης προστασίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένος, καὶ νεκροὺς ἐγείρων, καὶ δαίμονας ἐλαύνων, καὶ μυρία νοσήματα διορθωσάμενος ἐν ἑτέροις, τοσαῦτα ἔπασχε δεινὰ, τίνα ἕξεις ἀπολογίαν σὺ θορυβούμενος καὶ ἀσχάλλων ἐπὶ προσκαίροις νοσήμασι; Καὶ υἱοὶ μὲν πολλάκις πατέρων οὐδὲ δεόντως κολαζόντων αὐτοὺς, ὑπομένειν κελεύονται· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἀνέξῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ παιδεύοντός σε, τοῦ καὶ πατέρων μᾶλλόν σε φιλοῦντος, καὶ πάντα πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον πραγματευομένου·","english":"If here there are such great praises, consider how great the crowns you will receive there, when, with the angels present and the archangels, Christ comes forward and, taking you by the hand, leads you into the midst of that theater, and with all listening, says: This man was once seized by a fever; when countless people urged him to be rid of the fever, for the sake of my name and the fear of me, so that he might not stumble in anything, he thrust aside and dishonored those who promised to cure him in this way, and chose rather to die in the disease than to betray his goodwill toward me. For if he brings into the midst those who gave him drink and fed him and clothed him, much more those who for his sake chose to endure fever. For it is not equal to give bread and a garment and to endure a long illness, but this is much greater than that; so also the crown will be more radiant. Let us meditate on these things even when we are healthy, and say them to one another. Remember the blessed Timothy, that he never recovered from his sickness, but it was a constant companion to his body. But if that righteous and holy man, who had been entrusted with the care of the whole world, and raised the dead, and drove out demons, and corrected countless diseases in others, suffered such terrible things, what defense will you have, you who are disturbed and vexed at temporary illnesses? And sons are often commanded to endure fathers who do not even punish them as they should; but will you not endure God disciplining you, who loves you more than fathers do, and orders all things for your benefit?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":179,"ref":"p179","source":"ἀλλὰ κἂν μικρά τις γένηται νόσος, εὐθέως ἀποπηδᾷς αὐτοῦ τῆς δεσποτείας, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς δαίμονας τρέχεις; Καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης; πῶς δὲ ἀπολογήσῃ τῷ Χριστῷ; πῶς αὐτὸν καλέσῃς ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς; ποίῳ συνειδότι λοιπὸν ἐπιβήσῃ τῆς ἐκκλησίας; ποίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ὄψει τὸν ἱερέα; ποίᾳ χειρὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἅψῃ τραπέζης; ποίαις ἀκοαῖς ἀκούσῃ τῶν ἀναγινωσκομένων ἐκεῖ Γραφῶν, τοιαῦτα κατὰ σαυτοῦ πράττων παρανομήματα; πῶς δὲ δυνήσῃ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλέσαι πάλιν; μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἕτερος, κἂν τὴν Μωϋσέως σχῇ παῤῥησίαν, δυνήσεται περὶ σοῦ δεηθῆναι. Ἢ οὐκ ἀκούεις τί περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἱερεμίαν; Μὴ προσεύχου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου· ὅτι ἂν στῇ Μωϋσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι αὐτῶν. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ἀνδραποδισταὶ πλακοῦντας καὶ τρωγάλια καὶ ἕτερά τινα τοιαῦτα πολλάκις τοῖς μικροῖς προτεινόμενοι παιδίοις, καὶ δελεάζοντες τῆς ἐλευθερίας αὐτὰ καὶ τῆς ζωῆς ἀποστεροῦσιν αὐτῆς· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οἱ γόητες, μέλους ὑπισχνούμενοι θεραπείαν, ὅλην τῆς ψυχῆς καταποντίζουσι τὴν σωτηρίαν. Πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀλογίαν ἐκπεπτωκότων, οὐ μόνον πλοῦτον καὶ δυναστείαν καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων αἰτοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐπαρῶνται, καί τινα τιμωρίαν ἐπενεχθῆναι αὐτοῖς ἱκετεύουσι· καὶ ὃν ἑαυτοῖς ἥμερον εἶναι καὶ φιλάνθρωπον εὔχονται, τοῦτον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἀνήμερον γενέσθαι καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον βούλονται.","english":"But if even a slight illness comes, do you immediately leap away from his lordship and run to the demons? And what forgiveness will you obtain? How will you defend yourself to Christ? How will you call upon him in your prayers? With what conscience will you thereafter set foot in the church? With what eyes will you look upon the priest? With what hand will you touch the sacred table? With what ears will you hear the Scriptures read there, when you commit such transgressions against yourself? And how will you be able to entreat God again? Or rather, not even another man, even if he had the boldness of Moses, will be able to intercede for you. Or do you not hear what he says to Jeremiah concerning the Jews? Do not pray for this people; for even if Moses and Samuel stand before me, I will not listen to them. And just as slave-dealers, often offering cakes and sweetmeats and other such things to little children and luring them, deprive them of freedom and of life itself, so too the sorcerers, promising healing of a limb, sink the whole salvation of the soul. And many of those who have fallen into the utmost irrationality not only ask wealth and power and all such things from the God of all, but also curse their enemies and implore that some punishment be brought upon them; and the one whom they pray to be gentle and humane toward themselves, they wish to become savage and inhuman toward their enemies.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":180,"ref":"p180","source":"Καὶ τὸν μὲν κυβερνήτην οἱ πλέοντες οὐ κελεύουσι τοιῶσδε κατέχειν τοὺς οἴακας καὶ τὸ σκάφος ἰθύνειν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῶν καταστρωμάτων καθήμενοι τῆς ἐκείνου ἐπιστήμης ἀνέχονται, οὐ μόνον ἐξ οὐρίας φερομένης τῆς νηὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἔσχατον κίνδυνον ἀπειλούσης· τῷ Θεῷ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ τὰ συμφέροντα ἡμῖν ἀκριβῶς οἰκονομοῦντι παραχωρεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχονται, ἀῤῥώστῳ ἐοικότες τῷ τὸν ἰατρὸν δοῦναι αὐτῷ\n\nπαρακαλοῦντι, οὐχ ὅσα λύει τὴν νόσον, ἀλλ' ὅσα τρέφει τὴν ὕλην τὴν τῆς νόσου μητέρα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνέξεται ὁ ἰατρὸς τῆς τοῦ κάμνοντος ἱκεσίας, ἀλλὰ κἂν δακρύοντα ἴδῃ καὶ ὀλοφυρόμενον, τῷ νόμῳ τῆς τέχνης ἀκολουθεῖ μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῖς τούτου δάκρυσιν ἐπικάμπτεται· καὶ τὴν ἀπείθειαν οὐκ ἀπανθρωπίαν, ἀλλὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ὀνομάζομεν· πειθόμενος γὰρ τῷ νοσοῦντι, καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν χαριζόμενος, τὰ πολεμίων εἰς αὐτὸν ἐργάζεται· ἀντιτείνων δὲ καὶ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ μαχόμενος τῇ ἐκείνου, ἐλέῳ κέχρηται ταὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ φιλόστοργοι πατέρες τοῖς κομιδῇ νηπίοις μαχαίρας ἐπιζητοῦσιν, ἢ πυρὸς ἄνθρακας, οὐδαμῶς ὀρέγειν ἀνέχονται· ἴσασι γὰρ σαφῶς βλαβερὰν οὖσαν αὐτοῖς τὴν τούτων ἐπίδοσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ὡς ὠφέλιμα τὰ ὀλέθρια οὐκ ἀνέχεται δοῦναι, ὡς εἰς βλάβην αὐτοῖς γινώσκων ἐσόμενα. Οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς ἀρχαίους τῶν ἰατρῶν οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ ἀλόγως νομοθετῆσαι, δημοσιεύεσθαι τὴν τῶν ποικίλων ἐργαλείων ἐπίδειξιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας ἀσφαλίζωνται, προδεικνύντες αὐτοῖς, ὁπόσων ἀτακτοῦντες δεήσονται. Τὸν Χριστὸν τοίνυν καὶ γεέννης φοβερώτερον ἡμῖν εἶναι δεῖ, καὶ βασιλείας ποθεινότερον·","english":"Those who sail do not give the pilot orders to hold the helm this way and steer the ship, but sitting on the decks they submit to his skill, not only when the ship is carried by a fair wind, but even when it threatens the utmost danger; yet they do not submit to yielding to God alone, who orders precisely what is beneficial for us, resembling a sick man who begs the physician to give him not what cures the disease but what feeds the matter that is the mother of the disease. But the physician will not yield to the sick man's supplication, but even if he sees him weeping and wailing, he follows the law of his art rather than being bent by his tears; and we call his disobedience not inhumanity but philanthropy; for by obeying the sick man and gratifying him with things for pleasure, he works the enemy's purposes against him; but by resisting and fighting against his desire, he employs mercy and philanthropy. But also affectionate fathers, when their very little children ask for knives or coals of fire, in no way endure to hand them over; for they know clearly that the giving of these is harmful to them. So also God does not endure to give to those who ask destructive things as though they were beneficial, knowing that they will be for their harm. I think that the ancient physicians also did not simply or irrationally ordain that the display of various instruments be made public, but in order to safeguard the healthy, showing them beforehand how many things they will need if they are disorderly. Christ, then, must be to us more fearful than Gehenna, and more desirable than the kingdom;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":181,"ref":"p181","source":"κἂν νοσήσωμεν, βέλτιον ἐν ταῖς ἀῤῥωστίαις μεῖναι ἢ διὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς ἀσθενείας εἰς ἀσέβειαν καταπεσεῖν. Κἂν γὰρ θεραπεύσῃ γόης, μεῖζον κατέβλαψεν ἢ ὠφέλησεν· ὠφέλησε μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις τὸ σῶμα, τὸ πάντως ἀποθανούμενον μικρὸν ὕστερον καὶ σήπεσθαι μέλλον, κατέβλαψε δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἀθάνατον. Τὸν γὰρ οὐκ ἰατρὸν βέλτιον μηδὲ ἔχειν φάρμακα· ὁ μὲν οὖν μὴ ἔχων οὔτε σώζει, οὔτε ἀπόλλυσιν, ὁ δὲ ἔχων ἀπόλλυσιν, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅπως χρήσεται· ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐν τῇ φύσει τῶν φαρμάκων ἐστὶν ἡ σωτηρία μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ τέχνῃ τοῦ προσάγοντος. Οὐκ ἄρα τὸ ὄνομα ἔχειν ἰατροῦ, ἰατρόν ἐστιν εἶναι. Ἤκουσας τὰ περὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου, πῶς λιμῷ καὶ νόσῳ καὶ ἐρημίᾳ πάντα τὸν αὑτοῦ χρόνον ἐπάλαισεν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν καταλῦσαι ἐν τῷ τοῦ πλουσίου πυλῶνι, καταφρονούμενος, λιμώττων, τοῖς κυσὶ βορὰ προκείμενος; Οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα παρεῖτο, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς κύνας ἀποσοβεῖν δύνασθαι ἐπιόντας, καὶ τὰ τραύματα λιχμωμένους· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐπῳδὸν ἐζήτησεν, οὐ πέταλα περιῆψεν, οὐ μαγγανείας ἐκίνησεν, οὐ γόητας πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκάλεσεν, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν κεκωλυμένων ἐποίησεν· ἀλλ' εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἐναποθανεῖν τοῖς κακοῖς ἐκείνοις, ἢ τῆς εὐσεβείας μικρόν τι προδοῦναι μέρος. Τίνα οὖν ἕξομεν συγγνώμην ἡμεῖς, τοσαῦτα πάσχοντος ἐκείνου δεινὰ καὶ καρτεροῦντος, εἰ διὰ πυρετὸν ἢ τραύματα φαρμακοὺς καὶ γόητας εἰς τὰς οἰκίας καλοῦμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν; Πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις ἀῤῥωστοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀναγκαίας εὐποροῦσι τροφῆς· ἄλλοι πενίᾳ συζῶσιν ἐσχάτῃ, ἀλλ' ὑγείας ἀπολαύουσιν·","english":"Even if we fall sick, it is better to remain in weakness than through release from sickness to fall into impiety. For even if a sorcerer heals, he has harmed more than he helped; for he has often helped the body, which will certainly die a little later and is destined to rot, but he has harmed the immortal soul. For it is better not even to have the medicines of one who is not a physician; the one who does not have them neither saves nor destroys, but the one who has them destroys, not knowing how to use them, since salvation lies not only in the nature of the medicines but also in the skill of the one administering them. Therefore having the name of physician is not the same as being a physician. You have heard the account of Lazarus, how he struggled all his time with hunger and disease and desolation, so as even to end his life at the rich man's gate, despised, starving, thrown out as food for the dogs. For his body was so weakened that he could not even drive away the dogs attacking him and licking his wounds; yet nevertheless he did not seek a charmer, he did not hang amulets on himself, he did not resort to sorceries, he did not call sorcerers to himself, he did not do any other of the forbidden things; but he chose rather to die amid those evils than to betray even a small part of piety. What excuse, then, shall we have, when that man suffered such terrible things and endured, if because of a fever or wounds we call medicine-men and sorcerers into our own houses? For many often fall ill, but have an abundance of necessary food; others live with the utmost poverty, but enjoy health.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":182,"ref":"p182","source":"ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος οὕτως ἦν ἐξησθενηκὼς, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς κύνας ἀποσοβῆσαι δύνασθαι, ἀλλὰ νεκρὸς ἔμψυχος ἔκειτο, ἐπιόντας μὲν αὐτοὺς θεωρῶν, ἀμύνασθαι δὲ οὐκ ἰσχύων· οὕτως αὐτῷ τὰ μέλη παρεῖτο, οὕτω τεταρίχευτο τῇ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ, οὕτω δεδαπάνητο τῷ πειρασμῷ. Εἰ δὲ καθ' ἑαυτὸ τούτων ἕκαστον ἀφόρητον καὶ δεινὸν, ὅταν ὁμοῦ συμπεπλεγμένα ᾖ, πῶς οὐκ ἀδάμας τις ἦν ὁ ταῦτα ὑπομένων; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ τῆς ἀοικήτου κείμενος ταῦτα ἔπασχε, καὶ παρεωρᾶτο, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως ἤλγησε· τὸ γὰρ μηδένα παρεῖναι καὶ ἄκοντα φέρειν ἔπειθε τὰ συμβαίνοντα· τὸ δὲ ἐν μέσῳ τοσούτων κείμενον καὶ εὐημερούντων παρὰ μηδενὸς μηδὲ τῆς τυχούσης ἐπιμελείας τυγχάνειν, δριμυτέραν ἐποίει τῶν ὀδυνῶν γίνεσθαι τὴν αἴσθησιν. Ἐννόησον οἷον εἰκὸς αὐτὸν εἶναι ὁρῶντα παρασίτους, κόλακας, καταβαίνοντας, ἀναβαίνοντας, ἐξιόντας, εἰσιόντας, θορυβοῦντας, μεθύοντας. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, κἂν μυρία πάθωμεν δεινὰ, ἀλλ' ἔχομεν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἰδόντες, ἱκανὴν δέχεσθαι παράκλησιν· τὸ γὰρ κοινωνοὺς εὑρίσκειν τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν, πολλὴν φέρει τοῖς ὀδυνωμένοις παράκλησιν· ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐδένα ἕτερον εἶχεν ἰδεῖν τὸν τὰ αὐτὰ αὐτῷ παθόντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὰ παρόντα ἐνόμιζε συγκεκλεῖσθαι πράγματα· τῶν γὰρ πρὸ τῆς χάριτος ἦν. Εἰ δὲ νῦν ἐφ' ἡμῶν μετὰ τοσαύτην θεογνωσίαν, καὶ τὰς χρηστὰς τῆς","english":"But Lazarus was so weakened that he could not even drive away the dogs, but lay a living corpse, watching them come at him yet unable to defend himself; so were his limbs relaxed, so had he been pickled by sickness, so had he been consumed by the trial. But if each of these things is unbearable and dreadful by itself, when they are woven together at once, how was he not some adamant, the man who endured these things? For if he had been lying in the desert and the uninhabited place and suffered these things, and was overlooked, he would not have grieved so much; for the fact that no one was present persuaded him to bear what happened even against his will. But to lie in the midst of so many people who were prospering and to receive from no one even the slightest care made the perception of his pains sharper. Consider what it was likely he was like, seeing parasites, flatterers, coming down, going up, going out, coming in, making a din, getting drunk. For we, even if we suffer countless dreadful things, yet when we look to that man we have sufficient consolation; for to find others who share one's own troubles brings great consolation to those in pain. But he had no other man to look at who had suffered the same things as he, but even for the present life he thought that present affairs were shut in; for he was one of those before the grace. But if now in our own time, after such knowledge of God, and the good things of","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":183,"ref":"p183","source":"ἀναστάσεως ἐλπίδας, καὶ τὰ ἡτοιμασμένα τοῖς κατορθοῦσιν ἀγαθὰ, οὕτω μικροψύχως τινὲς διάκεινται, ὡς μηδὲ ταύταις διορθοῦσθαι ταῖς προσδοκίαις· τί πάσχειν ἐκεῖνον εἰκὸς ἦν; Ζηλώσωμεν τὸν Λάζαρον καὶ πλούσιοι καὶ πένητες. Οὐ γὰρ ἕνα καὶ δύο καὶ τρεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλείους ἄθλους ἀρετῆς ὑπέμεινε, τὴν πενίαν, τὴν ἐρημίαν τῶν προστησομένων, τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν, τὸ μὴ μέχρι δύο καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐν τούτοις, καὶ τὸν πλούσιον ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις ὁρᾷν· τὸ μὴ πρὸς Λάζαρον ἕτερον ἔχειν ἰδεῖν, τὸ μηδὲν περὶ ἀναστάσεως δύνασθαι φιλοσοφεῖν, τὸ μετὰ τῶν εἰρημένων κακῶν καὶ πονηρὰν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἔχειν ὑπόληψιν ἀπὸ τῶν συμφορῶν ἐκείνων. Τίνα οὖν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, εἰ τούτου πάντα ὁμοῦ τὰ δεινὰ μετὰ τοσαύτης φέροντος ἀνδρείας, ἡμεῖς μηδὲ τὰ ἡμίση τούτου οἴσομεν; Οὐ γὰρ ἔχεις, οὐκ ἔχεις δεῖξαι οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν ἄλλον τινὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα πεπονθότα κακά. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς μέσον προὔθηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα, ὅπουπερ ἂν ἐμπέσωμεν τῶν δεινῶν, ὁρῶντες παρὰ τούτῳ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν οὖσαν, ἱκανὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνου φιλοσοφίας ἀναλάβωμεν παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν. Κοινὸς γὰρ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος πρόκειται, τοῖς ὁτιοῦν πάσχουσι δεινὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν παρέχων πᾶσιν ὁρᾷν, καὶ πάντας νικῶν τῇ τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν ὑπερβολῇ.","english":"the hopes of resurrection and the good things prepared for those who live rightly, some are so fainthearted that they are not even corrected by these expectations. What was it likely that man suffered? Let us emulate Lazarus, both rich and poor. For not one, two, or three contests of virtue only did he endure, but far more: poverty, the desolation of having no one to protect him, weakness, and that not for two or three days but through his whole life, and seeing himself in these circumstances and the rich man in the opposite; that he had no other Lazarus to look to, that he could not philosophize at all about the resurrection, and that along with the evils mentioned he also had a bad reputation among the many because of those misfortunes. What defense, then, shall we have, if he bore all these terrible things together with such courage, while we do not bear even half of them? For you cannot, you cannot show or name any other who has suffered so many and such great evils. For this reason Christ set him forth in the midst, so that wherever we fall into troubles, seeing that the excess lies with him, we might receive sufficient consolation and comfort from his philosophy. For he is set before us as a common teacher of the world, allowing all who suffer any terrible thing to look to him, and conquering all by the excess of his own evils.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":184,"ref":"p184","source":"Καὶ γὰρ οἱ σοφοὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν, ὅταν σεσηπότα μέλλωσι τέμνειν μέλη, ἢ λίθους τοῖς πόροις ἐναπεσφηνωμένους ἐξέλκειν, ἢ ἄλλο τι τῆς φύσεως ἁμάρτημα διορθοῦν, οὐκ εἰς γωνίαν λαβόντες τὸν κάμνοντα τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἐν μέσαις αὐτὸν προθέντες ταῖς ἀγοραῖς, καὶ θέατρον ἐκ τῶν παριόντων περιστήσαντες, οὕτως ἐπάγουσι τὴν τομήν. Ποιοῦσι δὲ τοῦτο, οὐχὶ τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας ἐκπομπεύειν βουλόμενοι συμφορὰς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὁρῶντας ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις παιδεύοντες σώμασι, πολλὴν τῆς οἰκείας ὑγείας ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πρόνοιαν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς δίκαιον στενοχωρούμενον, κακουχούμενον, ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις δεινοῖς τὸν παρόντα βίον καταλύσαντα, εἰπὲ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἀνάστασις ἦν καὶ κρίσις, οὐκ ἂν ὁ Θεὸς τοσαῦτα δι' αὐτὸν πεπονθότα κακὰ ἀφῆκε, μηδενὸς ἀπολαύσαντα ἀγαθοῦ, ἀπελθεῖν ἐντεῦθεν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι ἑτέραν αὐτοῖς ἡτοίμασε ζωὴν, ἡδίω τῆς παρούσης καὶ ἀνεκτοτέραν πολλῷ. Ἐπεὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον, ὅτι τῶν μὲν πονηρῶν εἴασε πολλοὺς τρυφᾷν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, τῶν δὲ δικαίων πολλοὺς ἐν μυρίοις ἀφίησι κακοῖς, δίκαιος ὢν καὶ ὀνομαζόμενος, καὶ δικαίως ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀποδιδόναι εἰδώς; Ὧ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων Ἀμήν.","english":"For even the wise among physicians, when they are about to cut away putrid limbs, or to draw out stones lodged in the passages, or to correct some other defect of nature, do not take the patient aside into a corner and do this, but set him forth in the middle of the marketplaces and, having gathered a theater of spectators from those passing by, thus apply the knife. And they do this, not wishing to make a public spectacle of human misfortunes, but teaching those who see, in the bodies of others, to take great forethought for their own health. When, therefore, you see a righteous man hemmed in, afflicted, and departing this present life in sickness and countless other terrors, say to yourself that if there were no resurrection and judgment, God would not have allowed him, who has suffered so many evils on his account and enjoyed no good, to depart from here. From this it is clear that He has prepared for them another life, sweeter than the present and far more tolerable. For how would it be reasonable that He allowed many of the wicked to live in luxury in this present life, while He lets many of the righteous depart in countless evils, He who is just and is called just, and who knows how to render to each justly according to his worth? To whom be glory, power, honor, and worship, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":185,"ref":"p185","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΔʹ. Περὶ γυναικῶν καὶ κάλλους.\n\nΟἱ γυναῖκας ἄγεσθαι μέλλοντες, τοὺς παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ περὶ γάμων κειμένους ἀναγινωσκέτωσαν πρότερον νόμους, κἀκεῖθεν μανθανέτωσαν τί δεῖ ποιεῖν, ὅταν πονηρὰ καὶ λοίδορος καὶ μανίας γέμουσα, καὶ ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων ἔχουσα τύχοι γυνή. Ἂν τοίνυν ἴδῃς ὅτι σοι δίδωσιν ἐξουσίαν ἓν τούτων τῶν ἐλαττωμάτων εὑρόντα ἐκβάλλειν μὲν ἐκείνην, εἰσάγειν δὲ ἑτέραν, ὡς παντὸς ἀπηλλαγμένος κινδύνου θάῤῥει· ἂν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν μὴ ἐπιτρέπῃ, κελεύῃ δὲ πλὴν πορνείας πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἐλαττώματα ἔχουσαν στέργειν, οὕτως ἀσφάλισον σεαυτὸν, ὡς μέλλων ἅπασι φέρειν αὐτῆς τὴν πονηρίαν. Εἰ δὲ βαρὺ τοῦτο καὶ φορτικὸν, πάντα ποίει καὶ πραγματεύου, ὥστε χρηστὴν καὶ ἐπιεικῆ καὶ πειθήνιον γυναῖκα λαβεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ οἰκίας ὠνεῖσθαι μέλλοντες καὶ οἰκέτας, περιεργαζόμεθα καὶ πολυπραγμονοῦμεν, τούς τε πωλοῦντας τούς τε ἔμπροσθεν κτησαμένους, τῶν μὲν τὴν κατασκευὴν, τῶν δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἕξιν καὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς προαίρεσιν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον γυναῖκας ἄγεσθαι μέλλοντας πρόνοιαν τοσαύτην καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρή. Οἰκίαν μὲν γὰρ φαύλην οὖσαν ἀποδόσθαι πάλιν ἔξεστι, καὶ οἰκέτην σκαιὸν φανέντα","english":"Homily 14. On Women and Beauty.\n\nThose who are about to take wives should first read the laws laid down by Paul concerning marriage, and from there learn what they must do when a wife happens to be wicked and abusive and full of madness, or has any other such fault. If, then, you see that he gives you the authority, upon finding one of these defects, to put her away and bring in another, then take courage as one who has escaped every danger. But if he does not permit this, but commands you to cherish her even though she has all the other defects except fornication, then secure yourself on this basis, as one who is going to bear all her wickedness. But if this is burdensome and oppressive, do everything and take every pains so as to take a wife who is good and gentle and obedient. For if, when we are about to buy houses and slaves, we make careful inquiry and busy ourselves, asking both the sellers and those who owned them before—in the case of the former, about the construction, and in the case of the latter, about the condition of the body and the disposition of the soul—how much more ought those who are about to take wives to show such forethought, and far greater. For it is possible to sell a house again if it proves bad, and a slave who turns out to be clumsy","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":186,"ref":"p186","source":"ἀποδοῦναι τῷ πεπρακότι πάλιν ἔνι· γυναῖκα δὲ λαμβάνοντα ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς δεδωκόσι πάλιν οὐκ ἔνι. Δεινὸν οὖν πενιχροτέραν λαβεῖν γυναῖκα, δεινὸν εὐπορωτέραν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν ἔβλαψε, τὸ δὲ εἰς αὐθεντίαν καὶ ἀνελευθερίαν τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν πόρναις προσεχόντων, οὐ τὸν αἰώνιον καὶ ἀθάνατον θάνατον μόνον ἐκεῖθεν ὑπέστησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα κακοὶ κακῶς ἀπώλοντο, περιεργίας ὑπομείναντες ὑπὸ τῶν πορνευομένων γυναικῶν. Φιλονεικοῦσαι γὰρ ἐκεῖναι τῷ αὑτῶν ἔρωτι προσδῆσαι τέλεον τὸν ταύταις προσέχοντα, μαγγανείας ἐκίνησαν, καὶ φίλτρα κατεσκεύασαν, καὶ πολλὰς γοητείας ἔῤῥαψαν. Εἶτα οὕτως αὐτὸν εἰς ἀῤῥωστίαν ἐμβαλοῦσαι χαλεπὴν, καὶ φθορᾷ παραδοῦσαι καὶ τηκεδόνι μακρᾷ, καὶ μυρίοις περιβαλοῦσαι κακοῖς ἀπήνεγκαν τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς. Εἰ τοίνυν μὴ φοβῇ τὴν γέενναν, ἄνθρωπε, κἂν τὰς γοητείας αὐτῶν φοβήθητι. Ὅταν γὰρ σαυτὸν διὰ τῆς ἀσελγείας ταύτης ἔρημον ποιήσῃς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ συμμαχίας, καὶ γυμνώσῃς σαυτὸν τῆς ἄνωθεν βοηθείας, λαβοῦσά σε μετὰ ἀδείας ἡ πόρνη, καὶ τοὺς αὑτῆς καλέσασα δαίμονας, καὶ τὰ πέταλα γράψασα, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ἐργασαμένη μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας περιγίνεταί σου τῆς σωτηρίας, ὄνειδός σε καὶ γέλωτα τῶν τὴν πόλιν οἰκούντων ἁπάντων καταστήσασα. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει ψυχαγωγεῖσθαι, μὴ εἰς θέατρα βάδιζε, ἀλλ' εἰς παραδείσους, ἐπὶ παραῤῥέοντα ποταμὸν καὶ λίμνας, καταμάνθανε κήπους, ἄκουε τεττίγων ᾀδόντων, ἐπιχωρίαζε σηκοῖς μαρτύρων, ὅπου σώματος ὑγίεια καὶ ψυχῆς ὠφέλεια, καὶ βλάβος οὐδέν. Ἔχεις γυναῖκα; ἔχεις παιδία; τί ταύτης τῆς ἡδονῆς ἴσον; Ἔχεις οἰκίαν; ἔχεις φίλους;","english":"To give back to the one who sold is again possible; but for a man who takes a wife, to give her back again to those who gave her is not possible. It is a fearful thing, then, to take a poorer wife, and a fearful thing to take a richer one; for the one harms a man in his property, the other in his authority and in his illiberality, and many of those who have attached themselves to prostitutes have from that source undergone not only eternal and immortal death, but here also have perished miserably in misery, suffering the meddling of the women who fornicate. For those women, striving to bind completely to their own love the man who attends to them, have set in motion sorceries, and prepared love-potions, and stitched together many enchantments. Then, having thus cast him into a grievous sickness, and delivered him over to corruption and long wasting, and surrounded him with countless evils, they have carried him off from the present life. If, then, you do not fear Gehenna, O man, at least fear their enchantments. For when by this licentiousness you make yourself destitute of God's alliance, and strip yourself of help from above, the prostitute, taking you with impunity, and calling her own demons, and writing her tablets, and working her plots with great ease, prevails over your salvation, having made you a reproach and a laughingstock of all who dwell in the city. If, then, you wish to be entertained, do not walk to theaters, but to paradises, to a flowing river and lakes; study gardens, listen to cicadas singing, frequent the shrines of the martyrs, where there is health of body and profit of soul, and no harm. Do you have a wife? Do you have children? What is equal to this pleasure? Do you have a house? Do you have friends?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":187,"ref":"p187","source":"ταῦτα πολὺ τερπνὰ, μετὰ τῆς σωφροσύνης καὶ τὸ κέρδος παρέχοντα Τί γὰρ παίδων γλυκύτερον, εἰπέ μοι; τί δὲ γυναικὸς τῷ σωφρονεῖν βουλομένῳ; Λέγονται γοῦν βάρβαροί ποτε εἰπεῖν ῥῆμα φιλοσοφίας γέμον. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν θεάτρων τούτων ἀκούσαντες τῶν παρανόμων καὶ τῆς ἀναίρου τέρψεως, Ῥωμαῖοι, φασὶν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχοντες παιδία καὶ γυναῖκας, οὕτω τοιαύτας ἐπενόησαν ἡδο νάς. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς γυναῖκα εὔμορφον, λάμποντα ἔχουσαν ὀφθαλμὸν, φαιδρὸν στίλβουσαν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως, ἀμήχανόν τινα ὥραν ἐπὶ τῆς ὄψεως φέρουσαν, φλέγουσάν σου τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὔξουσαν· ἐννόησον ὅτι γῆ τὸ θαυμαζόμενον, ὅτι σποδὸς τὸ ἐκκαῖον, καὶ παύσεται λυττῶσα ἡ ψυχή· ἀνακάλυψον αὐτῆς τὸ δέρμα τῆς ὄψεως, καὶ τότε πᾶσαν ὄψει τῆς εὐμορφίας τὴν εὐτέλειαν. Μὴ στῇς μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας, ἀλλ' ἐνδοτέρω διάβηθι τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον εὑρήσεις, ἀλλ' ἢ ὀστᾶ καὶ νεῦρα καὶ φλέβας. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ταῦτα; λόγισαί μοι ταύτην ἀλλοιουμένην, γηράσκουσαν, ἀῤῥωστοῦσαν, ὑφιζάνοντας ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ κοιλαινομένας παρειὰς, ἅπαν καταῤῥέον τὸ ἄνθος ἐκεῖνο· ἐννόησον τί θαυμάζεις, καὶ αἰσχύνθητί σου τὴν κρίσιν· πηλὸν θαυμάζεις καὶ σποδὸν, καὶ κόνις σε ἐκκαίει καὶ τέφρα. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ βλεπομένου κάλλους ὑπόστασις οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἢ φλέγμα καὶ ῥεῦμα καὶ αἷμα καὶ τροφῆς διαμασηθείσης χυλός. Τούτοις γὰρ καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ παρειαὶ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα ἄρδεται·","english":"These things are very delightful, providing gain together with chastity. For tell me, what is sweeter than children? What is sweeter than a wife to one who wishes to be chaste? Indeed, barbarians are said once to have spoken a saying full of philosophy. For when they heard about these unlawful theaters and the destructive pleasure, they said, \"The Romans, having no children and no wives, thus devised such pleasures for themselves.\" When, therefore, you see a beautiful woman, having a shining eye, radiant and gleaming from her countenance, bearing some indescribable bloom upon her face, inflaming your reason and increasing your desire, consider that what is admired is earth, that what inflames you is ash, and the raging soul will be stopped. Uncover the skin of her face, and then you will see all the cheapness of her beauty. Do not stop at the surface, but pass further inward with your reason, and you will find nothing else but bones and sinews and veins. But are these things not enough? Consider for me this woman changing, growing old, growing weak, her eyes sinking, her cheeks hollowing, all that flower of her beauty flowing away. Consider what you are admiring, and be ashamed of your judgment. You are admiring mud and ash, and dust and cinders inflame you. For the substance of the beauty that is seen is nothing other than phlegm and rheum and blood and the juice of masticated food. For by these things both the eyes and the cheeks and all the rest are irrigated.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":188,"ref":"p188","source":"κἂν μὴ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν δέξηται τὴν ἀρδείαν ἐκείνην ἀπὸ τῆς γαστρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἥπατος ἀνιοῦσαν, τοῦ δέρματος παρὰ τὸ προσῆκον ὑφιζάνοντος, τῶν τε ὀφθαλμῶν κοιλαινομένων, εὐθέως ἅπασα ἀφίπταται ἡ τῆς ὄψεως ὥρα. Ὥστε ἂν ἐννοήσῃς τί μὲν τῶν καλῶν ἔνδον ἀπόκειται τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, τί δὲ τῆς εὐθείας ῥινὸς, τί δὲ τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῶν παρειῶν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τάφον κεκονιαμένον εἶναι φήσεις τοῦ σώματος τὴν εὐμορφίαν· τοσαύτης ἔνδον ἀκαθαρσίας ἐστὶ μεστά. Εἶτα ῥάκος μὲν ἰδὼν ἔχον τι τοιοῦτον, οἷον ἢ φλέγμα, ἢ σίελον, οὐδὲ ἄκροις ψαῦσαι τοῖς δακτύλοις ὑπομένεις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν ἀνέχῃ· πρὸς δὲ τὰ ταμιεῖα τούτων καὶ τὰς ἀποθήκας ἐπτόησαι; Ὁ τοίνυν φιλοσώματος καὶ πρὸς κόρην ἐπτοημένος εὔμορφον, εἰ βούλοιτο μαθεῖν τῷ λόγῳ τὸ εἰδεχθὲς τῆς οὐσίας, δι' αὐτῆς αὐτὸ τῆς ὄψεως εἴσεται. Καὶ γὰρ πολλαὶ τῆς ἐρωμένης ὁμήλικες, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ λαμπρότεραι ἀποθανοῦσαι, μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν ἡμέραν δυσωδίαν παρέσχον καὶ ἰχῶρα καὶ","english":"And if it does not receive that irrigation each day, rising up from the stomach and the liver, since the skin subsides beyond what is proper, and the eyes become hollow, immediately all the beauty of the face flies away. So that if you consider what of the fair features lies hidden within the eyes, what within the straight nose, what within the mouth and the cheeks, you will say that the beauty of the body is nothing other than a whitewashed tomb; so full is it of uncleanness within. Then, if you see a rag having something of that sort on it, such as phlegm or spittle, you do not even endure to touch it with the tips of your fingers, nor can you bear to look at it; and are you enamored of their inner chambers and storehouses? Therefore the lover of the body, who is enamored of a beautiful girl, if he wished to learn by reason the hideousness of her substance, he will know it through the very appearance. For many of the beloved's peers, and often even more radiant ones, having died, after one and a second day provided a foul odor and ichor and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":189,"ref":"p189","source":"σηπεδόνα σκωλήκων. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν οἷον κάλλος φιλεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ πρὸς ποίαν εὐμορφίαν ἐπτόησαι. Τίς γὰρ ἀρετὴ ὀφθαλμῶν; ἆρα τὸ ὑγροὺς εἶναι καὶ εὐστρόφους καὶ στρογγύλους καὶ κυανοὺς, ἢ τὸ ὀξεῖς καὶ διορατικούς; Καὶ τίς ἀρετὴ λύχνου; τὸ λαμπρῶς φαίνειν καὶ πᾶσαν καταυγάζειν τὴν οἰκίαν, ἢ τὸ καλῶς πεπλάσθαι; Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς διαπλάσεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν τρόπων καὶ τῆς κοσμιότητος τὸ κάλλος χαρακτηρίζεται. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τὸν ἀκολάστως εἰς γυναῖκα ὁρῶντα ἐκόλασεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα τοῦ πλείονος ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξειε πόνου. Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτος πόνος τὸ μὴ ὁρᾷν γυναῖκας ὡραίας, ὅσος ὁρῶντας κατέχειν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μὴ ἰδὼν τὴν εὔμορφον ὄψιν, καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἔσται τῆς ἐντεῦθεν καθαρός· ὁ δὲ ἐπιθυμήσας ἰδεῖν, πρότερον καταβαλὼν τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ μολύνας αὐτὸν μυριάκις, τότε τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκβάλλει κηλῖδα, ἐὰν ἐκβάλλῃ ἄρα. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ ὁ πόνος ἐκεῖνος τοῖς ἀκολάστοις ἐλάττων ᾖ, καὶ τὸ κέρδος μεῖζον, τί σπουδάζομεν εἰς τὸ πέλαγος τῶν μυρίων ἐκείνων κακῶν ἐμπεσεῖν; Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς γυναῖκα καλὴν, καὶ πάθῃς τι πρὸς αὐτὴν, μηκέτι ἴδῃς, καὶ ἀπηλλάγης. Καὶ πῶς δυνήσομαι μηκέτι ἰδεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἑλκόμενος, φησίν; Ἂν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστι τὸ ὁρώμενον, ἢ φλέγμα καὶ αἷμα καὶ τροφῆς διασεσηπυίας χυλός. Ἀλλὰ φαιδρὸν τὸ ἄνθος τῆς ὄψεως, φησίν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τῶν ἀνθέων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς φαιδρότερον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα σήπεται καὶ μαραίνεται. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ ἐνταῦθα τῷ ἄνθει πρόσεχε, ἀλλ' ἐνδοτέρω διάβηθι τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ τὸ δέρμα τὸ καλὸν ἐκεῖνο περιελὼν τῷ λογισμῷ, περιεργάζου τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦτο κείμενα.","english":"a putrefaction of worms. Consider, then, what kind of beauty you love, O man, and for what sort of comeliness you are inflamed. For what is the virtue of eyes? Is it to be moist and quick-turning and round and dark-blue, or to be sharp and keen-sighted? And what is the virtue of a lamp? Is it to shine brightly and illumine the whole house, or to be well fashioned? For beauty is not characterized by the molding of the form, but by the manners and the modesty. For this reason Christ punished the man who looks lewdly at a woman, so that he might free us from the greater toil. For the toil of not seeing beautiful women is not as great as that of restraining oneself while seeing them. For the one who has not seen the beautiful face will also be clean from the desire that comes from it; but the one who has desired to see it, having first cast down his reason and defiled it ten thousand times, then expels the stain that comes from the desire—if indeed he expels it. When, then, that toil is less for the licentious and the gain is greater, why do we hasten to fall into the sea of those ten thousand evils? When, therefore, you see a beautiful woman and suffer something toward her, see her no more, and you are delivered. And how shall I be able to see her no more, he says, when I am dragged by desire? If you consider that what is seen is nothing other than phlegm and blood and the juice of digested food. But the bloom of the countenance is radiant, he says. But nothing among the flowers on the earth is more radiant, yet these too rot and wither. Do not, then, pay attention to the bloom here either, but pass further within with your thought, and having stripped off that fair skin with your reason, examine closely the things that lie beneath it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":190,"ref":"p190","source":"Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ τῶν ὑδεριώντων σῶμα ἀποστίλβει λαμπρὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἡ ἐπιφάνεια φαῦλον ἔχει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐννοίᾳ τοῦ ἔνδον ἀποκειμένου χυμοῦ πληττόμενοι φιλεῖν τοὺς τοιούτους οὐ δυνάμεθα. Ὅταν δὲ ἀνὴρ ἐκβαλεῖν βούληται γυναῖκα, ἢ ἡ γυνὴ τὸν ἄνδρα ἀφεῖναι, ταύτης ἀναμιμνησκέσθω τῆς ῥήσεως, καὶ τὸν Παῦλον νομιζέτω παρεῖναι, καὶ καταδιώκειν αὐτὴν βοῶντα καὶ λέγοντα· Γυνὴ δέδεται νόμῳ, ἐφ' ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς. Τοῦτο γοῦν δηλῶν, οὐ προσέθηκεν, ὅτι Ἐὰν δὲ τελευτήσῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν, ἀλλ', Ἐὰν δὲ κοιμηθῇ, μονονουχὶ παραμυθούμενος τὴν ἐν χηρείᾳ, καὶ πείθων μένειν ἐπὶ τῷ προτέρῳ, καὶ μὴ δεύτερον εἰσαγαγεῖν νυμφίον. Οὐκ ἐτελεύτησέ σου, φησὶν, ὁ ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει· τίς δὲ τὸν καθεύδοντα οὐκ ἀναμένει; Ἐλευθέραν δὲ αὐτὴν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τελευτὴν γεγενῆσθαι λέγων, ἔδειξεν ὅτι πρὸ τούτου δούλη ἦν ζῶντος ἐκείνου· δούλη δὲ οὖσα καὶ ὑποκειμένη τῷ νόμῳ, κἂν μυριάκις βιβλίον ἀποστασίου λάβῃ κατὰ τοὺς παρὰ τοὺς ἔξωθεν κειμένους νόμους, τῷ τῆς μοιχείας ἁλίσκεται νόμῳ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ κατὰ τούτους σε μέλλει κρίνειν τοὺς νόμους ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ἀλλὰ καθ' οὓς αὐτὸς ἔθηκε. Καὶ οἱ τῶν ἔξωθεν δὲ νόμοι οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοῦτο τεθείκασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ κολάζουσι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἀηδῶς πρὸς ταύτην ἔχουσι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Ὅθεν γὰρ ἂν γένηται τῆς διαλύσεως ἡ πρόφασις, τῇ ζημίᾳ τῆς οὐσίας κολάζουσι, γυμνὸν καὶ χρημάτων ἔρημον ἐκεῖθεν τοῦτον ἐκβάλλοντες.","english":"For the body of those suffering from dropsy also shines brightly, and its surface has nothing base about it, but struck by the thought of the humor lying within, we cannot love such people. But when a man wishes to cast out his wife, or a woman to dismiss her husband, let her remember this saying, and let her think that Paul is present, and pursuing her with his cry and saying: A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives. Making this clear, at any rate, he did not add, \"But if her husband dies, she is free,\" but, \"But if he falls asleep,\" almost consoling her in widowhood, and persuading her to remain with the first husband, and not to bring in a second bridegroom. Your husband, he says, has not died, but sleeps; and who does not wait for one who sleeps? But by saying that she has become free after her husband's death, he showed that before this she was a slave while he was alive; and being a slave and subject to the law, even if she receives a bill of divorce ten thousand times according to the laws established by outsiders, she is caught by the law of adultery. For God will not judge you according to these laws on that day, but according to those which he himself established. And the laws of outsiders did not establish this without reason, but they too punish the matter, and are displeased with this sin. For from whatever source the pretext for the dissolution arises, they punish with the loss of property, casting him out from there naked and stripped of money.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":191,"ref":"p191","source":"Λέγεταί τις τῶν ἔξωθεν φιλοσόφων, μοχθηρὰν ἔχων γυναῖκα καὶ φλύαρον καὶ πάροινον, πρὸς τοὺς ἐρωτῶντας, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοιαύτην ἔχων ἀνέχεται, εἰπεῖν, Ὥστε γυμνάσιον καὶ παλαίστραν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας· ἔσομαι γὰρ τοῖς λοιποῖς πραότερος, φησὶν, ἐν ταύτῃ παιδευόμενος καθ' ἑκάστην τὴν ἡμέραν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν φιλόσοφος λέγεται διὰ τοῦτο πονηρὰν ἔχων γυναῖκα μὴ ἐκβαλεῖν· τινὲς δὲ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀγαγέσθαι αὐτὸν αὐτὴν λέγουσιν. Ὅταν οὖν Ἕλληνες ἡμῶν ὦσι φιλοσοφώτεροι, ποίαν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, ταύτην ὑβρίζοντες, δι' ἣν καὶ τοὺς γεγεννηκότας ὁ Θεὸς ἀφεῖναι ἐκέλευσε; Ποῖος δὲ λόγος τοιαύτην αἰσχύνην παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται, ὅταν ὀλολυγαὶ καὶ κωκυτοὶ κατὰ τοὺς στενωποὺς φέρωνται, καὶ δρόμος ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ταῦτα ἀσχημονοῦντος καὶ τῶν γειτόνων καὶ τῶν παριόντων, καθάπερ θηρίου τινὸς τὰ ἔνδον λυμαινομένου; Βέλτιον διαστῆναι τὴν γῆν τῷ τὰ τοιαῦτα παροινοῦντι, ἢ ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς αὐτὸν ὀφθῆναι λοιπόν. Πειθώμεθα δὴ τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμῳ, καὶ μήτε τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖκας","english":"One of the pagan philosophers, it is said, had a wife who was wicked, a gossip, and a drunkard. When people asked him why he put up with having such a woman, he said, \"So that she may be a gymnasium and a wrestling school in my own house; for I shall be gentler toward everyone else,\" he says, \"being trained by her every single day.\" So this philosopher, it is said, kept a wicked wife for this reason and did not cast her out; and some say he even married her for this reason. When, then, the Greeks are more philosophical than we are, what defense shall we have, insulting this woman, on whose account God commanded us to leave even our own parents? And what account will be able to convey such shame, when wailings and lamentations are carried through the narrow streets, and there is a running to the house of the man who commits these disgraceful acts, by neighbors and passersby alike, as though some wild beast were ravaging what is inside? It would be better for the man who raves in this way for the earth to open and swallow him, than for him to be seen in the marketplace any longer. Let us then obey the law of God, and neither our own wives","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":192,"ref":"p192","source":"ἐκβάλλωμεν, μήτε τὰς ὑπὸ ἑτέρων ἐκβληθείσας δεχώμεθα. Ποίῳ γὰρ ὄψει προσώπῳ τὸν ἄνδρα τῆς γυναικός; ποίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς τοὺς φίλους τοὺς ἐκείνου, τοὺς οἰκέτας; Εἰ γὰρ τελευτήσαντός τινος, τὴν γυναῖκά τις τὴν ἐκείνου λαβὼν, εἶτα τὴν εἰκόνα μόνην ἀνακειμένην ἰδὼν, ἔπαθέ τι καὶ ἐδυσχέρανεν· ὁ ζῶντα τὸν ἄνδρα ὁρῶν τῆς αὐτῷ συνοικούσης, ποῖον βιώσεται βίον, πῶς οἴκαδε εἰσελεύσεται, μετὰ ποίας γνώμης, μετὰ ποίων ὀφθαλμῶν ὄψεται τὴν ἐκείνου γυναῖκα τὴν αὐτοῦ; Μᾶλλον δὲ οὔτε ἐκείνου, οὔτε αὐτοῦ δικαίως ἄν τις τὴν τοιαύτην προσείποι· ἡ γὰρ μοιχαλὶς οὐδενός ἐστι γυνή· καὶ γὰρ τὰς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον συνθήκας ἐπάτησε, καὶ πρὸς σὲ μετὰ τῶν προσηκόντων νόμων οὐκ ἦλθε. Πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη παρανοίας, πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον γέμον κακῶν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσάγειν; Μὴ γὰρ σπάνις ἐστὶ γυναικῶν, ὅτι τοσοῦτον ὄλεθρον ἕλκεις ἐπὶ τὴν σαυτοῦ κεφαλήν; Ἡ γὰρ τῷ προτέρῳ ἀνδρὶ ἀρκεσθεῖσα γυνὴ, ἔδειξεν ὅτι οὐδ' ἂν τοῦτον εἵλετο τὴν ἀρχὴν, εἰ τοῦ πράγματος ᾔδει τὴν πεῖραν καλῶς· ἡ δὲ δεύτερον ἐπεισαγαγοῦσα νυμφίον τῇ τοῦ προτέρου εὐνῇ, τῆς πολλῆς περὶ τὸν κόσμον φιλίας, καὶ πρὸς τὰ γήϊνα πράγματα συμπαθείας τεκμήριον ἐξήνεγκεν οὐ μικρόν. Κἀκείνη μὲν, οὔτε ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, πρὸς ἕτερόν τινα ἐπτόητο· αὕτη δὲ, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἥμαρτεν εἰς ἑτέρους ζῶντος ἐκείνου, ἀλλ' ἐκείνου μᾶλλον πολλοὺς ἑτέρους ἐθαύμασε, καὶ οὔτε τὸν πρῶτον, οὔτε τὸν δεύτερον ἔσχεν ἐν τάξει τῆς οἰκείας σαρκός.","english":"Let us cast them out, and let us not receive those who have been cast out by others. For with what face will you look at the woman's husband? With what eyes will you look at his friends, his servants? For if, when someone has died, a man takes that man's wife, and then, seeing only the portrait of the deceased set up, he feels something and is distressed—he who sees the husband of the woman living with him, what kind of life will he live? How will he enter his house? With what disposition, with what eyes will he look at that man's wife, his own? Or rather, such a woman could rightly be called neither that man's nor his own; for an adulteress is no one's wife. For she has trampled on the agreements made with that man, and she did not come to you according to the laws that are proper. Of how great a folly would it not be to bring such a great matter, full of evils, into one's house? For is there a scarcity of women, that you drag such destruction upon your own head? For the woman who was content with her first husband showed that she would not even have chosen this one in the first place, if she had known the experience of the matter well; but she who brought in a second bridegroom to the bed of the first has produced no small proof of her great love for the world and her sympathy for earthly things. And that woman, while her husband was alive, was not excited toward any other; but this woman, even if she did not sin against others while he was alive, nevertheless admired many others more than him, and held neither the first nor the second in the order of her own flesh.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":193,"ref":"p193","source":"Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτος ἐκβέβληται παρὰ τοῦ δευτέρου, ὁ δεύτερος δὲ ὑπ' ἐκείνου, καὶ οὔτε τοῦ προτέρου μεμνῆσθαι δύναιτ' ἂν καλῶς τῷ ἑτέρῳ μετ' ἐκεῖνον προσέχουσα, οὔτε τοῦτον μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης φιλοστοργίας ὄψεται, σχηματιζομένης εἰς τὸν ἀπελθόντα τῆς διανοίας αὐτῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς πράγμασι τότε μάλιστα ἐπιμένειν εἰώθαμεν, ὅταν προοιμίων πειραθῶμεν καλῶν· ὅταν δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, τῆς γραμμῆς, χαλεπῶν καὶ δυσκόλων αἰσθώμεθα, ταχέως ἀνακρουόμεθα, τῆς προαιρέσεως σβεννυμένης ἡμῖν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αἱ τὰς ἀώρους ὑπομένουσαι χηρείας γυναῖκες εἰκότως ἂν τοῦ δευτέρου γάμου ἀπόσχοιντο. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ πολὺν τοῖς πράγμασι συγγινομένη χρόνον καὶ ἐμπλησθεῖσα καλῶς, ὡς τῶν αὐτῶν τευξομένη, τῶν ἴσων ἅψεται πόλιν· ἡ δὲ προοιμίων οὔτε χαλεπῶν πειρασθεῖσα, ποίᾳ προαιρέσει καὶ ἐλπίδι πρὸς τὴν πεῖραν ἥξει τῶν χαλεπῶν; Εἰ γὰρ τὰς ἔτι περιόντων ἀπεχομένας τῶν ἀνδρῶν γυναῖκας θαυμάζομεν ἅπαντες καὶ ἀποδεχόμεθα· τὰς καὶ ἀπελθόντων τὴν αὐτὴν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπιδεικνυμένας εὔνοιαν, πῶς οὐκ ἐκπλήττεσθαι δεῖ καὶ ἐπαινεῖν; Οὐ τοίνυν ἐκβάλλομεν δεύτερον γάμον, ἀλλὰ παραινοῦμεν, εἴ τις δύναται σωφρονεῖν, ἐπὶ τῷ προτέρῳ μένειν. Μάχης γὰρ πολλάκις καὶ πολέμων καθημερινῶν ὁ δεύτερος γάμος ἀρχὴ καὶ πρόφασις γέγονε. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης καθήμενος, τῆς προτέρας γυναικὸς ἀναμηνσθεὶς, ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας ἐδάκρυσεν ἠρέμα· ἡ δὲ εὐθέως ἠγρίανε, καὶ καθάπερ θηρίον ἐπεπήδησε, τῆς φιλοστοργίας αὐτὸν τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀπαιτοῦσα δίκην·","english":"For the first husband has been cast out by the second, and the second by that one, and she could not properly remember the former while she attends to the other after him, nor will she look upon this one with the affection that is fitting, since her mind is shaped toward the one who has departed. For just as we are accustomed to persist in matters especially then, when we have experienced good beginnings; but when from the start, and from the very line, so to speak, we perceive things harsh and difficult, we quickly recoil, our resolve being quenched; so too women who endure untimely widowhood would reasonably abstain from second marriage. For the woman who has consorted with matters for a long time and been well filled, as though she will obtain the same things, will touch the same city, so to speak; but she who has not experienced even harsh beginnings, with what resolve and hope will she come to the trial of harsh things? For if we all marvel at and approve women who abstain from their husbands while they are still living, those who display the same goodwill toward them even when they have departed, how must we not be astonished and praise them? We do not, then, cast out second marriage, but we advise, if anyone is able to be chaste, to remain with the first. For second marriage has often become the beginning and pretext of battles and daily wars. For often a man sitting at the table, reminded of his first wife, wept gently before the second; and she immediately grew savage, and like a wild beast leaped upon him, demanding from him justice for his affection toward that one.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":194,"ref":"p194","source":"κἂν ἐπαινέσαι τὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν ἐθελήσῃ, γίνεται πολέμου καὶ μάχης πρόφασις ἡ τῶν ἐγκωμίων ὑπόθεσις. Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀπελθόντας σπένδομεν, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτὴν τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καταλύομεν ἔχθραν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν τοὐναντίον ἅπαν· ἣν γὰρ οὐκ εἶδεν, ἧς οὐκ ἤκουσε, παρ' ἧς οὐδὲν ἔπαθε δεινὸν, ταύτην μισεῖ καὶ ἀποστρέφεται, καὶ οὐδὲ ὁ θάνατος τὸ μῖσος σβέννυσι. Τίς εἶδε, τίς ἤκουσε ζηλοτυπουμένην κόνιν, καὶ πολεμουμένην τέφραν; Ἀλλ' οὐ μέχρι τούτου τὸ δεινὸν, ἀλλὰ κἂν γεννῶνται παῖδες ἐκ τῆς δευτέρας, κἂν μὴ γεννῶνται, πόλεμος πάλιν καὶ μάχη· μὴ γεννωμένων μὲν γὰρ ὀδυνᾶται μειζόνως, καὶ καθάπερ πολεμίους καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ἠδικηκότας τοὺς τῆς προτέρας ὁρᾷ, διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ζωῆς τῆς οἰκείας ἀπαιδίας σαφεστέραν λαμβάνουσα αἴσθησιν· ἂν δὲ γεννῶνται, πάλιν οὐκ ἔλαττον τὸ δεινόν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνὴρ πολλάκις φιλοστόργως πρὸς τὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν διακείμενος ἀντέχεται τούτων, φιλῶν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐλεῶν τῆς ὀρφανίας αὐτούς· ἐκείνη δὲ πανταχοῦ τοὺς αὐτῆς προτιμᾶσθαι","english":"And if she wishes to praise the one who has departed, the subject of the eulogies becomes a pretext for war and battle. With enemies who have departed we make peace, and after their life we put an end to the enmity against them; but in the case of women everything is the opposite. For the one she has not seen, whose voice she has not heard, from whom she has suffered no harm, this woman she hates and turns away from, and not even death extinguishes the hatred. Who has seen, who has heard of dust being an object of jealousy, and ashes being warred against? But the evil does not stop there: even if children are born from the second wife, or if they are not born, there is war and battle again. For when no children are born, she grieves the more, and she looks upon the children of the former wife as enemies and as those who have done her the greatest wrong, since through their life she receives a clearer perception of her own childlessness. But if children are born, again the evil is no less. For the husband, often disposed with affection toward the departed, clings to them, loving and at the same time pitying them for their orphanhood; but she, in every way, prefers her own to be preferred","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":195,"ref":"p195","source":"βούλεται. Ἀκούσατε, ἄνδρες, ἀκούσατε, γυναῖκες, φιλοστοργίαν συζύγων, ἣν πρὸς ἀλλήλους μέχρι κινδύνων αὐτῶν ἐπεδείξαντο. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ κατοικῆσαι τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐν Γεράροις, εἶπε περὶ Σάῤῥας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ, Ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν· ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Γυνή μού ἐστι, μήποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι' αὐτήν. Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἀβιμέλεκ ὁ βασιλεὺς Γεράρων, καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν Σάῤῥαν. Ἐννόησόν μοι τὸν χειμῶνα τῶν λογισμῶν, ὃν ὑπέμενεν ὁ δίκαιος, ὁρῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα ἀπαγομένην, καὶ οὐδὲν δυνάμενος ἐπαμῦναι. Σιγῇ γὰρ ἅπαντα ἔφερεν, εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐ περιόψεται αὐτὸν ὁ Δεσπότης, ἀλλὰ ταχεῖαν παρέξει τὴν συμμαχίαν. Καὶ τῆς Σάῤῥας δὲ θαυμάσαι ἔστι τὴν πολλὴν φιλοστοργίαν, ἣν, ἵνα τοῦ κινδύνου τὸν δίκαιον ἐξαρπάσῃ, ἐπεδείξατο. Ἐξῆν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐκκαλύψασαν τὸ δρᾶμα, διαφυγεῖν τὴν ὡμολογημένην ὕβριν· ἀλλ' ὑπέμεινεν ἅπαντα γενναίως, ἵνα τὴν σωτηρίαν τῷ δικαίῳ πραγματεύσηται· καὶ ἐπληροῦτο ἐκεῖνο τὸ εἰρημένον, ὅτι Ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μία σὰρξ ὄντες, οὕτω τῆς ἀλλήλων σωτηρίας ἐκήδοντο, καὶ τοσαύτην ἐπεδείκνυντο τὴν ὁμόνοιαν, ὡς ἓν σῶμα τυγχάνοντες καὶ μία ψυχή. Ταῦτα ἀκουέτωσαν ἄνδρες, ἀκουέτωσαν γυναῖκες, ἵνα καὶ αὗται τοσαύτην περὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας φιλοστοργίαν ἐπιδείκνυνται, καὶ οὗτοι οὕτω πολλὴν τὴν περὶ αὐτὰς εὔνοιαν ἔχωσι, καὶ ὡς μίαν ψυχὴν κεκτημένοι, καὶ ἓν σῶμα ὄντες, οὕτω πάντα διαπράττωνται. Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Ἀβιμέλεκ τὴν νύκτα, καὶ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺἀποθνήσκεις περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἧς ἔλαβες· αὕτη δέ ἐστι συνῳκηκυῖα ἀνδρί. Ὅρα Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν·","english":"Listen, men, listen, women, to the affection of spouses, which they showed toward one another even to the point of their own dangers. For after Abraham had settled in Gerara, he said of Sarah his wife, \"She is my sister\"; for he was afraid to say, \"She is my wife,\" lest the men of the city kill him on her account. And Abimelech the king of Gerara sent and took Sarah. Consider with me the storm of thoughts that the righteous man endured, seeing his wife being led away and able to do nothing to help. For he bore all things in silence, knowing that the Master would not overlook him, but would provide swift assistance. And one may marvel at the great affection of Sarah too, which she displayed in order to snatch the righteous man from danger. For it was possible for her to uncover the matter and escape the acknowledged outrage; but she endured all things nobly, in order to secure salvation for the righteous man; and that saying was fulfilled, that the two shall be one flesh. For just as being one flesh, so they cared for each other's salvation, and they displayed such great harmony as being one body and one soul. Let men hear these things, let women hear them, so that these women may display as great affection toward their husbands, and these men may have as great goodwill toward them, and as having acquired one soul and being one body, so may they accomplish all things. And God came to Abimelech in the night and said, \"Behold, you are dying because of the woman whom you have taken; but she is one who has lived with a husband.\" See the love of God for mankind.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":196,"ref":"p196","source":"ἐπειδὴ εἶδε τὸν δίκαιον διὰ τὸν τοῦ θανάτου φόβον γενναίως τῆς Σάῤῥας ἐνεγκόντα τὴν ἀφαίρεσιν, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα ὡς ἀδελφὴν τοῦ δικαίου οὕτως αὐτὴν ἀγόμενον, λοιπὸν τὴν οἰκείαν πρόνοιαν ἐπιδείκνυται, ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸν δίκαιον περιφανέστερον ἀποδεικνὺς, καὶ τὴν Σάῤῥαν τῆς ὕβρεως ἐλευθερῶν, καὶ μετὰ βασιλέα ἀπαλλάττων τῆς παρανομίας. Ἀβιμέλεκ δὲ, φησὶν, οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπολογεῖται ὑπὲρ τοῦ τολμήματος, καί φησι· Κύριε, ἔθνος δίκαιον καὶ ἀγνοοῦν ἀπολεῖς; Μὴ γὰρ εἰδὼς γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τοῦτο πεποίηκα; μὴ γὰρ ἀδικῆσαι βουλόμενος τὸν ξένον; μὴ γὰρ ὡς γυναῖκα ἀφαιρούμενος; ὡς ἀδελφὴν μέλλων λαμβάνειν τοῦτο διεπραξάμην, νομίζων καὶ ταύτῃ τιμήσειν αὐτόν. Οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀδελφή μού ἐστι; καὶ αὕτη μοι εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀδελφός μού ἐστι; Τί οὖν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Δεσπότης; Κἀγὼ ἔγνων, ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τοῦτο τὸ δρᾶμα κατεσκεύασαν, καὶ ὅτι ἀπατηθεὶς τοῖς παρ' αὐτῶν λεγομένοις, τοῦτο πεποίηκας· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τὴν ἀπάτην ἐκείνων ἁμάρτῃς, ἐφεισάμην τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ. Μὴ δὴ ἁπλῶς, ὡς ἑνὶ τῶν τυχόντων, πρόσεχε τῷ ἀνδρὶ, ἀλλὰ μάνθανε ὅτι τῶν ἐμοὶ περισπουδάστων ἐστὶ, καὶ τῶν πολλὴν ἐχόντων πρὸς ἐμὲ τὴν οἰκείωσιν. Ἀπόδος τοίνυν τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶ, καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ, καὶ ζήσῃ. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ δεδοικὼς τὸν παρὰ σοῦ θάνατον, τὸ δρᾶμα τοῦτο παρεσκεύασε, καὶ μονονουχὶ συνέπραξε πρὸς τὴν τῆς Σάῤῥας ὕβριν· γίνωσκε δὲ, ὅτι αἱ παρ' ἐκείνου προσευχαὶ τὴν ζωήν σοι παρέξουσιν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδῷς, γνῶθι ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ, καὶ πάντα τὰ σά.","english":"When he saw that the righteous man had borne the taking away of Sarah bravely because of the fear of death, and that the king was leading her away as though she were the sister of the righteous man, then God displayed his own providence, at once showing the righteous man more illustrious, and freeing Sarah from outrage, and delivering the king from lawlessness. But Abimelech, it says, did not touch her, but he even makes a defense for his daring deed, and says: Lord, will you destroy a righteous and ignorant nation? For was it knowing that she was his wife that I did this? Was it wishing to wrong the stranger? Was it as a wife that I was taking her away? It was as a sister that I was about to receive her that I did this, thinking that in this way I would also honor him. Did he not himself tell me, \"She is my sister\"? And did she not herself tell me, \"He is my brother\"? What then does the loving-kindness of the Master say? I also knew that you did this in a pure heart, that they themselves contrived this drama, and that being deceived by the things said by them, you did this; and for this reason, so that you might not sin because of their deception, I spared you from sinning against me. Do not then treat the man casually, as one of the ordinary sort, but learn that he is among those who are greatly esteemed by me, and among those who have great kinship with me. Give the woman back to the man, then, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. For he, fearing death from you, prepared this drama, and all but cooperated toward the outrage of Sarah; but know that his prayers will provide you with life. But if you do not give her back, know that you shall die, you and all that is yours.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":197,"ref":"p197","source":"Οὐ μόνον γὰρ αὐτὸς τῆς παρακοῆς ὑφέξεις τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά. Ἐγερθεὶς δὲ Ἀβιμέλεκ ἐκάλεσε τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλησε πάντα τὰ ῥήματα εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν· εἶτα ἐκάλεσε καὶ τὸν Ἀβραάμ. Ἐννόει μοι μεθ' ὅσης λοιπὸν τῆς περιφανείας εἰσάγεται ὁ δίκαιος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ὁ πρὸ μικροῦ εὐκαταφρόνητος νομιζόμενος, καὶ οὐδὲν τούτων εἰδώς. Ἐμάνθανε λοιπὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δι' αὐτὸν εἰς ἐκεῖνον γεγενημένα· εἶπε γὰρ αὐτῷ, Τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας ἡμῖν; τί ἡμάρτομεν εἰς σὲ, ὅτι ἐπήγαγες ἐπ' ἐμὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν μου ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην; Μὴ γὰρ μέχρις ἐμοῦ, φησὶν, εἶχε στῆναι τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας; πᾶσά μου ἡ βασιλεία ἄρδην ἔμελλεν ἀφανίζεσθαι ἐκ τῆς ἀπάτης τῆς παρὰ σοῦ γεγενημένης. Τί οὖν ἐνιδὼν ἐποίησας τοῦτο; τίνος ἕνεκεν; τί ἐννοήσας; Τί οὖν ὁ Ἀβραάμ; Ἐναγώνιος, φησὶ, γέγονα,\n\nμήποτε διὰ τὸ ἔτι τῇ πλάνῃ ὑμᾶς κατέχεσθαι, οὐδεμίαν τοῦ δικαίου πρόνοιαν ποιῆσθε, καὶ μαθόντες αὐτὴν γυναῖκά μου γεγενῆσθαι, διὰ τὴν περὶ ταύτην ἐπιθυμίαν ἐμὲ ἀνελεῖν ἐπιχειρήσητε. Μὴ οὖν νομίσητέ με καὶ οὕτως ἐψεῦσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκ μητρός· ἐγενήθη δέ μοι εἰς γυναῖκα. Μὴ τοίνυν καταγνῶτέ μου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ φόβος τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ἀνάγκην με ταύτην κατέστησε, καὶ τὸ δεδοικέναι μήποτε διὰ ταύτην ἐμὲ μὲν ἀποκτείνητε, ταύτην δὲ περιποιήσησθε, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐστὶ ψεῦδος τὸ παρ' ἐμοῦ εἰρημένον. Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ δίκαιος, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως κατεμάλαξε, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετὴν ἐξεκάλυψε, καὶ ἀρκοῦσαν αὐτοῖς διδασκαλίαν θεοσεβείας ἐνέθηκεν.","english":"For not only will you yourself bear the punishment of disobedience, but all that is yours as well. And Abimelech rose up and called his servants, and spoke all these words in their ears; then he also called Abraham. Consider with me with how great a distinction the righteous man is now brought before the king, he who a little before was thought contemptible, and knew nothing of these things. He was learning now from the king himself the things that had been done by God on his account to that king; for he said to him, What is this you have done to us? What did we sin against you, that you brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? For surely, he says, the matters of punishment were not to stop at me; my whole kingdom was about to be utterly destroyed by the deception that came from you. What then did you see and do this? For what reason? With what in mind? What then did Abraham say? I was in an agony, he says, lest perhaps because you were still held in error, you should take no thought for the righteous man, and having learned that she had become my wife, you should attempt to kill me because of your desire for her. Do not therefore think that even in this I lied. For she is my sister by my father, but not by my mother; and she became my wife. Do not therefore condemn me. For even if the fear of death brought me into this necessity, and the dread lest perhaps because of her you kill me but keep her for yourselves, nevertheless not even so is what I have said a lie. Having said these things, the righteous man both softened the anger of the king, and uncovered his own virtue, and implanted in them a sufficient teaching of piety.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":198,"ref":"p198","source":"Αἰδεσθεὶς τοίνυν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ δικαίου τὴν πολλὴν ἐπιείκειαν, τῇ οἰκείᾳ φιλοτιμίᾳ ἀμείβεται τὸν πατριάρχην. Ἔλαβε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἀβιμέλεκ χίλια δίδραχμα, καὶ πρόβατα, καὶ μόσχους, καὶ παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ ἀπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Σάῤῥαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ. Εἶδες τὴν εὐμήχανον τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν; Ὁ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ θανάτου δεδοικὼς, καὶ πάντα ποιῶν ὥστε δυνηθῆναι τοῦτον διαφυγεῖν, οὐ μόνον τὸν θάνατον διέφυγεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαύτης ἠξίωται παῤῥησίας, καὶ περιφανὴς ἀθρόον γίνεται. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐ μόνον τῶν λυπηρῶν ἐλευθεροῖ τοὺς γενναίως ἀντέχειν πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιόντας πειρασμοὺς σπουδάζοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαύτην ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς λυπηροῖς παρέχει τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ὡς καὶ λήθην αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς ἔχειν παντελῆ, καὶ ἐν πολλῇ γίνεσθαι τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν περιουσίᾳ· οἷον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαίου τούτου γέγονεν. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ τοῖς τοσούτοις δώροις αὑτὸν τιμᾷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτῷ δίδωσι τῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ κατοικήσεως. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ γῆ μου ἐναντίον σού ἐστιν, οὗ ἐάν σοι ἀρέσκῃ, κατοίκει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμαθεν ὅτι δι' ἐκεῖνον καὶ τὰς ἐκείνου προσευχὰς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτῷ κεχάρισται, ὡς εὐεργέτην λοιπὸν καὶ κηδεμόνα τὸν ξένον, τὸν ἀλήτην, τὸν οὐδαμόθεν γνώριμον, οὕτω θεραπεύειν ἐπείγεται. Καὶ ἐγένετο, ἡνίκα πρὸς ἔσχατον γῆρας ἤλασεν Ἀβραὰμ, βουλόμενος τὸν Ἰσαὰκ τῆς τῶν Χαναναίων συγγενείας ἀπαλλάξαι, ἵνα μὴ ἐκεῖθεν ἀγάγηται γυναῖκα, καλέσας τῶν οἰκετῶν τὸν εὐνούστερον, ἐντέλλεται αὐτῷ περὶ τούτου, καί φησι·","english":"Therefore the king, respecting the great forbearance of the righteous man, repays the patriarch with his own generosity. For he took, it says, Abimelech a thousand drachmas, and sheep, and calves, and male and female servants, and he restored to him Sarah his wife. Did you see the resourceful wisdom of God? For he who had feared concerning death, and was doing everything so as to be able to escape it, not only escaped death, but was also deemed worthy of such great confidence, and suddenly becomes illustrious. For such are the things that come from God: he not only frees from sorrows those who strive to hold out nobly against the temptations that assail them, but he also grants them such great gladness in the very midst of their sorrows that we have a complete forgetting of them, and come to be in the great abundance of good things—as indeed happened in the case of this righteous man. For he not only honors him with such great gifts, but also gives him the authority to dwell in his land. For behold, it says, my land is before you; dwell wherever it may please you. For since he had learned that it was on account of him and his prayers that life had been granted to him, he hastens henceforth to treat the stranger, the wanderer, the man known from nowhere, as a benefactor and guardian. And it came to pass, when Abraham had reached extreme old age, wishing to free Isaac from kinship with the Canaanites, so that he might not take a wife from there, he called the most loyal of his servants and gave him instructions about this, and says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":199,"ref":"p199","source":"Θὲς τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν μου, καὶ ἐξορκιῶ σε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ἵνα μὴ λάβῃς γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου Ἰσαὰκ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων Χαναναίων, μεθ' ὧν ἐγὼ κατοικῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν γῆν μου, οὗ ἐγεννήθην, πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου, καὶ λήψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκεῖθεν. Εἶδες τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ πατριάρχου τὴν πρὸς τὸν οἰκέτην γενομένην; Ἐννόησον ὅπως τὸ παλαιὸν ἐποιοῦντο σπουδὴν, οὐ χρημάτων ζητοῦντες περιουσίαν, οὐ πολὺν πλοῦτον καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ πλέθρα γῆς τόσα καὶ τόσα, οὐ τοῦ ἔξωθεν κάλλους τὴν εὐμορφίαν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ κάλλος ἐπεζήτουν καὶ τρόπων εὐγένειαν. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν πατριάρχης τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενος, καὶ φεύγων τῶν ἐγχωρίων τὴν πονηρίαν, τοῦτο ποιεῖ· οἱ δὲ νῦν ἅπαντες οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἀνάσχοιντο τοιοῦτόν τι ἐννοῆσαι, ἀλλὰ κἂν μυρίων ᾖ κακῶν ἀνάμεστος, ἒν μόνον ἐπιζητοῦσι, τῶν χρημάτων τὴν περιουσίαν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα δεύτερα αὐτοῖς νενόμισται· οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι γνώμης διεφθαρμένης οὔσης, κἂν ἄφατος ἐπιῤῥέῃ πλοῦτος, θᾶττόν τις εἰς ἐσχάτην πενίαν ἐπανήξει, καὶ οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἔσται τῆς περιουσίας, οὐκ οὔσης τῆς οἰκονομεῖν ταῦτα δυναμένης δεόντως ψυχῆς. Λαβὼν τοίνυν ὁ παῖς τὰς καμήλους, καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν, εἰς τὴν πόλιν Ναχὼρ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ἀνέπαυσε τὰς καμήλους ἔξω τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ εἶπε, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραὰμ, εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον μου σήμερον, καὶ ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ·","english":"Put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but you shall go to my land, where I was born, and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son from there. Do you see the patriarch's command given to his servant? Consider how in ancient times they made haste, not seeking an abundance of money, nor great wealth and slaves and so many acres of land, nor the comeliness of outward beauty, but they sought the beauty of the soul and nobility of character. But the patriarch, caring for the virtue of the soul and fleeing the wickedness of the inhabitants of the land, does this; whereas all people now would never endure to think of such a thing, but even if one were filled with countless evils, they seek only one thing, the abundance of money, and all else is reckoned secondary to them; not knowing that when the mind is corrupted, even if unspeakable wealth flows in, one will quickly return to the utmost poverty, and there will be no benefit from the abundance, since the soul that is to manage it properly is not present. So the servant, taking the camels and some of all the good things of his master, arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, and he rested the camels outside the city by the well of water; and he said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, prosper my way before me today, and show mercy to my master Abraham.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":200,"ref":"p200","source":"καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος, αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν οἰκούντων ἐκπορεύονται ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ· καὶ ἔσται, ἡ παρθένος, ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω, Ἐπίκλινον τὴν ὑδρίαν σου ἵνα πίω, καὶ εἴπῃ μοι, Πίε, καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ, ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πᾶσαι πίνουσαι· ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ\n\nπαιδί σου Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι, ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ. Ὅρα τοῦ οἰκέτου τὴν σύνεσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρᾔδει τοῦ πατριάρχου τὸ φιλόξενον, καὶ ὅτι τὴν κόρην τὴν ἐκεῖ μέλλουσαν ἀπάγεσθαι, ὁμότροπον προσήκει εἶναι τῷ δικαίῳ, οὐδὲν ἕτερον τεκμήριον ἐπιζητεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης τὴν φιλοξενίαν χαρακτηρίσαι βούλεται τῆς κόρης· καί φησιν· Ἐὰν ἐμοῦ αἰτήσαντος παρ' αὐτῆς τὸ ὕδωρ, ἐπικλίνῃ μοι τὴν ὑδρίαν, καὶ μὴ μόνον τὸ αἰτηθὲν ποιήσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δουλείαν τῆς οἰκείας γνώμης ἐπιδείξηται, καὶ εἴπῃ. Καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ἐφυδρεύσομαι· ἀρκοῦσαν ἀπόδειξιν παρέσχε διὰ τῆς τοῦ ὕδατος παροχῆς τῆς τῶν τρόπων ἐπιεικείας. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ εἶδε διὰ τῶν ἔργων τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῶν εὐχῶν τοῦ πατριάρχου; καὶ ἐπέτυχε, καθάπερ ἐπεθύμει, τῆς κόρης, καὶ εἶδεν αὐτῆς τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν φιλοξενίαν (Ἔσπευσε γὰρ καὶ ἐξεκένωσε τὴν ὑδρίαν εἰς τὸ ποτήριον, καὶ ἔδραμεν ἔτι ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἀντλῆσαι, καὶ ὑδρεύσασα πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὔτε ὡς ξένον ἀπέφυγεν, οὔτε προφάσει τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀνένευσε πρὸς τὴν αἴτησιν), κατεμάνθανε λοιπὸν καὶ περιειργάζετο μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν, καὶ ἠρώτα· Τίνος εἶ θυγάτηρ; καὶ, Εἰ ἔστι παρὰ τῷ πατρί σου τόπος ἡμῖν καταλῦσαι; Καὶ σκόπει τῆς κόρης τὴν ἀπόκρισιν·","english":"And behold, I stand at the spring of water, and the daughters of those who dwell here come out to draw water; and it shall be that the virgin to whom I say, Incline your water-jar that I may drink, and who says to me, Drink, and I will water your camels too, until all have finished drinking—her you have prepared for your servant Isaac, and by this I shall know that you have shown mercy to my lord Abraham. See the servant's understanding. For since he knew the patriarch's love of hospitality, and that the girl about to be taken from there ought to be of like character with the righteous man, he seeks no other proof, but wishes to characterize her hospitality from her disposition; and he says: If, when I ask her for water, she inclines the water-jar to me, and not only does what was asked but also displays the servitude of her own disposition and says, And I will water your camels too—she has provided sufficient evidence of the gentleness of her character through the supplying of water. Then, when he saw through her deeds the fulfillment of the patriarch's prayers, and obtained the girl just as he desired, and saw her exceeding hospitality (for she hurried and emptied the water-jar into the cup, and ran again to the well to draw, and having drawn water she gave drink to all his camels, and neither shrank back as from a stranger nor, on the pretext of modesty, refused the request), he then learned and carefully investigated everything about her, and asked: Whose daughter are you? and, Is there a place with your father for us to lodge? And observe the girl's answer.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":201,"ref":"p201","source":"πυθομένου γὰρ τοῦ παιδὸς, τίνος ἦν θυγάτηρ, οὐ μόνον τὸν πατέρα καταμηνύει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν πατέρα, καί φησι· Θυγάτηρ μέν εἰμι Βαθουὴλ τοῦ Μελχὰς, ὃν ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ Ναχώρ. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τοῦ τόπου, εἰ ἔστι μόνον καταλῦσαι αὐτοὺς, πυθομένου τοῦ παιδὸς, φησίν· Οὐ μόνον τόπος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα πολλὰ παρ' ἡμῖν. Εἶδες ἐν ἡλικίᾳ τοιαύτῃ πόση καὶ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἡ ἀκρίβεια, καὶ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἡ ὑπερβολὴ, καὶ τῆς φιλοξενίας ἡ ἐπίτασις; Πόσου πλούτου οὐκ ἂν εἴη τιμιωτέρα; πόσων θησαυρῶν προτιμότερά τις ταῦτα ἡγήσεται; Τοῦτο ἡ μεγίστη προὶξ, τοῦτο τὰ μυρία ἀγαθὰ, τοῦτο ὁ θησαυρὸς ὁ μηδέποτε δαπανώμενος. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ οἰκέτης καὶ θαυμάσας τῆς δαψιλοῦς φιλοξενίας, καὶ μαθὼν ὡς οὐ πρὸς ἀγνῶτάς τινας παραγέγονεν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Ναχὼρ, ὃς ἦν ἀδελφὸς Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, ἡσθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις παρὰ τῆς παιδὸς, προσεκύνησε τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν πατριάρχην εὔνοιαν τοσαύτην καὶ περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιδειξαμένῳ τὴν κηδεμονίαν, οὕτω πάντα μετ' εὐκολίας αὐτῷ κατευοδώσαντι· καί φησιν, Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραὰμ, ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπε τὴν δικαιοσύνην καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ. Καὶ λοιπὸν καὶ αὐτὸς γνωρίζει τῇ κόρῃ ὅστις ἐστὶ, καὶ διὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας τῆς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν κατάδηλον αὐτῇ ποιεῖ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίας οἰκίας παραγέγονεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ Ναχώρ ἐστιν ὁ τοῦτον διαπεμψάμενος. Ταῦτα πυθομένη ἡ παῖς, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιχαρείας δραμοῦσα, ἀπήγγειλε τοῖς γονεῦσιν αὐτῆς ἅπερ ἤκουσε παρὰ τοῦ παιδός.","english":"For when the servant asked whose daughter she was, she disclosed not only her father but also her father's father, and says: I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. And again, when the servant asked about the place, whether there was only room to lodge them, she says: Not only is there room, but we have plenty of straw and fodder as well. Did you see, at such an age, how great was the exactness of her chastity, the excess of her humility, and the intensity of her hospitality? Of how much wealth would this not be more precious? Than how many treasures would one consider these things preferable? This is the greatest dowry, this is the countless good things, this is the treasure that is never spent. When the servant heard these things and marveled at her abundant hospitality, and learned that he had not come to some strangers but to the house of Nahor, who was the brother of Abraham his master, delighted at what had been said by the girl, he worshiped the Lord, who through his goodwill toward the patriarch had shown such great care for him, having thus made everything prosper for him with ease; and he says, Blessed is the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his righteousness and his truth from my master Abraham. And thereafter he himself also makes known to the girl who he is, and through his thanksgiving to God he makes it clear to her that he has not come from a foreign house, but that the one who sent him is also a brother of Nahor. When the girl had learned these things, she ran with great joy and reported to her parents what she had heard from the servant.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":202,"ref":"p202","source":"Καὶ ἔδραμε Λάβαν ἔξω πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἑστῶτα μετὰ τῶν καμήλων, εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τί ἕστηκας ἔξω; δεῦρο εἴσελθε· προλαβὼν γὰρ ἡτοίμασα τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ τόπον ταῖς καμήλοις. Εἶτα εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ, Ἀπέσαξε τὰς καμήλους· καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα, καὶ ὕδωρ νίψασθαι τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῖς ποσὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ἄρτον φαγεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα σκόπει μοι τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ οἰκέτου σύνεσιν. Τί γάρ φησιν; Οὐ μὴ φάγω μέχρις ἂν τὴν αἰτίαν ὑμᾶς διδάξω, δι' ἣν ἐστειλάμην τὴν τοσαύτην ὁδὸν, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπὸ τῆς Χαναναίας ἐνταῦθα παραγέγονα, καὶ πῶς εἰς τὸν οἶκον τὸν ὑμέτερον ὡδηγήθην, ἵνα πάντα μαθόντες, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγνωμοσύνην ἐπιδείξησθε πρὸς τὸν ἐμὸν δεσπότην. Καὶ ἀρξάμενος διηγεῖσθαι, φησί· Παῖς Ἀβραὰμ ἐγώ εἰμι· Κύριος δὲ εὐλόγησε τὸν κύριόν μου σφόδρα, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους, χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον, παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας, καμήλους καὶ ὄνους. Καὶ ἔτεκε Σάῤῥα ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ κυρίου μου υἱὸν ἕνα τῷ κυρίῳ μου μετὰ τὸ γηρᾶσαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ πάντα, ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ. Καὶ ὥρκωσέ με ὁ κύριός μου λέγων· Οὐ λήψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ","english":"And Laban ran out to the man at the spring, and seeing him standing with the camels, he said to him: Why do you stand outside? Come in; for I have beforehand prepared the house, and a place for the camels. Then when he had entered, he unloaded the camels; and he gave straw and fodder, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him, and he set bread before them to eat. But here observe for me the great understanding of the servant. For what does he say? I will not eat until I have told you the reason for which I have undertaken so great a journey, and for whose sake I have come here from the land of Canaan, and how I was guided to your house, so that having learned everything, you also may show your own goodwill toward my master. And beginning to recount, he says: I am the servant of Abraham; and the Lord has blessed my master exceedingly, and has given him sheep and calves, gold and silver, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. And Sarah, the wife of my master, bore one son to my master after he had grown old, and he gave him all that he had. And my master made me swear, saying: You shall not take a wife for my son","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":203,"ref":"p203","source":"μου Ἰσαὰκ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν Χαναναίων, ἐν οἷς ἐγὼ παροικῶ· ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου πορεύσῃ, καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου, καὶ λήψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκεῖθεν. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ταῦτα ἐνετείλατο· ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς δυσκολίας ἐννοῶν, καὶ τοῦ πράγματος τὸ δυσχερὲς λογιζόμενος, ἐπυθόμην τοῦ κυρίου μου, Εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο ἡ γυνὴ πορευ θῆναι μετ' ἐμοῦ; Καὶ εἶπέ μοι· Κύριος, ᾧ εὐηρέστησα ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ εὐοδώσει τὴν ὁδόν σου, καὶ λήψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς μου, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου. Ταῦτα ἐντειλάμενος, καὶ ταύταις με ταῖς εὐχαῖς ἐφοδιάσας ἐξέπεμψεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ αἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ γενόμεναι προσευχαὶ ἐληλύθασι, καὶ οὕτως ἅπαντα ἐναργῶς ᾠκονομήθη παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὥστε φθάσαι με πρὸς ὑμᾶς, λοιπὸν καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπιδείκνυσθε, καὶ εἰ ποιεῖτε ἔλεος πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου, ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι, ἵνα εἰδέναι ἔχω ὅ τι δεῖ με διαπράξασθαι· εἰ δὲ μή γε, ἵνα ἑτέρωθι τὴν ὁδὸν ποιήσωμαι. Καί φησι πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ τῆς κόρης, καὶ ὁ ἀδελφός· Παρὰ Κυρίου ἐξῆλθε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· οὐ δυνησόμεθά σοι ἀντειπεῖν καλὸν, ἢ κακόν· οὐδὲ οἷόν τε τοῦτο παρ' ἡμῶν γενέσθαι. Ἰδοὺ ἔχεις τὴν κόρην· λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε, καὶ ἔσται γυνὴ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ κυρίου σου, καθὰ ἐλάλησε Κύριος. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ παῖς παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, Προσεκύνησε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἐξενέγκας σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ ἱματισμὸν, ἔδωκε τῇ Ῥεβέκκᾳ· καὶ λοιπὸν μετὰ παῤῥησίας αὐτὴν θεραπεύει, ὡς ἤδη διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐγγυηθεῖσαν τῷ Ἰσαάκ· τιμᾷ δὲ δώροις καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ τὴν μητέρα.","english":"...my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I sojourn; but you shall go to the house of my father, and to my tribe, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. He gave these commands; but I, considering the difficulties and reckoning the hardship of the matter, asked my lord, \"What if the woman is not willing to go with me?\" And he said to me: \"The Lord, before whom I have been well-pleasing, he himself will send his angel with you, and will prosper your way, and you shall take a wife for my son from my tribe and from my father's house.\" With these commands, and furnished with these prayers, he sent me out. And since the prayers made by him have come to pass, and all things have been so clearly ordered by God that I have reached you, henceforth you also show what is on your part, and if you are doing mercy toward my lord, tell me, so that I may know what I must do; but if not, that I may make my journey elsewhere. And the father of the girl and her brother say to him: \"This word has come from the Lord; we shall not be able to speak against you either good or bad; nor is it possible for this to be done by us. Behold, you have the girl; take her and depart, and she shall be a wife for the son of your lord, as the Lord has spoken.\" When the servant heard these things from the father and the brother, he worshiped the Lord upon the earth; and bringing out vessels of gold and silver and clothing, he gave them to Rebekah; and henceforth he treats her with openness, as one already betrothed by these words to Isaac; and he honors with gifts both the brother and the mother.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":204,"ref":"p204","source":"Καὶ ὅτε εἰς ἔργον εἶδεν ἐκβᾶσαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου ἐντολὴν, τότε λοιπὸν τῆς οἰκείας ἀναπαύσεως γίνεται. Ἔφαγον γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἔπιον αὐτὸς, καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν. Καὶ ἀναστὰς πρωῒ εἶπεν· Ἐκπέμψατέ με, ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου. Εἶπαν δὲ, φησὶν, οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ· Μεινάτω ἡ παρθένος μεθ' ἡμῶν ὡσεὶ ἡμέρας δέκα, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπελεύσεσθε. Ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ὑπερτίθεσθε καὶ ἀναβάλλεσθε, τοῦ Θεοῦ τοσαύτην εὐκολίαν ἐν πᾶσί μοι παρεσχηκότος; Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Καλέσωμεν τὴν παῖδα, καὶ ἐρωτήσωμεν αὐτήν. Καὶ ἐκάλεσαν καὶ εἶπον αὐτῇ· Πορεύσῃ μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; Ἡ δὲ εἶπε, Πορεύσομαι. Καὶ ἐξέπεμψαν Ῥεβέκκαν καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸν παῖδα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εὐλόγησαν Ῥεβέκκαν, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῇ· Γενοῦ εἰς χιλιάδας μυριάδων, καὶ κληρονομησάτω τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰς πύλας τῶν ὑπεναντίων. Καὶ ἀναστᾶσα Ῥεβέκκα, καὶ αἱ ἅβραι αὐτῆς, ἐπέβησαν ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Εἶδες οἵαν ἄγεται νύμφην ὁ πατριάρχης, ὑδρευομένην, καὶ τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων φέρουσαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους ἐπιβαίνουσαν; Μήπου ἡμίονοι ἀργύρῳ περιλαμπόμενοι τοὺς τραχήλους; μήπου οἰκετῶν ἐσμὸς, ἢ ἡ πολλὴ βλακεία ἡ νῦν γινομένη; Οὐδαμοῦ· ἀλλὰ τοσαύτη ἦν τῶν παλαιῶν γυναικῶν ἡ ἀνδρεία, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους αὐτὰς ἐπιβαίνειν, καὶ οὕτως ὁδοιπορεῖν. Εἴδετε ἐκ τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν γεγενημένων, ὅπως τὸ παλαιὸν ἐσπούδαζον γυναῖκας ἄγεσθαι τοῖς ἑαυτῶν παισὶν οἱ γονεῖς; ὅπως πρὸ τῶν χρημάτων ψυχῆς εὐγένειαν ἐπεζήτουν;","english":"And when he saw that the command of his master had come to fulfillment, then at last he takes his rest. For he says, I ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they slept. And rising early he said, Send me away, that I may go to my lord. But the brothers and the mother said, he says, Let the maiden remain with us about ten days, and after this you shall depart. But he said to them, For what reason do you postpone and put off, when God has granted me such ease in all things? But they said, Let us call the girl and ask her. And they called and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. And they sent away Rebekah and her possessions, and the servant of Abraham, and those with him. And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Become thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed inherit the gates of their adversaries. And Rebekah arose, and her maids, and they mounted the camels, and went with the man. Do you see what a bride the patriarch brings home, one who drew water, and carried the pitcher on her shoulders, and mounted the camels? Were there perhaps mules with necks gleaming with silver? Perhaps a swarm of servants, or the great luxury that exists now? Nowhere; but such was the courage of the women of old, that they even mounted the camels themselves, and so journeyed. Have you seen, from what was done by Abraham for his son, how in ancient times parents were eager to bring wives to their own children? How before wealth they sought nobility of soul?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":205,"ref":"p205","source":"Μήπου γραμματεῖα; μήπου συνθῆκαι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ καταγέλαστα, ἃ νῦν γίνεται; Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐκείνοις τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τὸ μέγιστον καὶ ἀσφαλὲς γραμματεῖον τῆς κόρης ὁ τρόπος. Καὶ τοῦτο εἴσεσθε, ἐπειδὰν πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον εἰδῆτε τὴν κόρην ἐπαναχθεῖσαν. Ἐξῄει γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰσαὰκ ἀδολεσχῆσαι εἰς τὸ πεδίον· καὶ ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, εἶδε τὰς καμήλους ἐρχομένας, ἐν αἷς ἐπεκάθητο Ῥεβέκκα. Ἡ δὲ Ῥεβέκκα ἰδοῦσα τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς καμήλου, καὶ εἶπε τῷ παιδί· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ εἰς συνάντησιν ἡμῶν; Καὶ μαθοῦσα, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ μέλλων ταύτην ἀγαγέσθαι, Περιεβάλετο, φησὶ, τὸ θέριστρον. Καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ παῖς διηγήσατο πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας τῷ Ἰσαάκ. Σκόπει πῶς οὐδαμοῦ τὰ περιττὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀνόνητα· οὐδαμοῦ πομπὴ διαβολικὴ, οὐδαμοῦ κύμβαλα καὶ αὐλοὶ καὶ\n\nχορεῖαι, καὶ τὰ σατανικὰ ἐκεῖνα συμπόσια, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα σεμνότης, πᾶσα σοφία, πᾶσα ἐπιείκεια. Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰσαὰκ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν· καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ γυνὴ, καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτήν. Ταύτην μιμείσθωσαν γυναῖκες, τοῦτον ζηλούτωσαν ἄνδρες, καὶ οὕτω τὰς νύμφας ἄγεσθαι σπουδαζέτωσαν, ἵνα καὶ ὁ πόθος τοῦ νυμφίου αὔξηται, καὶ τῆς κόρης ἡ σωφροσύνη ἐπιτείνηται, καὶ μεθ' ἡδονῆς τὸν βίον διάξωσιν, ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῆς συγκροτούμενοι. Εἰ δέ γε βούλει φιλοτιμίαν ἐπὶ γάμου ἐπιδείξασθαι κέρδος ἔχουσαν, κάλεσον χοροὺς πενήτων. Ἀλλὰ αἰσχύνῃ καὶ ἐρυθριᾷς; καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς ἀλογίας χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἄν; Τὸν μὲν διάβολον ἕλκων εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, μηδὲν νομίζεις αἰσχρὸν ποιεῖν·","english":"Perhaps written contracts? Perhaps agreements, and the other ridiculous things that happen now? For nothing of that sort existed among them, but the girl's greatest and most secure document was her character. And you will know this when you see the girl brought back to the bridegroom. For he says, Isaac went out to meditate in the field; and looking up with his eyes, he saw the camels coming, on which Rebekah was riding. And Rebekah, seeing Isaac, leaped down from the camel and said to the servant: Who is that man walking in the field to meet us? And when she learned that he was the one who was to take her as his wife, she put on, it says, her veil. And the servant, having arrived, recounted everything to Isaac with precision. Consider how nowhere are these superfluous and useless things; nowhere a diabolical procession, nowhere cymbals and flutes and dances, and those satanic banquets, but all modesty, all wisdom, all gentleness. For Isaac entered, it says, into the house of his mother, and took Rebekah; and she became his wife, and he loved her. Let women imitate this, let men be zealous for this, and let them be eager that brides be led in this way, so that both the bridegroom's desire may increase and the girl's chastity may be intensified, and they may pass their life in pleasure, upheld by the favor of God. But if you wish to display an ambition at marriage that brings profit, call choirs of the poor. But you are ashamed and blush? And what could be worse than this irrationality? Dragging the devil into your house, you think you are doing nothing shameful—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":206,"ref":"p206","source":"τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν μέλλων εἰσάγειν, ἐρυθριᾷς; Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως τοῦτο εἰργάσατο, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ σὺ κατάρξαι σπούδασον, καὶ ἀρχηγὸς γενέσθαι τῆς καλῆς ταύτης συνηθείας, ἵνα καὶ οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα εἰς σὲ ἀναφέρωσι. Κἂν ζηλώσῃ τις καὶ μιμήσηται τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον, πρὸς τοὺς ἐξετάζοντας ἔχουσι λέγειν οἱ ἔγγονοι, καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἐγγόνων, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα τὸν καλὸν τοῦτον νόμον πρῶτος εἰσήγαγε, καὶ τὸ ὑφ' ἑτέρων κατορθούμενον, σοὶ τῷ πρώτῳ φυτευσαμένῳ τῶν καρπῶν ἐκείνων οἴσει τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Καὶ ὥσπερ μαλακῶν καὶ μίμων ἐκεῖ χορευόντων, ὁ διάβολος ἐν τῷ μέσῳ κωμάζει· οὕτω καὶ πενήτων εἰσιόντων, ὁ Χριστὸς παραγίνεται. Καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς δαπάνης ἐκείνης κέρδος οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴ γένοιτ' ἂν ἡ βλάβη· ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν εἰς τούτους ἀναλωμάτων πολύν τινα λήψῃ τὸν καρπὸν ταχέως. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, ἀπὸ τῆς κόρης μάνθανε τῆς ἐν Ἰόππῃ· καὶ γὰρ ταύτην ποτὲ νεκρὰν κειμένην, περιστάντες οἱ παρ' αὐτῆς τρεφόμενοι πένητες καὶ δακρύσαντες ἀνέστησαν, καὶ πρὸς ζωὴν ἐπανήγαγον· ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΕʹ. Περὶ πλεονεξίας.","english":"Are you ashamed to bring Christ in? But no one in the city has done this, he says. But you, be eager to begin, and to become the leader of this noble custom, so that those after you may also refer it to you. And if someone emulates and imitates this deed, their descendants, and their descendants' descendants, will have something to say to those who inquire: that such-and-such a person first introduced this noble law, and the good accomplished by others will bring its reward to you, the first to plant those fruits. And just as when soft and mimetic dancers perform there, the devil revels in their midst; so too, when the poor enter in, Christ is present. And from that expenditure there is no profit, but great harm may even result; but from what is spent on these, you will quickly receive abundant fruit. And that this is true, learn from the girl in Joppa; for once, when she lay dead, the poor who were fed by her stood around her and wept and raised her up, and brought her back to life; in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 15. On Covetousness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":207,"ref":"p207","source":"Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπὸ πλεονεξίας πλουτεῖν ἐπιθυμεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, ἵνα ἑτέροις μὲν τὸ χρυσίον ἀποκέηται καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον, σοὶ δὲ ἀραὶ καὶ κατηγορίαι; καὶ ἵν' ὁ ἀποστερηθεὶς ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων δάκνηται τροφῆς καὶ ὀλοφύρηται, καὶ μυρίους ἐφέλκη ταί σοι κατηγόρους; Καὶ, ὃ τούτου πολὺ φρικωδέστερον, ὅταν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην πρὸ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ φοβεροῦ ὁ κακῶς παθὼν καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἀπολωλεκὼς παράγηται εἰς μέσον, σοῦ μηδένα ἔχοντος συνήγορον, τί πρὸς τὸν δικάζοντα ἐρεῖς; Νῦν μὲν γὰρ καὶ διαφθεῖραι τὸ δικαστήριον δυνήσῃ τοῦτο, τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐκεῖνο δὲ τότε οὐκέτι· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτο· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ὁρᾷ τὰ γινόμενα, καὶ ἐγγύθεν ἐστὶ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις καὶ μὴ καλούμενος. Ὁ γὰρ κακῶς παθὼν, κἂν αὐτὸς ἀνάξιος ᾖ τοῦ τυχεῖν τινος ἐκδικήσεως, ἀλλ' ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ τῷ Θεῷ τὰ γινόμενα οὐκ ἀρέσκει, ἔχει τὸν ἀμύνοντα πάντως. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε· Πῶς ὁ δεῖνα εὐπραγεῖ πονηρὸς ὤν; εἰ γὰρ καὶ εὐπραγεῖ, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τέλος. Μὴ παραζήλου γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν πονηρευομένοις, ὅτι ὡσεὶ χόρτος ταχὺ ἀποξηρανθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ λάχανα χλόης ταχὺ ἀποπεσοῦνται. Ἡ πλεονεξία ζύμη τίς ἐστι παλαιὰ, καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ εἰς οἵαν οἰκίαν εἰσέλθῃ, ἀκάθαρτον αὐτὴν ἐργάζεται· κἂν μικρὰ ἐξ ἀδικίας κερδάνῃς, ὁλόκληρόν σου τὴν οὐσίαν ἐζύμωσε. Διὰ τοῦτο πολλάκις τὰ εἰσενεχθέντα κακῶς ὀλίγα, τὰ καλῶς κείμενα ἐξέβαλε πολλὰ ὄντα. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ὅταν πολλοὶ πλεονεκτοῦντες, μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πάσχωσι· Μάλιστα μὲν πείσονται, κἂν μὴ παραυτὰ πάθωσιν· ἂν δὲ νῦν ἐκφύγωσι, τότε φοβήθητι μᾶλλον· ἐπὶ μείζονι γὰρ κολάσει τηροῦνται.","english":"For what reason do you desire to be rich from greed, O man—so that gold and silver may be heaped up for others, but curses and accusations for you? And so that the one who was defrauded may be stung for want of necessary food and may wail, and may draw countless accusers against you? And—what is far more dreadful than this—when on that day, before the fearful judgment seat, the man who suffered wrong and lost all his possessions is brought into the midst, and you have no advocate, what will you say to the Judge? For now you are able to corrupt this human court, but that one you will no longer be able to corrupt—or rather, not even this one; for God sees what is done, and is near to those who are wronged even without being called upon. For the man who has suffered wrong, even if he himself is unworthy to obtain any vengeance, nevertheless, since what is done does not please God, he certainly has the One who will avenge him. And do not say to me, “How is so-and-so prosperous, though he is wicked?” For even if he prospers, it is not to the end. For do not be envious, it says, of those who do evil, for like grass they will quickly wither, and like green herbs they will quickly fall away. Greed is a kind of old leaven, and wherever it falls and into whatever house it enters, it makes that house unclean; even if you gain a little from injustice, it has leavened your whole substance. For this reason, often the few things brought in wickedly have cast out the many things that were stored up well. What then, he says, when many who are greedy do not suffer the same things? Most certainly they will suffer, even if they do not suffer immediately; but if they escape now, fear all the more then; for they are being kept for a greater punishment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":208,"ref":"p208","source":"Μᾶλλον δὲ κἂν αὐτοὶ διαφύγωσιν, ἀλλ' οἱ κληρονομήσαντες τὰ αὐτῶν τὰ αὐτὰ πείσονται. Καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο δίκαιον, φησί; Καὶ σφόδρα δίκαιον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ διαδεξάμενος κλῆρον ἀδικίας γέμοντα, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς μὴ ἥρπασεν, ἀλλ' ὅμως οἶδεν ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι τὰ ἑτέρων ἔχει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δίκαιος ἦν παθεῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ οἱ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἴσασι νόμοι, οἳ τοὺς ἁρπάσαντας καὶ ὑφελομένους ἀφέντες, ἐκείνους\n\nκελεύουσιν ἀπαιτεῖν παρ' οἷς ἂν εὕροι τις τὰ αὐτοῦ κείμενα ἅπαντα. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οἶδας τοὺς ἠδικημένους, ἀπόδος μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προσθήκης κατὰ τὸν Ζακχαῖον· εἰ δὲ ἀγνοεῖς, εἰς τοὺς δεομένους ταῦτα διάνειμαι, καὶ παραμυθήσῃ καὶ οὕτω τὸ δεινόν. Ἐὰν γὰρ πάντα τὰ παρ' ἑτέρων δῶμεν, οὐδὲν κέρδος ἡμῖν. Καὶ δείκνυσιν ὁ Ζακχαῖος, ὃς τότε ἔφησεν ἐξιλεοῦσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, δοὺς τῶν ἀφαιρεθέντων τετραπλασίονα. Ἡμεῖς δὲ μυρία ἁρπάζοντες, καὶ ὀλίγα διδόντες, νομίζομεν ἵλεων ποιεῖν τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ δεύτερα προσενεγκὼν ὁ Κάϊν, καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲ ἠδικηκὼς ἕτερον, ἔδωκε δίκην ἐσχάτην· ὅταν ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ πλεονεξίας προσφέρωμεν, πῶς οὐ πεισόμεθα χαλεπώτερα; Τί τὸν Δεσπότην ὑβρίζεις ἀκάθαρτα δῶρα προσάγων αὐτῷ; Οὐ βούλεται Χριστὸς πλεονεξίᾳ τρέφεσθαι, οὐδὲ δέχεται τοιαύτην τροφήν. Βέλτιον λιμῷ τηκόμενον περιορᾷν, ἢ τρέφειν ἀπὸ τοιούτων αὐτόν· βέλτιον οὐδὲν δοῦναι, ἢ τὰ ἄλλων ἑτέροις. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τινας εἶδες δύο, τὸν μὲν γυμνὸν, τὸν δὲ ἱμάτιον ἔχοντα· εἶτα τὸν ἔχοντα τὸ ἱμάτιον ἀποδύσας περιέβαλες τὸν γυμνὸν, ἆρ' οὐκ ἠδίκησας; Παντί που δῆλον. Εἰ δὲ ὅπερ ἔλαβες ἑτέρῳ δοὺς ἅπαν, ἠδίκησας, οὐκ ἠλέησας·","english":"But even if they themselves escape, those who inherit their property will suffer the same things. And how is this just, someone says? It is entirely just. For the one who receives an inheritance full of injustice, even if he himself did not seize it, nevertheless knows precisely that he holds what belongs to others, and for this reason it was just that he suffer. The laws of outsiders also know these things, which, letting go the robbers and embezzlers, command that restitution be demanded from those with whom one finds all of one's own property lying. If, then, you know those who were wronged, repay with great addition, like Zacchaeus; but if you do not know, distribute these things to the needy, and so you will also alleviate the harm. For if we give all things from others, it is no profit to us. And Zacchaeus shows this, who then said he would propitiate God, giving fourfold of what had been taken. But we, seizing countless things and giving few, think we make God propitious. For if Cain, offering the second-fruits, and these not even having wronged another, paid the ultimate penalty, when we offer from robbery and greed, how will we not suffer worse things? Why do you insult the Master by bringing unclean gifts to him? Christ does not wish to be fed by greed, nor does he accept such food. Better to overlook him wasting away with hunger than to feed him from such things; better to give nothing at all than to give others' things to others. For tell me, if you saw two men, one naked and the other having a cloak, and then stripping the one who had the cloak you clothed the naked man, did you not wrong him? It is clear to everyone, surely. But if, giving to another all that you took, you wronged him and did not show mercy—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":209,"ref":"p209","source":"ὅταν μηδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος δῷς ὧν ἁρπάζεις, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην τὸ πρᾶγμα καλῇς, ποίαν οὐχ ὑποστήσῃ τιμωρίαν; Εἰ ὁ Λάζαρος ἀδικηθεὶς μὲν οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦ πλουσίου, μὴ ἀπολαύσας δὲ τῶν ἐκείνου, πικρὸς ἕστηκε κατήγορος, τίνος ἀπολογίας τεύξονται οἱ πρὸς τῷ μὴ ἐλεεῖν οἴκοθεν καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια λαμβάνοντες; Εἰ οἱ μὴ θρέψαντες πεινῶντα τὸν Χριστὸν, μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου καταδικάζονται τῷ πυρὶ τῷ ἀσβέστῳ· οἱ καὶ λιμῷ αὐτὸν παραδιδόντες, δι' ὧν ἁρπάζουσι, καὶ ἐνδεδυμένον γυμνοῦντες, καὶ ξένον ὄντα οὐ μόνον οὐ συναγαγόντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλάσαντες, καὶ ἀῤῥωστοῦντα οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπισκεψάμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον συντρίψαντες, καὶ οὐ μόνον δεδεμένον οὐκ ἰδόντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ λελυμένον εἰς δεσμωτήριον παρασκευάσαντες ἐμβαλέσθαι, πόσην ὑποστήσονται τιμωρίαν; Εἰ ὁ τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἀγαπῶν, οὐδὲν ἄμει νον τῶν ἐθνικῶν διακείσεται· ὁ τοῖς μηδὲν ἠδικηκόσιν ἐπηρεάζων, ποίαν ἕξει συγγνώμην; Εἰ ὁ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μὴ μεταδιδοὺς κατήγορον ἔχει τὸν οὐκ ἐλεηθέντα· ὁ καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἁρπάζων ποίας τεύξεται συγγνώμης, Οὐ γὰρ τὸ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἁρπάζειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μὴ μεταδιδόναι ἑτέροις, καὶ τοῦτο ἁρπαγὴ καὶ πλεονεξία καὶ ἀποστέρησίς ἐστιν. Εἰ οἱ μὴ θρέψαντες πεινῶντα τὸν Χριστὸν, τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν εἵλκυσαν πῦρ· οἱ καὶ τὰ μηδὲν αὐτοῖς προσήκοντα ἁρπάζοντες, καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων ἀδίκως περιβαλλόμενοι, καὶ τὰς τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ χηρῶν ἀνατρέποντες οἰκίας, ποίας ἀπολαύσονται παραμυθίας; Φρίξωμεν τοίνυν τὸ πρᾶγμα· φύγωμεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν·","english":"When you do not give even the smallest fraction of what you seize, and you call the thing almsgiving, what punishment will you not undergo? If Lazarus, though wronged in nothing by the rich man and having enjoyed none of his goods, stood as a bitter accuser, what defense will those obtain who, in addition to not showing mercy from their own means, also take what belongs to others? If those who did not feed the hungry Christ are condemned with the devil to the unquenchable fire, what punishment will those undergo who even hand him over to famine by what they seize, and strip the clothed man naked, and not only fail to take in the stranger but even drive him away, and not only fail to visit the sick but even crush him further, and not only fail to see the bound man but even arrange to throw the freed man into prison? If the one who loves those who love him will be no better off than the Gentiles, what forgiveness will the one who maltreats those who have done him no wrong have? If the one who does not share his own goods has as his accuser the one who was not shown mercy, what forgiveness will the one who also seizes what belongs to others obtain? For it is not only seizing what belongs to others, but also not sharing one's own with others—this too is seizure and greed and deprivation. If those who did not feed the hungry Christ drew so great a fire upon their own head, what consolation will those enjoy who seize what does not belong to them at all, and unjustly clothe themselves in others' goods, and overturn the houses of orphans and widows? Let us therefore shudder at the matter; let us flee from sin.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":210,"ref":"p210","source":"φεύξομεν δὲ, ἂν ἐννοήσωμεν τοὺς πρὸ ἡμῶν ἀδικήσαντας, τοὺς πλεονεκτήσαντας καὶ ἀπελθόντας· οὐχὶ τῶν μὲν χρημάτων αὐτῶν καὶ πόνων ἀπολαύουσιν ἕτεροι, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐν κολάσει καὶ τιμωρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἀνηκέστοις κακοῖς; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐσχάτης ταῦτα ἀνοίας, κόπτεσθαι καὶ ταλαιπωρεῖν, ἵνα καὶ ζῶντες τοῖς πόνοις κατατεινώμεθα, καὶ ἀπελθόντες τὰς ἀφορήτους ὑπομένωμεν κολάσεις καὶ τιμωρίας; Τί τοίνυν τοῦ ἅρπαγος ἐλεεινότερον γένοιτ' ἂν, ὅταν τὰ μὲ συλλεγέντα ἅπαντα πολλάκις ἐχθροὶ καὶ πολέμιοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους διενείμαντο· τὰ δὲ ἐκ τούτων ἐπισωρευθέντα αὐτῷ ἁμαρτήματα λαβὼν ἄπεισι, τὰς ὑπὲρ τούτων παρανομίας μετὰ πολλῆς ἀπαιτούμενος τῆς ἀκριβείας; Ἄρα τί τῶν πλεονεκτῶν γένοιτ' ἂν χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι καὶ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν θανάτου παντὸς χαλεπωτέραν ἐργάζονται, τῆς φροντίδος καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας καὶ τῆς διηνεκοῦς ἀγρυπνίας κατεσθιούσης αὐτὴν καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν δαπανώσης, καὶ πᾶσαν ἡδονὴν καὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας ἐντεῦθεν ἐλαύνοντες; Καὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ κερδαίνειν κἂν τὰ πάντα περιβάλωνται, οὐδεμιᾶς αἰσθάνονται ἡδονῆς, τῷ τῶν πλειόνων ἐφίεσθαι· ἐν δὲ τῷ ζημιοῦσθαι, κἂν ὀβολὸν ἀπολέσωσι, πάντων ἡγοῦνται χαλεπώτερα πεπονθέναι, καὶ αὐτῆς ἐκπεπτωκέναι νομίζουσι τῆς ζωῆς. Κἂν γυναῖκα ὁ τοιοῦτος ἔχῃ, κἂν παιδία, κἂν φίλους, ἂν μὴ πάντοθεν ἐξῇ κερδαίνειν αὐτῷ, τῶν φύσει πολεμίων αὐτῷ οὗτοι","english":"We shall escape if we consider those before us who did wrong, who grasped for more and departed this life—do not others enjoy their money and their labors, while they themselves are in punishment and retribution and incurable evils? How then is this not the utmost folly, to be beaten down and to suffer misery, so that both while living we are worn out by labors, and when we depart we endure unbearable punishments and retributions? What then could be more pitiable than the robber, when the things he gathered together, often his enemies and foes have divided among themselves; but the sins piled up for him from these things he takes and departs with, being required for these transgressions with great exactness? Is there anything then more grievous than the greedy? For they make their own life more grievous than any death, since anxiety and despondency and continual sleeplessness devour it and little by little consume it, and drive out from it every pleasure both of virtue and of vice. And in gaining, even if they encompass all things, they feel no pleasure, because they desire more; but in losing, even if they lose an obol, they think they have suffered the worst of all things, and suppose they have fallen out of life itself. And if such a man has a wife, if children, if friends, unless it is possible for him to gain from every side, these are to him as natural enemies.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":211,"ref":"p211","source":"πολεμιώτεροι καταφαίνονται. Δικαίως γάρ τίς φησι εἶναι φιλαργύρου μηδὲν ὠμότερον. Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀποδίδοται, καὶ κοινὸς περιέρχεται τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐχθρὸς, ἀλγῶν ὅτι μὴ χρυσίον φέρει ἀντὶ τῶν ἀσταχύων ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ναμάτων αἱ κρῆναι, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν λίθων τὰ ὄρη· δυσχεραίνων πρὸς τὴν ἄλλων εὐετηρίαν, ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς ἀγαθοῖς συνεσταλμένος, πᾶσαν ἀποστρεφόμενος πρόφασιν, ὅθεν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀργύριον λαβεῖν· πάντα ὑπομένων ὅθεν καὶ δύο συλλέξαι μόνον ὀβολοὺς ἔνι· ἅπαντας μισῶν, τοὺς πένητας, τοὺς πλουτοῦντας· τοὺς μὲν, μήποτε προσελθόντες αἰτήσωσι, τοὺς δὲ, ὅτι μὴ τὰ ἐκείνων ἔχῃ· ἅπαντας τὰ αὐτοῦ νομίζει κεκτῆσθαι, καὶ ὡς παρὰ πάντων ἠδικημένος, οὕτω πρὸς ἅπαντας διάκειται. Καὶ ὅπερ ἐστὶ μαινομένῳ ξίφος. τοῦτο καὶ φιλαργύρῳ πλοῦτος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μαινόμενος τὸ ξίφος λαβὼν καὶ ὠθήσας δι' ἑαυτοῦ, τῆς τε μανίας ἀπηλλάγη, καὶ οὐκέτι δευτέραν λαμβάνει πληγήν· ὁ δὲ φιλάργυρος μυρία χαλεπώτερα ἐκείνου τραύματα καθ' ἑκάστην δέχεται τὴν ἡμέραν, οὐκ ἀπαλλάττων τῆς μανίας ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτείνων μειζόνως· καὶ ὅσῳπερ ἂν λάβῃ πλείονα τραύματα, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὑπόθεσιν ἑτέρας παρέχει πληγῆς χαλεπωτέρας. Τί τοίνυν τοῦ πλεονέκτου γένοιτ' ἂν χαλεπώτερον; ὅτι μετὰ τὸ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολέσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὸ σῶμα μυρίαις κατατεῖναι φροντίσι, καὶ τρυφῆς καὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ τιμῆς καὶ δόξης ἁπάσης ἐστέρηται, δι' ἣν μάλιστα πολλὰ ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἄνθρωποι.","english":"They show themselves more hostile. For with good reason someone says that nothing is more savage than a lover of money. For such a person both gives himself over and goes about as a common enemy of the inhabited world, grieving that the earth does not bear gold instead of ears of grain, and the springs water instead of streams, and the mountains stones; resentful at the prosperity of others, withdrawn from the common goods, turning away from every pretext from which silver cannot be obtained; enduring everything from which one can collect even only two obols; hating all—the poor, the rich: the former, lest they come forward and ask; the latter, because he does not have their possessions. He thinks that all have acquired what is his, and as though wronged by all, so he is disposed toward all. And what a sword is to a madman, that wealth is to a lover of money—or rather, much more grievous. For the madman, having taken the sword and thrust it through himself, is released from his madness and receives no second blow; but the lover of money receives countless more grievous wounds each day, not releasing himself from the madness but intensifying it the more; and the more wounds he receives, the more he provides occasion for other, more grievous blows. What, then, could be more grievous than the covetous man? Because after destroying his own soul and stretching out his body with countless anxieties, he is deprived of luxury and pleasure and honor and all glory, for the sake of which especially people commit many sins.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":212,"ref":"p212","source":"Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι μηδὲν ἠδικημένος κατὰ τῶν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων ἐκθηριοῦται καὶ ὁπλίζεται, καὶ πάντα ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ῥίψας τὰ καλὰ, πρὸς πάντας ἐκπεπολέμωται. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀδικούμενοι μισοῦσιν αὐτὸν, ἅτε καὶ κακῶς παθόντες· οἱ δὲ μηδέπω παθόντες, δεδοικότες μὴ πάθωσι, καὶ συναλγοῦντες τοῖς πεπονθόσι, τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπιδείκνυνται πόλεμον· οἱ δὲ μείζους καὶ δυνατώτεροι δακνόμενοι καὶ ἀγανακτοῦντες ὑπὲρ τῶν ταπεινοτέρων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ βασκαίνοντες, ὁμοίως εἰσὶν ἐχθροὶ καὶ μισοῦσι. Καὶ τί λέγω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους; ὅταν γὰρ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκπεπολεμωμένον ἔχῃ, τίς αὐτῷ λοιπὸν ἐλπὶς ἔσται ἢ παραψυχή; Τοῦτο πλοῦτος, τὸ ἀδικεῖν, εἰπέ μοι; τοῦτο οὐ χαλεπώτερον καταδίκου; ὁ κατάδικος δέδεται τὸ σῶμα, οὗτος δέδεται τὴν ψυχήν. Ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν δεσμώτην, καὶ οὐκ ἐλεεῖς αὐτόν; Διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν, φησὶ, μισῶ, ὅτι δέδεται οὐκ ἀνάγκῃ, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσει τὴν ἅλυσιν ἐπισπασάμενος. Πάλιν σὺ πρὸς τοὺς πλουτοῦντας· πάλιν ὑμεῖς κατὰ τῶν ἁρπαζομένων. Ὑμεῖς οὐ κορέννυσθε ἐσθίοντες καὶ καταδάκνοντες τοὺς πένητας· καὶ ἐγὼ οὐ κορέννυμαι διορθούμενος ὑμᾶς. Ἀεὶ σὺ τοῖς πλουσίοις κεκόλλησαι· ἀεὶ καὶ σὺ τῷ πένητι κεκόλλησαι. Ἀπόστηθι τοῦ προβάτου μου, ἀπόστηθι τῆς ποίμνης μου· εἰ δὲ λυμαίνῃ μου τὴν ποίμνην, ἐγκαλεῖς, ὅτι διώκω σε; Οὐ διώκω σέ· λύκον διώκω. Εἰ μὴ εἶ λύκος, οὐ διώκω σε· εἰ δὲ διώκω σε, σαυτὸν αἰτιῶ ὅτι λύκος ἐγένου. Ἐὰν μὲν βασιλεὺς κελεύσῃ ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἑτέρου χρημάτων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τὰ αὐτῶν δοῦναι, πάντες ἑτοίμως εἰσφέρομεν·","english":"And what is even more grievous, that though wronged in nothing, he rages and arms himself against those who have wronged no one, and casting away all noble things from his soul, he is at war with all. For those who are wronged hate him, inasmuch as they have suffered evil; and those who have not yet suffered, fearing lest they suffer, and grieving with those who have suffered, show the same warfare against him; and those who are greater and more powerful, being stung and indignant on behalf of the humbler, and moreover also envying, are likewise enemies and hate him. And why do I speak of men? For when he has God also at war with him, what hope or consolation will be left to him? Is this wealth, to do wrong, tell me? Is this not more grievous than a condemned man? The condemned man is bound in body, but this man is bound in soul. Do you see him a prisoner, and do you not pity him? Therefore, he says, I hate him, because he is bound not by necessity, but by choice, having drawn the chain upon himself. Again you against the rich; again you against those who are plundered. You are not satisfied with eating and biting the poor; and I am not satisfied with correcting you. You have always clung to the rich; you have always clung to the poor man. Depart from my sheep, depart from my flock; but if you ravage my flock, do you accuse me because I pursue you? I do not pursue you; I pursue a wolf. If you are not a wolf, I do not pursue you; but if I pursue you, blame yourself that you have become a wolf. If a king commands to abstain from the goods of another, and moreover even to give of one's own, we all bring it forward readily.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":213,"ref":"p213","source":"τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ κελεύοντος μὴ ἁρπάζειν, οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα, ἀλλὰ προτιμῶμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· καὶ πῶς οὐ δεινόν; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐξ ἴσου τιμῶντες ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑβρίζομεν τὸν Θεόν· πόσῳ μᾶλλον, ὅταν προτιμῶμεν ἀνθρώπους; Βαρὺ τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ ἐπαχθές· οἶδα κἀγώ· ἀλλὰ δείξατε ὅτι φορτικὸν, φυγόντες τὸ ἔργον· εἰ δὲ τὸ ἔργον οὐ δεδοίκατε, πῶς ὑμῖν πιστεῦσαι δύναμαι λέγουσιν, ὅτι Τὰ ῥήματα δεδοίκαμεν, καὶ βαρεῖς ἡμᾶς; Ὑμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς τῷ ἔργῳ βαρεῖτε, καὶ οὐδεὶς λόγος· ἐγὼ δὲ ἂν τὰ ῥήματα εἴπω, ὧν ὑμεῖς τὰ πράγματα πράττετε, ἀγανακτεῖτε; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον; Γένοιτο ψεῦδος εἶναι τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ λεγόμενα. Βούλομαι αὐτὸς λοιδορίας δόξαν λαβεῖν κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν, ὡς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην λοιδορησάμενος ὑμῖν, ἢ ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ἐγκαλουμένους. Ὁ γὰρ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον, εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖται. Καὶ καθάπερ αἱ ὠδίνουσαι γυναῖκες ὑπὸ τῶν ὀδυνῶν διακόπτονται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ δόλον ἐργαζόμενος, πρὶν ἢ τὸν πλησίον ἀδικῆσαι, αὐτὸς διακόπτεται καὶ ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ","english":"But when God commands us not to plunder, we do not endure it, but we prefer men to God; and how is this not dreadful? For if, even when we honor man equally with God, we insult God, how much more when we prefer men? The saying is heavy and burdensome; I know it myself; but show that it is burdensome by fleeing the deed. But if you do not fear the deed, how can I believe you when you say, \"We fear the words, and they are burdensome to us\"? You burden yourselves by the deed, and no one says a word; but if I speak the words of which you do the deeds, you are indignant? And how is this not absurd? May what I say prove to be false. I would myself rather receive the reputation of abuse on that day, as having abused you idly and in vain, than see you accused for such things. For he who digs a pit for his neighbor will fall into it himself. And just as women in labor are cut through by their pains, so too the one who works deceit, before he wrongs his neighbor, is himself cut through and in pain, and not as it happens, but also","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":214,"ref":"p214","source":"μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δριμύτητος. Κἂν γὰρ μυριάκις πονηρός τις ᾖ, τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ συνειδότος οὐ διαφθείρεται· φυσικὸν γάρ ἐστι καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐντεθέν· κἂν μυρία φιλονεικήσωμεν, ἐφέστηκεν ἐκεῖνο καταβοῶν, κολάζον, καταδικάζον· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐν κακίᾳ ζώντων, ὃς οὐ μυρίαν ὀδύνην ὑπομένει, καὶ βουλευόμενος τὰ κακὰ, καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐκφέρων τὴν βουλήν. Τί γὰρ τοῦ Ἀχαὰβ πονηρότερον; ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκεῖνος ἐπιθυμήσας τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ἐννόησον πόσην ὀδύνην ἔσχε. Βασιλεὺς γοῦν ὢν καὶ πάντων κρατῶν, καὶ οὐδένα ἔχων τὸν ἀντιλέγοντα, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ συνειδότος τὴν ψῆφον οὐκ ἤνεγκεν, εἰσῆλθε σκυθρωπάζων, κάτω κύπτων, συγκεχυμένος, πολλὴν ἀχλὺν ἐπὶ τῆς ὄψεως φέρων, τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος καταδίκης τὸν ἔλεγχον ἐπὶ τοῦ προσώπου κηρύττων, καὶ οὐ δυνάμενος συσκιάσαι τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐγγενομένην αὐτῷ ὀδύνην. Βούλεσθε γνῶναι σαφῶς, πῶς οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀνθρώπους εἶναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ πλοῦτος, ἀλλὰ θηρία καὶ δαίμονας; Αὐχμὸς κατέλαβέ ποτε τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν χαλκοῦν τὸν οὐρανὸν γεγενημένον, καὶ τὸν θάνατον τῶν ἁπάντων θανάτων χαλεπώτερον καθ' ἑκάστην προσδοκώμενον τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ Θεὸν παρακαλούμενον λῦσαι τοῦτο τὸ δέος· οὗ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ παρ' ἐλπίδα ἅπασαν πολὺς καὶ ἄπειρος ὑετὸς ἄνωθεν κατεφέρετο. Πάντων οὖν ἐν πανηγύρει καὶ ἑορτῇ καθεστώτων, ἅτε ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀναβάντων τῶν τοῦ θανάτου πυλῶν, τῶν πλουτούντων τις, στυγνὸς, κατηφὴς, ἀποτεθνηκὼς ὑπὸ ἀθυμίας περιῄει·","english":"with great severity. For even if someone is wicked ten thousand times over, the judgment seat of conscience is not corrupted; for it is natural and was implanted in us by God from the beginning. And even if we strive ten thousand times, that conscience stands by, crying out, punishing, condemning; and there is no one among those living in wickedness who does not endure ten thousand pains, both when he plots evil and when he brings his plan to action. For what was more wicked than Ahab? Yet nevertheless, when he desired the vineyard, consider how much pain he had. For being a king and ruling over all, and having no one to contradict him, since he could not bear the verdict of conscience, he went in gloomy, looking down, confused, carrying great darkness on his face, proclaiming on his face the proof of the condemnation from conscience, and unable to overshadow the pain that arose in him from despondency. Do you wish to know clearly how wealth does not allow men to be men, but beasts and demons? A drought once seized our city, and one could see the sky become bronze, and death, harsher than all deaths, expected each day, and God being entreated to loose this fear; by whose love for mankind, beyond all hope, much and boundless rain poured down from above. When all were therefore in festival and celebration, as having ascended from the very gates of death, one of the rich, sullen, downcast, dead from despondency, went about;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":215,"ref":"p215","source":"καὶ πολλῶν τὴν αἰτίαν πυνθανομένων, οὐδὲ κατασχεῖν ἔνδον ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς τυραννίδος τοῦ χαλεποῦ τούτου πάθους κεντούμενος, εἰς μέσον τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξήνεγκε· Μυρία γὰρ σίτου μέτρα κεκτημένος, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔχω πῶς διάθωμαι ταῦτα λοιπόν. Τί λέγεις; ἀλγεῖς ὅτι μὴ πάντες ἀπώλοντο, ἵνα σὺ συναγάγῃς χρυσίον; οὐκ ἤκουσας τί φησιν ὁ Σολομών· Ὁ τιμιουλκῶν σῖτον, δημοκατάρατος; ἀλλὰ περιέρχῃ κοινὸς ἐχθρὸς τῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου φιλοτιμίας πολέμιος, καὶ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ φίλος, μᾶλλον δὲ δοῦλος; Οὐ γὰρ ἐκκοπῆναι τὴν γλῶτταν ἐκείνην ἔδει; οὐ γὰρ σβεσθῆναι τὴν καρδίαν τὴν ταῦτα τεκοῦσαν τὰ ῥήματα; Τί γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐλεεινότερον γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ πλουσίου, τοῦ δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀλγοῦντος, ὅτι ἄπειρα κέκτηται, καὶ δυσχεραίνοντος ὡς ἀπολωλεκέναι νομίζοντος, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν εὐχομένου γενέσθαι λιμὸν, ἵνα αὐτῷ χρυσίον προσγένηται; Πῶς ὑμῖν ὑπογράψω βούλεσθε τὰ τοῦ πλεονέκτου πάθη καὶ ἅρπαγος; τί γὰρ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκείνων μιαρώτερον; τί τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐκείνων ἀναισχυντότερον, ἢ ἀναιδέστερον καὶ κυνικώτερον; Οὐ βλέπει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀνθρώπους, οὐδὲ τὸν οὐρανὸν οὐρανὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντα χρήματα εἶναι νομίζει. Οἱ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμοὶ πένητας εἰώθασιν ὁρᾷν καταπεπονημένους, καὶ ἐπικλᾶσθαι· οἱ δὲ ἅρπαγες ὁρῶσι πένητας, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐκθηριοῦνται. Οἱ ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμοὶ οὐ τῶν ἄλλοις δεδομένων ἐφίενται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ αὐτῶν εἰς ἑτέρους κενοῦσιν· οὗτοι δὲ οὐκ ἀνέχονται, εἰ μὴ τὰ πάντων λαβόντες ἰδιοποιήσαιντο. Οἱ ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμοὶ γυμνὸν ἰδεῖν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ πλησίον οὐκ ἀνέχονται·","english":"And when many were asking the reason, he could not even hold it inside, but, pricked by the tyranny of this cruel passion, he brought the reason out into the open: \"For though I possess countless measures of grain,\" he says, \"I no longer have any way to dispose of them.\" What are you saying? Are you in pain because not all have perished, so that you might gather up gold? Have you not heard what Solomon says: \"He who withholds grain is cursed by the people\"? But you go about as a common enemy of the good things of the world, and an adversary of the Master's generosity, and a friend of mammon—or rather, a slave? For ought not that tongue to have been cut out? Ought not the heart that gave birth to these words to have been extinguished? For what could be more pitiable than this rich man, who grieves for this very reason—that he possesses countless things—and is vexed, thinking he has lost them, and each day prays that a famine may come, so that gold may accrue to him? Do you wish me to sketch for you the passions of the greedy and rapacious man? For what is more polluted than those hands? What is more shameless than those eyes, or more impudent and more dog-like? He does not see men as men, nor heaven as heaven, but thinks everything to be money. For the eyes of men are accustomed to see the poor worn down and to weep over them; but the rapacious see the poor and are all the more brutalized. The eyes of men do not covet what has been given to others, but even pour out their own upon others; but these men do not endure it unless, having taken the possessions of all, they make them their own. The eyes of men do not endure to see the body of their neighbor naked;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":216,"ref":"p216","source":"οὗτοι δὲ, εἰ μὴ πάντας γυμνώσαιεν, καὶ τὰ πάντων οἴκοι κατάθοιντο, οὐδέποτε κόρον λαμβάνουσι· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τότε ἐμπίπλανται. Διόπερ οὐδὲ θηρίων τὰς χεῖρας τὰς τούτων ἄν τις εἶναι φαίη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἀγριωτέρας πολλῷ καὶ χαλεπωτέρας. Ἄρκοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ λύκοι, ἐπειδὰν λάβωσι κόρον τῆς τοιαύτης τροφῆς, ἀφίστανται· οὗτοι δὲ κόρον οὐκ ἔχουσι. Καίτοι διὰ τοῦτο χεῖρας ἡμῖν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα ἑτέροις βοηθῶμεν, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπιβουλεύωμεν· ἐπεὶ εἰ μέλλοιμεν εἰς τοῦτο αὐταῖς κεχρῆσθαι, βέλτιον αὐτὰς ἐκκοπῆναι καὶ χωρὶς τούτων εἶναι. Ὅταν γὰρ πρόβατον μὲν σπαραττόμενον ὑπὸ θηρίου τις ἰδὼν ἀλγῇ, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν δάκνηται, εἰς δὲ τὸν ὁμόφυλον τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἐργαζόμενος, οὐ νομίζῃ τι ποιεῖν δεινόν· πῶς ἂν εἴη ἄνθρωπος ὁ τοιοῦτος, ἀλλ' οὐ θηρίον, καὶ τοῦ θηρίου χείρων; Τὰ μὲν γὰρ θηρία τῇ φύσει ἐστὶ τοιαῦτα· οἱ δὲ πλεονέκται κατὰ φύσιν τὸ ἥμερον ἔχοντες, παρὰ φύσιν εἰς\n\nτὸ θηριῶδες ἑαυτοὺς ἐξάγειν βιάζονται. Τῶν τοιούτων καὶ τὰ στό ματα θηρίων ἐστὶ στόματα· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων ἀγριώτερα· καὶ γὰρ ῥήματα φθέγγονται μᾶλλον ἐκείνων τῶν ὀδόντων ἰὸν ἀφιέντα, φόνον ἐργαζόμενα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν διάνοιάν τις ἐξετάσειε τῶν τοιούτων, οὐκ ἔτι θηρία μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δαίμονας αὐτοὺς προσερεῖ· καὶ γὰρ πολλῆς γέμουσι τῆς ἀπηνείας καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ὁμόδουλον ἔχθρας. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δαίμονες τοὺς ἐπιβουλευομένους ἀνθρώπους συμπράττοντας ἑαυτοῖς ἔχουσιν· ὡς εἰ μὴ συνέπραττον, τὸ πλέον τῶν ἐπιβουλῶν τῶν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐκείνοις ἀνῄρητο· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ φιλονεικούντων αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐπηρεαζομένων κρατεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι.","english":"But these men, unless they strip everyone bare and devour all that everyone has at home, never take their fill; or rather, not even then are they satisfied. Therefore one might say that their hands are not only the hands of wild beasts, but far fiercer and more savage than even those. For bears and wolves, once they have had their fill of such food, withdraw; but these men have no fill. And yet for this reason God made us hands, that we might help others, not that we might plot against them; since if we were going to use them for this, it would be better for them to be cut off and to be without them. For when someone sees a sheep torn apart by a beast and grieves, and is bitten in his soul, yet when he does this very thing to one of his own kind, does he not think he is doing anything terrible? How could such a man be a human being, and not a beast, and worse than a beast? For beasts are such by nature; but the greedy, having gentleness by nature, force themselves against nature into\n\nthe beastly. The mouths of such men are the mouths of beasts; or rather, fiercer even than those; for they utter words that send forth poison more than those teeth, working murder. And if one examines the mind of such men, he will no longer call them merely beasts, but even demons; for they are full of great cruelty and of hatred toward their fellow servant. For the demons have the men they plot against cooperating with them; so that if they did not cooperate, the greater part of their plots against us would be done away with; but these men attempt to prevail even when those they wrong contend against them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":217,"ref":"p217","source":"Καὶ οὔτε βασιλείας ἔρως ἐκεῖ, οὔτε γεέννης φόβος, οὐκ αἰδὼς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἔλεος, οὐ συμπάθεια, ἀλλ' ἀναισχυντία καὶ ἰταμότης καὶ ὑπεροψία τῶν μελλόντων ἁπάντων, καὶ μῦθος αὐτοῖς εἶναι δοκεῖ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥήματα. Ὄντως θηρίων χαλεπωτάτων, τὸ μὴ ὑπό τινος ἀδικουμένους αὐτοὺς ἄρχειν ἀδικίας· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ θηρίων. Ἐκεῖνα γὰρ ἂν ἀφῇς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου νέμεσθαι, καὶ μὴ στενοχωρήσας εἰς ἀνάγκην καταστήσῃς, οὐδέποτε λυμανεῖται, οὔτε προσελεύσεται, οὔτε δήξεται, ἀλλ' ἀπελεύσεται τὴν οἰκείαν ὁδόν· σὺ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὢν λογικὸς, τετιμημένος ἀρχῇ τοσαύτῃ καὶ τιμῇ καὶ δόξῃ, οὐδὲ τὰ θηρία μιμῇ περὶ τοὺς ὁμοφύλους, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀδικεῖς καὶ κατεσθίεις; καὶ πόθεν ἀπολογήσεσθαι δυνήσῃ; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὴν μέλισσαν, ἧς τὴν ἐργασίαν βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγείαν προσφέρονται, πῶς οὐδὲν αὐτῆς προΐσταται τὸ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν ποιοῦσαν κακῶς, ἀλλ' ἐναποθνήσκει τῷ κέντρῳ; Διὰ ταύτης παιδεύθητι μὴ λυπεῖν τοὺς πλησίον· αὐτοὶ γὰρ τὸν θάνατον δεχόμεθα πρότερον. Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ πρὸς μικρὸν ἴσως ἐλυπήσαμεν, αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκέτι ζησόμεθα, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκείνη. Διὰ τοῦτο χρήματα λέγεται, ἵνα χρώμεθα εἰς δέον, οὐχ ἵνα φυλάττωμεν· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκέτι κτήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ κτηθῆναι. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο μέλλοιμεν σκοπεῖν, ὅπως αὐτὰ πολλὰ ποιήσωμεν, οὐχ ὅπως εἰς δέον ἀπολαύσωμεν, ἀνατέτραπται ἡ τάξις, καὶ ἐκεῖνα μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς κέκτηται, οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἐκεῖνα. Ὁ γὰρ χρημάτων ἐρῶν, οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἐχθροὺς οὐκ ἀγαπήσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς φίλους μισήσει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ συγγένειαν οἶδεν ὁ τοιοῦτος, οὐ συνηθείας μέμνηται, οὐχ ἡλικίαν αἰδεῖται, οὐ φίλον ἔχει τινά·","english":"And there is no desire for the kingdom there, nor fear of Gehenna, nor shame before men, nor mercy, nor compassion, but shamelessness and recklessness and contempt for all things to come, and the words of God seem to them to be a myth. Truly they are the most savage of beasts—that men who are not wronged by anyone should be the authors of wrongdoing; or rather, not even of beasts. For if you let those beasts graze in the desert and do not hem them in and force them into necessity, they will never do harm, nor approach, nor bite, but will go their own way. But you, being a rational man, honored with such great authority and honor and glory, do you not even imitate the beasts in your dealings with those of your own kind, but wrong your brother and devour him? And how will you be able to defend yourself? Do you not see the bee, whose work kings and commoners alike take for their health—how nothing keeps it from doing harm except that it dies, but it dies on its sting? Be taught by this not to grieve your neighbors; for we ourselves receive death first. For them we perhaps grieved for a little while, but we ourselves shall live no longer, just as neither does she. This is why money is called money, that we may use it for what is needed, not that we may guard it; for that is no longer to possess, but to be possessed. For if we are going to look to this—how we may make these things many—and not how we may enjoy them for what is needed, the order is overturned, and those things possess us rather than we them. For the lover of money will not only not love his enemies, but will even hate his friends. For such a man knows no kinship, does not remember acquaintances, does not respect age, does not have anyone as a friend.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":218,"ref":"p218","source":"ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας ἀπεχθῶς διακείσεται, καὶ, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, οὐ τῷ μόνον ἀπολλύναι τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ μυρίαις ἑαυτὸν κατατείνειν φροντίσι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν χρημάτων καταφρονῶν, ἔστησε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν· ὁ δὲ πλουτεῖν βουλόμενος καὶ περιβάλλεσθαι, πλεῖον ἀνῆψε μᾶλλον, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἵσταται, ἀλλὰ κἂν μυρία λάβῃ τάλαντα, ἑτέρων τοσούτων ἐπιθυμεῖ· κἂν τούτων ἐπιτύχῃ, πάλιν δὶς τοσούτων ἄλλων ἐφίεται· καὶ προϊὼν, καὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλατταν, καὶ πάντα εὔχεται αὐτῷ γενέσθαι χρυσίον, καινήν· τινα μανίαν μαινόμενος καὶ φοβερὰν, καὶ οὐδέποτε σβεσθῆναι δυναμένην. Ὅταν γὰρ ἑτέροις τὰ ἑαυτῶν δοῦναι προσταττόμενοι, τὰ ἑτέρων ἁρπάζωμεν, τίς ἄρα ἡμῖν ἐστι σωτηρίας ἐλπίς; Εἰ μὴ πεινῶντα ἔθρεψας, κολάζῃ· εἰ καὶ ἀπέδυσας ἐνδεδυμένον, ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἴ τίς σε εἰς Περσικὴν ἤγαγε γῆν ὀψόμενον τὰ ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐπανήξοντα, εἶτα ἐκέλευσεν οἰκίαν δείμασθαι· ἆρα οὐκ ἂν αὐτοῦ κατέγνως ἄνοιαν τὴν ἐσχάτην, ὡς ἀκαίρως δαπανᾷν κελεύοντος; Πῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ἣν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀπολείψεις; Ἀλλὰ τοῖς παιδίοις καταλείψω, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μικρὸν ὕστερον καταλείπουσι μετὰ σὲ, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πρὸ σοῦ. Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν πλεονεκτεῖς, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἁρπάζεις, ἵνα σοι ὁ τοῦ ἵππου χαλινὸς ἀλείφηται πολλῷ τῷ χρυσῷ, καὶ ὁ τῆς οἰκίας ὄροφος καὶ αἱ τῶν κιόνων κεφαλαί;","english":"But he will be hatefully disposed toward all, and before all others toward himself, not only by destroying his own soul, but also by stretching himself out in countless anxieties. And the one who despises wealth has set his desire at rest; but the one who wishes to be rich and to surround himself with possessions has kindled it the more, and never stands still, but even if he receives countless talents, he desires as many more; and if he obtains these, he again longs for twice as many others; and going on, he prays that the mountains and the earth and the sea and all things become gold for him, raging with a new and terrible madness, one that can never be quenched. For when, being commanded to give our own things to others, we snatch the things of others, what hope of salvation is there for us? If you did not feed the hungry, you are punished; if you also stripped the one who was clothed, what forgiveness will you obtain? Tell me, if someone led you to the land of Persia to see the things there and return, and then ordered you to build a house, would you not have condemned him for the utmost folly, as ordering you to spend lavishly at the wrong time? How then do you do this very thing on the earth, which you will leave a little later? But I will leave it to my children, he says. But they too leave it a little later after you, and often even before you. Is it for this reason, then, that you take advantage and snatch the things of others, so that the bridle of your horse may be smeared with much gold, and the roof of your house and the capitals of your columns?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":219,"ref":"p219","source":"καὶ πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη ταῦτα γεέννης ἄξια, ὅταν τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν οὕτω παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου σου τιμηθέντα, ἵνα λίθους καλλωπίσῃς καὶ ἔδαφος, καὶ σώματα ζώων ἀλόγων οὐδὲ αἰσθανομένων τοῦ κόσμου, εἰς μυρίας ἐμβάλλῃς συμφοράς; Καὶ ὁ μὲν κίων ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ πολλῇ, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, διὰ τὸν κίονα καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα ἅπαντα εἰς ἔσχατον κατακλείεται λιμόν. Κἂν μὲν\n\nθρόνον κατασκευάσαι δέῃ, κἂν ὑποπόδιον, πάντα ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου κατασκευάζεται· τὸ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέλος, καὶ δι' ὃν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ παραγέγονεν, οὐδὲ τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἀπολαύει τροφῆς, ἀλλὰ πάντων σοι γέγονεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀτιμότερος. Καὶ τί τῆς τοιαύτης παρανομίας χαλεπώτερον; Πόσοι ποταμοὶ πυρὸς ἀρκέσουσι τῇ τοιαύτῃ ψυχῇ, ὅταν τὰ μὲν ἄλογα ἀγαπᾷ τὰ συγγενῆ, καὶ ἀρκῆται τῇ συγγενείᾳ τῆς φύσεως εἰς τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα φιλοστοργίαν· σὺ δὲ μετὰ τῆς φύσεως καὶ μυρίας ἔχων ὑποθέσεις φιλίας, ἐκείνων ἀγριώτερος δείκνυσαι; Μὴ δὴ ἀμφοτέρωθεν παροξύνωμεν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ συνάγοντες ὅθεν οὐ χρὴ, καὶ σκορπίζοντες εἰς ἅπερ οὐ δεῖ. Πόσης γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἄξιον εἴη ὀργῆς, ὅταν τῇ πόρνῃ δίδως, παρατρέχων τὸν πένητα; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐκ δικαίων πόνων παρεῖχες, οὐχὶ ἔγκλημα ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα, μισθὸν κακίας παρέχειν, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν κολάζειν ἐχρῆν, ὑπὲρ τούτων τιμᾷν; ὅταν δὲ καὶ ὀρφανοὺς ἀποδύων, καὶ χήρας ἀδικῶν τρέφῃς ἀσέλγειαν, ἐννόησον ἡλίκον τοῖς τοιαῦτα τολμῶσιν ἔσται τὸ πῦρ. Φοβήθητε ὅσοι τοὺς πένητας ἀδικεῖτε·","english":"And would not these things deserve how great a Gehenna, when your brother, who has been so honored by your Master, you cast into countless calamities so that you may adorn stones and pavement and the bodies of irrational animals that do not even perceive the world? And the dog is cared for with great attention, but the man—or rather, Christ—because of the dog and all that has been said, is shut up in extreme hunger. And if\n\na throne must be constructed, or a footstool, everything is made of gold and silver; but the member of Christ, and for whose sake he has come down from heaven, does not even enjoy the necessary food, but Christ has become more dishonored by you than all things. And what is harsher than such lawlessness? How many rivers of fire will suffice for such a soul, when irrational animals love their own kind and are content with the kinship of nature for affection toward one another; but you, who along with nature have countless grounds for friendship, are shown to be wilder than they? Let us not provoke God from both sides, both gathering from where we should not, and scattering to where we ought not. For how great wrath would it not deserve, when you give to the prostitute while passing by the poor man? For even if you were providing from just labors, was the matter not a charge—to give wages for vice, and for those things for which one ought to punish, for these to honor? But when, stripping orphans and wronging widows, you feed debauchery, consider how great the fire will be for those who dare such things. Be afraid, all you who wrong the poor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":220,"ref":"p220","source":"ἔχετε δύναμιν ὑμεῖς καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ χρήματα καὶ δικαστῶν εὔνοιαν, ἀλλ' ἔχουσιν ἐκεῖνοι πάντων ἰσχυρότερον ὅπλον, τοὺς στεναγμοὺς καὶ τοὺς θρήνους καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἅπερ τὴν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπισπᾶται συμμαχίαν. Ταῦτα τὰ ὅπλα οἰκίας ὀρύττει, θεμελίους κατασκάπτει, πόλεις ἀνεῖλεν, ὁλόκληρα ἔθνη κατεπόντισε. Τοσαύτη τῶν ἐπηρεαζομένων παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἡ πρόνοια. Μέγα γὰρ καὶ ἰσχυρὸν ὅπλον στεναγμὸς ἀδικουμένων ἀνθρώπων. Αἰδεῖται τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην αὐτῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅταν κακῶς πάσχοντες μηδὲν μὲν πονηρὸν ἐκφέρωσι ῥῆμα, στενάζωσι δὲ μόνον ἢ ἀποδύρωνται τὰ οἰκεῖα κακά· καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἵλεως γίνεται, τιμωρεῖται δὲ τοὺς ἐπηρεάζοντας. Φύγωμεν τοίνυν τὸ ἀδικεῖν, ἵν' ἵλεων ἕξωμεν τὸν Θεὸν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Ι ʹ. Περὶ ἀλαζονείας καὶ κενοδοξίας. Βουλόμενος τὸν πεφυσιωμένον ἄνθρωπον καταστεῖλαι, μὴ μακροὺς κίνει λόγους, ἀλλ' ἀναμίμνησκε αὐτὸν τῆς φύσεως μόνον, καὶ ἐπιτίμα σφοδρῶς, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; Εἰ δὲ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον εἶναι ταῦτα λέγει, κατάστειλον αὐτὸν ζῶντα, καὶ δίδαξον ὅτι γῆ καὶ σποδός ἐστι· νῦν γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι ταῦτά ἐστιν. Ὁρᾷ τὴν εὐπρέ πειαν τοῦ σώματος, ὁρᾷ τὴν δυναστείαν, τὴν θεραπείαν τῶν κολάκων, τοὺς παρασίτους ἀκολουθοῦντας· ἱμάτια περίκειται πολυτελῆ, ὄγκον ἀρχῆς περιβέβληται μέγαν· ἡ φαντασία αὐτὸν ἀπατᾷ, καὶ ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι ποιεῖ τῆς φύσεως· αὐτὴν ἀναμένει μόνην τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους ἀπόδειξιν· οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὰς σοροὺς καὶ τὰς θήκας τῶν προγόνων·","english":"You have power and wealth and money and the goodwill of judges, but those others have a weapon stronger than all these: their groans and lamentations and the very fact of being wronged, which draws down the alliance from heaven. These weapons dig up houses, overturn foundations, destroy cities, sink whole nations. So great is the providence of God over those who are oppressed. For a mighty and strong weapon is the groan of wronged men. God respects their forbearance, when those who suffer evil utter no wicked word but only groan or bewail their own misfortunes; and he becomes merciful to them, but punishes those who oppress them. Let us therefore flee from doing wrong, that we may have God merciful, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHOMILY 10. On Arrogance and Vainglory. When you wish to humble the puffed-up man, do not stir up long speeches, but merely remind him of his nature, and rebuke him sharply, speaking thus: Why is earth and ashes proud? But if he says these things are so only after death, humble him while he is alive, and teach him that he is earth and ashes; for now he does not know that this is what he is. He sees the comeliness of his body, he sees his dominion, the attendance of flatterers, the parasites following after him; he is wrapped in costly garments, he has put on the great bulk of office; the imagination deceives him and makes him forget his nature; he awaits only the proof that comes from the end; he does not come to the biers and coffins of his forebears;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":221,"ref":"p221","source":"πρὸς τὰ παρόντα βλέπει μόνον, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν μελλόντων ἐννοεῖ. Δίδαξον τοίνυν αὐτὸν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη, ὅτι γῆ καὶ σποδός ἐστιν, ἵνα ζῶν λάβῃ τὸ φάρμακον. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; ἐπήγαγεν, Ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ ἐξουδένωται τὰ ἐνδόσθια αὐτοῦ· ἐνδόσθια ἔγκατα λέγων, τὴν γαστέρα τὴν γέμουσαν σκυβάλων καὶ πολλῆς ἀκαθαρσίας καὶ δυσωδίας. Ἴδε τὸ εὐτελὲς καὶ ἐπίκηρον τῆς οὐσίας. Μὴ ἀναμείνῃς σου τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς τελευτῆς, ἵνα μάθῃς σου τὴν ἀσθένειαν· ἔτι μοι ζῶντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον διερεύνησον, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ διάβηθι τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἡμῶν τὴν οὐθένειαν ὄψει. Ἀλλὰ μὴ καταπέσῃς· οὐδὲ γὰρ μισῶν ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ φειδόμενος οὕτως ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, προφάσεις ἡμῖν ταπεινοφροσύνης παρέχων μεγάλας. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος γῆ ὢν καὶ σποδὸς ἐτόλμησεν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβήσομαι· εἰ μὴ τὸν τῆς φύσεως χαλινὸν εἶχε, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἐξέπεσε τῇ διανοίᾳ; Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ πεφυσιωμένον, τὸν αὐχένα ἀνατείνοντα, τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπῶντα,","english":"He looks only at the present and gives no thought to any of the things to come. Teach him, then, from this very point, that he is earth and ashes, so that while still alive he may receive the remedy. For having said, \"Why is earth and ashes proud?\" he added, \"Because even in his life his inward parts are brought to nothing,\" calling the inward parts the entrails—the belly that is full of refuse and much uncleanness and stench. See the cheapness and fragility of his substance. Do not wait for the day of your death to learn your weakness; while the man is still alive, search him out, and pass into his entrails with your reasoning, and you will see all our nothingness. But do not be cast down; for God made this not out of hatred for us but out of sparing us, providing us with great occasions for humility. For if man, being earth and ashes, dared to say, \"I will ascend into heaven,\" had he not had the bridle of nature, where would he not have fallen away in his mind? When, then, you see someone puffed up, stretching out his neck, raising his eyebrows,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":222,"ref":"p222","source":"ἐπὶ ὀχήματος φερόμενον, ἀπειλοῦντα, εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμβάλλοντα, ἐπηρεάζοντα, θανάτῳ παραδιδόντα, εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, Τί ὑπερηφανεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ ἐξουδένωται τὰ ἐνδόσθια αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα οὐ περὶ ἀνθρώπου μόνον ἰδιώτου εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ. Μὴ γὰρ τὴν ἁλουργίδα ἴδῃς, μηδὲ τὸ διάδημα, μηδὲ τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ χρυσᾶ· ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν ἐρεύνησον, καὶ τούτων ὄψει τὴν γῆν τὴν οὖσαν ὑπόθεσιν. Πᾶσα γὰρ δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου. Τίνος ἕνεκα μέγα φρονεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ διὰ τί; κατάβηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ φυσήματος τοῦ κενοῦ, διάσκεψαι τῆς φύσεως τὸ εὐτελές· γῆ καὶ σποδὸς εἶ, τέφρα καὶ κόνις, καπνὸς καὶ σκιὰ, χόρτος καὶ ἄνθος χόρτου. Τοιαύτῃ δὲ φύσει συζῶν μέγα φρονεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν καταγελαστότερον; Ἀλλὰ πολλῶν ἄρχεις ἀνθρώπων; καὶ τί τούτου τὸ ὄφελος, ὅταν ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἄρχῃς, τῶν δὲ παθῶν αἰχμάλωτος ᾖς καὶ δοῦλος; ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις οἴκοι μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν τύπτοιτο καὶ τραύματα λαμβάνοι, ἔξω δὲ εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐμβαλὼν μέγα φρονῇ ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρχῇ. Πάντων παθῶν δοῦλος εἶ, καὶ μέγα φρονεῖς ὅτι τῶν ὁμοφύλων ἄρχεις; Εἴθε ἐκείνων ἦρχες, καὶ τούτων ἦς ἰσότιμος. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὄντως καλοῖς ὁ ἀλαζονευόμενος κατηγορίας ἄξιος, καὶ πάντων ἐκείνων τὸν μισθὸν ἀπόλλυσιν· ὁ ἐν τοῖς μηδὲν οὖσιν ἐπαιρόμενος, καὶ διὰ τὴν παροῦσαν δόξαν φυσῶν ἑαυτὸν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη πάντων καταγελαστότερος;","english":"Carried on a chariot, threatening, casting into prison, insulting, handing over to death—say to him, \"Why is earth and ashes proud? Because even in his life his inward parts are brought to nothing.\" These things are said not only about a private individual, but also about the one seated on the royal throne. For do not look at the purple robe, nor the diadem, nor the golden garments; but examine nature itself, and you will see that these things too have earth as their underlying substance. For all the glory of man is as the flower of grass. For what reason are you proud, O man, and why? Come down from your empty inflation, consider the cheapness of nature: you are earth and ashes, dust and powder, smoke and shadow, grass and the flower of grass. Living together with such a nature, are you proud, tell me? And what could be more ridiculous than this? But you rule over many men? And what is the benefit of this, when you rule over men but are a captive and slave of the passions? It is as if someone at home were being beaten by his own servants and receiving wounds, and then, going out into the marketplace, were proud over his rule over others. You are a slave of all the passions, and you are proud that you rule over those of the same nature as yourself? Would that you ruled over those passions, and were of equal honor with them. For if the one who boasts over truly good things is worthy of accusation, and loses the reward of all those things, how could the one who exalts himself over things that are nothing, and puffs himself up because of present glory, not be more ridiculous than all?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":223,"ref":"p223","source":"Ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε, τῆς ψυχῆς σου διαφθειρομένης χαλεπωτάτῃ νόσῳ, καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην πενόμενος πενίαν, μέγα φρονεῖς, ὅτι χρυσοῦ τάλαντα ἔχεις τόσα καὶ τόσα; ὅτι πλῆθος ἀνδραπόδων; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα οὐ σά· καὶ εἰ μὴ πείθῃ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ῥήμασιν, ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας τῶν προλαβόντων μάνθανε. Ἐὰν δὲ οὕτω μεθύῃς, ὡς μήτε ἐκ τῶν ἑτέροις συμβαινόντων ταῦτα παιδεύεσθαι, μικρὸν ἀνάμεινον, καὶ εἴσῃ διὰ τῶν εἰς σὲ, ὅτι σοι τούτων ὄφελος οὐδὲν, ὅτι ψυχοῤῥαγῶν καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ὥρας οὐδὲ ῥοπῆς βραχείας κύριος ὢν, ἄκων, εἰς τοὺς παρόντας αὐτὰ παραπέμπεις, καὶ τούτους πολλάκις, οἷς οὐκ ἐθέλεις, ἀλλὰ μετὰ βίας παραχωρῶν, οἷς οὐδὲ καθορᾷν αὐτὰ ἐβούλου τὸ πρότερον. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων ὑπόστασις οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἢ τέφρα καὶ κόνις καὶ καπνὸς καὶ σκιὰ καὶ τὸ ἔτι τούτων οὐδαμινώτερον. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, μέγα νομίζεις; ποῖον ἡγῇ μέγα ἀξίωμα εἶναι; τὸ τοῦ ὑπάτου; οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτου τοῦ ἀξιώματος μεῖζον εἶναι νομίζουσιν οἱ πολλοί. Τοῦ ἐν τοσαύτῃ τοίνυν λαμπρότητι γεγενημένου, τοῦ μεγάλως θαυμασθέντος, ὁ μὴ ὕπατος ἔλαττον ἔχει οὐδέν· ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κἀκεῖνος καὶ οὗτός ἐστιν ἀξιώματι· ὁμοίως γὰρ ἑκάτεροι μετ' ὀλίγον οὐκ εἰσί. Πότε ἐγένετο, πόσον χρόνον, εἰπέ μοι; ἡμερῶν δύο; τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ὀνείροις γίνεται. Ἀλλ' ὄναρ, φησὶν, ἐστί. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; τὰ γὰρ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ οὐκ ὄναρ, εἰπέ μοι; διὰ τί μὴ ταῦτα μᾶλλον λέγομεν ὄναρ; Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ὀνείρατα τῆς ἡμέρας καταλαβούσης ἐλέγχεται οὐδὲν ὄντα, οὕτω τῆς νυκτὸς καταλαμβανούσης καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲν ὄντα ἐλέγχεται·","english":"Wretched and miserable man, when your soul is being corrupted by a most grievous disease and you are impoverished with the ultimate poverty, do you think highly of yourself because you have so many and so many talents of gold? Because you have a multitude of slaves? But these things are not yours; and if you are not persuaded by my words, learn from the experience of those who have gone before. But if you are so drunk that you cannot even be instructed in these things from what happens to others, wait a little, and you will know through what happens to you that these things are of no benefit to you, that when your soul is being torn apart and you are master of not a single hour nor even a brief moment, you unwillingly pass these things on to those present, and often to those to whom you do not wish, but yielding by force to those to whom you did not even wish to look upon them before. For the substance of human affairs is nothing other than ashes and dust and smoke and shadow and what is even more insignificant than these. For what, tell me, do you consider great? What do you think is a great dignity? That of the consul? For most people think that nothing is greater than this dignity. Of him, then, who has been in such great splendor, who has been greatly admired, the one who is not consul has no less; both he and this one are in the same dignity; for both alike, after a little while, are not. When did it happen, tell me? How long? Two days? This also happens in dreams. But it is a dream, he says. And what of this? For are the things of the day not a dream, tell me? Why do we not rather call these a dream? For just as dreams are proven to be nothing when day overtakes them, so when night overtakes these things, they too are proven to be nothing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":224,"ref":"p224","source":"καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοῖς ἐν νυκτὶ γενομένοις οὐ γάννυταί τις, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐν νυκτὶ τῶν μεθ' ἡμέραν ἀπολαῦσαι δυνατόν. Γέγονας ὕπατος; κἀγὼ ἐν νυκτί. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ σὺ ἐν νυκτί. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; οὐδὲ οὕτω μου πλέον τι ἔχεις, εἰ μὴ ἄρα τὸ λέγεσθαι, Ὁ δεῖνα ὕπατος, τέως, καὶ τὸ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων ἡδονὴν ἔχειν, πλέον ἔχειν ποιεῖ. Πῶς ποιεῖ; Ἐὰν εἴπω, Ὁ δεῖνα ὕπατός ἐστι, καὶ χαρίσωμαι τῷ ῥήματι, οὐχ ἅμα ἐλέχθη καὶ ἀπῆλθεν; Οὕτω καὶ τὰ πράγματά ἐστιν· ἅμα ἐφάνη ὕπατος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι. Θῶμεν δὲ καὶ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ τρεῖς καὶ τέσσαρας· ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ δέκα ἔτη ὕπατοι γενόμενοι; οὐδαμοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὁ Παῦλος οὐχ οὕτως· ἦν μὲν γὰρ καὶ ζῶν διαπαντὸς λαμπρὸς, οὐ μίαν ἡμέραν, οὐδὲ δύο, οὐδὲ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσιν, οὐδὲ ἐνιαυτοὺς δέκα καὶ εἴκοσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐτελεύτησε, καὶ τετρακοσιοστὸν λοιπὸν ἔτος παρελήλυθε, καὶ ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐστι λαμπρὸς, καὶ πολλῷ λαμπρότερος ἢ ὅτε ἔζη. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῇ γῇ· τὴν δὲ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς λαμπρότητα τίς ἂν καὶ παραστήσειε λόγος; Καὶ καθάπερ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὰ τῆς θαλάττης κύματα, νῦν μὲν εἰς ὕψος ἄφατον","english":"And just as on a day no one who has been in the night rejoices in it, so too in the night it is impossible to enjoy the things of the day. Have you become consul? I too was in the night. But I am in the day, and you in the night. And what of this? Not even so do you have any advantage over me, unless perhaps being called \"such-and-such a consul\" for a time, and having the pleasure that comes from the words, makes one have more. How does it do so? If I say, \"Such-and-such a man is consul,\" and gratify him with the word, was it not spoken and gone at the same moment? So too are the realities: at the same moment he appeared consul, and he is not. Let us posit even a year, and three, and four; where are those who were consuls for ten years? Nowhere. But Paul was not so; for while living he was always illustrious, not for one day, nor two, nor ten and twenty, nor for ten and twenty years, but he also died, and four hundred years have now passed, and still even now he is illustrious, and far more illustrious than when he was alive. And these things are on earth; but the splendor in the heavens—what account could even set it forth? And just as one can see the waves of the sea, now rising to an unutterable height","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":225,"ref":"p225","source":"αἰρόμενα, ἀθρόον δὲ πάλιν ταπεινούμενα· τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ τοὺς τὴν ἀλαζονείαν μετιόντας ὁρῶμεν, νῦν μὲν μέγα φρονοῦντας, καὶ τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπῶντας, καὶ περὶ τὰ τοῦ παρόντος βίου πράγματα ἐπτοημένους· ἀθρόον δὲ ταπεινουμένους, καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην ἐλαύνοντας πενίαν. Τούτους καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος, ἢ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Καλῶς εἶπε, Μὴ φοβοῦ. Μή σε θορυβείτω, φησὶν, ἡ τοῦ πλούτου περιουσία, καὶ ἡ τῆς δόξης περιφάνεια· ὄψει γὰρ μετ' οὐ πολὺ χαμαὶ κείμενον, ἀνενέργητον, νεκρὸν, ἐῤῥιμμένον, σκωλήκων γενόμενον τροφὴν, γυμνὸν τούτων ἁπάντων καθιστάμενον, καὶ οὐδὲν ὅλως μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀπενεγκεῖν δυνηθέντα (οὐδὲ γὰρ συναποδημοῦσι τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν μεθισταμένοις), ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα ἅπαντα καταλιπόντα, καὶ μόνην τὴν κακίαν περιβεβλημένον, καὶ τὰ ἐκ ταύτης αὐτῷ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων συλλεγέντα φορτία. Εἰκότως ἄρα εἴρηται παρὰ τῶν παλαιῶν κενοδοξία· διάκενος γάρ ἐστιν ἔνδον, οὐδὲν ἔχουσά τι χρήσιμον· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τὰ προσωπεῖα δοκεῖ μὲν εἶναι λαμπρὰ καὶ ἐπέραστα, κενὰ δὲ ἔνδοθέν ἐστι, διὸ καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν ὄψεων εὐπρεπέστερα ὄντα, οὐδένα οὐδέποτε πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα ἰδεῖν ἔπεισε τὸν ἑαυτῶν· οὕτω, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀθλιώτερον, καὶ ἡ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἀλλοτριοῖ, καὶ τῷ τῆς γεέννης παραδίδωσι πυρὶ, ὡς ἡ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τυραννίς. Ταύτης γὰρ ἡμῖν παρούσης, κἂν σωφροσύνην, κἂν παρθενίαν, κἂν νηστείαν, κἂν εὐχὰς, κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐπιτελῶμεν, ἅπας ἡμῶν ὁ βίος ἀκάθαρτος γίνεται·","english":"being lifted up, and then suddenly brought low again—in the same way we see those who pursue arrogance, now thinking great things of themselves and raising their brows and fluttering about the affairs of the present life, and then suddenly brought low and driven into the utmost poverty. The blessed David too, hinting at these, said: Do not fear when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house is multiplied. Well did he say, Do not fear. Let not, he says, the abundance of wealth and the splendor of glory throw you into confusion; for you will see him before long lying on the ground, inert, dead, cast out, become food for worms, stripped of all these things, and able to carry away nothing at all with himself (for these things do not depart together with those who remove from here), but leaving everything here, and clothed only in wickedness, and the burdens of sins gathered from it. With good reason, then, it was called vainglory by the ancients; for it is empty within, having nothing useful; but just as masks seem to be bright and lovely, yet are empty within—which is why, though they are more beautiful than bodily faces, they never persuaded anyone to look at them with desire—so, or rather more wretchedly, is the glory that comes from the many. For nothing so alienates from the love of God for mankind and delivers to the fire of Gehenna as the tyranny of pride. For when this is present in us, even if we practice chastity, or virginity, or fasting, or prayers, or almsgiving, or anything whatsoever, our whole life becomes unclean.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":226,"ref":"p226","source":"Ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ, φησὶν, παρὰ Κυρίῳ πᾶς ὑψηλοκάρδιος. Τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ἡ κενοδοξία κακὸν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον πρὸς κακίαν ὠθεῖ τοὺς ἁλόντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς παρυφέστηκε· καὶ ὅταν ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖθεν ἐκβαλεῖν μὴ δυνηθῇ, ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἀρετῇ πολλὴν τὴν ζημίαν ἐργάζεται, τοὺς μὲν πόνους ὑποστῆναι ἀναγκάζουσα, τῶν δὲ καρπῶν ἀποστεροῦσα. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἀμφοτέρων ἐφιέμενον, ἀμφοτέρων τυχεῖν· τυχεῖν μὲν γὰρ ἔστιν ἀμφοτέρων, ὅταν μὴ ἀμφοτέρων, ἀλλὰ τῆς μιᾶς ἐπιθυμῶμεν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἀμφοτέρων δὲ ἐρῶντα οὐκ ἔστιν ἀμφοτέρων τυχεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ τὸ θηρᾶσθαι τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξαν ἐργαζόμενός τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, κἄν τε ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι δυνηθῇ, κἄν τε μὴ, ἀρκοῦσαν ἐνταῦθα εἴληφε τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, καὶ οὐδεμίαν λήψεται ἐκεῖ ὑπὲρ τούτου τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Διὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ προλαβὼν ἑαυτὸν ἀπεστέρησε τῆς παρὰ τοῦ κριτοῦ φιλοτιμίας, προτιμήσας τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξαν τῆς ψήφου τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον ἐργαζόμενός τι τῶν πνευματικῶν, ὥστε μόνῳ ἐκείνῳ ἀρέσαι τῷ ἀκοιμήτῳ ὀφθαλμῷ, καὶ ὁ θησαυρὸς αὐτῷ ἀνάλωτος μένει, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀκέραια, καὶ ἡ χρηστὴ προσδοκία ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη πολλὴν αὐτῷ παρέχει τὴν παραμυθίαν· καὶ μετὰ τοῦ ἐν ἀσύλῳ ταμιείῳ ἐκείνην αὐτῷ διαφυλάττεσθαι τὴν ἀμοιβὴν καὶ ἡ παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀκολουθήσει δόξα. Τότε γὰρ αὐτῆς μᾶλλον μετὰ δαψιλείας ἀπολαύομεν, ὅταν αὐτῆς ὑπερορῶμεν, ὅταν αὐτὴν μὴ ζητῶμεν, ὅταν αὐτὴν μὴ διώκωμεν.","english":"For every proud-hearted man is unclean before the Lord,\" it says. So great an evil is vainglory that it not only drives those caught by it toward vice, but it even stands alongside the virtues; and when it cannot cast us out from that side, it works great damage within virtue itself, forcing us to endure the labors but depriving us of the fruits. For it is not possible for one who desires both to obtain both; to obtain both is possible when we desire not both but the one—the one from the heavens; but for one who loves both, it is not possible to obtain both. For he who does some good work for the sake of hunting the glory that comes from men, whether he is able to enjoy it or not, has received sufficient recompense here, and he will receive no recompense there for this. Why? Because by forestalling it he deprived himself of the honor from the Judge, having preferred the glory from men to the verdict of the righteous Judge. But he who does some spiritual work for this reason alone—to please only that unsleeping eye—both keeps his treasure unplundered and the fruits of virtue intact, and the good hope from this already gives him great consolation; and along with that recompense being preserved for him in a safe treasury, the glory from men will also follow. For then we enjoy it more abundantly, when we look down on it, when we do not seek it, when we do not pursue it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":227,"ref":"p227","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἱπποδρομίαις οἱ τοὺς ἵππους ἐλαύνοντες, παντὸς τοῦ δήμου κροτοῦντος, καὶ μυρίας εὐφημίας καταχέοντος, οὐκ ἐπιστρέφονται, οὔτε ἡδονήν τινα ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων εὐφημίας καρποῦνται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἕνα μόνον ὁρῶσι, τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐν μέσῳ καθήμενον, καὶ τῷ νεύματι ἐκείνου προσέχοντες παντὸς ὑπερορῶσι τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ τότε μέγα φρονοῦσιν, ἐπειδὰν ἐκεῖνος αὐτοὺς στεφανώσας δοξάσῃ. Τί οὖν γένοιτ' ἂν ἐκείνων ἀθλιώτερον, τῶν πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιόντων, καὶ ταῖς νηστείαις ἀφανιζόντων τὰ πρόσωπα, καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς ἐν ταῖς ἀμφόδοις ποιουμένων, ὅταν τοὺς μὲν πόνους ὑπομένωσι, τῆς δὲ ἀμοιβῆς ἀποστερῶνται πάσης; Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ἑτέρῳ μέλλεις εὐθύνας διδόναι τῶν πεπραγμένων, καὶ ἕτερον μάρτυρα καλεῖς τῶν γινομένων; ἕτερον ἔχεις δικαστὴν, καὶ ἕτερον καθίζεις θεατήν; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς ἡνιόχους, οἳ τῆς πόλεως ἁπάσης ἄνω καθημένης, ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἵππων ἁμίλλαις\n\nἅπαν τοῦ σταδίου περιτρέχοντες τὸ μέρος, ἐκεῖ φιλονεικοῦσι τὰ τῶν ἀντιτέχνων ἅρματα καταστρέφειν, ἔνθα ἂν ἴδωσι τὸν βασιλέα καθήμενον; καὶ τοσούτων ὄψεων ἕνα νομίζουσιν ἀξιοπιστότερον ὀφθαλμόν. Σὺ δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων βασιλέα τοῖς σοῖς δρόμοις ἀγωνοθετοῦντα ὁρῶν, ἐκεῖνον ἀφεὶς ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν ὁμοδούλων καταφεύγεις ὄψεις; Διά τοι τοῦτο μετὰ μυρίας πάλας, μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας ἀστεφάνωτος ἀναχωρεῖς, καὶ χωρὶς βραβείων πρὸς τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην ἀπέρχῃ.","english":"For in the horse races, those who drive the horses, while the whole crowd applauds and pours out countless acclamations, do not turn back to them, nor do they reap any pleasure from their acclaim, but they look to one alone—the king seated in their midst—and attending to his nod they overlook the whole multitude, and then they think greatly of themselves when he crowns and glorifies them. What, then, could be more wretched than those who pursue virtue for the display of men, who destroy their faces with fastings and make their prayers in the streets, when they endure the labors but are deprived of every reward? What are you doing, man? You are about to give an account of your deeds to one, and you call another as witness of what is done? You have one as judge, and you seat another as spectator? Do you not see the charioteers, who, while the whole city sits above, in the contests of the horses run around the whole part of the stadium, and there strive to overturn the chariots of their rivals, where they see the king seated? And of so many eyes they consider one eye more trustworthy. But you, seeing the very King of the angels presiding over your races, do you leave him and flee to the eyes of your fellow servants? For this reason, after countless wrestlings, after many sweats, you depart uncrowned, and without prizes you go away to the Judge.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":228,"ref":"p228","source":"Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τὸν μὲν οἰκέτην πάντα ὅσαπερ ἂν ποιῇ, εἰς ἀρέσκειαν τοῦ δεσπότου ποιεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖν τῆς θεωρίας τῆς τούτου, μηδὲ ἑτέρων ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐφέλκεσθαι πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν, κἂν μεγάλοι οἱ θεωροῦντες ὦσιν, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον σκοπεῖν ὅπως ὁ δεσπότης θεάσηται· ἡμᾶς δὲ τοιοῦτον ἔχοντας κύριον, ἑτέρους ἐπιζητεῖν θεατὰς, τοὺς ὠφελῆσαι μὲν οὐδὲν, βλάψαι δὲ ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας δυναμένους, καὶ κενῶσαι πάντα τὸν πόνον ἡμῖν; Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθώματι φυσώμενός τις τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλεσεν· ὁ μετὰ ἁμαρτημάτων τοῦτο ποιῶν, πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη τιμωρίας ἄξιος; τοῦ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνειν τὸ καὶ ἁμαρτάνοντα μέγα φρονεῖν πολὺ χαλεπώτερον. Εἰ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὄντως ἀγαθοῖς καυχᾶσθαι ἀφροσύνη, τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς μηδὲν οὖσι, πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω παρανόμους ποιεῖ καὶ ἀνοήτους, ὡς τὸ πρὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν κεχηνέναι δόξαν· καὶ οὐδὲν εὐδοκίμους καὶ ἀδαμαντίνους ποιεῖ, ὡς τὸ αὐτῆς ὑπερορᾷν. Διὸ καὶ σφόδρα νεανικῆς δεῖ ψυχῆς τῷ μέλλοντι πρὸς τοσαύτην ἀντέχειν ῥύμην καὶ βίαν πνεύματος. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν μὲν εὐημερῇ, πάντων ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἄλλων προτίθησιν· ὅταν δὲ τἀναντία ὑπομένῃ, κατορύξαι ἑαυτὸν βούλεται, ὑποβρύχιος ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους γινόμενος. Καὶ πρόσεχε ᾧ λέγω. Ὁ βασιλεὺς Ὀζίας ποτὲ τὰ ἴδια σκάμματα ὑπερβὰς, καὶ τὸ μέτρον διαπηδήσας τῆς βασιλείας, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν μετὰ αὐθεντίας θυμιᾶσαι θέλων. Τί οὖν ὁ ἱερεύς; Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι, βασιλεῦ, θυμιᾶσαι· ὑπερβαίνεις τὰ σκάμματα· τὰ μὴ δεδομένα ζητεῖς· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἃ ἔλαβες, ἀπολεῖς· οὐκ ἔστι σὸν τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐμόν. Μὴ ἥρπασά σου τὴν πορφυρίδα; μὴ ἁρπάσῃς μου τὴν ἱερωσύνην.","english":"For how is it not absurd that a servant does everything he does for the sake of pleasing his master, and seeks nothing more than his master's regard, nor draws the eyes of others to his deed—even if those watching are great men—but looks to one thing only, that his master may observe it; while we, having such a Lord, seek other spectators, who can do us no good but can harm us by their watching, and empty out all our labor? And if one who is puffed up over a success has lost everything, he who does this while burdened with sins—of how great a punishment would he not be worthy? For it is far worse than sinning to be proud even while sinning. If boasting over things that are truly good is folly, how much more is boasting over things that are nothing? For nothing makes people so lawless and senseless as gaping after the opinion of the many; and nothing makes them so esteemed and adamantine as despising it. Therefore anyone who is to withstand such a rush and force of wind needs a very vigorous soul. For when one prospers, he sets himself before all others; but when he endures the opposite, he wishes to bury himself, sinking beneath the passion. And pay attention to what I say. King Uzziah once overstepped his own boundaries and leaped past the measure of kingship; he entered the sanctuary with presumption, wishing to offer incense. What then did the priest say? It is not permitted to you, O king, to offer incense; you are overstepping the boundaries; you seek what has not been given; therefore you will also lose what you received; this is not yours but mine. Did I seize your purple? Do not seize my priesthood.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":229,"ref":"p229","source":"Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ φυσιούμενος ἐπεισῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν, ἀνεπέτασε τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων θέλων θυμιᾶσαι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ ἱερεὺς κατεφρονήθη, καὶ λόγος ἱερωσύνης ἐπατεῖτο, καὶ οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο οὐκέτι λοιπὸν, ἢ μόνον ἐλέγχειν, καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ὁ δὲ καὶ ὅπλα ἐκίνει, καὶ περιουσίᾳ ἐκέχρητο τῇ ἑαυτοῦ, ὁ ἱερεύς φησιν· Ἐγὼ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐποίησα, οὐδὲν πλέον δύναμαι· βοήθησον ἱερωσύνῃ, Κύριε, πατουμένῃ, ἧς νῦν οἱ νόμοι ἀδικοῦνται καὶ θεσμοὶ ἀνατρέπονται. Καὶ ὅρα τί γίνεται· Εὐθέως ἐξήνθησε λέπρα εἰς τὸ μέτωπον αὐτοῦ. Ὅπου ἡ ἀναισχυντία, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ τιμωρία. Εἶδες φιλανθρωπίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ τιμωρίας; οὐ κεραυνὸν ἀφῆκεν, οὐ γῆν ἔσεισεν, οὐ συνετάραξε τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἀλλ' ἐξήνθησεν ἡ λέπρα· καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου, ἵνα ὡς ἐν στήλῃ τὰ γράμματα ᾖ κείμενα, καθάπερ νόμος ἐν ὑψηλῷ τινι τόπῳ, λέγοντα· Μὴ ποιεῖτε τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ πάθητε τοιαῦτα. Τί τοίνυν τὸν αὐχένα ἀνατείνεις, εἰπέ μοι; τί δὲ βαδίζεις ἐπ' ἄκρων ὀνύχων; τί τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπᾷς; τί τὸ στῆθος φυσᾷς; τρίχα οὐ δύνασαι ποιῆσαι λευκὴν ἢ μέλαιναν, καὶ ὡς πάντων κρατῶν οὕτως ἀεροβατεῖς; τάχα ἐβούλου σοι πτερὰ φῦναι, ἵνα μὴ βαδίζῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τί σε καλέσω καὶ καθελῶ σου τὴν ἀπόνοιαν; εἴπω σε τέφραν καὶ κόνιν καὶ καπνὸν καὶ κονιορτόν; ἀλλ' οὐδέπω ἀκριβῶς τῆς εἰκόνος ἐπελαβόμην. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς στυππείῳ καταφλεγέντι προσεοικέναι· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο δοκοῦν οἰδεῖν μετὰ τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν, καὶ διανεστηκέναι, μικρὰν χειρὸς ἁφὴν ἂν ὑπομένῃ, κατηνέχθη τε ἅπαν καὶ τέφρας ἁπάσης εὐτελέστερον ἐφάνη.","english":"But he did not endure it; instead, puffed up with folly, he entered the sanctuary and threw open the Holy of Holies, wishing to offer incense. Since, then, the priest was despised and the word of the priesthood was trampled underfoot, and there was nothing left that he could do except reprove and show boldness of speech—while the other was even setting weapons in motion and using his own wealth—the priest says: I have done what was mine; I can do nothing more. Help the priesthood, Lord, which is being trampled underfoot, whose laws are now being wronged and whose ordinances are being overturned. And see what happens: immediately leprosy blossomed forth on his forehead. Where there is shamelessness, there also is punishment. Did you see the loving-kindness of God's punishment? He did not let loose a thunderbolt, he did not shake the earth, he did not convulse the heaven, but the leprosy blossomed forth—and not in another place, but on the forehead, so that the letters might lie there as on a pillar, like a law set in some high place, saying: Do not do such things, lest you suffer such things. Why, then, do you stretch your neck up, tell me? Why do you walk on tiptoe? Why do you raise your eyebrows? Why do you puff out your chest? You cannot make a single hair white or black, and yet, as though you ruled all things, you walk on air. Perhaps you wished feathers to grow on you, so that you might not walk on the earth. What shall I call you, and how shall I bring down your folly? Shall I call you ashes and dust and smoke and powder? But I have not yet precisely grasped the image. You seem to me to resemble burnt tow; for that too, seeming to swell and stand up after the burning, if it endures a little touch of the hand, is all brought down and appears more worthless than any ashes.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":230,"ref":"p230","source":"Καὶ ὥσπερ αἱ πομφόλυγες εἰς ὕψος αἰρόμεναι μέγα εὐκόλως ῥήγνυνται, οὕτω καὶ οἱ τῇ κενοδοξίᾳ φυσώμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἀπόλλυνται. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπονοίας ἴσον κακόν. Ὅ τε γὰρ διάβολος οὐκ ὢν πρὸ τούτου τοιοῦτος, οὕτω διάβολος γέγονεν· ὅ τε πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ταύταις παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου φυσηθεὶς ταῖς ἐλπίσιν, ἐξετραχηλίσθη καὶ θνητὸς ἐγένετο· προσδοκήσας γὰρ ἔσεσθαι θεὸς, καὶ ὅπερ εἶχεν ἀπώλεσεν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ\n\nΘεὸς ὀνειδίζων αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν ἄνοιαν αὐτοῦ κωμῳδῶν, ἔλεγεν· Ἰδοὺ Ἀδὰμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου δὲ Ἰὼβ, εἰ μικράν τινα λαβὼν ἐπιτροπὴν ὁ διάβολος, πρόῤῥιζον αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον ἀνέσπασε, τὸ σῶμα διεμασήσατο, τοσαύτην τραγῳδίαν εἰργάσατο, τὴν οὐσίαν διέφθειρε, τοὺς παῖδας κατέχωσε, τὴν σάρκα διέτρησε, τὴν γυναῖκα ἐπέστησε, τοὺς φίλους, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, τοὺς οἰκέτας τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν παρεσκεύασεν· εἰ μὴ μυρίοις κατείχετο δεσμοῖς, πῶς οὐκ ἂν πάντας ἐλυμήνατο; Πονηρὸν γὰρ τὸ θηρίον τοῦτο καὶ ἀκόρεστον· καὶ εἰ μὴ συνεχῶς ἐχαλινοῦτο, πάντα ἂν ἀνέτρεψε καὶ συνέχεε. Διὰ τοῦτο χώραν αὐτῷ κατὰ πάντων ὁ Δεσπότης οὐ δίδωσιν, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"And just as bubbles, when raised on high, are easily burst, so too those puffed up with vainglory are easily destroyed. For there is no evil equal to folly. For the devil, though he was not such before, thus became the devil; and the first man, puffed up by the devil with these hopes, was thrown headlong and became mortal; for having expected to be a god, he lost even what he had. Therefore God, reproaching him and mocking his folly, said: Behold, Adam has become as one of us. And in the case of blessed Job, if the devil, having received some small permission, tore up his house by the roots, mangled his body, wrought so great a tragedy, destroyed his substance, buried his children, pierced his flesh, set his wife upon him, and caused his friends, his enemies, and his servants to say such things—if he had not been held in countless bonds, how would he not have ruined all? For this beast is evil and insatiable; and if he were not continually bridled, he would overturn and confound all things. Therefore the Master, in his love for humanity, does not give him free scope against all; to whom be glory and power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":231,"ref":"p231","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΖʹ. Περὶ φθόνου.\n\nΟὐδὲν οὕτω μερίζειν καὶ διασπᾷν ἡμᾶς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων εἴωθεν, ὡς φθόνος καὶ βασκανία, τὸ χαλεπὸν τοῦτο νόσημα καὶ πάσης ἀπεστερημένον συγγνώμης, καὶ τῆς τῶν κακῶν ῥίζης, τῆς φιλαργυρίας, κατὰ πολὺ χαλεπώτερον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ φιλάργυρος τότε ἥδεται, ὅταν αὐτὸς λάβῃ· ὁ δὲ βάσκανος τότε ἥδεται, ὅταν ἕτερος μὴ λάβῃ, εὐεργεσίαν οἰκείαν νομίζων τὴν ἑτέρων κακοπραγίαν· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν μανικώτερον; Τῶν γὰρ οἰκείων κακῶν ἀμελῶν, ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τήκεται καλοῖς, ἄβατον ἑαυτῷ κατασκευάζων τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἀβίωτον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω ξύλον καὶ ἔριον σὴς ἐγκαθήμενος καὶ σκώληξ διατρώγειν εἴωθεν, ὡς ὁ τῆς βασκανίας πυρετὸς αὐτὰ κατεσθίει τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν βασκαινόντων, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν σωφροσύνην λυμαίνεται. Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι, καὶ θηρίων καὶ δαιμόνων χείρους τοὺς βασκαίνοντας προσειπών. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἢ τροφῆς δεόμενα, ἢ πρότερον ὑφ' ἡμῶν παροξυνθέντα, τότε καθ' ἡμῶν καθοπλίζεται· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ εὐεργετηθέντες πολλάκις τὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων τοὺς εὐεργέτας διέθηκαν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν δαίμονες πρὸς μὲν ἡμᾶς ἄσπονδον ἔχουσιν ἔχθραν, τοῖς δὲ ὁμογενέσιν οὐκ ἐπιβουλεύουσιν· οὗτοι δὲ οὐδὲ τὴν κοινωνίαν αἰδοῦνται τῆς φύσεως, οὐδὲ τῆς οἰκείας φείδονται σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν φθονουμένων τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς κολάζουσι, θορύβου παντὸς καὶ ἀθυμίας πληροῦντες αὐτὰς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην. Τοιοῦτον ἡ βασκανία, ἧς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο κακία χείρων. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μοιχὸς καὶ ἡδονὴν καρποῦταί τινα, καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀπαρτίζει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ·","english":"Homily 17. On Envy.\n\nNothing is so accustomed to divide and tear us apart from one another as envy and malice, that grievous disease, deprived of all forgiveness, and far more grievous than the root of evils, covetousness. For the covetous man rejoices when he himself receives; but the malicious man rejoices when another does not receive, reckoning the misfortune of others as a benefit to himself. What could be more insane than this? For neglecting his own evils, he wastes away at the good things of others, making heaven inaccessible to himself, and even before heaven, making the present life unlivable. For neither does the worm that sits in wood and wool and the grub devour them as the fever of malice consumes the very bones of the malicious and corrupts the chastity of the soul. One would not err in calling the malicious worse than both beasts and demons. For the beasts, either needing food or first provoked by us, are then armed against us; but these men, though often benefited, have inflicted the treatment of wrongdoers upon their benefactors. And the demons maintain an implacable enmity against us, but they do not plot against those of their own kind; but these men do not respect even the fellowship of nature, nor spare their own salvation, but before those whom they envy, they punish their own souls, filling them with all manner of turmoil and despondency, vainly and to no purpose. Such is malice, than which no wickedness could be worse. For the adulterer both reaps a certain pleasure, and in a brief time completes his own sin.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":232,"ref":"p232","source":"ὁ δὲ βάσκανος πρὸ τοῦ φθονουμένου ἑαυτὸν κολάζει καὶ τιμωρεῖται, καὶ οὐδέποτε παύσεται τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ πράττειν αὐτήν ἐστι διηνεκής. Καθάπερ γὰρ χοῖρος βορβόρῳ, καὶ δαίμων βλάβῃ χαίρει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος τοῖς τοῦ πλησίον χαίρει κακοῖς· κἂν γένηταί τι ἀηδὲς, τότε ἀναπαύεται καὶ ἀναπνεῖ, τὰς ἀλλοτρίας συμφορὰς οἰκείας εὐθυμίας ἡγούμενος, καὶ οἰκεῖα κακὰ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθά. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ κάνθαροι τρέφονται κόπρῳ, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι ταῖς ἑτέραις δυσημερίαις, κοινοί τινες ἐχθροὶ καὶ πολέμιοι τῆς φύσεως ὄντες. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἄλογον σφαττόμενον ἐλεοῦσιν· οὗτοι δὲ ἄνθρωπον ὁρῶντες εὐεργετούμενον, ἐκθηριοῦνται καὶ τρέμουσι καὶ ὠχριῶσι. Καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς μανίας χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἄν; Τί ὠχριᾷς, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ τρέμεις, καὶ περιδεὴς ἕστηκας; τί γέγονε δεινόν; ὅτι λαμπρὸς ὁ ἀδελφὸς καὶ περιφανὴς καὶ εὐδόκιμος; Οὐκοῦν στεφανοῦσθαί σε ἔδει καὶ χαίρειν καὶ τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζειν, ὅτι τὸ μέλος τὸ σὸν ὁρᾷς λαμπρὸν καὶ περιφανές. Ἀλλὰ ἀλγεῖς ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς δοξάζεται; Ὅρα ποῦ ὁ πόλεμος τείνει. Οὐχὶ τοῦτό με λυπεῖ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἐμοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἐβουλόμην δοξάζεσθαι. Οὐκοῦν χαῖρε εὐδοκιμοῦντος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, καὶ δοξάζεται διὰ σοῦ πάλιν ὁ Θεός. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολέμοις ἦν καὶ ἐχθρὸς, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς δι' αὐτοῦ ἐδοξάζετο, φίλον ἔδει ποιήσασθαι διὰ τοῦτο· σὺ δὲ τὸν φίλον ἐχθρὸν ποιεῖς, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς δοξάζεται δι' αὐτῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως ἐκείνου. Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἑτέρως τὸν πρὸς Χριστὸν ἐπεδείξω πόλεμον; Διὰ τοῦτο, κἂν σημεῖά τις ποιῇ, κἂν παρθενίαν, κἂν νηστείαν, κἂν χαμευνίαν","english":"But the envious man punishes and avenges himself before the one who is envied, and he will never cease from the sin, but is continually in the act of committing it. For just as a pig delights in the mire, and a demon in our harm, so too does this man delight in his neighbor's evils; and whenever something unpleasant happens, then he rests and breathes easily, reckoning others' misfortunes as his own good cheer, and others' goods as his own evils. And just as dung-beetles feed on dung, so too do these feed on others' calamities, being certain common enemies and adversaries of nature. And other men pity even a dumb beast being slaughtered; but these, seeing a man being benefited, become savage and tremble and grow pale. And what could be worse than this madness? Why do you grow pale, tell me, and tremble, and stand in great fear? What terrible thing has happened? That your brother is illustrious and distinguished and well spoken of? Then you ought to be crowned and rejoice and glorify God, because you see your own member illustrious and distinguished. But you are grieved that God is glorified? See where the war tends. It is not this that grieves me, he says, but I wished God to be glorified through me. Then rejoice when your brother is well spoken of, and God is glorified through you again. For even if he were an enemy and at war with you, yet if God was being glorified through him, you ought to have made him a friend for this reason; but you make your friend an enemy, because God is glorified through that man's good repute. And how else could you have shown your war against Christ? For this reason, even if someone works signs, even if virginity, even if fasting, even if sleeping on the ground","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":233,"ref":"p233","source":"ἐπιδείξηται, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους διὰ ταύτης φθάσῃ τῆς ἀρετῆς, τῷ δὲ τῆς βασκανίας ὑποκείμενος ᾖ πάθει, πάντων ἐστὶν ἐναγέστερος. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ φιλεῖν τοὺς φιλοῦντας οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς πλέον ἔχειν ἀφίησι τῶν ἐθνικῶν· ὁ τοῖς φιλοῦσι βασκαίνων, ποῦ στήσεται; Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ πολεμεῖν χεῖρόν ἐστι τὸ βασκαίνειν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολεμῶν, τῆς αἰτίας λυθείσης, δι' ἣν ὁ πόλεμος, καὶ τὴν ἔχθραν κατέλυσεν· ὁ δὲ βάσκανος οὐδέποτε ἂν γένοιτο φίλος. Καὶ ὁ μὲν φανερὰν τὴν μάχην ἐπιδείκνυται, ὁ δὲ συνεσκιασμένην· καὶ ὁ μὲν αἰτίαν ἔχει πολλάκις εἰπεῖν εὔλογον τοῦ πολέμου, ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ μανίαν καὶ γνώμην σατανικήν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ ἀδικῶν οὐκ ἀδικεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀδικεῖται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῷ πλησίον ἐπιβουλεύων, ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖ. Καὶ ὥσπερ, εἰ ἀδικοῦμεν τοὺς πλησίον, ἑαυτοὺς ἀδικοῦμεν, οὕτως εὖ ποιοῦντες αὐτοῖς, ἑαυτοῖς εὖ ποιοῦμεν. Ὁ γὰρ κακῶς ἀκούων ψευδῆ, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἠδίκηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισθὸν ἔχει μέγιστον. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ πάσχων, ἀλλ' ὁ δρῶν κακῶς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς τιμωρίας ἄξιος, ἂν μὴ παράσχῃ λαβὰς τῆς κακηγορίας εὐλόγους ἐκεῖνος. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἀμήχανον παρὰ πάντων ἀκούειν καλῶς τὸν ἐνάρετον, οὕτως ἀμήχανον παρὰ πάντων ἀκούειν κακῶς, ἂν μὴ πολλὰς πολλαχόθεν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ παράσχῃ τὰς ἀφορμάς. Αἱ δημοσίᾳ δὲ γινόμεναι κακηγορίαι πολλάκις ἰταμοὺς καὶ ἀναισχυντοτέρους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιοῦσιν. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἴδωσιν οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, ὅτι δυνατὸν αὐτοὺς λαθεῖν, ἐπανελθεῖν ῥᾳδίως αἱροῦνται· ὅταν δὲ τὴν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἀπολέσωσι δόξαν, εἰς ἀπόγνωσίν τε ἐμπίπτουσι, καὶ εἰς ἀναισχυντίαν ἐξολισθαίνουσιν. Ἀλλ' ἠδικήθης τι παρ' αὐτοῦ·","english":"he shows himself, and through this virtue reaches even to the angels, but the one who is subject to the passion of envy is more accursed than all. For if loving those who love us leaves us with nothing more than the Gentiles have, where will the one who envies those who love him stand? For envying is worse than waging war. For the one who wages war, once the cause for which the war arose is removed, has also dissolved the enmity; but the envious man could never become a friend. And the one displays his battle openly, the other in shadow; and the one often has a reasonable cause to state for the war, the other has nothing other than madness and a satanic mind. And just as the one who does wrong does not wrong but is wronged, so too the one who plots against his neighbor destroys himself. And just as, if we wrong our neighbors, we wrong ourselves, so by doing good to them, we do good to ourselves. For the one who hears false evil spoken of him is not only not wronged, but even has the greatest reward. For it is not the one who suffers but the one who does evil who is worthy of punishment, unless that man provides reasonable grounds for the slander. And just as it is impossible for the virtuous man to be well spoken of by all, so it is impossible for him to be evil spoken of by all, unless he himself provides many occasions for it from many quarters. But slanders made publicly often make men more reckless and more shameless. For as long as the many who sin see that it is possible for them to escape notice, they choose to return easily; but when they have lost the good opinion of the many, they fall into despair and slip into shamelessness. But you have been wronged by him in some matter;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":234,"ref":"p234","source":"τί τοίνυν καὶ σαυτὸν ἀδικεῖς; Ὁ γὰρ ἀμυνόμενος καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ξίφος ὠθεῖ. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει καὶ σαυτὸν εὐεργετῆσαι κἀκεῖνον ἀμύνασθαι, εἰπὲ καλῶς τὸν ἠδικηκότα· ἂν δὲ κακῶς εἴπῃς, οὐ πιστευθήσῃ, τῆς ἔχθρας τὴν ὑποψίαν δεχόμενος. Ἡ γὰρ ἔχθρα προσαπαντῶσα ταῖς τῶν ἀκουόντων διανοίαις, οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτῶν ἐντεθῆναι ταῖς ἀκοαῖς τὰ λεγόμενα. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε κακῶς, ἵνα μὴ καὶ σαυτὸν μολύνῃς· μηδὲ βόρβορον ὕφαινε μετὰ πηλοῦ καὶ πλινθείας, ἀλλὰ στεφάνους ἀπὸ ῥόδων πλέκε καὶ ἴων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθέων· μηδὲ κόπρον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος φέρε, καθάπερ οἱ κάνθαροι· τοῦτο γὰρ οἱ κακηγοροῦντες· αὐτοὶ τῆς δυσωδίας ἀπολαύουσι πρῶτον. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ λοίδορον πάντες ἀποστρέφονται, ὡς σαπρὸν ὄζοντα, καθάπερ τινὰ βδέλλαν ἢ κάνθαρον κόπρῳ τρεφόμενον, τοῖς ἑτέρων κακοῖς· τὸν δὲ εὔφημον ἔχοντα στόμα, ὡς κοινὸν προσίενται μέλος καὶ ὡς ἀδελφὸν γνήσιον. Τί γὰρ τὸν Ἄβελ ἠδίκησεν ὁ Κάϊν; οὐκ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ταχύτερον ἄκων εἰς βασιλείαν παρέπεμψεν, ἑαυτὸν δὲ μυρίοις περιέπειρε κακοῖς; Τί τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἔβλαψεν Ἡσαῦ; οὐχ ὁ μὲν ἐπλούτει, καὶ μυρίων ἀπέλαυεν ἀγαθῶν· αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ τῆς πατρῴας οἰκίας ἐξέπιπτεν, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἀλλότρια ἐπλανᾶτο μετὰ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐκείνην; Οἱ δὲ ἀδελφοὶ τί τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐποίησαν χεῖρον, καὶ ταῦτα μέχρις αἵματος ἐλθόντες; οὐχὶ οὗτοι μὲν καὶ λιμὸν ὑπέμειναν, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐκινδύνευσαν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ βασιλεὺς τῆς Αἰγύπτου γέγονε πάσης; Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν φθονῇς, τοσούτῳ μειζόνων γίγνῃ πρόξενος ἀγαθῶν τῷ φθονουμένῳ. Θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πάντα ἐφορῶν·","english":"Why then do you also wrong yourself? For the one who defends himself thrusts the sword into himself. If, then, you wish both to benefit yourself and to defend yourself against that man, speak well of the one who has wronged you; but if you speak ill, you will not be believed, since you receive the suspicion of enmity. For enmity, meeting the minds of the hearers first, does not allow what is said to enter their ears. Do not, then, speak ill, so that you do not defile yourself as well; nor weave mud together with clay and brickmaking, but weave crowns from roses and violets and the rest of the flowers; nor carry dung from your mouth, like the dung-beetles; for this is what slanderers do: they themselves are the first to enjoy the stench. For everyone turns away from the reviler, as from one reeking rotten, like some leech or dung-beetle feeding on dung, on the evils of others; but the one who has a well-speaking mouth they receive as a common song and as a genuine brother. For what wrong did Cain do to Abel? Did he not unwillingly send him the more quickly into the kingdom, while he pierced himself with countless evils? What harm did Esau do to Jacob? Did not the one grow rich and enjoy countless goods, while he himself fell out of his father's house and wandered in foreign lands after that plot? And what worse did the brothers do to Joseph, and that to the point of bloodshed? Did not these men endure famine and run the risk of the utmost extremities, while he became king of all Egypt? For by as much as you envy, by so much do you become the cause of greater goods for the one envied. For God is the one who oversees all things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":235,"ref":"p235","source":"καὶ ὅταν ἴδῃ τὸν οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντα ἀδικούμενον, μᾶλλον ἐπαίρει καὶ ποιεῖ λαμπρὸν, καὶ ταύτῃ σε κολάζει. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἐφηδομένους τοῖς ἐχθροῖς οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀτιμωρήτους παρελθεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς βασκαίνοντας τοῖς οὐδὲν ἠδικηκόσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τὸν φιλοῦντα ἀγαπῶν, οὐδὲν πλέον ἔχει τελωνῶν· ὁ τὸν οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντα μισῶν, ποίας τεύξεται φιλανθρωπίας; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἀλγεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, τοῖς τοῦ πλησίον καλοῖς; Εἰ γὰρ ἀλγεῖν δεῖ, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτοὶ πάσχομεν κακοῖς ἀλγεῖν ἐχρῆν, οὐκ ἐφ' οἷς ἑτέρους εὐδοκιμοῦντας ὁρῶμεν. Ἢ οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι πάσης ἀπεστέρηται συγγνώμης τουτὶ τὸ ἁμάρτημα; καὶ εἰκότως. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πόρνος ἔχει τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν εἰπεῖν, καὶ ὁ κλέπτης τὴν πενίαν, καὶ ὁ ἀνδροφόνος τὸν θυμὸν, ψυχρὰς μὲν καὶ ἀλόγους, ὅμως δὲ ἔχουσί τινας προφάσεις εἰπεῖν· σὺ δὲ ποίαν αἰτίαν ἐρεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλ' ἢ πονηρίαν ἐπιτεταμένην μόνον. Εἰ γὰρ\n\nἐχθροὺς ἀγαπᾷν κελευόμεθα, ὅταν καὶ τοὺς φιλοῦντας μισῶμεν, ποίαν τίσομεν δίκην; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἀγαπῶν, οὐδὲν ἄμεινον τῶν ἐθνικῶν διακείσεται· ὁ τοῖς μηδὲν ἠδικηκόσιν ἐπηρεάζων, ποίαν ἕξει συγγνώμην; Ὁ δαίμων φθονεῖ μὲν, ἀνθρώποις δὲ, δαίμονι δὲ οὐδενί· σὺ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὢν, ἀνθρώποις φθονεῖς; καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης; Δεινὸν ἡ βασκανία, δεινὸν, καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἀναπείθει καταφρονεῖν σωτηρίας· οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Σαοὺλ δαίμονα πονηρὸν ἐκάλεσε κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς· καὶ καλέσας τῷ ἰατρῷ πάλιν ἐβάσκαινε. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ὁ φθόνος· ᾔδει ὅτι ἐσώθη, καὶ ἀπολέσθαι μᾶλλον ἤθελεν, ἢ τὸν σώσαντα εὐδοκιμοῦντα ἰδεῖν.","english":"And when it sees the one who does no wrong being wronged, it lifts him up all the more and makes him illustrious, and in this way it punishes you. For if it does not let those who rejoice over their enemies go unpunished, how much more those who begrudge those who have done nothing wrong. For if the one who loves the one who loves him has nothing more than the tax collectors, the one who hates the one who does no wrong—what kind of loving-kindness will he obtain? For what reason, then, do you grieve, O man, at the good things of your neighbor? For if one must grieve, one ought to grieve over the evils we ourselves suffer, not over those in which we see others prospering. Or do you not know that this sin is deprived of all forgiveness? And reasonably so. For the fornicator can cite his desire, and the thief his poverty, and the murderer his anger—cold and irrational, yet they have some excuses to offer; but you, what cause will you give, tell me? None, except only an intensified wickedness. For if\n\nwe are commanded to love enemies, when we hate even those who love us, what penalty will we pay? For if the one who loves those who love him will be no better off than the Gentiles, the one who maltreats those who have done nothing wrong—what forgiveness will he have? The demon envies, but humans, not any demon; and you, being a human, envy humans? And what forgiveness will you obtain? Envy is a terrible thing, terrible, and it persuades one to despise one's own salvation; for in this way Saul summoned an evil demon against his own soul; and having summoned it, he again begrudged the physician. For such is envy: he knew that he was saved, and he preferred to perish rather than to see the one who saved him prospering.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":236,"ref":"p236","source":"Καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, διηγήσομαι ὑμῖν τίνας εὐεργεσίας εὐεργέτησεν ὁ Δαυῒδ τὸν Σαοὺλ, καὶ τίσιν αὐτὸν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκεῖνος ἠμείψατο. Πολέμου ποτὲ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους καταλαβόντος χαλεπωτάτου, καὶ πάντων κατεπτηχότων καὶ δεδοικότων, καὶ οὐδενὸς προκύψαι τολμῶντος, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐσχάτοις τῆς πόλεως οὔσης ἁπάσης, καὶ τὸν θάνατον πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἑκάστου βλέποντος, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἀποθανεῖσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν προσδοκώντων ἁπάντων, εἰσελθὼν οὗτος ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων ἐπὶ τὴν παράταξιν, τὸν ἁπάντων ἀνεδέξατο πόλεμον, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ὁρῶν ἀνάγκην ἐπικει μένην αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὺς τοὺς κωλύοντας ἔχων (καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐπετίμα, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἄωρον ἀφορῶν κατεῖχε καὶ μένειν ἐκέλευε), διαθερμανθεὶς οἴκοθεν ἐπὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἔτρεχε, καὶ τοσαύτην κηδεμονίαν περὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἐπεδείξατο, ὡς καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῆς νίκης ἐπ' ὄψιν αὐτὸν κείμενον ἀναστήσας εἰπεῖν· Μὴ συμπεσέτω ἡ καρδία τοῦ κυρίου μου δι' αὐτόν· ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου προελεύσεται καὶ πολεμήσει μετὰ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου τούτου. Ἆρα μικρὸν τοῦτο, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ μηδεμίαν ἀνάγκην ἔχοντα τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιδοῦναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων ὠφελείας εἰς μέσους πηδῆσαι τοὺς πολεμίους, μηδὲν μηδέποτε παρ' αὐτῶν εὖ παθόντα; ἆρα οὐκ ἔδει αὐτὸν μετὰ ταῦτα δεσπότην αὐτὸν ἐπιγράφεσθαι, καὶ σωτῆρα κοινὸν τῆς πόλεως ἀναγορεύειν, τὸν καὶ τὴν ἁπάντων ζωὴν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν διατηρήσαντα; Ποία γὰρ ταύτης εὐεργεσίας μείζων ἑτέρα ἦν;","english":"And, if you wish, I will tell you what benefactions David conferred on Saul, and how he repaid him afterwards. Once, when a most grievous war had overtaken the Jews, and all were terrified and afraid, and no one dared to step forward, but the whole city was in the utmost extremity, and each saw death before his eyes, and all expected to die every day, this man came in from the sheep to the battle line and took up the war on behalf of all, though he saw no necessity pressing upon him, but even had many who tried to prevent him (for his brother rebuked him, and the king, looking to the unripe age of his youth, held him back and ordered him to stay); yet, heated from within, he ran against the barbarians, and showed such solicitude for the king that even before the war and the victory, raising him up when he lay in his sight, he said: Let not the heart of my lord fall because of him; for your servant will go out and fight with this foreigner. Is this a small thing, tell me, for one who had no necessity to give up his own life, and for the benefit of those men to leap into the midst of the enemies, though he had never received any good from them? Ought he not, after these things, to be inscribed as their master, and proclaimed the common savior of the city, who preserved the life of all, after the grace of God? For what other benefaction was greater than this?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":237,"ref":"p237","source":"Οὐ γὰρ εἰς χρήματα, οὐδὲ εἰς δόξαν καὶ δυναστείαν, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν εὐεργεσίαν κατέθετο, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν αὐτὸν ἀνεκαλέσατο τῶν τοῦ θανάτου πυλῶν, καὶ δι' ἐκείνου ἔζη λοιπὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἀπέλαυε τῆς ἀρχῆς. Τίσιν οὖν αὐτὸν μετὰ ταῦτα ἠμείψατο; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτό τις τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ μέγεθος ἴδοι, οὐδ' εἰ τὸν στέφανον ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ λαβὼν κεφαλῆς ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἔθηκεν, οὐδέπω τὴν ἀξίαν ἦν ἀποδεδωκὼς ἀμοιβὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλέον ὀφείλων· ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ καὶ ζωὴν καὶ βασιλείαν αὐτῷ ἐχαρίσατο· οὗτος δὲ βασιλείας αὐτῷ παραχωρεῖν ἔμελλε μόνης. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν αὐτοῦ τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ἐπειδὴ τοῦ βαρβάρου τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔλαβε, καὶ τὰ λάφυρα ἔχων ἐπανῄει, ἐξῆλθον αἱ χορεύουσαι, φησὶν, ᾄδουσαι καὶ λέγουσαι, Ἐπάταξε Σαοὺλ ἐν χιλιάσι, καὶ Δαυῒδ ἐν μυριάσι. Καὶ ὠργίσθη Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἦν ὑποβλεπόμενος τὸν Δαυῒδ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης. Τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι; εἰ γὰρ χρή τι θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, τῷ Σαοὺλ ἐχαρίσαντο μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ Δαυῒδ ταῦτα λέγουσαι· καὶ ἀγαπᾷν αὐτὸν ἐχρῆν, ὅτι τὰς χιλιάδας γοῦν ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ. Τί οὖν ἀγανακτεῖ, ὅτι ἔδωκαν τὰς μυριάδας ἐκείνῳ; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν τι συντελέσας εἰς τὸν πόλεμον, καὶ μικρὰν γοῦν τινα μοῖραν εἰσενεγκὼν, καλῶς ταῦτα ἐλέγετο, ὅτι Σαοὺλ ἐν χιλιάσι, καὶ Δαυῒδ ἐν μυριάσιν· εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς μὲν δεδοικὼς καὶ τρέμων ἔσω ἐκάθητο, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀποθανεῖσθαι προσδοκῶν, οὗτος δὲ τὸ πᾶν εἰργάσατο· πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον ἦν, τὸν μηδὲν εἰς τοὺς κινδύνους συμβαλόμενον ἀγανακτεῖν, ὅτι μὴ τὸ πλέον τῆς εὐφημίας ἔλαβεν;","english":"For he deposited the benefaction not in money, nor in glory and power, but in his very soul, and he called him back from the very gates of death, and through that man the king lived thereafter and enjoyed his rule. How, then, did he repay him after these things? For if one were to consider the greatness of his achievements, not even if he had taken the crown from his own head and placed it on David's, would he have yet rendered a worthy recompense, but would still owe more. For the one granted him both life and kingship; the other was going to yield to him only kingship. Nevertheless, let us see his repayments. When he had taken the barbarian's head and was returning with the spoils, the dancing women came out, it says, singing and saying, Saul struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was angered, and from that day he eyed David with suspicion. For what reason, tell me? For if one must say something astonishing, those women did a favor to Saul rather than to David by saying these things; and he ought to have loved him, because at least they gave him the thousands. Why, then, is he vexed that they gave the ten thousands to that man? For if he had contributed anything to the war, and had brought in even some small part, these things would rightly have been said—that Saul was for thousands, and David for ten thousands. But if he himself sat inside in fear and trembling, expecting each day to die, while this man accomplished everything, how was it not absurd that the one who contributed nothing to the dangers was vexed that he did not receive the greater share of the acclaim?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":238,"ref":"p238","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἀγανακτεῖν ἐχρῆν, τὸν Δαυῒδ ἀγανακτεῖν ἔδει, ὅτι τὸ πᾶν αὐτὸς κατορθώσας μεριστὴν ἕτερον ἔσχε τῆς εὐφημίας. Ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτον ἡ βασκανία· οὐκ ἀνέχεται πράως ὁρᾷν τὴν ἑτέρων εὐπραγίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ πλησίον εὐημερίαν οἰκείαν δυσπραγίαν εἶναι νομίζει, καὶ τήκεται τοῖς τοῦ πλησίον ἀγαθοῖς· καθάπερ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Γεράρων ὑπέμεινεν· ὁρῶν γὰρ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ καθ' ἑκάστην\n\nἡμέραν αὐξανομένην τὴν εὐπορίαν ἐδεδοίκει, καὶ μεταναστῆναι ἐκεῖθεν καταναγκάζει τὸν δίκαιον. Ἄξιον δὲ ἀκοῦσαι καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ῥημάτων τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, ἵνα δι' αὐτῶν θεασώμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἢν περὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ οἰκέτας ἐπιδείκνυται. Ἔσπειρε δὲ, φησὶν, Ἰσαὰκ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ εὗρεν ἑκατοστεύουσαν κριθὴν ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐκείνῳ. Εἶδες φιλοτιμίαν Δεσπότου; εἶδες ἐπίτασιν εὐεργεσίας; Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν ζῆλον, οἷος ἐγίνετο διὰ τὴν τοῦ δικαίου εὐπορίαν· Ἄπελθε, φησὶν, ἀφ' ἡμῶν, ὅτι δυνατώτερος ἡμῶν ἐγένου. Καὶ ἀληθῶς δυνατώτερος ἦν, τὴν ἄνωθεν συμμαχίαν ἔχων ἐν ἅπασι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δεξιᾶς φρουρούμενος. Ποῦ τοίνυν ἀπελαύνεις τὸν δίκαιον; οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι ὅπου ἂν αὐτὸν συμβαίη ἀπελθεῖν, ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Δεσπότου τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἀνάγκη; Κἂν γὰρ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἔρημον ἀπελθεῖν καταναγκά σῃς, οὕτως εὐμήχανον Δεσπότην ἔχει, ὡς κἀκεῖ γενόμενον πολλῷ πλέον περιφανέστερον ἀποδεῖξαι. Διὰ γὰρ τῶν ἐναντίων μάλιστα τὰ ἐναντία πολλάκις οἰκονομεῖ. Αὐτῷ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΗʹ. Περὶ μίσους καὶ ἔχθρας.","english":"For if it was necessary to be indignant, it was David who ought to have been indignant, because after he had set everything right, another shared in the praise. But such is envy: it does not patiently endure to see the prosperity of others, but considers the neighbor's well-being to be its own misfortune, and wastes away at the neighbor's good things—just as King Gerar also endured. For seeing Isaac's wealth increasing each day, he was afraid, and he compels the righteous man to depart from there. But it is worth hearing the very words of divine Scripture, so that through them we may behold God's goodwill, which he displays toward his own servants. \"And Isaac,\" it says, \"sowed in that land, and found a hundredfold harvest of barley in that year.\" Did you see the Master's generosity? Did you see the abundance of his beneficence? But let us also see the king's jealousy, what it became because of the righteous man's prosperity: \"Depart from us,\" he says, \"for you have become stronger than we are.\" And truly he was stronger, having the alliance from above in all things, and being guarded by God's right hand. Where, then, are you driving the righteous man away? Do you not know that wherever he happens to go, he must be in the care of his own Master? For even if you compel him to go into the desert itself, he has so resourceful a Master that, even when he is there, he will show him forth far more conspicuously. For it is especially through opposites that he often orders opposites. To him befit glory, might, honor, and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen. Homily 18. On Hatred and Enmity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":239,"ref":"p239","source":"Εἴ τις παρὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἠδίκηται, εἰς μνήμην τὸν Δαυῒδ λαμβανέτω καὶ εἰς νοῦν βαλλέσθω, ἵνα, ὡς ἔτι ζῇ ἡ καρδία, τῇ μνήμῃ τοῦ πραοτάτου καὶ ἀνεξικάκου τούτου δυνηθῇ τὸ πέλαγος τῆς μήνιδος διαλῦσαι. Διὰ τί γάρ σου ἐχθρός ἐστιν ὁ ἀδελφός; Ὕβρισέ σε; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἠδίκησεν. Ἀλλὰ χρημάτων ἕνεκεν τοῦτον περιορᾷς ἐχθραίνοντα; μὴ, παρακαλῶ. μὴ ἀναβάλῃ τὰ τῆς μήνιδος διακόψαι σχοινία· αἱ γὰρ ἀναβολαὶ μελλήσεις τίκτουσιν· ἂν σήμερον ὑπερθῇ, μᾶλλον ἐρυθριᾷς· κἂν αὔριον προσθῇς, μείζων ἡ αἰσχύνη· κἂν τὴν τρίτην, ἐπὶ πλέον αἰσχυνθήσῃ τὴν ἀναβολὴν μηκυνόμενος. Δότε μοι, παρακαλῶ, μετὰ προθυμίας ταῦτα λέγειν· ποιήσατέ με ἀκοῦσαι ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς συνεχοῦς ταύτης διδασκαλίας ἠνύσαμέν τι· ὅτι ἐχθρόν τις ἀπελθὼν εὐθέως περιέβαλεν ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε, περιεχύθη, περιεπλάκη, κατεφίλησεν, ἐδάκρυσε· κἂν γὰρ θηρίον ἐκεῖνος ᾖ, κἂν λίθος, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, ὑπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης καταμαλαχθεὶς φιλοφροσύνης ἡμερωθήσεται· καὶ σαυτὸν μὲν ἀπαλλάξεις τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, ἐκεῖνον δὲ πρὸς εὔνοιαν ἐπισπασάμενος κερδανεῖς. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι Μιαρὸν ἐχθρὸν ἔχω, πονηρὸν, διεφθαρμένον, ἀδιόρθωτον, καὶ καταλλάξαι αὐτὸν οὐ δύναμαι. Οἷον γὰρ ἂν εἴπῃς, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ Σαοὺλ χείρων· ὃς καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάκις διασωθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Δαυῒδ, αὐτὸς μυριάκις ἐπεβουλεύσατο· εἶτα ἀντὶ τούτων εὐεργετηθεὶς, ἔμενε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πονηρίαν διατηρῶν. Τί γὰρ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν; ὅτι γῆν ἀπετέμετο, καὶ ἐν ἀγρῷ ἠδίκησε, καὶ οἰκίας ὅρια ὑπερέβη, καὶ ἀνδράποδα ἥρπασε, καὶ ὕβρισε, καὶ ἐπλεονέκτησε, καὶ εἰς πενίαν ἤγαγεν;","english":"If anyone has been wronged by his neighbor, let him call David to mind and take thought, so that, while the heart still lives, by the memory of this most gentle and forbearing man he may be able to dissolve the sea of wrath. For why is your brother your enemy? Has he insulted you? But he has done no wrong. But for the sake of money do you overlook him as he shows enmity? Do not, I beg you. Do not postpone cutting the cords of wrath; for delays give birth to hesitations. If you put it off today, you will be more ashamed; and if you add tomorrow, the shame is greater; and if the third day, you will be put to shame all the more as you prolong the delay. Grant me, I beg you, to say these things with zeal; make me hear that from this continuous teaching we have accomplished something: that someone went and immediately threw both arms around his enemy, embraced him, clung to him, kissed him, wept. For even if he is a beast, even if a stone, even if anything at all, softened by such kindness he will be tamed; and you will free yourself from the charges, and by drawing him to goodwill you will gain him. And do not tell me, \"I have a foul enemy, wicked, depraved, incorrigible, and I cannot reconcile him.\" Whatever you say, he is not worse than Saul, who both once and twice and many times was saved by David, yet himself plotted countless times; and then, though benefited in return for these things, he continued preserving his own wickedness. For what do you have to say? That he cut off land, and did wrong in the field, and overstepped the boundaries of houses, and seized slaves, and insulted, and took advantage, and brought you to poverty?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":240,"ref":"p240","source":"Ἀλλ' οὔπω τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφελέσθαι ἐσπούδασεν, οὐχὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς καὶ πολλάκις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοσαῦτα εὐεργετηθεὶς, οὐδὲ εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τὰς σὰς πολλάκις ἐμπεσὼν καὶ διασωθείς. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, καὶ οὕτω πλεονεκτεῖ πάλιν ὁ Δαυῒδ, ὅτι ἀτελεστέροις ἐντρεφόμενος νόμοις, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπαιτοῦσι τοιοῦτον, πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν κορυφὴν τὴν ἐν τῇ χάριτι ἔφθασε. Καὶ σὺ μὲν πολλάκις ὑπὲρ τῶν παρελθόντων ὀργιζόμενος μνησικακεῖς· οὗτος δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων δεδοικὼς, καὶ εἰδὼς ἀκριβῶς ὅτι ἀοίκητος αὐτῷ ἔσται ἡ πόλις, καὶ ἀβίωτος ὁ βίος σώσαντι τὸν ἐχθρὸν, οὐκ ἀφίστατο τῆς ἐκείνου κηδεμονίας, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἔπραττε καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν πολέμιον τρέφων. Τί δήποτέ ἐστιν, εἰπέ μοι, ὅπερ ἐγκαλῶν τῷ ἐχθρῷ οὐ βούλει καταλλαγῆναι; τί γάρ σε τοσοῦτον ἠδίκησε; Χρήματά σε ἀφείλετο; ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἐνέγκῃς γενναίως τὴν ἁρπαγὴν, τοσοῦτον λήψῃ μισθὸν, ὅσον ἂν εἰ ταῖς τῶν πενήτων χερσὶν ἐναπέθηκας. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ πένησι δεδωκὼς, καὶ ὁ τῷ πλεονεκτήσαντι μὴ ἐπιβουλευσάμενος ἢ καὶ καταρασάμενος διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, τὰ αὐτὰ πεποιήκασιν. Ὅταν οὖν ἡ ὑπόθεσις τῆς δαπάνης ᾖ μία, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ὁ στέφανος εἷς. Ἀλλ' εἰς ψυχὴν ἐπεβούλευσε καὶ ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρησε; μαρτύριόν σοι τὸ","english":"But he did not strive to take his life—not twice or three times or many times, nor even after being so greatly benefited, nor after falling many times into your hands and being saved. And in this too, David again has the advantage, because, nurtured on more imperfect laws that demand nothing of the kind, he nevertheless reached the very summit that is in grace. And you, indeed, often, angered over past wrongs, bear a grudge; but he, fearing even for the future, and knowing precisely that the city would be uninhabitable for him and life unlivable if he saved his enemy, did not withdraw from caring for him, but did everything while feeding the enemy against himself. Tell me, what is it, then, that you hold against your enemy and refuse to be reconciled? For how greatly has he wronged you? Did he take your money? But if you bear the plundering nobly, you will receive as great a reward as if you had placed it in the hands of the poor. For both the one who has given to the poor and the one who has not plotted against or cursed the one who defrauded him for God's sake have done the same things. When, therefore, the ground of the expenditure is one, it is evident that the crown is also one. But did he plot against your life and attempt to destroy you? The testimony is yours—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":241,"ref":"p241","source":"πρᾶγμα λογίζεται, ἂν τὸν ἐπίβουλον καὶ μέχρι τοσούτου τὴν ἔχθραν ἐξαγαγόντα, ἐν τοῖς εὐεργέταις ἀριθμῇς, καὶ διατελῇς εὐχόμενος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεων γενέσθαι παρακαλῶν. Μὴ δὴ τοῦτο ἴδωμεν, ὅτι διεκώλυσεν ὁ Θεὸς σφαγῆναι τὸν Δαυῒδ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ διωκόμενον, ἀλλ' ὅτι διπλοῦν καὶ τριπλοῦν καὶ τετραπλοῦν στέφανον μαρτυρίου ἐδύσατο ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου ἐπιβουλῆς. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν πολέμιον σώσας, τὸν ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάκις τὸ δόρυ κατὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ κεφαλῆς ἀκοντίσαντα, καὶ γενόμενος κύριος ἀνελεῖν, εἶτα φεισάμενος, καὶ ταῦτα εἰδὼς ὅτι μετὰ τὴν φειδὼ ταύτην πάλιν ἐπιθήσεται· εὔδηλον ὅτι μυριάκις ἐσφάγη τῇ προθέσει, μυριάκις δὲ σφαγεὶς διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, πολλοὺς ἔχει μαρτυρίου στεφάνους. Καὶ ὅπερ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλογίζετο, καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν ἀπέθνησκε διὰ τὸν Θεόν. Δυνάμενος γὰρ ἀνελεῖν τὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα, διὰ τὸν Θεὸν οὐκ ἠθέλησεν, ἀλλ' εἵλετο κινδυνεύειν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν μᾶλλον, ἢ δικαίαν ἐργασάμενος σφαγὴν, ἀπὸ τοσούτων ἀπαλλαγῆναι θανάτων. Εἰ δὲ τὸν μέχρι ζωῆς αὐτῆς ἐπιβουλεύοντα οὔτε ἀμύνεσθαι οὔτε μισεῖν χρὴ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν εἰς ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο ἀδικοῦντα τῶν ἔξω. Βούλει μαθεῖν ὅτι δυνατὸν, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν, πάντα ἄνθρωπον πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπεχθῶς ἔχοντα καταλλάξαι, κἂν πονηρός τις καὶ διεφθαρμένος καὶ ἀδιόρθωτος ᾖ; Τί λέοντος ἀγριώτερον; ἀλλ' ὅμως τοῦτον ἡμεροῦσιν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ἡ τέχνη τὴν φύσιν βιάζεται, καὶ γίνεται προβάτου παντὸς ἡμερώτερος καὶ ἐπιεικέστερος, ὁ πάντων θηρίων ἀγριώτερος καὶ βασιλικώτερος, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς βαδίζει μηδένα φοβῶν ἡμερότητι.","english":"He reckons this a great thing, if you count the plotter who carried his enmity to such a length among your benefactors, and continue praying for him, and beseeching God to be propitious to him. Let us not look at this, that God prevented David from being slaughtered by Saul when he was pursued, but that he put on a double and triple and quadruple crown of martyrdom from that man's plot. For he who for God's sake saved his enemy, who had once and twice and many times hurled the spear at his own head, and became master to destroy him, and then spared him, and knew this too, that after this sparing he would attack again—it is evident that he was slain ten thousand times in his intention, and having been slain ten thousand times for God's sake, he has many crowns of martyrdom. And what Paul said, this he also reckoned, and died daily for God's sake. For being able to destroy the plotter, for God's sake he did not wish it, but chose rather to be in danger each day than, having wrought a just slaughter, to be delivered from so many deaths. But if one must neither avenge oneself on nor hate the man who plots against one's very life, much more so the man who does wrong in any other of the things outside. Do you wish to learn that it is possible, if we are willing, to reconcile to ourselves every man who is hostilely disposed toward us, even if he be wicked and depraved and incorrigible? What is wilder than a lion? But nevertheless men tame this beast, and art constrains nature, and he becomes gentler and more tractable than any sheep—he who is wilder and more kingly than all beasts—and walks through the marketplace fearing no one, by his gentleness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":242,"ref":"p242","source":"Τίνα οὖν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, τίνα συγγνώμην, θηρία μὲν ἡμεροῦντες, ἀνθρώπους δὲ λέγοντες μὴ δύνασθαι καταπραΰνειν ποτὲ, μηδὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔχειν ἡδέως; καίτοι γε τῷ θηρίῳ μὲν παρὰ φύσιν τὸ ἥμερον, τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ παρὰ φύσιν τὸ ἄγριον; Ὅταν οὖν τῆς φύσεως περιγινώμεθα, τίνα ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, προαίρεσιν λέγοντες μὴ δύνασθαι διορθοῦν; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀνίατα νοσεῖ, ὅσος σοι μείζων ὁ πόνος, τοσοῦτός σοι καὶ ὁ μισθὸς παραμένοντι καὶ θεραπεύοντι τὸν νοσοῦντα ἀνίατα. Τί δὲ τοσοῦτον ἡμάρτηται τῷ ἐχθρῷ, ὅτι ἀναδύῃ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου καταλλαγήν; Εἶπέ σε κακῶς, καὶ μοιχὸν καὶ πόρνον ἐκάλεσε; καὶ τί τοῦτο; εἰ μὲν ἀληθῆ λέγει, διόρθωσαι· εἰ δὲ ψευδῆ, καταγέλασον. Εἰ σύνοιδας σαυτῷ τὰ εἰρημένα, σωφρόνησον· εἰ μὴ σύνοιδας, καταφρόνησον· μᾶλλον δὲ μὴ κατα γελάσῃς, μηδὲ καταφρονήσῃς μόνον, ἀλλὰ χαῖρε καὶ σκίρτα κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου λόγον· Ὅταν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐκβάλωσι τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν ὡς πονηρὸν, ἕνεκεν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψευδόμενοι, χάρητε ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ σκιρτήσατε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰ δὲ ἀληθεύων εἴπῃ, σὺ δὲ μετ' ἐπιεικείας ἐνέγκῃς τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ μὴ ἀνθυβρίσῃς μηδὲ λοιδορήσῃς, ἀλλὰ στενάξῃς πικρῶς καὶ καταγνῷς τῶν πεπλημμελημένων, οὐκ ἐλάττονα τοῦ προτέρου καρπώσῃ μισθόν. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἃ οὐκ ἐποίησαν φίλοι ἐπαινοῦντες καὶ χαριζόμενοι, ἐποίησαν ἐχθροὶ κακῶς λέγοντες, κἂν ἀληθεύωσι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὡς εἰκὸς χαριζόμενοι, εἴτε καὶ κολακεύοντες, πρὸς μείζονα ὄγκον τὴν νόσον ἐπαίρουσιν·","english":"What defense, then, will we have, what excuse, when we tame wild beasts but say that men cannot ever be calmed, nor even feel kindly toward us? And yet gentleness is contrary to the nature of a beast, while savagery is contrary to the nature of a man. When, then, we overcome nature, what defense will we have in saying that the will cannot be corrected? But if he is sick with an incurable disease, the greater your toil, the greater also your reward for remaining and caring for the one who is incurably sick. But what great sin has the enemy committed, that you shrink back from reconciliation with him? Did he speak ill of you, and call you an adulterer and a fornicator? And what of it? If he speaks the truth, correct yourself; if he lies, laugh it off. If you are conscious in yourself of what was said, be chaste; if you are not conscious of it, despise it—or rather, do not merely laugh it off nor merely despise it, but rejoice and leap for joy, according to the word of the Lord. For when, he says, they reproach you and cast out your name as evil, lying for the sake of the Son of Man, rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward is great in the heavens. But if he speaks the truth, and you bear his words with gentleness, and do not revile in return nor insult, but groan bitterly and condemn the sins that were committed, you will reap a reward no less than the former. For often the things that friends did not accomplish by praising and gratifying, enemies accomplished by speaking ill, even if they speak the truth. For the former, as is likely, by gratifying, or even flattering, inflate the disease to a greater swelling.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":243,"ref":"p243","source":"οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἔχθρας κινούμενοι, καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὀνειδίζοντες, εἰς ἀνάγκην ἐνέβαλον διορθώσεως, καὶ γέγονεν ἡμῖν ἡ ἔχθρα μεγίστης ὠφελείας ὑπόθεσις. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγωμεν, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνά με παρώξυνε, καὶ ὁ δεῖνά με προήγαγεν εἰπεῖν ῥήματα αἰσχρά· ἡμεῖς τούτων αἴτιοι πανταχοῦ· ἂν γὰρ θέλωμεν φιλοσοφεῖν, οὐ μόνον ἐχθρὸς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἡμᾶς δυνήσεται πρὸς ὀργὴν κινῆσαι. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ τὸν Δαυῒδ ἱστορίας δῆλον. Αὐτοῦ γὰρ εἰπόντος, Ἰδοὺ τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος ἐν τῇ χειρί μου, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ἃ μετὰ τούτων ἀπελογήσατο τῷ Σαούλ· ἐκεῖνός φησιν, Ἡ φωνή σου αὕτη, τέκνον Δαυΐδ; Ὢ πόση διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐκείνου ῥημάτων ἐπιεικείας τῷ τεθηριωμένῳ τούτῳ ἀθρόον γέγονεν ἡ μεταβολή! ὁ γὰρ μηδὲ ἀπὸ ψιλοῦ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἀνεχόμενος αὐτὸν καλέσαι ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ μισῶν τὴν προσηγορίαν, καὶ εἰς συγγένειαν αὐτὸν ἤγαγε, τέκνον αὐτὸν προσειπὼν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν φθόγγον\n\nδιεθερμαίνετο τῆς φωνῆς. Καὶ καθάπερ πατὴρ χρονίας ἀκούσας φωνῆς παιδὸς ἐπανελθόντος ποθὲν, οὐχὶ πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὴν φωνὴν αὐτὴν διεγείρεται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Σαοὺλ, ἐπειδὴ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Δαυῒδ εἰσελθόντα τὴν ἔχθραν ἐξέβαλεν, ἐπέγνω λοιπὸν τὸν ἅγιον, καὶ πάθος ἀποθέμενος, πάθος ἐδέξατο· ἐκβαλὼν γὰρ θυμὸν, εὐθυμίαν ἐδέξατο καὶ συμπάθειαν. Τί τοῦ Δαυῒδ μακαριώτερόν τε καὶ ὑψηλότερον; ὅτι τὸν ἀνδροφόνον πατέρα ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸν λύκον πρόβατον, καὶ τὴν κάμινον τῆς ὀργῆς δρόσου πολλῆς ἐνέπλησε, καὶ τὰ κύματα εἰς γαλήνην μετέβαλε, καὶ τὴν φλεγμονὴν τοῦ θυμοῦ κατέσβεσεν ἅπασαν.","english":"But those who were moved by hatred and reproached us for our sins forced us into the necessity of correction, and hatred became for us the occasion of the greatest benefit. Let us not, then, say, \"So-and-so provoked me, and so-and-so led me on to speak shameful words\"; we are the cause of these things everywhere. For if we are willing to practice philosophy, not only an enemy, but not even the devil himself will be able to stir us to anger. And this is clear from the story of David. For when he had said, \"Behold, the edge of your cloak is in my hand,\" and all the other things with which he defended himself to Saul, that man says, \"Is this your voice, my son David?\" O how great was the sudden change that came over this man turned into a beast, through the gentleness of his words! For he who could not endure even to call him by his bare name at any time, but hated even his very appellation, was brought even to kinship with him, addressing him as son, and was warmed through at the very sound of his voice. And just as a father who hears the voice of a son returning from somewhere after a long time is stirred not only at the sight of him but also at the very voice itself, so too Saul, when David's words entered and cast out his hatred, recognized the holy man thereafter, and laying aside one passion, received another; for having cast out wrath, he received good cheer and compassion. What is more blessed and more exalted than David? Because he made the murderer a father, and the wolf a sheep, and filled the furnace of anger with abundant dew, and turned the waves into a calm, and quenched all the inflammation of wrath.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":244,"ref":"p244","source":"Μὴ τοῦτο τοίνυν μόνον σκοπῶμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὅπως μηδὲν πάθωμεν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακὸν, ἀλλ' ὅπως μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ἡμεῖς ἐργασώμεθα δεινόν· καὶ οὐδὲν πεισόμεθα κακὸν, κἂν μυρία πάσχωμεν δεινά· ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ ὁ Δαυῒδ φυγαδευόμενος, ἐλαυνόμενος, μέχρι τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς ἐπιβουλευόμενος, ἔπαθέ τι δεινὸν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πολεμίου λαμπρότερος ἦν καὶ σεμνότερος, καὶ ποθεινότερος ἅπασιν, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ. Τί γὰρ ἠδικήθη ὁ ἅγιος ἐκεῖνος τότε, τοσαῦτα παθὼν παρὰ τοῦ Σαούλ; οὐχὶ μέχρι τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας ᾄδεται, καὶ λαμπρὸς μὲν ἐν γῇ, λαμπρὸς δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ; οὐχὶ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα αὐτὸν ἀγαθὰ μένει, καὶ ἡ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεία; Τί δὲ ὠφέλησεν ὁ ταλαίπωρος ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἄθλιος, τοσαῦτα ἐπιβουλεύσας; οὐχὶ καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσε, καὶ ἐλεεινὸν ὑπέστη θάνατον μετὰ τοῦ παιδὸς, καὶ παρὰ πάντων κατηγορεῖται; καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, τὰς ἀθανάτους ἐκδέχεται νῦν τιμωρίας. Ὅταν οὖν τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἴδῃς τὸν σὸν, ἢ καὶ εἰς νοῦν λάβῃς, μὴ τοῦτο λέγε, ὅτι Τὰ καὶ τὰ ἔπαθον, τὰ καὶ τὰ ἤκουσα, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν διὰ τούτων ἀνάψῃς, καὶ τὴν φλεγμονὴν εἰς ὄγκον ἐπάρῃς μείζονα· ἀλλ' ὅσα μὲν ἤκουσας καὶ ἔπαθες λυπηρὰ, πάντα ἐπιλανθάνου· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀναμνησθῇς, τῷ διαβόλῳ ταῦτα λογίζου· σύλλεγε δὲ εἴ τί σοι χρηστὸν εἶπε πώποτε καὶ ἐποίησε, καὶ ταχέως καταλύσεις τὴν ἔχθραν. Κἂν ἐγκαλεῖν καὶ διαλέγεσθαι μέλλῃς, πρότερον τὸ πάθος ἐκβαλὼν, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν σβέσας, οὕτως ἔλεγχε καὶ εὐθύνας ἀπαίτει, καὶ δυνήσῃ περιγενέσθαι ῥᾳδίως. Θυμούμενοι γὰρ οὔτε εἰπεῖν οὔτε ἀκοῦσαί τι δυνησόμεθα ὑγιές·","english":"Let us not, then, my beloved, consider only this—how we may suffer no evil at the hands of our enemies—but how we may do nothing terrible to them; and we shall suffer no evil, even if we suffer countless terrible things. Just as David, though exiled, driven out, and plotted against even to his very life, suffered nothing terrible, but was more brilliant and more revered than his enemy, and more desired by all—not by men only, but by God himself. For how was that holy man wronged then, having suffered so much at the hands of Saul? Is he not sung of to this very day, brilliant on earth and brilliant in heaven? Do not the ineffable good things await him, and the kingdom of the heavens? But what did that wretched and miserable man gain by plotting so much? Did he not fall from the kingdom, and endure a pitiable death along with his son, and is he accused by all? And what is worse, he now awaits immortal punishments. When, therefore, you see your enemy, or even take him into your mind, do not say this: \"I suffered such and such things, I heard such and such things,\" and thereby kindle your anger and raise the inflammation to greater swelling; but all the painful things you heard and suffered, forget them all. And if you do remember them, reckon them to the devil. But gather up whatever good thing he ever said or did to you, and you will quickly dissolve the enmity. And if you are going to accuse and argue with him, first cast out the passion and quench the anger, and then reprove him and demand an account, and you will be able easily to prevail. For when we are angry we shall be able to say or hear nothing sound.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":245,"ref":"p245","source":"ἀπαλλαγέντες δὲ τοῦ πάθους, οὔτε αὐτοὶ ῥῆμα ποτε ἐξοίσομεν τραχὺ, οὔτε ἑτέρων λεγόντων οὕτως ἀκουσόμεθα. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἡ τῶν λεγομένων φύσις, ὡς ἡ τῆς ἔχθρας πρόληψις ἡμᾶς ἀγριοῦν εἴωθε. Καθάπερ γὰρ νυκτὸς παρούσης, οὐδὲ παρόντα πολλάκις ἐπιγινώσκομεν φίλον, ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης καὶ πόῤῥωθεν αὐτὸν ὁρῶντες γνωρίζομεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἔχθρας συμβαίνειν εἴωθεν· ἕως μὲν ἂν ὦμεν ἀηδῶς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔχοντες, καὶ φωνῆς ἑτέρων ἀκούομεν, καὶ ὄψιν μετὰ διεφθαρμένης βλέπομεν γνώμης· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἀποθώμεθα τὴν ὀργὴν, ἡ πρὸ τούτου πολεμία ὄψις καὶ ἀηδὴς, ποθεινὴ καὶ ἐπίχαρις φαίνεται. Ὅταν δὲ ὀνειδίσῃ σε ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἁμάρτημα ὃ σαυτῷ σύνοιδας, σὺ δὲ ἀκούσας ἐκεῖνον μὲν μὴ ὑβρίσῃς, στενάξῃς δὲ πικρὸν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλέσῃς, εὐθέως ἀπέθου τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἅπασαν. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ἡμᾶς ἁπλῶς σε ψυχαγωγεῖν, ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τὴν μαρτυρίαν παρέξομεν. Φαρισαῖός τις ἦν καὶ τελώνης, ὁ μὲν εἰς ἐσχάτην κακίαν ἐληλακὼς, ὁ δὲ δικαιοσύνης ἐπιμελόμενος· καὶ ἀνῆλθον ἀμφότερος εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι. Εἶτα ἐκεῖνος στὰς ἔλεγεν, Ὁ Θεὸς, εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, πλεονέκται, ἢ καὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης. Ὁ δὲ τελώνης πόῤῥωθεν ἑστὼς, οὐκ ἀνθύβρισεν, οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρησεν, οὐκ εἶπέ τι τῶν ψυχρῶν ῥημάτων, ἃ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀλλήλους πλύνοντες λέγομεν, ἀλλὰ πικρὸν στενάξας, καὶ πατάξας τὸ στῆθος, τοῦτο μόνον εἶπεν· Ὁ Θεὸς, Ἱλάσθητί. μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ· καὶ κατῆλθε δεδικαιωμένος. Εἶδες τάχος; κατεδέξατο ὄνειδος, καὶ ἀπενίψατο ὄνειδος·","english":"Once we have been freed from the passion, we shall neither ourselves ever utter a harsh word, nor shall we listen in that way when others speak. For it is not so much the nature of what is said as the preconception of enmity that is accustomed to make us savage. For just as when night is present, we often do not recognize even a friend who is present, but when day comes and we see him from afar we recognize him, so also it is accustomed to happen with enmity: as long as we are ill-disposed toward one another, we both hear the voice of others and see their face with a corrupted judgment; but once we have put away our anger, the face that before was hostile and unpleasant appears desirable and gracious. And when your enemy reproaches you with a sin that you are conscious of in yourself, and you, on hearing it, do not insult him in return but groan bitterly and entreat God, you have straightway put away all your sin. And so that you may not think that we are merely entertaining you, we shall provide the testimony from the divine Scriptures. There was a certain Pharisee and a tax collector—the one had been driven to the utmost wickedness, the other was careful for righteousness—and both went up to the temple to pray. Then that one stood and said, \"O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, greedy, or even like this tax collector.\" But the tax collector, standing far off, did not insult him in return, did not revile him in return, did not say any of those cold words that we say every day when we wash one another, but groaning bitterly and beating his breast, he said only this: \"O God, be merciful to me, a sinner\"—and he went down justified. Did you see the swiftness? He accepted reproach, and he washed away reproach.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":246,"ref":"p246","source":"ἐπέγνω τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ ἀπέθετο τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ ἡ κατηγορία τῆς ἁμαρτίας γέγονεν ἀναίρεσις τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἄκων εὐεργέτης καθίσταται. Ἆρα τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν μακαριώτερον; τί δὲ εὐκολώτερον πρὸς ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγήν; πόσα γὰρ ἔδει καμεῖν τὸν τελώνην, νηστεύοντα,\n\nἀγρυπνοῦντα, χαμευνοῦντα, τὰ ὄντα τοῖς δεομένοις παρέχοντα, ἐν σποδῷ καὶ σάκκῳ καθήμενον ἐν πολλῷ τῷ χρόνῳ, ὥστε δυνηθῆναι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀποθέσθαι ἐκεῖνα; Καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν τούτων ποιήσας, διὰ ψιλοῦ ῥήματος πᾶσαν ἀπέθετο κακίαν καὶ τὰ ὀνείδη, καὶ αἱ λοιδορίαι τοῦ δόξαντος αὐτὸν ὑβρίζειν χωρὶς ἱδρώτων καὶ πόνων καὶ χρόνου μακροῦ στέφανον αὐτῷ δικαιοσύνης ἐκόμισαν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑπερεύχεσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἀφιέναι αὐτοῖς τὰ ὀφειλήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὺς πρώτους τῶν φίλων αὐτοὺς ἀριθμεῖν. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀδικῇς μὲν μηδὲν, ἀποστρέφῃ δὲ καὶ οὐχ ἡδέως ὁρᾷς, καὶ τὸ τραῦμα ἔχῃς ἐνακμάζον σου τῇ ψυχῇ, οὔπω τὴν ἐντολὴν ἐποίησας, ἣν προσέταξεν ὁ Χριστός. Πῶς οὖν αὐτὸς ἵλεων γενέσθαι τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλεῖς, τοῖς εἰς σὲ πεπλημμεληκόσιν οὔπω γεγονὼς ἵλεως αὐτός; Εἰ δὲ βούλει γνῶναι ὅτι, κἂν ἡμεῖς παρακαλέσωμεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ ἠδικηκότων, ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἀφίησιν, ἐὰν μέλλωσι γενέσθαι χείρους διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀνεξικακίας, ἱστορίαν ὑμῖν ἐρῶ παλαιάν. Κατελάλησέ ποτε τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἡ Μαριάμ· τί οὖν ὁ Θεός; λέπραν ἐπαφῆκεν αὐτῇ, καὶ ἀκάθαρτον ἐποίησε, καίτοι γε τὰ ἄλλα οὖσαν ἐπιεικῆ τε καὶ σώφρονα.","english":"He recognized his sins, and he put away his sins, and the accusation of sin became the removal of sin, and the enemy unwillingly is established as a benefactor. What, then, could be more blessed than this? And what is easier for deliverance from sins? For how much would the tax collector have had to toil—fasting, keeping vigil, sleeping on the ground, giving his possessions to those in need, sitting in ashes and sackcloth for a long time—in order to be able to put away those sins? And now, having done none of these things, through a mere word he put away all wickedness and its reproaches, and the insults of the one who seemed to revile him brought him a crown of righteousness without sweat and toil and long time. For this reason God also commanded us to pray for our enemies, so that we not only forgive them their debts, but also count them among the first of our friends. But if you are wronged in nothing, yet you turn away and do not look on pleasantly, and you have the wound still festering in your soul, you have not yet fulfilled the commandment that Christ gave. How, then, do you entreat God to be propitious to you, when you yourself have not yet become propitious to those who have trespassed against you? But if you wish to know that, even if we entreat on behalf of our enemies and those who have wronged us, God does not forgive if they are going to become worse through our forbearance, I will tell you an ancient story. Miriam once spoke against Moses; what then did God do? He inflicted leprosy on her and made her unclean, although in other respects she was gentle and modest.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":247,"ref":"p247","source":"Εἶτα τοῦ Μωϋσέως αὐτοῦ ὑβρισμένου παρακαλοῦντος, ἱκετεύοντος ἀφεῖναι τὴν ὀργὴν, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ τί ἔφη; Εἰ πατέρα εἶχε, καὶ ἐξ ὄψεως αὐτὴν ἐποίησεν, οὐκ ἂν ἤνεγκε τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν; Σὲ μὲν οὖν ἀποδέχομαι τῆς πραότητος καὶ τῆς ἀνεξικακίας, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐδέπω αὐτὴν ἀφεῖναι δεῖ τῆς κολάσεως. Ἀναμνήσθητι τοίνυν τῆς φοβερᾶς κρίσεως, καθ' ἣν ἅπαντα γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα· ἐννόησον ὅτι τὰ κρυπτόμενα νῦν ἀνακαλύπτονται τότε. Ἂν τοίνυν ἀφῇς τῷ πλησίον τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἅπερ ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι μέλλει τότε, ταῦτα ἐνταῦθα ἀφανίζεται πάντα, καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ μηδὲν ἐπισυρόμενος ὧν ἐπλημμέλησας. Ὥστε μείζονα λαμβάνεις, ἢ δίδως. Καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις ἡμαρτήκαμεν τοιαῦτα, ἃ μηδεὶς ἕτερος εἶδεν. Εἶτα ἐννοοῦντες ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἅπαντα κείσεται ἡμῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἐν τῷ κοινῷ τῆς οἰκουμένης θεάτρῳ, οὐ τῆς κολάσεως χαλεπώτερον ἀλγήσομεν πνιγόμενοι καὶ ἀγχόμενοι τῷ συνειδότι; Ἀλλὰ τὴν τοσαύτην σου αἰσχύνην, τὰ τοσαῦτα ἁμαρτήματα ἔστιν ἀπονίψασθαι διὰ τῆς εἰς τὸν πλησίον συγχωρήσεως. Καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, ἀκούσατε ταύτης τῆς ἐντολῆς τὴν δύναμιν· Ἐὰν στῇ Μωϋσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς αὐτούς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως, οὓς οὐκ ἠδύνατο Μωϋσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐξαρπάσαι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, αὕτη δύναται ἐξαρπάσαι ἡ ἐντολή. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκείνοις, οἷς ταῦτα εἶπε, συνεχῶς παρεκέλευε λέγων· Κακίαν ἕκαστος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ μὴ μνησικακείτω ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν· καὶ, Τὴν κακίαν τοῦ πλησίον ὑμῶν μὴ λογίζεσθε. Εἰ δὲ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀγαπᾷν κελευόμεθα, ὅταν καὶ τοὺς φιλοῦντας μισῶμεν, ποίαν τίσομεν δίκην;","english":"Then, when Moses himself, though insulted, pleaded and begged that God would release his anger, God did not yield, but what did he say? If a man had a father, and he did it face to face, would he not have borne the rebuke? You, then, I accept for your gentleness and forbearance, but I must not yet release it from punishment. Remember, therefore, the fearful judgment, in which all things are naked and laid bare; consider that what is hidden now is uncovered then. If, then, you forgive your neighbor the sins that are going to be uncovered then, all these things are wiped away here, and you will depart dragging along nothing of the sins you have committed. So you receive greater things than you give. For often we have sinned in such ways as no one else has seen. Then, when we consider that on that day all our sins will lie before our eyes in the common theater of the world, shall we not grieve more painfully than punishment itself, choked and strangled by conscience? But such great shame of yours, so many sins, can be washed away through forgiveness toward your neighbor. And, if you wish, hear the power of this commandment: Though Moses and Samuel stand, he says, my soul is not toward them. But nevertheless, those whom Moses and Samuel could not snatch from the anger of God, this commandment can snatch away. For this reason he continually urged those to whom he said these things, saying: Let each not bear malice against his brother in your hearts; and, Do not reckon the evil of your neighbor. But if we are commanded to love enemies, when we also hate those who love us, what penalty shall we pay?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":248,"ref":"p248","source":"Εἰ ὁ τὸν φιλοῦντα ἀγαπῶν, οὐδὲν πλέον ἔχει τῶν τελωνῶν· ὁ τὸν οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντα μισῶν, ποῦ στήσεται; πῶς δὲ ἐκφεύξεται γέενναν, τῶν ἐθνικῶν χείρων γενόμενος; Εἰ ὁ μὴ φιλῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, κἂν χρήματα κενώσῃ, κἂν ἐν μαρτυρίῳ διαλάμψῃ, οὐδὲν ἀνύει πλέον· ὁ πολεμῶν τῷ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότι, ἐννόησον πόσης ἂν εἴη τιμωρίας ἄξιος. Εἰ τοῖς τὰ εἰς αὐτοὺς μὴ συγχωροῦσιν ἁμαρτήματα, οὐκ ἀφίησιν ὁ Θεός· τοῖς τοὺς οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότας ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι, ποίαν ἄφεσιν δώσει; Τί τοίνυν μαχόμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰκῆ, τί πολεμοῦμεν ἀλλήλοις, προστεταγμένοι καὶ τοὺς μισοῦντας φιλεῖν; τί λέγεις, ἄνθρωπε· ἐχθρὸν ἔχεις καὶ οὐ καταισχύνῃ; οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν ὁ διάβολος, ὅτι καὶ ὁμογενεῖς ἐπισπώμεθα; Εἴθε μήτε ἐκεῖνος ἠθέλησεν ἡμῖν πολεμεῖν, εἴθε μηδὲ ἐκεῖνος διάβολος ἦν. Οὐκ οἶσθα πόση ἡδονὴ μετὰ τὰς καταλλαγάς; Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ ἐν ἔχθρᾳ οὐ σφόδρα φαίνεται, Εἰ δὲ λέγεις ὅτι φλεγμαίνεις τῆς ὕβρεως μεμνημένος, ἀναμνήσθητι εἰ γέγονέ σοι καλὸν παρὰ τοῦ λελυπηκότος, καὶ ὅσα ἑτέροις σὺ διέθηκας κακὰ, καὶ ταχέως καταλύσεις τὴν ἔχθραν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τοσοῦτον κακῶς ἔπαθες, ὅσον σαυτὸν ἐργάσῃ μνησικακῶν κακόν. Πῶς γὰρ ἐπιτεύξῃ συγγνώμης, ἧς ἑτέροις οὐ μεταδίδως; Ἑλλήνων παῖδες οὐδὲν μέγα","english":"If one who loves the one who loves him has nothing more than the tax collectors, where will the one who hates the one who has done no wrong stand? And how will he escape Gehenna, having become worse than the Gentiles? If one who does not love his brother, even if he empties his wealth, even if he shines in martyrdom, accomplishes nothing more, consider how great a punishment the one who wages war against one who has done no wrong would be worthy of. If God does not forgive those who do not forgive the sins committed against themselves, what kind of forgiveness will he give to those who attempt to wrong those who have done no wrong? Why then do we fight against one another in vain, why do we wage war against one another, when we have been commanded to love even those who hate us? What do you say, man? You have an enemy and you are not ashamed? For the devil is not enough for us, that we also draw in those of the same race? Would that he had not wished to wage war against us, would that he were not even the devil. Do you not know how great the pleasure is after reconciliations? For what if it does not appear very strongly in enmity also? But if you say that you are inflamed by remembering the insult, remember whether any good has come to you from the one who caused you pain, and how many evils you have inflicted on others, and you will quickly put an end to the enmity. For you have not suffered anything so badly as the evil you will do to yourself by remembering wrongs. For how will you obtain forgiveness, which you do not share with others? The children of the Greeks [have done] nothing great","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":249,"ref":"p249","source":"προσδοκῶντες, πολλάκις ἐπὶ ἀνεξικακίᾳ ἐφιλοσόφησαν· καὶ σὺ ὑπὲρ οὗ τὴν ψυχὴν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔδωκε, καὶ οὐδὲ σφαγῆναι παρῃτήσατο, ἐχθροῦ ὄντος, καὶ ἐπὶ τοιαύταις ἐλπίσι μέλλων ἀποδημεῖν, ἀναδύῃ καὶ ὀκνεῖς πρὸς τὸ καταλῦσαι τὴν ἔχθραν; Καὶ ὅπερ ὁ χρόνος ποιεῖ, τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνέχῃ πρὸ τοῦ χρόνου ποιῆσαι διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον, ἀλλ' ἀμισθὶ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ μισθῷ βούλει σβεσθῆναι τὸ πάθος; Οὐδὲ γὰρ, ἂν ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου γένηται τοῦτο, ἔσται σοί τι πλέον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴ ἡ κόλασις, ὅτι ὅπερ ὁ χρόνος εἰργάσατο, τοῦτο ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμος οὐκ ἔπεισέ σε ποιῆσαι· Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο μάλιστά σοι μισθὸν ἄφατον πορίζει, ἵνα φθάσῃς ἐκεῖνον· ὡς, ἐὰν παρακληθεὶς καταλλαγῇς, οὐκ ἔτι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προσταγῆς γέγονεν ἡ φιλία, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνου σπουδῆς· διὸ καὶ ἀστεφάνωτος ἀναχωρεῖς, ἐκείνου τὰ βραβεῖα λαμβάνοντος. Λῃσταὶ κοινωνοῦντές τισιν, οὐκέτι εἰσὶ λῃσταὶ πρὸς οὓς ἂν κοινωνήσωσιν, ἀλλὰ μεταβάλλει τὸν τρόπον ἡ τράπεζα, καὶ τοὺς τῶν θηρίων ἀγριωτέρους προβάτων ἡμερωτέρους ποιεῖ· ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιαύτης τραπέζης μετέχοντες, τοιαύτης κοινωνοῦντες τροφῆς, ὁπλιζόμεθα κατ' ἀλλήλων; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν καὶ τῶν θηρίων χείρους; Διά τοι τοῦτο ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀσθενέστεροι, ὁ δὲ πάντων ἡμῶν πολέμιος ἰσχυρότερος καθ' ἑκάστην γίνεται τὴν ἡμέραν. Οὐ γὰρ μετ' ἀλλήλων κατ' ἐκείνου φραττόμεθα, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐκείνου κατ' ἀλλήλων ἱστάμεθα, καὶ αὐτῷ στρατηγῷ πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας παρατάξεις κεχρήμεθα. Οὗ τὴν στρατηγίαν ἐκφύγοιμεν, χάριτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.","english":"expecting, have often philosophized about forbearance; and you, for whom Christ gave his soul, and did not even refuse to be slain, though he was an enemy, and who are about to depart on such hopes—do you shrink back and hesitate to put an end to enmity? And what time accomplishes, are you unwilling to do before time for the sake of the law of God, but would rather have the passion extinguished without reward than with reward? For even if this comes about from time, it will be no advantage to you, but great indeed is the punishment, because what time accomplished, the law of God did not persuade you to do. For this very reason it provides you with an ineffable reward, that you may anticipate that day; since, if you are reconciled when entreated, the friendship is no longer of God's command, but of that one's zeal; therefore you also depart uncrowned, while he receives the prizes. Robbers who share meals with certain people are no longer robbers toward those with whom they share, but the table changes their manner, and makes those fiercer than wild beasts gentler than sheep; but we, who partake of such a table, who share such food, arm ourselves against one another? And how would we not be worse even than the wild beasts? For this very reason we become weaker, and the enemy of us all stronger each day. For we are not fenced together against him, but we stand with him against one another, and we use him as general for such battles. May we escape his generalship, by the grace of Christ, to whom befit glory, power, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":250,"ref":"p250","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΘʹ. Περὶ λύπης καὶ ἀθυμίας.\n\nΤὴν 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. Καιρὸς γὰρ ἀθυμίας, οὐχ ὅταν πάσχωμεν κακῶς, ἀλλ' ὅταν δρῶμεν κακῶς. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν τάξιν ἀντεστρέψαμεν, καὶ τοὺς καιροὺς ἀντηλλαξάμεθα· καὶ ποιοῦντες μὲν μυρία κακὰ, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ βραχὺ συστελλόμεθα· ἂν δὲ μικρόν τι παρά τινος πάθωμεν, καταπίπτομεν, καὶ ἰλιγγιῶμεν, καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τοῦ παρόντος βίου εὐχόμεθα, οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι αἱ θλίψεις καὶ οἱ πειρασμοὶ καὶ τὰ συμβαίνοντα ἡμῖν ἀνιαρὰ τῶν χρηστῶν οὐχ ἧττον τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν κηδεμονίαν ἐνδείκνυνται. Καὶ τί λέγω τὰς θλίψεις τὰς ἐνθάδε; τῆς γὰρ βασιλείας τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον ἡ τῆς γεέννης ἀπειλὴ παρίστησι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν αὐτοῦ· εἰ γὰρ μὴ γέεννα ἠπείλητο, οὐκ 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. Ἄλλως τε καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λύπη καὶ ἀθυμία γεγένηται, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπὶ θανάτῳ, οὐδ' ἵνα ἐπὶ ζημίᾳ χρημάτων, οὐδὲ ἵνα ἐπ' ἄλλῳ τινὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἀλγῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰς τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναίρεσιν αὐτῇ καταχρώμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ στρατιώτης θάνατον δεδοικὼς οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε γενναῖον ἐργάσεται. Τὸν τοίνυν ἀλγοῦντα οὐχ ὑπὲρ ὧν κολάζεται, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὧν ἁμαρτάνων παροξύνει τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλγεῖν δεῖ. Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἀφίστησιν ἡμῶν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐχθρὸν ποιεῖ·","english":"Homily 19. On grief and despondency.\n\nGod has implanted despondency in our nature, not so that we should use it indiscriminately and inopportunely, even in circumstances that oppose it, nor so that we should destroy ourselves, but so that we might gain the greatest benefits from it. For the time for despondency is not when we suffer evil, but when we do evil. But we have reversed the order and exchanged the seasons: when we commit countless evils, we are not in the least restrained; but if we suffer some small thing at someone's hands, we collapse and grow dizzy and pray to be delivered from the present life, not knowing that afflictions and trials and the painful things that befall us no less display God's care for us than do good things. And why do I speak of afflictions 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 quickly have attained the good things in heaven. For the promise of good things alone is not sufficient to urge us toward virtue, unless the fear of dreadful things also drives forward those who are more slackly disposed toward it. And besides, it is for this reason that grief and despondency have come to be—not so that we should feel pain over death, nor over loss of money, nor over any other such thing, but so that we should employ it for the removal of sins. For a soldier who fears death will never do anything noble. Therefore the one who grieves should grieve not over the things for which he is punished, but over the things by which, sinning, he provokes God. For this separates us from God and makes him an enemy—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":251,"ref":"p251","source":"ἐκεῖνο δὲ καταλλάττει τε αὐτὸν ἡμῖν μάλιστα, καὶ ἐγγὺς ἡμῶν εἶναι παρασκευάζει. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἰς τὸν παρόντα βίον ἐξηνέχθης, ἄνθρωπε, οὐχ ἵνα ἀργῶν τρέφῃ, οὐδ' ἵνα μὴ πάσχῃς μηδὲν δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ἵνα παθὼν λαμπρότερος ᾖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς γενναίου τὸ τὴν ἄνεσιν ζητεῖν καὶ τρυφῆς ἀπολαύειν, ἀλλὰ σκώληκος ἀλόγου μᾶλλον ἡ ἐπιθυμία, ἢ λόγον ἔχοντος. Καὶ εὔχου μὲν μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· εἰ δέ ποτε ἐμβαίης, μὴ δυσχέραινε, μηδὲ θορυβοῦ, μηδὲ ταράττου, ἀλλ' ὅπως γένῃ λαμπρότερος, πάντα ποίει. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν τοὺς ἀνδρειοτάτους, πῶς τῆς σάλπιγγος καλούσης πρὸς τὰ τρόπαια βλέπουσι, πρὸς τὰς νίκας, πρὸς τοὺς\n\nκατωρθωκότας τῶν προγόνων; Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν τῆς σάλπιγγος ἠχούσης τῆς πνευματικῆς, στῆθι λέοντος σφοδρότερος· ἔμβηθι, κἂν πῦρ ᾖ, κἂν σίδηρος· οἶδε καὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοὺς οὕτως ἀνδρείους αἰδεῖσθαι· οἶδε καὶ τὰ θηρία τοὺς οὕτω γενναίους δεδοικέναι· κἂν ὑπὸ λιμοῦ, κἂν ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως αὐτῆς ἀγριαίνηται, πάντων ἐπιλανθάνεται καὶ κρατεῖ τοῦ πάθους. Τὸν Χριστιανὸν οὖν, εἴποτε λυποῖτο, δύο μόνον ὑποθέσεις ἀθυμίας ἔχειν δεῖ· ἢ ὅταν αὐτὸς, ἢ ὅταν ὁ πλησίον προσκρούσῃ Θεῷ. Τοὺς οὖν κακηγορουμένους οὐκ ἀγωνιᾷν δεῖ καὶ τρέμειν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κακηγοροῦντας· οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἀναγκάζονται ἀπολογεῖσθαι ὑπὲρ ὧν κακῶς ἤκουσαν, ἀλλ' οὗτοι ὑπὲρ ὧν κακῶς εἶπον· τούτοις γὰρ ἀποκρέμαται ὁ κίνδυνος ἅπας. Ὥστε τοὺς μὲν κακῶς ἀκηκοότας ἀμερίμνους δεῖ εἶναι· οὐ γὰρ παρέξουσιν εὐθύνας ὑπὲρ ὧν ἕτερος εἶπε κακῶς·","english":"But that especially reconciles him to us and prepares him to be near us. For this is why you were brought into the present life, O man—not so that you might be fed in idleness, nor so that you might suffer nothing terrible, but so that by suffering you might become more glorious. For it is not the mark of a noble man to seek ease and enjoy luxury; rather, that desire belongs to an irrational worm, or to one who has reason. And pray that you may not fall into temptation; but if ever you do enter it, do not be vexed, nor disturbed, nor troubled, but do everything so that you may become more glorious. Or do you not see the bravest of the soldiers, how when the trumpet calls they look to the trophies, to the victories, to those\n\nof their ancestors who have succeeded? You too, therefore, when the spiritual trumpet sounds, stand fiercer than a lion; step in, even if it be fire, even if it be iron. The elements themselves know how to respect those who are so brave; the wild beasts too know how to fear those who are so noble; even if by famine, even if by nature itself they are made savage, it forgets all things and masters the passion. The Christian, then, whenever he is grieved, ought to have only two grounds for despondency: either when he himself, or when his neighbor, has offended God. Therefore it is not those who are reviled who ought to be anxious and tremble, but those who revile; for it is not the former who are compelled to give an account for the things they heard evilly, but the latter for the things they spoke evilly; for upon these hangs the whole danger. So that those who have been evilly spoken of ought to be free from care; for they will not give reckoning for the things another has spoken evilly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":252,"ref":"p252","source":"τοὺς δὲ εἰρηκότας ἀγωνιᾷν καὶ τρέμειν, ἅτε αὐτοὺς μέλλοντας εἰς τὸ φοβερὸν δικαστήριον ὑπὲρ τούτων ἕλκεσθαι. Διὰ τοῦτο μὴ τῷ κακῶς ἀκούειν ἀλγῶμεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ δικαίως ἀκούειν κακῶς· ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶμεν, κἂν μηδεὶς ὁ κακηγορῶν ᾖ, πάντων ἐσμὲν ἀθλιώτεροι· ἂν δὲ ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελώμεθα, κἂν ἡ οἰκουμένη λέγῃ κακῶς, τότε πάντων ἐσόμεθα ζηλωτότεροι. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἡ διάνοια καλῶς ἡμῖν ᾖ κατεσκευασμένη, κἂν μυρίοι πανταχόθεν ἐγείρωνται χειμῶνες, ἐν γαλήνῃ καὶ λιμένι καθεδούμεθα διαπαντός. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐκ εὖ ἐχούσης αὐτῆς, κἂν ἐξ οὐρίων ἡμῖν ἅπαντα φέρηται, τῶν ἐν ναυαγίοις ὄντων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακεισόμεθα. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σιτίων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ἐῤῥωμένον ἡμῖν τὸ σῶμα τῆς γαστρὸς ᾖ, πᾶν ὅπερ ἂν δέχηται, κἂν σκληρὸν ᾖ, κἂν αὐτοακατέργαστον, πρὸς καθαρὸν αὐτὸ μετασχηματίζει χυμὸν, τῆς φυσικῆς κράσεως περιγινομένης τῆς ἐν τῷ σιτίῳ κακίας· ὅταν δὲ ὁ τόνος αὐτοῦ καταλελυμένος ᾖ καὶ χαῦνος, κἂν τὸ πάντων εὐχυμότερον αὐτῇ προσενέγκῃς ἔδεσμα, εἰς τὸ χείριστον αὐτὸ μετεῤῥύθμισε καὶ διέφθειρε, τῆς ἀσθενείας τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτοῦ λυμαινομένης. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι ψυχὴν ὀδυνωμένην καὶ νέφει κατεχομένην ἀθυμίας δυνηθῆναι μετὰ προθυμίας ἢ ἀκοῦσαί τι τῶν λεγομένων χρησίμως, ἢ εἰπεῖν. Τῶν γὰρ ὀδυνωμένων αἱ ψυχαὶ οὐ θέλουσι μακροὺς ἀποτείνειν λόγους, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ νεφέλη τις πυκνὴ γενομένη, καὶ τὴν ἡλιακὴν ἀκτῖνα ὑποδραμοῦσα, ἀποστρέφει τὴν αὐτὴν ἅπασαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω·","english":"But those who have said this are in agony and trembling, inasmuch as they are about to be dragged before the fearful judgment seat for these things. Therefore let us not grieve at being spoken of badly, but at being spoken of badly justly; for if we live in wickedness, even if no one is slandering us, we are more wretched than all; but if we take care for virtue, even if the whole inhabited world speaks ill of us, then we shall be more enviable than all. For if our mind is well ordered, even if ten thousand storms are stirred up from every side, we shall sit in calm and in a harbor continually. Just as, then, when it is not well, even if everything comes to us with favoring winds, we shall be in no better state than those in shipwrecks. This one may see also in the case of foods. For when the body of our stomach is strong and vigorous, whatever it receives, even if it be hard, even if it be quite unworked, it transforms it into a pure humor, the natural temperament overcoming the badness in the food; but when its tone is relaxed and flabby, even if you bring it the most succulent of all dishes, it changes and corrupts it into the worst, the weakness damaging its virtue. For it is not possible for a soul that is in pain and held by a cloud of despondency to be able either to hear anything of what is said profitably with eagerness, or to speak. For the souls of those in pain do not wish to stretch out long speeches, but as a certain thick cloud comes into being and runs beneath the sun's ray, it turns the whole of it back again;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":253,"ref":"p253","source":"οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἀθυμίας νέφος, ἐπειδὰν στῇ πρὸ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας, οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτῇ εὔκολον γενέσθαι τὴν τοῦ λόγου διάβασιν, ἀλλ' ἀποπνίγει καὶ συνέχει μετὰ πολλῆς ἀνάγκης ἔνδον αὐτόν. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν λεγόντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκουόντων γίνεται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ λέγοντος ψυχῆς οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἐκπηδῆσαι μετ' εὐκολίας, οὕτως οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων διάνοιαν ἐμπεσεῖν συγχωρεῖ, μετὰ τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ἰὼβ φίλοι πρὸς τοῦτον παραγενόμενοι, καὶ τὴν τραγῳδίαν τῆς οἰκίας ἐκείνης ἰδόντες, καὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκείνης καθήμενον καὶ ἡλκωμένον, διέῤῥηξάν τε τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ ἀνῴμωξαν, καὶ σιγῇ παρεκάθηντο, δηλοῦντες, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὕτως ἐπιτήδειον παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῖς ὀδυνωμένοις, ὡς ἡσυχία καὶ σιγή. Μάθε τοίνυν ὡς ὁ συγχωρήσας τὸν πειρασμὸν γενέσθαι, αὐτὸς οἶδε καὶ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς λύσεως τοῦ πειρασμοῦ. Δυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἅπαντα λῦσαι τὰ δεινὰ, ἀλλὰ ἕως ἂν ἴδῃ γενομένην ἐπιστροφὴν, οὐ καταλύει τὴν θλῖψιν. Καὶ θαύμαζε τοὺς πειραζομένους, καὶ γενναίως τοὺς πειρασμοὺς ὑπομένοντας, καθάπερ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς τρεῖς, οὓς οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐθαύμασε μὴ κατακαέντας, εἰ πόῤῥω τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἦσαν καμίνου. Τὸ γὰρ ἐκπλῆξαν ἅπαντας τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι τῷ πυρὶ τοσοῦτον ὁμιλήσαντες χρόνον, τῶν οὐχ ὁμιλησάντων ἐξέβησαν ἀλυπότεροι. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι εἰ μηδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐπήγετο πειρασμὸς, οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἐθαυμάσαμεν διηνεκῶς χαίροντας. Καίτοι γὰρ μυρίοις κυκλούμενοι κύμασι πάντοθεν, τῶν γαλήνης καθαρᾶς ἀπολαυόντων ῥᾷον διέκειντο.","english":"Thus also a cloud of despondency, whenever it stands before our soul, does not allow the passage of the word to become easy for it, but chokes it and holds it within with much constraint. And this happens not only with those who speak, but also with those who hear. For just as it does not allow the word to leap out easily from the soul of the speaker, so it does not permit it to fall into the mind of the hearers with its own proper force. For indeed the friends of Job, having come to him and seen the tragedy of that house, and the righteous man sitting on that dunghill and covered with sores, tore their garments and wailed, and sat by him in silence, showing that nothing is so fitting for those in pain at the beginning as quiet and silence. Learn, then, that the one who permitted the trial to come to pass himself also knows the time of the trial's release. For God is able to loose all dreadful things, but until he sees that turning has taken place, he does not destroy the affliction. And marvel at those who are tried and who bravely endure the trials, just as the three children, whom no one would have marveled at had they not been burned, if they had been far from the Babylonian furnace. For this is what amazed everyone, that after conversing with the fire for so long a time, they came out more free from pain than those who had not conversed with it. Thus also in the case of the saints it can be said that if no trial had been brought upon them, we would not have marveled at them as rejoicing continually. For although encircled by countless waves on every side, they were in a better condition than those enjoying clear calm.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":254,"ref":"p254","source":"Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μηδὲν ἦν τὸ λυποῦν, οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς μέγα τὸ δύνασθαι διηνεκῶς χαίρειν· τὸ δὲ πολλῶν ἐπικειμένων τῶν εἰς ἀθυμίαν\n\nἐμβαλλόντων ἀνωτέρους ἁπάντων εἶναι, καὶ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς λυπηροῖς εὐφραίνεσθαι, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ παράδοξον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ θάνατος οὐ πάντων ἀφορητότερος εἶναι δοκεῖ; ἀλλ' ἡ τούτου προσδοκία οὐ μόνον αὐτοὺς οὐ λυπεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως εὐφραίνει. Οἴδασι γὰρ ὅτι ἡ τοῦ θανάτου παρουσία πόνων ἐστὶν ἀπαλλαγὴ, καὶ ὅτι ἔθος τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ τιμᾷν τοὺς αὐτοῦ δούλους, καὶ χαρίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς πολλάκις καὶ τὴν ἑτέρων σωτηρίαν· ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Παύλου πεποίηκε, τοῦ διδασκάλου τῆς οἰκουμένης, τοῦ πανταχοῦ τὰς ἀκτῖνας τῆς οἰκείας διδασκαλίας ἀφιέντος. Ἡνίκα γὰρ οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην ἀνήγετο. χειμῶνος κατὰ τὴν θάλασσαν πολλοῦ γενομένου, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν πλοίῳ περὶ αὐτῆς τῆς σωτηρίας δεδοικότων, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἐλπίδα χρηστὴν ἐχόντων διὰ τὸ τοῦ κλυδωνίου μέγεθος, καλέσας ἅπαντάς φησιν· Εὐθυμεῖτε, ἄνδρες· ἀποβολὴ γὰρ ψυχῆς οὐδεμία ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν, πλὴν τοῦ πλοίου. Παρέστη γάρ μοι ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὗ εἰμὶ καὶ λατρεύω, ἄγγελος λέγων· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Παῦλε· κεχάρισται γάρ σοι ὁ Θεὸς πάντας τοὺς πλέοντας μετὰ σοῦ. Τούτου συνεχῶς μνημονεύωμεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖ, ὡς τὸ συνεχῶς μεμνῆσθαι τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τῶν κοινῇ καὶ τῶν ἰδίᾳ. Εἰ γὰρ φίλου εὐεργεσιῶν ἀναμνησθέντες, ἢ ῥῆμα προσηνὲς ἀκούσαντες ἢ πρᾶγμα, διαθερμαινόμεθα· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὅταν ἴδωμεν πόσοις κινδύνοις περιεπέσομεν, καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων ἡμᾶς ἐξείλετο ὁ Θεὸς, προθυμότεροι περὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐσόμεθα·","english":"For if there were nothing causing them grief, it would not be a great thing for them to be able to rejoice continually; but when many things press upon them and cast them into despondency, to be above them all, and to rejoice in the midst of sorrowful circumstances—this is the paradoxical thing. For does not death seem to be more unbearable than anything? Yet the expectation of it not only does not grieve them, but even makes them rejoice more greatly. For they know that the presence of death is a release from labors, and that it is the custom of the philanthropic God to honor his servants, and often to grant them even the salvation of others; just as he also did in the case of the holy Paul, the teacher of the world, who sent forth everywhere the rays of his own teaching. For when he was being brought up to Rome, a great storm arising at sea, and all those in the ship fearing for their very safety, and having no good hope because of the greatness of the surge, he called them all together and said: Be of good cheer, men; for there will be no loss of life among you, except of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying: Do not fear, Paul; for God has granted you all those who sail with you. Let us continually remember this. For nothing benefits us so much as continually remembering the benefactions of God, both those common to all and those private. For if, when we recall a friend's benefactions, or hear a kind word or deed, we are warmed through, how much more, when we see how many dangers we have fallen into and how God has delivered us from them all, shall we be more eager for virtue.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":255,"ref":"p255","source":"ὡσπεροῦν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· οὗ τὸν μὲν λιμὸν καὶ τὸ δίψος, καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν, καὶ τὰ ναυάγια, καὶ τοὺς φόβους, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τὰ δεσμωτήρια, καὶ τὰς πληγὰς, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὅσα τοῦ κηρύγματος ἕνεκεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ὑπέμεινεν, οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν λέγειν. Ἱκανὸν γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἕκαστον συνταράξαι σφοδρῶς καὶ κατακλάσαι τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκείνην ψυχήν· ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ, Τίς ἀσθενεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ μάλιστα πάντων αὐτῷ διηνεκῆ καὶ ἀφόρητον παρεῖχε τὴν ἀθυμίαν. Εἰ γὰρ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἐπυροῦτο αὐτὸς, οὐκ ἐνῆν σβεσθῆναι τὴν πύρωσιν ταύτην ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου ψυχῆς· οὐ γὰρ διελίμπανον οἱ σκανδαλιζόμενοι, καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν παρέχοντες τῷ πυρί. Τὸ δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀπιστοῦντας ὁρᾷν, τίνα ἂν ἀθυμίας καὶ ὀδύνης μικρὰν γοῦν ἀνακωχὴν ἔχειν ἠδύνατο; Ηὐχόμην γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν συγγενῶν μου κατὰ σάρκα, οἵτινές εἰσιν Ἰσραηλῖται. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Ποθεινότερον ἦν μοι εἰς γέενναν ἐμπεσεῖν, ἢ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ἀπιστοῦντας ὁρᾷν. Ὁ δὲ τὴν ἐν γεέννῃ κόλασιν ἑλόμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ δυνηθῆναι προσαγαγέσθαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἅπαντας, εὔδηλον ὅτι τούτου μὴ τυχὼν, τῶν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ κολαζομένων διῆγε βαρύτερον. Πρὸς ὃν εἴρηται καὶ τὸ, Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται· τουτέστιν, Ἀρκεῖ σοι ὅτι νεκροὺς ἐγείρεις, ὅτι τυφλοὺς θεραπεύεις, ὅτι λεπροὺς καθαί ρεις, ὅτι τὰ ἄλλα θαυματουργεῖς· μὴ ζήτει καὶ τὸ ἀκίνδυνον καὶ ἀδεὲς καὶ τὸ χωρὶς πραγμάτων κηρύττειν.","english":"Just as also Paul—concerning whom, his hunger and thirst, his nakedness, his shipwrecks, his fears, his plots, his prisons, his beatings, and all the other things that the blessed Paul endured for the sake of the preaching, I think there is no need to speak. For each of these alone was enough to shake violently and break down that holy soul. But when he says, \"Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?\"—this is what most of all gave him continual and unbearable despondency. For if he burned for each one of those who were made to stumble, that burning could not be quenched from his soul; for those who were made to stumble did not cease, providing fuel for the fire. And to see the Jews also unbelieving—what small relief of despondency and pain could he possibly have? \"For I could wish,\" he says, \"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 unbelieving. But 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. To him it was also said, \"My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is perfected in weakness\"—that is, It is sufficient for you that you raise the dead, that you heal the blind, that you cleanse lepers, that you work other wonders; do not seek also to preach without danger and without fear and without troubles.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":256,"ref":"p256","source":"Ἀλλὰ ἀλγεῖς καὶ ἀθυμεῖς; μὴ δόξῃς τοῦτο ἀσθενείας εἶναι ἐμῆς, τὸ πολλοὺς εἶναι τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας καὶ δέροντάς σε καὶ ἐλαύνοντας καὶ μαστίζοντας· τοῦτο μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ δείκνυσί μου τὴν δύναμιν (Ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου, φησὶν, ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται), ὅταν διωκόμενοι τῶν διωκόντων περιγένησθε, ὅταν ἐλαυνόμενοι τῶν ἐλαυνόντων κρατῆτε, ὅταν δεσμούμενοι τοὺς δεσμοῦντας τρέπητε. Ἀλλὰ δεινὸν μὲν καὶ τὸ ὑφ' ὁτουοῦν ἀκούειν κακῶς· ὅταν δὲ καὶ τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων τις ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν ᾖ, καὶ τὰς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐεργεσίας ὀνειδίζῃ καὶ προφέρῃ, τότε δὴ, τότε ἡ ὕβρις ἀφόρητος γίνεται, καὶ τοσοῦτον μετὰ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐπάγει καὶ τὸν θυμὸν, ὡς καὶ ἀποπνίξαι τὸν ὑβριζόμενον δύνασθαι. Ἦ ὁ μὲν ὑπό τινος μεγάλου παθὼν κακῶς, ἔχει φιλοτιμίαν οὐ μικρὰν, τὴν τοῦ ποιοῦντος ὑπεροχήν· ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ εὐτελοῦς καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένου, μείζονα ἔχει τὴν ἀνίαν, καὶ ἀνυπομόνητον τὴν θλῖψιν λογίζεται. Ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῦτο σκόπει, εἰ σκώπτουσιν ἡμᾶς\n\nτινες, ἀλλ' εἰ καλῶς καὶ δικαίως· κἂν μὲν δικαίως, καὶ μὴ γελώντων ἐκείνων, ἡμεῖς δακρύωμεν· ἂν δὲ ἀδίκως, κἂν ἅπαντες γελῶσιν, ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς μὲν μακαρίζωμεν, ἐκείνους δὲ θρηνῶμεν, ἅτε πάντων ἀθλιωτέρους ὄντας, καὶ τῶν μαινομένων οὐδὲν διαφέροντας· εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἀφορητότερον τοῖς ὀδυνωμένοις ἐστὶ λόγου δυναμένου δακεῖν ψυχήν. Ταῦτα καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀλλήλοις λέγετε καθ' ἑκάστην, καιροῦ τυγχάνοντες.","english":"But are you in pain and disheartened? Do not think that this is a sign of my weakness—that many are plotting against you and beating you and driving you and scourging you; rather, this very thing demonstrates my power (for he says, My power is made perfect in weakness), when, being persecuted, you prevail over those who persecute you; when, being driven, you master those who drive you; when, being bound, you put to flight those who bind you. But it is indeed a terrible thing to be spoken ill of by anyone; but when the one doing this is one of those who have been benefited, and he reproaches and throws in his face the benefits done to him, then, then the insolence becomes unbearable, and it brings with it so much anger along with the despondency as to be able even to suffocate the one who is insulted. Or does the one who has suffered ill at the hands of some great man have no small ground for pride—the superiority of the one who did it? But the one who suffers at the hands of a worthless and cast-off person has greater vexation, and reckons the affliction unbearable. But do not look at this—whether some are mocking us—but whether rightly and justly; and if justly, even if they do not laugh, let us weep; but if unjustly, even if all laugh, let us count ourselves blessed, but lament them, as being more wretched than all, and no different from madmen—even if nothing is more unbearable to those in pain than a word able to bite the soul. Say these things both to yourselves and to one another each day, as you find opportunity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":257,"ref":"p257","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ὁ μέλλων δεῖσθαί τινος, κἂν εὔλογα μέλλῃ παρακαλεῖν, ἐπιτηδειότητα ἀναμένει καιροῦ, ὅπως ἡμέρῳ καὶ εὖ διακειμένῳ προσέλθοι τῷ μέλλοντι διδόναι τὴν αἴτησιν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ λαβὼν συμμαχίαν ἐπιτύχοι τῆς χάριτος· πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν λέγοντα καιρὸν ἐπιτήδειον ζητεῖν δεῖ. Οὕτω γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὀφείλομεν, ὥσπερ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν μεριμνᾷν, καὶ φείδεσθαι τῶν πλησίον, καθὰ δή τοι καὶ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως ἑαυτοῦ φείδεται, ὡς πάντων ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμῶν αὐτῶν βούλεται μηδὲν πάσχειν ἡμᾶς δεινόν· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Κʹ. Περὶ ὀργῆς καὶ θυμοῦ.\n\nΒούλει μαθεῖν πόσον τὸ ὀργίζεσθαι κακόν; παράστηθι μαχομένοις ἐν ἀγορᾷ· ἐν γὰρ σαυτῷ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην οὐ δύνασαι ῥᾳδίως ἰδεῖν, ἐσκοτωμένῳ καὶ μεθύοντι, ἀλλ' ὅταν καθαρεύσῃς τοῦ πάθους, τότε ἂν μᾶλλον θεωρήσῃς τὰ σά. Ὅταν γὰρ περὶ τὸ στῆθος ὁ θυμὸς ζέσας διανιστᾶται καὶ ἀγριαίνῃ, πῦρ πνέει τὸ στόμα, πῦρ ἀφιᾶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, οἰδεῖ πάντοθεν ἡ ὄψις, ἀτάκτως αἱ χεῖρες ἐκτείνονται, καὶ καταγελάστως οἱ πόδες πηδῶσι καὶ ἐνάλλονται τοῖς κατέχουσι, καὶ μαινομένων οὐδὲν διεστήκασιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν ἀγρίων ὄνων, λακτίζοντες, δάκνοντες· οὕτως ἀνὴρ θυμώδης οὐκ εὐσχήμων. Ἀλλ' οἰδαίνει, φησὶν, ἡ καρ δία, καὶ ταῖς ὕβρεσι δάκνεται. Οἶδα κἀγώ· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τοὺς κρατοῦντας θαυμάζω. Ἂν γὰρ θέλωμεν, δυνατὸν διακρούσασθαι τὸ πάθος. Διὰ τί γὰρ ἀρχόντων ἡμᾶς ὑβριζόντων, τοῦτο μὴ πάσχομεν; Ὅτι φόβος ἀντίῤῥοπος ἕστηκε τοῦ πάθους ἡμῖν.","english":"For if one who is about to ask a favor, even if he is going to make a reasonable request, waits for the fitness of the occasion, so that he may approach in a calm and well-disposed manner the one who is about to grant the petition, and having taken the alliance that comes from the occasion may obtain the favor—how much more must the speaker seek a fitting occasion. For in this way we ought to care for one another as for ourselves, and to spare our neighbors, just as indeed God also spares us. For no one spares himself as God spares all of us, who far more than we ourselves desires that we suffer nothing terrible; to whom befit glory, power, honor, and worship, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHOMILY 20. On anger and wrath.\n\nDo you wish to learn how great an evil anger is? Stand by those who are fighting in the marketplace; for you cannot easily see the disgrace in yourself, darkened and drunk as you are, but when you have been cleansed of the passion, then you will rather observe your own condition. For when wrath, boiling around the chest, is stirred up and grows savage, the mouth breathes fire, the eyes send forth fire, the face swells from every side, the hands are stretched out disorderly, and the feet leap and jump ridiculously against those who hold one back, and they are no different from madmen—no, not even from wild asses—kicking and biting; so a wrathful man is not comely. But, he says, the heart swells and is bitten by the insults. I know it too; for this reason I admire those who master it. For if we are willing, it is possible to drive away the passion. For why is it that when rulers insult us, we do not suffer this? Because fear stands as a counterweight to our passion.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":258,"ref":"p258","source":"Διὰ τί καὶ οἰκέται παρ' ὑμῶν ὑβριζόμενοι μυρία, σιγῇ πάντα φέρουσιν; Ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπικείμενον ἔχουσι δεσμόν. Νῦν δὲ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἕνεκα καὶ τὰ ἀφόρητα φέρομεν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας λέγομεν· Ὁ δεῖνά με ὕβρισεν, οὐ σύ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδὲ ταύτην ἕξομεν τὴν εὐλάβειαν; Εἴπωμεν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ψυχήν· Ὁ Θεὸς ἡμᾶς ὑβρίζει νῦν, ὁ κελεύων σιγᾷν· μὴ σκιρτῶμεν, μηδὲ ἔστω Θεὸς, ἀτιμότερος ἀνθρώπων. Ὅταν οὖν σε λυπήσῃ τις, ἐννόησον τὰ ἡμαρτημένα σοι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὅτι τῇ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐπιεικείᾳ πραότερόν σοι καταστήσεις τὸ δικαστήριον τῶν μελλουσῶν εὐθυνῶν. Ἄφετε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Πρὸς τούτοις δὲ κἀκεῖνο σκόπησον, εἴποτε εἰς ἀγριότητα ἐξενεχθεὶς ἐκράτησας σεαυτοῦ, καὶ εἴποτε παρεσύρης ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους, καὶ ἀμφοτέρους παράβαλε τοὺς καιρούς. Πότε σαυτὸν ἐπῄνεσας; ἡνίκα ἡττήθης, ἢ ὅτε σαυτοῦ ἐκράτησας; οὐχὶ τότε μὲν καταρώμεθα ἑαυτοῖς πολλάκις, καὶ πολὺ τὸ τῆς μεταμελείας ἡμῖν ἐπεισέρχεται, καὶ ῥημάτων ἕνεκα καὶ πραγμάτων; ὅταν δὲ περιγενώμεθα, τρυφῶμεν, γαυριῶμεν ὡς νενικηκότες. Νίκη γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ὀργῆς, οὐ τὸ τοῖς ἴσοις ἀμύνεσθαι· ἐσχάτη γὰρ αὕτη ἧττά ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ τὸ πράως ἐνεγκεῖν παθόντα κακῶς καὶ ἀκούσαντα. Μηδὲ πρὸς τοὺς παραινοῦντας σιγᾷν ἀντίτεινε λέγων· Οὐκ ἀνέξομαι ἵνα μου καταγελάσας ὁ δεῖνα ἀπέλθῃ· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τότε καταγελάσεται, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐπεξέλθῃς· εἰ δὲ καὶ τότε καταγελάσεται, ὡς ἀνόητος καὶ τοῦτο πείσεται. Σὺ δὲ μὴ ζήτει νικῶν τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνοήτων μαρτυρίαν, ἀλλ' ἀποχρῶσαν νόμιζε τὴν παρὰ τῶν συνετῶν·","english":"Why is it that even slaves, though insulted by you ten thousand times, bear everything in silence? Because they too have the same bond laid upon them. But now, for the sake of men we bear even intolerable things, and we say to those who insult us: \"So-and-so insulted me, not you\"; yet in the case of God shall we not have even this reverence? Let us say also to our own soul: \"God is insulting us now, who commands us to be silent; let us not prance about, nor let God be more dishonored than men.\" When, then, someone grieves you, consider your sins against God, and that by your gentleness toward him you will make the tribunal of future accounts more gentle toward you. For, he says, Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you. In addition to these things, consider that also: whether at any time, carried away into savagery, you restrained yourself, and whether at any time you were dragged along by passion, and compare both occasions. When did you praise yourself? When you were defeated, or when you restrained yourself? Is it not that then we often curse ourselves, and much regret comes upon us, both for words and for deeds? But when we prevail, we revel, we exult as having conquered. For victory over anger is not to defend oneself with equal blows—for that is the ultimate defeat—but to bear gently when one has suffered badly and heard badly. Nor resist those who advise you to be silent, saying: \"I will not endure it, so that so-and-so may go away having laughed at me\"; for he will not laugh then, but when you retaliate; and if he laughs even then, he will suffer this too as a fool. But do not seek to win the testimony of fools, but consider sufficient that of the wise.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":259,"ref":"p259","source":"μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀνάβλεψον, κἀκεῖνός σε ἐπαινέσει· τὸν δὲ παρ' ἐκείνου θαυμαζόμενον οὐ δεῖ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τιμὴν ἐπιζητεῖν. Κἂν χρήματά τις ἔχῃ πολλὰ καὶ κτήματα, οὕτως αὐτοῖς\n\nκεχρήσθω, ὡς πάροικος καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον αὐτῶν ἀποστησόμενος καὶ ἑκὼν καὶ ἄκων. Κἂν ἠδικημένος τις ᾖ παρά τινος, μὴ ἀθάνατα ὀργιζέσθω, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ πρόσκαιρα· Μὴ ἐπιδυέτω γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Καὶ γὰρ οἰκίας ὁλοκλήρους ἀνέτρεψε, καὶ συνηθείας ἀρχαίας διέλυσε, καὶ τραγῳδίας ἀπαραμυθήτους εἰργάσατο τοῦτο τὸ πάθος. Ὅταν οὖν ἐπηρεάζῃ σέ τις, μὴ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἴδῃς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν κινοῦντα τοῦτον δαίμονα, καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν ἅπασαν κατ' ἐκείνου κένωσον· αὐτὸν δὲ καὶ ἐλέει τὸν ὑπ' ἐκείνου κινούμενον. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ψεύδεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, τὸ ὀργίζεσθαι εἰκῆ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖθεν. Ὀργίζεσθαι μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔνι, μηδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ παροξύνοντος· ἐπιθυμεῖν δὲ ἀνάγκη, καὶ τῆς ὄψεως τῆς εἰς τοῦτο κινούσης μὴ φαινομένης. Ὅταν σε ὑβρίσῃ τις, ἐννόησον τὴν κόλασιν ἣν κολάζεται· καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐχ ἕξεις ὀργὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δάκρυα ἀφήσεις. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν πυρέττοντά τις παροξύνεται, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν φλεγμαίνοντα, ἀλλ' ἐλεεῖ πάντας τοὺς τοιούτους καὶ δακρύει. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀμύνασθαι βούλει, σίγησον, καὶ καιρίαν ἔδωκας αὐτῷ τὴν πληγήν· ἂν δὲ δηχθεὶς ὑβρίσῃς, ἀναγκάζεις ἀληθῆ νομίζεσθαι τὰ λεγόμενα. Διὰ τί γὰρ ὁ πλούσιος ἀκούων ὅτι πένης ἐστὶ, γελᾷ; ὅτι μὴ σύνοιδεν ἑαυτῷ πενίαν. Ἂν τοίνυν μέλλοιμεν γελᾷν ἐπὶ ταῖς ὕβρεσι, μεγίστην ἀπόδειξιν παρεξόμεθα τοῦ μὴ συνειδέναι τοῖς λεγομένοις. Ὕβρισέ σέ τις;","english":"Rather, look up to God, and he will praise you; and the one who is admired by him ought not to seek honor from men. And if someone has much money and possessions, let him use them as a sojourner who will shortly depart from them, both willingly and unwillingly. And if someone has been wronged by anyone, let him not be angry immortally, or rather not even for a time; for \"let not the sun,\" it says, \"go down upon your wrath.\" For this passion has overturned whole households, dissolved ancient friendships, and produced inconsolable tragedies. When, then, someone mistreats you, do not look to him, but to the demon who stirs him up, and pour out all your anger against that one; but pity the man himself who is stirred by him. For if lying is from the devil, being angry without cause is much more from there. Now it is not possible to be angry when there is no one provoking; but to desire is necessary, even when the sight that moves to this does not appear. When someone insults you, consider the punishment with which he is punished; and not only will you not have anger, but you will even shed tears. For no one is provoked against a man with a fever, nor against one who is inflamed, but one pities all such people and weeps. But if you wish to defend yourself, be silent, and you have struck him a fatal blow; but if, stung, you insult back, you compel what is said to be thought true. For why does the rich man laugh when he hears that he is poor? Because he is not conscious of poverty in himself. If, then, we are going to laugh at insults, we will provide the greatest proof that we are not conscious of what is said. Did someone insult you?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":260,"ref":"p260","source":"παρακάλεσον τὸν Θεὸν, ὥστε ἵλεων αὐτῷ γενέσθαι ταχέως· ἀδελφός ἐστι σός· μέλος ἐστὶ σόν. Ἀλλὰ πλέον ἐπεμβαίνει μοι, φησίν. Οὐκοῦν διὰ ταῦτά σοι μείζων ὁ μισθός. Διὰ ταῦτα μάλιστα τὸν θυμὸν ἀφεῖναι δίκαιον, ἐπειδὴ ἔτρωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπιπλήξῃς καὶ σὺ, μηδὲ καταβάλῃς σαυτὸν μετ' ἐκείνου. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἕστηκας, δύνασαι κἀκεῖνον διασῶσαι· ἂν δὲ καὶ σαυτὸν καταῤῥίψῃς διὰ τοῦ ἀνθυβρίσαι, τίς ὑμᾶς ἀναστήσει λοιπόν; ἐκεῖνος ὁ τρωθείς; ἀλλ' οὐ δυνήσεται κείμενος. Ἀλλὰ σὺ ὁ πεσὼν μετ' ἐκείνου; καὶ πῶς, ὁ οὐκ ἀρκέσας σεαυτῷ, χεῖρα ὀρέξεις ἑτέρῳ; Ἔτρωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος· μὴ τρώσῃς καὶ σὺ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἔκβαλε βέλος. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτως ἀλλήλοις ὁμιλῶμεν, ταχέως ὑγιεῖς πάντες ἐσόμεθα· ἂν δὲ κατ' ἀλλήλων καθοπλιζώμεθα, οὐδὲ τοῦ διαβόλου χρεία πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπώλειαν. Ἀλλ' ἔπαθες πρῶτος κακῶς; ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν ἐστιν ἄθλιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ποιῆσαι κακῶς. Μὴ γὰρ εἴπῃς· Οὐδέν ἐστι κακὸν, ἂν τὸν δεῖνα ὑβρίσω. Διὰ τοῦτο μέγα ἐστὶ κακὸν, ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν εἶναι δοκεῖ· τὰ γὰρ μηδὲν εἶναι δοκοῦντα εὐκόλως καὶ καταφρονεῖται, τὰ δὲ καταφρονούμενα καὶ αὔξεται, τὰ δὲ αὐξανόμενα καὶ ἀνίατα γίνεται. Οὐδὲν τοίνυν ἡγῇ ποιεῖν δεινὸν, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ κατηγορῶν; πῶς οὖν καλεῖς ἀδελφόν; Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι ἀδελφὸς, πῶς λέγεις, Πάτερ ἡμῶν; τὸ γὰρ, ἡμῶν, πολλῶν ἐστι προσώπων σημαντικόν. Οὐ γὰρ δύναται πατέρα καλεῖν τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν ὁ τὴν γνώμην ἔχων θηριώδη καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον·","english":"Entreat God that he may quickly become propitious to him; he is your brother, he is your member. But he tramples on me more, he says. Therefore on this account your reward is greater. For this reason especially it is right to let go of anger, since the devil has wounded him. Do not therefore rebuke him yourself, nor throw yourself down along with him. For as long as you stand, you can save that one too; but if you also throw yourself down by returning the insult, who will raise you both up thereafter? He who was wounded? But lying down he will not be able. But you who have fallen along with him? And how will you, who were not sufficient for yourself, extend a hand to another? The devil has wounded him; do not wound him yourself, but rather cast out the former weapon. For if we speak to one another in this way, we shall all quickly be healed; but if we arm ourselves against one another, there is no need even of the devil for our destruction. But you suffered badly first? Yet it is not suffering badly that is wretched, but doing badly. For do not say: It is nothing, if I insult so-and-so. For this very reason it is a great evil, because it seems to be nothing; for things that seem to be nothing are easily despised, and things despised also grow, and things that grow also become incurable. Do you therefore think you are doing nothing terrible when you accuse your brother? How then do you call him brother? And if he is not a brother, how do you say, Our Father? For the word our is significant of many persons. For the one who has a beastly and inhuman disposition cannot call the philanthropic God Father.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":261,"ref":"p261","source":"οὐδὲ γὰρ σώζει τοὺς χαρακτῆρας τῆς ἐν τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ Πατρὶ ἀγαθότητος, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ θηριῶδες εἶδος ἑαυτὸν μετεμόρφωσε, καὶ τῆς θεϊκῆς εὐγενείας ἐξέπεσεν. Ὅταν γάρ τις σκιρτᾷ μὲν ὡς ταῦρος, λακτίζῃ δὲ ὡς ὄνος, μνησικακῇ δὲ ὡς κάμηλος, καὶ γαστριμαργῇ μὲν ὡς ἄρκτος, ἁρπάζῃ δὲ ὡς λύκος, πλήττῃ δὲ ὡς σκορπίος, ὕπουλος δὲ ᾖ ὡς ἀλώπηξ, χρεμετίζει δὲ ἐπὶ γυναιξὶν ὡς ἵππος θηλυμανὴς, πῶς δύναται ὁ τοιοῦτος τὴν υἱῷ πρέπουσαν ἀναπέμψαι φωνὴν, καὶ πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ καλεῖν τὸν Θεόν; Τί οὖν ὀνομάζεσθαι χρὴ τὸν τοιοῦτον; θηρίον; Ἀλλὰ τὰ θηρία ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαττωμάτων κατέχεται· οὗτος δὲ πάντα συναγαγὼν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀλογίας γέγονεν ἀλογώτερος. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ θηρία καίτοι κατὰ φύσιν ὄντα ἄγρια, ἀνθρωπίνης ἀπολαύσαντα τέχνης, ἥμερα πολλάκις γίνεται· οὗτος δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὢν, καὶ τὴν ἀγριότητα ἐκείνων τὴν κατὰ φύσιν εἰς τὴν ἡμερότητα μεταβάλλων τὴν παρὰ φύσιν, ποίαν ἕξει ἀπολογίαν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πραότητα τὴν κατὰ φύσιν εἰς ἀγριότητα ἐξάγων τὴν παρὰ φύσιν, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄγριον φύσει ποιῶν ἥμερον, ἑαυτὸν δὲ τὸν ἥμερον φύσει ποιῶν ἄγριον, καὶ λέοντα μὲν τιθασσεύων καὶ χειροήθη ποιῶν,","english":"For he does not preserve the marks of the goodness that is in the heavenly Father, but has transformed himself into the beastly form and has fallen away from the divine nobility. For when a man leaps like a bull, kicks like a donkey, bears grudges like a camel, is gluttonous like a bear, snatches like a wolf, strikes like a scorpion, is crafty like a fox, and neighs after women like a lustful stallion, how can such a one send up the voice befitting a son and call God his Father? What, then, should such a one be called? A beast? But beasts are held by one of these defects; this man, however, having gathered all of them in himself, has become more irrational than their irrationality. For beasts, though wild by nature, having enjoyed human skill, often become tame; but this man, being a man and changing the wildness of those beasts, which is according to nature, into tameness that is against nature, what defense will he have, bringing his own gentleness, which is according to nature, out into wildness that is against nature, and making the wild by nature tame, but making himself, who is tame by nature, wild, and taming a lion and making it docile,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":262,"ref":"p262","source":"τὸν δὲ θυμὸν τὸν ἴδιον λέοντος κατασκευάζων ἀγριώτερον; Καὶ γὰρ τὸν μὲν λέοντα ἡμεροῖ καὶ ποιεῖ ἄνθρωπον, ἑαυτὸν δὲ περιορᾷ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου γινόμενον λέοντα· καὶ ἐκείνῳ μὲν τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσιν χαρίζεται, ἑαυτῷ δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ κατὰ φύσιν πορίζεται. Εἰ οὐδὲν οὕτως ὁμοιοῖ τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς τὸ τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν εἶναι συγγνωμονικὸν τὸν ἀδικούμενον· πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἶεν κολάσεως ἄξιοι οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα μὴ μόνον αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀφιέντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμυναν τῶν ἐχθρῶν παρακαλοῦντες, καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐντυγχάνοντες; Τίνα δὲ λοιπὸν ἕξουσι σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα, ὅταν καὶ ἡνίκα ἐξιλεοῦσθαι αὐτὸν δέῃ, καὶ τότε αὐτὸν παροξύνωσιν, ἱκέτου μὲν σχῆμα περικείμενοι, θηρίου δὲ φωνὰς ἀφιέντες, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ βέλη ἐξακοντίζοντες; Εἰ γὰρ ὅτε ἐλέου χρείαν ἔχεις, οὐδὲ τότε ἀφίης τὴν ὀργὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα αὐτῆς μέμνησαι, καὶ ταῦτα εἰδὼς ὅτι κατὰ σαυτοῦ τὸ ξίφος ὠθεῖς· πότε δυνήσῃ γενέσθαι φιλάνθρωπος; Ἔπαθες κακῶς, καὶ ἀμύνασθαι βούλει τὸν κακῶς σοι ποιήσαντα; ποίησον αὐτῷ καλῶς, καὶ ἠμύνω. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἐπεξέλθῃς, ὁμοίως καὶ σὲ κἀκεῖνον ἅπαντες μέμψονται· ἂν δὲ ἐνέγκῃς, σὲ μὲν κροτήσουσι καὶ θαυμάσονται, ἐκεῖνον δὲ κακηγορήσουσι. Τί δὲ ἐχθρῷ γένοιτ' ἂν μεῖζον κακὸν καὶ πικρότερον τοῦ τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἰδεῖν παρὰ πάντων θαυμαζόμενον καὶ κροτούμενον, ἑαυτὸν δὲ παρὰ πάντων ὑβριζόμενον ἐπ' ὄψεσι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ; Θηρίον ἐστὶν εὐκόλως ἐκπηδῶν ὁ θυμός· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μυρίων θριγκίων καὶ διαφραγμάτων ἡμῖν δεῖ πρὸς τὸ περιγενέσθαι αὐτοῦ καὶ κατασχεῖν.","english":"But who makes his own temper fiercer than a lion? For he tames the lion and makes it a man, yet he allows himself to become a lion instead of a man; and to the lion he grants what is beyond nature, but for himself he does not even procure what is according to nature. If nothing makes a man so like God as for the one who is wronged to be forgiving to those who wrong him, of how great a punishment would they not be worthy who, after all this, not only do not forgive themselves, but even call upon God for vengeance against their enemies and petition against them? What hope of salvation will they have left, when even at the very time they need to propitiate him, they then provoke him, wearing the guise of a suppliant but uttering the cries of a beast, and hurling the arrows of the evil one against themselves? For if, when you have need of mercy, you do not even then let go of your anger, but remember it exceedingly, and that too knowing that you thrust the sword against yourself, when will you be able to become humane? You have suffered badly, and you wish to avenge yourself on the one who treated you badly? Do him good, and I am avenged. For if you exact punishment, all will blame both you and him alike; but if you bear it, they will applaud and marvel at you, and will speak ill of him. But what greater and bitterer evil could befall an enemy than to see the enemy admired and applauded by all, while he himself is insulted by all in the sight of his enemy? Anger is a beast that easily leaps out; and for this reason we need countless fences and barriers in order to overcome it and hold it in check.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":263,"ref":"p263","source":"Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἡμῖν μάλιστα τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ὥσπερ ἔκ τινων λίθων τῶν ὀστῶν ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἔρεισμα αὐτῷ θεὶς, ὥστε μὴ διαῤῥήξαντά ποτε μηδὲ διατεμόντα, εὐκόλως τὸ πᾶν λυμήνασθαι ζῶον. Πῦρ γάρ ἐστι, φησὶ, καὶ ζάλη μεγάλη· καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἕτερον μέρος τοῦ ὅλου σώματος ταύτην ἂν τὴν βίαν ἀνάσχοιτο. Οὐχ οὕτω λέων τὰ σπλάγχνα διασπαράξαι δύναται τὰ ἡμέτερα, ὡς θυμὸς τοῖς σιδηροῖς ὄνυξι διαπαντὸς ἐγκαθήμενος ἀπόλλυσιν ἅπαντα. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῷ σώματι λυμαίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν τῆς ψυχῆς διαφθείρει τὴν ὑγίειαν. Ὅταν οὖν ἐλθών τις εἴπῃ σοι, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνά σε ὕβρισε, καὶ κακῶς σε πρὸς ἅπαντας λέγων διατελεῖ, ἐπαίνεσον πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας τὸν ὑβρικότα· καὶ, κἂν σφόδρα ὦσιν ἀνόητοι, σὲ μὲν ἐπαινέσονται καὶ θαυμάσονται, ἐκεῖνον δὲ μισήσουσιν ὡς θηρίου παντὸς χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι ὁ μὲν οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος ἐλύπησε, σὺ δὲ καὶ κακῶς παθὼν, τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἠμείψω. Πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα πάντα δυνήσῃ δεῖξαι ἕωλα ὄντα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ δακνόμενος, τοῦ συνειδέναι τοῖς λεγομένοις ἀπόδειξιν παρέχεται τὸ ἀλγεῖν· ὁ δὲ καταγελάσας, αὐτῷ τούτῳ παρὰ τοῖς παροῦσι πάσης ἀπήλλαξεν ἑαυτὸν ὑποψίας. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνον ἀμύνασθαι ἐπιθυμεῖς, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ περιουσίας ἕψεται, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ κολάζοντος αὐτὸν ἀνθ' ὧν εἴρηκε, καὶ πρὸ τῆς κολάσεως ἐκείνης τῆς σῆς φιλοσοφίας ἀντὶ καιρίας αὐτῷ γινομένης πληγῆς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας ἡμᾶς κολάζειν εἴωθεν, ὡς τὸ τοὺς ὑβριζομένους ἡμᾶς καταγελᾷν τῶν ὕβρεων.","english":"For this reason especially God built this part for us, as it were, out of certain stones—the bones—setting it as a support for it, so that it would never rupture or sever and easily destroy the whole living creature. For it is fire, he says, and a great tempest; and no other part of the whole body could endure this violence. A lion cannot tear our entrails apart as rage does, seated forever with iron claws, destroying everything. For it does not harm the body only, but corrupts the very health of the soul. So when someone comes and says to you, \"So-and-so has insulted you and continues speaking evil of you to everyone,\" praise the insulter before those present; and even if they are very foolish, they will praise and marvel at you, but they will hate him as more savage than any wild beast, because he, though wronged in nothing, caused pain, while you, though treated badly, repaid with the opposite. In addition to this, you will be able to show that all the things said are stale. For the one who is bitten provides proof that the words are true by the very fact that he feels pain; but the one who laughed it off, by this very thing, has freed himself from all suspicion before those present. And if you also desire to take revenge on him, this too will follow in abundance, both as God punishes him for what he has said, and even before that punishment, your philosophy becomes for him a timely blow. For nothing is so accustomed to punish those who insult us as our laughing at the insults when we are insulted.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":264,"ref":"p264","source":"Ὅταν δὲ ὑβρισθεὶς ἀνθυβρίσῃς, ἡττήθης, οὐχ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἐστὶν αἰσχρότερον, ὑπὸ πάθους ἀνελευθέρου τοῦ θυμοῦ κινηθείς· ἂν δὲ σιγήσῃς, καὶ ἐνίκησας, καὶ ἀπονητὶ τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησας, καὶ μυρίους ἕξεις τοὺς στεφανοῦντας, καὶ τοῦ τῆς λοιδορίας ψεύδους καταγινώσκοντας. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀντιλέγων, ὡς δακνόμενος ἀντερεῖν δοκεῖ· ὁ δὲ δακνόμενος, ὑπόνοιαν παρέχει τοῦ συνειδέναι τοῖς λεγομένοις· ἂν δὲ καταγελάσῃς, τῷ τε γέλωτι τὴν κατὰ σαυτοῦ ψῆφον ἐξέλυσας, καὶ τὸν ὑβρίσαντα μᾶλλον ἀλγεῖν ἐντεῦθεν ἐποίησας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἥδεται τῷ μὴ ὑβρίζεσθαι, ὡς δάκνεται τῷ μὴ δύνασθαί σου καθάψασθαι. Ὅταν οὖν οὗ μάλιστα ἐπιθυμεῖ, τούτου μάλιστα ἀποστερήσῃς αὐτὸν, τοῦ παντὸς ἀπεστέρησας, ἐξευτελίσας καὶ δείξας εὐκαταφρόνητον. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τὸ κρατῆσαι πολεμίων λαμπροὺς ποιεῖ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας, ὡς τὸ κρατῆσαι θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὅπλων καὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τὸ κατόρθωμα γέγονεν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ γυμνὸν σόν ἐστι τὸ τρόπαιον· καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲν καὶ ἑτέρους ἔχεις τοὺς συμμερίζοντας τὴν νίκην, ἐνταῦθα δὲ","english":"But when you return insult for insult, you have been defeated—not by a man, but, what is more shameful, moved by the illiberal passion of anger. But if you keep silent, you have both conquered and set up the trophy without toil, and you will have countless people to crown you and to condemn the falsehood of the abuse. For the one who talks back seems to retort as one who is stung; but the one who is stung gives the suspicion that he is conscious of what is said. But if you laugh it off, you have both dissolved the verdict against yourself by your laughter, and you have made the one who insulted you suffer more from this. For he is not so pleased at not being insulted as he is pained at not being able to get at you. When, therefore, you deprive him most of all of that which he most desires, you have deprived him of everything, having made him contemptible and shown him worthy of disdain. For kings are not made illustrious by conquering enemies as much as by conquering anger and rage; for there the success belongs to weapons and soldiers, but here your trophy is bare; and there you have others to share the victory, but here","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":265,"ref":"p265","source":"μόνος τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησας. Ὅταν οὖν σε ὑβρίσῃ τις, φέρε γενναίως· ἑαυτὸν γὰρ, οὐ σὲ ὕβρισεν. Ἂν πλήξῃ τὴν δεξιὰν, μὴ ἀντιτείνῃς· ἐκεῖνος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πληττόμενος, σὲ μὲν τῇ χειρὶ, ἑαυτὸν δὲ τῷ θυμῷ παίων, καὶ πονηρὰν παρὰ πάντων λαμβάνων δόξαν. Εἰ δὲ δοκεῖ σοι δύσκολα ταῦτα εἶναι, ἐννόησον ὅτι, εἰ μαινόμενός τις τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου περιέῤῥηξε, τίνα ἂν ἔφης πάσχειν κακῶς, σὲ τὸν παθόντα, ἢ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ποιήσαντα; Εὔδηλον ὅτι ἐκεῖνον. Εἶτα ἔνθα μέν σοι ἱμάτιον διαῤῥήγνυται, ὁ ποιήσας τοῦ παθόντος χαλεπώτερα πέπονθεν· ἔνθα δὲ καρδία διαῤῥήγνυται (ὁ γὰρ θυμὸς τοῦτο ποιεῖ), οὐκ ἐκεῖνον ἡγήσῃ μείζονα πεπονθέναι δεινὰ σοῦ τοῦ μηδ' ὁτιοῦν ὑπομείναντος; Εἰ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ οὐ χρὴ ἀποδιδόναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον κακὸν ἀντὶ ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ μὴ προϋπάρξαντος κακοῦ, ἀποδοῦναι κακόν. Ἀλλὰ ὁ δεῖνα, φησὶ, πονηρός ἐστι, καὶ ἐλύπησε καὶ πολλά με ἠδίκησε. Βούλει αὐτὸν ἀμύνασθαι; μὴ ἀνταποδῷς, ἔασον ἀτιμώρητον, εὐχαρίστησον. Αὕτη γὰρ ὄντως ἄμυνα, κἀκείνῳ βλάβην φέρουσα, καὶ ὠφέλειαν σοί· ἀπὸ ταύτης γὰρ χαρὰ τίκτεται. Ὅταν γὰρ τοιαύτην ἔχωμεν ψυχὴν, ὥστε μηδένα ἀμύνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντας εὐεργετεῖν, πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ τῆς λύπης κέντρον παρεισελθεῖν δυνήσεται; Ὁ γὰρ οὕτω χαίρων τῷ παθεῖν κακῶς, ὡς καὶ εὐεργεσίαις ἀμείβεσθαι τὸν πεποιηκότα κακῶς, πῶς δυνήσεται ἀνιαθῆναι λοιπόν; Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, κακὸν πέπονθας; νόσος ἐπέπεσεν; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ξένον· θνητὸν γὰρ ἡμῖν τὸ σῶμα καὶ παθητόν. Ἀλλὰ πενία χρημάτων; ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα κτητὰ καὶ ἀπόκτητα καὶ ἐνταῦθα μένοντα. Ἀλλ' ἐπιβουλαὶ καὶ συκοφαντίαι;","english":"You alone have set up the trophy. When, therefore, someone insults you, bear it nobly; for he has insulted himself, not you. If he strikes your right hand, do not resist; for it is he who is being struck—striking you with his hand, but himself with his anger, and receiving a bad reputation from all. But if these things seem difficult to you, consider: if some madman tore your cloak, whom would you say was suffering harm—you who suffered it, or he who did it? It is clear: he. Then where a cloak is torn, the one who did it has suffered worse than the one who suffered it; but where a heart is torn (for anger does this), will you not judge that he has suffered greater evils than you, who suffered nothing at all? If one must not return evil for evil, much more must one not return evil for good, and return evil when no evil preceded. But so-and-so, he says, is wicked, and he grieved me and wronged me greatly. Do you wish to avenge yourself? Do not repay; leave him unpunished; give thanks. For this is truly vengeance, bringing harm to him and benefit to you; for from this joy is born. For when we have such a soul as to avenge no one but to benefit all, tell me, from where will the sting of grief be able to steal in? For he who rejoices in suffering evil so much as to repay with kindness the one who did evil, how will he be able to be distressed any longer? For tell me, what evil have you suffered? Has sickness fallen upon you? But nothing strange; for our body is mortal and subject to suffering. But poverty of money? But these things too are possessions and dispossessions, and remain here. But plots and slanders?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":266,"ref":"p266","source":"ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἀδικούμεθα ἐν τούτοις, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι οἱ πεποιηκότες. Ψυχὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα, αὐτὴ καὶ ἀποθανεῖται· ἥμαρτε δὲ οὐχ ὁ παθὼν κακῶς· ἀλλ' ὁ ποιήσας κακῶς. Μηδὲν τοίνυν οὕτω σπουδάζωμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὡς ὀργῆς καθαρεύειν, καὶ τοὺς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀηδῶς ἔχοντας καταλλάττειν, εἰδότες, ὅτι οὔτε εὐχὴ, οὔτε ἐλεημοσύνη, οὔτε νηστεία, οὔτε κοινωνία μυστηρίων, οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν, ἐὰν μνησικακῶμεν, δυνήσεται ἡμῶν προστῆναι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην. Ὥστε οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι, πάσης ἁμαρτίας χαλεπωτέραν ταύτην ἀποφηνάμενος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς μισεῖ καὶ ἀποστρέφεται, ὡς ἄνθρωπον μνησίκακον καὶ διατηροῦντα ὀργήν. Πῶς γὰρ βούλει τὸν Δεσπότην ἥμερόν σοι γενέσθαι καὶ πρᾶον, τῷ συνδούλῳ γινόμενος αὐτὸς χαλεπὸς καὶ ἀσύγγνωστος; Ἀλλ' ὕβρισέ σε ὁ σύνδουλός σου; καὶ σὺ τὸν Θεὸν ὑβρίζεις πολλάκις· ποῦ δὲ ἴσον σύνδουλος καὶ δεσπότης; Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ἐκ πάθους καὶ ἠδικημένος ἴσως ὕβρισε, καὶ παροξυνθείς· σὺ δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ὑβρίζεις οὐκ ἠδικημένος οὐδὲ ἐπηρεασμένος, ἀλλ' εὐεργετούμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· καὶ τίνα ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν ἢ συγγνώμην; Ἐννόησον τοίνυν, ὅτι, εἰ βουληθείη μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν γινόμενα ὁ Θεὸς ἐξετάζειν, οὐδεμίαν βιωσόμεθα ἡμέραν. Ἀνομίας γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐὰν παρατηρήσῃς, Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΑʹ. Περὶ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δόξης.","english":"But we are not the ones wronged in these matters—rather, those who have done the wrong. For the soul that sins, it says, is the one that shall die; and the one who sinned was not the one who suffered evil, but the one who did evil. Let us therefore be eager for nothing so much, beloved, as to be free from anger and to reconcile those who are ill-disposed toward us, knowing that neither prayer, nor almsgiving, nor fasting, nor participation in the mysteries, nor any other such thing, if we harbor resentment, will be able to stand by us on that day. So one would not be wrong to declare this more grievous than every sin. For God hates and turns away from nothing so much as a resentful man who keeps his anger. For how do you wish the Master to be gentle and mild toward you, when you yourself are harsh and unforgiving toward your fellow servant? But your fellow servant insulted you? You too often insult God. And where is the equality between a fellow servant and a Master? And he insulted you perhaps from passion and because he had been wronged, and provoked; but you insult God, not wronged nor abused, but benefited by him every day. And what defense or pardon shall we have? Consider, then, that if God wished to examine strictly the things done against him, we would not live a single day. For if you should watch for iniquities, it says, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For yours is the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 21. On rule and authority and glory.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":267,"ref":"p267","source":"Ὁ μακάριος λέγεται Κωνσταντῖνος, τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ καταλευσθείσης ποτὲ, παροξυνάντων αὐτὸν πολλῶν, ἐπεξελθεῖν τοῖς ὑβρικόσι καὶ δίκην ἀπαιτῆσαι, λεγόντων, ὅτι πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὄψιν ἔτρωσαν τοῖς λίθοις ἐξακοντίζοντες, ψηλαφήσας ἑαυτοῦ τῇ χειρὶ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἠρέμα μειδιάσας εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Οὐδαμοῦ πληγὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου ὁρῶ γεγενημένην· ἀλλ' ὑγιὴς μὲν ἡ κεφαλὴ, ὑγιὴς δὲ ἡ ὄψις ἅπασα· κἀκείνους ἐρυθριάσαντας καὶ αἰσχυνθέντας ἀποστῆναι τῆς ἀδίκου ταύτης συμβουλῆς ἐποίησεν. Εἰ δὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοσαύτης ἀπέλαυσε δόξης δι' ἐκεῖνο τὸ ῥῆμα, πόσων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσεται παρὰ τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ; Καὶ γὰρ οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς βασιλεὺς, ὁ θυμοῦ καὶ φθόνου καὶ ἡδονῆς κρατῶν, καὶ πάντα ὑπὸ τοὺς νόμους ἄγων τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸν νοῦν ἐλεύθερον τηρῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶν ἐνδυναστεῦσαι τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν δεσποτείαν τῶν ἡδονῶν· τὸν τοιοῦτον ἡδέως ἂν εἶδον\n\nκαὶ γῆς καὶ θαλάττης ἄρχοντα, καὶ πόλεων καὶ δήμων καὶ στρατοπέδων. Ὁ γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς ψυχῆς τὸν λογισμὸν ἐπιστήσας, ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐπισταίη καὶ ἀνθρώποις μετὰ τῶν θείων νόμων, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἐν πατρὸς τάξει τοῖς ἀρχομένοις εἶναι, μετὰ πάσης ἡμερότητος ὁμιλοῦντα ταῖς πόλεσιν. Ὁ δὲ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἄρχειν δοκῶν, θυμῷ δὲ καὶ φιλαρχίᾳ καὶ ἡδοναῖς δουλεύων, πρῶτον μὲν καταγέλαστος εἶναι δόξειεν ἂν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις, ὅτι στέφανον μὲν φορεῖ λιθοκόλλητον καὶ χρυσοῦν, σωφροσύνῃ δὲ οὐκ ἐστεφάνωται· καὶ ἁλουργίδι μὲν ὅλον τὸ σῶμα λάμπεται, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἀκόσμητον ἔχει·","english":"Blessed Constantine is spoken of: when his image had once been stoned, and many were provoking him to proceed against those who had offered the outrage and to exact punishment, saying that they had wounded his whole face by hurling stones at it, he felt his own face with his hand, and smiling gently, said, \"I see no wound anywhere on my forehead; but my head is sound, and my whole face is sound.\" And he made those men, reddening and ashamed, withdraw from that unjust counsel. But if among men he enjoyed so great glory because of that saying, how many good things will he enjoy with the humane God? For this man is truly a king, who rules anger and envy and pleasure, and brings all things under the laws of God, and keeps his mind free, and does not allow the dominion of pleasures to prevail over his soul. Such a man I would gladly see\n\nruling over earth and sea, and cities and peoples and armies. For he who has set reason over the passions of the soul would easily preside over men as well, together with the divine laws, so as to be in the place of a father to those he rules, conversing with the cities with all gentleness. But he who seems to rule over men, yet is a slave to anger and love of rule and pleasures, would first appear ridiculous to those he rules, because he wears a crown studded with stones and of gold, but is not crowned with self-control; and his whole body shines with purple, but he has his soul unadorned.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":268,"ref":"p268","source":"ἔπειτα δὲ οὐδὲ ὅπως μεταχειρίσεται τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπιστήσεται ὁ γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἄρχειν, πῶς ἂν ἑτέρους δυνηθείη κατευθύνειν τοῖς νόμοις; Μηδὲ τοῦτο σκοπῶμεν ὅπως ἐν τιμαῖς ὦμεν καὶ ἐξουσίαις, ἀλλ' ὅπως ὦμεν ἐν ἀρετῇ καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ. Αἱ γὰρ ἐξουσίαι πολλὰ τῶν τῷ Θεῷ μὴ δοκούντων ποιεῖν πείθουσι, καὶ σφόδρα νεανικῆς δεῖ ψυχῆς, ὥστε εἰς δέον χρήσασθαι τῇ δεδομένῃ τιμῇ καὶ δόξῃ καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ. Ὁ μὲν ἀπεστερημένος δόξης, καὶ ἄκων φιλοσοφεῖ· ὁ δὲ ἀπολαύων αὐτῆς τοιοῦτόν τι πάσχει, οἷον ἂν εἴ τις κόρῃ συνοικῶν εὐειδεῖ καὶ καλῇ, νόμους δέξηται τὸ μηδέποτε εἰς αὐτὴν ἀκολάστως ἰδεῖν. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἐξουσία. Διὸ πολλοὺς καὶ ἄκοντας εἰς τὸ ὑβρίζειν ἐνέβαλε καὶ θυμὸν ἤγειρε, καὶ χαλινὸν γλώττης ἀφεῖλε, καὶ θύραν ἀνεπέτασε στόματος, ὥσπερ ὑπὸ πνεύματος τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναῤῥιπίζουσα, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον τῶν κακῶν βυθὸν τὸ σκάφος καταποντίζουσα. Τιμῆς γὰρ μέγεθος τοῖς οὐκ ἀξίως τῆς τιμῆς ζῇν προαιρουμένοις προσθήκη τιμωρίας ἐστί. Τὸ γὰρ εὐδοκιμεῖν καὶ προκόπτειν ἐν δήμῳ, ὅσον λαμπρότερον ποιεῖ, τοσοῦτον μείζους τοὺς κινδύνους ἔχει καὶ τὰς φροντίδας· ἀναπνεῦσαι γὰρ καὶ στῆναι ὁ τοιοῦτος ὅλως οὐ δύναται, οὕτω πικρὸν ἔχων καὶ βαρὺν τὸν δεσπότην. Καὶ τί λέγω στῆναι καὶ ἀναπνεῦσαι; κἂν μυρία ἔχῃ κατορθώματα ὁ τοιοῦτος, δυσκόλως εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσέρχεται. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐκτραχηλίζειν εἴωθεν, ὡς ἡ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξα. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀτιμίαν ἐνεγκεῖν, μέγα καὶ γενναῖον· τὸ δὲ δόξης μετασχεῖν, νεανικῆς δεῖται ψυχῆς καὶ σφόδρα μεγάλης, ὥστε δόξης ἀπολαύοντα μὴ ἐκτραχηλισθῆναι.","english":"Then he will not even know how to manage authority; for the one who has not been able to rule himself, how could he be able to direct others by the laws? And let us not consider this—how we may be in honors and positions of power—but how we may be in virtue and philosophy. For positions of power persuade people to do many things that do not seem good to God, and a very youthful soul is needed, so as to use the given honor and glory and authority as is fitting. The one deprived of glory practices philosophy even unwillingly; but the one who enjoys it suffers something like this: as if someone living with a beautiful and fair maiden should accept laws never to look at her licentiously. For such is authority. Therefore it has cast many even unwillingly into insolence and stirred up anger, and removed the bridle of the tongue, and thrown open the door of the mouth, as if fanning the soul up by a wind, and sinking the vessel into the last depth of evils. For greatness of honor is an addition of punishment for those who choose to live unworthily of the honor. For to be well esteemed and to advance among the people, the more splendid it makes one, the greater the dangers and the cares it has; for such a person cannot at all breathe or stand still, having so bitter and heavy a master. And why do I say stand still and breathe? Even if such a person has countless successes, he enters the kingdom with difficulty. For nothing is so accustomed to make one break one's neck, as the glory that comes from the many. For to bear dishonor is great and noble; but to partake of glory requires a youthful and very great soul, so that one enjoying glory may not break one's neck.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":269,"ref":"p269","source":"Ἀλλ' εἰ βούλει δόξαν λαβεῖν, διάκρουσαι δόξαν· εἰ δὲ διώκεις δόξαν, ἐκπέσῃς δόξης. Σκιὰ γάρ ἐστι δόξης αὕτη ἡ δόξα. Οὐδεὶς ἄρτον ἰδὼν ἐζωγραφημένον, κἂν μυριάκις ὑπὸ λιμοῦ κατέχηται, τῆς γραφῆς ἅψεται. Οἱ οὖν κατὰ τὸ παρὸν λέγοντες ἀπειληφέναι τὸ πᾶν, εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐρήμους ἑαυτοὺς παντελῶς καθιστῶσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ, ἐλπίδι πλείονος τιμῆς καὶ τῆς οὔσης ἐξέπεσε. Καὶ πολλοὶ πολλάκις μειζόνων ἐπιθυμοῦντες, καὶ τὰ παρόντα ἀπώλεσαν, καὶ οἱ προσδοκῶντες τῶν ἐνταῦθα τὸ πᾶν ἔχειν, καὶ τοῦ μέρους ἐξέπεσον. Τὰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα ὅσον ἂν ἐπαρθῇ καὶ λάμψῃ, τοσοῦτον μείζονα τὴν πτῶσιν ἐργάζεται, οὐ τὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν βασιλευόντων αὐτῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν εὕροι τις οἰκίαν ἰδιωτικὴν τοσούτων ἐμπεπλησμένην συμφορῶν, ὅσων τὰ βασίλεια γέμει τῶν κακῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, βασκαίνεις τῷ πλησίον, ὅτι τιμῆς ἀπολαύοντα βλέπεις καὶ δόξης πολλῆς; Εἶτα οὐκ ἐννοεῖς τὸ τούτων εὐμάραντον, καὶ ὅσον ἐντεῦθεν τίκτεται τὸ κακόν; Τὸ γὰρ δὴ χαλεπώτατον τούτων, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν κακὰ ἀθάνατα μένει· ἡ δὲ ἡδονὴ οὔπω ἐφάνη καὶ ἀπέπτη. Ἀλλ' ἐξουσίαν ἔχει παρὰ τῷ κρατοῦντι πολλὴν, καὶ ἄγει καὶ φέρει πάντα ὅπου θέλει, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς λυπεῖ, καὶ τοὺς κολακεύοντας εὐεργετεῖ, καὶ πολλὴν ἔχει δύναμιν; Τί οὖν ἐργάσασθαι δύναται δεινόν; ἀποχειροτονήσει τῆς ἀξίας; καὶ τί τοῦτο; ἂν μὲν γὰρ δικαίως, καὶ ὠφελεῖ· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω παροξύνει Θεὸν ὡς τὸ παρ' ἀξίαν τιμᾶσθαι· ἂν δὲ ἀδίκως, τὸ ἔγκλημα πάλιν ἐπ' ἐκεῖνον, οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦτον χωρεῖ·","english":"But if you wish to receive glory, spurn glory; but if you pursue glory, you will fall from glory. For this glory is a shadow of glory. No one, upon seeing a painted loaf, even if he is held by hunger ten thousand times over, will touch the painting. Those, therefore, who say that they have received the whole in the present, make themselves completely desolate for the future. Thus also Adam, in hope of greater honor, fell even from that which he had. And many often, desiring greater things, lost also the present things, and those who expected to have the whole of things here fell even from the part. For human affairs, the more they are exalted and shine, the greater the fall they produce—not only those of the ruled, but also those of the kings themselves. For one would not find a private house filled with as many calamities as the palaces are full of evils. For this reason, then, tell me, do you envy your neighbor because you see him enjoying honor and great glory? Then do you not consider the fragility of these things, and how great the evil that is born from them? For the most grievous of these things is that the evils from them remain immortal, while the pleasure has not yet appeared and has flown away. But he has great authority with the ruler, and drives and carries all things wherever he wishes, and grieves his enemies, and benefits his flatterers, and has great power? What then is he able to do that is terrible? Will he depose him from his rank? And what is this? For if justly, it also benefits; for nothing so provokes God as to be honored beyond one's worth; but if unjustly, the charge again goes against that one, not against this one.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":270,"ref":"p270","source":"ὁ γὰρ ἀδίκως τι παθὼν, καὶ γενναίως ἐνεγκὼν, πλείονα ταύτην πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν κέκτηται τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Ὁ γὰρ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑποτασσόμενος, οὐ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑποτάσσεται, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ ταῦτα νομοθετήσαντι πείθεται· καὶ ὁ μὲν οὐχ ὑπακούων ἐκείνοις, τῷ Θεῷ πολεμεῖ· Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐξουσία, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ ἀρχὰς εἶναι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄρχειν, τοὺς δὲ ἄρχεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς\n\nἀνέδην ἅπαντα φέρεσθαι, ὥσπερ κυμάτων τῇδε κἀκεῖσε τῶν δήμων περιαγομένων, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας ἔργον ἐστί. Διὸ καὶ σφοδρός ἐστι τιμωρὸς καταφρονουμένων τούτων. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τυχοῦσάν σε δίκην ἀπαιτήσει παρακούσαντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα μεγίστην· καὶ οὐδέν σε ἐξαιρήσεται ἀντιλέγοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ὑποστήσῃ τιμωρίαν χαλεπωτάτην, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παροξυνεῖς μειζόνως. Ὥσπερ γὰρ νηὸς τὸν κυβερνήτην ἐὰν ἀποστήσῃς, κατεπόντισας τὸ σκάφος· καὶ στρατηγὸν ἂν ἀπαγάγῃς τοῦ στρατοπέδου, δεδεμένους τοῖς πολεμίοις παρέδωκας τοὺς στρατιώτας· οὕτω τῶν πόλεων ἂν τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἀνέλῃς, θηρίων ἀλόγων ἀλογώτερον βιωσόμεθα βίον. Ὅπερ γάρ εἰσιν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις τῶν ξύλων αἱ ἱμαντώσεις, τοῦτο οἱ ἄρχοντες ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν. Ὅταν οὖν ἄρχων ἀνεπίληπτος ᾖ πᾶσι, τότε δυνήσεται μεθ' ὅσης βούλεται ἐξουσίας καὶ κολάζειν καὶ συγχωρεῖν τοὺς ὑπὸ αὐτὸν ταττομένους ἅπαντας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ μὴ κολάσαι τοὺς ὑπευθύνους, καὶ συγγνώμην δοῦναι τοῖς ἀσύγγνωστα ἡμαρτηκόσιν, ἑνός που ἢ δευτέρου μόλις ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπου, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν βασιλεὺς ὑβριζόμενος ᾖ· καὶ τῷ φόβῳ δὲ ὑποτάξαι πόλιν εὔκολον·","english":"For the one who has suffered something unjustly and borne it nobly has obtained greater boldness before God. For the one who submits to rulers does not submit to rulers, but obeys God who legislated these things; and the one who does not obey them makes war on God. For there is no authority, it says, except from God. For the very existence of principalities, and that some rule and others are ruled, and that all things are not simply\n\ncarried along in disorder, with the peoples whirled this way and that like waves, is the work of God's wisdom. Therefore he is also a fierce avenger when these are despised. For he will not exact from you an ordinary penalty for disobeying, but a very great one indeed; and nothing will rescue you when you argue back, but you will also suffer the most grievous punishment at the hands of men, and you will provoke God all the more. For just as, if you remove the pilot from a ship, you have sunk the vessel; and if you lead a general away from the army, you have handed the soldiers over bound to the enemy; so if you destroy the rulers of cities, we will live a life more irrational than irrational beasts. For what the wooden props are in houses, rulers are in cities. When, then, a ruler is blameless in all respects, then he will be able, with as much authority as he wishes, both to punish and to pardon all those ranked under him. For to fail to punish those who are liable, and to grant pardon to those who have sinned unpardonably, is scarcely the act of one man or a second, and especially when it is a king who is being insulted; and to subject a city by fear is easy—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":271,"ref":"p271","source":"τὸ δὲ πάντας ἐραστὰς καταστῆσαι, καὶ μετ' εὐνοίας πεῖσαι διακεῖσθαι περὶ τὴν βασιλείαν, δυσκατόρθωτον, κἂν μυρία τις ἀναλώσῃ χρήματα, κἂν μυρία κινήσῃ στρατόπεδα, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐργάσηται, οὐκ εὐκόλως τοσούτων ἀνδρῶν διάθεσιν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι δυνήσεται. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω δείκνυσι τὸν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα, ὡς ἡ φιλοστοργία ἡ περὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους. Καὶ γὰρ πατέρα οὐ τὸ γεννῆσαι μόνον ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ φιλεῖν μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι. Εἰ δὲ ἔνθα φύσις, ἀγάπης χρεία, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔνθα ἡ χάρις. Μείζων ὄντως ἡ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀρχὴ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς βασιλικῆς, καὶ τοσοῦτον μείζων, ὅσον ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς σώματα ἐμπεπίστευται, ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς ψυχάς. Καὶ ὁ μὲν λοιπάδας χρημάτων ἀφίησιν, ὁ δὲ λοιπάδας ἁμαρτημάτων· κἀκεῖνος ἀναγκάζει, οὗτος παρακαλεῖ· ἐκεῖνος ὅπλα αἰσθητὰ, οὗτος ὅπλα πνευματικά· ἐκεῖνος πολεμεῖ πρὸς βαρβάρους, οὗτος πρὸς δαίμονας. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ἱερεῖς τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἔχριον, καὶ νῦν τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑπὸ τὰς τοῦ ἱερέως χεῖρας φέρων τίθησιν ὁ Θεὸς, παιδεύων ἡμᾶς, ὅτι οὗτος ἐκείνου μείζων ἄρχων· Τὸ γὰρ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται. Εἰσῆλθε γάρ ποτε ὁ βασιλεὺς Ὀζίας εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Κυρίου θυμιάσαι θέλων, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἀζαρίας ὁ ἱερεὺς ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ὡς βασιλέα μέλλων ἐξελαύνειν, ἀλλ' ὡς δραπέτην καὶ οἰκέτην ἀγνώμονα, οὕτως ἐπεισῆλθε μετὰ σφοδρότητος, ὥσπερ τις σκύλαξ γενναῖος ἐπεισδραμὼν τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ θηρίῳ, ὥστε αὐτὸ τῆς Δεσποτικῆς ἐξαγαγεῖν οἰκίας. Οὐκ εἶδεν εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς ὄγκον, οὐκ ἤκουσε τοῦ Σολομῶντος λέγοντος, Ἀπειλὴ βασιλέως ὁμοία θυμῷ λέοντος·","english":"But to make everyone lovers of him and to persuade them to be favorably disposed toward his rule is hard to accomplish, even if one spends countless sums of money, even if one sets countless armies in motion, even if one does anything at all, he will not easily be able to draw to himself the disposition of so many men. For nothing so demonstrates the one who holds authority as affection toward those under his rule. For it is not only begetting that makes a father, but also loving after begetting. And if where nature is, love is needed, much more where grace is. Truly the office of the priesthood is greater than the office of the king, and greater by as much as the king is entrusted with bodies, while the priest is entrusted with souls. And the one remits debts of money, the other debts of sins; and the one compels, the other exhorts; the one has perceptible weapons, the other spiritual weapons; the one wages war against barbarians, the other against demons. For this reason even in the Old Testament priests anointed kings, and now God places the head under the hands of the priest, teaching us that this ruler is greater than that one; for the lesser is blessed by the greater. For once King Uzziah entered the temple of the Lord wishing to burn incense, and Azariah the priest entered after him; for not as one about to drive out a king, but as one about to drive out a runaway and an insolent servant, he came in after him with such vehemence, like a noble watchdog rushing in upon an unclean beast, so as to drive it out of its Master's house. He did not look at the bulk of his authority, he did not listen to Solomon saying, The threat of a king is like the wrath of a lion;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":272,"ref":"p272","source":"ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν ἀληθινὸν βασιλέα τῶν οὐρανῶν ἰδὼν, καὶ τούτου τῷ φόβῳ ἑαυτὸν ὀχυρώσας, οὕτως ἐπεπήδησε τῷ τυράννῳ. Ἀλλ' εἰσέλθωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἵνα ἴδωμεν τί πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα διαλέγεται. Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι, φησὶν, Ὀζία, θυμιᾶσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ· οὐκ ὠνόμασεν αὐτὸν βασιλέα, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν προλαβὼν ἐξέβαλε τῆς τιμῆς· ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ποιῶν, δοῦλός ἐστι, κἂν μυρίους ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔχῃ στεφάνους· ὁ δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐργαζόμενος, κἂν ἁπάντων ἔσχατος ᾖ, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως βασιλικώτερός ἐστι. Καὶ πρόσεχε ᾧ λέγω· Ἐδέησέ ποτε βασιλέα γενέσθαι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἐπειδὴ ὁ πρότερον γενόμενος ἀνάξιος ἦν. Πέμπεται οὖν ὁ Σαμουὴλ πρὸς τὸν Ἰεσσαὶ, καί φησιν· Ἔπεμψέ με ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι βασιλέα ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν σου. Ὁ Ἰεσσαὶἀκούσας βασιλέα, νομίσας ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι πρὸς τὸ ποιῆσαι ἀξίωμα, ἄγει τὸν πρῶτον υἱόν. Ἄπαγε αὐτὸν, φησὶν, οὐκ εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἄγει τὸν δεύτερον· οὐδὲ οὗτος· ἄγει τὸν τρίτον· οὐδὲ οὗτος· τὸν τέταρτον, τὸν πέμπτον, τὸν ἕκτον· οὐδὲ οὗτος. Καὶ ἀνηλώθη ὁ χορὸς τῶν παίδων, καὶ ὁ ζητούμενος οὐχ εὑρίσκετο. Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἔχεις ἄλλον υἱόν; Ἠσχύνθη ὁ πατήρ· Ἔχω ἕνα, φησὶ, μικρὸν, εὐτελῆ, ποιμένα. Τί οὖν; βασιλέα ποιῆσαι ζητεῖς, καὶ τὸν ἐλάττω κρείττονα ἡγῇ τοῦ κρείττονος; ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπον ἐξουθενεῖ, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς στεφανοῖ·","english":"But looking to the true King of the heavens, and having fortified himself with fear of him, he thus leaped upon the tyrant. But let us also enter in, if it seems good, so that we may see what he says to the king. \"It is not permitted to you, Oziah,\" he says, \"to burn incense to the Lord.\" He did not call him king, since he himself had first cast himself out of that honor; for the one who commits sin is a slave, even if he has countless crowns upon his head; but the one who works righteousness, even if he is the last of all, is more kingly than the king himself. And pay attention to what I say: At one time the Jews needed a king to be made, since the one who had been made before was unworthy. So Samuel is sent to Jesse, and he says: \"God has sent me to make a king from among your sons.\" Jesse, having heard \"a king,\" thinking him suitable for the office, brings his first son. \"Send him away,\" he says, \"God has not been well pleased in him.\" He brings the second; not even this one; he brings the third; not even this one; the fourth, the fifth, the sixth; not even this one. And the chorus of the sons was used up, and the one being sought was not found. He says to him: \"Do you have another son?\" The father was ashamed. \"I have one,\" he says, \"small, of little account, a shepherd.\" What then? Do you seek to make a king, and do you consider the lesser better than the better? Man despises man, but God crowns—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":273,"ref":"p273","source":"Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ὄψεται ἄνθρωπος, ὄψεται Θεός· Ἄνθρωπος εἰς πρόσωπον, Θεὸς δὲ εἰς καρδίαν. Μὴ γὰρ πολυσαρκίαν ζητοῦμεν; ψυχῆς εὐγένειαν ἐπιθυμοῦμεν. Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ ἐξ ὀνόματος εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Ἄπελθε, χρῖσόν μοι τὸν Δαυῒδ εἰς βασιλέα, ἀλλ' ἕνα τῶν υἱῶν Ἰεσσαί; Ἵνα μὴ πάθῃ ὁ Δαυῒδ, ὅπερ ἔπαθεν Ἰωσήφ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μαθόντες ἐκεῖνοι τὸν ζητούμενον αὐτῶν βασιλέα, ἐπεβούλευσαν· οὕτω δέος ἦν μὴ καὶ οὗτοι τοῦτο ἐργάσωνται. Ὥστε ἡ ἄγνοια ἀσφαλείας μήτηρ ἐγένετο τῷ Δαυΐδ. Ἦλθε τοίνυν ὁ Δαυῒδ, καὶ χρίεται τῷ ἐλαίῳ, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἔχων τὴν βασιλείαν, οὐ θώρακα, οὐκ ἀσπίδα περιβεβλημένος οὐδὲ δόρατα, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ψῆφον τὴν πάντων δυνατωτέραν. Καὶ πολέμου καλοῦντος, ἀπῆλθεν ἰδεῖν τὴν παράταξιν, καὶ εὗρε τὸν βάρβαρον προσκαλούμενον εἰς μονομαχίαν, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα προπηδῆσαι οὐδὲ ἐξελθεῖν κατ' αὐτοῦ. Εἰστήκει καὶ λέγει· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀπερίτμητος οὗτος, ὃς ὠνείδισε παράταξιν Θεοῦ ζῶντος; Καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Πόθεν σοι ἡ ἀπόνοια αὕτη; Ὁ δὲ, Οὐκ ἀπόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ πίστιν, οὐ θώρακα, ἀλλὰ θεοσέβειαν καθοπλίζομαι· οὐ σκοπῶ αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγεθος, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ· οὐ βλέπω ὅτι μέγα τὸ πλοῖον, ἀλλ' ὅτι κυβερνήτην οὐκ ἔχει. Τί οὖν οἱ ἀδελφοί; Πάλιν φθόνος, πάλιν βασκανία. Ἐπὶ τίνα ἀφῆκας τὰ μικρὰ πρόβατα ἐκεῖνα; ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ τὴν κακίαν, ὅτι ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἰδεῖν τὸν πόλεμον κατέβης. Ὁ δὲ ὑποτεμνόμενος τοῦ ἕλκους ἀπέστη ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸ ἕτερον μέρος τοῦ πολέμου, λέγει· Τί ἔσται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ αἴροντι τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ;","english":"For God does not see as man sees; man looks at the face, but God looks at the heart. For do we seek bulk of flesh? We desire nobility of soul. And why did God not say by name: Go, anoint David for me as king, but rather \"one of the sons of Jesse\"? So that David might not suffer what Joseph suffered. For just as those men, having learned who their king was to be, plotted against him, so there was a fear that these too might do the same. Thus ignorance became the mother of safety for David. So David came, and was anointed with oil, and departed having the kingdom, not clad in breastplate, nor shield, nor spears, but in the vote of God, which is mightier than all things. And when war called, he went out to see the battle line, and found the barbarian challenging to single combat, and no one dared to leap forward or go out against him. He stood and said: Who is this uncircumcised man, who has reproached the battle line of the living God? And they say to him: Whence comes this madness of yours? But he said: It is not madness but faith; I am armed not with a breastplate but with piety toward God; I do not consider his size, but the desolation of his mind; I do not see that the ship is great, but that it has no pilot. What then do the brothers do? Again envy, again malice. To whom did you leave those little sheep? We know the arrogance of your heart and your wickedness, that you came down for the sake of seeing the war. But he, cutting off the wound, withdrew from them, and coming to the other part of the war, he says: What will be done for the man who takes up his head?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":274,"ref":"p274","source":"Οἱ δὲ εἰσάγουσιν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. Εἶδε τοίνυν τὸν βασιλέα καταπεπτωκότα, δεδοικότα καὶ τρέμοντα, καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἵνα τί συνέπεσε τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ κυρίου μου; καὶ ἐν τῇ εὐημερίᾳ τὴν δουλείαν ὁμολογεῖ. Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος; οὐχὶ πορεύσομαι καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ; Τί οὖν ὁ βασιλεύς; Καὶ πῶς δύνασαι σὺ παιδάριον ὂν μικρὸν, αὐτὸς δὲ πολεμιστὴς ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ; Ἀπιστεῖ ὁ βασιλεύς· ἀναγκάζεται ὁ Δαυῒδ τὰ κατορθώματα εἰπεῖν· Ἐγὼ, φησὶ, παιδίον ἤμην μικρὸν, ποιμαίνων τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ πατρός μου· καὶ ὅτε ἤρχετο λέων ἢ ἄρκτος, καὶ ἐλάμβανε πρόβατον ἐκ τῆς ποίμνης μου, ἐξεπορευόμην ὀπίσω αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐξέσπων ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπάτασσον τὸν λέοντα καὶ τὴν ἄρκτον· καὶ ἔσται οὗτος ὡς ἓν τῶν θηρίων ἐκείνων, διότι ὠνείδισε παράταξιν Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ εἶπε Σαοὺλ πρὸς τὸν Δαυΐδ· Πορεύου, καὶ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. Ἔδωκε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ὅπλα, καὶ οὐκ ἐδύνατο βαστάξαι. Διὰ τί; Οὐ συνεχώρει τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μὴ τὰ ὅπλα συμμερίσωνται τὴν νίκην τῶν κατορθωμάτων· ἵνα μὴ εἴπῃ ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὅτι Τὰ ὅπλα μου ἐνίκησαν, ῥίπτει τὰ ὅπλα, καὶ ἐνδύεται τὴν πίστιν· ἀφίησι βῶλον· ἔπεσεν ὁ ἀλλόφυλος. Οὐ γὰρ τῇ φύσει τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πνεύματος, τὴν νίκην ἀπηνέγκατο. Ἔδραμε καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ξίφος, καὶ ἀπέτεμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλήν· καὶ ἐπληρώθη τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ συνελήφθη ὁ ἁμαρτωλός. Εἰ τοίνυν δόξης ἐρᾷς καὶ τιμῆς, μὴ τὴν οἰκίαν μηδὲ τὸν ἵππον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν καλλώπιζε καὶ θεράπευε·","english":"They bring him in to the king. So he saw the king fallen down, afraid and trembling, and he says to him: Why has the face of my lord fallen? And in prosperity he acknowledges his servitude. Who is this? Shall I not go and take off his head? What then does the king say? And how can you, being a little boy, while he has been a warrior from his youth? The king disbelieves; David is compelled to recount his achievements: I, he says, was a little boy, shepherding the sheep of my father; and when a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from my flock, I went out after them and snatched it from their mouth, and I struck the lion and the bear; and this one shall be as one of those beasts, because he has reproached the battle line of the living God. And Saul said to David: Go, and the Lord be with you. And the king gave him his own armor, and he could not bear it. Why? God did not permit this, so that the armor might not share in the victory of his achievements; so that the king might not say, My armor won. He throws off the armor and puts on faith; he lets go the clod; the foreigner fell. For not by the nature of the body, but by the power of the Spirit, did he carry off the victory. He ran and took his sword and cut off his head; and what was written was fulfilled: In the works of his hands the sinner was caught. If, then, you long for glory and honor, adorn and tend not the house nor the horse, but the soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":275,"ref":"p275","source":"ὡς νῦν γε οὐδέν σου γένοιτ' ἂν εὐτελέστερον ἐρήμην ἔχοντος ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τοῦ ἵππου προβαλλομένου κάλλος. Ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνα καὶ ταῦτα γίνεται, φησί. Τί φῄς; οὐ δέδοικας ταῦτα φθεγγόμενος, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἵππων καὶ τῶν λίθων τὸν Χριστὸν ἀριθμῶν; οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι καὶ σῶμα αὐτὸς διέπλασε, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἀπένειμεν ἅπαντα; σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ μικρὰν τούτῳ ἀντιδίδως ἀμοιβήν; Κἂν μὲν οἰκίσκον μικρὸν ἐκμισθώσῃς, μετὰ πολλῆς ἀκριβείας τὸν μισθὸν ἀπαιτεῖς· τὴν δὲ κτίσιν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν καρπούμενος, καὶ κόσμον τοσοῦτον οἰκῶν, οὐδὲ ὀλίγον ἀνέχῃ τὸν μισθὸν καταβαλεῖν; καὶ ποίας ἂν εἴης ἀπολογίας ἄξιος; Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ λίθον πρὸς τὸ ὕψος ἀκοντίζων, τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μὲν τὸ σῶμα διατεμεῖν οὐ δυνήσεται, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ ὕψος φθάσαι ἐκεῖνο, τὴν δὲ πληγὴν τῇ οἰκείᾳ δέχεται κορυφῇ, πρὸς τὸν ἀκοντίζοντα ἐπανιόντος τοῦ λίθου· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην οὐσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ\n\nβλασφημῶν, ἐκείνην μὲν οὐδὲν παραβλάψει ποτὲ, πολλῷ μείζονα οὖσαν καὶ ὑψηλοτέραν ὥστε δέξασθαί τινα βλάβην, κατὰ δὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς τὸ ξίφος ἀκονᾷ, ἀγνώμων περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην γενόμενος. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ τὴν μακαρίαν τῆς θεότητος οὐσίαν περιεργαζόμενοι, καὶ τὴν ἀκατάληπτον ἐκείνην φύσιν καταληπτὴν εἶναι λέγοντες, ἵνα γνῶσιν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἀγγέλου οὐσίαν δυνατὸν ἀνθρώπῳ μετὰ ἀδείας ἰδεῖν. Ὁ ἅγιος προφήτης Δανιὴλ, ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φίλος, ὁ ἔχων παῤῥησίαν πολλὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν, τρεῖς ἑβδομάδας ἐνήστευσεν ἡμερῶν, καὶ ἄρτον ἐπιθυμιῶν οὐκ ἔφαγεν, οὐδὲ οἶνος καὶ κρέας οὐκ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἄλειμμα ἠλείψατο·","english":"As things are now, nothing would be more contemptible than you, since you have a soul destitute, and you put forward the beauty of your house and your horse. But those things and these things come to pass, he says. What do you say? Do you not fear when you utter these things, and count Christ along with horses and stones? Do you not know that he himself fashioned the body, and bestowed the soul, and apportioned the whole world? And do you not repay him even a small recompense? If you rent out a little house, you demand the rent with great exactness; but enjoying all his creation, and dwelling in so great a world, do you not endure to pay back even a little rent? And of what defense would you be worthy? For just as one who hurls a stone upward will not be able to cut through the body of heaven, nor reach that height, but receives the blow on his own head, the stone returning upon the thrower; so indeed also the one who blasphemes that blessed essence of God will never harm it at all, since it is much greater and higher than to receive any harm, but he sharpens the sword against his own head, having become ungrateful toward his benefactor. Let those hear who pry into the blessed essence of the Godhead, and say that that incomprehensible nature is comprehensible, so that they may know that it is not possible for a man to see even the essence of an angel with impunity. The holy prophet Daniel, the friend of God, who had great boldness toward him, fasted three weeks of days, and he did not eat the bread of desires, nor did wine and meat enter into his mouth, nor did he anoint himself with ointment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":276,"ref":"p276","source":"καὶ ὅτε ἐπιτηδειοτέρα αὐτῷ ἦν ἡ ψυχὴ πρὸς τὴν τῆς τοιαύτης θεωρίας ὑποδοχὴν, ὑπὸ τῆς νηστείας κουφοτέρα καὶ πνευματικωτέρα γενομένη, τότε τὸν ἄγγελον εἶδεν, καί φησιν· Ἐστράφη τὰ ἐντός μου ἐν τῇ ὁράσει μου, καὶ πνοὴ οὐχ ὑπελείφθη ἐν ἐμοὶ οὔτε ἰσχύς· καὶ ἡ δόξα μου μετεστράφη εἰς διαφθοράν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εὐπρεπὴς ἦν ὁ νεανίας, ὁ δὲ φόβος τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ ἀγγέλου, καθάπερ τοὺς ἐκπνέοντας, οὕτως αὐτὸν διέθηκε, πολλὴν κατασκεδάσας τὴν ὠχρίαν, καὶ ἀναλώσας τὸ ἄνθος τῆς ὥρας, καὶ δαπανήσας τὴν εὔχροιαν τῆς ἐπιφανείας ἅπασαν, διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Μετεστράφη ἡ δόξα μου εἰς διαφθοράν. Ἀνέστησε τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος, ὁ δὲ ἀνέστη ἔντρομος· καὶ ἀρχομένου τοῦ ἀγγέλου διαλέγεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν, πάλιν κατέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου ἐκλελυμένοι, διεγερθέντες καὶ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπανελθόντες καὶ διαβλέψαντες, κατεχόντων ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ ῥαινόντων τὸ πρόσωπον ψυχροῖς νάμασιν, ἐν αὐταῖς ἡμῶν πολλάκις ἐκλύονται μεταξὺ ταῖς χερσίν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔπασχεν. Ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ φοβηθεῖσα, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν τῆς παρουσίας οὐ φέρουσα τοῦ συνδούλου, οὐδὲ τὸ φῶς ἐκεῖνο δυναμένη βαστάζειν, ἐθορυβεῖτο καθάπερ τινὸς ἁλύσεως τοῦ δεσμοῦ τῆς σαρκὸς ἑαυτὴν ἀποῤῥῆξαι ἐπειγομένη· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος κατεῖχεν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ Δανιὴλ, ὃν ᾐδέσθησαν ὀφθαλμοὶ λεόντων, Δανιὴλ ὁ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῳ σώματι δυνηθεὶς, ὁ ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς ἑτέροις μαρτυρηθεὶς κατορθώμασι. συνδούλου παρουσίαν οὐκ ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλ' ἄπνους ἔκειτο·","english":"And when his soul was more fit to receive the vision of such a sight, having become lighter and more spiritual through fasting, then he saw the angel, and he says: My inward parts were turned within me in my vision, and no breath was left in me, nor strength; and my glory was turned into corruption. For since the young man was comely, the fear of the angel's presence disposed him like those who are breathing their last, pouring over him great pallor, and consuming the flower of his youth, and wasting away all the fair color of his countenance; for this reason he says: My glory was turned into corruption. So the angel raised him up, and he arose trembling; and when the angel began to speak with him, again he fell to the ground; and just as those who have been loosened by fear, when roused and come back to themselves and looking about, while we hold them and sprinkle their face with cold streams, often grow faint in our very hands, so also the prophet suffered. For his soul, having been frightened, and not bearing the sight of the fellow servant's presence, nor able to endure that light, was troubled, as if hastening to break itself free from the bond of the flesh as from some chain; but he held him fast. And if Daniel, whom the eyes of lions reverenced, Daniel who in a human body was able to do things beyond man, who was witnessed to in wisdom and righteousness and in many other achievements—if he did not endure the presence of a fellow servant, but lay breathless;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":277,"ref":"p277","source":"οἱ τοσοῦτον τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀφεστηκότες τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων Δεσπότην περιεργαζόμενοι, καὶ αὐτὴν ὑπισχνούμενοι τὴν οὐσίαν εἰδέναι μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης, τὴν ἀνωτάτω καὶ πρώτην καὶ τὰς μυριάδας τῶν ἀγγέλων τούτων παραγαγοῦσαν, ὧν ἕνα ὁ Δανιὴλ ἰδεῖν οὐκ ἴσχυσε, τί πείσονται; Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸ τῶν ἀκτίνων τῶν ἡλιακῶν ἀπρόσιτον οὐχ οὕτως οἶδεν ὁ τυφλὸς, ὡς ὁ βλέπων· οὕτω καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκατάληπτον οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, ὡς αἱ τῶν ἀγγέ λων δυνάμεις, ὅσῳ καθαρώτεραι καὶ σοφώτεραι καὶ διορατικώτεραι τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης εἰσὶ φύσεως· ὅσον γὰρ τυφλοῦ καὶ βλέποντος τὸ μέσον, τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν κἀκείνων τὸ διάφορον· ὥστε κἂν τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος ἀκούσῃς, Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον, μὴ τοῦτο ὑποπτεύσῃς ὅτι τὴν οὐσίαν εἶδεν ἐκείνην, ἀλλὰ τὴν συγκατάβασιν, καὶ ταύτην δὲ ἀμυδρότερον ἤπερ αἱ ἄνω δυνάμεις. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων φανερόν. Ἀνέβη γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸ ὄρος ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. Τί ἐστι, Μετεμορφώθη; Παρήνοιξεν ὀλίγον τῆς θεότητος, καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν ἐνοικοῦντα Θεόν. Καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. Ἠθέλησε δεῖξαι τὴν λαμπηδόνα αὐτοῦ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, καὶ λέγει, Ἔλαμψεν. Ἔλαμψε, πῶς; Ἔλαμψε σφοδρῶς. Εἰπέ μοι, καὶ πῶς; Ὡς ὁ ἥλιος· Ὡς ὁ ἥλιος λέγεις; Ναί; Διὰ τί; Οὐκ ἔχω ἄλλο ἄστρον φαιδρὸν καὶ λευκόν. Λευκὸς ἦν ὡς χιών· οὐκ ἔχω ἄλλην ὕλην λευκοτέραν· ὅτι γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ἔλαμψεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑξῆς δείκνυται. Καὶ ἔπεσον χαμαὶ οἱ μαθηταί. Εἰ δὲ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἔλαμψεν, οὐκ ἔπιπτον οἱ μαθηταί·","english":"Those who have fallen so far short of the virtue of the righteous man, and who pry into the Master of the angels, and promise that they know with all exactness the very essence—the highest and first essence, which brought forth these myriads of angels, one of whom Daniel could not look upon—what will they suffer? For just as the blind man does not know the inaccessibility of the sun's rays in the same way as the one who sees, so too we do not know the incomprehensibility of God in the same way as the powers of the angels, insofar as they are purer and wiser and more clear-sighted than human nature. For as great as the difference between a blind man and one who sees, so great is the difference between us and them; so that even if you hear the prophet saying, I saw the Lord, do not suspect that he saw that essence, but rather the condescension—and that too more dimly than the powers above. This is also clear from the apostles. For Jesus, it says, went up into the mountain, and was transfigured before them. What is \"was transfigured\"? He opened a little of his divinity, and showed them the God who dwells within. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. The evangelist wished to show his radiance, and says, \"It shone.\" It shone—how? It shone intensely. Tell me, and how? As the sun. You say, \"As the sun\"? Yes. Why? I have no other star bright and white. He was white as snow; I have no other substance whiter. For that it did not shine in this way is shown by what follows: And the disciples fell to the ground. But if it had shone as the sun, the disciples would not have fallen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":278,"ref":"p278","source":"ἥλιον μὲν γὰρ ἔβλεπον καθ' ἡμέραν, καὶ οὐκ ἔπιπτον· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον ἔλαμψε, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν χιόνα, διὰ τοῦτο μὴ φέροντες τὴν λαμπηδόνα, κατέπεσον. Ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; ἄνθρωπός εἰμι καὶ ἀνθρώποις διαλέγομαι· πηλίνην κέκτημαι γλῶτταν· συγγνώμην αἰτῶ παρὰ τοῦ\n\nΔεσπότου· οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀπονοίας ταῖς λέξεσι ταύταις κέχρημαι, ἀλλὰ δι' ἀπορίαν τῆς ἀσθενείας καὶ τῆς φύσεως τῆς γλώττης τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ἵλεως ἔσο, Δέσποτα· οὐ γὰρ ἀπονοίᾳ κεχρημένος ταύτας λέγω τὰς λέξεις, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔχω ἄλλας· οὐ μὴν ἵσταμαι ἐν τῇ εὐτελείᾳ τῆς λέξεως, ἀλλ' ἀναβαίνω τῷ πτερῷ τοῦ νοήματος. Διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ταῦτα εἰρήκαμεν, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Δανιὴλ ἱστορίαν ὑμῖν ἀνέγνωμεν, καὶ συνεχῶς ἐδείκνυμεν αὐτὸν ὠχριῶντα, τρέμοντα, ψυχοῤῥαγοῦντα, τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπειγομένης ἀποῤῥῆξαι τὸν τῆς σαρκὸς δεσμόν· ἵνα ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας εἰδῆτε οἱ τὸν Θεὸν καταληπτὸν εἶναι λέγοντες, ὅτι οὐχὶ Θεοῦ ἐπιφάνειαν μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀγγέλου φορητὸν κατιδεῖν. Καθάπερ γὰρ περιστερὰ χειροήθης καὶ ἥμερος ἐν οἰκίσκῳ τινὶ διατρίβουσα, ὅταν ποτὲ αἴσθηταί τινος φόβου, πτοηθεῖσα πρὸς τὴν ὀροφὴν ἵπταται, καὶ διὰ τῶν θυρίδων ἔξοδόν τινα ἐπιζητεῖ, τῆς ἀγωνίας ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἐπιθυμοῦσα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ μακαρίου τότε ἐκείνου, ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἀναβῆναι ἔσπευδε, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔξωθεν ἠπείγετο. Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἂν καὶ ἀπέπτη καὶ τὸ σῶμα κατέλιπεν ἔρημον, εἰ μὴ ταχέως ὁ ἄγγελος προκαταλαβὼν αὐτὴν ἀπήλλαξε τῆς ἀγωνίας, καὶ πρὸς τὸ οἰκεῖον πάλιν ἐπανήγαγε καταγώγιον. Εἰ δὲ ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος, ὁ παῤῥησίαν τοσαύτην ἔχων, ἄγγελον ἰδὼν οὐκ ἤνεγκεν·","english":"For they used to see the sun every day and did not fall; but since he shone brighter than the sun and whiter than snow, for this reason, unable to bear the radiance, they fell. But what am I to suffer? I am a man and I converse with men; I possess a tongue of clay; I ask forgiveness from the Master; for I have not used these words out of recklessness, but because of the poverty of my weakness and of the nature of our tongue. Be merciful, Master; for it is not in recklessness that I speak these words, but I have no others; yet I do not stand still in the meanness of the wording, but I rise on the wing of the thought. It is for this reason that we have said these things also, and have read to you the story concerning the blessed Daniel, and have continually shown him growing pale, trembling, gasping for breath, his soul pressing on to burst the bond of the flesh; so that from the abundance of this you may know, you who say that God is comprehensible, that not only the manifestation of God, but not even that of an angel, is bearable to behold. For just as a tame and gentle dove dwelling in some little house, whenever it perceives some fear, startled, flies up to the roof and seeks some way out through the windows, longing to be delivered from its distress; so too the soul of that blessed man at that time hastened to ascend from the body and rushed toward what was outside. And it would have gone out and flown away and left the body desolate, had not the angel quickly anticipated it and released it from its distress and led it back again to its own dwelling-place. But if that righteous man, who had such boldness, seeing an angel, did not endure it:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":279,"ref":"p279","source":"οἱ τοσοῦτον ἀφεστηκότες αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐχὶ ἄγγελον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων περιεργαζόμενοι Δεσπότην, τί πείσονται; Ἐκεῖνος λεόντων θυμὸν ἐδάμασεν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ἀλωπέκων περιγενέσθαι δυνάμεθα· ἐκεῖνος δράκοντα μέσον ἔῤῥηξεν· ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ τὰ ψιλὰ ἑρπετὰ δεδοίκαμεν. Καὶ εἰ ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ τηλικοῦτος ἄγγελον ἐλθόντα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἰδὼν, σκοτοδινίᾳ κατείχετο χαλεπῇ, τίνα ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν, οἱ τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην φύσιν ἐμβατεύειν ἐπιχειροῦντες; Διὰ τοῦτο Παῦλος ἐκπληττόμενος ἔλεγεν, Ὢ βάθος πλούτου καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ! ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ! Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀκατάληπτα, ἀλλ', Ἀνεξερεύνητα. Εἰ δὲ ἐξερευνηθῆναι οὐ δύναται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταληφθῆναι ἀδύνατον. Καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ. Αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι, καὶ αὐτὸς καταληπτὸς, εἰπέ μοι; Τί λέγεις; τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ ἀνεξερεύνητα, αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι, ἃ ἡτοίμασε τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου, ἡ μεγαλωσύνη αὐτοῦ πέρας οὐκ ἔχει, ἡ σύνεσις ἀριθμὸν οὐκ ἔχει, πάντα ἀκατάληπτα· καὶ αὐτὸς μόνος καταληπτός· καὶ ποίαν οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο μανίας ὑπερβολήν; τίς δὲ οὐκ ἂν θρηνήσειεν ὑμᾶς τῆς παραπληξίας καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ταύτης ἀνοίας; Ἣν ἀποβαλέσθαι σπουδάσωμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὅση δύναμις, τὸν Παῦλον ἀεὶ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἑστάναι δοκοῦντες τῶν ἡμετέρων, μετ' ἐκπλήξεως βοῶντα καὶ λέγοντα· Ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ! Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΒʹ. Περὶ ὑπομονῆς καὶ μακροθυμίας.","english":"Those who have fallen so far from him, and who pry into not an angel but the very Master of the angels himself—what will they suffer? He tamed the fury of lions; but we cannot prevail even over foxes. He tore a dragon in two; but we fear even mere reptiles. And if such a man, so great, when he saw an angel coming to him, was seized by a grievous dizziness of darkness, what defense will they have, who attempt to trespass upon that blessed nature? For this reason Paul, struck with amazement, said, O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! He did not say, incomprehensible, but, unsearchable. But if it cannot be searched out, much more is it impossible to be comprehended. And his ways past tracing out. His ways are past tracing out, and he himself is comprehensible, tell me? What do you say? His judgments are unsearchable, his ways past tracing out, the things he has prepared for those who love him have not entered into the heart of man, his majesty has no limit, his understanding has no number—all things are incomprehensible, and he alone is comprehensible? And what excess of madness could this not involve? And who would not lament for you your derangement and this final folly? Let us strive to cast it off, beloved, as much as we can, always seeming to set Paul before our eyes, crying out with amazement and saying: How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! To him be the glory forever. Amen. Homily 22. On endurance and long-suffering.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":280,"ref":"p280","source":"Εἰ βούλεσθε, προθῶμεν ὑμῖν εἰς ὑπομονῆς παράκλησιν, ἀγαπητοὶ, τὰ τοῦ δικαίου Ἰὼβ ἀνδραγαθήματα. Οὗτος γὰρ, οὗτος ὁ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσας δόξης, καὶ παρὰ πάντων δορυφορούμενος, καὶ πανταχοῦ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀνακηρυττόμενος τῆς περιφανείας, εἰς ἀτιμίαν καὶ εὐτέλειαν ἀθρόον κατενεχθεὶς, πενίᾳ καὶ νόσῳ καὶ παίδων ἀποβολῇ καὶ ἐχθρῶν ἐπαναστάσει καὶ φίλων ἀγνωμοσύνῃ καὶ λιμῷ καὶ σαρκὸς ὀδύναις καὶ λοιδορίαις καὶ συκοφαντίαις προσεπάλαιε· καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι καὶ ἀμελετήτῳ ὄντι ταῦτα ἐπέθεντο. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκ πενήτων τεχθεὶς, καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ τοιαύτῃ τραφεὶς, ἅτε γυμνασάμενος καὶ μελετήσας ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐνέγκοι τῆς πενίας τὸ βάρος· ὁ δὲ τοσούτοις περιῤῥεόμενος χρήμασι καὶ τοσούτῳ πλούτῳ κομῶν, εἶτα ἀθρόον εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον μεταπεσὼν, οὐκ ἂν εὐκόλως ὑπομείναι τὴν τοιαύτην μεταβολήν. Καὶ ὁ παῖδας ἀποβαλὼν πάλιν, κἂν ἅπαντας ἀποβάλῃ, μὴ ἐν ἑνὶ δὲ καιρῷ, τοὺς λειπομένους τῶν ἀπελθόντων ἔχει παραμυθίαν· καὶ τῆς τῶν προτέρων τελευτῆς τοῦ πάθους λήξαντος, ἂν ἡ τοῦ δευτέρου προσγένηται μετὰ χρόνον, τούτῳ αὐτῷ προσηνέστερον γίνεται τὸ πάθος. Οὐ γὰρ","english":"If you wish, beloved, let us set before you, for your encouragement to endurance, the valiant deeds of the righteous Job. For this man, this man who enjoyed such great glory, and was escorted by all, and was everywhere proclaimed with great splendor, when he was suddenly brought down into dishonor and contempt, struggled against poverty and disease and the loss of his children and the uprising of enemies and the heartlessness of friends and famine and bodily pains and insults and slanders; and what is even harder, these things fell upon him though he was untrained. For the man born of poor parents and raised in such a household, having been trained and practiced, would easily bear the burden of poverty; but the man who was flooded with so much wealth and prided himself on so great riches, then suddenly changed to the opposite, would not easily endure such a change. And again, the man who has lost children, even if he loses them all, yet not at one time, has the remaining ones as a consolation for those who have gone; and when the grief of the former deaths has ceased, if that of the second comes after a time, by this very fact the suffering becomes more bearable to him. For not","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":281,"ref":"p281","source":"νεαρῷ ὄντι ἔπεισι τῷ ἕλκει, ἀλλὰ κοιμισθέντι ἤδη καὶ ἀφανισθέντι· ὅπερ οὐκ ὀλίγον ὑποτέμνεται τῆς ὀδύνης. Οὗτος δὲ ὁλόκληρον αὐτῷ τὸν χορὸν εἶδεν ἐν μιᾷ ἀναρπασθέντα καιροῦ ῥοπῇ, καὶ τρόπῳ πικροτάτῳ τελευτῆς, καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ συμποσίου, καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ τῇ τοῖς ξένοις ἀνεῳγμένῃ, καὶ τάφος αὐτοῖς ὁ οἶκος ἐγένετο. Τίς δ' ἂν εἴποι τὸν λιμὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν καινότερον καὶ ἑρμηνευθῆναι μὴ δυνάμενον, τὸν ἑκούσιον, τὸν ἀκούσιον; οὐ γὰρ οἶδα πῶς αὐτὸν καλέσω· ἑκούσιον; ἀλλ' ἐβούλετο ἀπογεύσασθαι τῶν προκειμένων· ἀλλ' ἀκούσιον; ἀλλὰ παρῆν τὰ σῖτα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ κωλύων ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρακειμένης ἀπείχετο τῆς τραπέζης, καὶ ὁρωμένων οὐχ ἥπτετο τῶν σιτίων. Τῶν γὰρ περὶ τὸ σῶμα τραυμάτων ἡ δυσωδία προαπαντῶσα κατέλυε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ αὐτὴν ἐνεπίμπλα τὴν τράπεζαν τῆς ἀηδίας· Βρόμον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁρῶ τὰ σιτία μου. Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἀνάγκη τοῦ λιμοῦ τῶν προκειμένων ἅπτεσθαι, ἐβιάζετο, ἡ δὲ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυσωδίας τῆς ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν γινομένης ἐνίκα τοῦ λιμοῦ τὴν βίαν. Πῶς ἂν διηγησαίμην τὰς ὀδύνας. τὰς πηγὰς τῶν σκωλήκων, τὸν ἰχῶρα τὸν καταῤῥέοντα, τὰ ὀνείδη τῶν φίλων, τὴν καταφρόνησιν τῶν οἰκετῶν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐφείσαντό μου, φησὶν, οἱ οἰκέται μου, ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐμπτυσμάτων· καὶ οὓς οὐχ ἡγησάμην ἀξίους εἶναι κυνῶν τῶν ἐμῶν νομάδων, οὗτοι νῦν ἐπιπεπτώκασί μοι, καὶ νουθετοῦσί μοι ἐλάχιστοι. Ἆρα οὐχὶ χαλεπὰ ταῦτα ἅπαντα εἶναι δοκεῖ; καὶ γάρ ἐστι χαλεπὰ καὶ ἀφόρητα·","english":"It assails one who is young with the wound, but one already asleep and gone; which cuts off no small part of the pain. But this man saw his whole chorus snatched away in a single moment of time, and by the most bitter manner of death, and at the hour of a banquet, and in a house that was open to strangers, and the house became a tomb for them. And who could describe that famine, that strange one and one that cannot be interpreted, the voluntary one, the involuntary one? For I do not know how to call it. Voluntary? But he wished to taste of what was set before him. But involuntary? But the food was present, and there was no one to prevent him, but even when the table was set before him he held back, and though the foods were seen he did not touch them. For the foul odor of the wounds about his body, meeting him beforehand, dissolved his desire, and filled the very table with its offensiveness. For, he says, I see my food as a stench. And the necessity of hunger compelled him to touch what was set before him, but the excess of the foul odor arising from his flesh conquered the force of hunger. How could I describe the pains, the springs of worms, the ichor flowing down, the reproaches of friends, the contempt of servants? For, he says, my servants did not spare me because of the spittings on my face; and those whom I did not consider worthy to be my wandering dogs, these now have fallen upon me, and the least instruct me. Do these things not seem to be all grievous? For they are indeed grievous and unbearable.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":282,"ref":"p282","source":"ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὅτε κατηξίωσεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς εἰπεῖν αὐτῷ τῶν ἀγώνων τούτων τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι Ἵνα δίκαιος ἀναφανῇς, ταῦτα συνεχωρήθη, οὕτως ἀνέπνευσεν, ὡς μηδὲν δόξαι πεπονθέναι τῶν λυπηρῶν ἐκείνων. Ὡς γὰρ ἐν τῷ σκάμματι τὸν ἀθλητὴν καὶ ἱδρῶτι καὶ κόνει καὶ θέρμῃ πολλῇ καὶ πόνοις καὶ ταλαιπωρίαις μάχεσθαι δεῖ· οὕτω καὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἐνταῦθα πολλὰ ὑπομένειν χρὴ, καὶ φέρειν ἅπαντα γενναίως, εἴ γε μέλλοι λαμπροὺς ἀπολήψεσθαι τοὺς στεφάνους ἐκεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ δὴ σῶμα μακαρίζομεν τὸ δυνάμενον ψῦχος καὶ καῦμα ἀλύπως φέρειν, καὶ λιμὸν καὶ ἔνδειαν καὶ ὁδοιπορίαν καὶ ταλαιπωρίας ἑτέρας· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ψυχὴν μακαρίζειν δεῖ τὴν δυναμένην καρτερῶς καὶ γενναίως ἁπάσας τῶν δεινῶν φέρειν τὰς προσβολὰς, καὶ διατηρεῖν ἀδούλωτον αὐτῆς διαπαντὸς τὸ φρόνημα. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ ἀργίας καὶ ἀδείας ἀπολαύουσα ψυχὴ, εὐκόλως ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν ἁλίσκεται, οὕτω καὶ ἡ διηνεκῶς τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγῶσιν ἐσχολακυῖα, οὐδὲ σχολὴν ἄγει ταῦτα ἐννοῆσαί ποτε, τῆς περὶ τὰ παλαίσματα μερίμνης πάντων αὐτὴν ἀπαγούσης ἐκείνων. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ ποιῆσαί τι χρηστὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ παθεῖν κακὸν, πολλὰς ἔχει τὰς ἀμοιβάς· καὶ δείκνυσιν ὁ Ἰὼβ ἀπὸ τῶν παθημάτων μᾶλλον ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν κατορθωμάτων εὐδοκιμήσας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω λαμπρὸς ἦν, ἡνίκα τὰ χρήματα ἐκέκτητο, καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἀνεῴγει τοῖς πένησι, καὶ τὰ ὄντα ἐξεδίδου, ὡς ὅτε ἀκούσας αὐτὴν καταπεσοῦσαν οὐκ ἀπεδυσπέτησεν· οὐκ ἦν οὕτω λαμπρὸς, ὅτε ἀπὸ τῆς κουρᾶς τῶν προβάτων τοὺς γυμνοὺς περιέβαλλεν, ὡς ἦν λαμπρὸς καὶ εὐδόκιμος, ὅτε, ἀκούσας ὅτι πῦρ κατέπεσε καὶ πάντα ἀνάλωσεν, εὐχαρίστησε.","english":"But nevertheless, when the loving-kind God deigned to tell him the reason for these struggles—that it was so that you might be shown to be righteous, and these things were permitted—he breathed again, so as to seem to have suffered none of those griefs. For just as in the arena the athlete must contend with sweat and dust and great heat and toils and hardships, so also the righteous man here must endure many things and bear all things nobly, if indeed he is to receive those bright crowns there. For if we call that body blessed which can bear cold and heat without pain, and famine and want and journeying and other hardships, much more must we call that soul blessed which can steadfastly and nobly bear all the assaults of troubles and keep its resolve unenslaved at all times. Just as, then, the soul that enjoys idleness and ease is easily captured by the passions, so too the soul that has devoted itself continually to the struggles for piety does not even have leisure ever to think of these things, since the care for its wrestlings leads it away from all those things. For not only to do some good thing, but also to suffer evil, has many recompenses; and Job shows this, having been approved more by his sufferings than by his successes. For he was not so glorious when he possessed his wealth and opened his house to the poor and gave out what he had, as when, on hearing that it had fallen, he did not resent it; he was not so glorious when from the shearing of his sheep he clothed the naked, as he was glorious and approved when, on hearing that fire had fallen and consumed everything, he gave thanks.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":283,"ref":"p283","source":"Τότε φιλάνθρωπος ἦν, νῦν ἐγένετο φιλόσοφος· τότε ἠλέει τοὺς πένητας, νῦν δὲ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Δεσπότῃ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς ἑαυτόν· Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστι; τὰ ποίμνια ἀνάλωται, ἀφ' ὧν ἐτρέφοντο μυρίοι πένητες· καὶ, εἰ ἀνάξιος ἤμην ἐγὼ ἀπολαύειν εὐπορίας, διὰ γοῦν τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔδει φείσασθαι. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐκ ἐνενόησεν, ἀλλ' ᾔδει τὸν Θεὸν πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον πάντα οἰκονομοῦντα. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι μείζονα ὕστερον ἔδωκε τὴν πληγὴν τῷ διαβόλῳ, ὅτε ἀφαιρεθεὶς ηὐχαρίστησεν, ἢ ὅτε κεκτημένος ἠλέει, ἄκουσον· Ὅτε ἐκέκτητο, κἂν ὑποψίαν τινὰ ἔσχεν εἰπεῖν ὁ διάβολος, ὅτι Μὴ δωρεὰν σέβεταί σε Ἰώβ; ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντα ἔλαβε καὶ πάντων αὐτὸν ἐγύμνωσεν, ὁ δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν εὔνοιαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν διετήρησε, τότε λοιπὸν ἐνεφράγη τὸ ἀναίσχυτον αὐτοῦ στόμα, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐδὲν ἔσχεν εἰπεῖν· λαμπρότερος γὰρ ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων ὁ δίκαιος ἦν. Τοῦ γὰρ ἐν πλούτῳ ζῶντα ποιεῖν ἐλεημοσύνην τὸ πάντα ἀφαρπαγέντα γενναίως ἐνεγκεῖν καὶ μετ'","english":"Then he was a lover of humanity; now he has become a lover of wisdom. Then he had pity on the poor; now he gives thanks to the Master. And he did not say to himself: What is this? The flocks have been destroyed, from which countless poor were fed; and even if I was unworthy to enjoy prosperity, at least for the sake of those who have nothing, they should have been spared. But he said nothing of the kind, nor did he think it; rather, he knew that God orders all things for what is beneficial. And so that you may learn that afterward he dealt a greater blow to the devil when, having been stripped, he gave thanks, than when, possessing them, he showed pity, hear this: When he possessed them, the devil could at least have had some suspicion to say, Does Job fear you for nothing? But when he had taken everything and stripped him of all, and he preserved the same goodwill toward God, then at last his shameless mouth was stopped, and he no longer had anything to say; for the righteous man was more illustrious than from his former state. For to do almsgiving while living in wealth is one thing; to bear nobly having everything snatched away and with...","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":284,"ref":"p284","source":"εὐχαριστίας, πολλῷ μεῖζόν ἐστι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ οὐρίας φερομένων τῶν πραγμάτων εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· ὅταν δὲ πολὺ τὸ κλυδώνιον ᾖ, καὶ τὸ σκάφος περιτρέπηται καὶ κινδυνεύῃ, τότε ἐστὶν ἡ πολλὴ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης ἐπίδειξις. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ μυρία συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς κακὰ, ἂν ὀλίγον χρυσίον ἀπολέσωσι, καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς ἔχοντες, ἀβίωτον τὸν βίον εἶναι νομίζουσι· πόσων οὐκ ἂν εἴη στεφάνων ἄξιος ὁ Ἰὼβ, τὰ ἐκ δικαίων συλλεγέντα ὁρῶν ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἁρπαζόμενα, καὶ μετὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα μυρίας ὑπομένων πειρασμῶν νιφάδας, καὶ διὰ πάντων ἀκίνητος μένων, καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ τούτων ἀναφέρων τῷ Δεσπότῃ εὐχαριστίαν; Ἂν μὲν γὰρ μηδὲν τῶν ἄλλων μηδεὶς εἴπῃ, τὰ τῆς γυναικὸς μόνον ῥήματα καὶ πέτραν ἦν ἱκανὰ διασαλεῦσαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ ὄντας καὶ μηδὲν πάσχοντας ἀηδὲς πολλοὺς πολλάκις ἔπεισαν αἱ γυναῖκες· ἐννόησον πῶς ἦν νεανικὴ ψυχὴ ἡ μετὰ τοσούτων ὅπλων αὐτὴν ἀποκρουσαμένη. Ὅταν γὰρ γυνὴ ᾖ, καὶ ἐλεεινὰ λέγῃ καὶ τὸν καιρὸν ἔχῃ συμπράττοντα, καὶ τὰ τραύματα καὶ τοὺς μώλωπας καὶ μυρία κύματα τῶν λογισμῶν· πῶς οὐκ ἄν τις δικαίως ἀδάμαντος παντὸς στεῤῥοτέραν τὴν οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τοσούτου χειμῶνος παθοῦσαν ψυχὴν ἀποφήνηται; Δότε μοι μετὰ παῤῥησίας εἰπεῖν ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων, εἰ μὴ μείζων, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐλάττων ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος ἦν. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ τὸ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ταῦτα πάσχειν παρεμυθεῖτο· ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ ταύτης ἔρημος ἦν τῆς παραμυθίας·","english":"of thanksgiving is far greater. For to give thanks to God when things are borne along by a fair wind is nothing wonderful; but when the surge is great, and the vessel is overturned and in danger, then is the great proof of endurance and of gratitude. For if those who are conscious of countless evils in themselves, when they lose a little gold—and often possessing it from robbery—think life not worth living, of how many crowns would Job not be worthy, who saw the things gathered from righteous labors simply and as it happened being snatched away, and after all those things endured countless showers of trials, and through all remained unmoved, and rendered the fitting thanksgiving for these things to the Master? For if no one else had said any of the other things, the words of his wife alone were enough to shake even a rock. For if women have often persuaded many, even when they were in good cheer and suffering nothing, to do what was displeasing; consider how manly was the soul that repelled her with so many weapons. For when it is a woman, and she speaks pitiable words and has the occasion cooperating, and the wounds and the bruises and countless waves of thoughts—how would one not justly declare that soul harder than any adamant, which suffered nothing under so great a storm? Give me leave to say boldly that that blessed man was, if not greater, then not less than the apostles. For to them it was a comfort that they suffered these things for Christ; but he was deprived even of this comfort.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":285,"ref":"p285","source":"καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ τρυφῇ τραφεὶς, οὐκ ἐξ ἁλιέων καὶ τελωνῶν καὶ τῶν εὐτελῶς βεβιωκότων, ἀλλὰ τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκὼς τῆς τιμῆς ἔπασχεν ἅπαντα. Καὶ ὃ φορτικώτατον ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων εἶναι ἐδόκει, αὐτὸς ὑπέμεινε, παρὰ φίλων καὶ οἰκετῶν καὶ τῶν εὖ πεπονθότων, οὐ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὀνειδιζόμενος καὶ μισούμενος. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, φέρε λοιπὸν κατορθωμάτων καὶ παθημάτων ποιησώμεθα σύγκρισιν, ἵνα μάθητε σαφῶς, ὅτι οὐ κατορθώμασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παθήμασιν ἀμοιβαὶ κεῖνται, καὶ ἀμοιβαὶ σφόδρα μεγάλαι, καὶ κατορθώμασιν οὐκ ἐλάττους. Καὶ εἰσαγάγωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ, αὐτὸν τοῦτον τὸν μέγαν ὑπομονῆς ἀθλητὴν Ἰὼβ, τὸν ἑκατέρωθεν λάμψαντα τούτοις, καὶ ἴδωμεν συγκρίναντες πότε λαμπρότερος ἦν, ὅτε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀνέῳξεν, ἢ ὅτε κατενεχθείσης αὐτῆς οὐδὲν ἐφθέγξατο ῥῆμα πικρὸν, ἀλλ' εὐφήμησε τὸν Θεόν; Πότε φαιδρότερος ἦν, εἰπέ μοι, ὅτε ἔθυεν ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων καὶ πρὸς ὁμόνοιαν αὐτοὺς ἦγεν, ἢ ὅτε καταχωσθέντων καὶ τῷ πικροτάτῳ τρόπῳ τῆς τελευτῆς καταλυσάντων τὸν βίον, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἤνεγκε τὸ συμβάν; Πότε μᾶλλον ἐξέλαμψεν, ὅτε ἀπὸ τῆς κουρᾶς τῶν ἀρνῶν αὐτοῦ ἐθερμάνθησαν τῶν γυμνῶν οἱ ὦμοι, ἢ ὅτε ἀκούσας, ὅτι πῦρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἔπεσε καὶ κατέφαγε τὴν ἀγέλην μετὰ τῶν ποιμένων, οὐ διεθορυβήθη οὐδὲ ἐταράχθη, ἀλλὰ πράως ἤνεγκε τὴν συμφοράν; Πότε μείζων ἦν ὅτε τῇ ὑγείᾳ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀδικουμένων ἐκέχρητο προστασίαν, συντρίβων τὰς μύλας τῶν ἀδίκων, καὶ ἐκ μέσου ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἐξαρπάζων ἁρπάγματα·","english":"And what is greater still, having been raised in great luxury, not from fishermen and tax collectors and those who had lived modestly, but having enjoyed such great honor, he suffered all things. And what seemed most burdensome in the case of the apostles, he himself endured—being reproached and hated by friends and household members and those who had been well treated by him, not by enemies. And that these things are so, come now, let us make a comparison of achievements and sufferings, so that you may learn clearly that recompenses are appointed not only for achievements but also for sufferings, and recompenses very great, and not less than those for achievements. And let us bring in, if it seems good, this very man, the great athlete of endurance, Job, who shone on both sides in these things, and let us see by comparison when he was more radiant—when he opened his house to all who came, or when, after it was brought down, he uttered no bitter word but praised God? When was he more cheerful, tell me—when he offered sacrifice on behalf of his children and led them to concord, or when, after they were buried and had ended their lives by the most bitter manner of death, he bore what happened with great philosophy? When did he shine forth more—when from the shearing of his lambs the shoulders of the naked were warmed, or when, on hearing that fire fell from heaven and consumed the flock together with the shepherds, he was not disturbed or troubled, but bore the calamity gently? When was he greater—when he used the health of his body for the protection of those who were wronged, crushing the molars of the unjust and snatching plunder from the midst of their teeth—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":286,"ref":"p286","source":"ἢ ὅτε τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο αὐτὸ τὸ τῶν ἀδικουμένων ὅπλον ἑώρα κατεσθιόμενον ὑπὸ σκωλήκων, καὶ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας αὐτὸς αὐτὸ κατέξαινε λαβὼν ὄστρακον; Τήκω γὰρ βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξέων, φησί. Καίτοι ἐκεῖνα μὲν πάντα κατορθώματα, ταῦτα δὲ παθήματα ἦν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ταῦτα αὐτὸν λαμπρότερον ἐκείνων ἀπέφηνεν. Ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ γινομένων, εἰ καὶ ἀναισχύντως σφόδρα καὶ ἰταμῶς, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀντεῖπεν ὁ διάβολος λέγων· Μὴ δωρεὰν σέβεται Ἰὼβ τὸν Θεόν; τούτων δὲ συμβαινόντων ἐγκαλυψάμενος ἀνεχώρησε νῶτα δοὺς, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀναισχύντου τινὸς ἀντιλογίας σκιὰν γοῦν ἔχων προβαλέσθαι. Τοιγαροῦν, ὅταν ἴδῃς ἄνδρα δίκαιον μεγάλα κατορθοῦντα καὶ μυρία πάσχοντα δεινὰ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· τοὐναντίον γὰρ ἔδει θαυμάζειν, εἰ πολλὰς λαμβάνων ὁ διάβολος πληγὰς ἔμελλεν ἡσυχάζειν, καὶ πράως φέρειν τὰ τραύματα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἰ ὄφις κεντούμενος συνεχῶς ἀγριαίνοι, καὶ ἐφάλλοιτο τῷ κεντοῦντι, θαυμάζειν χρή·\n\nκαὶ τὸν ἐκ πολέμου δὲ καὶ νίκης καὶ σφαγῆς ἐπανιόντα ἀνάγκη καὶ ᾑμάχθαι, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τραύματα ἔχειν. Ὅταν τοίνυν ἴδῃς τινὰ ἐλεημοσύνας ποιοῦντα, καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ἐργαζόμενον ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ταύτῃ συγκόπτοντα τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν δύναμιν, εἶτα πειρασμοῖς περιπεσόντα καὶ κινδύνοις, μὴ διὰ τοῦτο θορυβηθῇς· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο περιέπεσε πειρασμοῖς, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἔπληξε τὸν διάβολον. Καὶ πῶς ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρησε, φησίν; Ἵνα μᾶλλον στεφανωθῇ· ἵνα πλείονα τὴν πληγὴν λάβῃ ἐκεῖνος. Μέγα μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐξ οὐρίας φερομένων τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ ἐλεεῖν καὶ ἀρετῆς ἀντέχεσθαι·","english":"Or when he saw this very body, the weapon of the wronged, being devoured by worms, and sitting on the dung heap he himself scraped it, taking a potsherd? For I melt clods of earth, scraping away the ichor, it says. And yet those things were all successes, while these were sufferings; nevertheless these showed him more brilliant than those. For when those were happening, even though he was very shameless and audacious, the devil nevertheless spoke against him, saying, Does Job worship God for nothing? But when these things happened, he covered himself and withdrew, turning his back, and not even having so much as a shadow of shameless contradiction to put forward. Therefore, whenever you see a righteous man accomplishing great things and suffering countless terrible things, do not marvel; for on the contrary, one ought to marvel if the devil, receiving many blows, was going to keep quiet and bear his wounds gently. For neither, if a snake, being continually pricked, should grow savage and leap upon the one pricking it, ought one to marvel;\n\nand the man returning from war and victory and slaughter must also be bloodied, and often have wounds. When, therefore, you see someone giving alms and doing countless other good things, and by this breaking the devil's power, and then falling into temptations and dangers, do not be disturbed because of this; for it was because of this that he fell into temptations, since he struck the devil very hard. And how did God permit it, he says? So that he might be crowned the more; so that that one might receive a greater blow. For it is a great thing, even when affairs are borne with a fair wind, both to show mercy and to hold fast to virtue;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":287,"ref":"p287","source":"πολλῷ δὲ μεῖζον, τὸ δεινὰ πάσχοντα ἀμεταστρεπτὶ καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ἔχεσθαι τῆς προθυμίας τῶν ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς πόνων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων οἱ μηδὲν παθόντες δεινὸν ἐνταῦθα, μείζονα ὑφίστανται τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐκεῖ· οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν κατορθούντων οἱ πολλὰ παθόντες ἐνταῦθα δεινὰ, πολλῆς ἀπολαύσονται ἐκεῖ τιμῆς. Καὶ καθάπερ ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων δύο, ἂν ὁ μὲν ἐνταῦθα κολασθῇ, ὁ δὲ μὴ κολασθῇ, μακαριώτερος ὁ κολασθεὶς τοῦ μὴ κολασθέντος ἐστίν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ δικαίων ἐνταῦθα ὄντων δύο, ἂν ὁ μὲν πλείους, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττους ὑπομένῃ τὰς θλίψεις, μακαριώτερος ὁ τὰς πλείους ὑπομένων ἐστίν. Οἱ δὲ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ παιδείαν εὐχαρίστως μὴ φέροντες, ἀλλὰ δυσανασχετοῦντες, πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἐξ αὐτῆς καρπώσασθαι καὶ ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἑαυτοὺς περιβάλλουσι συμφοραῖς. Ἀλλ' ἐν πενίᾳ διάγεις καὶ λιμῷ καὶ μυρίοις κινδύνοις; Οὐκοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν πενήτων μάθε εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Δεσπότῃ· οὗτοι γὰρ πάντα τὸν βίον ἑαυτῶν ἐν τῷ ἐπαιτεῖν καταναλίσκοντες οὐ βλασφημοῦσιν, οὐκ ἀγανακτοῦσιν, οὐδὲ δυσχεραίνουσιν, ἀλλ' εὐχαρίστως φέρουσι. Τί γὰρ τοιοῦτον ἔπαθες οἷον ἐκεῖνος; Ἐξεκόπης τὸν ὀφθαλμόν; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος τοὺς δύο. Ἐνόσησας νόσον μακράν; οὗτος δὲ καὶ ἀνίατον. Ἀπέβαλες τοὺς παῖδας; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος καὶ τὴν ὑγείαν τοῦ οἰκείου σώματος. Ἐζημιώθης ζημίαν μεγάλην; ἀλλ' οὐδέπω πρὸς τὸ ἑτέρων δεῖσθαι κατέστης. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ταῦτα; ἐννόησόν μοι τὸν Ἰὼβ τὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἀπερίτρεπτον πύργον. Τίς γὰρ τούτου πενέστερος γέγονεν, ὃς καὶ τῶν ἐν βαλανείοις ἐῤῥιμμένων, καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ καμινιαίᾳ τέφρᾳ καθευδόντων, καὶ πάντων ἁπλῶς ἀνθρώπων πενέστερος ἦν;","english":"Much greater is this: that one who suffers terrible things should hold fast to the labors of virtue without turning away and with greater eagerness. For just as in the case of sinners, those who suffer no terrible thing here undergo a greater punishment there; so too in the case of the upright, those who suffer many terrible things here will enjoy much honor there. And just as when there are two sinners, if one is punished here and the other is not punished, the one who is punished is more blessed than the one who is not punished; so also when there are two righteous men here, if one endures more afflictions and the other fewer, the one who endures more is more blessed. But those who do not bear God's discipline with thanksgiving, but are resentful, besides gaining no fruit from it, also wrap themselves in the utmost calamities. But do you live in poverty and hunger and countless dangers? Then learn from the poor to give thanks to the Master; for they, spending their whole life in begging, do not blaspheme, do not complain, nor are they vexed, but bear it with thanksgiving. For what such thing have you suffered as he did? Was your eye cut out? But he lost both. Did you suffer a long illness? But his was even incurable. Did you lose your children? But he also lost the health of his own body. Were you deprived of a great sum? But you have not yet come to the point of needing others. But are these not enough? Consider for me Job, the unshakeable tower of endurance. For who has become poorer than he, who was poorer than those thrown into the baths, and those who sleep in the ash of the furnace, and simply than all men?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":288,"ref":"p288","source":"Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ κἂν ἱμάτιον ἔχουσι διεῤῥωγός· ἐκεῖνος δὲ γυμνὸς ἐκάθητο, καὶ ὃ μόνον ἱμάτιον εἶχε παρὰ τῆς φύσεως, τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν περιβολὴν, χαλεπῇ σηπεδόνι καὶ τοῦτο διέφθειρεν ὁ διάβολος. Καὶ οἱ μὲν πένητες κἂν ὑπὸ στέγην εἰσὶ προπυλαίων τῶν ἐν τοῖς βαλανείοις, κἂν καλάμῃ καλύπτονται· ἐκεῖνος δὲ αἴθριος διανυκτερεύων ἀεὶ διετέλει, οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπὸ ψιλῆς στέγης παραμυθίαν ἔχων· καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὅτι οὗτοι μὲν πολλὰ ἑαυτοῖς συνίσασι τὰ δεινά (καὶ οὐ μικρὸν τοῦτο εἰς παραμυθίαν συμφορᾶς, τὸ συνειδέναι ἑαυτῷ δικαίως τιμωρουμένῳ)· ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ ταύτης ἀπεστέρητο τῆς παραμυθίας, καὶ πολιτείαν ἐπιδειξάμενος ἀρετῆς γέμουσαν, τὰ τῶν ἔσχατα τετολμηκότων ὑπέμεινε. Καὶ οὗτοι μὲν ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐνεμελέτησαν τῇ συμφορᾷ· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἀμελέτητον ὑπέμεινε πενίαν, ἀθρόον δεξάμενος τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου μεταβολήν. Εἶδες αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐσχάτην ἐλθόντα πενίαν, καὶ μεθ' ἣν ἑτέραν οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν; Τί γὰρ ἂν τοῦ γυμνοῦ καὶ μηδὲ στέγην ἔχοντος πενέστερον γένοιτ' ἂν, μηδὲ ἐδάφους αὐτοῦ ἀπολαύοντος; οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκάθητο. Οὐκοῦν ὅταν ἴδῃς σαυτὸν ἐν πενίᾳ γενόμενον, ἐννόησον τοῦ δικαίου τὸ πάθος, καὶ εὐθέως διαναστήσῃ, καὶ πάντα ἀποκρούσῃ λογισμὸν τῆς ἀθυμίας. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ τὸν παρὰ τῆς φύσεως πόλεμον τὸν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὑπερβολῆς τῷ γενναίῳ τούτῳ ἐπιτεθειμένον ἀκούειν, πρόσεχε ᾧ λέγω· Δέκα παιδία ἀπώλεσε, τὰ δέκα ἀθρόον, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἄνθει τῆς ἡλικίας, τὰ δέκα πολλὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδεδειγμένα, καὶ οὐδὲ τῷ κοινῷ τῆς φύσεως νόμῳ, ἀλλὰ βιαίῳ θανάτῳ καὶ ἐλεεινῷ.","english":"For these men, at least, have a garment, even if torn; but that man sat naked, and the only garment he had from nature—the covering of the flesh—even this the devil destroyed with a grievous rot. And the poor, at least, are under a roof, even if it be the porch of a bathhouse, even if they are covered with reeds; but that man continued always spending the night in the open air, not even having the comfort of a bare roof. And what is greater: these men are conscious in themselves of many terrible deeds (and this is no small comfort in misfortune—to be conscious that one is justly punished); but that man was deprived even of this comfort, and though he had displayed a manner of life full of virtue, he endured the things of those who have dared the worst. And these men have practiced misfortune from the beginning and from the start; but that man endured poverty unpracticed, receiving the change from wealth all at once. Did you see him come to the last extremity of poverty, beyond which one cannot find another? For what could be poorer than the naked man who has not even a roof, who does not even enjoy the ground itself? For he sat not on the ground, but on the dung heap. Therefore whenever you see yourself come into poverty, consider the suffering of the righteous man, and immediately you will rise up and drive away every thought of despondency. But if you wish also to hear of the war from nature that was brought against this noble man with great excess, attend to what I say: He lost ten children, ten all at once, in the very flower of their age, ten who had displayed great virtue, and not by the common law of nature, but by a violent and pitiable death.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":289,"ref":"p289","source":"Τίς ἂν ἔχοι τοιαύτην συμφορὰν εἰπεῖν; ποῖος σιδηροῦς ἄνθρωπος, ποῖος ἀδάμας τοσαῦτα ἂν ὑπέμεινε δεινά; οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐκ ἔστιν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ τούτων ἕκαστον ἀφόρητον, ἐννόησον ὡς ὁμοῦ πάντα συνελθόντα, πόσον ἤγειρε καὶ τὸν θόρυβον.\n\nὍταν τοίνυν ἀποβάλῃς υἱὸν καὶ θυγατέρα ὁμοῦ, ἀνάδραμε πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον ἐκεῖνον καὶ πάντως εὑρήσεις πολλὴν σεαυτῷ τὴν παραμυθίαν· ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ τῶν παίδων, ἃ μυρίων στεφάνων μᾶλλον ἀνέδησε τὴν ἁγίαν κεφαλὴν ἐκείνην· λόγισαι τὸ μέγεθος τῆς συμφορᾶς καὶ τὸ καινὸν ἐκεῖνο ναυάγιον, καὶ τὴν ξένην καὶ παράδοξον ἐκείνην τραγῳδίαν. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ ἴσως ἕνα ἀπώλεσας ἢ δεύτερον ἢ τρίτον, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τοσούτους καὶ τοσαύτας, καὶ ὁ πολύπαις ἐξαίφνης ἄπαις ἐγίνετο· καὶ οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτῷ τὰ σπλάγχνα ἀνηλίσκετο, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον ἅπας ὁ καρπὸς ἀνηρπάζετο, καὶ οὐδὲ παρόντος, οὐδὲ παρακαθημένου, ἵνα κἂν ἐσχάτων ἀκούσας ῥημάτων ἔχῃ τινὰ παραμυθίαν τῆς οὕτω πικρᾶς τελευτῆς, ἀλλὰ παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν, καὶ θάτερον ὑπερέβαλλε θατέρου τῶν λυπηρῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄωρος θάνατος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐν ἀκμῇ πάντας εἶναι, τὸ ἐναρέτους εἶναι καὶ φιλικοὺς, τὸ πάντας ὁμοῦ, τὸ φύσεως εἶναι ἑκατέρας, τὸ μὴ κοινῷ νόμῳ τῆς φύ σεως, τὸ μετὰ τοσαύτην ζημίαν, τὸ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδότα πονηρὸν μηδὲ ἐκείνοις ταῦτα παθεῖν. Τούτων γὰρ ἕκαστον ἱκανὸν μὲν καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ θορυβῆσαι· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ὁμοῦ φαίνηται συντρέχοντα, ἐννόησον τῶν κυμάτων ὅσον τὸ ὕψος, ὅση τοῦ χειμῶνος ἡ ὑπερβολὴ καὶ τῆς ζάλης. Θαυμαστὰ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα καὶ ἁπλῶς ἀκουόμενα·","english":"Who could describe such a calamity? What man of iron, what adamant, would have endured such dreadful things? There is no one, there is no one. For if each of these things is unbearable by itself, consider how great a tumult all of them coming together raised.\n\nWhen, then, you lose a son and a daughter together, run back to that righteous man and you will surely find great consolation for yourself; remember his words at the calamity of his children, words which crowned that holy head more than ten thousand crowns; reckon the magnitude of the calamity and that strange shipwreck, and that foreign and paradoxical tragedy. For you perhaps lost one, or a second, or a third, but he lost so many sons and so many daughters, and the man of many children suddenly became childless; and his inward parts were not consumed little by little, but the whole harvest was snatched away at once, and not even with him present, nor sitting by his side, so that at least by hearing his last words he might have some consolation for so bitter an end, but beyond all hope, and each of the two sorrows exceeded the other. For it was not only untimely death, but also that all were in their prime, that they were virtuous and affectionate, that all were together, that they were of both sexes, that it was not by the common law of nature, that it came after so great a loss, that he was conscious of no evil in himself nor that they suffered these things. For each of these is sufficient by itself to disturb; but when they are seen running together at once, consider how great is the height of the waves, how great the excess of the storm and the surge. These things are indeed wonderful even when simply heard;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":290,"ref":"p290","source":"ἂν δὲ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξετάσῃς αὐτὰ, τότε μειζόνως ὄψει τὸ θαῦμα. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ὅτι οὐχὶ τοὺς ἡμίσεις ἔλαβεν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ τοὺς ἡμίσεις ἀφῆκεν, οὐδὲ τοὺς πλείονας ἔλαβε, καὶ τοὺς ἐλάττους ἀφῆκεν, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρον ἐτρύγησε τὸν καρπὸν, καὶ τὸ δένδρον οὐ κατέβαλε· πᾶσαν ἐπήγαγε τὴν θάλασσαν μετὰ τῶν κυμάτων, καὶ τὸ σκάφος οὐ κατεπόντισεν· ὅλην τὴν δύναμιν ἐκένωσεν, καὶ τὸν πύργον οὐκ ἔσεισεν, ἀλλ' εἱστήκει πάντοθεν βαλλόμενος καὶ ἀκλινὴς μένων· καὶ νιφάδες ἐφέροντο βελῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπλήττετο, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπέμποντο μὲν, οὐκ ἐτίτρωσκον δέ. Ἐννόησον ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ τοσούτους παῖδας ἀπολωλέναι· τί γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἱκανὸν δάκνειν; οὐχὶ τὸ πάντας ἀναρπασθῆναι; οὐχὶ τὸ πάντας ἀθρόον καὶ ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ; οὐχὶ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς ἡλικίας τῷ ἄνθει; οὐχὶ τὸ πολλὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδεικνυμένους, καὶ τὸ τρόπῳ τῆς τιμωρίας τοιούτῳ καταλῦσαι τὸν βίον; οὐχὶ τὸ μετὰ τοσαύτας πληγὰς ἐσχάτην ἐπενεχθῆναι ταύτην; οὐχὶ τὸ φιλόστοργον εἶναι τὸν γεγεννηκότα; οὐ τὸ ποθεινοὺς εἶναι τοὺς ἀπελθόντας; Ὅταν γὰρ πονηρούς τις ἀποβάληται παῖδας, δάκνεται μὲν τῷ πάθει, πλὴν οὐ μετὰ τοσαύτης τῆς σφοδρότητος· ἡ γὰρ πονηρία τῶν ἀπελθόντων δριμυτέραν οὐκ ἀφίησι γενέσθαι τὴν λύπην· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ἐνάρετοι ὦσι, μόνιμον τὸ τραῦμα γίνεται, οὐχὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως μόνον ἐπιδεικνυμένῳ πόθον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας. Πάλιν ὅταν κατὰ μέρος ἁρπάζωνται, ἔχει τινὰ παραμυθίαν τὸ πάθος· οἱ γὰρ ἐπιλειπόμενοι τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσι συσκιάζουσιν ἀθυμίαν· ὅταν δὲ ὁλόκληρος ὁ χορὸς ἀπέλθῃ, πρὸς τίνα δυνήσεται ἰδεῖν ὁ πολύπαις ἀθρόον ἄπαις γενόμενος;","english":"But if you examine these things carefully, then you will see the wonder more greatly. For consider that the devil did not take half and leave half, nor did he take the greater part and leave the lesser, but he plucked the whole fruit and did not cast down the tree; he brought the whole sea with its waves and did not sink the ship; he emptied all his power and did not shake the tower, but it stood assailed from every side and remained unshaken; and showers of arrows were borne against it, and it was not struck—or rather, they were sent but did not wound. Consider how great a thing it is that so many children should have perished. For what was not enough to bite? Was it not that all were snatched away? Was it not that all at once and in a single day? Was it not in the very flower of their age? Was it not that they displayed great virtue, and that they ended their life by such a manner of punishment? Was it not that after so many blows this last one was brought upon him? Was it not that the one who begot them was affectionate? Was it not that those who departed were beloved? For when someone casts off wicked children, he is bitten by the suffering, yet not with such intensity; for the wickedness of those who departed does not allow the grief to become sharper. But when they are also virtuous, the wound becomes lasting, showing not only the longing that comes from nature but also that from piety. Again, when they are snatched away one by one, the suffering has some consolation; for those who are left overshadow the despondency over those who have departed. But when the whole chorus has departed, toward whom will the man of many children be able to look, who has suddenly become childless?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":291,"ref":"p291","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τρισὶν ἢ πέντε ἡμέραις ἀπελθόντων τινῶν, αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ οἱ προσήκοντες ἅπαντες τοῦτο μάλιστα πάντων ὀλοφύρονται, ὅτι ταχέως καὶ ἐξαίφνης ἀνηρπάγη τῆς ἐκείνων ὄψεως ὁ τετελευτηκώς· πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὗτος ἂν ἤλγησεν, οὐκ ἐν ἡμέραις τρισὶ καὶ δύο καὶ μιᾷ, ἀλλ' ἐν ὥρᾳ μιᾷ ἅπαντας οὕτως ἀφαιρεθείς. Τὸ γὰρ μελετηθὲν τῷ χρόνῳ δεινὸν, κἂν σφόδρα ἀφόρητον ᾖ, τῇ προσδοκίᾳ κοῦφον ἂν γένοιτο ῥᾳδίως· τὸ δὲ παρ' ἐλπίδα συμβὰν καὶ ἐξαίφνης, κἂν φύσει κοῦφον ᾖ, τῷ παρ' ἐλπίδα συμβῆναι καὶ ἐξαίφνης, ἀφόρητον γίνεται. Ὅταν οὖν τι καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ χαλεπὸν ᾖ, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ παρ' ἐλπίδα συμβῆναι λάβῃ προσθήκην, ἐννόησον πῶς ἀφόρητον γίνεται καὶ πάντα ὑπερβαίνει λόγον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ κλίνης εἶδεν αὐτοὺς ἀποπνέοντας καὶ ψυχοῤῥαγοῦντας, ἀλλὰ τῇ οἰκίᾳ καταχωσθέντας ἅπαντας. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν, τίς ἄρα ἦν ἀνορύττων ἐκεῖνο τὸ χῶμα, καὶ νῦν μὲν λίθον, νῦν δὲ μέλος ἀνέλκων παιδίου, καὶ χεῖρα ἰδὼν ἔτι φιάλην κατέχουσαν, καὶ δεξιὰν ἑτέραν ἀνακλινομένην τῷ πίνακι, καὶ αὐτὸν τοῦ σώματος διεφθαρμένον τὸν τύπον, ῥι νὸς συντριβείσης,","english":"For if, when certain people have departed within three or five days, the women and all the relatives lament this above all else—that the deceased was snatched swiftly and suddenly from their sight—how much more would this man have grieved, having thus lost them all not in three days, or two, or one, but in a single hour. For a dread that has been rehearsed over time, even if it is utterly unbearable, would easily become light through expectation; but what happens contrary to hope and suddenly, even if it is by nature light, becomes unbearable because it happens contrary to hope and suddenly. When, then, something is both grievous in itself and receives the addition that comes from happening contrary to hope, consider how unbearable it becomes and surpasses all account. For he did not see them breathing their last and giving up the ghost on a bed, but all buried in the house. Consider, then, who it was that was digging up that mound, now pulling up a stone, now a limb of a child, and seeing a hand still holding a cup, and another right hand laid out on the tablet, and the very form of the body corrupted, the nose crushed,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":292,"ref":"p292","source":"κεφαλῆς διακλασθείσης, ὀφθαλμῶν ἀφανισθέντων, ἐγκεφάλου διεσπαρμένου, πάσης ἁπλῶς τῆς μορφῆς διεφθαρμένης, καὶ τῆς τῶν τραυμάτων ποικιλίας οὐκ ἀφιείσης τὸν πατέρα τῶν ποθουμένων ὄψεων ἐπιγνῶναι τὸν τύπον. Συνεχύθητε ταῦτα ἀκούοντες καὶ δακρύετε; ἐννοήσατε τοίνυν τίς ἦν ἐκεῖνος ταῦτα ὁρῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀδακρυτὶ τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐκείνης τὴν ἀκοὴν ἐνεγκεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα ἀλλοτρίας ἀκούοντες συμφορᾶς, τίς ἦν ὁ ἀδάμας ἐκεῖνος, θέᾳ ταῦτα παραλαμβάνων, οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις, ἀλλ' ἐν οἰκείοις φιλοσοφῶν κακοῖς; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπεδυσπέτησεν, οὐδὲ εἶπε, Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστιν; αὕτη μοι τῆς φιλοφροσύνης ἡ ἀμοιβή; διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς ξένοις ἠνέῳξά μου τὴν οἰκίαν, ἵνα τάφον τῶν παίδων γινομένην αὐτὴν ἐπίδω; διὰ τοῦτο πᾶσαν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἀρετὴν ἐπεδειξάμην, ἵνα τοιοῦτον ὑπομείνωσι θάνατον; Οὐκ εἶπε τούτων οὐδὲν, οὐκ ἐνενόησεν, ἀλλ' ἔφερε πάντα γενναίως, καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτην ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτῶν ἀφαιρεθείς. Ἆρ' οὖν ταῦτα μόνα αὐτῷ συνέβη τὰ δεινά; ἡ δὲ τῶν φίλων ἐγκατάλειψις καὶ προδοσία, τὰ δὲ σκώμματα καὶ αἱ λοιδορίαι, ἡ δὲ χλευασία καὶ ὁ γέλως, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ πάντων διασύρεσθαι· ἆρα φορητὰ ταῦτα καὶ παραμυθίας ἄξια; Ταῦτά γε οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι φορητὰ, μήτι γε διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν ὑπομεῖναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἡ τῶν συμφορῶν φύσις, ὡς οἱ παρὰ τὰς συμφορὰς ἡμῖν ὀνειδίζοντες, δάκνειν εἰώθασιν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν. Θέα δέ μοι κἀντεῦθεν λοιπὸν τὸ ἐπιεικὲς καὶ φιλόθεον τῆς γενναίας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀδαμαντίνης ψυχῆς.","english":"When the head had been shattered, the eyes destroyed, the brain scattered, and, simply put, the whole form corrupted, and the variety of wounds did not allow the father to recognize the imprint of the beloved faces. Were you disturbed hearing these things and do you weep? Consider, then, who that man was who saw these things. For if we, after so much time, cannot bear to hear that tragedy without tears—and that too when we are hearing of another's misfortune—who was that man of adamant, taking these things in at the sight, philosophizing not amid another's evils but his own? For he did not grow indignant, nor did he say, \"What ever is this? Is this the recompense for my kindness? For this did I open my house to strangers, that I might see it become a tomb of my children? For this did I show every virtue toward them, that they should endure such a death?\" He said none of these things, he did not think them, but bore all things nobly, even after such care for them was he deprived of them. Was it then only these terrible things that happened to him? But what of the abandonment and betrayal of friends, the mockeries and insults, the jeering and laughter, being ridiculed by all—are these things bearable and worthy of consolation? These things are not even bearable to hear, let alone to endure through the deeds themselves. For the nature of misfortunes is not so accustomed to bite our soul as are those who reproach us in the midst of our misfortunes. And from this point observe for me the gentleness and love of God of that noble and adamantine soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":293,"ref":"p293","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἑαυτὸν μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὄντα ἑώρα, τὸν πᾶσαν ἐπελθόντα ἀρετὴν, πονηροὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους καὶ γόητας εὐημεροῦντας, οὐκ εἶπεν οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, οἷον εἰκός τινας τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων εἰπεῖν· Ἐπὶ τούτοις ἔθρεψα τοὺς παῖδας, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἤσκησα πάσης; ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀνέῳξά μου τὴν οἰκίαν τοῖς παριοῦσιν, ἵνα μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς δρόμους ἐκείνους τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν δεομένων, τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν γυμνῶν, τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν ὀρφανῶν, ταύτας ἀπολάβω τὰς ἀμοιβάς; ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τούτων τὰ πάσης θυσίας κρείττονα ῥήματα ἀνήνεγκεν ἐκεῖνα εἰπών· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο. Εἰ δὲ διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ τὴν κόμην ἀπεκείρατο, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· πατὴρ γὰρ ἦν, καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος, καὶ ἔδει δειχθῆναι καὶ τὴν τῆς φύσεως συμπάθειαν καὶ τὴν τῆς γνώμης φιλοσοφίαν· εἰ γὰρ μηδὲ τοῦτο ἐποίησε, τάχα ἄν τις καὶ ἀναισθησίας ἐνόμισε τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ταύτην. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ὅταν χρήματα ἀπολέσῃς τὰ σὰ, καὶ μὴ δυσχεράνῃς, ἀλλὰ γενναίως ἐνεγκὼν εὐχαριστήσῃς τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἀποφθέγξῃ ῥήματα, Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο, κέρδος τὴν ζημίαν διὰ τούτων ἐποίησας. Τί λέγεις· Ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο; ὁ κλέπτης ἀφείλετο, καὶ πῶς δυνήσομαι εἰπεῖν, Ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο; Μὴ θαυμάσῃς· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἰὼβ, ἃ ὁ διάβολος ἔλαβε, ταῦτα ἔφησεν ὅτι Ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· καὶ πῶς ἃ ὁ κλέπτης ἔλαβε, σὺ οὐκ ἐρεῖς ὅτι Ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο; Μὴ γὰρ εἴπῃς· Οὐκ ἔχω χάριν· οὐκ ἐμῆς γνώμης τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν, οὐκ εἰδότος οὐδὲ βουλομένου ὁ λῃστὴς ἔλαβε· ποῖος ἔσται μοι μισθός; οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἰδότος οὐδὲ βουλομένου ταῦτα ἐγένετο· πῶς γάρ;","english":"For seeing himself in the last extremities, while wicked men and sorcerers were prospering, he said nothing of the kind that some of the weaker sort might say: \"For these things I raised my children, and trained them with all strictness; for these things I opened my house to those who passed by, so that after those many courses of running for the sake of the needy, for the sake of the naked, for the sake of the orphans, I might receive these recompenses.\" But instead of these things he brought forth words better than every sacrifice, saying: \"The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away.\" And if he tore his garments and cut off his hair, do not marvel; for he was a father, and a loving father, and it was necessary that both the sympathy of nature and the philosophy of his mind be shown. For if he had not done this either, perhaps someone might have considered this philosophy to be insensibility. And you, therefore, whenever you lose your money, do not be vexed, but having borne it nobly, give thanks to God, and utter the words of Job: \"The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away,\" and you have made the loss a gain through these words. What do you say? \"The Lord has taken away\"? The thief has taken it away, and how shall I be able to say, \"The Lord has taken away\"? Do not marvel; for Job also said of the things the devil took, \"The Lord has taken away.\" And how do you not say of the things the thief took, \"The Lord has taken away\"? For do not say: \"I have no gratitude; the matter was not of my will; the robber took it without my knowing or willing; what reward shall I have?\" For neither did these things happen to Job with his knowing or willing; for how could they?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":294,"ref":"p294","source":"ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἔλαττον ἔχει τῶν ἐλεημοσύνην δόντων ἐκεῖνος, ὁ μὴ δοὺς τότε. Ἂν δὲ καὶ πρὸς μάντιν σε παραινέσωσί τινες ἀπελθεῖν, σὺ δὲ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, ἐπειδὴ κεκώλυται, ἕλῃ μᾶλλον μὴ λαβεῖν τὰ χρήματα ἢ παρακοῦσαι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἴσον ἔχεις τὸν μισθὸν τῶν εἰς πένητας αὐτὰ δεδωκότων, ὅτι ἀπολέσας ηὐχαρίστησας, καὶ δυνάμενος πρὸς μάντεις ἀπελθεῖν, ἠνέσχου μὴ λαβεῖν αὐτὰ μᾶλλον, ἢ οὕτω λαβεῖν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον εἰς τοὺς δεομένους ἐκένωσεν, οὕτω καὶ σὺ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, ἁρπασάντων ἐκείνων, οὐκ ἀνέλαβες. Ἀπεστέρησέ σε χρημάτων ἐκεῖνος; σὺ σαυτὸν μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς τῆς σωτηρίας· ἀλγῶν γὰρ ἐφ' οἷς παρ' ἑτέρων κακῶς ἔπαθες, αὐτὸς πλείοσι σαυτὸν περιβάλλεις κακοῖς. Ἐκεῖνός σε ἴσως πενίᾳ περιέβαλε, σὺ δὲ σαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς καιρίοις καταβλάπτεις κακούργως· ἐκεῖνος ἀπεστέρησέ σε τὰ ἐκτός σου ὄντα, καὶ ὕστερον καὶ ἄκοντός σου ἀποπηδήσοντα· σὺ δὲ\n\nτὸν αἰώνιον πλοῦτον σαυτὸν ἀφαιρῇ. Ἐλύπησέ σε ὁ διάβολος ἀφελόμενος τὰ χρήματα; λύπησον αὐτὸν καὶ σὺ εὐχαριστήσας, καὶ μὴ εὐφράνῃς. Ἂν πρὸς μάντεις ἀπέλθῃς, εὔφρανας· ἂν εὐχαριστήσῃς τῷ Θεῷ, καιρίαν ἔδωκας αὐτῷ τὴν πληγήν. Καὶ ὅρα τί γίνεται· Οὔτε αὐτὰ εὑρήσεις, ἀπελθὼν πρὸς τοὺς μάντεις· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐκείνων εἰδέναι· εἰ δέ που καὶ εἴποιεν ἐπιτυχόντες, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν προσαπολλύεις, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καταγελασθήσῃ τῶν σῶν, καὶ πάλιν αὐτὰ κακῶς ἀπολεῖς. Ὁ γὰρ δαίμων εἰδὼς ὅτι ζημίαν οὐ φέρεις, ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ τούτων καὶ τὸν Θεόν σου ἀρνῇ, πάλιν χρήματα δίδωσιν, ἵνα ἀφορμὴν σχῇ τοῦ πάλιν σε ἀπατῆσαι καὶ ἀποστῆσαι.","english":"Nevertheless, he who did not give then has no less than those who gave alms. And if some urge you to go to a diviner, but you, out of fear of God, since it has been forbidden, choose rather not to receive the money than to disobey God, you have a reward equal to those who gave it to the poor, because having lost it you gave thanks, and being able to go to diviners, you endured rather not to receive it than to receive it that way. For just as that man, out of fear of God, poured it out upon the needy, so you too, out of fear of God, when they seized it, did not take it back. Did he deprive you of money? Do not deprive yourself of salvation; for by grieving over the wrongs you suffered from others, you yourself surround yourself with greater evils. He perhaps encompassed you with poverty, but you wickedly harm yourself in the things that matter; he deprived you of your external possessions, which later would leap away even against your will; but you deprive yourself of eternal wealth. Did the devil grieve you by taking away your money? Grieve him in return by giving thanks, and do not gladden him. If you go to diviners, you have gladdened him; if you give thanks to God, you have dealt him a fatal blow. And see what happens: you will not find it either, by going to the diviners; for it is not in their power to know; and if perhaps they should speak by chance, you both destroy your soul besides, and you will be laughed at by your own brothers, and again you will lose it badly. For the demon, knowing that you cannot bear the loss, but on account of these things you even deny your God, gives money again, so that he may have an occasion to deceive you again and lead you away.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":295,"ref":"p295","source":"Καὶ καθάπερ ἡμεῖς ἐκεῖνα τοὺς ἐχθροὺς διατίθεμεν, οἷς λυποῦμεν αὐτούς· ἂν δὲ ἴδωμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἀλγοῦσιν, ἀφιστάμεθα λοιπὸν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχοντες αὐτοὺς δακεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος, ἂν ἴδῃ καταγελῶντα καὶ καταφρονοῦντά σε τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐγχειρήσεως, ἀποστήσεται τῆς τοιαύτης ὁδοῦ, προσεγγίζων οὐκέτι. Ἔξεστιν οὖν σοι ταῦτα ὑπομένοντα τοσοῦτον λαβεῖν μισθὸν, ὅσον ἂν εἰ ἑκὼν ἔῤῥιψας αὐτά. Καὶ εἰκότως τοῦτον μᾶλλον θαυμάζομεν, τὸν ἐπηρείας εὐχαρίστως φέροντα, ἢ τὸν ἑκόντα διδόντα. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν τοῖς ἐπαίνοις τρέφεται καὶ τῷ συνειδότι, καὶ χρηστὰς ἔχει τὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ πρότερον γενναίως ἐνεγκὼν τὴν στέρησιν τῶν χρημάτων, τότε αὐτὰ ἔῤῥιψεν· οὗτος δὲ ἔτι προσδεδεμένος ἀφῃρέθη βία. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἴσον, πρότερον πεισθέντα ἀποστῆναι χρημάτων, οὕτως αὐτὰ κενῶσαι, καὶ ἔτι αὐτῶν ποθοῦντα ἀποστερηθῆναι· οὐδὲ πάλιν ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ μελετῆσαι καταφρονῆσαι χρημάτων, καὶ ἀθρόον ζημίαν συμβᾶσαν ὑπενεγκεῖν. 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 ταράττεται καὶ εὐχείρωτος γίνεται, τῷ τε ἀπροσδοκήτῳ καὶ τῷ διαλελύσθαι τὴν σπουδὴν ἅπασαν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνα παρασκευήν. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ 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. Διὰ τί γὰρ τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Ἰὼβ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων οὐκ ἠφάνισεν ὁ διάβολος;","english":"And just as we deal with our enemies in those matters by which we grieve them: if we see that they are not pained, we withdraw thereafter, as having no way to bite them; so also the devil, if he sees you laughing at and despising his attempt, will depart from such a course, approaching no more. It is possible, then, for you, by enduring these things, to receive as great a reward as if you had thrown them away willingly. And with good reason we admire this man more, the one who bears insults thankfully, than the one who gives willingly. Why ever so? Because the latter is nourished by praises and by his conscience, and has good hopes, and having first nobly endured the deprivation of his money, then threw it away; but the former, still bound to them, was deprived by force. And it is not equal, having first been persuaded to depart from money, thus to empty oneself of it, and, while still longing for it, to be deprived of it; nor again to have practiced despising money over a long time, and to endure a loss that came suddenly. For the one still prepared for terrible things would more easily bear their onset; but the one who has reclined and released his thoughts from cares, if something such as happened before should happen again, is disturbed twofold and becomes easy to capture, both by the unexpectedness and by all his zeal and his preparation for those things having been dissolved. And it is no small ground for pain, but even more unbearable than all, when someone, thinking he has been delivered and has come to the very end, and having laid aside all care and anxiety, finds again from the beginning another start of troubles. For why did the devil not destroy Job's wife along with his children?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":296,"ref":"p296","source":"Ἐπειδὴ ᾔδει μεγάλα αὐτῷ συντελεῖν πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐκείνου. Εἰ γὰρ παραδείσου, φησὶ, δι' αὐτῆς ἐξέβαλον τὸν Ἀδὰμ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ κοπρίας ὑποσκελίσαι δυνήσομαι τὸν Ἰώβ. Καὶ θέα τὴν κακουργίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῶν βοῶν ἀπολλυμένων προσήγαγε τὸ μηχάνημα τοῦτο, οὐδὲ τῶν ὄνων, οὐδὲ τῶν καμήλων, οὐδὲ τῆς οἰκίας κατενεχθείσης, οὐδὲ τῶν παίδων καταχωσθέντων, ἀλλὰ σιγᾷ τέως, καὶ ἡσυχάζειν ἐᾷ, τὸν ἀθλητὴν ὁρῶν· ὅτε δὲ τῶν σκωλήκων ἀνέβλυσεν ἡ πηγὴ, καὶ σηπόμενον τὸ δέρμα κατέῤῥει, καὶ δαπανώμεναι αἱ σάρκες, ἰχῶρα πολλῆς γέμοντα δυσωδίας ἐποίουν, καὶ τηγάνων καὶ καμίνων καὶ πάσης φλογὸς ὀδυνηρότερον αὐτὸν ἡ διαβόλου κατανήλισκε χεὶρ, θηρίου παντὸς χαλεπώτερον διατρώγουσα πάντοθεν καὶ κατεσθίουσα τὸ σῶμα, καὶ πολὺς ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ συμφορᾷ προῆλθεν ὁ χρόνος, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα αὐτὸν εἶδε διψῶντα ἀπαλλαγῆς, καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἐπιθυμοῦντα, ὡς οὐδὲ ἀναπνεῖν ἔχοντα (Εἰ γὰρ δυναίμην, φησὶν, ἐμαυτὸν χειρώσασθαι, ἢ δεηθῆναι ἑτέρου, καὶ ποιήσει μοι τοῦτο)· τότε αὐτὴν προσάγει, καί φησιν· Μέχρι τίνος καρτερεῖς λέγων, Ἰδοὺ ἀναμένω χρόνον τινὰ ἔτι μικρὸν, προσδεχόμενος τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας μου; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐνοχλοῦσαν ἀεὶ παραμυθούμενος καὶ διακρουόμενος, τοιαῦτα ἐφθέγγετο· Ἀνάμεινον ἔτι μικρὸν, καὶ ταχέως ἔσται τούτων τὸ τέλος. Ὀνειδίζουσα τοίνυν αὐτῷ φησι· Μὴ καὶ νῦν τὸ αὐτὸ ἐρεῖς; πολὺς γὰρ ἤδη χρόνος παρέδραμε, καὶ τέλος τούτων οὐκ ἐφάνη·","english":"Since he knew that this would greatly contribute to his plot against him. For if, he says, through it I cast Adam out of paradise, much more shall I be able to trip up Job on the dung-heap. And behold the villainy: for he did not bring this device to bear when the oxen were being destroyed, nor the donkeys, nor the camels, nor when the house was brought down, nor when the servants were buried, but for a time he is silent and lets him be at rest, seeing the athlete; but when the spring of worms gushed forth, and the skin was rotting and falling away, and the flesh was being consumed, producing ichor full of great stench, and the hand of the devil was consuming him more painfully than frying-pans and furnaces and every flame, gnawing and devouring his body from every side more cruelly than any wild beast, and much time passed in such calamity, and because of these things he saw him thirsting for release and longing to die, as not even having the strength to breathe (For if I could, he says, lay hands on myself, or beg another, and he would do this for me)—then he brings her forward, and says: How long will you endure, saying, Behold, I wait yet a little time, awaiting the hope of my salvation? For he too, ever consoling and fending off the one who was troubling him, used to say such things: Wait yet a little, and quickly there will be an end of these things. Therefore she reproaches him, saying: Will you say the same even now? For much time has already passed by, and no end of these things has appeared.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":297,"ref":"p297","source":"Ἀπώλετο δέ σου τὸ μνημόσυνον ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες σου, τῆς ἐμῆς κοιλίας ὠδῖνες καὶ πόνοι, οὓς εἰς τὸ κενὸν ἐκοπίασα μετὰ μόχθων, κἀγὼ πλανῆτις καὶ λάτρις τόπον ἐκ τόπου, καὶ οἰκίαν ἐξ οἰκίας περιερχομένη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ προσαιτῶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλανῶμαι, καὶ\n\nδουλεύω δουλείαν ξένην καὶ καινὴν, πανταχοῦ περιιοῦσα, καὶ τὰ σύμβολα τῆς συμφορᾶς περιφέρουσα, καὶ πάντας διδάσκουσα τὰ ἐμὰ κακά. Καὶ ὃ πάντων ἐστὶν ἐλεεινότερον, Προσδεχομένη τὸν ἥλιον πότε δύσει, καὶ ἀναπαύσομαι τῶν μόχθων μου καὶ τῶν περιεχουσῶν με ὀδυνῶν, αἵ με νῦν συνέχουσιν. Ἀλλ' εἰπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα. Τί οὖν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος καὶ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥότερος; Βλέψας εἰς αὐτὴν πικρῶς· ὢ διανοίας σώφρονος καὶ μετρίας! καὶ πρὸ τῆς φωνῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως διεκρούσατο τὰ μηχανήματα. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ προσεδόκησε δακρύων κινῆσαι πηγάς· οὗτος δὲ λέοντος σφοδρότερος γέγονε, θυμοῦ πληρωθεὶς καὶ ἀγανακτήσεως, καί φησιν· Ἱνατί ὡς μία τῶν ἀφρόνων γυναικῶν ἐλάλησας; Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα παρὰ Κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Ἀντὶ τίνων γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεός; ποίαν ἐκτιννὺς ἀμοιβήν; οὐδεμίαν· ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀγαθότητος μόνης καὶ φιλανθρωπίας. Γυμνὸς γὰρ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι, φησίν. Ὑπογράψατε τοίνυν τὸν ἀθλητὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ νομίσατε βλέπειν τὴν κοπρίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐν μέσῃ τῇ κοπρίᾳ καθήμενον, τὸν ἀνδριάντα τὸν χρυσοῦν, τὸν διάλιθον, τὸν πῶς εἴπω οὐκ οἶδα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχω τιμίαν οὕτως ὕλην εὑρεῖν, ὡς δυνηθῆναι παραβαλεῖν τὸ ᾑμαγμένον ἐκεῖνο σῶμα·","english":"Your memorial has perished from the earth—your sons and your daughters, the pangs and labors of my womb, which I toiled over in vain with hardships, and I, a wanderer and a servant, going from place to place and from house to house. For I do not merely beg, but I also wander about,\n\nand I serve a strange and new servitude, going everywhere and carrying about the tokens of my calamity, and teaching everyone my evils. And what is more pitiable than all, I wait for the sun, when it will set, and I shall rest from my labors and from the pains that surround me, which now hold me fast. But say a word to the Lord, and die. What then does this blessed man, harder than adamant, do? He looked at her bitterly—O prudent and measured mind! Even before his voice, by his look he drove back her devices. For she expected to stir up fountains of tears; but he became fiercer than a lion, filled with wrath and indignation, and says: Why have you spoken as one of the foolish women? If we received good things from the Lord, shall we not endure evil things? For in return for what did God give us those things? What recompense was he exacting? None; but from goodness alone and love of mankind. For naked I came out from my mother's womb, and naked shall I depart, he says. Then trace for yourselves also this athlete, and imagine that you see that dung-heap, and him sitting in the midst of the dung-heap, the golden statue, the one adorned with gems, the—how shall I say it? I do not know. For I cannot find any material so precious as to be able to compare with that bloodied body.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":298,"ref":"p298","source":"οὕτω πάσης ὕλης τιμίας ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος τῆς σαρκὸς ἐκείνης ἡ φύσις ἐδείκνυτο λαμπροτέρα, καὶ τὰ τραύματα τῶν ἡλιακῶν ἀκτίνων φαιδρότερα. Αὗται μὲν γὰρ τὰς τοῦ σώματος καταυγάζουσιν ὄψεις· ἐκεῖναι δὲ τῆς διανοίας ἡμῶν φωτίζουσι τὰ ὄμματα. Τίς εἶδε, τίς ἤκουσε τοιαῦτα θαυμαστὰ παλαίσματα; οἱ γὰρ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀγώνων πύκται, ἐπειδὰν κατακόψωσι τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν ἀντιπάλων, τότε νικῶσι καὶ στεφανοῦνται· οὗτος δὲ ὅτε κατέκοψε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ δικαίου, τότε ἐνικήθη καὶ ἀνεχώρησε. Τί γέγονε, ὦ διάβολε; τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀναχωρεῖς; οὐκ ἐγένετο πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησας; οὐκ ἀνεῖλες αὐτοῦ τὰ ποίμνια, τὰ βουκόλια, τὰς ἀγέλας τῶν ἵππων, τῶν ἡμιόνων; οὐχὶ καὶ τὸν χορὸν τῶν παίδων ἀπώλεσας, καὶ τὴν σάρκα ἅπασαν κατέκοψας; τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀνεχώρησας; Ὅτι ἐγένετο μὲν ὅσα ἠθέλησα, φησίν· ὃ δὲ γενέσθαι μάλιστα ἐβουλόμην, καὶ δι' ὃ πάντα ἐποίησα, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐγένετο· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐβλασφήμησε. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο πάντα ἐκεῖνα ἐποίουν, φησὶν, ἵνα τοῦτο ἐξέλθῃ· τούτου δὲ μὴ γενομένου, οὐδέν μοι πλέον ἀπὸ τῆς ζημίας τῶν χρημάτων ἐγένετο, καὶ τῆς τῶν παίδων ἀπωλείας, καὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος πληγῆς· ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ὅπερ ἂν ἐβουλόμην ἐξέβη, λαμπρότερον ἐποίησα τὸν ἐχθρὸν, φαιδρότερον εἰργασάμην τὸν ἀντίδικον. Ἔγνως ὅσον τῆς θλίψεως τὸ κέρδος ἐγένετο; Καλὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ σῶμα καὶ ὑγιαῖνον ἦν· πολλῷ δὲ σεμνότερον γέγονε κατατμηθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν τραυμάτων ἐκείνων. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἔρια καλὰ μὲν καὶ πρὸ τῆς βαφῆς, ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἁλουργὰ γένηται, ἄφατον προσλαμβάνει τὸ κάλλος καὶ πολλὴν τὴν εὐπρέπειαν.","english":"Thus the nature of that flesh, from its great abundance, was shown to be brighter than all precious material, and its wounds more radiant than the sun's rays. For the sun's rays illumine the eyes of the body, but those wounds illuminate the eyes of our mind. Who has seen, who has heard of such wondrous contests? For the boxers of the outside games, when they have battered the heads of their opponents, then they win and are crowned; but this one, when he battered the body of the righteous man, then he was defeated and withdrew. What has happened, O devil? For what reason do you withdraw? Did not everything happen that you wished? Did you not destroy his flocks, his herds, his droves of horses and mules? Did you not also destroy the chorus of his children, and batter all his flesh? For what reason did you withdraw? Because, he says, everything happened that I wished; but that which I most desired to happen, and for the sake of which I did everything—this did not happen; for he did not blaspheme. For it was for this, he says, that I did all those things, so that this might come out; and since this did not happen, I gained nothing more from the loss of his goods, and the destruction of his children, and the striking of his body; but on the contrary, the very thing I wished for turned out the opposite—I made the enemy brighter, I rendered the adversary more radiant. Do you perceive how great was the gain of his affliction? For his body was beautiful and healthy; but it has become far more venerable, cut through by those wounds. Since wool too is beautiful even before dyeing, but when it becomes purple, it takes on an indescribable beauty and great comeliness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":299,"ref":"p299","source":"Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀπέδυσεν αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἂν Ἔγνω τοῦ στεφανίτου τὴν εὐεξίαν· εἰ μὴ διέτρησεν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ὠτειλαῖς, οὐκ ἂν ἀντέλαμψαν ἔνδοθεν αἱ ἀκτῖνες· εἰ μὴ ἐκάθισεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας, οὐκ ἂν ἔγνωμεν αὐτοῦ τὸν πλοῦτον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω λαμπρὸς βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ θρόνου καθήμενος, ὡς ἐκεῖνος τότε ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας καθήμενος ἐπίσημος ἦν καὶ περιφανής. Μετὰ μὲν γὰρ τὸν βασιλικὸν θρόνον θάνατος· μετὰ δὲ τὴν κοπρίαν ἐκείνην οὐρανῶν βασιλεία. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ ἐσύλα ὁ διάβολος, οὐχ ἵνα πένητα ποιήσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα βλάσφημόν τι ῥῆμα ἐκβαλεῖν βιάσηται· καὶ τὸ σῶμα κατέτεμνεν, οὐχ ἵνα ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιβάλῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὑποσκελίσῃ τὴν κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετήν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως πάντα αὐτοῦ κινήσας τὰ μηχανήματα, καὶ πένητα ἀντὶ πλουτοῦντος ποιήσας, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν φρικωδέστατον εἶναι δοκοῦν, καὶ ἀντὶ πολύπαιδος ἄπαιδα, καὶ καταξάνας αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ἅπαν τῶν ἐν δικαστηρίοις δημίων χαλεπώτερον (οὐ γὰρ οὕτω διορύττουσιν οἱ ἐκείνων ὄνυχες τὰς πλευρὰς τῶν ἐμπιπτόντων αὐτοῖς, ὡς κατέξαναν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα τῶν σκωλήκων τὰ στόματα), καὶ οὐχὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐκβαλὼν μόνον, οὐδὲ τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ εἰς ἄλλην μεταστήσας","english":"For if he had not stripped him, he would not have known the good condition of the crowned one; if he had not pierced his body with wounds, the rays would not have shone forth from within; if he had not seated him on the dung heap, we would not have known his wealth. For not so splendid is a king seated on a throne as that man then was distinguished and conspicuous, seated on the dung heap. For after the royal throne comes death; but after that dung heap, the kingdom of heaven. For this reason the devil plundered his substance, not to make him poor, but to force him to utter some blasphemous word; and he cut his body, not to cast him into weakness, but to trip up the virtue of his soul. But nevertheless, having set in motion all his devices, and having made him poor instead of rich—this very thing that seems to all of us most dreadful—and childless instead of having many children, and having scraped his whole body more cruelly than the executioners in the courts (for the claws of those men do not dig into the sides of those who fall into their hands as the mouths of worms scraped his whole body), and not only having cast him out of the city, nor of the house, and having moved him to another","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":300,"ref":"p300","source":"πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κοπρίαν αὐτῷ καὶ οἰκίαν καὶ πόλιν καταστήσας, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ἐλυμήνατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπρότερον δι' ὧν ἐπεβούλευσεν ἀπέφηνε. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ἂν ἀφέληταί σοῦ τις χρήματα, καὶ γενναίως ἐνέγκῃς, τοῖς εἰς τοὺς πένητας πάντα δεδαπανηκόσι τὸν αὐτὸν λήψῃ μισθόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σπουδάζοντες, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λυπούντων κερδαίνομεν, οὕτω ῥᾳθυμοῦντες οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ὠφελούντων ἀμείνους γινόμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Ἰὼβ τοσαῦτα παθὼν οὐδὲν ἠδίκηται, καὶ παθὼν οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν πονηροτέρου δαίμονος, τίς ἕξει λοιπὸν ἀπολογίαν τῶν λεγόντων, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνά με ἠδίκησε καὶ παρέβλαψεν; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος ὁ τοσαύτης γέμων κακίας πάντα αὐτοῦ κινήσας τὰ ὄργανα, καὶ πάντα ἀφεὶς τὰ βέλη, καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἐν ἀνθρώποις κακὰ, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὑπερβολῆς καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ δικαίου καὶ εἰς τὸ σῶμα κενώσας, οὐδὲν τὸν ἄνδρα ἠδίκησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ὠφέλησε· πῶς δυνήσονταί τινες τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα αἰτιᾶσθαι, ὡς παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς οἴκοθεν ἠδικημένοι; Θαυμάζεις τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας; καὶ γὰρ κἀγὼ, ὅτι κατετόλμησαν καμίνου, ὅτι κατεξανέστησαν τοῦ τυράννου, Τοῖς θεοῖς σου, λέγοντες, οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ᾗ ἔστησας οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Ἀλλὰ μεγίστη τοῦτο παραμυθία ἦν αὐτοῖς τὸ σαφῶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάντα πάσχουσιν, ἅπερ ἂν πάθωσιν. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ἀγωνίσματα καὶ πάλη ἦν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν· εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει, οὐδ' ὅλως ἂν ᾔσθετο τῶν γινομένων. Ὅτε γοῦν ἤκουσεν, Ἄλλως με οἴει κεχρηματικέναι σοι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος;","english":"a city, but made for him a dung heap and a house and a city, he not only did him no harm, but even showed him more radiant through the very things he plotted against him. So you too, if someone takes your money and you bear it nobly, you will receive the same reward as those who have spent everything on the poor. For just as when we are earnest, we gain even from things that grieve us, so when we are slack, we do not become better even from things that profit us. For if Job, having suffered so much, was in no way wronged—and he suffered not at the hands of a man, but at the hands of the demon more wicked than all wicked men—what defense will those have left who say, \"So-and-so wronged me and harmed me\"? For if the devil, full of such great malice, having stirred up all his instruments and let loose all his arrows, and having emptied out with great excess all the evils that were among men against both the house of the righteous man and his body, did him no harm but even benefited him more, how will some be able to blame so-and-so and so-and-so, as though they had been wronged by them and not by themselves? Do you marvel at the three children? Indeed I do too, that they dared the furnace, that they stood up against the tyrant, saying, \"We do not serve your gods, and we do not worship the golden image which you have set up.\" But this was their greatest consolation, to know clearly that for God's sake they suffer whatever they suffer. But that blessed man did not know that what he suffered was a contest and a wrestling; for if he had known, he would not have felt what was happening at all. At any rate, when he heard, \"Do you think I have dealt with you otherwise than that you might be shown righteous?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":301,"ref":"p301","source":"ἐννόησον πῶς εὐθέως ἀπὸ ψιλοῦ ῥήματος ἀνέπνευσε, πῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξευτέλισε, πῶς οὐδὲ πεπονθέναι ἐνόμισεν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν, οὕτω λέγων· Τί ἔτι κρίνομαι νουθετούμενος ὑπὸ Κυρίου καὶ ἐλεγχόμενος, ἀκούων τοιαῦτα, οὐδὲν ὢν ἐγώ; Ζηλώσωμεν τοίνυν τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου εὐλάβειαν ἕκαστος, μαθόντες ὅσα ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπομονῆς βλαστάνει καλά. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν κοινῷ θεάτρῳ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἑστὼς ὁ μακάριος καὶ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ, ἅπασι διὰ τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτῷ παθῶν διαλέγεται, πάντα φέρειν τὰ συμπίπτοντα γενναίως, καὶ πρὸς μηδὲν ἐνδιδόναι τῶν ἐπιόντων δεινῶν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον πάθος, ὃ μὴ δύναται παραμυθίαν ἐκεῖθεν δέξασθαι. Ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐν πάσῃ οἰκουμένῃ διέσπαρται πάθη, ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συνελθόντα εἰς ἓν σῶμα κατέσκηψε τὸ ἐκείνου. Τίς οὖν ἔσται συγγνώμη τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ τὸ μέρος τῶν ἐπαχθέντων ἐκείνῳ δεινῶν μετ' εὐχαριστίας ἐνεγκεῖν, ὃς μὴ μέρος μόνον, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρα φαίνεται τὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων φέρων κακά; Ἀλλ' ὁ δεῖνα τοσαύτας ἐλεημοσύνας ποιῶν, φησὶ, πάντων ἐγυμνώθη· ἕτερος γενομένου τινὸς ἐμπρησμοῦ, πάντα ἀπώλεσεν· ἄλλοι ναυαγίοις περιέπεσον, καὶ εἰς πενίαν κατηνέχθησαν· ἕτεροι πάλιν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ καὶ νόσῳ, καὶ παρ' οὐδενὸς οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπέλαυσαν βοηθείας. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν τῷ Ἰὼβ συμβεβηκότων, καὶ εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Δεσπότῃ, τῷ δυναμένῳ κωλῦσαι καὶ μὴ κωλύσαντι. Ἀλλ' ἐν πενίᾳ διάγεις καὶ λιμῷ καὶ μυρίοις κινδύνοις; ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ Λαζάρου τοῦ πενίᾳ καὶ ἐρημίᾳ καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις τοιούτοις πυκτεύοντος, καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ πολλὴν ἀρετήν·","english":"Consider how immediately, from a bare word, he breathed again; how he despised himself; how he did not even think he had suffered the things he suffered, saying thus: \"Why am I still judged, being admonished by the Lord and reproved, hearing such things, when I am nothing?\" Let each of us, then, be zealous for the piety of this holy man, having learned how many good things blossom from endurance. For just as that blessed and noble man stands in the common theater of the world, so he speaks to all through the sufferings that befell him: to bear all things that happen nobly, and to yield to none of the evils that come upon him. For there is not, there is not any human suffering that cannot receive consolation from there. For the sufferings that have been scattered throughout the whole world—these, coming together into one body, fell upon his. What excuse, then, will there be for the one who cannot bear with thanksgiving even a part of the evils inflicted on that man, who appears to bear not merely a part but the whole of all men's evils? But, says someone, \"So-and-so, who gave so many alms, was stripped of everything; another, when a fire broke out, lost everything; others fell into shipwrecks and were reduced to poverty; others again, through weakness and disease, enjoyed no help from anyone.\" And what of this? Remember what happened to Job, and give thanks to the Master, who was able to prevent it and did not prevent it. But you live in poverty and hunger and countless dangers? Remember Lazarus, who wrestled with poverty and desolation and countless other such things, and that after great virtue.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":302,"ref":"p302","source":"ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ἀποστόλων, οἳ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψῃ καὶ γυμνότητι διῆγον· τῶν προφητῶν, τῶν δικαίων· καὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς εὑρήσεις, οὐ τῶν πλουτούντων οὐδὲ τῶν τρυφώντων, ἀλλὰ τῶν πενομένων, τῶν θλιβομένων, τῶν στενοχωρουμένων. Ταῦτα παρ' ἑαυτῷ συλλέγων εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Δεσπότῃ, ὅτι σε τῆς μοίρας ταύτης ἐποίησεν, οὐχὶ μισῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα φιλῶν· ἐπεὶ κἀκείνοις οὐχὶ μισῶν ἠφίει τοσαῦτα πάσχειν δεινὰ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἐφίλει, λαμπροτέρους αὐτοὺς διὰ τῶν δεινῶν τούτων εἰργάζετο. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν κάμνοντας οὐκ ἀφιᾶσι χωρὶς μισθῶν καὶ ἀμοιβῶν ἀπελθεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς τοσαῦτα πεπονηκότας οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο τῆς τῶν πόνων αὐτῶν ἀμοιβῆς ἀποστερῆσαί ποτε· ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη καιρὸν ἕτερόν τινα εἶναι μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν, καθ' ὃν ἀπολήψονται τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῶν ἐνταῦθα πόνων. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς ἤκουσα λέγοντας· Ὁ δεῖνα μέτριος καὶ ἐπιεικὴς ἄνθρωπος ὑφ' ἑτέρου\n\nπαρανόμου τινὸς καὶ πονηροῦ καθ' ἑκάστην εἰς δικαστήριον ἕλκεται· ἕτερος συκοφαντηθεὶς ἀδίκως ἀπέθανεν· ἄλλος κατεποντίσθη, φησὶν, ἕτερος κατεκρημνίσθη· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς γενέσθαι ταῦτα συνεχώρησε. Διὰ τί; Διὰ τὸ μὴ ταχέως αἴρεσθαι εἰς ἀπόνοιαν τῷ μεγέθει τῶν θαυμάτων καὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς κακοῦσθαι· καὶ ἵνα μὴ μείζονα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως περὶ αὐτῶν ὑπόνοιαν ἔχωσιν ἕτεροι, καὶ θεοὺς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνθρώπους αὐτοὺς εἶναι νομίσωσι· καὶ ἵνα ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ φανῇ δύναμις διὰ τῶν ἐξασθενούντων, διὰ τῶν δεσμουμένων κρατοῦσα καὶ περιγινομένη καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα αὔξουσα·","english":"Remember the apostles, who lived in hunger and thirst and nakedness; the prophets, the righteous; and you will find them all, not among the rich nor among those who live in luxury, but among the poor, the afflicted, the constrained. Gathering these things in your own mind, give thanks to the Master, because he made you of this lot, not hating you, but even greatly loving you; since he did not abandon those others to suffer so many terrible things out of hatred, but because he greatly loved them, he made them more radiant through these terrible things. For if men do not allow those who labor on their behalf to depart without wages and recompense, much more would God never choose to deprive those who have labored so greatly of the recompense of their labors; but there must be some other time after death, in which they will receive the recompenses of their labors here. For I have heard many saying: Such a one, a moderate and equitable man, is dragged every day into court by some other lawless and wicked man; another, falsely accused, died unjustly; another, he says, was drowned, another was cast down a precipice; and God allowed these things to happen. Why? Because they were not quickly lifted up into folly by the greatness of the wonders and the achievements, God allows them to be mistreated; and so that others may not have a greater suspicion concerning them than human nature allows, and think them to be gods and not men; and so that the power of God may appear through those who are weakened, prevailing and conquering through those who are bound, and increasing the proclamation;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":303,"ref":"p303","source":"καὶ ἵνα αὐτῶν ἐκείνων ἡ ὑπομονὴ φανερωτέρα γένηται, οὐκ ἐπὶ μισθῷ τῷ Θεῷ δουλευόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνυμένων εὐγνωμοσύνην, ὡς καὶ μετὰ τοσαῦτα κακὰ τὴν οἰκείαν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι εὔνοιαν· καὶ ἵνα πάντες οἱ περιπίπτοντες τοῖς δεινοῖς, ἱκανὴν ἔχωσι παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν, εἰς ἐκείνους ἀφορῶντες, καὶ τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτοῖς μεμνημένοι κακῶν· καὶ ἵνα μὴ, ὅταν παρακαλῶμεν ὑμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ἀρετὴν, καὶ πρὸς ἕκαστον ὑμῶν λέγωμεν, Μίμησαι Παῦλον, ζήλωσον Πέτρον, νομίζοντες διὰ τὴν τῶν κατορθωμάτων ὑπερβολὴν ἑτέρας αὐτοὺς μετεσχηκέναι φύσεως, ἀποκνήσητε πρὸς τὴν μίμησιν· καὶ ἵνα, ὅταν δέῃ μακαρίζειν καὶ ταλανίζειν, μάθωμεν, τίνας μὲν χρὴ μακαρίους ἡγεῖσθαι, τίνας δὲ ἀθλίους καὶ ταλαιπώρους. Εἰ δὲ βούλει μαθεῖν, ὅτι οὐ τὸ ποιεῖν κακῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖ δυνατωτέρους, ἀλλὰ τὸ κακῶς πάσχοντας φέρειν, θέα μοι τὸν Ἰακὼβ πόσα παρὰ τοῦ Λάβαν ἠδίκηται. Τίς οὖν ἰσχυρότερος γέγονεν, ὁ λαβὼν αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας, καὶ μὴ τολμῶν ἅψασθαι, ἀλλὰ δεδοικὼς καὶ τρέμων· ἢ οὗτος ὁ χωρὶς ὅπλων καὶ στρατοπέδων, μυρίων αὐτῷ βασιλέων γενόμενος φοβερώτερος; οὐχ οὗτος; Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ πῦρ πατῶν ἑαυτὸν κατακαίει, καὶ ὁ ἀδάμαντα παίων ἑαυτῷ ἐπηρεάζει, καὶ ὁ πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζων ἑαυτὸν αἱμάττει· οὕτως ὁ ἀδικεῖν μεμελετηκὼς ἑαυτὸν ἀδικεῖ, καὶ πηλοῦ παντὸς ἀσθενέστερος γίνεται.","english":"And so that their endurance might become more evident—since they served God not for reward, but displayed such great gratitude as even after so many evils to show their own goodwill toward him—and so that all who fall into troubles might have sufficient consolation and comfort, looking to them and remembering the evils that befell them; and so that when we exhort you to their virtue and say to each of you, \"Imitate Paul, be zealous for Peter,\" you might not shrink back from imitation, thinking that because of the excess of their achievements they partook of a different nature; and so that when it is necessary to call some blessed and others wretched, we may learn whom we ought to consider blessed, and whom miserable and wretched. But if you wish to learn that it is not doing evil that makes people more powerful, but bearing evil suffered, look at Jacob—how many wrongs he suffered from Laban. Who then became stronger: the one who took him into his hands and did not dare to touch him, but feared and trembled; or this man who, without weapons and armies, became more fearsome to him than countless kings? Was it not this man? For just as the one who treads on fire burns himself, and the one who strikes adamant harms himself, and the one who kicks against the goads bloodies himself, so the one who has practiced doing injustice wrongs himself, and becomes weaker than any clay.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":304,"ref":"p304","source":"Ἐξέπεσέ ποτε καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ τῆς πατρίδος, καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς ἐκινδύνευε, καὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου πρὸς τὸν ἀκόλαστον νεανίσκον τὸν τύραννον ἐκεῖνον καὶ πατραλοίαν μεταταξαμένου, ἐπλανᾶτο κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον, καὶ οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανεν, οὐδὲ ἀπεδυσπέτησε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, οὐδὲ εἶπεν· Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστι; συνεχώρησε τῷ παιδὶ κατεξαναστῆναι τοῦ γεγεννηκότος; καίτοι καὶ εἰ δίκαια ἐγκαλεῖν εἶχεν, οὐδὲ οὕτως τοῦτο γενέσθαι ἔδει· νυνὶ δὲ οὐ μικρὸν, οὐ μέγα ἠδικημένος παρ' ἡμῶν, περιέρχεται τὴν δεξιὰν ἐπιθυμῶν αἵματι μολῦναι πατρικῷ· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ταῦτα ἀνέχεται ὁρῶν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν. Καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον καὶ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι πλανωμένῳ καὶ πάντων ἐκπεπτωκότι Σεμεεί τις ἄνθρωπος πονηρὸς καὶ μιαρὸς ἐπέθετο, μιαιφόνον ἀποκαλῶν καὶ ἀσεβῆ καὶ τὰ μυρία κακά· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἠγρίανεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἀξιοῦντος ἐπιτραπῆναι διαβῆναι καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτεμεῖν ἐκείνου, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπέτρεψεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδυσχέρανε λέγων· Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, υἱὲ Σαρουΐα; ἄφετε αὐτὸν καταρᾶσθαι, ὅπως ἴδῃ τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου Κύριος, καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας αὐτοῦ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οἶδεν ὁ δίκαιος, ὅτι τὸ φέρειν γενναίως τὰς λοιδορίας ἀφορμὴ πλείονος εὐδοκιμήσεως γίνεται; Καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἔχει· ἐπειδὰν λοιδορηθέντες καὶ μυρία παθόντες δεινὰ, τοὺς ὀνειδίζοντας φέρωμεν γενναίως, μείζονα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν κατὰ πολὺ ἐπισπώμεθα. Ἠθέλησε καὶ ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἀδικουμένῳ βοηθῆσαί τινι, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐκινδύνευσε, καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐξέπεσε· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρησεν, ἵνα σὺ μάθῃς τῶν ἁγίων τὴν ὑπομονήν.","english":"At one time even the blessed David fell from his homeland, and was in danger concerning his freedom and his very life, and when the army had transferred its allegiance to that dissolute young man, that tyrant and parricide, he wandered through the desert, and he did not grow irritated, nor was he embittered against God, nor did he say: What is this? Has God allowed the child to rise up against the one who begot him? And yet even if he had grounds for a just complaint, it should not have happened even so; but now, though he had been wronged by us not in a small matter nor a great one, he goes about desiring to stain his right hand with his father's blood; and God sees these things and endures them? But he said none of these things. And what is greater and more wonderful, when he was wandering and had lost everything, a certain wicked and foul man, Shimei, attacked him, calling him a murderer and impious and countless other evils; and not even so did he become savage, but when the general asked to be permitted to cross over and cut off that man's head, he not only did not permit it, but even grew indignant, saying: What have I to do with you, son of Zeruiah? Let him curse, so that the Lord may look upon my humiliation and repay me with good things in return for his cursing. Do you see how the righteous man knew that to bear insults nobly becomes an occasion of greater approval? For so it is: whenever, having been insulted and having suffered countless terrible things, we bear those who reproach us nobly, we draw down far greater favor from God. Moses also wished to help someone who was being wronged, and he risked the utmost, and fell from his homeland; and God allowed it, so that you might learn the endurance of the saints.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":305,"ref":"p305","source":"Εἰ γὰρ προειδότες, ὡς οὐδὲν πεισόμεθα δεινὸν, οὕτως ἡπτόμεθα τῶν πνευματικῶν πραγμάτων, οὐδὲν μέγα ἂν ἐδόξαμεν ποιεῖν. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἔλεγον· Ἔστι Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ δυνατὸς ἐξελέσθαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου· καὶ ἐὰν μὴ, γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ᾖ ἔστησας οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ὅταν μέλλῃς τι ἐργάζεσθαι τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν,\n\nπολλοὺς προόρα τοὺς κινδύνους, πολλὰς τὰς ζημίας, πολλοὺς τοὺς θανάτους, καὶ μὴ ξενίζου μηδὲ θορυβοῦ συμβαινόντων τούτων. Τέκνον γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰ προσέρχῃ δουλεύειν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν. Οὐδεὶς πυκτεύειν αἱρούμενος χωρὶς τραυμάτων, προσδοκᾷ στέφανον ἀναδήσασθαι. Ὅταν οὖν αὐτός τι ποιήσας ἀγαθὸν, τὰ ἐναντία ἀπολάβῃς, ἢ ἕτερον παθόντα τοῦτο ἴδῃς, εὐφραίνου καὶ χαῖρε· μείζονος γὰρ ἀπολαύσεως τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται. Μὴ δὴ καταπέσῃς τῇ προθυμίᾳ, μὴ δὴ ὀκνηρότερος γένῃ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐπιτίθεσο μετὰ πλείονος τῆς προθυμίας· κἂν μυριάκις ἴδῃς διακόπτοντά σε τὸν διάβολον, μηδέποτε ἀποστῇς· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἡνίκα ἐκήρυττον μαστιζόμενοι, δεσμωτήρια συνεχῶς οἰκοῦντες, οὐ μόνον μετὰ τὴν τῶν κινδύνων ἀπαλλαγὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς κινδύνοις μετὰ μείζονος τῆς προθυμίας τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας κατήγγελλον κήρυγμα. Καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν Παῦλον ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἁλύσεσι κατηχοῦντα, μυσταγωγοῦντα, καὶ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιοῦντα. Καὶ θέα μοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην ψυχὴν, ἐν τίσι καυχᾶται· ἐν δεσμοῖς, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἁλύσει, ἐν στίγμασι.","english":"For if we had foreseen that we would suffer nothing terrible, and had in that frame of mind taken hold of spiritual things, we would have seemed to be doing nothing great. This is what the three children also said: \"There is a God in heaven able to deliver us out of your hands; and if not, be it known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and we do not worship the golden image which you have set up.\" And you likewise, whenever you are about to do any of the things that are according to God, foresee many dangers, many losses, many deaths, and do not be surprised or disturbed when these things happen. For, it says, \"My child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation.\" No one who chooses to box without wounds expects to be crowned. When, therefore, you have done some good and receive the opposite in return, or see another suffering this, rejoice and be glad; for the matter becomes a source of greater enjoyment. Do not then collapse in your zeal, do not become more sluggish, but rather set to work with greater zeal; and even if you see the devil cutting you off ten thousand times, never withdraw; since the apostles too, when they preached while being flogged and continually dwelling in prisons, not only after release from dangers but even in the very dangers themselves, proclaimed the proclamation of the truth with greater zeal. And one may see Paul in that very prison, in those very chains, instructing, initiating into the mysteries, and again doing this same thing in the courtroom. And behold for me that blessed soul—in what things he boasts: in chains, in afflictions, in fetters, in marks.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":306,"ref":"p306","source":"Πορεύομαι γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα δεδεμένος τῷ πνεύματι, τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντά μοι μὴ εἰδώς· πλὴν ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμά μοι κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεται λέγον, ὅτι δεσμά με καὶ θλίψεις μένουσι. Τί οὖν ἀπέρχῃ, εἰ δεσμά σε καὶ θλίψεις μένουσι; Δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἵνα δεσμευθῶ διὰ Χριστὸν, ἵνα ἀποθάνω δι' αὐτόν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον δεθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἑτοίμως ἔχω ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου μου. Τί οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο; οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ, οὐ δέδοικας τὴν οἰκουμένην δεσμώτης περιιών; οὐ φοβῇ μή τις ἀσθένειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ σου καταγνῷ; μή τις διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μὴ προσέλθῃ; Οὐ τοιαῦτά μου, φησὶ, τὰ δεσμά· οἶδα καὶ ἐν βασιλείοις λάμπειν. Ὥστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου, φησὶ, φανεροὺς γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτωρίῳ, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου περισσοτέρως τολμᾷν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν. Ὁρᾷς δεσμῶν ἰσχὺν μᾶλλον, ἢ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως; Ἐδεσμεύθη ἐν Ῥώμῃ, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας ἐπεσπάσατο· ἐδεσμεύθη ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ δεδεμένος δημηγορῶν τὸν βασιλέα κατέπληξε, καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα εἰς φόβον ἤγαγεν· Ἔμφοβος γὰρ γενόμενος ἀπέλυσεν αὐτόν. Δεδεμένος ἔπλει, καὶ τὸ ναυάγιον ἔλυσε, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα ἐπέδησεν· ἐν δεσμοῖς ὄντος αὐτοῦ τὸ θηρίον ἐκεῖνο καθήψατο, καὶ μηδὲν λυμηνάμενον ἐξέπεσε. Καὶ θέα πανταχοῦ τοῦτο γινόμενον. Μεμαστίγωτο, καὶ μεμαστίγωτο ἰσχυρῶς· Πολλὰς γὰρ αὐτῷ, φησὶν, ἐπιθέντες πληγάς· καὶ ἐδέδετο, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἰσχυρῶς· Εἰς γὰρ τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν ἐνέβαλον αὐτὸν, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ἀσφαλείας·","english":"For he says, \"I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there; except that the Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.\" Why then do you go away, if bonds and afflictions await you? For this very reason, that I may be bound for Christ, that I may die for him. For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die for the name of my Lord. What then is this? Are you not ashamed, do you not fear, going about the whole world as a prisoner? Are you not afraid lest someone condemn your God as weak? Lest someone for this reason not come near? He says, my bonds are not such as that; I know how to shine even in palaces. So that, he says, my bonds became manifest in the whole praetorium, and most of the brothers in the Lord, trusting in my bonds, dared more abundantly to speak the word without fear. Do you see the power of bonds rather than the resurrection of the dead? He was bound in Rome, and drew most to himself; he was bound in Jerusalem, and while bound, addressing the people, he struck the king with amazement, and brought the ruler to fear; for having become afraid, he released him. Bound, he sailed, and loosed the shipwreck, and fettered the storm; while he was in bonds, that beast fastened on him, and fell off having done no harm. And the spectacle is everywhere seen to happen. He had been scourged, and scourged severely; for they laid many blows on him, it says; and he was bound, and this again severely; for they cast him into the inner prison, and with greater security—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":307,"ref":"p307","source":"καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὢν, κατὰ τὸ μεσονύκτιον, ὅτε καὶ οἱ σφόδρα ἀνειμένοι καθεύδουσιν, ᾖδε καὶ ὕμνει τὸν Θεόν. Τί ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀδαμαντι νώτερον; Ἐνενόει ὅτι καὶ οἱ παῖδες ἐν πυρὶ ᾖδον καὶ ἐν καμίνῳ. Ἴσως ἐλογίζετο, ὅτι Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐγὼ πέπονθα. Ἀλλὰ καλῶς ποιῶν ὁ λόγος, εἰς ἑτέρους πάλιν ἐξήνεγκε δεσμοὺς καὶ δεσμωτήριον ἕτερον. Τί πάθω; βούλομαι σιγῆσαι, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι· ἕτερον δεσμωτήριον εὗρον ἐκείνου πολλῷ θαυμασιώτερον καὶ ἐκπληκτικώτερον. Βούλομαι διακόψαι τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχεται· οὐ δύναμαι παύσασθαι, οὐ δύναμαι σιγῆσαι Πολλά με περιῤῥεῖ· οὐκ οἶδα ποῖον πρῶτον εἴπω, ποῖον δεύτερον. Διὸ παρακαλῶ, μή με τάξιν τις ἀπαιτείτω· πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων συγγένεια. Μακρὰ ἡ τοῦ Παύλου γέγονεν ἅλυσις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κατέσχεν ἡμᾶς· ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσομαι· εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ οὐκ ἐσίγησεν οὐδὲ ἐν μάστιξιν, ἐγὼ σιωπήσομαι καθήμενος ἡμέρας οὔσης, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀνέσεως φθεγγόμενος; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν πολλαχοῦ τῶν τοῦ Παύλου θαυμάτων τὰ σημεῖα τυγχάνει, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶ ποθεινὰ, ὡς τὰ στίγματα· καὶ οὐχ οὕτω μὲν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς εὐφραίνει θαύματα ἐργαζόμενος, ὥσπερ κακῶς πάσχων, μαστιζόμενος, συρόμενος, λιθαζόμενος· Λιθάσαντες γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἔσυραν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως· καὶ πάλιν· Δείραντες αὐτὸν","english":"And while he was in such circumstances, at midnight, when even those who are very much at ease are asleep, he was singing and hymning God. What could be more adamantine than this soul? He was mindful that even the children sang in the fire and in the furnace. Perhaps he was reasoning, \"I have suffered nothing of the sort.\" But the account, doing well, has carried us out again to other bonds and another prison. What shall I suffer? I wish to be silent, but I cannot; I have found another prison far more wondrous and astonishing than that one. I wish to break off the discourse, and it does not permit it; I cannot stop, I cannot be silent. Many things flow around me; I do not know which to speak first, which second. Therefore I beg that no one demand order from me, for great is the kinship of the matters. Long has Paul's chain become, and for this reason it has held us fast; but not for this reason shall I be silent. For if he himself did not fall silent in prison nor under scourges, shall I be silent, sitting while it is day and speaking with great ease? And how would this make sense? Many indeed, in many places, are the tokens of Paul's wonders, but they are not so desirable as the marks. And he does not so much gladden us in the Scriptures by working wonders as by suffering ill, being scourged, dragged, stoned. For having stoned him, it says, they dragged him outside the city; and again: Having beaten him","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":308,"ref":"p308","source":"καὶ ἐπιθέντες πληγὰς πολλὰς ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακήν. Πόσον καύχημα, πόση ἡδονὴ, πόση τιμὴ, πόση λαμπρότης εἰδέναι, ὅτι διὰ Χριστὸν ἐδέθη; Ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸ θαυμαστόν· Καὶ ἐσείσθη, φησὶ, τὸ δεσμωτήριον δεδεμένου Παύλου, καὶ πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἀνέθη. Εἶδες δεσμῶν φύσιν τὰ δεσμὰ ἀναλύουσαν; Ἔξυπνος δὲ γενόμενος ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ, καὶ ἰδὼν ἀνεῳγμένας τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς, σπασάμενος μάχαιραν ἔμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν. Τί οὖν ὁ Παῦλος; Ἐφώνησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων· Μηδὲν πράξῃς σεαυτῷ κακὸν, πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Ὁρᾷς αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον καὶ τὸ ἄτυφον καὶ τὸ φιλόστοργον; οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι Δι' ἡμᾶς ταῦτα γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ὡσανεὶ τῶν δεσμωτῶν εἷς, φησί· Πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Εἰ γὰρ ἐσίγησε, καὶ μὴ διὰ τῆς μεγάλης φωνῆς κατέσχεν ἐκείνου τὰς χεῖρας, ὤθησεν ἂν διὰ τοῦ λαιμοῦ τὸ ξίφος· ἐβόησε δὲ, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὴν ἐνδοτέραν φυλακὴν ἦν βεβλημένος· Κατὰ σαυτοῦ τοῦτο πεποίηκας. φησὶν, ἐνδοτέρω βαλὼν τοὺς μέλλοντάς σε ἐλευθεροῦν τοῦ κινδύνου. Εἶδες τὸ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ κηδεμονικὸν τοῦ Παύλου; εἵλετο δεδέσθαι μᾶλλον καὶ κινδυνεύειν αὐτὸς, ἢ ἐκεῖνον περιιδεῖν ἀπολλύμενον. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλήξειεν ἡ τῶν περικειμένων αὐτῷ δεσμῶν δύναμις; ὅτι τοὺς δήσαντας εἰς τοὺς πόδας ἦγε τοῦ δεδεμένου, καὶ ὑποχειρίους ἐκείνους τούτου ἐποίει· Προσέπεσε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τῷ Παύλῳ· καὶ ὁ λελυμένος ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἦν τοῦ δεδεμένου, καὶ ὁ δήσας ἠξίου τὸν δεθέντα λυθῆναι τοῦ φόβου. Οὐχὶ σὺ ἔδησας, εἰπέ μοι; οὐχὶ εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν ἔβαλες φυλακήν; οὐχὶ εἰς τὸ ξύλον ἠσφαλίσω τοὺς πόδας; τί τρέμεις; τί θορυβῇ; τί δακρύεις;","english":"And after inflicting many blows they threw them into prison. How great a boast, how great a pleasure, how great an honor, how great a splendor it is to know that one has been bound for Christ! But observe the wonder: And the prison, it says, was shaken while Paul was bound, and everyone's chains were loosed. Did you see the nature of chains loosing chains? And the jailer, having awakened and seen the doors of the prison opened, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. What then did Paul do? He cried out with a loud voice, saying: Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. Do you see his freedom from vainglory, his freedom from arrogance, and his affection? He did not say, \"These things have happened because of us,\" but as though he were one of the prisoners, he says: For we are all here. For if he had kept silent and had not restrained that man's hands by his loud voice, he would have driven the sword through his throat; but he shouted because he had been thrown into the inner prison: \"You have done this to yourself,\" he says, \"by throwing into the inner cell those who were going to free you from danger.\" Did you see the love of humanity and the care of Paul? He chose rather to be bound and to be in danger himself than to overlook that man perishing. Who would not be struck with amazement at the power of the chains that were wrapped around him? Because it led those who had bound him to the feet of the bound man, and made them subject to him; for the jailer, it says, fell down before Paul; and the one who had been loosed was at the feet of the one who was bound, and the one who had bound him was begging the one who had been bound to be released from his fear. Was it not you who bound him, tell me? Was it not you who threw him into the inner prison? Was it not you who secured his feet in the stocks? Why do you tremble? Why are you in turmoil? Why do you weep?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":309,"ref":"p309","source":"τί τὸ ξίφος ἀπεσπάσω; Οὐκ ᾔδειν, φησὶν, ὅτι τοσαύτη τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δεσμίων ἡ δύναμις. Τί λέγεις; οὐρανοὺς ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν ἀνοίγειν, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οὐκ ἔμελλεν ἀνοίγειν; τοὺς ὑπὸ δαιμόνων δεδεμένους ἔλυε, καὶ σιδήριον ἔμελλεν αὐτοῦ περιέσεσθαι; ὁ ψυχὰς δεδεμένας λύων, τὸ σῶμα τὸ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἂν ἴσχυσε λῦσαι; ὁ διὰ τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ ἑτέρους τῶν δεσμῶν ἐκείνων λύων, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπαλλάττων, αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἂν ἔλυσεν; Διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐδέθη, καὶ τότε τοὺς δεδεμένους ἔλυσεν, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλοι δεδεμένοι πολλῷ τῶν λελυ μένων μείζονα ἔχουσι τὴν ἰσχύν. Οὕτω γὰρ λαμπροτέρα ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ ἁγίου δείκνυται, ὅταν καὶ δεδεμένος τῶν λελυμένων κρατῇ. Ὅταν οὖν ὁ δεδεμένος μὴ μόνον ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δεδεμένους λύῃ, τί τῶν τοίχων τὸ ὄφελος, τί τὸ πλέον ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν αὐτὸν φυλακὴν ἐμβαλεῖν, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν ἐξωτέραν ἀνέῳξεν; Ἀλλ' ἀκούσωμεν αὐτοῦ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐγκαυχωμένου καὶ λέγοντος· Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ. Καὶ γὰρ μέγα ἀξίωμα καὶ σφοδρὸν, καὶ βασιλείας καὶ ὑπατείας καὶ πάντων μεῖζον, τὸ διὰ Χριστὸν δεδέσθαι· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω λαμπρὸν ὡς δέσμιος διὰ Χριστὸν, ὡς αἱ ἁλύσεις αἱ περικείμεναι ταῖς ἁγίαις χερσὶν ἐκείναις. Τοῦτο τοῦ ἀπόστολον εἶναι, τοῦ διδάσκαλον εἶναι, τοῦ εὐαγγελιστὴν εἶναι, κατὰ πολὺ λαμπρότερον καὶ σεμνότερον. Εἴ τις φιλεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἔγνω τὸ λεγόμενον· εἴ τις μαίνεται καὶ περικαίεται τοῦ Δεσπότου, οἶδε τὴν δύναμιν τῶν δεσμῶν· ἕλοιτο ἂν δέσμιος εἶναι διὰ Χριστὸν, ἢ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς οἰκεῖν.","english":"Why did you draw the sword? I did not know, he says, that such great power belongs to the prisoners of Christ. What are you saying? He received authority to open the heavens, and was he not going to open a prison? He was loosing those bound by demons, and was iron going to prevail over him? He who looses souls that are bound, would he not have been able to loose his own body? He who through his garments loosed others from those bonds and freed them from demons, would he not have loosed himself by his own power? For this reason he was first bound, and then he loosed those who were bound, so that you might learn that the servants of Christ, when bound, have far greater strength than those who are loosed. For thus the strength of the saint is shown to be more brilliant, when even while bound he prevails over those who are loosed. When, then, the bound man looses not only himself but also those who are bound, what is the benefit of the walls? What more is gained by casting him into the inner prison, when he has opened even the outer one? But let us hear him boasting of this very thing and saying: I therefore beseech you, I the prisoner in the Lord. For it is a great dignity and a mighty one, greater than kingship and consulship and all things, to be bound for Christ; for nothing is so brilliant as a prisoner for Christ, as the chains placed around those holy hands. This is more brilliant and more venerable by far than being an apostle, than being a teacher, than being an evangelist. If anyone loves Christ, he knows what is said; if anyone is mad and inflamed for the Master, he knows the power of chains; he would choose to be a prisoner for Christ rather than to dwell in the heavens.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":310,"ref":"p310","source":"Τάχα γὰρ καὶ τοῦ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ τοῦτο λαμπρότερον, καὶ τοῦ καθίσαι ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνων τοῦτο σεμνότερον καὶ μακαριστότερον. Εἴ τις ἐμοὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐχαρίζετο πάντα, ἢ τὴν ἅλυσιν ἐκείνην, ᾗ τὰς χεῖρας ὁ Παῦλος ἐδέδετο, ἐκείνην ἂν ἐγὼ προετίμησα· εἴ τίς με μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἵστη ἄνω, ἢ μετὰ Παύλου δεδεμένου, τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἂν εἱλόμην· εἴ τίς με μετ' ἐκείνων ἐποίει τῶν δυνάμεων, τῶν περὶ τὸν θρόνον, ἣ δεσμώτην τοιοῦτον, τοιοῦτος ἂν μᾶλλον εἱλόμην γενέσθαι δεσμώτης· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν βέλτιον τοῦ κακῶς παθεῖν τι διὰ τὸν Χριστόν, Εἴ τίς μοι νεκροὺς ἔδωκεν ἀναστῆσαι νῦν, οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο εἱλόμην, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἅλυσιν· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν τῆς ἁλύσεως ἐκείνης μακαριώτερον. Ἐβουλόμην ἐν τοῖς τόποις γενέσθαι νῦν ἐκείνοις, ἐν οἷς ἐκεῖνα τὰ δεσμὰ μένει, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὰς ἁλύσεις, ἃς δεδοίκασι μὲν δαίμονες καὶ φρίττουσιν, αἰδοῦνται δὲ ἄγγελοι.\n\nΕἰ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν φροντίδων ἐκτὸς ἤμην, καὶ τὸ σῶμα εὔρωστον εἶχον, οὐκ ἂν παρῃτησάμην ἀποδημίαν τοσαύτην ποιήσασθαι, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὰς ἁλύσεις μόνον ἰδεῖν, καὶ τὸ δεσμωτήριον, ἔνθα ὁ Παῦλος ἐδέδετο. Ὢ μακαρίων δεσμῶν! ὢ μακαρίων χειρῶν, ἃς ἐκόσμησεν ἡ ἅλυσις ἐκείνη ἡ περιτεθεῖσα τῷ Παύλῳ! Οὐκ ἦσαν οὕτω τίμιαι αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ, τὸν χωλὸν τὸν ἐν Λύστροις ἐγείρουσαι, ὡς τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμεναι. Εἰ κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους ἤμην ἐγὼ, τότε ἂν μάλιστα αὐτὰς περιεπτυξάμην, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κόρας ἔθηκα τὰς ἐμάς· οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην καταφιλῶν χεῖρας καταξιωθείσας ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου δεθῆναι τοῦ ἐμοῦ.","english":"Perhaps this is even more glorious than sitting at his right hand, and more venerable and blessed than sitting on twelve thrones. If someone were to grant me all of heaven, or that chain with which Paul's hands were bound, I would have preferred that chain. If someone were to set me on high with the angels, or with Paul in chains, I would have chosen the prison. If someone were to make me one of those powers around the throne, or such a prisoner, I would rather have chosen to become such a prisoner; for nothing is better than to suffer ill for Christ's sake. If someone gave me the power to raise the dead now, I would not have chosen this, but the chain; for nothing is more blessed than that chain. I wish I could be now in those places where those bonds remain, and see the chains that demons fear and shudder at, and angels reverence.\n\nIf I were free from the cares of the Church and had a body in good health, I would not have declined to make so great a journey, just to see the chains alone, and the prison where Paul was bound. O blessed bonds! O blessed hands, which that chain adorned when it was placed around Paul! His hands were not so precious when they raised the lame man in Lystra as when they wore the bonds. If I had lived in those times, then above all I would have embraced them and put them to my eyes; I would not have stopped kissing the hands that were deemed worthy to be bound for my Master's sake.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":311,"ref":"p311","source":"Οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν μακαρίζω, ὅτι εἰς τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἡρπάγη καὶ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον, ὡς ὅτι εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐνεβλήθη· οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν μακαρίζω, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ἄῤῥητα ῥήματα, ὡς ὅτι ὑπέμεινε τὰ δεσμά· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἐκείνων κατὰ πολὺ μείζονα. Αἱρετώτερον γὰρ ἐμοὶ παθεῖν κακῶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ τιμᾶσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἐνθυμούμενος ἔλεγεν ὡς εἰκός· Εἰ αὐτὸς δι' ἐμὲ γενόμενος δοῦλος, καὶ τὴν δόξαν κενώσας, οὐχ οὕτως ἐν δόξῃ εἶναι ἡγεῖτο, ὡς ὅτε ἐσταυροῦτο ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, τί ἐμὲ παθεῖν οὐ δεῖ; Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Δόξασόν με, Πάτερ. Τί λέγεις; ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἄγῃ μετὰ λῃστῶν καὶ τυμβωρύχων, τὸν τῶν ἐπαράτων ὑφίστασθαι θάνατον, ἐμπτύεσθαι μέλλεις καὶ ῥαπίζεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα δόξαν καλεῖς; Ναὶ, φησίν· ὑπὲρ τῶν φιλουμένων ἐγὼ πάσχω ταῦτα, καὶ εἰκότως αὐτὰ δόξαν ἡγοῦμαι. Εἰ οὖν ὁ Δεσπότης ὁ ἐμὸς τοὺς οἰκτροὺς καὶ ταλαιπώρους φιλήσας, δόξαν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἐν τῷ πατρικῷ θρόνῳ δόξης μᾶλλον προτίθησι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὀφείλω ἐγὼ ταῦτα ἡγεῖσθαι. Ἐκπλήττονται τὸν Ἰὼβ ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι διὰ τὴν ὑπομονὴν αὐτοῦ, διὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου καθαρότητα, διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρίαν, διὰ τὴν καρτερὰν μάχην ἐκείνην, διὰ τὴν θαυμαστὴν νίκην τὴν μετὰ τὴν μάχην· ἀλλὰ τὴν Παύλου ὑπομονὴν ποία ἂν ἀδαμαντίνη ψυχὴ δύναιτ' ἂν ἐπιδείξασθαι; Οὐδὲ γὰρ μῆνας πολλοὺς ἀγωνιζόμενος οὕτω διῆγεν, ἀλλ' ἔτη πολλά·","english":"I do not bless him so greatly because he was caught up into the third heaven and into paradise, as because he was cast into prison; I do not bless him so greatly because he heard unspeakable words, as because he endured chains; for these things are far greater than those. For it is more desirable to me to suffer evil for Christ's sake than to be honored by Christ. Paul, pondering this, said, as is likely: If he himself, having become a slave for my sake and having emptied his glory, did not consider himself to be in glory so greatly as when he was being crucified for me, what ought I not to suffer? Hear him saying: Glorify me, Father. What do you say? You are being led to the cross with robbers and tomb-breakers, to undergo the death of the accursed, you are about to be spat upon and struck, and you call these things glory? Yes, he says; I suffer these things for the sake of those I love, and reasonably I consider them glory. If then my Master, having loved the wretched and miserable, calls the matter glory, and prefers this to the glory on the Father's throne, much more ought I to consider these things so. All men are struck with wonder at Job because of his endurance, because of the purity of his life, because of God's testimony, because of that steadfast battle, because of the wonderful victory after the battle; but what adamantine soul could display Paul's endurance? For he did not conduct himself thus, struggling for many months, but for many years.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":312,"ref":"p312","source":"οὐχὶ τήκων βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξέων, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦ λέοντος τὸ νοητὸν στόμα συνεχῶς ἐμπίπτων, καὶ μυρίοις παλαίων πειρασμοῖς, καὶ οὐδὲ παρὰ φίλων τριῶν ἢ τεσσάρων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ πάντων τῶν ἀπιστούντων ὀνειδιζόμενος, ἐμπτυόμενος, λοιδορούμενος, καὶ μυρίας νιφάδας πειρασμῶν ὑπομένων, καὶ νῦν μὲν μάστιξι, νῦν δὲ λίθοις τὸ σῶμα κατατεινόμενος, καὶ λιμῷ διηνεκεῖ καὶ κρυμῷ τηκόμενος. Ἀλλ' ἡ φιλοξενία τοῦ Ἰὼβ μεγάλη; οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀντεροῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς Παύλου τοσοῦτον καταδεεστέραν εὑρήσομεν, ὅσῳ ψυχῆς σῶμα ἀφέστηκεν. Ἃ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος πρὸς τοὺς τὴν σάρκα πεπηρωμένους ἐποίει, ταῦτα οὗτος περὶ τοὺς τὴν ψυχὴν λελωβημένους ἐπεδείκνυτο· καὶ ὁ μὲν προβάτων αὐτῷ καὶ βοῶν ὄντων ἀπείρων, ταῦτα ἔπραττεν· οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν πλέον κεκτημένος τοῦ σώματος, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τούτου τοῖς δεομένοις ἐπήρκει, καὶ βοᾷ λέγων· Ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. Τούτους ζηλώσωμεν, τούτους μιμησώμεθα ἅπαντες, ἵνα καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων αὐτοῖς ἐπαίνων καὶ μισθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.","english":"not melting clods of earth and gushing with ichor, but continually falling into the very intelligible mouth of the lion, and wrestling with countless temptations, and being reproached not by three or four friends, but by all the unbelievers, spat upon, reviled, and enduring countless showers of temptations, and now racked in body by scourges, now by stones, and wasting away with continual hunger and cold. But was the hospitality of Job great? We will not deny it, but we will find it as much inferior to Paul's as the body is distant from the soul. For what that man did for those maimed in the flesh, this man showed forth for those crippled in the soul; and the one did these things when he had countless sheep and cattle, while this one, possessing nothing more than his body, supplied the needy from that very body, and cries out saying: These hands ministered to my needs and to those who were with me. Let us be zealous for these men, let us all imitate them, so that we too may obtain praises and rewards like theirs, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":313,"ref":"p313","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΓʹ. Περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ φιλοξενίας. Ὁ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης λόγος, ἀγαπητοὶ, οὐ πρὸς τοὺς πλουσίους ἁρμόζει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πένητας· κἂν ᾖ τις ἐκ τοῦ προσαιτεῖν τρεφόμενος, καὶ πρὸς αὐτόν ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οὕτως οὐδεὶς πένης, κἂν σφόδρα πένης ᾖ, ὡς δύο λεπτῶν μόνον μὴ εὐπορεῖν. Ἔνεστιν οὖν καὶ ἐξ ὀλίγων ὀλίγα δόντα τοὺς πολλὰ κεκτημένους ὑπερβαλέσθαι πλείονα διδόντας· καθάπερ κἀκείνη ἡ χήρα. Οὐ γὰρ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν διδομένων, ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει τῶν διδόντων κρίνεται τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸ μέγεθος. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο χρὴ σκοπεῖν, ὅτι δύο\n\nκατέβαλεν ὀβολοὺς ἡ χήρα, ἀλλ' ὅτι μόνους ἔχουσα τούτους οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρον τὴν οὐσίαν εἰσήνεγκεν. Οὐ τοίνυν περιουσίας, ἀλλὰ προθυμίας ἡμῖν δεῖ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ταύτης παρούσης, οὐδὲν βλάβος γένοιτ' ἂν ἀπὸ πενίας· οὕτως ἀπούσης οὐδὲν ὄφελος γένοιτ' ἂν ἐξ εὐπορίας. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οἱ πλουτοῦντες τῶν πενήτων μᾶλλον κολασθήσονται κακοὶ ὄντες, ὅτι μηδὲ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ γεγόνασιν ἥμεροι. Μὴ γάρ μοι λέγε, ὅτι ἔδωκαν ἐλεημοσύνην· εἰ γὰρ μὴ κατ' ἀξίαν ἔδωκαν τῆς οὐσίας, οὐδ' οὕτω τὴν κόλασιν διαφεύξονται. Οὐ γὰρ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν διδομένων ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ δαψιλείᾳ τῆς γνώμης. Καὶ ἔστι δυνα τὸν, φησὶ, πλούσιον σωθῆναι; Καὶ πάνυ. Ὁ Ἀβραὰμ πλούσιος ἦν. Εἶδες αὐτοῦ τὸν πλοῦτον; βλέπε αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν φιλοξενίαν· Κατὰ δὲ τὸ μεσημβρινὸν ὤφθη αὐτῷ Κύριος πρὸς τῇ δρυῒ τῇ Μαμβρῇ καθημένῳ, καὶ τρεῖς ἄνδρες. Καὶ ἀναστάς (οὐ γὰρ ἐνόμιζεν ὅτι Θεὸς ἦν ὁ παρών·","english":"Homily 23. On almsgiving and hospitality. The word concerning almsgiving, beloved, is fitting not only for the rich but also for the poor; and even if someone is supported by begging, this word is also addressed to him; for no one is so poor, even if he is exceedingly poor, as not to have the means for two small coins. It is possible, then, even from little to give a little and to surpass those who possess much and give more—just as that widow did. For the greatness of almsgiving is judged not by the measure of what is given but by the ability and the intention of those who give. For one must not look at this, that the widow cast in two obols, but that, having only these, she did not spare them, but brought in her entire substance. We need, therefore, not wealth but eagerness. For just as, when this is present, no harm could come from poverty, so, when it is absent, no benefit could come from prosperity. For this reason the rich, being wicked, will be punished more than the poor, because not even in prosperity have they become gentle. For do not tell me that they gave almsgiving; for if they did not give according to the worth of their substance, not even so will they escape punishment. For almsgiving is judged not by the measure of what is given but by the abundance of the intention. And is it possible, he says, for a rich man to be saved? Yes, indeed. Abraham was rich. Did you see his wealth? Look also at his hospitality: And at midday the Lord appeared to him as he sat by the oak of Mamre, and three men. And he rose up (for he did not think that the one present was God—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":314,"ref":"p314","source":"πῶς γάρ;) προσεκύνησε καὶ λέγει, Εἰ κεκρίκατέ με ἄξιον, ἵνα εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τῶν δοκῶν μου. Εἶδες τί ἐποίει ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ ὁ γέρων; οὐχ ὑπὸ στέγην καθήμενος, ἀλλ' ὡς ξένος καὶ ὁδοιπόρος, ὁ πλούσιος καὶ εὐγενὴς, καταλιπὼν οἰκίαν, γυναῖκα, παῖδας, οἰκέτας, ἐξῆλθεν ἁλιεῦσαι, σαγήνην ἁπλώσας φιλοξενίας, μήπου ξένος, μήπου ὁδοιπόρος, καὶ παραδράμῃ τὴν οἰκίαν. Καὶ βλέπε τί ποιεῖ. Οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει οἰκέτῃ, καίτοι τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔχων (ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι ῥᾴθυμόν ἐστι τὸ γένος τῶν οἰκετῶν), μήπου ἀπονυστάξῃ ὁ οἰκέτης, καὶ παραδράμῃ ὁ ξένος, καὶ ἀπολέσωμεν τὴν ἄγραν· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐκάθητο, τὴν θερμὴν ἀκτῖνα ὡς δρόσον ἐν καύματι δεχόμενος· καὶ σκιὰ ἦν αὐτῷ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς φιλοξενίας. Ἴδε ὁ Ἀβραάμ· ἴδε ὁ πλούσιος. Καταξιοῖς σὺ ὅλως κἂν ἰδεῖν πένητα; κἂν ἀποκριθῆναι; κἂν διαλεχθῆναι; Θέλεις μιμεῖσθαι τὸν Ἀβραάμ; οὐ κωλύω, ἀλλὰ καὶ βούλομαι· καίτοι μείζονα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀπαιτούμεθα. Καὶ τί, φησὶν, εἶχεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ; Φιλόξενος ἦν. Καὶ ἀνέστη, φησὶν, Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ προσεκύνησεν, οὐδὲ εἰδὼς τίνες ἦσαν οἱ παρόντες. Εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἐποίει, ὅτι Θεὸν ἐθεράπευεν· ἀλλ' ἡ ἄγνοια τῶν παραγενομένων μείζονα αὐτοῦ δείκνυσι τῆς φιλοξενίας τὴν προθυμίαν. Καὶ καλεῖ καὶ τὴν Σάῤῥαν, κοινωνὸν ποιῶν τῆς φιλοξενίας· Κοινὰ, φησὶ, τὰ τοῦ γάμου ἔστω, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς· σπεῦσον καὶ φύρασον τρία μέτρα σεμιδάλεως. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπέ τι τοιοῦτο· Ἐπὶ ταύταις ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἔλαχον, ἵνα με μυλωθρίδα καὶ ἀρτοποιὸν ποιήσῃς, τὴν πλοῦτον ἔχουσαν τοσοῦτον;","english":"For how? He worshiped and said, \"If you have judged me worthy, that you may enter into the tent of my servants.\" Do you see what the old man was doing at midday? Not sitting under a roof, but as a stranger and traveler—the rich and noble man—leaving his house, wife, children, servants, he went out to fish, spreading the net of hospitality, lest perhaps a stranger, lest perhaps a traveler, pass by his house. And see what he does. He does not entrust it to a servant, although he had three hundred and eighteen (for he knew that the race of servants is lazy), lest perhaps the servant doze off, and the stranger pass by, and we lose the catch; but he himself sat, receiving the hot ray as dew in the heat; and the shade for him was the desire of hospitality. See Abraham; see the rich man. Do you deem it worth your while even to see a poor man at all? Even to answer him? Even to converse with him? Do you wish to imitate Abraham? I do not forbid it, but I even wish it; although we are required to do greater things than Abraham. And what, he says, did Abraham have? He was hospitable. And Abraham arose, he says, and worshiped, not even knowing who those present were. For if he had known, he was doing nothing wonderful, because he was serving God; but the ignorance of those who had come shows his eagerness for hospitality to be greater. And he calls Sarah too, making her a partner in hospitality: \"Let the things of marriage,\" he says, \"be common, and the things of virtue; hurry and knead three measures of fine flour.\" And he did not say something like this: \"I drew these hopes so that you might make me a miller-woman and a baker, me who has so much wealth?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":315,"ref":"p315","source":"τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ δούλους ἔχεις, καὶ οὐκ ἦλθες ἐκείνοις ἐπιτάξαι, ἀλλ' ἐμὲ εἰς διακονίαν ταύτην ἐμβάλλεις; ἀλλ' ἀκούει, Σπεῦσον, καὶ ἁρπάζει τὸ ἐπίταγμα. Ποῦ αἱ νῦν γυναῖκες; ἆρα τοιαῦτα ἐπιτάγματα δέχονται; Ἔκβαλέ μοι αὐτῆς τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ὁρᾷς αὐτὴν κατακεχρυσωμένην ἔξωθεν, ἔσωθεν δὲ πολιορκίαν κεκτημένην. Πόσων πενήτων πλεονεξίαν ἡ χείρ σου βαστάζει; ἔκβαλέ μοι τὴν χεῖρά σου, δεῖξον αὐτὴν τί ἐνδέδυται· πλεονεξίαν. Ἔκβαλε τὴν χεῖρα τῆς Σάῤῥας, τί ἐνδέδυται; φιλοξενίαν, ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀγάπην, φιλοπτωχίαν. Σπεῦσον καὶ φύρασον τρία μέτρα σεμιδάλεως. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν βοῶν. Μερίζονται τὸν πόνον, ἵνα μερίσωνται τὸν στέφανον. Εἶτα ἔθυσε τὸν μόσχον. Ὁμοῦ δρομεὺς ἐγένετο ὁ γέρων· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐχαυνοῦτο αὐτῷ τῆς σαρκὸς ὁ τόνος, ἀλλ' ἐπενεύρωτο τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἡ διάνοια· ἐνίκησε τὴν φύσιν ἡ προθυμία. Ὁ δεσπότης τριακοσίων δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ οἰκετῶν, μόσχον βαστάζων οὐκ ἐβαρύνετο τῷ ἄχθει, ἀλλ' ἐκουφίζετο τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ τῇ προθυμίᾳ. Ὁ δρόμος τῷ γέροντι προὔκειτο. Πόσος ὁ πόνος; ἀλλ' οὐκ ᾐσθάνετο τοῦ πόνου, διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ κέρδους. Τί οὖν ὁ παραγενόμενος; Κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι, καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάῤῥᾳ υἱός. Εἶδες οἷον καρπὸν ἐβλάστησεν ἡ τράπεζα; πῶς καλόν; πῶς ταχύν; πῶς ὥριμον; πῶς ὁ βότρυς περκάζων καὶ ἀπηρτισμένος; Τοιοῦτοι τῆς φιλοξενίας οἱ καρ ποί. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίζωμεν ἡμῖν ἐλαττοῦσθαι τὴν οὐσίαν, ὅταν ἐλεημοσύνην παρέχωμεν· οὐ γὰρ ἐλαττοῦται, ἀλλ' αὔξεται· οὐ δαπανᾶται, ἀλλὰ πλεονάζει, καὶ πραγματεία τίς ἐστι καὶ σπόρος τὸ γινόμενον·","english":"You have three hundred and eighteen servants, and you did not come to give orders to them, but you thrust me into this service? But he hears, \"Hurry,\" and he snatches up the command. Where are the women now? Do they receive such commands? Bring out her hand for me, and you see it gilded on the outside, but within possessing a siege. Of how many poor men does your hand bear the greed? Bring out your hand for me, show me what it is clothed in: greed. Bring out Sarah's hand; what is it clothed in? Hospitality, almsgiving, love, love of the poor. Hurry and knead three measures of fine flour. And he himself ran to the herd of cattle. They divide the labor, so that they may divide the crown. Then he sacrificed the calf. At once the old man became a runner; for the tension of his flesh was not slackened, but the mind of his philosophy was strengthened; his eagerness conquered nature. The master of three hundred and eighteen servants, carrying a calf, was not weighed down by the burden, but was lightened in mind and eagerness. The race was set before the old man. How great the labor? But he did not feel the labor, because of the hope of the gain. What then did the one who arrived say? At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. Do you see what fruit the table sprouted? How good? How quick? How ripe? How the cluster was darkening and complete? Such are the fruits of hospitality. Let us not, then, think that our substance is diminished when we provide almsgiving; for it is not diminished, but increased; it is not spent, but abounds, and what happens is a kind of business and sowing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":316,"ref":"p316","source":"μᾶλλον δὲ ἀμφοτέρων τούτων κερδαλεώτερον καὶ\n\nἀσφαλέστερον. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐμπορία καὶ πνεύμασι καὶ κύμασι θαλάσσης ὑπόκειται καὶ ναυαγίοις πολλοῖς· καὶ τὰ σπέρματα καὶ αὐχμοῖς καὶ ἐπομβρίαις καὶ ἑτέραις ἀέρων ἀνωμαλίαις· τὰ δὲ εἰς τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ Κυρίου καταβαλλόμενα χρήματα ἀνώτερα πάσης ἐστὶν ἐπιβουλῆς, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἁρπάζειν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ λαβόντος τὰ δοθέντα ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ μένει πολὺν ἡμῖν καὶ ἄφατον ἐργαζόμενα τὸν καρπὸν, καὶ τὸν ἀμητὸν ἐν καιρῷ φέροντα πλούσιον. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὐ περιόψεται λαβὼν, ἀλλ' ἀποδώσει τὴν χάριν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Χριστός. Ὁ γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς τοῦ λαβεῖν διδοὺς, πῶς μετὰ τοῦ λαβεῖν οὐ δώσει; Ἄκουε Σολομῶντος· Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, φησὶ, δανείζει Θεῷ. Εἶδες δανείου φύσιν ξένην καὶ παράδοξον; Ἕτερός ἐστιν ὁ λαμβάνων, καὶ ἕτερος ὁ τῷ δανείῳ ὑπεύθυνον ἑαυτὸν καθιστῶν. Διὰ τί οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν δίδωσι Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ, Δανείζει; Ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῆν τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν νομίσῃς. Οἶδεν ἡ Γραφὴ τὴν ἡμετέραν πλεονεξίαν· προσέσχεν ὅτι ἡ ἀπληστία ἡμῶν πρὸς πλεονεξίαν βλέπουσα τὸν πλεονασμὸν ζητεῖ, καὶ μηδαμοῦ τὸν χρήματα ἔχοντα δανείζειν θέλοντα τῷ πτωχῷ ἄνευ ἀσφαλείας, ἢ ὑποθήκης, ἢ ἐνεχύρων, ἢ ἐγγύης. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ οἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἐκτὸς τούτων οὐδεὶς δανείζει, οὐδὲ εἰς φιλανθρωπίαν βλέπει, ἀλλ' εἰς μόνον τὸ κέρδος ὁρᾷ, πάντων δὲ τούτων ἔρημος ὁ πτωχὸς, οὐχ ὑποθήκην ἔχων, κέκτηται γὰρ οὐδὲν, οὐκ ἐνέχυρα φέρων, γεγύμνωται γὰρ, οὐ τὸν ἀντιφωνοῦντα παρέχων, ἀπιστεῖται γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν·","english":"But rather, this is more profitable and safer than both of these. For commerce is subject to winds and the waves of the sea and to many shipwrecks; and seeds are subject to droughts and floods and other irregularities of the air. But the money that is deposited into the hand of the Lord is above every plot, and no one can snatch from the hand of the one who has received the things given once for all, but they remain, producing for us much and unspeakable fruit, and bringing a rich harvest in due season. For if a man will not overlook it when he has received, but will repay the favor, much more will Christ. For he who gives even without receiving, how will he not give after receiving? Hear Solomon: \"He who has mercy on the poor,\" he says, \"lends to God.\" Did you see the strange and paradoxical nature of the loan? One is the one who receives, and another is the one who makes himself liable for the loan. Why did he not say, \"He who has mercy on the poor gives to God,\" but \"lends\"? So that you might not think the recompense is simple. Scripture knows our greed; it has observed that our insatiability, looking toward covetousness, seeks the surplus, and that nowhere does a man with money wish to lend to the poor without security, or a pledge, or collateral, or a guarantor. And since God knows that without these no one lends, nor looks to benevolence, but looks only to profit, and the poor man is destitute of all these things—having no security, for he possesses nothing; bringing no collateral, for he has been stripped bare; providing no one to speak on his behalf, for he is disbelieved because of his poverty—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":317,"ref":"p317","source":"ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὸν μὲν διακινδυνεύοντα τῇ ἀπορίᾳ, τὸν δὲ ἔχοντα χρήματα κινδυνεύοντα διὰ τὴν ἀπανθρωπίαν, μέσον ἑαυτὸν παρενέθηκεν, ἔγγυον μὲν τῷ πένητι, ἐνέχυρον δὲ τῷ δανείζοντι Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, φησὶ, δανείζει Θεῷ. Καὶ μὴν ἂν δανείζειν δέῃ, τοὺς πολὺ διδόντας περιεργαζόμεθα, καὶ τοὺς εὐγνώμονας περισκοποῦμεν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοὐναντίον ποιοῦμεν, τὸν μὲν εὐγνωμονοῦντα Θεὸν, καὶ ἑκατονταπλασίονα παρέχοντα ἀφίεμεν, τοὺς δὲ ἀποδώσοντας ἡμῖν οὐδὲ τὸ κεφάλαιον, τούτους ἐπιζητοῦμεν. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ γαστὴρ ἀποδώσει, τὰ πλείονα καταναλίσκουσα; κόπρον καὶ φθοράν. Τί δὲ ἡ κενοδοξία; φθόνον καὶ βασκανίαν. Τί δὲ ἡ φειδωλία; φροντίδα καὶ μέριμναν. Τί δὲ ἡ ἀσέλγεια; γέενναν καὶ σκώληκα ἰοβόλον. Οὗτοι γὰρ τῶν πλουτούντων οἱ χρεῶσται, τούτους τοῦ κεφαλαίου τοὺς τόκους καταβάλλοντες, τὰ ἐνταῦθα κακὰ καὶ τὰ προσδοκώμενα δεινά. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐ δίδως τῷ καὶ δώσοντι πάντως, καὶ πλείονα δώσοντι; Τάχα ὅτι διὰ πολλοῦ δίδωσι χρόνου. Καίτοι γε καὶ ἐνταῦθα δίδωσιν· ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ὁ λέγων· Ζητεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, καὶ τὸ διὰ μακροῦ λαβεῖν τοῦ χρόνου πλεονάζει σοι τὸν πλοῦτον· ὁ γὰρ τόκος γίνεται πλείων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δανειζομένων τοῦτο ὁρῶμεν τοὺς δανειστὰς ποιοῦντας, προθυμότερον τοῖς μετὰ πολὺν καταβάλλουσι χρόνον δανείζοντας. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὸ πᾶν εὐθέως ἀποδοὺς, ἐνέκοψε τοῦ τόκου τὸν δρόμον· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ πλείονα κατασχὼν χρόνον, καὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν πλείω πεποίηκεν.","english":"When he saw the one in danger through his poverty, and the one who had money in danger through his inhumanity, he placed himself in the middle, as a guarantor for the poor man and as a pledge for the lender. \"He who has mercy on the poor,\" it says, \"lends to God.\" And yet, if we must lend, we scrutinize those who give much and look around for those who are grateful; but here we do the opposite: God, who is grateful and repays a hundredfold, we let go, while those who will not repay us even the principal—these we seek out. For what will the belly repay us, consuming more? Dung and corruption. What will vainglory repay? Envy and malice. What will stinginess repay? Anxiety and care. What will debauchery repay? Gehenna and the venomous worm. For these are the debtors of the rich; paying them the interest on the principal, they receive the evils of this life and the terrors that are expected. For what reason, then, do you not give to the one who will certainly give, and give more? Perhaps because he gives after a long time. And yet he gives even here; for he is truthful who says, \"Seek the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added to you.\" Besides this, receiving after a long time increases your wealth for you; for the interest becomes greater. For we see lenders doing this also in the case of those who borrow, lending more readily to those who repay after a long time. For the one who repays the whole immediately has checked the course of the interest; but the one who has held on for a longer time has also made the interest greater.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":318,"ref":"p318","source":"Εἶτα ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐ δυσχεραίνομεν τὴν ἀναβολὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφιζόμεθα αὐτὴν πλείω γενέσθαι· ἐπὶ Θεοῦ δὲ οὕτω μικροψύχως διακεισόμεθα; Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, δανείζει Θεῷ. Καὶ δανείζῃ παρ' ἐμοῦ, Κύριε, τὴν εἰς τὸν πτωχὸν ἐλεημοσύνην; Ἵνα ποτέ μοι ταῦτα ἀποδῷς, δός μοι τῆς ἀντιδόσεως τὸν καιρόν· ὅρισον τῆς ἀπολήψεως τὴν προθεσμίαν. Πότε καὶ ποῦ σοι τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδίδωμι; Ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ στήσῃ τὰ μὲν πρόβατα ἐκ δεξιῶν, τὰ δὲ ἐρίφια ἐξ εὐωνύμων· καὶ ἐρεῖ τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ· Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Ὑπὲρ τίνων; Ὅτι ἐπείνασα, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· γυμνὸς ἤμην, καὶ ἐνεδύσατέ με. Καὶ διὰ τί, ὦ Κύριε, οὐκ ἄλλων ὁδῶν φέρεις μνήμην, ἀλλ' ἢ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης; Οὐ κρίνω, φησὶ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπανθρωπίαν· οὐ κρίνω τοὺς ἁμαρτήσαντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὴ μετανοήσαντας· ὑπὲρ ἀπανθρωπίας ὑμᾶς καταδικάζω, ὅτι ἔχοντες τοσοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον φάρμακον","english":"Then, in the case of men we are not vexed at the delay, but we even contrive to make it longer; but in the case of God shall we be so fainthearted? He who has mercy on the poor lends to God. And do you borrow from me, Lord, the alms given to the poor? In order that you may one day repay me these things, give me the time of the recompense; appoint the deadline of the repayment. When and where do I repay you the debt? When the Son of Man sits upon the throne of his glory, and sets the sheep on his right and the goats on his left; and he will say to those on his right: Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For what? Because I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was naked, and you clothed me. And why, O Lord, do you bring to mind no other ways but that of almsgiving? I do not judge, he says, the sin, but the inhumanity; I do not judge those who have sinned, but those who have not repented; I condemn you for inhumanity, because having so great and such a remedy","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":319,"ref":"p319","source":"σωτηρίας τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην, ἐν ᾗ ἐξαλείφεται πάντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, παρήκατε τοσαύτην εὐεργεσίαν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ χρήματα ἔλαβες, ἵνα εἰς τρυφὴν δαπανήσῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰς ἐλεημοσύνην ἀναλώσῃς. Μὴ γὰρ τὰ σαυτοῦ ἔχεις; τὰ τῶν πενήτων ἐνεπιστεύθης, κἂν ἐκ πόνων δικαίων, κἂν ἀπὸ κλήρου πατρῴου κεκτημένος τύχῃς. Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ πολλῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἐκελεύσθης διδόναι, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σαυτοῦ νομίζῃς εἶναι ταῦτα, μηδὲ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ὑπόθεσιν ποιοῦ ἀγνωμοσύνης. Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο αὐτὰ ὁ Θεὸς ἀφελέσθαι σου; ἀλλ' οὐ ποιεῖ τοῦτο, σὲ κύριον ποιῶν τῆς εἰς τοὺς δεομένους φιλοτιμίας. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἔδωκας; ἀπιστεῖς ὅτι λήψῃ πάλιν; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; ὁ γὰρ τῷ μὴ δεδωκότι δοὺς πῶς ἂν οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὸ λαβεῖν δώσει; Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτό σοι πλείονα τῶν ἄλλων ἔχειν συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς πορνείας καὶ μέθην καὶ ἀδηφαγίαν καὶ ἱματίων πολυτέλειαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην βλακείαν ἀναλώσῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα τοῖς δεομένοις αὐτὰ διανέμῃς. Ἂν γὰρ πλέον τι τῆς χρείας εἰς σαυτὸν ἀναλώσῃς τῆς ἀναγκαίας, χαλεπωτάτας ἐκεῖ τὰς εὐθύνας παρέξεις. Ἀλλ' οἶδα πολλοὺς εἰς τοῦτο θηριωδίας ἐλθόντας, ὡς δι' ὄκνον μικρὸν λιμώττοντας περιορᾷν τοὺς πένητας, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγοντας· Οὐ πάρεστιν οἰκέτης ἐμοὶ νῦν· πόῤῥω τῆς οἰκίας εἰμί· οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐνταῦθά ἐστί μοι γνώριμος. Ὢ τῆς ὠμότητος! ὢ τῆς ὕβρεως! εἰ καὶ δέκα στάδια βαδίσαι ἐχρῆν, οὐδ' οὕτως ὀκνῆσαι ἔδει, ὅτι μείζων ὁ μισθός. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ δῷς, ὑπὲρ τοῦ διδομένου λαμβάνεις μισθὸν μόνον·","english":"You have let slip so great a benefit—almsgiving, the means of salvation, in which all sins are blotted out. For you did not receive money so that you might spend it on luxury, but so that you might expend it on almsgiving. Do you think your goods are your own? You have been entrusted with the goods of the poor, even if you acquired them by righteous labors, even if by ancestral inheritance. For do not suppose that because out of great loving-kindness you have been commanded to give from what is yours, these things are therefore your own; nor make the abundance of his loving-kindness a pretext for ingratitude. Was God unable to take them away from you? But he does not do this, making you the master of generosity toward those in need. For what reason, then, have you not given? Do you not believe that you will receive again? And how could that make sense? For he who gave to one who had not given, how much more will he give after you have received? For this reason God allowed you to have more than others, not so that you might spend it on fornication and drunkenness and gluttony and costly clothing and other self-indulgence, but so that you might distribute it to those in need. For if you spend anything beyond necessity on yourself, beyond what is required, you will render the most severe accounts there. But I know many who have come to such a degree of savagery as to overlook the poor starving through a little hesitation, and even to say to them: I have no servant with me now; I am far from my house; none of those here is known to me. O the cruelty! O the insolence! Even if one had to walk ten stades, one should not hesitate even so, because the reward is greater. For when you give, you receive a reward only for what is given;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":320,"ref":"p320","source":"ὅταν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς βαδίσῃς, καὶ τούτου σοι πάλιν κεῖται ἡ ἀμοιβή. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀβραὰμ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα θαυμάζομεν, ὅτι τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ οἰκογενεῖς ἔχων, οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐπέταξεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὰς βοῦς ἔδραμε καὶ τὸ μοσχάριον ἥρπασε. Μὴ οὖν ἐπαισχυνθῇς διὰ τῆς σαυ τοῦ χειρὸς θεραπεῦσαι τὸν πένητα. Ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται χεῖρα ἐκτεῖναι καὶ λαβεῖν διὰ τοῦ πένητος, καὶ σὺ χεῖρα ἐκτεῖναι καὶ δοῦναι ἀργύριον ἐπαισχύνῃ; καὶ πῶς τοῦτο οὐκ αἰσχύνης ἄξιον; Εἰ γὰρ ποτήριον ψυχρὸν μόνον βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν προξενεῖ, τὸ καὶ ὁμοῤῥόφιον ποιῆσαι καὶ τραπέζης κοινωνὸν καὶ ἀναπαῦσαι πένητα, πόσον οἴσει τὸν καρπὸν, εἰπέ μοι; Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπαισχυνώμεθα ταῖς τῶν πενήτων θεραπείαις, μηδὲ παραιτώμεθα δι' ἑαυτῶν θεραπεύειν αὐτούς· ἁγιάζονται γὰρ ἡμῶν αἱ χεῖρες διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης διακονίας· κἂν εἰς εὐχὰς αὐτὰς ἀνατείνωμεν ἀπὸ τῆς θεραπείας ἐκείνης, ὁρῶν αὐτὰς ὁ Θεὸς, δυσωπεῖται μᾶλλον, καὶ τὴν αἴτησιν δίδωσι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ χρήματα δοῦναι πολλῶν ἂν εἴη· τὸ δὲ δι' ἑαυτῶν θεραπεῦσαι τοὺς δεομένους, καὶ μετὰ προθυμίας ποιῆσαι τοῦτο, μεγάλης ψυχῆς δεῖται καὶ φιλοσόφου. Εἴ τινα ἴδοις ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς σοι βοηθοῦντα πράγμασιν, ἢ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ συμπράττοντα, ἢ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ τοιούτῳ, καὶ ἀπαντᾷς, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς δέχῃ τῆς εὐνοίας, καὶ χεῖρας καταφιλεῖς, καὶ ἀργύρια καταβάλλεις, καὶ τὰ τῶν θεραπόντων ποιεῖς· ἂν δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν εἰσελθόντα ἴδῃς, ὀκνεῖς καὶ ἀναδύῃ πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ θεραπείαν; Εἰ μὴ ὡς τὸν Χριστὸν δέχῃ τὸν ξένον, μὴ δέξῃ·","english":"When you go yourself, the reward for this too is laid up for you. Indeed, we marvel at the patriarch Abraham especially for this reason: though he had three hundred and eighteen household servants, he commanded none of them, but himself ran to the cattle and seized the calf. So do not be ashamed to serve the poor man with your own hand. Christ is not ashamed to stretch out his hand and receive through the poor man, and are you ashamed to stretch out your hand and give money? How is this not worthy of shame? For if a mere cup of cold water procures the kingdom of heaven, tell me, how much fruit will it bear to make a man a table-companion and a sharer of one's table and to give rest to the poor? Let us not, then, be ashamed of services to the poor, nor decline to serve them ourselves; for our hands are sanctified by such ministry. And even if we raise them in prayer after that service, God, seeing them, is moved the more and grants the petition. For to give money belongs to many; but to serve the needy ourselves, and to do this with eagerness, requires a great and philosophic soul. If you saw someone helping you in the affairs of life, or assisting you in court, or in any other such matter, you meet him and receive him with great goodwill, and kiss his hands, and pay out silver, and act the part of his servants; but if you see Christ entering, do you hesitate and shrink back from serving him? If you do not receive the stranger as Christ, you will not receive him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":321,"ref":"p321","source":"εἰ δὲ ὡς τὸν Χριστὸν δέχῃ, μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας. Ἀλλ' ἐν ὅσῳ πρόκειται ἡ πανήγυρις, ἀγοράσωμεν ἐλεημοσύνην, μᾶλλον δὲ διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἀγοράσωμεν τὴν σωτηρίαν. Χριστὸν ἐνδύεις πτωχὸν ἐνδύων. Εἰ γὰρ ποτήριον ψυχρὸν ἔμμισθον, ἱμάτια καὶ χρήματα διδόμενα δι' εὐεργεσίαν οὐκ ἔμμισθα; Τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν καὶ πολύμισθα. Εἰ γὰρ ὅπου ἀδάπανος ἡ δόσις, τοσαύτη τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἡ χάρις· ὅπου ἱματίων ἀφθονία, χρημάτων χορηγία, τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθῶν ἡ περιουσία, πόσον ἀπεκδέχεσθαι χρὴ μισθὸν παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ; Οἶδα ὅτι ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα πολλάκις μεμαθήκατε· ἀλλ' εἴθε πολλάκις μαθόντες, κἂν ὀλιγάκις τὸ καλὸν εἰργαζόμεθα· Καὶ γὰρ πολλῆς ἀλογίας, ἀγρὸν μὲν βουλόμενον ὠνήσασθαι, τὴν εὔφορον οὖσαν γῆν ἐπιζητεῖν· οὐρανοῦ δὲ ἀντὶ γῆς προκειμένου, παρὸν ἐκεῖ κτήσασθαι χωρίον, μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τῶν ἐκ ταύτης ἀνέχεσθαι πόνων. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἴ τίς σοι ἔλεγεν, ὅτι μετὰ ἐνιαυτὸν πεσεῖται αὕτη ἡ πόλις, ἡ","english":"If you receive him as Christ, do not be ashamed to wash Christ's feet. But while the festival is still before us, let us buy alms—or rather, through alms let us buy salvation. You clothe a poor Christ when you clothe the poor. For if a cup of cold water earns a reward, are garments and money given for beneficence not rewarded? On the contrary, they are rewarded abundantly. For if where the gift costs nothing, the grace of the beneficence is so great, where there is abundance of garments, supply of money, and plenty of other goods, how great a reward must one expect from the righteous judge? I know that you have often learned these and similar things; but would that, having learned them often, we had done the good even a few times. For it is great folly, when one wishes to buy a field, to seek out fertile land; but when heaven is set before us instead of earth, and it is possible to acquire a plot there, to remain on the earth and endure its labors. Tell me, if someone told you that after a year this city will fall—the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":322,"ref":"p322","source":"δεῖνα δὲ οὔ· ἆρα ἂν ᾠκοδόμησας οἰκίας ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ καταπίπτειν; Μὴ τοίνυν οἰκοδομῶμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ· πεσεῖται γὰρ μικρὸν ὕστερον καὶ ἀπολεῖται· τί δὲ λέγω, πεσεῖται; πρὸ τῆς πτώσεως ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμεθα, καὶ δεινὰ πεισόμεθα. Οἰκοδομήσωμεν δὲ μᾶλλον ἡμῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν, ἔνθα οὐ χρεία τεκτόνων ἡμῖν οὐδὲ οἰκοδόμων, ἀλλ' αἱ τῶν πενήτων χεῖρες τὰς τοιαύτας οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἰκοδομάς· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν προξενοῦσι, καὶ παῤῥησίαν διδοῦσι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· τοιοῦτον τὸ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ὕψος. Καὶ καθάπερ βασιλίδος εἰσιούσης οὐδεὶς τολμᾷ τῶν φυλασσόντων τὰς θύρας ἐξετάσαι, τίς εἴη καὶ πόθεν, ἀλλὰ πάντες μετὰ χαρᾶς ὑποδέχονται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τοὺς ταύτην ἐργαζομένους ἀκωλύτως παρὰ τὸν θρόνον ἵστησι τὸν βασιλικόν· φιλεῖ γὰρ αὐτὴν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀεὶ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἕστηκε, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν δ' ἂν αἰτήσῃ χάριν, εὐ θέως λαμβάνει. Τοσαύτη τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἡ περιουσία, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἁμαρτήματα ἐκκαθαίρειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν θάνατον φυγαδεύειν. Καὶ τίς, φησὶν, ἐλεημοσύνην ἐπιδειξάμενος τοῦ θανάτου κρείττων γέγονε; καὶ μὴν ἅπαντας ὁρῶμεν ὑπὸ τὴν τυραννίδα τοῦ θανάτου γινομένους. Μὴ θορυβηθῇς, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων μάνθανε, ὅπως ἡ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης δύναμις ἐνίκησε τούτου τὴν τυραννίδα. Καὶ γὰρ Ταβιθά τις ἐγένετο γυνὴ, ἥτις ἔργον ἐποιεῖτο καθ' ἑκάστην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης εὐπορίαν συλλέγειν· Καὶ ἐνεδίδυσκε, φησὶ, τὰς χήρας, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν εὐπορίαν αὐταῖς παρεῖχεν. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἀσθενήσασαν αὐτὴν ἀποθανεῖν.","english":"But not so with this man. Would you have built houses in a house that is about to fall? Let us not, then, build in this world; for it will fall a little later and be destroyed. But why do I say it will fall? Before its fall we ourselves are being destroyed, and we shall suffer terrible things. Rather, let us build for ourselves a building in the heavens, where we have no need of carpenters or builders, but the hands of the poor build such buildings as these; and not only this, but they also procure for us the kingdom of heaven and give us boldness before God—such is the height of almsgiving. And just as when a queen enters, none of those who guard the doors dares to question who she is and from where, but all receive her with joy, so too almsgiving sets those who practice it unhindered beside the royal throne; for God loves it, and it always stands near him, and whatever favor it asks, it immediately receives. Such is the abundance of almsgiving, that it not only cleanses away sins but also puts death itself to flight. And who, someone says, by showing almsgiving has become stronger than death? And yet we see all people becoming subject to the tyranny of death. Do not be troubled, but learn from the very facts how the power of almsgiving conquered its tyranny. For there was a certain woman, Tabitha, who made it her work each day to gather the wealth that comes from almsgiving; and she used to clothe the widows, it says, and provided them with all their other wealth. And it came about that she fell sick and died.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":323,"ref":"p323","source":"Τί οὖν αἱ τῆς θεραπείας ἀπολαύουσαι, καὶ τὰ σώματα σκεπόμεναι ἀπ' αὐτῆς; Ἐν καιρῷ τὴν εὐεργέτιν τὴν αὐτῶν ἀμείβονται· περιεστῶσαι γὰρ τὸν Ἀπόστολον ἐδείκνυον τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ ὅσα ἐποίει μετ' αὐτῶν, καὶ δάκρυα ἐπέχεον, καὶ εἰς οἶκτον τοῦτον ἔφερον. Τί οὖν ὁ Πέτρος; Τὰ γόνατα θεὶς, φησὶ, προσηύξατο, καὶ ἐπιστρέψας πρὸς τὸ σῶμα εἶπεν· Ταβιθὰ, ἀνάστηθι. Ἡ δὲ ἤνοιξε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῆς, καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὸν Πέτρον ἀνεκάθισε· δοὺς δὲ αὐτῇ χεῖρα ἀνέστησε· καὶ φωνήσας τὰς χήρας καὶ τοὺς παρεστῶτας, παρέδωκεν αὐτὴν ζῶσαν. Εἶδες ὅση τῆς εὐποιίας ἡ περὶ τὰς χήρας ἀμοιβή; τί γὰρ τοσοῦτον, εἰπέ μοι, παρέσχεν αὕτη ταῖς χήραις, ὅσον αὗται αὐτὴν ἠμείψαντο; Τὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης μέγεθος οὐκ ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῶν διδομένων κρίνεται, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ προθυμίᾳ τῶν διδόντων. Ὄντως μεγάλα δύνανται πόδες ἁγίων εἰς οἰκίαν εἰσιόντες· αὐτὸ τὸ ἔδαφος ἁγιάζουσι, θησαυροὺς μυρίων εἰσάγουσι ἀγαθῶν, φύσιν πεπηρωμένην διορθοῦνται, λιμὸν λύουσι καὶ πολλὴν εἰσάγουσι τὴν εὐπορίαν. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ τοῦ Ἠλία πόδες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τῆς χήρας εἰσελθόντες καινόν τινα καὶ παράδοξον εὐεργεσίας ἐπεδείξαντο τρόπον· ἄρουραν τὴν οἰκίαν τῆς χήρας ἐποίησαν, καὶ τὴν ὑδρίαν ἅλωνα. Καινός τις τρόπος σπόρου καὶ ἀμητοῦ ἐγένετο τότε. Πῶς; Ἔσπειρεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ δικαίου στόμα, καὶ τὰ καταβληθέντα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀφθονίας ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας ἐθέριζεν· ἔσπειρεν ἄλευρον, καὶ ἐθέρισεν ἄλευρον.","english":"What then of the women who enjoyed her care and were sheltered in body by her? In time they repaid their benefactress; for standing around the Apostle they showed the garments, and all that she had made with them, and they poured out tears, and brought him to compassion. What then did Peter do? He knelt down, it says, and prayed, and turning to the body he said: Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up; and giving her his hand he raised her up; and calling the widows and those standing by, he presented her alive. Do you see how great is the reward of good works done for widows? For tell me, what did she give the widows so great as what they repaid her? For the greatness of almsgiving is not judged by the quantity of what is given, but by the readiness of those who give. Truly the feet of saints are mighty when they enter a house; they sanctify the very floor, they bring in treasures of countless good things, they correct a crippled nature, they loose famine and bring in great abundance. For the feet of Elijah, entering the house of the widow, displayed a new and wondrous manner of beneficence: they made the house of the widow a field, and the water-jar a threshing floor. A new manner of sowing and reaping came to be then. How? He sowed into the mouth of the righteous man, and what was cast down was reaped from the water-jar with great abundance; he sowed meal, and he reaped meal.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":324,"ref":"p324","source":"Οὐκ ἐδεήθη βοῶν καὶ ζεύγους καὶ ἀρότρου καὶ αὔλακος, οὐδὲ ὑετοῦ καὶ ἀέρος καὶ δρεπάνης, οὐδὲ ἅλωνος καὶ δραγμάτων, οὐδὲ ἀνέμων διακρινόντων ἀπὸ τοῦ καρποῦ τὰ ἄχυρα, οὐδὲ μύλης τριβούσης, ἀλλ' ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τούτων ἁπάντων τὸ τέλος εὗρεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑδρίας. Τοιαῦτα τῶν ἁγίων τὰ δῶρα· τοιαῦτα χαρίζονται πόδες ἁγίων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα τούτων. Καὶ εἰ μὴ μακρὸν ἐποίουν τὸν λόγον, πολλὰς ἂν ἀπηριθμησάμην τοιαύτας δωρεάς. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τιμώμενοι τοιαῦτα φέρουσι δῶρα, οὕτως ἀτιμαζόμενοι μεγάλην ἐπάγουσι κόλασιν καὶ πῦρ ἀπαραίτητον. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος Πέτρος ἦν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐκεῖνος Ἠλίας ἦν. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; εἰ καὶ Πέτρος καὶ Ἠλίας ἦν, οὐ τῆς αὐτῆς μετεῖχον φύσεως; οὐ διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ὁδοῦ παρήχθησαν εἰς τὸν βίον ἡμῖν; οὐ ταῖς αὐταῖς τροφαῖς ἐτράφησαν; οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐχρήσαντο πράγμασιν; οὐ τινὲς αὐτῶν καὶ γυναῖκας ἔσχον καὶ παῖδας, οἱ δὲ καὶ τέχνας βιω τικὰς, ἕτεροι δὲ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τῆς κακίας τὸ βάραθρον κατηνέχθησαν; Ἀλλὰ πολλῆς ἀπήλαυσαν, φησὶ, τῆς χάριτος. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν νεκροὺς","english":"She had no need of oxen and a yoke and a plough and a furrow, nor of rain and air and a sickle, nor of a threshing floor and sheaves, nor of winds separating the chaff from the grain, nor of a mill grinding it, but in a single moment of time she found the completion of all these things at the water jar. Such are the gifts of the saints; such things do the feet of the saints bestow, and indeed far more than these. And if I were not making my discourse long, I would have enumerated many such gifts. But just as, when honored, they bring such gifts, so when dishonored they bring great punishment and an inexorable fire. But that was Peter, he says, and that was Elijah. What do you say? Tell me: even if it was Peter and Elijah, did they not share the same nature? Were they not brought into this life through the same road? Were they not nourished with the same food? Did they not make use of the same things? Did not some of them even have wives and children, while others had trades for a living, and others were brought down even into the very pit of wickedness? But they enjoyed much grace, he says. But if indeed the dead","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":325,"ref":"p325","source":"ἀναστῆσαι ἐκελευόμεθα, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνοῖξαι τυφλῶν, καὶ καθᾶραι λεπροὺς καὶ χωλοὺς ὀρθῶσαι, καὶ δαίμονας ἐκβαλεῖν, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τὰς τοιαύτας ἰᾶσθαι νόσους, καιρὸν ἂν εἶχε τὰ τῆς ἀπολογίας τῆς τοιαύτης ἡμῖν· εἰ δὲ πολιτείας ἐξέτασις πρόκειται νῦν, καὶ ὑπακοῆς ἐπίδειξις, καὶ τῶν κακῶν ἀλλοτρίωσις, ποῖον ταῦτα πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἂν ἔχοι λόγον; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐ τοῖς τὰ σημεῖα ἐργασαμένοις ἁπλῶς τὰ ἔπαθλα δίδωσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τὰ προστάγματα πεποιηκόσι τὰ αὐτοῦ· Δεῦτε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου· οὐχ ὅτι ἐθαυματουργήσατε, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ἐπείνασα, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· ξένος ἤμην, καὶ συνηγάγετέ με. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνα συνέστειλε νῦν ἡ χάρις, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς τοῦτο παραβλάψαι δυνήσεται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀπολογήσασθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ὅταν τὰς εὐθύνας τῶν πεπραγμένων ὑπέχωμεν. Πολιτεία μὲν γὰρ ὀρθὴ καὶ χωρὶς σημείων ἀπολήψεται τοὺς στεφάνους· βίος δὲ παράνομος οὐδὲ μετὰ σημείων δυνήσεται τὴν κόλασιν ἐκφυγεῖν. Τοιαύτας τοίνυν μετίωμεν ἀρετὰς, αἳ μετὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας καὶ τοὺς πλησίον ὠφελῆσαι δύναιντ' ἄν. Τοιοῦτον ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη· ἐντεῦθεν καὶ εὐχὴ καὶ νηστεία καὶ πᾶσα ἄλλη ἀρετὴ τὰ νεῦρα ἔχει. Κἂν γὰρ νηστεύῃς, χωρὶς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐδὲ νηστεία τὸ πρᾶγμα λογίζεται, ἀλλὰ γαστριζομένου καὶ μεθύοντος χεῖρον, ὅσῳ τρυφῆς ὠμότης χαλεπωτέρα. Καὶ τί λέγω νηστείαν; κἂν γὰρ σωφρονῇς, κἂν παρθενεύῃς, ἐκτὸς ἕστηκας τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐλεημοσύνην οὐκ ἔχων. Καίτοι τί παρθενίας ἴσον;","english":"If we were commanded to raise the dead, and to open the eyes of the blind, and to cleanse lepers and make the lame stand upright, and to cast out demons, and to heal the other diseases of this kind, there would be a time for such a defense on our part; but if what lies before us now is an examination of conduct, and a display of obedience, and an estrangement from evils, what relation would these things have to that? For Christ does not simply give the prizes to those who worked signs, but to those who have done his commandments. For he says, Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world—not because you worked wonders, but because I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in. So that even if grace has now curtailed those things, this will be able to do us no harm, nor even to plead in our defense, when we render an account of what we have done. For a right conduct of life will receive the crowns even without signs; but a lawless life will not be able to escape punishment even with signs. Let us therefore pursue such virtues as are able, together with our own salvation, to benefit our neighbors as well. Such is almsgiving; from it both prayer and fasting and every other virtue have their sinews. For even if you fast, without almsgiving the thing is not reckoned as fasting, but is worse than one who gorges and gets drunk, inasmuch as the cruelty of luxury is harsher. And why do I speak of fasting? For even if you are chaste, even if you are a virgin, you stand outside the bridal chamber if you do not have almsgiving. And yet what is equal to virginity?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":326,"ref":"p326","source":"ὃ μηδὲ ἐν τῇ Καινῇ ὑπὸ νόμον ἦλθεν ἐξ ἀνάγκης διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον. Εἰ δὲ παρθένοι ἐκβάλλονται, ἐπειδὴ ταύτην μετὰ δαψιλείας τῆς προσηκούσης οὐκ ἔχουσι, τίς δυνήσεται, ταύτης ἄνευ, συγγνώμης τυχεῖν; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλ' ἀπολέσθαι πάντως ἀνάγκη τὸν ταύτην οὐκ ἔχοντα. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς οὐδεὶς ἑαυτῷ ζῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ χειροτέχνης καὶ στρατιώτης καὶ γεωργὸς καὶ ἔμπορος πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον καὶ τὸ τοῦ πλησίον ὠφέλιμον συντελοῦσιν ἅπαντες, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν τοῦτο δεῖ ποιεῖν· τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστι ζῇν· ὡς ὅ γε ἑαυτῷ ζῶν μόνῳ καὶ πάντων ὑπερορῶν περιττός ἐστι, καὶ οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲ τοῦ γένους τοῦ ἡμετέρου. Ὁ τοίνυν βουλόμενος γενέσθαι πλούσιος, γενέσθω πένης, ἵνα γένηται πλούσιος· ἀναλισκέτω, ἵνα συλλέξῃ· σκορπιζέτω, ἵνα συναγάγῃ. Εἰ δὲ καινὰ ταῦτα καὶ παράδοξα, τὸν σπείροντα σκόπει καὶ λογίζου, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος δυνήσεται ἑτέρως πλείω συναγαγεῖν, ἂν μὴ τὰ ὄντα σκορπίσῃ, καὶ τὰ ἕτοιμα πρόηται. Διὰ τί γὰρ μὴ τοῖς δεομένοις παρέχῃς; Παίδων μοι χορὸς περιέστηκε, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπιθυμῶ πλουτοῦντας αὐτοὺς καταλιπεῖν. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν πένητας αὐτοὺς ποιεῖς; Ἂν μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ πάντα ἀφῇς, πάλιν ἐπισφαλεῖ φυλακῇ τὰ σὰ πάντα ἐπέτρεψας· ἂν δὲ τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῖς καταλίπῃς συγκληρονόμον καὶ ἐπίτροπον, θησαυρὸν μυρίον κατέλιπες. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει τοῖς παιδίοις καταλιπεῖν πλοῦτον πολὺν, κατάλιπε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν.","english":"This was not even under the Law in the New Covenant, [coming] by necessity because of its surpassing excellence. But if virgins are cast out because they do not possess this with the abundance that is fitting, who will be able to obtain forgiveness without it? There is no one, there is no one; rather, the one who does not have it must utterly perish. For if in worldly affairs no one lives for himself, but the craftsman and the soldier and the farmer and the merchant all contribute to the common good and the benefit of their neighbor, much more must this be done in spiritual matters; for this is especially what it means to live. For the one who lives for himself alone and looks down on everyone is superfluous, and not even a human being, nor of our race. Therefore let the one who wishes to become rich become poor, so that he may become rich; let him spend, so that he may gather; let him scatter, so that he may collect. But if these things are strange and paradoxical, look at the sower and consider that he too will not be able otherwise to gather more, unless he scatters what he has and lets go of what is ready at hand. For why do you not give to those in need? \"A chorus of children stands around me,\" he says, \"and I desire to leave them wealthy.\" Why, then, do you make them poor? For if you leave them everything, you have again entrusted all your goods to unsafe keeping; but if you leave God to them as co-heir and guardian, you have left them a treasure of ten thousand. If, then, you wish to leave your children great wealth, leave them the providence of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":327,"ref":"p327","source":"Ὁ γὰρ, μηδὲν σοῦ ποιήσαντος, καὶ ψυχὴν δοὺς καὶ σῶμα διαπλάσας καὶ ζωὴν χαρισάμενος, ὅταν ἴδῃ τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμενον φιλοτιμίαν, πῶς οὐ πάντα αὐτοῖς ἀνοίξει πλοῦτον; Εἰ γὰρ Ἠλίας ὀλίγῳ τραφεὶς ἀλεύρῳ, ἐπειδὴ εἶδε τὴν γυναῖκα ἐκείνην τῶν παίδων αὐτὸν προτιμήσασαν, ἅλωνας καὶ ληνοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ δωματίου τῆς χήρας ἔδειξεν· ἐννόησον ὁ τοῦ Ἠλία Δεσπότης πόσην ἐπιδείξεται φιλοφροσύνην. Εἰ βούλει πλουσίους τοὺς παῖδας καταλιπεῖν, τὸν Θεὸν κατάλιπε ὀφειλέτην αὐτοῖς· αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ τὰ χρήματα ἂν λάβωσιν, οὐδὲ ὅπου δώσουσιν ἴσασιν· ἂν δὲ σὺ προλαβὼν αὐτὰ τῷ Θεῷ δανείσῃς, ἄσυλος μένει λοιπὸν ὁ θησαυρὸς, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἔσται εὐκολίας ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις. Καὶ γὰρ χάριν ἔχει καὶ ὀφείλων καὶ καταβάλλων ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς δανειστὰς αὐτοῦ τῶν οὐ δεδανεικότων ἥδιον ὁρᾷ· καὶ οἷς μάλιστα ὀφείλει, τούτους μάλιστα φιλεῖ. Ὥστε εἰ βούλει φίλον αὐτὸν ἔχειν, κατάστησον χρεώστην. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω χαίρει δανειστὴς ὀφειλέτας ἔχων, ὡς ὁ Θεὸς εὐφραίνεται δανειστὰς ἔχων· καὶ οἷς μὲν οὐδὲν ὀφείλει, τούτους καὶ","english":"For he who, when you had done nothing, both gave you a soul and formed your body and granted you life—when he sees you displaying such generosity, how will he not open to them all his wealth? For if Elijah, fed on a little flour, because he saw that woman preferring him to her children, showed threshing floors and winepresses upon the widow's roof—consider how great a kindness the Master of Elijah will display. If you wish to leave your children rich, leave God as their debtor; for if they themselves receive the money, they do not even know where they will give it; but if you take it beforehand and lend it to God, the treasure remains thenceforth secure, and the repayment will be with great ease. For God both gives thanks and owes and repays us, and he looks more kindly on his lenders than on those who have not lent; and those to whom he owes most, these he loves most. So if you wish to have him as a friend, make him a debtor. For a lender does not so rejoice in having debtors as God rejoices in having lenders; and those to whom he owes nothing, these also","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":328,"ref":"p328","source":"ἀποφεύγει· οἷς δὲ ὀφείλει, τούτοις καὶ ἐπιτρέχει. Τί τοίνυν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰς παρακαταθήκας παρέχεις; ἕστηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἕτοιμος ὑποδέξασθαι καὶ τηρῆσαι, οὐχὶ τηρῆσαι δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλεονάσαι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀποδοῦναί σοι τῆς προσθήκης. Ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνου χειρὸς οὐδεὶς ἁρπάζει. Οὐ τηρεῖ δὲ ταύτας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τούτου λύει σου τοὺς κινδύνους. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ δεξάμενοι τὰς παρακαταθήκας, χάριν ἡμῖν δεδωκέναι νομίζουσι, φυλάττοντες ἅπερ ἔλαβον· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοὐναντίον· οὐ γὰρ δεδωκέναι χάριν, ἀλλ' εἰληφέναι ὁμολογεῖ, ὅταν παρὰ σοῦ ταύτας δέξηται. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τὰς παρακαταθήκας λαβὼν, καὶ μισθοὺς ἀπαιτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς μᾶλλον καὶ μισθὸν ὑπὲρ τούτου σοι δίδωσι. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτό σοι τὰ χρήματα ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεὸς δοῦναι ἑτέρῳ, ἵνα σὺ αὐτὰ ἔχῃς· ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν μόνος κατέχῃς, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἔχεις· ὅταν δὲ ἑτέρῳ δῷς, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλαβες. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ παιδίῳ τις ἀργύριον μικρῷ δῴη καὶ κελεύει κατέχειν σφοδρῶς, ἢ καὶ τῷ οἰκέτῃ δῴη φυλάττειν σφοδρῶς, ὥστε μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἁρπάσαι τῷ βουλομένῳ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ποιεῖ· Δὸς τῷ δεομένῳ, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ ἁρπάσῃ τις αὐτὰ ἀπὸ σοῦ, οἷον ἢ συκοφάντης, ἢ διάβολος, ἢ κλέπτης, ἢ μετὰ πάντας ὁ θάνατος. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ταῦτα κατέχεις, οὐκ ἀσφαλῶς κατέχεις· ἐὰν δὲ ἐμοὶ ταῦτα δῷς διὰ τῶν πενήτων, ἐγώ σοι φυλάττω μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἅπαντα. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἀφέλωμαι, λαμβάνω, ἀλλ' ἵνα πλείονα ποιήσω, ἵνα ἀκριβέστερον φυλάξω· ἵνα κατ' ἐκεῖνόν σοι αὐτὰ τηρήσω τὸν χρόνον, καθ' ὃν οὐδεὶς ὁ δανείζων, οὐδὲ ὁ ἐλεῶν ἐστι.","english":"He escapes them; but those to whom he owes, he runs after them. Why then do you entrust your deposits to men? Christ stands ready to receive them and to keep them—not only to keep them, but also to increase them, and to give them back to you with a great addition. No one snatches from his hand. And he does not only keep them, but also on his own account he frees you from your dangers. For in the case of men, those who receive deposits think they have done us a favor by guarding what they received; but in the case of Christ it is the opposite: for he does not acknowledge that he has done a favor, but that he has received one, when he receives them from you. And the one who receives deposits also demands wages from you; but Christ rather even gives you a wage for this. For it is for this reason that God commanded you to give your money to another, so that you might have it. For as long as you keep it alone, you do not even have it yourself; but when you give it to another, then you too have received it. For just as if someone were to give a small child silver and command him to hold it tightly, or even give it to a servant to guard tightly, so that it might not be possible for anyone who wished to snatch it, so also God does: Give to the one in need, he says, so that no one may snatch it from you—such as a sycophant, or the devil, or a thief, or, after all these, death. For as long as you keep these things yourself, you do not keep them safely; but if you give them to me through the poor, I guard them all for you with exactness. For I do not take them in order to take them away, but in order to make them more, in order to guard them more exactly, in order to preserve them for you until that time when there is no one who lends, nor one who shows mercy.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":329,"ref":"p329","source":"Τί ματαιοπονεῖς, ὦ πλούσιε, τὰ τῶν πενήτων ἐν τοῖς σοῖς θησαυροῖς ἀποκρύπτων; τί αἰτούμενος παρ' αὐτῶν ἀγανακτεῖς, ὡς οἴκοθεν ἀναλίσκων; τὰ πατρῷα θέλουσιν, οὐ τὰ σά· τὰ ἐγχειρισθέντα σοι δι' αὐτοὺς, οὐ μετὰ σοῦ γεννηθέντα. Ἃ ἔλαβες δὸς, καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν κέρδανον· ἀρκεῖ σοι ὅτι διδόναι, οὐ λαμβάνειν ἐτάχθης. Τί τῇ γῇ παραδίδως τὸν θησαυρόν; δὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ, φησί. Οὐ δοκεῖ σοι τῆς γῆς ἀξιοπιστότερος εἶναι ὁ τῆς γῆς Δεσπότης; Ἔδωκα, φησίν. Ἀλλ' οὐ χρὴ διαλιμπάνειν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα· τότε γὰρ μόνον ἀπολογήσῃ, ὅταν μὴ ἔχῃς, ὅταν μηδὲν κεκτημένος ᾖς· ἕως δ' ἂν ἔχῃς, κἂν μυρίοις ᾖς δεδωκὼς, ὦσι δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι πεινῶντες, οὐδεμία σοι ἀπολογία ἐστί. Μήτε γοῦν ὁ πλούσιος μέγα φρονείτω πολλὰ διδοὺς, μήτε ὁ πένης καταπιπτέτω, ὡς ὀλίγα παρέχων· πολλάκις γὰρ οὗτος ἐκείνου πλείονα δέδωκε. Τὸ γὰρ πολὺ καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν διδομένων κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τῆς οὐσίας τῶν παρεχόντων. Σὺ δὲ παρασίτους μὲν τρέφων καὶ κόλακας ὡς ἀπὸ πηγῶν δαπανῶν, οὕτω χαίρεις· εἰ δὲ πτωχὸν ἴδοις, τότε σοι ὁ τῆς πενίας ἐπιτίθεται φόβος. Δὸς τῷ δεομένῳ καὶ μὴ δὸς τῷ ὀρχουμένῳ, ἵνα μὴ μετὰ τῶν σῶν χρημάτων καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολέσῃς τὴν ἐκείνου· σὺ γὰρ αἴτιος εἶ τῆς ἐκείνου ἀπωλείας διὰ τῆς ἀκαίρου φιλοτιμίας. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς ὀρχήστρας ᾔδεσαν, ὅτι τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα αὐτοῖς ἀκερδὲς ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι, πάλαι ἂν ἐπαύσαντο ταῦτα ἐπιτηδεύοντες. Τυφλὸς οἶδεν ἐλεούμενος εἰς οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν χειραγωγεῖν, καὶ τοίχοις προσκρούων καὶ βόθροις ἐνολισθαίνων, οὗτος ὁδοποιὸς γίνεται τῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναβάσεως.","english":"Why do you labor in vain, O rich man, hiding the possessions of the poor in your own treasuries? Why are you indignant when asked for them by them, as though you were spending from your own house? They want what belongs to the Father, not what is yours; what was entrusted to you on their account, not what was born with you. Give what you received, and gain the use of it; it is enough for you that you were appointed to give, not to receive. Why do you hand the treasure over to the earth? Give it to my hand, he says. Does it not seem to you that the Master of the earth is more trustworthy than the earth? I have given, he says. But one must not cease doing these things; for only then will you be excused, when you no longer have, when you possess nothing; but as long as you have, even if you have given ten thousand times, and others are still hungry, you have no excuse. Therefore let neither the rich man be proud because he gives much, nor the poor man be cast down because he provides little; for often the latter has given more than the former. For the much and the less are not judged by the measure of what is given, but by the capacity of the substance of those who provide. But you, feeding parasites and flatterers, spending as from fountains, thus you rejoice; but if you see a poor man, then the fear of poverty attacks you. Give to the one in need and do not give to the one who dances, lest along with your money you also destroy that man's soul; for you are the cause of that man's destruction through your untimely generosity. For if those on the stage had known that their occupation was going to be unprofitable for them, they would long ago have ceased practicing these things. A blind man knows how to be led by the hand into the kingdom of heaven, though he stumbles against walls and slips into pits; this man becomes a road-maker of the ascent into heaven.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":330,"ref":"p330","source":"Ὅταν γὰρ μὴ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἀνθρώπων ποιῇς, κἂν ἡ οἰκουμένη οἶδεν, οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, ἐπειδὴ οὐχ οὕτως ἐποίησας. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Μὴ ποιεῖτε, ἁπλῶς, ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε, Πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς. Ὢ πηλίκον ἀξίωμα τῆς πενίας! τοῦ Θεοῦ γίνεται προσωπεῖον· κρύπτεται ἐν πενίᾳ Θεὸς, καὶ πένης μὲν ὁ τὴν χεῖρα προτείνων, Θεὸς δὲ ὁ δεχόμενος. Ὅταν σοι λυπηρόν τι συμβῇ, δὸς ἐλεημοσύνην εὐθέως· εὐχαρίστησον ὅτι συνέβη, καὶ ὄψει πόση χαρὰ ἐπεισέρχεται. Τὸ γὰρ κέρδος τὸ πνευματικὸν κἂν ὀλίγον ᾖ, τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὡς πᾶσαν ἀποκρύψαι ζημίαν σωματικήν. Καὶ εἰ ἀπιστεῖτε, πειράσατε, καὶ ὄψεσθε τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας! ὢ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης! ὅτι διαπαντὸς μὲν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις καὶ πονηρίαις ζῶμεν· ἂν δέ ποτέ τι καὶ ποιήσωμεν μικρὸν ἀγαθὸν, κατὰ τοὺς ἀγνώμονας τῶν οἰκετῶν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς καπηλείας ἐξετάζομεν καὶ ἀκριβολογούμεθα περὶ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως, εἴ γε ἔχει μισθόν τινα τὸ\n\nγινόμενον. Καίτοι μείζων ὁ μισθὸς, ἐὰν μὴ ἐπ' ἐλπίδι μισθῶν ποιῇς· δεῖ γὰρ πάντα διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ μὴ διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα ποιεῖν τοῦ μισθοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐξ ἀρχῆς, οὐδενὸς παρ' ἡμῶν προϋπηργμένου καλοῦ, τοσαῦτα ἡμῖν εὐθέως ἐχαρίσατο, τοῖς τοσαῦτα πεπονηκόσι καὶ ἠθληκόσι καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ὑπομείνασι τί οὐ χαρίσεται; καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν μόλις ὀλίγου χρυσίου καταφρονοῦμεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ δέδωκε. Καὶ ὑπὲρ μὲν φιλίας ἀνθρώπων καὶ κινδυνεύειν πολλάκις αἱρούμεθα· ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας οὐδὲ χρήματα προϊέμεθα;","english":"For when you do it not for the display of men, even if the whole world knows, no one knows, since you did not do it in that way. For he did not say, Do not do it, simply, before men, but he added, To be seen by them. O how great is the dignity of poverty! It becomes the mask of God; God is hidden in poverty, and the poor man is the one who stretches out his hand, but God is the one who receives. When something painful happens to you, give alms at once; give thanks that it happened, and you will see how great a joy enters in. For the spiritual gain, even if it is small, is so great as to hide every bodily loss. And if you do not believe, test it, and you will see the glory of God. But O the laziness! O the ingratitude! that we live always in sins and wickedness; but if ever we do some small good, like ungrateful servants, we examine it with much haggling and reckon precisely about the recompense, whether what is done has any reward. And yet the reward is greater if you do it not in hope of rewards; for one must do all things for Christ, and not for the hope of reward. For if God, when he made us from the beginning, with no good previously done by us, straightway bestowed such great things on us, what will he not bestow on those who have labored so much and struggled and endured for his sake? And we scarcely despise a little gold for our own sakes, but he gave even his own Son for us. And for the friendship of men we often choose even to face dangers; but for the love of God for mankind do we not even part with money?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":331,"ref":"p331","source":"Καὶ πῶς οὐ δεινὸν, ὅτι ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἔθηκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα τὸ τίμιον ἐξέχεε δι' ἡμᾶς, τοὺς οὐκ εὔνους οὐδὲ ἀγαθοὺς γεγενημένους· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ χρήματα προχέομεν δι' αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ περιορῶμεν γυμνὸν καὶ ξένον τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντα; καὶ τίς ἡμᾶς τῆς μελλούσης ἐξαιρήσεται κολάσεως; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς ἐκολάζομεν, ἆρα οὐκ ἂν καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξηνέγκαμεν; ἆρα οὐκ ἂν τῷ τῆς γεέννης ἑαυτοὺς κατ εδικάσαμεν πυρὶ, τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν θέντα λιμῷ τηκόμενον περιορῶντες; Καὶ τί λέγω χρήματα; εἰ γὰρ μυρίας εἴχομεν ψυχὰς, οὐχὶ ἁπάσας ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ θεῖναι ἐχρῆν; Εἴ τις ἡμῶν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἤγετο, εἶτα προύκειτο πάντα τὰ ὄντα προέμενον ἀπαλλαγῆναι, καὶ χάριν ἂν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐνόμισε· νῦν δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ γεέννης ἀγομένους ὁδὸν, παρὸν τὰ ἡμίση διδόντας ἐλευθερωθῆναι, αἱρούμεθα καὶ κολάζεσθαι καὶ κατέχειν εἰκῆ τὰ ἡμέτερα, ὥστε τὰ ἡμέτερα προέσθαι; καὶ ποίαν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, τίνα συγγνώμην, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστεροῦντες, παρὸν ἀμφότερα μετὰ ἀδείας καρπώσασθαι; Εἰ ὑπὲρ ἀξιώματός τις βιωτικοῦ ὅλην πολλάκις τὴν οὐσίαν ἐπέδωκεν, ἀξιώματος τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐνταῦθα μένειν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα πολὺν παραμένοντος χρόνον· πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ πρὸ πολλοῦ τῆς τελευτῆς ταύτην ἀπεδύσαντο τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἕτεροι δὲ διὰ ταύτην καὶ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτὴν πολλάκις· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ταῦτα εἰδότες πάντα κινοῦσιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς·","english":"And how is it not terrible that Christ both laid down his soul for us and poured out his precious blood for us, who had become neither well-disposed nor good; but we do not even pour out money for him, but overlook him naked and a stranger, the one who died for us? And who will rescue us from the coming punishment? For if God does not punish us, but we punish ourselves, would we not have brought the verdict against ourselves? Would we not have condemned ourselves to the fire of Gehenna, overlooking the one who laid down his soul for us wasting away with hunger? And why do I speak of money? For if we had ten thousand souls, ought we not to lay down all of them for him? If any one of us were being led to death, and then all our possessions were set before us to be cast away and be released, he would consider the matter a favor; but now, when we are being led on the road to Gehenna, though it is possible to give half and be set free, we choose both to be punished and to keep our own possessions in vain—so as to cast away our own possessions? And what defense shall we have, what pardon, depriving ourselves of both the things here and the things there, when it is possible to reap both with security? If for the sake of a worldly dignity someone has often given up his entire substance, a dignity that is to remain here, and not even here remaining for a long time—for many have stripped off this office long before their death, and others have often lost even their very life because of it—but nevertheless, knowing all these things, they set everything in motion for its sake;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":332,"ref":"p332","source":"εἰ τοίνυν ὑπὲρ ταύτης τοσαῦτα ποιοῦσι, ὑπὲρ τῆς μενούσης ἐκείνης καὶ ἀναφαιρέτου τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἡμῶν ἀθλιώτερον, μηδὲ ὀλίγα προϊεμένων, μηδὲ ταῦτα παρεχόντων, ἃ καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἄκοντες ἐνταῦθα ἀφήσομεν; Ποίας οὖν ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν εἴη μανίας, ἅπερ ἄκοντες ἀφαιρούμεθα, ταῦτα παρὸν ἑκόντας δοῦναι, καὶ μεθ' ἑαυτῶν λαβεῖν, μὴ βουληθῆναι; Ἀλλὰ οἰκέταις μὲν καὶ ἡμιόνοις καὶ ἵπποις περιδέῤῥαια χρυσᾶ περιτίθεμεν· τὸν Δεσπότην δὲ γυμνὸν περιιόντα καὶ θυραυλοῦντα καὶ χεῖρα ἐκτείνοντα περιορῶμεν, καὶ πολλάκις ἀπηνεῖ βλέπομεν ὀφθαλμῷ. Τί ταύτης τῆς μανίας χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποστέλλῃ τοὺς πένητας, ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνου δοῦναι κελεύων αὐτοῖς, ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς τῷ μὴ δοῦναι καὶ ὑβρισθέντας ἐκπέμπωμεν, ἐννόησον πόσων σκηπτῶν, πόσων κεραυνῶν ἄξιον πρᾶγμα ποιοῦμεν. Εἰ γὰρ σὸς οἰκέτης, παρὰ σοῦ κελευσθεὶς εἰς ἕτερον ἀπελθεῖν οἰκέτην ἀργύριον ἔχοντα σὸν λαβεῖν, οὐ μόνον κεναῖς ἐπανῆλθε χερσὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑβρισθείς· τί οὐκ ἂν εἰργάσω τὸν ὑβρικότα; πόσην οὐκ ἂν δίκην ἀπῄτησας, ἅτε λοιπὸν αὐτὸς ὢν ὁ ὑβρισμένος; Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο, ἐπὶ τοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ἁπάντων Δεσπότου πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Εἰ μηδὲν βούλει δοῦναι αἰτοῦντι τῷ πένητι, τί καὶ ὀνειδίζων πλήττεις τὴν ἐκείνου ψυχήν; μὴ γὰρ, εἰ προσεδόκησε τοιαῦτα ἀκούσεσθαι, προσῆλθέ σοι ἄν; Ἀλλ' ἀναίσχυντός ἐστι, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπιτρέχων βοᾷ. Τί λέγεις; ποσάκις τραπέζης παρακειμένης τὸν ὑπηρετοῦντα οἰκέτην καλέσας, ἵνα σχολαιότερον βαδίσῃ, πάντα ἀνέτρεψας ὑπὲρ ἀναβολῆς μόνον μικρᾶς·","english":"If, then, they do such great things for this, what could be more wretched than we, for that which remains and cannot be taken away—we who do not even give a little, nor provide these things which a short time later we shall leave behind here unwillingly? Of what madness, then, would it not be, that what we lose unwillingly, we are unwilling to give willingly while we can, and to take with ourselves? But we put golden collars on servants and mules and horses; yet the Master goes about naked and sleeps at the door and stretches out his hand, and we overlook him, and often look at him with a harsh eye. What could be worse than this madness? For when God sends the poor to us, commanding them to be given from what is his, and we, besides not giving, send them away insulted, consider how many thunderbolts, how many lightning-bolts such a deed deserves. For if your servant, commanded by you to go to another servant and receive your money, returned not only with empty hands but even insulted—what would you not have done to the one who insulted him? What penalty would you not have exacted, since you yourself were the one insulted? And if this is so among men, how much more so with the Master of both men and all things? If you do not wish to give anything to the poor man who asks, why do you also strike his soul with reproaches? For if he had expected to hear such things, would he have come to you? But he is shameless, he says, and runs about and shouts. What are you saying? How often, when the table was set, having called the servant who attends you so that he might walk more leisurely, have you overturned everything for the sake of only a little delay—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":333,"ref":"p333","source":"καίτοι γε σφόδρα εἰδὼς, ὅτι κἂν μὴ εὐθέως, ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς ἡδονῆς· καὶ σαυτὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδενὸς ἐκθηριούμενον, οὐ καλεῖς ἀναίσχυντον· τὸν δὲ πένητα τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν μειζόνων δεδοικότα καὶ τρέμοντα (οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ μελλήσεως, ἀλλὰ περὶ λιμοῦ ἅπας ὁ φόβος αὐτῷ), τοῦτον ἰταμὸν καλεῖς καὶ ἀναίσχυντον; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης τοῦτο ἀναισχυντίας; Εἰ σὺ μικράν τινα σταγόνα κατενεχθεῖσαν ὁρῶν ἀπὸ τῆς στέγης, καὶ οἰκέτας καλεῖς καὶ τεχνίτας, καὶ πάντα\n\nἀνατρέπεις τὸν οἶκον· πῶς τὸν πένητα ἐν ῥακίοις καὶ χόρτοις καὶ πηλῷ κείμε νον, καὶ ἅπαντα κρυμὸν ὑπομένοντα περιορᾷς; ποῖον θηρίον τούτοις οὐ κατακλασθείη τοῖς πράγμασι; τίς οὕτως ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος, ὡς μὴ γενέσθαι τούτοις ἥμερος; Ἀλλὰ γάρ εἰσί τινες οἳ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἀπηνείας ἥκασιν, ὡς οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐλεεῖν καὶ δακρύειν καὶ συνδιαλύειν τὰς συμφορὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑβρίζειν πολλάκις καὶ λέγειν, ἄξια πάσχειν αὐτούς. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἄξια πάσχουσιν, εἰπέ μοι, ὅτι τρέφεσθαι βούλονται καὶ μὴ λιμώττειν; Οὐχὶ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀργοῦντες. Σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἀργῶν σπαταλᾷς; οὐχὶ καὶ ἐργασίαν πολλάκις πάσης ἀργίας χαλεπωτέραν ἐργάζῃ, ἁρπάζων καὶ βιαζόμενος καὶ πλεονεκτῶν; Κρεῖττον ἦν, εἰ καὶ σὺ τοιαύτην ἤργεις ἀργίαν· τοῦ γὰρ πλεονεκτεῖν καὶ ἁρπάζειν τὸ οὕτως ἀργεῖν κατὰ πολὺ βέλτιον. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς πένητα καὶ εἴπῃς, ὅτι Ἀποπνίγομαι ὅτι νέος ὢν, οὕτως ὑγιὴς, μηδὲν ἔχων βούλεται τρέφεσθαι ἀργὸς ὤν· ταῦτα ἅπερ εἶπας εἰπὲ πρὸς ἑαυτόν·","english":"And yet, though you know full well that, even if not immediately, yet a little later he will enjoy the pleasure—and you do not call yourself shameless, though you rage like a beast over nothing; but the poor man, who fears and trembles over greater things (for all his fear is not about delay, but about famine)—him you call forward and shameless? And how is this not the utmost shamelessness? If you, seeing a little drop of water come down from the roof, call in servants and craftsmen and overturn the whole house—how do you overlook the poor man lying in rags and straw and mud, enduring all the cold? What beast would not be broken down by these things? Who is so cruel and inhuman as not to become gentle at these things? But indeed there are some who have come to such a pitch of savagery that they not only do not pity and weep and help dissolve their misfortunes, but often even insult them and say that they suffer deservedly. Tell me, for what reason do they suffer deservedly—because they wish to be fed and not to starve? No, he says, but because they are idle. And do you not idle in luxury? Do you not often practice a trade more grievous than all idleness, snatching and using force and grasping for more? It would be better if you too were idle with such idleness; for to be idle in this way is far better than to grasp and snatch. When, then, you see a poor man and say, \"I am suffocated that a young man, so healthy, with nothing, wishes to be fed while idle\"—say these very things you have said to yourself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":334,"ref":"p334","source":"μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκείνῳ δὸς αὐτὰ μετὰ παῤῥησίας εἰπεῖν πρὸς σὲ, ὅτι Ἀποπνίγομαι ὅτι ὑγιὴς ὢν ἀργεῖς, καὶ οὐδὲν πράττεις ὧν προσέταξεν ὁ Θεός. Καὶ σὺ μὲν ὑπὲρ ἀργίας ἐγκαλεῖς, αὐτὸς δέ σοι καὶ ὑπὲρ ἔργων πονηρῶν, ὅτι ἁρπάζεις καὶ πλεονεκτεῖς καὶ τὰς ἑτέρων ἀνατρέπεις οἰκίας. Ἀλλὰ ψεύδεται πολλὰ καὶ πλάττεται; Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἄξιος ἐλεεῖσθαι, ὅτι εἰς τοιαύτην ἐνέπεσεν ἀνάγκην, ὡς καὶ τοιαῦτα ἀναισχυντεῖν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐλεοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὠμὰ ἐκεῖνα προστίθεμεν ῥήματα, Οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἅπαξ καὶ δίς; λέγοντες. Τί οὖν; οὐ δεῖ τραφῆναι πάλιν, ἐπειδὴ ἅπαξ ἐτράφη; διὰ τί μὴ καὶ τῇ σαυτοῦ γαστρὶ τούτους τίθης τοὺς νόμους, καὶ λέγεις πρὸς αὐτὴν, Ἐνεπλήσθης χθὲς, μὴ ζήτει νῦν· ἀλλ' ἐκείνην μὲν καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτρον διαῤῥηγνύεις, τοῦτον δὲ καὶ τὰ σύμμετρα αἰτοῦντα ἀποστρέφῃ; καὶ πῶς αὐτὸς εἰσακουσθῆναι βούλει παρακαλῶν; Ὁ γὰρ περιιδὼν τὸν θλιβόμενον, καὶ μὴ δοὺς ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ, πῶς ζητήσει λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν οὐκ αὐτοῦ; Ἆρα οὐχὶ κατηγορίας ἄξια ταῦτα, ὅτι παρασίτους μὲν τρέφων καὶ κόλακας, ζημίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐχ ἡγούμεθα εἶναι· εἰ δὲ πένητα προσιόντα λιμῷ καὶ κρυμῷ κατατεινόμενον ἴδωμεν, οὐ μόνον περιορῶμεν αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατεπεμβαίνομεν εὐθέως; Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἐργάζεται, φησί· τί δὲ ἀργῶν τρέφεται; Σὺ δὲ ἐργαζόμενος ἔχεις ἃ ἔχεις; οὐχὶ κλῆρον πατρῷον λαβών; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐργάζῃ, διὰ τοῦτο ὀνειδίζεις ἑτέρῳ; Ἀλλ' ἐπιθέτης ἐστί. Τί λέγεις; ἄρτου τινὸς ἕνεκεν καὶ ἱματίου ἐπιθέτην καλεῖς; Ἀλλ' εὐθέως πωλεῖ αὐτὸ, φησί. Σὺ δὲ πάντα τὰ σαυτοῦ καλῶς διοικεῖς; Τί δὲ, πάντες ἀπὸ ἀργίας πένονται; οὐδεὶς ἀπὸ ναυαγίου;","english":"Rather, give him the chance to speak to you boldly: \"I am suffocating because you are healthy and idle, and you do nothing of what God has commanded.\" And you accuse him of idleness, while he accuses you of wicked deeds—that you rob and defraud and overturn other people's households. But he lies and fabricates much? Yet even for this he deserves pity, because he has fallen into such necessity as to be shameless in such ways. But we not only do not pity him, we even add those cruel words, saying, \"Did he not receive once and twice?\" What then? Should he not be fed again, because he was fed once? Why do you not lay down these same laws for your own stomach, and say to it, \"You were filled yesterday, do not seek now\"? But that one you burst even beyond measure, while this one, asking even for moderate things, you turn away? And how do you yourself wish to be heard when you entreat? For the one who overlooks the oppressed and does not give from his own means—how will he seek to receive from what is not his own? Are these things not worthy of accusation, that when we feed parasites and flatterers, we do not consider the matter a loss; but if we see a poor man approaching, racked by hunger and cold, we not only overlook him but immediately trample on him as well? \"For what does he not work?\" he says. \"Why is he fed while idle?\" But do you, who work, have what you have? Did you not receive a paternal inheritance? And even if you do work, is that why you reproach another? \"But he is an impostor.\" What are you saying? For the sake of a piece of bread and a garment you call him an impostor? \"But he sells it immediately,\" he says. And do you manage all your own affairs well? What then—are all the poor so from idleness? Is no one so from shipwreck?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":335,"ref":"p335","source":"οὐδεὶς ἀπὸ δικαστηρίων; οὐδεὶς ἀπὸ κλοπῆς; οὐδεὶς ἀπὸ νόσου; οὐδεὶς ἀπὸ κινδύνων; οὐδεὶς ἀπὸ ἄλλης περιστάσεως; Ἀλλ' ἂν ἀκούσωμέν τινος τοιαῦτα ἀποδυρομένου, καὶ μεγάλα βοῶντος, καὶ γυμνοῦ ἀναβλέποντος εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, εὐθέως τὸν ἐπιθέτην, τὸν ἀπατεῶνα, τὸν εἴρωνα καλοῦμεν. Οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ τινὰ ἐπιθέτην καλεῖν; Μηδὲν δῷς, καὶ μὴ κατηγορήσῃς τοῦ πένητος. Ἀλλ' ἔχει, φησὶ, καὶ σχηματίζεται. Τοῦτο σοῦ κατηγορία, οὐκ ἐκείνου· οἶδε πρὸς ὠμοὺς ἔχων, πρὸς θηρία μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ὅτι κἂν ἐλεεινὸν φθέγξηται ῥῆμα, οὐδένα ἐφέλκεται· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγκάζεται καὶ σχῆμα περιθεῖναι ἑαυτῷ ἐλεεινότερον, ἵνα σου τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπικλάσῃ. Ὢ τῆς ὠμότητος! ὢ τῆς ἀπηνείας! ὢ τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας! ἐὰν ἴδωμεν πένητα ἐν ἐλευθερίῳ σχήματι προσιόντα, Οὗτος ἐπιθέτης ἐστὶ, φησὶ, καὶ ἵνα ἀπὸ εὐγενῶν εἶναι δόξῃ, οὕτω πρόσεισιν· ἐὰν ἴδωμεν γυμνὸν ἢ ῥακοδυτοῦντα, καὶ τοῦτον κακίζομεν. Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχύντου ταύτης θηριωδίας! Ἂν μὲν βούλῃ, δός· ἂν δὲ μὴ βούλῃ, ἀπόπεμψον. Διὰ τί ἄθλιος εἶ καὶ ταλαίπωρος; διὰ τί οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἐλεεῖς, καὶ τοὺς θέλοντας ἀποτρέπεις; ὅταν γὰρ ὁ δεῖνα ἀκούσῃ παρὰ σοῦ, ὅτι οὗτος ἀπατεὼν, ἐκεῖνος ὑποκριτὴς, οὐδὲ τούτοις δίδωσιν, οὔτε ἐκείνοις· πάντας γὰρ ὑποπτεύσει τοιούτους εἶναι. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶ, τὰ ἠκρωτηριασμένα μέλη γυμνοῦσι; Διὰ σέ· εἰ ἐλεήμονες ἦμεν, οὐκ ἔδει τούτων αὐτοῖς τῶν τεχνῶν· εἰ ἐκ πρώτης προσόδου ἔπειθον, οὐκ ἂν τοσαῦτα ἐμηχανήσαντο. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν οὕτως ἄθλιος, ὡς θέλειν","english":"No one from the courts? No one from theft? No one from sickness? No one from dangers? No one from any other circumstance? But if we hear someone lamenting such things, and crying out loudly, and looking up to heaven naked, we immediately call him an impostor, a deceiver, a dissembler. Are you not ashamed to call someone an impostor? Give nothing, but do not accuse the poor man. But he has means, he says, and he is putting on an act. This is an accusation against you, not against him. He knows that he is dealing with harsh men, with beasts rather than with human beings, and that even if he utters a pitiable word, he attracts no one; and for this reason he is compelled to put on himself a more pitiable appearance, so that he might soften your soul. Oh, the cruelty! Oh, the harshness! Oh, the inhumanity! If we see a poor man approaching in the dress of a free man, This man is an impostor, he says, and he comes this way so that he may seem to be of noble birth; if we see a naked man or one clad in rags, we also abuse this one. Oh, this shameless bestiality! If you wish, give; but if you do not wish, send him away. Why are you wretched and miserable? Why do you not show mercy yourself, and why do you turn away those who wish to? For when a certain person hears from you that this one is a deceiver, that one a hypocrite, he gives neither to these nor to those; for he will suspect that all are such. And for what reason, he says, do they expose their mutilated limbs? Because of you. If we were merciful, they would not need these tricks; if they had persuaded us at the first approach, they would not have devised so many schemes. For who is so wretched as to wish","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":336,"ref":"p336","source":"ἀποδύρεσθαι δημοσίᾳ μετὰ τῆς γυναικὸς γεγυμνωμένης καὶ τῶν παίδων; πόσης ταῦτα πενίας οὐ χείρονα; Καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐλεοῦνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατηγοροῦνται παρ' ἡμῶν ὡς ἀναίσχυντοι. Καὶ σὺ μὲν ἁρπάζων οὐκ ἀναίσχυντος, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὑπὲρ ἄρτου δεόμενος ἀναίσχυντος; Παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου, καὶ τὸν θέλοντα ἀπὸ σοῦ δανείσασθαι μὴ ἀποστραφῇς. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ὅτι σὺ μὲν γαστριζόμενος καὶ πιαινόμενος, καὶ εἰς ἑσπέραν βαθεῖαν τὸν πότον παρασύρων, καὶ μαλακοῖς ἐνθαπτόμενος στρώμασι τὸν βίον διατελεῖς· τὸν δὲ πένητα γυμνὸν καὶ τρέμοντα καὶ λιμώττοντα περιορᾷς; Καὶ τί λέγω γύμνωσιν καὶ τρόμον, ὅπου γε καὶ παῖδας ἠναγκάσθησαν πηρῶσαί τινες ἄωρον ἄγοντας ἡλικίαν, ἵνα τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀναισθησίας καθίκωνται; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ βλέποντες καὶ γυμνοὶ περιιόντες, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς τοὺς ἀνηλεεῖς ἐπεσπάσαντο, προσέθηκαν τοῖς τοσούτοις κακοῖς ἑτέραν χαλεπωτέραν τραγῳδίαν, ἵνα λύσωσι τὸν λιμόν· κουφότερον εἶναι νομίζοντες ἀποστερεῖσθαι τοῦ κοινοῦ τούτου φωτὸς καὶ τῆς πᾶσι δεδομένης ἀκτῖνος, ἢ λιμῷ παλαίειν διηνεκεῖ, καὶ τὸν οἴκτιστον ὑπομένειν θάνατον. Ὄντως μέγα ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων. Ἐλεημοσύνη γάρ ἐστιν, ὅταν μετὰ προθυμίας γίνηται, ὅταν μετὰ δαψιλείας, ὅταν μὴ νομίσῃς διδόναι, ἀλλὰ λαμβάνειν, ὅταν ὡς εὐεργετούμενος, ὅταν ὡς κερδαίνων καὶ μὴ ἀπολλὺς, ἐπεὶ τοῦτο οὐδὲ χάρις· τὸν γὰρ ἕτερον ἐλεοῦντα χαίρειν, οὐ δυσχεραίνειν χρή. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ τὴν ἑτέρου λύων ἀθυμίαν αὐτὸς ἀθυμεῖς;","english":"To lament publicly with his wife stripped bare and his children? What poverty are these things not worse than? And not only are they not pitied, but they are even accused by us as shameless. And you, who plunder, are not shameless, but that man who begs for bread is shameless? Give to everyone who asks of you, and do not turn away the one who wants to borrow from you. For how is it not absurd that you, gorging and fattening yourself, dragging out your drinking into deep evening, and burying your life in soft couches, continue thus—while you overlook the poor man, naked and shivering and starving? And why do I speak of nakedness and shivering, when some have even been compelled to maim their own children, who were of tender age, so that they might touch our insensitivity? For since, though seen and going about naked, they drew no pity from the merciless, neither by reason of their age nor by reason of their misfortune, they added to such great evils another harsher tragedy, so that they might loosen hunger—thinking it lighter to be deprived of this common light and the beam given to all, than to wrestle with ceaseless hunger and endure the most pitiable death. Truly great is a man, and precious is a merciful man. For almsgiving is when it is done with eagerness, when with abundance, when you do not think you are giving but receiving, when as one being benefited, when as one gaining and not losing—since otherwise it is not even a favor; for the one who shows mercy to another ought to rejoice, not to be vexed. For how is it not absurd, if when you are loosening another's despondency, you yourself are despondent?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":337,"ref":"p337","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἀθυμεῖς, ὅτι ἕτερον ἀπήλλαξας ἀθυμίας, ἐσχάτης ὠμότητος καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας δεῖγμα ἐκφέρεις· βέλτιον γὰρ μὴ ἀπαλλάττειν, ἢ οὕτως ἀπαλλάττειν. Τί δὲ καὶ ὅλως ἀθυμεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; μὴ ἔλαττόν σοι γίνηται τὸ χρυσίον; Ὅλως, εἰ τοιαύτην ἔχεις προαίρεσιν, μηδὲ δῷς· εἰ μὴ θαῤῥεῖς, ὅτι πολυπλασιάζεταί σοι ἐν οὐρανοῖς, μὴ παράσχῃς. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα ζητεῖς τὴν ἀντίδοσιν; Διὰ τί; ἄφες τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐλεημοσύνην εἶναι, καὶ μὴ ἐμπορίαν. Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀπέλαβον, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἔλαβον, ὡς ταύτῃ πλέον ἕξοντες τῶν οὐ λαβόντων· οἱ δὲ ἐνταῦθα ἐπιζητοῦντες καὶ λαμβάνοντες, τὸν μισθὸν ἐλαττοῦσι τὸν ἐκεῖ. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγωμεν ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα πονηρὸς καὶ οὐκ ἄξιος εὖ παθεῖν, ὁ δεῖνα εὐτελὴς, ὁ δεῖνα ἀπεῤῥιμμένος. Μὴ πρὸς τὴν ἀξίαν ἴδῃς τοῦ δεομένου τῆς θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν μόνον· κἂν γὰρ εὐτελὴς ᾖ καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος, κἂν εὐκαταφρόνητος, οὕτω σοι ὁ Χριστὸς λογίζεται τὸν μισθὸν, ὡς αὐτὸς εὖ παθὼν δι' ἐκείνου. Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀνέβαινόν ποτε εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι, καὶ ἰδοὺ χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ βασταζόμενος, ἔκειτο πρὸς τὴν θύραν τοῦ ἱεροῦ· καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτοὺς εἰσιόντας προσεῖχεν αὐτοῖς, ζητῶν ἐλεημοσύνην λαβεῖν παρ' αὐτῶν. Τί οὖν ὁ Πέτρος; Βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, ἱκανὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ἡ ἀπόδειξις τῆς ἀκτημοσύνης· οὐ χρεία λόγων οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως· ὁ στολισμὸς δείκνυσί σοι τὸν ἀκτήμονα. Τί οὖν; τοῦτο ὅλον τὸ κατόρθωμα τῆς ἀποστολῆς πρὸς τὸν πένητα ἵνα μὴ διορθώσῃ τὴν πενίαν, ἵνα εἴπῃς αὐτῷ, Οὐκ ἔχω χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον; Ἀνάμεινον μικρὸν, καὶ ὄψει μείζονα πλοῦτον·","english":"For if you are disheartened because you have relieved another of disheartenment, you are displaying a proof of the utmost cruelty and inhumanity; for it is better not to relieve than to relieve in this way. And why, then, are you disheartened at all, O man? Is it so that your gold may not become less for you? In short, if you have such a disposition, do not even give; if you do not trust that it will be multiplied for you in the heavens, do not provide it. But are you seeking the repayment here? Why? Let almsgiving be almsgiving, and not a trade. Many, indeed, have received back even here, but they did not receive in such a way as to have more by this than those who did not receive; but those who seek and receive here diminish their reward there. Let us not, then, say that such a one is wicked and not worthy to be well treated, that such a one is worthless, that such a one is cast out. Do not look to the worthiness of the one who needs the care, but only to the need; for even if he is worthless and cast out, even if he is contemptible, Christ reckons the reward to you as though he himself had been well treated through him. Peter and John once went up to the temple to pray, and behold, a man lame from his mother's womb, being carried, lay at the door of the temple; and seeing them entering, he gave heed to them, seeking to receive alms from them. What then does Peter say? Look at us—the proof of poverty is sufficient from the appearance; there is no need of words or of an answer; the clothing shows you the man without possessions. What then? Was this whole success of the apostleship directed toward the poor man so that you might not correct his poverty, so that you might say to him, I have no gold and silver? Wait a little, and you will see greater wealth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":338,"ref":"p338","source":"Ἀργύριον, φησὶ, καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι· ὃ δὲ ἔχω, τοῦτό σοι δίδωμι· ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔγειραι καὶ περιπάτει. Εἶδες πενίαν χρημάτων, καὶ πλοῦτον χαρισμάτων; Ὅρα λοιπὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν· Βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς, φησίν. Οὐχ ὕβρισεν, οὐκ ἐλοιδόρησεν, οὐκ ἀπεκρούσατο, ὃ πολλάκις ποιοῦμεν ἡμεῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἡμῖν, εὐθύνας αὐτοὺς ἀπαιτοῦντες, πρὸς ἐργασίαν αὐτοὺς παραπέμποντες, ἐγκαλοῦντες αὐτοῖς ὅτι καθεύδουσι. Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπαιδεύθης, ἄνθρωπε; οὐκ ἐκελεύσθης ἀργίαν ἐγκαλεῖν, οὐδὲ κακίαν κατηγορεῖν, οὐδὲ νωθρείαν ὀνειδίζειν, ἀλλὰ πενίαν διορθοῦσθαι, καὶ συμφορὰν ἰᾶσθαι, καὶ χεῖρα τοῖς κειμένοις ὀρέγειν. Μὴ τοίνυν βίους καὶ πράξεις πολυπραγμόνει, μέλλων ἐλεημοσύνην ποιεῖν· καὶ γὰρ ἐσχάτης τοῦτο ἀπειροκαλίας ἐστὶν, ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἄρτου ζωὴν ὁλόκληρον περιεργάζεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνδροφόνος, εἰ γὰρ λῃστὴς, εἰ γὰρ ὁτιοῦν ὁ προσαιτῶν ἐστιν, ἄρτου καὶ ἀργυρίων ὀλίγων οὐ δοκεῖ σοι\n\nἄξιος εἶναι; ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Δεσπότης σου καὶ ἥλιον αὐτῷ ἀνατέλλει· σὺ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς ἀνάξιον κρίνεις; Οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι καὶ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐντεῦθεν μάλιστα μειζόνως θαυμάζεται, ὅτι μηδὲ εἰδὼς τίνες ἦσαν οἱ παραγεγονότες, ἰδὼν ἀνεπήδησε, καὶ εἰς ἀπάντησιν ἔδραμε, καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε, εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιόν σου, μὴ παρέλθῃς τὸν παῖδά σου. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ σὺ πολυπραγμόνει· διὰ γὰρ τὸν Χριστὸν δέχῃ· ἂν γὰρ ἀεὶ περιεργάζεσθαι μέλλῃς, πολλάκις καὶ δόκιμον ἄνδρα παραδραμῇ, καὶ τὸν ἐκ τούτου μισθὸν ἀπολεῖς.","english":"Silver and gold,\" he says, \"I do not have; but what I have, this I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ, rise and walk.\" Did you see poverty of money and wealth of gifts? Now observe his gentleness as well: \"Look at us,\" he says. He did not insult, he did not revile, he did not drive them away—which we often do to those who approach us, demanding an account of them, sending them off to work, accusing them of sleeping. Were you not taught this, man? Were you not commanded to reproach idleness, nor to accuse wickedness, nor to upbraid sluggishness, but to correct poverty, and to heal misfortune, and to extend a hand to those who lie fallen? Do not, then, busy yourself with lives and deeds when you are about to give alms; for this is the height of vulgarity, to scrutinize an entire life for the sake of a single loaf of bread. For if he is a murderer, if he is a robber, if the beggar is anything at all, does he not seem to you worthy of bread and a little silver? But your Master makes even the sun rise for him; and do you judge him unworthy even of daily food? Do you not know that Abraham is especially admired for this very reason—that, not even knowing who those who had come were, when he saw them he sprang up, and ran to meet them, and bowed to the ground, and said: \"Lord, if I have found favor before you, do not pass by your servant.\" Do not, then, busy yourself either; for you receive them for the sake of Christ. For if you are always going to scrutinize, you will often pass by even a worthy man, and you will lose the reward that comes from it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":339,"ref":"p339","source":"Μηδὲ τῶν οἰκείων μόνων τῆς πίστεως φροντίζωμεν, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἀμελῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐάν τινα ἴδωμεν πάσχοντα κακῶς, μηδὲν ἕτερον περιεργαζώμεθα· ἔχει γὰρ τὸ δικαίωμα τῆς βοηθείας τὸ κακῶς πάσχειν αὐτόν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν αὕτη κεκράτηκεν ἡ συνήθεια· κἂν μὲν κοσμικὸν ἴδωμεν ἐν περιστάσει, οὐκ ὀρέγομεν χεῖρα· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐν ὄρεσι μόνον καθημένους ἐσμὲν σπουδαῖοι. Κἂν Ἕλληνα, κἂν Ἰουδαῖον, κἂν ἕτερόν τινα ἴδῃς ἐν περιστάσει, εὖ ποιεῖν δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς μονάζοντας μόνους ἐπιζητῶν, κἀκείνους μόνους εὖ ποιεῖν ἐθέλων, κἀκείνους δὲ πάλιν περιεργαζόμενος, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ἄξιος, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δίκαιος, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ σημεῖα ποιῶν, καὶ οὐκ ὀρέγων χεῖρα, τὸ πλέον τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἐξεῖλες· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ τῷ χρόνῳ πάλιν ἀναιρήσεις. Εἰ γὰρ ὄνον ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἀγχόμενον ἐγείρεις, καὶ οὐ περιεργάζῃ τίνος ἐστὶ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἄνθρωπον οὐ δεῖ περιεργάζεσθαι τίνος ἐστί; Τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, κἂν Ἕλλην ᾖ, κἂν Ἰουδαῖος, ἀλλὰ βοηθείας δεῖται. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εὐθηνοῦντα αὐτὸν ἢ εὐδοκιμοῦντα εἶδες, καλῶς ταῦτα ἔλεγες· εἰ δὲ κακῶς πάσχοντα ὁρᾷς, μὴ λέγε ὅτι πονηρός ἐστι καὶ φαῦλος· ὠμότητος γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας καὶ μεγίστης ἀλαζονείας τεκμήριον. Ἐλεημοσύνη διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται, ἵνα καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις καὶ τοῖς ἀναξίοις παρέχωμεν. Ἂν γὰρ τοὺς ἀναξίους περιεργαζώμεθα καὶ πολυπραγμονῶμεν, οὐδὲ ἄξιοί ποτε ῥᾳδίως ἐμπεσοῦνται ἡμῖν· ἂν δὲ καὶ ἀναξίοις παρέχωμεν, πάντως καὶ οἱ ἄξιοι καὶ πάντων ἐκείνων ἀντάξιοι εἰς τὰς ἡμετέρας ἥξουσι χεῖρας.","english":"Let us not take thought for our own people only in matters of faith and neglect others, but if we see someone suffering badly, let us not busy ourselves with anything else; for the very fact of his suffering badly gives him the right to our help. But I do not know from where this custom has prevailed: if we see a worldly man in distress, we do not reach out a hand; but toward those who sit only in the mountains we are zealous. Whether you see a Greek, a Jew, or anyone else in distress, you must do good. For by seeking out only the monks, and wishing to do good to them alone, and again busying yourself over them—if he is not worthy, if he is not righteous, if he is not performing signs—and not reaching out a hand, you have taken away the greater part of almsgiving; and this very thing in time you will destroy again. For if you see a donkey being strangled and you raise it up, and do not busy yourself over whose it is, how much more ought one not to busy himself over whose a man is? He is God's, whether he be a Greek or a Jew, but he needs help. For if you saw him prospering or held in good repute, you would say these things rightly; but if you see him suffering badly, do not say that he is wicked and worthless; for this is a proof of cruelty and inhumanity and the greatest arrogance. It is called almsgiving for this reason, that we may give both to the worthy and to the unworthy. For if we busy ourselves over the unworthy and meddle, not even the worthy will ever easily fall into our hands; but if we give even to the unworthy, certainly the worthy and those worthy of all those will come into our hands.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":340,"ref":"p340","source":"Εἰ γὰρ μέλλοιμεν τὴν ἀξίαν ἐπιζητεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν συνδούλων τῶν ἡμετέρων καὶ ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι, τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἐργάσεται· καὶ ζητοῦντες τοῖς ὁμοδούλοις ἀπαιτῆσαι εὐθύνας, αὐτοὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐκπεσούμεθα φιλανθρωπίας. Τὸν γὰρ φιλοφροσύνην ἐπιδεικνύμενον οὐκ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτῆσαι δεῖ βίου, ἀλλὰ πενίαν διορθοῦν καὶ τὴν χρείαν πληροῦν. Τοιγαροῦν, ὅταν ἴδῃς πένητα, μὴ παραδράμῃς, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἐννόησον τίς ἂν ᾖς, εἰ σὺ ἦς ἐκεῖνος· ἐννόησον ὅτι ὅμοιός σοι ἐλεύθερός ἐστι, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς σοι κοινωνίας, καὶ πάντα σοι κοινὰ κέκτηται, καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν κυνῶν τῶν σῶν πολλάκις ἴσον ποιεῖς αὐτόν· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν κορέννυνται, οὗτος δὲ πολλάκις ἐκοιμήθη πεινῶν, καὶ τῶν δούλων τῶν σῶν ὁ ἐλεύθερος ἀτιμότερος γέγονεν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοί σοι χρείαν πληροῦσι καὶ δουλεύουσί σοι καλῶς; Ἐγὼ οὖν δείξω καὶ τοῦτον χρείαν σοι πληροῦντα πολλῷ μείζονα ἐκείνων· παραστήσεται γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, καὶ ἐξαιρήσεταί σε τοῦ πυρός. Τί τοιοῦτον οἱ δοῦλοί σου ποιῆσαι δύνανται; Ὅτε ἡ Ταβιθὰ ἐτελεύτησε, τίς ἀνέστησεν αὐτήν; δοῦλοι περιστάντες, ἢ πτωχοί; Σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν δούλων τὸν ἐλεύθερον ἐν ἴσῳ ποιεῖν ἐθέλεις, τὸν καὶ ἀπὸ μόνου τοῦ σχήματος καὶ τῆς ὄψεως ἱκανὸν ὄντα σε πρὸς ἔλεον ἐπικάμψαι; καὶ πῶς ἀξιοῖς τὸν Θεὸν ἐν συμφορᾷ σε ὄντα ἐξελέσθαι, εἰ σὺ τὸν οὐδὲν ἁμαρτόντα εἰς σὲ, ἀλγοῦντα καὶ κοπτόμενον καὶ βασανιζόμενον ὑπὸ λιμοῦ καὶ κρυμοῦ περιορᾷς; πῶς σὲ τὸν ἁμαρτόντα εἰς αὐτὸν ἀτιμώρητον ἀφήσει; Ὃς γὰρ ἀποφράσσει, φησὶ, τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι πτωχοῦ, τῆς δεήσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰσακούσεται ὁ Θεός.","english":"For if we should see fit to demand what is due from our fellow servants and to scrutinize them closely, God will do the same to us; and while we exact accounts from our fellow servants, we ourselves will fall from the loving-kindness that comes from above. For the one who shows kindness ought not to demand an account of his life, but to remedy his poverty and supply his need. Therefore, when you see a poor man, do not pass him by, but immediately consider who you would be if you were that man; consider that he is free, equal to you, and shares the same fellowship with you, and possesses all things in common with you—and yet often you do not treat him as equal even to your dogs. For they are fed to the full, while he has often gone to bed hungry, and the free man has become more dishonored than your slaves. But, you say, those slaves supply your needs and serve you well? I will show that this man too supplies you a need far greater than they do; for he will stand by you on the day of judgment and will rescue you from the fire. What can your slaves do like that? When Tabitha died, who raised her up? Slaves standing around her, or the poor? Yet you are not even willing to treat the free man as equal to your slaves—the man who by his very dress and appearance alone is enough to bend you toward mercy. And how do you expect God to deliver you when you are in calamity, if you overlook the man who has done nothing wrong against you, who is suffering and beaten down and tormented by hunger and cold? How will he leave you, who have sinned against him, unpunished? For he who stops his ears, it says, so as not to hear the poor, his petition God will not hear.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":341,"ref":"p341","source":"Τοιοῦτοι τοίνυν περὶ τοὺς συνδούλους γινώμεθα, οἷον βουλόμεθα περὶ ἡμᾶς τὸν Δεσπότην γενέσθαι. Ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ εὐχῆς καὶ νηστείας καὶ πολλῶν ἑτέρων μείζων ἐστὶ θυσία, μόνον ἂν ἐκ δικαίου γίνηται κέρδους καὶ πόνων τοιούτων, καὶ πάσης ᾖ καθαρὰ πλεονεξίας καὶ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ βίας. Τοιαύτας γὰρ προσίεται προσφορὰς ὁ Θεός· τὰς δὲ ἑτέρας ἀποστρέφεται καὶ μισεῖ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ βούλεται ἐξ ἀλλοτρίων τιμᾶσθαι συμφορῶν· ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ καὶ βέβηλος ἡ τοιαύτη\n\nθυσία, καὶ παροξύνειεν ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ ἐξιλεώσαιτο τὸν Θεόν. Ἐλεημοσύνη γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηται ἵνα ἐλεῶμεν, οὐχ ἵνα κολάζωμεν τοὺς ὁμοδούλους. Ὁ δὲ τὰ ἑτέρων λαμβάνων καὶ ἑτέρῳ διδοὺς, οὐκ ἠλέησεν, ἀλλ' ἐτιμωρήσατο μᾶλλον, καὶ ἀδικίαν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἠδίκησεν. Ὁ βουλόμενος πλουτεῖν, χρείαν ἔχει χρημάτων· ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος πλουτεῖν, ἀεί ἐστιν ἐν εὐπορίᾳ. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ πλουτεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι πλουτεῖν, τοῦτό ἐστι πλοῦτος. Οἷόν τι λέγω· ἔστι πλούσιος τὰ πάντων ἁρπάζων· καὶ ἔστι πλούσιος τὰ ἑαυτοῦ τοῖς πένησι παρέχων· ὁ μὲν ἐν τῷ συνάγειν, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀναλίσκειν πλουτῶν· καὶ ὁ μὲν σπείρει τὴν γῆν, ὁ δὲ γεωργεῖ τὸν οὐρανόν. Ἀλλ' ὅσον ὁ οὐρανὸς τῆς γῆς βελτίων, τοσοῦτον τούτου ἡ εὐφορία ἐκείνης ἀσθενεστέρα. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ἅρπαγος οὐ μόνον οἱ ἠδικημένοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ μηδὲν παθόντες κακὸν, μισοῦσιν ἐκεῖνον, συναλγοῦντες τοῖς κακῶς πεπονθόσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πέσῃ, βοαὶ μυρίαι παρὰ πάντων, Ὁ μιαρὸς, ὁ πονηρὸς, ὁ παμπόνηρος· καὶ πάντες ἐπεμβαίνουσιν αὐτῷ.","english":"Let us, then, be such toward our fellow servants as we wish the Master to be toward us. Almsgiving is a greater sacrifice than prayer and fasting and many other things, provided only that it comes from just gain and from labors of that kind, and is pure from all greed and robbery and violence. For God accepts such offerings as these, but the others he turns away from and hates. For he does not wish to be honored out of others' misfortunes; for such a sacrifice is unclean and profane, and would provoke God rather than propitiate him. For almsgiving is called this so that we may show mercy, not so that we may punish our fellow servants. But he who takes what belongs to others and gives it to another has not shown mercy, but has rather punished, and has committed no ordinary injustice. He who wishes to be rich has need of money; he who does not wish to be rich is always in abundance. For it is not being rich, but not wishing to be rich—this is wealth. Let me put it somewhat like this: there is a rich man who seizes everything; and there is a rich man who gives his own possessions to the poor; the one is rich in gathering, the other in spending; and the one sows the earth, the other cultivates heaven. But by as much as heaven is better than earth, by so much is the fertility of the latter weaker than that of the former. And what is truly marvelous is that in the case of the robber, not only those who have been wronged, but even those who have suffered no evil at all, hate him, grieving together with those who have been badly treated. And if he also falls, there are countless cries from all: \"The vile man, the wicked man, the utterly wicked man!\" And all trample upon him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":342,"ref":"p342","source":"Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐλεήμονος οὐ μόνον οἱ ἐλεηθέντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ μὴ ἐλεηθέντες φιλοῦσιν αὐτὸν, τὴν εἰς ἐκείνους γενομένην εὐποιίαν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς λογιζόμενοι. Εἰ δέ τι καὶ ἀηδὲς πάθῃ, εὔχονται πάντες, Ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐλεήσει· ποιήσει αὐτῷ καλῶς, παραμείνειν αὐτῷ τὰ ἀγαθά. Εἶδες πῶς ἡ κακία καὶ τοὺς μὴ ἀδικηθέντας πολεμίους ἔχει, ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ τοὺς μὴ ἐλεηθέντας ἐραστὰς κέκτηται; Πρῶτον τοίνυν ἀπαλλάγηθι τοῦ ἁρπάζειν, καὶ τότε τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐπίδειξαι· στῆσον τὰς χεῖρας ἀπὸ πλεονεξίας, καὶ οὕτως αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἄγε. Ἂν δὲ ταῖς αὐταῖς καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ἀποδύωμεν, εἰ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἐκείνων διδομένοις ἐνδύωμεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτω τὴν κόλασιν διαφύγωμεν· ἡ γὰρ ὑπόθεσις τοῦ ἱλασμοῦ πάσης πλημμελείας ὑπόθεσις γίνεται· τοῦ γὰρ οὕτως ἐλεεῖν τὸ μὴ ἐλεεῖν κρεῖττον. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἐλάττω κομίσας ὁ Κάϊν τὸν Θεὸν παρώξυνεν, ὁ καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια διδοὺς πῶς οὐ παροξυνεῖ; Ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη τέχνη τίς ἐστιν ἀρίστη καὶ προστάτις τῶν ἐργαζομένων αὐτήν· φίλη γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν, εἰ μὴ ἀδικεῖται παρ' ἡμῶν· ἀδικεῖται δὲ, ὅταν ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς αὐτὴν ἐργαζώμεθα· ὡς ἐὰν ᾖ καθαρὰ, πολλὴν τοῖς ἀναπέμπουσιν αὐτὴν δίδωσι παῤῥησίαν, καὶ ὑπὲρ προσκεκρουκότων δεῖται. Τοσαύτη γὰρ αὐτῆς ἡ ἰσχύς· αὕτη διαῤῥήγνυσι τὰ δεσμὰ, λύει τὸ σκότος, σβέννυσι τὸ πῦρ, καὶ ὁμοίους Θεῷ καθιστᾷ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους αὐτήν. Γίνεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκτίρμονες, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος οἰκτίρμων ἐστί. Μὴ δὴ προδῶμεν τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τοῦ παρόντος βίου, ἀλλ' ἐχώμεθα σφοδρῶς τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστι καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτας ἀναπνοὰς εὐαρεστῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ·","english":"In the case of the merciful man, not only those who have received mercy but also those who have not love him, reckoning the benefit done to those others as done to themselves. And if he suffers any unpleasant thing, all pray, \"May God have mercy on him; may He deal well with him; may his good things remain with him.\" Do you see how wickedness has as enemies even those who have not been wronged, while almsgiving has as lovers even those who have not received alms? First, then, rid yourself of grasping, and then display your almsgiving; stop your hands from covetousness, and so lead them to almsgiving. But if with the same hands we strip the poor, even if with what is given from them we clothe them, not even so shall we escape punishment; for the basis of the propitiation becomes a basis for every transgression; for to refrain from showing mercy in this way is better than to show mercy thus. For if Cain provoked God by offering the lesser, how shall he not provoke Him who gives even what belongs to others? Almsgiving is a kind of art, the best, and a patroness of those who practice it; for it is dear to God, provided it is not wronged by us; and it is wronged when we practice it from plunder; but if it is pure, it gives great boldness to those who send it up, and it intercedes even for those who have offended. For such is its strength; it breaks bonds, it looses darkness, it quenches fire, and it makes those who practice it like God. For, it says, be merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful. Let us not, then, betray the opportunity of the present life, but let us cling fervently to our own salvation. For it is possible, it is possible even at the last breath to please God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":343,"ref":"p343","source":"ἔστι καὶ ἀπὸ διαθήκης εὐδοκιμῆσαι, οὐχ οὕτως μὲν ὡς ζῶντας, ἔστι δὲ ὅμως. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ἂν τὸν Θεὸν ἐγγράψῃς μετὰ τῶν σῶν κληρονόμων, καὶ μοῖραν καὶ αὐτῷ τοῦ παντὸς ἀπονείμῃς κλήρου. Οὐκ ἔθρεψας αὐτὸν ζῶν; κἂν ἀπελθὼν, ὅτε οὐκέτι κύριος εἶ, μετάδος αὐτῷ τῶν σῶν. Μείζονος μὲν γὰρ πόθου καὶ πλείονος μισθοῦ τὸ ζῶντά σε τρέφειν αὐτόν· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο αὐτῷ μὴ πεποίηκας, κἂν ἐπὶ τὸ δεύτερον ἐλθέ· εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὀκνεῖς, ἐννόησον ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ αὐτοῦ συγκληρονόμον αὐτοῦ σε πεποίηκε, καὶ κατάλυσον τὴν ἀπανθρωπίαν. Ποίας γὰρ τεύξῃ συγγνώμης, ὅταν πρὸς τῷ μὴ θρέψαι αὐτὸν ζῶν, μηδὲ μέλλων ἀπιέναι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀπὸ τῶν χρημάτων τούτων, ὧν οὐκ εἶ κύριος λοιπὸν, βουληθῇς αὐτῷ μικρόν τι χαρίσασθαι, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐχθρῶς διάκεισαι καὶ πολεμίως, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν ἀχρήστων σοι γενομένων αὐτῷ μεταδοῦναι; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ τούτου κατηξιώθησαν τοῦ τέλους, ἀλλὰ ἁρπαγέντες ἀπῆλθον; σὲ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐπισκῆψαι τοῖς προσήκουσι, καὶ εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν ὄντων, καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἅπαντα διαθεῖναι ἐποίησε κύριον. Ποίαν οὖν ἀπολογίαν ἕξεις, ὅταν καὶ ταύτην παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβὼν τὴν χάριν, προδῷς τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, καὶ μηδὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἕλῃ γενέσθαι φιλάνθρωπος; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἄμεινον καὶ πολλὴν παρέχον τὴν παῤῥησίαν, ζῶντα διορθοῦν πενίαν· εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνο μὴ βουληθῇς, κἂν τελευτῶν ποίησόν τι γενναῖον· οὐ πολλῆς μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἀγάπης, ἔστι δ' οὖν ὅμως. Εἰ","english":"It is possible to be approved also by means of a will, not in the same way as by [giving] during one's lifetime, but it is possible nonetheless. How and in what manner? If you inscribe God together with your own heirs, and allot to him also a share of the whole inheritance. Did you not feed him while he was alive? Then even when you have departed, when you are no longer master, give him a share of what is yours. For feeding him while you are alive is [a work] of greater longing and of greater reward; but if you have not done this for him, at least come to the second option; and if you shrink from this too, consider that his Father has made you a co-heir with him, and put an end to your inhumanity. For what forgiveness will you obtain, when, in addition to not having fed him while alive, not even when you are about to depart to him do you wish to grant him some small thing from these possessions, of which you are no longer master, but you are so hostilely and inimically disposed as not even to share with him the things that have become useless to you? Do you not see how many people have not even been deemed worthy of this end, but have been snatched away and departed? But God has made you master both to visit those who are related to you, and to speak about your possessions, and to arrange all the affairs of your household. What defense, then, will you have, when, having received even this favor from him, you betray the beneficence, and not even under compulsion choose to become humane? For the better course, one that provides great confidence, is to correct poverty while alive; but if you do not wish that, then at least at the end do something noble; for it is not [a work] of great love, but it is possible nonetheless. If","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":344,"ref":"p344","source":"γὰρ μὴ τὴν προεδρίαν ἕξεις τὴν μετὰ τῶν ἀρνῶν, ἀλλ' οὐ μικρὸν τὸ κἂν μετ' ἐκείνους γενέσθαι, καὶ μὴ στῆναι μετὰ τῶν ἐρίφων. Ἂν δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο ποιῇς, τίς σε λοιπὸν ἐξαιρήσεται λόγος; Ὅταν γὰρ ἔζης, ὡς ἀθάνατος, οὕτως ἀντείχου τῶν ὄντων· νυνὶ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ ἔμαθες ὅτι θνητὸς γέγονας, κἂν νῦν τὸ δόγμα κατάλυσον, καὶ ὡς θνητὸς περὶ τῶν σαυτοῦ βούλευσαι. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φορτικὸν τὸ μέλλον ῥηθήσεσθαι καὶ φρίκης γέμον, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν· ἀρίθμησον μετὰ τῶν δούλων σου τὸν Δεσπότην. Ἐλευθεροῖς τοὺς δούλους; ἐλευθέρωσον τὸν Χριστὸν λιμοῦ καὶ ἀνάγκης καὶ δεσμωτηρίων καὶ γυμνότητος. Ἔφριξας ἀκούσας; Οὐκοῦν φρικωδέστερον, ὅταν μηδὲ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ποιῇς; Καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν τὸ ῥῆμά σε ναρκᾷν ἐποίησεν· ὅταν δὲ ἀπέλθῃς ἐκεῖ, καὶ τὰ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα τούτων ἀκούῃς, καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα βλέπῃς βασανιστήρια, τί ἐρεῖς; πρὸς τίνα καταφεύξῃ; τίνα καλέσεις σύμμαχον καὶ βοηθόν; τὸν Ἀβραάμ; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκούσεται· ἀλλὰ τὸν πατέρα; ἀλλὰ τὸν πάππον; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτων οὐδεὶς ἔσται κύριος, κἂν σφόδρα ἅγιος ᾖ, λῦσαι τὴν ψῆφον ἐκείνην. Ἀλλ' ἀπάνθρωπος εἶ καὶ ὠμὸς καὶ ἀνηλεής; αἰδέσθητι τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ αἰτοῦντος. Ἀλλ' οὐ δυσωπεῖ σε τὸ ἀξίωμα; πρὸς τὴν συμφορὰν ἐπικάμφθητι. Ἀλλ' οὔτε τὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς εἰς ἔλεόν σε ἐπικάμπτει; διὰ τὸ τῆς αἰτήσεως εὔκολον δός. Εἰ δὲ οὔτε τὸ ἀξίωμα, οὔτε τὸ ἀναγκαῖον τῆς χρείας, οὔτε τὸ εὔκολον τῆς δόσεως δύναταί σε πεῖσαι· οὐκοῦν διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν πάρασχε τῷ δεομένῳ. Τίς γὰρ ἔσται συγγνώμη τοῖς μετὰ τοσαύτην παραίνεσιν τῶν δεομένων ὑπερορῶσιν; Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ μεμυημένοι·","english":"For if you will not have the first place with the lambs, still it is no small thing to be at least among them, and not to stand with the goats. But if you do not even do this, what word will deliver you thereafter? For when you were alive, you clung to your possessions as though you were immortal; but now, since you have learned that you have become mortal, even now break the decree, and as a mortal take counsel concerning your own affairs. For even if what is about to be said is burdensome and full of horror, nevertheless it must be said: number the Master among your slaves. Do you set your slaves free? Set Christ free from hunger and need and prisons and nakedness. Did you shudder at hearing this? Then it is more horrifying when you do not even do this very thing. And here the word has made you grow numb; but when you depart to that place, and hear things far more grievous than these, and see the torments that cannot be endured, what will you say? To whom will you flee? Whom will you call as ally and helper? Abraham? But he will not hear. But the father? But the grandfather? But not even of these will any be master to loose that sentence, even if he be exceedingly holy. But are you inhuman and cruel and merciless? Be ashamed of the dignity of the one who asks. But does his dignity not move you? Be bent by his misfortune. But neither does the nature of his misfortune bend you to pity? Give because of the ease of the request. But if neither the dignity, nor the necessity of the need, nor the ease of the giving is able to persuade you, then because of the greatness of the good things promised, provide for the one in need. For what excuse will there be for those who, after so great an exhortation, overlook those in need? Let those who have been initiated hear.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":345,"ref":"p345","source":"αὐτὸς, ὅταν δέῃ σε θρέψαι, οὐδὲ τῆς σαρκὸς φείδεται τῆς ἑαυτοῦ· ὅταν δέῃ ποτίσαι, οὐδὲ τοῦ αἵματος φείδεται· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ ἄρτου μεταδίδως οὐδὲ ποτηρίου; καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην τοιαῦτα λαμβάνων, καὶ τῶν εὐτελῶν φειδόμενος; Οὐδὲ γὰρ, ἂν διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν μὴ δῷς τὰ χρήματα, ἔχων αὐτὰ ἀπελεύσῃ· οὐδὲ γὰρ, ἂν διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν μὴ ἀποθάνῃς, ἀθάνατος ἔσῃ. Ταῦτα ἀπαιτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ, ἃ καὶ μὴ ἀπαιτοῦντος δώσεις, διὰ τὸ θνητὸς εἶναι· ταῦτά σε βούλεται ποιεῖν σῇ γνώμῃ, ἃ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ σε δεῖ ποιῆσαι. Ἃ πάντως ἀνάγκη σε παθεῖν, ἐλοῦ παθεῖν δι' ἐμέ· τοῦτο προκείσθω μόνον, καὶ ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχω τὴν ὑπακοήν. Ἆρά γε φορητὰ ταῦτα, ὅτι ὁ μὲν Θεὸς καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐξέδωκεν ὑπὲρ σοῦ, σὺ δὲ οὐδ' ἄρτου μεταδίδως αὐτῷ τῷ διὰ σὲ ἐκδοθέντι, τῷ διὰ σὲ σφαγέντι; Ὁ Πατὴρ διὰ σὲ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, καὶ ταῦτα γνησίου ὄντος· σὺ δὲ καὶ λιμῷ τηκόμενον περιορᾷς, καὶ ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτοῦ μέλ λων ἀναλίσκειν, καὶ διὰ σαυτὸν ἀναλίσκειν; καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς παρανομίας χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ἐξεδόθη διὰ σὲ, ἐσφάγη διὰ σὲ, περιέρχεται πεινῶν διὰ σὲ, ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ δίδως, ἵνα αὐτὸς ὠφεληθῇς, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω δίδως; Καὶ ποίων οὐκ ἂν εἴης ἀναισθητότερος λίθων, τοσούτων σε ἑλκόντων πραγμάτων, ἐπὶ τῆς διαβολικῆς ταύτης μένων ὠμότητος; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀμείβῃ με, φησὶν, ὡς ὑπὲρ σοῦ τι παθόντα, διὰ τὴν πενίαν ἐλέησον, εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλει διὰ τὴν πενίαν ἐλεῆσαι, διὰ τὴν νόσον ἐπικάμφθητι, διὰ τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐπικλάσθητι· εἰ δὲ μηδὲ ταῦτά σε ποιεῖ φιλάνθρωπον, διὰ τὸ κοῦφον τῆς αἰτήσεως ἐπίνευσον·","english":"He himself, when you need feeding, does not spare his own flesh; when you need drink, he does not spare his blood; and will you not share even bread or a cup? What excuse will you have, receiving such things and yet sparing your cheap possessions? For even if you do not give your money for Christ's sake, you will not depart still possessing it; and even if you do not die for Christ's sake, you will not be immortal. He demands from you these things which you would give even if he did not demand them, because you are mortal; he wants you to do by your own choice what you must do by necessity. What you must in any case suffer, choose to suffer for my sake; let this alone be set before you, and I have obedience sufficient. Are these things then bearable—that God handed over even his Son for you, and you do not share even bread with him who was handed over for your sake, who was slain for your sake? The Father did not spare him for your sake, and that though he was his true Son; and you look on while he is consumed by hunger, and that too while he is to be fed from his own members, and fed for your sake? And what could be worse than this lawlessness? He was handed over for you, he was slain for you, he goes about hungry for you, you give from his own, so that you yourself may benefit, and even so you do not give? And what stones would you not be more insensible than, when so many things draw you, if you remain in this diabolical cruelty? For if you do not repay me, he says, as one who has suffered something for your sake, have mercy for the sake of poverty; but if you do not wish to show mercy for the sake of poverty, be moved for the sake of sickness, be softened for the sake of prison; and if not even these make you humane, consent for the sake of the smallness of the request.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":346,"ref":"p346","source":"οὐδὲν γὰρ αἰτεῖ πολυτελὲς, ἀλλ' ἄρτον καὶ στέγην καὶ ῥημάτων παράκλησιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιμένεις ἄγριος ὢν, κἂν διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν γενοῦ βελτίων. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκείνης σοί ἐστί τις λόγος; κἂν πρὸς τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν ἐπικλάσθητι γυμνὸν ὁρῶν, καὶ τῆς γυμνότητος ἀναμνήσθητι ἐκείνης, ἣν ἐγυμνώθην ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ διὰ σέ. Εἰ δὲ ἐκείνης οὐ βούλει, κἂν ταύτης, ἢν διὰ τῶν πενήτων γυμνοῦμαι. Οὐ λέγω, Λῦσόν μου τὴν πενίαν, οὐδὲ, Χάρισαί μοι πλοῦτον, ἀλλ' ἄρτον αἰτῶ καὶ ἱμάτιον καὶ λιμοῦ παραμυθίαν μικράν· κἂν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμπέσω, οὐκ ἀναγκάζω τὰ δεσμὰ λῦσαι καὶ ἐκβαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἓν ἐπιζητῶ μόνον, ἵνα ἴδῃς δεδεμένον διὰ σὲ, καὶ ἀρκοῦσαν ἔλαβον χάριν. Δύναμαι μὲν γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς τούτων σε στεφανοῦν, βούλομαι δέ σοι καὶ ὀφειλέτης εἶναι, ἵνα φέρῃ σοί τινα καρπὸν καὶ παῤῥησίαν ὁ στέφανος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δυνάμενος ἐμαυτὸν θρέψαι, περιέρχομαι προσαιτῶν, καὶ ταῖς θύραις σου\n\nπαριστάμενος προτείνω χεῖρα, παρὰ σοῦ τραφῆναι ἐπιθυμῶν· καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζομαι τούτῳ, ἵνα τοῦ θεάτρου παρόντος τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀνακηρύττω σε τότε, καὶ πάντων ἀκουόντων ἐνδείκνυμαι τὸν τροφέα τὸν ἐμόν. Καίτοι γε ὑμεῖς ὅταν παρὰ τινὸς τραφῆτε αἰσχύνεσθε τοῦτο καὶ συσκιάζετε· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ὑμᾶς φιλῶ, κἂν ὑμεῖς σιγᾶτε, ἀναγορεύω τὸ γεγενημένον μετὰ πολλῶν τῶν ἐγκωμίων, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνομαι εἰπεῖν, ὅτι γυμνὸν ὄντα με περιεβάλετε, καὶ πεινῶντα ἐθρέψατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐγκαλλωπίζομαι τούτοις, ἵν' ὑμεῖς κληρονόμοι τῆς βασιλείας ἀναδειχθῆτε τῶν οὐρανῶν.","english":"For he asks nothing costly, but bread and a roof and the comfort of words. And if even after this you remain savage, become better at least for the sake of the kingdom. But do you have no regard even for that? Then be softened at least by nature itself, seeing him naked, and remember that nakedness of mine, in which I was stripped naked on the cross for your sake. And if you do not wish to remember that, then at least this nakedness, in which I am stripped naked through the poor. I do not say, Release my poverty, nor, Grant me wealth, but I ask for bread and a garment and a little relief from hunger. And if I fall into prison, I do not compel you to loose my bonds and bring me out, but I seek only one thing, that you see me bound for your sake, and I have received sufficient favor. For I am able to crown you even without these things, but I wish to be your debtor as well, so that the crown may bear some fruit and boldness for you. For this reason, though I am able to feed myself, I go about begging, and standing at your doors I stretch out my hand, desiring to be fed by you; and I take pride in this, so that when the theater of the whole world is present I may then proclaim you, and with all listening I may point out my feeder. And yet when you are fed by someone, you are ashamed of this and cover it over; but I, since I love you exceedingly, even if you are silent, proclaim what has been done with many praises, and I am not ashamed to say that you clothed me when I was naked, and fed me when I was hungry, but I take pride in these things all the more, so that you may be shown forth as heirs of the kingdom of the heavens.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":347,"ref":"p347","source":"Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐννοοῦντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἐχώμεθα σφοδρῶς τῆς σωτηρίας, ἵνα καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΔʹ. Περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἐξαγορεύσεως. Ἐπεδήμησέ τις ἐξ ὑμῶν, ἀγαπητοὶ, τῇ Παλαιστίνῃ ποτέ; Ἔγωγε οἶμαι. Τί οὖν; μαρτυρήσατε ὑμεῖς οἱ τοὺς τόπους ἑωρακότες. Ἔστιν ἐκεῖ χώρα πολλή τις καὶ εὔφορος· μᾶλλον δὲ ἦν, νῦν γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν· αὕτη οὖν ἡ οὕτως εὐθαλὴς, καὶ πρὸς πάσας τὰς χώρας ἁμιλλωμένη, ἡ φθάνουσα τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ τὸν παράδεισον τοῦ Θεοῦ, πασῶν τῶν ἐρήμων ἐστὶν ἐρημοτέρα. Καὶ ἑστήκασι μὲν δένδρα καὶ νῦν, καὶ καρπὸν ἔχει, ὁ δὲ καρπὸς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀργῆς ἐστιν ὑπόμνησις· ἑστήκασι μὲν γὰρ ῥοιαὶ, καὶ τὸ ξύλον λέγω, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς λαμπρὰν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἔχων, καὶ τῷ ἀγνῶτι παρ έχων πολλὰς τὰς ἐλπίδας· εἰ δὲ ληφθεῖεν εἰς χεῖρας, διακλασθέντα καρπὸν μὲν οὐδένα, κόνιν δὲ καὶ τέφραν πολλὴν ἐπιδεικνύουσιν εἰς τὰ ἐναποκείμενα ἔνδον. Τοιαύτη πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἐκείνη· καὶ τὰ ξύλα καὶ οἱ λίθοι καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ καὶ τὰ ὕδατα τῆς τοιαύτης μετέσχηκε συμφορᾶς. Καὶ γὰρ γῆν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν γῆς ἔχουσαν· δένδρα καὶ καρποὺς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν δένδρων καὶ καρπῶν, ἀλλὰ πάντα τέφραν· ἀέρα καὶ ὕδωρ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀέρος καὶ ὕδατος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα τετέφρωνται τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ταῦτα ποιήσαντος. Καθάπερ γὰρ σώματος ἐμπρησθέντος, τὸ μὲν σχῆμα μένει καὶ ὁ τύπος ἐν τῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ὄψει, ἡ δὲ δύναμις οὐκέτι, οὕτω δὴ κἀκεῖνα. Μὴ καὶ ταῦτα ἀπειλαὶ ῥημάτων; μὴ καὶ ταῦτα ψόφοι ῥημάτων;","english":"Thinking these things, then, beloved, let us cling earnestly to salvation, so that we may also obtain the eternal good things, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Homily 24. On sin and confession. Has any one of you, beloved, ever visited Palestine? I at least think so. What then? Bear witness, you who have seen those places. There is there a large and fertile country—or rather, there was, for now it is not. This land, then, so flourishing and rivaling all other lands, which in its abundance surpassed even the paradise of God, is more desolate than all deserts. And trees stand there even now, and it has fruit, but the fruit is a reminder of the wrath of God. For pomegranate trees stand there—I mean the tree—and the fruit has a bright appearance and offers many hopes to one who does not know; but if they are taken in hand, when broken open they show no fruit, but much dust and ash in place of what is stored within. Such is all that land; and the trees and the stones and the air and the waters have shared in such a calamity. For one may see land, but it has nothing of land; trees and fruits, but nothing of trees and fruits, but all is ash; air and water, but nothing of air and water; for these too have been reduced to ash by the power of him who did these things. For just as when a body has been burned, the shape remains and the form in the appearance of the fire, but the power no longer, so indeed are those things. Are these mere threats of words? Are these mere sounds of words?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":348,"ref":"p348","source":"Ἀλλὰ φορτικὰ ταῦτα, ἐκεῖνα μὲν οὐ φορτικὰ, ὅταν λέγῃς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι γέεννα; Σύ με ταῦτα ἀναγκάζεις λέγειν, ὁ διαπιστῶν, σύ με εἰς τούτους ἐξήγαγες τοὺς λόγους· εἰ γὰρ τοῖς ῥήμασιν ἐπίστευσας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐκ ἂν ἠναγκαζόμην τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιστήμην παραγαγεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήματος τοσαύτην ἐκχέων ὀργὴν, καὶ μήτε τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὴν ἱκετηρίαν δυσωπηθεὶς, μήτε τοῦ Λὼτ, τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν γενομένων ἁμαρτημάτων, φείσεται; Γέλως ὄντως ταῦτα καὶ λῆρος καὶ πλάνη διαβολικὴ καὶ ἀπάτη. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ ἐκ τῶν πιστευόντων καὶ προσεχόντων τῷ Θεῷ, βίου δὲ οὐκ ὄντος ὀρθοῦ, ἰδεῖν τιμωρουμένους, ἄκουσον Παύλου λέγοντος· Μηδὲ πορνεύωμεν, καθώς τινες ἐπόρνευσαν, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ εἰκοσιτρεῖς χιλιάδες. Εἰ δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον πορνεία ἴσχυσε, τί οὐκ ἐργάσεται τὰ ἡμέτερα; Εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ δῷς δίκην νῦν, μὴ θαυμάσῃς. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν τὴν γέενναν, διὸ ταῖς παρὰ πόδας ἐκολάζοντο τιμωρίαις, σὺ δὲ ὅσα ἂν ἁμάρτῃς, κἂν μηδεμίαν ὧδε δίκην δῷς, πάντα ἀποτίσεις ἐκεῖ. Κἂν γὰρ τὰ αὐτὰ ἁμάρτωμεν ἐκείνοις, μείζονός ἐσμεν ἐκείνων κολάσεως ἄξιοι. Διὰ τί; ὅτι πλείονος ἀπελαύσαμεν χάριτος. Ὅταν δὲ πλείω καὶ μείζονα ἐκείνων πταίωμεν, τίνα οὐχ ὑποστησόμεθα τιμωρίαν; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ μένοντες ἀτιμώρητοι, μὴ ἐγενόμεθα χείρους, κἂν ἀφῆκεν ἡμῖν τὴν κόλασιν ὁ Θεός· ἀλλ' οἶδε τοῦτο σαφῶς, ὅτι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον ἡμᾶς τὸ μὴ κολάζεσθαι ἁμαρτάνοντας βλάπτει. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐπιτίθησι τὴν τιμωρίαν, οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀπελθόντων ἀπαιτῶν δίκην, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα διορθούμενος.","english":"But these things are burdensome; those things are not burdensome, when you say that there is no hell? You force me to say these things, you who disbelieve; you have drawn me out into these words. For if you had believed the words of Christ, I would not have been compelled to bring forward the knowledge that comes from facts. But will he who poured out so great anger for one sin, and was not moved to pity by the supplication of Abraham, nor by that of Lot, spare us, when our sins are so many? These things are truly laughter and nonsense and diabolical error and deceit. But if you wish to see also from among those who believe and attend to God, but whose life is not upright, that they are punished, hear Paul saying: Let us not commit fornication, as some committed fornication, and fell in one day twenty-three thousand. But if fornication had such power, what will our sins not accomplish? But if you are not punished now, do not marvel. For those men did not know hell, and therefore they were chastised with punishments at hand; but you, whatever you sin, even if you suffer no punishment here, will pay it all there. For even if we sin the same sins as they, we are worthy of a greater punishment than they. Why? Because we have enjoyed greater grace. And when we stumble in more and greater sins than they, what punishment will we not undergo? For if, sinning and remaining unpunished, we did not become worse, God would have remitted the punishment for us; but he knows this clearly, that being unpunished while sinning harms us no less than the sins themselves. Therefore he imposes the punishment, not only exacting the penalty for things past, but also correcting us for the things to come.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":349,"ref":"p349","source":"Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, ἄκουσον τί φησι πρὸς τὸν Μωσέα· Ἄφες με, καὶ θυμωθεὶς ἐκτρίψω αὐτούς. Ἄφες με, ἔλεγεν, οὐχ ὅτι Μωσῆς αὐτὸν κατεῖχεν·\n\nοὐδὲν γὰρ ἐφθέγξατο πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ σιγῇ παρειστήκει· ἀλλὰ πρόφασιν αὐτῷ δοῦναι βουλόμενος τῆς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἱκετηρίας. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς πολλάκις ποιοῦμεν, καὶ οἰκέτας ἄξια κολάσεως πλημμελήσαντας οὔτε κολάσαι βουλόμενοι, οὔτε τοῦ ἐκ τῆς κολάσεως ἀπαλλάξαι φόβου, φίλοις κελεύομεν τῶν ἡμετέρων αὐτοὺς ἐξαρπάσαι χειρῶν, ὥστε καὶ τὸν φόβον αὐτοῖς ἐνακμάζοντα μένειν, καὶ τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν πληγὰς διαφυγεῖν. Τοιοῦτον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ γενόμενον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶ, λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν τὸν προφήτην, λέγων· Ἀνάστηθι καὶ πορεύθητι εἰς Νινευὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν μεγάλην, καὶ κήρυξον ἐν αὐτῇ· Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευὶ καταστραφήσεται. Ἀκούσας δὲ Ἰωνᾶς κατέβη εἰς Ἰόππην τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς Θαρσεῖς ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου. Ποῦ φεύγεις, ἄνθρωπε; τὸν Δεσπότην φεύγεις, εἰπέ μοι; οὐκοῦν μικρὸν ἀνάμεινον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων μαθήσῃ, ὅτι οὐδὲ τῆς δούλης θαλάσσης τὰς χεῖρας δυνήσῃ διαφυγεῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπέβη τῆς νηὸς οὗτος, κἀκείνη τὰ κύματα διανέστησε, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἠγείρετο μέγα. Καὶ καθάπερ θεράπαινά τις εὐγνώμων σύνδουλον εὑροῦσα φυγάδα, τῶν δεσποτικῶν ὑφελόμενόν τι κτημάτων, οὐ πρότερον ἀφίσταται μυρία τοῖς ὑποδεξαμένοις αὐτὸν παρέχουσα πράγματα, ἕως ἂν λαβοῦσα αὐτὸν ἀπέλθῃ·","english":"And that this is true, hear what he says to Moses: Let me alone, and being angered I will destroy them. Let me alone, he said, not because Moses was restraining him—for he had said nothing to him, but stood by in silence—but because he wished to give him a pretext for interceding on their behalf. This we also often do: when servants have done wrong deserving punishment, wishing neither to punish them nor to free them from the fear of punishment, we command friends to snatch them from our hands, so that both the fear may remain blazing in them and they may escape the blows from us. One can see something like this happening also in the case of Jonah. For the word of the Lord came, it says, to Jonah the prophet, saying: Arise and go to Nineveh the great city, and preach in it: Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed. But when Jonah heard, he went down to Joppa to flee to Tarshish from the face of the Lord. Where are you fleeing, man? Are you fleeing the Master, tell me? Wait a little, then, and through the very events you will learn that you will not be able to escape even the hands of the servant sea. For no sooner had he boarded the ship than it stirred up the waves and was raised to a great height. And just like a well-disposed maidservant who, having found a fellow servant who is a runaway and has stolen something of the master's possessions, does not desist before she takes him and departs, causing countless troubles to those who received him—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":350,"ref":"p350","source":"οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ θάλασσα τὸν σύνδουλον εὑροῦσα τὸν ἑαυτῆς καὶ ἐπιγνοῦσα, μυρία τοῖς ναύταις παρέχει πράγματα, ταράττουσα, βοῶσα, οὐκ εἰς δικαστήριον ἕλκουσα, ἀλλ' αὔτανδρον ἀπειλοῦσα καταδύειν τὸ σκάφος, εἰ μὴ τὸν ὁμόδουλον ἀποδοῖεν αὐτῇ. Τούτων γινομένων, ἐποιήσαντο, φησὶν, ἐκβολὴν τῶν σκευῶν· τὸ δὲ πλοῖον οὐκ ἐκουφίζετο· ὁ γὰρ φόρτος ἅπας ἔνδον ἔμεινεν ἔτι, τοῦ προφήτου τὸ σῶμα, τὸ βαρὺ φορτίον, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἄχθος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω βαρὺ καὶ δυσβάστακτον ὡς ἁμαρτία καὶ παρακοή. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ καὶ κατηγόρων παρόντων, καὶ μαρτύρων ἐφεστηκότων, καὶ ἐλέγχων γινομένων, οὐ πρότερον οἱ καταδικάζοντες τὴν ψῆφον ἐκφέρουσιν, ἕως ἂν αὐτὸς ὁ κατάδικος κατήγορος τῆς οἰκείας ἁμαρτίας γένηται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ναυτῶν καὶ τοῦ προφήτου ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ἔβαλον γὰρ, φησὶ, κλῆρον· καὶ παρέδωκεν ὁ κλῆρος λοιπὸν τῇ ψήφῳ τὸν ὑπεύθυνον. Οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτὸν λαβόντες κατεπόντισαν, ἀλλὰ θορύβου τοσούτου καὶ ταραχῆς ἐπικειμένης, καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης οὐδὲ ἀναπνεῖν ἐπιτρεπούσης, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαινομένης καὶ καταβοώσης καὶ συνεχῆ τὰ κύματα ἐπεγειρούσης, ὥσπερ ἡσυχίας πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντες, οὕτω δὴ καὶ δικαστήριον ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ καθίσαντες, καὶ λόγου μετέδωκαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπολογίας ἠξίωσαν, καὶ πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξήταζον, ὥσπερ τινὶ μέλλοντες εὐθύνας παρασχεῖν ὧν ἂν ψηφίσοιντο· καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς θαλάσσης καταβοώσης, οὐδὲ τοῦ κλήρου καταμαρτυρήσαντος, οὐδὲ ἑαυτοῦ καθομολογήσαντος τὸ ἁμάρτημα, τὴν ψῆφον ἐπάγουσι. Πόθεν οὖν ἡ τοσαύτη γέγονε πρόνοια;","english":"Thus also the sea, having found and recognized its own fellow-servant, gives the sailors countless troubles, agitating, crying out, not dragging him to a court of law, but threatening to sink the ship with all its crew, unless they hand over to it its fellow-servant. When these things were happening, they made, it says, a casting out of the cargo; but the ship was not lightened; for the whole freight remained inside still—the body of the prophet, that heavy burden, not by the nature of the body, but by the weight of sin. For nothing is so heavy and hard to bear as sin and disobedience. And just as in a court of law, when accusers are present and witnesses stand by and proofs are being made, those who condemn do not bring forth the verdict before the condemned man himself becomes the accuser of his own sin; so also in the case of the sailors and the prophet it is possible to see. For they cast, it says, a lot; and the lot thereupon delivered the guilty man over to the verdict. But they, not even so, having taken him, sank him, but with so great a tumult and disturbance pressing upon them, and the sea not permitting them even to breathe, but raging and crying out and rousing the waves continually—as though enjoying great calm, they sat as a court of law in the ship, and gave him a hearing, and deemed him worthy of a defense, and examined everything with precision, as though about to give an account for whatever they might vote; and not even when the sea cried out, nor when the lot testified against him, nor when he himself confessed his sin, do they bring the verdict. From where, then, did such great forethought come?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":351,"ref":"p351","source":"Ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκονομίας. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς συνεχώρει ταῦτα γενέσθαι, τὸν προφήτην διὰ τούτων παιδεύων φιλάνθρωπον εἶναι καὶ ἥμερον, καὶ μονονουχὶ βοῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων, Μίμησαι τοὺς ναύτας, ἀνθρώπους βαρβάρους καὶ ἀνοήτους· αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ μιᾶς καταφρονοῦσι ψυχῆς, οὐδὲ ἑνὸς ἀφειδοῦσι σώματος τοῦ σοῦ· σὺ δὲ ὁλόκληρον πόλιν, τοσαύτας ἔχουσαν μυριάδας, ἐκδέδωκας, τό γε σὸν μέρος· καὶ οὗτοι μὲν τὸν αἴτιον τῶν γεγενημένων αὐτοῖς κακῶν εὑρόντες, οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁρμῶσιν ἐπὶ τὴν καταδικάζουσαν ψῆφον· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲν ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν τοῖς Νινευίταις, κατέδυσας αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπώλεσας. Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν μὲν ἰδίων ἁμαρτημάτων συνήγοροι γίνονται, τῶν δὲ ἀλλοτρίων κατήγοροι. Καὶ πολλοὶ πολλάκις κακῶς τὰ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τῆς πολιτείας διακεῖσθαί φασι, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐκ τῆς τῶν κρατούντων ἀβουλίας γίνεσθαι λέγουσιν· ἐγὼ δέ φημι, ὡς οὐχ ἡ τῶν κρατούντων ἀβουλία, ἀλλ' ἡ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτία, ἐκείνη τὰ ἄνω κάτω πεποίηκεν, ἐκείνη πάντα τὰ δεινὰ εἰσήγαγεν· οὐκ ἄλλοθεν ἡμῖν ὁ τῶν ἀνιαρῶν ἐσμὸς ὑπερεχύθη. Ὥστε κἂν Ἀβραάμ τις ᾖ ὁ κρατῶν, κἂν Μωϋσῆς, κἂν Δαυῒδ, κἂν","english":"From God's providence. For God permitted these things to happen, training the prophet through them to be humane and gentle, and all but crying out to him and saying, Imitate the sailors, barbarous and foolish men though they are; for they do not despise even a single soul, nor do they spare even one body—yours; but you have handed over an entire city, possessing so many tens of thousands, as far as lies in your power; and these men, having found the one responsible for the evils that had befallen them, do not even so rush to a condemning vote; but you, having nothing to charge against the Ninevites, have sunk them and destroyed them. But most people become advocates of their own sins and accusers of others'. And many often say that the affairs of the state are in a bad condition, and they say the cause comes from the folly of those in power; but I say that it is not the folly of those in power, but our own sin, that has turned things upside down, that has introduced all terrible things; it is not from anywhere else that the swarm of grievous troubles has poured over us. So even if the ruler be an Abraham, or a Moses, or a David, or","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":352,"ref":"p352","source":"Σολομὼν ὁ σοφώτατος, κἂν ἁπάντων ἁμαρτωλότερος ἀνθρώπων, ἡμῶν κακῶς διακειμένων, ἀδιάφορον ἔχει τὴν πρὸς τὰ κακὰ αἰτίαν. Τὸ γὰρ κατὰ τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν λαμβάνειν ἄρχοντας, οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἢ ὅτι προημαρτηκότες ἦμεν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοιούτου τοῦ προεστηκότος ἐτύχομεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ λίαν δίκαιος ᾖ, καὶ οὕτω δίκαιος, ὡς μέχρι τῆς Μωσέως ἀρετῆς ἐληλακέναι, οὐχ ἡ αὐτοῦ μόνη δικαιοσύνη τὰ ἄμετρα τῶν ὑπηκόων συγκαλύψαι δυνήσεται πταίσματα. Μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ βούλεσθε, δείξω ὑμῖν, πῶς καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἑνὸς πολλάκις ἁμαρτία τὴν τῶν καλῶς πολιτευομένων ὑπερακοντίζει παῤῥησίαν. Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ προσέβαλέ ποτε τῇ Ἱεριχὼ, καὶ τὴν ξένην ἐκείνην πολιορκίαν ἐνεργῶν, ἤδη τῶν τειχῶν καταπίπτειν μελλόντων, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν λαόν· Ἔστιν ἀνάθεμα ἡ πόλις αὕτη, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ, Κυρίῳ Σαβαώθ. Φυλάξασθε οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀναθέματος, μήποτε ἐνθυμηθέντες ὑμεῖς λάβετε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκτρίψεται ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός. Τί οὖν μετὰ ταῦτα; Κατέπεσον τὰ τείχη, καὶ ἐν χερσὶ τῶν πολιορκούντων τὰ τῆς πόλεως ἐγένετο. Παντὸς τοίνυν τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην διατηροῦντος, ἡ τοῦ ἑνὸς παράβασις εἰς ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνῆψεν ὀργήν. Ἐπλημμέλησαν γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ πλημμέλειαν μεγάλην. Καὶ μὴν εἷς ἦν ὁ πλημμελήσας ὁ Ἄχαρ· πῶς οὖν ἐπλημμέλησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραήλ; Καὶ ἐθυμώθη, φησὶ, Κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ. Ἀπέστειλε δὲ Ἰησοῦςἄνδρας ἀπὸ Ἰεριχὼ εἰς Γαί. Καὶ ἀνέβησαν ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιοι ἄνδρες, καὶ ἔφυγον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἀνδρῶν Γαὶ, καὶ ἀπέκτειναν ἀπ' αὐτῶν τριάκοντα καὶ ἓξ ἄνδρας.","english":"Solomon, the wisest of men, even if he was more sinful than all men, has an impartial account of the cause of evils. For the fact that we receive rulers according to our hearts is nothing other than that we had sinned beforehand, and for this reason we obtained such a leader. But even if he is exceedingly just, and so just as to have reached the virtue of Moses, his righteousness alone will not be able to conceal the immeasurable transgressions of his subjects. Rather, if you wish, I will show you how the sin of one man often outruns the boldness of those who live well. Joshua the son of Nun once attacked Jericho, and while conducting that strange siege, when the walls were already about to fall, he says to the people: This city is anathema, and all that is in it, to the Lord Sabaoth. Guard yourselves therefore from the anathema, lest when you think of it you take from it, and God destroys us. What then after this? The walls fell, and the city came into the hands of the besiegers. Therefore, while all the people kept this command, the transgression of one man kindled the anger of God against the whole multitude. For the sons of Israel, it says, committed a great transgression. And yet the one who transgressed was Achar; how then did the sons of Israel transgress? And the Lord, it says, was angry with the sons of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Gai. And about three thousand men went up, and they fled from before the men of Gai, and they killed thirty-six men of them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":353,"ref":"p353","source":"Ὅρα μίας ἁμαρτίας εἴσπραξιν, ὅρα πληγὴν ἀπαραμύθητον· εἷς ἐπλημμέλησε, καὶ εἰς ἅπαντα τὸν δῆμον ὁ θάνατος καὶ ἡ δειλία ἐπέπεσε. Τί οὖν τοῦτο, ὦ φιλάγαθε Δέσποτα; σὺ εἶ μόνος δίκαιος, καὶ εὐθεῖς αἱ κρίσεις σου· σὺ ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἔργα ἀπονέμεις τὴν κρίσιν· σὺ ἔφης, φιλάνθρωπε, ἐν τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἕκαστον ἀποθανεῖσθαι ἁμαρτίᾳ, καὶ μὴ ἄλλον ἀντιτιμωρηθήσεσθαι ἑτέρου· τίς οὖν αὕτη ἡ δικαία σου ψῆφος; Καλά σου τὰ πάντα, Κύριε, καὶ λίαν καλὰ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν οἰκονομούμενα· διὰ τί δὴ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑτέρου ἁμαρτίας ἑτέροις τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπήγαγες; Λύμη τίς ἐστι, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτία· ἐκπομπευέσθω διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας εἰς πάντας, ἵνα μὴ τοὺς πάντας καταλυμήνηται. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἡ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτία παντὶ τῷ λαῷ τὴν τιμωρίαν προεξένησεν; Ὅρα λοιπὸν καὶ τὸν ἐπονείδιστον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὀλέθριον θάνατον. Καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν αὐτὸν, φησὶν, Ἰησοῦς εἰς φάραγγα Ἀχὼρ, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς μόσχους αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐλιθοβόλησαν αὐτὰ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν λίθοις. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ μακροθύμως φέρει ὑβριζόμενος ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ τοῦτο θαῤῥῶμεν, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μᾶλλον δακνώμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, ὅταν τις πληγεὶς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, δῷ καὶ τὴν ἀριστερὰν, μειζόνως ἀμύνεται, ἢ εἰ μυρίας ἔδωκε πληγάς· καὶ ὅταν λοιδορηθεὶς μὴ μόνον ἀντιλοιδορήσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐλογήσῃ, χαλεπώτερον ἔπληξεν ἢ εἰ μυρίοις ὀνείδεσιν ἔπλυνε· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Θεοῦ δεδοικέναι χρὴ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας διηνεκῶς καὶ οὐδὲν πάσχοντας δεινόν·","english":"Observe the exacting of the penalty for one sin; observe the unconsolable blow: one man transgressed, and upon the entire people death and cowardice fell. What then is this, O loving-good Master? You alone are just, and your judgments are upright; you apportion judgment to each according to his own works; you said, O lover of mankind, that each shall die in his own sin, and that one shall not be punished in another's stead. What then is this just verdict of yours? All your works are good, Lord, and exceedingly good, and are ordered for our benefit. Why then for the sin of one did you bring punishment upon others? Sin, it says, is a pestilence; let it be made a public example through punishment for all, so that it may not utterly destroy all. Do you see how the sin of one brought punishment beforehand upon the whole people? Observe now also his shameful and destructive death. And Joshua, it says, brought him up into the valley of Achor, and his sons, and his daughters, and his calves, and his beasts of burden, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and all Israel stoned them with stones. Let us not, then, because God bears insults with long-suffering, therefore take courage, but for this very reason let us rather be pricked. For if among men, when someone struck on the right cheek offers also the left, he takes a greater vengeance than if he had given ten thousand blows; and when reviled, if he not only does not revile in return but even blesses, he has struck harder than if he had washed him with ten thousand reproaches—how much more, in the case of God, must those who sin continually and suffer nothing terrible be afraid.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":354,"ref":"p354","source":"καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ κακῷ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλῆς ἡ ἄφατος αὐτοῖς θησαυρίζεται τιμωρία. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ κολάζεσθαι κακὸν τῷ πλημμελοῦντι, ἀλλὰ τὸ οὕτως ἔχοντα μὴ κολάζεσθαι· ὡσπεροῦν τὸ τὸν ἀῤῥωστοῦντα μὴ θεραπεύεσθαι. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ μικρὰ καὶ εὐτελῆ κατορθώματα ἡμῶν ᾖ, καὶ πολὺς ὁ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὄγκος, εἶτα ἐνταῦθα εὐπραγίας ἀπολαύσωμεν, καὶ μηδὲν πάσχωμεν δεινὸν, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀμοιβῆς ἔρημοι καὶ γυμνοὶ πάντες ἀπελευσόμεθα, πάντα ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαβόντες· ὥσπερ οὖν, ὅταν μεγάλα μὲν ᾖ τὰ κατορθώματα καὶ πολλὰ, μικρὰ δὲ καὶ εὐτελῆ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, εἶτα πάθωμέν τι δεινὸν, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ μικρὰ ἐνταῦθα ἀποθέμενοι, καθαρὰν καὶ ἀπηρτισμένην ἐκεῖ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαμβάνομεν τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Μὴ δὴ τὸ κολάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἁμαρτάνοντας μὴ κολάζεσθαι μᾶλλον χαλεπὸν εἶναι\n\nνομίσωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς μὴ ἐκόλαζεν ἡμᾶς, αὐτοὺς ἐχρῆν ἀπαιτῆσαι δίκην ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτως ἀγνώμονας περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην γεγενημένους. Εἴπω τι παράδοξον καὶ θαυμαστόν; μείζων ἐστὶ παραμυθία τῷ κολαζομένῳ μετὰ τὸ παροξῦναι τὸν οὕτω φιλάνθρωπον, ἐὰν νοῦν ἔχῃ καὶ φιλῇ τὸν Δεσπότην ὡς φιλεῖν δεῖ, ἢ τῷ μὴ κολαζομένῳ. Ὁ γὰρ εἰς τὸν φίλτατον ἠδικηκὼς, τότε μάλιστα ἀναπαύεται, ὅταν ἑαυτὸν ἀπαιτήσῃ δίκην καὶ πάθῃ κακῶς. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς ἀποβαλόντας παῖδας γνησίους, ὅτι δι' αὐτὸ καὶ κόπτονται καὶ τρίχας τίλλουσιν, ἐπειδὴ παραμυθίαν ἔχει τὸ κολάζειν ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν φιλουμένων;","english":"For the unutterable penalty is being stored up for them to the harm of their own head. For it is not being punished that is evil for the offender, but being in such a state and not being punished—just as it is for the sick not to be healed. For when our good deeds are small and paltry, and the mass of our sins is great, and then here we enjoy prosperity and suffer nothing terrible, we shall all depart destitute and stripped even of the recompense of good things, having received everything here; just as, on the other hand, when our good deeds are great and many, but our sins small and paltry, and then we suffer something terrible, having here laid aside even those small sins, we receive there the clean and complete recompense of good things. Let us not think, then, that being punished is hard, but rather that sinning and not being punished is. For even if God did not punish us, we ought ourselves to exact the penalty from ourselves, having become so senseless toward the Benefactor. Shall I say something paradoxical and wonderful? Greater is the consolation for one who is punished after provoking the One so loving toward man—if he has understanding and loves the Master as one ought to love—than for one who is not punished. For he who has wronged his dearest one is then most especially at rest, when he has exacted the penalty from himself and suffered ill. Do you not see those who have lost their legitimate children, that for this very reason they beat themselves and tear their hair, since self-punishment on behalf of those they love brings consolation?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":355,"ref":"p355","source":"Εἰ δὲ, ὅτε μηδὲν εἰργασάμεθα ἡμεῖς τοὺς φιλτάτους δεινὸν, φέρει παραμυθίαν ἡμῖν τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐκεῖνοι πεπόνθασιν, ὅταν αὐτοὶ ὦμεν οἱ παροξύναντες καὶ ὑβρικότες, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς ἀναπαύσει τὸ δίκην διδόναι, καὶ τὸ μὴ κολάζεσθαι κολάσει; Παντί που δῆλον. Τοῖς γὰρ ὁτιοῦν ἐρῶσιν οὐ τὸ κακόν τι παθεῖν ἀηδὲς ὑπὲρ ὧν παρώξυναν τὸν ἐρώμενον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ πρὸ πάντων τὸ παροξῦναι τὸν ἀγαπώμενον. Κἂν ὀργισθεὶς οὗτος μὴ κολάσῃ, μειζόνως ἐβασάνιζε τὸν ἐραστήν· ἂν δὲ δίκην ἀπαιτήσῃ μᾶλλον παρεμυθήσατο. Εἴ τις φιλεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν ὡς φιλεῖν χρὴ, οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ συγχωροῦντος ἀνέξεται μὴ κολάζεσθαι· τὴν γὰρ μεγίστην κόλασιν ὑπομένει ὁ παροξύνας αὐτόν. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐκ ἔστι, κἂν πατὴρ, κἂν μήτηρ, κἂν φίλος, κἂν ὁστισοῦν, ὃς οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἠγάπησεν, ὡς ὁ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς Θεός. Εἰ δὲ τὰς λύπας μοι λέγῃς καὶ τὰς ὀδύνας καὶ τὰ τοῦ βίου κακὰ, ἐννόησον ὅσα αὐτῷ προσκρούεις καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, καὶ οὐκέτι θαυμάσῃ, κἂν πλείονα τούτων ἐπέλθῃ κακά· ἀλλ', ἂν ἀγαθοῦ τινος ἀπολαύσῃς, τότε καὶ θαυμάσῃ καὶ ἐκπλαγήσῃ. Νῦν δὲ τὰς μὲν συμφορὰς ὁρῶμεν τὰς ἐπιούσας, τὰ δὲ προσκρούσματα οὐχ ὁρῶμεν, ἃ καθ' ἑκάστην προσκρούομεν τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀλύομεν· ὡς εἴ γε μιᾶς ἡμέρας μόνον μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἡμῶν ἐλογισάμεθα, τότε ἂν ἔγνωμεν καλῶς, πόσων ἂν εἴημεν ὑπεύθυνοι κακῶν. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ μείζονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπεισέρχεται, ὅτι τὰ ἐλάττονα τῆς προσηκούσης οὐ τυγχάνει διορθώσεως· διὰ τοῦτο αἱ τάχισται μεταβολαὶ καὶ μεταπτώσεις·","english":"But if, when we ourselves have done nothing terrible to our dearest ones, the fact of suffering badly on behalf of those whom they have wronged brings us consolation, then when we ourselves are the ones who have provoked and outraged them, will not paying the penalty far more relieve us, and the not being punished itself be a punishment? This is clear to everyone, surely. For to those who love anything at all, it is not the suffering of some harm on behalf of those whom they have provoked—the beloved—that is distressing, but before all else the very act of provoking the one who is loved. And if he, though angered, does not punish, he torments the lover all the more; but if he exacts the penalty, he has rather consoled him. If anyone loves Christ as one ought to love him, he will not endure to go unpunished even if Christ himself permits it; for the greatest punishment is suffered by the one who has provoked him. For there is no one, no one—be it father, be it mother, be it friend, be it anyone at all—who has loved us as God who made us has loved us. But if you tell me of griefs and pains and the evils of life, consider how often you offend him each day, and you will no longer be amazed, even if more evils than these come upon you; rather, if you enjoy some good thing, then you will be amazed and astonished. But as it is, we see the calamities that come upon us, but we do not see the offenses that we commit each day; and it is for this reason that we are distressed—whereas if we had reckoned our sins with precision for even a single day, then we would have known well how many evils we are liable for. But it is for this reason that the greater sins come in, because the lesser ones do not receive the correction they should; for this reason the swiftest changes and reversals—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":356,"ref":"p356","source":"διὰ τοῦτο οἱ συνεχεῖς καὶ ἄωροι θάνατοι, ἐπειδὴ ὡς πρὸς αὐτὸν φθάνοντες τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτω διακείμεθα τῷ φρονήματι· καὶ ὡς οὐδέποτε τεθνηξόμενοι, οὕτως ἁρπάζομεν· καὶ ὡς οὐδέποτε λόγον δώσοντες, οὕτω πλεονεκτοῦμεν· καὶ οὐδὲ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος, οὐδὲ αὐτὰ παιδεύει τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλὰ πάντα μάτην, καὶ τῆς σκληρότητος ἡμῶν οὐδὲν καθικνεῖται. Οὐδεὶς καταφρονεῖ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ, οὐδεὶς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὁρᾷ· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ χοῖροι κάτω νεύουσι πρὸς τὴν γαστέρα κύπτοντες, τῷ βορβόρῳ ἐγκαλινδούμενοι, οὕτω καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βορβόρῳ χαλεπωτάτῳ ἑαυτοὺς μολύνοντες οὐκ αἰσθάνονται. Βέλτιον γὰρ πηλῷ μολύνεσθαι ἀκαθάρτῳ, ἢ ἁμαρτήμασιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν μολυνθεὶς ἀπενίψατο ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ, καὶ γέγονεν ὅμοιος τῷ μηδὲ ἐμπεσόντι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ τέλμα· ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸ βάραθρον τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐμπεσὼν, ἐδέξατο μολυσμὸν οὐχ ὕδατι καθαιρόμενον, ἀλλὰ πολλοῦ δεόμενον χρόνου καὶ μετανοίας ἀκριβοῦς, καὶ δακρύων καὶ κοπετῶν, καὶ πλείονος θρήνου καὶ θερμοτέρου, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις ἡμῶν θανοῦσιν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐδὲν ὄφελος βασιλέως ἁλουργίδα μὲν περικειμένου καὶ ὅπλα ἔχοντος, οὐδένα δὲ ὑπήκοον κεκτημένου, ἀλλὰ προκειμένου πᾶσι τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐνάλλεσθαι καὶ ὑβρίζειν αὐτόν· οὕτω καὶ Χριστιανοῦ οὐδὲν ἔσται κέρδος, πίστιν μὲν ἔχοντος καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρεὰν, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς πάθεσι παίγνιον προκειμένου· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς στολῆς κερδανεῖ ταύτης εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν τιμὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνην καθυβρίσει διὰ τῆς οἰκείας αἰσχύνης·","english":"This is why deaths are continuous and untimely: because we are disposed in our mindset as though we had already reached heaven itself; and as though we would never die, we seize things greedily; and as though we would never give an account, we take advantage; and neither the word of God nor the things themselves teach us, but everything is in vain, and nothing penetrates our hardness. No one despises the things on earth, no one looks toward heaven; but just as pigs bend downward, stooping toward the belly, wallowing in the mire, so too the many among men, defiling themselves with the most grievous mire, do not perceive it. For it is better to be defiled with unclean mud than with sins. For the one defiled by that washes it off in a short time, and becomes like one who never fell into that swamp in the first place; but the one who falls into the abyss of sin receives a defilement that is not cleansed with water, but requires much time and exact repentance, and tears and beating of the breast, and greater and warmer lamentation than we show over our dearest ones when they die. For just as there is no benefit for a king who is clothed in purple and has weapons, but has no subject, but lies exposed to all who wish to leap upon him and insult him; so too there will be no profit for a Christian who has faith and the gift from baptism, but lies exposed as a plaything to all the passions; but just as that king will gain nothing from this robe for his own honor, but will even insult it through his own shame—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":357,"ref":"p357","source":"οὕτω καὶ ὁ πιστὸς βίον διεφθαρμένον βιῶν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ αἰδέσιμος ἐντεῦθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως καταγέλαστος ἔσται. Μὴ τοίνυν καταισχύνωμεν ἡμῶν τὸν βίον, μηδὲ καταγέλαστον ζῶμεν ζωήν· μηδὲ μολύνωμεν τὸ σῶμα τῇ πορνείᾳ. Πῶς γὰρ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν εἰσελθεῖν δυνήσῃ μετὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰς\n\nπόρνας ὁμιλίαν; πῶς τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνατεῖναι, αἷς τὴν πόρνην περιελάμβανες; πῶς κινῆσαι γλῶτταν, καὶ τῷ στόματι εὔξασθαι τούτῳ, ᾧ τὴν πόρνην ἐφίλησας; ποίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ὄψει τῶν εἰς τοῦτο βλεπόντων σε φίλων τοὺς σεμνοτέρους; Καὶ τί λέγω τοὺς φίλους; κἂν γὰρ μηδεὶς ὁ συνειδὼς ᾖ, σὺ σαυτὸν ἀναγκασθήσῃ πρὸ πάντων ἐρυθριᾷν καὶ αἰσχύνεσθαι, καὶ πάντων μᾶλλον τὸ ἑαυτοῦ βδελύττεσθαι σῶμα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ βαλανεῖον μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τρέχεις ἐκείνην; οὐκ ἐπειδὴ βορβόρου παντὸς ἀκαθαρτότερον σαυτὸν εἶναι νομίζεις; Τίνα οὖν τὸν Θεὸν προσδοκᾷς ψῆφον οἴσειν, ὅταν ὁ πεπλημμεληκὼς σὺ τοιαύτην περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων γνώμην ἔχῃς; Εἰ μὲν οὖν σωματικὸς ὁ ῥύπος ἐστὶν, εἰκότως τοῖς τῶν βαλανείων καθαρσίοις ἑαυτὸν ἀποσμήχεις· ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν καταῤῥυπάνας ἀκάθαρτον ὅλην ἐποίησας, τοιοῦτον ζήτει καθάρσιον, ὃ τὴν ἐκείνης κηλῖδα ἀποσμῆξαι δυνήσεται· ὡς ἐὰν μὴ τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, κἂν ἁπάσας τῶν ποταμῶν διέλθωμεν τὰς πηγὰς, οὐδὲ μικρὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ταύτης ὑφελέσθαι δυνησόμεθα μέρος. Εἴ τις οἰκέτης εἰς κιβώτιον, ἔνθα τὰ δεσποτικὰ ἱμάτια ἀπέκειντο, ἱμάτιον δουλικὸν ῥύπου γέμον καὶ πολλῶν φθειρῶν ἐναπέθετο, ἆρα ἂν πράως ἤνεγκας τὴν ὕβριν, εἰπέ μοι;","english":"So too the faithful man who lives a corrupt life will not only be unworthy of respect on this account, but will be even more greatly ridiculed. Let us not, then, put our life to shame, nor live a life worthy of ridicule; nor let us defile the body with fornication. For how will you be able to enter the church after your intercourse with prostitutes? How will you raise your hands to heaven, the hands with which you embraced the prostitute? How will you move your tongue and pray with the mouth with which you kissed the prostitute? With what eyes will you look upon the more respectable of your friends who see you in this state? And why do I speak of friends? For even if no one is aware of it, you will be compelled before all to blush and be ashamed, and more than all to loathe your own body. For if this were not so, for what reason do you run to the bath after that sin? Is it not because you consider yourself more unclean than any mire? What verdict, then, do you expect God to bring, when you who have transgressed hold such an opinion about what has happened? If, then, the filth were bodily, you would reasonably cleanse yourself with the purifications of the baths; but since you have defiled your soul and made it wholly unclean, seek such a purification as will be able to wipe away its stain; for if we do not do this, even if we pass through all the springs of the rivers, we will not be able to remove even a small part of this sin. If a servant were to place in a chest where his master's garments were kept a slave's garment full of filth and many lice, would you have borne the insult gently, tell me?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":358,"ref":"p358","source":"Τί δὲ, εἴ τις εἰς ἀγγεῖον χρυσοῦν μύρα διηνεκῶς ἔχειν εἰωθὸς, κόπρον καὶ βόρβορον ἐνέχεεν, οὐκ ἂν καὶ πληγὰς ἐπέθηκας τῷ πλημμελήσαντι τοῦτο; Εἶτα κιβωτίων μὲν καὶ σκευῶν καὶ ἱματίων τοσαύτην ποιούμεθα τὴν πρόνοιαν, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν πρὸ πάντων τούτων εὐτελεστέραν εἶναι νομιοῦμεν; καὶ ἔνθα τὸ μύρον τὸ πνευματικὸν ἐξεχύθη, διαβολικὰς πομπὰς ἐμβαλοῦμεν, καὶ ἀκούσματα σατανικὰ καὶ ᾄσματα πορνείας γέμοντα; καὶ πῶς ταῦτα οἴσει ὁ Θεὸς, εἰπέ μοι; Ὅταν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκεῖ θεωρίας διαχυθῇς, καὶ σωφροσύνης ἁπάσης ἐχθρὸς γενόμενος, ἐπανελθὼν ἴδῃς τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀηδέστερον ὄψει πάντως οἵα ἂν ᾖ· ὑπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἀκολάστου θεωρίας ἁλοὺς, τὴν μὲν σώφρονα καὶ κοσμίαν καὶ τοῦ βίου παντὸς κοινωνὸν ἀτιμάζεις, ὑβρί ζεις, μυρίοις περιβάλλεις ὀνείδεσι πρὸς δὲ τὴν μιαρὰν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον κεχηνὼς ἐκείνην ἐπιθυμίαν, παρ' ἧς τὸ τραῦμα ἐδέξω, καὶ τὴν ἠχὴν τῆς φωνῆς ἔχων ἐγκαθημένην τῇ ψυχῇ ἔναυλον, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὸ βλέμμα καὶ τὰ κινήματα, καὶ πάντα τῆς πορνείας τὰ εἴδωλα, οὐδὲν μεθ' ἡδονῆς λοιπὸν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ὁρᾷς. Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ καρηβαρίᾳ καὶ μέθῃ κατεχόμενοι ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ περιφέρονται, κἂν βάραθρον καὶ κρημνὸς, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ὑποκείμενον ᾖ, καταπίπτουσιν ἀφυλάκτως· οὕτω καὶ οἱ πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὁρμήσαντες, καθάπερ μέθῃ δεινῇ τῇ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπιθυμίᾳ κατεχόμενοι, οὐκ ἴσασιν ὅπερ πράττουσιν, οὐ τῶν παρόντων, οὐ τῶν μελλόντων τι προορῶσιν. Καὶ γὰρ τοιοῦτον ἡ ἁμαρτία· μετὰ τὸ πραχθῆναι καὶ τελείως ἀπαρτισθῆναι, τότε τὰς ὠδῖνας ἐγείρει τῇ τεκούσῃ ψυχῇ, ἀπεναντίας τῶν νόμων τῆς ἡμετέρας γεννήσεως.","english":"But what if someone who was accustomed always to keep myrrh in a golden vessel should put dung and filth into it—would you not inflict blows on the one who did this wrong? Then do we take such great care for chests and vessels and garments, but consider our soul to be more worthless than all these? And where the spiritual myrrh has been poured out, shall we cast in devilish processions, and Satanic sounds and songs full of fornication? And how will God bear these things, tell me? For when you have been softened by the sight of that woman, and have become an enemy of all chastity, and having returned you see your wife, you will see her as altogether more unpleasant, whatever she may be; for having been captured by the licentious sight, you dishonor, you insult, you surround with countless reproaches the modest and orderly woman and the partner of your whole life; but gaping after that foul and unclean desire, from which you received the wound, and having the echo of her voice dwelling in your soul, and the form and the look and the movements, and all the images of fornication, you no longer see anything in your house with pleasure. For just as those possessed by drunkenness and intoxication are carried about simply and at random, and whether a pit or a precipice or anything at all lies beneath, they fall down unguarded; so too those who rush toward sin, possessed as if by a terrible drunkenness by the desire of sin, do not know what they are doing, nor do they foresee anything of the present or of the future. For such is sin: after it has been committed and completely accomplished, then it stirs up the pangs of childbirth in the soul that gave it birth, contrary to the laws of our own birth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":359,"ref":"p359","source":"Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὁμοῦ τεχθέντες τὰς ὠδῖνας λύομεν, ἐκείνη δὲ ὁμοῦ τεχθεῖσα διασπᾷ ταῖς ὀδύναις τοὺς τεκόντας αὐτὴν λογισμούς. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ πράττειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς μεθύοντες οὐχ οὕτως αἰσθανόμεθα· ἐπειδὰν δὲ γένηται καὶ λάβῃ τέλος, τότε δὴ μάλιστα τῆς ἡδονῆς σβεσθείσης ἁπάσης, τὸ πικρὸν τῆς μετανοίας ἐπεισέρχεται κέντρον· καὶ ἐν τῷ γίνεσθαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ πρὶν γενέσθαι καὶ μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι σφοδρὸς ἐφέστηκε τὸ συνειδὸς ἡμῶν κατήγορος. Τοιοῦτον τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἔθος ἐστί· πάντα ὑποπτεύουσι, τὰς σκιὰς τρέμουσι, πάντα ψόφον δεδοίκασι, καὶ ἕκαστον ἐπ' αὐτοὺς βαδίζειν νομίζουσι· πολλοὺς γὰρ πολλάκις εἶδον ἐφ' ἑτέραν τρέχοντας διακονίαν, καὶ ἐνόμισαν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἥκειν. Καὶ ἄλλα ἄλλων πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαλεγομένων, οἱ συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς ἁμαρτίαν, περὶ αὐτῶν ἐκείνους διαλέγεσθαι νομίζουσι. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτία· οὐδενὸς ἐλέγχοντος προδίδωσιν, οὐδενὸς κατηγοροῦντος καταδικάζει, καὶ ψοφοδεῆ ποιεῖ καὶ δειλὸν τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα· ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ δικαιοσύνη τοὐναντίον. Ἄκουσον καὶ τούτου τὴν δειλίαν, καὶ τοῦ δικαίου τὴν παῤῥησίαν· Φεύγει ὁ ἀσεβὴς, φησὶ, μηδενὸς διώκοντος. Πῶς οὐδενὸς διώκοντος","english":"For we, as soon as we are born, bring the pangs to an end, but she, as soon as she is born, tears apart with pangs the very thoughts that gave her birth. For while we are committing sin, drunk with pleasure, we do not perceive it so; but when it has come to pass and reached its end, then especially, when all pleasure has been quenched, the bitter sting of repentance steals in; and in the very doing of sin, both before it happens and after it has happened, our conscience stands over us as a vehement accuser. Such is the habit of those who sin: they suspect everything, they tremble at shadows, they fear every sound, and they think that everyone is walking toward them; for often they have seen many running on some other errand, and supposed that they were coming for them. And when others are conversing with one another about various matters, those who are conscious of sin in themselves think that they are talking about them. For such is sin: with no one exposing it, it betrays; with no one accusing, it condemns, and it makes the one who has sinned fearful of noise and cowardly—just as righteousness, on the contrary, does the opposite. Hear the cowardice of the latter and the boldness of the righteous man: The ungodly man flees, it says, when no one is pursuing. How, when no one is pursuing","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":360,"ref":"p360","source":"φεύγει; Ἔνδον ἔχει τὸν ἐλαύνοντα, τὸν τοῦ συνειδότος κατήγορον, καὶ τοῦτον πανταχοῦ περιφέρει· καὶ καθάπερ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἂν δυνηθείη φεύγειν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸν ἔνδον αὐτὸν ἐλαύνοντα. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ δίκαιος οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Δίκαιος ὡς λέων πέποιθε. Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ Ἠλίας· εἶδεν οὖν τὸν βασιλέα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐρχόμενον, καὶ εἰπόντος ἐκείνου, Ἵνα τί διαστρέφεις τὸν Ἰσραήλ; Οὐκ ἐγὼ, φησὶ, διαστρέφω, ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου. Ἀληθῶς δίκαιος ὡς λέων πέποιθε. Καθάπερ γὰρ λέων κυνιδίου τινὸς εὐτελοῦς, οὕτω κατεξανέστη τοῦ βασιλέως. Καίτοι πορφυρίδα εἶχεν ἐκεῖνος· ἀλλ' εἶχε μηλωτὴν οὗτος τῆς πορφυρίδος ἐκείνης σεμνοτέραν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ πορφυρὶς ἐκείνη τὸν λιμὸν ἔτεκε τὸν χαλεπόν· ἡ μηλωτὴ δὲ αὕτη τὰ δεινὰ ἔλυσεν, αὕτη τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἔσχισεν, αὕτη τὸν Ἑλισσαῖον διπλοῦν Ἠλίαν ἐποίησεν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖνἀκαθάρτους ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι νομίζουσιν οἱ τῇ πορνείᾳ ἐγκυλινδούμενοι, σφόδρα ἐπαινῶ καὶ ἀποδέχομαι· ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν προσήκοντα τῶν καθαρσίων ἔρχονται τρόπον, ἐγκαλῶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ μέμφομαι. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἄμεινον, μηδὲ πεῖραν λαβεῖν τῆς μυσαρᾶς ταύτης ἁμαρτίας· εἰ δ' ἄρα τις ὑποσκελισθῇ ποτε, τοιαῦτα ἐπιτιθέτω τὰ φάρμακα πρότερον, ὑποσχόμενος, μηκέτι τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν, οἷα τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας φύσιν ἐναποσμήχειν δύνανται· ὡς, ἐὰν ἁμαρτάνοντες καταγινώσκωμεν τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων, πάλιν δὲ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιχειρῶμεν, οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἡμῖν ἔσται τῶν καθαρσίων.","english":"Does he flee? He has the driver within him, the accuser of conscience, and he carries this everywhere; and just as he could not flee from himself, so neither could he flee from the one who drives him from within. But the righteous man is not like this, but how? The righteous man is confident as a lion. Such was Elijah; he saw the king coming toward him, and when that man said, \"Why do you pervert Israel?\" he says, \"It is not I who pervert, but you and your father's house.\" Truly the righteous man is confident as a lion. For just as a lion against some worthless little dog, so he rose up against the king. And yet that man had a purple robe; but this man had a sheepskin more venerable than that purple robe. For that purple robe gave birth to the grievous famine; but this sheepskin loosed the terrors, this split the Jordan, this made Elisha a double Elijah. That those who wallow in fornication consider themselves unclean, I praise and accept exceedingly; but that they do not come to the proper manner of purifications, for this I accuse and blame them. The better course, then, is not even to experience this abominable sin; but if anyone ever is tripped up, let him apply such medicines first, promising no longer to fall into the same things, as are able to wash away the nature of sin; since, if while sinning we condemn what has already happened, but again attempt the same things, there will be no benefit to us from the purifications.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":361,"ref":"p361","source":"Ὁ γὰρ ἀπολουόμενος, καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ πάλιν ἐγκυλινδούμενος βορβόρῳ, καὶ ὁ καθαιρῶν πάλιν ὅπερ ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ οἰκοδομῶν πάλιν ἵνα καθέλῃ, οὐδὲν κερδαίνει πλέον, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ περιττὰ πονεῖσθαι καὶ ταλαιπωρεῖν. Ἐὰν γὰρ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἁμαρτάνωμεν καὶ παίωμεν τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν, μηδέποτε δὲ αἰσθανώμεθα, καθάπερ οἱ συνεχῆ τραύματα λαμβάνοντες, εἶτα καταφρονοῦντες, πυρετοὺς καὶ θανάτους ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισπῶνται, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τῆς συνεχοῦς ταύτης ἀναισθησίας ἀπαραίτητον ἐπισπασώμεθα τὴν τιμωρίαν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀπόλλυσιν ἄνθρωπον, ὡς τὸ τοῦ φόβου ἐκπεσεῖν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὥσπερ οὐδὲ σώζει, ὡς τὸ διηνεκῶς βλέπειν ἐκεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωπον ἔχοντες πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ὀκνηρότεροι γινόμεθα περὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα πολλάκις, καὶ οἰκέτας ἐρυθριάσαντες ἐπιεικεστέρους, οὐδὲν πράττομεν ἄτοπον, ἐννόησον πόσης ἀπολαυσόμεθα ἀσφαλείας τὸν Θεὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχοντες. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἄμεινον τὸ μηδὲ ὅλως ἁμαρτάνειν· τὸ δὲ μετ' ἐκεῖνο, ἁμαρτάνοντας αἰσθάνεσθαι καὶ διορθοῦσθαι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ἔχοιμεν, πῶς δεησόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἄφεσιν αἰτήσομεν ἁμαρτημάτων, οἱ μηδένα λόγον τούτων ποιούμενοι; Ὅταν γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ πεπλημμεληκὼς, μηδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἥμαρτες, εἰδέναι θέλῃς, ὑπὲρ ποίων παρακαλέσεις τὸν Θεὸν πλημμελημάτων; ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐκ οἶδας; καὶ πῶς εἴσῃ τῆς εὐεργεσίας τὸ μέγεθος; Δεινὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ αἰσχρὰ πράττειν, τὸ δὲ πράττοντα αἰσχύνεσθαι, ἐξ ἡμισείας ἐστὶ δεινόν· ὅταν δέ τις καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζηται τοῦτο, ὑπερβολὴ ἀναισθησίας ἐστίν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μετὰ τὸ πλημμελεῖν καταγινώσκων τῆς ἁμαρτίας, χρόνῳ ποτὲ δυνήσεται ἀνακτήσασθαι·","english":"For the one who washes himself and then rolls again in the same mire, and the one who tears down again what he built, and builds again in order to tear it down, gains nothing more than to labor and toil in vain. For if we sin every day and strike our own soul, yet never perceive it, just as those who receive continual wounds and then disregard them draw upon themselves fevers and death, so too let us, from this continual insensibility, draw upon ourselves inexorable punishment. For nothing destroys a man so much as to fall away from the fear of God, just as nothing saves him as much as to keep that fear continually before his eyes. For if, having a man before our eyes, we often become more sluggish in our sins, and, ashamed before servants, we do nothing improper, consider how great a security we shall enjoy when we have God before our eyes. The better course, then, is not to sin at all; but next after that, to perceive when we sin and to correct it. But if we do not have this, how shall we entreat God and ask forgiveness of sins, we who make no account of them? For when you yourself who have transgressed do not even wish to know this very thing, that you have sinned, for what transgressions will you entreat God? For those you do not know? And how will you know the greatness of the benefit? For it is a terrible thing to do shameful deeds, but for one who does them to be ashamed is only half as terrible; but when someone even takes pride in this, it is an excess of insensibility. For the one who, after transgressing, condemns his sin, will at some time be able to recover.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":362,"ref":"p362","source":"ὁ δὲ ἐπαινῶν τὴν πονηρίαν, τῆς ἐκ τοῦ μετανοῆσαι θεραπείας ἑαυτὸν ἀπεστέρησεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐχ οἱ τὰ φαῦλα πράττοντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τούτους ἐγκωμιάζοντες, τῆς αὐτῆς ἢ καὶ χαλεπωτέρας ἐκείνοις κοινωνοῦσι κολάσεως· οὕτως οἱ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἐπαινοῦντες καὶ θαυμάζοντες, συμμερισταὶ τῶν ἐκείνοις ἀποκειμένων στεφάνων εἰσί. Μὴ οὖν, διότι οὐκ ἀλγεῖς ἁμαρτάνων, καταφρόνει τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ διὰ μὲν τοῦτο αὐτὸ μάλιστα στέναξον, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ τῆς τῶν πλημμελημάτων ὀδύνης. Οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τὸ μὴ δάκνειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦτο γίνεται, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ ἀναίσθητον εἶναι τὴν πλημμελοῦσαν ψυχήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων ἁμαρτήμασιν ὁ μὴ ἀλγῶν κατηγορίας ἄξιός ἐστιν, ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἀναλγήτως διακείμενος καὶ ἀμελῶν, ποίας ἂν εἴη συγγνώμης ἄξιος. Εἰ ὁ Παῦλος τὸ οἰκεῖον παρορᾷ συμφέρον, ἵνα τὸ τῶν ἄλλων εὕρῃ, πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν ἄξιοι κολάσεως, μηδὲ τῆς οἰκείας ἀποστῆναι βλάβης\n\nαἱρούμενοι ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ ἑτέρων συμφέρον εὑρεῖν, ἀλλ' ἡδέως μεθ' ἑαυτῶν καὶ ἑτέρους προσαπολλύντες, παρὸν καὶ ἑτέρους καὶ ἑαυτοὺς διασῶσαι. Διὰ τοῦτο πτερὰ τοῖς στρουθίοις, ἵνα φύγῃ παγίδα· διὰ τοῦτο λογισμοὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἵνα ἐκφύγωσιν ἁμαρτήματα. Ἀλλ' ἀγνοεῖν λέγεις σὺ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα; Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ νόμους γράφεις καὶ τιμωρίας ὁρίζεις καὶ ἀκριβὴς εἶ δικαστὴς, ποίαν ἂν σχοίης ἀπολογίαν ἐν οἷς αὐτὸς ἁμαρτάνεις, λέγων ἀγνοεῖν τὰ πρακτέα; Ἐμοίχευσας καὶ σὺ κἀκεῖνος· τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐκεῖνον μὲν κολάζεις, σαυτὸν δὲ συγγνώμης ἀξιοῖς;","english":"But the one who praises wickedness has deprived himself of the healing that comes from repentance. Just as not only those who do evil things, but also those who praise them, share in the same—or even a harsher—punishment as they do, so those who praise and admire the good are partakers of the crowns laid up for them. Do not, then, because you feel no pain when you sin, despise your sin, but for this very reason above all groan, because you do not perceive the pain of your transgressions. For this does not happen because sin does not bite, but because the soul that transgresses is insensible. For if the one who feels no pain over the sins of others is worthy of accusation, the one who is indifferent and careless about his own sins—of what forgiveness would he be worthy? If Paul disregarded his own advantage in order to find that of others, of how much punishment would we not be worthy, who do not even choose to depart from our own harm for the sake of finding the advantage of others, but gladly destroy others along with ourselves, when it is possible to save both others and ourselves. This is why sparrows have wings, so that they may escape the snare; this is why human beings have reason, so that they may flee from sins. But you say you do not know your sins? And how could this be reasonable? For if in the sins of others you write laws and define penalties and are an exact judge, what defense could you have in the sins you yourself commit, saying that you do not know what ought to be done? You committed adultery, and so did he; for what reason, then, do you punish him but deem yourself worthy of forgiveness?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":363,"ref":"p363","source":"Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ᾔδεις κακὸν τὴν μοιχείαν, οὐδὲ ἕτερον τιμωρεῖσθαι ἔδει· εἰ δὲ ἕτερον μὲν κολάζεις, σὺ δὲ νομίζεις διαφεύγειν τὴν κόλασιν, πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον, τῶν αὐτῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μὴ τὰς αὐτὰς διδόναι δίκας; Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς ψήφου, φησὶν, ἧς ἐνέγκῃς καθ' ἑτέρου, ἀπὸ ταύτης σε κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός. Καὶ ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Λογίζῃ τοῦτο, ἄνθρωπε, ὁ κρίνων τοὺς κακῶς πράσσοντας, καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὰ, ὅτι σὺ ἐκφεύξῃ τὸ κρίμα τοῦ Θεοῦ; Τὸ σὸν οὐκ ἐξέφυγες κρίμα, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ διαφεύξῃ; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; Οὐ γάρ ἐστι ταὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνειν ἁπλῶς, καὶ ἕτερον ἁμαρτόντα καὶ κολάσαντα, τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν πάλιν. Εἰ γὰρ σὺ τὸν ἐλάττονα ἁμαρτόντα κολάζεις, καίτοι γε μέλλων αἰσχύνειν σαυτὸν, πῶς ὁ Θεὸς τὸν μείζονα πλημμελήσαντά σε, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ μέλλων ἑαυτὸν αἰσχύνειν, οὐ καταδικάσει καὶ κατακρινεῖ μειζόνως, ἤδη κατακεκριμένον ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν; Εἰ δὲ λέγεις ὅτι Οἶδα μὲν ὅτι ἄξιός εἰμι κολάσεως, διὰ δὲ τὴν μακροθυμίαν καταφρονεῖς, καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ δοῦναι παρὰ πόδας δίκην θαῤῥεῖς· δεδοικέναι μὲν οὖν καὶ τρέμειν διὰ τοῦτο ἂν εἴης δίκαιος. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ δοῦναι χαλεπωτέραν, εἰ μένοις ἀδιόρθωτος ὢν, τὸ μήπου δοῦναι, συμβήσεταί σοι. Καὶ γὰρ, ἂν μέγα τις ἁμάρτῃ, λαθὼν δὲ τοῦτο ἐργάσηται, καὶ μηδένα σκανδαλίσῃ, ἐλάττονα δώσει δίκην τοῦ καταδεέστερα μὲν ἡμαρτηκότος, μετὰ παῤῥησίας δὲ καὶ τοὺς πολλοὺς σκανδαλίσαντος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εὐτελὴς καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος, κἂν ὑποσκελισθῇ καὶ καταπέσῃ, οὐ τοσαύτην τῷ κοινῷ φέρει βλάβην·","english":"For if you knew that adultery is evil, you ought not to have punished another either; but if you punish another, and you think you will escape punishment, how can that be reasonable—that for the same sins the same penalties are not exacted? For from the sentence, it says, which you pass against another, from that same sentence God will judge you. And hear Paul saying: Do you think this, O man, who judges those who do evil and does the same things, that you will escape the judgment of God? You have not escaped your own judgment, and will you escape God's? And how can this be reasonable? For it is not the same thing simply to sin, and for one who has sinned and then punished another to fall again into the same sins. For if you punish the lesser sinner, though you are about to put yourself to shame, how will God not condemn and judge you more severely when you have committed the greater offense—and that though he is not about to put himself to shame—since you have already been condemned by your own reasonings? But if you say, I know that I am worthy of punishment, but because of his longsuffering you despise him, and because he does not give judgment on the spot you are confident—then for this very reason you ought to fear and tremble. For the delay in giving judgment will result not in your not being punished, but in your being punished more severely, if you remain uncorrected. For even if someone commits a great sin, but does it secretly and scandalizes no one, he will receive a lesser penalty than one who has sinned in lesser matters but with boldness and has scandalized the many. For the lowly and outcast man, even if he is tripped up and falls, brings no such great harm to the community;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":364,"ref":"p364","source":"ὁ δὲ ὥσπερ ὕψει τινὶ τῇ τῆς ἀρετῆς κορυφῇ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιφανείας ἑστὼς, καὶ πᾶσι γνώριμος καὶ δῆλος ὢν, καὶ παρὰ πάντων θαυμαζόμενος, ὅταν ἐπηρεασθεὶς καταπέσῃ, μεγάλην τὴν πτῶσιν καὶ ζημίαν ἐργάζεται, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον ἐξ ὕψους κατέπεσεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πολλοὺς ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ἐποίησε τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν βλεπόντων. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐν σώματι, μέλους μὲν ἑτέρου διαφθαρέντος, οὐ πολλὴ ἡ βλάβη· τῶν δὲ ὀφθαλμῶν πηρωθέντων, ἢ τῆς κεφαλῆς βλαβείσης, ὅλον τὸ σῶμα ἄχρηστον γίνεται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πολλὰ κατορθωκότων ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅταν ἐκεῖνοι σβεσθῶσιν, ὅταν κηλῖδά τινα προστρίψωνται, ὁλόκληρον καὶ ἀφόρητον τῷ λοιπῷ σώματι τὴν βλάβην φέρουσι. Μὴ τοίνυν φοβηθῇς ἐπιβουλὴν δικαστοῦ, ἀλλὰ φοβήθητι ἁμαρτίας δύναμιν. Ἅνθρωπός σε οὐ βλάπτει, ἐὰν μὴ σὺ σεαυτὸν βλάψῃς. Κἂν μὴ ἔχῃς ἁμαρτίαν, κἂν μυρία ξίφη ἐπίκεινται, ἐξελεῖταί σε ὁ Θεός· ἐὰν ἔχῃς ἁμαρτίαν, κἂν ἐν παραδείσῳ ᾖς, ἐκπίπτεις. Ἐν παραδείσῳ ἦν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, καὶ ἔπεσεν· ἐν κοπρίᾳ ἦν ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ ἐστεφανώθη. Τί ὠφέλησεν ἐκεῖνον ὁ παράδεισος τί ἔβλαψε τοῦτον ἡ κοπρία; Ἐκείνῳ οὐδεὶς ἐπεβούλευσε, καὶ ὑπεσκελίσθη· τούτῳ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἐστεφανώθη. Οὐ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ ἔλαβεν; ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐσύλησεν. Οὐ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ ἥρπασεν; ἀλλὰ τὴν πίστιν οὐκ ἐσάλευσεν. Οὐ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ διέῤῥηξεν; ἀλλὰ τὸν θησαυρὸν οὐκ εὗρε. Τοῦτόν μοι τὸν νόμον τηρήσατε, παρακαλῶ καὶ γονάτων ὑμῶν ἅπτομαι, εἰ μὴ καὶ τῇ χειρὶ, ἀλλὰ τῇ γνώμῃ, καὶ δάκρυα ἐκχέω· τοῦτόν μοι τὸν νόμον τηρήσατε, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὑμᾶς οὐδέπω ἀδικῆσαι δυνήσεται.","english":"But he, standing as if on a height, on the very summit of virtue, with great splendor, and being known and manifest to all, and admired by all, when he is assailed and falls, makes his fall and loss great—not only because he has fallen from a height, but because he has also made many of those who look to him more careless. And just as in a body, when one of the other members is corrupted, the harm is not great; but when the eyes are blinded, or the head is injured, the whole body becomes useless—so indeed it is also with those who have accomplished many things: when they are extinguished, when they contract some stain, they bring a harm that is complete and unbearable to the rest of the body. Do not, then, fear the plot of a judge, but fear the power of sin. A man does you no harm, unless you harm yourself. And if you have no sin, even if ten thousand swords are set against you, God will deliver you; if you have sin, even if you are in paradise, you fall. Adam was in paradise, and he fell; Job was on a dung heap, and he was crowned. What did paradise profit that one? What did the dung heap harm this one? No one plotted against that one, and he was tripped up; the devil plotted against this one, and he was crowned. Did he not take his wealth? But he did not plunder his piety. Did he not snatch away his children? But he did not shake his faith. Did he not tear his body? But he did not find the treasure. Keep this law for me, I beseech you, and I touch your knees—if not with my hand, yet with my intent—and I pour out tears: keep this law for me, and no one will ever be able to wrong you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":365,"ref":"p365","source":"Εἴδετε τὸν προφήτην καὶ βασιλέα, τὸν Δαυῒδ λέγω, πολεμοῦντα, πίπτοντα, ἐγειρόμενον καὶ νικῶντα; εἴδετε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐπικειμένην, καὶ σφαζομένην διὰ τῆς μετανοίας; Βλέπετε αὐτὸν καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν, μετὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν παῤῥησίαν, μετὰ κατορθωμάτων πλῆθος, μετὰ τρόπαια τοσαῦτα ἀνακηρύττοντα καὶ λέγοντα·\n\nἘλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου. Εἶπες μέγα, εἰπὲ πόσον· ὅτι μέγα οἶδα, μετρῆσαι δὲ ἢ καταλαβεῖν οὐ δύναμαι· ἐπὶ τὸ πέλαγος ἐμαυτὸν ἥπλωσα τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου μου φιλανθρωπίας. Καὶ τί λέγεις; εἰπέ μοι. Ἤκουσας τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, Καὶ Κύριος ἀφεῖλε τὸ ἁμάρτημά σου. Τί πλέον ζητεῖς; Οὐ τοῦτο ζητῶ μόνον, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ κάλλος μου ζητῶ, τὴν παῤῥησίαν μου ζητῶ· Ἐπὶ πλεῖον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου. Ὁρᾷς τί ζητεῖ; καὶ ἔτι πλείονα ζητεῖ λαμπηδόνα καὶ μείζονα καθαρότητα. Καὶ τί δίδως, ὦ Δαυῒδ, ὅτι ταῦτα ζητεῖς; Τί δίδωμι; ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω. Τοῦτο δίδως; καὶ τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος μὴ ἐπιγινώσκων αὑτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν; Ναὶ, φησὶ, πόσοι εἰσὶν ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ παῤῥησιαζόμενοι; πόσοι θλίβουσι τοὺς πλησίον καὶ οὐ πενθοῦσιν; ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου γινώσκω, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστι διαπαντός. Ὢ εὐγένεια ψυχῆς· οὐ παρέδωκε τῇ λήθῃ τὴν μνήμην τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγχωρηθεῖσαν αὐτὴν ἔγραψε καθάπερ ἐν εἰκόνι τῷ συνειδότι· καὶ βλέπε τί γίνεται. Ἐὰν σὺ αὐτῆς μνημονεύσῃς, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῆς οὐ μνημονεύει· ἐὰν δὲ σὺ ἐπιλάθῃς, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῆς μέμνηται. Ἐποίησάς τι κακόν; μνήσθητι, ἵνα ὁ Δεσπότης σου αὐτοῦ ἐπιλάθηται. Ἐποίησας ἀγαθόν τι;","english":"Did you see the prophet and king—I mean David—warring, falling, rising, and conquering? Did you see sin lying upon him, and slain through repentance? Do you see him even after the grace of the Spirit, after his boldness toward God, after a multitude of right actions, after so many trophies, proclaiming and saying: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy. You said \"great\"; say how great—for I know it is great, but I cannot measure or comprehend it. I have stretched myself out upon the sea of my Master's love for humanity. And what are you saying? Tell me. You heard the prophet saying, And the Lord has taken away your sin. What more do you seek? It is not only this that I seek, he says, but I seek my beauty, I seek my boldness: Wash me more thoroughly from my lawlessness. Do you see what he seeks? And he seeks still a greater radiance and a greater purity. And what do you give, O David, that you seek these things? What do I give? That I know my lawlessness. Is this what you give? And who is the man who does not know his own sin? Yes, he says, how many are there who sin and are bold, how many who oppress their neighbors and do not mourn? But I know my lawlessness, and my sin is before me continually. O nobility of soul! He did not hand over the memory of his sin to forgetfulness, but even when it was forgiven he wrote it down as in an image on his conscience; and see what happens. If you remember it, God does not remember it; but if you forget it, God remembers it. Have you done something evil? Remember it, so that your Master may forget it. Have you done something good?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":366,"ref":"p366","source":"λάνθανε, ἵνα ὁ Δεσπότης σου αὐτὸ εἴπῃ· οὐ γὰρ οὕτω σὺ λέγεις τὰ κατορθώματά σου, ὡς ἐκεῖνος· καὶ πῶς, ἄκουε, Ἐὰν δῷς πτωχῷ, ἐρωτώμενος λέγεις, Εἶδον πτωχὸν πεινῶντα, καὶ ἔθρεψα αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ Δεσπότης σου οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Πεινῶντά με εἴδετε καὶ ἐθρέψατε. Ἐπειδὰν οὖν ἁμάρτῃς, μὴ τὴν παρ' ἑτέρου κατηγορίαν ἀνάμενε, ἀλλὰ πρὶν ἢ κατηγορηθῇς σὺ, καταγίνωσκε τῶν δρωμένων· ὡς ἐὰν ἕτερος ἐλέγξῃ, λοιπὸν οὐκέτι τῆς σῆς ἐξομολογήσεως τὸ κατόρθωμα γίνεται, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνου κατηγορίας ἡ διόρθωσις. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐξομολογεῖσθαι, τὸ κατηγορεῖν ἑαυτοῦ μετὰ τοὺς ἐλέγχους, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρῶτον ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖν, καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀναμένειν τοὺς παρ' ἑτέρων ἐλέγχους. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Πέτρος μετὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν ἐκείνην τὴν χαλεπὴν, ἐπειδὴ ταχέως ἑαυτὸν ἀνέμνησε τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ μηδενὸς κατηγοροῦντος, καὶ τὴν πλημμέλειαν ἔλεγε, καὶ πικρῶς ἔκλαυσεν, οὕτω τὴν ἄρνησιν ἀπενίψατο, ὡς καὶ πρῶτος γενέσθαι τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐγχειρισθῆναι ἅπασαν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἁμαρτίας λύειν ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν ὁ ἱερεὺς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰς εἰς ἄνθρωπον γινομένας ἀνελεῖν καὶ ἀφανίσαι δυνήσεται. Ἄρχων ἐστὶ καὶ οὗτος, καὶ ἄρχων τοῦ βασιλέως σεμνότερος. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλικὴν κεφαλὴν οἱ ἱεροὶ νόμοι ταῖς τούτου χερσὶ φέροντες ὑπέταξαν· καὶ ὅταν τι δέοι χρηστὸν γενέσθαι ἄνωθεν, ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα, οὐχ ὁ ἱερεὺς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καταφεύγειν εἴωθε.","english":"Keep it hidden, so that your Master may say it himself; for you do not speak your own good deeds as he does. And how? Listen: If you give to a poor man, when asked you say, \"I saw a poor man hungry, and I fed him\"; but your Master does not speak so, but how? \"I was hungry and you fed me.\" Therefore, whenever you sin, do not wait for another's accusation, but before you are accused, condemn what has been done; for if another reproves you, the achievement is no longer of your own confession, but the correction is of that one's accusation. For it is not this that is to confess—to accuse oneself after reproofs—but to accuse oneself first, and not to wait for reproofs from others. For indeed Peter too, after that grievous denial, since he quickly reminded himself of his sin, and with no one accusing him, both spoke of his transgression and wept bitterly, and so washed away the denial, so as even to become first of the apostles and to be entrusted with the whole inhabited world. For if the priest has received authority to loose sins against God, much more will he be able to abolish and wipe out those committed against man. He too is a ruler, and a ruler more august than the king. For the sacred laws, bearing the royal head itself in his hands, have subjected it to him; and whenever something good must come from above, the king is accustomed to flee to the priest, not the priest to the king.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":367,"ref":"p367","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀγγέλους ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταγαγὼν ὁ Θεὸς τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσεως διδασκάλους ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὑπερέχον καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας τὴν ἄγνοιαν ἀφειδέστερον ποιῶνται τὰς καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιτιμήσεις· ἀλλ' ἀνθρώπους θνητοὺς ἔδωκε διδασκάλους καὶ ἱερέας, ἀνθρώπους ἀσθένειαν περικειμένους, ἵνα αὐτὸ τοῦτο τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὑπεύθυνον εἶναι καὶ τὸν λέγοντα καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας, χαλινὸς γένηται τῇ τοῦ λέγοντος γλώττῃ μὴ συγχωρῶν πέρα τοῦ μέτρου ποιεῖσθαι τὰς κατηγορίας. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ταῦτα εἶπον; Ἵνα μὴ λέγητε. ὅτι Σὺ καθαρὸς ὢν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀπηλλαγμένος τῆς ὀδύνης τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐπιφέρεις ἡμῖν βαρυτέραν τὴν τομήν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ πρότερος αἰσθάνομαι τῆς ὀδύνης, ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπεύθυνός εἰμι τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι· Πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐν ἐπιτιμίοις, καὶ οὐδεὶς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν. Ὥστε οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις φιλοσοφῶν κακοῖς, οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀπανθρωπίας τινὸς, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ κηδεμονίας πολλῆς τοὺς ἐλέγχους ποιοῦμαι. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν τὰ σώματα ἰατρευόντων, ὁ μὲν ἐπάγων τὴν πληγὴν οὐδεμίαν λαμβάνει τῆς πληγῆς αἴσθησιν, ὁ δὲ τεμνόμενος οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ διασπώμενος ταῖς ἀλγηδόσι μόνος· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ψυχὰς θεραπευόντων οὐχ οὕτως· εἰ μήτι γε σφάλλομαι ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ τὰ τῶν λοιπῶν δοκιμάζων· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς πρότερος ὀδυνᾶται ὁ λέγων, ἡνίκα ἂν ἑτέροις","english":"For this reason God did not bring down angels from the heavens and make them teachers of human nature, lest, because of the superiority of their nature and their freedom from human weakness, they should make their rebukes against us more relentlessly through ignorance; but he gave mortal men as teachers and priests, men clothed with weakness, so that this very fact—that both the speaker and the hearers are liable to the same things—might become a bridle on the speaker's tongue, not permitting him to make accusations beyond measure. And for what reason have I said these things? So that you may not say, \"You, being pure from sins and free from the pain that comes with rebuke, bring a heavier incision upon us with great authority.\" For I am the first to feel the pain, since I too am liable to sins; for we are all under rebuke, and no one will boast that he has a pure heart. So it is not by philosophizing over others' evils, nor out of any inhumanity, but out of great care that I make these reproofs. For in the case of those who heal bodies, the one who inflicts the blow receives no sensation of the blow, and the one being cut is the only one torn apart by pains; but in the case of those who heal souls it is not so—unless perhaps I am mistaken, judging the affairs of others from my own—but the speaker himself feels pain first, whenever to others","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":368,"ref":"p368","source":"ἐπιτιμᾷ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἐλεγχόμενοι παρ' ἑτέρων ἀλγοῦμεν, ὡς ἐλέγχοντες ἑτέρους ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων ὧν ἐσμεν ὑπεύθυνοι. Βούλεσθε μαθεῖν ὅσον κατόρθωμα τὸ τῶν οἰκείων μεμνῆσθαι ἁμαρτημάτων; ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν χρημάτων δαπάνης εὐθέως ἀναστάντες ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης, πρὶν εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβαλεῖν, ἢ μεταχειρίσαι τι τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν ἢ δημοσίων πραγμάτων, τὸν οἰκέτην καλέσαντες ἀπαιτοῦμεν τὸν λόγον τῶν δαπανηθέντων, ἵνα ἴδωμεν, τί μὲν κακῶς, τί δὲ εἰς δέον ἀνήλωται, πόσον δὲ ὑπολέλειπται· κἂν ἴδωμεν ὀλίγον τὸ ὑπολελειμμένον, παντὶ τρόπῳ προσόδων ἀφορμὰς ἐπινοοῦμεν, ἵνα μὴ λάθωμεν διαφθαρέντες λιμῷ. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πράξεων τῶν ἡμετέρων ποιῶμεν, τὸ συνειδὸς τὸ ἡμέτερον κολάσαντες, ποιήσωμεν αὐτῷ λόγον τῶν ῥημάτων, τῶν πραγμάτων, τῶν ἐνθυμήσεων, ἐξετάσωμεν τί μὲν εἰς δέον ἠνήλωται, τί δὲ ἐπὶ βλάβῃ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ· ποῖος λόγος ἐδαπανήθη κακῶς, εἰς λοιδορίας, εἰς αἰσχρολογίας, εἰς ὕβρεις· ποῖον ἐνθύμημα τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς ἀκολασίαν ἐκίνησε· τίς λόγος ἐπὶ βλάβῃ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ εἰς ἔργον ἐξηνέχθη, ἢ διὰ χειρῶν, ἢ διὰ γλώττης, ἢ διὰ τῶν ὀμμάτων αὐτῶν· καὶ σπουδάσωμεν τῆς μὲν ἀκαίρου δαπάνης ἀποστῆναι, ἀντὶ δὲ τῶν ἅπαξ ἀναλωθέντων κακῶς, ἑτέραν ἀποθέσθαι πρόσοδον, ἀντὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν εἰκῆ προσενεχθέντων εὐχὰς, ἀντὶ τῶν ὄψεων τῶν ἀκολάστως γενομένων ἐλεημοσύνας, νηστείας. Εἰ γὰρ μέλλοιμεν δαπανᾷν μὲν ἀκαίρως, μηδὲν δὲ ἀποτίθεσθαι μηδὲ θησαυρίζειν ἑαυτοῖς ἀγαθὸν, εἰς ἐσχάτην κατενεχθέντες πενίαν, λήσομεν πρὸς τὴν ἀθάνατον τοῦ πυρὸς ἑαυτοὺς παραπέμποντες κόλασιν.","english":"he rebukes. For we are not so pained when we are reproved by others as when we reprove others for sins of which we ourselves are guilty. Do you wish to learn how great a virtue it is to remember one's own sins? In the matter of spending money, as soon as we rise from bed, before we go out into the marketplace or take up any private or public business, we call our steward and demand an account of what has been spent, so that we may see what has been spent badly and what properly, and how much remains; and if we see that little remains, we devise in every way sources of income, so that we may not be ruined by hunger without noticing it. Let us do this, then, also with our own actions: having disciplined our conscience, let us make it give an account of our words, our deeds, our thoughts; let us examine what has been spent properly and what to our own harm; what speech has been spent badly, on insults, on foul language, on outrages; what thought has stirred the eye to licentiousness; what word has been carried into action to our own harm, whether through the hands, or through the tongue, or through the eyes themselves; and let us strive to abstain from unseasonable expenditure, and instead of what has once been spent badly, to lay up another source of income—instead of words uttered in vain, prayers; instead of licentious looks, almsgiving and fastings. For if we are going to spend unseasonably and lay up nothing and store up no good for ourselves, having been brought down to the utmost poverty, we shall without noticing it send ourselves on to the immortal punishment of fire.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":369,"ref":"p369","source":"Πόσον τοίνυν βέλτιον, πρόσκαιρον κατάνυξιν καὶ ὀδυρμὸν ἀθανάτων ἀλλάξασθαι καλῶν καὶ ἡδονῆς τέλος οὐκ ἐχούσης, ἢ τὸν βραχὺν τοῦτον καὶ πρόσκαιρον βίον ἐνταῦθα γελάσαντας ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖ κολασθησομένους ἀθάνατα; Εἰ γὰρ Παῦλος, ὁ τοσοῦτος καὶ τηλικοῦτος, ὁ καθάπερ ὑπόπτερος τὴν οἰκουμένην διαδραμὼν ἅπασαν, καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν ἀναγκῶν ἀνώτερος γεγονὼς, καὶ τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ἐκείνων ῥημάτων ἀκοῦσαι καταξιωθεὶς, ὧν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἤκουσε, γράφων ἔλεγεν· Ὑπωπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγῶ, μή πως ἄλλοις κηρύξας αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι· τί ἂν εἴποιμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ φορτίοις ἁμαρτημάτων βεβαρημένοι, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις πολλὴν τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι; Μὴ γὰρ ἀνακωχὴν ἔχει ὁ πόλεμος οὗτος; Πάντοτε νήφειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι δεῖ, καὶ μηδέποτε ἐν ἀδείᾳ εἶναι, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἔστι καιρὸς ὡρισμένος τῆς τοῦ πολεμοῦντος ἡμῖν ἐπιθέσεως.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΕʹ. Περὶ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως.\n\nΠολλοὶ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ἀνθρώπων τῇ σαρκὶ προσηλωμένοι καὶ τοῖς παροῦσι δουλεύοντες πράγμασιν, οὐδὲν εἶναι τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα νομίζουσι, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ προβαλλόμενοι φιλάνθρωπον, μὴ εἶναι κόλασιν μηδὲ τιμωρίαν λέγουσιν. Εἰ οὖν φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστι, καὶ δίκαιος πάντως ἂν εἴη· εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη δίκαιον τὸν μυρία παθόντα ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀγαθὰ, εἶτα κολάσεως ἄξια πράξαντα, καὶ μήτε ἀπειλῇ μήτε εὐεργεσίᾳ γενόμενον βελτίω, κολάζεσθαι, Εἰ γὰρ τὸ δίκαιον ἐξετάζοις, ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡμᾶς καὶ εὐθέως ἀπολέσθαι ἔδει κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον μᾶλλον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν εἶχεν, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπάθομεν τὸ μὴ γενόμενον.","english":"How much better, then, is it to exchange a temporary compunction and lamentation for immortal blessings and a pleasure that has no end, than to laugh briefly and temporarily in this life here and depart to be punished there immortally? For if Paul, so great and so eminent, who ran through the whole inhabited world as if on wings, and had become superior to bodily necessities, and was deemed worthy to hear those ineffable words which until today no other has heard, wrote saying, \"I buffet my body and bring it into subjection, lest after preaching to others I myself should become disqualified\"—what should we say, who are weighed down with burdens of sins and, besides this, display great negligence? For does this war have no respite? It is necessary always to be sober and watchful, and never to be at ease, since there is no fixed time for the attack of the one who wars against us.\n\nHomily 25. On the coming judgment.\n\nMany of the people among us, nailed to the flesh and enslaved to present things, think that the things after these are nothing, and putting forward the philanthropy of God, they say that there is no punishment or retribution. If, then, God is philanthropic, as indeed he is, he would also be entirely just; and if he is just, how would it not be just that the one who from the beginning has enjoyed countless good things, then has done things worthy of punishment, and has become better neither by threat nor by beneficence, be punished? For if you examine what is just, from the beginning and immediately we ought to have perished according to the reasoning of justice rather than—for it also had philanthropy—if we had suffered this that did not happen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":370,"ref":"p370","source":"Ὅταν μὲν γάρ τις τὸν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα ὑβρίζῃ, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον πάντως δίδωσι δίκην· ὅταν δέ τις τὸν εὐεργέτην, τὸν οὐδὲν προπαθόντα μὲν εὖ, ποιήσαντα δὲ μυρία καὶ μόνον τοῦ εἶναι γενόμενον αἴτιον, οὐχ ὑβρίζῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν λυπῇ δι' ὧν ποιεῖ, ποίας ὁ τοιοῦτος συγγνώμης ἔσται ἄξιος; Πῶς οὐ δέδοικας, εἰπέ μοι, τολμηρὰ φθεγγόμενος, ὅταν λέγῃς, Φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ οὐ κολάζει. Εἰ δὲ κολάσει, εὑρεθήσεται κατὰ σὲ οὐκέτι φιλάνθρωπος; Διὰ τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, οὐκ ἀξιοῖς κολάζεσθαι ἁμαρτάνων; οὐχὶ προεῖπέν σοι ἅπαντα; οὐχὶ ἠπείλησεν; οὐχὶ ἐβοήθησεν; οὐχὶ μυρία εἰργάσατο ὑπὲρ τῆς\n\nσωτηρίας τῆς σῆς; Εἰ οὖν οἱ πονηροὶ μὴ κολάζονται, ἐρεῖ πάλιν ἄλλος ἴσως, ὅτι οὔτε οἱ ἀγαθοὶ στεφανοῦνται· καὶ ποῦ ἡ φιλανθρωπία καὶ ἡ δικαιοκρισία τοῦ Θεοῦ; Μὴ τοίνυν φενακίζετε ἑαυτοὺς, ἄνθρωποι, τῷ διαβόλῳ πειθόμενοι· ἐκείνου γάρ εἰσι ταῦτα τὰ νοήματα. Εἰ γὰρ δικασταὶ καὶ δεσπόται καὶ διδάσκαλοι τοὺς μὲν ἀγαθοὺς τιμῶσι, τοὺς δὲ πονηροὺς κολάζουσι, πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ τὰ ἐναντία γίνεσθαι, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς καὶ τοὺς πονηρούς; πότε δὲ καὶ ἀπαλλαγήσονται τῆς κακίας οἱ πονηροί; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ κόλασιν προσδοκῶντες οὐκ ἀφίστανται τῆς πονηρίας, ἂν καὶ τὸν φόβον τοῦτον ἀποθῶνται, καὶ μὴ μόνον εἰς γέενναν μὴ ἐμπέσωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλείας ἐπιτύχωσι, πότε πονηρευόμενοι στήσονται; Ἀκήκοά τινων φιλαμαρτημόνων λεγόντων, ὅτι πρὸς φόβον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἠπείλησε τὴν γέενναν ὁ Θεός· μὴ γένοιτο γὰρ, ὅτι ἐλεήμων ὢν κολάσει τινὰ, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἐπεγνωκότων αὐτόν.","english":"For whenever someone insults a person who has done no wrong, by the principle of justice he certainly pays the penalty; but when someone not only insults his benefactor—one who has suffered no evil at his hands but has done countless good things and alone became the cause of his very existence—but also grieves him every day by what he does, of what forgiveness will such a man be worthy? Tell me, how is it that you are not afraid, speaking reckless words, when you say, \"God is a lover of mankind and does not punish\"? But if he does punish, will he be found, according to you, no longer a lover of mankind? For why, tell me, do you not think it right that a sinner be punished? Did he not foretell everything to you? Did he not threaten? Did he not help? Did he not do countless things for your salvation? If, then, the wicked are not punished, someone else will perhaps say again that neither are the good crowned; and where is the love of mankind and the righteous judgment of God? Do not, then, deceive yourselves, O men, by obeying the devil; for these thoughts are his. For if judges and masters and teachers honor the good but punish the wicked, how could it make sense for the opposite to happen with God, and for the good and the wicked to be deemed worthy of the same things? And when will the wicked ever be freed from their wickedness? For if, even while expecting punishment, they do not depart from wickedness, if they also thrust aside this fear, and not only do they not fall into Gehenna but even attain the kingdom, when will they stop doing evil? I have heard some who love sin saying that God threatened Gehenna for the fear of men; God forbid that he, being merciful, would punish anyone, and especially those who have known him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":371,"ref":"p371","source":"Λέγετε οὖν μοι, οἱ ψεύστην τὸν Θεὸν ἀποφαίνοντες, τίς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπέκλυσεν ἅπασαν ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε, καὶ τὸ χαλεπὸν ἐκεῖνο ναυάγιον εἰργάσατο, καὶ τὴν παντὸς τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν πανωλεθρίαν ἐποίησε; τίς τοὺς κεραυνοὺς ἐκείνους καὶ τοὺς πρηστῆρας ἀφῆκεν ἐπὶ τὴν Σοδόμων γῆν; τίς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἅπασαν κατεπόντισε; τίς τὰς ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου κατηνάλωσε; τίς τὴν συναγωγὴν Ἀβειρὼν κατέφλεξε; τίς τοῖς περὶ Κορὲ καὶ Δαθὰν ἀνοῖξαι τῇ γῇ τὸ στόμα καὶ καταπιεῖν ἐκέλευσε; τίς τὰς ἑβδομήκοντα χιλιάδας ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ κατήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Δαυΐδ; τίς ὁ τὰς ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδας ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ θανατώσας ἐπὶ τῆς προφητείας Ἡσαΐου; Τὰς δὲ καθημερινὰς συμφορὰς οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσας φέρομεν ἁμαρτάνοντες; Πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον, τοὺς μὲν κολάζεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ μὴ κολάζεσθαι; Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς, ὡσπεροῦν οὐδὲ ἄδικος, πάντως καὶ σὺ δίκην δώσεις ἁμαρτάνων· εἰ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ κολάζει, οὐδὲ τούτους ἔδει κολασθῆναι. Νυνὶ δὲ διὰ ταῦτα ἡμῶν τὰ ῥήματα πολλοὺς καὶ ἐνταῦθα κολάζει ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα, ὅταν τοῖς ῥήμασι μὴ πιστεύσητε τῆς ἀπειλῆς, κἂν τοῖς πράγμασι πιστεύσητε τῆς τιμωρίας. Ἆρα πείθομεν τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι μῦθος ὁ περὶ τῆς γεέννης λόγος; Οὕτω γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθὴς, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι καὶ λογοποιοὶ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἀνταποδόσεως ἐφιλοσόφησαν, καὶ ἐν ᾅδου κολάζεσθαι τοὺς πονηροὺς εἰρήκασιν.","english":"Tell me, then, you who declare God to be a liar: who flooded the whole inhabited world in the time of Noah, and wrought that dreadful shipwreck, and brought about the utter destruction of our entire race? Who sent those thunderbolts and fiery blasts upon the land of Sodom? Who drowned all of Egypt? Who consumed the six hundred thousand in the wilderness? Who burned up the assembly of Abiram? Who commanded the earth to open its mouth and swallow Korah and Dathan and their company? Who brought down the seventy thousand in a single moment of time in the days of David? Who put to death the one hundred and eighty-five thousand in one night in the time of the prophecy of Isaiah? And do you not see how many daily calamities we bear because we sin? How could it be reasonable that some are punished and others are not? For if God is not unjust—as indeed he is not unjust—then you too will certainly pay the penalty for your sins; but if, because God is a lover of mankind, he does not punish, then neither should those others have been punished. But as it is, for these very reasons God punishes many even here, so that, when you do not believe the threat in words, you may at least believe the punishment in deeds. Do we then persuade those who contradict, that the account concerning Gehenna is not a myth? For it is so true that not only we, but also poets and philosophers and storytellers have philosophized about the future recompense, and have said that the wicked are punished in Hades.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":372,"ref":"p372","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μετὰ ἀληθείας, ὡς ἔχει ταῦτα, εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν, ἅτε ἀπὸ λογισμῶν κινηθέντες καὶ παρ' ἀκουσμάτων τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰκόνα τινὰ κρίσεως ἔλαβον. Κωκυτοὺς γάρ φασί τινας καὶ Πυριφλεγέθοντας ποταμοὺς καὶ Στυγὸς ὕδωρ καὶ Τάρταρον, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχοντα τῆς γῆς, ὅσον αὐτὴ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ πολλοὺς κολάσεως τρόπους· καὶ πάλιν Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, καὶ μακάρων νήσους, καὶ λειμῶνας εὐανθεῖς, καὶ εὐωδίαν πολλὴν, καὶ αὔραν λεπτήν· καὶ χοροὺς ἐκεῖ διατρίβοντας, καὶ λευκὴν περιβεβλημένους στολὴν, καὶ ᾄδοντας ὕμνους τινάς· καὶ ὅλως καὶ ἀγαθοῖς καὶ πονηροῖς ἀποκειμένην ἀντίδοσιν μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἔξοδον. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπιστῶμεν γέενναν, ἵνα μὴ ἐμπέσωμεν εἰς αὐτήν· ὁ γὰρ ἀπιστῶν ῥᾳθυμότερος γίνεται· ὁ δὲ ῥᾳθυμῶν εἰς αὐτὴν ἀπελεύσεται πάντως· ἀλλὰ καὶ πιστεύωμεν ἀνενδοιάστως, καὶ διαλεγώμεθα συνεχῶς περὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐ ταχέως ἁμαρτησόμεθα. Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων λόγων ἡ μνήμη καθάπερ τι φάρμακον πικρὸν πᾶσαν κακίαν ἀποσμῆξαι δυνήσεται, συνεχῶς ἡμῶν ἐνιζάνουσα τῇ ψυχῇ. Ἂν ὠμὸς καὶ ἀνελεήμων ᾖς, ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν παρθένων ἐκείνων, αἳ τῶν λαμπάδων αὐτῶν σβεσθεισῶν, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἔλαιον, τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐξέπεσον, καὶ ταχέως ἔσῃ φιλάνθρωπος. Ἂν ἁρπάσαι βουληθῇς, ἄκουσον τοῦ δικαστοῦ λέγοντος, Δήσατε αὐτοῦ χεῖρας καὶ πόδας, καὶ βάλετε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· καὶ ταύτην ἐκβαλεῖς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. Ἂν μεθύειν καὶ τρυφᾷν ἐπιθυμῇς, ἄκουσον τοῦ πλουσίου λέγοντος, Πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ καταψύξῃ τὴν τηγανιζομένην γλῶσσαν· καὶ οὐ τυγχάνοντος τῆς αἰτήσεως· καὶ ταχέως ἀποστήσῃ τοῦ πάθους. Ἂν","english":"For even if they were unable to speak these things with truth as they really are, since they were moved by their own reasonings and by reports from among us, nevertheless they received a certain image of judgment. For they speak of certain Cocytuses and Pyriphlegethon rivers and the water of Styx and Tartarus, as far distant from the earth as the earth is from heaven, and many modes of punishment; and again the Elysian plain, and the islands of the blessed, and meadows in full bloom, and abundant fragrance, and a gentle breeze; and choruses spending their time there, and clothed in white robes, and singing certain hymns; and in general a recompense laid up for both the good and the wicked after the departure from here. Let us not, then, disbelieve in Gehenna, so that we may not fall into it; for the one who disbelieves becomes more slack; and the one who is slack will certainly depart into it; but let us also believe without hesitation, and let us converse continually about it, and we will not quickly sin. For the remembrance of such words, like some bitter medicine, will be able to wipe away all wickedness, settling continually in our soul. If you are harsh and unmerciful, remember those virgins who, when their lamps had gone out because they had no oil, fell out from the bridal chamber, and you will quickly become humane. If you wish to seize by force, hear the judge saying, Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the outer darkness; and you will cast out this desire. If you desire to get drunk and live in luxury, hear the rich man saying, Send Lazarus, that he may cool with the tip of his finger my tongue which is being roasted; and he does not obtain his request; and you will quickly depart from the passion. If","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":373,"ref":"p373","source":"πῦρ ἔχῃς ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς, ἐννόησον τῆς κολάσεως ἐκείνης τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τοῦτο κατασβεσθὲν οἰχήσεται. Σκόπει δὲ, εἰ καὶ πῦρ μὴ ἦν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποστῆναι καὶ ἄτιμον ἀναχωρῆσαι, πόση κόλασις· οὐκ ἔστι, πιστεύσατε, παραστῆσαι λόγῳ τὸ πάθος, οὐκ ἔστιν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἡλιακὸν μὴ θεώμενοι παντὸς πικροτέραν θανάτου ὑπομένουσι ζωὴν, τί παθεῖν εἰκὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποστερηθέντας τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου; Τί δὲ καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ ἀναπνέομεν καὶ ἐσμὲν, ἂν τῆς θεωρίας ἀποτύχωμεν ἐκείνης; ἂν τὸν Δεσπότην τὸν ἡμέτερον μηδεὶς ἡμῖν τότε συγχωρήσῃ θεάσασθαι; Εἰ εἰς δεσμωτήριόν τις ἐμβληθεὶς ἐνταῦθα τῶν εὐγενῶς τεθραμμένων, τὴν δυσωδίαν μόνον, καὶ τὸ ἐν σκότῳ κεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸ μετὰ ἀνδροφόνων δεδέσθαι, παντὸς θανάτου χαλεπώτερον εἶναι δοκεῖ· ἐννόησον τί ἔσται, ὅταν μετὰ τῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀνδροφόνων ἐκεῖ κατακαιώμεθα, μήτε ὁρῶντες, μήτε ὁρώμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐν πλήθει τοσούτῳ νομίζοντες εἶναι μόνοι. Τὸ γὰρ σκότος καὶ τὸ ἀλαμπὲς οὐκ ἀφίησιν οὐδὲ τοὺς πλησίον ἡμᾶς διαγινώσκειν, ἀλλ' ὡς μόνος τοῦτο πάσχων ἕκαστος, οὕτω διακείσεται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πῦρ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ σκοτεινόν ἐστι καὶ φῶς οὐκ ἔχον. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μάλιστα θορυβοῦν ἡμᾶς καὶ ταράττον, ὅτι καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐκκαῖον οὔτε σβέννυται, καὶ φῶς οὐκ ἔχει. Εἰ δὲ σκότος μόνον οὕτω θλίβει καθ' ἑαυτὸ τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχὰς καὶ θορυβεῖ, τί ἔσται ἄρα, ὅταν μετὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ ὀδύναι τοσαῦται ὦσι καὶ ἐμπρησμοί; Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ πῦρ ἡ γέεννα λέγεται, τοιοῦτον εἶναι νομίσῃς τὸ πῦρ· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ, ὅπερ ἂν λάβῃ, κατέκαυσε καὶ ἀπήλλαξεν·","english":"If you have the fire of evil desire, think of that fire of punishment, and this fire will be quenched and depart. Consider, even if there were no fire, how great a punishment it is to stand apart from God and to withdraw in dishonor; believe me, it is not possible to set forth that suffering in words, it is not possible. For if those who do not behold the light of the sun endure a life more bitter than any death, what is it likely that we shall suffer when we are deprived of that light? And why do we live and breathe and exist at all, if we fail to attain that vision? If no one then permits us to behold our Master? If someone of noble upbringing is thrown into a prison here, the stench alone, and lying in darkness, and being bound with murderers, seems more grievous than any death; consider what it will be when we are burned there with the murderers of the whole world, neither seeing nor being seen, but in so great a multitude thinking that we are alone. For the darkness and the absence of light does not allow us even to recognize those near us, but each one will be in such a state as though he alone were suffering this. For even if it is called fire, it is dark and has no light. And this is what most disturbs and troubles us, that though it burns fiercely it is neither quenched nor has light. But if darkness alone so oppresses and troubles our souls by itself, what will it be when along with the darkness there are such pains and burnings? For do not, because Gehenna is called fire, suppose that the fire is like this; for this fire, whatever it takes hold of, it consumes and releases;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":374,"ref":"p374","source":"ἐκεῖνο δὲ τοὺς ἅπαξ κατασχεθέντας καίει διαπαντὸς καὶ οὐδέποτε παύεται. Διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἄσβεστον εἴρηται· καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ἀφθαρσίαν ἐνδῦσαι θέλει. οὐ πρὸς τιμὴν, ἀλλ' ὥστε διηνεκὲς ἐφόδιον τῆς τιμωρίας ἔχειν ἐκείνης. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ, καὶ τὰ τούτων πικρότερα· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπόπτωσις τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν ὀδύνην, τοσαύτην τὴν θλῖψιν καὶ τὴν στενοχωρίαν, ὡς εἰ καὶ μηδεμία τιμωρία τοῖς ἐνταῦθα ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἀπέκειτο, αὐτὴν καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἀρκέσαι τῶν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ βασανιστηρίων πικρότερον δάκνειν καὶ συνταράσσειν τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχάς. Εἰ δὲ εἰς δεσμωτήριον εἰσιόντες καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὐχμῶντας ὁρῶντες, τοὺς δὲ σιδηραῖς ἁλύσεσι δεδεμένους, τοὺς δὲ σκότῳ κατακεκλεισμένους, κατακλώμεθα, φρίττομεν, πάντα πράττομεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τοιαύτην ἀνάγκην καὶ θλῖψιν, ὅταν ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἀπαγώμεθα εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ τῆς γεέννης βασανιστήρια δεδεμένοι, τίνες ἐσόμεθα; τί δὲ πράξομεν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ σιδήρου τὰ δεσμὰ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πυρός εἰσιν οὐδέποτε σβεννυμένου· οὐδὲ ὁμότιμοί τινες οἱ ἐφεστῶτες ἡμῖν, οὓς καὶ ἐκμειλίξασθαι πολλάκις ἔνι, ἀλλ' ἄγγελοι φοβεροὶ καὶ ἀσυμπαθεῖς, οἷς οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι δυνατὸν, σφοδρῶς ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸν Δεσπότην ὑβρίσαμεν ὀργιζομένοις. Οὐκ ἔστι, καθάπερ ἐνταῦθα, τοὺς μὲν ἀργύριον, τοὺς δὲ τροφὰς, τοὺς δὲ λόγους εἰσάγοντας παρακλητικοὺς ἰδεῖν καὶ παραμυθίας τυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖ ἀσύγγνωστα· κἂν Νῶε ᾖ, κἂν Ἰὼβ, κἂν Δανιὴλ, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ἴδωσι κολαζομένους, οὐ τολμῶσι παραστῆναι καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέξαι· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως συμπάθειαν ἀναιρεῖσθαι τότε συμβαίνει.","english":"But that fire burns those once seized by it continually and never stops. For this reason it is also called unquenchable; for he wishes those who have sinned to put on incorruption—not for honor, but so that they may have an enduring provision for that punishment. But these things are in Gehenna, and things more bitter than these; but the loss of good things has such pain, such affliction and distress, that even if no punishment were laid up for those who sin here, this alone by itself would suffice to bite and agitate our souls more bitterly than the torments in Gehenna. But if, when we enter a prison and see some squalid, some bound with iron chains, some shut up in darkness, we are broken down, we shudder, we do everything so as not to fall into such necessity and affliction—when we ourselves are led away bound to the very torments of Gehenna, what will we be? What will we do? For those bonds are not of iron, but are from fire that is never quenched; nor are those who stand over us of equal rank with us, whom one can often appease, but fearful and pitiless angels, whom it is not even possible to look in the face, fiercely angry on account of the things in which we insulted the Master. It is not possible, as here, to see some bringing money, some food, some persuasive words, and to obtain consolation, but all things there are unforgivable; and even if it be Noah, even if it be Job, even if it be Daniel, and they see their own being punished, they do not dare to stand by and extend a hand; for it happens then that natural compassion is taken away.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":375,"ref":"p375","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εὑρίσκονται δίκαιοι τέκνων ἁμαρτωλῶν πατέρες, καὶ παῖδες ἀγαθοὶ γονέων πονηρῶν, δεῖ δὲ καθαρὰν αὐτοῖς εἶναι εὐφροσύνην, καὶ μὴ τῇ τῆς συμπαθείας ἀνάγκῃ κατακλᾶσθαι τούτους ἀπολαύοντας τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ ταύτην σβέννυσθαί φημι, καὶ αὐτοὺς συναγανακτεῖν τῷ Δεσπότῃ κατὰ τῶν οἰκείων σπλάγχνων. Τοιγαροῦν μηδεὶς ἐλπιζέτω χρηστὰ, μὴ ἐργασάμενός τι χρηστὸν, κἂν μυρίους ἔχῃ προγόνους δικαίους. Ὅταν γὰρ τὸν δοθέντα ἡμῖν χρόνον ἀναλώσωμεν εἰς οὐδὲν δέον, ἀπελευσόμεθα πάντες ἐκεῖ, τῆς ἀκαίρου δαπάνης δίκην δώσοντες τὴν ἐσχάτην. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ χρήματα ἐμπορεύσασθαι λαβὼν, εἶτα καταφαγὼν, ἀπαιτηθήσεται παρὰ τοῦ πιστεύσαντος καὶ δώσει δίκην· ὁ ζωὴν ταύτην δαπανήσας μάτην, πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Καὶ καθάπερ ἡμεῖς τοὺς οἰκέτας τοὺς ἡμετέρους, οὐχὶ τῆς ἐξόδου μόνον τῶν χρημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς εἰσόδου ποιουμένους τὸν λόγον\n\nἐξετάζομεν, πόθεν καὶ πόσα καὶ παρὰ τίνων, καὶ πῶς ὑπεδέξαντο τὰ χρήματα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τῆς δαπάνης καὶ τῆς κτήσεως ἀπαιτεῖ τὰς εὐθύνας, καὶ πλουσίῳ καὶ πένητι· τῷ μὲν πλουσίῳ, πότερον ἐκ δικαίων πόρων, ἢ ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ πλεονεξίας τὸν πλοῦτον συνέλεξε· πότερον εἰς πορνείας, ἢ εἰς πένητας τὰ χρήματα κατηνάλωσε· πότερον εἰς τρυφὴν καὶ ἀσωτίαν καὶ μέθην, ἢ εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐπηρεαζομένων βοήθειαν· τῷ δὲ πένητι, εἰ γενναίως καὶ εὐχαρίστως τὴν πενίαν ἤνεγκεν, εἰ μὴ ἀπεδυσπέτησεν, εἰ μὴ ἐδυσχέρανεν, εἰ μὴ κατηγόρησε τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας, ἑαυτὸν μὲν ἐν ἐνδείᾳ ὑπάρχοντα ὁρῶν, ἕτερον δὲ τρυφῶντα, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν σπανίζοντα.","english":"For since righteous men are found to be fathers of sinful children, and good children of wicked parents, yet their joy must be pure, and they must not be broken down by the compulsion of fellow-feeling while they enjoy those good things—I say that this too is quenched, and that they themselves grieve together with the Master against their own affections. Therefore let no one hope for good things without having done anything good, even if he has ten thousand righteous ancestors. For when we have spent the time given to us on nothing needful, we shall all depart there, paying the final penalty for the unseasonable expenditure. For if the man who received money to trade with, and then devoured it, will be called to account by the one who entrusted it to him and will pay the penalty, how much more the man who has spent this life in vain? And just as we examine our own servants, rendering an account not only of the outgoing of money but also of the incoming—from where, and how much, and from whom, and how they received the money—so indeed God also demands the reckoning both of the expenditure and of the acquisition, from both rich and poor: from the rich, whether he gathered his wealth from righteous sources or from robbery and greed; whether he spent the money on fornication or on the poor; whether on luxury and debauchery and drunkenness, or on help for those who are wronged; and from the poor man, whether he bore his poverty nobly and thankfully, whether he did not resent it, whether he did not chafe at it, whether he did not accuse the providence of God, seeing himself in want while another lives in luxury and does not lack according to his substance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":376,"ref":"p376","source":"Οὐ πλούσιοι δὲ καὶ πένητες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄρχοντες καὶ δικασταὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐξετάζονται τῆς ἀκριβείας, εἰ διέφθειραν τὸ δίκαιον, εἰ πρὸς χάριν ἢ πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν ἐψηφίσαντο τοῖς δικαζομένοις, εἰ κολακευθέντες ἔδωκαν παρὰ τὸ δέον τὴν ψῆφον. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἕκαστος πρὸς μείζονα ὄγκον ἀρχῆς ἀναβέβηκε, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλείονα ἀπαιτηθήσεται λόγον. Καὶ αἱ μὲν ἄτοποι τοῦ βίου ἡδοναὶ τῶν σκιῶν καὶ ὀνειράτων διαφέρουσιν οὐδέν· πρὶν ἢ γὰρ τελεσθῆναι τὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, σβέννυται τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς· αἱ δὲ ὑπὲρ τούτων κολάσεις πέρας οὐκ ἔχουσι· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἡδὺ πρὸς ὀλίγον, τὸ δὲ ἀνιαρὸν αἰώνιον. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο περὶ γεέννης συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς διαλέγεται, ἵνα πολύ τι καρπωσώμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπειλῆς καὶ τοῦ φόβου. Εἰ γὰρ μέλλων ἐμβάλλειν εἰς αὐτὴν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, μὴ προσεῖπε, ταύτης τὴν ἀπειλὴν, πολλοὶ ἐνέπεσον ἂν εἰς αὐτήν. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν τοῦ φόβου κατασείοντος ἡμῶν τὰς ψυχὰς, εἰσί τινες οἱ οὕτω ῥᾳδίως ἁμαρτάνοντες, ὡς οὐδὲ οὔσης αὐτῆς· εἰ μηδὲν τούτων εἴρητο μηδὲ ἠπείλητο, τί οὐκ ἂν εἰργασάμεθα δεινόν; Ὥστε οὐκ ἀπηνείας τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλ' ἐλέου μᾶλλον καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἐστί. Καὶ γὰρ, εἰ μὴ ἠπειλήθη καταστροφὴ ἐπὶ Ἰωνᾶ, οὐκ ἂν ἐκωλύθη ἡ καταστροφή· εἰ μὴ εἶπεν ὅτι καταστραφήσεται Νινευὶ, οὐκ ἂν ἔστη Νινευί· καὶ εἰ μὴ ἠπειλήθη γέεννα, ἅπαντες ἂν εἰς γέενναν ἐνεπέσομεν. Εἰ γὰρ μηδὲν μέλει τῷ Θεῷ μήτε ἁμαρτανόντων ἡμῶν μήτε κατορθούντων, ἴσως ἔχει τινὰ λόγον τὸ λέγειν μὴ εἶναι κόλασιν·","english":"Not only the rich and the poor, but also rulers and judges are examined with great strictness—whether they have corrupted justice, whether they have voted out of favor or out of hatred toward those on trial, whether, flattered, they have cast their vote contrary to what is right. For the higher each man has climbed to the lofty bulk of authority, the greater the account he will be required to give. And the shameful pleasures of life differ in no way from shadows and dreams; for before the things of sin are completed, the things of pleasure are extinguished; but the punishments for these have no end; and the sweet lasts but a little while, the painful is eternal. For this very reason God speaks to us continually about Gehenna, so that we may gain much from the threat and the fear. For if, when about to cast sinners into it, he had not spoken this threat, many would have fallen into it. For if now, when fear shakes our souls, there are some who sin so easily as though it did not exist—if none of these things had been said or threatened, what terrible thing would we not have done? So the matter is not of cruelty, but rather of mercy and love for mankind. For indeed, if destruction had not been threatened against Jonah, the destruction would not have been prevented; if he had not said that Nineveh would be destroyed, Nineveh would not have stood; and if Gehenna had not been threatened, we would all have fallen into Gehenna. For if God cared nothing about our sinning or our doing right, perhaps there would be some reason to say that there is no punishment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":377,"ref":"p377","source":"εἰ δὲ τοσαύτην σπουδὴν ποιεῖται, ὥστε μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοσαῦτα πραγματεύεται, ὥστε κατορθοῦν ἡμᾶς τὰς ἐντολὰς, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ἁμαρτάνοντας κολάζει, καὶ κατορθοῦντας στεφανοῖ. Ἀλλὰ σκόπει μοι τῶν πολλῶν τὴν ἀνωμαλίαν. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἐγκαλοῦσι τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι μακροθυμεῖ πολλάκις καὶ περιορᾷ πολλοὺς μιαροὺς, ἀσελγεῖς, πλεονέκτας, μὴ διδόντας δίκην· ἐκεῖ πάλιν ἐὰν ἀπειλήσῃ κολάζειν αὐτοὺς, σφοδροὶ καὶ βαρεῖς εἰσιν αἰτιώμενοι. Καίτοι γε εἰ τοῦτο λυπεῖ, ἐκεῖνο ἀποδέχεσθαι καὶ θαυμάζειν ἐχρῆν· ἀλλ', ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας, ὢ τῆς φιλαμαρτήμονος καὶ φιληδόνου ψυχῆς, ὅτι τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων καταφρονοῦντες ἀπειλῆς, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων ὑποστήσονται κόλασιν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν ἐνταῦθα μὴ διαλυσαμένων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀπελθὼν ἐκεῖ δυνήσεται τὰς ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐθύνας διαφυγεῖν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμωτηρίων τούτων μετὰ τῶν ἁλύσεων προσάγονται εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον, οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπερχόμενοι τὰς ποικίλας περικείμενοι σειρὰς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα ἄγονται τὸ φρικτόν. Εἴ ποτε οὖν ἐν βαλανείῳ γένοιο, σφοδρότερον κατεσκευασμένῳ τοῦ δέοντος, τότε μοι τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἐννόησον πῦρ· καὶ εἴ ποτε πάλιν ὑπὸ πυρετοῦ καταφλεχθείης χαλεποῦ, πρὸς ἐκείνην τὸν νοῦν τὴν φλόγα μετάστησον, καὶ τότε δυνήσῃ διαναστῆναι καλῶς. Εἰ γὰρ βαλανεῖον καὶ πυρετὸς οὕτως ἡμᾶς θορυβεῖ καὶ θλίβει, ὅταν εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν τοῦ πυρὸς ἐμπέσωμεν ἐκεῖνον, τὸν ἑλκόμενον πρὸ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ φοβεροῦ, πῶς διακεισόμεθα ἄρα;","english":"If he takes such care that we should not sin, and works so hard that we should keep the commandments aright, it is manifest that he also punishes those who sin and crowns those who keep them aright. But observe for me the inconsistency of the many. For here they accuse God because he is often long-suffering and overlooks many who are vile, licentious, and greedy, who do not pay the penalty; there again, if he threatens to punish them, they are vehement and severe in their accusations. And yet, if this grieves them, they ought to accept and admire that other. But, O the folly, O the sin-loving and pleasure-loving soul, that despising the threat that comes from words, they will undergo the punishment that comes from deeds. For no one of those here who have not dissolved their sins will be able, having departed there, to escape the reckoning for them; but just as those who are led from these prisons with their chains to the court, so also those who depart from here, wearing around them the varied chains of their sins, are led to the dread tribunal. Whenever, then, you are in a bathhouse heated more fiercely than is fitting, then think for me of the fire of Gehenna; and whenever again you are scorched by a grievous fever, transfer your mind to that flame, and then you will be able to rise up well. For if a bathhouse and a fever so disturb and distress us, when we fall into that river of fire, which is drawn along before the fearful tribunal, how then shall we be disposed?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":378,"ref":"p378","source":"Καὶ ὁ μὲν μετὰ πολλῶν ἔργων καὶ ἀγαθῶν καὶ πονηρῶν ἀπερχόμενος ἐκεῖ, ἕξει τινὰ παραμυθίαν ἐπὶ τῇ κολάσει καὶ τοῖς βασανιστηρίοις ἐκείνοις· ὁ δὲ τούτων μὲν ἔρημος, ἐκεῖνα δὲ μόνα ἐπάγων, οὐδὲ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅσα πείσεται πρὸς τὴν ἀθάνατον παραπεμπόμενος κόλασιν. Καὶ γὰρ ἀντίστασις ἔσται ἐκεῖ τῶν πονηρῶν πράξεων καὶ τῶν οὐ τοιούτων· κἂν μὲν αὗται καθελκύσωσι τὸν ζυγὸν, ἔσωσαν οὐ μικρῶς τὸν ἐργάτην τὸν ἑαυτῶν· καὶ τοσοῦτον\n\nἴσχυσεν ἡ τῆς τῶν πονηρῶν πράξεων ἐργασίας βλάβη, ὅσον κατασπάσαι τῆς πρώτης χώρας αὐτόν· ἂν δὲ ἐκεῖναι περιγένωνται, εἰς τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἀπάγουσι πῦρ, διὰ τὸ μὴ τοσοῦτον εἶναι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ὥστε δυνηθῆναι στῆναι πρὸς τὸν βίαιον ἐκεῖνον ὠθισμόν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὅλως τῶν ἀγαθῶν, κἂν μικρὸν εἴη, παροφθήσεται ἐκεῖ παρὰ τοῦ κριτοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ ῥημάτων καὶ ἐνθυμημάτων τιννύειν μέλλομεν τιμωρίας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ κατορθώματα, κἂν μεγάλα ᾖ κἂν μικρὰ, λογισθήσονται. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀρκεῖ κακίας ἀπαλλαγῆναι, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ πολλῆς τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐργασίας. Ἵνα μὲν γὰρ γεέννης ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, ἀπέχεσθαι δεῖ πονηρίας· ἵνα δὲ βασιλείας ἐπιτύχωμεν, ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς ἀρετῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἔθος, οὐ τὸν μηδὲν κακὸν ἐργασάμενον στεφανοῦν· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην ἀπόχρη μόνον· ἀλλὰ τὸν μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας ἐπιδειξάμενον. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ μεταξύ με λογιζόμενον, ὅτι πρὸς τὸ μὴ περιπεσεῖν γεέννῃ ἡ τῶν κακῶν ἡμῖν ἀναχώρησις ἀρκεῖ, ὑπεισῆλθέ τις ἀπειλὴ φοβερὰ, οὐ τοῖς κακόν τι τολμήσασι τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπάγουσα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐκλελοιπότας τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν κολάζουσα.","english":"And the one who departs thither with many works, both good and evil, will have some consolation in that punishment and those torments; but the one who is destitute of these, and brings only those, it is not even possible to say what he will suffer as he is sent away to the immortal punishment. For there will be there a confrontation of evil deeds and of deeds that are not such; and if these drag down the balance, they have saved their worker no little; and so great\n\nwas the harm of the working of evil deeds, as to drag him down from the first place; but if those prevail, they lead him away to the fire of Gehenna, because the multitude of his good deeds is not so great as to be able to stand against that violent thrust. For no good thing at all, even if it be small, will be overlooked there by the judge. For if we are going to pay the penalty for sins and words and thoughts, much more will good deeds, whether great or small, be taken into account. It is not enough, then, to be rid of wickedness, but there is need also of much working of good. For in order that we may be rid of Gehenna, we must abstain from evil; but in order that we may attain the kingdom, we must cling to virtue. For indeed it is the custom in the case of outsiders, not to crown the one who has done nothing evil—for this alone suffices for him so as not to give satisfaction—but the one who has shown great benefactions. But indeed, while I was reckoning in the midst, that for not falling into Gehenna our withdrawal from evils suffices, a certain fearful threat crept in, not bringing punishment upon those who have dared some evil, but punishing those who have fallen short in some good.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":379,"ref":"p379","source":"Τίς οὖν ἐστιν αὕτη; Πορεύεσθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, οἱ κατηραμένοι, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον· ἐπείνασα γὰρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν. Τοὺς γὰρ μὴ μεταδόντας τοῖς δεομένοις, ἐξ ὧν εἶχον αὐτοὶ, πιστεύομεν μὴ μέχρι τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν στερήσεως κολάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τῆς γεέννης παραπέμπεσθαι πυρί. Παιδευόμεθα τοίνυν, ὅτι οἱ μὲν τὰ ἀγαθὰ πράξαντες, τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀπολαύσονται καλῶν· οἱ δὲ ἐγκληθῆναι μὲν οὐδὲν ἔχοντες κακὸν, ἐκλελοιπότες δέ τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, μετὰ τῶν τὰ κακὰ ἐργασαμένων εἰς τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἀπαχθήσονται πῦρ. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀρχόντων ὁ παραβαίνων τοὺς νόμους ἀπαραίτητον ὑφίσταται κόλασιν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀφορήτοις ἐκδοθήσεται βασάνοις ὁ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου Δεσπότου ἀθετῶν τὰ προστάγματα. Οἶδα ὅτι φορτικὸν ὑμῖν τὸ περὶ γεέννης διαλέγεσθαι καταφαίνεται, καὶ πολλὴν ἐμποιεῖ τὴν ὀδύνην· ἀλλ' ὅσον δάκνει τὸ συνειδὸς, τοσοῦτον καὶ ὠφελεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν δακνομένων. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖ ταῦτα ἐλέγετο ἡμῖν καθάπερ τῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου πλουσίῳ, ὄντως θρηνεῖν ἔδει καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι καὶ πενθεῖν, ὅτι μετανοίας καιρὸς οὐκέτι ἡμῖν ὑπολέλειπτο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐνταῦθα ὄντες ταῦτα ἀκούομεν, ὅπου καὶ ἀνανῆψαι δυνατὸν, καὶ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα ἀπονίψασθαι, καὶ πολλὴν κτήσασθαι τὴν παῤῥησίαν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑτέροις συμβάντων κακῶν φοβηθέντας μεταβαλέσθαι, εὐχαριστῶμεν τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ, τῷ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων κολάσεως τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐγείραντι νωθείαν, καὶ ἀφυπνίζοντι καθεύδοντας ἡμᾶς. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οἱ μὲν ἐνταῦθα κολάζονται, οἱ δὲ ἐκεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἐνταῦθα πάντες; Ὅτι, εἰ τοῦτο ἦν, πάντες ἂν ἀπωλόμεθα· πάντες γὰρ ἐσμὲν ἐν ἐπιτιμίοις.","english":"What, then, is this? \"Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire; for I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat.\" For we believe that those who did not share with the needy from what they themselves had are punished not only with the deprivation of good things, but are also sent away to the fire of Gehenna. Let us be instructed, then, that those who have done good things will enjoy the good things in the heavens; but those who, though they have nothing evil to be charged with, have yet fallen short of some good thing, will be led away with those who have done evil into the fire of Gehenna. For if, among the rulers on earth, the one who transgresses the laws undergoes inexorable punishment, much more will the one who sets aside the commandments of the heavenly Master be handed over to unbearable torments. I know that speaking about Gehenna appears burdensome to you, and produces much pain; but as much as it stings the conscience, so much does it also benefit the mind of those who are stung. For if these things were being said to us there, as to the rich man in the case of Lazarus, we would truly need to lament and wail and mourn, because no time for repentance would any longer be left to us; but since, while we are here, we hear these things, where it is possible both to rouse ourselves and to wash away our sins, and to acquire much boldness, and, having been frightened by the evils that have befallen others, to change our ways, let us give thanks to the loving God, who through the punishment of others has stirred up our sluggishness and awakens us while we sleep. And for what reason are some punished here, and others there, and not all here? Because, if this were so, we would all perish; for we are all under correction.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":380,"ref":"p380","source":"Πάλιν, εἰ μηδεὶς ἐνταῦθα ἐκολάζετο, ῥᾳθυμότεροι ἂν οἱ πλείους ἐγένοντο, καὶ πολλοὶ ἂν εἶπον, μὴ εἶναι πρόνοιαν. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν ὁρῶντες τῶν πονηρῶν πολλοὺς κολαζομένους, πολλὰ τοιαῦτα βλασφημοῦσιν· εἰ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ἦν, τί οὐκ ἂν εἶπον; ποῦ δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἦλθον μανίας; Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς μὲν ἐνταῦθα κολάζει, τοὺς δὲ οὐ κολάζει. Κολάζει μὲν γάρ τινας, τὴν κακίαν αὐτῶν ἐκκόπτων, καὶ κουφοτέραν ἐκεῖ ποιῶν τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἢ καὶ τέλεον ἀπαλλάττων αὐτοὺς, καὶ τοὺς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας σωφρονεστέρους ποιῶν τῇ τούτων τιμωρίᾳ· τοὺς δὲ οὐ κολάζει πάλιν, ἵνα, ἂν μὲν προσέχωσιν ἑαυτοῖς μετανοήσαντες, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίαν αἰδεσθέντες καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα κολάσεως ἀπαλλαγῶσι, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ τιμωρίας, ἂν δὲ ἐπιμείνωσι μηδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνεξικακίας ὠφελούμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, μείζονα ὑποστῶσι τιμωρίαν, διὰ τὴν ἄγαν αὐτῶν καταφρόνησιν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἁμαρτάνοντες τιμώμεθα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνθ' ὧν τιμωρεῖσθαι ὠφείλομεν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς μάλιστα εἰς τὸ πῦρ μειζόνως ἐμβαλεῖν δυνήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ μακροθυμίας τις ἀπολαύων μόνον, ἂν εἰς δέον αὐτῇ μὴ χρήσηται, χαλεπωτέραν ἔχει τὴν τιμωρίαν· ὅταν μετὰ τῆς μακροθυμίας καὶ τιμὰς μεγίστας ἔχῃ, εἶτα ἐπιμένῃ τῇ πονηρίᾳ, τίς αὐτὸν ἐξαιρήσεται τῆς κολάσεως; Ὥσπερ δὲ τὸ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην ἐνταῦθα τῶν","english":"Again, if no one were punished here, the majority would become more careless, and many would say that there is no providence. For if now, seeing many of the wicked being punished, they blaspheme in many such ways, if nothing of the sort existed, what would they not say? And to what madness would they not come? For this reason God punishes some here, and does not punish others. For he punishes some, cutting off their wickedness and making their punishment there lighter, or even releasing them completely, and making those who live in wickedness more temperate by their punishment; but again he does not punish others, so that, if they attend to themselves and repent, and, reverencing the longsuffering of God, they may be delivered both from the punishment here and from the torment there; but if they persist, profiting nothing from the forbearance of God, they may undergo a greater punishment because of their excessive contempt. For when we sin and are punished by God, instead of what we owed to be punished for, this very thing will be able most especially to cast us more greatly into the fire. For if one who enjoys longsuffering only, if he does not use it as he ought, has a harsher punishment, when along with longsuffering he also has the greatest honors, and then persists in wickedness, who will rescue him from the punishment? And just as not to pay the penalty here for their","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":381,"ref":"p381","source":"ἁμαρτημάτων, χαλεπωτέραν ἐκεῖ ποιεῖ τὴν τιμωρίαν· οὕτω τὸ πολλῆς ἀνέσεως ἀπολαύειν ἁμαρτάνοντας καὶ εὐπορίας, ἐφόδιον τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι καὶ ὑπόθεσις κολάσεως μείζονος γίνεται. Εἰ ὁ μωρὸν λέγων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, τῆς ἐσχάτης κολάσεώς ἐστιν ἄξιος· ὁ κακοῦργον, καὶ βάσκανον, καὶ μυρία ἄλλα τοιαῦτα κατηγορῶν, πόσον ἑαυτῷ τὸ τῆς γεέννης συνάξει πῦρ; τὸ γὰρ, Μωρὲ, τῶν εἰρημένων πολλῷ κουφότερον εἰς ὕβρεως λόγον ἐστί. Διόπερ ἐκεῖνα παρεὶς, τοῦτο ἔθηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι εἰ τὸ φορητότερον λεχθὲν τὴν γέενναν ἐπισπᾶται κατὰ τοῦ λέγοντος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ βαρύτατα καὶ ἀφορητότερα τοῦτο ἐργάσεται. Εἰ δέ τινες ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ λόγου καταγινώσκοντες, ὑπὲρ τοῦ φοβῆσαι μόνον ταύτην εἰρῆσθαι τὴν ἀπειλὴν νομίζουσιν, ὥρα αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς μοιχοὺς καὶ εἰδωλολάτρας τῆς εἰρημένης ἀπαλλάττειν κολάσεως. Εἰ γὰρ φόβου ἕνεκεν τοῖς λοιδόροις ἠπείλησε, δῆλον ὅτι κἀκείνοις· ὁμοῦ γὰρ ἅπαντας συναγαγὼν, οὕτως ἐπήγαγε τῆς βασιλείας τὴν ἔκπτωσιν. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ὁ λοίδορος μετὰ τοῦ μοιχοῦ καὶ μαλακοῦ κείσεται; Εἰ μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς δώσει δίκην, ἑτέρου τοῦτο ζητῆσαι καιροῦ· ὅτι δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ὁμοίως ἐκπεσεῖται ἐκεῖνος, τῷ Παύλῳ πείθομαι λέγοντι, μᾶλλον δὲ τῷ ἐνεργοῦντι ἐν αὐτῷ Χριστῷ, ὅτι οὔτε οὗτοι, οὔτε ἐκεῖνοι βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομήσουσιν. Εἴ τινος ἡμῶν πρᾶγμα κρυπτὸν εἰς μέσον ἠνέχθη τήμερον ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας μόνης, οὐκ ἂν ἀπώλετο καὶ τὴν γῆν εὔξατο αὐτῷ διαστῆναι μᾶλλον ἂν, ἢ τοσούτους μάρτυρας κακίας ἔχειν;","english":"of sins, he makes the punishment there more severe; thus for those who sin to enjoy great ease and prosperity becomes a provision for those who sin and an occasion of greater punishment. If the one who calls his brother a fool is worthy of the last punishment, how much fire of Gehenna will the one who accuses him as a malefactor, and a slanderer, and countless other such things, heap up for himself? For \"fool\" is much lighter than the things said, in terms of insult. Therefore, passing over those things, Christ set this down, so that you may learn that if the more bearable word draws Gehenna against the one who says it, much more will the heaviest and most unbearable things do this. But if some, condemning the hyperbole of the statement, think that this threat was spoken only to frighten, it is time for them to release both adulterers and idolaters from the punishment mentioned. For if he threatened slanderers for the sake of fear, it is clear that he did so to those also; for having gathered all together, he then brought in the exclusion from the kingdom. What then, he says, will the slanderer lie with the adulterer and the effeminate? Whether he will give them the same penalty is a question for another time; but that that one will fall from the kingdom likewise, I am persuaded by Paul saying, or rather by Christ working in him, that neither these nor those will inherit the kingdom of God. If some hidden deed of ours were brought into the open today in the church alone, would he not be undone and pray that the earth would rather open for him, than to have so many witnesses of his wickedness?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":382,"ref":"p382","source":"Τί οὖν τότε πεισόμεθα, ὅταν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης εἰς μέσον ἅπαντα φέρηται ἐν οὕτω θεάτρῳ λαμπρῷ καὶ περιφανεῖ, καὶ τῶν γνωρίμων καὶ τῶν ἀγνώστων ἡμῖν ἅπαντα κατοπτευόντων; τίνος ἐσόμεθα, ὅταν δεθέντες εἰς τὸ ἐξώτερον ἀπαγώμεθα σκότος; μᾶλλον δὲ τί ποιήσομεν (ὃ πάντων ἐστὶ φοβερώτερον) ὅταν τῷ Θεῷ προσκρούσωμεν; Εἰ γάρ τις αἴσθησιν ἔχει καὶ νοῦν, ἤδη καὶ τὴν γέενναν ὑπέμεινεν, ὅταν ἐξ ὄψεως γένηται τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐχρῆν, οὐχ ὅταν κολαζώμεθα, ἀλγεῖν, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἁμαρτάνωμεν· τὸ γὰρ προσκροῦσαι τῷ Θεῷ τοῦ κολασθῆναι χαλεπώτερον. Νῦν δ' οὕτως ἀθλίως διακείμεθα, ὡς, εἰ μὴ γεέννης φόβος ἦν, μηδὲ ἂν ἑλέσθαι ταχέως ποιῆσαί τι καλόν. Διόπερ εἰ καὶ μηδενὸς ἕνεκεν ἑτέρου, τούτου γε ἕνεκεν γεέννης ἂν εἴημεν ἄξιοι, τὴν γέενναν μᾶλλον τοῦ Θεοῦ φοβούμενοι. Οἱ γὰρ πολλὰ πταίοντες καὶ μὴ κολαζόμενοι, φοβεῖσθαι καὶ δεδοικέναι ὀφείλουσιν· αὔξεται γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας, διὰ τῆς ἀτιμωρησίας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς ἀδίκως πλουτοῦντα καὶ εὐημεροῦντά τινα, μὴ μακαρίσῃς, ἀλλὰ δάκρυσον τὸν τοιοῦτον· καὶ γὰρ προσθήκη κολάσεως ὁ πλοῦτος οὗτος αὐτῷ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πολλὰ ἁμαρτόντες, καὶ μὴ βουλόμενοι μετανοεῖν, θησαυρίζουσιν ἑαυτοῖς θησαυρὸν ὀργῆς· οὕτως οἱ μετὰ τοῦ μηδὲ κολάζεσθαι καὶ εὐπραγίας ἀπολαύοντες, μείζονα ὑποστήσονται τὴν τιμωρίαν. Οὐ γὰρ πάντων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αἱ αὐταὶ κολάσεις, ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι, καὶ ἀπὸ χρόνων, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπων καὶ ἀπὸ ἀξιωμάτων, καὶ ἀπὸ συνέσεως.","english":"What then shall we suffer at that time, when all things are brought into the open before the whole inhabited world, in so bright and conspicuous a theater, with all things scrutinized by those known and unknown to us? Whose shall we be, when we are bound and led away into the outer darkness? Or rather, what shall we do—which is the most fearful thing of all—when we have offended God? For if anyone has perception and understanding, he has already endured hell itself, when he has come to the sight of God. For indeed it was necessary to grieve, not when we are punished, but when we sin; for to offend God is harder to bear than to be punished. But now we are so wretchedly disposed that, were there no fear of hell, we would not even readily choose to do anything good. Therefore, even if for no other reason, at least for this reason we would be worthy of hell, in that we fear hell more than God. For those who sin greatly and are not punished ought to fear and dread; for their punishment is increased through their impunity and through the longsuffering of God. When, then, you see someone unjustly rich and prospering, do not call him blessed, but weep for such a one; for this wealth is an addition of punishment to him. For just as those who have sinned greatly and do not wish to repent store up for themselves a treasure of wrath, so those who, along with not being punished, also enjoy prosperity will undergo a greater punishment. For the punishments of sins are not all the same, but many and various, differing in times, in persons, in dignities, and in understanding.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":383,"ref":"p383","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ὦσι πονηροὶ δύο, οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαύσαντες, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν πλούτῳ, ὁ δὲ ἐν πενίᾳ, οὐχ ὁμοίως ἐκεῖ τιμωρηθήσονται, ἀλλ' ὁ εὐπορώτερος χαλεπώτερα. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐδὲ πάντας ἐνταῦθα ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μὴ ἀπογνῷς τὴν ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ἀπελπίσῃς τὴν κρίσιν, ὡς πάντων ἐνταῦθα διδόντων λόγων· οὔτε πάντας ἀφίησιν ἀτιμωρητὶ ἀπελθεῖν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἀπρονόητα εἶναι τὰ πάντων νομίσῃς. Ἆρά γε οὐχὶ τὰ ὅμοια τοῖς πρὶν δι' ἁμαρτήματα τιμωρηθεῖσι πράττουσι καὶ νῦν πολλοί; Καὶ πάνυ· ὅταν γὰρ μὴ σαρκικὸν, ἀλλὰ πνευματικὸν ἀνέλῃς ἀδελφὸν, ὡς ὁ Κάϊν, οὐ ταὐτὰ εἰργάσω; Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ ξίφει, ἀλλ' ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ; οὐδεὶς οὖν ἐφθόνησε νῦν τῷ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφῷ; οὐδεὶς περιέβαλε κινδύνοις; Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἔδοσαν δίκην. Ἀλλὰ δώσουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ μήτε νόμων ἀκούσας γραπτῶν μήτε προφητῶν, μήτε σημεῖα θεασάμενος μεγάλα, τοσαύτην δίδωσι τιμωρίαν, ὁ ὑστέρως ταὐτὰ δεδρακὼς, καὶ μηδὲ τοσούτοις παραδείγμασι σωφρονιζόμενος, ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται; καὶ ποῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ δίκαιον;","english":"For even if two men are wicked, and here they did not enjoy the same things, but one lived in wealth and the other in poverty, they will not be punished equally there, but the wealthier more severely. For this is why God does not exact punishment from all here, lest you despair of the resurrection and give up hope of the judgment, thinking that all give account here; nor does he let all go unpunished, lest you again suppose that all things are without providence. Surely many now do the same things as those who were punished long ago for their sins? Indeed. For when you destroy a spiritual brother, not a fleshly one, as Cain did, have you not done the same? For what does it matter if not with a sword, but in another way? Did no one then envy his own brother? Did no one surround him with dangers? But here they did not pay the penalty. Yet they will pay it. For if the man who neither heard written laws nor prophets, nor beheld great signs, gives such great punishment, will the man who later did the same things, and was not brought to his senses even by so many examples, go unpunished? And where is God's justice?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":384,"ref":"p384","source":"Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Ἠλεὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ἐπειδὴ πρὸ τοῦ θυμιάματος ἤσθιον, δίκην ἔδοσαν χαλεπωτάτην μετὰ τοῦ πατρός. Οὐδεὶς οὖν γέγονε πατὴρ ῥᾴθυμος περὶ παῖδας, οὔτε μοχθηροὶ παῖδες; ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἔδωκε δίκην· πότε οὖν δώσουσιν ἐὰν μὴ γέεννα ᾖ; Τί δὲ ὁ Ἀνανίας καὶ ἡ Σάπφειρα, ἐπειδὴ ἔκλεψαν ἐξ ὧν ἀνέθηκαν, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐτιμωρήθησαν; οὐδεὶς ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦτο ἐποίησε; πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἔδωκαν τὴν αὐτὴν δίκην; Ἆρά σε πείθομεν γέενναν εἶναι, ἢ πλειόνων δεηθησόμεθα παραδειγμάτων; Ἐβουλόμην καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ μὴ εἶναι κόλασιν, καὶ μάλιστα πάντων ἐγώ. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ὑμῶν μὲν ἕκαστος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δέδοικε ψυχῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τῆς προστασίας ταύτης εὐθύνας ὑπέχω. Ὥστε μάλιστα πάντων ἐμὲ ταύτην διαφυγεῖν ἀδύνατον. Οὐ τοίνυν εὐεργετῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολάζων ἀγαθός ἐστι καὶ φιλάνθρωπος ὁ Θεός. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αἱ κολάσεις αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ τιμωρίαι μέγιστον εὐεργεσίας μέρος εἰσίν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἰατρὸς οὐχ ὅταν εἰς παραδείσους καὶ λειμῶνας ἐξάγῃ τὸν κάμνοντα μόνον, οὐδ' ὅταν εἰς βαλανεῖα καὶ κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν ἄσιτον κελεύῃ διαμένειν, ὅταν τέμνῃ, ὅταν πικρὰ προσάγῃ φάρμακα, καὶ τότε ἰατρός ἐστιν ὁμοίως, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδείκνυσι πλέον. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενον, καὶ μυρίους ὑπομένοντα πειρασμοὺς, μακάρισον, ζήλωσον, ὡς καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῷ ἐνταῦθα διαλυομένων πάντων, καὶ πολλῶν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἑτοιμαζομένων ἐκεῖ τῶν μισθῶν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀνθρώπων οἱ μὲν ἐνταῦθα τιμωροῦνται μόνον· οἱ δὲ ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὐδὲν πάσχουσι τοιοῦτον, πᾶσαν δὲ ἐκεῖ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀπολαμβάνουσιν·","english":"But the sons of Eli, because they ate before the incense offering, paid a most severe penalty along with their father. Was there ever a father careless about his children, or children wicked? But no one paid a penalty. When, then, will they pay it, unless there is a hell? What about Ananias and Sapphira, who, because they stole from what they had dedicated, were punished on the spot? Did no one from that time do this? How is it, then, that they did not pay the same penalty? Are we convincing you that there is a hell, or will we need more examples? I myself would wish that there were no punishment, and I more than all others. For what reason? Because each of you fears for his own soul, but I also submit to an accounting for this oversight. So it is especially impossible for me, more than all others, to escape this. Therefore God is good and loving toward mankind not only when he benefits but also when he punishes. For his punishments and penalties are a very great part of his beneficence; since a physician is a physician equally not only when he leads the sick man out into parks and meadows, nor only into baths and pools of water, but also when he orders him to remain without food, when he cuts, when he applies bitter medicines, and then he displays his love for mankind even more. So when you see someone cultivating virtue and enduring countless trials, call him blessed, be zealous, since all his sins are being dissolved here, and many rewards for his endurance are being prepared there. For of men, some are punished only here; but others suffer nothing of the kind here, and receive the whole punishment there.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":385,"ref":"p385","source":"οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ κολάζονται. Τίνας οὖν ἐκ τῶν τριῶν μακαρίζετε τούτων; Πρώτους μὲν εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι τοὺς ἐνταῦθα κολαζομένους καὶ ἀποτιθεμένους τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· δευτέρους δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους, τίνας; Ὑμεῖς μὲν ἴσως τοὺς οὐδὲν ἐνταῦθα πάσχοντας, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ πᾶσαν ὑπομένοντας τὴν τιμωρίαν· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ τούτους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ κολαζομένους. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τιμωρίαν δοὺς, κουφοτέρας αἰσθήσεται ἐκεῖ τῆς κολάσεως· ὁ δὲ πᾶσαν ἀναγκαζόμενος ἐκεῖ τὴν κόλασιν ὑπομεῖναι, ἀπαραίτητον ἕξει τὴν δίκην. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν ὁ Θεὸς ἃ μέλλει δεινὰ ποιεῖν προλέγει; ἵνα μὴ ποιήσῃ ἃ προλέγει. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ γέενναν ἠπείλησεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπάγῃ εἰς γέενναν. Φοβείτω γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ μὴ λυπείτω τὰ πράγματα. Καλαί σου, Δέσποτα, καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι· καλή σου καὶ ἡ προσδοκωμένη βασιλεία, καὶ γέεννα πάλιν ἀπειλουμένη· προτρέπεται γὰρ καλῶς ἡ βασιλεία, φοβεῖ δὲ χρησίμως ἡ γέεννα. Ἀπειλεῖ γὰρ γέενναν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς γέενναν ἐμβάλῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα γεέννης ἀπαλλάξῃ· εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλετο κολάσαι, οὐκ ἂν προηπείλησεν, ἵνα ἀσφαλισάμενοι διαφύγωμεν τὰ ἀπειλούμενα. Ἀπειλεῖ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἵνα φύγωμεν τὴν πεῖραν τῆς τιμωρίας· φοβεῖ, τῷ λόγῳ, ἵνα μὴ κολάσῃ τῷ ἔργῳ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μὴ προσδοκῶν ἀναστήσεσθαι, μηδὲ εὐθύνας δώσειν τῶν ἐνταῦθα πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὰ ἡμέτερα στήσεσθαι νομίζων, καὶ περαιτέρω μηδὲν εἶναι πλέον, οὔτε ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελήσεται, οὔτε κακίας ἀφέξεται, ἀλλ' ἐπιδοὺς ἑαυτὸν ταῖς ἀτόποις ἐπιθυμίαις, πᾶν εἶδος ἐπελεύσεται πονηρίας·","english":"But those who are punished both here and there. Whom, then, do you count blessed out of these three? First, I well know, those who are punished here and lay aside their sins; and second after them, whom? You perhaps would say those who suffer nothing here, but endure the whole punishment there; but I do not say these, but those who are punished both here and there. For the one who has paid the penalty here will feel the punishment there more lightly; but the one compelled to endure the whole punishment there will have a judgment that admits no pardon. For why does God foretell the terrors he is about to bring? So that he may not bring what he foretells. This is why he also threatened Gehenna: so that he might not lead us away into Gehenna. For let the words, he says, frighten you, and let not the realities grieve you. Your promises are good, Master; your kingdom that is awaited is good, and Gehenna again threatened; for the kingdom exhorts well, and Gehenna frightens usefully. For God threatens Gehenna, not so that he may cast us into Gehenna, but so that he may deliver us from Gehenna; for if he wished to punish, he would not have threatened beforehand, so that we, taking heed, might escape the things threatened. He threatens the punishment so that we may flee the experience of the punishment; he frightens by word, so that he may not punish by deed. For the one who does not expect to rise again, nor to give an account of what he has done here, but thinks that our affairs stand only as far as the present life, and that there is nothing more beyond it, will neither take care for virtue nor abstain from vice, but giving himself over to shameful desires, he will pursue every form of wickedness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":386,"ref":"p386","source":"ὁ δὲ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἑαυτὸν πεπεικὼς κρίσεως, καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν δικαστήριον ἐκεῖνο πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχων, καὶ τὰς ἀπαραιτήτους εὐθύνας, καὶ τὴν ἀπαραλόγιστον ψῆφον, παντὶ τρόπῳ πειράσεται σωφροσύνης μὲν καὶ ἐπιεικείας ἀντέχεσθαι καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς, ἀκολασίαν δὲ καὶ θρασύτητα καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν πονηρίαν ἐκφυγεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἐργάσασθαι δυνήσεται λόγος, ὅσον ἐργάζεται φόβος· ὁ γὰρ τῆς γεέννης φόβος τὸν τῆς βασιλείας ἡμῖν κομιεῖται στέφανον. Οἶδα ὅτι πολλοὶ τὴν γέενναν μόνον πεφρίκασιν· ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τῆς δόξης τῶν οὐρανῶν πολὺ τῆς γεέννης κόλασιν πικροτέραν εἶναί φημι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ δυνατὸν παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσμεν ἐκείνων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν μακαριότητα. ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἀθλιότητα τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς στερήσεως αὐτῶν σαφῶς ἴδωμεν· ἐπεὶ Παῦλος ὁ ταῦτα σαφῶς εἰδὼς, οἶδεν ὅτι τὸ ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς δόξης\n\nτοῦ Χριστοῦ, πάντων ἐστὶ χαλεπώτερον. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰσόμεθα τότε, ὅταν εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν πεῖραν ἐμπέσωμεν. Ἀλλὰ μήποτε τοῦτο πάθοιμεν, ὦ μονογενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ Παῖ, μηδὲ λάβοιμέν ποτέ τινα πεῖραν τῆς ἀνηκέστου ταύτης κολάσεως· ἀφόρητος μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἡ γέεννα καὶ ἡ κόλασις ἐκείνη· πλὴν κἂν μυρίας τιθῇς γεέννας, οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐρεῖς, οἷον τὸ τῆς μακαρίας ἐκπεσεῖν δόξης ἐκείνης, τὸ μισηθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ὅτι Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, τὸ ἐγκληθῆναι, ὅτι πεινῶντα αὐτὸν ἰδόντες οὐκ ἐθρέψαμεν. Καὶ γὰρ βέλτιον μυρίους ὑπομεῖναι κεραυνοὺς, ἢ τὸ πρόσωπον ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἥμερον ἰδεῖν ἀποστρεφόμενον ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸν γλυκὺν ὀφθαλμὸν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον εἰς ἡμᾶς βλέπειν.","english":"But the man who has convinced himself about the coming judgment, and keeps that fearful tribunal before his eyes, along with the inexorable accounts and the verdict that admits no evasion, will try in every way to hold fast to chastity and gentleness and the rest of virtue, and to flee from licentiousness and recklessness and all the rest of wickedness. For a word will not accomplish as much as fear accomplishes; for the fear of Gehenna will win for us the crown of the kingdom. I know that many have shuddered at Gehenna alone; but I say that the loss of the glory of the heavens is a punishment far more bitter than Gehenna. And if it cannot be set before us in words, that is no wonder; for we do not even know the blessedness of those good things, so that we might also clearly see the wretchedness that comes from being deprived of them; since Paul, who knew these things clearly, knows that to fall from the glory of Christ is harder than all things. And we shall know this then, when we have fallen into the very experience of it. But may we never suffer this, O only-begotten Son of God, nor ever have any experience of this incurable punishment; for Gehenna and that punishment are unbearable; yet even if you set forth ten thousand Gehennas, you will say nothing like this—to fall from that blessed glory, to be hated by Christ, to hear, I do not know you, to be accused that when he was hungry we did not feed him. For it is better to endure ten thousand thunderbolts than to see that gentle face turned away from us, and that sweet eye not enduring to look upon us.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":387,"ref":"p387","source":"Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐχθρὸν ὄντα με καὶ μισοῦντα αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστρεφόμενον οὕτως ἐδίωξεν, ὡς μηδὲ ἑαυτοῦ φείσασθαι, ἀλλὰ ἐκδοῦναι ἑαυτὸν εἰς θάνατον· ὅταν μετὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα μήτε ἄρτου ἀξιώσω αὐτὸν λιμώττοντα, ποίοις λοιπὸν αὐτὸν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὄψομαι; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἴ τίς σε γεγηρακότα καὶ ἐν πενίᾳ ζῶντα ἐπηγγέλλετο ποιήσειν ἐξαίφνης νέον, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν ἄξειν τῆς ἡλικίας τὴν ἀκμὴν, καὶ σφόδρα ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ὡραῖον ὑπὲρ πάντας κατασκευάσειν, καὶ βασιλείαν δώσειν τῆς γῆς ἁπάσης ἐπὶ ἔτεσι χιλίοις, τί οὐκ ἂν ὑπὲρ ταύτης εἵλου τῆς ὑποθέσεως καὶ ποιῆσαι καὶ παθεῖν; τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ οὐχὶ ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ τὰ πολλῷ μείζονα τούτων ἐπαγγελομένου, ἃ ἡτοίμασε τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, πόσα οὐκ ἄξιον προέσθαι χρήματα; μᾶλλον δὲ πόσας οὐκ ἄξιον προέσθαι ψυχάς; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σωματικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ταῦτα ἰδεῖν οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀνάβηθι τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦτον στὰς, ἀνάβλεψον εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἀνωτέρω τούτου οὐρανὸν, εἰς τὸ ὕψος τὸ ἄπειρον, εἰς τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀπρόσιτον, εἰς τοὺς δήμους τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ πάλιν ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς παρ' ἡμῖν εἰκόνος, καταβὰς ἄνωθεν, καὶ ὑπόγραψόν μοι τὰ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς, οἷον ἄνδρας χρυσοφοροῦντας, καὶ ζεῦγος λευκῶν ἡμιόνων χρυσῷ καλλωπιζομένων, καὶ ὄχημα χρυσοκόλλητον καὶ πέταλα τούτῳ περισειόμενα, καὶ δράκοντας ἐν ἱματίοις σχηματιζομένους σηρικοῖς, καὶ ἀσπίδας χρυσοῦς ἐχούσας ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ ἵππους χρυσοφοροῦντας, καὶ χαλινοὺς χρυσοῦς· καὶ ταῦτα συναγαγὼν ἀκριβῶς, ἀπὸ τούτων μετάθες πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐννόησον τὴν φοβερὰν καθ' ἣν ὁ Χριστὸς παραγίνεται.","english":"For if he himself so pursued me, though I was an enemy and hated him and turned away from him, that he did not spare even himself, but delivered himself up to death, when after all those things I do not deem him worthy of bread while he hungers, with what kind of eyes shall I look upon him thereafter? Tell me, then, if someone promised you, grown old and living in poverty, that he would suddenly make you young, and bring you to the very prime of life, and make you exceedingly strong and more beautiful than all, and give you the kingdom of the whole earth for a thousand years, what would you not choose to do and to suffer for this prospect? But Christ promises not these things, but things far greater than these, which he has prepared for those who love him—how much money is it not worth surrendering? Or rather, how many souls is it not worth surrendering? But since it is not possible to see these things with bodily eyes, ascend in your reasoning, and standing above this heaven, look up to that heaven which is higher than this one, to the boundless height, to the unapproachable light, to the assemblies of the angels, and again take hold of the image among us, having come down from above, and describe to me the things concerning the king on earth—such as men wearing gold, and a pair of white mules adorned with gold, and a chariot inlaid with gold and the plates shaken around it, and dragons fashioned on silk garments, and shields having golden eyes, and horses wearing gold, and golden bridles; and having gathered these things carefully, from them transfer your reasoning again to the things above, and think upon that fearful day on which Christ comes.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":388,"ref":"p388","source":"Οὐ γὰρ ζεῦγος ἡμιόνων ὄψει τότε, οὐδὲ ὀχήματα χρυσᾶ, οὐδὲ δράκοντας καὶ ἀσπίδας, ἀλλὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνοιγόμενον μὲν ἅπαντα, κατερχόμενον δὲ τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν, οὐκ εἴκοσιν οὐδὲ ἑκατὸν δορυφορούντων αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ χιλιάδων καὶ μυριάδων ἀγγέλων τε καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων· καὶ πάντα ἔσται φόβου καὶ τρόμου μεστὰ, τῶν πώποτε γενομένων ἀνθρώπων, ἐξ οὗ γέγονεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ἀπὸ γῆς ἀνισταμένων καὶ ἁρπαζομένων· καὶ αὐτοῦ μετὰ τοσαύτης φαινομένου δόξης, ὥστε τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην ἅπαν κρύψαι τὸ φῶς τῆς αὐγῆς ἐκείνην ὑπερλαμπόμενον, καὶ ἀποδιδόντος ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀλογώτερον διακειμένων παραμυθίαν τινὰ φέρειν νομίζουσι τὸ μετὰ πάντων ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ κολάζεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα ψυχρὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος, τὸ λέγειν, Ὡς πάντες κἀγώ. Ἐννόησόν μοι τοὺς ὑπὸ ποδαλγίας κατεχομένους, οἳ, ὅταν ὑπὸ δριμείας ὀδύνης κατατείνωνται, κἂν μυρίους δείξῃς χαλεπώτερα πάσχοντας, οὐδὲ εἰς νοῦν λαμβάνουσι. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπιτεταμένον τῆς ἀλγηδόνος οὐ συγχωρεῖ τῷ λογισμῷ σχολήν τινα σχεῖν εἰς τὸ λογίσασθαι ἑτέρους καὶ παραμυθίαν εὑρεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν ταῖς ψυχραῖς ταύταις ἐλπίσι τρεφώμεθα. Τὸ γὰρ δέξασθαι παραμυθίαν ἐκ τῶν τοῦ πέλας κακῶν, ἐν τοῖς συμμέτροις γίνεται τῶν παθῶν· ὅταν δὲ ὑπερέχῃ ἡ βάσανος καὶ ζάλης ᾖ μεστὰ πάντα τὰ ἔνδον, καὶ μηδὲ ἑαυτὴν εἰδέναι ἡ ψυχὴ λοιπὸν ἔχῃ, πόθεν παραμυθίαν καρπώσεται;","english":"For you will not see then a pair of mules, nor golden chariots, nor dragons and cobras, but the whole heaven opened, and the only-begotten Son of God descending, not with twenty or a hundred spear-bearers attending him, but with thousands and tens of thousands of angels and archangels; and all things will be full of fear and trembling, as all the men who have ever existed, from the time Adam came to be until that day, rise from the earth and are caught up; and he himself appears with such glory that the sun and the moon hide all their light, outshone by that radiance, and he renders to each according to his works. But many of those who are more unreasonably disposed think that being punished in Gehenna along with everyone else brings them some consolation; for this saying is exceedingly cold: \"that everyone, and I too.\" Consider for me those afflicted with gout, who, when they are racked by sharp pain, even if you point out ten thousand suffering worse things, do not take it to heart at all. For the intensity of the pain does not allow the reasoning mind any leisure to consider others and find consolation. Let us not, then, feed on these cold hopes. For to receive consolation from the misfortunes of one's neighbor happens in moderate sufferings; but when the torment exceeds all bounds and all things within are full of tempest, and the soul can no longer even know itself, from where will it harvest consolation?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":389,"ref":"p389","source":"Εἴ τίς σε εἰς θέατρον ἤγαγεν, ἔνθα πάντες ἐκάθηντο χρυσᾶς περιβεβλημένοι στολὰς, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῷ πλήθει ἕτερόν τινα ἀπέδειξεν ἀπὸ λίθων καὶ μαργαριτῶν μόνων καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὸν στέφανον τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔχοντα, εἶτά σε ἐπηγγείλατο εἰς ἐκεῖνον κατατάξειν τὸν δῆμον, ἆρα οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντα ἔπραξας\n\nὥστε τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ταύτης τυχεῖν; Νῦν δὲ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοιούτων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν οὐδὲ ἑρμηνευθῆναι δυνατῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἡμῖν συγκειμένου θεάτρου (περὶ γὰρ τοῦ βασιλέως οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν ἔνι), ἵνα μὴ μικρὸν πονήσωμεν χρόνον, τοσούτων ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστερήσομεν ἀγαθῶν; Εἰ γὰρ μυρίους θανάτους καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑπομένειν ἐχρῆν· εἰ καὶ τὴν γέενναν αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν ἰδεῖν ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὸν τῶν ἁγίων καταλεγῆναι χορὸν, οὐκ ἐχρῆν ἅπαντα ὑπομένειν ἐκεῖνα; Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀλογώτερον διακειμένων τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἀπαλλαγῆναι μόνον ἀγαπητὸν τίθενται· ἐγὼ δὲ τῆς γεέννης πολλῷ χαλεπωτέραν κόλασιν εἶναί φημι τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι ἐν τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δόξῃ, καὶ τὸν ἐκπεσόντα ἐκεῖθεν οὐχ οὕτως οἶμαι δεῖν πενθεῖν τὰ ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ κακὰ, ὡς τὴν ἀπόπτωσιν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Δεσπότου· τοῦτο γὰρ μόνον πάντων χαλεπώτερον εἰς κολάσεως λόγον ἐστίν. Εἰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐφιλοῦμεν, ὡς φιλεῖν ἐχρῆν, ἔγνωμεν ἄν τι γεέννης χαλεπώτερον τὸ προσκροῦσαι τῷ φιλουμένῳ· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ φιλοῦμεν, οὐκ ἴσμεν τῆς κολάσεως ταύτης τὸ μέγεθος· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ μάλιστα ὀδύρομαι καὶ θρηνῶ. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁ οὕτω φιλῶν, βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ οὕτω φιλούμενος, οὐκ ἂν ᾐδέσθη τὸ τοῦ ἔρωτος μέγεθος; σφόδρα μὲν οὖν·","english":"If someone led you into a theater where all were seated clothed in golden robes, and in the midst of the crowd he pointed out another man whose garments and the crown on his head were made of stones and pearls alone, and then promised to enroll you among that people, would you not have done everything to obtain this promise? But now, not from such things, but from things that cannot even be interpreted, is the theater in the heavens composed for us (for concerning the King it is not even possible to speak), so that we should not labor for a little time and deprive ourselves of so many good things? For if it were necessary to endure ten thousand deaths each day—even if it were for the sake of seeing Christ coming in his glory and being counted among the choir of the saints—was it not necessary to endure all those things? But most of those who are more unreasonably disposed set it down as desirable merely to be delivered from Gehenna; but I say that it is a much harsher punishment than Gehenna not to be in the glory of Christ, and I think that one who has fallen from there ought not so much to mourn the evils in Gehenna as the falling away from the Master; for this alone is harsher than all things in the matter of punishment. If we loved Christ as we ought to love him, we would have known something harsher than Gehenna—to offend the one who is loved; but since we do not love him, we do not know the magnitude of this punishment; and this is what I especially lament and bewail. For if it were a man who so loved, and a king who was so loved, would he not have been ashamed at the greatness of the love? Most certainly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":390,"ref":"p390","source":"ὅταν δὲ τοὐναντίον ᾖ, καὶ ἄφατον μὲν ἐκείνου τὸ κάλλος καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος τοῦ φιλοῦντος ἡμᾶς, ἡμῶν δὲ πολλὴ ἡ εὐτέλεια, πῶς οὐχὶ μυρίας ἐσμὲν ἄξιοι κολάσεως οἱ οὕτως εὐτελεῖς καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένοι, παρὰ τοιούτου μεγάλου καὶ θαυμαστοῦ φιλούμενοι μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἁπάσης, καὶ καταφρονοῦντες αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης, τοῦ μηδὲν ἡμῶν προτιμῶντος; Ἕνα γὰρ εἶχεν Υἱὸν μονογενῆ καὶ γνήσιον, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτου ἐφείσατο δι' ἡμᾶς· ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτοῦ τὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπιτάγματα προτιμῶμεν. Ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ εἰκότως γέεννα καὶ κόλασις, εἰ καὶ διπλῆ καὶ τριπλῆ ἦν καὶ μυριάκις τοσαύτη; Μὴ δή μου καταγνῶτε τῆς θρηνῳδίας· οὐ γὰρ τὸ θρηνεῖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, χαλεπὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θρήνων ἄξια ποιεῖν, οὐδὲ τὸ ὀδύρεσθαι ἀποτρόπαιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὀδυρμῶν παραίτια πράττειν. Μὴ κολασθῇς, καὶ οὐ πενθῶ· μὴ ἐμβληθῇς εἰς γέενναν, καὶ οὐκ ὀδύρομαι. Βέλτιον γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ἡμᾶς δάκνεσθαι νῦν, ἢ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τιμωρουμένους. Σὺ δὲ, ἂν μὲν τὸ σῶμά σου ἀσθενῇ, πάντας παρακαλεῖς συναλγεῖν σοι, καὶ ἀσυμπαθεῖς ἡγῇ τοὺς μὴ συναλγοῦντάς σοι· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς ἀπολλυμένης, λέγεις μοι μὴ πενθεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι· πατὴρ γάρ εἰμι, καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος. Εἴθε ἦν ἰδεῖν ὑμᾶς τῆς διανοίας μου τὴν πυρὰν, καὶ ἔγνωτε ἂν, ὅτι πάσης γυναικὸς χηρείαν ἄωρον ὑποστάσης πλέον καίομαι. Οὐχ οὕτω γυνὴ πενθεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ἑαυτῆς, οὐδὲ πατὴρ υἱὸν, ὡς ἐγὼ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦτο τὸ παρ' ἡμῖν, ὅτε οὐδεμίαν ὁρῶ προκοπὴν ἐν ὑμῖν. Ἀλλὰ πάντες εἰς διαβολὰς καὶ κατηγορίας, καὶ ἅπας ἡμῖν ὁ καιρὸς εἰς τὸ κατηγορεῖν ἀναλίσκεται. Εἴδετέ ποτε τοὺς ἀπαγομένους ἐπὶ θάνατον;","english":"But when the opposite is the case, and the beauty and glory and wealth of the one who loves us are beyond words, while our own worthlessness is great, how are we not worthy of countless punishments—we who are so worthless and cast away, yet are loved with every excess by one so great and wonderful, and who despise his love, though he values nothing above us? For he had one only-begotten and true Son, and he did not spare even him for our sake; but we prefer the commands of Satan to him. Is it not then with good reason that Gehenna and punishment exist, even if they were double and triple and ten thousand times as great? Do not condemn my lamentation; for it is not lamenting, beloved, that is grievous, but doing things worthy of lamentation; nor is mourning abominable, but doing things that cause mourning. Do not be punished, and I do not mourn; do not be cast into Gehenna, and I do not wail. For it is better for us to be stung by these things now than to be punished in that time. But you—if your body is weak, you beg everyone to grieve with you, and you consider those who do not grieve with you to be without sympathy; but when your soul is perishing, do you tell me not to mourn? But I cannot; for I am a father, and a loving father. Would that it were possible for you to see the fire of my mind, and you would know that I am burned more than any woman who has endured untimely widowhood. Not so does a woman mourn her own husband, nor a father his son, as I mourn this multitude among us, when I see no progress in you. But all is spent on slander and accusation, and all our time is consumed in accusing. Have you ever seen those being led away to death?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":391,"ref":"p391","source":"ποίαν νομίζετε αὐτοῖς εἶναι τὴν ψυχὴν, τὴν μέχρι τῆς πύλης ὁδὸν βαδίζουσι; πόσων θανάτων οὐ χείρονα; τί οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιντο καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ παθεῖν, ὥστε ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς ἀχλύος ἐκείνης καὶ τοῦ νέφους; Ἐγὼ πολλῶν ἤκουσα λεγόντων, φιλανθρωπίᾳ βασιλικῇ μετὰ τὴν ἀπαγωγὴν εἰς τοὐπίσω κληθέντων, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπους ἑωρῶμεν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τεθορυβημένης τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἐκπληττομένης καὶ ἐξεστηκυίας. Εἰ τοίνυν σωματικὸς ὑμᾶς θάνατος οὕτω φοβεῖ, ὅταν ὁ αἰώνιος παραγένηται, τί ποιήσομεν; ὅταν τὴν γῆν ἀποῤῥηγνυμένην ἴδωμεν, ὅταν τὸν οὐρανὸν συνελκόμενον, ὅταν αὐτὸν παραγενόμενον τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων βασιλέα, τίς ἄρα ἡμῖν ἔσται τότε ἡ ψυχή; Εἰ ἑτέρων ἀναιρουμένων τὸν θάνατον τοῦτον τὸν ὕπνου οὐδὲν διαφέροντα, οἱ μηδὲν κοινωνοῦντες οὕτω διατίθενται, ὡς καταπεπτωκυῖαν καὶ παρειμένην τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας· ὅταν ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ τοῖς μείζοσι περιπίπτωμεν ἀθάνατα κολαζόμενοι, τίς ἄρα ἔσται κατάστασις; Οὐκ ἔστι, πιστεύσατε, παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ τὸ πάθος, οὐκ ἔστι. Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ φιλάνθρωπος ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐδὲν τούτων ἔσται. Οὐκοῦν εἰκῆ γέγραπται; Οὒ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀπειλὴν μόνον, ἵνα σωφρονῶμεν. Ἂν οὖν οὐ σωφρονῶμεν,","english":"What do you think their soul is like, as they walk the road all the way to the gate? What is it not worse than countless deaths? What would they not choose to do and to suffer, so as to be released from that murk and cloud? I have heard many say—men who by the emperor's benevolence were called back after their deportation—that we did not even see men as men, the soul being thrown into confusion and astonishment and beside itself. If, then, a bodily death so frightens you, when the eternal one comes, what shall we do? When we see the earth torn apart, when we see the heaven drawn together, when the King of all himself comes, what then will our soul be? If, when others are being put to death—a death that differs in no way from sleep—those who have no share in it are so affected that their soul lies prostrate and enfeebled from fear and despondency, when we ourselves fall into greater things, being punished eternally, what will our condition be? It is not possible, believe me, to set the suffering before you in words; it is not possible. Yes, he says, but God is benevolent, and none of these things will be. Then was it written in vain? No, he says, but only as a threat, so that we may be chastened. If, then, we are not chastened,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":392,"ref":"p392","source":"ἀλλὰ μείνωμεν κακοὶ, οὐκ ἐπάξει τὴν κόλασιν; Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀποδώσει τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ναὶ, φησί· τοῦτο γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν εὐεργετεῖν. Ὥστε ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἀληθῆ καὶ πάντως ἔσται, τὰ δὲ τῶν κολάσεων οὐ πάντως, ἀλλ' ἀπειλῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ φόβου; Τί οὖν; ἤκουσας περὶ κατακλυσμοῦ; μὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνα ἕνεκεν ἀπειλῆς εἴρηται; οὐχὶ ἐξέβη καὶ γέγονε; Τοιαῦτα καὶ ἐκεῖνοι πολλὰ ἔλεγον, καὶ ἐν ἑκατὸν ἔτεσι τῆς κιβωτοῦ τεκταινομένης, καὶ τοῦ δικαίου βοῶντος, οὐδεὶς ὁ πιστεύων ἦν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν τῇ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἀπειλῇ, ὑπέστησαν τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τιμωρίαν· ἧς τὴν πεῖραν ἐκφυγεῖν σπουδάσωμεν, ὅση δύναμις, ἵνα καὶ τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον εὐμαρῶς διανύσωμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Κς ʹ. Περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας.\n\nΕἰσί τινες τῶν ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενοι, οἳ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀναχώρησιν προτιμώμενοι, τὰ ὄρη καταλαμβάνουσι· κἂν ἔρηταί τις τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως τὴν αἰτίαν, εὑρίσκει πρόφασιν συγγνώμην οὐκ ἔχουσαν· ἵνα γὰρ μὴ παραπόλωμαι, φησὶ, μηδὲ ἀμβλύτερος γένωμαι τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἀποπηδῶ. Καὶ πόσῳ βέλτιον ἀμβλύτερόν σε γενέσθαι, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους κερδᾶναι, ἢ μένοντα ἐν ὕψει περιιδεῖν ἀπολλυμένους τοὺς ἀδελφούς; Ὅταν οὖν οἱ μὲν ἀρετῆς ἀμελῶσιν, οἱ δὲ ἐπιμελούμενοι πόῤῥω τῆς παρατάξεως γίνωνται, πῶς αἱρήσομεν τοὺς ἐχθρούς;","english":"But shall we remain wicked, and will he not bring on the punishment? Then neither will he repay the good their rewards. Yes, he says; for this is fitting, and to do good even beyond what is deserved. So then, are those things true and will they certainly come to pass, but the things of punishments not certainly, but only for the sake of threat and fear? What then? Have you not heard about the flood? Were those things too spoken only for the sake of a threat? Did they not come out and happen? Such things those men also kept saying, and while the ark was being built over a hundred years, and the righteous man was crying out, there was no one who believed; but since they did not believe the threat made through words, they underwent the punishment made through deeds. Let us strive with all our power to escape the experience of it, so that we may both pass through this present life with ease and attain the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 26. On virtue and vice.\n\nThere are some here who take care for virtue, who, preferring withdrawal from the city, occupy the mountains; and if one asks the reason for their withdrawal, he finds a pretext that has no excuse: For, he says, so that I may not be ruined, nor become duller in virtue, I leap away. And how much better would it be for you to become duller and to gain others, than while remaining on a height to look on while your brothers perish? When, then, some neglect virtue, and those who take care for it are far from the battle line, how shall we take the enemies?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":393,"ref":"p393","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ σημεῖα ἦν νῦν, τίς ἂν ἐπείσθη, ἢ τίς προσέσχεν ἡμῖν τῶν ἔξωθεν, τῆς κακίας οὕτως ἐπιπολαζούσης; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὀρθὸς βίος ἡμῶν ἀξιοπιστότερος τοῖς πολλοῖς εἶναι δοκεῖ. Σημεῖα μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ἀναισχύντων καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὑπόνοιαν δέξεται πονηράν· βίος δὲ καθαρὸς καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ στόμα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας ἐμφράξαι δυνήσεται. Εἰ τοίνυν τὸ εἶναι ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ μὴ εἶναι, τρόπῳ καὶ προαιρέσει γίνεται, ἔξεστι δὲ μὴ εἶναι ἐν τῇ γῇ τὸν βουλόμενον, ὡς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Παῦλον, ἀποστήσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς γῆς, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέλθωμεν. Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστι τὸ κωλύον ἡμᾶς πάντας ὑπερβαλέσθαι, εἴ γε βουλοίμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ τέχνας οὕτω κατορθοῦμεν ὑπερβαινούσας τοὺς πολλοὺς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὃ μὴ τοσούτου δεῖται πόνου; Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, χαλεπώτερον τοῦ διὰ σχοίνου τεταμένης βαδίζειν καθάπερ ἐπὶ ἰσοπέδου, καὶ ἄνω περιπατοῦντα ὑποδύεσθαι καὶ ἀποδύεσθαι, καθάπερ ἐπὶ κλίνης καθήμενον; Τί δὲ, εἰπέ μοι, χαλεπώτερον τοῦ κόντον ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου λαβεῖν, εἶτα ἐπιθέντα ἄνω παιδίον, μυρία ποιεῖν καὶ τέρπειν τοὺς θεατάς; οὐχὶ οὕτω φρικτὸν ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα δοκεῖ, ὡς μηδὲ θέλειν θεάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ δεδοικέναι καὶ τρέμειν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν αὐτήν; Ἀλλὰ πάντων τούτων εὐκολωτέρα ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἐὰν βουλώμεθα καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβῆναι. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε, Θέλω, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι. Εἰ γὰρ πράγματός τινος ἐντὸς γενέσθαι βουλόμενοι, οὐχὶ τῷ θελῆσαι μόνον ἀρκούμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ πράγματος ἁπτόμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνελθεῖν βουλόμενοι τῆς πρακτικῆς ἀρετῆς δεησόμεθα.","english":"For if there were signs now, who would be persuaded, or who of those outside would pay attention to us, when wickedness is so prevalent? For indeed our upright life seems to most people to be more trustworthy. For signs from shameless and wicked men will even receive a wicked suspicion; but a pure life will be able to stop the very mouth of the devil with great abundance. If, then, being on the earth and not being on it comes about by manner and choice, and it is possible for the one who wishes not to be on the earth, as with those around Paul, let us remove ourselves from the earth and ascend to heaven. For nothing prevents us all from surpassing, if indeed we wish it. For if we master arts that surpass most people, how much more that which does not require so much labor? For tell me, what is harder than walking on a stretched rope as though on level ground, and walking above to put on and take off clothes, as though sitting on a bed? Or tell me, what is harder than taking a pole on the forehead, then placing a child on top, and doing countless things and entertaining the spectators? Does not the matter seem to us so fearful that we do not even wish to watch, but are afraid and tremble even at the very sight? But virtue is easier than all these things, if we wish even to ascend to heaven itself. And do not say to me, \"I wish, but I cannot.\" For if, wishing to get inside some matter, we are not satisfied with wishing alone, but also lay hold of the matter, how much more, wishing to ascend to heaven, will we need practical virtue.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":394,"ref":"p394","source":"Εἰ δὲ βούλει μαθεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπίπονος ἡ ἀρετὴ, οὐδὲ δυσκατόρθωτος, ἐννόησόν μοι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἡσυχάζοντας· οἳ καὶ οἰκίας ἀφιᾶσι καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας καὶ προστασίαν ἅπασαν, καὶ ἐκτὸς ἑαυτοὺς τοῦ κόσμου ποιήσαντες, σάκκον περιθέμενοι, σποδὸν ὑποστρωσάμενοι, κλοιῷ τὸν τράχηλον ἐξαρτήσαντες, ἐν οἰκίσκῳ μικρῷ κατακλείσαντες ἑαυτοὺς, οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτου ἵστανται, ἀλλὰ νηστείαις καὶ λιμῷ διηνεκεῖ κατατείνουσιν ἑαυτούς. Καὶ μή μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι ἠδυνήθησαν· πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλῷ ἀσθενέστεροί σου καὶ πλουσιώτεροι καὶ τρυφερώτεροι τὸν σκληρὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ τραχὺν ἀνεδέξαντο βίον. Ἀλλὰ μέγας ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀγὼν καὶ ὑψηλὸς ὁ σκόπελος καὶ ἐγγὺς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἡ κορυφὴ, καὶ οὐ δύνασαι φθάσαι πρὸς τὸ\n\nμέγα; Οὐκοῦν κἂν τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἔχου, καὶ τῶν κατωτέρων ἐφίεσο. Οὐ δύνασαι κενῶσαι τὰ χρήματα; κἂν τὰ τῶν ἄλλων μὴ ἅρπαζε· οὐ δύνασαι νηστεῦσαι; κἂν μὴ εἰς τρυφὴν σαυτὸν ἐξαγάγῃς. Τοσαῦτα γὰρ παθόντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐχθροὺς ὄντας, τί δυνάμεθα ἐπιδεῖξαι ἡμεῖς ὧν δι' αὐτὸν πεπόνθαμεν οὐδέν. Πόθεν οὖν ἡμῖν ἡ παῤῥησία ἔσται κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν; Οὐκ ἴστε ὅτι καὶ ὁ στρατιώτης, ὅταν τραύματα καὶ ὠτειλὰς ἐπιδείκνυται, τότε δυνήσεται λαμπρὸς εἶναι παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ· ἂν δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ δεῖξαι κατόρθωμα, κἂν μηδὲν ᾖ προσκεκρουκὼς, ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ταχθήσεται; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι πολέμου καιρὸς, φησί. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν, εἰπέ μοι, τίς ἂν ἠγωνίσατο; τίς ἂν ἐπεπήδησε; τίς ἂν τὴν φάλαγγα διέξεσε; τάχα οὐδείς. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδω, ὅτι οὐδὲ χρημάτων καταφρονεῖς ἕνεκεν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πῶς σοι πιστεύσω ὅτι πληγῶν καταφρονήσεις;","english":"But if you wish to learn that virtue is not laborious, nor hard to accomplish, consider with me those who dwell at rest in the mountains: who leave behind houses and wives and children and all authority, and having made themselves outside the world, putting on sackcloth, spreading ashes beneath them, hanging a collar on their neck, shutting themselves up in a small cell, they do not stop even there, but strain themselves with fastings and continual hunger. And do not tell me that those men were able; for many who are much weaker than you and richer and more luxurious have undertaken that harsh and rugged life. But that contest is great and the peak is high and the summit is near to heaven, and you cannot reach the\n\ngreat? Therefore, at least hold to the lesser things, and aspire to the lower. You cannot empty out your wealth? At least do not seize the things of others; you cannot fast? At least do not lead yourself out into luxury. For since Christ suffered so much for us while we were enemies, what are we able to show of what we have suffered for his sake—nothing. From where, then, will our boldness be on that day? Do you not know that even the soldier, when he displays wounds and scars, then will be able to be illustrious before the king; but if he has no achievement to show, even if he has offended in nothing, he will be placed among the last? But it is not the time of war, he says. For if it were, tell me, who would have fought? Who would have leaped forward? Who would have broken through the line? Perhaps no one. For when I see that you do not despise wealth for the sake of Christ, how shall I believe you that you will despise blows?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":395,"ref":"p395","source":"Εἶπε, Φέρετε τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας γενναίως, καὶ εὐλογεῖτε· καὶ τοῦτο οὐ ποιεῖς, ἀλλὰ παρακούεις· ὃ κίνδυνον οὐκ ἔχει, οὐ ποιεῖς, καὶ πληγὰς οἴσεις, εἰπέ μοι, ἔνθα πολὺ τὸ τῆς ὀδύνης καὶ τῆς ἀλγηδόνος; Μὴ τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπατῶμεν, λέγοντες, ὅτι Τέως μὲν ἀπολαύσωμεν τῶν ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου, ὕστερον δὲ ὀλίγον χρόνον πονέσαντες, τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου ληψόμεθα τὸν μισθόν. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλέα μετὰ τὸ πολλοὺς μὲν ὑπομεῖναι κινδύνους, πολλοὺς δὲ ἀνύσαι πολέμους, μόλις τις ὄψεται μετὰ παῤῥησίας, πῶς τὸν οὐράνιον ἰδεῖν δυνήσεταί τις τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἑτέρῳ ζήσας καὶ στρατευσάμενος; Ἔλαβες εὐγένειαν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τί προδίδως τὴν ἀρετὴν τῆς φύσεως; Τί ποιεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; Ἕτεροι τέχνας ἔχουσι τὰ ἄλογα κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν εἰς ἀνθρώπων εὐγένειαν μετατιθέναι, ψιττακοὺς καὶ κίσσας παιδεύοντες φωνὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φθέγγεσθαι· καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ τὴν φύσιν βιάζονται· λέοντας ἡμέρους ἐργάζονται διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἕλκοντες. Τὸν λέοντα ἥμερον ποιεῖς, καὶ σαυτὸν λύκων ἀγριώτερον καθιστᾷς; Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι τῶν μὲν ἀλόγων ἕκαστον ἓν ἐλάττωμα ἔχει, ἐπὶ δὲ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ οὐκ ἔνι τοῦτο· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἓν ἐλάττωμα πολλάκις κέκτηται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν ἀλόγων κακίας εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ συνάγει ψυχήν. Μή μοι οὖν δείξῃς ὅτι ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου ἔχεις, ἀλλ' εἰ εἶ τὸ φρόνημα ἄνθρωπος. Ἄρχων εἶ τῶν ἀλόγων, καὶ γέγονας τῶν ἐν σοὶ ἀλόγων παθῶν δοῦλος; πῶς οὖν σε καλέσω ἄνθρωπον, ὃς οὐκ ἔχεις τῆς βασιλείας τὸ σύνθημα; Ἐννόησον κατὰ τίνος εἰκόνα ἐγένου, καὶ μὴ κατενεχθῇς εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων εὐτέλειαν.","english":"He said, \"Bring those who insult you, and bless them\"; and this you do not do, but you disobey. What carries no danger, you do not do, and will you endure blows—tell me—where the pain and anguish are great? Let us not, then, deceive ourselves, saying, \"For a little while let us enjoy the pleasures of life, and later, having labored for a short time, we shall receive the reward of all time.\" For if one scarcely sees an earthly king with boldness after enduring many dangers and accomplishing many wars, how will anyone be able to see the heavenly King, having lived and served as a soldier for another his whole life? You received nobility from God; why do you betray the virtue of your nature? What are you doing, tell me? Others have arts by which, as far as is possible, they transfer irrational creatures to the nobility of humans, training parrots and jays to utter human speech; and by art they constrain nature; they make lions tame by dragging them through the marketplace. You make the lion tame, and you make yourself wilder than wolves? And what is more grievous, that each of the irrational creatures has one defect, but in a wicked man this is not so; for a man does not often possess one defect, but gathers into his own soul the vices of many irrational creatures. Do not, then, show me that you have a human soul, but whether you are a man in your mind. You are a ruler of the irrational creatures, and have you become a slave of the irrational passions within you? How then shall I call you a man, who do not have the stamp of kingship? Consider after whose image you were made, and do not be dragged down to the cheapness of the irrational creatures.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":396,"ref":"p396","source":"Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις οἱ τὴν σχοῖνον τὴν κάτωθεν ἄνω τεταμένην ἀναβαίνειν καὶ καταβαίνειν μελετῶντες, ἂν μικρὸν παραβλέψωσι παρατραπέντες, κατενεχθήσονται κάτω καὶ ἀπολοῦνται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὴν πνευματικὴν ὁδεύοντες ὁδὸν, ἂν μικρὸν ῥᾳθυμήσωσι, κατακρημνίζονται. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνης τῆς σχοίνου ἡ ὁδὸς αὕτη καὶ στενοτέρα, καὶ ὄρθιος καὶ προσάντης μᾶλλόν ἐστι, καὶ ὑψηλοτέρα πολλῷ· πρὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν ἄνω τελευτᾷ τὸν οὐρανόν· καὶ τότε ἡμῖν σφαλερώτερα ἔσται τὰ βήματα, ὅταν ἄνω καὶ πρὸς αὐτῇ γενώμεθα τῇ κορυφῇ. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐφ' ὕψους ἑστῶσι πολὺς ὁ τρόμος, καὶ μία μόνον ἀσφάλεια λείπεται, τὸ μὴ κατακύψαι κάτω μηδὲ εἰς τὴν γῆν ἰδεῖν· καὶ γὰρ πολὺς ἐντεῦθεν καὶ χαλεπὸς ὁ σκοτόδινος γίνεται. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθάρας οὐκ ἀρκεῖ μόνον ἀπὸ μιᾶς νευρᾶς τὴν μελῳδίαν ἐργάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ πάσας ἐπιέναι δεῖ μετὰ ῥυθμοῦ τοῦ προσήκοντος, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν νόμος εἷς εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἀλλὰ δεῖ πάντας μετὰ ἀκριβείας φυλάττειν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, ὅταν τις εὔχηται μὲν ἐκτενῶς, μὴ ἐλεῇ δὲ δαψιλῶς; ἢ ὅταν ἐλεῇ μὲν δαψιλῶς, πλεονεκτῶν δὲ καὶ βιαζόμενος; ἢ ὅταν μὲν μὴ πλεονεκτῶν μηδὲ βιαζόμενος, πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν δὲ ἀνθρώπων καὶ φιλοτιμίαν τῶν ὁρώντων; ἢ ὅταν ἐλεῇ μὲν μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας, καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, ἐπερείδεται δὲ αὐτῷ τούτῳ καὶ μέγα φρονῇ; ἢ ὅταν ταπεινὸς μὲν ᾖ καὶ νηστείαις προσέχων, φιλάργυρος δὲ καὶ ἐμπορικὸς καὶ τῇ γῇ προσηλωμένος, καὶ τὴν μητέρα τῶν κακῶν ἐπεισάγων τῇ ψυχῇ, τὴν φιλαργυρίαν; Οὐκ ἔνι γὰρ, φησὶ, Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ.","english":"For just as in the theaters those who practice walking up and down a rope stretched from below to above, if they look aside a little and turn aside, will be carried down and perish; so also those who travel the spiritual road, if they grow a little slack, are dashed down headlong. For this road is both narrower than that rope, and steeper and more uphill, and far higher; for it ends up at heaven itself; and then our steps will be more slippery when we are up high and near the very summit. For those who stand on a height have great trembling, and only one safety remains: not to stoop down nor to look at the ground; for from this comes the great and grievous dizziness. And just as on the lyre it is not enough to produce the melody from one string alone, but one must go through all of them with the proper rhythm, so also in the virtue of the soul one law is not enough for us for salvation, but we must keep them all with exactness. For what is the benefit, tell me, when someone prays earnestly but does not give alms generously? Or when he gives alms generously but is grasping and violent? Or when he is neither grasping nor violent, but does it for the display of men and the vainglory of those who see? Or when he gives alms with all exactness and according to what is pleasing to God, but is puffed up and proud on this very account? Or when he is humble and devoted to fasts, but is a lover of money and a trafficker and nailed to the earth, and brings into his soul the mother of evils, the love of money? For it is not possible, he says, to serve God and mammon.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":397,"ref":"p397","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς\n\nοὕτως ᾠκονόμησε κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἅπαντας εἶναι, καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἀναμεμῖχθαι, ἵνα καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν ἡ κακία ἐκκόπτηται, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ἀρετὴ λαμπροτέρα δείκνυται, καὶ τὰ μέγιστα κερδάνωσιν οἱ ῥᾴθυμοι, εἰ βούλονται, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν σπουδαίων συνουσίας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ διπλῆς ἄξιοι τιμῆς, ὅτι καὶ χρηστοὶ γεγόνασι καὶ οὐδὲν παρὰ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐβλάβησαν· οὕτω καὶ οἱ φαῦλοι διπλῆς ἄξιοι κολάσεως, ὅτι τε πονηροὶ γεγόνασι δυνάμενοι γενέσθαι καλοὶ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκέρδανον. Καὶ ὥσπερ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς οὐχ οἱ ἀγαθοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ θαυμάζουσιν, οὕτω καὶ τοὺς κακοὺς οὐχ οἱ χρηστοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ φαῦλοι μισοῦσιν. Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς θαυμάζουσιν, ὡς ἱκανοὺς ὄντας ἀδικεῖν καὶ βλάπτειν, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι μάλιστα πάντων αὐτοὺς ταλανίζειν ἐχρῆν, ὅτι νομίζοντες ἑτέρους βλάπτειν καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸ ξίφος ὠθοῦσιν· ὅπερ ἀνοίας ἐστὶν ἐσχάτης, ἑαυτὸν πλήττοντα, μηδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο εἰδέναι, ἀλλὰ ἕτερον δοκεῖν ἀδικεῖν ἐν τῷ κατασφάττειν ἑαυτόν. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι κακὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀδικεῖν καὶ μὴ εἰδέναι φέρειν ἀδικούμενον. Πόσα γὰρ ἠδικεῖτο ὁ Δαυΐδ; πόσα δὲ ἠδίκει ὁ Σαούλ; τίς οὖν γέγονεν ἀθλιώτερος καὶ ἐλεεινότερος; τίς δὲ λαμπρότερος καὶ μακαριώτερος; οὐχ ὁ μὲν ἀπεπνίγετο ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας καὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος· ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον ἔλαμπε τοῖς τροπαίοις καὶ τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν εὐνοίᾳ;","english":"For this reason also the loving-kindness of God so ordered it that all should be together in the same place, and that both the wicked and the good should be mingled together, so that both the wickedness of the wicked might be cut off, and the virtue of the good might be shown more brightly, and the slothful might gain the greatest things, if they are willing, from the company of the earnest. For just as the noble and good are worthy of double honor, because they have both become virtuous and have suffered no harm from the wicked; so also the base are worthy of double punishment, because they have both become wicked though they were able to become good, and because they gained nothing from the good. And just as the good are admired not only by the good but also by the wicked, so also the evil are hated not only by the virtuous but also by the base. But the many admire the wicked, as being able to do injustice and to harm, not knowing that they ought most of all to be pitied, because in thinking to harm others they thrust the sword against themselves; which is the height of folly, for one who strikes himself not even to know this very thing, but to think he is harming another when he is slaughtering himself. For it is not being wronged that is evil, but to do wrong and not to know how to bear being wronged. For how much was David wronged? And how much did Saul wrong? Who then became more wretched and pitiable? And who more radiant and blessed? Was it not he who was choked by despondency and the evil demon, while the other shone beyond the sun by his trophies and his goodwill toward God?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":398,"ref":"p398","source":"οὐχ ὁ μὲν ἀπηγχονίζετο τῷ φθόνῳ, ὁ δὲ σιγῇ πάντα φέρων, ἅπαντας εἷλε καὶ ἑαυτῷ προσέδησεν, ἐπειδὴ ὁ μὲν ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρει πολλάκις, ὁ δὲ διωκόμενος τὸν πολέμιον εἰς χεῖρας ἐλάμβανε, καὶ λαμβάνων ἐφείδετο; Τίς ἀσθενέστερος, τίς δὲ ἀδυνατώτερος δείκνυται; οὐχ οὗτος ὁ μηδὲ δικαίως ἐπεξελθών; Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ στρατιώτας ὡπλισμένους, ὁ δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν μυρίων στρατοπέδων ἰσχυροτέραν, εἶχε σύμμαχον καὶ βοηθόν. Ὅτε δὲ αὐτὸς αὗτος ὁ ἀδικηθεὶς καὶ ἰσχύσας ἠδίκησεν ὕστερον, ὅρα πῶς ἀσθενέστερος γίνεται. Ἠδίκησε τὸν Οὐρίαν, καὶ μετέστη πάλιν ἡ τάξις· καὶ ἡ μὲν ἀσθένεια πρὸς τὸν ἀδικήσαντα, ἡ δὲ δύναμις πρὸς τὸν ἀδικηθέντα διέβη, καὶ νεκρὸς ὢν ἐπόρθει τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν ἐκείνου· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν βασιλεὺς ὢν καὶ ζῶν οὐδὲν ἴσχυσεν· ἐκεῖνος δὲ στρατιώτης ὢν καὶ σφαγεὶς, πάντα τὰ ἐκείνου ἄνω καὶ κάτω πεποίηκεν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ ὀρθῶς ζῶντα καὶ ἀεὶ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν βλέποντα, κἂν μυρίας ἁλύσεις περικέηται, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῇ διαπαντὸς, κἂν ἀναξίοις δουλεύῃ, κἂν πένηται, κἂν ἐξορύττηται, κἂν καίηται, κἂν κατὰ μικρὸν δαπανᾶται τὸ σῶμα, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο πάσχῃ δεινὸν, μακάριζε τὸν τοιοῦτον καὶ ζηλωτὸν εἶναι νόμιζε· ὅταν δὲ ἴδῃς ἕτερον ἐν ἀσελγείᾳ καὶ πονηρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ζῶντα κακοῖς, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντα τιμῆς, ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτὸν ἀναβαίνοντα τὸν βασιλικὸν, καὶ διάδημα περικείμενον καὶ ἁλουργίδα ἔχοντα, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης κρατοῦντα, δάκρυσον διὰ τοῦτο τὸν τοιοῦτον καὶ ταλάνιζε.","english":"Was not one consumed by envy, while the other, bearing all things in silence, won them all and bound them to himself, since the one often attempted to destroy him, while the other, being pursued, took his enemy into his hands, and having taken him, spared him? Who is shown to be weaker, who more powerless? Was it not this man who did not even justly take vengeance? And very reasonably so. For the one had armed soldiers, but the other had righteousness, stronger than ten thousand camps, as his ally and helper. But when this very man, having been wronged and having grown strong, later did wrong, see how he becomes weaker. He wronged Uriah, and the order was reversed again; and weakness passed over to the one who did the wrong, and strength passed over to the one who was wronged, and though dead he was ravaging that man's house; and he himself, being king and alive, prevailed in nothing, while that man, being a soldier and slain, turned all his affairs upside down. When, therefore, you see someone living rightly and always looking to piety, even if he is encircled by ten thousand chains, and dwells in a prison continually, even if he serves the unworthy, even if he is poor, even if he is cast out, even if he is burned, even if his body is consumed little by little, even if he suffers any other terrible thing, call such a man blessed and consider him worthy of emulation; but when you see another living in licentiousness and wickedness and the worst evils, and enjoying great honor, ascending the royal throne itself, wearing a diadem and having purple, and ruling the whole inhabited world, weep because of this for such a man and count him wretched.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":399,"ref":"p399","source":"Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὄντως ἀθλιώτερον τῆς οὕτω διακειμένης ψυχῆς, κἂν ἅπασαν ὑποτεταγμένην ἔχῃ τὴν οἰκουμένην. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἐν χρήμασι πλουτεῖν, ὅταν κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν πάντων πενέστερος ᾖ; τί δὲ κέρδος τοσούτων κρατεῖν, ὅταν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παθῶν περιγενέσθαι μὴ δύνηται; Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ εἰς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν ἡ καθ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀρετὴ, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ ἑτέρους ἔχοντας ἀπελθεῖν, ὅταν μήτε ἑαυτοὺς μήτε ἑτέρους διασώσωμεν, τί πεισόμεθα; πόθεν λοιπὸν ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας ἕξομεν; Εἰ τὸ εὐαρεστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι· ὁ μηδὲ ὅπως τοῦτο κατορθώσειεν ἀκοῦσαι θέλων, τί ἂν ἕτερον ἢ θηρίον εἴη; Ἐννόησον οὖν ὅσον ἂν εἴη κακὸν, τοῦ Χριστοῦ θέλοντος ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἰσαγγέλους ποιεῖν, αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων εἰς θηρία μεταπεσεῖν. Τὸ γὰρ τῇ γαστρὶ δουλεύειν, καὶ τῇ τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίᾳ κατέχεσθαι, καὶ ὀργίζεσθαι καὶ δάκνειν καὶ λακτίζειν, οὐκ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ θηρίων ἐστίν. Ὥσπερ οὖν εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀποκλίνοντες καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων βλαπτόμεθα· οὕτως, ἐὰν βουλώμεθα νήφειν, κἂν μυρίοι ὦσιν οἱ πρὸς τὴν κακίαν ἕλκοντες, οὐδὲν ἡμῶν τὴν σπουδὴν λυμήνασθαι δυνήσεται. Εἰ δὲ θέλεις μαθεῖν, ὅτι","english":"For truly nothing is more wretched than a soul so disposed, even if it holds the whole inhabited world in subjection. For what is the benefit of being rich in possessions, when in virtue one is poorer than all? And what is the gain of ruling over so many, when one cannot overcome oneself and one's own passions? For if our own virtue is not sufficient for our salvation, but we must also depart having [saved] others, when we save neither ourselves nor others, what will become of us? From where, then, shall we have hope of salvation? If to please God is what it means to be a human being, then one who does not even wish to hear how he might accomplish this—what else would he be but a beast? Consider, then, how great an evil it would be, when Christ wishes to make us equal to angels from being humans, for us to fall from humans into beasts. For to be a slave to the belly, and to be possessed by the desire for wealth, and to be angry and to bite and to kick, is not the mark of humans but of beasts. Just as, then, when we incline to laziness, we are harmed by whatever happens to come along; so, if we wish to be sober-minded, even if there are countless people dragging us toward vice, nothing will be able to damage our zeal. But if you wish to learn that","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":400,"ref":"p400","source":"ἐν τῇ φύσει ἔπηξεν ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς νόμους, τοὺς διακρίνοντας τί καλὸν καὶ τί πονηρὸν, αὐτὴν τὴν ἡμῶν ἀναστροφὴν ἐρώτησον· πῶς ἅπαντες οἱ ποιοῦντες τὰ κακὰ, φεύγουσι τῶν κακῶν τὴν προσηγορίαν; ὁ μοιχὸς μοιχεύει· μοιχὸς δὲ ἀκούων αἰσχύνεται. Εἰπὲ τῷ ὁμολογουμένῳ μοιχῷ, Μοιχὲ, καὶ ὃ ποιῶν ἥδεται, ἀκούων αἰσχύνεται· εἰπὲ τῷ ἐπιόρκῳ, Ἐπίορκε, καὶ εἰς ὕβριν λαμβάνει τὴν προσηγορίαν τῶν ἰδίων ἔργων. Εἰ οὖν καλὸν ἡγῇ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, τί φεύγεις τὴν προσηγορίαν; Ἀλλ' εἰπὲ τῷ σώφρονι, Σῶφρον, καὶ οὗ τῷ ἔργῳ ἥδεται, οὐδὲ τὴν προσηγορίαν αἰσχύνεται· κάλεσον τὸν δίκαιον δίκαιον, καὶ τῷ ἔργῳ στεφανοῦται, καὶ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ σεμνύνεται· κἂν γὰρ δι' εὐλάβειαν παραιτήσηται τὸ ὄνομα, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ δέχεται τὴν εὐφημίαν. Καὶ οὐδεμίαν δὲ πάλιν εὑρήσει τις κακίαν ἐξ οἰκείου προσώπου φαινομένην, ἐὰν μὴ δανείσηται πρόσωπον ἀρετῆς· καὶ πῶς ἄκουε. Ὁ ψευδόμενος οὐχ ὁμολογῶν τὸ ψεῦδος ψεύδεται, ἀλλ' ἀλήθειαν ὑποκρινόμενος ἀπατᾷ· ὁ δόλιος οὐ δείκνυσι τὸν δόλον, ἀλλὰ σχηματίζεται τὴν φιλίαν καὶ πραγματεύεται τὴν πονηρίαν· ὁ συκοφάντης, ὅταν εἰσέλθῃ εἰς δικαστήριον, οὐ τοῦτο ὁμολογήσας ὅπερ ἐστὶν, εἰσέρχεται, ἀλλὰ μάρτυρα ἀληθείας προστησάμενος τῷ σχήματι, διὰ τοῦ ψεύδους τὸν μάρτυρα τῆς κακίας ἐνδείκνυται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ ἡμετέρα, κἂν ἐν κακίαις ἐμφύρηται, τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀσπάζεται.","english":"God established in nature the laws that distinguish what is good and what is evil; ask our very manner of life. How is it that all who do evil flee the name of their evils? The adulterer commits adultery, but when he hears himself called an adulterer, he is ashamed. Say to the man who is acknowledged as an adulterer, \"Adulterer,\" and what he takes pleasure in doing, he is ashamed to hear. Say to the perjurer, \"Perjurer,\" and he takes as an insult the name of his own deeds. If, then, you consider sin to be good, why do you flee the name? But say to the temperate man, \"Temperate,\" and he is not ashamed even of the name of what he takes pleasure in doing; call the just man just, and he is crowned by the deed and honored by the name; for even if out of modesty he declines the word, yet in his soul he receives the praise. And again, no one will find any vice appearing from its own person unless it has borrowed the person of virtue. And hear how. The liar does not lie by admitting the lie, but by pretending the truth he deceives; the deceitful man does not show his deceit, but he counterfeits friendship and traffics in wickedness; the sycophant, when he enters the courtroom, does not enter admitting what he is, but having set a witness of truth before himself in his outward appearance, through the lie he displays the witness of his wickedness. But our soul too, even if it is steeped in evils, embraces the name of the good.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":401,"ref":"p401","source":"Πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλάκις δυνάσται πλεονεξίαν πνέοντες, καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον ἐννοοῦντες ἢ ἁρπαγὴν καὶ ἀδικίαν, δυσωποῦνται παρά τινων, ἢ ἀνιέναι τῷ πένητι τὴν ἐπικειμέ νην ἀνάγκην, ἢ συγχωρῆσαί τι τοῦ χρέους, ἢ μὴ ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς λυπήσαντας, ἢ λυπεῖν νομισθέντας. Καὶ ὁ ἐλθὼν καλῶς πρεσβεῦσαι παρὰ ἀνδρὶ δυνάστῃ καὶ πονηρῷ, οὐκ εὐθέως ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἄρχεται, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὅ ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ προστίθησιν αὐτῷ ὄνομα ἀρετῆς· Ἀνὴρ εἶ, φησὶν, ἀγαθός· διαβεβόηταί σου τὸ ὄνομα· πᾶντες σου τὰς εὐπραγίας ᾄδουσι· καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα συνάπτει, ἵνα καμφθῇ τῇ εὐφημίᾳ, καὶ φύγῃ τὴν πονηρίαν. Ὅρα πῶς ἡ κακία νικᾶται ταῖς εὐφημίαις τῆς ἀρετῆς· οὐδεὶς κακὸς, κακῶς ἀκούειν βούλεται· ἡ γὰρ φύσις τὸ ἴδιον ἀσπάζεται, εἰ καὶ ἡ προαίρεσις τοὐναντίον αἱρεῖται. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγωμεν, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα φύσει καλὸς, καὶ ὁ δεῖνα φύσει κακός· εἰ γὰρ φύσει ἀγαθὸς, οὐδέποτε δυνήσεται γενέσθαι κακός· καὶ εἰ φύσει κακὸς, οὐκ ἄν ποτε γενήσεται ἀγαθός. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει ἡμῶν ἔκειτο τὸ πονηροὺς εἶναι καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, μηδὲ αὐτεξούσιον ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος κατεσκεύασεν, ἐχρῆν ἅπαντας εἶναι κακοὺς τοὺς τῆς φύσεως κοινωνοῦντας, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποκειμένους, ἢ πάντας εἶναι ἐναρέτους·","english":"For often many powerful men, breathing greed and thinking of nothing other than plunder and injustice, are shamed by certain people either to remit the pressing necessity for the poor man, or to concede something of the debt, or not to take vengeance on those who have grieved them, or on those thought to have grieved them. And he who comes to plead well before a powerful and wicked man does not begin straightway from the truth and say to him what he is, but adds to him the name of virtue: \"You are,\" he says, \"a good man; your name is everywhere proclaimed; all sing of your successes\"; and he strings together many such things, so that he may be bent by the praise and flee from wickedness. See how evil is conquered by the praises of virtue. No wicked man wishes to be spoken of badly; for nature embraces what is its own, even if the will chooses the opposite. Let us not, then, say, \"This man is good by nature, and this man is evil by nature\"; for if he is good by nature, he will never be able to become evil; and if he is evil by nature, he will never become good. For if being wicked and good did not lie in our will, nor did the lover of mankind make our nature self-determining, it would have been necessary that all who share the same nature and are subject to the same passions be wicked, or that all be virtuous.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":402,"ref":"p402","source":"ὅταν δὲ ἴδωμεν τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἡμῶν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν παθῶν ἐνοχλουμένους, οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ ἡμῖν ὑπομένοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐῤῥωμένῳ τῷ λογισμῷ ἡνιοχοῦντας τὴν φύσιν, καὶ περιγενομένους τῶν ἀτάκτων σκιρτημάτων, καὶ πάσης τῆς τοῦ παρόντος βίου εὐημερίας καταγελῶντας, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀληθῆ δόξαν ἐπτοημένους, οὐκ εὔδηλον ὅτι τῇ οἰκείᾳ σπουδῇ ταῦτα κατορθοῦν δύνανται μετὰ τὴν ἄνωθεν χάριν· καὶ ἡμεῖς τῇ οἰκείᾳ ῥᾳθυμία κεχρημένοι προδιδόαμεν ἡμῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἐρήμους ἑαυτοὺς καθιστῶντες τῆς ἐκεῖθεν εὐνοίας; Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἕτερόν τινα αἰτιάσθω, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς πόνους αὐτὸν ἐμποδίζοντα, ἀλλὰ τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἀθυμίᾳ τὸ πᾶν ἐπιγραφέτω· καὶ τί λέγω ἕτερον; μηδὲ αὐτὸν τὸν διάβολον νομιζέτω τις ἱκανὸν εἶναι κωλῦσαι τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν φέρουσαν ὁδὸν δύνασθαι· ἀλλ' ἀπατᾷ μὲν καὶ ὑποσκελίζει τοὺς ῥᾳθυμοτέρους, οὐ μὴν κωλύει καὶ βιάζεται. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ πεῖρα δείκνυσιν, ὅτι ἡνίκα ἂν βουλώμεθα νήφειν, τοσοῦτον τὸν τόνον ἐπιδεικνύμεθα, ὡς μηδὲ πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν προτρεπόντων ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς κακίας ὁδὸν ἀνέχεσθαι τῆς συμβουλῆς, ἀλλὰ παντὸς ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέρους ἡμᾶς γίνεσθαι, καὶ ἀποφράττειν τοῖς τὰ φαῦλα συμβουλεύουσι τὰς ἀκοάς. Ὅταν δὲ ῥᾳθυμῶμεν, καὶ μηδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ συμβουλεύοντος ἢ ὑποσκελίζοντος, οἴκοθεν κινούμενοι ἐπὶ τὴν κακίαν ὁρμῶμεν. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἀρετὴ θαυμαστή· ὅταν δὲ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν","english":"But when we see those of our own race, though troubled by the same passions, not enduring the same things as we do, but even with a strong reason charioteering nature, and prevailing over its disorderly leapings, and laughing to scorn all the prosperity of the present life, and eagerly longing for the true glory—is it not abundantly clear that they are able to accomplish these things by their own zeal, together with the grace from above? And do we, having used our own laziness, betray our salvation, making ourselves destitute of the goodwill from there? Let no one, then, blame some other person as hindering him from the labors of virtue, but let him ascribe the whole to his own faint-heartedness. And why do I speak of another? Let no one think that even the devil himself is able to hinder the road that leads to virtue; but he deceives and trips up the more lazy, yet he does not hinder and compel. And the very experience of things shows this: that whenever we wish to be sober-minded, we display such intensity that, even though there are many who urge us toward the road of vice, we do not endure their counsel, but become harder than any adamant, and block the ears of those who counsel base things. But when we are lazy, even though there is no one counseling or tripping us up, we rush of our own accord toward vice. Virtue is indeed admirable even by itself; but when, in the midst of those...","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":403,"ref":"p403","source":"κωλυόντων τυγχάνων τις ταύτην μετίῃ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον θαυμαστοτέραν ταύτην ἀποφαίνει. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ τόπος τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἀρετὴ πέφυκε τὸν τόπον σεμνύνειν. Καὶ τῆς μὲν ἑνὸς ἀρετῆς πολλοὶ συναπολαύουσι καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν· τῇ δὲ πολλῶν κακίᾳ, κἂν εἷς ὁ κατορθῶν ἦ μεταξὺ δήμου πολλοῦ, οὐ συγκαταφέρεται. Καὶ εἷς μὲν ἄνθρωπος ὀρθῶς ζῶν, δῆμον ὁλόκληρον ἐξαρπάσαι δυνήσεται τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ· πόλις δὲ ὁλόκληρος διεφθαρμένη πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν κόλασιν καὶ τιμωρίαν ἐπισπάσασθαι τὸν εὖ βιοῦντα καὶ καθελεῖν οὐ δυνήσεται. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ Νῶε δῆλον· πάντων γοῦν ἀπολλυμένων διεσώζετο μόνος· καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Μωϋσέως φανερόν· μόνος γοῦν ἴσχυσε δῆμον τοσοῦτον παραιτήσασθαι. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἕτερον ἔχω τῆς φιλ ανθρωπίας τοῦ Θεοῦ δεῖγμα εἰπεῖν. Ὅταν γὰρ ζῶντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἔχοντας μὴ εὕρῃ δυναμένους ἐξαιτήσασθαι τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας, ἐπὶ τοὺς τελευτήσαντας καταφεύγει, καὶ δι' ἐκείνους φησὶν ἀφιέναι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Ὡσπεροῦν τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ φησίν· Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ Δαυῒδ τὸν παῖδά μου, τὸν ἤδη τετελευτηκότα. Εἶδες πόση τῶν ἁγίων ἡ ἀρετή; οὐ γὰρ τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν μόνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ἱμάτια τῇ κτίσει πάσῃ πάντοτέ ἐστιν αἰδέσιμα. Ἡ τοῦ Ἠλίου μηλωτὴ τὸν Ἰορδάνηνἔσχισε· τὰ ὑποδήματα τῶν τριῶν παίδων τὸ πῦρ κατεπάτησαν· τὸ ξύλον τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου τὰ ὕδατα μετέβαλε, καὶ σίδηρον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐμφανείας βαστάζειν ἐποίησεν· ἡ ῥάβδος Μωϋσέως τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν ἔσχισε θάλατταν, τὴν πέτραν ἔῤῥηξε· τὰ ἱμάτια Παύλου δαίμονας ἤλασαν· αἱ σκιαὶ Πέτρου θάνατον ἐφυγάδευσαν·","english":"If someone obtains this [office] while others are preventing him, he makes it far more admirable. For it is not the place that makes virtue, but virtue is by nature what makes the place venerable. And many, even the wicked, share in the benefit of one man's virtue; but by the wickedness of many, even if there is one man among a great people who succeeds, he is not dragged down with them. And one man living rightly can snatch an entire people from the wrath of God; but an entire city that has been corrupted cannot draw the man who lives well to its own punishment and chastisement, nor bring him down. And this is clear from Noah: when all were perishing, he alone was saved. And it is evident from Moses: he alone was strong enough to turn aside [the wrath] from so great a people. But I have yet another demonstration of God's love for humanity to mention. For when he does not find living men who have boldness and are able to beg forgiveness for those who have sinned, he takes refuge in the dead, and for their sake, he says, he forgives the sins. As he says to Hezekiah: I will defend this city for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant, who has already died. Do you see how great is the virtue of the saints? For not only their words, but even their very garments are always worthy of reverence for the whole creation. The mantle of Elijah split the Jordan; the sandals of the three children trampled the fire; the wood of Elisha changed the waters and made iron to float above its surface; the rod of Moses split the Red Sea and broke the rock; the garments of Paul drove out demons; the shadows of Peter put death to flight.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":404,"ref":"p404","source":"ἡ τέφρα τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων πονηροὺς ἀπελαύνει δαίμονας. Διὰ τοῦτο μετ' ἐξουσίας ἅπαντα πράττουσι καθάπερ ὁ Ἠλίας. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον ἑώρα τὸ διάδημα καὶ τὴν ἔξωθεν φαντασίαν τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀλλ' ἑώρα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ῥάκια περιβεβλημένην, αὐχμῶσαν, ῥυπῶσαν, καὶ καταδίκου παντὸς ἀθλιώτερον διακειμένην· καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον, καὶ δοῦλον ὄντα τῶν παθῶν, κατεφρόνησεν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς· καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐδόκει βασιλέα βλέπειν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος τῆς ἔξωθεν εὐπορίας, ὅταν τὰ ἔνδον ἐν πενίᾳ τοσαύτῃ ᾖ; τί δὲ βλάβος τῆς ἔξωθεν πενίας, ὅταν ἔνδον τοσοῦτος ἀποκέηται θησαυρός; Τοιοῦτος λέων ἦν καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· εἰσελθὼν γὰρ εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καὶ βοήσας μόνον, τὰ θεμέλια ἔσεισε, τὰ δεσμὰ κατέφαγεν, οὐκ ὀδοῦσι χρησάμενος, ἀλλὰ ῥήμασι. Διόπερ οὐχὶ λέοντας αὐτοὺς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερόν τι πλέον λεόντων χρὴ καλεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λέων εἰς δίκτυον πολλάκις ἐμπεσὼν ἁλίσκεται· οἱ δὲ ἅγιοι δεθέντες, τότε ἰσχυρότεροι γίνονται· ὁ λέων φθέγγεται, καὶ τὰ θηρία φυγαδεύει πάντα· ὁ ἅγιος φθέγγεται, καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας φυγαδεύει πάντοθεν. Ἀλλὰ τίς λόγος ἀρκεῖ τοῖς Παύλου κατορθώμασιν, ἢ ποία δυνήσεται γλῶσσα ἐφικέσθαι τῶν ἐγκωμίων τῶν τούτου; Εἴτε γὰρ προφῆται ἐπεδείξαντό τι γενναῖον, εἴτε πατριάρχαι, εἴτε δίκαιοι, εἴτε ἀπόστολοι, εἴτε μάρτυρες, πάντα ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συλλαβὼν ἔχει μετὰ τοσαύτης ὑπερβολῆς, μεθ' ὅσης οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων ὅπερ ἕκαστος εἶχε καλὸν ἐκέκτητο.","english":"The ashes of the holy martyrs drive away evil demons. For this reason they do all things with authority, just like Elijah. For he did not see only the diadem and the outward display of the king, but he saw also his soul clothed in rags, squalid, filthy, and in a condition more wretched than any condemned man; and seeing him a captive and a slave to his passions, he despised his rule; for it was as on a stage, not in truth, that he seemed to see a king. For what is the benefit of outward wealth, when the inner man is in such great poverty? And what is the harm of outward poverty, when so great a treasure is stored up within? Such a lion was the blessed Paul also; for entering the prison and merely crying out, he shook the foundations, he devoured the chains, not using teeth but words. Therefore they must be called not only lions, but something even greater than lions. For the lion, often falling into a net, is caught; but the saints, when bound, then become stronger; the lion roars, and puts all the wild beasts to flight; the saint speaks, and puts the demons to flight from every side. But what speech suffices for the achievements of Paul, or what tongue will be able to reach the praises of this man? For whether prophets displayed something noble, or patriarchs, or righteous men, or apostles, or martyrs, he has gathered all these together and possesses them with such surpassing greatness as none of those possessed the good that each one had.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":405,"ref":"p405","source":"Ὅταν οὖν ἅπαντα τὰ ἐν ἀνθρώποις καλὰ συλλαβοῦσα ἔχῃ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, οὐ μόνον δὲ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων, πῶς περιεσόμεθα ἐκ τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ἐγκωμίων; πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν καταγνώσεως ἄξιοι, ὅταν ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου πάντα συνειλοχότος ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὰ καλὰ, ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος αὐτοῦ μιμεῖσθαι σπουδάζωμεν; Ἐκ πολλῶν μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἄλλων κατορθωμάτων ὁ πατριάρχης θαυμάζεται Ἀβραὰμ, μάλιστα δὲ ἐκ τοῦ τὸν υἱὸν καταθῦσαι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεξικακίᾳ, ὅτι τῶν οἰκείων ἐλαυνόμενος ὅρων, οὐκ ἐπεξῄει, ἀλλὰ παρεχώρει πανταχοῦ τῶν οἰκείων κτημάτων, ἕως τῶν λυπούντων τὴν ἄδικον ἐκόρεσεν ἐπιθυμίαν. Καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ καρτερίᾳ καὶ τῇ ὑπομονῇ, καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐπὶ τῇ πραότητι, καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου ἐζήλωσεν. Ἀλλὰ τί Παύλου γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον, ὃς πάντα ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συλλαβὼν ἔχει μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς; Οὐδὲ γὰρ υἱὸν κατέθυσεν οὗτος, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν μυριάκις\n\nκατέλυσε· καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων ἠλαύνετο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, καὶ Ἑλλάδα καὶ βάρβαρον, καὶ πᾶσαν ἁπαξαπλῶς ὅσην ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ γῆν, ὥσπερ τις ὑπόπτερος περιῆλθε, συρόμενος, τυπτόμενος. λιθαζόμενος, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκων· οὐδὲ δὶς ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἐδούλευσε συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύματι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἐν λιμῷ καὶ γυμνότητι καὶ ἁλύσεσι καὶ δεσμωτηρίοις καὶ ἐπιβουλαῖς καὶ κινδύνοις διατελῶν. Ἐπιείκειαν δὲ καὶ πραότητα τίς μὲν μᾶλλον, τίς δὲ ἴσον· τῆς Παύλου ψυχῆς ἀμφότερα ταῦτα κατώρθωσεν;","english":"When, therefore, a single soul has gathered to itself all the good things that exist among humans, and all of them in excess—not only the things of humans but also the things of angels—how shall we get the better of the greatness of these praises? Of how much condemnation would we not be worthy, when one man has gathered into himself all good things, and we do not even strive to imitate the smallest fraction of him? For the patriarch Abraham is admired for many other achievements as well, but especially for sacrificing his own son. And Isaac for his forbearance, because when driven from his own boundaries he did not retaliate, but yielded everywhere his own possessions, until he satisfied the unjust desire of those who vexed him. And Jacob for his endurance and patience, and David for his gentleness, and Elijah because he was zealous for his Master. But what could be equal to Paul, who has gathered all these things together in excess? For he did not sacrifice a son, but himself he put to death ten thousand times; and he was not only driven from his own boundaries, but over land and sea, both Greek and barbarian, and simply the whole earth that the sun looks upon, he went about as if winged, dragged, beaten, stoned, and dying every day; nor did he serve twice seven years, scorched by the heat of the day and the frost of the night, but spent his whole life in hunger and nakedness and chains and prisons and plots and dangers. And as for clemency and gentleness, who achieved them more, and who equally? Both of these the soul of Paul accomplished.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":406,"ref":"p406","source":"Εἰ δὲ τὸν ζῆλον ἴδοις αὐτοῦ, τοσοῦτον ὄψει κρατοῦντα τοῦ Ἠλίου, ὅσον ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἄλλων προφητῶν περιῆν. Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰωάννης ἀκρίδας ἤσθιε καὶ μέλι ἄγριον· ἀλλ' οὗτος ἐν μέσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διέτριβεν, ἀκρίδας μὲν καὶ μέλι ἄγριον οὐ σιτούμενος, πολὺ δὲ εὐτελεστέραν ταύτης παρατιθέμενος τράπεζαν, καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς ἀναγκαίας εὐπορῶν τροφῆς διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος σπουδήν. Λείπεται πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτὸν ἐξισῶσαι λοιπόν. Καὶ μηδεὶς τόλμαν καταγινωσκέτω τοῦ λόγου· εἰ γὰρ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἄγγελον ἐκάλεσεν ἡ Γραφὴ, τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ τὸν ἁπάντων ἀμείνω ταῖς δυνάμεσι παραβάλωμεν ἐκείναις; Καὶ γὰρ τί ποτέ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὅση τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡ εὐγένεια, καὶ ὅσης ἐστὶ δεκτικὸν ἀρετῆς τουτὶ τὸ ζῶον, ἔδειξε μάλιστα πάντων ἀνθρώπων Παῦλος· καὶ νῦν ἕστηκεν ἐξ οὗ γέγονε, λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐγκαλοῦντας ἡμῶν τῇ κατασκευῇ ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων οὐ πολὺ τὸ μέσον, ἐὰν ἑαυτοῖς προσέχειν ἐθέλωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλην φύσιν λαχὼν, οὐδὲ ἑτέρας κοινωνήσας ψυχῆς, οὐδὲ ἄλλον οἰκήσας κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γῇ καὶ χώρᾳ καὶ νόμοις καὶ ἔθεσι τραφεὶς, πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὑπερηκόντισε τοὺς ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι γενομένους· καὶ ὡς ἂν νεκρὸς πρὸς νεκρὸν ἀκίνητος γένοιτο, οὕτω μετὰ ἀκριβείας τῆς φύσεως τὰ σκιρτήματα κατευνάζων, οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε πρὸς οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον ἔπαθε. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν χρημάτων ὁ δύο κερδάνας χρυσίνους, πλείονα λαμβάνει προθυμίαν πρὸς τὸ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσι συλλέξαι καὶ συναγαγεῖν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς γίνεται·","english":"But if you look at his zeal, you will see that he surpasses Elijah as much as that one excelled the other prophets. But John ate locusts and wild honey; yet this man dwelt in the middle of the inhabited world just as that one did in the desert, not eating locusts and wild honey, but setting before himself a table far cheaper than that, and not even having an abundance of necessary food because of his zeal for the proclamation. It remains, then, to compare him to the angels. And let no one condemn the word as rash; for if the Scripture called John an angel, what is wonderful if we compare to those powers the one who is better than all? For what at last is man, and how great is the nobility of our nature, and of how great a virtue this creature is capable, Paul showed most of all men; and now he stands where he has been since he came to be, with bright voice defending the Master to all who find fault with our constitution, and showing that the middle between angels and humans is not great, if we are willing to attend to ourselves. For he did not receive a different nature, nor partake of another soul, nor inhabit another world, but having been reared in the same land and country and laws and customs, he surpassed all men who have been since men came to be; and as a dead man would be motionless toward a dead man, so with precision he calmed the leapings of nature, never suffering anything human toward anything. For just as in the case of money, the one who has gained two gold coins receives greater eagerness to collect and gather ten and twenty, so also it happens in the case of virtue.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":407,"ref":"p407","source":"ὁ ποιήσας τι καλὸν ἔργον καὶ κατορθώσας, τῆς ἐργασίας παράκλησίν τινα λαμβάνει καὶ παραίνεσιν, ὥστε καὶ ἑτέρων πλειόνων ὁμοίως ἅψασθαι. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις, ὅτι πολλοὶ κατώρθωσαν· οὐ γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον, ἀλλ' ἵνα πάντες. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος τοῦτο γινόμενον; ἐὰν γὰρ τὸν ὄνυχα μόνον προσπταίσαντες ἀνατρέψωμεν, ὅλον τῷ μέλει συναλγεῖ τὸ σῶμα. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ὅτι ὀλίγοι τινὲς ὑπελείφθησαν οἱ μὴ κατορθώσαντες· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο σκόπει, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ ὀλίγοι οἱ μὴ διορθώσαντες πολλοὺς διαφθεροῦσιν ἑτέρους. Καὶ γὰρ εἷς ἦν ὁ πεπορνευκὼς παρὰ Κορινθίοις, καὶ ὅμως οὕτως ἔστενεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὡς ὅλης τῆς πόλεως ἀπολωλυίας· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι μὴ σωφρονισθέντος ἐκείνου, ταχέως τὸ νόσημα ὁδῷ βαδίζον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπιδραμεῖται πάντας. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς μέλεσι τὸ σεσηπὸς καὶ ἀνιάτως ἔχον ἐκκόπτομεν, φοβούμενοι μὴ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν τὴν αὐτὴν λύμην ὑποδέξηται σῶμα, καὶ ποιοῦμεν τοῦτο, οὐκ ἐκείνου καταφρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ λοιπὸν διαφυλάξαι μᾶλλον βουλόμενοι· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν συνόντων ἡμῖν ἐπὶ κακίᾳ τοῦτο πράττειν ἀναγκαῖον; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δυνάμεθα κἀκείνους διορθῶσαι, καὶ αὐτοὶ μὴ παραβλαβῆναι, πάντα ποιεῖν χρή· εἰ δὲ κἀκεῖνοι μένοιεν ἀδιόρθωτοι, καὶ ἡμᾶς παραβλάπτοιεν, ἐκκόπτειν αὐτοὺς καὶ ῥίπτειν ἀναγκαῖον. Εἰ γὰρ υἱοὺς φαύλους ἔχοντες ἐκκηρύττομεν, καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν φύσιν αἰδούμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς συνήθεις καὶ γνωρίμους φεύγειν δεῖ πονηροὺς ὄντας. Ἀλλὰ σκανδαλίζονται, φησὶ, καὶ κακῶς ὑποπτεύουσι. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; σὺ σαυτὸν τίμησον, καὶ οὐδείς σε ὑβρίσαι δυνήσεται·","english":"The one who has done a good work and succeeded in it receives from the work itself a certain encouragement and exhortation, so as to undertake more others in like manner. And let no one say to me that many have succeeded; for this is not what is sought, but that all should. Do you not see this happening also in the body? For if we strike and injure only the nail, the whole body suffers pain together with the limb. Do not, then, say this, that a few certain ones were left who did not succeed; but consider that, that these few who did not correct themselves destroy many others. For there was one man who had committed fornication among the Corinthians, and yet Paul groaned over it as though the whole city had perished; and very reasonably, for he knew that if that man were not disciplined, the disease, advancing quickly on its way, would soon overrun all the others. For if we cut off the festering and incurable member from the limbs, fearing lest the rest of the body also receive the same corruption, and we do this not despising that member but rather wishing to preserve the rest—how much more is it necessary to do this in the case of those who associate with us for evil? For if we are able both to correct them and not be harmed ourselves, we must do everything; but if they remain uncorrected and harm us too, it is necessary to cut them off and cast them out. For if, having worthless sons, we disown them and do not even respect nature, much more must we flee from associates and acquaintances who are wicked. But, he says, they are scandalized and suspect evil. And what of that? Honor yourself, and no one will be able to insult you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":408,"ref":"p408","source":"ἂν δὲ σὺ σαυτὸν ἀτιμάζῃς, κἂν ἄπαντές σε τιμήσωσιν, οὐ τιμηθήσῃ ποτέ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πονηροῦ δόξαν λαβὼν ἀγαθὸς ὢν, οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν βλάπτεται εἰς τὸ εἶναι τοιοῦτος οἷός ἐστιν· ἀλλ' ὁ ὑποπτεύσας εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην, τὴν ἐσχάτην δίδωσι δίκην· ὁ δὲ\n\nπονηρὸς ἂν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ὑποπτεύηται, οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν κερδανεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κρῖμα ἕξει μεῖζον, καὶ εἰς πλείονα ἥξει ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὢν τοιοῦτος καὶ ὑποπτευόμενος, κἂν ταπεινωθείη καὶ ἐπιγνοίη τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἑαυτοῦ· ὅταν δὲ λανθάνῃ, καὶ εἰς ἀναλγησίαν ἐκπίπτει. Εἰ γὰρ πάντων κατηγορούντων μόλις διανίστανται οἱ πλημμελοῦντες εἰς τὸ κατανύττεσθαι· ὅταν μὴ μόνον κατηγορῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινῶσί τινες αὐτοὺς, πότε ἀναβλέψαι δυνήσονται; Ὥστε οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἐν ἀρετῇ ὄντας παρὰ πάντων ἀκούειν καλῶς, οὐδὲ ἔστι τὸν ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενον μὴ πολλοὺς ἔχειν ἐχθρούς· ἡ γὰρ παρὰ πάντων εὐφημία τεκμήριον ἂν εἴη μέγιστον τοῦ μὴ πολὺν τῆς ἀρετῆς ποιεῖσθαι λόγον. Πῶς γὰρ παρὰ πάντων ἐπαινεθείη ὁ τοιοῦτος, εἰ βούλοιτο τοὺς ἀδικουμένους ἐξαρπάζειν τῶν ἀδικούντων; Πάλιν, εἰ βούλοιτο διορθοῦν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, καὶ ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς κατορθοῦντας, οὐκ εἰκὸς τοὺς μὲν ἐπαινεῖν, τοὺς δὲ ψέγειν; Ὥστε τὸν μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιόντα, καὶ τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μόνον δεχόμενον ἔπαινον, ἀδύνατον ἂν εἴη παρὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπαινεῖσθαι καὶ καλῶς ἀκούειν. Πολλὴν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὴν μανίαν ἐπιδείκνυται ἡ κακία κατὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς· ἀλλ' οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν αὐτὴν βλάπτει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πολεμεῖν ἰσχυροτέραν ταύτην ἀπεργάζεται.","english":"But if you dishonor yourself, even if everyone honors you, you will never be honored. For the one who is good and receives a reputation for wickedness is not harmed at all by this as regards being what he is; but the one who suspects rashly and in vain gives the ultimate penalty. But the wicked man, if he is suspected of the opposite, will gain nothing from this, but will even have a greater judgment, and will fall into greater negligence. For the one who is such and is suspected, even if he should be humbled, he would recognize his own sins; but when he goes unnoticed, he also falls into insensibility. For if, when all are accusing them, those who sin scarcely rouse themselves to compunction, when not only do some accuse them but even praise them, when will they be able to look up? So it is not possible for those who are in virtue to be well spoken of by all, nor is it possible for one who cultivates virtue not to have many enemies; for praise from all would be the greatest proof of not making much account of virtue. For how would such a man be praised by all, if he wished to snatch the wronged from the wrongdoers? Again, if he wished to correct those who sin and to praise those who do right, is it not likely that he would praise some and blame others? So it would be impossible for one who pursues virtue with exactness, and who receives praise only from God, to be praised and well spoken of by all men. For wickedness always displays great madness against virtue; but not only does it not harm it at all, but by warring against it, it makes it stronger.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":409,"ref":"p409","source":"Τοσαύτη γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ ἰσχὺς, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ πάσχειν τῶν τοιούτων περιγίνεται, καὶ ἐν τῷ πολεμεῖσθαι τῶν πολεμούντων ἀνωτέρα καθίσταται. Ἐννόησον γάρ μοι τὸν Ἄβελ· οὐχὶ ἀνῃρέθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Κάϊν; ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἀναιρεθεὶς ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἀνακηρύττεται καὶ στεφανοῦται, καὶ ὁ τοσοῦτος χρόνος τὴν μνήμην οὐκ ἐμάρανεν· ὁ δὲ ἀνελὼν καὶ περιγενόμενος καὶ τότε ζωὴν βαρυτέραν θανάτου ὑπέμεινε, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν στηλιτεύεται, καὶ τὰς παρὰ πάντων κατηγορίας δέχεται. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ· τὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι ποῖος λόγος, ποία διάνοια παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται; Ἄκουσον δὲ καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἔκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία. Ὥστε ζύμης δύναμιν ἔχουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ποιότητα τοὺς πονηροὺς μεταστήσωσιν. Ἀλλ' ὀλίγοι οἱ δίκαιοι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζύμη μικρά· ἀλλ' ἡ μικρότης ἐκείνη ἅπαν τὸ φύραμα πρὸς ἑαυτὴν μεθίστησι διὰ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῇ δυνάμεως. Οὕτω καὶ ἡ δύναμις τῶν δικαίων οὐκ ἐν τῇ ποσότητι τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτι τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔχει· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. Δώδεκα ἦσαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι· εἶδες πῶς μικρὰ ἡ ζύμη; ὅλη ἡ οἰκουμένη ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ ἦν· εἶδες πόσον τὸ φύραμα; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι οἱ δώδεκα πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπέστρεψαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζύμη καὶ τὸ φύραμα τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς αὐτῆς ποιότητος. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ ἑτέρωθεν γνῶναι ὅσον δύναται πλέον παῤῥησία δικαίου δυναστείας τυραννικῆς, τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἄκουσον λέγοντος τῷ Ἡρώδῃ· Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου γυναῖκα.","english":"For such is the power of virtue that it prevails over such things even in suffering, and in being warred against it is set above those who war against it. For consider Abel with me: was he not killed by Cain? But the one killed is from that time until now proclaimed and crowned, and so great a span of time has not withered his memory; while the one who killed and prevailed both then endured a life heavier than death, and from that time until now is held up to public infamy, and receives accusations from all. And these things in the present life; but the things in the age to come, what speech, what mind will be able to set them forth? But hear Christ also saying: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour. So the righteous have the power of leaven, in order to change the wicked to their own quality. But few are the righteous; for the leaven also is small; but that smallness changes the whole lump to itself through the power that is in it. So also the power of the righteous has its strength not in the quantity of their number, but in the grace of the Spirit; and how, hear. Twelve were the apostles; you saw how small the leaven? The whole inhabited world was in unbelief; you saw how great the lump? But those twelve turned the whole inhabited world to themselves. For both the leaven and the lump are of the same nature, but not of the same quality. And if you wish to know from another example how much more the boldness of a righteous man can do than tyrannical dominion, hear John saying to Herod: It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":410,"ref":"p410","source":"Ὁ Ἡρώδης, βασιλεὺς, δορυφόρους ἔχων, πλοῦτον περιβεβλημένος, δυναστεύων δυναστείαν βασιλικήν· ὁ Ἰωάννης, πτωχὸς, ἀνέστιος, ἄπολις, ἀκτήμων, ἄσιτος, ἀκρίδας ἐκ βοτανῶν ἐσθίων καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. Ἀλλ' οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς, ὁ ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις πορευόμενος, τῷ τῶν πολυάνδρων ἄρχοντι πόλεων ἐξ αὐθεντίας προστάττει, Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι. Βλέπεις πῶς κατὰ φύσιν τῇ ἀρετῇ τὸ ἄρχειν τῆς κακίας; Ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐμβάλλεται εἰς δεσμωτήριον ὁ δίκαιος· γίνεται τὸ πικρὸν ἐκεῖνο συμπόσιον, καὶ εἴσεισιν ὀρχούμενον τὸ κοράσιον ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ συμποσίου, καὶ ἀρέσκει τῷ Ἡρώδῃ καὶ τοῖς συνανακειμένοις, ὥστε τὸν Ἡρώδην ὀμόσαι, Αἴτησαι ὃ θέλεις, καὶ δώσω σοι, ἕως ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου. Βλέπεις ποῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀπέῤῥιψεν; Ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσῃς, δώσω σοι, καὶ ἕως ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου. Ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε, οὕτω προδιεφθάρης τῆς διανοίας τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; τοσούτου κρίνεις τὴν βασιλείαν ἀξίαν; ἅπαξ ὠρχήσατο τὸ κοράσιον, καὶ ἀπεδίδοσο τὸ ἥμισυ· ἐὰν δὲ δεύτερον ὀρχήσηται, τί ποιήσεις; Εὖξαι μὴ πάλιν αὐτὴν ὀρχήσασθαι, ἢ μὴ πάλιν ὀρχησαμένην εὐδοκιμεῖν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, λείπεταί σοι τὸ προσαιτεῖν. Οἱ γὰρ πρὸς τὰ","english":"Herod, a king, had bodyguards, was clothed in wealth, and wielded royal power; John was poor, homeless, cityless, possessionless, foodless, eating locusts from the plants and wild honey. But this poor man, who walked in the deserts, commands with authority the ruler of populous cities: It is not lawful for you. Do you see how by nature ruling belongs to virtue over vice? But for these things the righteous man is cast into prison; that bitter banquet takes place, and the girl comes in dancing in the midst of the banquet, and she pleases Herod and those reclining with him, so that Herod swears, Ask whatever you wish, and I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom. Do you see where he threw away his kingdom? Whatever you ask, I will give you, and up to half of my kingdom. Wretched and miserable man, were the eyes of your mind so corrupted beforehand? Do you judge the kingdom to be worth so much? The girl danced once, and half was being given away; but if she dances a second time, what will you do? Pray that she not dance again, or that having danced again she not be applauded; otherwise, begging is left to you. For those who","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":411,"ref":"p411","source":"παρόντα κεχηνότες, κἂν μυριάκις πλουτῶσι, κἂν δυναστείαν ὦσι περιβεβλημένοι πολλὴν, ἐν τάξει δούλων καὶ ἀνδραπόδων τοῖς τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιοῦσίν εἰσιν. Ἔστω γάρ τις βασιλεὺς πονηρὸς, καὶ ἰδιώτης χρηστός· ἴδωμεν τίς τίνος κύριός ἐστι, καὶ ποῦ τὰ τῆς δεσποτείας διαλάμπει· καὶ τίς ὁ κρατῶν, καὶ τίς ὁ κρατούμενος. Πῶς οὖν εἰσόμεθα τοῦτο; Ἐπιτάττει τῷ ἰδιώτῃ ὁ βασιλεὺς πονηρόν τι πρᾶγμα, καὶ πλημμελείας γέμον· τί οὖν ὁ χρηστὸς ἰδιώτης καὶ ὑπήκοος; Οὐ μόνον οὐκ εἴξει οὐδὲ ὑπακούσεται, ἀλλὰ πειράσεται καὶ τὸν ἐπιτάττοντα ἀπαγαγεῖν τοῦ προκειμένου, κἂν ἀποθανεῖν δέῃ. Τίς οὖν ἐλεύθερος; ὁ ποιῶν ὃ βούλεται, καὶ μηδὲ τὸν βασιλέα δεδοικὼς, ἢ ὁ παρὰ τοῦ ὑπηκόου καταφρονούμενος; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ αἰχμάλωτος, κἂν μυρίον ἔχῃ πλοῦτον, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ μάλιστα πᾶσιν εὐάλωτός ἐστιν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν ἁλισκόμενος, κἂν αὐτὸ περικέηται τὸ διάδημα, ἀράχνης πάσης ἐστὶν εὐτελέστερος. Τί τοίνυν ἐλεεινότερον γένοιτο τῶν τὴν κακίαν μετιόντων, ὅταν καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς προσηγορίας τοῦ καλεῖσθαι ἄνθρωποι ἀποστερῶνται, καὶ τιμωρίαν ὑπέχωσιν, ὅτι πολλὰς ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀφορμὰς δεξάμενοι, ταύτας προδεδώκασιν, ἑκόντες ὑποσυρέντες, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κακίαν αὐτομολήσαντες; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τὸ δοθὲν ἀποδιδοὺς πονηρὸς, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐδιπλασίασεν, ὁ καὶ τοῦτο διαφθείρας, τί ἀκούσεται; Εἰ ἐκεῖνος δεθεὶς ἐξηνέχθη, ὅπου ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων, ἡμεῖς τι πεισόμεθα μυρίων ἡμᾶς ἑλκόντων ἐπ' ἀρετὴν, ἀναδυόμενοι καὶ ὀκνοῦντες; οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸ εὐτελὲς τοῦ βίου καὶ τὸ ἄδηλον τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ τὸν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι πόνον;","english":"Gaping at the present things, even if they be rich ten thousand times over, even if they be clothed in great dominion, they are in the rank of slaves and man-servants to those who pursue virtue. For let there be some wicked king, and a good private citizen; let us see who is master of whom, and where the marks of lordship shine forth; and who is the ruler, and who the ruled. How then shall we know this? The king commands the private citizen to do something wicked and full of transgression; what then does the good and obedient private citizen do? Not only will he not yield nor obey, but he will even attempt to draw the one who commands him away from what lies before him, even if he must die. Who then is free? The one who does what he wishes, and does not even fear the king, or the one who is despised by his subject? For just as the captive, even if he has countless wealth, is for this very reason most easily captured by all, so too the one captured by the passions, even if he wears the diadem itself, is more worthless than any spider's web. What then could be more pitiable than those who pursue vice, when they are deprived even of the very title of being called human beings, and undergo punishment, because having received many starting points from nature, they have betrayed these, willingly dragged down and deserting to vice? For if the one who does not return what was given is wicked, because he did not double it, what will he hear who has even destroyed this? If that one was bound and carried off to where there is the gnashing of teeth, what shall we suffer, when ten thousand things drag us toward virtue, while we shrink back and hesitate? Do you not see the cheapness of life and the uncertainty of existence, and the toil in present things?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":412,"ref":"p412","source":"Μὴ γὰρ τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν μετὰ πόνου, τὴν δὲ κακίαν ἄνευ πόνων ἔστι μετελθεῖν; Εἰ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ πόνος, διὰ τί μὴ ταύτην εἵλου τὴν πολὺ κέρδος ἔχουσαν; Μὴ οὖν, ἐὰν ἱερέα ἴδῃς ἀνάξιον, τὴν ἱερωσύνην διάβαλλε· οὐ γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα διαβάλλειν δεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν κακῶς τῷ καλῷ κεχρημένον· ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰούδας προδότης ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' οὐ κατηγορία τοῦτο τῆς ἀποστολῆς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης· καὶ ἰατροὶ πολλοὶ δήμιοι ἐγένοντο, καὶ δηλητήρια δεδώκασιν ἀντὶ φαρμάκων· ἀλλ' οὐ τὴν τέχνην διαβάλλω, ἀλλὰ τὸν κακῶς τῇ τέχνῃ χρησάμενον· καὶ ναῦται πολλοὶ κατεπόντισαν πλοῖα, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ ναυτιλία, ἀλλ' ἡ κακὴ γνώμη ἐκείνων. Ἀνάγκη μὲν ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα, φησί· πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ δι' οὗ τὰ σκάνδαλα ἔρχεται. Τί οὖν; ἡ πρόῤῥησις αὐτοῦ τὰ σκάνδαλα ἄγει; Οὐχ ἡ πρόῤῥησις αὐτοῦ, ἄπαγε, οὐδὲ ἐπειδὴ προεῖπεν, διὰ τοῦτο γίνεται, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πάντως ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι, διὰ τοῦτο προεῖπεν· ὡς εἴ γε μὴ ἐβούλοντο οἱ φέροντες αὐτὰ πονηρεύεσθαι, οὐδ' ἂν ἦλθον· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔμελλον ἔρχεσθαι, οὐδ' ἂν προεῤῥήθη· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκακούργησαν ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ ἀνίατα ἐνόσησαν, ἦλθον, καὶ προλέγει τὸ μέλλον ἔσεσθαι. Καὶ εἰ διωρθώθησαν ἐκεῖνοι, φησὶ, καὶ μηδεὶς ἦν ὁ τὰ σκάνδαλα κομίζων, οὐκ ἔμελλεν ὁ λόγος οὗτος ψευδὴς ἀναλίσκεσθαι; Οὐδαμῶς· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐλέχθη· εἰ γὰρ ἔμελλον διορθοῦσθαι πάντες, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀνάγκη ἐλθεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ προῄδει ἀδιορθώτους ἐσομένους οἴκοθεν, διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν ὅτι πάντως ἥξουσι. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀνεῖλε, φησίν; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐκεῖθεν οἱ βλαπτόμενοι ἀπόλλυνται, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ῥᾳθυμίας·","english":"For is it possible to pursue virtue without toil, but vice without toils? If, then, there is toil both here and there, why did you not choose this one, which has great gain? Do not, then, if you see an unworthy priest, slander the priesthood; for one must not slander the thing itself, but the one who uses the good badly; since Judas also became a traitor, but this is not an accusation against the apostolate, but against that man's disposition; and many physicians have become executioners, and have given poisons instead of medicines; but I do not slander the art, but the one who used the art badly; and many sailors have sunk ships, but it is not seamanship, but their evil disposition. It is necessary that scandals come, he says; but woe to that man through whom the scandals come. What then? Does his foretelling bring the scandals? No, his foretelling does not, far from it, nor does it happen because he foretold it, but because it was altogether going to be, for this reason he foretold it; as, if those who bring them did not wish to do evil, they would not have come either; and if they were not going to come, it would not have been foretold either; but since those men did evil, and were incurably sick, they came, and he foretells what is going to be. And if those men were corrected, he says, and there were no one bringing the scandals, was this word going to be consumed as false? By no means; for it would not have been spoken; for if all were going to be corrected, he would not have said, \"It is necessary that they come\"; but since he foreknew that they would be incorrigible from within, for this reason he said that they will certainly come. And for whose sake did he not destroy them, he says? Because those who are harmed are not destroyed from that source, but from their own negligence.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":413,"ref":"p413","source":"εἰ δὲ παρὰ σκάνδαλα ἡ ἀπώλεια, πάντας ἀπολέσθαι ἔδει. Ὥστε ἂν νήφωμεν, οὐ μικρὸν ἐντεῦθεν καρπούμεθα κέρδος, τὸ διηνεκῶς ἐγρηγορέναι. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολεμίων ὄντων καὶ τοσούτων πειρασμῶν ἐπικειμένων καθεύδομεν, τίνες ἂν εἴημεν ἐν ἀδείᾳ ζῶντες; Καὶ, εἰ βούλει, τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον σκόπει. Εἰ γὰρ ὀλίγον χρόνον, τάχα δὲ οὐδὲ ἡμέραν ὅλην ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ζήσας, καὶ τρυφῆς ἀπολαύσας, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἤλασε κακίας, ὡς καὶ ἰσοθεΐαν φαντασθῆναι, καὶ τὸν ἀπατεῶνα εὐεργέτην νομίσαι, καὶ μηδεμιᾶς κατασχεῖν ἐντολῆς· εἰ καὶ τὸν ἐφεξῆς βίον ἔζη, τί οὐκ ἂν εἰργάσατο; Ὅταν γὰρ ἅπαξ τις ἐλευθερωθεὶς τῶν κακῶν μὴ σωφρονισθῇ, πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα πείσεται τῶν προτέρων. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ πολλῶν τοῦτον σωφρονισθῆναι ἔδει, ἀπό τε τοῦ παθεῖν πρότερον, ἀπό τε τοῦ ἀπαλλαγῆναι, ἀπό τε τοῦ προσδοκᾷν χείρονα πείσεσθαι, εἰ μὴ μεταβάλλοιτο· ὅταν δὲ μηδενὶ τούτων γένηται βελτίων, πῶς οὐ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα\n\nπείσεται τῶν προτέρων κακῶν; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Φαραὼ ἐκ πρώτης τῆς πληγῆς εἰ ἐπαιδεύθη, οὐκ ἂν ἔλαβε πεῖραν τῶν ὑστέρων, οὐκ ἂν μετὰ ταῦτα ἅμα αὐτῷ τῷ στρατεύματι κατεποντίσθη παντί. Ἀλλ' ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ γινόμενος καλὸς, οὐκ ἔσται ποτὲ καλὸς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἀπαλλαγεὶς ἐπανήξει πάλιν. Μὴ οὖν τοῦτο ἐρωτῶντες λέγωμεν, Ὁ μηδὲν πεποιηκὼς κακὸν μηδὲ ἀγαθὸν, ποῖον δέξεται τόπον; τὸ γὰρ μὴ ποιῆσαι ἀγαθὸν, τοῦτο ποιῆσαί ἐστι κακόν.","english":"But if destruction comes from stumbling blocks, then all would have had to perish. So if we stay sober, we reap no small profit from this—namely, to be continually watchful. For if, with enemies present and so many temptations pressing upon us, we sleep, what would we be while living in security? And, if you wish, consider the first man. For if, having lived in paradise only a short time—perhaps not even a whole day—and having enjoyed luxury, he drove himself to such a depth of wickedness as to imagine equality with God, to regard the deceiver as a benefactor, and to keep no commandment at all, if he had lived the life that followed, what would he not have done? For when a man, once freed from evils, is not disciplined, he will suffer things far worse than before. For he ought to have been disciplined by many things—by having suffered previously, by having been delivered, and by expecting to suffer worse if he did not change. But when he becomes better by none of these, how will he not suffer things far worse than his former evils? For Pharaoh, if he had been disciplined by the first plague, would not have experienced the later ones, nor would he afterward have been drowned together with his whole army. But he who becomes good by constraint will never be good; once released from necessity, he will return again. Therefore, let us not ask this and say, \"He who has done neither evil nor good—what place will he receive?\" For not to have done good is itself to have done evil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":414,"ref":"p414","source":"Εἰ γάρ τινα οἰκέτην ἔχεις, μηδὲ κλέπτοντα, μήτε ὑβρίζοντα, μήτε ἀντιλέγοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέθης κρατοῦντα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, καθήμενον δὲ διαπαντὸς ἀργὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν ὀφειλόντων παρ' οἰκέτου δεσπότῃ πληροῦσθαι ποιοῦντα, οὐ μαστιγώσεις, οὐ στρεβλώσεις αὐτὸν, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν εἰργάσατο κακόν· αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν ἐστι κακὸν τοῦτο τὸ μὴ ποιεῖν ἀγαθόν. Ἔστω καὶ γεωργός τις ἡμῖν, καὶ μηδὲν λυμαινέσθω τῶν ἡμετέρων, μήτε ἐπιβουλευέτω, μήτε κλεπτέτω, μόνον δὲ τὰς αὐτοῦ χεῖρας δήσας οἴκοι καθεζέσθω, μήτε σπείρων, μήτε αὔλακα τέμνων, μήτε ἄμπελον θεραπεύων, μήτε ἄλλο τι τῶν περὶ τὴν γῆν πονῶν· ἆρα οὐ κολάσομεν τὸν τοιοῦτον; καίτοι γε οὐδὲν ἠδίκησεν, οὐδὲ ἔχομεν ἐγκαλεῖν τι αὐτῷ· ἀλλ' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ἠδίκησε. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος δὲ τοῦ ἡμετέρου, ἔστω ἡ χεὶρ μὴ πλήττουσα τὴν κεφαλὴν, μηδὲ ἐκκόπτουσα τὴν γλῶτταν, μηδὲ ἐξορύττουσα τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, μηδὲ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ἐργαζομένη κακὸν, μόνον δὲ ἀργὴ μενέτω, καὶ τὴν παρ' ἑαυτῆς λειτουργίαν μὴ πληρούτω τῷ παντὶ σώματι· ἆρα οὐκ ἄξιον ἐκκοπῆναι αὐτὴν, ἢ περιφέρειν ἀργοῦσαν καὶ παντὶ λυμαινομένην τῷ σώματι; Τί δὲ, ἂν τὸ στόμα μὴ κατεσθίῃ τὴν χεῖρα, μηδὲ δάκνῃ τὸ στῆθος, τὰ δὲ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐλλείπῃ πάντα, οὐ βέλτιον ἐμπεφράχθαι μᾶλλον; Εἰ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τούτων οὐ μόνον τὸ κακόν τι μὴ πρᾶξαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔλλειψις ἀδικία μεγάλη, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν. Εἴθε μὲν γὰρ δυνατὸν ἦν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐμὲ κατορθοῦν, καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα ὑμᾶς λαμβάνειν τῶν κατορθωμάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἠνώχλησα.","english":"For if you have a servant who does not steal, nor insult, nor talk back, but also restrains himself from drunkenness and all other such things, yet sits idle all day long and does nothing of what a servant owes his master, will you not whip him, will you not torture him, tell me? And yet he has done no evil—but this very thing is evil, namely, not to do good. Let us suppose a farmer too, and let him not damage any of our property, nor plot, nor steal, but only sit at home with his hands tied, neither sowing, nor cutting a furrow, nor tending a vine, nor laboring at any other of the tasks concerning the land—shall we not punish such a one? And yet he has done no wrong, nor do we have anything to accuse him of—but this very thing is what he has done wrong. And in the case of our own body, let the hand not strike the head, nor cut out the tongue, nor gouge out the eye, nor work any other such evil, but only remain idle and not fulfill its own service to the whole body—is it not worthy to be cut off, or to be carried around idle and doing damage to the whole body? What then, if the mouth does not eat the hand, nor bite the breast, but falls short in all its own functions—is it not better that it be stopped up instead? If, then, in these cases not only the doing of something evil, but also the lack of good things is a great injustice, much more so in spiritual matters. Would that it were possible for me to succeed on your behalf, and for you to receive the prizes of those successes—and I would not have troubled you so much.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":415,"ref":"p415","source":"Ὥσπερ γὰρ μήτηρ ὁρῶσα παιδίον πυρέττον, παρεστῶσα ἀχθομένῳ καὶ καιομένῳ, θρηνοῦσα πολλάκις εἶπεν· Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν, τέκνον, τὸν πυρετὸν ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν σὸν, καὶ ἐπ' ἐμαυτὴν ἑλκύσαι τὴν φλόγα· οὕτω κἀγὼ λέγω, Εἴθε δυνατὸν ἦν ἐμὲ πονέσαντα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κατορθῶσαι πάντων. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν. Ὁ τοίνυν δυνάμενος καὶ ἑτέρους διορθῶσαι, μιγνύσθω τοῖς μέλλουσι δέχεσθαι τὴν θεραπείαν, καὶ ποιείτω βελτίους· ὁ δὲ ἀτονώτερος ὢν, φευγέτω τοὺς πονηροὺς, ὥστε μὴ τὴν παρ' ἐκείνων δέχεσθαι λύμην· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὸν παρόντα βιώσεται βίον μετὰ ἀσφαλείας, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτεύξεται ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΖʹ. Περὶ παίδων ἀνατροφῆς.\n\nΔέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, πολλὴν τῶν οἰκείων παίδων, ἀγαπητοὶ, ποιώμεθα πρόνοιαν, καὶ πανταχοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν ζητῶμεν αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς. Μίμησαι τὸν μακάριον Ἰὼβ, ὃς καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ διάνοιαν αὐτοῖς πλημμελημάτων δεδοικὼς προσέφερε θυσίας ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πρόνοιαν ἐποιεῖτο· μίμησαι τὸν Ἀβραάμ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος οὐχ ὑπὲρ χρημάτων καὶ κτημάτων ἐσπούδαζεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῶν θείων νόμων, ὅπως αὐτῶν τὴν φυλακὴν τοῖς ἐγγόνοις μετὰ ἀκριβείας παρακατάθοιτο.","english":"For just as a mother, seeing her child burning with fever, standing by him as he is distressed and inflamed, has often said in lamentation, \"Would that it were possible for me, my child, to take upon myself your fever and draw the flame onto myself\"—so I too say, \"Would that it were possible for me, by suffering on your behalf, to set all of you aright.\" But this is not possible, it is not. Therefore let the one who is able also to correct others associate with those who are about to receive healing, and let him make them better; but let the weaker man flee from the wicked, so as not to receive harm from them. For in this way he will both live out the present life in safety and attain the good things to come—may we all attain them, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 27. On the upbringing of children.\n\nI entreat and implore, beloved, that we take great forethought for our own children, and that we seek everywhere the salvation of their soul. Imitate the blessed Job, who, fearing even for their sins committed in thought, offered sacrifices on their behalf and took great forethought for them; imitate Abraham; for he too was zealous not for money and possessions, but for the divine laws, so as to entrust their careful observance to his descendants.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":416,"ref":"p416","source":"Καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἡνίκα ἐτελεύτα, ἀντὶ μεγάλης κληρονομίας καλέσας τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, ταῦτα παρηγγύα, καὶ συνεχῶς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Εἰ βουληθείης, παιδίον, κατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους ζῇν, οὐδέν σοι προσπεσεῖται τῶν ἀδοκήτων, ἀλλὰ πάντα σοι κατὰ ῥοῦν ἥξει τὰ πράγματα, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσεις τῆς ἀσφαλείας· ἂν δὲ ἐκείνης ἐκπέσῃς τῆς βοηθείας, οὐδὲν ὄφελός σοι τῆς βασιλείας,\n\nκαὶ τῆς πολλῆς ταύτης δυνάμεως. Εὐσεβείας μὲν γὰρ οὐκ οὔσης, καὶ τὰ ὄντα ἀπόλλυνται χρήματα μετὰ κινδύνου καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης αἰσχύνης· ταύτης δὲ παρούσης, καὶ τὰ οὐκ ὄντα προσγίνεται. Δεῖ τοίνυν σκοπεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς, οὐχ ὅπως τοὺς παῖδας ἐν ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ πλουσίους ποιήσωσιν, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἐν εὐλαβείᾳ καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ καὶ τῇ κτήσει τῆς ἀρετῆς πάντων γένοιντ' ἂν εὐπορώτεροι· ὅπως μὴ πολλῶν δέοιντο, ὅπως μὴ περὶ τὰ βιωτικὰ καὶ τὰς νεωτερικὰς ἐπιθυμίας ὦσιν ἐπτοημένοι. Καὶ τὰς εἰσόδους αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς ἐξόδους μετὰ ἀκριβείας περιεργάζεσθαι χρὴ, τὰς διατριβὰς, τὰς συνουσίας, εἰδότες, ὅτι τούτων ἀμελουμένων οὐδεμίαν ἕξουσι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ συγγνώμην. Εἰ γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων προνοίας ἀπαιτούμεθα τὰς εὐθύνας· Ἕκαστος γὰρ μὴ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου· πόσῳ μᾶλλον τῆς τῶν παίδων; Σὺ δὲ ὅπως μὲν ἵππος γένοιτο καλὸς αὐτοῖς, καὶ οἰκία λαμπρὰ, καὶ πολυτελὴς ἀγρὸς, πάντα ποιεῖς καὶ πραγματεύῃ· ὅπως δὲ ψυχὴ καλὴ καὶ προαίρεσις εὐσεβὴς, οὐδένα ἔχεις λόγον. Καίτοι τὰ μὲν κτήματα κἂν πολλὰ ᾖ καὶ πολυτελῆ, τοῦ δυναμένου μετὰ ἀρετῆς αὐτὰ οἰκονομεῖν οὐκ ὄντος σπουδαίου, πάντα ἀπολεῖται καὶ οἰχήσεται μετ' αὐτοῦ·","english":"And when David was nearing his end, calling his own son, he gave him these commands in place of a great inheritance, and said continually: If you wish, my child, to live according to the laws of God, none of unexpected things will fall upon you, but all your affairs will come to you with a favorable flow, and you will enjoy great security; but if you fall away from that help, your kingdom and this great power will be of no benefit to you. For when piety is absent, even the possessions that exist are destroyed with danger and the utmost shame; but when it is present, even things that do not exist are added. Parents must therefore take care, not that they make their children rich in silver and gold, but that they make them more abundantly supplied than all in reverence and philosophy and the possession of virtue; that they may need few things, that they may not be frantic over the things of life and youthful desires. And it is necessary to examine carefully their comings and goings, their places of resort, their associations, knowing that if these are neglected they will have no forgiveness before God. For if we are required to give account for the provision of others—for, it says, let each one seek not his own good, but the good of the other—how much more for that of children? But you do everything and contrive everything so that a fine horse may be theirs, and a splendid house, and a costly field; but for a beautiful soul and a pious disposition you have no concern. And yet possessions, even if they are many and costly, when there is no good man able to manage them with virtue, will all be destroyed and depart with him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":417,"ref":"p417","source":"ἂν δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ γενναία γένηται καὶ φιλόσοφος, κἂν μηδὲν ἔνδον ἀποκείμενον ᾖ, τὰ πάντων δυνήσεται μετὰ ἀδείας σχεῖν. Ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτόν τι πολλοὶ τῶν πατέρων περὶ τὰ τέκνα πάσχουσιν· οὐ βουλόμενοι μαστίξαι οὐδὲ ἐπιτιμῆσαι ῥήμασιν, οὐδὲ λυπῆσαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν υἱοὺς ἀτάκτως ζῶντας καὶ παρανόμως, πολλάκις εἶδον ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις ἁλόντας, εἰς δικαστήριον ἁρπαγέντας, ὑπὸ δημίων ἀποτμηθέντας. Ὅταν γὰρ σὺ μὴ παιδεύσῃς, ὅταν σὺ μὴ σωφρονίσῃς, μιαροῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ διεφθαρμένοις ἑαυτὸν ἀναμίξας, καὶ κοινωνήσας τῆς πονηρίας αὐτοῖς, ὑπὸ τοὺς κοινοὺς ἄγεται νόμους, καὶ κολάζεται πάντων ὁρώντων· καὶ μετὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς μείζων ἡ αἰσχύνη γίνεται, δακτυλοδεικτούντων ἁπάντων τὸν πατέρα μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν, καὶ ἄβατον αὐτῷ ποιούντων τὴν ἀγοράν. Ποίοις γὰρ ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀντιβλέψαι δυνήσεται τοῖς ἀπαντῶσιν αὐτῷ μετὰ τὴν τοιαύτην τοῦ παιδὸς ἀσχημοσύνην καὶ συμφοράν; Τί ταύτης τῆς ἀνοίας χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἄν; οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ καὶ ἐρυθριᾷς, εἰπέ μοι, ὅταν τὸν υἱὸν τὸν σὸν ὁ δικαστὴς κολάσῃ, καὶ σωφρονέστερον ποιήσῃ, καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἐκεῖνος δεηθῇ διορθώσεως, τοσοῦτον ἐξ ἀρχῆς σοι συνοικήσας χρόνον; οὐκ ἐγκαλύπτῃ καὶ καταδύῃ; τολμᾷς ὅλως, εἰπέ μοι, πατὴρ ἔτι καλεῖσθαι, οὕτω προδοὺς τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν αὐτῷ φορὰν οὐκ εἰσενεγκὼν, ἀλλὰ περιιδὼν ὑπὸ πάσης διαφθαρῆναι κακίας; Κἂν μὲν δραπέτην τινὰ ἴδῃς ῥαπίζοντα τὸ παιδίον, ἀγανακτεῖς καὶ ὀργίζῃ καὶ δυσχεραίνεις, καὶ θηρίου χαλεπώτερον ἐπιπηδᾷς τῇ τοῦ τυπτήσαντος ὄψει·","english":"But if the soul becomes noble and philosophic, even if nothing is stored up within, it will be able to possess the goods of all with freedom from fear. But many fathers suffer something like this in regard to their children: not wishing to whip them nor to rebuke them with words, nor to grieve their own sons who live disorderly and lawlessly, they have often seen them caught in the most shameful acts, dragged off to court, cut down by executioners. For when you do not educate, when you do not discipline, he mixes himself with foul and corrupted men, and shares in their wickedness, is led under the common laws, and is punished while all look on; and with the calamity the shame becomes greater, as all point the finger at the father after that son's death, and make the marketplace untrodden for him. For with what eyes will he be able to look back at those who meet him after such disgrace and calamity of his child? What could be worse than this folly? Are you not ashamed and do you not blush, tell me, when the judge punishes your son, and makes him more temperate, and he begs for correction from outside, having lived with you so long a time from the beginning? Do you not cover yourself and sink down? Do you dare at all, tell me, still to be called a father, having thus betrayed your son, and not having brought in the necessary nurture for him, but overlooking his being corrupted by every evil? And if you see some runaway slave slapping the child, you are indignant and angry and displeased, and you leap upon the face of the one who struck him more fiercely than a wild beast.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":418,"ref":"p418","source":"τὸν δὲ διάβολον καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ῥαπίζοντα, δαίμονας εἰς ἁμαρτήματα ἐνάγοντας, καὶ καθεύδεις, καὶ οὐκ ἀγανακ τεῖς οὐδὲ δυσχεραίνεις, οὐδὲ ἐξαρπάζεις τοῦ χαλεπωτάτου θηρίου τὸν υἱόν; καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ φιλανθρωπίας; Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ὅταν μὲν ὑπὸ δαίμονος ἐνεργῆταί σου ὁ υἱὸς, πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους τρέχεις, καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς κορυφαῖς τῶν ὀρέων ἐνοχλεῖς, ὥστε αὐτὸν τῆς μανίας ἀπαλλάξαι ἐκείνης· ἁμαρτίας δὲ, ἣ παντὸς δαίμονός ἐστι χαλεπωτέρα, συνεχῶς ἐνοχλούσης, οὐδὲν πλέον ποιεῖς; Καίτοι τὸ μὲν παρὰ δαίμονος ἐνοχλεῖσθαι χαλεπὸν οὐδέν· οὐ γὰρ εἰς γέενναν ἐμβαλεῖν τὸ δαιμόνιον δύναται πάντως· ἀλλ' ἐὰν νήφωμεν, καὶ στεφάνους ἡμῖν ὁ πειρασμὸς οὗτος οἴσει λαμπροὺς καὶ περιφανεῖς, ὅταν εὐχαρίστως φέρωμεν τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπηρείας· τὸν δὲ ἁμαρτίᾳ συζῶντα ἀμήχανον σωθῆναί ποτε, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη πάντως καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπονείδιστον εἶναι, καὶ ἀπελθόντα ἐκεῖ ἀθάνατα πάλιν κολάζεσθαι. Τί δὲ καὶ ἀπολογήσῃ λοιπόν; Οὐ κατῴκησά σοι, φησὶν, ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸν παῖδα; ἐπέστησα δὲ σὲ αὐτῷ διδάσκαλον καὶ προστάτην καὶ κηδεμόνα καὶ ἄρχοντα· οὐ τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν φέρων εἰς τὰς σὰς ἐνέθηκα χεῖρας; οὐχ ἁπαλὸν ὄντα διαπλάττειν ἐκέλευσα καὶ ῥυθμίζειν; ποίαν οὖν ἔχοις συγγνώμην, εἰ περιίδοις αὐτὸν ἀποσκιρτήσαντα; Τί γὰρ ἂν εἴποις; ὅτι","english":"But seeing the devil striking him every day, demons leading him into sins, do you sleep and not grow indignant nor be vexed, nor snatch your son from the most savage beast? And of what love for humanity will you obtain? For how is it not absurd that when your son is afflicted by a demon, you run to all the saints and trouble those on the peaks of the mountains, so as to deliver him from that madness; but when sin, which is more grievous than every demon, troubles him continually, you do nothing more? And yet to be troubled by a demon is nothing grievous; for the demon certainly cannot cast one into Gehenna; but if we are watchful, this trial will bring us bright and conspicuous crowns, whenever we bear such assaults with thanksgiving; but for one who lives with sin it is impossible ever to be saved, but it is altogether necessary both to be shameful here and, having departed there, to be punished again with deathless punishments. And what defense will you make for the rest? Did I not, he says, establish the child with you from the beginning? Did I not set you over him as teacher and protector and guardian and ruler? Did I not put all his authority into your hands? Did I not command you to mold and shape him while he was tender? What forgiveness then could you have, if you overlook him when he has run away? For what could you say? That","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":419,"ref":"p419","source":"δυσήνιός ἐστι καὶ τραχύς; ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔδει σε ταῦτα πάντα ὁρῶντα, ὅτε εὐήνιος ἦν καὶ κομιδῇ νέος, χαλινοῦν, μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐθίζειν, πρὸς τὰ δέοντα ῥυθμίζειν, κολάζειν αὐτοῦ τὰ κινήματα τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅτε εὐκολωτέρα ἡ ἐργασία· τότε τὰς ἀκάνθας ἐκτεμεῖν ἔδει, ὅτε ἁπαλωτέρας οὔσης τῆς ἡλικίας εὐκολώτερον ἀνεσπῶντο· καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀμελούμενα τὰ πάθη καὶ αὐξανόμενα δυσκατέργαστα γέγονε. Τίνα οὖν ἀπολογίαν ἔχοιμεν ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς μὲν, ἐπειδὰν παρ' αὐτῶν ἡμεῖς ὑβριζώμεθα, μηδὲ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν φείδηται· Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα, φησὶ, θανάτῳ τελευτάτω· ἡμεῖς δὲ ὑβριζομένου αὐτοῦ παρ' αὐτῶν, μηδὲ ἀγανακτεῖν αὐτοῖς ὑπομένωμεν; Ἐγὼ, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ἀποκτεῖναι παραιτοῦμαι τὸν ὑβρίζοντά σε· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ ῥήματι λυπεῖν ἀνέχῃ τὸν τοὺς ἐμοὺς καταπατοῦντα νόμους; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα συγγνώμης ἄξια; Μὴ τοίνυν τῶν παίδων ἀμελῶμεν, εἰδότες ὅτι τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν αὐτοῖς εὖ διακειμένων, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἔσονται εὐδόκιμοι καὶ λαμπροί. Τὸν γὰρ ἀρετῇ συζῶντα καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ, πάντες αἰδοῦνται καὶ τιμῶσι, κἂν ἁπάντων πενέστερος ᾖ· ὡσπεροῦν τὸν πονηρὸν ἀποστρέφονται καὶ μισοῦσι, κἂν εὐπορίαν ᾖ κεκτημένος πολλήν· οἱ γὰρ τῶν παίδων ἀμελοῦντες, κἂν τὰ ἄλλα ὦσιν ἐπιεικεῖς καὶ μέτριοι, διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποστήσονται δίκην. Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε γνῶναι σαφῶς, ὅτι κἂν τὰ ἡμέτερα ἡμῖν ἅπαντα καλῶς ᾖ διῳκημένα, τῆς δὲ τῶν παίδων ἀμελῶμεν σωτηρίας, τὴν ἐσχάτην τίσομεν δίκην, προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας τοῖς λεγομένοις· Ἱερεύς τις ἦν παρὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, μέτριος ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἐπιεικής· Ἠλεὶ τούτῳ ὄνομα ἦν·","english":"Is he stubborn and rough? But from the beginning, when he was pliable and quite young, you should have seen all these things, bridled him, accustomed him with strictness, regulated him toward what was needful, chastised the impulses of his soul, when the work was easier; then you should have cut out the thorns, when his age was softer and they were more easily plucked up; and his passions, if neglected and growing, would not have become hard to deal with. What defense, then, could we offer when God, whenever we are insulted by them, does not even spare their life? For he says, \"He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death\"; but do we not even endure to be indignant with them when he is insulted by them? \"I,\" he says, \"do not even refuse to kill the one who insults you; but do you not endure even to grieve with a word the one who tramples on my laws?\" And where are these things worthy of pardon? Let us not, then, neglect our children, knowing that when they are well disposed in the things of God, they will also be esteemed and distinguished in the present life. For everyone reveres and honors the one who lives with virtue and equity, even if he is poorer than all; just as they turn away from and hate the wicked man, even if he has acquired great wealth. For those who neglect their children, even if in other respects they are equitable and moderate, will undergo the ultimate penalty for this sin. But if you wish to know clearly that even if all our own affairs are well ordered, but we neglect the salvation of our children, we shall pay the ultimate penalty, attend carefully to what is said: There was a certain priest among the Jews, a moderate and equitable man; his name was Eli.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":420,"ref":"p420","source":"οὗτος γίνεται δύο παίδων πατήρ· καὶ ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ κακίαν βαδίζοντας, οὐ κατεῖχεν οὐδὲ ἐκώλυεν, μᾶλλον δὲ κατεῖχε μὲν καὶ ἐκώλυεν, οὐ μετὰ πάσης δὲ ἐποίει τοῦτο σπουδῆς· τιμωρίαν μὲν οὐκ ἐπετίθει, λόγοις δὲ καὶ παραινέσεσιν ἐπειρᾶτο τῆς πονηρίας ταύτης ἀπάγειν αὐτούς· καὶ τοιαῦτα πρὸς αὐτοὺς συνεχῶς ἔλεγε ῥήματα· Μὴ, τέκνα, μὴ ποιεῖτε οὕτως, ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθὴ ἡ ἀκοὴ, ἣν ἐγὼ ἀκούω περὶ ὑμῶν. Καίτοι ἱκανὰ μὲν καὶ ταῦτα αὐτοὺς ἀνακτήσασθαι τὰ ῥήματα· ἀλλ' ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ μὴ τὸ πᾶν ὡς ἐχρῆν ἐπεδείξατο, ἑαυτῷ τε κἀκείνοις ἐξεπολέμωσε τὸν Θεόν· καὶ φεισάμενος αὑτοῦ τῶν παίδων ἀκαίρως, μετὰ τῶν παίδων καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσαπώλεσε σωτηρίαν. Καί τοι πλὴν τῆς εἰς τοὺς παῖδας ῥᾳθυμίας οὐδὲν ἕτερον εἶχεν ἐγκαλεῖν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ πρεσβύτῃ. Εἰ δὲ τὸν ἐλάττονα ἁμαρτόντα, οὕτω πανέστιον ἀνέτρεψεν ὁ Θεὸς, τοὺς χαλεπώτερα πεπλημμεληκότας, ἀτιμωρήτους ἀφήσει; Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ἱερέα, τὸν πρεσβύτην, τὸν ἔνδοξον, τὸν εἴκοσιν ἔτη προστάντα ἀλήπτως τοῦ τῶν Ἑβραίων ἔθνους, οὐδὲν τούτων ἴσχυσε παραιτήσασθαι, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῶν παίδων οὐκ ἐπεμελήθη μετὰ ἀκριβείας, σφόδρα ἐλεεινῶς ἀπώλετο, καὶ τῆς ὀλιγωρίας ταύτης ἡ ἁμαρτία, καθάπερ κῦμα ἄγριον καὶ μέγα, πάντα ὑπερέσχεν ἐκεῖνα, καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα ἀπέκρυψεν ἅπαντα· τίς ἡμᾶς λήψεται δίκη τοὺς καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀποδέοντας πολὺ τῆς ἐκείνου, καὶ τῶν παίδων οὐ μόνον οὐ προϊσταμένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ βαρβάρου παντὸς χαλεπώτερον περὶ τούτους διακειμένους; Ὥσπερ γάρ τις ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων οὐκ ἔχει καταφυγεῖν εἰς ἀπολογίαν καὶ συγγνώμην·","english":"This man becomes the father of two children; and seeing them walking toward wickedness, he did not restrain them nor hinder them—or rather, he did restrain and hinder them, but he did not do this with all diligence. He did not impose punishment, but by words and exhortations he tried to lead them away from that wickedness, and he kept saying such words to them: \"Do not, children, do not do so, for the report is not good which I hear about you.\" And yet these words were sufficient to restore them; but nevertheless, because he did not show the whole measure of what was required, he made God hostile both to himself and to them; and by sparing himself for his children's sake at the wrong time, he destroyed his own salvation together with his children. And yet, apart from his negligence toward his children, God had nothing else to charge against the elder. But if God so overturned an entire household because of the lesser one who sinned, will he leave unpunished those who have committed more grievous offenses? For if the priest, the elder, the renowned man, who presided over the nation of the Hebrews for twenty years without reproach, could plead none of these things to excuse himself, but because he did not care for his children with strictness he perished most piteously, and the sin of this negligence, like a wild and great wave, rose above all those things and concealed all his achievements—what judgment will take hold of us, who fall far short of his virtue, and who not only do not preside over our children but are disposed toward them more harshly than any barbarian? For just as in the case of one's own sins, one cannot flee to defense and pardon—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":421,"ref":"p421","source":"οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν τοῖς παισὶν ἁμαρτανομένων οἱ γεννήτορες· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ φύσεως ἡ κακία τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσῆν, εἰκότως ἄν τις εἰς ἀπολογίαν κατέφυγεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκ προαιρέσεως καὶ φαῦλοι γινόμεθα καὶ σπουδαῖοι, τίνα ἂν ἔχοι λόγον εὐπρόσωπον εἰπεῖν ὁ τὸν μάλιστα πάντων ποθούμενον διαστραφῆναι καὶ γενέσθαι πονηρὸν ἀφιείς; Μὴ δὴ πλοῦτον τοῖς παισὶ καταλίπῃς, ἵνα καταλίπῃς ἀρετήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐσχάτης ἀλογίας, ζῶντας μὲν μὴ ποιεῖν αὐτοὺς κυρίους πάντων τῶν ὄντων, τελευτήσαντας δὲ πολλὴν τῇ τῆς νεότητος εὐκολίᾳ παρέχειν τὴν ἄδειαν. Καίτοι γε ζῶντες μὲν δυνησόμεθα καὶ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖν, καὶ κακῶς τοῖς οὖσι κεχρημένους σωφρονίζειν καὶ χαλινοῦν· τελευτήσαντες δὲ, ἂν μετὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐρημίας καὶ τῆς νεότητος καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου παράσχωμεν ἐξουσίαν, εἰς μυρίους ὠθήσομεν\n\nκρημνοὺς τοὺς ἀθλίους καὶ ταλαιπώρους ἐκείνους. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο σκοπῶμεν, ὅπως πλουσίους αὐτοὺς καταλίπωμεν, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἐναρέτους. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ τῷ πλούτῳ θαῤῥῶσιν, οὐδενὸς ἐπιμελήσονται ἄλλου, ὡς ἔχοντες συσκιάσαι τὴν τῶν τρόπων κακίαν, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν χρημάτων περιουσίας· ἂν δὲ ἴδωσιν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς ἐκεῖθεν παραμυθίας ὄντας ἐρήμους, πάντα ἐργάσονται ὥστε διὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς πολλὴν τῇ πενίᾳ τὴν παραμυθίαν εὑρέσθαι. Μὴ οὖν πρότερον ἰδιωτικῶν ἢ δημοσίων ἁψώμεθα πραγμάτων, ἕως ἂν τὴν ψυχὴν διορθωσώμεθα τὴν ἑαυτῶν. Ἐὰν ὑμεῖς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν υἱοὺς παιδεύσητε, κἀκεῖνοι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν παιδεύσουσι, καὶ πάλιν ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν διδάξουσι·","english":"Thus parents are not responsible for the sins their children commit—and quite reasonably so. For if wickedness were present in humans by nature, one could reasonably resort to an excuse; but since we become both base and virtuous by choice, what plausible defense could a man offer who allows the one most desired of all to be corrupted and become wicked? Do not leave wealth to your children, so that you may leave them virtue. For it is the height of folly, while alive, not to make them masters of all that is yours, and at death to give their youth's ease great license. And yet while alive we can both demand an account and discipline and bridle those who misuse what they have; but at death, if along with our absence and their youth we also give them the power that comes from wealth, we will push those wretched and miserable ones into countless cliffs. Let us not, then, consider how we may leave them rich, but how we may leave them virtuous. For if they trust in wealth, they will take care of nothing else, since they have the means to overshadow the wickedness of their character with the abundance of their money; but if they see themselves destitute of that consolation, they will do everything so as to find great consolation in poverty through virtue. Let us not, then, touch private or public affairs before we have corrected our own soul. If you educate your own sons, they too will educate theirs, and again those will teach their own;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":422,"ref":"p422","source":"καὶ οὕτω μέχρι τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα προβαῖνον τοῖς τὴν ῥίζαν παρασχοῦσιν ἅπαντα οἴσει τούτου τὸν μισθόν. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀναθρέψῃς σὺ καλῶς τὸ παιδίον, οὕτω κἀκεῖνος τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ οὗτος τὸν υἱόν· καὶ καθάπερ σειρά τις καὶ ἀκολουθία πολιτείας ἀρίστης μέχρι παντὸς βαδιεῖται, παρὰ σοῦ λαβοῦσα τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐγγόνων ἐπιμελείας σοι φέρουσα τοὺς καρπούς. Οἱ γὰρ τῆς τῶν παίδων κοσμιότητός τε καὶ σωφροσύνης ἀμελοῦντες πατέρες παιδοκτόνοι τυγχάνουσι, καὶ χαλεπώτερον ἢ ἐκεῖνοι, ὅσῳ καὶ πρὸς ψυχὴν ἡ ἀπώλεια καὶ ὁ θάνατος. Ὥσπερ οὖν, ἂν ἵππον ἴδῃς κατὰ κρημνοῦ φερόμενον, χαλινὸν ἐμβάλλεις τῷ στόματι, καὶ ἀναχαιτίζεις μετὰ σφοδρότητος, καὶ μαστίζεις πολλάκις, καίτοι γε τοῦτο κόλασίς ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἡ κόλασις αὕτη σωτηρίας μήτηρ ἐστίν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν παίδων ποίει τῶν σῶν, ἁμαρτανόντων αὐτῶν· δῆσον τὸν πλημμελήσαντα, ἕως ἂν ἐξιλεώσῃ τὸν Θεόν· μὴ ἀφῇς λελυμένον, ἵνα μὴ πλέον δεθῇ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀργῇ. Ἂν γὰρ σὺ δήσῃς, ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἔτι δεσμεῖ· ἂν δὲ μὴ δήσῃς, τὰ ἄῤῥηκτα αὐτὸν περιμένει δεσμά. Ἀλλ' ἱκανὸν ἔδωκε χρόνον τιμωρίαν, φησί. Πόσον, εἰπέ μοι; ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ ἔτη δύο καὶ τρία; Ἀλλ' οὐ χρόνου πλῆθος ζητῶ, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς διόρθωσιν· τοῦτο τοίνυν δεῖξον, εἰ κατενύγη, εἰ μετεβάλετο, καὶ τὸ πᾶν γέγονεν· ὡς ἂν μὴ τοῦτο ᾖ, οὐδὲν ὄφελος τοῦ χρόνου λοιπόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ πολλάκις ἐπεδέθη τὸ τραῦμα ζητοῦμεν, ἀλλ' εἰ ὤνησέ τι ὁ δεσμός. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὠφέλησε καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ βραχεῖ, μηκέτι προσκείσθω· εἰ δὲ μηδὲν ὤνησε, καὶ μετὰ δέκα ἐνιαυτοὺς ἔτι προσκείσθω·","english":"And thus this matter, advancing until the coming of Christ, will bring the whole reward to those who provided the root. For if you raise the child well, so too will that one raise his own son, and this one his son; and like a kind of chain and succession of the best conduct it will proceed forever, receiving its beginning and root from you, and bringing you the fruits of the care of your descendants. For fathers who neglect the orderliness and chastity of their children are child-killers, and more harshly so than those others, inasmuch as the destruction and death are of the soul. Just as, then, if you see a horse rushing down a precipice, you put a bridle in its mouth, and you rein it back with vehemence, and you whip it often—and yet this is punishment, but this punishment is the mother of salvation—so also do with your children when they sin: bind the one who has done wrong, until he propitiates God; do not leave him loose, lest he be bound more by the wrath of God. For if you bind him, God no longer binds him; but if you do not bind him, unbreakable bonds await him. But he has given sufficient time for punishment, he says. How much, tell me? A year and two and three years? But I do not seek a quantity of time, but the correction of the soul; show this, then, whether he has been pricked to the heart, whether he has changed, and the whole has been accomplished; for unless this be so, there is no further benefit of time. For we do not ask whether the wound has been bandaged many times, but whether the bandage has done any good. If, then, it has helped even in a short time, let it no longer be applied; but if it has done no good, let it still be applied even after ten years.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":423,"ref":"p423","source":"καὶ ὅρος οὗτος ἔστω λύσεως τοῦ δεδεμένου, τὸ κέρδος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω δείκνυσι τὸν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα, ὡς ἡ φιλοστοργία ἡ περὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους. Καὶ γὰρ πατέρα οὐ τὸ γεννῆσαι μόνον ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ φιλεῖν μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι. Εἰ δὲ ἔνθα φύσις, ἀγάπης χρεία, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔνθα ἡ χάρις. Καὶ σὺ δὲ, ὦ παῖ, ὡς οἰκέτης δούλευσον τοῖς γεννήσασί σε. Τί γὰρ ἀνταποδώσεις αὐτοῖς, οἷα αὐτοὶ σοί; ἀντιγεννῆσαι γὰρ αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἔνι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν ὁ πατὴρ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐπιτιμήσῃ τὸν σὸν, συνοργίσθητι καὶ σὺ, εἴτε ὡς ἀδελφοῦ κηδόμενος, εἴτε ὡς πατρὶ συναγανακτῶν. Ἂν γὰρ ἴδῃ ὁ ἡμαρτηκὼς, ὅτι ἐπετιμήθη μὲν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς, ἐκολακεύθη δὲ παρὰ σοῦ, ῥᾳθυμότερος γίνεται. Καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτου τὰ τῆς ζημίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ κόλασιν ἄγεις ἐπὶ σαυτόν. Ὁ γὰρ κωλύων τὸ τραῦμα θεραπευθῆναι, τοῦ πεποιηκότος αὐτὸ οὐκ ἐλάττονα ἔχει κόλασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μείζονα· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον πλῆξαι, καὶ τὸ πληγὲν κωλῦσαι θεραπευθῆναι· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ θάνατον τίκτει πάντως, ἐκεῖνο δὲ οὐ πάντως. Μὴ δὴ τῶν γεγεννηκότων καταφρονῶμεν· κἂν γὰρ αὐτῶν καταφρονήσωμεν, τοὺς ἄρχοντας δεδοικότες ἐπιεικέστεροι πάντως ἐσόμεθα· κἂν ἐκείνων διαπτύσωμεν ἁμαρτάνοντες, τὴν τοῦ συνειδότος οὐδέποτε δυνησόμεθα διαφυγεῖν ἐπιτίμησιν· κἂν ταύτην ἀτιμάσωμεν καὶ διακρουσώμεθα, τὴν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ὑπόληψιν δεδοικότες ἀμείνους ἐσόμεθα· κἂν πρὸς ταύτην ἀναισχυντήσωμεν, ὁ τῶν νόμων ἐπικείμενος φόβος καὶ ἄκοντας ἡμᾶς σωφρονίσαι δυνήσεται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ κολαζομένων τῶν πονηρῶν, ἕτεροι βελτίους γίνονται, οὕτω καί τινων κατορθούντων πολλοὶ πρὸς τὸν ἴσον ἐνάγονται ζῆλον.","english":"And let this be the boundary of the release of the one who is bound: the gain. For nothing so demonstrates the one who holds authority as the affection he shows toward those under his rule. For it is not begetting alone that makes a father, but also loving after begetting. And if where nature is, love is needed, how much more where grace is. And you, child, serve as a slave those who begot you. For what will you repay them, such as they have done for you? For you cannot beget them in return. But also when the father rebukes your brother, be angry with him as well, whether as caring for your brother, or as indignant together with your father. For if the one who has sinned sees that he was rebuked by the father but flattered by you, he becomes more slack. And the harm does not stop even there, but you bring punishment upon yourself as well. For the one who prevents the wound from being healed has no less a punishment than the one who made it, but even a greater one; for it is not the same to strike and to prevent the one struck from being healed; for the latter begets death altogether, but the former does not altogether. Let us not, then, despise those who begot us; for even if we despise them, fearing the rulers we shall certainly be more decent; and even if in sinning we spit upon them, we shall never be able to escape the rebuke of conscience; and even if we dishonor and thrust this aside, fearing the opinion of the many we shall be better; and even if we become shameless toward this too, the fear of the laws lying upon us will be able to bring us to our senses even against our will. For just as when the wicked are punished, others become better, so too when some do right, many are led to the same zeal.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":424,"ref":"p424","source":"Καὶ γὰρ τὸ παιδίον, ἕως μὲν ἂν ὑπὸ παιδαγωγοῦ τινος ἄγηται φοβεροῦ, κἂν σωφρονῇ, κἂν μετ' ἐπιεικείας ζῇ, θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ τῷ τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦ φόβῳ τὴν σωφροσύνην\n\nτοῦ νέου λογίζονται πάντες· ὅταν δὲ ἀποθέμενος τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀνάγκην, ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μένῃ σεμνότητος, τότε καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας ἡλικίας σωφροσύνην αὐτῷ πάντες λογίζονται. Διὰ τοῦτο διδασκάλους μᾶλλον τῶν πατέρων ἐπιζητεῖν δεῖ καὶ ποθεῖν· διὰ τούτων μὲν γὰρ τὸ ζῇν, δι' ἐκείνων δὲ τὸ καλῶς ζῇν γίνεται. Μηδὲ, ὅτι πατέρα ἅγιον ἔχεις, ἐγκαλλωπίζου· αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο καταδικάσεταί σε πλέον, ὅταν οἴκοθεν ἔχων τὸ παράδειγμα τῆς εὐγενείας, ἀνάξιον σαυτὸν τῆς προγονικῆς παράσχῃς ἀρετῆς. Μέγα ἀγαθὸν ἐν τοῖς κατορθώμασι τοῖς οἰκείοις τὰς ἐλπίδας τῆς σωτηρίας ἔχειν· οὐδὲ γὰρ φίλος οὐδεὶς οὐδέπω παραστήσεται ἐκεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθά φησι τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ, Μὴ ἀξίου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, ἐνταῦθα, ὅπου κύριοί ἐσμεν τοῦ μεταβαλέσθαι· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖ. Τὰ γοῦν τῶν προγόνων ἐγκώμια, ὅταν μὲν αὐτοῖς κοινωνῶμεν, καὶ ἡμῶν ἐστιν· ὅταν δὲ μὴ, οὐδὲν ἰσχύει, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον κατακρίνει· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. Ἀβεσσαλὼμ υἱὸς ἐγένετο τῷ Δαυῒδ, νέος, ἀκόλαστος, διεφθαρμένος. Οὗτος ἐπανέστη ποτὲ τῷ πατρὶ, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτὸν καὶ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐκβαλὼν, ἀντ' ἐκείνου κατέσχεν ἅπαντα·","english":"For while the child is still led by some fearsome tutor, even if he is self-controlled and lives with gentleness, it is nothing wonderful; rather, everyone credits the young man's self-control to the fear of the tutor. But when, having set aside the constraint from that quarter, he remains in the same dignity, then everyone credits to him also the self-control of his former age. For this reason one must seek and long for teachers more than fathers; for through the latter comes living, but through the former comes living well. And do not pride yourself because you have a holy father; rather, this very thing will condemn you the more, when, having the example of noble birth from your own house, you show yourself unworthy of the virtue of your ancestors. It is a great good to have the hopes of salvation in one's own achievements; for no friend will ever stand by you there. For if here, he says to Jeremiah, do not plead for this people—here, where we are masters of changing—how much more there. At any rate, the praises of ancestors, when we share in them, are also ours; but when we do not, they have no strength, but rather condemn the more; and how, listen. Absalom was a son to David, young, dissolute, corrupted. He once rose up against his father, and having cast him out of the kingdom and the house and the homeland, he took possession of all things in place of him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":425,"ref":"p425","source":"ὃς οὔτε τὴν φύσιν, οὔτε τὴν ἀνατροφὴν, οὔτε τὴν ἡλικίαν, οὔτε τὰ προλαβόντα ᾐδεῖτο, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἦν καθάπαξ ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπηνὴς, καὶ θηρίον μᾶλλον ἢ ἄνθρωπος, ὡς ἅπαντα ταῦτα διαῤῥήξας τὰ κωλύματα, αὐτοῖς μετὰ ἀναισχυντίας ἐπιπηδῆσαι τοῖς τῆς φύσεως νόμοις, καὶ ταραχῆς ἐμπλῆσαι ἅπαντα καὶ θορύβου. Εἰ γὰρ ὡς πατέρα αἰδεσθῆναι μὴ ἐβούλετο, ὡς γεγηρακότα ἐχρῆν· εἰ δὲ τῆς πολιᾶς κατημέλει, ὡς εὐεργέτην αἰσχύνεσθαι ἔδει· εἰ δὲ μηδὲ οὕτως, ὡς οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα. Ἀλλ' ὁ τῆς φιλαρχίας ἔρως πᾶσαν ταύτην ἐξέβαλε τὴν αἰδὼ, καὶ θηρίον τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐποίησε. Καὶ ὁ μὲν μακάριος οὗτος ὁ γεννησάμενος καὶ ἀναθρεψάμενος, ἀλήτης καὶ φυγὰς κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον ἐπλανᾶτο, καθάπερ τις μετανάστης τῇ ὑπερορίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν κολαζόμενος κακοῖς· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἐνετρύφα τοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς ἀγαθοῖς. Τῶν τοίνυν πραγμάτων ἐν τούτοις ὄντων, καὶ τῶν στρατοπέδων μετ' ἐκείνου τεταγμένων, καὶ τῶν πόλεων ὑπὸ τὸν τύραννον οὐσῶν, Χουσί τις ἄνθρωπος ἐπιεικὴς, φίλος ὢν τῷ Δαυῒδ, ἔμενε τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλίαν διατηρῶν ἐν τῇ τῶν καιρῶν τούτων μεταβολῇ, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἀθρόον κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον πλανώμενον, διέῤῥηξε τὸν χιτωνίσκον, κατεπάσσατο τέφραν, ἐστέναξεν, ἀνέκραξε πικρὸν καὶ ἐλεεινόν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ μηδὲν ἠδύνατο, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν δακρύων εἰσφέρει παραμυθίαν, Οὐ γὰρ ἦν τῶν καιρῶν φίλος οὐδὲ τῆς δυναστείας, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς· διὰ τοῦτο τῆς ἀρχῆς μεταπεσούσης, αὐτὸς τὴν φιλίαν οὐ μετέβαλεν. Ἰδὼν τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὁ Δαυῒδ ταῦτα ποιοῦντα, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτόν· Φίλου μὲν καὶ ταῦτα καὶ γνησίως πρὸς ἡμᾶς διακειμένου, ὀνίνησι δὲ οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς·","english":"He who neither respected nature, nor upbringing, nor age, nor what had gone before, but was once and for all so savage and harsh, and more a beast than a man, that he burst through all these restraints and shamelessly rushed upon the very laws of nature, and filled everything with confusion and uproar. For if he was unwilling to respect him as a father, he ought to have respected him as an old man; if he disregarded his gray hairs, he ought to have been ashamed before him as a benefactor; if not even so, at least as one who had done him no wrong. But the love of power cast out all this reverence and made the man a beast. And this blessed man, who had begotten and raised him, wandered as a fugitive and exile in the desert, like some stranger in a foreign land, and was punished by the evils that came from there; while that one reveled in his father's goods. Since matters stood thus, and the armies were arrayed with him, and the cities were under the tyrant, a certain man, Chusi, a gentle man and a friend of David, remained preserving his friendship toward him in this change of circumstances, and seeing him suddenly wandering in the desert, he tore his tunic, sprinkled ashes on himself, groaned, and cried out bitterly and piteously; and since he could do nothing more, he offered the consolation that comes from tears. For he was not a friend of circumstances nor of power, but of virtue; therefore when the rule had changed, he did not change his friendship. So when David saw him doing these things, he says to him: These things are indeed those of a friend and one genuinely disposed toward us, but they profit us nothing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":426,"ref":"p426","source":"ἀλλὰ τί δεῖ βουλεύσασθαι καὶ σκοπῆσαι, ὅπως ἂν λυθείη τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ διέξοδόν τινα εὕρω τῶν συμφορῶν; Ταῦτα εἰπὼν εἰσηγεῖται γνώμην ἐκείνῳ τοιαύτην· Ἀπελθὼν, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἐμὸν, καὶ φίλου προσωπεῖον ὑποδὺς, διασκέδασόν μοι τὰς ἐκείνου βουλὰς, καὶ τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ τὴν βουλὴν ἄκυρον ποίησον. Ὁ γὰρ Ἀχιτόφελ οὗτος καὶ τοῦ τυράννου τότε ἐκράτησεν, οἰκειωθεὶς αὐτῷ, καὶ δεινὸς μὲν ἦν τὰ πολεμικὰ, δεινὸς δὲ καὶ στρατηγῆσαι πολέμῳ καὶ μάχῃ· διὸ καὶ τοῦ τυράννου μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐδεδοίκει ὁ Δαυΐδ· οὕτως ἦν δεινὸς ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐν ταῖς γνώμαις. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Χουσὶ ἐπείσθη, καὶ οὐδὲν μικρόψυχον ἐλογίσατο, οὐδὲ ἄνανδρον, οὐδὲ εἶπεν, Τί δὲ, ἐὰν ἁλῶ; τί δὲ, ἐὰν γυμνωθῇ καὶ ἐλεγχθῇ μου τὸ προσωπεῖον; τί δὲ, ἐὰν φωραθῇ τὸ δρᾶμα τῆς ὑποκρίσεως; δεινὸς ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ, ἴσως καὶ τοῦτο ἐλέγξει καὶ ποιήσει κατάφωρον, καὶ ἀπολοῦμαι εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην. Οὐδὲν τῶν τοιούτων ἐννοήσας, εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐνεπήδησε, τὸ πᾶν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ῥίψας, καὶ εἰς μέσους ἑαυτὸν ἀφῆκε τοὺς κινδύνους. Ὡς δὲ ἐπέστη τῇ πόλει, ἰδὼν προσελαύνοντα τὸν τύραννον, προσῆλθεν· ὁ δὲ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἀθρόον καὶ τῇ φιλαρχίᾳ μεθύων, οὐκ ἐξήτασεν ἀκριβῶς τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπισκώπτων αὐτὸν καὶ ὀνειδίζων, Ἄπιθι, φησὶ, μετὰ τοῦ ἑταίρου σου· οὐδὲ τὸ ὄνομα ὑπομείνας εἰπεῖν τοῦ πατρὸς ὑπὸ μίσους καὶ ἀπεχθείας πολλῆς.","english":"But what need is there to deliberate and consider how the terrible things might be undone, and how I might find some way out of these calamities? Having said this, he suggests to him a plan of this sort: Go, he says, to my son, and having put on the mask of a friend, scatter his counsels for me, and make the counsel of Achitophel of no effect. For this Achitophel at that time also prevailed over the tyrant, having become intimate with him, and he was formidable in matters of war, and formidable also in commanding an army in war and battle; for which reason David feared him more than the tyrant; so formidable was the man in his counsels. Hushai, hearing these things, was persuaded, and reckoned nothing cowardly, nor unmanly, nor did he say, But what if I am caught? What if my mask is stripped off and exposed? What if the drama of my pretense is detected? Achitophel is formidable; perhaps he will also expose this and bring it to light, and I shall perish rashly and in vain. Having considered none of these things, he leaped into the camp, casting the whole upon God, and hurled himself into the midst of dangers. And when he stood at the city, seeing the tyrant riding up, he approached; and he, seeing him suddenly and drunk with the love of power, did not examine closely the circumstances concerning him, but mocking him and reproaching him, Go, he says, with your companion; not even enduring to speak the name of the father out of hatred and great enmity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":427,"ref":"p427","source":"Ὁ δὲ Χουσὶ οὐδὲν διαταραχθεὶς οὐδὲ θορυβηθεὶς, τί φησιν; Ὅτε ἦν ὁ Θεὸς μετ' αὐτοῦ, τὰ ἐκείνου ἐφρόνουν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετὰ σοῦ νῦν ἕστηκεν, ἀκόλουθον θεραπεύειν τὰ σά. Ἐπῆρε τοῦτο τὸν τύραννον καὶ ἐφύσησε, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐξετάσας ἀκριβῶς (κοῦφος γὰρ ἀνὴρ πιστεύει παντὶ λόγῳ, τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐκτραχηλισθεὶς), εὐθέως αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς γνησίους εἰσάγει, καὶ εἰς τοὺς πρώτους ἐγγράφει τῶν φίλων. Τὸ δὲ πᾶν ὁ Θεὸς ᾠκονόμει παρὼν καὶ στρατηγῶν τοῖς γινομένοις. Καὶ λοιπὸν βουλῆς προκειμένης περὶ πολέμου, καὶ ἑτέρων ἕτερα εἰσηγουμένων περὶ τοῦ πότερον εὐθέως ἐπιθέσθαι χρὴ, ἢ μικρὸν ἀναβαλομένους, παρελθὼν ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ ὁ δεινὸς ἐκεῖνος συμβουλεῦσαι καὶ γνώμην εἰσενεγκεῖν, ταύτην εἰσηγεῖτο τὴν συμβουλήν· Τεταλαιπωρημένῳ, φησὶ, νῦν καὶ τεθορυβημένῳ ἐπιθώμεθα τῷ πατρὶ τῷ σῷ, καὶ μὴ συγχωρήσαντες αὐτὸν μηδὲ μικρὸν, οὕτως ἀνέλωμεν· ἂν γὰρ ἀπαρασκευάστῳ ὄντι νῦν ἐπιθώμεθα, οὐδεὶς ἔσται πόνος ἡμῖν. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ τύραννος καλεῖ καὶ τὸν Χουσὶ, τὸν αὐτομολήσαντα τῇ ὑποκρίσει πρὸς αὐτὸν, καί φησι· Μεταδῶμεν καὶ τούτῳ τοῦ λόγου· ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν ἀνθρωπίνην, τὸ ἀθρόον ἐλθόντα τοῦτον οὕτω τιμῆσαι καὶ νομίσαι ἀξιόπιστον εἶναι· ὡς καὶ συμβουλῆς ἀξιοῦν πραγμάτων ἕνεκεν τοιούτων· ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς στρατηγῇ, καὶ τὰ δύσκολα εὔκολα γίνεται. Καὶ εἰσάγεται ὁ Χουσὶ, καὶ μεταδίδωσι παῤῥησίας αὐτῷ ὁ τύραννος, καὶ ἀξιοῖ λέγειν τὰ παριστάμενα. Τί οὖν ὁ Χουσί; Οὐδέποτε, φησὶν, οὕτω διήμαρτεν Ἀχιτόφελ. Εἶδες σύνεσιν ἀνδρός; οὐκ εὐθέως αὐτῷ τὴν γνώμην ἐκβάλλει, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐγκωμίου.","english":"But Chusi, not at all disturbed or thrown into confusion, what does he say? \"When God was with him, I thought his interests; but since he has now stood with you, it is fitting to serve yours.\" This lifted up the tyrant and puffed him up, and without examining anything carefully (for a light man believes every word, having been carried headlong into the opposite course), he immediately brings him in among the genuine friends and enrolls him among the first of his friends. But God was managing the whole affair, present and commanding the events. And then, when a council was set concerning war, and different men were proposing different things about whether they ought to attack immediately or after delaying a little, Achitophel, that formidable man at giving counsel and bringing forward an opinion, came forward and proposed this counsel: \"Let us now,\" he says, \"attack your father, who is now in distress and confusion, and not allow him even a little time, and so destroy him; for if we attack him now while he is unprepared, there will be no trouble for us.\" Having heard these things, the tyrant also summons Chusi, the one who had come over to him by pretense, and says: \"Let us share the matter with this man too\"—which was not in accordance with human sequence, to honor this man who had come suddenly in such a way and to consider him trustworthy, so as even to deem him worthy of counsel for the sake of such matters; but, as I said before, when God commands, even difficult things become easy. And Chusi is brought in, and the tyrant shares his confidence with him and deems him worthy to say what he thinks. What then does Chusi say? \"Achitophel,\" he says, \"has never yet erred so.\" Do you see the man's understanding? He does not immediately cast out his opinion, but with commendation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":428,"ref":"p428","source":"Θαυμάσας γὰρ αὐτὸν πρῶτον ὡς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις καιρίως συμβουλεύοντα, οὕτω τὴν παροῦσαν κακίζει γνώμην· μονονουχὶ λέγων, Θαυμάζω, πῶς νῦν διήμαρτεν· οὐ γάρ μοι δοκεῖ συμφέρειν οὗτος ὁ λογισμός. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ νῦν ἐπιθώμεθα, καθάπερ ἄρκτος τις παροιστρῶσα, θυμοῦ γέμων ὁ πατὴρ ὁ σὸς, καὶ ἀπεγνωκὼς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς, ἐν ἀκμαζούσῃ τῇ ὀργῇ πολεμῶν, οὐδένα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας ποιήσεται λόγον, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐμπεσεῖται τῆς σφοδρότητος ἡμῖν· εἰ δὲ μικρὸν ἐνδοίημεν, μετὰ πλείονος ἐπιθησόμεθα τῆς παρασκευῆς, καὶ μετὰ μείζονος τῆς ἀσφαλείας, καὶ ἀπονητὶ, καὶ μετὰ εὐκολίας ἁπάσης, ὥσπερ ἐν σαγήνῃ λαβόντες αὐτὸν, οὕτως ἐπανήξομεν. Ἐπαινεῖ τὴν γνώμην ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ταύτην, καὶ λυσιτελεστέραν εἶναι ἔφησεν αὐτῷ. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν ὁ Χουσὶ, βουλόμενος δοῦναι καιρὸν τῷ Δαυῒδ, ὥστε στῆναι μικρὸν καὶ ἀναπνεῦσαι καὶ στρατεύματα συναγαγεῖν. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἐκβαλὼν τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ τὴν γνώμην διά τινων κεκρυμμένων πέμψας ἀνδρῶν, ἀπήγγειλεν ἅπαντα τῷ Δαυῒδ, καὶ ὅτι τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώμην ἐκύρωσεν ὁ τύραννος, τὴν φέρουσαν τῷ Δαυῒδ τὴν νίκην. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἐγένετο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μικρὸν ἔδοσαν οἱ περὶ τὸν τύραννον, παρασκευασάμενος ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐπέθετο, καὶ τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησεν. Ὅπερ ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ ἀπὸ πολλῆς συνέσεως καὶ δεινότητος συνορῶν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τὸ τέλος καταμαθὼν, ὅτι ὄλεθρος ἦν τῷ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ αὕτη ἡ γνώμη, οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐπήρειαν, ἀπελθὼν, βρόχον ἀνῆψε καὶ ἀπήγξατο, καὶ οὕτω τὸν βίον κατέλυσε. Περὶ τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ οὖν καὶ τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ εἴρηται τὸ, Ἐπιστρέψει ὁ πόνος αὐτοῦ εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ·","english":"For having first admired him as one who in former times gave timely counsel, he now censures the present opinion, saying almost in so many words, \"I marvel how he has now missed the mark; for this reasoning does not seem to me to be advantageous. For if we attack now, your father, filled with rage like a bear maddened over her cubs, and having despaired of his own life, fighting in the full vigor of his anger, will make no account of his own safety, and will fall upon us with great vehemence; but if we yield a little, we shall attack with greater preparation and with greater security, and without toil and with every ease, as though we had caught him in a net, and so we shall return.\" Absalom praises this opinion, and said it was more profitable for him. But Chusi said these things wishing to give David time, so that he might stand a little and breathe and gather his troops. So then, having driven out Achitophel's opinion by sending certain men secretly, he reported everything to David, and that the tyrant had ratified his opinion, the one bringing victory to David. And so it came to pass. For when the tyrant's men had yielded a little, David, having made preparation, attacked and set up the trophy. Which Achitophel, perceiving from great understanding and cleverness, and learning the outcome from this already, that this opinion meant destruction for Absalom, not enduring the insult that followed, departed, tied a noose and hanged himself, and so ended his life. Concerning Achitophel, then, and Absalom it has been said, \"His labor will return upon his own head.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":429,"ref":"p429","source":"ἀμφοτέρων γὰρ εἰς κεφαλὴν ἡ τιμωρία κατέβη. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀγχόνῃ χρησάμενος, οὕτω τὸν βίον κατέλυσεν· ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ δὲ οὐκ ἀπήγξατο, ἀλλ' ἄκων ἐκρέματο, καὶ οὐκ εὐθέως ἀνῄρητο, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ πρότερον ἀνηρτήθη καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ προσηλώθη, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἄνωθεν φέροντος, ἐπὶ πολὺν ἐκρέματο χρόνον, ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος λοιπὸν μαστιζόμενος. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης ἦν σπουδῆς τὸ γινόμενον, ἀλλ' ὅλον θεῖον ἦν τὸ δικαστήριον, τρίχες αὐτὸν καὶ ξύλον ἔδησαν, καὶ ζῶον ἄλογον παρέδωκε· καὶ ἀντὶ μὲν σχοίνων ἡ κόμη, ἀντὶ δὲ ξύλου τὸ δένδρον γέγονεν, ἀντὶ δὲ στρατιώτου ἡ ἡμίονος. Καὶ σκόπει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν μακροθυμίαν· καὶ γὰρ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν χρόνον πολὺν, εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐφελκόμενος, καὶ πεῖραν λαβεῖν ἐποίησε τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς\n\nγλυκύτητος. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ θηρίον ἦν, καὶ λιθίνην εἶχε ψυχὴν, ἱκανὰ ἦν ἐκεῖνα πάντα αὐτὸν ἀπαγαγεῖν τῆς ἀκαίρου μανίας· ἡ τράπεζα, καθ' ἣν ἐκοινώνει τῷ πατρὶ τῶν ἁλῶν, ὁ οἶκος, τὰ συνέδρια, ἔνθα οἱ λόγοι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐγίνοντο· τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ἔνθα αὐτῷ κατηλλάγη φόνον τοιοῦτον πεποιηκότι. Μετὰ τούτων καὶ ἕτερα ἦν ἱκανὰ αὐτὸν μαλάξαι. Καὶ γὰρ ἤκουσεν, ὅτι φυγὰς καὶ ἀλήτης περιήρχετο, ὅτι τὰ ἔσχατα ἔπασχε δεινά. Πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἐνενόησεν, ὅτι καὶ νικήσας, πάντων ἀθλιώτερον ἂν ἔζη βίον, ἐναγὴς ὢν καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἀπὸ τοῦ τροπαίου; καὶ ταῦτα λοιπὸν, γέροντος ὄντος τοῦ πατρὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ θύραις τῆς προσδοκίας οὔσης, οὐκ ἀνέμενε χρόνον ἔτι μικρόν. Ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ πενίαν ὀδυρόμενοι; πόσης ταῦτα πενίας χαλεπώτερα, πόσης νόσου, πόσης ὀδύνης;","english":"For the punishment came down upon the head of both. For the one, having resorted to hanging, thus ended his life; but Abessalom did not hang himself, but was suspended unwillingly, and was not immediately put to death, but as in a court of justice he was first strung up and fastened to the wood, and with God bringing down the verdict from above, he hung for a long time, being scourged thereafter by his own conscience. And so that you may learn that what was happening was not of human zeal, but that the whole tribunal was divine, hairs and a tree bound him, and an irrational beast delivered him up; and instead of ropes the hair, and instead of wood the tree, and instead of a soldier the mule. And observe God's longsuffering; for he left him a long time, drawing him to repentance, and made him have a taste of the father's sweetness. For if he was not a beast, and had a heart of stone, all those things were sufficient to lead him away from his untimely madness: the table at which he shared salt with his father, the house, the assemblies, where the words were spoken to him; all the other things, where he was reconciled to him after having committed such a murder. Along with these there were other things sufficient to soften him. For he heard that he went about as a fugitive and a wanderer, that he suffered the utmost evils. And how did he not consider that even if he won, he would live a life more wretched than all, being polluted and unclean from the trophy? And these things, moreover, when the father was already old, and the expectation was at the doors, he did not wait even a little time longer. Where now are those who bewail poverty? How much harsher than this poverty, how much worse than this disease, how much worse than this pain?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":430,"ref":"p430","source":"Οὐκ εἶπεν οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ὁ δίκαιος οὗτος, οὐδὲ ἀπεδυσπέτησε οὐδὲ ἐθρήνησε λέγων· Καλάς γε ἀπολαμβάνω τὰς ἀμοιβάς· ὁ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ μελετῶν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς, ὁ ἐν ἀξιώματι τοιούτῳ πάντων γενόμενος ταπεινότερος, ὁ τῶν ἐχθρῶν φεισάμενος, εἰς χεῖρας ἀκολάστου παιδὸς ἐκδίδομαι. Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐκ ἐνενόησεν· ἀλλ' ἔφερεν ἅπαντα μετὰ φιλοσοφίας, μίαν μόνον ἔχων παραμυθίαν ἐν τοῖς γινομένοις, τὸ πεπεῖσθαι, ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα εἰδότος γίνεται. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ ὄντες ἔλεγον· Καὶ ἐὰν μὴ, γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ᾗ ἔστησας οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Εἰ δέ τις εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, Καὶ ποίᾳ ἐλπίδι ἀποθνήσκετε; τί προσδοκῶντες, τί δὲ ἐλπίζοντες μετὰ τὸν θάνατον, μετὰ τὸ πῦρ; οὐδέπω γὰρ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἦν προσδοκία· ἤκουσεν ἂν παρ' αὐτῶν· ὅτι Αὕτη μεγίστη ἐστὶν ἡμῖν ἀντίδοσις, τὸ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποθανεῖν. Οὕτω καὶ οὗτος μεγίστην ταύτην ἡγεῖτο αὐτῷ εἶναι παραμυθίαν, τὸ τὸν Θεὸν εἰδότα ταῦτα μὴ κωλύειν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐραστὴς μυριάκις ἂν ἕλοιτο ὑπὲρ ἐρωμένης κατασφαγῆναι, καίτοι οὐδὲν μετὰ θάνατον προσδοκῶν παρ' ἐκείνης· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς δεῖ μὴ βασιλείας προσδοκίᾳ, μὴ ἄλλῃ τινὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδι, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν ταῦτα πάσχειν· ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"This righteous man said nothing of the sort to himself, nor was he indignant nor did he lament, saying: \"So this is the fine recompense I receive—I who meditated on his law day and night, I who became humbler than all in such a position of honor, I who spared my enemies, am delivered into the hands of a licentious child.\" Nothing of the sort did he say, nor did he think it; but he bore all things with philosophy, having only one consolation in what was happening—the conviction that these things happen with God's knowledge. And just as the three children in the furnace said: \"And if not, be it known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and we do not worship the golden image which you set up.\" But if someone had said to them, \"And with what hope do you die? What do you expect, what do you hope for after death, after the fire?\"—for there was not yet any expectation of the resurrection—they would have heard from them: \"This is our greatest recompense, to die for God.\" So too this man considered this his greatest consolation—that God, knowing these things, did not prevent them. For if a lover would choose ten thousand times to be slaughtered for his beloved, though expecting nothing from her after death, how much more must we endure these things not for the expectation of a kingdom, nor for any other hope of the good things to come, but for God himself; because to him belongs glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":431,"ref":"p431","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΗʹ. Περὶ ὅρκων.\n\nΜὴ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς ἀμελῶμεν, ἀγαπητοί. Ποία γὰρ ὀδύνη, εἰπέ μοι, ὀργὴν ἀφεῖναι τῷ λελυπηκότι; ὀδύνη μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὸ μνησικακεῖν καὶ μὴ καταλλάττεσθαι. Ποῖος πόνος μὴ κακῶς εἰπεῖν μηδένα; ποία δυσκολία ἀπαλλαγῆναι φθόνου καὶ ἔριδος καὶ βασκανίας; ποῖος μόχθος ἀγαπᾷν τὸν πλησίον; ποῖος κάματος μὴ ὀμνύναι; Πολλάκις γὰρ ὑπὸ θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς κατεχόμενοι διωμοσάμεθα μηδέποτε διαλλάττεσθαι τοῖς λελυπηκόσιν, εἶτα τῆς ὀργῆς σβεσθείσης βουληθέντες καταλλαγῆναι, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης τῶν ὅρκων ὥσπερ τινὶ παγίδι κατεχόμενοι, τοῦτο ποιῆσαι οὐ βουλόμεθα· ὡς δυοῖν θάτερον πάθοιμεν, ἢ καταλλαγέντες ἐπιορκήσομεν, ἢ μὴ καταλλαγέντες τοῖς τῆς μνησικακίας ἐπιτιμίοις ὑπευθύνους ἑαυτοὺς καταστήσομεν. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἱμάτιον μὲν ἔχοντες τῶν λοιπῶν βέλτιον, μὴ ἀνέχεσθαι συνεχῶς αὐτῷ καταχρᾶσθαι, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄνομα πανταχοῦ περισύρειν ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα τὴν αὐτὴν φέρει κόλασιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ εὐκατόρθωτα μείζονα ἡμῖν ἐπάγει τὴν τιμωρίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ ὀμνύοντες ἔχουσί τινα πρόφασιν προβαλέσθαι. ἀλλὰ καταφρόνησιν μόνον. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν ὅτι ἐπαχθὴς εἶναι δοκῶ λοιπὸν καὶ φορτικὸς τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς παραινέσεως δοκῶν ἐνοχλεῖν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀφίσταμαι, ἵνα κἂν τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν αἰδεσθέντες τὴν ἐμὴν, ἀποστῆτε τῆς πονηρᾶς τῶν ὅρκων συνηθείας. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δικαστὴς ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀπηνὴς καὶ ὠμὸς, χήρας ἐνόχλησιν αἰδεσθεὶς, τὸν τρόπον μετέβαλε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς τοῦτο ἐργάσεσθε·","english":"HOMILY 28. On Oaths.\n\nLet us not be negligent of the virtue of the soul, beloved. For what pain is it, tell me, to forgive anger against the one who has grieved you? It is pain, rather, to bear malice and not to be reconciled. What toil is it to speak evil of no one? What difficulty is it to be rid of envy and strife and jealousy? What labor is it to love one's neighbor? What weariness is it not to swear? For often, overcome by rage and anger, we have sworn oaths never to be reconciled with those who have grieved us; then, when the anger has been quenched, wishing to be reconciled, held fast by the compulsion of our oaths as by some snare, we are unwilling to do it—so that we suffer one of two things: either, having been reconciled, we commit perjury, or, not having been reconciled, we make ourselves liable to the penalties of bearing malice. For how is it not absurd, when we have a garment better than others, not to endure to use it continually, but to drag the name of God everywhere carelessly and at random? For not every sin brings the same punishment, but those easily corrected bring upon us a greater penalty; for those who swear have no excuse to put forward, but only contempt. And I know that I seem henceforth burdensome and tiresome, appearing to annoy by the frequency of my exhortation; but nevertheless I do not desist, so that at least, ashamed of my shamelessness, you may desist from the wicked habit of oaths. For if that harsh and cruel judge, ashamed at the widow's importunity, changed his manner, much more will you do this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":432,"ref":"p432","source":"καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν ὁ παρακαλῶν ὑμᾶς μὴ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας τοῦτο ποιοῖτο Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυ τοῦ οὐκ ἂν ἀρνησαίμην\n\nτοῦτο ποιεῖν· τὰ γὰρ ὑμέτερα ἀγαθὰ ἐμαυτοῦ νομίζω εἶναι κατορθώματα. Εἰ γὰρ μηδὲ γέεννα ἦν μηδὲ κόλασις, ἐγὼ δὲ προσελθὼν ὑμῖν τοῦτο ἐν χάριτος ᾐτησάμην μέρει, ἆρα οὐκ ἂν ἐπενεύσατε; οὐκ ἂν ἐδώκατε τὴν αἴτησιν οὕτω κούφην οὕτως αἰτοῦντι χάριν; ὅταν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὴν αἰτῶν ᾖ δι' ὑμᾶς τοὺς διδόντας, οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν λαμβάνοντα, τίς οὕτως ἀγνώμων, τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος καὶ ταλαίπωρος, ὡς Θεῷ χάριν αἰτοῦντι μὴ δοῦναι; Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου λαβόντας ἀποτετμημένην, καὶ θερμοῦ τοῦ αἵματος ἔτι ἀποστάζουσαν, οὕτως ἀπελθεῖν οἴκαδε ἕκαστον, καὶ νομίζειν πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὁρᾷν αὐτὴν, φωνὴν ἀφιεῖσαν καὶ λέγουσαν, Μισήσατε τὸν ἐμοῦ σφαγέα, τὸν ὅρκον. Πολλάκις γὰρ τεχνίτης διωμόσατο τῷ μαθητῇ, μὴ πρότερον αὐτὸν ἀφήσειν φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν, ἕως τὸ δοθὲν ἔργον ἅπαν ἀνύσει. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ παιδαγωγὸς πολλάκις πρὸς νέον, καὶ πρὸς θεράπαιναν ἐποίησε δέσποινα· καὶ ἀνάγκη τῆς ἑσπέρας καταλαβούσης, καὶ τοῦ ἔργου μὴ πληρωθέντος ἢ λιμῷ διαφθαρῆναι τοὺς οὐκ ἀνύσαντας, ἢ ἐπιορκῆσαι πάντως τοὺς ὀμόσαντας. Πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἀριστοποιουμένων ἡμῶν, καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν τινος διαμαρτάνοντος, ὤμοσε μαστιγώσειν ἡ γυνή· ἀντώμοσεν ὁ ἀνὴρ τὰ ἐναντία, καὶ ἀνέστη φιλονεικῶν καὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπων. Ἐνταῦθα κἂν ὁτιοῦν ποιήσωσιν, ἀνάγκη πάντως ἐπιορκίαν συστῆναι· ὅπερ γὰρ ἂν γένηται, θάτερος αὐτῶν ἐπιορκίᾳ ἁλώσεται, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀμφότεροι πάντως· καὶ πῶς, ἐγὼ λέγω·","english":"And especially when the one exhorting you does this not for his own sake but for your salvation. Or rather, I would not even refuse to do this for my own sake; for I consider your good things to be my own successes. For if there were neither Gehenna nor punishment, and I came to you and asked this as a favor, would you not have nodded assent? Would you not have granted the request, so light a favor, to one asking in this way? But when it is God who asks it, for your sake who give, not for His own sake who receives, who is so ungrateful, who so wretched and miserable, as not to give a favor to God when He asks? I entreat you, therefore, take the head of John, cut off and still dripping with warm blood, and let each of you go home thus, and think that you see it before your eyes, uttering a voice and saying, \"Hate my murderer, the oath.\" For often a craftsman has sworn to his apprentice not to let him eat and drink before he completes the whole task given him. A tutor has often done this too toward a youth, and a mistress toward a maidservant; and of necessity, when evening comes and the work is not finished, either those who have not completed it perish by hunger, or those who swore must altogether forswear themselves. Often too, when we are dining at home and one of the servants makes a mistake, the wife has sworn to flog him; the husband has sworn the opposite, and has risen up in contention and does not permit it. Here, whatever they do, perjury must altogether arise; for whatever happens, one of them will be caught in perjury—or rather, both of them altogether. And how, I will tell you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":433,"ref":"p433","source":"τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ παράδοξον. Ὁ ὀμόσας μαστιγώσειν τὸν οἰκέτην ἢ τὴν θεραπαινίδα, εἶτα κωλυθεὶς, αὐτός τε ἐπιώρκησε μὴ ποιήσας ὅπερ ὤμοσε, καὶ τῷ κωλύσαντι πάλαι καὶ διακόψαντι τὴν εὐορκίαν, τὸ ἔγκλημα τῆς ἐπιορκίας περιέστησεν. Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἐπιορκοῦντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἑτέροις τὴν ἀνάγκην ταύτην ἐφιστῶντες, ὑπεύθυνοι τῶν αὐτῶν ἐγκλημάτων εἰσί. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, οἰκέτην μὲν μὴ τολμᾷν ἐξ ὀνόματος τὸν δεσπότην τὸν ἑαυτοῦ καλεῖν, μηδὲ ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε, τὸν δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων Δεσπότην ἁπλῶς καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς καταφρονήσεως πανταχοῦ περιφέρειν; Βούλει μαθεῖν πῶς δυνατὸν ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς πονηρᾶς συνηθείας τοῦ ὅρκου; ἐγώ σε διδάξω τρόπον τινὰ, ὃν ἂν ποιήσῃς, περιέσῃ πάντως. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδῃς σαυτὸν ἢ καὶ ἑτέρους τινὰς ἁλόντας τῷ κακῷ τούτῳ πάθει, καὶ συνεχῶς ὑπομνησθέντας, καὶ οὐ διορθώσαντας, κέλευσον μὴ δειπνήσαντας καθευδῆσαι· καὶ ταύτην καὶ σαυτῷ κἀκείνοις τὴν καταδίκην ἐπίθες· καταδίκην οὐ ζημίαν, ἀλλὰ κέρδος φέρουσαν. Ἡ γὰρ γλῶσσα οὕτω βασανιζομένη διηνεκῶς, καὶ μηδενὸς ὑπομιμνήσκοντος, ἱκανὴν λαμβάνει παράκλησιν· καὶ κἂν ἁπάντων ὦμεν ἀναισθητότεροι, διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας τῷ μεγέθει τῆς βασάνου ταύτης ὑπομιμνησκόμενοι, οὐ δεηθησόμεθα συμβουλῆς ἑτέρας καὶ παραινέσεως. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκέτης ἐνδελεχῶς ἐξεταζόμενος, ἀπὸ μώλωπος οὐ καθαρισθήσεται· οὕτως ὁ ὀμνύων καὶ ὀνομάζων διαπαντὸς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας οὐ καθαρισθήσεται. Πείσωμεν τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς τὴν τῶν ὅρκων φυγεῖν συνήθειαν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ποιήσασθαι μεταβολήν.","english":"For this is the paradoxical thing. He who swore to scourge his manservant or his maidservant, and was then prevented, has himself broken his oath by not doing what he swore, and has brought the charge of perjury upon the one who prevented him and long ago cut short his oath-keeping. For not only those who perjure themselves, but also those who impose this necessity on others, are liable to the same charges. For how is it not absurd that a servant does not dare to call his own master by name, nor simply and as it happens, while he carries the Master of the angels about everywhere simply and with great contempt? Do you wish to learn how it is possible to be rid of the evil habit of oaths? I will teach you a kind of method which, if you practice it, you will certainly overcome. For when you see yourself or certain others caught by this evil passion, and continually reminded and not corrected, command them to go to sleep without having dined; and impose this condemnation on both yourself and them—a condemnation that brings not loss but gain. For the tongue, thus continually tortured, even with no one reminding it, receives sufficient exhortation; and even if we are more insensible than all, being reminded every day by the greatness of this torture, we shall not need another's counsel and admonition. For just as, it says, a servant who is continually examined will not be cleansed from his bruises; so he who swears and names the name of God continually will not be cleansed from sin. Let us therefore persuade ourselves to flee the habit of oaths, and to make the change for the better.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":434,"ref":"p434","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ χθὲς καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνης περὶ ταύτης ὑμῖν διελέχθην τῆς ὑποθέσεως, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ σήμερον ἀποστήσομαι, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν, οὐδὲ τὴν μετ' ἐκείνην, ταῦτα συμβουλεύων. Καὶ τί λέγω τὴν αὔριον καὶ τὴν μετ' ἐκείνην; ἕως ἂν ὑμᾶς ἴδω κατορθώσαντας, οὐκ ἀφέξομαι. Τὸ γὰρ συνεχῶς περὶ τὼν αὐτῶν ὑπομιμνήσκειν, οὐ τοῦ λέγοντος, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων ἐστὶν ἔγκλημα διηνεκοῦς δεομένων διδασκαλίας. Τί γὰρ εὐκολώτερον τοῦ μὴ ὀμνύναι; Συνήθειά ἐστι τὸ κατόρθωμα μόνον, οὐκ ἔστι πόνος σώματος. Ὁ προλαβὼν καὶ κατορθώσας ὀνειδιζέτω τῷ λειπομένῳ, ἵνα αὐτὸν τοῖς σκώμμασι διεγείρῃ πλέον· ὁ ὑστερήσας καὶ μηδέπω κατωρθωκὼς βλεπέτω τὸν προλαβόντα, καὶ φιλονεικείτω φθάσαι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ταχέως. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις· Τί δὲ, ἐὰν ἀνάγκην ὅρκων τις ἡμῖν ἐπιθῇ; τί δὲ, ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύῃ; Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν, ὅπου παραβαίνεται νόμος, ἀνάγκης μεμνῆσθαι οὐ χρή· μία γάρ ἐστιν ἀνάγκη ἀπαραίτητος, τὸ μὴ προσκροῦσαι\n\nΘεῷ· πλὴν ἐκεῖνα λέγω τέως, τοὺς περιττοὺς περικόψωμεν ὅρκους, τοὺς ἁπλῶς καὶ χωρὶς ἀνάγκης, τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν φίλων, τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν· κἂν τούτους ἀνέλῃς, ἐν ἐκείνοις οὐδὲν ἐμοῦ δεήσῃ λοιπόν· αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ στόμα μελετῆσαν δεδοικέναι καὶ φεύγειν τοὺς ὅρκους, οὐδ' ἂν μυριάκις ἀναγκάσῃ τις, καταδέξεται λοιπὸν εἰς ἐκείνην ἐμπεσεῖν τὴν συνήθειαν. Λέγεταί τις τῶν ἔξωθεν ῥητόρων ὑπό τινος συνηθείας ἀλόγου τὸν δεξιὸν συνεχῶς ὦμον κινεῖν βαδίζων· ἀλλ' ὅμως περιεγένετο τῆς συνηθείας, καὶ μαχαίρας ἀκονήσας ἑκατέρωθεν ἐπέθηκε τοῖς ὤμοις, ὥστε τῷ φόβῳ τῆς τομῆς σωφρονίσαι τὸ μέλος κινούμενον.","english":"For even if I spoke to you about this matter yesterday and the day before, I will not desist today either, nor tomorrow, nor the day after, giving you this counsel. And why do I speak of tomorrow and the day after? Until I see you have set things right, I will not hold back. For to remind continually about the same things is a charge against the speaker, not the hearers, since they need continuous teaching. For what is easier than not to swear? The accomplishment is a matter of habit only; it is not bodily toil. Let the one who has gone ahead and succeeded reproach the one who lags behind, so as to stir him up the more by his mockery; let the one who has fallen behind and has not yet succeeded look at the one who has gone ahead, and strive eagerly to reach him quickly. And let no one say to me: What then, if someone imposes an oath on us by necessity? What then, if he does not believe? Above all, then, where a law is being transgressed, one must not mention necessity; for there is one inexorable necessity, not to stumble against God. Nevertheless, for now I say this: let us cut off superfluous oaths, those made simply and without necessity, those at home, those among friends, those among household servants; and if you do away with these, you will no longer need me for those others; for the mouth itself, having practiced fearing and fleeing oaths, even if someone compels it ten thousand times, will no longer consent to fall into that habit. A certain one of the secular rhetoricians is said, from some irrational habit, to keep moving his right shoulder as he walked; but nevertheless he overcame the habit, and having sharpened a knife on both sides, he placed it on his shoulders, so that by the fear of being cut he might discipline the limb that was moving.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":435,"ref":"p435","source":"Τοῦτο καὶ σὺ ποίησον ἐπὶ τῆς γλώττης, καὶ ἀντὶ μαχαίρας ἐπίθες αὐτῇ τὸν φόβον τῆς κολάσεως· καὶ περιέσῃ πάντως. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἀμήχανον μεριμνῶντας καὶ σπουδάζοντας, καὶ ἔργον τοῦτο ποιουμένους ἡττηθῆναί ποτε. Ποία γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀπολογία λοιπὸν ἔσται, τίς δὲ συγγνώμη, ὅταν μετὰ τοσαύτην παραίνεσιν, τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρκων κακοῖς ἐπιμένωμεν; πῶς οὖν αἰτησόμεθα ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν κατεχόντων ἡμᾶς δεινῶν, μίαν ἐντολὴν ἀνῦσαι μὴ δυνηθέντες; Πῶς δὲ προσδοκήσομεν τὴν χρηστὴν μεταβολήν; πῶς δὲ εὐξόμεθα; ποίᾳ γλώττῃ τὸν Θεὸν καλέσομεν; Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, βασιλέως μὲν ἐπιτάττοντος, καὶ τὰ χαλεπώτατα φέρειν· Θεοῦ δὲ νομοθετοῦντος οὐδὲν χαλεπὸν οὐδὲ δύσκολον, καταφρονεῖν, καὶ συνήθειαν πονηρὰν προβάλλεσθαι; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ μέχρι τοσούτου τῆς ἑαυτῶν καταφρονῶμεν σωτηρίας· φοβηθῶμεν τὸν Θεὸν ὡς φοβούμεθα ἄνθρωπον. Ἄτοπον γὰρ τοὺς βασιλικοὺς νόμους μετὰ ἀκριβείας φυλάττειν, τοὺς δὲ θείους καὶ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβάντας ἀλόγως καταφρονεῖν. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν ὁ Θεὸς οὐ τὸν ὀμόσαντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ τῇ δρεπάνῃ καταλύει; Ὅτι τῶν χαλεπωτάτων ἁμαρτημάτων τὰς τιμωρίας βούλεται μένειν ὁ Θεὸς διηνεκεῖς, ὥστε τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα σωφρονίζεσθαι πάντας. Καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἐπίορκον ἀποθανόντα ἀνάγκη ταφῆναι, καὶ τοῖς κόλποις παραδοθῆναι τῆς γῆς. Ὥστε οὖν μὴ τῷ σώματι καὶ τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτῷ συνταφῆναι, τὴν οἰκίαν ἐποίησε χῶμα, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοὺς παριόντας ἅπαντας ὁρῶντας αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν μανθάνοντας τῆς καταστροφῆς, φεύγειν τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας μίμησιν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Σοδόμων ἐγένετο·","english":"Do this yourself also with your tongue, and instead of a sword set upon it the fear of punishment, and you will certainly prevail. For it is impossible, impossible, for those who are careful and earnest and make this their work ever to be defeated. For what defense will we have left, what excuse, when after so much exhortation we persist in the evils of oaths? How then will we ask for release from the terrors that hold us, when we have not been able to fulfill a single commandment? How will we expect the good change? How will we pray? With what tongue will we call upon God? For how is it not absurd that, when a king commands, we bear even the most difficult things, but when God legislates nothing difficult or hard, we despise it and put forward a wicked habit? Do not, I beg you, do not let us despise our own salvation to such a degree. Let us fear God as we fear man. For it is absurd to keep royal laws with exactness, but to despise the divine laws, which have come down from heaven, irrationally. For why does God destroy with the sickle not only the one who swears but also his house? Because God wishes the punishments of the most grievous sins to remain perpetual, so that all who come after may be disciplined. For it is necessary that the perjurer, having died, be buried and delivered to the bosom of the earth. So then, lest the wickedness be buried together with his body, he made his house a mound of earth, so that all who pass by, seeing them and learning the cause of the destruction, might flee from the imitation of sin. This also happened in the case of Sodom.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":436,"ref":"p436","source":"ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἐξεκαύθη καὶ ἡ τῆς γῆς φύσις, καὶ φωνῆς ἁπάσης λαμπρότερον πάσαις ταῖς μετὰ ταῦτα παραινεῖ γενεαῖς ἡ τῆς γῆς ὄψις, μονονουχὶ βοῶσα καὶ λέγουσα· Μὴ ποιεῖτε τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ πάθητε τοιαῦτα. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ἐπὶ τραπέζης ὁρκίζεις ἱερᾶς, καὶ ἔνθα ὁ Χριστὸς κεῖται τεθυμένος, ἐκεῖ τὸν ἀδελφὸν καταθύεις τὸν σόν; Καὶ οἱ μὲν λῃσταὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὁδῶν θύουσι· σὺ δὲ ἔμπροσθεν τῆς μητρὸς τὸν υἱὸν καταθύεις, ἐναγέστερον τοῦ Κάϊν ἐργαζόμενος φόνον; ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ἔθυσε τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας κατὰ τὸν παρόντα θάνατον· σὺ δὲ θύεις τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα θάνατον; Μὴ γὰρ ἐκκλησία διὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἵνα ὀμνύωμεν; διὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἵνα εὐχώμεθα. Μὴ γὰρ τράπεζα διὰ τοῦτο ἕστηκεν ἱερὰ, ἵνα ὁρκίζωμεν; διὰ τοῦτο ἕστηκεν, ἵνα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἡμῶν λύωμεν, οὐχ ἵνα δεσμῶμεν. Σὺ δὲ, εἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον, αὐτὸ γοῦν τὸ βιβλίον αἰδέσθητι, ὃ προτείνεις εἰς ὅρκον, καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ὃ μετὰ χεῖρας λαμβάνων κελεύεις ὀμνύναι, ἀναπτύξας καὶ ἀκούσας τί περὶ ὅρκων ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκεῖ διακελεύεται, φρίξον καὶ ἀπόστηθι. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖ περὶ ὅρκων φησίν; Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως· σὺ δὲ τὸν νόμον τὸν κωλύοντα ὀμνύναι, τοῦτον ὅρκον ποιεῖς; Ὢ τῆς ὕβρεως! ὢ τῆς παρανομίας! ταὐτὸν γὰρ ποιεῖς, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν νομοθέτην τὸν κωλύοντα φονεύειν, αὐτὸν σύμμαχον λαβὼν κελεύει σφαγέα γενέσθαι. Καθάπερ οὖν μάχης γενομένης, πολλάκις ὑβριζόμενοι φέρομεν γενναίως, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ὑβρίζοντα λέγομεν· Τί σοι ποιήσω; ὁ δεῖνά με ἐλύπησεν ὁ προστάτης ὁ σός·","english":"For because they burned with desire for one another, the nature of the earth also burned, and the face of the earth, brighter than every voice, admonishes all generations after this, all but crying out and saying: Do not do such things, so that you do not suffer such things. What are you doing, man? You make someone swear upon the sacred table, and where Christ lies slain, there you slaughter your brother? Robbers indeed slay on the roads; but you, before the mother, slaughter the son, committing a murder more accursed than Cain's? For he slew his brother in the wilderness as regards the present death; but you slay your brother in the midst of the church as regards the death to come? For has the church come to be for this, that we might swear oaths? It has come to be for this, that we might pray. Has the sacred table been set here for this, that we might make oaths? It has been set here for this, that we might loose our sins, not that we might bind them. But you, if nothing else, at least reverence the very book which you hold out for an oath, and the Gospel, which you take in your hands and command others to swear by—open it and hear what Christ there enjoins concerning oaths, and shudder and draw back. What then does he say there concerning oaths? But I say to you, do not swear at all. And you make the very law that forbids swearing into an oath? O the outrage! O the lawlessness! For you do the same as if someone took the lawgiver who forbids murder as his ally and commanded him to become a slayer. Just as then, when a battle has occurred, we often bear insults nobly, and say to the one who insults us: What shall I do to you? So-and-so has grieved me, your patron.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":437,"ref":"p437","source":"ἐκεῖνός μου κατέχει τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς παραμυθίαν· οὕτω καὶ, ἐπειδὰν μέλλῃς τινὰ ὁρκίζειν, ἔπεχε σαυτὸν καὶ κώλυσον, καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα ὀμνύναι· Τί σοι ποιήσω; ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐκέλευσε\n\nμὴ ὀμνύειν, μήτε ὁρκίζειν· ἐκεῖνός με κατέχει νῦν. Ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τιμὴν τοῦ νομοθετήσαντος, καὶ εἰς ἀσφάλειαν τὴν σὴν, καὶ εἰς φόβον τοῦ μέλλοντος ὀμνύναι. Δότε μοι τοίνυν τοὺς ἐντεῦθεν ἀφικνουμένους λέγειν, ὅτι ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, τοῦτο οὐδαμοῦ τῶν πόλεων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ἕλοιντο γὰρ ἂν ἄνθρωποι οἱ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντες ἐκείνην τὴν γλῶτταν ἀποκοπῆναι πρότερον, ἢ ὅρκον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος προέσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις ἢ δύο κερδάνας, τοσοῦτον λήψεται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μισθὸν, οἱ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν παιδεύοντες, πόσας οὐ λήψονται τὰς ἀμοιβάς; Ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ὁρμᾷ πολλάκις ἡ γλῶττα τὸ πονηρὸν ἐκεῖνο φθέγξασθαι ῥῆμα. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὰν ὁρμήσῃ, πρὶν ἢ τὸ ῥῆμα ἐξενεγκεῖν, κατάδακε τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτὴν πάντοθεν σφοδρῶς· βέλτιον γὰρ αὐτὴν αἷμα ῥέειν νῦν, ἢ τότε σταγόνος ὕδατος ἐπιθυμοῦσαν μὴ δυνηθῆναι τῆς παραμυθίας τυχεῖν. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ προστάτην καὶ κηδεμόνα βλασφημῶν; Ἢ οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ κατὰ κρημνοῦ φερόμενος, καὶ εἰς βάραθρον σαυτὸν ἐμβάλλων ἀπωλείας ἐσχάτης; Μὴ γὰρ, ἐὰν βλασφημήσῃς, κουφότερον τὸ πρᾶγμα ποιεῖς; ἐπιτείνεις μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ, καὶ χαλεπωτέραν ἐργάζῃ τὴν ὀδύνην. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ὁ διάβολος μυρία ἐπάγει δεινὰ, ἵνα εἰς ἐκεῖνό σε καταγάγῃ τὸ βάραθρον·","english":"That man holds my hands; and this is sufficient for comfort. So also, whenever you are about to make someone swear an oath, restrain yourself and prevent it, and say to the one who is about to swear: What shall I do for you? For God has commanded\n\nnot to swear, nor to administer oaths; that man holds me now. This is sufficient both for the honor of the Lawgiver, and for your own security, and for fear in the one who is about to swear. Give me, then, those who come from there to say that what is in Antioch, this one cannot see anywhere among the cities. For the people who inhabit that city would choose to have their tongue cut out first, rather than let an oath be uttered from their mouth. For if someone, having gained one or two, will receive so great a reward from God, those who instruct the whole inhabited world, how many recompenses will they not receive? But from habit the tongue often rushes to utter that evil word. But whenever it rushes, before bringing forth the word, bite it with your teeth from all sides violently; for it is better for it to bleed now, than then, desiring a drop of water, to be unable to obtain comfort. What are you doing, man, blaspheming the Benefactor and Savior and Protector and Guardian? Or do you not perceive that you are being carried down a precipice, and casting yourself into the abyss of final destruction? For do you think that if you blaspheme, you make the matter lighter? You intensify it, then, and make the pain more grievous. For this reason the devil brings in countless terrible things, so that he may lead you down into that abyss;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":438,"ref":"p438","source":"κἂν μὲν ἴδῃ βλασφημοῦντα ὁ διάβολος, ῥᾳδίως αὔξει τὴν ἀλγηδόνα καὶ μείζω ποιεῖ, ἵνα κεντούμενος ἀποδυσπετήσῃς πάλιν· εἰ δὲ ἴδῃ γενναίως φέροντα, καὶ ὅσῳ τὸ πάθος ἐπιτείνεται, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστοῦντα τῷ Θεῷ, εὐθέως ἀφίσταται, ὡς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην ἐφεδρεύων λοιπόν. Καὶ καθάπερ κύων τραπέζῃ παρεστηκὼς, ἂν μὲν ἴδῃ τὸν ἐσθίοντα ἄνθρωπον συνεχῶς αὐτῷ ῥίπτοντα τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης τι παρακειμένων, μένει διηνεκῶς· ἂν δὲ ἅπαξ καὶ δεύτερον παραστὰς μηδὲν ἀπέλθῃ λαβὼν, ἀφίσταται λοιπὸν, ἅτε εἰκῆ προσεδρεύων καὶ μάτην· οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος συνεχῶς κέχηνε πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ἂν ῥίψῃς αὐτῷ καθάπερ κυνὶ ῥῆμα βλάσφημον, δεξάμενος πάλιν ἐπιθήσεται· ἐὰν δὲ μείνῃς εὐχαριστῶν, ἀπέπνιξας αὐτὸν τῷ λιμῷ, καὶ ταχέως αὐτὸν ἀπήγαγες καὶ ἀποπηδῆσαι ἐποίησας. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, ἱστορίαν ὑμῖν ἐρῶ παλαιάν. Ἐπελθόντων ποτὲ πολεμίων τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν (υἱὸς δὲ ἦν τοῦ Σαοὺλ οὗτος) τοὺς μὲν κατακόψαντος, τοὺς δὲ εἰς φυγὴν ἐμβαλόντος, βουλόμενος ὁ Σαοὺλ ὁ τούτου πατὴρ μειζόνως κατὰ τῶν ὑπολειφθέντων τὸ στρατόπεδον διεγεῖραι, καὶ ποιῆσαι μὴ πρότερον ἀποστῆναι, ἕως ἂν πάντας χειρώσωνται, τοὐναντίον ἤπερ ἠθέλησεν ἔπραξεν, ὀμόσας μηδένα φαγεῖν ἄρτον, ἕως ἐκδικήσεως τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ. Ἄρα τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἀνοητότερον; πεπονηκότας γὰρ καὶ κατακοπέντας στρατιώτας ὀφείλων διαναπαῦσαι, καὶ νεαρωτέρους ἐπαφεῖναι τοῖς πολεμίοις, τῶν πολεμίων αὐτῶν χαλεπώτερον ἀπειργάσατο, διὰ τῆς ἀνάγκης τοῦ ὅρκου λιμῷ παραδοὺς αὐτοὺς χαλεπωτάτῳ. Σφαλερὸν μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τινα ὀμνύναι·","english":"And if the devil sees you blaspheming, he readily increases the pain and makes it greater, so that, pricked to the quick, you may despair again; but if he sees you bearing it nobly, and the more the suffering is intensified, the more you give thanks to God, he immediately withdraws, since from then on he watches in vain and to no purpose. And just as a dog standing by a table, if it sees the man eating continually throwing it something of what lies on the table, stays there perpetually; but if it stands by once and a second time and goes away having received nothing, it withdraws thereafter, since it sits by in vain and to no purpose—so too the devil has continually gaped after us. If you throw him a blasphemous word as to a dog, having received it he will attack again; but if you remain giving thanks, you have choked him with hunger, and you have quickly driven him off and made him leap away. And that these things are so, I will tell you an ancient story. Once, when enemies came against the Jews, and Jonathan (this was the son of Saul) cut some down and put others to flight, Saul his father, wishing to rouse the army more greatly against those left behind, and to make them not withdraw before they should subdue them all, did the opposite of what he wished, swearing that no one should eat bread until his enemies were avenged. What then could be more foolish than this? For when he ought to have rested the soldiers who were worn out and cut down, and sent them fresher against the enemies, he made things harsher for them than the enemies themselves, handing them over to the most grievous hunger through the compulsion of the oath. It is dangerous, then, for one to swear about himself;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":439,"ref":"p439","source":"πολλὰ γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων περιστάσεως ἐμποδιζόμεθα· τὸ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑτέρων γνώμην τῇ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρκων ἀνάγκῃ καταδῆσαι, πολλῷ σφαλερώτερον· ὅπερ ὁ Σαοὺλ τότε ἀπερισκέπτως ἐποίησε. Δρυμῶνα παρῄει τὸ στρατόπεδον, μελισσῶνα ἔχοντα, καὶ ὁ μελισσὼν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ λαὸς εἰς τὸν μελισσῶνα, καὶ διεπορεύετο λαλῶν. Εἶδες οἷον τὸ βάραθρον; τράπεζα ἐσχεδιασμένη, ἵνα καὶ τὸ εὔκολον τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως, καὶ τὸ ἡδὺ τῆς τροφῆς, καὶ ἡ τοῦ λήσεσθαι ἐλπὶς εἰς τὴν παράβασιν αὐτοὺς προσκαλέσηται τῶν ὅρκων. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἰωνάθαν οὐκ ἀκούσας ἐν τῷ ὁρκίζειν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, ἐξέτεινε τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ σκή πτρου τοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐβάπτισεν εἰς τὸ κηρίον τοῦ μέλιτος, καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνέβλεψαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα τίνα ὁ πονηρὸς πρὸς τὴν ἐπιορκίαν ὤθησεν· οὐχ ἕνα τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ὀμωμοκότος βασιλέως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπιορκίαν ἐργάσασθαι ἐβούλετο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παιδοκτονίαν κατεσκεύαζε, καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν καθ' ἑαυτῆς σχίσαι ἠπείγετο· καὶ","english":"For we are often hindered by the pressure of circumstances; but to bind even the judgment of others by the compulsion of one's own oaths is far more dangerous—which Saul then did without due consideration. The army was passing by a thicket that had a honeycomb, and the honeycomb was in front of the people; and the people entered the thicket and went along speaking. Do you see what a pitfall it was? A table spread ready-made, so that the ease of the attempt, the sweetness of the food, and the hope of escaping notice might draw them to transgress the oaths. For Jonathan, not having heard his father when he adjured them, stretched out the tip of the scepter that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and brought his hand back to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. See whom the evil one drove to perjury: not one of the soldiers, but the very son of the king who had sworn. For he did not wish only to bring about perjury, but he was also contriving child-murder, and he was hastening to split nature itself against itself; and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":440,"ref":"p440","source":"ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰεφθάε ποτὲ ἐποίησε, τοῦτο καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ποιήσειν ἤλπιζε. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὑποσχόμενος τῷ Θεῷ τὸν πρῶτον ἀπαντήσοντα αὐτῷ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου νίκην κατασφάξειν, εἰς παιδοκτονίαν ἐνέπεσε· τὸ γὰρ θυγάτριον πρῶτον ἀπαντῆσαν αὐτῷ κατέθυσε. Καὶ τί λέγω παιδοκτονίαν; ἐπενόησε γὰρ ὁ πονηρὸς καὶ τούτου πάλιν ἐναγέστερον φόνον εὑρεῖν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἰδὼς ἥμαρτε καὶ ἐσφάγη, παιδοκτονία μόνον τὸ γινόμενον ἦν· νυνὶ δὲ ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἁμαρτὼν (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἤκουσε τῶν ὅρκων), εἶτα ἀναιρεθεὶς, διπλοῦν ἂν ἐποίησε τῷ πατρὶ τὸ ἄλγος. Εἶτα ἰδὼν, φησὶ, τὶς τῶν στρατιωτῶν, λέγει· Ὁρκώσας ὥρκωσεν ὁ πατήρ σου τὸν λαὸν, ὃς φάγεται ἄρτον σήμερον· καὶ ἐξελύθη ὁ λαός. Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωνάθαν, Ἀπώλεσε καὶ διέφθειρεν ὁ πατήρ μου ἅπαντας. Παραβαθέντος τοίνυν τοῦ ὅρκου πάντες ἐσίγων, καὶ οὐδεὶς τὸν ὑπεύθυνον εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν ἐτόλμα. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἔγκλημα λοιπὸν ἐγίνετο· οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἐπιορκοῦντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ συνειδότες καὶ περιστέλλοντες κοινωνοῦσι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἱερεὺς, Προσέλθωμεν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ ἐπηρώτησε Σαοὺλ τὸν Θεὸν, Εἰ καταβῶ ὀπίσω τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ εἰ παραδώσεις αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖράς μου; καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ὁ Κύριος. Ὅρα πραότητα καὶ ἐπιείκειαν τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ· οὐ γὰρ σκηπτὸν ἀφῆκεν, οὐδὲ τὴν γῆν ἔσεισεν, ἀλλ' ὅπερ φίλοι πρὸς φίλους ποιοῦσιν, ἐπειδὰν ὑβρισθῶσι, τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον ὁ Δεσπότης ἐποίησε. Καὶ εἶπε Σαούλ· Προσαγάγετε τὰς φυλὰς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἴδετε ἐν τίνι γέγονεν ἡ ἁμαρτία αὕτη σήμερον·","english":"What he once did in the case of Jephthah, he hoped to do again afterward. For Jephthah too, having promised God to slaughter the first one who met him after the victory in war, fell into child-murder; for he sacrificed his little daughter, who met him first. And why do I say child-murder? For the wicked one devised to find again a murder even more accursed than this. For if he had sinned knowingly and been slain, what happened would have been child-murder only; but as it was, having sinned through ignorance (for he did not hear the oaths), and then being put to death, he would have made his father's grief double. Then, it says, one of the soldiers saw and said: Your father solemnly adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats bread today; and the people were faint. And Jonathan said, My father has destroyed and ruined all. When the oath was transgressed, then, all were silent, and no one dared to bring the guilty man into the midst. And this too was becoming no small charge thereafter; for not only those who swear falsely, but also those who know and conceal it, share in the crimes. And the priest said, Let us draw near to God. And Saul inquired of God, If I go down after the Philistines, and will you deliver them into my hands? And the Lord did not answer him on that day. Observe the meekness and gentleness of the man-loving God; for he did not send a thunderbolt, nor shake the earth, but what friends do to friends when they have been insulted, this the Master did to his servant. And Saul said, Bring near the tribes of the people, and see in whom this sin has happened today.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":441,"ref":"p441","source":"ὅτι ζῇ Κύριος ὁ σώσας τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἐὰν ἀποκριθῇ κατὰ Ἰωνάθαν τοῦ υἱοῦ μου, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται. Καὶ οὔπω τοῦ ἡμαρτηκότος φανέντος, τὴν κρίσιν πεποίηται, καὶ τὸν ἁλόντα οὐκ εἰδὼς ἀπεφήνατο, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐγένετο δήμιος, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐξετάσεως τὴν καταδικάζουσαν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκε. Καὶ τί δεῖ τὰ πολλὰ λέγειν; κλήρῳ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπέτρεψε. Καὶ εἶπε Σαοὺλ, Βάλετε κλῆρον ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ Ἰωνάθαν. Καὶ εἶπε Σαοὺλ πρὸς Ἰωνάθαν, Ἀπάγγειλον δή μοι τί ἐποίησας, Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωνάθαν, Γευσάμενος ἐγευσάμην ἐν ἄκρῳ τῷ σκήπτρῳ τῷ ἐν τῇ χειρί μου μικροῦ μέλιτος, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποθνήσκω. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔκαμψε, τίνα οὐκ ἂν εἰς οἶκτον ἤνεγκε ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα· Ἐννόησον ὅσον χειμῶνα λοιπὸν ὁ Σαοὺλ ὑπέμεινε, τῶν σπλάγχνων αὐτῷ διακοπτομένων, καὶ ἑκατέρωθεν βαθυτάτου κρημνοῦ φερομένου. Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐσωφρονίζετο, ἀλλὰ τί φησι; Τάδε ποιήσαι μοι ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τάδε προσθείη, ὅτι θανάτῳ ἀποθανῇ σήμερον. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ λαὸς πρὸς Σαούλ· Τάδε ποιήσαι ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τάδε προσθείη, εἰ θανάτῳ θανατωθήσεται ὁ ποιήσας τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν μεγάλην τῷ Ἰσραήλ· ζῇ Κύριος, εἰ πεσεῖται τῆς τριχὸς τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ὅτι ἔλεον Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ὁ δῆμος δεύτερον ὤμοσε, καὶ ἀντώμοσε τῷ βα σιλεῖ. Ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν διαῤῥαγῆναι τὸν ὅρκον· πάντας γὰρ εὐορκῆσαι τούτους ἀδύνατον. Εἰ γὰρ ἠθέλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀντιστῆναι καὶ ἐπεξελθεῖν τῷ ὅρκῳ, πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἀντέστη, καὶ τυραννὶς ἂν ἐγένετο χαλεπωτάτη· πάλιν εἰ ἠθέλησεν ὁ παῖς τῆς οἰκείας φειδόμενος σωτηρίας δοῦναι ἑαυτὸν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, πατροκτόνος εὐθέως ἂν ἐγένετο.","english":"As the Lord lives, who has saved Israel, even if the answer falls to Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” And before the guilty one had even appeared, he had passed the sentence; without knowing who would be caught, he pronounced the verdict; the father became the executioner, and before the examination he brought forth the condemning vote. And why need I say much? He referred the matter to a lot. And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan.” And Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me now what you have done.” And Jonathan said, “I did but taste a little honey with the tip of the staff in my hand, and behold, I am dying.” Who would not have been bent by these words, who would not have been brought to compassion? Consider what a storm Saul then endured, his inward parts being torn asunder, and him being borne along on either side by a sheerest precipice. And not even so did he come to his senses, but what does he say? “May God do so to me, and more also, that you shall surely die today.” And the people said to Saul, “May God do so to us, and more also, if he shall be put to death by death—the one who wrought the great salvation for Israel. As the Lord lives, if a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because he showed the mercy of God on this day.” Behold, the people also swore a second time, and swore against the king. It is necessary, then, that the oath be broken; for it is impossible for all these to keep their oaths. For if the king wished to stand against and proceed against the oath, the whole people stood against him, and it would have become a most grievous tyranny; and again, if the boy, sparing his own safety, wished to give himself over to the army, he would at once have become a patricide.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":442,"ref":"p442","source":"Ὁρᾷς καὶ τυραννίδα καὶ παιδοκτονίαν καὶ πατροκτονίαν καὶ πόλεμον ἐμφύλιον καὶ μάχην καὶ σφαγὰς καὶ αἵματα καὶ μυρίους νεκροὺς ἀφ' ἑνὸς ὅρκου κειμένους; εἶδες ὁποῖον ὅρ κος τῆς ἀπωλείας τὸ βάραθρον κατεσκεύασεν; Ἵν' οὖν μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ παραπλήσια ἐκείνοις πεισώμεθα, ἀποστῶμεν τῆς πονηρᾶς τῶν ὅρκων συνηθείας, ὡς ἂν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἐντεῦθεν ἐπισπασάμενοι, καὶ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἀσφαλῶς διανύσωμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΘʹ. Περὶ ἀκακίας καὶ ἀνεξικακίας καὶ μνησικακίας.\n\nΤίνα ἂν ἕτερον εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν χρὴ περὶ ἐπιεικείας ἡμᾶς διαλέγεσθαι βουλομένους, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἢ τὸν μαρτυρίαν ἄνωθεν δεξάμενον, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα θαυμαστωθέντα; Εὗρον γὰρ, φησὶ, Δαυῒδ τὸν τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ, ἄνδρα κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν μου· ὃς οὐ μόνον ἐψώμιζε καὶ ἐπότιζε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κινδυνεύοντας πολλάκις ἐξήρπαζε τοῦ θανάτου. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Σαοὺλ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐμίσει καὶ ἀπεστρέφετο, μετὰ τὰς μυρίας εὐεργεσίας, μετὰ τὰ λαμπρὰ τρόπαια, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Γολιὰθ σωτηρίαν, ὡς μηδὲ τῆς προσηγορίας ἀνέχεσθαι τῆς ἐκείνου μεμνῆσθαι. Ἑορτῆς γάρ ποτε ἐπιστάσης, ἐπειδὴ δόλον αὐτῷ πλέξας τινὰ καὶ χαλεπὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ῥάψας, οὐκ εἶδε παραγενόμενον, Ποῦ ἔστι, φησὶν, ὁ υἱὸς Ἰεσσαί; καὶ πονηρίαν οὐδεμίαν ἔχων εἰπεῖν, τὴν τοῦ γένους δυσγένειαν εἰς μέσον ἔφερε, ταύτῃ προσδοκῶν ἐπισκοτήσειν αὐτοῦ τὴν λαμπρότητα.","english":"Do you see both tyranny and child-murder and parricide and civil war and battle and slaughters and bloodshed and countless dead brought about by a single oath? Did you see what a pit of destruction that oath prepared? So then, that we too may not suffer the like of those things, let us stand aloof from the wicked habit of oaths, so that having drawn down God's goodwill from this, we may both pass through the present life safely and attain the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might, with the Father and the all-holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 29. On guilelessness and forbearance and remembrance of wrongs.\n\nWhom ought we to bring forward into the midst, when we wish to speak about gentleness, beloved, other than the one who received testimony from above, and was especially admired for this? For I have found, it says, David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who not only fed and gave drink to his enemies, but also often snatched them from death when they were in danger. For Saul so hated and turned away from him, after countless benefactions, after the brilliant trophies, and the salvation wrought against Goliath, that he could not even endure to remember his name. For once, when a festival came, since he had woven some plot against him and stitched together a grievous scheme, and did not see him arrive, he says, Where is the son of Jesse? And having no wickedness to speak of, he brought forward the lowliness of his lineage, expecting by this to cast a shadow over his splendor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":443,"ref":"p443","source":"Ὁ δὲ εὑρὼν αὐτὸν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ καθεύδοντα, οὐκ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν υἱὸν Κὶς, ἀλλὰ τῷ τιμῆς ὀνόματι· Οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἐπαγάγω τὴν χεῖρά μου, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τὸν χριστὸν τοῦ Κυρίου· οὕτω καθαρὸς ἦν ὀργῆς καὶ μνησικακίας ἁπάσης. Χριστὸν Κυρίου καλεῖ τὸν τοσαῦτα ἠδικηκότα, τὸν τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ διψῶντα, τὸν μετὰ μυρίας εὐεργεσίας πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐπιχειρήσαντα ἀνελεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐσκόπει τί παθεῖν ἐκεῖνος ἄξιος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐσκόπει τί καὶ ποιῆσαι καὶ εἰπεῖν αὐτῷ πρέπον ἦν. Τί τοῦτο; ὥσπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ λαβὼν τὸν ἐχθρὸν, τριπλῷ κατεχόμενον δεσμῷ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ τόπου στενοχωρίᾳ, καὶ τῇ τῶν βοηθησόντων ἐρημίᾳ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ ὕπνου ἀνάγκῃ, οὐκ ἀπαιτεῖς δίκην οὐδὲ τιμωρίαν αὐτόν; ἀλλ', Οὐ μὴ ἐπαγάγω τὴν χεῖρά μου, λέγεις, ἐπὶ τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου; Ναὶ, φησίν· οὐ γὰρ τί παθεῖν δίκαιός ἐστιν οὗτος, ὁρῶ νῦν, ἀλλὰ τί ποιῆσαί μοι προσῆκεν. Ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν ἴσως θαυμάζετε, ὅτι οὐδενὸς ἐμνήσθη τῶν παρελθόντων κακῶν· ἐγὼ δὲ δι' ἕτερον πολλῷ μεῖζον αὐτὸν ἐκπλήττομαι. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι οὐδὲ ὁ φόβος αὐτὸν τῶν μελλόντων ὤθησε πρὸς τὸ διαχειρίσασθαι τὸν ἐχθρόν. Ἤδει γὰρ σαφῶς, ὅτι διαφυγὼν αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας, πάλιν κατ' αὐτοῦ στήσεται· ἀλλ' εἵλετο μᾶλλον αὐτὸς κινδυνεύειν ἀπολύσας τὸν ἠδικηκότα, ἢ τῆς καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀσφαλείας προνοῶν διαχειρίσασθαι τὸν πολέμιον·","english":"But the one who found him sleeping inside the cave did not call him the son of Kish, but by the name of honor: \"For I will not,\" he says, \"lay my hand upon the Lord's anointed.\" So free from anger and all remembrance of wrongs was he. He calls the Lord's anointed the one who had wronged him so greatly, the one thirsting for his blood, the one who after countless benefits had often attempted to destroy him. For he did not consider what that man deserved to suffer, but he considered what it was fitting for him both to do and to say to him. What is this? As though having taken his enemy prisoner in a jail, held by a triple bond—both by the narrowness of the place, and by the desolation of those who might help, and by the compulsion of sleep—do you not exact justice or punishment from him? But, \"I will not lay my hand,\" you say, \"upon the Lord's anointed\"? Yes, he says; for I do not now look at what this man is justly deserving to suffer, but at what it was proper for me to do. You, then, perhaps marvel at him because he remembered none of the past evils; but I am struck with amazement at him for another, far greater reason. What is this? That not even fear of what was to come drove him to make away with his enemy. For he knew clearly that, having escaped his hands, he would again stand against him; but he chose rather to risk danger himself by releasing the one who had wronged him, than, providing for his own safety, to make away with his adversary.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":444,"ref":"p444","source":"καὶ οὔτε ἡ μνήμη τῶν παρελθόντων, οὐχ ὁ φόβος τῶν μελλόντων, οὐχ ἡ προτροπὴ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, οὐχ ἡ ἐρημία τοῦ τόπου, οὐ τὸ τῆς σφαγῆς εὔκολον, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν διήγειρεν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν φόνον, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ εὐεργέτου τινὸς καὶ τὰ μεγάλα αὐτὸν πεποιηκότος ἀγαθὰ, οὕτω τοῦ ἐχθροῦ καὶ λελυπηκότος ἐφείσατο, καὶ τὸ κράσπεδον ἀποκόψας τοῦ ἱματίου, καὶ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ἀφελόμενος, ἀπελθὼν πόῤῥωθεν, καὶ στὰς ἐβόησε, καὶ τῷ διασωθέντι ταῦτα ὑπέδειξεν· οὐχὶ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν καὶ φιλοτιμίαν ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτὸν πεῖσαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην ὑπώπτευεν αὐτὸν ὡς ἐχθρὸν, καὶ διὰ τούτου αὐτὸν πρὸς φιλίαν ἐπισπάσασθαι σπεύδων. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐχθρὸν λυπήσαντα μὴ ἀμύνασθαι, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· τὸ δὲ ἄνθρωπον εὐεργετηθέντα πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας, εἶτα ἀντὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἐκείνων καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάκις ἀνελεῖν ἐπιχειρήσαντα τὸν εὐεργέτην, λαβόντα εἰς χεῖρας καὶ κύριον γενόμενον ἀνελεῖν, καὶ αὐτὸν ἀφεῖναι καὶ τῆς ἑτέρων ἐπιβουλῆς ἐξαρπάσαι, καὶ ταῦτα πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιθήσεσθαι μέλλοντα, τίνα ἂν καταλίποι λοιπὸν φιλοσοφίας ὑπερβολήν; Τίνα δὲ ἔχοιεν ἂν πονηρίας ὑπερβολὴν τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Σαοὺλ εἰς τὸν Δαυῒδ ἐνδεικνύμενα; ὅτι ἄρτι τῶν πολεμίων ἀπελαθέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἑαυτὴν ἀνακτησαμένης, καὶ πάντων ἐπινίκια θυόντων, αὐτὸς τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων ἁπάντων αἴτιον ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρησε.","english":"Neither the memory of past events, nor fear of what was to come, nor the general's urging, nor the desolation of the place, nor the ease of the slaughter, nor anything else roused him to murder; but just as if he were a benefactor and had done him great goods, so he spared his enemy and the one who had grieved him, and having cut off the fringe of his garment, and having taken away the water jar, he went off to a distance, and standing there he cried out, and showed these things to the one who had been saved; not doing it for display and vainglory, but wishing to persuade him by his deeds that he had suspected him as an enemy rashly and in vain, and hastening through this to draw him to friendship. For that one who was simply an enemy should not be repaid when he has been grieved—that is no wonder; but that a man who had been benefited with many and great benefits, and then in return for those benefits attempted once and twice and many times to destroy his benefactor, and having taken him in his hands and become his master, to destroy him—and yet to let him go and snatch him from another's plot, and that too when he was again about to set upon the same things—what excess of philosophy could he leave remaining? And what excess of wickedness could the things shown by Saul against David have? For when the enemies had just been driven off by him, and the city had recovered itself, and all were sacrificing victory offerings, he himself attempted to destroy his benefactor and savior and the cause of all those goods.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":445,"ref":"p445","source":"Καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἡ ὑπόθεσις τὸν μεμηνότα καὶ παραπαίοντα κατέστειλεν ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάκις ἠκόντισε βουλόμενος αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, καὶ τοιαύτας ἀντὶ τῶν κινδύνων ἐκείνων ἐδίδου τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Δαυῒδ γὰρ ἔψαλλε τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, καὶ τὸ δόρυ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἦρε Σαοὺλ\n\nτὸ δόρυ, καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰ πατάξω ἐν Δαυΐδ. Καὶ ἐξέκλινε Δαυῒδ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπάταξε τὸ δόρυ ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν καὶ τῶν σφόδρα φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπισταμένων εἰς θυμὸν ταῦτα ἐξήνεγκεν; Ἀλλ' οὗτος ᾑρεῖτο φυγεῖν μᾶλλον, καὶ τῆς πατρῴας οἰκίας ἐκπεσεῖν, καὶ πλανήτης εἶναι καὶ δραπετεύειν, καὶ ταλαιπωρούμενος τὴν ἀναγκαίαν πορίζειν τροφὴν, ἢ τῷ βασιλεῖ γενέσθαι σφαγῆς αἴτιος. Οὐ γὰρ ὅπως ἑαυτὸν ἐκδικήσειεν, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἐκεῖνον ἀπαλλάξῃ τοῦ πάθους ἐσκόπει. Διὰ τοῦτο τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξήγαγε τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ὥστε ὑποσῦραι τὸν ὄγκον, καὶ καταστεῖλαι τὴν φλεγμονὴν, καὶ παραμυθήσασθαι τὴν βασκανίαν. Βέλτιον γάρ με, φησὶ, ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι καὶ μυρία πάσχειν δεινὰ, ἢ τοῦτον ἀδίκου σφαγῆς παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ κρίνεσθαι. Τί τοίνυν γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον τῆς γενναίας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀδαμαντίνης ψυχῆς, ὅτι πενίαν ἀντὶ πλούτου, καὶ ἐρημίαν ἀντὶ πατρίδος, καὶ πόνους καὶ κινδύνους ἀντὶ τρυφῆς καὶ ἀδείας εἵλετο, ἵνα τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἀπαλλάξῃ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεχθείας; Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔπεισε ταῦτα ἐκτεθηριωμένον καὶ ἄγριον καταθέσθαι τὴν ἔχθραν καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς βασκανίας;","english":"And the very occasion of his beneficence did not calm that raging and deranged man, but once and twice and many times he hurled his spear, wishing to destroy him, and such were the returns he gave in exchange for those dangers. For David, it says, sang with his hand, and the spear was in the hand of Saul, and Saul took up the spear and said, \"If I strike David.\" And David turned aside from before him, and he struck the spear into the wall. What man, even among those who know well how to philosophize, would not these things have driven to anger? But this man chose rather to flee, and to be cast out of his ancestral house, and to be a wanderer and a fugitive, and while enduring hardship to procure the necessary food, than to become the cause of slaughter to the king. For he did not consider how he might avenge himself, but how he might rid that man of his passion. For this reason he withdrew himself from the eyes of his enemy, so as to draw off the swelling, and calm the inflammation, and assuage the envy. For it is better, he says, for me to endure hardship and suffer countless terrible things, than for this man to be judged by God for unjust slaughter. What then could equal that noble and adamantine soul, that he chose poverty instead of wealth, and desert instead of fatherland, and toils and dangers instead of luxury and security, in order to rid his enemy of the hatred against him? Whom would these things not have persuaded, though he were brutish and savage, to lay aside his enmity and be rid of his envy?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":446,"ref":"p446","source":"Ἀλλὰ τὸν ὠμὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον οὐδὲν τούτων ἔπεισε πρὸς φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπικαμφθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐδίωκε, καὶ πανταχοῦ περιῄει ζητῶν τὸν ἠδικηκότα μὲν οὐδὲν, ἀδικηθέντα δὲ τὰ ἔσχατα, καὶ μυρία αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τούτων ποιήσαντα ἀγαθά. Καὶ οὐκ εἰδὼς εἰς αὐτὰ λοιπὸν τοῦ Δαυῒδ ἐμπίπτει τὰ δίκτυα· Ἦν γὰρ ἐκεῖ σπήλαιον, φησὶ, καὶ εἰσῆλθε Σαοὺλ παρασκευάσασθαι· Δαυῒδ δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐνδοτέρῳ σπηλαίῳ ἐκάθηντο. Καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἄνδρες Δαυῒδ πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἰδοὺ ἡ ἡμέρα καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος, Δίδωμι τὸν ἐχθρόν σου εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτῷ τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου. Καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυῒδ, καὶ ἀφείλετο τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος Σαοὺλ λαθραίως. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπάταξε τὸν Δαυῒδ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀφείλετο τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος· καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ· Μηδαμῶς μοι παρὰ Κυρίου ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τῷ κυρίῳ μου, τοῦ ἐπενεγκεῖν τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ὅτι χριστὸς Κυρίου ἐστίν· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγεν, Ἵλεώς μοι Κύριος· εἰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς βουληθείην, μὴ συγχωρήσαι μοι τοῦτό ποτε ἐργάσασθαι, μηδὲ ἐπιτρέψειεν εἰς ταύτην ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Τί ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμερώτερον; ἆρα ἄνθρωπον τοῦτον ἐροῦμεν τὸν ἐν ἀνθρωπείᾳ φύσει ἀγγελικὴν πολιτείαν ἐπιδειξάμενον; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιντο οἱ θεῖοι νόμοι. Τίς γὰρ ἂν, εἰπέ μοι, ταχέως ἕλοιτο τοιαύτην εὐχὴν εὔξασθαι τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ τί λέγω, εὔξασθαι; μὴ κατεύξασθαι μὲν οὖν τοῦ λελυπηκότος, τίς ἂν ῥᾳδίως ὑπέμεινεν;","english":"But none of these things persuaded that savage and inhuman man to be bent toward kindness, but he kept pursuing him and went about everywhere seeking the one who had wronged him in nothing but had been wronged in the extreme, and had done him countless good things in return for these. And no longer knowing where he was going, he fell into David's nets. For there was a cave there, it says, and Saul went in to relieve himself; but David and his men were sitting in the inner part of the cave. And David's men said to him, Behold, the day of which the Lord spoke: I give your enemy into your hands, and you shall do to him what is pleasing in your eyes. And David rose and secretly cut off the fringe of Saul's cloak. And after these things David's heart struck him, because he had cut off the fringe of the cloak; and he said to his men, Far be it from me, by the Lord, to do this thing to my lord, to lay my hand upon him, because he is the Lord's anointed; as if he were saying, May the Lord be propitious to me; for even if I myself wished it, may he never permit me to do this, nor allow me to come into this sin. What could be gentler than this soul? Shall we call this man, who displayed an angelic way of life in human nature, a man? But the divine laws would not endure it. For who, tell me, would quickly choose to offer such a prayer to God? And why do I say, to offer? Who would easily endure not to curse the one who had grieved him?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":447,"ref":"p447","source":"Εἶδες τοῦ Δαυῒδ τὰ δίκτυα τεταμένα, καὶ τὸ θήραμα ἐναπειλημμένον, καὶ τὸν κυνηγέτην ἑστῶτα, καὶ πάντας ἐγκελευομένους βαπτίσαι τὸ ξίφος εἰς τὸ τοῦ πολεμίου στῆθος; Θέα μοι λοιπὸν καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, θέα μοι τὴν πάλην, τὴν νίκην, τὸν στέφανον. Καὶ γὰρ στάδιον ἦν τὸ σπήλαιον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ πάλη θαυμαστή τις ἐγένετο καὶ παράδοξος. Ἐπάλαιε μὲν γὰρ ὁ Δαυῒδ, ἐπύκτευε δὲ ὁ θυμὸς, καὶ ἔπαθλον ὁ Σαοὺλ ἔκειτο, καὶ ἀγωνοθέτης ἦν ὁ Θεός. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μόνον καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἦν αὐτῷ ὁ πόλεμος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας στρατιώτας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν ἤθελε, καὶ φείδεσθαι τοῦ λελυπηκότος, εἰκὸς ἦν καὶ δεδοικέναι αὐτὸν ἐκείνους, μήποτε καὶ συγκόψωσιν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ἅτε λυμεῶνα καὶ προδότην αὐτὸν ὄντα τῆς αὐτῶν σωτηρίας, καὶ τὸν κοινὸν ἐχθρὸν αὐτῶν διασώζοντα. Καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν ταῦτα αὐτοὺς δυσχεραίνοντας λέγειν· Πλανῆται καὶ φυγάδες ἐγενόμεθα ἡμεῖς, καὶ οἰκίας καὶ πατρίδος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἐξεπέσομεν, καὶ τῶν δυσχερῶν σοι πάντων ἐκοινωνήσαμεν· καὶ σὺ τῶν κακῶν τούτων τὸν αἴτιον εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν ἀφεῖναι διανοῇ, ἵνα μηδέποτε τῶν κακῶν τούτων ἡμεῖς ἀναπνεύσωμεν; καὶ σπουδάζων τὸν ἐχθρὸν διασῶσαι, προδίδως τοὺς φίλους; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα δίκαια; Εἰ γὰρ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καταφρονεῖς σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φεῖσαι ψυχῆς. Οὐ λυπεῖ σε τὰ παρελθόντα, οὐδὲ μέμνησαι τῶν κακῶν ὧν ἔπαθες παρ' αὐτοῦ; κἂν διὰ τὰ μέλλοντα ἄνελε, ἵνα μὴ μείζονα καὶ χαλεπώτερα","english":"Did you see David’s nets spread out, the prey caught in them, and the hunter standing there, and all urging him to plunge the sword into the enemy’s chest? Now look at his philosophy, look at the wrestling, the victory, the crown. For that cave was a stadium, and a certain wondrous and paradoxical wrestling took place. For David wrestled, his anger boxed, Saul lay as the prize, and God was the judge of the contest. For his battle was not only against himself and his own desire, but also against the soldiers present. For even if he wished to philosophize and to spare the one who had done the wrong, it was likely that he also feared them, lest they cut him down in the cave, since he was a destroyer and a traitor to their own safety, and was preserving their common enemy. For it was likely that they, being vexed, would say these things: We have become wanderers and fugitives, and we have fallen out of our homes and fatherland and all other things, and we have shared with you in all hardships; and you, having taken into your hands the cause of these evils, intend to let him go, so that we may never breathe free of these evils? And while you are eager to preserve the enemy, are you betraying your friends? And where is this just? For if you despise your own safety, at least spare our soul. Does the past not grieve you, nor do you remember the evils you suffered at his hands? At least for the sake of the future, kill him, so that he may not [inflict] greater and more grievous","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":448,"ref":"p448","source":"ὑποστῶμεν κακά. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος ὑπελογίζετο, ἀλλ' εἰς ἓν ἔβλεπε μόνον, ὅπως τὸν τῆς ἀνεξικακίας ἀναδήσασθαι δυνήσηται στέφανον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν οὕτω θαυμαστὸν, εἰ μόνος ὢν καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐφείσατο τοῦ λελυπηκότος, ὡς νῦν παράδοξόν ἐστιν, ὅτι παρόντων ἑτέρων αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίησε· καὶ ἑταίρων οὐκ ἐπιεικῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ μετρίων, ἀλλὰ στρατιωτῶν καὶ πολεμεῖν μεμαθηκότων, καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀπεγνωκότων πόνοις, καὶ μικρὸν ἀναπνεῦσαι ἐπιθυμούντων, καὶ εἰδότων ὅτι τῶν κακῶν ἡ λύσις πᾶσα ἐν τῇ τοῦ πολεμίου σφαγῇ τότε ἔκειτο· οὐ μόνον δὲ λύσις κακῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρίων κτῆσις ἀγαθῶν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐκώλυεν, ἐκείνου σφαγέντος, ἐπὶ τοῦτον εὐθὺς διαβῆναι τὴν βασιλείαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν παροξυνόντων, ἴσχυσεν ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος πάντων περιγενέσθαι τούτων, καὶ πεῖσαι φείσασθαι τοῦ πολεμίου. Μέγα μὲν οὖν τὸ καὶ αὐτόν τινα τῶν οἰκείων περιγενέσθαι παθῶν· πολὺ δὲ μεῖζον τὸ καὶ ἑτέρους δυνηθῆναι πεῖσαι, τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτῷ κτήσασθαι γνώμην. Καίτοι πολλοὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ οἱ δοκοῦντες φιλοσοφεῖν, κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ καταδέξωνται τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀνελεῖν, ὑφ' ἑτέρων ἀναιρεῖσθαι μέλλοντας, οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιντο κωλῦσαι. Ὁ δὲ Δαυῒδ οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τινὰ παρακαταθήκην λαβὼν, καὶ μέλλων αὐτῆς εὐθύνας διδόναι, οὕτως οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς οὐχ ἥψατο τοῦ πολεμίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους αὐτοῦ βουλομένους ἀνελεῖν ἐκώλυσε, σωματοφύλαξ ἀντὶ πολεμίου γενόμενος καὶ δορυφόρος ἄριστος. Ὥστε οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τὸν Δαυῒδ μᾶλλον κινδύνῳ τότε περιπεπτωκέναι εἰπὼν, ἢ τὸν Σαούλ.","english":"that we should submit to evils. But that righteous man did not reckon any of these things, but looked to one thing only, how he might be able to bind on the crown of forbearance. For it was not so wonderful that, being alone and by himself, he spared the one who had grieved him, as it is now paradoxical that he did this very thing when others were present—and companions who were not gentle and moderate men, but soldiers and men trained to make war, and who for the most part had despaired because of their toils, and desired to breathe freely for a little, and knew that the whole release from their evils then lay in the slaughter of the enemy; and not only release from evils, but also the acquisition of countless goods. For nothing prevented the kingdom from passing over to this man immediately once that one had been slain. Nevertheless, though there were so many things provoking them, that noble man prevailed to overcome all these and to persuade them to spare the enemy. Great indeed is it for a man to overcome his own passions; but far greater is it to be able also to persuade others to acquire the same resolve as himself. And yet many even of the enemies, and those who seem to practice philosophy, even if they themselves would not consent to destroy their enemies, would not choose to prevent them when they are about to be destroyed by others. But David did not do so; rather, as though he had received a certain deposit and was about to give an account of it, so not only did he himself not touch the enemy, but he also prevented his companions who wished to destroy him, becoming a bodyguard instead of an enemy and the best of spearmen. So that one would not err in saying that David then fell into greater danger than Saul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":449,"ref":"p449","source":"Οὐ γὰρ τὸν τυχόντα ἀγῶνα ὑπέμεινε, παντὶ τρόπῳ σπουδάζων αὐτὸν ἐξελέσθαι τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς τῆς παρ' ἐκείνων· οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐδεδοίκει μέλλων αὐτὸς ἀποσφάττεσθαι, ὡς ἐδεδοίκει μήποτε τῶν στρατιωτῶν τις ἐνδοὺς τῷ θυμῷ διαφθείρῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δικαιολογίαν τοιαύτην συνέθηκε, καὶ κατηγόρουν μὲν ἐκεῖνοι, κατηγορεῖτο δὲ ὁ καθεύδων, ἀπελογεῖτο δὲ ὁ πολέμιος, ἐδίκαζε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Δαυῒδ ψῆφον ἐκύρωσεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῆς ἴσχυσεν ἂν τῶν μαινομένων ἐκείνων περιγενέσθαι· ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις ἦν, ἡ τοῖς χείλεσιν ἐγκαθημένη τούτου, καὶ πειθώ τινα διδοῦσα τοῖς ῥήμασιν ἐκείνοις. Ἆρα οὐχὶ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μάλιστα ἄν τις αὐτὸν θαυμάσειεν τῆς μεγαλοψυχίας, ὅτι τὸν ἐχθρὸν εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν καθεύδοντα, καὶ ἀκίνητον μένοντα, καὶ οὐδὲν δυνάμενον ἐργάσασθαι, οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀνεῖλεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους βουλομένους ἐκώλυσεν; Ἄρα πῶς ἦν εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς προσέχειν ἐκείνῳ λοιπὸν, μεθ' ὅσης εὐνοίας διακεῖσθαι πρὸς αὐτόν; Εἰ γὰρ μυρίας ψυχὰς εἶχον λοιπὸν, οὐκ ἂν ἑτοίμως ἁπάσας ἐπέδωκαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, ἔργῳ μαθόντες ἐν τῇ πολεμίου κηδεμονίᾳ τὴν περὶ τοὺς οἰκείους εὔνοιαν; Ὁ γὰρ περὶ τοὺς λελυπηκότας πρᾶος καὶ ἥμερος ὢν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον περὶ τοὺς εὐνοϊκῶς διακειμένους οὕτως ἔμελλε διακεῖσθαι; Ἆρ' οὐκ ἄν τις εὐκαίρως ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδείξειεν, ὅτι μεῖζον ἔστησε τρόπαιον φεισάμενος τοῦ Σαοὺλ ὁ Δαυῒδ, ἢ ὅτε τὸν Γολιὰθ κατήνεγκε, καὶ τὴν τοῦ βαρβάρου κεφαλὴν ἐναπέτεμε; καὶ γὰρ αὕτη λαμπροτέρα ἐκείνης ἡ νίκη, καὶ τὸ τρόπαιον ἐνδοξότερον.","english":"For he endured no ordinary struggle, striving in every way to rescue him from their plot; nor did he fear so much that he himself was about to be slaughtered, as he feared that one of the soldiers, yielding to anger, might destroy the man. For this reason he also composed such a defense, and they were accusing, but the one sleeping was being accused, and the enemy was making his defense, and God was judging, and He ratified the verdict of David. For without God's inclination he would not have been able to prevail over those madmen; but it was the grace of God that sat upon his lips, giving a certain persuasiveness to those words. Would one not especially marvel at his greatness of soul from this very fact, that having taken the enemy into his hands while he slept, remaining motionless and able to do nothing, he not only did not kill him himself, but even prevented his companions who wished to? How then was it likely that they would attend to him thereafter, with what great goodwill would they be disposed toward him? For if they had ten thousand lives thereafter, would they not readily have given them all for the general, having learned by deed, in his care for the enemy, his goodwill toward his own? For if he was gentle and mild toward those who had grieved him, would he not much more be so disposed toward those who were well-disposed? Would one not fittingly demonstrate from this that David set up a greater trophy by sparing Saul than when he struck down Goliath and cut off the barbarian's head? For this victory is more brilliant than that one, and the trophy more glorious.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":450,"ref":"p450","source":"Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ καὶ σφενδόνης ἐδεήθη καὶ λίθων καὶ παρατάξεως· ἐνταῦθα δὲ πάντα ὁ λογισμὸς ἐγίνετο, καὶ χωρὶς ὅπλων ἡ νίκη κατώρθωτο, καὶ ἀναιμωτὶ τὸ τρόπαιον ἵστατο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὴν καλὴν ταύτην καὶ θαυμαστὴν νίκην ἐνίκησεν, ἀνέστη λοιπὸν τῶν ὕπνων ἡ τῶν ἀγώνων ὑπόθεσις ὁ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ σπηλαίου, τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν γεγε νημένων εἰδὼς οὐδέν. Ἐξῄει δὲ καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ὄπισθεν, ἐλευθέροις λοιπὸν ὀφθαλμοῖς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν βλέπων· ἐξῄει, οὐ κεφαλὴν βαστάζων βαρβάρου, ἀλλὰ θυμὸν νενεκρωμένον, καὶ ὀργὴν ἐκνενευρισμένην, καὶ τῷ πολεμίῳ μυρία τραύματα δοὺς, καὶ τὸν μὲν Σαοὺλ διασώσας, τὸν δὲ ἀληθῶς ἐχθρὸν τὸν διάβολον πολλαῖς κατακεντήσας πληγαῖς· ἐξῄει τὴν δεξιὰν μετὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἐστεφανωμένην ἔχων· δεξιὰν ἐκείνην, ἣ τὸ ξίφος ἴσχυσε καθαρὸν ἐξενεγκεῖν, καὶ ἀναίμακτον τῷ Θεῷ\n\nδεῖξαι τὴν μάχαιραν, καὶ πρὸς τοσαύτην ἀντιστῆναι θυμοῦ ῥύμην· ἐξῄει μετὰ τοσαύτης περιφανείας, μεθ' ὅσης οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἀπὸ τῆς καμίνου. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκείνους οὐ κατέκαυσε τὸ πῦρ, οὕτω καὶ τοῦτον ἡ πυρὰ τῆς ὀργῆς οὐκ ἐνέπρησε· κἀκείνοις μὲν τὸ πῦρ ἔξωθεν ὁμιλοῦν, οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν·","english":"For there he needed a sling and stones and a battle line; but here everything was accomplished by reasoning, and the victory was won without weapons, and the trophy was set up without bloodshed. Since, then, he had won this noble and wondrous victory, Saul, the subject of the contests, arose thereafter from sleep and came out of the cave, knowing nothing of what had been done to him. And David came out after him, now looking toward heaven with free eyes; he came out not carrying a barbarian's head, but a rage put to death, and anger enervated, and having given the enemy countless wounds, and having preserved Saul, while piercing the true enemy, the devil, with many blows; he came out with his right hand crowned together with the head—that right hand which had the strength to bring the sword out clean and to show the blade to God without blood, and to withstand so great a rush of anger; he came out with as much splendor as the three youths from the furnace. For just as the fire did not burn them, so the pyre of anger did not set him ablaze; and for them the fire, assailing from outside, did nothing;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":451,"ref":"p451","source":"οὗτος δὲ ἔνδοθεν ἔχων τοὺς ἄνθρακας καιομένους, καὶ τὸν διάβολον ἔξωθεν τὴν κάμινον ὑποκαίοντα, ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ἀπὸ τῆς παραινέσεως τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἀπὸ τῆς εὐκολίας τῆς κατὰ τὴν σφαγὴν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρημίας τῶν βοηθούντων, ἀπὸ τῆς μνήμης τῶν παρελθόντων κακῶν, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν μελλόντων ἀγωνίας (καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο κληματίδος καὶ πίσσης καὶ στυππίου, καὶ πάντων τῶν τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν ἀναπτόντων κάμινον λαμπροτέραν ἀνῆπτε τὴν φλόγα) οὐκ ἐνεπρήσθη, οὐδὲ ἔπαθέ τι τοιοῦτον οἷον εἰκὸς ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐξῆλθε καθαρὸς καὶ ἀνέπαφος. Ἐξελθὼν τοίνυν ὁ Δαυῒδ ὄπισθεν τοῦ Σαοὺλ, ἐβόησε λέγων, Κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ. Καὶ ἀνέβλεψε Σαοὺλ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκυψε Δαυῒδ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ. Ἆρά γε ταῦτα τοῦ σῶσαι τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐλάττονα φέρει τὸν ἔπαινον; ὅτι αὐτὸς σώσας αὐτὸς προσκυνεῖ τὸν σωθέντα, καὶ βασιλέα καλεῖ, καὶ δοῦλον ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει, καὶ πάντα ποιεῖ ὥστε ἐκείνου καταστεῖλαι τὸ φρόνημά τε καὶ φύσημα, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν παραμυθήσασθαι, καὶ τὴν βασκανίαν ἀνελεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἀκούσωμεν καὶ τῆς ἀπολογίας αὐτῆς. Ἱνατί ἀκούεις τῶν λόγων τοῦ λαοῦ λέγοντος, Ἰδοὺ Δαυῒδ ζητεῖ τὴν ψυχήν σου; Ἰδοὺ ἑωράκασιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου σήμερον, ὡς παρέδωκέ σε Κύριος εἰς τὰς χεῖράς μου ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἠβουλήθην ἀποκτεῖναί σε, καὶ ἐφεισάμην σου, καὶ εἶπον, Οὐκ ἐποίσω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν μου, ὅτι χριστὸς Κυρίου ἐστί· καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος σου ἐν τῇ χειρί μου, ὃ ἐγὼ ἀφεῖλον, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκτεινά σε.","english":"This man, having within him the coals burning, and the devil outside fanning the furnace—by the sight of the enemy, by the urging of the soldiers, by the ease of the slaughter, by the desolation of those who might help, by the memory of past evils, by the agony over things to come (for this also kindled a flame brighter than brushwood and pitch and tow and all things that ignite the Babylonian furnace)—was not set on fire, nor did he suffer anything of the sort that was to be expected, but he came out pure and untouched. When David, then, had come out behind Saul, he cried out, saying, My lord king. And Saul looked back after him, and David bowed on his face and did obeisance to him. Does this, then, bring less praise for saving the enemy? Because he himself, having saved him, himself does obeisance to the one saved, and calls him king, and names himself slave, and does everything so as to restrain that man's pride and inflation, and to soothe his anger, and to remove his envy. But let us hear also his defense itself. Why do you listen to the words of the people saying, Behold, David seeks your life? Behold, your eyes have seen today that the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave, and I was not willing to kill you, and I spared you, and I said, I will not put my hand upon my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed; and behold, the edge of your cloak is in my hand, which I took away, and I did not kill you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":452,"ref":"p452","source":"Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ πλησίον ἐγενόμην, φησὶ, καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἐγγὺς ἕστηκα τοῦ σοῦ, τὸ μέρος ἂν ἔκοψα τοῦ ἱματίου. Καὶ γὰρ, εἰ μὴ ἔκοψεν, οὐδαμόθεν ἑτέρωθεν εἶχε πιστώσασθαι τὸν ἐχθρόν. Πῶς γὰρ ὁ μετὰ τοσαύτας εὐεργεσίας πολεμῶν τῷ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότι ἐδύνατο ὑποπτεῦσαι, ὅτι ἀδικηθεὶς ἕτερος τὸν ἀδικήσαντα λαβὼν εἰς χεῖρας ἐφείσατο; νυνὶ δὲ ἀναμφισβήτητον ἀπόδειξιν τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας παρέσχετο, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἐχθρὸν καὶ δικαστὴν καὶ μάρτυρα καλεῖ τῆς οἰκείας κηδεμονίας, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Γνῶθι καὶ ἴδε σήμερον, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ χειρί μου ἀθέτησις· καὶ σὺ δεσμεύεις τὴν ψυχήν μου τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτήν. Οὕτως ἦν ἄτυφος καὶ κενοδοξίας καθαρὸς ἁπάσης, καὶ πρὸς ἓν ἔβλεπε μόνον, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ψῆφον· φησὶ γὰρ, Κρίναι ὁ Θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν, οὐχὶ κολασθῆναι βουλόμενος τὸν ἄνδρα, οὐδὲ τιμωρίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ φοβῆσαι τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως· ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἐτόλμησε καλέσαι τὸν ἀπαραλόγιστον δικαστὴν, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν δίκην εἰσαγαγεῖν, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἦν πεπει κὼς ἑαυτὸν, ὅτι πάσης ἐπιβουλῆς ἦν καθαρὸς καὶ ἀμέτοχος. Τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγείη, τίς οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειε τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην καὶ ἀδαμαντίνην ψυχὴν, ὅτι πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας ἔχων ἀριθμεῖν τῷ Σαούλ·","english":"For he says, I would not have cut off the piece of my garment, had I not been near and stood close to your body. For had he not cut it off, he would have had no other means from anywhere to convince the enemy. For how could the man who warred against one who had done him no wrong, after so many benefactions, have suspected that another, having been wronged and having taken the wrongdoer into his hands, spared him? But as it is, he provided an indisputable proof of his own forethought, and he calls the enemy himself both judge and witness of his own care, speaking thus: Know and see today, that there is no transgression in my hand; and you bind my soul to take it. So free from arrogance was he and pure from all vainglory, and he looked to one thing only, the verdict of God. For he says, Let God judge between me and you; and he said this, not wishing the man to be punished, nor to receive vengeance from him, but to frighten him by the remembrance of the coming judgment; because he would not have dared to call upon the judge who cannot be deceived, and to bring the case before him, unless he had been thoroughly persuaded of himself, that he was pure and free from every plot. Who would not be struck with amazement, who would not marvel at that noble and adamantine soul, that having many and great benefactions to recount to Saul—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":453,"ref":"p453","source":"καὶ γὰρ ἐδύνατο, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Τοῦ βαρβαρικοῦ πολέμου καθάπερ κατακλυσμοῦ τινος ἅπασαν μέλλοντος παρασύρειν τὴν πόλιν, κατεπτηχότων ὑμῶν καὶ δεδοικότων, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀποθανεῖσθαι προσδοκώντων, ἐγὼ παρελθὼν, οὐδενὸς ἀναγκάσαντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοῦ κωλύοντος καὶ κατέχοντος, οὐκ ἠνεσχόμην, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἐπήδησα, καὶ τὸν πολέμιον ἐδεξάμην, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπέτεμον· καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ χειμάῤῥου ῥύμην ἀνέστειλα τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκείνων, καὶ τὴν πόλιν σειομένην ἔστησα· καὶ δι' ἐμὲ σὺ μὲν τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες μετὰ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὰς οἰκίας καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ τὰ γύναια ἔχουσι· καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνο δὲ πάλιν ἑτέρους οὓς κατώρθωσε πολέμους οὐκ ἐλάττους ἐκείνου· καὶ ὅτι ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιχειρήσαντος ἀνελεῖν, καὶ τὸ δόρυ κατὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ κεφαλῆς ἀφέντος, οὐκ ἐμνησικάκησε· καὶ ἕτερα πολλῷ πλείονα τούτων καὶ μείζονα. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων","english":"For he could have said, if he had wished, that when the barbarian war was about to sweep away the whole city like some flood, and you were cowering and afraid, expecting to die each day, I came forward—no one compelling me, but even you hindering and holding me back—and I did not endure it, but leaped forward before all others, and received the enemy, and cut off his head; and like the rush of some torrent I checked the advance of those barbarians and set the shaken city firm; and because of me you have your kingdom and your life, and all the rest have, along with their lives, the city and their homes and their children and their wives; and after that, again, the other wars which he waged successfully, no less than that one; and that when he attempted once and twice and many times to kill him, and hurled his spear at his own head, he did not bear a grudge; and many other things far more and greater than these. But none of these","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":454,"ref":"p454","source":"εἶπεν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν συμβάντων τὴν ἀπολογίαν ποιεῖται, μόνον οὕτως εἰπών· Γνῶθι καὶ ἴδε σήμερον, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ χειρί μου κακία οὐδὲ ἀθέτησις· καὶ σὺ δεσμεύεις τὴν ψυχήν μου τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτήν. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν τὰ τοιαῦτα κατακλάσειε ῥήματα; ὅτι οὐχὶ ὀνειδίσαι αὐτῷ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ἐβούλετο, ἀλλὰ πεῖσαι μόνον, ὅτι τῶν φιλούντων καὶ κηδομένων, οὐχὶ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων καὶ πολεμούντων ἐστί. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ὅταν εἰς χεῖρας τὸν ἐχθρὸν λάβῃς τὸν σὸν, μὴ τοῦτο σκόπει ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀμυνόμενος καὶ μυρίαις πλύνων λοιδορίαις ἐκπέμψῃς, ἀλλ' ὅπως αὐτὸν θεραπεύσῃς, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἐπαναγάγῃς πρὸς ἐπιείκειαν, καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἀποστῇς πάντα ποιῶν καὶ λέγων, ἕως ἂν περιγένῃ τῇ πραότητι τῆς ἐκείνου ὠμότητος. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐποίησεν· ὁρῶν τὸν πολέμιον κατὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας ὁπλιζόμενον, καὶ πάντα διὰ τοῦτο κινοῦντα, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἠγρίανεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς πλείονα ἦλθε συμπάθειαν· καὶ ὅσῳ μείζονα ἐπεβούλευσε, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐδάκρυε, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη πάντα ποιῶν, ἕως καὶ αὐτὸν ἀπολογήσασθαι παρεσκεύασε μετὰ δακρύων καὶ θρήνων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἤκουσεν εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ, Κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ἀδακρυτὶ ταύτην ἀκούειν τὴν φωνὴν ὁ Σαοὺλ, ἀλλ' ἀνῴμωξε, καὶ πικρὰν ἀφῆκε φωνὴν, καὶ μέγα ἀνωλόλυξε, καὶ εἶπεν· Δίκαιος σὺ ὑπὲρ ἐμέ· ὅτι σὺ μὲν ἀνταπέδωκας ἐμοὶ ἀγαθὰ, ἀντὶ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἀντὶ τῆς σφαγῆς, ἀντὶ τῶν μυρίων κακῶν ἐκείνων· ἐγὼ δὲ ἀνταπέδωκά σοι κακά· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐγενόμην βελτίων, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ἐκείνας ἐπέμεινα τῇ πονηρίᾳ.","english":"he said, but he makes his defense from the events that happened on that day, saying only this: \"Know and see today, that there is no evil or transgression in my hand; and you are binding my soul to take it.\" Whose heart would such words not break? For he did not wish to reproach him with his benefactions, but only to persuade him that he belonged to those who love and care for him, not to those who plot and wage war against him. And so you also, whenever you take your enemy into your hands, do not look to this—how you might send him away avenged and washed with countless insults—but how you might heal him, how you might lead him back to gentleness, and do not desist, doing and saying everything, until you prevail by your meekness over his savagery. This, then, is what David also did: seeing the enemy arming himself against his own safety, and setting everything in motion for this, he not only did not grow fierce, but came to greater compassion; and the greater the plots, the more he wept for him, and he did not desist, doing everything, until he had even brought him to make his defense with tears and lamentations. For when Saul heard him say, \"My lord the king,\" he could not bear to hear that voice without tears, but wailed aloud, and let out a bitter cry, and lamented greatly, and said: \"You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good in return for my plotting, in return for the slaughter, in return for those countless evils; but I have repaid you with evil; and not even so did I become better, but after those benefactions I remained in wickedness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":455,"ref":"p455","source":"Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω μετεβάλου, ἀλλὰ διέμεινας τὸν σαυτοῦ τηρῶν τρόπον, καὶ πάλιν ἡμᾶς ἐπιβουλεύοντας εὐεργετῶν. Καὶ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι σήμερον, ἃ ἐποίησάς μοι ἀγαθά· ὡς ἀπέκλεισέ με Κύριος εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκτεινάς με. Τί τοῦ Δαυῒδ γένοιτ' ἂν μακαριώτερον, ὃς ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ οὕτω τὸν ἐχθρὸν μετεῤῥύθμισε, καὶ ψυχὴν αἵματος καὶ σφαγῆς διψῶσαν λαβὼν, εἰς θρήνους ἐνέβαλεν ἀθρόον καὶ ὀλολυγμούς; Οὐχ οὕτω τὸν Μωϋσέα θαυμάζω, ὅτι ἀπὸ πέτρας ἀκροτόμου ὑδάτων πηγὰς ἐξήγαγεν, ὡς θαυμάζω τοῦτον, ὅτι ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν τοιούτων πηγὰς δακρύων κατήγαγεν. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ τὴν φύσιν ἐνίκησεν, οὗτος δὲ τῆς προαιρέσεως περιεγένετο· ἐκεῖνος ἐπάταξεν ἐν τῇ ῥάβδῳ τὸν λίθον, οὗτος ἔκρουσε τῷ λόγῳ τὴν καρδίαν, οὐχ ἵνα λυπήσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα καθαρὰν ἐργάσηται καὶ προσηνῆ. Ὅσον οὖν αὐτὸν ἐπαινῶ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν πραότητα, μειζόνως αὐτὸν θαυμάζω διὰ τὴν τοῦ Σαοὺλ μεταβολήν. Τοῦ γὰρ τῶν οἰκείων κρατῆσαι παθῶν πολὺ πλέον ἐστὶ τὸ καὶ τῆς ἑτέρων περιγενέσθαι μανίας, καὶ φλεγμαίνουσαν καταστεῖλαι καρδίαν, καὶ τοσαύτην γαλήνην ἀπὸ τοσαύτης ἐργάσασθαι ζάλης, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς φόνον βλέποντας, δακρύων ἐμπλῆσαι θερμῶν. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὃ πολλῆς ἐκπλήξεως γέμει καὶ θαύματος. Καὶ γὰρ, εἰ μὲν τῶν ἐπιεικῶν καὶ μετρίων ἀνθρώπων ἦν ὁ Σαοὺλ, οὐ μέγα ἦν σφόδρα ἐπαναγαγεῖν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετήν· τὸ δὲ ἐκτεθηριωμένον καὶ πρὸς ἐσχάτην κακίαν ἐξοκείλαντα, καὶ πρὸς σφαγὴν ἐπειγόμενον, ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ παρασκευάσαι πᾶσαν τὴν πικρίαν ἐμέσαι ἐκείνην, τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἀποκρύψειε τῶν πώποτε ἐπὶ διδασκαλίᾳ φιλοσοφίας βεβοημένων;","english":"And you did not even change after this, but you remained keeping your own manner, and again you benefited us who were plotting against you. And you reported to me today the good things you did for me: how the Lord shut me up into your hands, and you did not kill me. What could be more blessed than David, who in a brief moment of time so transformed the enemy, and having taken a soul thirsting for blood and slaughter, cast it suddenly into lamentations and wailings? I do not admire Moses so much because he brought forth springs of water from a hard rock, as I admire this man, because he brought down springs of tears from such eyes. For that one conquered nature, but this one overcame the will; that one struck the stone with the rod, this one struck the heart with the word, not to grieve it, but to make it pure and gentle. As much, therefore, as I praise him for his own meekness, all the more do I admire him for the transformation of Saul. For to master one's own passions is far less than to overcome also the madness of others, and to calm a inflamed heart, and to produce so great a calm from so great a storm, and to fill with warm tears eyes that looked upon murder. And this is what is full of much amazement and wonder. For if Saul had been one of the gentle and moderate men, it would not be a great thing to lead him back to his own virtue; but to prepare a man become brutish and having slipped down to the utmost wickedness, and hastening to slaughter, in a brief moment of time to vomit out all that bitterness—who would not hide away among those ever celebrated for the teaching of philosophy?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":456,"ref":"p456","source":"Ἐπαίνου μὲν γὰρ ἄξιον καὶ μεγίστου θαύματος καὶ τὸ μὴ βαπτίσαι τὸ ξίφος, μηδὲ ἀποτεμεῖν τὴν πολεμίαν ἐκείνην κεφαλήν· τὸ δὲ καὶ αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ μεταβαλεῖν τὴν προαίρεσιν, καὶ βελτίω ποιῆσαι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν αὐτὸν ἐπιείκειαν μεταγαγεῖν, τίνα ἂν σχοίη λοιπὸν φιλοσοφίας ὑπερβολήν; Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐ μόνον τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὁμιλίας ἀπείργουσιν ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν ὄψιν ἰδεῖν ἀνέχονται τὴν ἐκείνων, οὐδὲ τῆς φωνῆς ἀκοῦσαι· ὁ δὲ Δαυῒδ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἔσωσε, καὶ πρότερος ἐτίμησε προσειπὼν, Κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, προσεκύνησεν αὐτόν· καὶ τιμηθεὶς ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν ἐκεῖνον, Τέκνον Δαυῒδ, πάλιν μειζόνως ἀντετίμησεν εἰπών· Δοῦλός σου, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ. Τίς ἂν σχοίη μείζονα ταύτης ἀνεξικακίαν εἰπεῖν; Ἐκεῖνος μέχρι τῆς\n\nψυχῆς αὐτῆς εὐεργετηθεὶς εἰς συγγένειαν τὸν εὐεργέτην ἤγαγεν· οὗτος εὐεργετήσας δεσπότην τὸν εὐεργετηθέντα ὠνόμασε. Τέκνον με, φησὶν, ἐκάλεσεν, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀγαπῶ καὶ στέργω, ἐὰν δοῦλόν με ἔχῃς, μόνον μετὰ τοῦ ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ὀργὴν, μόνον μετὰ τοῦ μηδὲν ὑποπτεύειν περὶ ἐμὲ πονηρὸν καὶ μὴ νομίζειν ἐπίβουλον εἶναι καὶ πολέμιον. Καὶ ὅρα ὅσον τὸ κέρδος εἰργάσατο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε τοῦτο, οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ἐκεῖνος ἀδακρυτὶ λοιπὸν ταύτην ἀκούειν τὴν φωνὴν, ἀλλ' ὠλόλυξε πικρὸν, τὴν ὑγίειαν τὴν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, ἢν ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐνέθηκε, διὰ τῶν δακρύων δηλῶν.","english":"For it is worthy of praise and the greatest wonder that he did not baptize the sword, nor cut off that hostile head; but that he even changed his own purpose, and made it better, and brought him over to his own gentleness—what excess of philosophy could anyone have beyond this? But most people not only keep themselves from converse with their enemies, but they cannot even endure to see their face, nor to hear their voice; but David did not act so, but he even saved his enemy, and was the first to honor him by addressing him, \"My lord king.\" And not only this, but he also fell upon his face and did obeisance to him; and when he was honored by that man's saying, \"Child David,\" he again honored him more greatly, saying, \"Your servant, my lord king.\" Who could describe a forbearance greater than this? That man, having been benefited even to his very soul, brought his benefactor into kinship; this man, having benefited him, called the one he benefited master. \"He called me child,\" he says, \"and I love and cherish him, if only you hold me as a servant—only with laying aside your anger, only with suspecting nothing evil concerning me and not thinking me a plotter and enemy.\" And see how much profit he worked. For when he said this, that man could no longer hear this voice without tears, but he wailed bitterly, revealing through his tears the health in his soul and the philosophy which David had instilled.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":457,"ref":"p457","source":"Πόσων οὐκ ἂν εἴη στεφάνων ἄξιος ὁ Δαυῒδ, ὅτι οὕτω τῇ ἑαυτοῦ πραότητι καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ τοῦ Σαοὺλ περιεγένετο, ὡς καὶ τῆς οἰκείας αὐτὸν πεῖσαι καταγνῶναι ὠμότητος, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου ἀνυμνεῖν ἀρετήν; Εἰ γάρ τις εὕροι τὸν ἐχθρὸν αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἐν θλίψει, καὶ ἐκπέμψει αὐτὸν ἐν ὁδῷ ἀγαθῇ, καὶ Κύριος ἀνταποδῷ αὐτῷ ἀγαθὰ, καθὼς πεποίηκας σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ σήμερον. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ γινώσκω, ὅτι βασιλεύων βασιλεύσεις, καὶ στήσεται ἡ βασιλεία Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου. Καὶ νῦν ὄμοσόν μοι κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἵνα μὴ ἐξολοθρεύσῃς τὸ σπέρμα μου ὀπίσω μου, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃς τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου. Καὶ πόθεν ἔγνως, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦτο; παρὰ σοὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα, παρὰ σοὶ τὰ χρήματα, τὰ ὅπλα, αἱ πόλεις, οἱ ἵπποι, οἱ στρατιῶται, ἅπασα τῆς βασιλικῆς παρασκευῆς ἡ δύναμις· οὗτος δὲ ἔρημος καὶ γυμνὸς, ἄπολις, ἄοικος, ἀνέστιος. Πόθεν οὖν ταῦτα λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; Ἀπ' αὐτοῦ μὲν τοῦ τρόπου. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὁ γυμνὸς καὶ ἄπολις καὶ ἔρημος ἐμοῦ τοῦ καθωπλισμένου καὶ τοσαύτην περιβεβλημένου δύναμιν περιεγένετο, εἰ μὴ τὸν Θεὸν εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ· ὁ δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἔχων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ πάντων ἐστὶν ἰσχυρότερος. Εἶδες οἷα φιλοσοφεῖ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ὁ Σαούλ; εἶδες πῶς δυνατὸν ἅπασαν ἀποπτύσαι πονηρίαν καὶ μεταβαλέσθαι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον ἐπανελθεῖν; Ἄρα πόσων ἂν εἴη στεφάνων ἄξιος καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων ὁ Δαυΐδ; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐφθέγγετο τοῦ Σαοὺλ, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Δαυῒδ σοφία εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου ταῦτα ψυχὴν κατεφύτευσεν·","english":"Of how many crowns would David not be worthy, because by his own gentleness and clemency he so prevailed over Saul that he even persuaded him to condemn his own cruelty and to extol that man's virtue? \"For if a man find his enemy,\" he says, \"in distress, and send him on a good way, the Lord will repay him with good things, as you have done with me today. And behold, I know that you will surely reign as king, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. And now swear to me by the Lord, that you will not destroy my seed after me, and that you will not blot out my name from my father's house.\" And how did you know this, tell me? With you are the camps, with you the treasures, the weapons, the cities, the horses, the soldiers, the whole strength of the royal provision; but this man is desolate and naked, cityless, houseless, hearthless. From where, then, do you say these things, tell me? From his very manner of life. For the naked and cityless and desolate man would not have prevailed over me, who am armed and clothed with so great a force, unless he had God with him; and he who has God with him is stronger than all. Do you see what philosophy Saul utters after the plot? Do you see how it is possible to spit out all wickedness and to change and to return to what is better? Of how many crowns, then, would David be worthy for each of these words? For even if Saul's mouth uttered them, it was David's wisdom that planted them in that man's soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":458,"ref":"p458","source":"φησὶ γοῦν ἐκεῖνος, Ὄμοσόν μοι κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἵνα μὴ ἐξολοθρεύσῃς τὸ σπέρμα μου ὀπίσω μου, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃς τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου. Δέησιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ἰδιώτῃ προσάγει λοιπὸν, καὶ ἱκετηρίαν τίθησιν ὁ τὸ διάδημα περικείμενος, ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παρακαλῶν τὸν φυγάδα· καὶ ὅρκον ἀπαιτεῖ, οὐκ ἀπιστῶν τῷ τρόπῳ, ἀλλὰ ἐννοῶν ὅσα εἰς αὐτὸν εἰργάσατο κακά. Ὄμοσόν μοι, μὴ ἀφανίσῃς τὸ σπέρμα μου ὀπίσω μου. Ἐπίτροπον τὸν πολέμιον καταλιμπάνει τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παίδων, καὶ ταῖς ἐκείνου χερσὶν ἐντίθησι τὰ ἔγγονα· μονονουχὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς αὐτῶν λαβόμενος διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν μεσίτην εἰσάγων. Τί οὖν ὁ Δαυΐδ; ἆρα κἂν μικρὸν εἰρωνεύσατο πρὸς ταῦτα; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἐπένευσε, καὶ τὴν χάριν ἔδωκε, καὶ τελευτήσαντος τοῦ Σαοὺλ, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπέκτεινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον ὧν ὡμολόγησε, τότε παρέσχεν. Τὸν γὰρ ἔγγονον τὸν τούτου, χωλὸν ὄντα καὶ πεπηρωμένον τὸ σκέλος, εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσήγαγε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ὁμοτράπεζον ἐποίησε, καὶ τῆς μεγίστης ἠξίωσε τιμῆς· καὶ οὐκ ἠρυθρία οὐδὲ ἐνεκαλύπτετο, οὐδὲ τὴν τράπεζαν ἐνόμιζε καταισχύνειν τὴν βασιλικὴν τῇ πηρώσει τοῦ παιδὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκαλλωπίζετο καὶ ἐνηβρύνετο μᾶλλον. Τίς γὰρ τῶν συνδειπνούντων αὐτῷ ὁρῶν τὸν ἔκγονον τοῦ Σαοὺλ τοῦ τοσαῦτα κακὰ ἐργασαμένου τὸν Δαυῒδ, τοσαύτης ἀπολαύοντα παρ' αὐτῷ τιμῆς, εἰ καὶ πάντων θηρίων ἀγριώτερος ἦν, οὐχὶ πρὸς πάντας ἐσπένδετο τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αἰσχυνόμενος καὶ ἐρυθριῶν; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἑτέρωθι αὐτῷ τροφὴν ἐπέταξε, καὶ σιτηρέσιον ὥρισε τεταγμένον, πολὺ μέγα ἦν·","english":"For he says, \"Swear to me by the Lord, that you will not destroy my seed after me, and that you will not blot out my name from the house of my father.\" The king now brings a supplication to the common man, and he who wears the diadem sets forth a petition, entreating the fugitive on behalf of his own children; and he demands an oath, not distrusting his character, but considering how many evils he had worked against him. \"Swear to me, that you will not blot out my seed after me.\" He leaves the enemy as guardian of his own children, and places his offspring in that man's hands; almost taking hold of their right hand through his words, and bringing God in as mediator. What then does David do? Did he perhaps dissemble even a little in response to these things? By no means, but he immediately nodded assent, and gave the favor, and when Saul died, he not only did not kill them, but granted even more than he had agreed to. For he brought his grandson, who was lame and crippled in the leg, into his own house, and made him a table-companion, and deemed him worthy of the greatest honor; and he was not ashamed nor did he cover his face, nor did he think that he was disgracing the royal table by the boy's disability, but rather he adorned himself and took pride in it. For who of those dining with him, seeing the descendant of Saul, who had worked so many evils against David, enjoying such great honor from him, even if he were wilder than all beasts, would not have made peace with all his enemies out of shame and blushing? For even if elsewhere he appointed him food and set a fixed allowance, it was a very great thing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":459,"ref":"p459","source":"τὸ δὲ καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν αὐτὸν ἀγαγεῖν τὴν τράπεζαν, ὑπερβολὴν ἔχει φιλοσοφίας. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐ μόνον ζῶντας ἠμύναντο τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τελευτησάντων εἰς τοὺς ἐκείνων παῖδας τὴν πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀφῆκαν ὀργήν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Δαυῒδ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζῶντα τὸν πολέμιον διετήρησε, καὶ ἀπελθόντος ἐκείνου τὴν περὶ ἐκεῖνον εὔνοιαν εἰς τοὺς παῖδας\n\nἐπεδείξατο. Τί τούτου μακαριώτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; ὅτι οὐ μόνον τὸν ἐχθρὸν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἰδὼν τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ κείμενον αἰχμαλώτου χεῖρον ἐφείσατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν μετὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν ταύτην ἐπιθέμενον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνελεῖν βουλόμενον εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν, καὶ δυνάμενος αὐτὸν μετὰ τοῦ στρατοπέδου κατακόψαι παντὸς, ἀφῆκέ τε ὑγιῆ καὶ σῶον, καὶ συνιδὼν ὡς ἀνήκεστα νοσεῖ, καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχθρας οὐδαμῶς λήξει ποτὲ, ἐξήγαγεν ἑαυτὸν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τῶν ἐκείνου, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς βαρβάροις ἔζη δουλεύων, ἠτιμωμένος, αἰσχυνόμενος, ἐκ πόνου καὶ ταλαιπωρίας τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἑαυτῷ πορίζων τροφήν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πεσόντα ἀκούσα ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως, διέῤῥηξέ τε τὸν χιτωνίσκον. καὶ σποδὸν κατεπάσατο, καὶ θρῆνον ἐθρήνησεν, ὃν ἄν τις θρηνήσειε παῖδα μονογενῆ καὶ γνήσιον ἀποβαλὼν, συνεχῶς αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα ἀνακαλῶν μετὰ τοῦ παιδίου, καὶ ἐγκώμια συντιθεὶς, καὶ πικρὰν ἀφιεὶς φωνὴν, καὶ μέχρις ἑσπέρας ἄσιτος μένων, καὶ τὰ χωρία καταρώμενος τὰ δεξάμενα τὸ αἷμα Σαούλ· Ὄρη, φησὶ, τὰ Γελβουὲ, μὴ πέσοι ἐφ' ὑμᾶς μήτε δρόσος μήτε ὑετός· ὄρη θανάτου· ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐξήρθη σκέπη δυναστῶν. Μισῶ καὶ τὸν τόπον αὐτὸν διὰ τοὺς ἐκεῖ πεσόντας νεκροὺς, φησί·","english":"But that he even brought him to his own table—this surpasses all philosophy. For most people not only defend themselves against enemies while they are alive, but even when the enemies have died they discharge their anger against them upon their children. David, however, was not like this; rather, he preserved the enemy while he was alive, and when that man had departed, he displayed his goodwill toward him in his children. What could be more blessed than this? For not only did he, seeing his enemy lying beneath his own feet, worse than a captive, spare him, but again after this deliverance, when the man attacked him and wished to destroy him, he took him in his hands, and though he was able to cut him down along with his whole army, he let him go safe and sound; and recognizing that he was incurably sick and would never cease from his enmity against him, he removed himself from that man's eyes and lived among the barbarians as a slave, dishonored, ashamed, procuring for himself the necessary food by toil and hardship. And this is not the only wonderful thing, but also that when he heard that he had fallen in the battle line, he tore his tunic and sprinkled ashes on himself and uttered a lament such as one would utter having lost an only and true-born child, continually calling back his name together with the child's, composing eulogies, and sending forth a bitter cry, and remaining without food until evening, and cursing the places that received the blood of Saul: \"O mountains,\" he says, \"of Gilboa, let neither dew nor rain fall upon you; mountains of death; for there the shield of the mighty was lifted up.\" \"I hate even the place itself,\" he says, \"because of the dead who fell there.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":460,"ref":"p460","source":"μηκέτι τοίνυν βραχείητε τοῖς ἄνωθεν ὑετοῖς· ἐβράχητε γὰρ ἅπαξ κακῶς τῷ τῶν φίλων μου αἵματι. Καὶ συνεχῶς δὲ αὐτῶν περιστρέφει τὰ ὀνόματα, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Σαοὺλ, Σαοὺλ, καὶ Ἰωνάθαν, οἱ ἠγαπημένοι καὶ ὡραῖοι, οὐ κεχωρισμένοι ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐχωρίσθησαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ σώματα παρόντα περιπτύξασθαι οὐκ εἶχε, περιπλέκεται αὐτῶν ταῖς προσηγορίαις, τὴν οἰκείαν ὀδύνην, ὡς οἷόν τε, τούτοις καταπραΰνων, καὶ τὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς παραμυθούμενος μέγεθος. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι, φησὶν, εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὀρφανίαν ὁ παῖς ἐθρήνησεν, οὐδὲ ἀπαιδίαν ὁ πατὴρ ὠδύρατο· ἀλλ' ὃ μηδενὶ συνέβη, συνέβη, φησὶν, ἐκείνοις· ὁμοῦ καὶ κατὰ μίαν ἡμέραν τῆς ζωῆς ἀπεῤῥάγησαν, καὶ οὐ καταλειφθεὶς θάτερος ἀβίωτον ἑαυτῷ εἶναι τὸν βίον τῇ διαστάσει θατέρου ἐνόμισε. Νῦν ἕκαστος ἀναμιμνησκέσθω μοι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ καὶ τοῦ λελυπηκότος, ἔτι ζεούσης τῷ πένθει τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τοῦτον καὶ ζῶντα φυλαττέτω, καὶ ἀπελθόντα πενθείτω· κἂν δέῃ τι παθεῖν, ὥστε μὴ λυπῆσαι τὸν ἠδικηκότα, πάντα ποιείτω καὶ πασχέτω, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγάλας ἀναμένων τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ὄντως γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτως ἀσφαλέστερον τοῦ φείδεσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, οὐδὲ σφαλερώτερον τοῦ βούλεσθαι ἐκδικεῖν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀμύνεσθαι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ διαφθείρας καὶ καταγνώσεται πολλάκις ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ πονηρὸν ἕξει συνειδὸς, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ ὥραν ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐκείνης κεντούμενος· ὁ δὲ φεισάμενος καὶ μικρὸν καρτερήσας χρόνον, γάννυται μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ τρυφᾷ, χρηστὰς ἀναμένων ἐλπίδας, καὶ τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῆς ἀνεξικακίας παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ προσδοκῶν·","english":"Do not, then, any longer be soaked by the rains from above; for you have once been badly soaked with the blood of my friends. And he continually turns their names over, speaking thus: “Saul, Saul, and Jonathan, the beloved and beautiful, not separated in their life, and in their death they were not separated.” For since he could not embrace their bodies while present, he entwines himself with their names, soothing his own grief as far as possible by these, and consoling the magnitude of the calamity. For it is not possible, he says, to say that the child lamented orphanhood, nor that the father bewailed childlessness; but what happened to no one happened, he says, to them: together and on one day they were torn from life, and the one not left behind did not consider life livable for himself by the separation of the other. Now let each one of you remember for me the enemy and the one who has grieved him, while the mind is still seething with mourning, and let him both guard this one while he lives, and mourn him when he has departed; and if it is necessary to suffer anything so as not to grieve the one who has wronged him, let him do and suffer all things, awaiting great recompenses from God. For truly nothing is so safe as sparing enemies, nor so precarious as wishing to avenge oneself and defend oneself. For the one who has destroyed will often also condemn himself, and will have a wicked conscience, pricked by that sin every day and hour; but the one who has spared and endured for a little time rejoices thereafter and lives in luxury, awaiting good hopes, and expecting from God the recompenses of forbearance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":461,"ref":"p461","source":"κἂν εἴποτε περιπέσοι τινὶ δεινῷ, μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας ἀπαιτήσει τὸν Θεὸν τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Δαυῒδ καὶ τὸν Σαοὺλ γενομένων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ βουληθεὶς ἀνελεῖν, γυμνὸς καὶ ἄνοπλος καὶ πάντων ἔρημος, καὶ καθάπερ αἰχμάλωτος παραδοθεὶς, οὕτως εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον ἔκειτο· ὁ δὲ εἴκων καὶ παραχωρῶν πανταχοῦ, καὶ μηδὲ δικαίως ἐπεξελθεῖν βουλόμενος, χωρὶς μηχανημάτων καὶ ὅπλων καὶ ἵππων καὶ στρατιωτῶν, τὸν πολέμιον εἰς χεῖρας ἐλάμβανε· καὶ, ὃ δὴ μεῖζον ἁπάντων ἦν, τὸν Θεὸν εἰς πλείονα εὔνοιαν ἐπεσπάσατο, καὶ μεγάλας καὶ θαυμαστὰς τῆς περὶ τὸν ἐχθρὸν κηδεμονίας τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἀπέλαβεν ὕστερον. Ποίαν οὖν ἕξομεν ἡμεῖς συγγνώμην ἁμαρτημάτων παρελθόντων μνημονεύοντες, καὶ τοὺς λελυπηκότας ἀμυνόμενοι, ὅταν ὁ ἀναίτιος ἐκεῖνος τοσαῦτα μὲν πεπονθὼς, πλείονα δὲ καὶ χαλεπώτερα προσδοκῶν αὐτῷ συμβήσεσθαι κακὰ, ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ σωτηρίας φαίνηται φειδόμενος οὕτως, ὡς ἑλέσθαι κινδυνεῦσαι μᾶλλον αὐτὸς, καὶ μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου ζῇν, ἢ τὸν μέλλοντα μυρία πράγματα αὐτῷ παρέχειν ἀποσφάξαι δικαίως; Καλὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον φιλοσόφου ψυχῆς τὸ ἀδικηθέντα μὴ ἀμύνασθαι. Τοιοῦτος οὖν ὁ Δαυΐδ. Καίτοι γε ὁ νόμος τοῦτο παρεῖχε τότε τὸ μέτρον, ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ","english":"And if ever he should fall into any terrible danger, with great boldness he will demand from God the recompense. And this can be seen from what happened in the cases of David and Saul. For the one who wished to destroy him, naked and unarmed and bereft of all, and delivered over as it were a captive, lay thus in the cave; while the other, yielding and giving way everywhere, and not even wishing to take vengeance justly, without engines and weapons and horses and soldiers, took the enemy into his hands; and, what was greater than all, he drew God to greater favor, and later received great and wonderful recompenses for his care concerning the enemy. What excuse, then, shall we have, when we remember past sins and take vengeance on those who have grieved us, since that blameless man, having suffered so many things and expecting even more and worse evils to befall him, is shown to have so spared the salvation of his enemy as to choose rather to risk himself and to live with fear and trembling than justly to slay the one who was going to furnish him countless troubles? For it is good not to do wrong, but much more is it the mark of a philosophic soul not to take vengeance when wronged. Such, then, was David. And yet the law at that time provided this measure: an eye for an eye","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":462,"ref":"p462","source":"κελεύων, καὶ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος ἐκκόπτειν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν παράβασις τὸ γινόμενον· ἀλλ' οὕτω φιλόσοφος ἦν ὁ Δαυῒδ, ὡς μὴ μόνον μὴ παραβαίνειν τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ σκάμματα πηδᾷν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐνόμιζεν αὐτῷ ἀρκεῖν εἰς ἀρετὴν, εἰ μὴ καὶ ὑπερακοντίσειεν τὰ προστάγματα. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τοῦτο ἀπαιτούμεθα μόνον, τὸ μὴ ἀνταποδιδόναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ εὐεργετεῖν· Εὔχεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς· καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς. Ποίαν οὖν σχοίημεν συγγνώμην λοιπὸν, τίνα δὲ ἀπολογίαν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν μὴ φθάνοντες εἰς τὰ μέτρα τῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πολιτευσαμένων, καὶ ταῦτα πολλὴν περισσείαν ἀπαιτούμενοι; Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ περισσεύσῃ, φησὶν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσος ὁ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τὰ αὐτὰ κατορθῶν τῷ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῷ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου, μᾶλλον δὲ τῷ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ πολλὴ ἡ διαφορὰ γίνεται. Ὅταν ἐννοήσω τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα καὶ τὸ συμπαθὲς καὶ φιλόστοργον, ἰλιγγιῶ καὶ τρέμω καὶ ἐκπλήξει συνέχομαι, πῶς καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ τῶν σταυρούντων ὑπερηύχετο· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον; Καὶ οἱ λῃσταὶ δὲ ἀμφότεροι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὠνείδιζον αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἡνίκα ὁ εὐγνώμων εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐλθὼν εἴρηκε, Μνήσθητί μου, Κύριε, τὸν παράδεισον αὐτῷ πρὸ πάντων ἀνέῳξε.","english":"commanding, and to knock out tooth for tooth, and what was done was not a transgression; but David was so philosophical that he not only did not transgress the law, but even out of great abundance went beyond it and leaped over the boundaries. For he did not consider it sufficient for virtue if he did not also surpass the commandments. But we are required not only not to repay, but also to do good; for, he says, pray for those who despitefully use you; do good to those who hate you. What excuse then shall we have hereafter, or what defense after the coming of Christ, if we do not reach the measure of those who lived under the Old Covenant, and that too when much more is required of us? For unless your righteousness, he says, exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. For just as one who accomplishes the same things under the law is not equal to one before the law, so neither is one under grace equal to one before the law—or rather, to one under the law—but from the time there is a great difference. When I consider the goodness and compassion and tender love of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am dizzy and I tremble and I am overcome with amazement, how even on the very cross he prayed for those who were crucifying him; what could be equal to this? And both robbers at the beginning reviled him, but when the grateful one came to his senses and said, Remember me, Lord, he opened paradise to him before all others.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":463,"ref":"p463","source":"Καὶ δακρύει δὲ τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτὸν ἀναιρεῖν, καὶ ταράττεται καὶ συγχεῖται ὁρῶν τὸν προδότην, οὐχ ὅτι σταυροῦσθαι ἔμελλεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀπώλλυτο ἐκεῖνος. Ἐταράττετο τοίνυν προειδὼς τὴν ἀγχόνην, τὴν κόλασιν τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἀγχόνην, καὶ εἰδὼς αὐτοῦ τὴν πονηρίαν, μέχρις ἐσχάτης ὥρας αὐτὸν ἐθεράπευσε καὶ διεκρούετο. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφίλησε τὸν προδότην, τύπον ἡμῖν καὶ ὑπογραμμὸν ἀγαθωσύνης καὶ μακροθυμίας παρέχων ὁ ἀγαθὸς Δεσπότης. Ἰούδα γὰρ, φησὶ, φιλήματι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδως; Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐμάλαξε, τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔκαμψεν αὕτη ἡ φωνή; ποῖον θηρίον, ποίαν λιθώδη ψυχήν; ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν δείλαιον ἐκεῖνον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν· Ὦ μιαρὲ καὶ παμπόνηρε καὶ προδότα, ταύτας ἡμῖν ἀποδίδως τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῆς τοσαύτης εὐεργεσίας; ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ἰούδα· τὸ κύριον ὄνομα θεὶς, ὃ μᾶλλον ταλανίζοντος ἦν, καὶ ἀνακαλοῦντος, οὐκ ὀργιζομένου. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, τὸν διδάσκαλόν σου, τὸν δεσπότην σου, τὸν εὐεργέτην· ἀλλὰ, Τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φιλήματι παραδίδως; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ διδάσκαλος ἦν, μηδὲ δεσπότης, τὸν οὕτως ἡμέρως, τὸν οὕτως ἀπλάστως πρὸς σὲ διακείμενον, ὡς καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς προδοσίας σε φιλεῖν, τοῦτον παραδίδως; Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸν προδότην οὕτως, ὡς προείρηται· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπελθόντας μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων πῶς; Καὶ τί γένοιτο ἡμερώτερον τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους εἰρημένων; Δυνάμενος γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀθρόον ἀφανίσαι πάντας, τούτων μὲν ἐποίησεν οὐδὲν, ἐντρεπτικῶς δὲ αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται λέγων· Τί ἐξήλθετε ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων;","english":"And he weeps for those who are about to kill him, and he is troubled and confounded at seeing the traitor—not because he was going to be crucified, but because that man was perishing. He was troubled, then, foreseeing the hanging, the punishment after the hanging, and knowing his wickedness, he tended him and shielded him to the very last hour. But he even kissed the traitor, the good Master giving us a type and pattern of goodness and longsuffering. For, he says, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Whom would this voice not have softened, whom would it not have bent? What beast, what stony soul? But not that wretched man. For he did not say: O vile and utterly wicked and traitorous one, is this the recompense you give us for such great beneficence? But how? Judas—setting down the proper name, which was more the act of one lamenting and calling back, not of one angered. And he did not say, your teacher, your master, your benefactor; but, Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? For if he was not teacher nor master, do you betray this one who is so gently, so guilelessly disposed toward you as even to kiss you at the time of the betrayal? And toward the traitor he spoke thus, as has been said; but toward those who came with swords and clubs, how? And what could be gentler than the words spoken to them? For though he was able to make them all vanish at once, he did none of this, but speaks to them reprovingly, saying: Why did you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":464,"ref":"p464","source":"καὶ ῥίψας αὐτοὺς ὑπτίους, ἐπειδὴ ἔμενον ἀναισθητοῦντες, ἑκὼν πάλιν ἑαυτὸν ἐξεδίδου, καὶ ἠνείχετο δεσμὰ περιβάλλοντας ταῖς ἁγίαις χερσὶν ὁρῶν, δυνάμενος πάντας κλονῆσαι καὶ ῥῖψαι κάτω. Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ; Μιμησώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ, τὴν ἀνεξικακίαν αὐτοῦ, τὴν πραότητα, τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην. Μάθετε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν. Διὰ δὴ ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ταῦτα τίθησι καί φησιν· Εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς διώκοντας ὑμᾶς, οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ ἐπιβουλεύοντας δηλονότι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ μνησικακεῖτε, μηδὲ ἀμύνεσθε, ἀλλὰ τὸ πολλῷ πλέον τούτου ἐζήτησεν εἰπὼν, Εὐλογεῖτε. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ, τὸ μὴ μνησικακεῖν, μηδὲ ἀμύνεσθαι, ἀνδρὸς φιλοσόφου, τοῦτο δὲ ἀγγέλου. Λοιπὸν καὶ εἰπὼν, Εὐλογεῖτε, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε, ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μόνον· καὶ γὰρ μισθῶν ἡμῖν εἰσι πρόξενοι οἱ διώκοντες. Ἂν δὲ νήφῃς, καὶ","english":"And having thrown them backward, since they remained insensible, he willingly handed himself over again, and he endured seeing them put bonds on his holy hands, though he was able to shake them all and throw them down. Who will speak of the mighty acts of the Lord, who will make all his praises heard? Let us also imitate, brothers, his forbearance, his gentleness, his humility. For learn from me, he says, that I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For this reason Paul also sets these things down and says: Bless those who persecute you—clearly, those who plot in whatever way. And he did not say, Do not bear a grudge, nor avenge yourselves, but he sought what is far greater than this, saying, Bless. For that—not bearing a grudge, nor avenging oneself—is the mark of a philosopher, but this of an angel. Then, having said, Bless, he added, And do not curse, so that we may not do both this and that, but only that; for those who persecute us are the cause of rewards for us. But if you are sober, and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":465,"ref":"p465","source":"ἕτερον σὺ σαυτῷ μετ' ἐκείνων κατασκευάσεις μισθόν· ἐκεῖνος μὲν γάρ σοι τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ διωγμοῦ παρέξει, σὺ δὲ σαυτῷ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλογίας τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον, σημεῖον μέγιστον ἐκφέρων τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ἀγάπης. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο παντὶ τρόπῳ τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας καὶ διώκοντας, καὶ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπηρεάζοντας τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀμείβεσθαι ἐκέλευσεν ὁ πνευματικὸς διδάσκαλος, καὶ ἄνω μὲν αὐτοὺς εὐλογεῖν ἐπέταξε, προϊὼν δὲ καὶ ἔργοις εὐεργετεῖν παραινεῖ· Χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, καὶ κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔστιν εὐλογῆσαι μὲν καὶ μὴ καταράσασθαι, μὴ μὴν ἐξ ἀγάπης τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, βούλεται καὶ διαθερμαίνεσθαι ἡμᾶς τῇ φιλίᾳ. Διὸ καὶ ταῦτα ἐπήγαγεν, ὥστε μὴ μόνον εὐλογεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συναλγεῖν καὶ συμπάσχειν, εἴποτε ἴδοιμεν αὐτοὺς συμφορᾷ περιπεσόντας. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀγάπην συνάγει, ὡς ὅταν καὶ χαρᾶς καὶ λύπης κοινωνῶμεν ἀλλήλοις. Ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Πέτρος πρὸς τὸν Χριστόν· Ποσάκις, ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; Ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐπερωτᾷ καὶ ὑπισχνεῖται, καὶ πρὶν ἢ μάθῃ, φιλοτιμεῖται. Τὴν γὰρ γνώμην τοῦ διδασκάλου σαφῶς εἰδὼς, ὅτι πρὸς φιλανθρωπίαν ῥέπει πλέον, βουλόμενος ἀρέσαι τῷ διδασκάλῳ, φησίν· Ἕως ἑπτάκις; Εἶτα ἵνα μάθῃς, τί μὲν ἄνθρωπος, τί δὲ Θεὸς, καὶ πῶς ἡ τοῦ μαθητοῦ φιλοτιμία, ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀφίκηται, πρὸς τὴν εὐπορίαν τοῦ διδασκάλου συγκρινομένη, πενίας ἐστὶ πάσης εὐτελεστέρα· καὶ ὅσον σταγὼν πρὸς πέλαγος ἄπειρον, τοσοῦτον ἡ ἡμῶν ἀγαθότης πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἄφατον φιλανθρωπίαν· εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ.","english":"You will prepare for yourself another reward together with that one; for he will give you the reward that comes from persecution, but you will give yourself the reward that comes from blessing him, carrying a very great sign of love for Christ. For this reason the spiritual teacher commanded us in every way to repay those who insult and persecute and harm us in deeds with the opposite, and above he ordered us to bless them, and going on he exhorts us to benefit them in deeds as well: Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. For since it is possible to bless and not to curse, yet not to do this out of love, he wants us also to be warmed through with friendship. Therefore he added these things too, so that we might not only bless but also grieve with them and suffer with them, whenever we see them fallen into misfortune. For nothing gathers love together as much as when we share both joys and sorrows with one another. Hear what Peter says to Christ: How many times, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him? Up to seven times? At once he both asks and promises, and before he learns, he is ambitious. For knowing clearly the mind of the teacher, that he inclines more toward loving-kindness, wishing to please the teacher, he says: Up to seven times? Then, so that you may learn what man is, and what God is, and how the ambition of the disciple, wherever it may arrive, when compared with the abundance of the teacher, is more worthless than all poverty; and as much as a drop is to a boundless sea, so much is our goodness compared with his ineffable loving-kindness—when he had said this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":466,"ref":"p466","source":"ἑπτάκις, καὶ νομίσαντος μεγάλα φιλοτιμεῖσθαι καὶ δαψιλεύεσθαι, φησὶν ὁ Χριστός· Οὐ λέγω, ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ' ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά· ὅπερ ἐστὶ τετρακόσια καὶ ἐνενήκοντα. Καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς δύσκολον εἶναι τὸ ἐπίταγμα· ἐὰν γὰρ ᾖς παρεσκευασμένος τοσαυτάκις καταφρονεῖν τῶν εἰς σὲ ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀπὸ μιᾶς καὶ δευτέρας καὶ τρίτης συγχωρήσεως γυμνασθεὶς, οὐδὲ πόνον ἕξεις λοιπὸν τῆς τοιαύτης φιλοσοφίας, καθάπαξ ἐμμελετήσας τῇ πυκνότητι τῆς συγχωρήσεως, μηδὲ πλήττεσθαι παρὰ τῶν τοῦ πέλας ἁμαρτημάτων. Ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τις ἁρπαγὴν ὑποστὰς ἄδικον, ὑπὲρ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀδικίας εὐχαριστήσει τῷ Θεῷ, μυρίους διὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας ἐκείνης καρπώσεται τοὺς μισθούς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τὸν Θεὸν εὐφραίνει, ὡς τὸ μὴ ἀποδοῦναι κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις· Τί γὰρ ἠδυνάμην ἀμύνασθαι τὸν ἀδικήσαντα ἀσθενέστερος ὤν; ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅτι ἠδύνασο πρᾶξαι, τῷ δυσχερᾶναι, τῷ ἀποδυσπετῆσαι, τῷ κατεύξασθαι τοῦ λελυπηκότος, τῷ καταράσασθαι αὐτῷ μυρία, τῷ πρὸς πάντας διαβαλεῖν· ταῦτα γὰρ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ κεῖται τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ. Ὁ τοίνυν ταῦτα μὴ ποιήσας, καὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀμύνασθαι μισθὸν λήψεται· δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ἐκείνου κύριος ὢν, οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησεν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐμπεσόντα εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τὰς σὰς, μὴ νόμιζε τιμωρίας, ἀλλὰ σωτηρίας ἐκεῖνον εἶναι τὸν καιρόν. Τότε γὰρ μάλιστα δεῖ φείδεσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ὅταν αὐτῶν γενώμεθα κύριοι· κἂν οὕτω τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομῶμεν, καὶ τῆς τῶν πλησίον ἀντιλαμβανώμεθα σωτηρίας, ταχέως κἀκείνοις αὐτοῖς ποθεινοὶ ἐσόμεθα καὶ ἐπέραστοι, καὶ ὃ πάντων μεῖζον, τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἀπολαύσομεν ἀγαθῶν·","english":"seven times, and when he thought he was being greatly honored and lavishly generous, Christ says: I do not say, until seven times, but until seventy times seven; which is four hundred and ninety. And do not think the command is difficult; for if you are prepared to disregard offenses against you that many times, trained by a first and second and third forgiveness, you will no longer have any toil from such philosophy, once you have thoroughly practiced yourself in the frequency of forgiveness, so as not even to be struck by the sins of your neighbor. But even if someone has suffered unjust plunder, for such injustice he will give thanks to God, and through that thanksgiving he will reap countless rewards. For nothing so gladdens God as not repaying evil for evil. But if someone should say: How could I have defended myself against the one who wronged me, being weaker? I would say this, that you could have acted by being vexed, by being indignant, by cursing the one who grieved you, by calling down countless curses on him, by slandering him to everyone; for these things lie within our power. Therefore the one who has not done these things will receive a reward even for not defending himself; for it is clear that, being master of that too, he would not have done it. When, then, you see your enemy fall into your hands, do not think that that time is for punishment, but for salvation. For then especially ought we to spare enemies, when we have become their masters; and if we thus manage our own affairs, and take up the salvation of our neighbors, we shall quickly be both desired and beloved by them, and, what is greater than all, we shall enjoy the good things laid up in store.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":467,"ref":"p467","source":"χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ Λʹ. Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον Παῦλον, συντεθὲν παρὰ Θεοδώρου Μαγίστρου, ἀπὸ διαφόρων λόγων τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου.\n\nΤῆς μὲν ἐπιγραφῆς τῶν ἀποστολικῶν Πράξεων ἅπαν ὑμῖν ἤδη τὸ χρέος καταβεβλήκαμεν. Ἀκόλουθον δὲ λοιπὸν ἦν, καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἅψασθαι τοῦ βιβλίου, καὶ\n\nεἰπεῖν τί ποτέ ἐστι, Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ Θεόφιλε, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν. Ἀλλὰ Παῦλος οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἡμᾶς χρήσασθαι τῇ τάξει ταύτῃ τῆς ἀκολουθίας, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα κατορθώματα τὴν ἡμετέραν γλῶτταν καλῶν. Ἐπιθυμῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν εἰς Δαμασκὸν εἰσαγόμενον, δεδεμένον, οὐκ ἐν ἀλύσει σιδηρᾷ, ἀλλὰ φωνῇ Δεσποτικῇ· ἐπιθυμῶ δὲ ἰδεῖν ἁλιευθέντα τὸν ἰχθὺν τοῦτον τὸν μέγαν, τὸν ἅπασαν ἀναβράσαντα τὴν θάλασσαν, τὸν μυρία κύματα κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐπεγείραντα· ἐπιθυμῶ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν ἁλιευθέντα, οὐχὶ ἀγκίστρῳ, ἀλλὰ λόγῳ Δεσποτικῷ. Καθάπερ γάρ τις ἁλιεὺς ἐπὶ πέτρας ὑψηλῆς καθήμενος, καὶ τὸν κάλαμον μετεωρίζων ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ τὸ ἄγκιστρον ἀφίησιν εἰς τὸ πέλαγος· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Δεσπότης ὁ ἡμέτερος, ὁ τὴν ἁλείαν δείξας τὴν πνευματικὴν, καθάπερ ἐφ' ὑψηλῆς πέτρας τῶν οὐρανῶν καθήμενος, ὥσπερ ἄγκιστρον τὴν φωνὴν ἐκείνην ἀφεὶς ἄνωθεν, καὶ εἰπὼν, Σαῦλε, Σαῦλε, τί με διώκεις; οὕτω τὸν ἰχθὺν τοῦτον τὸν μέγαν ἡλίευσε.","english":"By the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the dominion, with the Father and the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 30. An Encomium on the holy apostle Paul, composed by Theodore Magistros, from various homilies of our father among the saints John Chrysostom.\n\nWe have already discharged the whole debt owed you concerning the title of the apostolic Acts. It followed, then, that we should also touch upon the beginning of the book, and\n\nsay what it is: The first account I made concerning all things, O Theophilus, which Jesus began both to do and to teach. But Paul does not allow us to use this order of sequence, calling our tongue to himself and his own achievements. For I long to see him led into Damascus, bound—not in an iron chain, but by the Master's voice; I long to see this great fish caught, the one who made the whole sea boil, who stirred up countless waves against the Church; I long to see him caught, not with a hook, but by the Master's word. For just as a fisherman sitting on a high rock, raising his rod, lets the hook down from on high into the deep, so too our Master, who showed forth the spiritual fishing, sitting as it were on the high rock of the heavens, letting that voice down from above like a hook, and saying, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?—thus did he catch this great fish.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":468,"ref":"p468","source":"Τίς γὰρ τὸν ὠμὸν καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον, καὶ διώκτην καὶ βλάσφημον, καὶ οὕτω τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν λυμαινόμενον, ὡς καὶ κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους πορευόμενον σύρειν ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, καὶ πάντα συγχέειν καὶ ταράττειν, ὑπέμεινεν, εἰ μὴ ἐξαίφνης ὁ Βασιλεὺς ὁ ἡμέτερος καλέσας μετέστησε, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπανήγαγε; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ, ὅπουπερ ἂν παραγενόμενον εἶδον, δεδοικότες ἔφριττον, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι ἐτόλμων· καὶ ὅτε πάλιν τῶν φίλων ἐγένετο, τὸν αὐτὸν φόβον ἐδείκνυον. Εἰ οὖν καταλλαγέντα αὐτὸν ἐδεδοίκεισαν, ἐχθρὸν ὄντα καὶ πολέμιον, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐποίουν; Ἐγὼ δὲ τί πάθω; ἀνάγκη φυγεῖν πολλῇ τῇ σφοδρότητι χρησάμενον, μὴ πάλιν κατασχὼν ἀπαγάγῃ τοῦ προκειμένου. Καὶ γὰρ ἴστε πολλάκις ἑτέρωθί με βαδίζοντα καὶ τετραμμένον, ἀπαντήσας ἐν μέσῳ τῷ λόγῳ κατέσχε, καὶ οὕτως εἷλεν, ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ πεῖσαι καὶ καταλῦσαι τὸν λόγον. Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην φωτίσας πᾶσαν, ἐν καιρῷ τῆς κλήσεως ἐτυφλώθη ποτέ· ἀλλ' ἡ πήρωσις ἐκείνου φωτισμὸς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐγένετο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔβλεπε κακῶς, ἐπήρωσεν αὐτὸν καλῶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε ἀναβλέψαι χρησίμως· καὶ ἐπειδὴ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ οὕτως σφοδρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀπρόσιτος, σφοδρότερον δέχεται τὸν χαλινόν· ἵνα μὴ τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς προθυμίας ἐκείνης ἀγόμενος παρακούσῃ τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ ἵνα μάθῃ τίνα πολεμεῖ, ὃν οὐ μόνον κολάζοντα, ἀλλὰ οὔτε εὐεργετοῦντα ἐνεγκεῖν δύναται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ σκότος αὐτὸν ἐπήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ὑπερβολὴ φωτὸς αὐτὸν ἐσκότισεν. Εἰ πόλεμος ἡμῖν περιεστήκει βαρβαρικὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως οἱ πολέμιοι μυρία παρεῖχον ἡμῖν πράγματα·","english":"For who could have endured that savage and inhuman man, the persecutor and blasphemer, who so ravaged the Church as even to go about from house to house dragging off men and women and throwing everything into confusion and disorder, had not our King suddenly called him and removed him and brought him back to himself? For even the disciples, wherever they saw him arrive, shuddered in fear and did not dare even to look him in the face; and when he had become their friend again, they showed the same fear. If, then, they feared him when he had been reconciled, when he was an enemy and an adversary, what would they not have done? But what am I to suffer? I must take to flight with great urgency, lest he seize me again and carry me away from my purpose. For you know that often, when I was walking and occupied elsewhere, he met me and stopped me in the middle of my discourse, and so captivated me that he persuaded me to undo and demolish the discourse itself. This blessed Paul, then, who enlightened the whole world, was once blinded at the time of his calling; but that blindness became the enlightenment of the world. For since he saw badly, God blinded him well, so that he might see profitably; and since he persecuted the Church beyond measure, and was so violent and unapproachable, he receives a more violent bridle, so that, carried along by the rush of that zeal, he might not disobey what was said, and so that he might learn whom he was fighting against—one whom he could not endure, not only when he punished, but not even when he bestowed benefits. For it was not darkness that blinded him, but an excess of light that darkened him. If a barbarian war had surrounded us, and in the battle line the enemies were causing us countless troubles,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":469,"ref":"p469","source":"εἶτα ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν βαρβάρων ὁ μυρία προσάγων μηχανήματα, καὶ πάντα συγχέων τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ πολλοῦ θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς ἐμπιπλῶν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτὴν ἀπειλῶν κατασκάψειν καὶ παραδώσειν πυρὶ, καὶ δουλείαν ἡμῖν ἐπανατεινόμενος, ἐξαίφνης ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἡμετέρου δεθεὶς, αἰχμάλωτος εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἤγετο· οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντες μετὰ γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων πρὸς τὴν θεωρίαν ἐκείνην ἐξεπηδήσαμεν; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ νῦν πόλεμος συνέστηκεν Ἰουδαίων θορυβούντων καὶ ταραττόντων ἅπαντα, καὶ πολλὰ τῇ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀσφαλείᾳ προσαγόντων μηχανήματα, τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τῶν πολεμίων ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ πάντων μείζονα καὶ ποιῶν καὶ λέγων, ὁ πάντα θορυβῶν καὶ ταράττων, ἔδησε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ ἡμέτερος, ἔδησε καὶ αἰχμάλωτον ἤγαγεν· οὐκ ἐξέλθωμεν ἅπαντες ἐπὶ τὴν θεωρίαν ταύτην, ὥστε ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον ἀγόμενον; Καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν δεδεμένον καὶ εἰσαγόμενον, ἐσκίρτων· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ δεδεμένον αὐτὸν εἶδον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐνενόουν, ὅσους ἀνθρώπους ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν λύειν ἔμελλεν· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ χειραγωγούμενον ἐθεάσαντο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐλογίζοντο ὅσους ἔμελλεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς χειραγωγεῖν ἐκεῖνος· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ πεπηρωμένον εἶδον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐνενόουν, ὅσους ἔμελλεν ἀπὸ σκότους ἐξάγειν. Διὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ πάντας ἀφεὶς τοὺς ἄλλους, εἰς Παῦλον ἅλλεσθαι σπεύδω. Παῦλος γὰρ καὶ Παύλου πόθος ἠνάγκασεν ἡμᾶς πηδῆσαι","english":"Then the commander of the barbarians, who brought countless devices, and confounded all our affairs, and filled everything with great uproar and confusion, and threatened to raze the city itself and deliver it to fire, and held out slavery to us—suddenly bound by our King, he was led captive into the city. Would we not all, with women and children, have rushed out to that spectacle? And since even now war has arisen, with Jews making uproar and throwing everything into confusion, and bringing many devices against the security of the Church, and the chief of the enemies is Paul, who does and says things greater than all, who throws everything into uproar and confusion—but our Lord Jesus Christ, our King, has bound him, bound him and led him captive—shall we not all go out to this spectacle, so as to see him led captive? For even the angels, watching from the heavens as he was bound and led in, leaped for joy—not because they saw him bound, but because they considered how many people he was going to loose from their bonds; not because they beheld him led by the hand, but because they reckoned how many he was going to lead by the hand from the earth; not because they saw him blinded, but because they understood how many he was going to lead out of darkness. For this reason I too, leaving all the others behind, hasten to leap toward Paul. For Paul, and longing for Paul, has compelled us to leap","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":470,"ref":"p470","source":"τοῦτο τὸ πήδημα. Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας σου, Κύριε, ὅτι Παῦλον οὐκ ἀφῆκας λαθεῖν, ὅτι ἔδειξας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα; Ἤνεσάν σε πάντες ἄγγελοι ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ὅτε τὰ ἄστρα εἰργάσω, καὶ ὅτε τὸν ἥλιον, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως, ὡς ὅτε Παῦλον ἔδειξας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πάσῃ. Διὰ τοῦτο φαιδροτέρα γέγονεν ἡ γῆ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐπειδὴ φαιδρότερος οὗτος τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ φωτός. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ὁ ἥλιος παραχωρεῖ τῇ νυκτὶ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου περιεγένετο· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀφ' ὕψους φερόμενος, κάτω τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἀφίησιν· αὐτὸς δὲ κάτωθεν ἀνατέλλων, οὐχὶ τὸ μέσον οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἀνεπλήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ἅμα τό τε στόμα ἠνέῳξε, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐνέπλησε πολλῆς τῆς ἡδονῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι χαρὰ γίνεται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκ πρώτης δημηγορίας μυριάδας πέντε ἀνδρῶν ἐθήρευσε, πόσης οὐκ ἐμπίπλησι χαρᾶς τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις; Καὶ τί λέγω; ἁπλῶς ἀρκεῖ Παῦλον φθέγγεσθαι, καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς σκιρτᾷν καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι. Τί γὰρ τῶν σπλάγχνων τούτου θερμότερον, ὃς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης περιέτρεχε συρόμενος, λιθαζόμενος, ἵνα τοὺς δεδεμένους λύσῃ, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μεταστήσῃ; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς μαχόμενος, οὕτω τὰ πράγματα ἤνυεν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπὶ ἑτοίμην καὶ πρόχειρον νίκην ἐρχόμενος, οὕτως ἵστη τὰ τρόπαια, κατασκάπτων, καθαιρῶν, καταβάλλων τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ ὀχυρώματα, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων τὰ μηχανήματα, καὶ οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἀνέπνει, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τούτων ἐπ' ἐκείνους, καὶ πάλιν ἀπ' ἐκείνων ἐφ' ἑτέρους μεταπηδῶν, καὶ καθάπερ τις στρατηγὸς ἄριστος καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἱστῶν τρόπαια, μᾶλλον δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην ὥραν.","english":"This leap. Who will proclaim your mighty acts, Lord, that you did not allow Paul to go unnoticed, that you showed such a man to the world? All the angels praised you with one accord when you made the stars, and when you made the sun, but not as they did when you showed Paul to the whole world. For this reason the earth has become brighter than heaven, since this man is brighter than the light of the sun. And this sun yields to the night, but that man prevailed over the devil; and the sun, carried from on high, sends its rays downward; but he, rising from below, did he not fill the space between heaven and earth with light? No, as soon as he opened his mouth, he filled the angels with great pleasure. For if there is joy in the heavens over one sinner who repents, and he from his very first public address hunted five thousand men, with how much joy does he not fill the powers above? And why do I say this? Simply for Paul to speak is enough for the heavens to leap and rejoice. For what is warmer than the heart of this man, who ran everywhere throughout the world, dragged about, stoned, in order to loose those who were bound and draw them to himself? For he did not accomplish these things as one fighting, but as one coming to a victory ready and at hand, so he set up his trophies, demolishing, tearing down, casting down the strongholds of the devil and the devices of the demons, and he did not even take a little breath, but leaping from these to those, and again from those to others, and like some excellent general setting up trophies every day, or rather every hour.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":471,"ref":"p471","source":"Ἀπὸ γὰρ χιτωνίσκου μόνον εἰς τὴν παράταξιν εἰσελθὼν, αὐτάνδρους ᾕρει τῶν ἐναντίων τὰς πόλεις· καὶ τόξα καὶ δόρατα καὶ βέλη καὶ πάντα ἡ γλῶττα Παύλου. Καὶ γὰρ ἐφθέγγετο μόνον, καὶ παντὸς πυρὸς σφοδρότερον τοῖς πολεμίοις αἱ ῥήσεις ἐμπίπτουσαι, τοὺς μὲν δαίμονας ἤλαυνον, τοὺς δὲ ὑπ' αὐτῶν κατεχομένους ἀνθρώπους πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπανήγαγον. Ὅτε γὰρ τὸν δαίμονα ἐκεῖνον τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξέβαλε, γοήτων ἀνδρῶν μυριάδες πέντε συνελθόντες τὰ βιβλία τῶν μαγειῶν κατέκαιον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν μεθίσταντο. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐν πολέμῳ πύργου πεσόντος, ἢ τυράννου κατενεχθέντος, οἱ μετ' ἐκείνου πάντες τὰ ὅπλα ῥίψαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ προστρέχουσιν, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τότε ἐγένετο· τοῦ γὰρ δαίμονος ἐκβληθέντος πολιορκηθέντες ἅπαντες, καὶ τὰ βιβλία ῥίψαντες, μᾶλλον δὲ καταλύσαντες, τοῖς Παύλου ποσὶ προσέτρεχον. Ὁ δὲ καθάπερ ἑνὶ στρατοπέδῳ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ παραταττόμενος, οὐδαμοῦ ἵστατο, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις ὑπόπτερος ὢν, πάντα ἐποίει· καὶ νῦν μὲν χωλὸν διώρθου, νῦν δὲ νεκρὸν ἤγειρε, νῦν δὲ ἕτερον ἐπήρου, τὸν μάγον λέγω· καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ κατακλειόμενος ἡσύχαζεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖ τὸν δεσμοφύλακα μετῆγε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, τὴν καλὴν ταύτην αἰχμαλωσίαν ἐργαζόμενος. Θαυμάζεται Δαυῒδ τὸν Γολιὰθ καταφέρων ἀπὸ λίθου μόνον ἑνός· ἀλλ' εἰ τὰ Παύλου κατορθώματά τις ἐξετάσειεν, παιδὸς ἔργον ἐκεῖνο· καὶ ὅσον ποιμένος καὶ στρατηγοῦ τὸ μέσον, τοσοῦτον τούτου κἀκείνου τὸ διάφορον· οὗτος γὰρ οὐ λίθον ῥίπτων τὸν νοητὸν Γολιὰθ κατέφερεν, ἀλλὰ φθεγγόμενος μόνον ἅπασαν κατέλυσε τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν φάλαγγα.","english":"For entering the battle line with nothing but a tunic, he captured whole cities of the enemy with their men; and bows and spears and arrows and everything were the tongue of Paul. For he only spoke, and his words, falling upon the enemies more fiercely than any fire, drove out the demons and brought back to him the men who were possessed by them. For when he cast out that wicked demon, five thousand men of the sorcerers came together and burned the books of their magic, and turned to the truth. And just as in war, when a tower has fallen or a tyrant has been brought down, all those with him throw down their weapons and run to the general, so also it happened then: for when the demon had been cast out, all were besieged and threw down their books—or rather, destroyed them—and ran to the feet of Paul. And he, arrayed against the whole inhabited world as against a single army, stood nowhere still, but as though he had wings, he did everything: now he set right a lame man, now he raised a dead man, now he healed another—I mean the magician; and not even when shut up in prison did he keep quiet, but there too he won over the jailer to himself, working out this noble captivity. David is admired for bringing down Goliath with a single stone; but if one examines the achievements of Paul, that was the work of a child; and as great as the difference between a shepherd and a general, so great is the difference between the one and the other. For this man, without throwing a stone, brought down the spiritual Goliath, but by speaking only he destroyed the whole phalanx of the devil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":472,"ref":"p472","source":"Καὶ καθάπερ λέων βρυχώμενος καὶ φλόγα ἀπὸ τῆς γλώττης ἀφιεὶς, οὕτω πᾶσιν ἀφόρητος ἦν ἐπιών· καὶ πανταχοῦ μετεπήδα συνεχῶς, ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τούτους, ἦλθεν ἐπ' ἐκείνους, μετέστη πρὸς τούτους, ἀπεπήδησε πρὸς ἑτέρους, ἀνέμου ταχύτερον ἐπιών· καὶ καθάπερ μίαν οἰκίαν ἢ πλοῖον ἓν, τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν κυβερνῶν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν βαπτιζομένους ἀνέλκων, τοὺς δὲ ἰλιγγιῶντας στηρίζων, τοῖς ναύταις παρακελευόμενος, ἐπὶ τῶν αὐχένων καθήμενος, τὴν πρώραν περισκοπῶν, σχοινία τείνων, κώπην ἐλαύνων, ἱστίον ἕλκων, πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν βλέπων, πάντα αὐτὸς ὢν, καὶ ναύτης καὶ κυβερνήτης καὶ πρωρεὺς καὶ ἱστίον καὶ πλοῖον, καὶ πάντα πάσχων ἵνα τὰ ἑτέρων λύσῃ κακά. Καὶ καθάπερ τις ἀθλητὴς, αὐτὸς παλαίων, τρέχων, πυκτεύων· ἢ στρατιώτης τειχομαχῶν, πεζομαχῶν, ναυμαχῶν· οὕτω πᾶν εἶδος μετῄει μάχης· καὶ πῦρ ἐνέπνει, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀπρόσιτος ἦν,\n\nἑνὶ σώματι καταλαμβάνων τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ μιᾷ γλώττῃ πάντας τροπούμενος. Οὐχ οὕτως αἱ πολλαὶ σάλπιγγες ἐνέπιπτον τοῖς λίθοις τῆς Ἱεριχουντείων πόλεως, καὶ καθῄρουν αὐτοὺς, ὡς ἡ Παύλου φωνὴ ἠχοῦσα, τὰ ὀχυρώματα τὰ διαβολικὰ χαμαὶ ἔῤῥιπτε, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς ἐναντίους μεθίστη. Καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἐχαλάσθη, ἵνα κάτωθεν ἄνω διαπέμψῃ τοὺς ἐῤῥιμμένους χαμαί. Τὸν μὲν οὖν λιμὸν, καὶ τὸ δίψος, καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν, καὶ τὰ ναυάγια, καὶ τοὺς φόβους, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τὰ δεσμωτήρια, καὶ τὰς πληγὰς, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὅσα τοῦ κηρύγματος ἕνεκεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ὑπέμεινεν, οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν λέγειν, ὧν ἕκαστον ἱκανὸν συνταράξαι σφοδρῶς, καὶ κατακλάσαι τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκείνην ψυχήν·","english":"And like a roaring lion breathing flame from its tongue, so he was unbearable to all as he advanced; and everywhere he leapt continually, he ran to these, he came to those, he moved to these, he sprang away to others, advancing faster than the wind; and as though steering the whole inhabited world as one house or one ship, drawing up those being baptized, steadying those who were dizzy, exhorting the sailors, sitting at the necks, scanning the prow, stretching the ropes, plying the oar, hauling the sail, looking toward heaven, being everything himself—both sailor and pilot and lookout and sail and ship—and suffering all things so that he might loose the evils of others. And like some athlete, himself wrestling, running, boxing; or a soldier fighting at the walls, fighting on foot, fighting at sea; so he went through every form of battle; and he breathed fire, and was unapproachable to all, grasping the inhabited world with one body, and routing all with one tongue. Not so did the many trumpets fall upon the stones of the city of the Jerichoites and bring them down, as the voice of Paul resounding cast the devilish strongholds to the ground and turned the enemies to himself. And through a window he was lowered from the wall, so that from below he might send up those cast down to the ground. The famine, then, and thirst, and nakedness, and shipwrecks, and fears, and plots, and prisons, and beatings, and all the other things whatsoever the blessed Paul endured for the sake of the preaching, I think there is no need to speak of, each of which was sufficient to shake violently and break in pieces that holy soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":473,"ref":"p473","source":"ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ, Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ πάντων μάλιστα διηνεκῆ καὶ ἀφόρητον παρεῖχε τὴν ἀθυμίαν αὐτῷ. Εἰ γὰρ 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. Τὸ δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀπιστοῦντας ὁρᾷν, τίνα ἂν ἀθυμίας καὶ ὀδύνης μικρὰν γοῦν ἀνακωχὴν ἔχειν ἠδύνατο; Ηὐχόμην γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν συγγενῶν μου τῶν κατὰ σάρκα, οἵτινές εἰσιν Ἰσραηλῖται. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ποθεινότερον ἦν μοι εἰς γέενναν ἐμπεσεῖν, ἢ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ἀπιστοῦντας ὁρᾷν. 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. Βαβαὶ τοῦ διαπύρου ἔρωτος τῆς ἀγάπης· ὁ πυρὸς κατατολμῶν Παῦλος, ὁ ἀδαμάντινος, ὁ στεῤῥὸς, ὁ ἀκλινὴς, ὁ ἀκαμπὴς, ὁ λέγων, Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; θλῖψις, ἢ στενοχωρία, ἢ διωγμὸς, ἢ λιμὸς, ἢ γυμνότης, ἢ κίνδυνος, ἢ μάχαιρα; ὁ γῆς καὶ θαλάττης κατατολμῶν, ὁ τῶν ἀδαμαντίνων τοῦ θανάτου πυλῶν καταγελῶν· οὗτος, ἐπειδή τινων ἀγαπητῶν εἶδε δάκρυα, οὕτω κατεκλάσθη καὶ συνετρίβη, ὡς μηδὲ κρύψαι τὸ πάθος, ἀλλ' εἰπεῖν εὐθέως· Τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος! ἄβυσσος αὐτὸν οὐ συνέτριψεν ὑδάτων, καὶ μικρὰ δάκρυα συνέτριψε καὶ κατέκλασε. Τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν;","english":"But when he says, \"Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?\" this is what more than anything gave him his unceasing and unbearable despondency. For if he himself burned for each one of those who stumbled, it was impossible for that burning to be quenched from his soul; for those who stumbled did not cease, nor did they cease providing fuel for the fire. But to see the Jews also unbelieving—what small relief, at least, of despondency and pain could he have? \"For I could wish,\" he says, \"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 unbelieving. But he who chose the punishment in Gehenna for the sake of being able to win over all the Jews—it is evident that, not obtaining this, he lived a life heavier than those punished in Gehenna. O the burning love of charity! Paul, who braved fire, the adamantine, the firm, the unbending, the inflexible, who says, \"Who shall separate us from Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?\"—he who braved land and sea, who laughed at the adamantine gates of death—this man, when he saw the tears of certain beloved ones, was so broken and crushed that he did not even hide his passion, but said at once: \"What are you doing, weeping and crushing my heart?\" O the wonder! The abyss of waters did not crush him, and a few tears crushed and broke him. \"What are you doing, weeping and crushing my heart?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":474,"ref":"p474","source":"Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; ἐκείνην τὴν ἀδαμαντίνην ψυχὴν συντρίψαι δάκρυον ἴσχυσε; Ναὶ, φησί· πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης ἰσχύς· αὕτη μου περιγίνεται καὶ κρατεῖ· πρὸς πάντα γὰρ ἀντέχω, πλὴν τῆς ἀγάπης. Ἀκούσατε ὅσοι μηδὲ χρημάτων διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καταφρονεῖτε, μᾶλλον δὲ δι' ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ φρίξατε τὸ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ Παύλου φίλτρον ἐν διανοίᾳ λαμβάνοντες· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν Χριστὸν οὗτος ἐφίλει διὰ τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸν τὰ ἐκείνου, καὶ ἓν ἐδεδοίκει μόνον, τὸ μὴ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ γεέννης φοβερώτερον ἦν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ μένειν ἐν αὐτῇ βασιλείας ποθεινότερον. Ὅταν οὖν ἐκεῖνος μὲν διὰ τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πόθον καὶ εἰς γέενναν καταδέχεται ἐμπεσεῖν, καὶ βασιλείας ἐκπεσεῖν, εἴ γε ἀμφότερα ταῦτα προύκειτο, ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδὲ τοῦ παρόντος καταφρονῶμεν βίου· ἆρα ἄξιοι τῶν γοῦν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν λοιπὸν, τοσοῦτον ἀφεστηκότες αὐτοῦ τῇ μεγαλονοίᾳ; Εἰ γὰρ οἰκίας τις μιᾶς προνοούμενος, καὶ οἰκέτας ἔχων καὶ ἐπιτρόπους καὶ οἰκονόμους, οὐδὲ ἀναπνεῖ πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῶν φροντίδων, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ ἐνοχλοῦντος· ὁ οὐκ οἰκίας μιᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόλεων καὶ δήμων καὶ ἐθνῶν καὶ ὁλοκλήρου τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν φροντίδα ἔχων, καὶ ὑπὲρ τηλικούτων πραγμάτων, καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων, καὶ μόνος ὢν, καὶ τοσαῦτα πάσχων, καὶ οὕτω κηδόμενος, ὡς οὐδὲ πατὴρ παίδων, ἐννόησον τί ὑπέμεινεν.","english":"What are you saying? Tell me, did a tear have the strength to crush that adamantine soul? Yes, he says; for great is the strength of love; it prevails over me and holds me fast; for I withstand all things except love. Hear this, all you who do not even despise money for the sake of Christ—or rather, for your own sakes—and shudder as you take into your mind Paul's affection for Christ. For he did not love Christ for the sake of Christ's gifts, but for his own sake he loved the things that belong to him, and he feared only one thing: to fall away from love for him. For this was to him more terrible than Gehenna, just as remaining in it was more desirable than the kingdom. When, then, that man, out of his longing for Christ, accepts even to fall into Gehenna and to be cast out of the kingdom—if indeed both of these were set before him—while we do not even despise the present life, are we then worthy even of his sandals, so far removed are we from him in greatness of mind? For if someone caring for a single house, with servants and stewards and managers, often cannot even breathe because of his anxieties, though there is nothing troubling him—consider what he endured who had the care not of one house but of cities and peoples and nations and the whole inhabited world, and for matters so great, with so many assailing him, and being alone, and suffering so much, and caring so deeply as not even a father does for his children.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":475,"ref":"p475","source":"Εἴ τις φιλεῖν ἐθέλει γνησίως, καὶ δύναμιν ἀγάπης ἐπίστασθαι, ἐπὶ τὸν ταύτης τρόφιμον τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον δραμέτω, κἀκεῖνος αὐτὸν διδάξει, ἡλίκος ἐστὶν ἆθλος ἐνεγκεῖν χωρισμὸν φιλουμένου, καὶ ἡλίκης δεόμενος ψυχῆς. Οὗτος γὰρ, οὗτος ὁ τὴν σάρκα ἀποδυσάμενος καὶ τὸ σῶμα\n\nἀποθέμενος, καὶ γυμνῇ σχεδὸν τὴν οἰκουμένην περιιὼν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ πᾶν πάθος ἐξορίσας τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων τὴν ἀπάθειαν μιμούμενος· τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ῥᾳδίως ἔφερεν ὡς ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ πάσχων σώματι, καὶ δεσμωτήρια καὶ ἁλύσεις καὶ ἀπαγωγὰς καὶ μάστιγας καὶ ἀπειλὰς καὶ θάνατον, καὶ πᾶν κολάσεως εἶδος· μιᾶς δὲ ψυχῆς ἀγαπωμένης παρ' αὐτοῦ χωρισθεὶς, οὕτω συνεχύθη καὶ διεταράχθη, ὡς ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἀγαπώμενον προσδοκῶν ἰδεῖν οὐχ εὗρεν, εὐθέως καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀποπηδῆσαι. Τί τοῦτο, ὦ μακάριε Παῦλε; ξύλῳ μὲν δεδεμένος, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν, καὶ μάστιγας ἔχων ἐπικειμένας, καὶ τὰ νῶτα αἵματι περιῤῥεόμενος, καὶ ἐμυσταγώγεις καὶ ἐβάπτιζες, καὶ θυσίαν προσῆγες, καὶ ἑνὸς οὐ κατεφρόνησας μέλλοντος σώζεσθαι· εἰς δὲ τὴν Τρῳάδα ἐλθὼν καὶ τὴν ἄρουραν εὑρὼν ἐκκεκαθαρμένην, καὶ ἑτοίμην οὖσαν τὰ σπέρματα ὑποδέξασθαι, τοσοῦτον ἔῤῥιψας ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν κέρδος, καὶ ἀπεπήδησας εὐθέως; Ναὶ, φησί· πολλῇ γὰρ κατεσχέθην ἀθυμίας τυραννίδι, καὶ σφόδρα μου συνέσχε τὴν διάνοιαν ἡ Τίτου ἀπουσία, καὶ οὕτω μου ἐκράτησε καὶ περιεγένετο, ὡς ἀναγκάσαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Εἶδες πῶς μέγιστος ἆθλος τὸ δυνηθῆναι ἐνεγκεῖν πράως ἀγαπωμένου χωρισμόν; πῶς ὀδυνηρὸν πρᾶγμα καὶ πικρόν; πῶς ὑψηλῆς δεόμενον καὶ νεανικῆς ψυχῆς;","english":"If anyone wishes to love genuinely and to know the power of love, let him run to its nursling, the blessed Paul, and he will teach him how great a contest it is to endure separation from one who is loved, and what greatness of soul it requires. For this man, this very man who had stripped off the flesh and laid aside the body, and who walked the inhabited world almost with his soul laid bare, and who banished every passion from his mind, and who imitated the impassibility of the incorporeal powers—all other things he bore easily, as though suffering in another's body: prisons and chains and dragings away and scourges and threats and death, and every form of punishment. But when he was separated from one soul that he loved, he was so confounded and disturbed that, in the city where he expected to see his beloved and did not find him, he immediately sprang away from the city. What is this, blessed Paul? Bound to a wooden stake, dwelling in a prison, with scourges laid upon you, your back streaming with blood, you were initiating and baptizing and offering sacrifice, and you did not despise a single one who was about to be saved. But when you came to Troas and found the field cleansed and ready to receive the seeds, did you throw so great a gain from your hands and spring away at once? Yes, he says; for I was held by the tyranny of great despondency, and the absence of Titus gripped my mind exceedingly, and so mastered and overcame me as to force me to do this. Do you see how great a contest it is to be able to endure gently the separation from one who is loved? How painful a thing and bitter? How it requires a lofty and vigorous soul?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":476,"ref":"p476","source":"Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι μόνον τὸ τῇ ψυχῇ συνδεδέσθαι, οὐδὲ ἀποχρῶνται τούτῳ εἰς παραμυθίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σωματικῆς δέονται παρουσίας· κἂν μὴ τοῦτο προσῇ, οὐ μικρὸν τῆς εὐφροσύνης ὑποτέτμηται μέρος. Βούλει μαθεῖν ἡλίκον ὅπλον ἐστὶν εἰς τὸ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐπισπᾶσθαι, κἂν ἄπιστοί τινες εἶεν, τὸ πρᾶον εἶναι καὶ ἥμερον καὶ γλυκὺν παρεχόμενον τρόπον; ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς δικαστὴν εἰσιὼν ἄπιστον κριθησόμενος· Μακάριον ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν, μέλλων ἐπὶ σοῦ κρίνεσθαι. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, οὐ κολακεύων αὐτόν· ἄπαγε· ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἡμερότητος κερδᾶναι βουλόμενος. Διὸ καὶ ἐκ μέρους ἐκέρδανε, καὶ τὸν δικαστὴν εἷλεν ὁ τέως κατάδικος εἶναι νομιζόμενος, καὶ τὴν νίκην αὐτὸς ὁ χειρωθεὶς ὁμολογεῖ λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ παρόντων ἁπάντων, λέγων· Ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι. Τί οὖν ὁ Παῦλος; Εὐξαίμην ἂν ἔγωγε, μὴ μόνον σὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς παρόντας ἅπαντας τοῦτο γενέσθαι, ὅπερ ἐγώ. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν πολλαχοῦ τῶν Παύλου θαυμάτων τὰ σημεῖα τυγχάνει, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶ ποθεινὰ ὡς τὰ στίγματα· καὶ οὐχ οὕτω με ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς εὐφραίνει θαύματα ἐργαζόμενος, ὥσπερ πάσχων κακῶς, μαστιζόμενος, συρόμενος, λιθαζόμενος· Λιθάσαντες γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἔσυρον ἔξω τῆς πόλεως· καὶ πάλιν, Δείραντες αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπιθέντες πολλὰς πληγὰς, ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακήν. Πόσον καύχημα, πόση ἡδονὴ, πόση τιμὴ, πόση λαμπρότης, εἰδέναι, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐδέθη; Ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸ θαυμαστόν· Καὶ ἐσείσθη, φησὶ, τὸ δεσμωτήριον δεδεμένου Παύλου, καὶ πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἀνέθη. Εἶδες δεσμῶν φύσιν τὰ δεσμὰ ἀναλύουσαν;","english":"For it is not enough for those who love to be bound together in soul, nor are they satisfied with this for consolation, but they also need bodily presence; and if this is not present, no small part of their gladness has been cut off. Do you wish to learn how great a weapon it is for drawing brothers to oneself, even if some are unbelievers—namely, to be gentle and mild and to present a sweet manner? Hear what Paul says as he enters before an unbelieving judge to be judged: I have considered myself blessed, being about to be judged before you. He said this not flattering him—far from it—but wishing to win him through mildness. Therefore he also won him in part, and the one who was formerly thought to be condemned captured the judge, and the one subdued himself confesses the victory with a brilliant voice in the presence of all, saying: In a little you persuade me to become a Christian. What then does Paul say? I would pray, indeed, that not only you, but also all those present, might become what I am. Many indeed, in many places, are the signs of Paul's wonders, but they are not so desirable as the marks; and I am not so gladdened in the Scriptures by his working wonders as by his suffering ill, being scourged, dragged, stoned. For having stoned him, it says, they dragged him outside the city; and again, Having beaten him, and laid many stripes on him, they threw him into prison. How great a boast, how great a pleasure, how great an honor, how great a splendor, to know that one has been bound for Christ! But see the marvelous thing: And the prison, it says, was shaken while Paul was bound, and all their chains were loosed. Did you see the nature of chains loosing chains?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":477,"ref":"p477","source":"Ἔξυπνος δὲ γενόμενος ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ, καὶ ἰδὼν ἀνεῳγμένας τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς, σπασάμενος μάχαιραν, ἔμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν. Τί οὖν ὁ Παῦλος; Ἐφώνησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, λέγων, Μηδὲν πράξῃς σαυτῷ κακόν· πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Ὁρᾷς αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον, καὶ τὸ ἄτυφον καὶ τὸ φιλόστοργον; Οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι Δι' ἡμᾶς ταῦτα γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ὡσανεὶ τῶν δεσμωτῶν εἷς, φησί· Πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Εἰ γὰρ ἐσίγησε, καὶ μὴ διὰ τῆς μεγάλης φωνῆς κατέσχεν ἐκείνου τὰς χεῖρας, ὤθησεν ἂν διὰ τοῦ λαιμοῦ τὸ ξίφος. Ἐβόησε δὲ, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὴν ἐνδοτέραν φυλακὴν ἦν βεβλημένος. Κατὰ σαυτοῦ τοῦτο πεποίηκας, φησὶν, ἐνδοτέρω βαλὼν τοὺς μέλλοντάς σε ἐλευθεροῦν τοῦ κινδύνου. Εἶδες τὸ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ κηδεμονικὸν τοῦ Παύλου; εἵλετο δεδέσθαι μᾶλλον καὶ κινδυνεύειν αὐτὸς, ἢ ἐκεῖνον ἰδεῖν ἀπολλύμενον. Καὶ καθάπερ τις στρατιώτης τὴν οἰκουμένην πολεμοῦσαν ἔχων ἅπασαν, καὶ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς τάγμασι τῶν πολεμίων στρεφόμενος, καὶ μηδὲν πάσχων δεινόν· οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος, μόνος ἐν βαρβάροις, ἐν Ἕλλησι, πανταχοῦ γῆς, πανταχοῦ θαλάττης φαινόμενος. Καὶ ὥσπερ σπινθὴρ εἰς καλάμην ἢ χόρτον ἐμπίπτων πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ","english":"But when the jailer awoke and saw the doors of the prison opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. What then did Paul do? He cried out with a loud voice, saying, \"Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.\" Do you see his freedom from vainglory, his freedom from arrogance, and his tender affection? He did not say, \"These things have happened for our sake,\" but as though he were one of the prisoners, he says, \"For we are all here.\" For if he had kept silent and had not restrained that man's hands by his loud voice, he would have driven the sword through his throat. But he shouted because he had been thrown into the inner prison. You have done this to yourself, he says, by throwing into the inner prison those who were about to free you from danger. Did you see the love of humanity and the providential care of Paul? He chose rather to be bound and to be in danger himself than to see that man perishing. And just as a soldier, with the whole inhabited world warring against him and turning about in the midst of the ranks of the enemy, suffers nothing terrible, so too Paul, alone among barbarians, among Greeks, appearing everywhere on land, everywhere on sea. And as a spark falling upon stubble or grass, toward its own","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":478,"ref":"p478","source":"φύσιν μετατίθησι τὰ καιόμενα, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος ἅπασιν ἐπιὼν, πάντας μεθίστη πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλήξειεν ἡ τῶν περικειμένων τῷ μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ δεσμῶν δύναμις; ὅτι τοὺς δήσαντας εἰς τοὺς πόδας ἦγε τοῦ δεδεμένου, καὶ ὑποχειρίους ἐκείνους τούτου ἐποίει. Προσέπεσε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τῷ Παύλῳ· καὶ ὁ λελυμένος ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἦν τοῦ δεδεμένου, καὶ ὁ δήσας ἠξίου τὸν δεθέντα λυθῆναι τοῦ φόβου. Οὐχὶ σὺ ἔδησας, εἰπέ μοι; οὐχὶ εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν ἔβαλες φυλακήν; οὐχὶ εἰς τὸ ξύλον ἠσφαλίσω τοὺς πόδας; τί τρέμεις; τί θορυβῇ· τί δακρύεις; τί τὸ ξίφος ἐπεσπάσω; Οὐκ ᾔδειν, φησὶν, ὅτι τοσαύτη τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δεσμίων ἡ δύναμις. Τί λέγεις; οὐρανοὺς ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν ἀνοίγειν, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οὐκ ἔμελλεν ἀνοίγειν; τοὺς ὑπὸ δαιμόνων δεδεμένους ἔλυε, καὶ σιδήριον ἔμελλεν αὐτοῦ περιέσεσθαι; Ὁ ψυχὰς τοίνυν δεδεμένας λύων, τὸ σῶμα τοῦ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἂν ἴσχυσε λῦσαι; ὁ διὰ τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ ἑτέρους τῶν δεσμῶν ἐκείνων λύων, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπαλλάττων, αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἂν ἔλυσεν; Διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐδέθη, καὶ τότε τοὺς δεδεμένους ἔλυσεν, ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλοι δεδεμένοι πολλῷ τῶν λελυμένων μείζονα ἔχουσι τὴν ἰσχύν· οὕτω γὰρ λαμπροτέρα ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ ἁγίου δείκνυται, ὅταν καὶ δεδεμένος τῶν λελυμένων κρατῇ. Ὅταν οὖν ὁ δεδεμένος μὴ μόνον ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δεδεμένους λύῃ, τί τῶν τοίχων τὸ ὄφελος; τί τὸ πλέον ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν αὐτὸν βαλεῖν φυλακὴν, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν ἐξωτέραν ἀνέῳξεν; Βούλεσθε μαθεῖν ὅσον ἐστὶν ἅλυσις σιδηρᾶ διὰ Χριστὸν περικειμένη σώματι δουλικῷ;","english":"Fire changes nature, and so too this man, advancing upon all, was changing all to the truth. Who would not be astonished at the power of the chains that encircled the blessed Paul? For he led those who had bound him at the feet of the one who was bound, and made them subject to him. For the jailer, it says, fell down before Paul; and the one who had been loosed was at the feet of the one who had been bound, and the one who had bound him was begging the one who had been bound to be loosed from fear. Was it not you who bound him, tell me? Was it not you who threw him into the inner prison? Was it not you who secured his feet in the stocks? Why do you tremble? Why are you in turmoil? Why do you weep? Why have you drawn your sword? I did not know, he says, that such was the power of the prisoners of Christ. What do you say? He received authority to open the heavens, and was he not going to open a prison? He was loosing those bound by demons, and was iron going to prevail over him? He who looses souls that are bound, then, would he not have been able to loose his own body? He who through his garments was loosing others from those chains and delivering them from demons, would he not have loosed himself by his own power? For this reason he was first bound, and then he loosed those who were bound, so that you might learn that the servants of Christ, when bound, have much greater strength than those who are loosed; for thus the strength of the saint is shown more brightly when even while bound he prevails over those who are loosed. When, then, the one who is bound looses not only himself but also those who are bound, what is the benefit of the walls? What more is gained by throwing him into the inner prison, when he has opened even the outer one? Do you wish to learn how great a thing is an iron chain worn for Christ's sake upon a servile body?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":479,"ref":"p479","source":"ἀκούσατε τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐγκαυχωμένου καὶ λέγοντος· Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ. Καὶ γὰρ μέγα ἀξίωμα καὶ σφοδρὸν καὶ βασιλείας καὶ ὑπατείας καὶ πάντων μεῖζον τὸ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν δεδέσθαι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω λαμπρὸν, ὡς δέσμιος διὰ Χριστὸν, ὡς αἱ ἁλύσεις αἱ περικείμεναι ταῖς ἁγίαις χερσὶν ἐκείναις· τοῦτο τοῦ ἀπόστολον εἶναι, τοῦ διδάσκαλον εἶναι, τοῦ εὐαγγελιστὴν εἶναι, κατὰ πολὺ λαμπρότερον καὶ σεμνότερον. Εἴ τις φιλεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἔγνω τὸ λεγόμενον· εἴ τις μαίνεται καὶ περικαίεται τοῦ Δεσπότου, οἶδε τὴν δύναμιν τῶν δεσμῶν· ἕλοιτο ἂν δέσμιος εἶναι διὰ Χριστὸν, ἢ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς οἰκεῖν. Τὸ γὰρ καὶ τοῦ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο λαμπρότερον, καὶ τοῦ καθίσαι ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνων τοῦτο σεμνότερον καὶ μακαριστότερον. Εἴ τις ἐμοὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐχαρίζετο πάντα, ἢ τὴν ἅλυσιν ἐκείνην, ᾗ τὰς χεῖρας ὁ Παῦλος ἐδέδετο, ἐκείνην ἂν ἐγὼ προετίμησα· εἴ τις με μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἵστη ἄνω ἢ μετὰ Παύλου δεδεμένου, τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἂν εἱλόμην· εἴ τίς με μετ' ἐκείνων ἐποίει τῶν δυνάμεων τῶν περὶ τὸν θρόνον, ἢ δεσμώτην τοιοῦτον, τοιοῦτος ἂν εἱλόμην γενέσθαι δεσμώτης· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν βέλτιον τοῦ κακῶς παθεῖν τι διὰ Χριστόν. Εἴ τίς μοι νεκροὺς ἔδωκεν ἀναστῆσαι νῦν, οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο εἱλόμην, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἅλυσιν· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν τῆς ἁλύσεως ἐκείνης μακαριώτερον. Ἐβουλόμην ἐν τοῖς τόποις γενέσθαι νῦν ἐκείνοις, ἐν οἷς ἐκεῖνα τὰ δεσμὰ μένει, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὰς ἁλύσεις, ἃς δεδοίκασι μὲν δαίμονες καὶ φρίττουσιν, αἰδοῦνται δὲ ἄγγελοι.","english":"Hear the blessed Paul himself boasting of this very thing and saying: \"I therefore beseech you, I the prisoner in the Lord.\" For it is a great dignity, and a mighty one, and greater than kingship and consulship and all things—to be bound for Christ. For nothing is so splendid as a prisoner for Christ, as the chains that encircle those holy hands; this is more splendid and more venerable by far than being an apostle, being a teacher, being an evangelist. If anyone loves Christ, he knows what is said; if anyone is mad and set ablaze for the Master, he knows the power of the chains; he would choose to be a prisoner for Christ rather than to dwell in the heavens. For this is more splendid even than sitting at his right hand, and more venerable and more blessed than sitting on twelve thrones. If anyone were to grant me all heaven, or that chain with which Paul's hands were bound, I would have preferred that chain; if anyone were to set me on high with the angels, or with Paul in bonds, I would have chosen the prison; if anyone were to make me one of those powers around the throne, or such a prisoner, I would have chosen to become such a prisoner; for nothing is better than to suffer ill for Christ. If anyone gave me now to raise the dead, I would not have chosen this, but the chain; for nothing is more blessed than that chain. I wished to be now in those places where those bonds remain, and to see the chains which demons fear and shudder at, and angels revere.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":480,"ref":"p480","source":"Εἰ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν φροντίδων ἐκτὸς ἤμην, καὶ τὸ σῶμα εὔρωστον εἶχον, οὐκ ἂν παρῃτησάμην ἀποδημίαν τοσαύτην ποιήσασθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὰς ἁλύσεις μόνον ἰδεῖν, καὶ τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔνθα ὁ Παῦλος ἐδέδετο. Εἴ τίς μοι τὸν Παῦλον ἐδίδου ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διακύπτοντα ἰδεῖν, καὶ φωνὴν ἀφιέντα, ἢ ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου· ἐκ τοῦ δεσμω τηρίου ἂν εἱλόμην· οἱ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔρχονται, ὅταν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ᾖ. Ὢ μακαρίων δεσμῶν, ὢ μακαρίων χειρῶν, ἃς ἐκόσμησεν ἡ ἅλυσις ἐκείνη ἡ περιτεθεῖσα τῷ Παύλῳ! Οὐκ ἦσαν οὕτω τίμιαι αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ, τὸν χωλὸν τὸν ἐν Λύστροις ἐγείρασαι, ὡς τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμεναι. Εἰ κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους ἤμην ἐγὼ, τότε ἂν μάλιστα αὐτὰς περιεπτυξάμην, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κόρας ἔθηκα τὰς ἐμάς· οὐκ ἂν ἐπαυσάμην καταφιλῶν χεῖρας καταξιωθείσας ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου δεθῆναι τοῦ ἐμοῦ. Οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν μακαρίζω, ὅτι εἰς τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἡρπάγη, καὶ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον, ὡς ὅτι εἰς\n\nτὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐνεβλήθη· οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν μακαρίζω, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ἄῤῥητα ῥήματα, ὡς ὅτι ὑπέμεινε τὰ δεσμά· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἐκείνων κατὰ πολὺ μείζονα. Αἱρετώτερον γὰρ ἐμοὶ παθεῖν κακῶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ τιμᾶσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἐνθυμούμενος ἔλεγεν ὡς εἰκός· Εἰ αὐτὸς δι' ἐμὲ γενόμενος δοῦλος, καὶ τὴν δόξαν κενώσας, οὐχ οὕτως ἐν δόξῃ εἶναι ἡγεῖτο, ὡς ὅτε ἐσταυροῦτο ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ· τί ἐμὲ παθεῖν οὐ δεῖ; Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Δόξασόν με, Πάτερ. Τί λέγεις; ἐπὶ σταυρὸν ἄγῃ μετὰ λῃστῶν καὶ τυμβωρύχων, τὸν τῶν ἐπαράτων ὑφίστασαι θάνατον, ἐμπτύεσθαι μέλλεις καὶ ῥαπίζεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα δόξαν καλεῖς;","english":"If I were free from the cares of the churches and had a body in good health, I would not have declined to make so great a journey, just to see the chains and the prison where Paul was bound. If someone offered me to see Paul looking down from heaven and uttering a voice, or from the prison—I would have chosen the prison; for those from heaven come to him when he is in the prison. O blessed chains, O blessed hands, which that chain adorned when it was placed around Paul! His hands were not so precious for having raised the lame man in Lystra, as for having worn the bonds. If I had been in those times, then most of all I would have embraced them and placed them on my own eyes; I would not have ceased kissing the hands that were deemed worthy to be bound for my Master's sake. I do not count him blessed so much because he was caught up into the third heaven and into paradise, as because he was cast into prison; I do not count him blessed so much because he heard ineffable words, as because he endured the bonds; for these are far greater than those. For it is more choiceworthy for me to suffer ill for Christ's sake than to be honored by Christ. Paul, thinking this, said, as is likely: If he himself, having become a slave for my sake and having emptied his glory, did not consider himself to be in glory so much as when he was being crucified for me, what ought I not to suffer? For hear him saying: Glorify me, Father. What are you saying? You are led to a cross with robbers and tomb-breakers, you undergo the death of the accursed, you are about to be spat upon and struck, and you call these glory?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":481,"ref":"p481","source":"Ναὶ, φησίν· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῶν φιλουμένων ἐγὼ πάσχω ταῦτα, καὶ εἰκότως αὐτὰ δόξαν ἡγοῦμαι. Εἰ οὖν ὁ Δεσπότης ὁ ἐμὸς τοὺς οἰκτροὺς καὶ ταλαιπώρους φιλήσας, δόξαν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἐν τῷ πατρικῷ θρόνῳ δόξης μᾶλλον προτίθησι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐγὼ ὀφείλω ταῦτα δόξαν ἡγεῖσθαι. Ὡς οὐδὲν τῆς Παύλου ψυχῆς μακαριώτερον. Ἐν τίσι καυχᾶται; ἐν δεσμοῖς, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἁλύσει, ἐν στίγμασι. Πορεύομαι γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, δεδεμένος τῷ Πνεύματι, τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς συναντήσοντά μοι μὴ εἰδὼς, πλὴν ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμά μοι κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεται λέγον, ὅτι δεσμά με καὶ θλῖψις μένουσι. Τί οὖν ἀπέρχῃ, εἰ δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις σε μένουσι; Δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἵνα δεσμευθῶ διὰ Χριστὸν, ἵνα ἀποθάνω δι' αὐτόν· οὐ γὰρ μόνον δεθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἑτοίμως ἔχω ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου μου. Τί οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο; οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ, οὐ δέδοικας τὴν οἰκουμένην δεσμώτης περιιών; οὐ φοβῇ, μή τις ἀσθένειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ σου καταγνῷ; μή τις διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μὴ προσέλθῃ; Οὐ τοιαῦτά μου, φησὶ, τὰ δεσμά· οἶδε καὶ ἐν βασιλείοις λάμπειν· Ὥστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου, φησὶν, φανεροὺς γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτωρίῳ, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ, πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, περισσοτέρως τολμᾷν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν. Ὁρᾷς δεσμῶν ἰσχὺν μᾶλλον ἢ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως; ἐδεσμεύθη ἐν Ῥώμῃ, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας ἐπεσπάσατο· ἐδεσμεύθη ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ δεδεμένος δημηγορῶν, τὸν βασιλέα κατέπληξε, καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα εἰς φόβον ἤγαγεν· Ἔμφοβος γὰρ γενόμενος ἀπέλυσεν αὐτόν. Δεδεμένος ἔπλει καὶ τὸ ναυάγιον ἔλυσε, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα ἐπέδησεν·","english":"Yes, he says; for I suffer these things for the sake of those I love, and reasonably I consider them glory. If, then, my Master, having loved the wretched and miserable, calls the matter glory, and prefers this to the glory on the Father's throne, much more ought I to consider these things glory. For nothing is more blessed than the soul of Paul. In what does he boast? In chains, in afflictions, in fetters, in marks. For I go, he says, to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what will befall me there, except that the Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me. Why then do you go, if chains and afflictions await you? For this very reason, that I may be bound for Christ, that I may die for him; for I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die for the name of my Lord. What then is this? Are you not ashamed, do you not fear, going about the world as a prisoner? Are you not afraid lest someone condemn the weakness of your God? Lest someone for this reason fail to draw near? Not such are my chains, he says; they know how to shine even in palaces; so that my chains, he says, became manifest in the whole praetorium, and most of the brethren in the Lord, trusting in my chains, dared all the more to speak the word without fear. Do you see the power of chains greater than the resurrection of the dead? He was bound in Rome, and he drew most to himself; he was bound in Jerusalem, and speaking publicly while bound, he struck the king with amazement and brought the governor into fear; for becoming afraid, he released him. Bound, he sailed and loosed the shipwreck, and fettered the storm;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":482,"ref":"p482","source":"ἐν δεσμοῖς ὄντος αὐτοῦ τὸ θηρίον ἐκεῖνο καθήψατο, καὶ μηδὲν λυμηνάμενον ἐξέπεσε. Καὶ θέα πανταχοῦ τοῦτο γινόμενον. Μεμαστίγωτο, καὶ μεμαστίγωτο ἰσχυρῶς· Πολλὰς γὰρ αὐτῷ, φησὶν, ἐπιθέντες πληγάς· καὶ ἐδέδετο, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἰσχυρῶς· Εἰς γὰρ τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν ἐνέβαλον αὐτὸν, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ἀσφαλείας· καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὢν, κατὰ τὸ μεσονύκτιον, ὅτε καὶ οἱ σφόδρα ἀνειμένοι καθεύδουσιν, ᾖδε καὶ ὕμνει τὸν Κύριον. Τί ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀδαμαντινώτερον; Ἐνενόει ὅτι καὶ οἱ παῖδες ἐν πυρὶ ᾖδον καὶ ἐν καμίνῳ. Ἴσως ἐλογίζετο, ὅτι Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐγὼ πέπονθα. Ἀλλὰ καλῶς ποιῶν ὁ λόγος, εἰς ἑτέρους πάλιν ἐξήνεγκε δεσμοὺς καὶ δεσμωτήριον ἕτερον. Τί πάθω; βούλομαι σιγῆσαι, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι· ἕτερον δεσμωτήριον εὗρον, ἐκείνου πολλῷ θαυμασιώτερον καὶ ἐκπληκτικώτερον. Ἀλλά μοι διανάστητε ὡς νῦν ἀρχομένῳ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἀκμαζούσαις προσέλθετε ταῖς διανοίαις. Βούλομαι διακόψαι τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχεται· οὐ δύναμαι παύσασθαι, οὐ δύναμαι σιγῆσαι, πολλά με περιῤῥέει· οὐκ οἶδα ποῖον πρῶτον εἴπω, ποῖον δεύτερον. Διὸ παρακαλῶ, μή με τάξιν τις ἀπαιτείτω· πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων συγγένεια. Μακρὰ ἡ τοῦ Παύλου γέγονεν ἅλυσις, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ κατέσχεν ἡμᾶς· ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσομαι. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ οὐκ ἐσίγησεν, οὐδὲ ἐν μάστιξιν, ἐγὼ σιγήσομαι καθήμενος ἡμέρας οὔσης, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀνέσεως φθεγγόμενος; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγείη; τίς οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειεν;","english":"While he was in chains, that beast attacked him and fell away without doing any harm. And see this happening everywhere. He had been scourged, and scourged severely—for they laid many blows upon him, it says—and he had been bound, and this too severely; for they threw him into the inner prison, and with greater security. And being in such circumstances, at midnight, when even those who are utterly at ease are asleep, he sang and hymned the Lord. What could be more adamantine than this soul? He considered that the children also sang in the fire and in the furnace. Perhaps he reasoned: I have suffered nothing of the kind. But the account, doing well, brought us out again to other chains and another prison. What am I to suffer? I wish to be silent, but I cannot; I have found another prison, far more wondrous and astonishing than that one. But rouse yourselves as though I were now beginning the account, and come with minds at their peak. I wish to break off the account, and it does not allow it; I cannot stop, I cannot be silent—many things flow around me; I do not know which to say first, which second. Therefore I beg that no one demand order of me, for the kinship of the matters is great. Long has Paul's chain become, and for a long time it has held us; but I will not for this reason be silent. For if he himself was not silent in prison, nor under scourges, shall I be silent, sitting while it is day and speaking with great ease? And how would this be reasonable? For who would not be struck? Who would not marvel?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":483,"ref":"p483","source":"Μᾶλλον δὲ τίς κατ' ἀξίαν ἐκπλαγείη καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἂν τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην καὶ οὐρανομήκη τοῦ Παύλου ψυχὴν, ὅτι δεδεμένος καὶ καθειργμένος ἀπὸ τοσούτου διαστήματος, Φιλιππησίοις ἐπέστελλεν; Ἴστε γὰρ ὅσον τὸ μέσον Μακεδονίας καὶ Ῥώμης· ἀλλ' οὔτε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος, οὔτε τοῦ χρόνου τὸ πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁ τῶν πραγμάτων ὄχλος, οὔτε ὁ\n\nκίνδυνος καὶ τὰ ἐπάλληλα δεινὰ, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν μνήμην ἐξέβαλε τῶν μαθητῶν, ἀλλ' εἶχεν αὐτοὺς ἅπαντας ἐν διανοίᾳ, καὶ οὐχ οὕτως αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἁλύσεσιν αἱ χεῖρες ἐδέδεντο, ὡς τῷ πόθῳ τῶν μαθητῶν ἡ ψυχὴ συνεδέδετο καὶ προσήλωτο. Καὶ καθάπερ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἀναβὰς ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω, καὶ καθίσας ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς αὐλαῖς, μυρίας εὐθέως δέχεται πανταχόθεν ἐπιστολάς· οὕτω δὴ κἀκεῖνος, καθάπερ ἐν βασιλικαῖς αὐλαῖς τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ καθήμενος, πολλῷ πλείω καὶ ἐδέχετο, καὶ ἔπεμπε συνεχῶς τὰ γράμματα, τῶν πανταχόθεν ἐθνῶν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκείνου σοφίαν ὑπὲρ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς πραγμάτων ἀναφερόντων ἅπαντα· καὶ τοσοῦτον πλείονα πράγματα τοῦ βασιλέως ὄντος ᾠκονόμει, ὅσον καὶ μείζονα ἀρχὴν ἐμπεπίστευτο. Ὢ τῆς τοῦ Παύλου δυνάμεως· ἅλυσιν περιέκειτο, καὶ τὸν ἀναδεδεμένον τὸ διάδημα Νέρωνα ἔβαλλε· ῥάκια περιέκειτο αὐχμῶντα, ἅτε τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν, καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς ἁλουργίδος πάντας ἐπέστρεφε πρὸς τὰ περικείμενα αὐτῷ δεσμά· ἐπὶ γῆς εἱστήκει κατεχόμενος καὶ κάτω νεύων, καὶ τὸν ἐπ' ὀχήματος χρυσοῦ ἀφέντες, ἐκείνῳ προσεῖχον· εἰκότως. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐν συνηθείᾳ θέαμα ἦν βασιλέα ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ ζεύγους καθήμενον λευκοῦ·","english":"But rather, who could worthily be struck with amazement and marvel at that noble and heaven-reaching soul of Paul, because, though bound and imprisoned at so great a distance, he wrote to the Philippians? For you know how great is the distance between Macedonia and Rome; but neither the length of the journey, nor the abundance of time, nor the crowd of affairs, nor the danger and the successive calamities, nor anything else drove out his love and remembrance of the disciples, but he held them all in his mind, and his hands were not so bound by his chains as his soul was bound and fastened to the longing for his disciples. And just as a king, having ascended his throne at dawn and sat down in the royal palace, immediately receives countless letters from every direction, so too that man, sitting in the prison as though in a royal palace, both received far more and continually sent letters, while the nations from everywhere referred all their own affairs to his wisdom; and he administered so many more affairs than the king, inasmuch as he had been entrusted with a greater dominion. O the power of Paul! He wore a chain, and he struck Nero who wore the diadem; he wore squalid rags, as one dwelling in a prison, and more than the purple robe he turned all men toward the bonds that lay upon him; he stood on the earth, held fast and looking downward, and they, leaving the one on the golden chariot, gave heed to him—and rightly so. For it was a customary sight to see the king seated on a white yoke of horses;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":484,"ref":"p484","source":"τοῦτο δὲ ξένον καὶ παράδοξον, δεσμώτην ὁρᾷν μετὰ τοσαύτης παῤῥησίας βασιλεῖ διαλεγόμενον, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ἀνδράποδον οἰκτρὸν καὶ ταλαίπωρον. Ὄχλος περιειστήκει πολὺς, καὶ δοῦλοι πάντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἦσαν· ἐθαύμαζον δὲ οὐ τὸν δεσπότην αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν νικῶντα τὸν δεσπότην τὸν αὐτῶν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔλαθον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄνυχος τὸν λέοντα ἐπαινῶν, δέον ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτὸν ἐπαινεῖν. Τίνων τούτων; πῶς ἥξει μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν οὐρανῶν μετὰ λαμπροῦ τοῦ σχήματος· πῶς ὁ Νέρων στήσεται κατηφὴς τότε καὶ στυγνός. Εἰ γὰρ οὔπω τῶν στεφάνων ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπέλαυσε τιμῆς ὁ ἀθλητής· ὅταν ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ἔλθῃ, πόσης ἀπολαύσεται τιμῆς; Ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἦν, ξένος ἦν καὶ παρεπίδημος, καὶ οὕτω θαυμάζεται· ὅταν ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις ᾖ, τίνος οὐκ ἀπολαύσεται ἀγαθοῦ; τίνος οὐ μεθέξει; τίνος οὐκ ἐπιτεύξεται; Οὐδεὶς βασιλεὺς γενόμενος τῆς Ῥώμης τοσαύτης ἀπέλαυσε τιμῆς ὅσης ὁ Παῦλος· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἔξω που κεῖται ἐῤῥιμμένος, ὁ δὲ τὸ μέσον κατέχει τῆς πόλεως, καθάπερ βασιλεύων καὶ ζῶν. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα, ἔνθα ἠλαύνετο καὶ ἔνθα ἐδιώκετο, τοσαύτης ἀπέλαυσε τιμῆς· ὅταν ἔλθῃ, τί ἔσται; εἰ ὅπου σκηνοποιὸς ἦν, οὕτως ἐγένετο λαμπρός· ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἀντιλάμπων ταῖς ἡλιακαῖς ἀκτῖσι, τί ἔσται; εἰ μετὰ τοσαύτης εὐτελείας, τοσαύτης μεγαλοπρεπείας περιεγένετο· ὅταν ἔλθῃ, τί ἔσται; Μὴ ἔνι φυγεῖν τὰ πράγματα; Βούλεσθε δείξω τὸν σκηνοποιὸν ἐντιμότερον γεγονότα τοῦ πάντων βασιλέων μᾶλλον θαυμασθέντος; Τί τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐνδοξότερον κατὰ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου δόξαν; τί ὑψηλότερον; οὐχὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα κατώρθωσε ζῶν;","english":"But this is strange and paradoxical: to see a prisoner conversing with a king with such boldness as a king would with a wretched and miserable slave. A great crowd stood around, and all were slaves of the king; and they marveled not at their master, but at the one conquering their master. But indeed I have unwittingly praised the lion from a single claw, when it was fitting to praise him from his other deeds. From which deeds? How he will come with the King of the heavens in splendid array; how Nero will then stand downcast and sullen. For if the time of crowns is not yet, and the athlete has enjoyed so great honor, when the judge of the contest comes, how great an honor will he enjoy? He was among strangers, he was a stranger and a sojourner, and yet he is so admired; when he is among his own, what good will he not enjoy? Of what will he not partake? What will he not obtain? No one who became king of Rome enjoyed so great honor as Paul did; but the king lies cast out somewhere, while he occupies the middle of the city, as one reigning and living. And if here, where he was driven and where he was persecuted, he enjoyed so great honor, what will it be when he comes? If where he was a tentmaker he became so radiant, what will it be when he comes shining back with the sun's rays? If with such lowliness he prevailed with such magnificence, what will it be when he comes? Can these things not be escaped? Do you wish me to show that the tentmaker became more honored than the one more admired than all kings? What is more glorious than Alexander in the glory of the world? What is higher? Did he not accomplish many and great things while alive?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":485,"ref":"p485","source":"οὐχὶ ἔθνη καὶ πόλεις ὑπέταξε, καὶ πολέμους πολλοὺς καὶ μάχας ἐνίκησε, καὶ τρόπαια ἔστησεν; οὐχὶ τρισκαιδέκατος ἐνομίσθη εἶναι θεὸς παρὰ τῇ συγκλήτῳ Ῥωμαίων; Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ζῶντα κατορθοῦν πολέμους καὶ νίκας, βασιλέα ὄντα καὶ στρατόπεδα ἔχοντα, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· τὸ δὲ μετὰ θάνατον καὶ τάφον τοσαῦτα πανταχοῦ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐργάζεσθαι, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μάλιστα πολλῆς ἐκπλήξεως γέμον. Ποῦ γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ σῆμα Ἀλεξάνδρου; δεῖξόν μοι καὶ εἰπὲ τὴν ἡμέραν, καθ' ἣν ἐτελεύτησεν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις. Τοῦ δὲ Παύλου καὶ τὸ σῆμα λαμπρὸν ἴδοι τις ἂν τὴν βασιλικωτάτην Ῥώμην καταλαβὼν, καὶ ἡμέραν καταφανῆ, ἑορτὴν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ποιοῦσαν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐκείνου καὶ οἱ οἰκεῖοι ἀγνοοῦσι, τὸ δὲ τούτου καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι ἐπίστανται· καὶ ὁ τάφος τοῦ δούλου τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαμπρότερος τῶν βασιλικῶν ἐστιν αὐλῶν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ τὴν ἁλουργίδα περικείμενος ἀπέρχεται τὸ σῆμα τὸ ἐκείνου περιπτυξόμενος, καὶ τὸν τῦφον ἀποθέμενος, ἕστηκε δεόμενος τοῦ νεκροῦ, ὥστε αὐτοῦ προστῆναι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τοῦ σκηνοποιοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁλιέως καὶ τετελευτηκότος, ὡς προστάτου δεῖται ὁ τὸ διάδημα ἔχων. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ μόνον ἴδοι τις ἂν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν","english":"Did he not subdue nations and cities, and conquer many wars and battles, and set up trophies? Was he not reckoned to be a thirteenth god by the senate of the Romans? But to succeed in wars and victories while alive, being a king and having armies, is nothing wonderful; but to accomplish so many things after death and the grave, everywhere on earth and sea, each day—this is what is especially full of great amazement. For where, tell me, is the tomb of Alexander? Show me and tell me the day on which he died; but you could not. But of Paul one may see even the tomb, splendid, if he reaches the most royal Rome, and the day manifest, making a festival for the whole world. And the former's tomb even his own people do not know, but the latter's even the barbarians know; and the tomb of the slave of Christ is more splendid than royal courts. For even the one himself clothed in the purple robe goes to embrace that man's tomb, and laying aside his pomp, he stands entreating the dead man to stand by him before God; and the tentmaker and the fisherman and the dead man—the one who wears the diadem needs him as a patron. And one would see this not only in Rome, but also in","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":486,"ref":"p486","source":"Κωνσταντινουπόλει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν μέγαν μεγάλῃ τιμῇ τιμᾷν ἐνόμισεν ὁ παῖς, εἰ πρὸς τοῖς προθύροις αὐτὸν τοῦ ἁλιέως κατάθοιτο. Καὶ ὅπερ εἰσὶν οἱ πυλωροὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, τοῦτο ἐν τῷ σήματι οἱ βασιλεῖς τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι· καὶ οἱ μὲν ὥσπερ δεσπόται τοῦ τόπου τὰ ἔνδον κατέχουσιν, οἱ δὲ ὡς πάροικοι καὶ γείτονες ἠγάπησαν τὴν αὐλείαν αὐτοῖς ἀφορισθῆναι θύραν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν βασιλεῖς οἰκετῶν καὶ ὑπηρετῶν, οἱ δὲ ἀρχόμενοι βασιλέων τὴν ἀξίαν περίκεινται. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἐγένετο, ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Τίς μοι νῦν ἔδωκε περιχυθῆναι τῷ σώματι Παύλου, καὶ προσηλωθῆναι τῷ τάφῳ, καὶ τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τοῦ σώματος ἐκείνου, δι' οὗ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης διέδραμε, τοῦ τὰ ὑστερήματα ἀναπληρώσαντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ τὰ στίγματα βαστάξαντος, τοῦ πανταχοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα κατασπείραντος; τὴν κόνιν τοῦ στόματος, δι' οὗ Χριστὸς ἐφθέγγετο, καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐξέλαμψε τὸ πάσης ἀστραπῆς ὑψηλότερον, καὶ φωνὴ ἐξεπήδησε πάσης βροντῆς φοβερωτέρα τοῖς δαίμοσιν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἡμῖν ἡ βροντὴ φοβερὰ, ὡς ἐκείνη τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἡ φωνή· εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἱματία αὐτοῦ ἔφριττον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν φωνήν. Τούτου τοῦ στόματος ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν, δι' οὗ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλάλησε, καὶ μείζονα ἢ δι' ἑαυτοῦ· δι' οὗ τὸ μακάριον ἐκεῖνο ἐφθέγξατο ῥῆμα λέγων, Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου· δι' οὗ ἐλάλει ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο· δι' οὗ ἔφυγον δαίμονες, οὐχὶ φθεγγομένου μόνον ἀκούοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντος·","english":"In Constantinople. For here too the child thought he was honoring Constantine the Great with great honor, if he laid him at the entrance of the fisherman. And what gatekeepers are to kings in palaces, that kings are to fishermen in the tomb; and the former hold the interior as masters of the place, while the latter were content that the outer door be assigned to them as sojourners and neighbors. And the former are attended by servants and ministers, while the latter, though ruled by kings, are clothed with the dignity of kings. But if here things beyond nature have happened, how much more in the age to come? Who now will grant me to be poured over the body of Paul, and to be nailed to his tomb, and to see the dust of that body, through which he ran everywhere throughout the inhabited world, who filled up what was lacking in Christ, who bore the marks, who sowed the proclamation everywhere? The dust of the mouth through which Christ spoke, and the light shone forth higher than all lightning, and a voice leaped out more fearful to demons than all thunder? For thunder is not so fearful to us as that voice was to demons; for if they shuddered at his garments, much more at his voice. I wished to see the dust of this mouth, through which Christ spoke the great and secret things, and greater than through himself; through which he uttered that blessed word, saying, \"I could wish to be anathema for my brethren\"; through which he spoke before kings and was not ashamed; through which demons fled, not only hearing him when he spoke, but even when he was far off.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":487,"ref":"p487","source":"δι' οὗ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ μετεῤῥύθμισεν ἅπαντα, καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς δὲ ὃν ἐβούλετο διεῖπε τρόπον, δεσμῶν οὓς ἐβούλετο καὶ λύων ἐκεῖ, κατὰ τὴν δεδομένην ἐξουσίαν αὐτῷ. Τίς ἄν μοι τὴν κόνιν τῆς τοῦ Παύλου καρδίας ὑπέδειξε, τῆς πυρουμένης καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἀπολλυμένων, καὶ ὠδινούσης ἐκ δευτέρου τὰ ἐξαμβλούμενα τῶν παίδων; Ταύτην καὶ διαλελυμένην ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν, τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὴν εὐρυτέραν τῆς οἰκουμένης, τὴν τῆς ἀκτῖνος φαιδροτέραν, τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς θερμοτέραν, τὴν τοῦ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέραν, τὴν καινὴν ζήσασαν ζωὴν, ἢ ταύτην τὴν ἡμετέραν· Ζῶ γὰρ οὐκ ἔτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ, φησὶν, ὁ Χριστός (ἄρα ἐκείνου καρδία ἦν ἡ Παύλου καρδία, καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου πλὰξ, καὶ βιβλίον τῆς χάριτος)· τὴν καταξιωθεῖσαν Χριστὸν φιλῆσαι, ὡς οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐφίλησε· τὴν θανάτου καὶ γεέννης καταφρονοῦσαν, καὶ ὑπὸ δακρύων ἀδελφικῶν συντριβομένην· Τί γὰρ ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες, φησὶ, καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; Ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου τῶν ἐν ἁλύσει, δι' ὧν τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐχορηγεῖτο, δι' ὧν τὰ θεῖα γράμματα ἐγράφετο· Ἴδε γὰρ πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί· τῶν χειρῶν ἐκείνων, ἃς ἰδοῦσα ἡ ἔχις ἐξέπεσεν εἰς τὴν πυράν. Ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πηρωθέντων καλῶς, τῶν ἀναβλεψάντων ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς οἰκουμένης, τῶν καὶ ἐν σώματι Χριστὸν ἰδεῖν καταξιωθέντων· ἐβουλόμην καὶ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων ἰδεῖν τὴν κόνιν, τῶν περιδραμόντων τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ μὴ καμόντων· τῶν ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δεδεμένων, ἡνίκα τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔσειε, τῶν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἀοίκητον περιελθόντων.","english":"Through whom he set right all things on earth, and ordered the things in the heavens as he wished, binding there whom he wished and loosing, according to the authority given to him. Who would show me the dust of Paul's heart, burning for each of those who perish, and in travail a second time over the children who are miscarried? This heart I longed to see, even dissolved as it was—the heart higher than the heavens, wider than the inhabited world, brighter than the sunbeam, hotter than fire, harder than adamant, the heart that lived a new life, or rather this our own life; for \"I live no longer I,\" he says, \"but Christ lives in me\"—so that Paul's heart was that man's heart, and a tablet of the Holy Spirit, and a book of grace—the heart deemed worthy to love Christ as no other loved him; the heart that despised death and Gehenna, and was crushed by brotherly tears: \"For what are you doing, weeping,\" he says, \"and crushing my heart?\" I longed to see the dust of Paul's hands, the hands that were in chains, through whose imposition the Spirit was supplied, through which the divine letters were written: \"For see with how large letters I have written to you with my own hand\"—those hands which the viper saw and fell into the fire. I longed to see the dust of those eyes, blinded well, which regained their sight for the salvation of the inhabited world, which were deemed worthy to see Christ even in the body; I longed to see also the dust of those feet, which ran around the inhabited world and did not grow weary, which were bound in the stocks when he shook the prison, which went around the world and left it uninhabited.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":488,"ref":"p488","source":"Καὶ τί δεῖ κατὰ μέρος λέγειν; ἐβουλόμην αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἰδεῖν τὸν λέοντα τὸν πνευματικόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ λέων πῦρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀφιεὶς εἰς ἀλωπέκων ἀγέλας, οὕτως εἰς τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ φιλοσόφων ἐνέπεσε φατρίαν, καὶ καθάπερ σκηπτοῦ τινος ἐμβολὴ, εἰς τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου κατηνέχθη φάλαγγας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκ παρατάξεως ἵστατο πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμεν, ὡς εἰ καὶ σκιὰν ἴδοι καὶ φωνῆς ἀκούσειε πόῤῥωθεν, δραπετεύειν εὐθέως. Ἐννοήσατε καὶ φρίξατε, οἷον ὄψεται θέαμα Ῥώμη τὸν Παῦλον ἐξαίφνης ἀνιστάμενον ἀπὸ τῆς θήκης μετὰ Πέτρου, καὶ αἰρόμενον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οἷον ἀποστελεῖ τῷ Χριστῷ ἡ Ῥώμη δῶρον, οἵους στεφάνους περίκειται δύο, οἵας χρυσᾶς ἁλύσεις διέζωσται. Οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶν ὁ οὐρανὸς λαμπρὸς, ὅταν ἀφῇ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ὁ ἥλιος, ὡς ἡ Ῥωμαίων πόλις τὰς\n\nδύο ταύτας λαμπάδας ἀφεῖσα πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης. Τίς ἄρα λόγος ἀρκέσει τοῖς Παύλου κατορθώμασιν, ἢ ποία δυνήσεται γλῶσσα ἐφικέσθαι τῶν ἐγκωμίων τῶν τούτου; Εἴτε γὰρ προφῆται ἐπεδείξαντό τι γενναῖον, εἴτε πατριάρχαι, εἴτε δίκαιοι, εἴτε ἀπόστολοι, εἴτε μάρτυρες, ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συλλαβὼν ἔχει, μετὰ τοσαύτης ὑπερβολῆς, μεθ' ὅσης οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων, ὅπερ ἕκαστος εἶχε καλὸν, ἐκέκτητο. Ὅταν οὖν ἅπαντα τὰ ἐν ἀνθρώποις καλὰ συλλαβοῦσα ἔχῃ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, οὐ μόνον δὲ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων· πῶς περιεσόμεθα ἐκ τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ἐγκωμίων;","english":"And why need I speak in detail? I wished to see that spiritual lion himself. For just as a lion, sending fire from his eyes against packs of foxes, so he fell upon the band of demons and philosophers, and like the stroke of a thunderbolt he was borne down upon the ranks of the devil. For the devil did not stand against him in battle array, but so feared and trembled that even if he saw his shadow and heard his voice from afar, he would flee at once. Consider and shudder at what a sight Rome will see—Paul suddenly rising from his tomb with Peter, and being lifted up to meet Christ; what a gift Rome will send to Christ, what crowns she wears, two of them, what golden chains she is girded with. Not so bright is the heaven when the sun lets loose its rays, as is the city of the Romans when it lets loose these two torches everywhere in the inhabited world. What word then will suffice for Paul's achievements, or what tongue will be able to reach the praises of this man? For whether prophets displayed something noble, or patriarchs, or righteous men, or apostles, or martyrs, he has gathered all these together, with such surpassing excellence as none of those had—whatever good each one possessed, he had it. When, then, one soul has gathered together all the good things among men, and all with surpassing excellence—not only the things of men, but also the things of angels—how shall we get the better of the greatness of his praises?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":489,"ref":"p489","source":"Πόσης οὖν οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν καταγνώσεως ἄξιοι, ὅταν ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου πάντα συνειληχότος ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὰ καλὰ, ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος αὐτοῦ μιμεῖσθαι σπουδάζωμεν; Ἐκ πολλῶν μὲν γὰρ κατορθωμάτων ὁ πατριάρχης θαυμάζεται Ἀβραὰμ, μάλιστα δὲ ἐκ τοῦ τὸν υἱὸν καταθῦσαι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ· ὁ δὲ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεξικακίᾳ, ὅτι τῶν οἰκείων ἐλαυνόμενος ὅρων οὐκ ἐπεξῄει, ἀλλὰ παρεχώρει πανταχοῦ τῶν οἰκείων κτημάτων, ἕως τῶν λυπούντων τὴν ἄδικον ἐκόρεσεν ἐπιθυμίαν· καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ καρτερίᾳ καὶ τῇ ὑπομονῇ· καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐπὶ τῇ πραότητι· καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας ὅτι ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου ἐζήλωσεν. Ἀλλὰ τί Παύλου γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον, ὃς πάντα ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συλλαβὼν ἔχει, καὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς; Οὐδὲ γὰρ υἱὸν κατέθυσεν οὗτος, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν μυριάκις κατέθυσε· καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων ἠλαύνετο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, καὶ Ἑλλάδα καὶ βάρβαρον, καὶ πᾶσαν ἁπαξαπλῶς ὅσην ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ γῆν, ὥσπερ τις ὑπόπτερος περιῆλθε, συρόμενος, τυπτόμενος, λιθαζόμενος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκων. Οὐδὲ δὶς ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἐδούλευσε συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύματι τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἐν λιμῷ καὶ γυμνότητι, καὶ ἁλύσεσι καὶ δεσμωτηρίῳ, καὶ ἐπιβουλαῖς καὶ κινδύνοις διατελῶν. Ἐπιείκειαν δὲ καὶ πραότητα τίς μὲν μᾶλλον, τίς δὲ ἴσον τῆς Παύλου ψυχῆς, ἀμφότερα ταῦτα κατώρθωσεν; Εἰ δὲ τὸν ζῆλον ἴδοις αὐτοῦ, τοσοῦτον ὄψει κρατοῦντα τοῦ Ἠλίου, ὅσον ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἄλλων προφητῶν περιῆν. Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰωάννης ἀκρίδας ἤσθιε καὶ μέλι ἄγριον.","english":"Of how much condemnation, then, would we not be worthy, when one man has embraced in himself all good things together, and we do not even make it our aim to imitate the smallest fraction of him? For the patriarch Abraham is admired for many achievements, but especially for sacrificing his own son; and Isaac for his forbearance, because, being driven from his own borders, he did not press his claims, but yielded everywhere his own possessions, until he satisfied the unjust desire of those who were troubling him; and Jacob for his endurance and patience; and David for his gentleness; and Elijah because he was zealous for the Master. But what could be equal to Paul, who has gathered all these things together, and in excess? For he did not sacrifice a son, but sacrificed himself ten thousand times; and he was not only driven from his own borders, but he went around land and sea, Greece and barbarian lands, and simply the whole earth that the sun looks upon, as if winged, being dragged, beaten, stoned, dying every day. Nor did he serve twice seven years, scorched by the heat of the day and the frost of the night, but spent his whole life in hunger and nakedness, in chains and prison, in plots and dangers. And as for equity and gentleness, who achieved both these things more, or equally with the soul of Paul? And if you look at his zeal, you will see it surpassing Elijah's as much as that one surpassed the other prophets. But John ate locusts and wild honey.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":490,"ref":"p490","source":"Ἀλλ' οὗτος ἐν μέσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, διέτριβεν, ἀκρίδας μὲν καὶ μέλι ἄγριον οὐ σιτούμενος, πολὺ δὲ εὐτελεστέραν ταύτης παρατιθέμενος τράπεζαν, καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς ἀναγκαίας εὐπορῶν τροφῆς διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος σπουδήν. Λείπεται πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτὸν ἐξισάσαι λοιπόν. Καὶ μηδεὶς τόλμαν καταγινωσκέτω τοῦ λόγου. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἄγγελον ἐκάλεσεν ἡ Γραφὴ, τί θαυμάζεις εἰ τὸν ἁπάντων ἀμείνω ταῖς δυνάμεσι παραβάλλομεν ἐκείναις; Καὶ γὰρ τί ποτέ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὅση τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡ εὐγένεια, καὶ ὅσης ἐστὶν ἀρετῆς δεκτικὸν τουτὶ τὸ ζῶον, ἔδειξε μάλιστα πάντων ἀνθρώπων Παῦλος. Καὶ νῦν ἕστηκεν ἐξ οὗ γέγονεν, λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐγκαλοῦντας ἡμῶν τῇ κατασκευῇ ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου, καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι καὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων οὐ πολὺ τὸ μέσον, ἐὰν αὐτοῖς προσέχειν ἐθέλωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλην φύσιν λαχὼν, οὐδὲ ἑτέρας κοινωνήσας ψυχῆς, οὐδὲ ἄλλον οἰκήσας κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γῇ καὶ χώρᾳ καὶ νόμοις καὶ ἔθεσι τραφεὶς, πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὑπερηκόντισε τοὺς ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι γενομένους· καὶ ὡς ἂν νεκρὸς πρὸς νεκρὸν ἀκίνητος γένοιτο, οὕτω μετὰ ἀκριβείας τῆς φύσεως τὰ σκιρτήματα κατευνάζων, οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε πρὸς οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον ἔπαθεν. Εἰ τοίνυν Παῦλος ὁ τοσούτοις κομῶν κατορθώμασι, καὶ καθάπερ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς φαινόμενος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἐσπούδαζε κερδαίνειν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας κινδύνους παρατάττεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν τὴν πνευματικὴν ἑαυτῷ συλλέγειν, καὶ μηδέποτε ἵστασθαι·","english":"But this man spent his time in the middle of the inhabited world, just as that man did in the wilderness, not eating locusts and wild honey, but setting before himself a table far cheaper than that, and not even having an abundance of necessary food because of his zeal for the preaching. It remains, then, to compare him to the angels. And let no one condemn the boldness of the argument. For if the Scripture called John an angel, why do you marvel if we compare to those powers the man who is better than all? For what man is, and how great is the nobility of our nature, and of how great virtue this living creature is capable, Paul showed more than all men. And now he has stood from the time he came to be, with a bright voice defending the Master against all who find fault with our constitution, and showing that there is not a great distance between angels and men, if we are willing to attend to them. For he did not receive a different nature, nor share in another soul, nor inhabit another world, but having been raised in the same land and place and laws and customs, he surpassed all men who have come to be since men came to be; and as a dead man would be motionless toward a dead man, so with exactness he calmed the impulses of nature, and never suffered anything toward anything human. If, then, Paul, who prided himself on so many achievements and appeared like an angel on earth, was eager each day to gain, and to array himself against dangers for the truth, and to gather for himself the spiritual merchandise, and never to stand still—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":491,"ref":"p491","source":"ποίαν ἂν σχοίημεν ἡμεῖς ἀπολογίαν οἱ μὴ μόνον πάντων ὄντες ἔρημοι τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσούτοις ἐλαττώμασιν ὑποκείμενοι, ὧν καὶ ἓν μόνον προσὸν ἡμῖν, ἱκανὸν εἰς αὐτὸ τῆς ἀπωλείας τὸ βάραθρον καταγαγεῖν, καὶ μηδεμίαν ποιούμενοι σπουδὴν κἂν γοῦν ταῦτα διορθοῦν, μήτι γε τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργων ἐφάπτεσθαι; Ἢ οὐχὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν\n\nφύσεως ἦν ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος; Ἐκκαίομαι γὰρ εἰς τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πόθον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς αὐτὸν περιστρέφων οὐ παύομαι· καὶ ὥσπερ εἰς ἀρχέτυπόν τινα εἰκόνα, εἰς τὴν τούτου ψυχὴν ἐνορῶν, λογίζομαι τῶν παθῶν τὴν ὑπεροψίαν, τῆς ἀνδρίας τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, τοῦ φίλτρου τοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸ διάπυρον, καὶ ἐκπλήττομαι, πῶς πᾶσαν μὲν τὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν συναγωγὴν εἷς ἄνθρωπος βουληθεὶς κατώρθωσεν, ἡμῶν δὲ ἕκαστος οὐδὲ τὸ τυχὸν κατορθοῦν βούλεται. Τίς οὖν ἡμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται τῆς κολάσεως τῆς ἀπαραιτήτου, Παύλου τοσοῦτον μέγεθος ἀρετῆς ἐπιδειξαμένου, τοῦ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν κοινωνοῦντος φύσεως, τοῦ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποκειμένου, τοῦ ἐν τοσαύτῃ καιρῶν δυσκολίᾳ γεγονότος, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἑλκομένου, σπαραττομένου, καὶ δημοσίᾳ συρομένου ὑπὸ τῶν τῷ κηρύγματι πολεμούντων; Καὶ ἵνα μὴ παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας γλώττης ἀκούητε τὰ παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου κατορθώματα, καὶ τὴν ἀνδρίαν ἢν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας κηρύγματος καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἀναγκαῖον αὐτοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος· Ἐν ᾧ δ' ἄν τις τολμᾷ, ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω, τολμῶ κἀγώ. Σκόπει ψυχὴν φιλόθεον· οὐ μόνον τόλμαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφροσύνην τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ·","english":"What defense shall we have, we who are not only destitute of all right actions, but are also subject to so many failings, of which even one alone, if present in us, is enough to drag us down into the very pit of destruction, and who make no earnest effort even to correct these things, let alone to lay hold of the works of virtue? Was not that blessed man of the same nature as we are? For I am inflamed with longing for the man, and for this reason I do not cease continually turning him over in my mind; and as if looking into some archetypal image, gazing upon his soul, I consider his contempt for the passions, the excess of his manliness, the fervor of his love toward God, and I am struck with amazement, how one man, by his own will, accomplished the whole gathering of the virtues, while each of us does not even wish to accomplish the least thing. Who then will rescue us from the inexorable punishment, when Paul displayed such great virtue, he who shared the same nature as we do, who was subject to the same passions, who lived in such difficulty of times, and who was, so to speak, dragged about every day, torn asunder, and publicly hauled away by those who warred against the preaching? And so that you may not hear from our own tongue the right actions of this blessed man, and the manliness which he displayed every day on behalf of the preaching of piety, it is necessary to hear him speaking himself: In whatever anyone dares, I speak in foolishness, I also dare. Observe a soul that loves God: he calls the matter not only daring, but also foolishness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":492,"ref":"p492","source":"παιδεύων ἡμᾶς μὴ ἁπλῶς ἄνευ ἀνάγκης, καὶ μηδενὸς ἀναγκάζοντος, τὰ ὑφ' ἡμῶν γεγενημένα ἐκπομπεύειν, εἴγε τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν εὑρεθεῖεν ἀγαθόν τι ἐργασάμενοι. Ἑβραῖοί εἰσι; κἀγώ· Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσι; κἀγώ· σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ εἰσι; κἀγώ. Ἐπὶ τούτοις, φησὶ, μέγα φρονοῦσι; μὴ νομιζέτωσαν λείπεσθαι ἡμᾶς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τῶν αὐτῶν μετέχομεν. Εἶτα ἐπήγαγεν· Διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι; παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ. Θέα μοι ἐνταῦθα τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετήν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ τόλμαν καὶ ἀφροσύνην ἐκάλεσε τὸ γεγενημένον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καίτοι εἰς τοσαύτην ἀνάγκην καταστὰς, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἠρκέσθη τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἀλλ' ὅτε ἔμελλεν ἑαυτὸν δεικνύναι πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ ἐκεί νους ὑπερακοντίζοντα, ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ ἀπὸ φιλαυτίας αὐτὸν ταῦτα φθέγγεσθαι, πάλιν παραφροσύνην καλεῖ τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ λεγόμενον· μονονουχὶ λέγων· Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα ὅτι πρᾶγμα ποιῶ τοῖς πολλοῖς παριστάμενον, καὶ οὐκ ἐμοὶ πρέπον· ἀλλ' ἡ πολλή με ἀνάγκη εἰς τοῦτο συνωθήσασα ἐκβιάζεται· διὸ σύγγνωτέ μοι, φησὶ, παραφροσύνης ῥήματα φθεγγομένῳ. Τούτου κἂν τὴν σκιὰν μιμησώμεθα ἡμεῖς οἱ τοσαῦτα φορτία ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχοντες ἐπικείμενα, καὶ πολλάκις ἕν τι βραχὺ κατορθοῦντες, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα τῆς διανοίας φυλάττειν ἀνεχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων θηρᾶσθαι δόξαν ἐκπομπεύοντες, καὶ εἰς μέσον προτιθέντες, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀκαίρου ταύτης φλυαρίας τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀμοιβῆς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστεροῦντες; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος τοιοῦτόν τι πέπονθεν, ἀλλ' εἰπὼν, Ὑπὲρ ἐγὼ, ἀπαριθμεῖται λοιπὸν τὰ τῆς ἀνδρίας αὐτοῦ κατορθώματα, καί φησιν·","english":"Training us not to parade the things done by us simply without necessity and with no one compelling us—if indeed some among us should be found to have done some good thing. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. In these things, he says, do they take great pride? Let them not think that we fall short; for we too share in the same. Then he added: Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as one beside himself, I more so. Observe here the virtue of this blessed man's soul; for since he called what had been done by him both boldness and folly, although he had been brought into such great necessity, not even so was he satisfied with what had been said, but when he was about to show himself surpassing those men by a great measure, so that no one might think he spoke these things from self-love, he again calls what is said by him folly—almost saying: Do I not know that I am doing a thing that appears strange to many, and is not fitting for me? But the great necessity, having constrained me to this, forces me on; therefore forgive me, he says, for uttering words of folly. Let us imitate even the shadow of this man—we who have so many burdens of sins lying upon us, and who often accomplish one small thing, and do not even endure to keep this in the storehouses of the mind, but because we hunt for the glory that comes from men, we parade it abroad and set it in the midst, and by this untimely babbling deprive ourselves of the reward from God. But this blessed man suffered no such thing; rather, having said, I more so, he then enumerates the achievements of his manliness, and says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":493,"ref":"p493","source":"Ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως, ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις. Τί λέγεις; ξένον τι καὶ παράδοξόν ἐστι τὸ παρὰ σοῦ λεγόμενον. Ἔστι γὰρ πολλάκις θάνατον ὑπομεῖναι; Ναὶ, φησίν· εἰ καὶ μὴ τῇ πείρᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ γνώμῃ· διδάσκων ἡμᾶς, ὅτι διηνεκῶς τοιούτοις ἑαυτὸν κινδύνοις ἐξεδίδου διὰ τὸ κήρυγμα θάνατον αὐτῷ τίκτουσιν· ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις ἐν αὐτοῖς μέσοις τοῖς κινδύνοις τὸν ἀθλητὴν διεφύλαττεν, ὥστε τοῖς μαθητευομένοις πολλὴν γίνεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν ὠφέλειαν· καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς δὲ ἐπαγόμενον πάλιν ἅπαντα ὡς εἰπεῖν τὰ εἰρημένα ἀποκρύπτει· Τίς γὰρ ἀσθενεῖ, φησὶ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; Βαβαὶ, πόση τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου ἡ φιλοστοργία, πόση ἡ ἀγρυπνία, πόση ἡ μέριμνα; ποία μήτηρ οὕτω διακόπτεται τὰ σπλάγχνα, τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτῆς πυρέττοντος, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης κειμένου, ὡς ὁ μακάριος οὗτος; ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τόπῳ ἀσθενούντων μᾶλλον ἠσθένει, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἐπυροῦτο. Σκόπει γάρ μοι λέξεως ἔμφασιν· οὐκ εἶπε, Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ λυποῦμαι, ἀλλὰ, Πυροῦμαι, φησὶ, τὴν ἐπίτασιν ἡμῖν τῆς ὀδύνης δηλῶν, καὶ μονονουχὶ δεικνὺς ἐμπυριζόμενον αὐτὸν καὶ καιόμενον ἔνδοθεν ὑπὲρ τῶν τὰ σκάνδαλα ὑπομενόντων. Οἶδα ὅτι εἰς πολὺ","english":"In labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. What are you saying? What you say is strange and paradoxical. Is it possible to undergo death often? Yes, he says—if not in experience, yet in resolve; teaching us that he continually gave himself over to such dangers for the sake of the proclamation, dangers that give birth to death for him. But the grace of God preserved the athlete in the very midst of the dangers, so that the great benefit from him might come to those who were being taught. And what follows next again, so to speak, conceals all that has been said: For who is weak, he says, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn? Alas, how great is this man's affection, how great his vigilance, how great his care! What mother is so torn in her inmost parts when her child is feverish and lying on the bed, as this blessed man? He was weak on behalf of the weak in every place, and burned on behalf of those who were caused to stumble. For consider with me the force of the expression: he did not say, \"Who is caused to stumble, and I am not grieved?\" but, \"I burn,\" he says, making clear to us the intensity of his pain, and almost showing himself set on fire and burning within on behalf of those who endure stumbling blocks. I know that into much","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":494,"ref":"p494","source":"μῆκος τὸν λόγον ἐξέτεινα· ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα πῶς, ἐμπεσὼν εἰς τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν κατορθωμάτων τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου, καθάπερ ὑπὸ ῥύμης ὑδάτων σφοδροτάτης, οὕτω τὴν γλῶτταν παρεσύρην. Διὸ μέχρι τούτου στήσας τὸν λόγον, παρακαλῶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην διηνεκῶς τοῦτον ἐν διανοίᾳ περιφέρειν, καὶ τοῦτο λογίζεσθαι συνεχῶς, ὅτι τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν κοινωνῶν φύσεως καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποκείμενος, καὶ ἐπιτήδευμα ἔχων εὐτελὲς καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητον, καὶ δέρματα ῥάπτων, καὶ ἐπὶ ἐργαστηρίου ἑστηκὼς, ἐπειδὴ ἐβουλήθη καὶ ἠθέλησε πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς πόνους ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι, καὶ ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν καταστῆσαι τῆς ὑποδοχῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, δαψιλεστέρας ἀπέλαυσε τῆς ἄνωθεν φιλοτιμίας· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΑʹ. Περὶ θανάτου.\n\nΠολλὰ μὲν ἐπείγεται μανθάνειν ἤδη καὶ καταλαμβάνειν ἡμῶν ἡ διάνοια, ἀγαπητοί· μάλιστα δὲ τὸν περὶ συντελείας καιρόν. Διὰ τοῦτο τοὺς ταύτην τὴν ἄκαιρον νοσοῦντας πολυπραγμοσύνην καταστέλλων ὁ Παῦλός φησι· Περὶ δὲ τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε γράφεσθαι ὑμῖν. Ποῖον γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ κέρδος; Θῶμεν εἶναι τὴν συντέλειαν μετὰ εἴκοσιν ἔτη, μετὰ τριάκοντα ἔτη, μετὰ ἑκατόν· τί τοῦτο πρὸς ἡμᾶς; οὐχὶ ἑκάστου ἡ συντέλεια τὸ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ πέρας ἐστί; τί πολυπραγμονεῖς καὶ ὠδίνεις ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τέλους;","english":"I have stretched out the discourse at length; but I do not know how, having fallen into the wealth of the achievements of this holy man, I was carried away in tongue as if by the most violent rush of waters. Therefore, having stopped the discourse here, I beseech your love to carry this man continually in your mind, and to reason constantly that, partaking of the same nature as we and subject to the same passions, and having a lowly and contemptible trade, stitching leathers and standing at a workshop, since he wished and willed to give himself over to the labors of virtue and to make himself worthy of the reception of the Holy Spirit, he enjoyed more abundantly the generosity from above; may it be granted to us all to obtain it, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 31. On Death.\n\nMany things our mind is eager to learn and grasp already, beloved, and especially the time of the end. For this reason Paul, restraining those who are sick with this untimely meddlesomeness, says: But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to be written to. For what, tell me, is the gain? Let us suppose the end is after twenty years, after thirty years, after a hundred; what is that to us? Is not the end for each one the limit of his own life? Why do you meddle and travail over the common end?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":495,"ref":"p495","source":"Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις τὰ ἴδια ἀφέντες, τὰ κοινὰ μεριμνῶμεν, καὶ πάντων φροντίζομεν μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν οἰκείων, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, ἀφέντες τὸ οἰκεῖον ἕκαστος τέλος μεριμνᾷν, τὴν κοινὴν κατάλυσιν διδαχθῆναι βουλόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ μαθεῖν βούλεσθε διὰ τί ἡμῖν ἡ τελευτὴ ἀποκέκρυπται, καὶ διὰ τί ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ, οὕτως ἔρχεται, ἐγὼ, ὡς ἐμαυτῷ δοκεῖ καλῶς ἔχειν, ἐρῶ. Οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀρετῆς ἐπεμελήθη ποτὲ παρὰ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον, εἰ τὸ τέλος ᾔδει, ἀλλ' εἰδὼς αὐτοῦ τὴν τελευταίαν ἡμέραν, μυρία ἐργασάμενος πρότερον δεινὰ, καὶ τῇ μετανοίᾳ τότε προσελθὼν, οὕτως ἂν ἀπῆλθεν. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν τοῦ τῆς ἀδηλίας φόβου κατασείοντος τὰς ἁπάντων ψυχὰς, πάντες τὸν ἔμπροσθεν βίον ἅπαντα ἐν κακίᾳ καταναλώσαντες, εἰς ἐσχάτας ἀναπνοὰς τῇ μετανοίᾳ διδόασιν ἑαυτοὺς, εἰ σφόδρα ἦσαν ὑπὲρ τούτου πεπεικότες ἑαυτοὺς, τίς ἄν ποτε ἀρετῆς ἐπεμελήθη; Ἄλλως τε, εἰ ᾔδει ἕκαστος ὅτι αὔριον πάντως τεθνήξεται, οὐδὲν ἂν παρῃτήσατο τολμῆσαι πρὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔσφαξεν οὓς ἂν ἠθέλησε, καὶ ἀνεκτήσατο ἑαυτὸν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀμύνων, καὶ πρότερον ἀναπαύσας αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν, οὕτως ἂν ἐδέξατο τὴν τελευτήν. Πρὸς τούτῳ, οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ οἱ γενναῖοι ἄνδρες μισθὸν ἂν ἔσχον κατατολμῶντες τῶν δεινῶν, τὸ θαῤῥεῖν ἐκ τοῦ μήπω παρεῖναι τὴν τελευτὴν ἔχοντες· καὶ ὁ νωθρότατος εἰς πῦρ ἐνέβη, εἴ τινα ἀξιόπιστον ἐγγυητὴν εὗρε τῆς ἀσφαλείας. Ὁ γὰρ ἐξ ἑκάστου κινδύνου προσδοκῶν τεθνήξεσθαι, καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ζήσεται μὲν μὴ παραβουλευσάμενος, τεθνήξεται δὲ τοιαῦτα κατατολμῶν, τῆς αὐτοῦ προθυμίας καὶ τοῦ καταφρονεῖν τῆς ἐνθάδε ζωῆς μέγιστον ἐξήνεγκε τεκμήριον.","english":"But just as in other matters we set aside our own concerns and care for the common good, and take thought for all rather than for our own affairs, so too here, each of us setting aside the care of his own end, let us desire to be taught the common dissolution. And if you wish to learn why our death has been hidden from us, and why it comes like a thief in the night, I will say what seems to me to be well. No one would ever have cultivated virtue throughout his whole life, if he knew his end; but knowing his last day, after having first done countless terrible things, and then approaching repentance at that time, he would thus depart. For if now, when the fear of uncertainty shakes the souls of all, all who have consumed their entire former life in wickedness give themselves over to repentance at their last breaths—if they had thoroughly persuaded themselves of this, who would ever have cultivated virtue? Besides, if each man knew that tomorrow he would certainly die, he would shrink from daring nothing before that day, but he would even slaughter whomever he wished, and he would avenge himself, defending against his enemies, and having first given rest to his soul, he would thus receive his end. In addition to this, not even the noble men themselves would have a reward for braving dangers, since they have their confidence from the fact that the end is not yet present; and the most sluggish man would enter fire, if he found some trustworthy guarantor of safety. For he who expects from each danger that he will die, and knows that he will live if he does not act against counsel, but will die if he dares such things—he has brought forth the greatest proof of his own zeal and of his contempt for this life here.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":496,"ref":"p496","source":"Ὁ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι φιλοσοφῶν, καὶ ταῖς τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίσιν ὀρθούμενος, οὐδὲ τὸν θάνατον ἡγήσεται θάνατον, ἀλλ' ὁρῶν πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κείμενον τεθνηκότα, οὐ πείσεται τὰ τῶν πολλῶν, τοὺς στεφάνους ἀναλογιζόμενος. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ γηπόνος τὸν σῖτον διαλυόμενον ὁρῶν, οὐ καταπίπτει οὐδὲ κατηφὴς γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ δίκαιος κατορθώμασι κομῶν, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν καθ' ἑκάστην προσδοκῶν τὴν ἡμέραν, ὅταν ἴδῃ τὸν θάνατον πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κείμενον, οὐκ ἀλύει καθάπερ οἱ πολλοὶ, οὐ θορυβεῖται καὶ ταράττεται· οἶδε γὰρ, ὅτι θάνατος τοῖς ὀρθῶς βεβιωκόσι μετάστασίς ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω, καὶ ἀποδημία πρὸς τὰ ἀμείνω, καὶ δρόμος πρὸς τοὺς στεφάνους. Διὰ τοῦτο τάφοι πρὸ τῶν πόλεων, τάφοι πρὸ τῶν ἀγρῶν, καὶ πανταχοῦ\n\nτὸ διδασκάλιον τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν πρόκειται, ἵνα συνεχῶς τῆς ἑαυτῶν ὑπομιμνησκώμεθα ἀσθενείας. Ἐπείγεταί τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πόλιν βασιλεύουσαν, καὶ κομῶσαν πλούτῳ καὶ δυναστείαις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀξιώμασι, καὶ πρὶν ἴδῃ ὃ φαντάζεται, βλέπει πρῶτον ὃ γίνεται· καὶ παιδευόμεθα πρῶτον εἰς τί καταλήγομεν, καὶ τότε ὁρᾷν τὰ ἔσω φαντάσματα. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνὴρ πολλάκις ἐπειδὰν γυναῖκα θέλῃ λαβεῖν, ὑπαγορεύει τῷ νόμῳ, γράφει τὰ προικῷα, καὶ οὐδέπω συνάφεια, καὶ θάνατος εὐθὺς ἀναγράφεται· οὐδέπω εἶδε τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ θανάτου ψῆφος καθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ κατ' ἐκείνης προϋποτίθεται, καὶ γράφει τοιαῦτα· Ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ πρὸ τῆς γυναικός· ἐὰν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τὸ καὶ τὸ διατυποῦται. Καὶ οὐ μόνον περὶ τῶν ὄντων καὶ ζώντων αἱ τοῦ θανάτου τίθενται ψῆφοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῶν οὐδέπω γεγονότων.","english":"For the one who truly philosophizes and is set upright by the hopes of things to come will not consider death to be death; but seeing a dead man lying before his eyes, he will not suffer what the many do, as he reckons up the crowns. And just as the farmer who sees the grain being dissolved does not fall down nor become downcast, so too the righteous man, adorned with right deeds and expecting the kingdom each day, when he sees death lying before his eyes, is not distressed as the many are, is not thrown into confusion and troubled; for he knows that death, for those who have lived rightly, is a migration to better things, and a journey abroad to better things, and a race toward the crowns. For this reason tombs are before the cities, tombs before the fields, and everywhere the school of our humility lies open before us, so that we may be continually reminded of our own weakness. Someone hastens to enter a city that is royal and adorned with wealth and powers and the other dignities, and before he sees what he imagines, he first sees what he becomes; and we are taught first what we end in, and then to see the visions within. And not only this, but also a man, often when he wishes to take a wife, dictates to the law, writes the dowry terms, and there is not yet a union, and death is straightway written down; he has not yet seen the woman, and the verdict of death is set down beforehand against himself and against her, and he writes such things as: If the husband die before the wife; if the wife before the husband, such and such is prescribed. And not only concerning things that exist and are living are the verdicts of death set down, but also against those not yet born.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":497,"ref":"p497","source":"Τί γάρ φησι; Ἐὰν δὲ τὸ τεχθὲν παιδίον ἀποθάνῃ. Οὔπω ὁ καρπὸς, καὶ ἡ ἀπόφασις ἔδραμεν. Εἶτα ἐν μὲν τοῖς γραμματείοις ἐπιγινώσκει τὴν φύσιν· εἰ δέ τι τῶν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον πάθῃ, ἢ τὸ γύναιον ἀποθάνῃ, ἐπιλανθάνεται ὧν ἔγραψε, καὶ ἕτερα τραγῳδίας προφέρει ῥήματα. Καὶ ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἔδει με παθεῖν; ταῦτα ἐγὼ προσεδόκησα πάσχειν, καὶ ἀποστερεῖσθαι τῆς συζυγίας; Τί λέγεις, ἄνθρωπε; ἔξω ἦς τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ ἐπεγίνωσκες τοὺς ὅρους τῆς φύσεως· ὅτε περιέπεσας τοῖς πάθεσιν, ἐπελάθου τῶν νόμων τῆς φύσεως; Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ τῶν προσηκόντων ἀπελθόντα ἐντεῦθεν, μὴ δυσχεράνῃς, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπάνελθε, καὶ τὸ συνειδὸς ἐξέτασον· σκόπησον ὅτι μικρὸν ὕστερον καὶ σὲ μένει τοῦτο τὸ τέλος. Ἀλλ' ὁ τελευτήσας σήπεται, φησὶ, καὶ κόνις γίνεται καὶ τέφρα. Διὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὖν μάλιστα χαίρειν δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ οἰκίαν τις μέλλων οἰκοδομεῖν σαθρωθεῖσαν καὶ παλαιὰν γενομένην, ἐκβαλὼν πρῶτον τοὺς οἰκοῦντας, οὕτω καταλύει τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἀνοικοδομεῖ λαμπροτέραν. Καὶ τοὺς ἐκβληθέντας οὐ λυπεῖ τὸ γινόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐφραίνει πλέον· οὐ γὰρ τῇ καθαιρέσει προσέχουσι τῇ βλεπομένῃ ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν οἰκοδομὴν φαντάζονται τὴν οὐ βλεπομένην. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ποιεῖ· μέλλων καταλύειν ἡμῶν τὸ σῶμα, τὴν ἐνοικοῦσαν ἐν αὐτῷ ψυχὴν ἐξάγει πρότερον, καθάπερ ἐξ οἰκίας τινὸς, ἵνα λαμπροτέραν αὐτὴν οἰκοδομήσας, μετὰ πλείονος ταύτην δόξης εἰσαγάγῃ πάλιν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀδὰμ ὅτε ἐπλάττετο, οὐκ εἶδεν ὅτι ἀπὸ γῆς ἀνέστη· οὐ γὰρ προγενεστέραν ἐποίησε τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ σώματος ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μὴ βλέπῃ τὴν δημιουργίαν·","english":"For what does he say? \"But if the child that is born dies.\" The fruit is not yet, and the verdict has already run its course. Then in his documents he recognizes nature; but if he suffers any of the human passions, or his wife dies, he forgets what he wrote, and brings forth other words of tragedy. And these things, he says, I had to suffer? These things did I expect to suffer, and to be deprived of my marriage? What are you saying, man? You were outside the events, and you recognized the boundaries of nature; when you fell into the passions, did you forget the laws of nature? When, therefore, you see one of your kindred depart from here, do not be vexed; return to yourself, and examine your conscience; consider that a little later this end awaits you too. But the one who has died rots, he says, and becomes dust and ashes. For this very reason, then, one must especially rejoice. For when a man intends to build a house that has become decayed and old, he first casts out those who dwell in it, and so demolishes the house and rebuilds it more splendid. And the casting out does not grieve those who are cast out, but rather gladdens them the more; for they do not attend to the demolition that is seen, but they picture the future building that is not seen. So indeed God also does: intending to demolish our body, he first leads out the soul that dwells in it, as from a house, so that having rebuilt it more splendid, he may bring it in again with greater glory. For even Adam, when he was being formed, did not see that he rose from the earth; for God did not make the soul older than the body, lest he see the creation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":498,"ref":"p498","source":"διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἠγνόησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐτέλειαν· ὅτε μέντοι ἐγείρεται ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει, οἶδεν, ὅτι χοῦν ἀποδυσάμενος ἐγείρεται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὸν μὴ βλέπει ὁ νεκρὸς, ἀλλὰ τὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ ὁρᾷ εἰς χοῦν ἀναλυθέντα, καὶ δι' ὧν ὁρᾷ παιδεύεται. Οὐκ εἶδες θρασεῖς ἄνδρας καὶ ὑπερηφάνους, πῶς κατεσταλμένοι εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς θανάτοις; ἀπαγγέλλεται θάνατος, καὶ πάντων ἡ καρδία πτήσσει. Καὶ φιλοσοφοῦμεν περὶ τὰ μνήματα, τί γινόμεθα, καὶ φλυαροῦμεν· ἐξήλθομεν τῶν τάφων, καὶ ἐπελαθόμεθα τῆς ταπεινώσεως. Ἐν τῷ τάφῳ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἕκαστος ὧδέ πη φθέγγεται· Ὢ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας, ὢ τῆς οἰκτρᾶς ἡμῶν ζωῆς· ἄρα τί γινόμεθα; καὶ ὅλως φθεγγόμεθα, καὶ ἁρπάζομεν καὶ μνησικακοῦμεν; Καὶ ἕκαστος ἁπλῶς οὕτω φιλοσοφεῖ, ὡς μέλλων πάντῃ τῇ κακίᾳ εὐθὺς ἀποτάττεσθαι· καὶ ἔσω μὲν λόγοις φιλοσοφεῖ, ἔξω δὲ τοῖς ἔργοις θεομαχεῖ. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, οὕτω δακρύεις τὸν ἀπελθόντα; ὅτι πονηρὸς ἦν; οὐκοῦν διὰ τοῦτο εὐχαριστεῖν δεῖ, ὅτι ἐνεκόπη τὰ τῆς κακίας αὐτῷ. Ἀλλὰ χρηστὸς ἦν καὶ ἐπιεικής; καὶ διὰ τοῦτο χαίρειν δεῖ, ὅτι ταχέως ἡρπάγη, πρὶν ἢ κακία ἀλλάξῃ τὴν σύνεσιν. Ἀλλὰ νέος ἦν; καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εὐχαρίστησον, καὶ τὸν λαβόντα δόξασον πάλιν. Καθάπερ γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ ἀρχὴν καλουμένους πολλοὶ προπέμπουσι μετ' εὐφημίας, οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἁγίων τοὺς ἀπιόντας, ἅτε ἐπὶ μείζονα κληθέντας τιμὴν, μετὰ πολλῆς δεῖ προπέμπειν τῆς εὐφημίας. Οὐ γὰρ λέγω μὴ λυπεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀμέτρως τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Ἂν γὰρ ἐννοήσωμεν ὅτι θνητὸς ὁ ἀπελθὼν ἦν, καὶ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἀφείλετο, οὐ τὴν","english":"For this reason he was also ignorant of its cheapness; but when it is raised in the resurrection, he knows that he rises having put off the dust. For even if the dead man does not see himself, yet he sees the one before him dissolved into dust, and through what he sees he is instructed. Did you not see bold and arrogant men, how subdued they are in the face of deaths? A death is announced, and the heart of all cowers. And we philosophize around the tombs about what we become, and we babble; we have come out of the graves, and we have forgotten the lowliness. In the tomb each one speaks to his neighbor somewhat like this: Alas for our misery, alas for our pitiable life; what then do we become? And do we altogether speak, and seize, and bear grudges? And each one philosophizes simply in this way, as though about to renounce all wickedness at once; and inwardly he philosophizes with words, but outwardly he fights against God with deeds. But let us return to what lies before us. Tell me, for what reason do you weep so for the one who has departed? Because he was wicked? Then for this very reason one must give thanks, that the things of his wickedness were cut short. But was he good and gentle? Then for this very reason one must rejoice, that he was snatched away quickly, before wickedness could change his understanding. But was he young? Then for this very reason give thanks, and glorify the one who took him. For just as many escort those who are called to office with acclamation, so also must one escort the departed among the saints with much acclamation, inasmuch as they have been called to a greater honor. For I do not say that you should not grieve for the departed, but that you should not do this without measure. For if we consider that the one who departed was mortal, and that God took him, not the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":499,"ref":"p499","source":"τυχοῦσαν παραμυθίαν ληψόμεθα. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ἀγανακτεῖν, μεῖζόν τι τῆς φύσεως ἐπιζητούντων ἐστίν. Ἄνθρωπος ἐγεννήθης καὶ θνητός· τί οὖν ἀλγεῖς, ὅτι τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐγένετο; μὴ ἀλγεῖς, ὅτι ἐσθίων τρέφῃ; μὴ ζητεῖς χωρὶς τροφῆς ζῇν; Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θανάτου· μὴ ζήτει τέως ἀθανασίαν θνητὸς γεγονώς· ἅπαξ γὰρ τοῦτο ὡρίσθη καὶ νενομοθέτηται. Ἀλλ' ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς καλῇ καὶ βούληταί τι λαβεῖν παρ' ἡμῶν, μὴ κατὰ τοὺς ἀγνώμονας τῶν οἰκετῶν τὰ δεσποτικὰ νοσφιζώμεθα. Κἂν γὰρ χρήματα λάβῃ, κἂν τὴν τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, κἂν τὸ σῶμα, κἂν αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν, τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἔλαβε· κἂν τὸν υἱὸν τὸν σὸν λάβῃ, οὐ τὸν σὸν ἔλαβεν υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸν δοῦλον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ. Εἰ τοίνυν ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἑαυτῶν, πῶς τὰ ἐκείνου ἡμῶν; Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ψυχή σου οὐκ ἔστι σὴ, πῶς τὰ χρήματα σά; εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι σὰ, πῶς εἰς οὐδὲν δέον ἀναλίσκεις τὰ μὴ σά; Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε, ὅτι Τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀναλίσκω, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ τρυφῶ· οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν σαυτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων· ἀλλοτρίων δὲ λέγω, ἐπειδὴ σὺ βούλει· ἐπεὶ σὰ βούλεται ὁ Θεὸς εἶναι τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν πενήτων ἐγχειρισθέντα σοι. Γίνεται δὲ σὰ τὰ ἀλλότρια, ἐὰν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀναλώσῃς· ἂν δὲ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναλώσῃς, ἀλλότρια γέγονε τὰ σά. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων τῶν ἡμετέρων χεῖρες διακονοῦσι, καὶ στόμα λεαίνει, καὶ γαστὴρ δέχεται; μὴ λέγει ἡ γαστήρ· Ἐπειδὴ ἐδεξάμην, ὀφείλω τὸ πᾶν κατέχειν; καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ πάλιν ἐπειδὴ τὸ πᾶν δέχεται φῶς, μὴ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ κατέχει μόνος, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ ὁλόκληρον φωτίζει τὸ σῶμα;","english":"we shall receive the consolation that falls to us. For to be indignant at these things is the mark of those seeking something greater than nature. You were born a man and mortal; why then do you grieve that what is according to nature has come to pass? Do you not grieve that you are nourished by eating? Do you not seek to live without food? So also with death: do not for the present seek immortality, having been born mortal; for this was once for all defined and established by law. But when God calls and wishes to receive something from us, let us not, like the ungrateful among servants, withhold what belongs to the master. For even if he takes money, even if honor and glory, even if the body, even if the soul itself, he has taken what is his own; even if he takes your son, he has not taken your son, but his own servant. If, then, we are not our own, how are the things that are his ours? For if your soul is not yours, how are your possessions yours? And if they are not yours, how do you spend on what is in no need things that are not yours? Do not then say, \"I spend what is my own, and I live in luxury from what is my own\"; for it is not from your own, but from what belongs to another—and I say \"another's\" because you wish it so; since God wishes the things entrusted to you for the sake of the poor to be yours. And what is another's becomes yours if you spend it on them; but if you spend it on yourself, what is yours has become another's. Do you not see that in our bodies the hands minister, and the mouth smooths, and the stomach receives? Let not the stomach say, \"Because I have received, I ought to keep the whole\"; and again, since the eye receives all the light, let it not for this reason keep it alone, but does it not rather illuminate the whole body?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":500,"ref":"p500","source":"καὶ οἱ πόδες ἐπειδὴ μόνοι βαδίζουσιν, ἆρα ἑαυτοὺς μετατιθέασι μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ ὅλον μετατιθέασι τὸ σῶμα; Καὶ ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν ἀναγκαῖον ἐπιτήδευμα μετιόντων, εἰ βουληθείη μὴ μεταδοῦναι ἑτέρῳ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης ὠφέλειαν, οὐχὶ τοὺς ἄλλους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑαυτὸν προσαπόλλυσι. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ πένητες εἰ τὴν ὑμετέραν τῶν πλεονεκτούντων καὶ πλουτούντων κακίαν μετῆλθον, ταχέως ἂν ὑμᾶς ἐποίησαν πένητας, εἰ μὴ δεομένοις τῶν ἑαυτῶν μεταδοῦναι ἐβουλήθησαν. Ἀλλὰ παιδίον ἀπώλεσα, φησὶ, μονογενὲς, ἐν πλούτῳ πολλῷ τρεφόμενον, ἐλπίδας ὑποφαῖνον χρηστὰς, αὐτό μοι μέλλον διαδέχεσθαι τὴν κληρονομίαν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; μὴ στενάξῃς, ἀλλ' εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ δόξασον τὸν εἰληφότα, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔσῃ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ κατὰ τοῦτο χείρων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἔδωκε τῷ Θεῷ κελεύσαντι, οὕτω καὶ σὺ λαβόντος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐστέναξας. Εἰ γὰρ τελευτῶντα ἰδὼν τὸν υἱὸν εὐχαριστήσῃς τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ, οὐκ ἔλαττον λήψῃ μισθὸν τούτου τοῦ τὸν υἱὸν ἀγαγόντος καὶ καταθύσαντος· κἂν τοὺς κωκυτοὺς καὶ τοὺς θρήνους διαλύσῃς, καὶ εἰς δοξολογίαν ἅπαντας διεγείρῃς, μυρία ἄνωθεν καὶ κάτωθεν δέξῃ τὰ βραβεῖα, ἀνθρώπων σε θαυμαζόντων, ἀγγέλων κροτούντων, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ στεφανοῦντος. Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν μὴ πενθεῖν ἐκεῖνον, φησὶ, παρ' οὗ πατὴρ οὐκέτι καλοῦμαι λοιπόν; Τί λέγεις; μὴ γὰρ ἀπέβαλες τὸ παιδίον; μὴ γὰρ ἀπώλεσας τὸν υἱόν; μᾶλλον ἐκτήσω καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον ἔσχες. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ πατὴρ καλεῖσθαι ἀπώλεσας, ἀλλὰ τὸ μειζόνως καλεῖσθαι προσέλαβες· οὐ γὰρ θνητοῦ παιδίου, ἀλλ' ἀθανάτου λοιπὸν κληθήσῃ πατήρ.","english":"And the feet, since they alone walk, do they move only themselves, and do they not move the whole body as well? And each of those who pursue a necessary trade, if he wished not to share the benefit of his craft with another, destroys not only others but himself besides. For even the poor, if they had emulated your wickedness—you who take advantage and are rich—would quickly have made you poor, had they not been willing to share their own goods with those in need. But I have lost a child, he says, an only child, reared in great wealth, showing forth good hopes, who was about to succeed me and inherit my estate. And what of this? Do not groan, but give thanks to God, and glorify the one who has taken him, and in this you will be no worse than Abraham. For just as he gave to God when commanded, so you too, when he took, did not groan. For if, seeing your son at the point of death, you give thanks to the God who loves mankind, you will receive no less a reward than he who brought his son and sacrificed him; and if you dispel the wailings and lamentations, and rouse all to glorification, you will receive countless prizes from above and below, with men marveling at you, angels applauding, and God crowning you. And how is it possible, he says, not to mourn for him, since I am no longer called a father? What do you say? Did you cast away the child? Did you lose the son? Rather, you have gained him and hold him more securely. For you have not lost the being called a father, but you have gained the being called so in a greater way; for from now on you will be called the father not of a mortal child, but of an immortal one.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":501,"ref":"p501","source":"Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ μὴ πάρεστι, καὶ ἀπολωλέναι αὐτὸν νόμιζε· οὐδὲ γὰρ, ἂν ἀποδημῶν ἐτύγχανεν, ἀπέστη ἄν σου καὶ τοὔνομα τῆς συγγενείας μετὰ τοῦ σώματος. Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστι τὸ παιδίον τὸ κείμενον, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀποπτὰς καὶ ἀναδραμὼν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καθῃρημένους, καὶ τὸ στόμα συνῃρημένον, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀκίνητον, μὴ τοῦτο ἐννόει, ὅτι Τοῦτο μὲν τὸ στόμα οὐκέτι φθέγγεται, οὗτοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ οὐκέτι βλέπουσιν, οὗτοι οἱ πόδες οὐκέτι βαδίζουσιν· ἀλλ' ὅτι Τοῦτο μὲν τὸ στόμα ἄμεινον φθέγξεται, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ μείζονα ὄψονται, καὶ οἱ πόδες ἐπὶ νεφελῶν ἀρθήσονται, καὶ τὸ διαφθειρόμενον τοῦτο σῶμα ἀθανασίαν ἐνδύσεται, καὶ λαμπρότερον τὸν υἱὸν ἀπολήψομαι. Ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἀβραὰμ, ὃς οὐκ εἶδε μὲν τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἀποθανόντα, ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ πικρότερον ἦν καὶ ὀδυνηρότερον, αὐτὸς αὐτὸν κατασφάξαι ἐπετάττετο· καὶ οὐκ ἀντεῖπε πρὸς τὸ ἐπίταγμα, οὐδὲ ἐδυσχέρανεν, οὐδὲ ἐφθέγξατό τι τοιοῦτον· Διὰ","english":"For do not suppose that because he is not present, he has perished; for even if he happened to be away from home, the name of kinship would not have departed from you along with his body. It is not this child lying here that is your child, but that one who has flown away and hastened up to heaven. When, therefore, you see the eyes closed and the mouth shut and the body motionless, do not think this: \"This mouth no longer speaks, these eyes no longer see, these feet no longer walk\"; but rather: \"This mouth will speak better things, and these eyes will see greater things, and these feet will be lifted up upon the clouds, and this corruptible body will put on immortality, and I shall receive back my son more radiant.\" Remember the patriarch Abraham, who did not see Isaac die, but what was far bitterer and more painful—he was commanded to slay him himself; and he did not contradict the command, nor was he vexed, nor did he utter anything of this sort: \"For—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":502,"ref":"p502","source":"τοῦτό με πατέρα ἐποίησας, ἵνα παιδοκτόνον ἐργάσῃ; βέλτιον ἦν μὴ δοῦναι τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἢ δόντα, τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ πάλιν αὐτὸν ἀφελέσθαι. Βούλει λαβεῖν; τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐμὲ κατασφάττειν κελεύεις, καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν μιᾶναι τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ; οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτου μοι τοῦ παιδίου τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐμπλῆσαι τῶν ἀπογόνων ὑπέσχου; πῶς οὖν τοὺς καρποὺς δίδως, τὴν ῥίζαν ἀναιρῶν; τίς ταῦτα εἶδε, τίς ταῦτα ἤκουσεν; ἠπάτημαι καὶ παρελογίσθην. Οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, οὐκ ἐνενόησεν, οὐκ ἀντεῖπε τῷ κελεύοντι, οὐκ ἀπῄτησεν εὐθύνας· ἀλλ' ἀκούσας, Λάβε τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν ἀγαπητὸν, ὃν ἠγάπησας, τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ἀνένεγκέ μοι αὐτὸν εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν ἐφ' ἓν τῶν ὀρέων ὧν ἄν σοι εἴπω, μετὰ τοσαύτης προθυμίας τὸ ἐπίταγμα ἐπλήρωσεν, ὡς καὶ πλείονα τῶν ἐπιταχθέντων ποιῆσαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ γύναιον ἀπέκρυψε, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἔλαθε, κάτω μένειν ἀφείς. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν ἡλίκον ἦν μόνον μόνῳ διαλέγεσθαι τῷ παιδὶ μηδενὸς παρόντος, ὅτε μᾶλλον τὰ σπλάγχνα διεθερμαίνετο, καὶ σφοδρότερον τὸ φίλτρον ἐγίνετο· ποῖος λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται; Ἀνήγαγε τὸ παιδίον, συνεπόδισε, τοῖς ξύλοις ἐπέθηκε, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν ἥρπασεν, ἐπάγειν τὴν πληγὴν ἔμελλε. Πῶς εἴπω καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ οὐκ ἔχω· μόνος αὐτὸς οἶδεν ὁ ταῦτα ἐργασάμενος· λόγος γὰρ οὐδεὶς παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται. Πῶς οὐκ ἐνάρκησεν ἡ χείρ; πῶς οὐκ ἐλύθη τῶν νευρῶν ὁ τόνος; πῶς οὐ συνέχεεν αὐτὸν ἡ τοῦ ποθουμένου παιδίου ὄψις; Καὶ ἦν ὁμοῦ πατέρα ὁρᾷν καὶ ἱερέα γινόμενον τοῦτον, καὶ θυσίαν χωρὶς αἵματος ἀναφερομένην, ὁλοκαύτωμα χωρὶς πυρός. Καὶ γὰρ ἔσφαξε τὸν υἱὸν καὶ οὐκ ἔσφαξεν·","english":"Did you make me a father for this, so that you might make me a child-killer? It would have been better not to give me the child at all, than after giving him, to take him away again in such a manner. Do you wish to take him? For what reason do you command me to slaughter him and to defile my own right hand? Did you not promise me from this little child to fill the whole world with descendants? How then do you give the fruits while destroying the root? Who has seen these things, who has heard these things? I have been deceived and cheated. He said none of these things, he did not think them, he did not argue with the one commanding, he did not demand an account; but when he heard, Take your beloved son, whom you have loved, Isaac, and offer him to me as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you, he fulfilled the command with such eagerness that he even did more than what was commanded. For he also concealed it from the woman, and he escaped the notice of the servants, leaving them behind below. Consider, then, how great it was to converse alone with the child, with no one present, when his affections were the more warmed and his love became more intense—what speech will be able to set this forth? He led the child up, bound his feet together, placed him on the wood, and seized the knife, and was about to bring down the blow. How I should say it and in what manner I cannot; only he himself knows who did these things; for no speech will be able to set it forth. How did his hand not grow numb? How was the tension of his sinews not loosened? How did the sight of the beloved child not confound him? And it was possible at once to see him becoming both father and priest, and a sacrifice offered without blood, a whole burnt offering without fire. For he slaughtered his son and did not slaughter him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":503,"ref":"p503","source":"οὐκ ἔσφαξε τῇ χειρὶ, ἀλλ' ἔσφαξε τῇ προθυμίᾳ· ὥστε παιδεῦσαι τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα πάντας, ὅτι καὶ παιδίων καὶ φύσεως καὶ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ Θεοῦ προτιμᾷν χρή. Ἐννόει γάρ μοι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὸ γενναῖον, ὅτε τὸν υἱὸν ἐκελεύετο σφαγιάσαι τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἀγαπητὸν, τὸν παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν δεδομένον αὐτῷ, πόσους ἐπανισταμένους αὐτῷ εἶχε τοὺς λογισμούς· ἀλλ' ὅμως πάντας ὑπέταξε, καὶ πάντες αὐτὸν ἔτρεμον μᾶλλον, ἢ βασιλέα οἱ δορυφόροι· καὶ βλέμματι μόνῳ πάντας κατέστελλε, καὶ οὐδὲ γρύξαι ἐτόλμα τούτων οὐδεὶς, ἀλλ' οὕτως εὐτάκτως εἱστήκεισαν, ὡς καὶ κοσμεῖν αὐτὸν μᾶλλον ἤπερ φοβεῖν. Καὶ θέα τὴν καρτερίαν· ἡ φύσις ἔῤῥιπτο χαμαὶ μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτὸς εἱστήκει τὴν χεῖρα ἀνατείνας, οὐχὶ στέφανον ἔχουσαν, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν στεφάνου παντὸς λαμπροτέραν· καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐπεκρότει δῆμος, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνεκήρυττεν. Ἄρα τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον τοῦ τροπαίου; Εἰ γὰρ ἀθλητοῦ νικήσαντος, μὴ κήρυξ κάτωθεν, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνηγόρευσε τὸν ὀλυμπιονίκην, ἆρ' οὐχὶ τοῦτο τῶν στεφάνων αὐτῷ λαμπρότερον ἔδοξεν εἶναι, καὶ τὸ θέατρον ἅπαν ἐπέστρεψεν ἄν; Ὅταν οὖν μὴ ἄνθρωπος βασιλεὺς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἐν θεάτρῳ τοιούτῳ, ἀλλ' ἐν θεάτρῳ τῷ τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τῶν ἀγγέλων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων, αὐτὸν ἀνακηρύττῃ λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ βοῶν ἄνωθεν· ποῦ θήσομεν τὸν ἅγιον τοῦτον, εἰπέ μοι; Εἰ γὰρ φαύλων παίδων οὐκ ἂν εὐκόλως καταφρονήσειαν πατέρες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους πενθοῦσιν·","english":"He did not slaughter with his hand, but he slaughtered with his readiness; so as to instruct all who came after, that one must prefer the commandments of God to children and nature and all things that exist, and to one's very soul. Consider for me the man's nobility, when he was commanded to slaughter his son, the only-begotten, the beloved, the one given to him beyond all hope—how many reasonings rose up against him; but nevertheless he subjected them all, and they all trembled before him more than guards before a king; and with a single glance he restrained them all, and none of them dared even to murmur, but they stood so orderly that they adorned him rather than feared him. And behold the endurance: nature was cast to the ground with its own weapons, and he stood with his hand raised, not holding a crown, but a sword brighter than any crown; and the assembly of angels applauded, and God from the heavens proclaimed him. What, then, could equal this trophy? For if, when an athlete has won, not a herald from below, but the king from above proclaimed him an Olympian victor, would this not seem to him brighter than the crowns, and would it not have turned the whole theater? When, therefore, not a human king, but God himself, not in such a theater, but in the theater of the whole world, in the assembly of angels and archangels, proclaims him with a bright voice crying from above—where shall we place this holy man, tell me? For if fathers would not easily despise wicked children, but even mourn for them;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":504,"ref":"p504","source":"ὅταν καὶ υἱὸς ᾖ καὶ γνήσιος καὶ μονογενὴς καὶ ἀγαπητὸς, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μέλλῃ σφάττεσθαι τοῦ πατρὸς, τίς ἂν εἴποι τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας; Ὢ δεξιᾶς μακαρίας, οἵας κατηξιώθη μαχαίρας! ὢ μαχαίρας θαυμαστῆς, οἵας κατηξιώθη δεξιᾶς! ὢ μαχαίρας θαυμαστῆς! εἰς ποίαν κατεσκευάσθη χρείαν, καὶ εἰς ποίαν ἤνυσε διακονίαν, καὶ ποίῳ ὑπηρετήσατο τύπῳ, πῶς ᾑμάχθη, πῶς οὐχ ᾑμάχθη; οὐ γὰρ οἶδα τί εἴπω, οὕτω φρικτὸν τὸ μυστήριον ἦν. Οὐχ ἥψατο τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς δέρης, οὐδὲ διῆλθε διὰ τοῦ λαιμοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου ἐκείνου, οὐδὲ ἐφοινίχθη αἵματι δικαίου· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἥψατο καὶ διῆλθε καὶ ἐφοινίχθη καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐβαπτίσθη. Τάχα ἐξεστηκέναι ὑμῖν δοκῶ οὕτως ἐναντιολογῶν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐξέστηκα τὸ θαῦμα ἐννοῶν τοῦ δικαίου, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐναντιολογῶ. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ δικαίου χεὶρ ἐνέπηξεν αὐτὴν τῇ φάρυγγι τοῦ παιδὸς, ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ χεὶρ καὶ ἐμπαγεῖσαν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αἵματι μολυνθῆναι τοῦ παιδός. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ αὐτὴν\n\nκατεῖχε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Θεός· καὶ ὁ μὲν ὤθει διὰ τῆς γνώμης, ὁ δὲ ἀνέστελλε διὰ τῆς φωνῆς. Σκόπει δέ· εἶπε, Σφάξον, καὶ εὐθέως ὡπλίζετο· εἶπε, Μὴ σφάξῃς, καὶ εὐθέως ἀφωπλίζετο· εἵλετο γὰρ μὴ κληθῆναι πατὴρ, ὥστε δοῦλος εὐγνώμων φανῆναι· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀπέστη τῶν ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς μετὰ τούτων ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ· καὶ μέχρι τῆς προθυμίας ἵστησι τὸ ἐπίταγμα.","english":"When it is a son, and a genuine one, and an only-begotten one, and a beloved one, and he is about to be slaughtered by his own father, who could express the excess of this philosophy? O blessed right hand, what a sword it was deemed worthy of! O wondrous sword, what a right hand it was deemed worthy of! O wondrous sword! For what need was it prepared, and what ministry did it accomplish, and what type did it serve, how was it bloodied, how was it not bloodied? For I do not know what to say, so fearful was the mystery. It did not touch the boy's neck, nor did it pass through that holy throat, nor was it stained red with the blood of a righteous man; or rather, it both touched and passed through and was stained red and was dipped, and was not dipped. Perhaps I seem to you to be beside myself, speaking thus in contradictions. For I am beside myself as I consider the wonder of the righteous man, but I am not speaking contradictions. For the hand of the righteous man fixed it in the boy's throat, but the hand of God did not allow it, even once fixed, to be defiled with the boy's blood. For it was not Abraham alone who held it, but God also; and the one urged it on through his resolve, the other held it back through his voice. Consider: he said, Slaughter, and immediately he was arming himself; he said, Do not slaughter, and immediately he was disarming himself. For he chose not to be called a father, so as to appear a grateful servant; and because he stood apart from his own for God's sake, for this reason God also graciously granted him his own along with these things; and He halts the command at the point of readiness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":505,"ref":"p505","source":"Καὶ μή μοι τοῦτο εἴπῃς μόνον, ὅτι θυσιαστήριον ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ ξύλα ἐπέθηκεν, ἀλλ' ἀναμνήσθητι καὶ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ παιδίου, καὶ λόγισαι ὅσαι νιφάδες ἐπῆλθον αὐτῷ λογισμῶν, φλογίνοις δόρασιν ὡπλισμένοι, καὶ πάντοθεν κατακεντοῦντες αὐτὸν καὶ διατέμνοντες, ὅτε ἤκουσε τοῦ παιδίου λέγοντος· Πάτερ, ποῦ τὸ πρόβατον; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ νῦν κατακλῶνται πολλοὶ, καὶ μὴ πατέρες ὄντες, τί πάσχειν ἐκεῖνον εἰκὸς ἦν, τὸν αὐτὸν γεννήσαντα, τὸν θρέψαντα, τὸν ἐν γήρᾳ, τὸν μόνον ἔχοντα τοῦτον, τὸν ὁρῶντα, τὸν ἀκούοντα, τὸν εὐθέως μέλλοντα αὐτὸν ἀναιρεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων τὸν ἀδάμαντα ἐκεῖνον περιέτρεψεν, οὐδὲ διέσεισεν, οὐδὲ εἶπε· Τί πατέρα καλεῖς τὸν μικρὸν ὕστερον οὐκ ἐσόμενόν σου πατέρα; τὸν ἤδη ταύτην ἀπολέσαντα τὴν τιμήν; ἀλλὰ τί; Ὁ Θεὸς ὄψεται ἑαυτῷ πρόβατον εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, τέκνον. Ἑκάτεροι τὰ ὀνόματα τῆς φύσεως καλοῦσιν· ἐκεῖνος, πατέρα, καὶ τέκνον, οὗτος, καὶ χαλεπὸς ἑκατέρωθεν ὁ πόλεμος διηγείρετο, καὶ πολλὴ ἡ ζάλη, καὶ ναυάγιον οὐδαμοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπειδὴ ἤκουσε τὸν Θεὸν, οὐκέτι εἶπεν οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ περιειργάσατο· οὕτω συνετὸν ἦν τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς ἡλικίας τῷ ἄνθει. Ἆρα οὐ διεθερμάνθητε πάντες; οὐχὶ ἕκαστος ὑμῶν περιπτύσσεται τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ καταφιλεῖ τὸ παιδίον, καὶ θαυμάζει τὴν σύνεσιν, καὶ αἰδεῖται τὴν εὐλάβειαν; Καὶ γὰρ συμποδιζόμενος καὶ τοῖς ξύλοις ἐπιτιθέμενος οὐκ ἐξεπλήττετο, οὐκ ἀπεσκίρτα, οὐ κατεγίνωσκε τοῦ πατρὸς ὡς μαινομένου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδεσμεῖτο καὶ ἀνεβιβάζετο καὶ ἐπετίθετο, καὶ πάντα ἔφερε σιγῇ καθάπερ τις ἀρνειός·","english":"And do not tell me only this, that he built an altar and laid the wood, but remember also the voice of the child, and reckon how many snowflakes of thoughts came upon him, armed with fiery spears, and from every side piercing and cutting him through, when he heard the child saying: Father, where is the sheep? For if even now many are broken down, though they are not fathers, what was that man likely to suffer—the one who begot him, the one who reared him, the one in old age, the one who had this one only, the one who saw him, the one who heard him, the one who was about to slay him at once? But none of these things turned that adamant aside, nor shook him, nor did he say: Why do you call father the one who will shortly not be your father? The one who has already lost this honor? But what did he say? God will see for himself a sheep for a whole burnt offering, child. Both call the names of nature: the one, father, and child; the other, and from both sides the war was fiercely stirred up, and great was the surge, and no shipwreck anywhere. But Isaac, when he heard God, no longer said anything, nor did he busy himself further; so understanding was the child, even in the very flower of his age. Were you not all warmed through? Does not each of you embrace the child in his mind and kiss him, and marvel at his understanding, and revere his piety? For even when being bound and laid upon the wood he was not astonished, he did not leap away, he did not condemn his father as mad, but he was bound and lifted up and laid down, and he bore all things in silence like a little lamb.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":506,"ref":"p506","source":"μᾶλλον δὲ καθάπερ ὁ κοινὸς πάντων Δεσπότης, οὗ καὶ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν ἐμιμεῖτο, καὶ τὸν τύπον ἐφύλαττεν. Ὡς πρόβατον γὰρ ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις, ὅτι οὐκ ἤλγει ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, 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 τὸν αὑτοῦ, τὸν γνήσιον, τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν παρ' ἐλπίδα τεχθέντα, τὸν μετὰ χρόνον τοσοῦτον, τὸν πρὸς ἐσχάτῳ τῷ γήρᾳ, τοῦτον ἔτι νέον ὄντα ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ χερσὶ καταθῦσαι καὶ κατακαῦσαι κελευόμενος· πῶς οὐ πάσης τιμωρίας χαλεπωτέραν θλῖψιν καὶ ἀλγηδόνα ὑπέμεινεν; Εἰ γὰρ λίθος ἦν, εἰ γὰρ σίδηρος, εἰ γὰρ αὐτοαδάμας, οὐκ ἂν ἐκάμφθη καὶ κατεκλάσθη πρὸς τὴν ὥραν τοῦ παιδὸς, πρὸς τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν ῥημάτων, πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειαν τῆς ψυχῆς; Καὶ γὰρ 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; Ἔτι οὖν τολμήσει τις εἰπεῖν, ὡς οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τούτων ἁπάντων ἔπαθεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ;","english":"Rather, he imitated the gentleness of the common Master of all, and kept the pattern. For he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent. And let no one tell me that Abraham did not feel pain, nor endure the things of fathers, nor, wishing to show himself philosophic beyond measure, rob him of the crown of his praises. For if, when we see those caught in the most shameful deeds and having enjoyed this life for a long time, and being unknown, and never having been seen by us, suddenly being led to death in the marketplace, we are contracted and grieve, and often even weep—he who was commanded to sacrifice and burn with his own hands his own son, his genuine, his only-begotten, born beyond hope, after so much time, at the very end of old age, this one still being young—how did he not endure a distress and pain more grievous than every punishment? For if he had been stone, if iron, if adamant itself, would he not have been bent and broken at the hour of the child, at the understanding of the words, at the piety of the soul? For he heard, \"God will see for himself a sheep 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 placed on the wood, and he did not leap away; he saw the knife being brought against him, and he was not disturbed. What could be more pious than this soul? Will anyone still dare to say that Abraham suffered nothing from all these things?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":507,"ref":"p507","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον καταθύειν ἔμελλεν, εἰ γὰρ θηρίον ἦν, ἆρα ἀναλγητὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν; Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστι. Διὰ τοῦτο δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, ὅταν υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ἀποβάλῃς, ἄνθρωπε, μὴ οὕτως ἀσχημόνως θρήνει καὶ κόπτε σεαυτὸν, ἀλλ' ἐννόησον ὅτι ὁ Ἀβραὰμ κατέσφαξε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ οὔτε ἐδάκρυσεν, οὔτε πικρὸν ῥῆμα ἐξέβαλε. Καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ ἤλγησε μὲν, τοσοῦτον δὲ, ὅσον εἰκὸς πα τέρα φιλόπαιδα· ὡς ἅ γε νῦν ποιοῦμεν ἡμεῖς, ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων ἐστίν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἴ τινος εἰς βασίλεια ἀπενεχθέντος καὶ\n\nστεφανωθέντος ἔκοπτες σαυτὸν καὶ ἐθρήνεις, φίλον ἄν σε τοῦ στεφανωθέντος ἔφην εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ κεχώρηκε, φησί. Διὰ τί γὰρ οὐκ οἶδας, εἰπέ μοι; εἴτε γὰρ ὀρθῶς ἐβίου, εἴτε ἑτέρως, δῆλον ποῦ χωρήσει. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο κόπτομαι, φησὶν, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθε. Δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο δεῖ χαίρειν, ὅτι ἐνεκόπη τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ οὐ προσέθηκε τῇ κακίᾳ, καὶ βοηθεῖν ὡς ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, οὐ δάκρυσιν, ἀλλ' εὐχαῖς καὶ ἱκετηρίαις καὶ ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ προσφοραῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τοῦτο ἐπινενόηται, οὐδὲ μάτην ὁ παρεστὼς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τῶν φρικτῶν τελουμένων μυστηρίων βοᾷ, Ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ κεκοιμημένων, καὶ τῶν τὰς μνείας αὐτῶν ἐπιτελούντων, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου διατάξει ταῦτα γίνεται. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐκάθαιρεν ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς θυσία, τί ἀμφιβάλλεις, εἰ καὶ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπελθόντων προσφερόντων, γίνεταί τις αὐτοῖς παραμυθία;","english":"For if he was about to sacrifice an enemy and a foe—if it was a wild beast—did he do these things without feeling? It cannot be, it cannot be. This is why I beg and entreat you, O man, whenever you lose a son or a daughter, do not lament so shamefully and beat yourself, but consider that Abraham slaughtered his own son, and neither wept nor let fall a bitter word. And Job grieved, but only as much as is fitting for a father who loves his children; whereas what we do now belongs to enemies and foes. For if, when someone had been carried off to the palace and crowned, you beat yourself and lamented, I would call you not a friend of the one crowned, but an enemy and a foe. But, he says, I do not know where he has gone. Why do you not know, tell me? For whether he lived rightly or otherwise, it is clear where he will go. It is for this reason, he says, that I am crushed—because he departed a sinner. For this very reason, then, one ought to rejoice that his sins were cut short, and he did not add to his wickedness, and to help him as far as possible—not with tears, but with prayers and supplications and almsgivings and offerings. For this has not been devised at random, nor does the one standing at the altar cry out in vain during the dread mysteries, \"For all those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and for those who perform their memorials,\" but these things come about by the ordinance of the Holy Spirit. For if the father's sacrifice purified the children of Job, why do you doubt that, when we offer on behalf of those who have departed, some consolation comes to them?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":508,"ref":"p508","source":"Μὴ τοίνυν τοὺς ἀποθνήσκοντας κλαίωμεν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐν πλούτῳ τετελευτηκότας, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου παραμυθίαν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς ἐπινοήσαντας· τοὺς λαβόντας ἐξουσίαν ἀπολούσασθαι αὐτῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ μὴ βουληθέντας· τούτους κλαίωμεν, καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ πάντες, μὴ μίαν ἡμέραν μηδὲ δευτέραν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἡμῶν, καὶ βοηθῶμεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν· ἐπινοήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τινα βοήθειαν, μικρὰν μὲν, βοηθῶμεν δὲ ὅμως. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Εὐχόμενοι καὶ ἑτέρους παρακαλοῦντες εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι, πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόντες συνεχῶς. Ἔχει τινὰ τὸ πρᾶγμα παραμυθίαν· ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος, Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ Δαυῒδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου. Εἰ δὲ μνήμη μόνον δικαίου τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσεν, ὅταν καὶ ἔργα γένηται ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, πόσον οὐκ ἰσχύσει; Οὐκ εἰκῆ ταῦτα ἐνομοθετήθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων μνήμην γίνεσθαι τῶν ἀπελθόντων· ἴσασιν αὐτοῖς κέρδος πολὺ γινόμενον, πολλὴν τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁλόκληρος ἑστήκῃ λαὸς, χεῖρας ἀνατείνοντες, πλήρωμα ἱερατικὸν, καὶ προκέηται ἡ φρικτὴ θυσία, πῶς οὐ δυσωπήσομεν τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ τούτων παρακαλοῦντες; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν περὶ τῶν ἐν πίστει παρελθόντων· οἱ δὲ κατηχούμενοι οὐδὲ ταύτης καταξιοῦνται τῆς παραμυθίας, ἀλλ' ἀπεστέρηνται πάσης τοιαύτης βοηθείας, πλὴν μιᾶς τινος. Ποίας δὴ ταύτης; Ἔνεστι πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόναι συνεχῶς, καὶ ποιεῖ τινα αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα παραψυχήν. Ὥστε οὐ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κακὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κακῶς. Βούλεσθε δὲ εἴπω πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, πόθεν δεδοίκαμεν θάνατον;","english":"Therefore let us not simply weep for those who die, but for those who have died in wealth and have devised no comfort from their wealth for their own souls; for those who had the power to wash away their sins and did not wish to; these let us weep, both privately and publicly, all of us, not for one day or a second, but for our whole life, and let us help them as far as we are able; let us devise some help for them, small though it be, yet let us help them. How, and in what way? By praying and urging others to offer prayers on their behalf, and by continually giving to the poor on their behalf. The matter has some comfort in it; for hear God saying, I will shield this city for my sake and for the sake of David my servant. And if the mere remembrance of a righteous man had such power, when works are also done on his behalf, how much more will it not have? Not in vain were these things legislated by the apostles—that at the awesome mysteries there be a remembrance of those who have departed; they know that great gain accrues to them, great benefit. For when the whole people stands, lifting up their hands, the full body of the priesthood, and the awesome sacrifice is set forth, how shall we not prevail upon God, entreating him on their behalf? But this concerns those who have departed in faith; whereas the catechumens are not even deemed worthy of this comfort, but are deprived of every such help, except one kind. What is this? It is possible to give continually to the poor on their behalf, and the matter brings them some consolation. So that it is not death that is evil, but dying badly. Do you wish me to tell your love from what source we fear death?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":509,"ref":"p509","source":"Οὐκ ἔτρωσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ τῆς βασιλείας ἔρως, οὐδὲ ἀνῆψεν ἡμᾶς ὁ τῶν μελλόντων πόθος· ἐπεὶ πάντων ἂν ὑπερείδομεν τῶν παρόντων. Ὁ γὰρ διαπαντὸς γέενναν δεδοικὼς, οὐδέποτε θάνατον φοβηθήσεται. Δότε μοι πρὸς ὑμᾶς εὐκαίρως εἰπεῖν νῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, Μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσὶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ παιδία τὰ μικρὰ προσωπεῖα μὲν δέδοικε, πῦρ δὲ οὐ δέδοικεν, ἀλλ' ἐὰν βασταζόμενα τύχῃ παρὰ λυχνίαν λύχνον ἔχουσαν, ἀπερισκέπτως τὴν χεῖρα ἐπαφίησι τῇ λυχνίᾳ καὶ τῇ φλογί· καὶ τὸ μὲν εὐκαταφρόνητον προσωπεῖον φρίττει, τὸ δὲ ἀληθῶς οὐ δέδοικε φοβερὸν πῦρ. Βούλει εἴπω καὶ ἑτέραν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν τὸν θάνατον δεδοίκαμεν; Οὐ ζῶμεν μετὰ ἀκριβείας, οὐδὲ ἔχομεν συνειδὸς ἀγαθόν· ὡς, εἰ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ἂν ἐφόβησεν, οὐ θάνατος, οὐ ζημία χρημάτων, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν. Δός μοι τοίνυν θαῤῥῆσαι περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ, εἰ βούλει, σήμερόν με κατάσφαξον, καὶ χάριν εἴσομαί σοι τῆς σφαγῆς, ὅτι με ταχέως πρὸς ἐκεῖνα πέμπεις τὰ ἀγαθά. Ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν δέδοικα, φησί. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; τὸ ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν δέδοικας; ἀλλὰ δικαίως ἐβούλου; καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος καὶ ταλαίπωρος, ὡς παρὸν ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν, δικαίως ἂν μᾶλλον ἕλοιτο; Εἰ γὰρ δεδοικέναι χρὴ θάνατον, τὸν δικαίως ἡμῖν ἐπιόντα δεδοικέναι χρή· ὡς ὅ γε ἀδίκως ἀποθανὼν, κατ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἅπασιν. Οἱ γὰρ πλείους τῶν εὐαρεστησάντων τῷ Θεῷ, ἄδικον ὑπέστησαν τελευτήν· καὶ πρῶτος Ἄβελ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ πλημμελήσας εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν,","english":"The love of the kingdom has not wounded us, nor has the longing for things to come set us on fire; otherwise we would have looked down on all present things. For the one who has always feared Gehenna will never fear death. Allow me to say to you now, in due season, brothers: Do not become children in your minds, but be infants in evil. For little children are afraid of masks, but they are not afraid of fire; rather, if they happen to be carried near a lampstand holding a lamp, they recklessly put their hand to the lampstand and the flame; and the mask, which is easy to despise, makes them shudder, but the fire, which is truly fearful, they do not fear. Do you want me to state also another reason for which we fear death? We do not live with exactness, nor do we have a good conscience; since, if this were so, nothing would frighten us—neither death, nor loss of money, nor any other such thing. Grant me, then, confidence concerning the kingdom of heaven, and, if you wish, slaughter me today, and I will be grateful to you for the slaughter, because you send me quickly to those good things. But I fear to die unjustly, he says. What do you say? Tell me: do you fear to die unjustly? But did you wish to die justly? And who is so wretched and miserable that, when it is possible to die unjustly, he would rather choose to die justly? For if one must fear death, one must fear the death that comes upon us justly; since the one who dies unjustly, in this very respect, shares in all the saints. For the majority of those who pleased God underwent an unjust death; and first, Abel. For he had not sinned against his brother,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":510,"ref":"p510","source":"οὐδὲ λυπήσας τὸν Κάϊν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸν Θεὸν ἐτίμησε, διὰ τοῦτο ἐσφάγη. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς συνεχώρησεν· ἆρα φιλῶν αὐτὸν ἢ μισῶν; εὔδηλον ὅτι φιλῶν, καὶ λαμπρότερον αὐτῷ τὸν στέφανον ποιῆσαι βουλόμενος ἀπὸ ἀδικωτάτης ταύτης σφαγῆς. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ τὸ ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖν χρὴ δεδοικέναι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἀποθανεῖν; Ὁ Ἄβελ ἀπέθανεν ἀδίκως· ὁ Κάϊν ἔζη στένων καὶ τρέμων. Τίς οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, μακαριώτερος ἦν; ὁ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης παυσάμενος, ἢ ὁ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζῶν; ὁ ἀδίκως ἀποθανὼν, ἢ ὁ δικαίως κολαζόμενος; Τί δὲ φόνου χαλεπώτερον, εἰπέ μοι; ἀλλ' ἐδυνήθη ποτὲ δικαιοσύνην τεκεῖν τῷ τοῦτον ποιήσαντι· καὶ ὅπως ἄκουε. Οἱ Μαδιηναῖοί ποτε βουλόμενοι τὸν Θεὸν ἐκπολεμῶσαι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ ταύτῃ προσδοκῶντες αὐτῶν περιέσεσθαι, εἰ τῆς εὐνοίας αὐτοὺς ἀποστερήσειαν τοῦ Δεσπότου, κόρας καλλωπίσαντες, καὶ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ προστήσαντες, ἐδελέασαν αὐτοὺς, καὶ εἰς τὴν πορνείαν ἤγαγον. Τοῦτο ἰδὼν ὁ Φινεὲς, μεταχειρισάμενος ξίφος καὶ πορνεύοντας δύο καταλαβὼν, ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀμφοτέρους ἐξεκέντησεν, οὐ τοὺς ἀναιρεθέντας μισῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν λοιπῶν φειδόμενος. Καὶ τὸ μὲν γενόμενον φόνος ἦν, τὸ δὲ κατορθούμενον ἐξ ἐκείνου σωτηρία τῶν ἀπολλυμένων ἁπάντων ἐγίνετο· ἀπέκτεινε δύο καὶ ἔσωσε μυριάδας ἀπείρους. Καὶ καθάπερ ἰατροὶ τὰ σεσηπότα τῶν μελῶν ἐκτέμνοντες, ὁλόκληρον σώζουσι τὸ σῶμα· οὕτω κἀκεῖνος ἐποίησεν, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Μὴ τοίνυν τοὺς ἀποθνήσκοντας ἁπλῶς κλαίωμεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἀποθνήσκοντας· οὗτοι θρήνων ἄξιοι, οὗτοι κοπετῶν καὶ δακρύων.","english":"Nor did he grieve Cain, but because he honored God, for this reason he was slain. And God permitted it: was he loving him or hating him? It is evident that he was loving him, and wishing to make his crown more radiant through this most unjust slaughter. Do you see that it is not dying unjustly that one must fear, but dying in sins? Abel died unjustly; Cain lived groaning and trembling. Which, then, tell me, was the more blessed? The one who ceased in righteousness, or the one who lived in sins? The one who died unjustly, or the one who was justly punished? And what, tell me, is harsher than murder? But it was once able to give birth to righteousness for the one who committed it; and hear how. The Midianites once, wishing to make God at war with the Jews, and expecting by this means to prevail over them, if they should deprive them of the goodwill of the Master, adorned maidens and set them before the camp, and lured them and led them into fornication. Phineas, seeing this, took up a sword and, catching the two in fornication, pierced them both in the very act of sin, not hating those who were slain, but sparing the rest. And what happened was murder, but what was accomplished from it was the salvation of all who were perishing; he killed two and saved countless myriads. And just as physicians, cutting out the festering parts of the limbs, preserve the whole body sound, so too did he; and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Let us not, then, weep simply for those who die, but for those who die in sins; these are worthy of lamentation, these of beating the breast and tears.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":511,"ref":"p511","source":"Ποία γὰρ ἐλπὶς, εἰπέ μοι, μετὰ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπελθεῖν, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστιν ἁμαρτήματα ἀποδύσασθαι; Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἦσαν ἐνταῦθα, ἴσως ἦν προσδοκία πολλὴ, ὅτι μεταμελοῦνται, ὅτι βελτίους ἔσονται· ἂν δὲ ἀπέλθωσιν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ μετανοίας κερδᾶναί τι, (Ἐν τῷ γὰρ ᾅδῃ, φησὶ, τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι;) πῶς οὖν οὐ θρήνων ἄξιοι; Κλαίωμεν οὖν τοὺς οὕτως ἀπερχομένους, οὐ κωλύω· κλαίωμεν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀσχημόνως, μὴ τρίχας τίλλοντες, μὴ βραχίονας γυμνοῦντες, μὴ ὄψιν σπαράττοντες, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κατὰ ψυχὴν ἠρέμα δάκρυον ἀφέντες μικρόν· τοῦτο δὲ ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖ. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον πενθῶν οὕτω, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς σπουδάσει μηδέποτε τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν. Πάλιν δὲ ὅταν ἴδῃς νεκρὸν ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς φερόμενον, παῖδας ὀρφανοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας, χήραν γυναῖκα κατακοπτομένην, οἰκέτας ὀδυρομένους, φίλους κατηφιῶντας, λόγισαι τὸ οὐδαμινὸν τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων, καὶ ὅτι σκιᾶς καὶ ὀνειράτων οὐδὲν διενήνοχε. Σκόπει μοι τὰς τῶν μεγάλων καὶ περιφανῶν οἰκίας, καὶ νῦν εἰς ἔδαφος κατενεχθείσας· ἐννόησον πόσα ἴσχυσαν, καὶ νῦν οὐδὲ μνήμη αὐτῶν ὑπολέλειπται. Πολλοὶ γὰρ τύραννοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπ' ἐδάφους, ὁ δὲ ἀνυπονόητος ἐφόρεσε διάδημα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ταῦτα; ἐννόησον καὶ πρὸ θανάτου ὅταν καθεύδῃς, τίνος ἄξιος εἶ· οὐχὶ καὶ τὸ μικρόν σε θηρίον ἀνελεῖν δυνήσεται; Πολλοῖς γὰρ πολλάκις ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀρόφου κατενεχθὲν μικρὸν ζωΰφιον, ἢ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐξεῖλεν, ἢ ἑτέρου τινὸς κινδύνου παραίτιον γέγονε. Ταῦτα ἐννόει· καὶ μὴ τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ὄψεως ἄνθος θαύμαζε, μηδὲ τὸν ἀνατεταμένον αὐχένα, μηδὲ τὴν χλανίδα καὶ τὸν ἵππον καὶ τοὺς ἀκολούθους·","english":"What hope is there, tell me, of departing with one's sins, where there is no way to put off one's sins? For while they were here, perhaps there was great expectation that they would repent, that they would become better; but if they depart to Hades, where there is no gaining anything from repentance (for in Hades, it says, who will confess you?), how then are they not worthy of lamentation? Let us weep, then, for those who depart in this way—I do not forbid it; let us weep, but not indecently, not tearing our hair, not baring our arms, not lacerating our face, but rather letting fall quietly a small tear in the soul; for this benefits us. For the one who mourns that man in this way will much more strive himself never to fall into the same things. And again, when you see a dead man being carried through the marketplace, orphan children following, a widow woman cutting herself, servants wailing, friends downcast, consider the nothingness of present things, and that they differ in no way from a shadow and dreams. Consider for me the houses of the great and illustrious, now brought down to the ground; reflect how much they once had power, and now not even their memory is left. For many tyrants sat upon the ground, while the unexpected man wore a diadem. But are these things not enough? Consider also, before death, when you sleep, of what you are worthy: will not even a small beast be able to destroy you? For often a small creature falling from the roof has either put out an eye for many, or has become the cause of some other danger. Think on these things; and do not marvel at the bloom of the human face, nor at the outstretched neck, nor at the cloak and the horse and the attendants.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":512,"ref":"p512","source":"ἀλλὰ ποῦ τελευτᾷ ταῦτα πάντα, λογίζου. Ἐὰν δὲ τὰ φαινόμενα θαυμάζῃς, καὶ ἐγώ σοι τὰ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἐρῶ τὰ πολλῷ τούτων λαμπρότερα. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνα διὰ τὴν ὄψιν οὐ θαυμάζομεν, τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτῶν ὁρῶντες, ὅτι πηλός ἐστι τὸ πᾶν, οὕτω δὴ μηδὲ ταῦτα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα πηλὸς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὶν διαλυθῆναι καὶ γενέσθαι κόνιν. Δεῖξόν μοι τοῦτον τὸν ἀνατεταμένον, πυρέττοντα, ψυχοῤῥαγοῦντα, καὶ τότε σοι διαλέξομαι καὶ ἐρήσομαι· Ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ μετὰ πολλοῦ μὲν τοῦ τύφου, πολλῶν δὲ τῶν ἀκολουθούντων σοβοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς; οἱ τὰ σηρικὰ ἐνδεδυμένοι, καὶ μύρων πνέοντες, καὶ παρασίτους τρέφοντες, καὶ τῇ σκηνῇ προσηλωμένοι διαπαντός; ποῦ ἡ τῶν δείπνων ἐκείνων πολυτέλεια, τὸ τῶν μουσικῶν πλῆθος, ἡ τῶν κολάκων θεραπεία, ὁ γέλως ὁ πολὺς, ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἄνεσις, ἡ\n\nτῆς διανοίας διάχυσις, ὁ βίος ὁ ὑγρὸς καὶ ἀνειμένος καὶ περιττός; Πάντα οἴχεται καὶ ἀπέπτη. Τί γέγονε τὸ τοσαύτης ἀπολαῦον θεραπείας καὶ καθαρότητος σῶμα; ἄπιθι πρὸς τὴν σορὸν, θέασαι τὴν κόνιν, τὴν τέφραν, τοὺς σκώληκας, τοῦ τόπου τὸ εἰδεχθές· θέασαι καὶ στέναξον πικρόν. Καὶ εἴθε μέχρι τῆς τέφρας ἡ ζημία ἦν· νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς σοροῦ καὶ τῶν σκωλήκων τούτων μετάγαγε τὸν λογισμὸν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀτελεύτητον ἐκεῖνον σκώληκα, ἐπὶ τὸν βρυγμὸν τῶν ὀδόντων, ἐπὶ τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον, ἐπὶ τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον, καὶ τὰς κολάσεις τὰς πικρὰς καὶ ἀφορήτους ἐκείνας, τὰς εἰς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ χαλεπὰ τέλος ἔχει, καὶ τοῦτο τάχιστον· ἐκεῖ δὲ ἀθανάτοις ἀμφότερα παρεκτείνεται αἰῶσι·","english":"But consider where all these things end. And if you marvel at visible things, I too will tell you the things in the Scriptures that are far more splendid than these. But just as we do not marvel at those things because of their appearance, seeing their substance, that the whole is clay, so neither at these; for these too are clay, or rather even before they dissolve and become dust. Show me this man who is now lifted up, feverish, gasping for breath, and then I will converse with you and ask: Where now are those who swagger in the marketplace with great pomp and many followers? Those who are dressed in silk, and breathe of perfumes, and feed parasites, and are nailed to the stage the whole time? Where is the luxury of those banquets, the multitude of musicians, the attendance of flatterers, the abundant laughter, the relaxation of the soul, the\n\ndiffusion of the mind, the soft and slack and extravagant life? All has gone and flown away. What has become of the body that enjoyed such care and purity? Go to the coffin, behold the dust, the ashes, the worms, the hideousness of the place; behold and groan bitterly. And would that the loss were only as far as the ashes; but now from the coffin and these worms transfer your thought to that endless worm, to the gnashing of teeth, to the outer darkness, to the unquenchable fire, and those bitter and unbearable punishments, those unto endless ages. For here both good things and hard things have an end, and that most swiftly; but there both are extended through immortal ages.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":513,"ref":"p513","source":"καὶ τῇ ποιότητι δὲ τοσοῦτον τῶν νῦν διενήνοχεν, ὅσον οὐδὲ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. Τί τοίνυν γέγονε ὁ πολὺς κόσμος ἐκεῖνος; ποῦ δὲ οἴχεται ἡ πολλὴ κολακεία καὶ ἡ θεραπεία τῶν δούλων, καὶ ἡ περιουσία τῶν χρημάτων καὶ τῶν κτημάτων; ποῖος ἄνεμος ἐπεισελθὼν ἐξεφύσησε πάντα; Τί δὲ βούλεται ἡ περιττὴ αὕτη καὶ ἀνόνητος περὶ τὴν κηδείαν δαπάνη, πολλὴν μὲν φέρουσα τοῖς κηδεύουσι ζημίαν, τῷ δὲ ἀπελθόντι κέρδος οὐδέν; Ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι γυμνὸς ὁ Δεσπότης ἀνέστη, παῦσαι τῆς περὶ τὴν κηδείαν μανίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰπὼν ὁ Χριστὸς ὅτι Πεινῶντά με εἴδετε, καὶ ἐθρέψατε, διψῶντα, καὶ ἐποτίσατε, γυμνὸν, καὶ περιεβάλετε, προσέθετο ὅτι καὶ Τεθνεῶτα, καὶ ἐθάψατε· εἰ γὰρ ζῶντας κελεύει μηδὲν πλέον ἔχειν, ἀλλ' ἢ σκέπασμα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τελευτήσαντας. Ποίαν οὖν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, ὅταν τὸ μὲν σῶμα εἰς ἰχῶρας καὶ σκώληκας δαπανώμενον καλλωπίζωμεν· τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν πεινῶντα, διψῶντα, γυμνὸν περιιόντα καὶ ξένον περιορῶμεν; Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης κείμενος, φησὶν, ὁ τεθνηκὼς, φέρει τοῦ τύφου καὶ τοῦ πλούτου τὰ σύμβολα· ἐσθῆτος λαμπρᾶς ἐπικειμένης, πενήτων καὶ πλουσίων προπεμπόντων, δήμων εὐφημούντων. Μάλιστα μὲν καὶ ταῦτα κατάγελως· πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα εὐθέως ὥσπερ ἄνθος διαῤῥέον ἐλέγχεται. Ὅταν γὰρ τὸν οὐδὸν ὑπερβῶμεν τῶν τῆς πόλεως πυλῶν, καὶ τοῖς σκώληξι παραδόντες τὸ σῶμα ὑποστρέφωμεν, πάλιν σε ἐρήσομαι, Ποῦ πορεύεται ὁ πολὺς ὄχλος ἐκεῖνος; τί γέγονεν ἡ κραυγὴ καὶ ὁ θόρυβος; ποῦ δὲ αἱ λαμπάδες, ποῦ δὲ οἱ χοροὶ τῶν γυναικῶν; ἆρα μὴ ὄναρ ταῦτά ἐστι; Τί δὲ καὶ ἐγένοντο αἱ βοαί; ποῦ τὰ στόματα τὰ πολλὰ ἐκεῖνα;","english":"And in quality it differs from the present things as much as cannot even be expressed. What then has become of that great world? And where has it gone—that great flattery and service of slaves, and the abundance of money and possessions? What wind came upon it and blew it all away? And what is the meaning of this excessive and profitless expense for burial, which brings great loss to those who bury and no gain to the departed? When you hear that the Master rose naked, cease from this madness over burial. For Christ, having said, I saw you hungry and fed you, thirsty and gave you drink, naked and clothed you, did not add, And dead, and you buried me. For if he commands the living to have nothing more than a covering, much more the dead. What defense then shall we have, when we adorn the body that is being consumed into pus and worms, but overlook Christ hungry, thirsty, naked, and a stranger? But even lying on the bier, he says, the dead man bears the symbols of vanity and wealth: bright clothing laid upon him, poor and rich escorting him, crowds acclaiming. Most of all these things are a laughingstock; yet even these are immediately shown to flow away like a flower. For when we have crossed the threshold of the city gates, and having handed the body over to the worms we return, I will ask you again: Where is that great crowd going? What has become of the shouting and the tumult? Where are the torches, where are the choruses of women? Are these things not a dream? And what became of the cries? Where are those many mouths?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":514,"ref":"p514","source":"τὰ κραυγάζοντα καὶ παρακελευόμενα θαῤῥεῖν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος; Οὐ νῦν ταῦτα ἔδει λέγεσθαι τῷ μὴ ἀκούοντι, ἀλλ' ὅτε ἥρπαζεν, ὅτε ἐπλεονέκτει, τότε μικρὸν παραλλάξαντας ἔδει λέγειν· Οὐ δεῖ θαῤῥεῖν· οὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος. Εἰ μέν τίς σοι κατεσκεύασεν οἰκίας, ἔνθα μὴ ἔμελλες μένειν, ζημίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐνόμισας ἄν· νῦν δὲ ἐνταῦθα βούλει πλουτεῖν, ὅθεν καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας πολλάκις μέλλεις ἀποδημεῖν. Ἐπίσχες τῆς μανίας, σβέσον τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. Τὸ δὲ, Θάρσει, τῷ ἀδικουμένῳ. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἐκείνῳ ταῦτα ἀνόνητα λοιπὸν ἐξελθόντι τὸ στάδιον, κἂν οἱ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνῳ νοσοῦντες, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ σῆμα ἀκολουθοῦντες, ἀκουέτωσαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν ὑπὸ τῆς μέθης τῶν χρημάτων οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐννοοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ὅτε καὶ ἡ ὄψις τοῦ κειμένου πιστοῦται τὸ λεγόμενον, σωφρονιζέσθωσαν, παιδευέσθωσαν, ἐννοοῦντες ὅτι μικρὸν ὕστερον καὶ αὐτοὺς ἄξουσιν οἱ ἀπάγοντες ἐπὶ τὰς φοβερὰς ἐκείνας εὐθύνας, καὶ τὸ δοῦναι δίκην ὧν ἐνταῦθα κακῶς ἐπλημμέλησαν. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνοις πεισώμεθα, μεταβαλέσθαι καὶ γενέσθαι βελτίους σπουδάσωμεν, ὅση δύναμις, ὅπως καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"Those cries and exhortations to take courage, that no one is immortal? These things ought not to have been said now to one who does not hear, but when he was plundering, when he was grasping for more, then, with a slight change, one ought to have said: We must not take courage; no one is immortal. If someone had built you houses where you were not going to remain, you would have considered the matter a loss; but now you wish to be rich here, from where, even before evening, you will often be departing. Stop the madness, quench the desire. But \"Take courage\" belongs to the one who is wronged. But even if these things are no longer profitable to that man, since he has already left the arena, at least let those who are sick with the same disease as he and who follow to the tomb hear them. For since previously, under the drunkenness of money, they think nothing of the sort, but at that time, when the sight of the one lying there confirms what is said, let them be brought to their senses, let them be instructed, considering that a little later those who lead them away will bring them also to those fearful accounts, and to giving satisfaction for the wrongs they wickedly committed here. Therefore, so that we too may not suffer the same things as they, let us strive with all our power to change and become better, so that we may also attain the good things to come, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the might, with the Father and the life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":515,"ref":"p515","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΒ. Περὶ ἀνδρείας καὶ ἰσχύος.\n\nΔειλὴν καὶ ἄνανδρον τὴν ψυχὴν ἀμαθία ποιεῖ, οὐ κατὰ φύσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ προαίρεσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδω τὸν ἀνδρεῖόν ποτε νῦν δειλὸν, οὐκέτι φύσεως εἶναί φημι τὸ πάθος· τὰ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἀμετάθετα. Πάλιν ὅταν ἴδω τοὺς νῦν δειλοὺς ἀθρόον τολμητὰς γενομένους, τὸ αὐτὸ πάλιν ψηφίζομαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ σφόδρα ἦσαν δειλοὶ, πρὶν ἢ μαθεῖν ἅπερ ἐχρῆν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀξιωθῆναι δωρεᾶς, ὕστερον μέντοι λεόντων ἐγένοντο θρασύτεροι. Καὶ Πέτρος, κορασίου μὴ ἐνεγκὼν ἀπειλὴν, κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἐκρεμᾶτο καὶ ἐμαστιγοῦτο, καὶ μυρία κινδυνεύων οὐκ ἐσίγα. Οὔτε τοίνυν παραιτεῖσθαι δεῖ τοὺς ἀγῶνας, οὔτε πρὸς τούτους ἐπιπηδᾷν· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν ἡ νίκη λαμπροτέρα ἔσται, καὶ ἡ ἧττα τῷ διαβόλῳ καταγελαστοτέρα. Ἑλκυσθέντας μὲν γὰρ δεῖ γενναίως ἑστάναι, μὴ καλουμένους δὲ ἡσυχάζειν, καὶ τὸν καιρὸν ἀναμένειν τῶν ἀγώνων, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον καὶ τὸ γενναῖον ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς παῤῥησιάζεσθαι καὶ τῶν τυχόντων πολλάκις ἐστί· τὸ δὲ εἰς τὸ δέον καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῷ προσήκοντι καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἁρμοττούσης συμμετρίας καὶ συνέσεως τῷ πράγματι χρήσασθαι, μεγάλης λίαν καὶ θαυμαστῆς δεῖται ψυχῆς. Ἀνδρεῖος γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μόνος ἐστὶ, κἂν ἐπὶ κλίνης ᾖ βεβλημένος, ὁ τὴν ἰσχὺν οἴκοθεν ἔχων· ὡς ταύτης ἄνευ, κἂν ὄρος τις ἀνασπᾷ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ῥώμῃ, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν κορασίου καὶ γραϊδίου ταλαιπώρου φαίην ἂν ἰσχυρότερον εἶναι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀσωμάτοις παλαίει κακοῖς, οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι τολμᾷ.","english":"WORD 32. On courage and strength.\n\nIgnorance makes the soul cowardly and unmanly, not by nature but by choice. For when I see a man who was once courageous now cowardly, I no longer say that the affliction is a matter of nature; for the things of nature are unchangeable. Again, when I see those who are now cowardly suddenly become bold, I make the same judgment again; since indeed the disciples were very cowardly before they had learned what they needed to learn and had been deemed worthy of the gift of the Spirit, yet afterward they became bolder than lions. And Peter, who could not endure the threat of a servant girl, was hung up by the head and scourged, and though in countless dangers he did not keep silent. Therefore we must neither shrink from the contests nor rush upon them; for in this way both our victory will be more brilliant and our defeat will make the devil more ridiculous. For when we are dragged into them we must stand nobly, and when we are not called we must keep quiet and wait for the season of the contests, so that we may display both freedom from vainglory and nobility. For to be bold simply and indiscriminately is often the mark of ordinary people; but to apply oneself to the matter as is fitting, at the proper time, and with the appropriate measure and understanding, requires a very great and wonderful soul. For that man alone is courageous, even if he lies cast upon a bed, who has his strength from within; so that without this, even if someone tears down a mountain by the strength of his body, I would not say that he is stronger than a pitiful servant girl or old woman. For the one wrestles with incorporeal evils, while the other does not even dare to look them in the face.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":516,"ref":"p516","source":"Βούλει τοίνυν μαθεῖν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἰσχυρότερον τοῦ πεφραγμένου τῇ ἄνωθεν συμμαχίᾳ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀσθενέστερον τοῦ ταύτης ἐρήμου τυγχάνοντος, κἂν ὑπὸ μυρίων στρατοπέδων κυκλούμενος ᾖ; Ὁ Δαυῒδ νέος ὢν κομιδῇ, καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἄωρον ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τῇ πατρικῇ διάγων, ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀποστέλλεται ἐπισκέψασθαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Παραγενόμενος οὖν εἰς τὴν τούτων ἐπίσκεψιν, ἐπειδὴ εἶδε τὸν πόλεμον συνεστῶτα, τὸν τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου Γολιὰθ, καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν κατεπτηχότα μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, τέως θεατὴς ἐβούλετο γε νέσθαι, καὶ ἀπῄει ἰδεῖν τὸ καινὸν καὶ παράδοξον, ὅτι εἷς ἄνθρωπος τοσούτων μυριάδων κατεξανίστατο, καί φησι, Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀλλόφυλος οὗτος, ὁ ὀνειδίζων παράταξιν Θεοῦ ζῶντος; καὶ τί ἔσται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τὴν τούτου κεφαλὴν ἐκτεμόντι; Ταῦτα γνοὺς ὁ Σαοὺλ μεταπέμπεται τὸν νέον, τὸν τῆς ποιμαντικῆς πλέον εἰδότα οὐδὲν, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἐξευτέλισεν. Εἶτα μαθὼν παρ' αὐτοῦ ὅπως τοῖς ἄρκτοις ἐκέχρητο, ἡνίκα ἐπῄεσαν τοῖς ποιμνίοις, τὰ οἰκεῖα ὅπλα ἐνδύειν αὐτὸν ἐβούλετο· ὁ δὲ ταῦτα περιθέμενος, οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἐνεγκεῖν ἴσχυσε. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐγίνετο, ἵνα δειχθῇ γυμνὴ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις ἡ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐνεργοῦσα, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ὅπλοις λογίσωνται τὰ γινόμενα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ ἐνδύσασθαι ταῦτα ἐχώλευεν, ἀπέθετο τὰ ὅπλα, καὶ τὴν κάδον τὴν ποιμαντικὴν λαβὼν καὶ τὰς βώλους, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸν σαρκικὸν πύργον ἐξῄει. Ἀλλ' ὅρα πάλιν καὶ τὸν ἀλλόφυλον πρὸς τὸ εὐτελὲς τῆς ἡλικίας ὁρῶντα, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐξευτελίζοντα τὸν δίκαιον.","english":"Do you wish, then, to learn that nothing is stronger than the man fenced about by help from above, and nothing weaker than the man who is without it, even if he is surrounded by ten thousand armies? David, being quite young and, because of the unripe season of his age, living in his father's house, is sent by his father to visit his brothers. So when he arrived to visit them, and saw the war drawn up, and Goliath the foreigner, and all the people cowering together with the king, for a while he wished to become a spectator, and he went to see the strange and paradoxical thing—that one man stood up against so many tens of thousands—and he says, \"Who is this foreigner, who reproaches the battle-line of the living God? And what will be given to the man who cuts off his head?\" When Saul learned these things, he sent for the young man, who knew nothing more than shepherding, and seeing his age, he despised him. Then, having learned from him how he had dealt with the bears when they attacked the flocks, he wished to put his own armor on him; but when he had put it on, he could not even bear it. And this happened so that the naked power of God working through him might be shown, and so that men might not reckon the things that happened to the armor. For since after putting it on he was hobbling, he took off the armor, and taking the shepherd's staff and the stones, he went out thus against the fleshly tower. But look again also at the foreigner, seeing the cheapness of his age, and from this despising the righteous man.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":517,"ref":"p517","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν αὐτὸν μετὰ τῆς κάδου τῆς ποιμαντικῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρμήσαντα, καὶ τὰς βώλους μόνας ἐπιφερόμενον, μονονουχὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν· Ἐνόμισας σὺ πάλαι προβάτοις ἐφιστάναι καὶ κύνας τινὰς ἐκδιώκειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, καθάπερ κύνα τινὰ ἐλαύνων, οὕτω μετὰ τῶν ὀργάνων αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ μάχην ὥρμησας; ἄρτι σε ἡ πεῖρα διδάξει, ὡς οὐ πρὸς τὸν τυχόντα σοι ὁ πόλεμος. Καὶ πολλῇ τῇ μεγαλοῤῥημοσύνῃ χρησάμενος, ἔσπευδε καὶ ἠπείγετο, καὶ τὴν παντευχίαν ἐκίνει, καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐξέτεινεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν τῇ δυνάμει τῶν ὅπλων πεποιθὼς, ἥπτετο τῆς μάχης· ὁ δὲ τῇ πίστει καὶ τῇ ἄνωθεν συμμαχίᾳ συμφράξας ἑαυτὸν, πρότερον διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου τὸ φρύαγμα κατήνεγκεν, εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτόν· Σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με ἐν ὅπλῳ καὶ δόρατι, καὶ τῇ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει νομίζεις περιγενέσθαι, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν, ἀνελόμενος ἐκ τῆς κάδου τῆς ποιμαντικῆς μίαν βῶλον, καθάπερ ὄντως κύνα τινὰ μέλλων ἀπελαύνειν ἐπιόντα τῇ ποίμνῃ. οὕτω τῇ σφενδόνῃ ἐξακοντίσας, καὶ παραχρῆμα κατὰ τοῦ μετώπου","english":"For when he saw him rushing at him with the shepherd’s basket and bringing only clods of earth, he all but said to him: “You thought that you were long ago set over sheep and driving off certain dogs, and for this reason, as though driving off some dog, you have rushed with those instruments of yours to do battle against me? Now experience will teach you that your war is not against any chance opponent.” And employing great boastfulness, he was hastening and pressing on, and he was setting his full armor in motion and stretching out his weapons. But the one, trusting in the power of his weapons, took hold of the battle; the other, having closed himself in with faith and help from above, first brought down the prancing of the foreigner through his words, saying to him: “You come against me with sword and spear, and you think to prevail by your own strength, but I come in the name of the Lord God.” And having said these things, taking up one clod from the shepherd’s basket, as though truly about to drive off some dog attacking the flock, thus he hurled it with the sling, and immediately upon the forehead","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":518,"ref":"p518","source":"πλήξας, τὸν ἀλλόφυλον κατέβαλε, καὶ σπεύσας καὶ ἀφελόμενος αὐτοῦ τὸ ξίφος, δι' ἐκείνου τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ τεμὼν, οὕτως ἤνεγκε τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τέλος τῷ πολέμῳ δέδωκε. Καὶ δι' ἐκείνου καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν σωτηρίαν εὕρετο, καὶ πᾶς ὁ τούτου στρατὸς ἀνέπνευσε. Καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν θαυμαστὰ καὶ παράδοξα πράγματα· τὸν ὡπλισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀόπλου κατενηνεγμένον, καὶ τὸν τὰ πολεμικὰ ἔμπειρον ὑπὸ τοῦ τῆς ποιμαντικῆς πλέον εἰδότος οὐδέν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν τὴν ἄνωθεν συμμαχίαν εἶχε συνεφαπτομένην αὐτῷ, ὁ δὲ ταύτης ἔρημος ὢν ὑπὸ ταῖς τούτου χερσὶν ἐγίνετο. Ὑψηλὸν μὲν οὖν ἐστι καὶ παράδοξον τὸ μηδὲ δέχεσθαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐγγινομένην ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἀποσοβοῦντας σβεννύναι· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐ δυνατὸν, κἂν παλαίωμεν, καὶ διαπαντὸς κατέχομεν· ἂν γὰρ παλαίοντες ἐξέλθωμεν, νενικήκαμεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀθλητῶν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἂν μὴ καταβάλῃς, οὐκ ἐνίκησας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἂν μὴ καταβληθῇς, νενίκηκας καὶ κατέβαλες· καὶ εἰκότως. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἀμφότεροι ὑπὲρ νίκης σπουδάζουσι, κἂν ὁ ἕτερος καταβληθῇ, ὁ ἕτερος στεφανοῦται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ὁ διάβολος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἥττης σπουδάζει· ὅταν οὖν αὐτὸν ἀφέλωμαι τοῦτο, ὑπὲρ οὗ σπουδάζει, ἐνίκησα. Οὐ γὰρ ὥστε καταβαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥστε συγκαταβαλεῖν ἐπείγεται· καὶ ἡ νίκη αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐν τῷ στεφανωθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ συναπολέσθαι ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ βληθείης πολλάκις, μηδὲ οὕτως ἀποστῇς· τῶν γὰρ μὴ μαχομένων ἐστὶ τὸ μὴ τιτρώσκεσθαι· τοὺς δὲ πολλῷ τῷ θυμῷ κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων χωροῦντας, ἔστι καὶ βληθῆναί ποτε.","english":"Having struck him, he brought down the foreigner, and after rushing forward and taking away his sword, he cut off his head with it and thus brought it to the king, and gave an end to the war. And through him the king also found safety, and his whole army breathed again. And one could see wondrous and paradoxical things: the armed man brought down by the unarmed, and the one experienced in the arts of war by one who knew nothing more than shepherding. For what reason and why? Because the one had the alliance from above fighting alongside him, while the other, being destitute of it, fell under his hands. It is a lofty thing, then, and paradoxical not even to admit the desire that arises in us, but to drive it off and quench it; but if this is not possible, at least let us wrestle and hold out continually; for if we come out of the wrestling still wrestling, we have conquered. For it is not as in the case of athletes, so also here; for there, unless you bring your opponent down, you have not conquered; but here, if you are not brought down, you have conquered and have brought down your opponent; and reasonably so. For there both parties strive for victory, and if one is brought down, the other is crowned; but here it is not so, but the devil strives for our defeat; when, then, I take away from him that for which he strives, I have conquered. For he is eager not to bring down but to bring down together with himself; and his victory is not in being crowned, but in perishing together. And if you are struck many times, do not even so withdraw; for it belongs to those who do not fight not to be wounded; but those who advance against the enemies with great fury may sometimes also be struck.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":519,"ref":"p519","source":"Καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις στρατιώτην ἰδὼν ἐπανήκοντα μετὰ τραύματος ἀπὸ πολέμου ὀνειδίσειεν· ὄνειδος γὰρ ὅπλα ῥῖψαι καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἔξω γενέσθαι. Ἕως ἂν ἑστήκῃ τις μαχόμενος, κἂν βάλληται, κἂν ὑποχωρῇ πρὸς βραχὺ, οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἀγνώμων, οὐδὲ τῶν πολεμικῶν ἄπειρος, ὡς ἐγκαλέσαι τούτῳ ποτέ. Ὅταν γάρ τις ἑαυτὸν ἀδικῆσαι μὴ βουληθῇ, ἕτερος τοῦτον οὐκ ἰσχύσει ποτέ. Καὶ γὰρ τὰς ἰσχυρὰς τῶν πόλεων ὅπλα μὲν πολλάκις καὶ μηχανήματα τῶν ἔξωθεν οὐκ ἴσχυσε καθελεῖν, προδοσία δὲ ἑνὸς ἢ δύο τῶν ἔνδον οἰκούντων ἀπονητὶ παρέδωκε τοῖς ἐχθροῖς. Ἂν τοίνυν μηδείς σε τῶν ἔνδον προδοίη λογισμῶν, κἂν μυρία προσάγῃ μηχανήματα ὁ πονηρὸς, προσάξει μάτην. Τί γὰρ ἂν περὶ τῆς τῶν Μακκαβαίων μητρὸς εἴποιμεν τῆς γενναίας ἐκείνης; οὐχὶ γυνὴ ἦν; οὐχὶ ἑπτὰ δέδωκε παῖδας τῷ χορῷ τῶν ἁγίων; οὐκ εἶδεν αὐτοὺς μαρτυρήσαντας; οὐχ εἱστήκει καθ' ἕκαστον αὐτῶν μαρτυροῦσα; βασανιζομένων γὰρ ἐκείνων, αὕτη τὴν πληγὴν ἐδέχετο· μήτηρ γὰρ ἦν. Ἐννόησον πῶς αὐτοὺς ἤλειψε, πῶς ἑπτὰ ναοὺς τῷ Θεῷ παρέστησεν. Εἰστήκει ὁ τύραννος, καὶ ὑπὸ μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἡττώμενος ἀνεχώρει. Ἐκεῖνος ὅπλοις ἐπολιόρκει, καὶ αὕτη τῇ προθυμίᾳ περιεγένετο· ἐκεῖνος κάμινον ἀνῆψε, καὶ αὕτη τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐξέκαιεν· ἐκεῖνος στρατόπεδον ἐκίνει, καὶ αὕτη πρὸς ἀγγέλους μεθωρμίζετο. Ἑώρα κάτω τὸν τύραννον, καὶ ἐνενόει τὸν ἄνω βασιλεύοντα· ἑώρα τὰς κάτω βασάνους, καὶ ἠρίθμει τὰ ἄνω βραβεῖα· ἑώρα τὴν παροῦσαν κόλασιν, καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐνενόει ἀθανασίαν. Τί δὲ ὁ Ἡσαῦ; οὐχὶ μείζων ἦν τοῦ Ἰακώβ; οὐχὶ πρωτότοκος; οὐχὶ ἀγαπητὸς τῷ πατρί;","english":"And no one, upon seeing a soldier returning from war with a wound, would reproach him; for it is a reproach to throw down one's weapons and to be outside the enemy's reach. As long as a man stands fighting, even if he is struck, even if he retreats for a little while, no one is so senseless, nor so inexperienced in the ways of war, as ever to bring a charge against him. For whenever a man does not wish to wrong himself, another will never have power over him. For often the weapons and siege-engines from outside could not bring down the strong cities, but the treachery of one or two of those dwelling within delivered them to the enemy without toil. If, therefore, none of the thoughts within you betrays you, even if the wicked one brings ten thousand engines, he will bring them in vain. For what should we say of that noble mother of the Maccabees? Was she not a woman? Did she not give seven sons to the choir of the saints? Did she not see them bear witness? Did she not stand by, bearing witness for each one of them? For while they were being tortured, she received the blow; for she was a mother. Consider how she anointed them, how she presented seven temples to God. The tyrant stood by, and, defeated by one woman, he withdrew. He besieged with weapons, and she prevailed by her zeal; he kindled a furnace, and she kindled the fire of the Spirit still more; he set an army in motion, and she migrated to the angels. She looked down on the tyrant, and she kept in mind the King above; she saw the torments below, and she counted the prizes above; she saw the present punishment, and she kept in mind the immortality to come. And what of Esau? Was he not greater than Jacob? Was he not the firstborn? Was he not beloved by his father?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":520,"ref":"p520","source":"ἀλλὰ προδοὺς ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ τῶν πρωτοτοκίων ἐκπίπτει, καὶ τῷ ἐλάσσονι δουλεύειν καταδικάζεται. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος τῇ Ῥεβέκκα διὰ τοῦ ἱερέως· Δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού ἐστι, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ σου διασταλήσονται, καὶ λαὸς λαὸν ὑπερέξει, καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι. Ὅρα πρόῤῥησιν ἅπαντα σαφῶς αὐτῇ μηνύουσαν τὰ μέλλοντα γενέσθαι. Ἁλλόμενοι γὰρ οἱ παῖδες ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ καὶ σκιρτῶντες, ἤδη προεφώνουν ἅπαντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Καὶ λοιπὸν ἐμάνθανεν ἡ γυνὴ οὐχ ὅτι μόνον δύο τέξεται παῖδας, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ εἰς ἔθνη οὗτοι ἐκταθήσονται, καὶ ὅτι ὁ ἐλάσσων κυριεύσει τοῦ μείζονος. Καὶ ὅτε λοιπὸν ἤγγισεν ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ τόκου, ἐξῆλθε, φησὶν, ὁ πρωτότοκος πυῤῥάκης, ὡσεὶ δορὰ δασύς· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ἐπειλημμένη τῆς πτέρνης αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰακώβ· μονονουχὶ ἤδη καὶ ἐκ\n\nπροοιμίων δεικνύντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι περιέσται κατὰ τὰ ῥηθέντα ὁ ἐλάττων τοῦ μείζονος. Κατεῖχε γὰρ, φησὶ, τῇ χειρὶ τὴν πτέρναν Ἡσαῦ, ὅπερ ἦν σημεῖον καταγωνιζομένου τὸν ἰσχυρὸν εἶναι δοκοῦντα. Ἀλλὰ καιροῦ καλοῦντος, ἐπὶ τὸν μακαριώτατον Παῦλον ἤδη τρέψω τὸν λόγον. Ἐκκαίομαι γὰρ εἰς τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πόθον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς αὐτὸν περιστρέφων οὐ παύομαι. Μηδεὶς οὖν ἀποκνήσῃ πρὸς τὴν ἐγχείρησιν.","english":"But by betraying himself through sin, he also falls from the birthright and is condemned to serve the lesser. For the Lord said, it says, to Rebekah through the priest: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated in your belly, and people shall prevail over people, and the greater shall serve the lesser. Observe the prophecy clearly disclosing to her all that was going to happen. For the children leaping and skipping in the womb already foretold everything with precision. And from then on the woman learned not only that she would bear two children, but that these would extend into nations, and that the lesser would rule over the greater. And when the time of birth drew near, he came out, it says, the firstborn ruddy, as hairy as a skin; and after this his brother came out, and his hand was holding his heel, and he called his name Jacob: God already showing, so to speak, even from the outset that the lesser would prevail over the greater, according to what was said. For he held, it says, Esau's heel with his hand, which was a sign that he was wrestling down the one who seemed to be strong. But since the occasion calls, I will now turn my discourse to the most blessed Paul. For I am inflamed with longing for the man, and for this reason I do not cease continually turning him over in my mind. Let no one then shrink back from the undertaking.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":521,"ref":"p521","source":"Εἰ γὰρ πόλεμος ἡμῖν περιειστήκει βαρβαρικὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως οἱ πολέμιοι μυρία παρεῖχον ἡμῖν πράγματα, εἶτα ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν βαρβάρων, ὁ μυρία προσάγων μηχανήματα, καὶ πάντα συγχέων τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ πολλοῦ θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς ἐμπιπλῶν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτὴν ἀπειλῶν κατασκάψειν καὶ παραδώσειν πυρὶ, καὶ δουλείαν ἡμῖν ἐπανατεινόμενος, ἐξαίφνης ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἡμετέρου δεθεὶς αἰχμάλωτος εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἤγετο· οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντες μετὰ γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων πρὸς τὴν θεωρίαν ἐκείνην ἐξεπηδήσαμεν; Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ νῦν πόλεμος συνέστηκεν, Ἰουδαίων θορυβούντων καὶ ταραττόντων ἅπαντα, καὶ πολλὰ τῇ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀσφαλείᾳ προσαγόντων μηχανήματα, τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τῶν πολεμίων ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ πάντων μείζονα καὶ ποιῶν καὶ λέγων, ὁ πάντα θορυβῶν καὶ ταράττων· ἔδησε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ ἡμέτερος, ἔδησε καὶ αἰχμάλωτον ἤγαγεν· οὐκ ἐξέλθωμεν ἅπαντες ἐπὶ τὴν θεωρίαν ταύτην, ὥστε ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον ἀγόμενον; Καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν δεδεμένον καὶ εἰσαγόμενον ἐσκίρτων, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ δεδεμένον εἶδον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐνενόουν, ὅσους ἀνθρώπους ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν λύειν ἔμελλεν· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ χειραγωγούμενον ἐθεάσαντο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐλογίζοντο, ὅσους ἔμελλεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν χειραγωγεῖν ἐκεῖνος· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ πεπηρωμένον εἶδον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐνενόουν, ὅσους ἔμελλεν ἀπὸ σκότους ἐξάγειν. Διὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ πάντας ἀφεὶς τοὺς ἄλλους, εἰς Παῦλον ἅλλεσθαι σπεύδω· Παῦλος γὰρ καὶ Παύλου πόθος ἠνάγκασεν ἡμᾶς πηδῆσαι τοῦτο τὸ πήδημα.","english":"For if a barbarian war had surrounded us, and in the battle line the enemies were causing us countless troubles, and then the general of the barbarians, who was bringing countless devices and throwing all our affairs into confusion, and filling us with great uproar and tumult, and threatening to raze the city itself and hand it over to fire, and holding out slavery over us—if suddenly he had been bound by our king and led captive into the city, would we not all have rushed out with our wives and children to that spectacle? But since even now a war has arisen, with the Jews in uproar and throwing everything into confusion, and bringing many devices against the security of the Church, and the leader of the enemies is Paul, who does and says things greater than all, who throws everything into uproar and confusion—but our Lord Jesus Christ, our king, has bound him, has bound him and led him captive—shall we not all go out to this spectacle, so as to see him led captive? For even the angels, watching from the heavens as he was bound and led in, were leaping for joy—not because they saw him bound, but because they understood how many men he was about to loose from their bonds; not because they beheld him led by the hand, but because they reckoned how many he was about to lead by the hand from earth to heaven; not because they saw him blinded, but because they understood how many he was about to lead out of darkness. For this reason I too, leaving all the others aside, hasten to leap toward Paul; for Paul, and longing for Paul, has compelled us to make this leap.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":522,"ref":"p522","source":"Τί γὰρ τῶν σπλάγχνων τούτου θερμότερον, ὃς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης περιέτρεχε συρόμενος, λιθαζόμενος, δεσμούμενος, ἵνα τοὺς δεδεμένους λύσῃ, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μεταστήσῃ; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς μαχόμενος, οὕτω τὰ πράγματα ἤνυεν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπὶ ἑτοίμην καὶ πρόχειρον νίκην ἐρχόμενος, οὕτως ἵστη τὰ τρόπαια κατασκάπτων, καθαιρῶν, καταβάλλων τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ ὀχυρώματα, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων τὰ μηχανήματα, καὶ οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἀνέπνει, ἀπὸ τούτων πρὸς ἐκείνους, καὶ πάλιν ἀπ' ἐκείνων εἰς ἑτέρους μεταπηδῶν, καὶ καθάπερ τις στρατηγὸς ἄριστος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἱστῶν τρόπαια, μᾶλλον δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην ὥραν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ χιτωνίσκου μόνου εἰς τὴν παράταξιν εἰσελθὼν, αὐτάνδρους ᾕρει τῶν ἐναντίων τὰς πόλεις· καὶ τόξα καὶ δόρατα καὶ βέλη καὶ πάντα ἡ γλῶττα Παύλου. Καὶ γὰρ ἐφθέγγετο μόνον, καὶ παντὸς πυρὸς σφοδρότερον τοῖς πολεμίοις αἱ ῥήσεις ἐμπίπτουσαι τοὺς μὲν δαίμονας ἤλαυνον, τοὺς δὲ ὑπ' αὐτῶν κατεχομένους ἀνθρώπους πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπανῆγον. Ὅτε γὰρ τὸν δαίμονα ἐκεῖνον τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξέβαλε, γοήτων ἀνδρῶν μυριάδες πέντε συνελθοῦσαι, τὰ βιβλία τῶν μαγειῶν κατέκαιον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν μεθίσταντο. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐν πολέμῳ, πύργου πεσόντος, ἢ τυράννου κατενεχθέντος, οἱ μετ' ἐκείνου πάντες τὰ ὅπλα ῥίψαντες, τῷ στρατηγῷ προστρέχουσιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τότε ἐγίνετο· τοῦ γὰρ δαίμονος ἐκβληθέντος, πολιορκηθέντες ἅπαντες, καὶ τὰ βιβλία ῥίψαντες, μᾶλλον δὲ καταλύσαντες, τοῖς Παύλου ποσὶ προσέτρεχον. Ὁ δὲ καθάπερ ἑνὶ στρατοπέδῳ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ παραταττόμενος, οὐδαμοῦ ἵστατο, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις ὑπόπτερος ὢν πάντα ἐποίει·","english":"For what is warmer than this man's heart, who ran about everywhere in the world, dragged, stoned, bound, in order to loose those who were bound and bring them over to himself? For he did not accomplish these things as one fighting, but as one coming to a ready and at-hand victory, so he set up trophies, demolishing, tearing down, casting down the strongholds of the devil, and the devices of the demons, and he did not breathe even a little, leaping from these to those, and again from those to others, and like some excellent general, setting up trophies every day, or rather every hour. For entering the battle line from a single tunic, he captured the cities of the enemy with their men; and bows and spears and arrows and all things were the tongue of Paul. For he only spoke, and his words, falling upon the enemies more fiercely than any fire, drove out the demons and brought back to himself the men possessed by them. For when he cast out that wicked demon, five thousand men of the sorcerers came together and burned the books of their magic, and turned to the truth. And just as in war, when a tower has fallen or a tyrant has been brought down, all those with him throw down their weapons and run to the general, so indeed it happened then too; for when the demon had been cast out, all were besieged and threw down their books, or rather destroyed them, and ran to the feet of Paul. And he, arrayed against the world as against a single army, stood nowhere still, but as if he were winged, he did all things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":523,"ref":"p523","source":"καὶ νῦν μὲν χωλὸν διώρθου, νῦν δὲ νεκρὸν ἤγειρε, νῦν δὲ ἕτερον ἐπήρου, τὸν μάγον λέγω· καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ κατακλειόμενος ἡσύχαζεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖ τὸν δεσμοφύλακα μετῆγε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, τὴν καλὴν ταύτην αἰχμαλωσίαν ἐργαζόμενος. Θαυμάζεται Δαυῒδ τὸν Γολιὰθ καταφέρων ἀπὸ λίθου μόνον ἑνός· ἀλλ' εἰ τὰ Παύλου κατορθώματά τις ἐξετάσειε, παιδὸς ἔργον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ ὅσον ποιμένος καὶ στρατηγοῦ\n\nτὸ μέσον, τοσοῦτον τούτου κἀκείνου τὸ διάφορον. Οὗτος γὰρ οὐ λίθον ῥίπτων, τὸν νοητὸν Γολιὰθ κατέφερεν, ἀλλὰ φθεγγόμενος μόνον ἅπασαν κατέλυε τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν φάλαγγα. Καὶ καθάπερ λέων βρυχώμενος, καὶ φλόγα ἀπὸ τῆς γλώττης ἀφιεὶς, οὕτω πᾶσιν ἀφόρητος ἦν ἐπιὼν, καὶ πανταχοῦ μετεπήδα συνεχῶς· ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τούτους, ἦλθεν ἐπ' ἐκείνους, μετέστη πρὸς τούτους, ἀπεπήδησε πρὸς ἑτέρους· ἀνέμου ταχύτερον ἐπιὼν, καὶ καθάπερ μίαν οἰκίαν, ἢ πλοῖον ἓν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν κυβερνῶν· καὶ τοὺς μὲν βαπτιζομένους ἀνέλκων, τοὺς δὲ ἰλιγγιῶντας στηρίζων, τοῖς ναύταις παρακελευόμενος, ἐπὶ τῶν αὐχένων καθήμενος, τὴν πρώραν περισκοπῶν, σχοινία τείνων, κώπην μεταχειρίζων, ἱστίον ἕλκων, πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν βλέπων, πάντα αὐτὸς ὢν, καὶ ναύτης, καὶ κυβερνήτης, καὶ πρωρεὺς, καὶ ἱστίον, καὶ πλοῖον, καὶ πάντα πάσχων, ἵνα τὰ ἑτέρων λύσῃ κακά. Καὶ καθάπερ τις ἀθλητὴς αὐτὸς παλαίων, τρέχων, πυκτεύων, ἢ στρατιώτης τειχομαχῶν, πεζομαχῶν, ναυμαχῶν· οὕτω πᾶν εἶδος μετῄει μάχης, καὶ πῦρ ἐνέπνει, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀπρόσιτος ἦν, ἑνὶ σώματι καταλαμβάνων τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ μιᾷ γλώττῃ πάντας τροπούμενος.","english":"And now he was setting right the lame, now he was raising the dead, now he was visiting another—I mean the magician; and even when shut up in prison he did not keep quiet, but there too he won over the jailer to himself, working out this noble captivity. David is admired for bringing down Goliath with only a single stone; but if one were to examine Paul's achievements, that was a child's deed, and as great as the difference between a shepherd and a general, so great is the difference between the one and the other. For this man, not by hurling a stone, brought down the noetic Goliath, but by merely speaking he destroyed the whole phalanx of the devil. And just like a roaring lion, and sending forth flame from his tongue, so he was unbearable to all as he advanced, and everywhere he leaped continually; he ran to these, he came to those, he moved over to these, he sprang away to others; advancing faster than the wind, and steering the whole inhabited world as though it were one house, or one ship; and drawing up those who were being baptized, steadying those who were dizzy, exhorting the sailors, sitting at the necks, looking around at the prow, stretching the ropes, handling the oar, hauling the sail, looking toward heaven, being everything himself—both sailor, and pilot, and look-out man, and sail, and ship, and suffering all things, in order to loose the evils of others. And just like an athlete wrestling himself, running, boxing, or a soldier fighting at the walls, fighting on land, fighting at sea; so he went through every kind of battle, and breathed fire, and was unapproachable to all, encompassing the inhabited world with one body, and subduing all with one tongue.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":524,"ref":"p524","source":"Οὐχ οὕτως αἱ πολλαὶ σάλπιγγες ἐνέπιπτον τοῖς λίθοις τῆς Ἱεριχουντίων πόλεως, καὶ καθῄρουν αὐτοὺς, ὡς ἡ Παύλου φωνὴ ἠχοῦσα τὰ ὀχυρώματα τὰ διαβολικὰ χαμαὶ ἔῤῥιπτε, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς ἐναντίους μεθίστη. Καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἐχαλάσθη, ἵνα κάτωθεν ἄνω διαπέμψῃ τοὺς ἐῤῥιμμένους χαμαί. Καὶ καθάπερ στρατιώτης εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πολεμοῦσαν ἔχων ἅπασαν, ἐν μέσοις στρέφοιτο τοῖς τάγμασι τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ μηδὲν πάσχοι δεινόν· οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος μόνος ἐν βαρβάροις, ἐν Ἕλλησι, πανταχοῦ γῆς, πανταχοῦ θαλάττης φαινόμενος, ἀχείρωτος ἔμενε· καὶ ὥσπερ σπινθὴρ εἰς καλάμην καὶ χόρτον ἐμπίπτων, πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φύσιν μετατίθησι τὰ καιόμενα· οὕτω καὶ οὗτος ἅπασιν ἐπιὼν, πάντας μεθιστᾷ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τί γὰρ τοῦ Νέρωνος ἐνδοξότερον, εἰπέ μοι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου δόξαν, ἢ τί ὑψηλότερον; τί δὲ Παύλου εὐτελέστερον, ἢ ἀτιμότερον; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τύραννος ἦν πολλὰ κατωρθωκὼς, πλεῖστα τρόπαια στήσας, πλοῦτον ἔχων ἐπιῤῥέοντα πανταχόθεν, στρατόπεδα ἄπειρα, τὸ πλέον τῆς οἰκουμένης μέρος ὑποτεταγμένον ἔχων, τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν ὑποκειμένην ἔχων, τὴν σύγκλητον ἅπασαν ὑποκύπτουσαν, ὃς καὶ ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις αὐτοῖς μετὰ λαμπροῦ προῄει τοῦ σχήματος· καὶ, εἴτε ὁπλίζεσθαι ἔδει, ἐν χρυσοῖς καὶ λίθοις τιμίοις ὁπλιζόμενος ἐξῄει, εἴτε ἐν εἰρήνῃ προϊέναι, ἁλουργίδα περικείμενος· καὶ πολλοὺς ἀεὶ τοὺς δορυφόρους, πολλοὺς τοὺς ὑπασπιστὰς εἶχε·","english":"Not so did the many trumpets fall upon the stones of the city of the Jerichonians and bring them down, as the voice of Paul, resounding, cast the devil's strongholds to the ground and transferred the enemies to himself. And he was let down through a window from the wall, so that from below he might send upward those who had been cast down to the ground. And just as a soldier, having the whole inhabited world at war, might move about in the midst of the ranks of the enemies and suffer nothing terrible—so too Paul, alone among barbarians, among Greeks, appearing everywhere on land, everywhere on sea, remained unconquered; and just as a spark falling upon reeds and grass changes what is burned to its own nature, so too he, advancing upon all, transfers all to the truth. For tell me, what is more glorious than Nero in the glory of the world, or what is higher? And what is more worthless than Paul, or more dishonored? For the tyrant had accomplished many things, had set up very many trophies, had wealth flowing in from everywhere, countless armies, the greater part of the inhabited world held in subjection, the queen city held beneath him, the whole senate bowing down, who also in the palaces themselves went forth with a splendid appearance; and whether it was necessary to arm himself, he went out armed in gold and precious stones, or whether to go forth in peace, he was clothed in purple; and he always had many guards, many attendants:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":525,"ref":"p525","source":"γῆς καὶ θαλάττης δεσπότης ἤκουεν, αὐτοκράτωρ, Αὔγουστος, Καῖσαρ, βασιλεὺς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπεν ὅλως τῶν εἰς δόξαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφοὶ καὶ δυνάσται καὶ βασιλεῖς αὐτὸν ἔτρεμον καὶ ἐδεδοίκεσαν. Καὶ ἄλλως γὰρ ὠμός τις καὶ ἰταμὸς εἶναι ἐλέγετο οὗτος, καὶ θεὸς εἶναι ἐβούλετο, καὶ πάντων κατεφρόνει τῶν εἰδώλων, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πάντων Θεοῦ, καὶ ὡς θεὸς ἐθεραπεύετο. Ἀλλ' ἀντεξετάσωμεν αὐτῷ τὸν Παῦλον, εἰ δοκεῖ. Κίλιξ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν, σκυτοτόμος, πένης, τῆς ἔξωθεν παιδείας ἄπειρος, Ἑβραϊστὶ μόνον εἰδὼς, γλῶσσαν διασυρομένην παρὰ πολλῶν· ἄνθρωπος πολλάκις ἐν λιμῷ ζήσας καὶ κοιμηθεὶς πεινῶν· ἄνθρωπος γυμνὸς οὐδὲν ἔχων περιβαλέσθαι· καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δεσμοῖς μετὰ λῃστῶν, μετὰ γοήτων, μετὰ τυμβωρύχων, μετὰ ἀνδροφόνων βαλλόμενος, αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου κελεύσει τοῦ Νέρωνος, καὶ ὡς κακοῦργος μαστιζόμενος. Τίς οὖν ἀρτίως λαμπρότερος; οὐχὶ ἐκείνου μὲν οὐδ' ὄνομα ἴσασιν οἱ πολλοὶ, τοῦτον δὲ καὶ Ἕλληνες καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ Σκύθαι καὶ οἱ πρὸς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ τέρματα καθ' ἑκάστην ᾄδουσι τὴν ἡμέραν; τίς δὲ καὶ σεμνότερος, ὁ ἐν δεσμοῖς νικῶν, ἢ ὁ ἐν ἁλουργίδι νικώμενος, ὁ κάτω ἑστὼς καὶ βάλλων, ἢ ὁ ἄνω καθήμενος καὶ βαλλόμενος; ὁ ἐπιτάττων καὶ καταφρονούμενος, ἢ ὁ ἐπιταττόμενος καὶ οὐδένα λόγον ἔχων τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων; ὁ μόνος ὢν καὶ περιγενόμενος, ἢ ὁ μετὰ μυρίων στρατοπέδων ἡττώμενος; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ νικᾷν τοῦ νικᾶσθαι λαμπρότερον, πάντως ὁ Παῦλός ἐστιν","english":"The master of land and sea heard him—autocrat, Augustus, Caesar, king—and nothing at all was lacking for his glory, but even wise men and potentates and kings trembled and were afraid of him. And in any case this man was said to be cruel and reckless, and he wished to be a god, and he despised all the idols, and even the God of all, and he was served as a god. But let us set Paul against him in comparison, if it seems good. The man was a Cilician, a leather-worker, poor, unacquainted with the outside education, knowing only Hebrew, a tongue mocked by many; a man who often lived in hunger and went to sleep hungry; a man naked with nothing to put on; and not only these things, but also cast into chains with robbers, with sorcerers, with tomb-robbers, with murderers, by the command of Nero himself, and scourged as a criminal. Who, then, is more illustrious just now? Do not the many not even know that man's name, while Greeks and barbarians and Scythians and those at the very ends of the inhabited world sing of this one every day? And who is more august—the one who conquers in chains, or the one who is conquered in purple; the one who stands below and strikes, or the one who sits above and is struck; the one who commands and is despised, or the one who is commanded and has no account of his commands; the one who is alone and prevails, or the one who with ten thousand armies is defeated? For if conquering is more illustrious than being conquered, then Paul is certainly","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":526,"ref":"p526","source":"ἐνδοξότερος. Καὶ οὔπω τοῦτο μέγα, ὅτι ἐνίκησεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐν τοιούτῳ σχήματι τὸν ἐν τοιούτῳ ἐνίκησε. Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας σου, Κύριε, ὅτι Παῦλον οὐκ ἀφῆκας λαθεῖν; ὅτι ἔδειξας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα; Ἤνεσάν σε πάντες ἄγγελοι ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ὅτε τὰ ἄστρα εἰργάσω καὶ ὅτε τὸν ἥλιον, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως, ὡς ὅτε Παῦλον ἔδειξας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πάσῃ. Διὰ τοῦτο φαιδροτέρα γέγονεν ἡ γῆ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐπειδὴ φαιδρότερος οὗτος τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ φωτός. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ὁ ἥλιος παραχωρεῖ τῇ νυκτὶ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου περιεγένετο· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀφ' ὕψους φερόμενος κάτω τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἀφίησιν, αὐτὸς δὲ κάτωθεν ἀνατέλλων, οὐχὶ τὸ μέσον οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἐπλήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ἅμα τὸ στόμα ἀνέῳξε, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐνέπλησε πολλῆς τῆς ἡδονῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι χαρὰ γίνεται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκ πρώτης δημηγορίας μυριάδας πέντε ἀνδρῶν ἐθήρευσε, πόσης οὐκ ἐμπίπλησι χαρᾶς τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις; Καὶ τί λέγω; ἁπλῶς ἀρκεῖ Παῦλον φθέγγεσθαι, καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς σκιρτᾷν καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι. Εἰ τοίνυν Παῦλος, ὁ τοσούτοις κομῶν κατορθώμασι, καὶ καθάπερ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς φαινόμενος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἐσπούδαζε τὴν ἡμέραν κερδαίνειν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας κινδύνους παρατάττεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν τὴν πνευματικὴν ἑαυτῷ συλλέγειν, καὶ μηδέποτε ἵστασθαι·","english":"more glorious. And this is not yet the great thing, that he conquered, but that in such a guise he conquered the one in such a guise. Who shall declare thy mighty acts, O Lord, that thou didst not suffer Paul to go unnoticed? That thou didst show such a man to the world? All the angels praised thee with one accord, when thou madest the stars and when thou madest the sun, but not so as when thou didst show Paul to the whole world. For this reason the earth has become brighter than heaven, since this man is brighter than the light of the sun. And this sun yields to the night, but that man prevailed over the devil; and the one, borne down from on high, sends forth his rays, but he, rising from below, did not fill the midst of heaven and earth with light, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he filled the angels with great pleasure. For if there is joy in the heavens over one sinner who repents, and he from his very first public address hunted five thousand men, with how much joy does he not fill the powers above? And why do I say this? Simply for Paul to speak is enough, and for the heavens to leap and rejoice. If, therefore, Paul, who exulted in so many achievements, and appeared like an angel on earth, was eager each day to make gain, and to array himself against dangers for the sake of the truth, and to gather for himself the spiritual merchandise, and never to stand still;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":527,"ref":"p527","source":"ποίαν ἂν σχοίημεν ἡμεῖς ἀπολογίαν, οἱ μὴ μόνον πάντων ὄντες ἔρημοι τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσούτοις ἐλαττώμασιν ὑποκείμενοι, ὧν καὶ ἓν μόνον προσὸν ἡμῖν, ἱκανὸν εἰς αὐτὸ τῆς ἀπωλείας τὸ βάραθρον καταγαγεῖν, καὶ μηδεμίαν ποιούμενοι σπουδὴν κἂν γοῦν ταῦτα διορθοῦν, μήτι γε τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργων ἐφάπτεσθαι; Ἢ οὐχὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν φύσεως ἦν ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος; Ἐκκαίομαι γὰρ εἰς τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πόθον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς αὐτὸν περιστρέφων οὐ παύομαι· καὶὥσπερ εἰς ἀρχέτυπόν τινα εἰκόνα, εἰς τὴν τούτου νες καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ Σκύθαι καὶ οἱ πρὸς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ τέρματα καθ' ἑκάστην ᾄδουσι τὴν ἡμέραν; τίς δὲ καὶ σεμνότερος, ὁ ἐν δεσμοῖς νικῶν, ἢ ὁ ἐν ἁλουργίδι νικώμενος, ὁ κάτω ἑστὼς καὶ βάλλων, ἢ ὁ ἄνω καθήμενος καὶ βαλλόμενος; ὁ ἐπιτάττων καὶ καταφρονούμενος, ἢ ὁ ἐπιταττόμενος καὶ οὐδένα λόγον ἔχων τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων; ὁ μόνος ὢν καὶ περιγενόμενος, ἢ ὁ μετὰ μυρίων στρατοπέδων ἡττώμενος; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ νικᾷν τοῦ νικᾶσθαι λαμπρότερον, πάντως ὁ Παῦλός ἐστιν ἐνδοξότερος. Καὶ οὔπω τοῦτο μέγα, ὅτι ἐνίκησεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐν τοιούτῳ σχήματι τὸν ἐν τοιούτῳ ἐνίκησε. Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας σου, Κύριε, ὅτι Παῦλον οὐκ ἀφῆκας λαθεῖν; ὅτι ἔδειξας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα; Ἤνεσάν σε πάντες ἄγγελοι ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ὅτε τὰ ἄστρα εἰργάσω καὶ ὅτε τὸν ἥλιον, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως, ὡς ὅτε Παῦλον ἔδειξας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πάσῃ. Διὰ τοῦτο φαιδροτέρα γέγονεν ἡ γῆ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐπειδὴ φαιδρότερος οὗτος τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ φωτός. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ὁ ἥλιος παραχωρεῖ τῇ νυκτὶ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου περιεγένετο·","english":"What defense would we have, who are not only destitute of all good accomplishments, but are also subject to so many failings, of which even one alone, if present in us, is enough to drag us down into the very abyss of destruction—and who make no earnest effort even to correct these things, let alone to lay hold of the works of virtue? Was not that blessed man of the same nature as we are? For I am inflamed with longing for the man, and for this reason I never cease turning him over in my mind; and as if into some archetypal image, into his... and barbarians and Scythians and those at the very ends of the world sing of him each day? And who is more august—the one who conquers in chains, or the one who is conquered in the purple robe; the one who stands below and strikes, or the one who sits above and is struck; the one who commands and is despised, or the one who is commanded and has no regard for the commands; the one who is alone and prevails, or the one who is defeated with ten thousand armies? For if conquering is more splendid than being conquered, then Paul is altogether more glorious. And this is not yet the great thing, that he conquered, but that in such a guise he conquered the one in such a guise. Who shall declare thy mighty acts, O Lord, that thou didst not suffer Paul to go unnoticed; that thou didst show to the world such a man? All the angels praised thee with one accord when thou didst make the stars and when thou didst make the sun, but not as when thou didst show Paul to the whole world. For this reason the earth has become brighter than heaven, since this man is brighter than the light of the sun. And this sun yields to the night, but that man prevailed over the devil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":528,"ref":"p528","source":"καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀφ' ὕψους φερόμενος κάτω τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἀφίησιν, αὐτὸς δὲ κάτωθεν ἀνατέλλων, οὐχὶ τὸ μέσον οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἐπλήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ἅμα τὸ στόμα ἀνέῳξε, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐνέπλησε πολλῆς τῆς ἡδονῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι χαρὰ γίνεται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκ πρώτης δημηγορίας μυριάδας πέντε ἀνδρῶν ἐθήρευσε, πόσης οὐκ ἐμπίπλησι χαρᾶς τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις; Καὶ τί λέγω; ἁπλῶς ἀρκεῖ Παῦλον φθέγγεσθαι, καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς σκιρτᾷν καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι. Εἰ τοίνυν Παῦλος, ὁ τοσούτοις κομῶν κατορθώμασι, καὶ καθάπερ ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς φαινόμενος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἐσπούδαζε τὴν ἡμέραν κερδαίνειν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας κινδύνους παρατάττεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν τὴν πνευματικὴν ἑαυτῷ συλλέγειν, καὶ μηδέποτε ἵστασθαι· ποίαν ἂν σχοίημεν ἡμεῖς ἀπολογίαν, οἱ μὴ μόνον πάντων ὄντες ἔρημοι τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσούτοις ἐλαττώμασιν ὑποκείμενοι, ὧν καὶ ἓν μόνον προσὸν ἡμῖν, ἱκανὸν εἰς αὐτὸ τῆς ἀπωλείας τὸ βάραθρον καταγαγεῖν, καὶ μηδεμίαν ποιούμενοι σπουδὴν κἂν γοῦν ταῦτα διορθοῦν,","english":"And the one, borne down from on high, sends forth his rays; but he, rising from below, did not fill the midst of heaven and earth with light, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he filled the angels with great pleasure. For if there is joy in the heavens over one sinner who repents, and he from his very first public discourse hunted five thousand men, with how much joy does he not fill the powers above? And why do I say this? It is enough simply for Paul to speak, and the heavens leap and rejoice. If, then, Paul, who was adorned with so many achievements and appeared on earth like an angel, was eager each day to make gain and to array himself against dangers for the sake of the truth, and to gather for himself the spiritual merchandise, and never to stand still, what defense would we have, who are not only destitute of all good accomplishments, but are also subject to so many failings, of which even one alone, if present in us, is enough to drag us down into the very abyss of destruction, and who make no effort even to correct these things,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":529,"ref":"p529","source":"μήτι γε τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργων ἐφάπτεσθαι; Ἢ οὐχὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν φύσεως ἦν ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος; Ἐκκαίομαι γὰρ εἰς τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πόθον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς αὐτὸν περιστρέφων οὐ παύομαι· καὶ ὥσπερ εἰς ἀρχέτυπόν τινα εἰκόνα, εἰς τὴν τούτου ψυχὴν ἀφορῶν, λογίζομαι τῶν παθῶν τὴν ὑπεροψίαν, τῆς ἀνδρείας τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, τοῦ φίλτρου τοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸ διάπυρον· καὶ ἐκπλήττομαι, πῶς πᾶσαν μὲν τῶν ἀρετῶν τὴν συναγωγὴν εἷς ἄνθρωπος βουληθεὶς κατώρθωσεν, ἡμῶν δὲ ἕκαστος οὐδὲ τὸ τυχὸν κατορθοῦν βούλεται. Τίς οὖν ἡμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται τῆς κολάσεως τῆς ἀπαραιτήτου, Παύλου τοσοῦτον μέγεθος ἀρετῆς ἐπιδειξαμένου, τοῦ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν κοινωνοῦντος φύσεως, τοῦ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποκειμένου, τοῦ ἐν τοσαύτῃ καιρῶν δυσκολίᾳ γεγονότος, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἑλκομένου, σπαραττομένου, καὶ δημοσίᾳ συρομένου ὑπὸ τῶν τῷ κηρύγματι πολεμούντων; Καὶ ἵνα μὴ παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας γλώττης ἀκούητε τὰ παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου κατορθώματα καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν, ἣν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας κηρύγματος καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἀναγκαῖον αὐτοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος· Ἐν ᾧ δ' ἄν τις τολμᾷ, ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω, τολμῶ κἀγώ. Σκόπει ψυχὴν φιλόθεον. Οὐ μόνον τόλμαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφροσύνην τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ, παιδεύων ἡμᾶς μὴ ἁπλῶς ἄνευ ἀνάγκης, μηδενὸς καταναγκάζοντος, τὰ ὑφ' ἡμῶν γεγενημένα ἐκπομπεύειν, εἴγε τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν εὑρεθεῖεν ἀγαθόν τι ἐργασάμενοι. Ἑβραῖοί εἰσι; κἀγώ· Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσι; κἀγώ; σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ εἰσι; κἀγώ. Ἐπὶ τούτοις, φησὶ, μέγα φρονοῦσι; μὴ νομιζέτωσαν λείπεσθαι ἡμᾶς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τῶν αὐτῶν μετέχομεν.","english":"How much more should we not touch the works of virtue? Or was that blessed man not of the same nature as we? For I am inflamed with longing for the man, and for this reason I do not cease continually turning him over in my mind; and as if looking at some archetypal image, gazing upon his soul, I reckon the contempt of passions, the excess of courage, the burning fervor of his love toward God; and I am amazed how one man, willing it, accomplished the whole gathering of virtues, while each of us does not wish to accomplish even the least thing. Who then will rescue us from the inexorable punishment, when Paul displayed such greatness of virtue, sharing the same nature as we, subject to the same passions, having lived in such difficulty of times, and every day, so to speak, being dragged, torn, and publicly hauled about by those who warred against the preaching? And so that you may not hear from our tongue the achievements and courage of this blessed man, which he displayed each day for the sake of the preaching of piety, it is necessary to hear him speaking: In whatever anyone dares, I speak in foolishness, I also dare. Observe a soul that loves God. He calls the matter not only daring but also foolishness, teaching us not simply without necessity, when no one compels, to parade abroad the things done by us, if indeed some among us should be found to have done some good. Are they Hebrews? I am also. Are they Israelites? I am also. Are they the seed of Abraham? I am also. In these things, he says, do they boast greatly? Let them not think that we are inferior; for we too partake of the same.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":530,"ref":"p530","source":"Εἶτα ἐπήγαγε· Διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι; παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ. Θέα μοι ἐνταῦθα τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ τόλμαν καὶ ἀφροσύνην ἐκάλεσε τὸ γεγενημένον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καίτοι εἰς τοσαύτην ἀνάγκην καταστὰς, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἠρκέσθη τοῖς εἰρημένοις· ἀλλ' ὅτε ἔμελλεν ἑαυτὸν δεικνύναι πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ ἐκείνοις ὑπερακοντίζοντα, ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ ἀπὸ φιλαυτίας αὐτὸν ταῦτα φθέγγεσθαι, πάλιν παραφροσύνην καλεῖ τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ λεγόμενον· μονονουχὶ λέγων· Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα ὅτι πρᾶγμα ποιῶ τοῖς πολλοῖς παριστάμενον καὶ οὐκ ἐμοὶ πρέπον; ἀλλ' ἡ πολλή με ἀνάγκη εἰς τοῦτο συνωθήσασα ἐκβιάζεται· διὸ σύγγνωτέ μοι, φησὶ, παραφροσύνης ῥήματα φθεγγομένῳ. Τούτου κἂν τὴν σκιὰν μιμησώμεθα ἡμεῖς, οἱ τοσαῦτα φορτία ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχοντες ἐπικείμενα, καὶ πολλάκις ἕν τι βραχὺ κατορθοῦντες, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα τῆς διανοίας φυλάττειν ἀνεχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων θηρᾶσθαι δόξαν ἐκπομπεύοντες, καὶ εἰς μέσον προτιθέντες, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀκαίρου ταύτης φλυαρίας τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀμοιβῆς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστεροῦντες. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος τοιοῦτόν τι πέπονθεν, ἀλλ' εἰπὼν, Ὑπὲρ ἐγὼ, ἀπαριθμεῖται λοιπὸν τὰ τῆς ἀνδρείας αὐτοῦ κατορθώματα, καί φησιν· Ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις πολλάκις, ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει, ἐν νηστείαις πολλάκις, ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι, χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτός. Ὅρα πάλιν ἄλλο πέλαγος ἡμῖν πειρασμῶν παρανοιγόμενον· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτὸς, ᾐνίξατο, ὅτι τὰ παραλειφθέντα πλείονα εἰκὸς εἶναι τῶν εἰρημένων.","english":"Then he added: Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more. Observe here for me the virtue of this blessed man's soul. For since he called what had been done by him both boldness and folly, although he had been brought into such great necessity, not even so was he satisfied with what had been said; but when he was about to show himself surpassing them by a far greater measure, so that no one might think he was saying these things out of self-love, he again calls what is said by him folly, almost saying: Do I not know that I am doing a thing that appears to many and is not fitting for me? But the great necessity that has constrained me compels me to this; therefore forgive me, he says, for uttering words of folly. Let us imitate even the shadow of this man, we who have so many burdens of sins lying upon us, and often accomplish one small thing, and do not even endure to keep this in the treasuries of the mind, but because of hunting for the glory that comes from men we make a public show of it, and set it forth in the midst, and through this untimely babbling deprive ourselves of the reward from God. But this blessed man has suffered no such thing, but having said, I am more, he then enumerates the achievements of his courage, and says: In labor and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides those things that are without. See again another sea of temptations opened out for us; for having said, Besides those things that are without, he hinted that the things omitted are likely to be more than those spoken.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":531,"ref":"p531","source":"Καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτου ἔστη, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἡμᾶς διδάσκει τὰς ἐπισυστάσεις καὶ τὰς συστροφὰς, ἃς ὑπέμεινεν, οὕτω λέγων· Ἡ ἐπισύστασίς μου ἡ καθ' ἡμέραν, ἡ μέριμνα πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο ἱκανὸν κατόρθωμα, εἰ καὶ μόνον τυγχάνει, εἰς αὐτὴν αὐτὸν ἀνάγων τὴν κορυφὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ἡ μέριμνα, φησὶ, πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν· οὐχὶ μιᾶς καὶ δύο καὶ τριῶν, ἀλλὰ πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅσην ὁ ἥλιος διατρέχει γῆν τὰς οἰκείας ἀκτῖνας ἀφιείς· τοσαύτην ὁ μακάριος οὗτος εἶχε τὴν μέριμναν καὶ τὴν φροντίδα. Εἶδες πλάτος ψυχῆς; εἶδες διανοίας μέγεθος; Καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς δὲ ἐπαγόμενον πάλιν ἅπαντα, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τὰ εἰρημένα ἀποκρύπτει· Τίς γὰρ ἀσθενεῖ, φησὶ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; Βαβαὶ, πόση τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου ἡ φιλοστοργία; πόση ἡ\n\nἀγρυπνία; πόση ἡ μέριμνα; ποία μήτηρ οὕτω διακόπτεται τὰ σπλάγχνα, τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτῆς πυρέττοντος καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης κειμένου, ὡς ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τόπῳ ἀσθενούντων μᾶλλον ἠσθένει, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἐπυροῦτο; Σκόπει γάρ μοι λέξεως ἔμφασιν. Οὐκ εἶπε, Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ λυποῦμαι· ἀλλὰ, Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι, φησί· τὴν ἐπίτασιν ἡμῖν τῆς ὀδύνης δηλῶν, καὶ μονονουχὶ δεικνὺς ἐμπυριζόμενον αὐτὸν καὶ καιόμενον ἔνδοθεν ὑπὲρ τῶν τὰ σκάνδαλα ὑπομενόντων. Οἶδα ὅτι εἰς πολὺ μῆκος τὸν λόγον ἐξέτεινα, ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἐμπεσὼν εἰς τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν κατορθωμάτων τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου, καθάπερ ὑπὸ ῥύμης τινὸς ὑδάτων σφοδροτάτων, οὕτω τὴν γλῶτταν παρεσύρην.","english":"And he did not stop even there, but again he teaches us the assaults and conspiracies which he endured, saying thus: The assault upon me daily, the care of all the Churches. Behold again, this too is a sufficient achievement, even if it stands alone, bringing him to the very summit of virtue. The care, he says, of all the Churches—not of one and two and three, but of all the Churches throughout the whole inhabited world, as far as the sun runs over the earth sending forth its own rays; such was the care and solicitude which this blessed man had. Did you see the breadth of his soul? Did you see the greatness of his mind? And what follows, again, as one might say, hides all the things that have been said: For who is weak, he says, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not burned? Alas, how great is this man's affection? How great his\n\nwakefulness? How great his care? What mother is so torn in her inwards, when her child is feverish and lies upon the bed, as this blessed man was weak on behalf of the sick in every place, and was burned on behalf of those who were scandalized? For observe with me the force of the expression. He did not say, Who is scandalized, and I am not grieved; but, Who is scandalized, and I am not burned, he says, making clear to us the intensity of his pain, and all but showing himself set on fire and burning within on behalf of those who endure scandals. I know that I have stretched out the discourse to great length, but I do not know how, having fallen into the wealth of this holy man's achievements, I was thus swept along in my tongue as if by the rush of some most violent waters.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":532,"ref":"p532","source":"Διὸ μέχρι τούτου στήσας τὸν λόγον παρακαλῶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην διηνεκῶς τοῦτον ἐν διανοίᾳ περιφέρειν, καὶ τοῦτο λογίζεσθαι συνεχῶς, ὅτι τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν κοινωνῶν φύσεως, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποκείμενος, καὶ ἐπιτήδευμα ἔχων εὐτελὲς καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητον καὶ δέρματα ῥάπτων, καὶ ἐπὶ ἐργαστηρίου ἑστηκὼς, ἐπειδὴ ἐβουλήθη καὶ ἠθέλησε πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς πόνους ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι, καὶ ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν καταστῆσαι τῆς ὑποδοχῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, δαψιλεστέρας ἀπέλαυσε τῆς ἄνωθεν φιλοτιμίας· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΓʹ. Εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἑορτὴν τῶν βαΐων. Πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος, εἰς τὸν οἶκον Μαρίας καὶ Μάρθας, καὶ εἱστιᾶτο παρ' αὐτοῖς· ἡ δὲ Μάρθα διηκόνει, καὶ Λάζαρος ἤσθιε. Τοῦτο δὲ τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς ἀναστάσεως σημεῖον ἦν, τὸ μεθ' ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ζῇν καὶ ἐσθίειν. Ὅθεν δῆλον ὅτι ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τῆς Μάρθας τὸ ἄριστον ἦν· ἅτε γὰρ φίλοι καὶ φιλούμενοι δέχονται τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, ὅτι ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ οἰκίᾳ τοῦτο ἐγίνετο. Ἡ δὲ Μαρία διηκόνει· μαθήτρια γὰρ ἦν. Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα αὕτη πνευματικωτέρᾳ διακονίᾳ ὑπηρέτει· οὐ διηκόνει γὰρ ὡς κεκλημένῳ, οὐδὲ κοινὴν ποιεῖται τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸν μόνον περιίστησι τὴν τιμὴν, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ πρόσεισιν, ἀλλ' ὡς Θεῷ. Τὸ γὰρ μύρον διὰ τοῦτο ἐξέχεε, καὶ ταῖς θριξὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀπέμαξεν·","english":"Therefore, having stopped the discourse at this point, I exhort your love to carry this continually in your mind and to consider it constantly: that he, sharing the same nature as we and subject to the same passions, and having a humble and contemptible trade, stitching leather and standing at a workshop—when he wished and willed to give himself over to the labors of virtue and to make himself worthy of the reception of the Holy Spirit, he enjoyed more abundantly the generosity from above; may it be granted to us all to obtain this, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 33. On the holy feast of the Palms. Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, into the house of Mary and Martha, and he was entertained by them; and Martha was serving, and Lazarus was eating. This was a sign of the genuine resurrection—that after many days he both lived and ate. Hence it is clear that the meal was in the house of Martha; for as friends and being loved, they receive Jesus. But some say that this took place in another's house. And Mary was serving; for she was a disciple. Again here she was ministering with a more spiritual service; for she was not serving as one who had been invited, nor does she make the service a common one, but she directs the honor to him alone, and she does not approach him as a man, but as God. For this reason she poured out the myrrh and wiped it with the hair of her head.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":533,"ref":"p533","source":"ἅτινα οὐκ ἦν ὑπόληψιν ἐχούσης περὶ αὐτοῦ τοιαύτην, οἵαν οἱ πολλοί. Ἀλλ' ἐπετίμησεν Ἰούδας προσχήματι δῆθεν εὐλαβείας. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Ἄφες αὐτήν· εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ μου τετήρηκεν αὐτό. Τί δήποτε δὲ οὐκ ἤλεγξε τὸν μαθητὴν ἐπὶ τῆς γυναικὸς, οὐδὲ εἶπε τοῦτο, ὅπερ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἶπεν, ὅτι διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν κλοπὴν ἐπετίμα τῇ γυναικί; Τῇ πολλῇ μακροθυμίᾳ ἐντρέψαι αὐτὸν ἠβούλετο. Ὅτι γὰρ ᾔδει ὅτι προδότης ἦν, ἄνωθεν αὐτὸν ἤλεγξε, πολλάκις λέγων· Οὐ πάντες πιστεύουσι· καὶ, Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν διάβολός ἐστιν. Ἐδήλωσε μὲν οὖν, ὅτι οἶδεν αὐτὸν προδότην, οὐκ ἤλεγξε δὲ φανερῶς, ἀλλὰ συνεχώρησεν, ἀνακαλέσασθαι αὐτὸν θέλων. Πῶς οὖν ἄλλος φησὶν, ὅτι πάντες οἱ μαθηταὶ τοῦτο ἐφθέγξαντο; Καὶ πάντες κἀκεῖνος· ἀλλ' οἱ λοιποὶ οὐ τῇ αὐτῇ προαιρέσει. Εἰ δέ τις ἐξετάζοιτο τί δήποτε κλέπτῃ ὄντι τὸ γλωσσόκομον ἐνεχείρισε τῶν πτωχῶν, καὶ οἰκονόμον ἐποίησε φιλάργυρον ὄντα· ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὅτι τὸν ἀπόῤῥητον λόγον ὁ Ἰησοῦς οἶδεν· εἰ δὲ χρή τι καὶ ἡμᾶς στοχαζομένους εἰπεῖν, ἵνα πᾶσαν ἐκκόψῃ πρόφασιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶχεν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι διὰ χρημάτων ἔρωτα τοῦτο ἐποίησε· καὶ γὰρ ἱκανὴν εἶχεν ἐκ τοῦ γλωσσοκόμου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας παραμυθίαν· ἀλλὰ διὰ πονηρίαν πολλὴν, ἣν εἰ ἐβούλετο κατέχειν, τὸν εὐεργέτην οὐκ ἂν παρέδωκεν. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς πολλῇ συγκαταβάσει πρὸς αὐτὸν κεχρημένος, ἠνείχετο αὐτοῦ μακροθυμῶν. Δι' ὃ οὐδὲ ἐνεκάλει αὐτῷ κλέπτοντι, καίτοι γε εἰδὼς, ἐμφράττων","english":"things which did not have such an opinion about him as most people had. But Judas rebuked her, ostensibly under the pretext of piety. What then does Christ say? Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. Why then did he not expose the disciple in the woman's presence, nor say what the evangelist said, that it was because of his own theft that he was rebuking the woman? He wished to shame him by his great long-suffering. For because he knew that he was a traitor, he exposed him from the beginning, saying many times: Not all believe; and, One of you is a devil. He showed, then, that he knew him to be a traitor, but he did not expose him openly, but permitted it, wishing to recall him. How then does another say that all the disciples said this? And all, including that one; but the rest not with the same intention. And if someone should ask why on earth he entrusted the money-box of the poor to a thief, and made a lover of money the steward; we would say this, that Jesus knows the secret reason; but if we too must speak by conjecture, it was in order to cut off every pretext. For he could not say that he did this out of love of money; for he had sufficient consolation of his desire from the money-box; but out of great wickedness, which if he had wished to restrain, he would not have handed over his benefactor. But Christ, having dealt with him with great condescension, endured him with long-suffering. Therefore he did not even reproach him for stealing, although he knew it, stopping up","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":534,"ref":"p534","source":"αὐτοῦ τὴν πονηρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξαίρων ἀπολογίαν. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἄφες αὐτήν· εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ μου τετήρηκεν αὐτό. Πάλιν τὸν προδότην ἀνέμνησεν, ἐνταφιασμὸν εἰπών. Ἀλλ' οὐ καθικνεῖτο αὐτοῦ ὁ ἔλεγχος, οὐδὲ ἐμάλασσε τὸ ῥῆμα, καίτοι ἱκανὸν ἦν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκτον ἐμβαλεῖν· ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ἔλεγεν, Ἐπαχθής εἰμι καὶ φορτικὸς, ἀλλὰ ἀνάμεινον μικρὸν καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο κατεσκεύαζεν ἐν τῷ λέγειν, Ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ πάντοτε ἔχετε. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων τὸν θηριώδη καὶ μαινόμενον ἐκεῖνον ἀπέκαμψε· καίτοι πολλῷ πλείονα καὶ εἶπε καὶ ἐποίησε, καὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ἔνιψε κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν νύκτα, καὶ τραπέζης αὐτῷ μετέδωκεν. Ἔγνω οὖν ὄχλος πολὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι εἰς Βηθανίαν ἐστὶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἦλθον, οὐ δι' αὐτὸν μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἴδωσιν, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ θαῦμα θεασάμενοι ἐπίστευον οἱ πολλοί. Οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες οὐκ ἠρκοῦντο μόνον τοῖς οἰκείοις κακοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρουν. Ἐβουλεύσαντο γὰρ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἀποκτείνωσιν, ὅτι πολλοὶ δι' αὐτὸν ὑπῆγον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐπίστευον εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Ἔστω, τὸν Χριστὸν ἀνελεῖν ἠβούλοντο, ὅτι τὸ σάββατον ἔλυεν, ὅτι ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ἐποίει τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ διὰ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, ὥς φασιν, ἵνα μὴ ἄρωσιν αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν τόπον καὶ τὸ ἔθνος· τῷ Λαζάρῳ τί ἔχοντες ἐγκαλεῖν ἐπεχείρουν αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἄρα τὸ καλῶς παθεῖν ἔγκλημα; Ὁρᾷς πῶς αὐτῶν φονικὴ ἦν ἡ προαίρεσις; Καίτοι πολλὰ σημεῖα εἰργάσατο, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς οὕτως ἐξεθηρίωσεν, οὐχ ὁ παράλυτος οὐχ ὁ τυφλός.","english":"He was exposing his evil desire and removing every excuse. Therefore he also said, Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. Again he reminded the traitor, by saying \"burial.\" But the rebuke did not touch him, nor did the word soften him, although it was sufficient to move him to compunction; as if he had said, I am burdensome and oppressive, but wait a little while and I will depart. For he was also establishing this when he said, But you do not always have me. Yet none of these things bent that beast-like and raving man; although he said and did far more, and washed his feet on that very night, and shared his table with him. A great crowd of the Jews therefore learned that Jesus was in Bethany, and they came, not for his sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And here, having beheld the miracle, many believed. But the rulers were not satisfied with their own evils alone, but they even attempted to put Lazarus to death. For the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus also, because many of the Jews were going over because of him, and were believing in Jesus. Let it be granted that they wanted to kill Christ because he broke the Sabbath, because he made himself equal to the Father, and, as they say, for the sake of the Romans, so that they might not take away both their place and their nation; what charge did they have against Lazarus that they attempted to put him to death, unless perhaps that he had suffered well? Do you see how murderous their purpose was? And yet he worked many signs, but none of them so brutalized them, not the paralytic, not the blind man.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":535,"ref":"p535","source":"Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τῇ φύσει θαυμαστότερον ἦν, καὶ μετὰ πολλὰ ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἦν παράδοξον, νεκρὸν τετραήμερον ἰδεῖν περιπατοῦντα καὶ φθεγγόμενον. Ὢ ἀνοίας τῶν δῆθεν ἀρχιερέων! καὶ γὰρ τῆς ἑορτῆς αὐτῶν ἦν κατόρθωμα φόνοις ἀναμιγνύναι τὴν πανήγυριν. Ἄλλως δὲ, ἐκεῖ μὲν ἐδόκουν ἐγκαλεῖν τὸ σάββατον, καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πλάνῃ ἀπάγειν τοὺς ὄχλους· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ἐπειδὴ μηδὲν εἶχον ψεύσασθαι, κατὰ τοῦ τεθεραπευμένου ποιοῦνται τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οὐδὲ ὅτι Ἐναντιοῦται τῷ Πατρὶ, εἶχον εἰπεῖν· ἡ γὰρ εὐχὴ αὐτοὺς ἐπεστόμιζεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ὃ ἀεὶ ἐνεκάλουν ἀνῄρητο, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον λαμπρὸν ἦν, ἐπὶ τὸν φόνον ὁρμῶσιν. Ὥστε καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τυφλοῦ τοῦτο ἂν ἐποίησαν, εἰ μὴ εἶχον ἐγκαλεῖν τὸ σάββατον. Ἄλλως δὲ, ἐκεῖνος ἄσημος ἦν, καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ· οὗτος δὲ ἐπισημότερος· καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ πολλοὺς ἐλθεῖν εἰς παραμυθίαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν· καὶ πάντων ὁρώντων τὸ θαῦμα ἐγένετο, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παραδοξοποιίας· διὰ τοῦτο πάντες ἔτρεχον ὀψόμενοι. Τοῦτο οὖν αὐτοὺς ἔδακνε, τὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐνεστώσης πάντας ἀφέντας ἐπὶ τὴν Βηθανίαν ἔρχεσθαι. Ἐπεχείρησαν οὖν αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, καὶ οὐδὲ φαῦλον ἐδόκουν τολμᾷν· οὕτως ἦσαν φονικοί. Διὰ τοῦτο δὲ ἀρχόμενος ὁ νόμος ἀπὸ τούτου ἄρχεται, Οὐ φονεύσεις, λέγων. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης τοῦτο ἐγκαλεῖ λέγων· Αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν αἵματος πλήρεις. Τῇ ἐπαύριον ὄχλος πολὺς ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἔρχεται εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ἔλαβον τὰ βαΐα τῶν φοινίκων, καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκραζον· Ὡσαννὰ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.","english":"For this was more wonderful even by nature, and it had happened after many things, and it was paradoxical to see a four-day-old corpse walking and speaking. O the folly of the so-called chief priests! For it was the accomplishment of their festival to mingle the assembly with murders. Moreover, in that case they seemed to accuse the Sabbath, and by this deception to lead away the crowds; but here, since they had nothing to falsify, they make their attempt against the one who had been healed. For here they could not even say that he is opposed to the Father; for the prayer silenced them. Since, therefore, that which they always accused had been removed, and the sign was bright, they rush to murder. So that they would have done this also in the case of the blind man, if they had not had the Sabbath to accuse. Moreover, that man was insignificant, and they cast him out of the temple; but this man was more notable; and it is clear from the fact that many came for the consolation of the brothers; and the wonder happened while all were watching, and with great paradox-making; therefore all were running to see. This, then, was biting them, that with the festival at hand all were leaving and coming to Bethany. They attempted, therefore, to destroy him, and they did not seem to be daring anything base; so murderous were they. For this reason the law, beginning, begins from this, saying, You shall not murder. And the prophet accuses this, saying, Their hands are full of blood. On the next day a great crowd that had come to the festival, having heard that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palms, and went out to meet him, and cried out: Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":536,"ref":"p536","source":"Πῶς οὖν παῤῥησίᾳ μὴ περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἀναχωρῶν, πάλιν εἰσέρχεται μετὰ παῤῥησίας; Σβέσας τὸν θυμὸν αὐτῶν τῇ ἀναχωρήσει, πεπαυμένοις αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται· ἄλλως δὲ, τὸ πλῆθος τὸ προάγον καὶ τὸ ἑπόμενον ἱκανὸν ἦν εἰς ἀγωνίαν αὐτοὺς ἐμβαλεῖν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπεσπάσατο αὐτοὺς σημεῖον, ὡς τὸ τοῦ Λαζάρου. Καὶ ἄλλος δὲ εὐαγγελιστής φησιν, ὅτι Ὑπέστρωσαν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ ὅτι Πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἐσείσθη· μετὰ τοσαύτης εἰσῄει τιμῆς. Εὑρὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὀνάριον, ἐκάθισεν ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καθώς ἐστι γεγραμμένον, Μὴ φοβοῦ, θύγατερ Σιών· ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεται καθήμενος ἐπὶ πῶλον ὄνου. Ἐποίει δὲ τοῦτο, προφητείαν τὴν μὲν πληρῶν, τὴν δὲ τυπῶν· καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῆς μὲν ἐγίνετο ἀρχὴ, τῆς δὲ τέλος. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ, Μὴ φοβοῦ, θύγατερ Σιὼν, χαῖρε ὅτι ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι πρᾶος, προφητεία πεπληρωμένη ἦν· τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ ὄνον\n\nκαθίσαι, μέλλον πρᾶγμα προανατυποῦντος, ὅτι τὸ ἀκάθαρτον τῶν ἐθνῶν γένος ἔμελλεν ὑποχείριον ἔχειν. Πῶς δὲ οἱ εὐαγγελισταί φασιν, ὅτι μαθητὰς ἔπεμψε καὶ εἶπε, Λύσατε τὴν ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον· οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν φησιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ὀνάριον εὑρὼν ἐκάθισεν ἐπ' αὐτῷ; Ὅτι ἀμφότερα εἰκὸς ἦν γενέσθαι, καὶ μετὰ τὸ λυθῆναι τὸν ὄνον, ἐλθόντων τῶν μαθητῶν, εὑρόντων αὐτῶν τὸν πῶλον, ἐπικαθίσαι. Τὰ δὲ βαΐα τῶν φοινίκων καὶ τῶν ἐλαιῶν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑπέστρωσαν, δεικνύντες, ὅτι λοιπὸν μείζονα ἢ περὶ προφήτου δόξαν εἶχον περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔλεγον· Ὡσαννὰ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου.","english":"How then does he enter again with boldness, when he had not walked in Judea with boldness, but had withdrawn into the wilderness? Having quenched their anger by his withdrawal, he presents himself to them when they had ceased; and besides, the multitude going before and following after was sufficient to cast them into agony. For no sign so drew them as that of Lazarus. And another evangelist says that they spread their garments under his feet, and that the whole city was shaken; with such honor did he enter. And Jesus, having found a donkey, sat upon it, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king comes sitting on a colt, the foal of a donkey. And he did this, fulfilling one prophecy and prefiguring another; and the same thing became the beginning of the one and the end of the other. For the words, Fear not, daughter of Zion, rejoice that your king comes to you meek, were a prophecy fulfilled; but to sit upon a donkey was prefiguring a future thing, that the unclean race of the nations was going to be subject. But how do the evangelists say that he sent disciples and said, Loose the donkey and the colt; while this one says nothing of the kind, but that having found a donkey he sat upon it? Because it was likely that both happened, and that after the donkey was loosed, the disciples having come and having found the colt, he sat upon it. And the branches of palms and olives and the garments they spread under him, showing that they now had a greater opinion of him than of a prophet, and they said, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":537,"ref":"p537","source":"Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς ἀπέπνιγε τὸ πεισθῆναι πάντας, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντίθεος; Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα διῄρει τὸν δῆμον, τὸ λέγειν αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἥκειν. Τὸ δὲ, Μὴ φοβοῦ, χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιὼν, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, ἐπειδὴ πάντες αὐτῶν οἱ βασιλεῖς ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἄδικοί τινες ἦσαν καὶ πλεονέκται, καὶ παρέδωκαν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος διέστρεφον, καὶ ὑπευθύνους ἐποίουν τοῖς πολεμίοις. Θάρσει, φησίν· οὗτος οὐ τοιοῦτος, ἀλλὰ πρᾶος καὶ ἐπιεικής· καὶ δείκνυται ἀπὸ τῆς ὄνου· οὐ γὰρ στρατόπεδα ἐπισυρόμενος εἰσῆλθεν· ἀλλ' ὄνον ἔχων μόνον. Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ γεγενημένα, ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ πλεῖον ἀγνοοῦντες ἐποίουν; Ἀλλ' ὅτε ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, τότε ἐμνήσθησαν, ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψε. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε εἶπε, Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ᾔδεισαν οἱ μαθηταί. Καὶ ἄλλος δὲ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγει, ὅτι κεκρυμμένος ὁ λόγος ἦν ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν εἰκότως ἐκρύπτετο· διὸ καὶ ἄλλος λέγει εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὅτι καθ' ἑκάστην ἀκούοντες περὶ τοῦ πάθους, ἤλγουν, καὶ ἦσαν ἐν κατηφείᾳ· τοῦτο δὲ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγον. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν εἰκότως ἐκρύπτετο, ἅτε μεῖζον ἢ κατ' αὐτούς· τὸ μέντοι τῆς ὄνου διὰ τί αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀπεκαλύφθη; ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο μέγα ἦν.","english":"Do you see that this above all choked the chief priests and scribes—that everyone was convinced that he is not opposed to God? And this above all divided the people—that he said he had come from the Father. But “Do not fear, rejoice greatly, daughter Zion,” says the prophet, since all their kings for the most part were unjust and greedy, and they handed them over to their enemies, and they corrupted the multitude, and made them liable to their foes. “Take courage,” he says; “this one is not such, but gentle and reasonable”—and this is shown from the donkey; for he did not enter dragging armies with him, but having only a donkey. But these things, he says, his disciples did not know—the things that had happened—that these things were written concerning him, and these things they did to him. Do you see that they did them for the most part in ignorance? But when he rose from the dead, then they remembered that these things were written concerning him, and these things they did to him—and he himself did not reveal it. For even when he said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” not even this did the disciples know. And another evangelist says that the word was hidden from them, and they did not know that he must rise from the dead. But this was reasonably hidden; therefore another evangelist also says that, hearing about the passion each day, they grieved and were downcast—this came from not knowing the word of the resurrection. This, then, was reasonably hidden, since it was greater than they could bear; but why was the matter of the donkey not revealed to them? Because this too was great.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":538,"ref":"p538","source":"Ὅρα δὲ φιλοσοφίαν εὐαγγελιστοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται τὴν προτέραν ἄγνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐκπομπεύων· ὅτι μὲν γὰρ γέγραπται, ᾔδεισαν· ὅτι δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, οὐκ ᾔδεισαν· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἐσκανδάλισεν αὐτοὺς, εἰ βασιλεὺς τοιαῦτα μέλλει πάσχειν. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, οὐκ ἂν εὐθέως ἐχώρησαν τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς βασιλείας, ἣν ἔλεγον. Καὶ γὰρ ἄλλος εὐαγγελιστής φησιν, ὅτι περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐδόκουν ταύτης λέγεσθαι. Ἐμαρτύρει οὖν ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ὢν μετ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτε τὸν Λάζαρον ἐφώνησεν ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος, ὅτι ἤκουσαν τοῦτο αὐτὸν πεποιηκέναι τὸ σημεῖον. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοσοῦτοι μετέθεντο, φησὶν, ἐξαίφνης, εἰ μὴ ἐπίστευσαν τῷ σημείῳ. Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι εἶπον πρὸς ἑαυτούς· Θεωρεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ ὠφελεῖτε οὐδέν; Ἴδε ὁ κόσμος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθε. Δοκεῖ μοι τοῦτο εἶναι τῶν ὑγιαινόντων μὲν, οὐ τολμώντων δὲ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι. Καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως δὲ διαλεγόμενος ὁ Παῦλος, τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἐκίνησε. Ποίαν οὖν ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν οἱ τῇ ἀναστάσει διαπιστοῦντες; Διόπερ, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἵνα μὴ ματαίως ὑμᾶς ἀπασχολήσωμεν, καὶ λαβύρινθον λόγον ἀναδείξωμεν, ταῦτα ἀφέντες, ἐκεῖνο ἐροῦμεν· Τῆς ἀκροάσεως τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἔχεσθε, καὶ μὴ λογομαχεῖτε εἰς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. Καὶ Παῦλος γὰρ παρῄνει Τιμοθέῳ, καίτοι γε πολλῆς σοφίας ἐμπεπλησμένῳ, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἔχοντι δύναμιν.","english":"See the evangelist's wisdom—how he is not ashamed to expose their former ignorance. For they knew that it was written, but they did not know that it referred to him; for it would have scandalized them if a king was going to suffer such things. And besides, they would not have immediately accepted the knowledge of the kingdom of which they spoke. For another evangelist says that they thought this was said about that kingdom. So the crowd that was with him testified when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead. For this reason the crowd met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. For so many would not have changed their minds suddenly, he says, unless they had believed the sign. But the Pharisees said to themselves: “You see that you gain nothing? Look, the world has gone after him.” This seems to me to be the response of those who are sound but do not dare to speak boldly. And Paul, when discoursing about the resurrection, brought up this same argument. What defense, then, will those who disbelieve the resurrection have? Therefore, beloved, so that we do not vainly occupy you and display a labyrinth of words, leaving these things aside, we will say that: Hold fast to the hearing of the divine Scriptures, and do not fight over words, which is useful for nothing and leads to the ruin of those who hear. For Paul also exhorted Timothy, although he was filled with great wisdom and had power from signs.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":539,"ref":"p539","source":"Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ τὰς φλυαρίας ἀφέντες, τῶν ἔργων ἐχώμεθα, φιλαδελφίας λέγω καὶ φιλοξενίας, καὶ πολὺν ποιησώμεθα τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης λόγον, ἵνα τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΔʹ. Εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέννησιν.\n\nἩ πασῶν τῶν ἑορτῶν ἐπεδήμησεν ἑορτὴ, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην εὐφροσύνης ἐπλήρωσεν· ἑορτὴ ἡ τῶν καλῶν ἁπάντων ἀκρόπολις, ἡ πηγὴ καὶ ῥίζα τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, δι' ἧς ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀνεῴχθη, πνεῦμα κατεπέμφθη, τὸ μεσότοιχον ἀνῃρέθη, ὁ φραγμὸς ἐλύθη, τὰ διεστῶτα ἡνώθη, τὸ σκότος ἐσβέσθη, τὸ φῶς ἔλαμψεν, οὐρανὸς ἐδέξατο τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἀπὸ γῆς, γῆ τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ καθήμενον· οἱ δοῦλοι γεγόνασιν ἐλεύθεροι, οἱ ἐχθροὶ υἱοὶ, οἱ ἀλλότριοι κληρονόμοι. Δι' αὐτῆς ἡ χρονία ἔχθρα κατελύθη καὶ ὁ μακρὸς πόλεμος, καὶ ἡ πάλαι ποθουμένη καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ δικαίοις παραγέγονεν εἰρήνη. Καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος λέγων· Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ. Δι' αὐτῆς τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστη τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸ λαμπρὸν καὶ περιφανὲς, τὰ λάφυρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὰ ἀκροθίνια τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας, τὰ σκῦλα τοῦ βασιλέως ἡμῶν. Τί ποτ' οὖν τῆς ἑορτῆς ταύτης ἴσον γένοιτ' ἄν; Θεὸς ἐπὶ γῆς, ἄνθρωπος ἐν οὐρανῷ, ἄγγελοι συγχορεύουσιν ἀνθρώποις, ἄνθρωποι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις κοινωνοῦσι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσι·","english":"Let us therefore be persuaded by him, and, setting aside idle talk, let us hold fast to works—I mean love of brethren and love of strangers—and let us make great account of almsgiving, so that we may attain the promised good things, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen. Discourse 34. On the holy Nativity of Christ.\n\nThe feast of all feasts has arrived, and has filled the whole inhabited world with gladness—the feast that is the citadel of all good things, the source and root of the blessings among us, through which heaven was opened, the Spirit was sent down, the dividing wall was abolished, the barrier was loosed, things that were separated were united, darkness was extinguished, light shone forth, heaven received the nature that is from the earth, the earth received him who sits upon the Cherubim; slaves have become free, enemies have become sons, strangers have become heirs. Through it the long-standing enmity was dissolved and the long war, and the peace that was of old desired by angels and righteous men has come. And Paul cries out, saying: Christ is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of the barrier, the enmity in his flesh. Through it the bright and manifest trophy of the cross has been set up, the spoils of Christ, the first-fruits of our nature, the plunder of our King. What, then, could be equal to this feast? God upon earth, man in heaven, angels dance together with men, men share fellowship with angels and with the other powers above.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":540,"ref":"p540","source":"δαίμονες δραπετεύουσι, θάνατος λέλυται, παράδεισος ἀνέῳκται, κατάρα ἠφάνισται, ἁμαρτία ἐκποδὼν ἐγεγόνει, πλάνη ἀπελήλαται, ἀλήθεια ἐπανῆλθε· καὶ ἡ φύσις, δι' ἣν ἐφύλαττε τὸν παράδεισον τὰ Χερουβὶμ, τῷ Θεῷ ἥνωται σήμερον. Μὴ οὖν ἀπορίᾳ συνέχου ταῦτα ἀκούων· τὸ γὰρ ἐκπλήξεως γέμον, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδα καὶ προσδοκίαν ἅπασαν, ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι Θεόν· τούτου δὲ γενομένου, τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἅπαντα κατὰ λόγον καὶ ἀκολουθίαν ἕπεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην τοσοῦτον ἑαυτὸν ἐταπείνωσεν, εἰ μὴ ἔμελλεν ἡμᾶς ἀνυψοῦν. Ἐγεννήθη τοίνυν κατὰ σάρκα, ἵνα γεννηθῇς κατὰ πνεῦμα· ἐγεννήθη ἐκ γυναικὸς, ἵνα παύσῃ γυναικὸς ὢν υἱός· ἠνέσχετο πατέρα αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι δοῦλον, ἵνα σοὶ τῷ δούλῳ πατέρα ποιήσῃ τὸν Δεσπότην. Οὐκοῦν ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ σκιρτήσωμεν ἅπαντες, ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἀγαθοῖς εὐφραινόμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ πατριάρχης Ἀβραὰμ ἠγαλλιάσατο ἰδεῖν τὴν ἡμέραν Κυρίου, καὶ εἶδε, καὶ ἐχάρη· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς Θεὸν ἐν σπαργάνοις ὁρῶντας, τὸ φρικτὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ παράδοξον θέαμα, χαίρειν καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι χρὴ καὶ θαυμάζειν καὶ ἐκπλήττεσθαι τῆς τοσαύτης αὐτοῦ εὐεργεσίας τὸ μέγεθος. Ἀλλὰ πῶς τοῦτο γέγονε τὸ θαυμαστὸν καὶ μέγα; πῶς ἡμεῖς οἱ προσκεκρουκότες, οἱ τῆς γῆς ἀνάξιοι φανέντες, καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς κάτωθεν ἐκπεσόντες, πρὸς τοσοῦτον ὕψος ἀνήχθημεν; πῶς ὁ πόλεμος κατελύθη; πῶς ἡ ὀργὴ ἀνῃρέθη; Πῶς; τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ θαυμαστὸν καὶ ἐκπλήξεως γέμον, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμῶν τῶν προσκεκρουκότων προσδραμόντων, οὐ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων καταβληθέν των, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ δικαίως ἀγανακτοῦντος παρακαλέσαντος ἡμᾶς, οὕτως εἰρήνη γέγονεν.","english":"Demons have fled, death has been loosed, paradise has been opened, the curse has vanished, sin has been put away, error has been driven out, truth has returned; and the nature for whose sake the Cherubim guarded paradise has today been united to God. Do not therefore be held in perplexity when you hear these things; for that which is full of amazement, and beyond all hope and expectation, is that a man should become God; and this having come to pass, all that follows comes about by reason and in sequence. For not idly and in vain did he humble himself so greatly, unless he was about to exalt us. He was born according to the flesh, that you might be born according to the spirit; he was born of a woman, that you might cease to be a son of a woman; he endured that his own Father should become a slave, that for you, the slave, he might make the Master a Father. Let us therefore all rejoice and leap for joy, taking delight in our own good things. For if the patriarch Abraham rejoiced to see the day of the Lord, and saw it, and was glad, much more must we, seeing God in swaddling clothes—that dread and wondrous sight—rejoice and exult and marvel and be amazed at the greatness of his so great beneficence. But how did this wonderful and great thing come to pass? How were we, who had offended, who had appeared unworthy of the earth, and who had fallen from the rule below, led up to so great a height? How was the war brought to an end? How was the wrath done away? How? For this is the wonderful thing and full of amazement, that it was not we who had offended who ran forward, nor the enemies and adversaries who were cast down, but he himself who was justly indignant who entreated us—and so peace came to be.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":541,"ref":"p541","source":"Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ γὰρ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν. Τί τοῦτο; αὐτὸς ὕβρισται, καὶ αὐτὸς παρακαλεῖ; Ναὶ, φησίν· ἀγαθὸς γάρ ἐστι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παρακαλεῖ· καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, ἀνωτέρω τὸν λόγον ἀγαγόντες πειρασόμεθα δεῖξαι, ὅτι καὶ μηδενὸς προϋπηργμένου τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ κατορθώματος, δι' ἀγαθότητα μόνην καὶ τὰ παρόντα καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτῷ ἐδωρήσατο. Ἀλλὰ προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Πρὶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους γενέσθαι καὶ τὰς ἄλλας δυνάμεις τὰς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἦν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀρχὴν οὐδέποτε τοῦ εἶναι λαβὼν, ἀνενδεὴς δὲ ὢν ἀεί· τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον. Ἐποίησεν ἀγγέλους, ἀρχαγγέλους, καὶ ἄλλας τῶν ἀσωμάτων οὐσίας· ἐποίησε δὲ δι' ἕτερον μὲν οὐδὲν, δι' ἀγαθότητα δὲ μόνην· ὧν γὰρ τῆς θεραπείας οὐκ ἔχρῃζε, τούτων οὐδὲ ἂν δημιουργὸς ἐγένετο, μὴ σφόδρα ὢν ἀγαθός. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων δημιουργίαν ποιεῖ καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην πάλιν αἰτίαν, καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα τοῦτον· 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. Ποιήσας δὲ αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ καταστήσας τιμῇ, καθάπερ βασίλεια βασιλεῖ, τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπέταξε τὸν παράδεισον. Οὐ τούτῳ δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀπεσέμνυνεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγον","english":"For we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating through us. What is this? He himself has been insulted, and he himself entreats? Yes, he says; for he is good, and for this reason he entreats. And, if you wish, leading the discourse further up, we shall try to show that even though no good deed had been previously accomplished by man, for the sake of goodness alone he granted him both present and future things. But pay attention with precision. Before the angels came to be and the other powers in the heavens, God was, never having received a beginning of being, and always being without need; for such is the divine nature. He made angels, archangels, and 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, had he not been exceedingly good. And after the creation of these, he makes man also, for this same reason again, and all this world; and having filled him with countless good things, he set that little and insignificant being over so many works, declaring him on earth to be what he himself is in the heavens. And having made him and established him in such great honor, like a palace for a king, he assigned to him the most beautiful of things on earth, paradise. And he did not dignify him with this alone, but also reason","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":542,"ref":"p542","source":"μόνῳ τῶν πάντων ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ 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. Τί οὖν μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα ἀγαθά; Πιστότερον τοῦ ταῦτα δωρησαμένου τὸν Ἐχθρὸν ἐνόμισε, καὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἀλογήσας, προετίμησε τὴν ἀπάτην τοῦ παντελῶς αὐτὸν ἀφανίσαι σπουδάσαντος. Ἆρ' οὖν ἐξήλειψεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς, τοσαύτην ἀγνωμοσύνην ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς εἰπεῖν γραμμῆς ἐπιδειξάμενον, ὅπερ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον ἀκόλουθον ἦν; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τοῦ παραπεπτωκότος ἐφρόντισεν, ἢ πρότερον. Μετὰ ταῦτα τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν κακῶς πράττοντος, ὡς κινδυνεῦσαι καὶ τῆς γῆς αὐτῆς ἐκπεσεῖν, οὐκ ἀπεβάλετο, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον τῶν προσκεκρουκότων ἐκήδετο, ὡς καὶ ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δούλῳ τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ὡς ὁμοτίμῳ φίλῳ διαλέγεσθαι καὶ λέγειν τὰς αἰτίας τῆς μελλούσης ἀπωλείας ἔσεσθαι. Εἶτα νόμον ἔδωκεν εἰς βοήθειαν, προφήτας ἔπεμψε, περὶ τῶν πρακτέων εἰσηγουμένους· ὕστερον αὐτὸν ἀπέστειλε τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν Μονογενῆ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικὸς, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ προφήτης τὴν πολλὴν αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης κηδεμονίαν ἐκπληττόμενος, ἀνεβόησε μέγα καὶ λαμπρὸν οὕτω λέγων· Ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη.","english":"He granted this to him alone of all, and deemed him worthy of the knowledge of himself, and gave him to enjoy converse with him, as it was possible for him to enjoy it, and promised to bestow immortality, and filled him with great wisdom, and implanted spiritual grace in him, so that some even prophesied. What then after so many and such great goods? He considered the Enemy more trustworthy than the one who had bestowed these things, and disregarding the commandment of the one who made him, he preferred the deception of the one who earnestly sought to destroy him utterly. Did God then blot him out, who displayed such ingratitude from the beginning and, so to speak, from the very first line, as was consistent with the reasoning of justice? By no means, but rather he cared for the fallen one more than before. After this, when our race was faring badly, so as to be in danger even of falling out of the earth itself, he did not cast it off, but cared so much for those who had offended that the Lord even made defense to his servant, and conversed as with a friend of equal honor, and told him the causes of the coming destruction. Then he gave the law as a help, he sent prophets to suggest what should be done; later he sent his own only-begotten Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Whence also the prophet, marveling at his great care for the inhabited world, cried out loudly and brightly, saying thus: Our God has appeared upon the earth, and has conversed with men.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":543,"ref":"p543","source":"Καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα παράδοξον ἀκοῦσαι, ὅτι Θεὸς ὁ ἀπόῤῥητος καὶ ἀνέκφραστος, καὶ ἀπερινόητος, καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ ἴσος, καὶ γνήσιος Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνάρχου Θεοῦ, διὰ μήτρας ἦλθε παρθενικῆς, καὶ γεννηθῆναι ἐκ γυναικὸς κατεδέξατο· ὃς οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη πάντα ποιῶν καὶ πραγματευόμενος, ἕως τοὺς πολεμίους ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἀνήγαγεν αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ φίλους ἐποίησε. Καὶ καθάπερ τις ἐν μεταιχμίῳ στὰς δύο τινῶν ἀλλήλων διεστηκότων, ἀμφοτέρας ἁπλώσας τὰς χεῖρας ἑκατέρωθεν λαβὼν συνάψειεν· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐποίησε, τὴν θείαν φύσιν τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ, τὰ αὑτοῦ τοῖς ἡμετέροις. Εἶδες ἀγαθότητος ὑπερβολήν; αὐτὸς ὁ ὑβρισμένος καὶ παρεκάλεσε, καθάπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, καὶ τὴν καταλλαγὴν εἰργάσατο. Ὅρα λοιπὸν πῶς καὶ τὸν τύραννον οἷα βασιλεὺς τὴν ἁλουργίδα ἀφεὶς καὶ τὸ διάδημα, στρατιώτου σχῆμα ὑπεδύετο πολλάκις, ἵνα μὴ γνώριμος γενόμενος, ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν ἑλκύσῃ τοὺς πολεμίους. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοὐναντίον· ἐν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ σχήματι ἦλθεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα μὴ γνώριμος γενόμενος, φυγεῖν παρασκευάσῃ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν συμπλοκὴν τὸν πολέμιον, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους διαταράξῃ πάντας· σῶσαι γὰρ, οὐκ ἐκπλῆξαι ἐσπούδασε. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἡ τοιαύτη καταλλαγὴ, φησὶν, οὐχὶ διά τινος τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, ἢ δι' ἀνθρώπου ψιλοῦ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Λόγου κενώσεως γέγονεν; Ἐπειδὴ, εἰ δι' ἑτέρου τινὸς ἐδικαίου τὴν κοινὴν τοῦ γένους σωτηρίαν ἡμᾶς δέξασθαι, οὐκ ἂν τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ προνοίας τὸ μέγεθος ἐγνωρίζομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ παρὰ πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα θαυμαζόμενον, εἰς εὐτελῆ καὶ οὐδὲν ἀληθῶς θαῦμα παρεχομένην πρᾶξιν ἐξέπιπτεν ἄν.","english":"For it is truly extraordinary to hear that God, the ineffable and inexpressible and incomprehensible One, equal to the Father and the genuine Son of the unoriginate God, came through a virgin womb and deigned to be born of a woman; he who did not cease before, doing all things and working, until he led us, his enemies and foes, up to God himself and made us friends. And just as someone standing between two parties separated from each other, stretching out both hands and taking hold of each from either side, would join them together, so he also did, joining the divine nature to the human, his own to ours. Do you see the excess of goodness? He who was insulted also pleaded, as I said before, and brought about the reconciliation. See now how also the tyrant, like a king who has laid aside the purple and the diadem, often put on a soldier's garb, so that, not becoming recognizable, he might draw the enemies to himself. But here the opposite: Christ came in our form, so that, not becoming recognizable, he might cause the enemy to flee from engaging with him, and might throw all his own into confusion; for he hastened to save, not to terrify. And for what reason, he says, did such reconciliation take place not through one of the incorporeal powers, nor through a mere man, but through the emptying of the Word? Because, if he had seen fit to accomplish the common salvation of our race through some other, we would not have come to know the greatness of his providence toward us, but even that which is marveled at throughout all the age would have fallen into a cheap action, providing nothing truly marvelous.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":544,"ref":"p544","source":"Κτίσεως γὰρ κτίσει συνούσης καὶ προσλαμβανούσης τὸ ὁμόδουλον, οὐδὲν οὔτε τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων παρέπεται, οὔτε τῶν παραδόξων ἔχει τὴν ἔκπληξιν. Ἄλλως δὲ, Θεοῦ καὶ θεῖον ἔργον πῶς ἂν ἦν ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὸν διαπράξασθαι; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐγένετο, ὅπερ οὐχ οἷόν τε, θᾶττον ἂν τὸ πτῶμα καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἢ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπανέστρεφεν, ἢ πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ηὐξάνετο. Εἰ γὰρ Μωϋσέα, καθ' οὗ πολλάκις ἐγόγγυζον, καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν δι' αὐτοῦ κατιοῦσαν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ κακῶν ἐποιοῦντο χείρονα, ὅμως θεὸν ἀνειπεῖν μετὰ θάνατον ἐμελέτησαν, ὡς διὰ ταύτην αὐτὴν τὴν αἰτίαν, καθώς φασί τινες, καὶ ὁ τούτου τάφος ὀφθαλμοῖς Ἰουδαίων μέχρι νῦν ἀθέατός τε καὶ ἀνεπίγνωστος ἔμεινε· πῶς οὐκ ἂν τὸν μείζονος ἀπαλλάξαντα τυραννίδος, εἰ καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως ᾔδεισαν, οὐ θεὸν ἀνηγόρευσαν; Τοῦτο δὲ δῆλον, ὡς οὐκ ἦν τοῦ πτώματος ἔγερσις, ἀλλὰ χαλεπωτέρα καὶ ἀδιόρθωτος ἔκπτωσις. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ ἑτέραν αἰτίαν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, δι' ἣν μάλιστα, εἴπερ\n\nἄγγελος ἢ ψιλὸς ἄνθρωπος ἀνασώσασθαι ἡμᾶς τοῦ πτώματος προεβέβλητο, οὐχὶ σωτηρίας μᾶλλον ἀπηλαύομεν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ καλλίστου καὶ τιμιωτάτου τῆς ἀνεκφράστου δόξης τὸ γένος κατέπιπτε. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν ἡμῖν δυνατὸν οὐδὲ ἐγγὺς τυχεῖν, οἷς νῦν, τοῦ Λόγου σαρκωθέντος, ἐντρυφῶμεν καὶ ἀπολαύομεν.","english":"For if creation were united with creation and took to itself what is of the same servile rank, nothing of the hidden mysteries would follow, nor would it have the astonishment of the paradoxical. And besides, how could a divine work of God be accomplished by a man? And even if it had come to pass, which is impossible, the fall would sooner and more easily have turned back upon itself, or would have increased toward the worse. For if, in the case of Moses, against whom they often murmured, and whose salvation coming down from above through him they made worse than the evils in Egypt, they nevertheless took thought to call him god after his death—so that, as some say, for this very reason even his tomb has remained to the eyes of the Jews until now unseen and unknown—how would they not have proclaimed as god the one who delivered them from a greater tyranny, even if they knew him to be of the same nature? And this is clear, that there was no resurrection from the fall, but a more grievous and incurable downfall. And after these things one may state yet another reason, for which especially, if\n\nan angel or a mere man had been put forward to restore us from the fall, we would not rather have obtained salvation, but the race would have fallen from the fairest and most precious thing of the inexpressible glory. What is this? That which it was not possible for us even to come near to obtaining, but which now, since the Word has been made flesh, we delight in and enjoy.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":545,"ref":"p545","source":"Πῶς γὰρ ἂν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ γένει ἐκεχάριστο, ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἢ ἀγγελικῆς τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίαν ὑπερχομένης, ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἱδρυνθῆναι, καὶ πάσης ἀγγελικῆς καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων χοροστασίας ὑπεράνω γενέσθαι, καὶ τιμῆς καὶ δόξης ἀπολαῦσαι τοσαύτης καὶ τηλικαύτης, ὡς καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων καὶ ἐγγυτάτω Θεοῦ ἑστηκότων, ἐπιθυμούντων μὲν εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν δόξαν, ἧς διὰ τοῦ φυράματος ἀπολαύομεν, παρακύψαι, μείζονα δὲ τὴν ἐπιτυχίαν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας εὑρισκόντων, ταύτης δὲ τῆς μακαρίας λήξεως τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου γένους τὴν στέρησιν ὑπομένοντος, ἅτε δὴ μηδὲ τοῦ φυράματος ἡμῶν δι' ἀνθρωπίνης ἢ ἀγγελικῆς ἑνώσεως, τῆς δόξης, ἐν ᾖ νῦν ἐκλάμπει, τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν προεσχηκότος, μηδὲ πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην ἡμῶν ἀναδραμόντων ἰσχὺν καὶ ῥώμην καὶ τῆς τιμῆς τὸ ἐξαίρετον; τινα ἂν παρῆκεν ὁ ἐχθρὸς καθ' ἡμῶν τόλμαν; τίνας δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐκίνει μηχανὰς, δι' ὧν πάλιν ἐλπίδας ἔτρεφεν ὑποχείριον λαβεῖν τὸ γένος, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ἀρχαίαν αὐτοῦ καθελκύσαι τυραννίδα; κατὰ τίνων δὲ τὸ κράτος ἀναλαβεῖν οὐκ ἐπήρθη, καὶ τὸ φρύαγμα τοῦ προτέρου μεῖζον οὐκ ἂν ἐπεδείκνυ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτὸν πολυπραγμονεῖν οὐχ ἡγεῖτο τόλμαν; Διὰ γοῦν ταῦτα καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς, καὶ οὐχ ἕτερός τις, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀναλαβόμενος σάρκα, τὴν κοινὴν τοῦ γένους σωτηρίαν ἀπειργάσατο. Καὶ μηδεὶς ἐγκαλοῖτο ἡμῖν ἀνάξια τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγειν, ὅτι ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης ναὸν ἑαυτῷ κατασκευάσας ὁ Θεὸς ζῶντα ἐν τῇ παρθενικῇ μήτρᾳ, δι' ἐκείνου τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν πολιτείαν εἰς τὸν βίον εἰσήγαγε τὸν ἡμέτερον·","english":"For how would it have been granted as a favor to our race, if human or angelic nature had undertaken the economy concerning us, that it be seated at the right hand of the Father, and become above every angelic and archangelic choir, and enjoy such and so great honor and glory, so that even the powers above, standing nearest to God, desire to peer into our glory, which we enjoy through the lump, and find the attainment greater than the desire, while the human race endures the deprivation of this blessed lot, since our lump had not previously possessed, through human or angelic union, the enjoyment of the glory in which it now shines, nor had they risen to such strength and might and the preeminence of honor? What daring against us would the enemy have passed over? What devices would he not have set in motion, by which he again kept hopes of taking the race under his hand and dragging it down under his ancient tyranny? Against whom would he not have been elated to recover his power, and would he not have displayed a boasting greater than the former, and would he not have considered it daring to busy himself even with heaven itself? For these reasons, then, and many such, the Word of God and Son and true God, and no other, taking up our flesh, accomplished the common salvation of the race. And let no one accuse us of saying things unworthy of God, because for the salvation of the whole inhabited world God, having prepared for himself a living temple in the virgin womb, through that brought the citizenship of the heavens into our life.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":546,"ref":"p546","source":"ποία γὰρ ἂν καὶ βλάβη γένοιτο τῷ Θεῷ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας ταύτης; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τουτονὶ τὸν ἥλιον τὸν τῷ σώματι αἰσθητὸν καὶ φθαρτὸν καὶ ἐπίκηρον κἂν Ἕλληνες ἀποπνίγωνται, βορβόροις προσομιλοῦντα, καὶ πολλοῖς ἄλλοις τοιούτοις πράγμασι, καὶ μηδὲ τὸ τυχὸν τῆς κακίας προσλαμβανόμενον; τοὐναντίον δὲ, καὶ τὴν δυσώδη καταξηραίνει ὀσμὴν τῇ τῆς ἀκτῖνος προσβολῇ. Ἢ οὐδὲ τῷ φθαρτῷ στοιχείῳ ἴσον δίδως ἐνεργῆσαι τὸν Μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Παῖδα ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας σαρκὸς, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἐξ αὐτῆς μὴ μολυνθῆναι, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν ταύτην καὶ καθαρωτέραν καὶ ἁγιωτέραν ἐργάσασθαι; Καὶ σὺ μὲν εἰς ξύλα καὶ λίθους καὶ εἰς ἔτι τούτων ἀτιμότερα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατάγειν τολμῶν τὴν οὐσίαν, οὐ φρίττεις· ἡμῖν δὲ ἐγκαλεῖς καὶ λέγεις, ὅτι ἀπρεπὲς Θεῷ σῶμα οἰκῆσαι καθαρὸν καὶ ἄμωμον, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκουμένην διορθώσασθαι; Εἰ γὰρ αἰσχρὸν Θεῷ ἐνανθρωπῆσαι, ὡς σὺ φῂς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν λίθῳ καὶ ξύλῳ, ὅσον λίθος καὶ ξύλον ἀτιμότερον ἀνθρώπου· εἰ μὴ ἄρα καὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν τούτων ὑλῶν εὐτελέστερον τὸ γένος ἡμῶν εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων λόγος εἰς ἕτερον ἡμῖν ὑπερκείσθω καιρόν· ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ῥημάτων τὸν λόγον ἀγαγεῖν· φησὶ γάρ· Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ γέννησις οὕτως ἦν. Ποίαν μοι γέννησιν λέγεις; Τὴν ἔνσαρκον δηλονότι. Περὶ γὰρ τῆς ἀνάρχου γεννήσεως οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Παῖς, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός. Πῶς οὖν ἐστιν ἡ κατὰ σάρκα τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέννησις;","english":"For what harm would come to God from this economy? Do you not see this sun, perceptible to the body and corruptible and perishable, even if Greeks choke on it, consorting with filth and many other such things, and not receiving even the slightest share of evil? On the contrary, it even dries up the foul-smelling odor by the impact of its ray. Or do you not grant to the corruptible element equal power to act—the only-begotten Child of God—upon our flesh, so that he is not only not defiled by it, but makes this very flesh both purer and holier? And you, while daring to drag down the substance of God into wood and stones and things even more dishonorable than these, do not shudder; yet you accuse us and say that it is unbecoming for God to inhabit a pure and blameless body, and through it to set the inhabited world aright? For if it is shameful for God to become man, as you say, much more so in stone and wood, insofar as stone and wood are more dishonorable than man—unless perhaps our race seems to you to be more worthless than these perceptible materials. But let the argument about such things be deferred by us to another time; for it is necessary to bring the discourse to the very words of the Gospel. For it says: \"Now the generation of Jesus Christ was thus.\" What generation do you mean to me? The enfleshed one, clearly. For concerning the unbegun generation no one knows, except the only-begotten Child of God himself, who is in the bosom of the Father. How, then, is the generation of Christ according to the flesh?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":547,"ref":"p547","source":"Μνηστευθείσης γὰρ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Μαρίας τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτοὺς, εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Παρατηρητέον δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ εἶπε, Μνηστευθείσης τῆς παρθένου, ἀλλὰ ἁπλῶς, Μνηστευθείσης τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίει, ὥστε εὐπαράδεκτον γενέσθαι τὸν λόγον, καὶ μὴ καταπλῆξαι τῇ τοῦ παραδόξου πράγματος ἐπαγωγῇ λέγων, ὅτι Πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτοὺς, εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Τίνος δὲ χάριν οὐ πρὸ τῆς μνηστείας οὖν ἔλαβε καὶ ἐκύησεν; Ἵνα συσκιάσῃ τὸ γινόμενον τέως, καὶ ἵνα πᾶσαν πονηρὰν διαφύγῃ ἡ\n\nΠαρθένος ὑπόνοιαν. Τοῦ γὰρ ὀφείλοντος ζηλοτυπεῖν μνηστῆρος, οὐ μόνον οὐ θριαμβεύοντος αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεχομένου καὶ θεραπεύοντος μετὰ κύησιν, εὔδηλον τοῦτο πᾶσι ποιεῖ, ὡς ὅτιπερ πεισθέντος αὐτοῦ ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου τὴν ἐνέργειαν εἶναι τοῦ γεγεννημένου, κατέσχε καὶ ἐξυπηρέτησεν. Ὅπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν παραδόξων πραγμάτων εἴωθε λέγεσθαι, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα δηλῶν φησιν, ὅτι Εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Ἀκούσας δὲ, ὅτι ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, μηδὲν ἕτερον περιεργάζου. οἷον, πῶς ὁ ἄπειρος ἐν μήτρᾳ ἐστί; πῶς ὁ πάντα συνέχων κυοφορεῖται ὑπὸ γυναικός; πῶς τίκτει ἡ Παρθένος, καὶ μένει παρθένος; πῶς ἔπλασε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸν ναὸν ἐκεῖνον; καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Καὶ γὰρ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἦν ἡ ἐπισκιάσασα τῇ Παρθένῳ, καὶ Υἱὸς Θεοῦ τὸ γεννώμενον. Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς δίκαιος ὢν, καὶ μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν παραδειγματίσαι, ἐβουλήθη λάθρα ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν.","english":"For when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. But it must be observed that he did not say, \"When the virgin had been betrothed,\" but simply, \"When his mother had been betrothed.\" And he did this so that the account might be readily acceptable, and so as not to astonish by the introduction of the paradoxical matter when he says, \"Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.\" And for what reason did she not conceive and become pregnant before the betrothal? In order that for the time being he might cast a shadow over what was happening, and in order that the Virgin might escape every evil suspicion. For since the betrothed man, who was bound to be jealous, not only did not expose her publicly, but even received her and cared for her after the pregnancy, he makes this clear to all, that because he had been persuaded that the working of what had been begotten was from the Holy Spirit, he kept her and attended to her. And what is customarily said in the case of paradoxical matters, this he also declares here, saying, \"She was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.\" But when you have heard, \"by the Holy Spirit,\" do not busy yourself about anything else—for instance, how is the infinite in a womb? How is he who holds all things carried in the womb by a woman? How does the Virgin give birth and remain a virgin? How did the Holy Spirit fashion that temple? And all such things. For the power of the Most High was what overshadowed the Virgin, and the Son of God was what was being born. But Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not willing to expose her publicly, wished to divorce her secretly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":548,"ref":"p548","source":"Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἦν θαυμαστὸς ὁ ἀνὴρ, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐκόλασεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἶπέ τινι, οὐδὲ αὐτῇ τῇ ὑποπτευομένῃ, ἀλλὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐλογίζετο, οὐχὶ ἐκβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολῦσαι. Διὸ καὶ ὅτε εἰς ἀπορίαν τῶν τοιούτων λογισμῶν κατέστη, τότε ἐπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος λύων τὴν ἔριν τῶν λογισμῶν. Ὅτι γὰρ διηπορεῖτο, ἐξ ὧν διενοεῖτο δῆλον· Ἐβουλήθη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπολῦσαι αὐτὴν λάθρα· οὐκ ἂν οὔτε λάθρα, οὔτε ὅλως ἐκπέμψαι βουληθεὶς, εἰ νόθου γονῆς τὸν ὄγκον ἐπέπειστο γαστρὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ νόμῳ καὶ τιμωρίᾳ, δίκαιος ὢν, μάλιστα ἄν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐπέπειστο, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο πάλιν, θείας ἐνεργείας εἶναι τὴν κύησιν· ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνην τὸ ἔργον ἦν. Διὸ καὶ τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐκυμαίνετο. Ὅτε οὖν ἐν τούτοις ἐκλονεῖτο τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς, τότε ἐπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος, καί φησι· Μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. Ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν δεδοικότα καὶ τρέμοντα μὴ προσκρούσῃ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Μὴ φοβηθῇς, ἔνδον δὲ κατέχειν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, τὸ παραλαβεῖν, καὶ μὴ, ὡς ἐνεθυμήθη, ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ, φησὶ, παρανόμου ἀπήλλακται μίξεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ φύσιν συνέλαβε. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ ὅπερ ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. Τέξεται δὲ υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν. Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶν, ἐπειδήπερ εἶπον, ὅτι Ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου, ἀλλότριόν σε τῆς διακονίας εἶναι τῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν· σοὶ δίδωμι τὸ ὄνομα ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ τικτομένῳ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὴν γέννησιν οὐδὲν συντελεῖς, ἀλλ' ὅμως σὺ αὐτοῦ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα.","english":"For so admirable was the man that he not only did not punish her, but did not even speak to anyone, nor to the woman herself who was under suspicion, but reasoned within himself—not to cast her out, but to put her away. Therefore also, when he had come into perplexity from such reasonings, then the angel came upon him, resolving the strife of his thoughts. For that he was at a loss is clear from what he was thinking: For he wished, it says, to put her away secretly. He would not have wished either secretly or at all to send her away, if he had been convinced of the burden of a bastard offspring in her womb—but he would have done so by law and punishment, being a righteous man, most of all. But this he was not convinced of, nor again that other—that the conception was of divine operation; for the work was beyond human understanding. Therefore he was tossed about in his reasonings. When, then, he was agitated by these deliberations, then the angel came upon him and said: Do not fear to take Mary as your wife; for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. He showed that he was afraid and trembling lest he offend God, by saying, Do not fear, and by holding her within; for this is what taking her means, and not putting her away as he had intended. For not only, it says, is she free from unlawful union, but she has conceived beyond nature. For this is what he indicated by adding, saying: For what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Do not think, it says, because I said, It is of the Holy Spirit, that you are a stranger to the ministry of the economy; to you I give it to place the name upon the one born. For even if you will contribute nothing to the birth, nevertheless you shall call his name.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":549,"ref":"p549","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ σὸς ὁ τόκος, ἀλλὰ τὰ πατρὸς ἐπιδείξῃ περὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ὀνόματος θέσεως οἰκείωσαι τῷ τικτομένῳ. Οὐκ εἶπε δὲ, Τέξεταί σοι υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ, Τέξεται· οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ ἔτικτεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πάσῃ· διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, Αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, οὐ περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἶπε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν· λαὸς γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντες οἱ δεχόμενοι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν. καὶ ὅτι ἐν τούτῳ δείκνυται Υἱὸς Θεοῦ ὁ τικτόμενος, ἐν τῷ ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, ἑτέρας ἐστι δυνάμεως, εἰ μὴ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς θεϊκῆς μόνης. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός. Ἐβουλόμην ἐνταῦθα παρεῖναι Ἰουδαίους καὶ Ἕλληνας ἅπαντας, καὶ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο παρὰ Ἰουδαίων λαβὼν, οὕτως ἀναγνῶναι τὴν προφητείαν. Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις καὶ πανταχοῦ τότε μάλιστα ἀνύποπτος ἡ μαρτυρία γίνεται, ὅταν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὕτη φέρηται. Οὐ γὰρ δήπου πεπλάσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτὰ δυνήσονται λέγειν, οὐχ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν σταυρωσάντων τὰ βιβλία παρεχομένων ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας διαλεγόμενα. Ἀλλ' εἴ τε πάρεισιν, εἴτε μὴ πάρεισιν οὗτοι, ἡμεῖς τὸ ἡμέτερον ποιήσομεν, καὶ τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἁψόμεθα. Ἀλλ', εἰ δοκεῖ, μικρὸν ἄνωθεν τὴν προφητείαν ἀναλαβώμεθα, ἵν' εὐσύνοπτα ὑμῖν τὰ εἰρημένα γένηται. Καὶ προσέθετο","english":"For even if the child is not yours, still show forth the Father's character toward him, and by the giving of the name make him your own who is born. He did not say, \"He shall be born to you a son,\" but \"He shall be born\"; for she was not bearing him for himself, but for the whole inhabited world. Therefore he added, \"For he himself shall save his people from their sins.\" And in saying \"his people,\" he spoke not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles; for all who receive the knowledge that comes from him are his people. And that the one born is shown in this to be the Son of God—in his forgiving sins; for to forgive sins belongs to no other power than the divine essence alone. And all this came to pass, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying: \"Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,\" which, being translated, is \"God with us.\" I could wish that all Jews and Greeks were present here, and that, taking this book from the Jews, I might thus read the prophecy. For you surely know this, that in the courts and everywhere, testimony is then especially above suspicion when it is brought forward by enemies. For they will surely not be able to say that these things were fabricated by us, since it is not we but those who crucified Christ who provide us with the books that speak of his dispensation. But whether these men are present or not present, we will do our part and take up the interpretation. But, if it seems good, let us take up the prophecy again a little from the beginning, so that what is said may be easily surveyed by you. And he added","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"Isaiah 7:14","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “the virgin shall conceive”, which matches Isaiah 7:14. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":550,"ref":"p550","source":"Κύριος λαλῆσαι, φησὶ, τῷ Ἄχαζ λέγων· Αἴτησαι σεαυτῷ σημεῖον παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου εἰς βάθος ἢ εἰς ὕψος. Καὶ εἶπεν Ἄχαζ· Οὐ μὴ αἰτήσω, οὐδὲ μὴ πειράσω Κύριον. Καὶ εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας· Ἀκούσατε δὴ, οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, μὴ μικρὸν ὑμῖν ἀγῶνα παρέχειν ἀνθρώποις; καὶ πῶς Κυρίῳ παρέχετε ἀγῶνα; Διὰ τοῦτο δώσει Κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῖν σημεῖον. Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λήψεται, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μὲν προφήτης εἶπεν, Αἴτησαι σεαυτῷ σημεῖον, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τὸ σφόδρα πιστὸν ὑποκρινόμενος ἔλεγεν, Οὐ μὴ αἰτήσω, οὐδὲ μὴ πειράσω τὸν Κύριον, ὅρα πῶς μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος ἐπάγει τὴν τομὴν ὁ προφήτης, εἰκότως μετὰ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ὑποκρίσεως βαρυτέραν ποιούμενος τὴν κατηγορίαν. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἀξιοῖ· πρὸς δὲ τὸν δῆμον ἀποστρέφεται λέγων· Ἀκούσατε, οἶκος Δαυῒδ, μὴ μικρὸν ὑμῖν ἀγῶνα παρέχειν ἀνθρώποις; καὶ πῶς Κυρίῳ παρέχετε ἀγῶνα; Ἀσαφὲς τὸ εἰρημένον· διὸ δεῖ τὴν ῥῆσιν ἀναπτύξαι μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Ὃ γὰρ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Μὴ γὰρ ἐμά ἐστι τὰ ῥήματα; μὴ γὰρ ἐμὴ ἡ ἀπόφασις; Εἰ δὲ ἀνθρώποις ἀπιστεῖν ἁπλῶς καὶ ἄνευ λόγου, βαρὺ καὶ ἐγκλημάτων ἄξιον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον Θεῷ. Τὸ οὖν ἀγῶνα παρέχειν οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἢ ἀπιστεῖν. Τοῦτο οὖν, φησὶ, μικρόν ἐστιν ἔγκλημα; μὴ ἡ τυχοῦσα κατηγορία τὸ ἀνθρώποις ἀπιστεῖν; Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο βαρὺ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν, ἵνα μάθωσι πάντες, ὅτι ἀνεξαπάτητος ἔμεινεν ὁ προφήτης, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων παραλογιζόμενος τῶν εἰρημένων, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τοῦ Ἄχαζ φέρων τὴν ψῆφον.","english":"The Lord spoke, it says, to Ahaz, saying: Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God, in the depth or in the height. And Ahaz said: I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord. And Isaiah said: Hear now, house of Israel, is it a small thing for you to give men trouble? And how do you give the Lord trouble? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. For since the prophet said, Ask for yourself a sign, but he, feigning great faithfulness, said, I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord, see how with great vehemence the prophet applies the cut, reasonably making the accusation heavier after the demonstration of hypocrisy. For this reason he does not even deem him worthy of an answer; but he turns to the people, saying: Hear, house of David, is it a small thing for you to give men trouble? And how do you give the Lord trouble? What is said is unclear; therefore it is necessary to unfold the saying with precision. For what he says is of this sort: Are not my words mine? Is not my declaration mine? But if to disbelieve men simply and without reason is grievous and worthy of condemnation, much more so is it to disbelieve God. Therefore to give trouble is nothing other than to disbelieve. This, then, he says, is a small charge? Is disbelieving men an ordinary accusation? But if this is grievous, much more so is it toward God. And he said this so that all might learn that the prophet remained undeceived, not being misled by the words that were spoken, but bringing his judgment from the thoughts in the mind of Ahaz.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":551,"ref":"p551","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιεικείας διελέχθη αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν δεινῶν ἀπήλλαξε καὶ θαῤῥεῖν ἐκέλευσεν ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων, καὶ τεκμήρια τούτου παρέσχε τὸ τὴν βουλὴν ἐξαγγεῖλαι τῶν ἐπιστρατευσάντων, καὶ τὴν προδοσίαν ἐλέγξαι, καὶ τὴν ἄλωσιν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ προειπεῖν τὴν παντελῆ καὶ ὁλόκληρον, καὶ τὸν χρόνον προσθεῖναι, οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τούτοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ περαιτέρω πρόεισι, καὶ οὐκ ἀναμένει σημεῖον αὐτὸν αἰτῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μὴ βουλόμενον δι' ὑπερβολὴν ἀπιστίας προτρέπεται· καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κύριον τῆς αἱρέσεως ποιεῖ· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ καὶ τὸ σημεῖον, ἀλλ', Ὅπου βούλει, φησί. Πλούσιος ὁ Δεσπότης, παναλκὴς ἡ δύναμις, ἄφατος ἡ ἐξουσία· ἂν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν βουληθῇς, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον· ἂν ἐκ τῆς γῆς, οὐδὲν τὸ ἐμποδίζον. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Εἰς βάθος, ἢ εἰς ὕψος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐπεσπάσατο, οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἐσίγησεν, ἀλλ' ἔλεγχον ἐπαγαγὼν, καὶ τοῦτον ὑπὲρ διορθώσεως τοῦ ἀκούοντος, καὶ τοῦ δεῖξαι ὡς οὐκ ἠπάτησεν, οὐδὲ παρελογίσατο, ἀνακαλύπτει προφητείαν ἀπόῤῥητον, τὴν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐσομένην, ἐπὶ διορθώσει τῶν πραγμάτων ἁπάντων· καί φησι, τὸ σημεῖον οὐχὶ τῷ Ἄχαζ δίδοσθαι λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ τῷ κοινῷ τῶν Ἰουδαίων δήμῳ. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν λόγον ἀπέτεινεν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖνος ἀπέφηνε, τῷ κοινῷ τοῦ λαοῦ διαλέγεται. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶ, δώσει, οὐχὶ σοὶ, ἀλλ' ὑμῖν σημεῖον. Ὑμῖν· τίσι; Τοῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Δαυΐδ· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν ἐβλάστησε τὸ σημεῖον. Τί οὖν τὸ σημεῖόν ἐστιν; Ἰδοὺ, ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λήψεται, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ.","english":"For since he had conversed with him with great gentleness and had delivered him from the terrors and had bidden him take courage concerning the present circumstances, and had furnished proofs of this by declaring the counsel of those who had marched against him, and by convicting the betrayal, and by foretelling the utter and complete capture of Israel, and by adding the time, he was not satisfied with these things, but proceeds even further, and does not wait for him to ask for a sign, but even when he was unwilling, out of an excess of unbelief, he urges him on; and not simply so, but he even makes him master of the choice; for he does not say \"this or that sign,\" but, \"Wherever you wish,\" he says. Rich is the Master, all-powerful the might, ineffable the authority; if you wish it from the heavens, nothing hinders; if from the earth, nothing obstructs. For this is the meaning of \"into the depth, or into the height.\" But since not even in this way did he draw him, not even here did he keep silent, but bringing a reproof, and this for the correction of the hearer, and to show that he had not deceived nor misled him, he unveils a hidden prophecy, the one that was to be for the salvation of the world, for the correction of all things; and he says that the sign is no longer given to Ahaz, but to the common people of the Jews. For at the beginning he directed the word to him, but since that man showed himself unworthy, he speaks to the common people of the people. For this reason, he says, he will give—not to you, but to you—a sign. To you—to whom? To those in the house of David; for from there the sign sprouted. What then is the sign? Behold, the virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":552,"ref":"p552","source":"Παρατηρητέον, ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπον, ὅτι οὐ τῷ Ἄχαζ δίδοται λοιπὸν τὸ σημεῖον. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχασμὸς, αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης καὶ ἐνεκάλεσε καὶ κατηγόρησε λέγων· Μὴ μικρὸν ὑμῖν ἀγῶνα παρέχειν ἀνθρώποις; καὶ προσέθηκε· Διὰ τοῦτο δώσει Κύριος ὑμῖν σημεῖον· ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει. Εἰ δὲ λέγοιεν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅτι Οὐκ εἶπε παρθένον ὁ προφήτης, ἀλλὰ νεᾶνιν, καὶ οὕτω τὰ νικητήρια παρ' ἡμῖν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ τῆς νεάνιδος ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῆς παρθενίας εἴωθεν ἡ Γραφὴ τιθέναι, ὡς ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς ἀναγέγραπται· Νεανίσκοι γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ παρθένοι, πρεσβύτεροι μετὰ νεωτέρων, αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου. Καὶ περὶ κόρης δὲ ἐπιβουλευομένης λέγει Μωϋσῆς· Ἐβόησεν ἡ νεᾶνις, τουτέστιν, ἡ παρθένος. Ὥστε εἰ μὴ παρθένος ἦν, οὐδὲ σημεῖον ἦν, τὸ γὰρ σημεῖον ἐκβαίνειν δεῖ τὴν κοινὴν ἀκολουθίαν, καὶ τὴν τῆς φύσεως ὑπερβαίνειν συνήθειαν, καὶ ξένον εἶναι καὶ\n\nπαράδοξον, ὥστε ἕκαστον ἐπισημαίνεσθαι τῶν ὁρώντων καὶ ἀκουόντων. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ σημεῖον λέγεται, διὰ τὸ ἐπίσημον· ἐπίσημον δὲ οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο, εἰ μέλλοι κρύπτεσθαι τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν ἄλλων πραγμάτων. Ὥστε εἰ περὶ γυναικὸς ὁ λόγος ἦν νόμῳ φύσεως τικτούσης, τίνος ἕνεκεν σημεῖον καλεῖ τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην γινόμενον τὴν ἡμέραν; Διὰ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἀρχόμενος οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἰδοὺ παρθένος, ἀλλὰ, Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος, τῇ προσθήκῃ τοῦ ἄρθρου ἐπίσημόν τινα καὶ μόνην τοιαύτην γεγενημένην ἡμῖν αἰνιττόμενος. Ὅτι γὰρ ἡ προσθήκη αὕτη τοῦτο ἐνδείκνυται, δυνατὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων μαθεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔπεμψαν πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐρωτῶντες, Τίς εἶ; οὐκ ἔλεγον, Σὺ εἶ Χριστός;","english":"It must be observed, as I also said before, that the sign is no longer given to Ahaz. And that this is not a conjecture, the prophet himself both reproached and accused them, saying: \"Is it a small thing for you to give trouble to men?\" And he added: \"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive.\" But if the Jews should say that the prophet did not say \"virgin\" but \"young woman,\" and that thus the victory is ours. For indeed Scripture is accustomed to use the word \"young woman\" for virginity, as it is recorded in the Psalms: \"Young men and virgins, elders with the younger, let them praise the name of the Lord.\" And Moses also says concerning a girl who was plotted against: \"The young woman cried out,\" that is, the virgin. So that if she was not a virgin, it was not a sign either; for a sign must depart from the common order of things, and transcend the customary course of nature, and be strange and\n\nparadoxical, so that each of those who see and hear may take note of it. For this reason it is called a sign, because of its being notable; but it would not be notable if it were to be hidden by its sharing in the common lot of other things. So that if the word were about a woman giving birth according to the law of nature, for what reason does he call a sign that which happens every day? And for this reason also, at the beginning he did not say simply, \"Behold, a virgin,\" but \"Behold, the virgin,\" by the addition of the article hinting at some notable one and the only one such that has come to be among us. For that this addition indicates this, it is possible to learn also from the Gospels. For when the Jews sent to John asking, \"Who are you?\" they did not say, \"Are you the Christ?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":553,"ref":"p553","source":"ἀλλὰ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός; οὐδὲ ἔλεγον, Εἰ σὺ εἶ προφήτης; ἀλλὰ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ προφήτης; ὧν ἕκαστον ἐξαίρετον ἦν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀρχόμενος ὁ Ἰωάννης οὐκ ἔλεγεν, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν Λόγος, ἀλλ', Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἰδοὺ παρθένος, ἀλλ', Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος· καὶ μετὰ ἀξιώματος προφήτῃ πρέποντος, τὸ Ἰδού· μονονουχὶ γὰρ ὁρῶντος ἦν τὰ γινόμενα καὶ φανταζομένου, καὶ πολλὴν ἔχοντος ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰρημένων πληροφορίαν. Τῶν γὰρ ἡμετέρων ὀφθαλμῶν ἐκεῖνοι σαφέστερον τὰ μὴ ὁρώμενα ἔβλεπον. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ αἴσθησιν εἰκὸς καὶ ἀπατηθῆναι· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις ἀνεξαπάτητον παρείχετο τὴν ἀπόφασιν. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ προσέθηκε, φησὶν, ὅτι Ἐκ Πνεύματος ἔσται; Προφητεία ἦν τὸ λεγόμενον, καὶ συνεσκιασμένως ἀπαγγεῖλαι ἔδει, ὃ πολλάκις εἶπον, διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων ἀγνωμοσύνην, ἵνα μὴ σαφῶς ταῦτα μαθόντες, καὶ τὰ βιβλία πάντα κατακαύσωσιν. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἐφείσαντο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν γραμμάτων οὐκ ἂν ἀπέσχοντο. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχασμὸς τὸ εἰρημένον, ἕτερός τις βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου αὐτὰ τὰ βιβλία λαβὼν κατέτεμε, καὶ πυρὶ παρεδίδου. Εἶδες μανίαν ἀφόρητον; εἶδες ὀργὴν ἀλόγιστον; Οὐκ ἤρκεσεν αὐτῷ τὸ ἀφανίσαι τὰ γράμματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνέπρησε, τὸ ἀλόγιστον αὐτοῦ πάθος πληρῶσαι βουλόμενος. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἀσαφῶς εἰπὼν ὁ θαυμάσιος οὗτος προφήτης, τὸ πᾶν ἐνεδείξατο. Παρθένος γὰρ, ἕως ἂν μένῃ παρθένος, πόθεν ἂν ἄλλοθεν κυήσειεν, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου; τὸ γὰρ νόμον λῦσαι φύσεως, οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου ἦν, ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τῆς φύσεως.","english":"But \"You are the Christ\"? They did not even say, \"Are you a prophet?\" but \"Are you the prophet?\"—each of which was something exceptional. This is why John too, at the beginning, did not say, \"In the beginning was Word,\" but \"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.\" So also here he did not say, \"Behold, a virgin,\" but \"Behold, the virgin\"—and with the dignity befitting a prophet, the \"Behold\"; for it was almost as if he were seeing the events and picturing them, and had great assurance concerning what was said. For those men saw more clearly than our eyes things that are not seen. For the senses may well be deceived, but the grace of the Spirit made its declaration free from all deception. And for what reason, he says, did he not add that it would be by the Spirit? What was spoken was a prophecy, and it had to be announced in veiled terms, as I have often said, because of the ignorance of the hearers, lest, learning these things clearly, they should burn up all the books too. For if they did not spare the prophets, much less would they have refrained from the writings. And that what was said is not a conjecture, another king in the time of Jeremiah took the very books and cut them up and handed them over to the fire. Did you see the unbearable madness? Did you see the irrational rage? It was not enough for him to destroy the writings, but he even burned them, wishing to satisfy his irrational passion. But nevertheless, even speaking obscurely, this wonderful prophet indicated the whole. For a virgin, as long as she remains a virgin, from where else could she conceive, if not from the Holy Spirit? For to dissolve the law of nature belonged to no one else but the Creator of nature.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"John 1:1","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “in the beginning was the word”, which matches John 1:1. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":554,"ref":"p554","source":"Ὥστε εἰπὼν, Τέξεται ἡ παρθένος, τὸ πᾶν ἐνέφηνεν. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν τὸν τόκον, λέγει καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τικτομένου, καί φησι, Τέξεται δὲ υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὡς ὁ προφήτης εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός; Ὅτι οὐκ εἶπε, Καλέσαις, ἀλλὰ, Καλέσουσιν οἱ ὄχλοι, τουτέστιν, ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔκβασις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καλεῖ πόλιν δικαιοσύνης, καίτοι γε οὐδαμοῦ δικαιοσύνη ἐκλήθη ἡ πόλις, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων ταύτην εἶχε τὴν προσηγορίαν, διὰ τὸ πολλὴν γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον αὐτῆς μεταβολὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ δικαίου προστασίαν (καὶ γὰρ ὅταν πόρνην καλῇ, οὐχ ὡς τῆς πόλεως οὕτω ποτὲ κληθείσης, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας τὸ ὄνομα τίθησιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς)· τὸ αὐτὸ τοίνυν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λεκτέον, ὅτι τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῷ ὄνομα τέθεικε. Τότε γὰρ μάλιστα μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς γέγονεν, ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὀφθεὶς καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συναναστρεφόμενος, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἐπιδεικνύμενος περὶ ἡμᾶς κηδεμονίαν. Οὐκέτι γὰρ ἄγγελος, οὐδὲ ἀρχάγγελος μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς καταβὰς ὁ Δεσπότης τὴν πᾶσαν ἀνεδέξατο διόρθωσιν, πόρναις διαλεγόμενος, τελώναις συνανακείμενος, εἰς ἁμαρτωλῶν οἰκίας εἰσιὼν, λῃσταῖς παῤῥησίαν διδοὺς, μάγους ἐφελκόμενος, πάντα περιιὼν καὶ διορθούμενος, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν ἑνῶν πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Ταῦτα οὖν πάντα ὁ προφήτης προαναφωνεῖ, ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸν τόκον λέγων, καὶ τὸ κέρδος τῶν ὠδίνων τὸ ἄφατον ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἄπειρον.","english":"So when he said, \"The virgin will conceive,\" he revealed the whole matter. Having therefore spoken of the birth, he also gives the name of the one who is born, and says, \"She will conceive a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel.\" And how, he says, was his name not called Emmanuel, as the prophet said, but Jesus Christ? Because he did not say, \"You shall call,\" but, \"The crowds will call,\" that is, the outcome of the events. For just as he calls Jerusalem a city of righteousness, although the city was never anywhere called righteousness, but it had this designation from the events, because its change for the better had been great and the protection of the righteous man (for when he also calls it a harlot, it is not as though the city had ever been called so, but he assigns the name from its wickedness; and so too afterward from its virtue)—the same, then, must be said also in the case of Christ, that he has assigned to him the name derived from the events. For then especially was God with us, having been seen on earth and having lived among men, and displaying his great care for us. For no longer was it an angel, nor an archangel, with us, but the Master himself, having come down, undertook the whole work of correction, conversing with harlots, reclining at table with tax collectors, entering the houses of sinners, giving boldness to robbers, drawing the magi, going about and setting all things right, and uniting nature itself to himself. All these things, then, the prophet proclaims beforehand, at once speaking of the birth and of that ineffable and boundless gain of the birth-pangs.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":555,"ref":"p555","source":"Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ᾖ, οὐδὲν δεῖ λοιπὸν δεδοικέναι οὐδὲ τρέμειν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων θαῤῥεῖν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐγένετο. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ ἀρχαῖα ἐκεῖνα καὶ ἀκίνητα ἐλύθη κακὰ, καὶ ἡ κατὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ γένους ἀπόφασις ἀνῄρητο, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ νεῦρα\n\nἐκκέκοπτο, καὶ διαβόλου τυραννὶς κατελύετο, καὶ ὁ πᾶσιν ἄβατος παράδεισος, ἀνδροφόνῳ καὶ λῃστῇ πρῶτον ἠνοίγετο, καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἁψῖδες ἀνεπετάννυντο, καὶ ἀγγέλοις ἄνθρωποι ἀνεμίγνυντο, καὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλικὸν θρόνον ἡ φύσις ἡ ἡμετέρα ἀνήγετο, καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἄχρηστον ἦν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος ὄνομα λοιπὸν ἔμενεν ὂν, πράγματος ἀπεστερημένον, καὶ μαρτύρων χοροὶ, καὶ γυναῖκες κατακλῶσαι τοῦ ᾅδου τὰ κέντρα. Ταῦτα οὖν πάντα προορῶν ὁ προφήτης, ἐσκίρτα καὶ ἐχόρευε, καὶ δι' ἑνὸς ῥήματος ἡμῖν ταῦτα ἐνεδείκνυτο, προφητεύων ἡμῖν τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ. Βούτυρον καὶ μέλι φάγεται· πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι αὐτὸν ἢ προελέσθαι πονηρὰ, ἐκλέξεται τὸ ἀγαθόν. Διότι πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν, ἀπειθεῖ πονηρίᾳ τοῦ ἐκλέξασθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν. Ἐπειδὴ τὸ τικτόμενον παιδίον οὔτε ἄνθρωπος ἦν ψιλὸς, οὔτε Θεὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ, εἰκότως καὶ ὁ προφήτης ποικίλλει τὸν λόγον, νῦν μὲν τοῦτο, νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνο λέγων, καὶ τὰ παράδοξα τιθεὶς, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιεὶς ἀπιστηθῆναι τὴν οἰκονομίαν διὰ τὴν τοῦ θαύματος ὑπερβολήν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Τέξεται ἡ παρθένος, ὅπερ ἦν ἀνώτερον φύσεως, καὶ ὅτι κληθήσεται Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ μεῖζον προσδοκίας ἦν·","english":"For when God is with men, there is no longer any need to fear or tremble, but to have confidence concerning all things; and this is indeed what came to pass. For those ancient and immovable evils were loosed, and the sentence against the common race was abolished, and the sinews of sin were cut through, and the tyranny of the devil was overthrown, and Paradise, which was inaccessible to all, was opened first to a murderer and a robber, and the vaults of heaven were thrown open, and men were mingled with angels, and our nature was led up to the royal throne, and the prison of Hades was made useless, and death remained thereafter only a name, deprived of the thing itself, and there were companies of martyrs, and women shattered the goads of Hades. All these things, then, the prophet foresaw, and he leaped and danced, and by a single utterance he showed them to us, prophesying to us the Emmanuel. He will eat butter and honey; before he knows or chooses evil, he will choose the good. For before the child knows good or evil, he disobeys evil by choosing the good. Since the child who is born was neither a mere man nor God only, but God in man, the prophet with good reason varies his speech, now saying this, now that, setting forth the paradoxes, and not allowing the dispensation to be disbelieved because of the excess of the wonder. For having said, \"The virgin will conceive,\" which was beyond nature, and that \"he will be called Emmanuel,\" which was itself greater than expectation—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":556,"ref":"p556","source":"ἵνα μή τις τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ ἀκούσας, τὰ Μαρκίωνος πάθῃ, καὶ νοσήσῃ τὰ Οὐαλεντίνου, διὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν, διαῤῥήδην ἐπήγαγε καὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας τὴν σαφεστάτην ἀπόδειξιν, ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης αὐτὴν πιστούμενος. Τί γάρ φησι; Βούτυρον καὶ μέλι φάγεται. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἴη θεότητος, ἀλλὰ τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας. Διὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπον ἁπλῶς πλάσας ἐνῴκησεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κυήσεως ἠνέσχετο, καὶ ταύτης ἐννεαμηνιαίου, καὶ ὠδίνων καὶ σπαργάνων, καὶ τῆς ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας τροφῆς, ἵνα διὰ πάντων ἐμφράξῃ τὰ στόματα τῶν ἀρνεῖσθαι τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐπιχειρούντων. Ταῦτα οὖν ἄνωθεν προορῶν ὁ προφήτης, οὐχὶ τὰς ὠδῖνας λέγει καὶ τὸν θαυμαστὸν τόκον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐν πρώτῃ ἡλικίᾳ τροφὴν, τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς σπαργάνοις, οὐδὲν τῶν λοιπῶν ἐξαλλάττουσαν ἀνθρώπων, οὐδέ τι ξένον κατὰ τοῦτο ἔχουσαν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἅπαντα ἐξηλλαγμένα ἦν αὐτῷ, οὔτε πάντα κοινά· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ γυναικὸς τεχθῆναι, κοινόν· τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ παρθένου, μεῖζον ἢ καθ' ἡμᾶς. Τὸ δὲ τραφῆναι πάλιν τῷ κοινῷ τῆς φύσεως νόμῳ, καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ τοῖς πολλοῖς, κοινόν· τὸ δὲ ἄβατον γενέσθαι πονηρίᾳ τὸν ναὸν ἐκεῖνον, καὶ μηδὲ εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθεῖν πονηρίας, τοῦτο ξένον καὶ παράδοξον καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου. Διὸ δὴ κἀκεῖνο καὶ τοῦτο τέθεικεν· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Βούτυρον καὶ μέλι φάγεται, ἐπήγαγε· Διότι πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν, ἀπειθεῖ πονηρίᾳ τοῦ ἐκλέξασθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν. Πάλιν ταῖς αὐταῖς λέξεσι τὸ αὐτὸ νόημα αἰνίττεται, καὶ ἐνδιατρίβει τῷ λόγῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σφόδρα ἦν ὑψηλὸν τὸ εἰρημένον, τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς διηγήσεως αὐτὸ πιστοῦται.","english":"So that no one, on hearing “Emmanuel,” should suffer the passions of Marcion and be sick with the disease of Valentinus because of the economy, he clearly added also the most manifest proof of the economy, confirming it from the table. For what does he say? “He shall eat butter and honey.” But this would not be of divinity, but of our nature. For this very reason he did not simply fashion a man and dwell in him, but he also endured conception, and that of nine months, and birth-pangs and swaddling clothes, and nourishment from the first age, so that through all things he might stop the mouths of those who attempt to deny the economy. Foreseeing these things from above, therefore, the prophet speaks not only of the birth-pangs and the wondrous birth, but also of the nourishment in the first age, the nourishment in the very swaddling clothes, differing in nothing from the rest of men, nor having anything strange in this respect. For neither were all things in him altered, nor were all things common; for to be born of a woman is common, but to be born of a virgin is greater than what is according to us. And again, to be nourished by the common law of nature, and by the same law as the many, is common; but for that temple to be untrodden by wickedness, and not even to come to a trial of wickedness, this is strange and paradoxical and his alone. Therefore he has set down both that and this; for having said, “He shall eat butter and honey,” he added: “For before the child knows good or evil, he refuses wickedness by choosing the good.” Again with the same words he hints at the same meaning, and dwells on the statement. For since what was said was very lofty, he confirms it by the continuity of the narrative.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":557,"ref":"p557","source":"Ὅπερ γὰρ ἀνωτέρω ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, Πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι αὐτὸν ἢ προελέσθαι πονηρὰ, τοῦτο προϊὼν ᾐνίξατο, τῷ εἰπεῖν· Πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐπεξηγήσει κέχρηται πάλιν λέγων, Ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν, ἀπειθεῖ πονηρίᾳ, τοῦ ἐκλέξασθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν. Τούτου γὰρ αὐτοῦ μόνον ἦν τὸ ἐξαίρετον. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος αὐτὸ στρέφει συνεχῶς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμελλεν ἀποθνήσκειν, ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ τῶν ἀπίστων, ὅτι οἰκείας ἁμαρτίας τίνει δίκην, συνεχῶς αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀναμάρτητον εἰς μέσον ἄγει, ἵνα τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἁμαρτίας λυτήριον ὄντα δείξῃ. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Χριστὸς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν, οὐκέτι ἀποθνήσκει. Καὶ γὰρ ὃ ἀπέθανε, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανεν. Οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνον τὸν θάνατον ὡς ὑπεύθυνος ὢν, φησὶ, κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας λόγον ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς ἁπάντων πλημμελείας. Εἰ τοίνυν τῷ προτέρῳ κατὰ τοῦτο ὑπεύθυνος οὐκ ἦν, ἐκ περιουσίας ἀποδέδεικται, ὅτι οὐκέτι ἀποθανεῖται. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἐν παρόδῳ εἴρηται· ὥρα δὲ πάλιν, τῶν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἅψασθαι ῥημάτων· Καὶ ἐγερθεὶς, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου, ἐποίησεν ὡς προσέταξεν αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου, καὶ παρέλαβε τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ φιλόσοφον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀδέκαστον. Οὔτε γὰρ, ἡνίκα ὑπώπτευεν ἀηδές τι καὶ ἄτοπον, κατασχεῖν ἠνέσχετο τὴν Παρθένον, οὔτε ἐπειδὴ","english":"For what he had indicated earlier by saying, \"Before he knew or chose evil,\" he hinted at this again as he went on, by saying, \"Before the child knew,\" and he has employed the explanation once more, saying, \"good or evil, he disobeys wickedness, so as to choose the good.\" For this alone was his exceptional privilege. Therefore Paul also turns to it continually. For since he was about to die, so that no one of the unbelievers might think that he was paying the penalty for his own sin, he continually brings his sinlessness into the midst, in order to show that his death is the release of our sin. Therefore he also said: \"Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. For in that he died, he died to sin.\" Nor, he says, did he die that death as one who was liable, according to the account of sin, but for the common transgression of all. If, then, in the former respect he was not liable, it has been abundantly demonstrated that he will no longer die. But these things have been said, as it were, in passing; it is time once again to take up the words of the Gospel: \"And Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife.\" Observe here also the man's philosophical spirit and his impartiality in all things. For neither, when he suspected something unpleasant and improper, did he endure to keep the Virgin, nor when","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":558,"ref":"p558","source":"ταύτης ἀπηλλάγη τῆς ὑποψίας, ἐκβαλεῖν ὑπέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατέχει καὶ διακονεῖται τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ πάσῃ. Τὸ τῆς γυναικὸς δὲ ὄνομα συνεχῶς τίθησιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, οὐ βουλόμενος ἐκκαλυφθῆναι τὸ μυστήριον ἐκεῖνο τέως, καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν ἀναιρῶν ὑποψίαν. Παραλαβὼν δὲ αὐτὴν, οὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν αὐτὴν, ἕως οὗ ἔτεκε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον. Τὸ, ἕως, ἐνταῦθα εἴρηκεν, οὐχ ἵνα ὑποπτεύσῃς, ὅτι μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτὴν ἔγνω, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι πρὸ τῶν ὠδίνων πάντως ἀνέπαφος ἦν ἡ παρθένος. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν, φησὶ, τὸ, ἕως, τέθεικεν; Ὅτι ἔθος τῇ Γραφῇ πολλάκις τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ τὴν ῥῆσιν ταύτην μὴ ἐπὶ διωρισμένον τιθέναι χρόνον· οἷον, ὅτε οὐκ ἀνέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν Νῶε ὁ κόραξ, ἕως οὗ ἐξηράνθη ἡ γῆ· καίτοι γε οὐδὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνέστρεψε. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς· Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου, Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δέ φησι· Δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρις οὗ ἂν θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' οὔτε ἐκεῖ τὸ, ἕως, οὔτε ἐνταῦθα τὸ, μέχρις, χρόνων εἰσὶν ὅροι· ἐπεὶ πῶς ἕστηκε τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκεῖνο τὸ λέγον· Ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ ἐξουσία αἰώνιος, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ βασιλεία, ἥτις οὐ διαφθαρήσεται, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος, εἴ γε μέχρι τούτων μέλλει βασιλεύειν; Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ, ἕως, εἶπε, τὰ πρὸ ὠδίνων ἀσφαλιζόμενος· τὰ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα σοὶ κατέλιπε συλλογίζεσθαι. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον ἦν μαθεῖν σε παρ' αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο αὐτὸς εἴρηκεν, ὅτι ἀνέπαφος ἦν ἡ παρθένος ἕως τοῦ τόκου·","english":"He was freed from this suspicion; he submitted to cast it out, but he both holds it fast and serves the whole economy. The evangelist continually sets down the woman's name, not wishing that mystery to be revealed for the time being, and removing the wicked suspicion. But having taken her, he did not know her until she bore her firstborn son. The word \"until\" is said here, not so that you might suspect that he knew her after these things, but so that you might learn that before the birth pangs the virgin was altogether untouched. For what reason, then, does he say, has he placed \"until\"? Because it is the custom of Scripture often to do this, and not to place this expression for a definite time; for example, when the raven did not return to Noah until the earth was dried up—and yet it did not return even after these things. And he says also in the Psalms: \"The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a footstool for your feet.\" And Paul also says: \"For he must reign until he has placed all his enemies under his feet.\" But neither the \"until\" there nor the \"until\" here are boundaries of times; since how does that prophetic saying stand which says: \"His authority is an eternal authority, and his kingdom is a kingdom which shall not be destroyed, and of his kingdom there shall be no end,\" if indeed he is going to reign only until these things? So then also here he said \"until,\" securing the things before the birth pangs; but the things after these things he left to you to reason out. For what was necessary for you to learn from him, this he himself has said: that the virgin was untouched until the birth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":559,"ref":"p559","source":"ὃ δὲ ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀκόλουθόν τε ἐφαίνετο καὶ ὡμολογημένον, τοῦτο σοὶ λοιπὸν ἀφίησι συνιδεῖν· οἷον, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν οὕτω γενομένην μητέρα, καὶ καινῶν ὠδίνων καὶ ξένων καταξιωθεῖσαν λοχευμάτων, δίκαιος ὢν ἐκεῖνος ὑπέμεινε γνῶναι λοιπόν. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡρώδου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἰδοὺ μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν παρεγένοντο εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα λέγοντες· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; Εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ, καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτόν. Ἐνταῦθά τινες τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρῶν ἐπιλαβόμενοι τοῦ ῥητοῦ, φασίν· Ἰδοὺ, φησὶ, καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεννηθέντος, ἀστὴρ ἐφάνη, ὅπερ ἐστὶ σημεῖον τοῦ τὴν ἀστρολογίαν εἶναι βεβαίαν. Τί οὖν πρὸς ταῦτα ἐροῦμεν; Ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀστέρος τῆς λύσεως τὴν ἀρχὴν ποιησώμεθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς ἦν ὁ ἀστὴρ οὗτος, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἀστὴρ ἦν, ἀλλὰ δύναμίς τις ἀόρατος εἰς ταύτην σχηματισθεῖσα τὴν ὄψιν. Δῆλον δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν καὶ ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ ἀστέρας ἐξ ἀνατολῶν ὁρῶμεν ἐπὶ δύσιν χωροῦντας· οὗτος δὲ ἀπὸ ἄρκτου εἰς μεσημβρίαν ἐφέρετο· οὕτω γὰρ ἡ Παλαιστίνη πρὸς τὴν Περσίδα κεῖται. Δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν νυκτὶ ἐφαίνετο, ἀλλ' ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μέσῃ, ἡλίου λάμποντος. Τρίτον, ἀπὸ τοῦ φαίνεσθαι, καὶ κρύπτεσθαι. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐφαίνετο χειραγωγῶν τοὺς μάγους· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπέβησαν τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, ἔκρυψεν ἑαυτόν· εἶτα πάλιν δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν, μετὰ τὸ ἐξελθεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ Ἡρώδου· ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴδιον ἀστέρος, ἀλλὰ δυνάμεώς τινος λογικωτάτης.","english":"But what followed from what was said and was acknowledged, this he leaves to you henceforth to perceive for yourself; for instance, that not even after these things would that man, being righteous, have endured to know henceforth the mother who had come to be in such a way, and had been deemed worthy of strange pangs and unusual childbirths. But when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying: Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and we came to worship him. Here some of the enemies of the truth, seizing upon this saying, say: Behold, it says, even when Christ was born, a star appeared, which is a sign that astrology is valid. What then shall we say to these things? Let us make the beginning of the solution from the star itself. For this star was not one of the many, or rather it was not even a star, but some invisible power shaped into this appearance. And this is clear, first, because we see the sun and the moon and the stars moving from the east toward the west; but this one was borne from the north to the south; for thus Palestine lies in relation to Persia. Second, because it did not appear at night, but in the middle of the day, while the sun was shining. Third, from its appearing and hiding. For as long as it appeared, it led the wise men by the hand; but when they entered Jerusalem, it hid itself; then again it showed itself, after they had gone out from Herod; which is not the property of a star, but of some most rational power.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":560,"ref":"p560","source":"Τέταρτον, ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου τῆς δείξεως· κάτω γὰρ καταβὰς τὸν τόπον ἐδείκνυ. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ ἦν ἄνω μένοντα τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἐπειδὴ ἄπειρον τὸ ὕψος, καὶ οὐκ ἤρκει οὕτω στενὸν τόπον χαρακτηρίσαι καὶ γνωρίσαι τοῖς βουλομένοις ἰδεῖν. Ὁρᾷς δι' ὅσων δείκνυται οὐ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς ὢν οὗτος ὁ ἀστὴρ, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς ἔξω γεννήσεως δεικνὺς ἑαυτόν; Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐφάνη, φησίν; Ὥστε καθικέσθαι τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀναισθησίας. Ἐπειδὴγὰρ τῶν προφητῶν συνεχῶς ἀκούοντες λεγόντων περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας, οὐ σφόδρα προσεῖχον, ἐποίησε καὶ βαρβάρους ἐλθεῖν ἀπὸ γῆς μακρᾶς, τὸν παρ' αὐτοῖς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις βασιλέα ἐπιζητοῦντας, καὶ παρὰ Περσικῆς φωνῆς μανθάνουσιν, ἃ οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο μαθεῖν παρὰ τῶν προφητῶν· ἵνα, ἂν μὲν εὐγνωμονῶσι, μεγίστην ἔχωσι τοῦ πείθεσθαι πρόφασιν· ἂν δὲ φιλονεικῶσιν, ἀπεστερημένοι λοιπὸν ὦσι πάσης ἀπολογίας. Ἑλκύει\n\nδὲ τοὺς μάγους δι' ἀστέρος ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ τῶν συνήθων αὐτοὺς καλῶν, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἄστρον μέγα καὶ ἐξηλλαγμένον, ὥστε καὶ τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τῷ κάλλει τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοὺς ἐκπλῆξαι, καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς πορείας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤγαγε καὶ ἐχειραγώγησε καὶ πρὸς τὴν φάτνην ἔστησεν, οὐκέτι δι' ἀστέρος, ἀλλὰ δι' ἀγγέλου λοιπὸν αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται. Καὶ τούτους μὲν δι' ἀστέρος καὶ δι' ἀγγέλου, ἡμᾶς δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὰ ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν ὑπερβαίνοντα μαθεῖν κατηξίωσεν. Ἐννοοῦντες τοίνυν τῆς τοσαύτης συγκαταβάσεως τὸ μέγεθος, ἀξίαν ἀποδῶμεν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν ἀμοιβήν·","english":"Fourth, from the place of the demonstration; for going down below, he was showing the place. For it was impossible for one remaining above to do this, since the height is boundless, and a place so narrow could not suffice to mark out and make known to those who wished to see. Do you see through how many things this star is shown, being not one of the many, nor showing itself according to the sequence of the birth outside? And for what reason did it appear, he says? So as to strike at the insensibility of the Jews. For since, hearing the prophets continually speaking about his coming, they did not pay much attention, he caused even barbarians to come from a far land, seeking the king who was with the Jews themselves, and from a Persian voice they learn what they did not endure to learn from the prophets; so that, if they are well-disposed, they may have the greatest pretext for believing; but if they are contentious, they may thenceforth be deprived of every defense. But God draws the magi through a star, calling them through the things familiar to them, and shows a great and extraordinary star, so as to strike them with amazement both by its size and by the beauty of its appearance, and by the manner of its course. Since, then, he led and guided them by the hand and set them before the manger, no longer through a star, but through an angel he thenceforth speaks with them. And these he deemed worthy to learn through a star and through an angel, but us through the Only-Begotten himself, the lofty and secret things that surpass our mind. Considering, therefore, the greatness of so great a condescension, let us render to him both the honor and the recompense that is worthy;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":561,"ref":"p561","source":"Θεῷ δὲ ἀμοιβὴ παρ' ἡμῶν οὐδεμία γένοιτ' ἂν, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἡ σωτηρία ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, καὶ ἡ περὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιμέλεια, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἡμετέρους πρόνοια. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω γνώρισμα καὶ χαρακτὴρ γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ πιστοῦ καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν φιλοῦντος, ὡς τὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν κήδεσθαι, καὶ τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς ἐκείνων· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Οὐ ζητῶ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσι. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, ἀγαπητοὶ, τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον ῥυθμίζωμεν, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν φροντίδα τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν ποιώμεθα, καὶ τὴν ἑνότητα τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς διατηρῶμεν. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἡ θυσία ἐνάγει ἡ φοβερὰ ἐκείνη καὶ φρικώδης, κελεύουσα ἡμῖν μεθ' ὁμονοίας αὐτῇ μάλιστα προσιέναι καὶ θερμῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ ἀετοὺς γενομένους ἐντεῦθεν, οὕτω πρὸς αὐτὸν ἵπτασθαι τὸν οὐρανόν. Ὅπου γὰρ τὸ πτῶμα, φησὶν, ἐκεῖ καὶ οἱ ἀετοί· πτῶμα καλῶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τὸν θάνατον. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἔπεσεν, ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἂν ἀνέστημεν. Ἀετοὺς δὲ καλεῖ, δεικνὺς, ὅτι καὶ ὑψηλὸν εἶναι δεῖ τὸν προσιόντα τῷ σώματι τούτῳ, καὶ μηδὲν πρὸς τὴν γῆν κοινὸν ἔχειν, μηδὲ κάτω σύρεσθαι καὶ ἕρπειν, ἀλλ' ἄνω πέτεσθαι διηνεκῶς, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐνορᾷν, καὶ ὀξυδερκὲς τὸ ὄμμα τῆς διανοίας ἔχειν Ἀετῶν γὰρ, οὐ κολοιῶν αὕτη ἡ τράπεζα. Οὗτοι καὶ τότε ἀπαντήσονται ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβαίνοντι, οἱ νῦν ἀξίως ἀπολαύοντες, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀναξίως τὰ ἔσχατα πείσονται. Εἰ γὰρ βασιλέα τις οὐκ ἂν ἁπλῶς δέξαιτο· τί λέγω βασιλέα;","english":"No repayment could ever be made to God by us, except only our salvation and that of our souls, and our care for virtue, and our providence toward our brothers. For nothing could be so much a mark and character of the faithful man and lover of Christ as to care for one's brothers and to take thought for their salvation; since Christ also did not please himself, but the many. So also Paul says: I do not seek my own advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved. Knowing these things, then, beloved, let us order our own life and take great care for our brothers and preserve the unity toward them. For it is to this that that fearful and dreadful sacrifice leads us, commanding us to come to it especially with concord and fervent love, and, having become eagles from here, thus to fly up to heaven itself. For where the body is, he says, there also are the eagles; calling the body a corpse because of the death. For if that one had not fallen, we would not have risen. And he calls them eagles, showing that the one who approaches this body must be lofty and have nothing in common with the earth, nor be dragged below and crawl, but fly upward continually, and look toward the sun of righteousness, and have the eye of the mind sharp-sighted. For this is the table of eagles, not of jackdaws. These also will meet him then as he comes down from the heavens, those who now partake worthily, just as those who partake unworthily will suffer the last things. For if one would not receive a king casually—why do I say a king?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":562,"ref":"p562","source":"ἱματίου μὲν οὖν βασιλικοῦ οὐκ ἄν τις ἁπλῶς ἅψαιτο χερσὶν ἀκαθάρτοις, κἂν ἐπ' ἐρημίας ᾖ, κἂν μόνος ᾖ, κἂν μηδεὶς ὁ παρών. Καίτοι γε οὐδέν ἐστιν ἕτερον τὸ ἱμάτιον, ἢ σκωλήκων νήματα καὶ σητῶν· εἰ δὲ τὴν βαφὴν θαυμάζεις, καὶ αὐτὴ νεκρωθέντος ἰχθύος ἐστὶν αἷμα· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἄν τις ἕλοιτο ῥυπαραῖς αὐτοῦ κατατολμῆσαι χερσίν. Εἰ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνου ἱματίου οὐκ ἄν τις τολμήσειεν ἁπλῶς θίγειν, πῶς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ, τὸ ἄμωμον, τὸ καθαρὸν, τὸ τῇ θείᾳ ἐκείνῃ φύσει ὁμιλῆσαν, δι' οὗ ἐσμὲν καὶ ζῶμεν, δι' οὗ πύλαι θανάτου κατεκλάσθησαν, καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἁψῖδες ἀνεῴχθησαν, τοῦτο μετὰ τοσαύτης ὕβρεως ληψόμεθα; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ κατασφάξωμεν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας, ἀλλὰ μετὰ φρίκης καὶ καθαρότητος ἁπάσης αὐτῷ προσίωμεν, ἵνα μὴ χαλεπωτέραν ὑπομείνωμεν τιμωρίαν. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ὦμεν εὐηργετημένοι μεγάλα, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον κολαζόμεθα μειζόνως, ὅταν ἀνάξιοι τῆς εὐεργεσίας φανῶμεν. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐπὶ φάτνης κείμενον ᾐδέσθησαν μάγοι, καὶ ἄνδρες ἀσεβεῖς καὶ βάρβαροι τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἀφέντες, καὶ ὁδὸν ἐστείλαντο μακρὰν, καὶ ἐλθόντες μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου πολλοῦ προσεκύνησαν. Μιμησώμεθα τοίνυν κἂν τοὺς βαρβάρους ἡμεῖς οἱ τῶν οὐρανῶν πολῖται. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ φάτνης ἰδόντες καὶ ἐν καλύβῃ, καὶ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἰδόντες, οἷον σὺ νῦν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς φρίκης προσῄεσαν· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐν φάτνῃ ὁρᾷς, ἀλλ' ἐν θυσιαστηρίῳ, οὐ γυναῖκα κατέχουσαν, ἀλλ' ἱερέα παρεστῶτα, καὶ πνεῦμα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας τοῖς προκειμένοις ἐφιπτάμενον.","english":"No one, then, would lightly touch a royal garment with unclean hands, even if he were in a desert, even if he were alone, even if no one were present. And yet the garment is nothing other than the threads of worms and moths; and if you marvel at its dye, that too is the blood of a dead fish; but nevertheless no one would choose to dare to touch it with filthy hands. But if no one would dare to touch a human garment lightly, how shall we receive the body of the God over all, the blameless, the pure, the one that dwelt with that divine nature, through which we are and live, through which the gates of death were broken and the vaults of heaven were opened—how shall we receive it with such great insolence? I beseech you, let us not slaughter ourselves through shamelessness, but let us approach him with awe and all purity, so that we may not undergo a harsher punishment. For by as much as we have been benefited greatly, by so much more are we punished more greatly when we appear unworthy of the benefit. For indeed the Magi revered this body even when it lay in a manger, and impious men and barbarians, leaving their homeland and their house, set out on a long journey, and coming with much fear and trembling they worshiped. Let us, then, imitate even the barbarians, we who are citizens of the heavens. For they, seeing him even in a manger and in a hut, and seeing nothing of the sort that you now see, approached with great awe; but you do not see him in a manger, but on the altar, not a woman holding him, but a priest standing by, and the Spirit with great abundance hovering over what is set forth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":563,"ref":"p563","source":"Οὐχ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα ὁρᾷς, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλ' οἶσθα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἅπασαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀγνοεῖς τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ τελεσθέντων, μετὰ ἀκριβείας μυσταγωγηθεὶς ἅπαντα. Διαναστήσωμεν τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ φρίξωμεν, καὶ πολλῷ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκείνων πλείονα\n\nἐπιδειξώμεθα τὴν εὐλάβειαν· ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῶς, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε προσελθόντες, πῦρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωρεύσωμεν κεφαλήν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα μὴ προσίωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῶς προσίωμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ ὡς ἔτυχε προσιέναι, κίνδυνος· οὕτω τὸ μὴ κοινωνεῖν τῶν μυστικῶν δείπνων ἐκείνων, λιμὸς καὶ θάνατος. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ τράπεζα τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν τὰ νεῦρα, τῆς διανοίας ὁ σύνδεσμος, τῆς παῤῥησίας ἡ ὑπόθεσις, ἡ ἐλπὶς, ἡ σωτηρία, τὸ φῶς, ἡ ζωή· μετὰ ταύτης ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ τῆς θυσίας, ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ πολλῇ τῶν ἱερῶν ἐπιβησόμεθα προθύρων, ὥσπερ τισὶν ὅπλοις χρυσοῖς πεφραγμένοι πάντοθεν. Καὶ τί λέγω τὰ μέλλοντα; ἐνταῦθα γάρ σοι τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν ποιεῖ τουτὶ τὸ μυστήριον. Ἀναπέτασον γοῦν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὰς πύλας, καὶ διάκυψον, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τότε ὄψει τὸ εἰρημένον. Τὸ γὰρ πάντων ἐκεῖ τιμιώτερον, τοῦτό σοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς δείξω κείμενον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις τὸ πάντων σεμνότερον οὐ τοῖχοι, οὐκ ὄροφος χρυσοῦς, ἀλλὰ τὸ βασιλικὸν σῶμα τὸ καθήμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου· οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως σῶμα. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό σοι ἔξεστιν ἐπὶ γῆς ἰδεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλους, οὐδὲ ἀρχαγγέλους, οὐδὲ οὐρανοὺς καὶ οὐρανοὺς οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τούτων σοι δείκνυμι Δεσπότην. Εἶδες πῶς τὸ πάντων τιμιώτερον ὁρᾷς ἐπὶ γῆς;","english":"You do not see this body in a simple way, as those do, but you know its power and its whole economy, and you are ignorant of nothing that has been accomplished through it, having been initiated with precision into all things. Let us therefore rouse ourselves and shudder, and let us show a reverence far greater than those barbarians, so that we do not approach simply or casually and heap fire upon our own heads. I say this, not so that we should not approach, but so that we should not approach casually. For just as approaching casually is a danger, so too is not sharing in those mystical suppers—famine and death. For this table is the sinews of our soul, the bond of the mind, the ground of our confidence, our hope, our salvation, our light, our life. Having departed to that place with this sacrifice, we shall tread the sacred forecourts with great confidence, fenced on every side as with golden weapons. And why do I speak of what is to come? For here this mystery makes the earth heaven for you. Open, then, the gates of heaven and look through—or rather, not of heaven, but of the heaven of heavens—and then you will see what has been said. For the most precious of all things there, this I will show you lying here on earth. For just as in palaces the most venerable thing of all is not the walls, not the golden ceiling, but the royal body seated on the throne, so too in the heavens it is the body of the King. But this you are able to see on earth. For it is not angels, not archangels, not heavens and heavens of heavens, but the very Master of these that I show you. Do you see how you behold on earth the most precious of all things?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":564,"ref":"p564","source":"καὶ οὐχ ὁρᾷς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπτῃ; καὶ οὐχ ἅπτῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσθίεις, καὶ λαβὼν οἴκαδε ἀναχωρεῖς; Ἀπόσμηχε τοίνυν τὴν ψυχὴν, παρασκεύαζε τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸς τὴν τούτων ὑποδοχὴν τῶν μυστηρίων. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ παιδίον βασιλικὸν μετὰ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῆς ἁλουργίδος καὶ τοῦ διαδήματος ἐνεχειρίσθης φέρειν, πάντα ἂν ἔῤῥιψας τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ· νυνὶ δὲ οὐ παιδίον ἀνθρώπου βασιλικὸν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν Μονογενῆ λαμβάνων τοῦ Θεοῦ Παῖδα, οὐ φρίττεις, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ πάντα τὸν τῶν βιωτικῶν ἐκβάλλεις ἔρωτα, καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ καλλωπίζῃ μόνον ἐκείνῳ, ἀλλ' ἔτι πρὸς τὴν γῆν ὁρᾷς, καὶ χρημάτων ἐρᾷς, καὶ πρὸς χρυσὸν ἐπτόησαι; καὶ τίνα ἂν σχοίης συγγνώμην; ποίαν ἀπολογίαν; Οὐκ οἶσθα πῶς ἅπασαν τὴν βιωτικὴν πολυτέλειαν ἀποστρέφεταί σου ὁ Δεσπότης; οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν φάτνῃ ἐτέθη τεχθεὶς, καὶ μητέρα ἔλαβεν εὐτελῆ; οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἐκείνῳ τῷ πρὸς καπηλείαν βλέποντι ἔλεγεν· Ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἔχει ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνῃ; Τί δαὶ οἱ μαθηταί; οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν διετήρουν νόμον εἰς τὰς τῶν πενήτων οἰκίας καταγόμενοι; καὶ ὁ μὲν πρὸς βυρσέα, ὁ δὲ πρὸς σκηνοῤῥάφον κατέλυον; Οὐ γὰρ οἰκίας περιφάνειαν, ἀλλὰ ψυχῶν ἀρετὰς ἐπεζήτουν. Τούτους τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς ζηλώσωμεν, τὰ μὲν κάλλη τῶν κιόνων καὶ τῶν μαρμάρων παρατρέχοντες, ζητοῦντες δὲ τὰς ἄνω μονὰς, καὶ πάντα τῦφον τὸν ἐνταῦθα πατήσωμεν μετὰ τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ ὑψηλὸν λάβωμεν φρόνημα. Ἂν γὰρ νήφωμεν, οὐδὲ ὁ κόσμος ἡμῶν οὗτος ἄξιος, μήτι γε στοαὶ καὶ περίπατοι.","english":"And you do not merely see, but you also touch; and you do not merely touch, but you also eat, and having taken it you depart for home. Purify your soul, therefore; prepare your mind for the reception of these mysteries. For if you had been entrusted to carry a royal child with his adornment and purple robe and diadem, you would have cast away everything on earth; but now, when you receive not a royal child of a man, but the only-begotten Son of God himself, do you not shudder, tell me, and cast out every desire for worldly things, and adorn yourself with that world alone—yet you still look toward the earth, and you love money, and you are excited over gold? And what excuse would you have? What defense? Do you not know how your Master turns away from all worldly luxury? Was it not for this that he was placed in a manger when he was born, and took a lowly mother? Was it not for this that he said to that man who looked to huckstering: The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head? And what of the disciples? Did they not keep the same law, lodging in the houses of the poor? And one stayed with a tanner, another with a tentmaker. For they sought not the splendor of houses, but the virtues of souls. Let us, then, be zealous for these, passing by the beauties of columns and marbles, seeking the mansions above, and let us trample on all the vanity here together with the desire for money, and let us take up a lofty mind. For if we are sober, this world itself is not worthy of us, much less porticoes and promenades.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":565,"ref":"p565","source":"Διὸ, παρακαλῶ, τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἑαυτῶν καλλωπίζωμεν, ἢν καὶ λαβόντες ἀπελευσόμεθα, ἵνα καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτύχωμεν σκηνῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΕʹ. Περὶ μετανοίας.\n\nἩ μετάνοια δεινὴ καὶ φοβερὰ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, φάρμακον τῶν πλημμελημάτων, δαπάνημα τῶν δακρύων, ἀνάλωμα τῶν παρανομιῶν, παῤῥησία πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὅπλον κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου, μάχαιρα ἀποτέμνουσα αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν, σωτηρίας ἐλπὶς, ἀπογνώσεως ἀναίρεσις· αὕτη τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνοίγει, αὕτη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσάγει, αὕτη τοῦ διαβόλου περιγίνεται. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο συνεχῶς τὸν περὶ ταύτης κινῶ λόγον, ἵνα μήτε ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἀπογινώσκῃ, μήτε ὁ κατορθῶν μέγα φρονῇ· Ὁ δοκῶν γὰρ ἑστάναι, βλεπέτω μὴ πέσῃ· ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ θαῤῥεῖν ποιεῖ ὑποσκελίζεσθαι. Δίκαιος εἶ; μὴ πέσῃς· ἁμαρτωλὸς εἶ; μὴ ἀπογνῷς. Οὐ παύομαι συνεχῶς ταῦτα ἐπαλείφων ὑμᾶς τὰ φάρμακα· καὶ γὰρ οἶδα ἡλίκον ὅπλον ἐστὶ κατὰ","english":"Therefore, I exhort you, let us adorn our own soul, which we shall also take with us when we depart, so that we may also attain to the eternal tabernacles, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 35. On Repentance.\n\nRepentance is terrible and fearful to the sinner, a medicine for transgressions, an expenditure of tears, a payment for lawless deeds, boldness toward God, a weapon against the devil, a sword that cuts off his head, the hope of salvation, the destruction of despair. It is this that opens heaven, this that leads into paradise, this that prevails over the devil. For this very reason I continually bring forward the word concerning it, so that neither the one who sins may despair, nor the one who succeeds may be proud; for let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall, just as being overconfident also causes one to be tripped up. Are you righteous? Do not fall. Are you a sinner? Do not despair. I do not cease continually anointing you with these medicines; for I know how great a weapon it is against","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":566,"ref":"p566","source":"τοῦ διαβόλου, τὸ μὴ ἀπογινώσκειν ὑμᾶς. Ἂν ἔχῃς ἁμαρτήματα, μὴ ἀπογνῷς. Οὐ παύσομαι συνεχῶς ταῦτα λέγων· κἂν καθ' ἡμέραν ἁμαρτάνῃς, καθ' ἡμέραν μετανόει. Ὅπερ ἐν ταῖς παλαιαῖς ποιοῦμεν οἰκίαις· ὅταν σαθρωθῶσιν, ὑπεξαιρούμεθα τὰ σεσαθρωμένα, καὶ καινὰ ἐπισκευάζομεν, καὶ οὐδέποτε συνεχοῦς ἐπιμελείας ἀπολύομεν. Ἐὰν παλαιωθῇς σήμερον ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀνακαίνισον σεαυτὸν αὔριον ἀπὸ τῆς μετανοίας. Καὶ ἔνι, φησὶ, μετανοήσαντα σωθῆναι; Ἔνι, καὶ πάνυ ἔνι. Πάντα τὸν βίον ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ διέτριψα, καὶ ἐὰν μετανοήσω, σώζομαι; Πάνυ. Πόθεν δῆλον; Ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου σου φιλανθρωπίας. Μὴ γὰρ τῇ μετανοίᾳ σου θαῤῥῶ; μὴ γὰρ ἡ μετάνοιά σου ἰσχύει τοσαῦτα κακὰ ἀποσμήξασθαι; Εἰ μετάνοια μόνη ἦν, εἰκότως ἐφόβου· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῇ μετανοίᾳ κεράννυται Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία, θάῤῥει· Θεοῦ γὰρ φιλανθρωπίας μέτρον οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ λόγῳ ἑρμηνευθῆναι δύναται αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀγαθότης. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ σὴ κακία μέτρον ἔχει, τὸ δὲ φάρμακον μέτρον οὐκ ἔχει· ἡ σὴ κακία, οἵα ἐὰν ᾖ, ἀνθρωπίνη ἐστὶ κακία· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία ἄφατος. Θάῤῥει, ὅτι περιγίνεταί σου τῆς κακίας. Ἐννόησον σπινθῆρα εἰς πέλαγος ἐμπεσόντα, μὴ δύναται στῆναι ἢ φανῆναι; Ὅσον σπινθὴρ πρὸς πέλαγος, τοσοῦτον κακία πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοσοῦτον, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλέον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πέλαγος, κἂν μέγα ᾖ, μέτρον ἔχει· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία ἀπεριόριστος. Ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα ὑμᾶς ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ἐργάσωμαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα σπουδαιοτέρους ἀπεργάσωμαι. Παρῄνεσα πολλάκις εἰς θέατρον μὴ ἀναβαίνειν· ἤκουσας, οὐκ ἐπείσθης; ἀνέβης εἰς τὸ θέατρον; παρήκουσάς μου τοῦ λόγου;","english":"of the devil, is not to despair. If you have sins, do not despair. I will not cease saying these things continually; even if you sin every day, repent every day. Just as we do in old houses: when they have become decayed, we remove the decayed parts and repair them with new ones, and we never release them from continual care. If you have grown old today from sin, renew yourself tomorrow by repentance. And is it possible, he says, for one who has repented to be saved? It is possible, and very much so. I have spent my whole life in sin, and if I repent, am I saved? Very much so. From where is this clear? From the love for mankind of your Master. For do I trust in your repentance? Does your repentance have the strength to wipe away so many evils? If it were repentance alone, you would rightly be afraid; but since the love for mankind of God is mingled with repentance, have courage; for there is no measure to the love for mankind of God, nor can his goodness be expressed in words. For your wickedness has a measure, but the remedy has no measure; your wickedness, whatever it may be, is human wickedness; but the love for mankind of God is ineffable. Have courage, because it prevails over your wickedness. Consider a spark falling into the sea—can it stand or appear? As much as a spark is to the sea, so much is wickedness to the love for mankind of God; or rather, not so much, but far more. For the sea, even if it is great, has a measure; but the love for mankind of God is boundless. I say these things, not so that I may make you more slack, but so that I may make you more zealous. I have often exhorted you not to go up to the theater; did you hear, and were you not persuaded? Did you go up to the theater? Did you disregard my word?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":567,"ref":"p567","source":"μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς πάλιν εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι. Ἤκουσα, καὶ οὐκ ἐτήρησα, φησί· πῶς δύναμαι εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι; Τέως αὐτὸ τοῦτο οἶδας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐτήρησας· τέως αἰσχύνῃ, τέως ἐρυθριᾷς, τέως μηδενὸς ἐλέγχοντος τὸν χαλινὸν περιφέρεις, τέως τὸν λόγον μου ἔχεις ἐῤῥιζωμένον, τέως μὴ φαινομένου μου, ἡ διδασκαλία μου καθαιρεῖ σε. Οὐκ ἐτήρησας; κατέγνως σαυτοῦ; εἰς τὸ ἥμισυ ἐτήρησας, κἂν μὴ τηρήσῃς, εἴπῃς δὲ, Οὐκ ἐτήρησα. Ὁ γὰρ καταγνοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ μὴ τηρῆσαι, ἐπὶ τὸ τηρῆσαι σπουδάζει. Ἐθεώρησας; εἰργάσω παρανομίαν; αἰχμάλωτος ἐγένου τῇ πόρνῃ; κατέβης ἀπὸ τοῦ θεάτρου; πάλιν ἐμνήσθης; ᾐσχύνθης; πρόσελθε. Ἐλυπήθης; παρακάλεσον τὸν Θεόν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ στῆθι μέχρι τούτου. Οὐαί μοι, ἤκουσα, καὶ οὐκ ἐτήρησα· πῶς εἰσέλθω εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν; πῶς πάλιν ἀκούσω; Μᾶλλον εἴσελθε, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐτήρησας, ἵνα πάλιν ἀκούσας τηρήσῃς. Φάρμακον ἐὰν ἐπιθῇ σοι, καὶ μὴ καθαρίσῃ σε, τῇ ἄλλῃ ἡμέρᾳ οὐκ ἐπιτίθης αὐτὸ πάλιν; Ἔστω τις δρυ τόμος· θελέτω τέμνειν δρῦν· λαμβάνει ἀξίνην, κόπτει τὴν ῥίζαν· ἐὰν δῷ μίαν πληγὴν, καὶ μὴ πέσῃ τὸ δένδρον, οὐ δίδωσιν ἄλλην πληγήν; οὐ τὴν τρίτην; οὐ τὴν τετάρτην; οὐ τὴν πέμπτην; οὐ τὴν δεκάτην; Οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίει. Δρῦς ἐστιν ἡ πόρνη, ἄκαρπον δένδρον, βαλάνους ἐκφέρουσα, χοίρων ἀλόγων τροφήν. Ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ ἐῤῥιζώθη ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου, ἐν τῇ περιβολῇ τῶν κλάδων κατέβαλέ σου τὸ συνειδός. Ὁ λόγος μου ἀξίνη ἐστίν· ἤκουσας μίαν ἡμέραν. Πρὸς μίαν ἡμέραν πίπτει ἡ τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ἐῤῥιζωμένη; Ἐὰν γὰρ δὶς, ἐὰν γὰρ τρὶς, ἐὰν γὰρ ἑκατοντάκις, οὐκ ἔστι θαυμαστόν·","english":"Do not be ashamed to enter again and to listen. \"I heard, and I did not keep it,\" he says; \"how can I enter and listen?\" For the present, you know this very thing—that you did not keep it; for the present, you are ashamed; for the present, you blush; for the present, with no one reproving you, you wear the bit; for the present, you have my word rooted in you; for the present, though I am not visible, my teaching brings you down. You did not keep it? You have condemned yourself? You kept half; even if you did not keep it, but said, \"I did not keep it.\" For the one who has condemned himself for not keeping it hastens to keep it. Did you look? Did you commit lawlessness? Were you taken captive by the harlot? Did you come down from the theater? Did you remember again? Were you ashamed? Come forward. Were you grieved? Entreat God. But do not stop at this point. \"Woe is me, I heard and I did not keep it; how shall I enter the church? How shall I listen again?\" Rather, enter because you did not keep it, so that, having listened again, you may keep it. If a physician applies a remedy to you and it does not cleanse you, do you not apply it again the next day? Let there be a certain oak tree; let someone wish to cut down the oak; he takes an axe, he cuts at the root; if he gives one blow and the tree does not fall, does he not give another blow? Not the third? Not the fourth? Not the fifth? Not the tenth? So also do you. The harlot is an oak, a fruitless tree, bearing acorns, food for irrational swine. Over a long time it has taken root in your mind; in the spreading of its branches it has cast down your conscience. My word is an axe; you listened for one day. Does that which has been rooted for so much time fall in one day? For if twice, if three times, if a hundred times, it is not surprising.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":568,"ref":"p568","source":"μόνον ἔκκοψον πρᾶγμα πονηρὸν καὶ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ συνήθειαν πονηράν. Μάννα ἤσθιον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ κρόμμυα ἐζήτουν τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ· Καλῶς ἦν ἡμῖν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Οὕτως ἰσχυρὸν πρᾶγμα ἡ συνήθεια καὶ κάκιστον. Κἂν γὰρ εἰς δέκα ἡμέρας κατορθώσῃς, ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς εἴκοσιν, ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τριάκοντα, οὐκ ἀγαπῶ; οὐ χάριν ἔχω; οὐ περιπτύσσομαί σε; μόνον μὴ ἀποκάμῃς, ἀλλ' αἰσχύνου καὶ καταγίνωσκε. Πάλιν διελέχθην περὶ ἀγάπης· ἤκουσας, ἀπῆλθες καὶ ἥρπασας, οὐκ ἐπεδείξω διὰ τῶν ἔργων τὸν λόγον; μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς πάλιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν· αἰσχύνου ἁμαρτάνων, μὴ αἰσχύνου μετανοῶν, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτάνων. Πρόσεχε τί ἐποίησέ σοι ὁ διάβολος. Δύο ταῦτά ἐστιν, ἁμαρτία καὶ μετάνοια· ἁμαρτία τραῦμα, μετάνοια φάρμακον· ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὄνειδος, ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ γέλως· ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ παῤῥησία, ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ ἐλευθερία, ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ\n\nκαθαρισμὸς τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος. Προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ αἰσχύνη ἕπεται, τῇ μετανοίᾳ παῤῥησία ἀκολουθεῖ. Ἀλλ' ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν τάξιν ἀντέστρεψε, καὶ ἔδωκε τὴν παῤῥησίαν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, τὴν δὲ αἰσχύνην τῇ μετανοίᾳ. Οὐκ ἀφίσταμαι ἕως ἑσπέρας, ἕως οὗ αὐτὸ λύσω. Ἔστι τραῦμα, καὶ φάρμακον· τὸ τραῦμα τὴν σηπεδόνα ἔχει, τὸ φάρμακον τὸν καθαρισμὸν τῆς σηπεδόνος κέκτηται. Μὴ ἐν τῷ φαρμάκῳ ἡ σηπεδών; μὴ ἐν τῷ τραύματι ἴασις; οὐκ ἔχει ταῦτα τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν, κἀκεῖνα τὴν οἰκείαν; μὴ δύναται μεταβῆναι τοῦτο πρὸς ἐκεῖνο, ἢ ἐκεῖνο πρὸς τοῦτο; Ἔλθωμεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἁμαρτημάτων· ἡ ἁμαρτία τὴν αἰσχύνην ἔχει, ἡ ἁμαρτία τὸ ὄνειδος ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἀτιμίαν συγκεκληρωμένην·","english":"Only cut off the evil thing, powerful as it is, and the evil habit. The Jews ate manna, and they kept longing for the onions of Egypt: \"It was well with us in Egypt.\" So powerful a thing is habit, and so very base. For even if you set yourself right for ten days, even if for twenty, even if for thirty—do I not love you? Am I not grateful? Do I not embrace you? Only do not grow weary, but be ashamed and condemn yourself. Again I spoke about love; you heard, you went away and seized it—did you not show the word through your deeds? Do not be ashamed to enter the church again; be ashamed when you sin, not when you repent—but be ashamed when you sin. Consider what the devil has done to you. These two things there are, sin and repentance; sin is a wound, repentance a medicine; in sin, disgrace; in sin, mockery; in repentance, boldness of speech; in repentance, freedom; in repentance, cleansing of the sin. Pay close attention. Shame follows sin, boldness of speech follows repentance. But Satan has reversed the order, and has given boldness of speech to sin, and shame to repentance. I will not desist until evening, until I have undone this very thing. There is a wound, and a medicine; the wound has the putrefaction, the medicine possesses the cleansing of the putrefaction. Is the putrefaction in the medicine? Is the healing in the wound? Do not these things have their proper order, and those things theirs? Can this pass over to that, or that to this? Let us come also to the sins of the soul: sin has shame, sin has disgrace and dishonor allotted together with it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":569,"ref":"p569","source":"ἡ μετάνοια τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἔχει, ἡ μετάνοια τὴν νηστείαν, τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Λέγε γὰρ τὰς ἀνομίας σου πρῶτος, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. Δίκαιος ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος ἐν πρωτολογίᾳ. Εἰδὼς οὖν ὁ διάβολος, ὅτι ἡ μὲν ἁμαρτία ἔχει τὴν αἰσχύνην, πρᾶγμα ἱκανῶς ἀποκροῦσαι τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα δυνάμενον· ἡ δὲ μετάνοια ἔχει τὴν παῤῥησίαν, πρᾶγμα ἱκανὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι τὸν μετανοοῦντα· ἐνήλλαξε τὴν τάξιν, καὶ ἔδωκε τὴν αἰσχύνην τῇ μετανοίᾳ, καὶ τὴν παῤῥησίαν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Πόθεν, ἐγὼ λέγω. Ἁλίσκεταί τις ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμίας χαλεπῆς πρὸς πάνδημον πόρνην· ἀκολουθεῖ τῇ πόρνῃ αἰχμάλωτος· εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὸ καταγώγιον· οὐκ αἰσχυνόμενος, οὐκ ἐρυθριῶν συμπλέκεται τῇ πόρνῃ, πράττει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Οὐδαμοῦ αἰσχύνη αὐτῷ, οὐδαμοῦ ἐπιτιμία. Ἐξέρχεται ἐκεῖθεν μετὰ τὸ τέλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας· καὶ ἵνα μετανοήσῃ, αἰσχύνεται; Ἄθλιε, ὅτε περιεπλέκου τῇ πόρνῃ, οὐκ ᾐσχύνου, ἀλλ' ὅτε ἦλθες μετανοῆσαι, τότε αἰσχύνῃ; Αἰσχύνεται εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἐπόρνευσε, καὶ ἐρυθριᾷ· τὸ πρᾶγμα πράττει, καὶ οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷ, καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα ἐρυθριᾷ; Διαβόλου δέ ἐστιν ἡ κακουργία αὕτη. Ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν αἰσχύνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ δημοσιεύεσθαι· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι, ἐὰν αἰσχυνθῇ, φεύγει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· καὶ ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ ποιεῖ αὐτὸν αἰσχύνεσθαι· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι αἰσχυνόμενος οὐ μετανοεῖ. Δύο ποιεῖ κακὰ, καὶ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπέχει, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἕλκει. Τί αἰσχύνῃ λοιπόν; ὅτε ἐπόρνευες, οὐκ ᾐσχύνου· καὶ ὅτε τὸ φάρμακον ἐπιτίθησιν, αἰσχύνῃ; ὅτε ἀπαλλάττεις σαυτὸν ἁμαρτίας, αἰσχύνῃ; Τότε ὤφειλες αἰσχύνεσθαι, τότε ἔδει σε αἰσχύνεσθαι, ὅτε ἡμάρτανες·","english":"Repentance has boldness, repentance has fasting, righteousness. For say your lawless deeds first, that you may be justified. A righteous man is his own accuser in the first word. Knowing, then, the devil, that sin has shame, a thing sufficiently able to strike down the one who sins; but repentance has boldness, a thing sufficient to draw the one who repents; he exchanged the order, and gave shame to repentance, and boldness to sin. How, I say. Someone is caught by a harsh desire for a common prostitute; he follows the prostitute as a captive; he enters the brothel; not ashamed, not blushing, he entwines with the prostitute, he commits the sin. Nowhere is there shame for him, nowhere reproach. He goes out from there after the end of the sin; and in order to repent, is he ashamed? Wretched man, when you were entwined with the prostitute, you were not ashamed, but when you came to repent, then are you ashamed? He is ashamed to say that he fornicated, and he blushes; he does the deed, and does not blush, and does he blush at the word? This is the devil's villainy. In sin he does not allow him to be ashamed, but to be made public; for he knows that, if he is ashamed, he flees the sin; and in repentance he makes him ashamed; for he knows that being ashamed he does not repent. He does two evils, both hindering repentance, and drawing him into sin. Why then are you ashamed? When you were fornicating, you were not ashamed; and when he applies the remedy, are you ashamed? When you are freeing yourself from sin, are you ashamed? Then you ought to have been ashamed, then you should have been ashamed, when you were sinning.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":570,"ref":"p570","source":"ὅτε ἐγίνου ἁμαρτωλὸς, οὐκ ᾐσχύνου, καὶ ὅτε γίνῃ δίκαιος, αἰσχύνῃ; Λέγε γὰρ τὰς ἀνομίας σου πρῶτος, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. Ὢ φιλανθρωπία Δεσπότου! οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἵνα μὴ κολασθῇς, ἀλλ', Ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. Οὐκ ἤρκει αὐτῷ, Ἵνα μὴ κολασθῇς, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιον ποιεῖς· καὶ πάνυ. Ἀλλὰ πρόσεχε μετὰ ἀκριβείας τῷ λόγῳ· Δίκαιον αὐτὸν ποιεῖ. Καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν; Ἐπὶ τοῦ λῃστοῦ· ἵνα εἴποι μόνον ἐκεῖνος· Οὐδὲ φοβῇ σὺ τὸν Θεόν; τῷ ἑταίρῳ ἑαυτοῦ· καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν δικαίως· ἄξια γὰρ ὧν ἐπράξαμεν ἀπολαμβάνομεν· λέγει· Σήμερον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπαλλάττω σε κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσάγει τὸν δίκαιον. Εἶδες ἀπὸ ἐξομολογήσεως δίκαιον γενόμενον; Πολὺ φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεός· Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἵνα δούλου φείσηται· παρέδωκε τὸν Μονογενῆ, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ δούλους ἀγνώμονας· τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ τιμὴν κατέβαλεν. Ὢ φιλανθρωπίας Δεσπότου! Καὶ μή μοι λέγε πάλιν· Ἥμαρτον πολλὰ, καὶ πῶς δύναμαι σωθῆναι; Σὺ οὐ δύνασαι, ἀλλ' ὁ Δεσπότης σου δύναται· καὶ οὕτως ἐξαλείψει σου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ὡς μήτε ἴχνος αὐτῶν μεῖναι. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων οὐκ ἔνι τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ κἂν μυριάκις σπουδάσῃ ὁ ἰατρὸς, κἂν φάρμακα ἐπιθῇ τῷ τραύματι, τὸ μὲν τραῦμα ἠφάνισε, τὴν δὲ οὐλὴν οὐκ ἐξήλειψεν· ἀντιπίπτει γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡ ἀσθένεια τῆς φύσεως, καὶ τὸ ἀνίσχυρον τῆς τέχνης, καὶ τὸ εὐτελὲς τῶν φαρμάκων. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς, ὅταν ἐξαλείφῃ ἁμαρτήματα, οὐδὲ οὐλὴν ἀφίησιν, οὐδὲ ἴχνος συγχωρεῖ μεῖναι·","english":"When you were a sinner, you were not ashamed, and when you are becoming righteous, are you ashamed? For say your lawless deeds first, that you may be justified. O the loving-kindness of the Master! He did not say, \"That you may not be punished,\" but, \"That you may be justified.\" It was not enough for him that you not be punished, but you even make him righteous—and indeed so. But pay close attention to the word: he makes him righteous. And where did he do this? In the case of the robber: so that he only said, \"Do you not fear God?\" to his companion—\"and we indeed justly, for we receive what is worthy of what we did\"—and he says, \"Today you will be with me in paradise.\" He did not say, \"I release you from punishment and retribution,\" but he brings the righteous man into paradise. Did you see a man become righteous from confession? God is very loving toward humanity: he did not spare his Son, that he might spare a slave; he handed over the Only-begotten, that he might purchase ungrateful slaves; the blood of his Son paid the price. O the loving-kindness of the Master! And do not say to me again, \"I have sinned greatly, and how can I be saved?\" You cannot, but your Master can; and thus he will blot out your sins, so that not even a trace of them remains. For in the case of bodies this is not so; but even if a physician strives ten thousand times, even if he applies medicines to the wound, he makes the wound disappear, but he does not erase the scar; for the weakness of nature, the feebleness of the art, and the cheapness of the medicines resist him. But God, when he blots out sins, does not leave even a scar, nor does he allow a trace to remain.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":571,"ref":"p571","source":"ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς ὑγείας καὶ τὴν εὐμορφίαν χαρίζεται, μετὰ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς τῆς κολάσεως καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπιδίδωσι, καὶ ποιεῖ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα ἴσον εἶναι τῷ μὴ ἡμαρτηκότι. Μή ἐστιν ἁμαρτία ἔχουσα ἀπόγνωσιν, ἢ νικῶσα τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Καὶ πῶς ὁ Ἰούδας ἀπώλετο; Πῶς; ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀναγκαστικὴ ἡ μετάνοια. Καὶ μὴν ἄκουσον τί φησι πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ\n\nδιδάσκαλος· Τί σοι ποιήσω, Ἰούδα; Οὐκ οἶδας τί ποιήσεις; Οἶδα, ἀλλ' οὐ βούλομαι· ἀπαιτεῖ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡ φύσις, καὶ κατέχει τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὸ μέγεθος. Τί σοι ποιήσω; Φείσομαί σου; ἀλλὰ γίνῃ ῥᾳθυμότερος. Ἀλλ' ἐπεξέλθω σοι; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνέχεταί μου ἡ φιλανθρωπία. Τί σοι ποιήσω; Ὡς Σόδομα θήσομαί σε, καὶ ὡς Γόμοῤῥα καταστρέψω σε; ἀλλὰ πατήρ εἰμι, καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος. Ταύτην οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν εἰδότες, μὴ ἀπογινώσκωμεν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ῥᾳθυμῶμεν ἁπλῶς· ἑκάτερα γὰρ ταῦτα ὀλέθρια. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀπόγνωσις τὸν κείμενον οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀναστῆναι· ἡ δὲ ῥᾳθυμία καὶ τὸν ἑστῶτα ποιεῖ καταπεσεῖν. Ἐκείνη τῶν πορισθέντων ἀγαθῶν ἀποστερεῖν εἴωθεν, αὕτη τῶν ἐπικειμένων οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀπαλλαγῆναι κακῶν· καὶ ἡ μὲν καταφρόνησις ἐξ αὐτῶν καταφέρει τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἡ δὲ ἀπόγνωσις εἰς αὐτὴν κατάγει τῆς κακίας τὴν ἄβυσσον, ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ μὴ ἀπογνῶναι κἀκεῖθεν ταχέως ἀναδραμεῖν ποιεῖ. Σκόπει δὲ ἀμφοτέρων τὴν ἰσχύν· Ὁ διάβολος ἀγαθὸς ἦν πρὸ τούτου· ῥᾳθυμήσας δὲ καὶ ἀπογνοὺς ἔπεσεν εἰς τοσαύτην κακίαν, ὡς μηδὲ ἀναστῆναι λοιπόν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ἦν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Εἶδον τὸν Σατανᾶν, ὡς ἀστραπὴν, ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πεσόντα·","english":"But along with health he also grants beauty; along with release from punishment he also bestows righteousness, and he makes the one who has sinned to be equal to the one who has not sinned. Is there a sin that has despair, or that conquers the loving-kindness of God? And how was Judas lost? How? Because repentance is not forced. And indeed, hear what the teacher says to him: What shall I do to you, Judas? Do you not know what you will do? I know, but I do not wish it; the nature of sins demands it, and the greatness of loving-kindness holds it back. What shall I do to you? Shall I spare you? But you become more careless. Shall I punish you? But my loving-kindness does not endure it. What shall I do to you? Shall I make you as Sodom, and overthrow you as Gomorrah? But I am a father, and a loving father. Knowing this loving-kindness, then, let us neither despair nor be simply careless; for both of these are destructive. For despair does not allow the fallen to rise; and carelessness makes even the one standing to fall. That one is accustomed to deprive of goods already gained, this one does not allow release from evils that press upon us; and contempt brings one down from the very heavens, while despair leads down into the very abyss of wickedness, just as not despairing makes one quickly run back up from there as well. Consider the strength of both: the devil was good before this; but becoming careless and despairing he fell into such great wickedness as to rise no more. For that he was good, hear what he says: I saw Satan falling from heaven like lightning.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":572,"ref":"p572","source":"ἡ δὲ τῆς ἀστραπῆς παραβολὴ καὶ τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς προτέρας δείκνυσιν ἀναστροφῆς, καὶ τὴν τῆς πτώσεως ὀξύτητα. Ὁ Παῦλος βλάσφημος ἦν καὶ διώκτης καὶ ὑβριστής· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐσπούδασε καὶ οὐκ ἀπέγνω, καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων γέγονεν ἴσος. Ὁ Ἰούδας ἀπόστολος ἦν, ἀλλὰ ῥᾳθυμήσας γέγονε προδότης. Ὁ λῃστὴς πάλιν μετὰ τοσαύτην κακίαν ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἀπέγνω, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσῆλθεν. Ὁ Φαρισαῖος θαῤῥήσας, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὕψους τῆς ἀρετῆς κατέπεσεν· ὁ τελώνης μὴ ἀπογνοὺς οὕτως ὠρθώθη, ὡς κἀκεῖνον παραδραμεῖν. Βούλει σοι δείξω καὶ πόλιν ὁλόκληρον τοῦτο ποιήσασαν; Ἡ τῶν Νινευϊτῶν πόλις οὕτως ἐσώθη πᾶσα· καίτοι γε ἡ ἀπόφασις εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν αὐτοὺς ἐνέβαλλεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἐὰν μετανοήσωσι, σωθήσονται, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευῒ καταστραφήσεται. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπειλοῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ προφήτου βοῶντος, καὶ τῆς ἀποφάσεως οὐκ ἐχούσης μέλλησιν οὐδὲ διορισμὸν, οὐκ ἀνέπεσον, οὐδὲ τὰς χρηστὰς προέδωκαν ἐλπίδας. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐ προσέθηκε διορισμὸν, οὐδὲ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν δὲ μετανοήσωσι, σωθήσονται, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὅταν ἀκούσωμεν ἀποφάσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ φερομένης χωρὶς διορισμοῦ, μηδὲ οὕτως ἀπογνῶμεν, εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὑπόδειγμα βλέποντες. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἰσχυρὸν ὅπλον τῷ διαβόλῳ, ὡς ἀπόγνωσις. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν εὐφραίνομεν ἁμαρτάνοντες, ὡς ἀπογινώσκοντες. Ἄκουσον γοῦν ἐπὶ τοῦ πεπορνευκότος, πῶς τῆς ἁμαρτίας μᾶλλον τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν δέδοικεν ὁ Παῦλος. Γράφων γὰρ Κορινθίοις, οὕτως ἔλεγεν·","english":"The comparison of lightning shows both the brightness of the former way of life and the swiftness of the fall. Paul was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man; but since he was earnest and did not despair, he rose up and became equal to the angels. Judas was an apostle, but through laziness he became a traitor. The robber again, after such great wickedness, since he did not despair, entered paradise before all others. The Pharisee, being confident, fell from the very height of virtue; the tax collector, not despairing, was so set upright that he even surpassed that man. Do you want me to show you a whole city that did this? The city of the Ninevites was thus saved entirely; and yet the sentence cast them into despair. For he did not say, \"If they repent, they will be saved,\" but simply, \"Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed.\" But nevertheless, while God was threatening, and the prophet was crying out, and the sentence had no delay or limitation, they did not fall back, nor did they betray their good hopes. For this reason he did not add a limitation, nor did he say, \"But if they repent, they will be saved,\" so that we too, when we hear a sentence of God being brought without limitation, might not even then despair, looking to that example. For no weapon is so strong for the devil as despair. For this reason we do not gladden him so much by sinning as by despairing. Hear, then, in the case of the man who committed fornication, how Paul feared despair more than the sin. For writing to the Corinthians, he said thus:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":573,"ref":"p573","source":"Ὅλως ἀκούεται ἐν ὑμῖν πορνεία, καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία, ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τολμᾶται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὀνομάζεται. Ὃ γὰρ μέχρι προσηγορίας ἐκείνοις ἀφόρητον, τοῦτο ὑμῖν ἔργῳ τετόλμηται. Καὶ ὑμεῖς πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστέ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Καὶ ἐκεῖνος πεφυσίωται, ἀλλ' ἀφεὶς τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα, τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσι διαλέγεται καθάπερ οἱ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσιν, ἀφέντες τοὺς κάμνοντας, πρὸς τοὺς προσήκοντας αὐτοῖς πλείονι κέχρηνται λόγῳ. Ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ οὗτοι τῆς ἀπονοίας αἴτιοι ἦσαν αὐτῷ, μὴ ἐπιτιμῶντες, μηδὲ ἐπιπλήττοντες. Ἐκοίνωσε τοίνυν τὸ ἔγκλημα, ἵνα ῥᾳδία γένηται τοῦ τραύματος ἡ θεραπεία. Δεινὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν, πολλῷ δὲ χαλεπώτερον τὸ καὶ μέγα φρονεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ δικαιοσύνῃ τὸ φυσᾶσθαι κένωσις δικαιοσύνης ἐστὶ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι τοῦτο συμβαῖνον ἐσχάτην οἴσει βλάβην ἡμῖν, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν μεῖζον τὸ ἔγκλημά ἐστι. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ὅταν πάντα ποιήσητε, λέγετε, ὅτι Ἀχρεῖοι δοῦλοί ἐσμεν. Εἰ δὲ οἱ πάντα ποιοῦντες ὀφείλουσι συνεστάλθαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ θρηνεῖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἑαυτὸν ἀριθμεῖν ἄξιον. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ τότε δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε; Τί λέγεις; ἕτερος ἥμαρτε, καὶ ἐγὼ πενθήσω; Ναὶ, φησί· σώματος γὰρ καὶ μελῶν δίκην ἀλλήλοις ἐσμὲν συνδεδεμένοι· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ","english":"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even dared among the Gentiles, but is not even named. For what is unbearable to them even to mention, this you have dared to do in deed. And you are puffed up. And he did not say, \"And that man is puffed up,\" but passing over the one who has sinned, he addresses those who are healthy, just as physicians do, who, leaving aside the sick, use more words with those who are close to them. Besides, these also were the cause of his recklessness, by not rebuking or reproving him. He therefore shared the charge, so that the healing of the wound might become easy. For to sin is terrible, but far worse is to be proud over one's sins. For if being puffed up over righteousness is an emptying of righteousness, much more will this, happening over sins, bring us the utmost harm, and the charge is greater than the sins themselves. For this reason he says: \"When you have done all things, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.'\" But if those who do all things ought to be humble, much more is the one who has sinned worthy both to mourn and to count himself among the last. Which indeed he was also making clear then when he said: \"And have you not rather mourned?\" What do you say? Another has sinned, and shall I mourn? Yes, he says; for we are bound to one another like a body and its members; and in the case of the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":574,"ref":"p574","source":"σώματος, κἂν ὁ ποῦς δέξηται τραῦμα, τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπικύπτουσαν ὁρῶμεν· καίτοι τί ταύτης σεμνότερον; ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁρᾷ τὴν ἀξίαν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς συμφορᾶς· οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίησον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος παραινεῖ χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, καὶ κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔλεγον, σκόπει πῶς δέδοικε τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν ὁ Παῦλος, ὡς μέγα ὅπλον τοῦ διαβόλου. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Κυρώσατε εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν προστίθησι· Μή πως τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος. Ἐν τῇ φάρυγγι τοῦ λύκου, φησὶν, ἐστὶ τὸ πρόβατον· φθάσωμεν τοίνυν, προεξαρπάσωμεν, πρὶν ἢ καταπίῃ καὶ διαφθείρῃ τὸ μέλος ἡμῶν. Ἐν κλυδωνίῳ νῦν ἐστιν ἡ ναῦς· πρὸ τοῦ ναυαγίου διασῶσαι αὐτὴν σπουδάσωμεν. Καθάπερ γὰρ θαλάττης αἰρομένης, καὶ κυμάτων πάντοθεν κορυφουμένων, ὑποβρύχιον γίνεται τὸ σκάφος· οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ, τῆς ἀθυμίας αὐτὴν πάντοθεν περιστοιχιζομένης, ἀποπνίγεται ταχέως, εἰ μή τινα ἔχῃ τὸν χεῖρα ὀρέγοντα· καὶ ἡ σωτήριος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι λύπη, ὀλέθριος ἐπὶ τῆς ἀμετρίας γίνεται. Εἰδὼς τοίνυν ὁ Παῦλος ὅπερ ἐποίησεν ὁ διάβολος ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα, ἔδεισε μὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα γένηται τοῦτο. Τί δὲ ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα; Μετενόησεν ὁ Ἰούδας· Ἥμαρτον γὰρ, φησὶ, παραδοὺς αἷμα ἀθῶον. Ἤκουσε τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων ὁ διάβολος· ἔγνω τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἀρχόμενον ὁδοῦ, καὶ πρὸς σωτηρίαν βαδίζοντα, καὶ ἐφοβήθη τὴν μεταβολήν. Φιλάνθρωπον, φησὶν, ἔχει Δεσπότην· ὅτε ἔμελλεν αὐτὸν προδιδόναι, ἐδάκρυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ μυρία παρεκάλεσεν· οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετανοοῦντα δέξεται; ἀδιόρθωτον ὄντα ἐφειλκύσατο καὶ ἐκάλεσεν·","english":"of the body, even if the foot receives a wound, we see the head bowing down; and yet what is more honorable than it? But it does not see its worth in the time of misfortune; so also do you. For this reason Paul also exhorts us to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep. But, as I was saying, consider how Paul feared despair, as a great weapon of the devil. For having said, Confirm your love toward him, he adds the reason: Lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. The sheep, he says, is in the wolf's throat; let us therefore hasten, let us snatch it away first, before he swallows and destroys our member. The ship is now in the swell; let us strive to save it before the shipwreck. For just as when the sea is raised and the waves surge up on every side, the vessel is submerged; so also a soul, when despondency surrounds it on every side, is quickly drowned, unless it has someone to extend a hand; and the sorrow that is salutary for sins becomes deadly when it is excessive. Knowing, therefore, what the devil did in the case of Judas, Paul feared lest this should happen here also. And what did he do in the case of Judas? Judas repented; for he says, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood. The devil heard these words; he knew that he was beginning the road to what is better, and walking toward salvation, and he feared the change. He has, he says, a loving Master; when he was about to betray him, he wept over him and entreated him countless times; will he not much more receive him when he repents? He drew him to himself and called him while he was still uncorrected;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":575,"ref":"p575","source":"οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον διορθωθέντα καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐπιγνόντα ἐπισπάσεται; Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ σταυρωθῆναι ἦλθε. Τί οὖν ἐποίησεν; ἐθορύβησεν αὐτῷ, ἐσκότωσε τῇ τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπερβολῇ, ἐδίωξεν, ἤλασεν, ἕως ἐπὶ τὸν βρόχον ἤγαγε, καὶ τῆς παρούσης ὑπεξήγαγε ζωῆς, καὶ τῆς προθυμίας τῆς κατὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἀπεστέρησεν. Ὅτι γὰρ, εἰ ἔζη, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐσώθη ἂν, δῆλον ἐκ τῶν σταυρωσάντων. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτὸν ἀναβιβάσαντας ἔσωσε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ ὢν παρεκάλει τὸν πατέρα, καὶ συγγνώμην αὐτοῖς ᾔτει τοῦ τολμήματος· εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ τὸν προδότην, εἰ νόμῳ τῷ προσήκοντι τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπεδείξατο, μετὰ πάσης ἂν εὐμενείας ἐδέξατο. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἠνέσχετο ἐμμεῖναι τῷ φαρμάκῳ, τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθείς. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ὁ Παῦλος φοβούμενος, ἐπείγει τοὺς Κορινθίους ἐξαρπάσαι τῆς φάρυγγος τοῦ διαβόλου τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ τί χρὴ λέγειν τὰ Κορινθίων; Πέτρος μετὰ τὴν τῶν μυστηρίων κοινωνίαν ἠρνήσατο τρὶς, καὶ δακρύσας ἀπήλειψεν ἅπαντα· ἡ πόρνη δάκρυσι τὸν Δεσπότην ἐξευμενίσατο· Παῦλος ὁμολογῶν τὸ ἁμάρτημα, διδάσκαλος τῶν μετανοούντων ἐγένετο. Ταύτας τὰς ἐμπλάστρους λαβόντες, τὰ τραύματα ἑαυτῶν θεραπεύσωμεν, λέγοντες· Ἴασαί με, Κύριε, καὶ ἰαθήσομαι· ἴασαι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι ἥμαρτόν σοι. Ἀποδεξάμενος γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ ἰατρὸς λέξει· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐξαλείφων τὰς ἀνομίας σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθήσομαι ἔτι. Ἴδε πόσα φάρμακα κατεσκεύασέ σοι ὁ ἰατρός· οἷον θέλεις αὐτὸς ἐπίλεξον. Ποικιλίαν σοι βοηθημάτων ἐπέδειξε πρὸς τὴν τῶν τραυμάτων διαφοράν.","english":"Will he not much more draw to himself one who has been corrected and has recognized his sin? For this is why he came even to be crucified. What then did he do? He troubled him, darkened him by the excess of his despondency, pursued him, drove him, until he led him to the noose, and removed him from the present life, and deprived him of the eagerness that belongs to repentance. For that he too would have been saved if he had lived is clear from those who crucified him. For if he saved those who raised him up onto the cross, and while on the cross itself pleaded with the Father and asked forgiveness for them for their daring, it is evident that he would also have received the traitor with all kindness, if he had shown repentance in the manner that was fitting. But he could not endure to remain in the remedy, swallowed up as he was by his excessive grief. Therefore Paul, fearing this, urges the Corinthians to snatch the man from the throat of the devil. And why need one speak of the Corinthians? Peter, after the communion of the mysteries, denied three times, and by weeping wiped it all away; the harlot by her tears propitiated the Master; Paul, by confessing his sin, became a teacher of those who repent. Taking these plasters, let us heal our own wounds, saying: Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you. For the physician, having received us, will say: I am he who blots out your iniquities, and I will remember them no more. See how many remedies the physician has prepared for you; choose whichever you wish. He has shown you a variety of aids to match the difference of the wounds.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":576,"ref":"p576","source":"Εἰ μὴ δύνασαι νηστεῦσαι, ὡς οἱ Νινευῖται, κἂν, ὡς ἡ πόρνη, δάκρυσι τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἀπόπλυνον· εἰ μὴ δύνασαι ἐλεῆσαι, ἐξαγόρευσόν σου τὰς ἁμαρτίας· ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ κατάφυγε μετὰ τοῦ Δαυῒδ λέγων· Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι δῆγμα ἐχίδνης, ἵνα πρὸς αὐτὸ ἐπιθῶ φάρμακον, οὐδὲ σπῖλος ἀπὸ βορβόρου γενόμενος, ἵνα ὕδατι αὐτὸν ἀποπλύνω· ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ δήγματος διαβόλου ἐστὶ τὸ τραῦμα, τοῦ ἐλέους τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας δεόμενον. Μόνον πρόσελθε αἰτῶν· ἐπιστάξει γὰρ τὸ ἔλαιον ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, ὁ εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ ὁ ἄνομος ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ τῆς πονηρᾶς, οὐ μνησθήσομαι τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτοῦ ὧν ἐποίησεν. Ἐπιστρέψωμεν τοίνυν, παρακαλέσωμεν, ἀποπλύνωμεν διὰ τῶν δακρύων τὸν ῥύπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας, κρούσωμεν τὸ στῆθος, τύψωμεν μέτωπον, εἰς αἴσθησιν ἔλθωμεν ὧν ἡμάρτομεν ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀκούσωμεν τὸ, Σήμερον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔσεσθε\n\nἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. Ὧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.","english":"If you cannot fast as the Ninevites did, at least wash away your sins with tears, as the harlot did; if you cannot show mercy, confess your sins; flee to the mercy of God with David, saying: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy. For it is not the bite of a viper, that I might apply a remedy to it, nor a stain made from mire, that I might wash it away with water; but the wound is from the bite of the devil, needing the mercy of your love for mankind. Only come near and ask; for the lover of mankind will drop the oil, he who said, If the lawless man turns from his evil way, I will not remember his lawless deeds which he has done. Let us therefore turn back, let us entreat, let us wash away the filth of sin through tears, let us strike the breast, let us beat the forehead, let us come to a sense of what we have sinned, so that we too may hear from the Lord: Today you will be with me in paradise. To whom be all glory, honor, and worship, now and to the endless ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":577,"ref":"p577","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Λς ʹ. Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον Παῦλον. Τοὺς τῶν ἁγίων βίους καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγράπτους ἡμῖν καταλέλοιπεν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις, ἵνα μαθόντες, ὡς τῆς αὐτῆς ὄντες ἡμῖν φύσεως ἅπαντα τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς κατώρθωσαν, διαναστῶμεν περὶ τὴν ταύτης ἐργασίαν, καὶ σφοδρὸν τὸν ἔρωτα τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀγάπης ἀνάψωμεν. Πῶς οὖν τοῦτο γενήσεται; Ἂν συνεχῶς ἐχώμεθα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ ἐν διανοίᾳ αὐτοὺς περιφέροντες, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκείνοις ἐχώμεθα πολιτείας. Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ πλέον ἢ πᾶσιν ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁ Θεὸς δοξασθήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, οὐ φωνὴν ἀφιέντες, ἀλλ' ἑτέρους διὰ τῆς ὄψεως εἰς τοῦτο παρασκευάζοντες, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ παρεχόμενοι βίον θαυμαστὸν, κἂν σιγῶσι, τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζουσιν, ἑτέρων δι' αὐτοὺς τὸν Θεὸν δοξαζόντων. Οὐρανὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὁρώμενος, οὐ σφόδρα ἔπεισε θαυμάσαι τὸν τούτου δημιουργόν· οἱ μακάριοι δὲ ἀπόστολοι, ὀλίγον κηρύξαντες χρόνον, τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐφειλκύσαντο πᾶσαν. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ἕστηκε τὸν οἰκεῖον φυλάσσων ὅρον τε καὶ κανόνα. Τῆς δὲ ἐκείνων ψυχῆς τὸ ὕψος πάντας ὑπερέβη τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ τὸ κάλλος δὲ αὐτῆς τοιοῦτον ἦν, ὡς καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνακηρύττειν αὐτό. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄστρα οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐθαύμασαν, ὅτε ἐγένοντο· τῆς δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων ψυχῆς τὸ κάλλος αὐτὸς ἐπῄνεσεν, εἰπών· Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. Καὶ τοῦτον μὲν τὸν οὐρανὸν νεφέλη πολλάκις ἐκάλυψε· τὴν δὲ τούτων ψυχὴν οὐδεὶς ἐκάλυψε πειρασμὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τότε μάλιστα ἐξέλαμπε. Διὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Εὐδοκῶ ἐν ἀσθενείαις, ἐν διωγμοῖς, ἐν θλίψεσι· καὶ Φιλιππησίοις πάλιν·","english":"Homily 36. An Encomium on the Holy Apostle Paul. The grace of the Spirit has left us the lives and conduct of the saints written down for this reason: that we, having learned that they accomplished all things of virtue though they were of the same nature as we, might rouse ourselves to the working of it, and kindle a fervent love of love toward them. How then will this come about? If we cling continually to those men, and carrying them about in our mind, we might cling to the same conduct as they. For in this God will be glorified more than by all others together. For if the heavens declare the glory of God, not uttering a voice, but disposing others to this through sight, much more do those who furnish a wondrous life, even if they are silent, glorify God, while others through them glorify God. For heaven, seen for so long, did not greatly persuade one to marvel at its Creator; but the blessed apostles, having preached for a short time, drew the whole inhabited world. And heaven stands keeping its own boundary and rule. But the height of their soul surpassed all the heavens, and its beauty was such that God himself proclaimed it. For the angels marveled at the stars when they were made; but the beauty of the apostles' soul he himself praised, saying: You are the light of the world. And that heaven a cloud often covered; but no trial covered their soul, but even then especially it shone forth. Therefore Paul also said: I take pleasure in weaknesses, in persecutions, in afflictions; and again to the Philippians:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":578,"ref":"p578","source":"Διὰ τὸ ἔχειν με ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμᾶς ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἵνα ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, ἀκούσητε, ἐγὼ δέδεμαι· πανταχοῦ τὸν δεσμὸν προτιθείς· οὗ σφόδρα ἐρῶ, ὃς διανίστησί μου τὴν καρδίαν καὶ εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἄγει τὸν Παῦλον εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν, τὸν μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων κοπιάσαντα, περὶ οὗ ὁ Χριστός φησι· Σκεῦος οὗτος ἐκλογῆς μοι ἐστίν. Οὗτος γοῦν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ κηρύγματος ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους εἰσπορευόμενος, σύρων τε ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν τῷ Δαμασκῷ, ἄφνω περιήστραψεν αὐτὸν φῶς, καὶ ἐπήρωσεν. Ἀλλ' ἡ πήρωσις ἐκείνου φωτισμὸς γέγονε τῆς οἰκουμένης. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔβλεπε κακῶς, ἐπήρωσεν αὐτὸν καλῶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς ἀναβλέψαι χρησίμως, ὁμοῦ μὲν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως ἀπόδειξιν αὐτῷ παρεχόμενος, ὁμοῦ δὲ ἐν τῷ πάθει τὰ μέλλοντα προδιατυπῶν, καὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος τὸν τρόπον διδάσκων, ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα οἴκοθεν ἀποβαλόντα, καὶ μύσαντα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, αὐτῷ πανταχοῦ ἕπεσθαι χρή. Διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐβόα, τοῦτο αὐτὸ δηλῶν· Εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν, γενέσθω μωρὸς, ἵνα γένηται σοφός· ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν ἀναβλέψαι καλῶς, μὴ πρότερον πηρωθέντα καλῶς, καὶ τοὺς οἴκοθεν ταράττοντας αὐτὸν ἐκβαλόντα λογισμοὺς, καὶ τῇ πίστει τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέψαντα. Ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς ταῦτα ἀκούων, ἠναγκασμένην νομιζέτω εἶναι ταύτην τὴν κλῆσιν· καὶ γὰρ ἠδύνατο πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν, ὅθεν ἐξέβη. Πολλοὶ γοῦν ἕτερα μείζονα θαύματα ἰδόντες, ὑπέστρεψαν πάλιν, καὶ ἐν τῇ Καινῇ καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, οἷον ὁ Ἰούδας, ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, ὁ Ἐλύμας ὁ μάγος, ὁ Σίμων, ὁ Ἀνανίας, ἡ Σάπφειρα, ὅλος τῶν Ἰουδαίωνὁ δῆμος. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος·","english":"Because I have you in my heart in my bonds; and elsewhere: \"That you,\" he says, \"may hear, I am bound\"—everywhere putting the bond first; which I greatly love, which stirs up my heart and leads me to desire to bring Paul into the midst, the one who labored more than the others, about whom Christ says: \"This man is a chosen vessel to me.\" For he, at the time of the preaching, was ravaging the Church, entering house after house, dragging off both men and women; but when he drew near to Damascus, suddenly a light shone around him and blinded him. But that blinding became illumination for the whole world. For since he was seeing badly, God blinded him well, so that he might see again profitably, at once giving him a demonstration of his own power, and at the same time prefiguring in the suffering the things to come, and teaching the manner of the preaching—that it is necessary to cast all these things aside from oneself, and to close one's eyes, and to follow him everywhere. Therefore he himself cried out, making this very thing clear: \"If anyone among you thinks he is wise, let him become a fool, that he may become wise\"—as it is not possible to see again well unless one has first been well blinded, and has cast out the thoughts that trouble him from within, and has entrusted everything to faith. But let no one, hearing these things, think that this calling was forced; for he was able to return again to where he had gone out from. Indeed, many others, having seen greater wonders, turned back again, both in the New and in the Old, such as Judas, Nebuchadnezzar, Elymas the magician, Simon, Ananias, Sapphira, the whole multitude of the Jews. But not Paul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":579,"ref":"p579","source":"ἀλλὰ διαβλέψας, πρὸς τὸ ἀκήρατον φῶς τὸν δρόμον ἐπέτεινε, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἵπτατο. Εἰ δὲ ἐξετάζεις, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπηρώθη, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτὴν, καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει μου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὕτω σφοδρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀπρόσιτος, σφοδροτέρου ἐδεῖτο χαλινοῦ, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς\n\nπροθυμίας ἀγόμενος παρακούσῃ τῶν λεγομένων. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο καταστέλλων αὐτοῦ τὴν μανίαν, πρῶτον κατευνάζει τὰ κύματα τῆς ῥαγδαίας ὀργῆς ἐκείνης διὰ τῆς πηρώσεως, καὶ τότε αὐτῷ διαλέγεται, δεικνὺς τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀπρόσιτον, καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ὑπερέχον· καὶ ἵνα μάθῃ τίνα πολεμεῖ, ὃν οὐ μόνον κολάζοντα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εὐεργετοῦντα δύναται ἐνεγκεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ σκότος αὐτὸν ἐπήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ὑπερβολὴ φωτὸς αὐτὸν ἐσκότισε· καὶ ὅμως τοσοῦτον ἦρεν, ὥστε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ δεδοικέναι τοὺς δαίμονας. Ἀλλ' οὐ θαυμάζω τοῦτο, ὥσπερ οὐδ' ὅτι τὴν σκιὰν Πέτρου τὰ νοσήματα ἔφυγε. Τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῆς χάριτος μεγάλα ἀπὸ βαλβῖδος αὐτῆς καὶ προοιμίων αὐτῶν ἐφάνη ποιῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναμιν τοσαύτην ἔχων, οὐδὲ χειροτονίαν δεξάμενος, οὕτω τῷ πρὸς Χριστὸν ἐξήφθη ζήλῳ, ὡς πάντα τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν δῆμον διεγεῖραι καθ' ἑαυτοῦ· καὶ ἰδὼν ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντα κινδύνοις, ὡς καὶ τὴν πόλιν πολιορκεῖσθαι, διὰ θυρίδος ἐχαλάσθη διὰ τοῦ τείχους·","english":"But when he had recovered his sight, he stretched his course toward the pure light and flew toward heaven. And if you ask why he was blinded, hear him saying: For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and was ravaging it, and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. Since, then, he was so fierce and unapproachable, he needed a fiercer bridle, so that, being carried by the rush of his\n\neagerness, he might not disobey what was said. For this reason, restraining his madness, he first calms the waves of that violent anger through the blinding, and then converses with him, showing the unapproachability of his wisdom and the surpassing greatness of his knowledge; and so that he might learn whom he was fighting against—one whom he could endure not only when he punishes, but not even when he benefits. For it was not darkness that blinded him, but the excess of light that darkened him; and yet he raised him so high that the demons feared his garments. But I do not marvel at this, just as I do not marvel that diseases fled from the shadow of Peter. But this is the wonderful thing, that even before grace he appeared to be doing great things from the very starting line and its beginnings. For though he did not yet have such power, nor had he received ordination, he was so inflamed with zeal for Christ that he stirred up the whole people of the Jews against himself; and seeing himself in such great dangers, so that even the city was besieged, he was let down through a window through the wall;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":580,"ref":"p580","source":"καὶ διαφυγὼν οὐδὲ οὕτως εἰς ὄκνον ἐνέπεσεν, οὐδὲ εἰς δειλίαν καὶ φόβον, ἀλλὰ πλείονα προθυμίαν ἐδέχετο, παραχωρῶν μὲν τοῖς κινδύνοις δι' οἰκονομίαν, οὐ παραχωρῶν δὲ τῆς διδασκαλίας οὐδενὶ, ἀλλὰ τὸν σταυρὸν πάλιν ἁρπάσας ἠκολούθει· καίτοι γε παρὰ πόδας ἔχων ἔτι τὸ παράδειγμα τὸ κατὰ τὸν Στέφανον, καὶ ὁρῶν κατ' αὐτοῦ μάλιστα πάντων φόνου πνέοντας Ἰουδαίους, καὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμοῦντας αὐτοῦ τῶν σαρκῶν ἀπογεύσασθαι. Πόθεν οὖν οὔτε ἀφειδῶς ἐνέπιπτε τοῖς κινδύνοις, οὐδὲ διαφεύγων μαλακώτερος ἐγίνετο πάλιν; Σφόδρα τῆς παρούσης ἤρα ζωῆς διὰ τὸ κέρδος τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς· καὶ σφόδρα αὐτῆς ὑπερεώρα διὰ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑπεροψίας γινομένην αὐτῷ, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἐπείγεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπελθεῖν. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἀεὶ λέγω περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐδέποτε παύσομαι λέγων, οὐδεὶς οὕτως εἰς ἐναντία πράγματα ἐμπεσὼν, ἑκάτερα πρὸς ἀκρίβειαν ἤσκησεν· οὐδεὶς γοῦν οὕτω τῆς παρούσης ἐπεθύμησε ζωῆς, οὐδὲ τῶν σφόδρα φιλοψυχούντων· οὐδεὶς οὕτως αὐτὴν ὑπερεῖδεν οὐδὲ τῶν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς θανατώντων· οὕτω πάσης ἐπιθυμίας καθαρὸς ἦν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ οὐδενὶ προσέπασχε τῶν παρόντων, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τῇ βουλῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκίρνα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ νῦν μὲν αὐτὴν καὶ τῆς μετὰ Χριστοῦ συνουσίας καὶ ὁμιλίας ἀναγκαιοτέραν εἶναί φησι, νῦν δὲ οὕτω βαρεῖαν καὶ ἐπαχθῆ, ὡς καὶ στενάζειν καὶ ἐπείγεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀνάλυσιν. Ἐκείνων γὰρ ἐπεθύμει μόνον τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν κέρδος αὐτῷ φερόντων, εἰ καὶ ἐναντία ταῦτα εἶναι συνέβαινε τοῖς προτέροις.","english":"And even after escaping, he did not fall into hesitation, nor into cowardice and fear, but he received even greater eagerness, yielding to dangers for the sake of the divine plan, yet yielding his teaching to no one, but snatching up the cross again he followed; and yet he still had the example of Stephen, as it were, at his very feet, and saw the Jews, more than all others, breathing murder against him, and desiring to taste his very flesh. From where, then, did it come that he neither recklessly threw himself into dangers, nor again became softer when escaping them? He greatly loved the present life because of the profit that comes from it; and he greatly despised it because of the philosophy that arose in him from that very contempt, or because of his eagerness to depart to Jesus. For what I always say about him, and will never cease saying, is this: no one who fell into such opposite circumstances practiced both to perfection. For no one so desired the present life, not even among those who are exceedingly fond of life; nor did anyone so despise it, not even among those who put themselves to death with excess. So pure was he from every desire, and he clung to none of the things present, but everywhere he blended his own desire with the will of God. And now he says that it is even more necessary than being with Christ and conversing with him, and now he calls it so burdensome and grievous that he groans and hastens toward his departure. For he desired only those things that brought him profit according to God, even if these happened to be contrary to the former things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":581,"ref":"p581","source":"Καὶ γὰρ ποικίλος τις ἦν καὶ παντοδαπὸς, οὐχ ὑποκρινόμενος, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ πάντα γινόμενος, ἅπερ ἡ τοῦ κηρύγματος καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπῄτει χρεία, κἀν τούτῳ τὸν Δεσπότην μιμούμενος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐφαίνετο, ὅτε ἔδει φανῆναι τοῦτο, καὶ ἐν πυρὶ πάλαι, ὅτε ὁ καιρὸς τοῦτο ἀπῄτει, καὶ νῦν μὲν ἐν ὁπλίτου σχήματι καὶ στρατιώτου, νῦν δὲ ἐν εἰκόνι πρεσβύτου, νῦν δὲ ἐν αὔρᾳ λεπτῇ, νῦν δὲ ὡς ὁδοιπόρος, νῦν δὲ αὐτοάνθρωπος, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀποθανεῖν οὕτω παρῃτήσατο. Τὸ δὲ, Ἔδει τοῦτο, ὅταν εἴπω, μηδεὶς ἀνάγκην εἶναι νομιζέτω τῶν λόγων, ἀλλὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας μόνον. Καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἐν θρόνῳ, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ κάθηται. Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς ὑποκειμένας οἰκονομίας ἔπραττε· διὸ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα, καὶ ἐν χερσὶ προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μιμούμενος Δεσπότην, οὐκ ἂν κατεγνώσθη, νῦν μὲν Ἰουδαῖος γενόμενος, νῦν δὲ ὡς ἄνομος· καὶ νῦν μὲν νόμον ἐφύλαττε, νῦν δὲ ὑπερεώρα νόμου· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἀντείχετο τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, ποτὲ δὲ αὐτῆς κατεφρόνει· καὶ νῦν μὲν ᾔτει χρήματα, νῦν δὲ καὶ διδόμενα διεκρούετο, καὶ ἔθυε καὶ ἐξυρᾶτο, καὶ πάλιν ἀνεθεμάτιζε τοὺς ποιοῦντας· καὶ νῦν μὲν περιέτεμε, νῦν δὲ περιτομὴν ἐξέβαλε. Καὶ τὰ μὲν γινόμενα ἐναντία ἦν, ἡ δὲ γνώμη καὶ ἡ διάνοια, ἀφ' ἧς ταῦτα ἐγίνετο, σφόδρα ἀκόλουθος καὶ ἑαυτῇ συνημμένη· ἓν γὰρ ἐζήτει, τῶν ταῦτα ἀκουόντων καὶ ὁρώντων τὴν σωτηρίαν. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο νῦν μὲν ἐπαίρει νόμον, νῦν δὲ αὐτὸν καθαιρεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον ἐν οἷς","english":"For he was versatile and manifold, not acting a part—may that never be!—but becoming all things that the need of the preaching and the salvation of men required, and in this imitating his own Master. For God too appeared as a man when it was necessary for this to appear, and formerly in fire when the time demanded it, and now in the guise of a soldier and warrior, now in the image of an old man, now in a gentle breeze, now as a traveler, now as man himself, and he did not even decline to die in this way. And when I say, \"It was necessary,\" let no one think that this is a matter of compulsion in the words, but only of his loving-kindness toward men. And sometimes he sits on a throne, sometimes upon the Cherubim. And all these things he did with a view to the dispensations that lay before him; therefore he also said through the prophet: \"I multiplied visions, and I was likened in the hands of the prophets.\" Thus Paul also, imitating his own Master, would not have been condemned—now becoming a Jew, now as one without the law; and now he kept the law, now he disregarded the law; and sometimes he clung to the present life, sometimes he despised it; and now he asked for money, now he even refused what was given, and he sacrificed and shaved his head, and again he anathematized those who did so; and now he circumcised, now he cast out circumcision. And the things done were contrary, but the purpose and the mind from which these things were done was wholly consistent and joined to itself; for he sought one thing—the salvation of those who heard and saw these things. For this reason he now exalts the law, now he abolishes it. For not only in those things which","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":582,"ref":"p582","source":"ἔπραττεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν οἷς ἔλεγε, ποικίλος τις ἦν καὶ παντοδαπός· οὐχὶ μεταβαλλόμενος τὴν γνώμην, οὐδὲ ἕτερος ἐξ ἑτέρου γινόμενος, ἀλλὰ μένων ὅπερ ἦν, καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκαστον πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν μεταχειρίζων χρείαν. Διά τοι τοῦτο οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι λειμῶνα ἀρετῶν καὶ παράδεισον πνευματικὸν καλέσας τὴν Παύλου ψυχήν· οὕτω πολλῇ μὲν ἤνθει τῇ χάριτι, ἀξίαν δὲ τῆς χάριτος ἐπεδείκνυτο τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τῆς ψυχῆς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς γέγονε, καὶ καλῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξεκάθηρε, δαψιλὴς ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐξεχύθη εἰς αὐτὸν δωρεά· ὅθεν ἡμῖν καὶ τοὺς θαυμαστοὺς ἔτεκε ποταμοὺς, οὐ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ παραδείσου πηγὴν, τέσσαρας μόνους, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλείους καθ' ἑκάστην ῥέοντας τὴν ἡμέραν, οὐ τὴν γῆν ἄρδοντας, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς εἰς καρπογονίαν ἀρετῆς διεγείροντας. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας γλώττης ἀκούητε τὰ παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου κατορθώματα, καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν, ἣν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος τῆς εὐσεβείας καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἀναγκαῖον αὐτοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος. Ἡνίκα γὰρ εἰς ἀνάγκην κατέστη διὰ τὴν τῶν ψευδαποστόλων ἀπάτην τὰ ἑαυτοῦ διηγεῖσθαι, οὕτω πως ἤρξατο μετὰ τὸ πολλὰ ἕτερα εἰπεῖν· Διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι; παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ· ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως, ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἐν φυλακαῖς περισσοτέρως, ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις· ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων πεντάκις τεσσαράκοντα παρὰ μίαν ἔλαβον, τρὶς ἐῤῥαβδίσθην, ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθην, τρὶς ἐναυάγησα, νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα·","english":"he acted, but even in what he said he was versatile and manifold—not changing his mind, nor becoming one person after another, but remaining what he was, and handling each of his words according to the present need. Therefore no one would err in calling the soul of Paul a meadow of virtues and a spiritual paradise; for so greatly did he bloom with grace, and he displayed a philosophy of soul worthy of that grace. For since he had become a chosen vessel and had cleansed himself well, the gift of the Spirit was poured out upon him abundantly; whence he also brought forth for us those wondrous rivers, not like the fountain of paradise, which has only four, but far more, flowing each day, not watering the earth but stirring up the souls of men to the fruit-bearing of virtue. But so that you may not hear from our tongue the achievements of this blessed man, and the courage which he displayed each day on behalf of the preaching of piety, it is necessary to hear him speaking himself. For when he was compelled, because of the deceit of the false apostles, to recount his own deeds, after saying many other things he began somewhat as follows: Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as one beside himself, I am more: in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often; from the Jews five times I received forty lashes minus one, three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have spent in the deep;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":583,"ref":"p583","source":"ὁδοιπορίαις πολλάκις, κινδύνοις ποταμῶν, κινδύνοις λῃστῶν, κινδύνοις ἐκ γένους, κινδύνοις ἐξ ἐθνῶν, κινδύνοις ἐν ψευδαδέλφοις, κινδύνοις ἐν πόλεσι, κινδύνοις ἐν ἐρημίᾳ, κινδύνοις ἐν θαλάσσῃ· ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις πολλάκις, ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψῃ, ἐν νηστείαις πολλάκις, ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι, χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτός. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτὸς, ᾐνίξατο, ὅτι τὰ παραλειφθέντα πλείονα εἰκὸς εἶναι τῶν εἰρημένων. Εἶτα πάλιν φησίν· Ἡ ἐπισύστασίς μου ἡ καθ' ἡμέραν, ἡ μέριμνα πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν. Εἶδες πλάτος ψυχῆς; εἶδες διανοίας μέγεθος; Ὅσην γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος διατρέχει γῆν τὰς οἰκείας ἀκτῖνας ἀφιεὶς, τοσαύτην καὶ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος εἶχε τὴν μέριμναν καὶ τὴν φροντίδα. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; Βαβαί! πόση τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου ἡ φιλοστοργία! πόση ἡ ἀγρυπνία! πόση ἡ μέριμνα! ποία μήτηρ οὕτω διακόπτεται τὰ σπλάγχνα, τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτῆς πυρέττοντος καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης κειμένου, ὡς ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τόπῳ ἀσθενούντων μᾶλλον ἠσθένει, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἐπυροῦτο; Τίς οὖν ἀρκέσει λόγος τοῖς τούτου κατορθώμασιν; ἢ ποία δυνήσεται γλῶσσα ἐφικέσθαι τῶν ἐγκωμίων τῶν ἐκείνου; Ὅταν γὰρ ἅπαντα τὰ ἐν ἀνθρώποις καλὰ συλλαβοῦσα ἔχῃ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, οὐ μόνον δὲ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων, πῶς περιεσόμεθα τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ἐγκωμίων; Οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐροῦμεν.","english":"often in journeys, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own race, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers among false brothers, in dangers in the cities, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea; in labor and toil, often in watchings, in hunger and thirst, often in fastings, in cold and nakedness, besides the things that are without. And when he said, \"Besides the things that are without,\" he hinted that the things omitted are likely to be more numerous than those spoken of. Then again he says: \"My daily pressing upon me, the care of all the Churches.\" Did you see the breadth of his soul? Did you see the greatness of his mind? For as much land as the sun runs through, sending forth its own rays, so great was the care and solicitude that this blessed man had. Therefore he also said: \"Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?\" Alas! how great was this man's affection! how great his watchfulness! how great his care! What mother is so torn in her inmost being, while her child is feverish and lying on the bed, as this blessed man was weak on behalf of the sick in every place, and burned on behalf of those who were made to stumble? What word, then, will suffice for his achievements? Or what tongue will be able to attain to his praises? For when one soul has gathered up all the good things that are among men, and all of them in excess, and not only the things of men but also the things of angels, how shall we get the better of the greatness of his praises? Yet we shall not for this reason be silent, but for this very reason most of all we shall speak.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":584,"ref":"p584","source":"Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἐγκωμίου μέγιστον εἶδος, τὸ νικᾷν τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ μέγεθος μετὰ πάσης περιουσίας τοῦ λόγου τὴν εὐκολίαν, καὶ ἡ ἧττα μυρίων ἡμῖν ἐστι λαμπροτέρα τροπαίων. Πόθεν οὖν εὔκαιρον ἅψασθαι τῶν ἐγκωμίων; πόθεν δὲ ἄλλοθεν, ἢ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πρώτου δεῖξαι τὰ πάντων ἔχοντα ἀγαθά; Εἴτε γὰρ προφῆται ἐπεδείξαντό τι γενναῖον, εἴτε πατριάρχαι, εἴτε δίκαιοι, εἴτε ἀπόστολοι, εἴτε μάρτυρες, πάντα ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συλλαβὼν ἔχει μετὰ τοσαύτης ὑπερβολῆς, μεθ' ὅσης οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων, ὅπερ ἕκαστος εἶχε καλὸν, ἐκέκτητο. Σκόπει δέ· Προσήνεγκεν Ἄβελ θυσίαν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἀνακηρύττεται· ἀλλ' ἐὰν τὴν Παύλου θυσίαν εἰς μέσον ἀγάγῃς, τοσοῦτον δείκνυται βελτίων ἐκείνης, ὅσον τῆς γῆς ὁ οὐρανός. Ποίαν οὖν βούλεσθε εἴπω; οὐδὲ γὰρ μία μόνον ἐστί. Καὶ γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καθ' ἑκάστην κατέθυε τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ ταύτην πάλιν διπλῆν ἐποίει τὴν προσφορὰν, τοῦτο μὲν, καθ' ἑκάστην ἀποθνήσκων, τοῦτο δὲ, τὴν νέκρωσιν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ περιφέρων. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς κινδύνους διηνεκῶς παρετάττετο, καὶ ἐσφάττετο τῇ","english":"For this too is the greatest form of praise: that the greatness of his achievements surpasses the ease of speech with all its abundance, and our defeat is brighter to us than countless trophies. From where, then, is it timely to begin the praises? And from where else than from himself first must we show the one who possesses the good things of all? For whether prophets displayed something noble, or patriarchs, or righteous men, or apostles, or martyrs, having gathered all these together he possesses them with such surpassing abundance as none of those possessed whatever good each one had. Consider: Abel offered a sacrifice, and from this he is proclaimed; but if you bring Paul's sacrifice into the midst, it is shown to be as much better than that one as heaven is than earth. Which, then, do you wish me to speak of? For it is not only one. For he sacrificed himself each day; and again he made this offering twofold, on the one hand by dying each day, on the other by carrying about the mortification in his body. For he was continually drawn up in battle against dangers, and was being slain by the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":585,"ref":"p585","source":"προαιρέσει, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν φύσιν οὕτως ἐνέκρωσεν, ὡς τῶν σφαγιαζομένων ἱερείων μηδὲν ἔλαττον διακεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ βοῦς καὶ πρόβατα προσέφερεν, ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν διπλῇ καθ' ἑκάστην ἐσφαγίαζε τὴν ἡμέραν. Διὸ καὶ ἐθάῤῥησεν εἰπεῖν· Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, σπονδὴν ἑαυτοῦ τὸ αἷμα καλέσας. Οὐ μὴν ἠρκέσθη ταῖς θυσίαις ταύταις, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καλῶς ἑαυτὸν καθιέρωσε, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν προσήνεγκε, καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, καὶ Ἑλλάδα καὶ βάρβαρον, καὶ πᾶσαν ἁπαξαπλῶς τὴν κτίσιν ταύτην, καθάπερ τις ὑπόπτερος ἀετὸς γενόμενος ἐπῆλθεν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὁδοιπορῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἀκάνθας τῶν ἁμαρ τημάτων ἀνασπῶν, καὶ τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐσεβείας κατασπείρων, τὴν πλάνην ἀπελαύνων, τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπανάγων, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀγγέλους ποιῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀπὸ δαιμόνων ἀγγέλους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. Διὸ καὶ μέλλων ἀπιέναι μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας καὶ τὰ πυκνὰ ταῦτα τρόπαια, παραμυθούμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἔλεγεν· Εἰ καὶ σπένδομαι ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ καὶ λειτουργίᾳ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, χαίρω καὶ συγχαίρω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν. Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν χαίρετε καὶ συγχαίρετέ μοι. Τί τοίνυν γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς θυσίας ταύτης ἴσον, ἢν τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος σπασάμενος ἔθυσεν; ἣν ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσήγαγε τῷ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν; Ἀλλ' ἀνῃρέθη δολοφονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Κάϊν ὁ Ἄβελ, καὶ ταύτῃ λαμπρότερος γέγονεν; Ἀλλ'ἐγώ σοι μυρίους ἠρίθμησα θανάτους, καὶ τοσούτους, ὅσας ἡμέρας κηρύττων ὁ μακάριος ἔζησεν οὗτος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν μέχρι τῆς πείρας αὐτῆς προελθοῦσαν βούλει μαθεῖν σφαγὴν, ἐκεῖνος μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μήτε ἀδικηθέντος, μήτε εὐεργετηθέντος; κατέπεσεν·","english":"by his choice, and he so put to death the nature of the flesh that he was disposed no less than the sacrificed victims, but even far more. For he did not offer oxen and sheep, but he sacrificed himself twice each day. Therefore he also dared to say: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, calling his own blood a drink offering. Yet he was not satisfied with these sacrifices, but since he had consecrated himself well, he also offered the whole inhabited world, both land and sea, both Greek and barbarian, and simply all this creation, and having become like some winged eagle he went over it, not simply traveling, but pulling up the thorns of sins, and sowing the word of piety, driving out error, bringing back the truth, making angels out of men, or rather making men angels out of demons. Therefore also, when he was about to depart after his many labors and these frequent trophies, consoling his disciples, he said: Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice together with you all. And you therefore rejoice and rejoice together with me. What, then, could be equal to this sacrifice, which he offered after drawing the sword of the Spirit? Which he brought to the altar that is above the heavens? But Abel was slain, murdered by Cain, and thereby became more illustrious? But I have counted for you ten thousand deaths, and as many as the days this blessed man lived while preaching. But if you wish to learn of the slaughter that proceeded even to the very experience of it, that man fell by the hand of a brother who had neither been wronged nor benefited;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":586,"ref":"p586","source":"οὗτος δὲ ὑπὸ τούτων ἀνῄρητο, οὓς ἐξαρπάσαι τῶν μυρίων ἠπείγετο κακῶν, καὶ δι' οὓς πάντα ἔπασχεν, ἅπερ ἔπαθεν. Ἀλλὰ Νῶε δίκαιος τέλειος ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μόνος ἐν ἅπασι τοιοῦτος ἦν; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Παῦλος μόνος ἐν ἅπασι τοιοῦτος. Κἀκεῖνος μὲν ἑαυτὸν μετὰ τῶν παίδων διέσωσε μόνον· οὗτος δὲ, πολὺ χαλεπωτέρου τὴν οἰκουμένην κατακλυσμοῦ καταλαβόντος, οὐ σανίδας πηξάμενος, καὶ κιβωτὸν ποιήσας, ἀλλὰ ἀντὶ σανίδων τὰς ἐπιστολὰς συνθεὶς, οὐ δύο καὶ τρεῖς καὶ πέντε συγγενεῖς, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν καταποντίζεσθαι μέλλουσαν ἐκ μέσων ἥρπασε τῶν κυμάτων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοιαύτη ἦν ἡ κιβωτὸς, ὡς ἐν ἑνὶ περιφέρεσθαι τόπῳ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τέρματα τῆς οἰκουμένης κατέλαβε, καὶ πάντας εἰσάγει μέχρι τοῦ νῦν εἰς τὴν λάρνακα ταύτην, σύμμετρον τῷ πλήθει τῶν σωζομένων αὐτὴν κατασκευάζων, καὶ δεχόμενος ἀλόγων ἀνοητοτέρους, ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσιν ἐφαμίλλους ἐργάζεται, καὶ ταύτῃ νικῶν τὴν κιβωτὸν ἐκείνην. Ἐκείνη μὲν κόρακα λαβοῦσα, κόρακα πάλιν ἐξέπεμψε, καὶ λύκον ὑποδεξαμένη, τὴν θηριωδίαν οὐ μετέβαλεν· οὗτος δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ λαβὼν λύκους, πρόβατα εἰργάσατο, καὶ λαβὼν κόρακας καὶ κολοιοὺς, περιστερὰς τούτους ἀπετέλεσε, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀλογίαν καὶ θηριωδίαν τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσεως ἐκβαλὼν, τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπεισήγαγεν ἡμερότητα. Καὶ μέχρι νῦν μένει πλέουσα ἡ κιβωτὸς αὕτη, καὶ οὐ διαλύεται, οὐδὲ ἴσχυσεν αὐτῆς τὰς σανίδας χαυνῶσαι τῆς κακίας ὁ χειμὼν, ἀλλ' αὕτη πλέουσα τοῦ χειμῶνος τὴν ζάλην κατέλυσε· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· οὐ γὰρ ἀσφάλτῳ καὶ πίσσῃ, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ κεχρισμέναι αἱ σανίδες αὗταί εἰσιν.","english":"But he was killed by those whom he was hastening to snatch from countless evils, and for whose sake he suffered all that he suffered. But was Noah, righteous and perfect in his generation, the only such man among all? For Paul too was the only such man among all. And that man saved only himself along with his children; but this man, when a far more grievous flood had seized the whole world, did not build planks and make an ark, but instead of planks composed his letters, and did not snatch two and three and five relatives, but snatched the whole world, which was about to be drowned, from the midst of the waves. For the ark was not of such a kind as to be carried about in one place, but it reached the ends of the world, and it brings all people into this chest even until now, fashioning it in proportion to the multitude of those being saved, and receiving those more senseless than brute beasts, it makes them equal to the powers on high, and in this way it surpasses that ark. That ark received a raven and sent out a raven again, and welcomed a wolf but did not change its beastliness; but this man did not act so, but taking wolves he made them sheep, and taking ravens and jackdaws he made them doves, and casting out all irrationality and beastliness from human nature, he brought in the gentleness of the Spirit. And until now this ark remains sailing and is not dissolved, nor has the winter of wickedness been able to loosen its planks, but while sailing it has put an end to the storm of winter; and very reasonably so, for these planks are anointed not with pitch and bitumen, but with the Holy Spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":587,"ref":"p587","source":"Ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ θαυμάζομεν, ὅτι ἀκούσας, Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, ἀφῆκε πατρίδα καὶ οἰκίαν, καὶ φίλους καὶ συγγενεῖς, καὶ πάντα ἦν αὐτῷ τὸ ἐπίταγμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο θαυμάζομεν. Ἀλλὰ τί Παύλου γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον, ὃς οὐ πατρίδα καὶ οἰκίαν καὶ συγγενεῖς ἀφῆκεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα διὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἓν μόνον ἐζήτει, τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην; Οὔτε γὰρ ἐνεστῶτα, φησὶν, οὔτε μέλλοντα, οὔτε ὕψωμα, οὔτε βάθος δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος εἰς κινδύνους ῥίψας ἑαυτὸν, τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν ἐξήρπασε τῶν βαρβάρων; Ἀλλ' οὗτος οὐ τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν, οὐδὲ τρεῖς καὶ πέντε πόλεις, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, οὐκ ἀπὸ βαρβάρων, ἀλλ' ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῶν\n\nδαιμόνων ἥρπασε τῆς χειρὸς, μυρίους καθ' ἑκάστην ὑπομένων κινδύνους, καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις θανάτοις ἑτέροις πολλὴν ἀσφάλειαν κτώμενος. Τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐστι καὶ ἡ κορωνὶς τῆς φιλοσοφίας, τὸ τὸν υἱὸν καταθύσαι; Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὰ πρωτεῖα παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ ὄντα εὑρήσομεν, ὃς οὐχὶ υἱὸν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν μυριάκις κατέθυσεν, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπών. Τί ἄν τις θαυμάσειε τοῦ Ἰσαάκ; πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα, μάλιστα δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνεξικακίαν, ὅτι φρέατα ὀρύττων, καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἐλαυνόμενος ὅρων, οὐκ ἐπεξῄει, ἀλλὰ καταχωννύμενα ὁρῶν ἠνείχετο, καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον ἀεὶ μεθίστατο τόπον, οὐχ ὁμόσε ἀεὶ τοῖς λυποῦσι χωρῶν, ἀλλ' ἐξιστάμενος καὶ παραχωρῶν πανταχοῦ τῶν οἰκείων κτημάτων, ἕως αὐτῶν τὴν ἄδικον ἐκόρεσεν ἐπιθυμίαν.","english":"But we marvel at Abraham, because when he heard, \"Go out from your land and from your kindred,\" he left his homeland and his house, and his friends and relatives, and the command of Christ was everything to him. For we too marvel at this. But what could equal Paul, who left not homeland and house and relatives, but the whole world itself and everything in it for the sake of Jesus, and heaven itself, and the heaven of heaven, and sought only one thing, the love of Jesus? For neither things present, he says, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth will be able to separate us from the love of God. But did that man throw himself into dangers and snatch his nephew from the barbarians? But this man snatched not his nephew, nor three or five cities, but the whole inhabited world, not from barbarians, but from the very hand of the demons, enduring countless dangers every day, and by his own deaths procuring great security for many others. And is the sum of his good deeds and the crown of his philosophy the sacrificing of his son? But here too we shall find the first place belongs to Paul, who sacrificed not a son but himself ten thousand times, as I said before. What would one marvel at in Isaac? Many things indeed, but especially his forbearance, that while digging wells and being driven from his own boundaries, he did not retaliate, but endured seeing them filled in, and continually moved to another place, not always coming to grips with those who grieved him, but withdrawing and yielding his own possessions everywhere, until he satisfied their unjust desire.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":588,"ref":"p588","source":"Ἀλλ' ὁ Παῦλος οὐ φρέατα λίθοις καταχωννύμενα ὁρῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα, οὐ παρεχώρει, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος, μόνον, ἀλλ' εἰσιὼν, τοῖς λίθοις τοὺς βάλλοντας αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰσάγειν ἐφιλονείκει. Ὅσῳ γὰρ κατεχώννυτο ἡ πηγὴ, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐξεῤῥήγνυτο, καὶ πλείους ἐξέχεε ποταμοὺς εἰς ὑπομονήν. Τὸν παῖδα θαυμάζει τούτου τῆς καρτερίας ἡ Γραφή; Καὶ ποία ἀδαμαντίνη ψυχὴ τὴν Παύλου δύναιτ' ἂν ἐπιδείξασθαι ὑπομονήν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ δὶς ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἐδούλευσεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πάντα βίον ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νύμφης, οὐ συγκαιόμενος μόνον τῷ καύματι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, ἀλλὰ μυρίας νιφάδας πειρασμῶν ὑπομένων, καὶ νῦν μὲν μάστιξι, νῦν δὲ λίθοις τὸ σῶμα κατατεμνόμενος, καὶ νῦν μὲν θηρίοις μαχόμενος, νῦν δὲ πελάγει πυκτεύων, καὶ λιμῷ διηνεκεῖ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς καὶ κρυμῷ, καὶ πανταχοῦ ὑπὲρ τὰ σκάμματα πηδῶν, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου φάρυγγος ἀφαρπάζων. Ἀλλὰ σώφρων ὁ Ἰωσήφ; Ἀλλὰ δέδοικαμὴ γέλως ᾖ τὸν Παῦλον ἐντεῦθεν ἐγκωμιάζειν, ὃς ἐσταύρωσεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ οὐ τὰ λαμπρὰ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ πράγματα οὕτως ἑώρα, ὡς ἡμεῖς τὴν κόνιν καὶ τὴν τέφραν· καὶ ὡς ἂν νεκρὸς πρὸς νεκρὸν ἀκίνητος γένοιτο, οὕτω μετὰ ἀκριβείας τῆς φύσεως τὰ σκιρτήματα κατευνάζων, οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε πρὸς ἀνθρώπινον πάθος ἔπαθεν. Ἐκπλήττονται τὸν Ἰὼβ πάντες ἄνθρωποι, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως·","english":"But Paul, seeing not wells being filled up with stones, but his own body, did not yield ground like that man only, but entering in, he strove to lead those who were stoning him into heaven. For the more the spring was being buried, the more it burst forth, and it poured out more rivers into endurance. Does Scripture marvel at that man's steadfastness? And what adamantine soul could display the endurance of Paul? For he did not serve twice seven years, but his whole life for the bride of Christ, not only being scorched by the heat of the day and the frost of the night, but enduring countless snowstorms of temptations, now his body being cut by scourges, now by stones, now fighting with beasts, now boxing with the sea, and with continual hunger day and night and cold, and everywhere leaping beyond the barriers, and snatching the sheep from the devil's throat. But was Joseph self-controlled? But I fear it is a laughing matter to praise Paul on that account, he who crucified himself to the world, and saw not only the bright things in bodies, but all things, as we see dust and ashes; and as a dead man would be motionless toward a dead man, so with exactness calming the impulses of nature, he never suffered anything toward human passion. All men are astonished at Job, and very reasonably.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":589,"ref":"p589","source":"καὶ γὰρ μέγας ἀθλητὴς, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν Παῦλον ἀντιβλέψαι δυνάμενος διὰ τὴν ὑπομονὴν, διὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου καθαρότητα, διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρίαν, διὰ τὴν καρτερὰν μάχην ἐκείνην, διὰ τὴν θαυμαστὴν νίκην τὴν μετὰ τὴν μάχην. Ἀλλὰ Παῦλος οὐχὶ μῆνας πολλοὺς ἀγωνιζόμενος οὕτω διῆγεν, ἀλλ' ἔτη πολλὰ, οὐχὶ τήκων βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξέων, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦ λέοντος τὸ νοητὸν στόμα συνεχῶς ἐμπίπτων, καὶ μυρίοις παλαίων πειρασμοῖς, πάσης πέτρας στεῤῥότερος ἦν· οὐχὶ παρὰ τριῶν φίλων ἢ τεσσάρων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ πάντων ὀνειδιζόμενος τῶν ἀπιστούντων ψευδαδέλφων, ἐμπτυόμενος, λοιδορούμενος. Ἀλλ' ἡ φιλοξενία τοῦ Ἰὼβ μεγάλη, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους φιλανθρωπία; Οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀντεροῦμεν· ἀλλὰ τῆς Παύλου τοσοῦτον καταδεεστέραν εὑρήσομεν, ὅσον ψυχῆς σῶμα ἀφέστηκεν. Ἃ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος περὶ τοὺς τὴν σάρκα πεπηρωμένους ἐπεδείκνυτο. ταῦτα οὗτος περὶ τοὺς τὴν ψυχὴν λελωβημένους ἔπραττε, πάντας τοὺς χωλοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους τὸν λογισμὸν διορθούμενος, καὶ τοὺς γυμνοὺς καὶ ἀσχημονοῦντας περιβάλλων τῇ τῆς φιλοσοφίας στολῇ. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς δὲ τοσοῦτον αὐτοῦ περιῆν, ὅσῳ πολλῷ μεῖζον τὸ τὸν πενίᾳ συζῶντα καὶ λιμῷ βοηθεῖν τοῖς δεομένοις, τοῦ ἐκ περιουσίας τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἡ οἰκία παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἀνέῳκτο, αὐτοῦ δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἥπλωτο, καὶ ὁλοκλήρους δήμους ὑπεδέχετο λέγων· Οὐ στενοχωρεῖσθε ἐν ἡμῖν, στενοχωρεῖσθε δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν προβάτων αὐτῷ καὶ βοῶν ὄντων ἀπείρων, φιλότιμος περὶ τοὺς δεομένους ἦν·","english":"For he was a great athlete, able to look even Paul himself in the face because of his endurance, because of the purity of his life, because of the testimony of God, because of that mighty struggle, because of the wonderful victory that came after the struggle. But Paul did not spend his time contending for many months, but for many years, not melting clods of earth by sweating out moisture, but continually throwing himself into the very intelligible mouth of the lion, and wrestling with countless temptations, he was harder than any rock; not being reviled by three or four friends, but by all the unbelieving false brethren, being spat upon, being insulted. But was the hospitality of Job great, and his kindness toward the needy? We will not deny it; but we will find it as much inferior to Paul's as the body is distant from the soul. For the things that Job showed toward those maimed in the flesh, Paul did toward those crippled in the soul, correcting all who were lame and disabled in their reasoning, and clothing the naked and shameful with the garment of philosophy. And in bodily matters too he surpassed him to the same degree that it is far greater to help the needy while living in poverty and hunger than to do so out of abundance. For Job's house was open to everyone who came, but Paul's soul was spread out to the whole inhabited world, and he received whole peoples, saying: You are not restricted in us, but you are restricted in your own affections. And Job, though he had countless sheep and cattle, was generous toward the needy;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":590,"ref":"p590","source":"οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν πλέον κεκτημένος τοῦ σώματος, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῖς δεομένοις ἐπήρκει, καὶ βοᾷ λέγων· Ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος ἐργασίαν πρόσοδον τοῖς πεινῶσι καὶ λιμώττουσι κεκτημένος. Ἀλλ' οἱ σκώληκες καὶ τὰ τραύματα χαλεπὰς καὶ ἀκαρτερήτους παρεῖχον τῷ Ἰὼβ τὰς ὀδύνας;\n\nὉμολογῶ κἀγώ. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν τὰς ἐντοσούτοις ἔτεσι τοῦ Παύλου μάστιγας, καὶ τὸν λιμὸν τὸν διηνεκῆ, καὶ τὴν γυμνότητα, καὶ τὰς ἁλύσεις, καὶ τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς τὰς παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων, τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, τὰς παρὰ τῶν τυράννων, τὰς παρὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης ἀντιτιθῇς, καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὰ πάντων πικρότερα, λέγω δὴ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν πιπτόντων ὀδύνας, τὴν φροντίδα τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν πασῶν, τὴν πύρωσιν, ἣν ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ὑπέμενεν, ὄψει πῶς πέτρας στεῤῥοτέρα ἦν ἡ ταῦτα φέρουσα ψυχὴ, καὶ σίδηρον καὶ ἀδάμαντα ἐνίκα· καὶ ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος ἔπασχεν ἐν τῷ σώματι, ταῦτα οὗτος ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ σκώληκος παντὸς χαλεπώτερον ἡ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἀθυμία διέτρωγε τὴν ψυχήν. Ὅθεν καὶ πηγὰς δακρύων ἠφίει διηνεκῶς, οὐ τὰς ἡμέρας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς νύκτας· καὶ πάσης γυναικὸς ὠδινούσης δριμύτερον διεσπᾶτο καθ' ἕκαστον αὐτῶν. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω. Τίνα ἄν τις μετὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ ἐκπλαγείη; τὸν Μωϋσέα πάντως. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον ἐκ πολλοῦ περιόντος ὑπερηκόντισε. Μεγάλα μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον καὶ ἡ κορωνὶς τῆς ἁγίας ψυχῆς ἐκείνης, ὅτι ἐξαλειφθῆναι εἵλετο τῆς βίβλου ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν Ἰουδαίων.","english":"But this man, possessing nothing more than his body, helped those in need from it, and he cries out saying: \"These hands have ministered to my needs and to those who are with me,\" having gained from bodily labor an income for the hungry and starving. But did the worms and the wounds not give Job pains harsh and unbearable?\n\nI confess it too. But if you set against them the lashes of Paul over so many years, and the continual hunger, and the nakedness, and the chains, and the prison, and the dangers, and the plots from his own people, from strangers, from tyrants, from the whole inhabited world, and with these the bitterest of all things—I mean the pains he bore for those who were falling, the care of all the Churches, the burning which he endured for each one of those who were caused to stumble—you will see how the soul that bore these things was harder than rock, and conquered iron and adamant; and what that man suffered in his body, this man suffered in his soul, and the despondency over each one of those who stumbled pierced his soul more grievously than any worm. Hence he also sent forth fountains of tears continually, not only by day but also by night; and he was torn more sharply than any woman in labor for each one of them. Therefore he also said: \"My little children, for whom I am again in labor.\" Whom would one marvel at after Job? At Moses, certainly. But he surpassed even this man by far. For great indeed are his other deeds, but the chief and crown of that holy soul is that he chose to be blotted out of the book for the salvation of the Jews.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":591,"ref":"p591","source":"Ἀλλ' οὗτος μὲν συναπολέσθαι ἑτέροις ᾑρεῖτο· ὁ δὲ Παῦλος οὐ συναπολέσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑτέρων σωζομένων αὐτὸς ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς δόξης τῆς ἀπεράντου. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τῷ Φαραὼ, ὁ δὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ καθ' ἡμέραν ἐπύκτευε· καὶ ὁ μὲν ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἔθνους, ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης ἔκαμνεν, οὐχ ἱδρῶτι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἵματι ἀντὶ ἱδρῶτος πάντοθεν περιῤῥεόμενος, οὐχὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀοίκητον διορθούμενος, οὐχὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν βάρβαρον. Ἐνῆν καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς μέσον παραγαγεῖν, καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους προφήτας· ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ μακρότερον ποιῶμεν τὸν λόγον, ἐπὶ τοὺς κορυφαίους αὐτῶν βαδίσωμεν· ὅταν γὰρ τούτων φανῇ κρείττων, οὐδεμία περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀμφισβήτησις λείπεται. Τίνες δὲ οἱ κορυφαῖοι; Τίνες δὲ ἄλλοι μετὰ τούτους, ἢ ὁ Δαυῒδ καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης; ὧν ὁ μὲν τῆς προτέρας παρουσίας, ὁ δὲ τῆς δευτέρας τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρόδρομος· διὸ καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας ἀλλήλοις ἐκοινώνησαν. Τί οὖν τὸ ἐξαίρετον τοῦ Δαυΐδ; Ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη καὶ ὁ πρὸς Θεὸν ἔρως. Καὶ τίς μὲν μᾶλλον, τίς δὲ οὐχ ἧττον τῆς Παύλου ψυχῆς ἀμφότερα ταῦτα κατώρθωσε; Τί δὲ τὸ θαυμαστὸν τοῦ Ἠλίου; ὅτι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔκλεισε, καὶ λιμὸν ἐπήγαγε, καὶ πῦρ κατήγαγεν; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι· ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐζήλωσεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου, καὶ πυρὸς σφοδρότερος ἦν. Ἀλλ' εἰ τὸν Παύλου ζῆλον ἴδοις, τοσοῦτον ὄψει κρατοῦντα, ὅσον ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἄλλων περιῆν. Τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο τῶν ῥημάτων ἐκείνων ἴσον, ἅπερ ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου δόξης ζηλῶν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν συγγενῶν μου κατὰ σάρκα;","english":"But this man chose to perish together with others; Paul, however, did not choose to perish together with others, but rather, while others were being saved, to fall himself from that boundless glory. And the one did battle daily with Pharaoh, the other with the devil; and the one labored for a single nation, the other for the whole inhabited world, drenched on every side not with sweat but even with blood in place of sweat, setting right not only the inhabited world but also the uninhabited, not only Greece but also the barbarian lands. It was possible to bring Jesus into the midst as well, and Samuel, and the other prophets; but so that we do not make the discourse too long, let us proceed to their foremost figures; for when he is shown to be greater than these, no dispute concerning the others remains. And who are the foremost? Who else after these than David and Elijah and John? Of whom the one was the forerunner of Christ's first coming, the other of his second; therefore they even shared the same title with one another. What then is David's exceptional quality? His humility and his love toward God. And who achieved both of these more, and who not less, than the soul of Paul? And what is wonderful about Elijah? That he shut up heaven, and brought on famine, and brought down fire? I do not think so; but rather that he was zealous for the Master, and was fiercer than fire. But if you look at Paul's zeal, you will see it prevailing as much as that man surpassed the others. For what could equal those words which, in his zeal for the Master's glory, he spoke, saying: \"I could wish to be accursed for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh\"?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":592,"ref":"p592","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο τῶν οὐρανῶν αὐτῷ προκειμένων, καὶ τῶν στεφάνων, καὶ τῶν ἐπάθλων, ἔμελλε καὶ ἐβράδυνε λέγων· Τὸ ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ τὴν κτίσιν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁρωμένην, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν νοητὴν ἐνόμισεν ἀρκεῖν εἰς παράστασιν τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τοῦ ζήλου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέραν οὐκ οὖσαν ἔπλασε τῷ λόγῳ, ὥστε ἐνδείξασθαι ὅπερ ἠθέλησε καὶ ἐπεθύμει. Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰωάννης ἀκρίδας ἤσθιε καὶ μέλι ἄγριον; Ἀλλ'οὗτος ἐν μέσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, διέτριβεν, ἀκρίδας μὲν καὶ μέλι ἄγριον μὴ σιτούμενος, πολὺ δὲ εὐτελεστέραν ταύτης παρατιθέμενος τράπεζαν, καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς ἀναγκαίας εὐπορῶν τροφῆς διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος σπουδήν. Ἀλλὰ πολλὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἡρώδην οὗτος παῤῥησίαν ἐπεδείξατο; Ἀλλ' οὗτος οὐχ ἕνα καὶ δύο καὶ τρεῖς, ἀλλὰ μυρίους κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἐπεστόμισε, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπωτέρους ἐκείνου τοῦ τυράννου. Λείπεται πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτὸν ἐξετάσαι λοιπόν· διόπερ ἀφέντες τὴν γῆν, πρὸς τὰς τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀναβησόμεθα ἁψῖδας. Ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς τόλμαν καταγινωσκέτω τοῦ λόγου. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἱερέας ἀγγέλους ἐκάλεσεν ἡ Γραφὴ, τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ τὸν ἁπάντων ἀμείνω ταῖς δυνάμεσι παραβάλλομεν ἐκείναις; Τί οὖν","english":"For this reason, when the heavens were set before him, and the crowns, and the prizes, he was both delaying and lingering, saying: \"To remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.\" For this reason he did not consider the visible creation sufficient for him, nor even the intelligible, for the demonstration of his love and zeal, but he also fashioned another that did not exist by his word, so as to show what he willed and desired. But did John eat locusts and wild honey? But this man spent his time in the middle of the inhabited world, just as that one did in the desert, not eating locusts and wild honey, but setting before himself a table far more frugal than that, and not even having an abundance of necessary food because of his zeal for the preaching. But did this man show great boldness toward Herod? But this man silenced not one and two and three, but ten thousand in that man's time, or rather even far more difficult men than that tyrant. It remains, then, to examine him against the angels; therefore, leaving the earth behind, let us ascend to the vaults of the heavens. But let no one condemn the boldness of the word. For if the Scripture called the priests angels, what is wonderful if we compare the one better than all to those powers? What then","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":593,"ref":"p593","source":"ἐστιν ἐκείνων τὸ μέγα; ὅτι μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας ὑπακούουσι τῷ Θεῷ. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐκπληττόμενος ἔλεγε· Δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Τούτου γὰρ ἴσον οὐδὲν, κἂν μυριάκις ὦσιν ἀσώματοι· τὸ γὰρ μάλιστα ποιοῦν τούτους μακαρίους, τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι πείθονται τοῖς προστάγμασιν, ὅτι οὐδαμοῦ παρακούουσι. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἔστιν ἰδεῖν φυλαττόμενον. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐποίησε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ προστάγματα. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Τίς οὖν μοί ἐστιν ὁ μισθός; ἵνα εὐαγγελιζόμενος, ἀδάπανον θήσω τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἕτερον θαυμάζων αὐτοὺς ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ Παύλου ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Καθάπερ γὰρ πνεῦμα καὶ πῦρ, οὕτω τὴν οἰκουμένην διέδραμεν ἅπασαν, καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξεκάθηρεν. Ἀλλ' οὔπω τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔλαχε; Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐν τῇ γῇ τοιοῦτος ἦν, καὶ σῶμα θνητὸν περικείμενος, πρὸς τὰς ἀσωμάτους ἡμιλλᾶτο δυνάμεις. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀπελθὼν, ἐγγὺς ἵσταται τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ, ἔνθα τὰ Χερουβὶμ δοξάζει, ἔνθα τὰ Σεραφὶμ πέταται. Ἐκεῖ οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπελθόντες, Παῦλον ὀψόμεθα, εἰ καὶ μὴ πλησίον ἑστῶτες, ἀλλ' ὀψόμεθα πάντως μετὰ Πέτρου καὶ τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων χοροῦ κορυφαῖον ὄντα καὶ προστάτην, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῆς γνησίας. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ὢν, οὕτως ἠγάπα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὡς αἱρέσεως οὔσης ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, ἑλέσθαι ἐνταῦθα εἶναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖ θερμότερον ἐπιδείξεται τὸ φίλτρον.","english":"What is their greatness? That they obey God with all strictness. David also, marveling at this, said: \"Mighty in strength, doing his word.\" For nothing is equal to this, even if they are bodiless ten thousand times over; for what most makes these blessed is this, that they are persuaded by his commands, that they nowhere disobey. This, then, can be seen carefully guarded by Paul as well. For he did not merely do his word, but also his commands. And declaring this, he said: \"What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge.\" What else did the prophet marvel at when he said: \"Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire\"? But this too can be seen in Paul. For just like spirit and fire, so he ran through the whole inhabited world, and cleansed the earth. But has he not yet obtained heaven? For this is the marvelous thing, that while on earth he was such, and clothed with a mortal body, he rivaled the bodiless powers. For this reason also, having gone there, he stands near the royal throne, where the Cherubim give glory, where the Seraphim fly. Having gone there, then, we too shall see Paul—even if not standing nearby, we shall certainly see him with Peter and the choir of the saints, being their leader and protector, and we shall enjoy genuine love. For if while here he so loved men that, when there was the option to depart and be with Christ, he chose to be here, much more there will he show his affection more warmly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":594,"ref":"p594","source":"Ἐγὼ καὶ τὴν Ῥώμην διὰ τοῦτο φιλῶ, ὅτι καὶ ζῶν αὐτοῖς ἔγραφε, καὶ οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἐφίλει, καὶ παρὼν αὐτοῖς διελέχθη, καὶ τὸν βίον ἐκεῖ κατέλυσε καὶ τὸ ἅγιον σῶμα κατέχουσι. Διὸ καὶ ἐπίσημος ἡ πόλις ἐντεῦθεν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων· καὶ καθάπερ σῶμα μέγα καὶ ἰσχυρὸν, ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει δύο λάμποντας, τῶν ἁγίων τούτων τὰ σώματα. Οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶν ὁ οὐρανὸς λαμπρὸς, ὅταν ἀφῇ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ὁ ἥλιος, ὡς ἡ Ῥωμαίων πόλις τὰς δύο ταύτας λαμπάδας πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀφιεῖσα. Ἐκεῖθεν ἁρπαγήσεται Παῦλος, ἐκεῖθεν Πέτρος. Ἐννοήσατε καὶ φρίξατε, οἷον ὄψεται θέαμα Ῥώμη, τὸν Παῦλον ἐξαίφνης ἀνιστάμενον ἀπὸ τῆς θήκης ἐκείνης μετὰ Πέτρου, καὶ αἰρόμενον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οἷον ἀποστέλλει τῷ Χριστῷ δῶρον ἡ Ῥώμη, οἵους στεφάνους ἡ πόλις περίκειται δύο, οἵας χρυσᾶς ἁλύσεις διέζωσται, οἵας πηγάς. Διὰ ταῦτα θαυμάζω τὴν πόλιν, οὐ διὰ τὸν χρυσὸν τὸν πολὺν, οὐ διὰ τοὺς κίονας, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἄλλην φαντασίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς στύλους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τούτους. Τίς μοι νῦν ἔδωκε περιχυθῆναι τῷ σώματι Παύλου, καὶ προσηλωθῆναι τῷ τάφῳ, καὶ τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τοῦ σώματος ἐκείνου, τοῦ τὰ ὑστερήματα ἀναπληρώσαντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ τὰ στίγματα βαστάσαντος, τοῦ πανταχοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα κατασπείραντος; τὴν κόνιν τοῦ στόματος, δι' οὗ Χριστὸς ἐφθέγγετο, δι' οὗ ἐλάλει ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο, δι' οὗ Παῦλον ἐμάθομεν, δι' οὗ τὸν Παύλου Δεσπότην; Οὐχ οὕτως ἡμῖν ἡ βροντὴ φοβερὰ, ὡς ἐκείνη τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἡ φωνή.","english":"I love Rome for this reason also: that he wrote to them while he was still alive, and loved them so, and conversed with them when present, and ended his life there, and they possess his holy body. Therefore the city is more distinguished for this than for all other things; and like a great and mighty body, it has two shining eyes, the bodies of these saints. Heaven is not so bright when the sun sends forth its rays, as the city of the Romans, sending forth these two torches everywhere throughout the inhabited world. From there Paul will be caught up, from there Peter. Consider and shudder: what a sight Rome will see—Paul suddenly rising from that tomb with Peter, and being taken up to meet Christ; what a gift Rome sends to Christ, what crowns the city wears, two of them, what golden chains it is girded with, what fountains. For these things I marvel at the city, not for the abundant gold, not for the columns, not for the other display, but for these pillars of the Church. Who will now grant me to be poured over the body of Paul, and to be fastened to the tomb, and to see the dust of that body, of him who filled up what was lacking in Christ, who bore the marks, who sowed the proclamation everywhere? The dust of the mouth through which Christ spoke, through which he spoke before kings and was not ashamed, through which we learned Paul, through which we learned Paul's Master? Thunder is not so fearful to us as that voice was to the demons.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":595,"ref":"p595","source":"Ὥσπερ οὖν ἀστραπὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ φανεῖσα καταπλήττει τοὺς ὁρῶντας, οὕτως ἡ Παύλου φωνὴ κατέπληττε τὸν διάβολον, καὶ καθάπερ σκηπτοῦ τις ἐμβολὴ, εἰς τὰς τούτου κατηνέχθη φάλαγγας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκ παρατάξεως ἵστατο πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμεν, ὡς εἰ καὶ σκιὰν ἴδοι καὶ φωνῆς ἀκούσειε, πόῤῥωθεν δραπετεύειν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔφριττε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν φωνήν. Αὕτη δεδεμένον αὐτὸν ἦγεν, αὕτη τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐξεκάθηρεν, αὕτη νοσήματα ἔλυσε, κακίαν ἐξέβαλεν, ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὸν Χριστὸν εἶχεν ἐγκαθήμενον, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ προῄει· καὶ ὅπερ τὰ Χερουβὶμ, τοῦτο ἡ Παύλου φωνή. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν δυνάμεων ἐκείνων ἐκάθητο, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Παύλου γλώττης. Καὶ γὰρ ἀξία τοῦ δέξασθαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐγένετο ἐκεῖνα φθεγγομένη, ἃ τῷ Χριστῷ φίλα ἦν, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἄφατον ἱπταμένη, καθάπερ τὰ Σεραφίμ. Οὐ τοῦ στόματος δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς καρδίας ἐκείνης ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν, ἣν οὐκ ἄν τις","english":"Just as lightning flashing from heaven strikes those who see it, so the voice of Paul struck the devil with terror, and like the fall of a thunderbolt it descended upon his ranks. For he did not stand against him in battle array, but so feared and trembled that if he saw even a shadow or heard a voice, he fled far away. For if he shuddered at his garments, much more at his voice. This voice led him bound, this voice cleansed the inhabited world, this voice loosed diseases, cast out wickedness, brought back truth, had Christ seated within it, and went forth everywhere with him; and what the Cherubim are, this the voice of Paul was. For just as he sat upon those powers, so also upon the tongue of Paul. For it became worthy to receive Christ, uttering the things that were dear to Christ, and flying up to unspeakable height, like the Seraphim. And I wished to see the dust not only of that mouth but also of that heart, which no one","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":596,"ref":"p596","source":"ἁμάρτοι καρδίαν τῆς οἰκουμένης εἰπὼν, καὶ τῶν μυρίων πηγὴν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἀρχὴν καὶ στοιχεῖον τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς. Τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα τῆς ζωῆς ἐκεῖθεν εἰς ἅπαντας ἐχορηγεῖτο, καὶ τοῖς μέλεσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ διεδίδοτο. Ταύτην καὶ διαλελυμένην ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν, τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὴν εὐρυτέραν τῆς οἰκουμένης, τὴν τῆς ἀκτῖνος φαιδροτέραν, τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς θερμοτέραν, τὴν τοῦ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέραν, τὴν καταξιωθεῖσαν φιλῆσαι Χριστὸν, ὡς οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐφίλησεν. Ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἐν ἁλύσει, δι' ὧν τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐχορηγεῖτο, δι' ὧν τὰ θεῖα γράμματα ἐγράφετο· τῶν χειρῶν ἐκείνων, ἃς ἰδοῦσα ἡ ἔχις ἐξέπεσεν εἰς τὴν πυράν. Ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τῶν πηρωθέντων καλῶς, τῶν ἀναβλεψάντων ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς οἰκουμένης, τῶν καὶ ἐν σώματι Χριστὸν ἰδεῖν ἀξιωθέντων, τῶν ὁρώντων τὰ γήϊνα καὶ οὐχ ὁρώντων, τῶν βλεπόντων τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τῶν μὴ εἰδότων ὕπνον, τῶν ἐν μέσαις νυξὶν ἀγρυπνούντων, τῶν οὐ πασχόντων τὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. Ἐβουλόμην καὶ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων ἰδεῖν τὴν κόνιν, τῶν περιδραμόντων τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ μὴ καμόντων, τῶν ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δεδεμένων, ἡνίκα τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔσεισε, τῶν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἀοίκητον περιελθόντων, τῶν ὁδοιπορούντων πολλάκις. Καὶ τί δεῖ κατὰ μέρος λέγειν;","english":"I would have counted it a sin to say that the heart of the world, the fountain of ten thousand good things, the beginning and element of our life. For the Spirit of life was supplied from there to all, and was distributed to the members of Christ. This I longed to see, even dissolved—the one higher than the heavens, the one broader than the world, the one brighter than the ray, the one hotter than fire, the one firmer than adamant, the one deemed worthy to kiss Christ as no other has kissed him. I wished to see the dust of the hands that were in chains, through which the Holy Spirit was supplied by the laying on of hands, through which the divine letters were written—those hands which the viper saw and leaped into the fire. I wished to see the dust of the eyes that were blinded well, that regained sight for the salvation of the world, that were deemed worthy to see Christ even in the body, that see earthly things and do not see, that behold things not seen, that do not know sleep, that keep watch in the middle of the night, that do not suffer the afflictions of the eyes. I wished also to see the dust of those feet that ran around the world and did not grow weary, that were bound in the wood when the prison shook, that went about the world and the uninhabited places, that traveled often. And why need I speak in detail?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":597,"ref":"p597","source":"ἐβουλόμην τὸν τάφον ἰδεῖν, ἔνθα τὰ ὅπλα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀπόκειται, τὰ ὅπλα τὰ τοῦ φωτὸς, τὰ μέλη τὰ νῦν ζῶντα, νενεκρωμένα δὲ ὅτε ἔζη, τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέλη, τὰ ἐνδεδυμένα τὸν Χριστὸν, τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος, τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τὴν ἁγίαν, τὰ δεδεμένα τῷ Πνεύματι, τὰ καθηλωμένα τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὰ ἔχοντα τὰ στίγματα Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα τειχίζει τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην, ὃ παντὸς πύργου καὶ μυρίων περιβόλων ἐστὶν ἀσφαλέστερον· καὶ μετὰ τούτου τὸ Πέτρου· καὶ γὰρ ζῶντα ἐτίμα· Ἀνέβην γὰρ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Πέτρον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀπελθόντα κατηξίωσεν ὁμόσκηνον αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι ἡ χάρις. Τοῦτον οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμώμεθα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἄνθρωπος ἦν, τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως ἡμῖν μετέχων, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα ἔχων κοινά· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολλὴν τὴν περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπην ἐπεδείξατο, τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ὑπερέβη, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἔστη. Ὥστε, ἂν βουληθῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς διαναστῆναι μικρὸν, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο ἀνάψαι ἐν ἡμῖν, δυνησόμεθα ζηλῶσαι τὸν ἅγιον ἐκεῖνον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἴπερ ἀδύνατον ἦν τοῦτο, ἐβόα λέγων· Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ. Μὴ τοίνυν θαυμάζωμεν αὐτὸν μηδὲ ἐκπληττώμεθα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μιμώμεθα, ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπελθόντες αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν, καὶ τῆς ἀποῤῥήτου δόξης μετασχεῖν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀξιωθῆναι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"I wished to see the tomb where the weapons of righteousness lie, the weapons of light, the members that are now alive but were dead when they lived, the members of Christ, those clothed with Christ, the temple of the Spirit, the holy building, those bound by the Spirit, those nailed fast by the fear of Christ, those bearing the marks of Christ. This body fortifies that city, being safer than any tower and ten thousand walls; and along with it, the body of Peter. For while he was alive he honored him: for I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter. For this reason grace also deemed him worthy, when he had departed, to make him a fellow-dweller with him. Let us, then, imitate him too; for he too was a man, sharing the same nature as we, and having all other things in common. But since he displayed great love for Christ, he transcended the heavens and stood with the angels. So that, if we too wish to rouse ourselves a little and to kindle that fire in us, we shall be able to emulate that holy man. For if this were impossible, he would not have cried out saying: Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ. Let us therefore not merely marvel at him nor be astonished, but also imitate him, so that we may be deemed worthy, even after departing from here, to see him and to share in the ineffable glory; of which may we all be deemed worthy, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":598,"ref":"p598","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΖʹ. Περὶ σιωπῆς καὶ ἀποῤῥήτων.\n\nΛόγος ἁπλῶς προσενεχθεὶς ὁλοκλήρους ἀνέτρεψεν οἰκίας, καὶ ψυχὰς ἀπώλεσε καὶ κατέδυσε. Καὶ τῶν μὲν χρημάτων τὴν ζημίαν διορθοῦσθαι πάλιν ἔνι· λόγον δὲ ἐκπηδήσαντα ἅπαξ, ἀνακτῆσαι πάλιν οὐκ ἔνι. Ἤκουσας λόγον, φησὶ, συναποθανέτω σοι. Σβέσον αὐτὸν, κατάχωσον, μὴ συγχωρήσῃς ἐξελθεῖν, μηδὲ κινηθῆναι παράπαν. Ἀπόκτεινον τὸ λεχθὲν, λήθῃ παράδος, ἵνα τοῖς μὴ ἀκούσασιν ὅμοιος γένῃ. Οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπειδὰν εἴπωσί τι τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων, παρακαλοῦσι τὸν ἀκούοντα, καὶ ὁρκοῦσι μηδενὶ λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν ἑτέρῳ· αὐτόθεν δηλοῦντες, ὅτι πρᾶγμα ἄξιον κατηγορίας ἐποίησαν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν ἑτέρῳ παρακαλεῖς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σὲ πρότερον τούτων ταῦτα εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἐχρῆν. Εἰ γὰρ βούλει μὴ ἐξενεχθῆναι τὸν λόγον εἰς ἕτερον, μηδὲ αὐτὸς εἴπῃς· ὅτε δὲ προέδωκας ἑτέρῳ τοῦ λόγου τὴν φυλακὴν, περιττὰ ποιεῖς καὶ ἀνόνητα\n\nπαραγγέλλων καὶ ὁρκῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν εἰρημένων φυλακῆς. Ἀλλ' ἡδὺ τὸ κακηγορεῖν; Ἡδὺ μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ λέγειν κακῶς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λέγων κακῶς ἐναγώνιος λοιπόν ἐστι, ὑποπτεύει καὶ δέδοικε, μετανοεῖ καὶ κατεσθίει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γλῶτταν, δεδοικὼς καὶ τρέμων, μήποτε εἰς ἑτέρους ἐξενεχθὲν τὸ ῥῆμα, μέγαν ἐπαγάγῃ τὸν κίνδυνον· ὁ δὲ παρ' ἑαυτῷ κατέχων ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ πολλῇ, μετὰ πολλῆς βιώσεται τῆς ἡδονῆς. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπον τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους πολυπραγμονοῦντα βίους, τῆς οἰκείας ἐπιμεληθῆναί ποτε ζωῆς. Τῆς γὰρ σπουδῆς αὐτῷ πάσης εἰς τὴν τῶν ἑτέρων πολυπραγμοσύνην ἀναλισκομένης, ἀνάγκη τὰ αὐτοῦ ἁπλῶς κεῖσθαι καὶ ἠμελημένως.","english":"WORD 37. On silence and secrets.\n\nA word simply let slip has overturned entire households, and has destroyed and sunk souls. The loss of money can be recovered again; but a word that has once leapt out cannot be recovered again. You heard a word, it says: let it die with you. Quench it, bury it, do not allow it to go out, nor to stir at all. Kill what was said, hand it over to forgetfulness, so that you may become like those who never heard it. Most people, when they have spoken some secret, beg and swear the hearer to tell no one else thereafter—by this very act showing that they have done something deserving of blame. For if you beg that man to tell no one else, how much more should you yourself not have said these things first? For if you wish the word not to be carried out to another, do not speak it yourself either; but when you have handed over the guarding of the word to another, you are doing pointless and useless things in commanding and swearing oaths for the keeping of what has been said. But is it pleasant to speak ill? No—it is pleasant not to speak ill. For the one who speaks ill is henceforth in a contest, suspecting and fearing, repenting and devouring his own tongue, fearing and trembling lest the word, carried out to others, bring upon him great danger; but the one who keeps it to himself lives in great security, with great pleasure. For it is impossible for a man who busies himself with the lives of others to ever take care of his own life. For since all his zeal is spent on busying himself with the affairs of others, his own affairs must necessarily lie neglected and uncared for.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":599,"ref":"p599","source":"Ὁ δὲ καὶ πικρῶς τὰ ἀλλότρια ἐξετάζων πράγματα, ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἑαυτὸν πλημμελήμασιν οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπολαύσεται συγγνώμης ποτέ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως τῶν πεπλημμελημένων ἡμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τῆς περὶ ἑτέρων οἴσει τὴν ψῆφον ὁ Θεός. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΗʹ. Περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἐπαισχύνεσθαι ὁμολογεῖν τὸν τίμιον σταυρὸν, καὶ ὡς δι' αὐτοῦ ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ὡς δεῖ ἐν αὐτῷ καυχᾶσθαι, καὶ περὶ ἀρετῆς, καὶ ὅπως ἐφίεται τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας, καὶ περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης. Τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἀδελφοί μου, τὸ σημεῖον, ὅπερ ὁ Δεσπότης πᾶσιν ὑπέσχετο δώσειν, λέγων· Γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ, εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου· τὸν σταυρὸν λέγων καὶ τὸν θάνατον καὶ τὴν ταφὴν καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρως δηλῶν τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, ἔλεγεν· Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι· τουτέστιν, Ὅταν σταυρώσητέ με, φησὶ, καὶ νομίσητε περιγενέσθαι μου, τότε μάλιστα εἴσεσθέ μου τὴν ἰσχύν. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν ὁ Χριστός. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ σταυρωθῆναι Χριστὸν, τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ ἔθη ἐπαύσαντο, τὸ κήρυγμα ἤνθησε, πρὸς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐξετάθη ὁ λόγος, καὶ γῆ καὶ θάλαττα, καὶ οἱκουμένη καὶ ἀοίκητος τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ διαπαντὸς ἀνακηρύττουσι· μηδεὶς τοίνυν αἰσχυνέσθω τὰ σεμνὰ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν σύμβολα, καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν, δι' ὃ καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ δι' ὃ ἐσμέν· ἀλλ' ὡς στέφανον, οὕτω περιφέρωμεν τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ τελεῖται τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς·","english":"But the one who bitterly scrutinizes other people's affairs will never obtain any forgiveness for his own offenses. For God will bring his verdict not only from the nature of the offenses we have committed, but also from the judgment he makes concerning others. To him be the glory and the power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nWORD 38. On not being ashamed to confess the precious cross, and that through it Christ saved us, and that we ought to boast in it, and on virtue, and how he longs for our salvation, and on almsgiving. This, my brothers, is the sign that the Master promised to give to all, saying: An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet—meaning the cross, and the death, and the burial, and the resurrection. And again, in another way declaring the power of the cross, he said: When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he—that is, When you have crucified me, he says, and think you have prevailed over me, then most of all will you know my power. And Christ spoke well. For after Christ was crucified, the Jewish customs ceased, the preaching flourished, the word was stretched out to the ends of the world, and land and sea, inhabited and uninhabited, proclaim his power continually. Let no one, then, be ashamed of the august symbols of our salvation, and of the sum of all good things, for which we both live and for which we exist; but as a crown, so let us carry about the cross of Christ. For all our affairs are accomplished through it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":600,"ref":"p600","source":"κἂν ἀναγεννηθῆναι δέῃ, σταυρὸς παραγίνεται· κἂν τραφῆναι τὴν μυστικὴν ἐκείνην τροφὴν, κἂν χειροτονηθῆναι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον ποιῆσαι, πανταχοῦ τὸ τῆς νίκης ἡμῖν παρίσταται σύμβολον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν οἰκίαις, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τοίχων, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θυρῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπιγράφομεν αὐτὸν τῆς σπουδῆς. Τῆς γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σωτηρίας καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῆς κοινῆς, καὶ τῆς ἐπιεικείας ἡμῶν τοῦ Δεσπότου τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σημεῖον· Ὡς πρόβατον γὰρ ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη. Ὅταν τοίνυν σφραγίζῃ, ἐννόει πᾶσαν τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, καὶ σβέσον τὸν θυμὸν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα πάθη· ὅταν σφραγίζῃ, πολλῆς ἔμπλησον τὸ μέτωπον παῤῥησίας, ἐλευθέραν τὴν ψυχὴν ποίησον. Ἴστε δὲ πάντως ποῖά ἐστι τὰ ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῖν παρέχοντα. Διὸ καὶ Παῦλος εἰς τοῦτο ἐνάγων ἡμᾶς, εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν λέγω τὴν προσήκουσαν ἡμῖν, οὕτως ἀνήγαγε, τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος ἀναμνήσας τοῦ Δεσποτικοῦ· Τιμῆς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἠγοράσθητε· μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. Ἐννόησον, φησὶ, τὴν ὑπὲρ σοῦ καταβληθεῖσαν τιμὴν, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων ἔσῃ δοῦλος· τιμὴν τὸ αἷμα λέγων τὸ διὰ σταυροῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τῷ δακτύλῳ ἐγχαράττειν αὐτὸν δεῖ, ἀλλὰ πρότερον τῇ προαιρέσει μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς πίστεως, καὶ οὕτως ἐντυποῦν αὐτὸν τῇ ὄψει. Οὐδεὶς ἐγγύς σου στῆναι δυνήσεται τῶν ἀκαθάρτων δαιμόνων, ὁρῶν τὴν μάχαιραν, ἐν ᾗ τὴν πληγὴν ἔλαβεν· ὁρῶν τὸ ξίφος, ἐν ᾧ τὴν καιρίαν ἐδέξατο. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς τόπους ὁρῶντες, ἐν οἷς τέμνονται οἱ κατάδικοι,","english":"And if it is necessary to be reborn, the cross is present; if to be nourished with that mystical food, if to be ordained, if to do anything else whatsoever, everywhere the symbol of our victory stands before us. For this reason, in our houses, on our walls, on our doors, on our foreheads, and on our minds we inscribe it with great zeal. For this is the sign of the salvation won for us, of our common freedom, and of our Master's clemency: For as a sheep he was led to the slaughter. Whenever, then, you seal yourself, consider the whole meaning of the cross, and quench your anger and all the other passions; whenever you seal yourself, fill your forehead with great confidence, make your soul free. You surely know what things it is that grant us freedom. Therefore Paul also, urging us toward this—toward the freedom, I mean, that is proper to us—led us up in this way, reminding us of the cross and the Master's blood: For, he says, you were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Consider, he says, the price paid on your behalf, and you will be a slave of no man; calling the blood shed through the cross a price. For it is not simply with the finger that one must trace it, but first with the will, with great faith, and so imprint it on one's sight. None of the unclean demons will be able to stand near you, seeing the sword in which it received its wound, seeing the blade in which it took its death-blow. For if we, when we see places where condemned men are cut down,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":601,"ref":"p601","source":"φρίττομεν, ἐννόησον τί πείσεται ὁ διάβολος τὸ ὅπλον ὁρῶν, δι' οὗ πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἔλυσεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δράκοντος ἀπέταμε κεφαλήν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπαισχυνθῇς τοσοῦτον ἀγαθὸν, ἵνα μή σε ἐπαισχυνθῇ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅταν ἔρχηται μετὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἔμπροσθεν φαίνηται λάμπον ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀκτῖνα τοῦ ἡλίου. Καὶ γὰρ φανήσεται ὁ σταυρὸς τότε φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς διὰ τῆς ὄψεως, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου, καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπε τῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἡκόντων. Τοῦτο τὸ σημεῖον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων ἡμῶν θύρας ἀνέῳξε κεκλεισμένας· τοῦτο δηλητήρια ἔσβεσε φάρμακα, τοῦτο κωνείου δύναμιν ἐξέλυσε, τοῦτο θηρίων δήγματα ἰοβόλων ἰάσατο. Εἰ γὰρ ᾅδου πύλας ἀνέῳξε, καὶ οὐρανῶν ἁψῖδας ἀνεπέτασε καὶ παραδείσου εἴσοδον ἀνεκαίνισε, καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ νεῦρα ἐξέκοψε, τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ φαρμάκων δηλητηρίων καὶ θηρίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων περιγίνεται; Τοῦτον τοίνυν ἐγκόλαψον τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ σῇ, καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν περίπτυξαι τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν. Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ σταυρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπέστρεψε, τὴν πλάνην ἐξήλασε, τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν ἐποίησε, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀγγέλους εἰργάσατο. Διὰ τοῦτον οἱ δαίμονες οὐκέτι φοβεροὶ, ἀλλ' εὐκαταφρόνητοι, οὐδὲ ὁ θάνατος θάνατος, ἀλλ' ὕπνος· διὰ τοῦτον πάντα ἔῤῥιπται χαμαὶ, καὶ πεπάτηται τὰ πολεμοῦντα ἡμῖν. Ἂν τοίνυν εἴπῃ σοί τις, Τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον προσκυνεῖς; εἰπὲ φαιδρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ καὶ γεγηθότι προσώπῳ· Καὶ προσκυνῶ, καὶ οὐ παύσομαί ποτε προσκυνῶν· κἂν γελάσηται, δάκρυσαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι μαίνεται.","english":"We shudder—consider what the devil will suffer when he sees the weapon by which Christ loosed all his power and cut off the head of the dragon. Do not, then, be ashamed of so great a good, so that Christ may not be ashamed of you when he comes with his glory, and the sign appears shining before him brighter than the sun's ray. For the cross will then appear, uttering a voice through its appearance, and making defense before the whole inhabited world on behalf of the Master, and showing that nothing was lacking of what pertained to them. This sign also opened closed doors for our forefathers; this sign quenched deadly poisons, this sign dissolved the power of hemlock, this sign healed the bites of venomous beasts. For if it opened the gates of Hades, and threw wide the vaults of heaven, and renewed the entrance to paradise, and cut out the sinews of the devil, what wonder if it prevails over deadly drugs and beasts and other such things? Engrave this, then, upon your mind, and embrace the salvation of our souls. For this cross turned the inhabited world around, drove out error, brought back the truth, made earth heaven, made men angels. Through this, demons are no longer fearsome but contemptible, nor is death death but sleep; through this all things have been cast to the ground, and the things that war against us have been trampled underfoot. If, then, someone says to you, \"Do you worship the crucified one?\" say with a bright voice and a glad face: \"I do worship him, and I will never cease worshiping him\"; and even if he laughs at you, weep for him, because he is mad.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":602,"ref":"p602","source":"Εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Δεσπότῃ, ὅτι τοιαῦτα ἡμᾶς εὐηργέτησεν, ἃ μηδὲ μαθεῖν δύναταί τις χωρὶς τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀποκαλύψεως. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος γελᾷ, ὅτι Ὁ ψυχικὸς αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ παιδία τοῦτο πάσχει, ὅταν τι τῶν μεγάλων ἴδῃ καὶ θαυμαστῶν· κἂν εἰς μυστήρια παιδίον ἀγάγῃς, γελάσεται. Τούτοις δὴ καὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐοίκασι τοῖς παιδίοις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων εἰσὶν ἀτελέστεροι· διὸ καὶ ἀθλιώτεροι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ἀώρῳ ἡλικίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τελείᾳ τὰ τῶν παιδίων πάσχουσιν· ὅθεν οὐδὲ συγγνώμης ἄξιοί εἰσιν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ μέγα βοῶντες καὶ ὑψηλὸν, κράζωμεν καὶ λέγωμεν, κἂν πάντες παρῶσιν Ἕλληνες, μετὰ πλείονος τῆς παῤῥησίας εἴπωμεν, ὅτι Τὸ καύχημα ἡμῶν ὁ σταυρὸς, καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων, καὶ ἡ παῤῥησία καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἅπας. Ἐβουλόμην δύνασθαι καὶ μετὰ Παύλου λέγειν, ὅτι Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι, ποικίλοις πάθεσι κατεχόμενος. Διὸ παραινῶ καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ πρό γε ὑμῶν ἐμαυτῷ σταυρωθῆναι τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνω πατρίδος ἐρᾷν, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν δόξης, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ γὰρ στρατιῶται βασιλέως ἐσμὲν οὐρανίου καὶ ὅπλα ἐνδεδύμεθα πνευματικά. Τί τοίνυν καπήλων καὶ ἀγυρτῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ σκωλήκων βίον μεταχειρίζομεν; ὅπου γὰρ βασιλεὺς, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν στρατιώτην εἶναι δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ στρατιῶται γεγόναμεν, οὐ τῶν μακρὰν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐγγύς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτο πάντας εἶναι ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, οὐδὲ παρὰ τὰς αὐτοῦ πλευράς·","english":"Give thanks to the Master, because he has bestowed such benefits on us as no one is able even to learn without revelation from above. For this is also why this man laughs, because his natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit. Since even children suffer this, when they see something great and wonderful; and even if you lead a child into the mysteries, he will laugh. The Greeks resemble these children, or rather they are even more imperfect than they; and therefore more wretched, because it is not at an untimely age, but in full maturity, that they suffer the things of children; hence they are not even worthy of pardon. But let us, with a bright voice and a great and lofty cry, shout and say—even if all the Greeks are present, let us speak with greater boldness—that our boast is the cross, and the sum of all good things, and our boldness and our whole crown. I wished I could say with Paul, \"The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world,\" but I cannot, being held by various passions. Therefore I exhort both you and, before you, myself to be crucified to the world, and to have nothing in common with the earth, but to long for the homeland above, and the glory from there, and the eternal good things. For we are soldiers of the heavenly King and have put on spiritual armor. Why, then, do we pursue the life of hucksters and peddlers, or rather of worms? For where the king is, there the soldier must also be. For we have become soldiers, not of those far off, but of those near. For the king on earth would not endure that all be in the palace, nor beside his own side—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":603,"ref":"p603","source":"ὁ δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἅπαντας ἐγγὺς εἶναι βούλεται τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ. Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν ἐνταῦθα ὄντας, φησὶ, παρ' ἐκεῖνον ἑστάναι τὸν θρόνον; Ὅτι καὶ Παῦλος ἐπὶ γῆς ὢν, ὅπου τὰ Σεραφὶμ ἦν, ὅπου τὰ Χερουβὶμ, καὶ ἐγγυτέρω οὗτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ οὗτοι οἱ ἀσπιδηφόροι τοῦ βασιλέως. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ πολλαχοῦ τὰς ὄψεις πολλάκις περιφέρουσιν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ οὐδὲν ἐφάνταζεν, οὐδὲ περιεῖλκεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ Κύριον τεταμένην εἶχεν. Ὥστε ἐὰν βουληθῶμεν, δυνατὸν καὶ ἡμῖν τοῦτο. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τόπῳ διειστήκει, καλῶς ἂν ἠπόρεις· εἰ δὲ πανταχοῦ πάρεστι, τῷ σπουδάζοντι καὶ συντεταμένῳ πλησίον ἐστί. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν, Οὐ φοβηθή σομαι κακὰ, ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ. Καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ Θεός· Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ πόῤῥωθεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διιστῶσιν ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ αἱ δικαιοσύναι συνάγουσιν ἡμᾶς πρὸς\n\nαὐτόν. Ἔτι γὰρ λαλοῦντός σου, φησὶν, ἐρῶ· Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Ποῖος πατὴρ οὕτως ἂν ὑπακούσειέ ποτε τοῖς ἐγγόνοις; ποία μήτηρ οὕτως ἐστὶ παρεσκευασμένη καὶ διηνεκῶς ἑστηκυῖα, μήποτε καλέσειεν αὐτὴν τὰ παιδία; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐ πατὴρ, οὐ μήτηρ, ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ἕστηκε διηνεκῶς ἀναμένων, εἴ τίς ποτε καλέσειεν αὐτὸν τῶν οἰκετῶν, καὶ οὐδέποτε, καλεσάντων ἡμῶν ὡς δεῖ, παρήκουσε. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου. Οὐκ ἀναμένω σε πληρῶσαι, καὶ εὐθέως ὑπακούσω. Καλέσωμεν τοίνυν αὐτὸν, ὡς κληθῆναι βούλεται. Πῶς δὲ βούλεται; Λύε, φησὶ, πάντα σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας, διάλυε στραγγαλιὰς βιαίων συναλλαγμάτων, πᾶσαν συγγραφὴν ἄδικον διάσπα·","english":"But the God of the heavens wills that all be near the royal throne. And how, he says, is it possible for those who are here to stand by that throne? Because Paul too, while on earth, was where the Seraphim were, where the Cherubim were, and he was nearer to Christ than those shield-bearers of the king. For they often turn their eyes in many directions, but nothing dazzled him or dragged him about, but he kept his whole mind stretched toward the King and Lord. So that if we are willing, this is possible for us too. For if he were separated by place, you would rightly be at a loss; but if he is present everywhere, he is near to the one who is earnest and intent. This is why the prophet also said, I shall not fear evils, because you are with me. And again God himself: I am a God who is near, and not far off. Just as sins therefore separate us from him, so also righteous deeds draw us together to him. For while you are still speaking, he says, I will say, Behold, I am present. What father would ever listen so readily to his descendants? What mother is so prepared and standing continually, lest her children ever call her? There is no one, neither father nor mother, but God stands continually waiting, in case one of his servants should ever call upon him, and he has never disregarded us when we called as we ought. This is why he says, While you are still speaking. I do not wait for you to finish, and I will answer immediately. Let us therefore call upon him as he wishes to be called. And how does he wish it? Loose, he says, every bond of unrighteousness, untie the knots of violent contracts, tear up every unjust document.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":604,"ref":"p604","source":"διάθρυπτε πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου, καὶ πτωχοὺς ἀστέγους εἰσάγαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς γυμνὸν, περίβαλε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ σπέρματός σου οὐχ ὑπερόψει. Τότε ῥαγήσεται πρώϊμον τὸ φῶς σου, καὶ τὰ ἰάματά σου ταχὺ ἀνατελεῖ, καὶ προπορεύσεται ἔμπροσθέν σου ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου, καὶ ἡ δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ περιστελεῖ σε. Τότε ἐπικάλεσαί με, καὶ εἰσακούσομαί σου· ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου, ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Καὶ τίς ταῦτα πάντα δύναται ποιῆσαι, φησί; Τίς δὲ οὐ δύναται, εἰπέ μοι; τί γὰρ δυσχερὲς τῶν εἰρημένων; τί δὲ ἐργῶδες; τί δὲ οὐ ῥᾴδιον; Οὕτω γάρ ἐστιν οὐχὶ δυνατὰ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὔκολα, ὅτι πολλοὶ καὶ τὸ μέτρον τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπερηκόντισαν, οὐκ ἄδικα γραμματεῖα διασπάσαντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὄντα ἀποδυσάμενοι πάντα· οὐ στέγῃ καὶ τραπέζῃ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ὑποδεχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τοῦ σώματος ἱδρῶτι κάμνοντες, ὥστε αὐτοὺς διαθρέψαι· οὐ συγγενεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐχθροὺς εὐεργετοῦντες. Τί δὲ ὅλως καὶ δύσκολον τῶν εἰρημένων· Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ὑπέρβηθι τὸ ὄρος, διάβηθι τὸ πέλαγος, διάσκαψον γῆς πλέθρα τόσα καὶ τόσα, ἄσιτος διάμενε, σάκκον περιβαλοῦ· ἀλλὰ μετάδος τῆς οἰκίας, μετάδος τοῦ ἄρτου, τὰ ἀδίκως κείμενα γραμματεῖα διάῤῥηξον. Τί τούτων εὐκολώτερον, εἰπέ μοι; Εἰ δὲ καὶ δύσκολα εἶναι νομίζεις, σκόπει μοι καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα, καὶ ἔσται σοι ῥᾴδια πάντα. Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἐν ταῖς ἱπποδρομίαις πρὸ τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων στεφάνους καὶ ἰμάτια καὶ βραβεῖα τιθέασιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν μέσῳ τίθησι τῷ σταδίῳ τὰ ἔπαθλα, καθάπερ διὰ πολλῶν χειρῶν τῶν τοῦ προφήτου ῥημάτων ἐκτείνων αὐτά.","english":"Break your bread to the hungry, and bring the poor who are without shelter into your house. If you see the naked, clothe him, and do not overlook the kin of your own seed. Then your light shall break forth early, and your healings shall quickly spring up, and your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall wrap you around. Then call upon me, and I will hear you; while you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am present. And who, he says, is able to do all these things? But who is not able, tell me? For what among the things said is difficult? What is laborious? What is not easy? For it is so, not only possible, but even easy, since many have even surpassed the measure of the things said, not only tearing up unjust documents, but also stripping off all their possessions; not receiving the poor with a roof and a table, but even laboring with the sweat of the body, so as to feed them; benefiting not only relatives, but even enemies. And what at all is difficult among the things said? For he did not say, Cross over the mountain, pass through the sea, dig through so many and so many acres of land, remain fasting, put on sackcloth; but share your house, share your bread, tear up the documents that lie unjustly. What is easier than these, tell me? But if you think them even difficult, look with me also at the prizes, and all things will be easy for you. For just as kings in the hippodromes place crowns and garments and prizes before the contestants, so indeed Christ places the prizes in the middle of the stadium, extending them as if with many hands through the words of the prophet.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":605,"ref":"p605","source":"Καὶ οἱ μὲν βασιλεῖς, κἂν μυριάκις ὦσι βασιλεῖς, ἅτε ἄνθρωποι ὄντες, καὶ εὐπορίαν δαπανωμένην ἔχοντες, καὶ φιλοτιμίαν ἀναλισκομένην, τὰ ὀλίγα πολλὰ φιλοτιμοῦνται δεῖξαι· διὸ καὶ ἓν ἕκαστον ἑκάστῳ τῶν διακόνων ἐγχειρίζοντες, οὕτως εἰσάγουσιν εἰς τὸ μέσον· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὁ ἡμέτερος τοὐναντίον πάντα ὁμοῦ συμφορήσας, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἐστὶν εὔπορος καὶ οὐδὲν πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ποιεῖ, οὕτως εἰς μέσον προτίθησιν, ἅπερ ἐκταθέντα, ἄπειρα ἔσται, καὶ πολλῶν δεήσεται τῶν κατεχουσῶν χειρῶν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς τοῦτο, ἕκαστον αὐτῶν περισκόπησον μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Τότε ῥαγήσεται, φησὶ, πρώϊμον τὸ φῶς σου. Ἆρα οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἕν τι εἶναι δῶρον; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἕν· καὶ γὰρ πολλὰ ἔνδον ἔχει, καὶ στεφάνους καὶ βραβεῖα καὶ ἕτερα ἔπαθλα. Καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, λύσαντες δείξομεν τὸν πλοῦτον ἅπαντα, καθὼς ἡμῖν οἷόν τε ἐπιδεῖξαι· μόνον μὴ ἀποκάμητε· καὶ πρῶτον μάθωμεν, τί ἐστι, Ῥαγήσεται. Τὸ ταχὺ καὶ δαψιλὸς ἡμῖν ἐμφαίνει, καὶ πῶς σφόδρα ἐφίεται τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας, καὶ πῶς ὠδίνει τὰ ἀγαθὰ αὐτὰ προελθεῖν καὶ ἐπείγεται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔσται τὸ κωλύον τὴν ἄφατον ῥύμην· δι' ὧν ἁπάντων τὴν δαψίλειαν αὐτῶν ἐνδείκνυται καὶ τὸ ἄπειρον τῆς περιουσίας. Τί δέ ἐστι Πρώϊμον; Τουτέστιν, οὐ μετὰ τὸ ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς γενέσθαι, οὐδὲ μετὰ τὴν τῶν κακῶν ἔφοδον, ἀλλὰ προφθάνει. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν καρπῶν λέγομεν πρώϊμον τὸ πρὸ τοῦ καιροῦ φανὲν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ ταχὺ πάλιν ἐμφαίνων, οὕτως εἶπεν· ὥσπερ ἄνω ἔλεγεν, Ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου, ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Ποῖον δὲ λέγει φῶς, καὶ τί ποτέ ἐστι τοῦτο τὸ φῶς;","english":"And indeed kings, even if they are kings ten thousand times over, since they are human beings and have wealth that is spent and generosity that is exhausted, are eager to display the few as many; and so, entrusting each single item to each of their servants, they bring them forward in this way. But our King does the opposite: gathering all things together at once, since He is exceedingly rich and does nothing for display, He sets before us in this way the things which, when spread out, will be infinite and will need many hands to contain them. And so that you may learn this, examine each of them with precision. Then, it says, your light shall break forth early. Does it not seem to you to be one gift? But it is not one; for it contains many things within it, both crowns and prizes and other rewards. And, if you wish, let us unloose and show all the wealth, as far as it is possible for us to show it; only do not grow weary. And first let us learn what \"shall break forth\" means. It reveals to us both the swiftness and the abundance, and how greatly He desires our salvation, and how He labors to bring forth these good things and hastens, and nothing will hinder that ineffable rush; through all of which He demonstrates their abundance and the infinity of His riches. And what is \"early\"? That is, not after we have come into temptations, nor after the assault of evils, but it comes beforehand. For just as in the case of fruits we call \"early\" that which appears before its season, so here too, again revealing the swiftness, He spoke thus; just as above He said, While you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am present. And what light does He mean, and what ever is this light?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":606,"ref":"p606","source":"Οὐ τοῦτο τὸ αἰσθητὸν, ἀλλ' ἕτερον πολλῷ βέλτιον, ὃ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡμῖν δείκνυσι, τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοὺς ἀρχαγγέλους, τὰ Χερουβὶμ, τὰ Σεραφὶμ, τοὺς θρόνους, τὰς κυριότητας, τὰς ἀρχὰς, τὰς ἐξουσίας, τὸ στρατόπεδον ἅπαν, τὰς πόλεις τὰς βασιλικὰς, τὰς σκηνάς. Ἂν\n\nγὰρ τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου καταξιωθῇς, καὶ ταῦτα ὄψει καὶ ἀπαλλαγήσῃ γεέννης καὶ τοῦ σκώληκος τοῦ ἰοβόλου, καὶ τῶν βρυγμῶν τῶν ὀδόντων, καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν τῶν ὀδυνηρῶν, καὶ τῆς στενοχωρίας καὶ τῆς θλίψεως καὶ τοῦ σκότους τοῦ ἀφεγγοῦς, καὶ τοῦ διχοτομηθῆναι, καὶ τῶν ποταμῶν τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ τῆς κατάρας, καὶ τῶν τῆς ὀδύνης χωρίων, καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ ἔνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη καὶ λύπη, ἔνθα πολλὴ ἡ χαρὰ καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ ἀγάπη καὶ τρυφὴ καὶ εὐφροσύνη· ἔνθα ζωὴ αἰώνιος, καὶ δόξα ἄῤῥητος, καὶ κάλλος ἄφραστον· ἔνθα αἰώνιοι σκηναὶ, καὶ ἡ δόξα τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ ἀπόῤῥητος, καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐκεῖνα, Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη· ἔνθα ὁ νυμφὼν ὁ πνευματικὸς, καὶ αἱ παστάδες τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ αἱ παρθένοι αἱ τὰς φαιδρὰς ἔχουσαι λαμπάδας, καὶ οἱ τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου ἔχοντες· ἔνθα τὰ παλάτια ὑπάρχει τοῦ Δεσπότου, καὶ τὰ ταμιεῖα τὰ βασιλικά. Εἶδες ἡλίκα τὰ ἔπαθλα, καὶ ὅσα διὰ μιᾶς ῥήσεως ἐπεδείξατο, καὶ πῶς πάντα συνεφόρησεν; Οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ῥήσεων ἑκάστην ἀναπτύξαντες, πολλὴν εὑρήσομεν τὴν περιουσίαν καὶ πέλαγος ἀχανές. Μὴ οὖν ἀναβαλλώμεθα, μηδὲ ὀκνῶμεν ἐλεεῖν τοὺς δεομένους· μὴ, παρακαλῶ·","english":"Not this perceptible one, but another far better, which shows us heaven, the angels, the archangels, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the thrones, the dominions, the principalities, the powers, the whole army, the royal cities, the tents. For if you are deemed worthy of that light, you will see these things too and be delivered from Gehenna and the venomous worm, and the gnashing of teeth, and the painful bonds, and the constriction and the affliction and the lightless darkness, and being cut in two, and the rivers of fire, and the curse, and the places of pain, and you will depart where pain and grief have fled, where there is great joy and peace and love and luxury and gladness; where is eternal life, and glory unspeakable, and beauty inexpressible; where are eternal tents, and the unutterable glory of the King, and those good things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man; where is the spiritual bridegroom, and the bridal chambers of the heavens, and the virgins holding their bright lamps, and those who have the wedding garment; where are the palaces of the Master, and the royal treasuries. Do you see how great the prizes are, and how many things he displayed through a single saying, and how he gathered them all together? In this way, unfolding each of the following sayings as well, we shall find great abundance and a vast sea. Let us not, then, delay, nor shrink from showing mercy to those in need; do not, I beg you—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":607,"ref":"p607","source":"ἀλλὰ κἂν πάντα ῥῖψαι δέῃ, κἂν εἰς πῦρ ἐμβληθῆναι, κἂν ξίφους κατατολμῆσαι, κἂν κατὰ μαχαιρῶν ἅλλεσθαι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν, πάντα φέρωμεν εὐκόλως, ὥστε δύνασθαι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔχειν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐγκεχειρισμένον τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῶν θείων μυστηρίων μετὰ πολλῆς θεραπεύωμεν τῆς τιμῆς· μεγάλη γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἱερέων ἀξία. Ὧν ἂν ἀφῆτε, φησὶν, ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Διὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπείκετε, καὶ ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ἡγεῖσθε αὐτοὺς ἐν τιμῇ. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ τὰ σαυτοῦ μεριμνᾷς· κἂν ταῦτα διαθῇ καλῶς, οὐδείς σοι τῶν ἄλλων ἔσται λόγος· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς κἂν τὸν οἰκεῖον οἰκονομήσῃ βίον καλῶς, τὸν δὲ σὸν μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπιμελήσηται, μετὰ τῶν πονηρῶν εἰς τὴν γέενναν ἄπεισι, καὶ πολλάκις ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προδοθεὶς, ἀπὸ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἀπόλλυται, κἂν μὴ πάντα τὰ ἥκοντα εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπαρτίσῃ καλῶς. Εἰδότες οὖν τοῦ κινδύνου τὸ μέγεθος, πολλὴν ἀπονέμετε αὐτῷ εὔνοιαν· ὃ καὶ Παῦλος ᾐνίξατο λέγων, ὅτι Ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες. Διὸ πολλῆς δεῖ θεραπείας ἀπολαύειν αὐτούς. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιβαίνητε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοῖς καὶ ὑμεῖς, οὐδὲ τὰ ὑμέτερα καλῶς διακείσεται. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ διάγῃ ὁ κυβερνήτης, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἔσται καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν· ἂν δὲ λοιδορουμένων ἐκείνων καὶ ἀπεχθῶς ἐχόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν, οὐ ταλαιπω ρῆσαι οὐδὲ ἀγρυπνεῖν ὁμοίως δύναται, οὔτε τὴν τέχνην διασώζειν, καὶ ἄκων μυρίοις αὐτοὺς περιβαλεῖ κακοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς, ἂν μὲν ἀπολαύῃ τῆς παρ' ὑμῶν θεραπείας, καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα διαθεῖναι καλῶς δυνήσεται·","english":"But even if it is necessary to throw away everything, even if to be cast into fire, even if to dare the sword, even if to leap upon knives, even if to suffer anything whatsoever, let us bear all things readily, so as to be able to have the Holy Spirit with us. But let us also honor with great reverence the one entrusted with the ministry of the divine mysteries; for great is the dignity of priests. Whose sins you forgive, he says, they are forgiven. Therefore Paul also said: Obey those who lead you and submit, and esteem them exceedingly in honor. For you care for your own affairs; and even if you arrange these well, no account will be required of you for others; but the priest, even if he manages his own life well, yet does not carefully attend to yours, will depart with the wicked into Gehenna, and often, though not betrayed by his own, he is destroyed by yours, even if he does not perfectly accomplish all that comes to him. Knowing, then, the greatness of the danger, render him great goodwill; which Paul also hinted at when he said, that They keep watch over your souls, as those who will give account. Therefore they ought to enjoy great reverence. But if you too, along with others, set upon them, not even your own affairs will be well ordered. For as long as the pilot lives in good cheer, the passengers' affairs will also be in safety; but if those men revile him and are hostile toward him, he cannot endure hardship or keep watch in the same way, nor preserve his skill, and against his will he will plunge them into countless evils. So also the priest, if he enjoys the reverence shown by you, will be able to order your affairs well.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":608,"ref":"p608","source":"ἂν δὲ ἀθυμίᾳ αὐτοὺς περιβάλητε, τὰς χεῖρας ἐκλύσαντες, εὐχειρώτους μεθ' ὑμῶν αὐτοὺς ποιήσετε τοῖς κύμασι, κἂν σφόδρα γενναῖοι ὦσιν. Ἐννόησον τί περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησὶν ὁ Χριστός· Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν, ὅσα λέγουσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε. Νῦν δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ ἱερεῖς, ἀλλ', Ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ· τὴν γὰρ ἐκείνου διεδέξαντο διδασκαλίαν. Διὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀρχόντων ἅπαντας ὑποκύπτοντας, καὶ γένει βελτίους ὄντας πολλάκις καὶ βίῳ καὶ συνέσει τῶν δικαζόντων αὐτούς; ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὸν δεδωκότα οὐδὲν τούτων ἐννοοῦσιν, ἀλλ' αἰδοῦνται τὴν ψῆφον τοῦ βασιλέως, κἂν ὁστισοῦν ὁ λαβὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν ᾖ. Εἶτα ἂν μὲν ἄνθρωπος χειροτονήσῃ, τοσοῦτος ὁ φόβος· τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲ χειροτονοῦντος, καὶ ὑπερορῶμεν τὸν χειροτονούμενον καὶ λοιδορούμεθα καὶ μυρίοις ὀνείδεσι πλύνομεν; καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν κωλυθέντες κρίνειν, κατὰ τῶν ἱερέων τὴν γλῶσσαν ἀκονῶμεν; Καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ἀπολογίας ἄξια, ὅταν τὴν μὲν ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ δοκὸν οὐ κατανοῶμεν, τὸ δὲ κάρφος τοῦ ἑτέρου πικρῶς περιεργαζώμεθα; οὐκ οἶσθα,","english":"But if you cast them into discouragement and loosen their hands, you will make them easy for the waves to capture along with you, even if they are very brave. Consider what Christ says about the Jews: \"The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on Moses' seat; therefore do all things whatsoever they tell you to do.\" But now it is not possible to say, \"The priests have sat on Moses' seat,\" but rather, \"On Christ's seat\"; for they have succeeded to his teaching. Therefore Paul also says: \"We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us.\" Do you not see that in the case of external rulers all submit to them, even when they are often better by birth and in life and in understanding than those who judge them? But nevertheless, because of the one who gave the office, they consider none of these things, but they respect the verdict of the king, whoever he may be who has received the office. Then, if a man ordains, such is the fear; but when Christ ordains, do we both despise the one ordained and revile him and wash him with countless reproaches? And having been forbidden to judge our brothers, do we sharpen our tongue against the priests? And where are these things worthy of defense, when we do not notice the beam in our own eye, but bitterly busy ourselves with the speck in another's? Do you not know,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":609,"ref":"p609","source":"ὅτι χαλεπώτερον σαυτῷ ποιεῖς τὸ δικαστήριον οὕτω δικάζων; Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐκ ἀποδεχόμενος τοὺς ἀναξίως τὴν ἱερωσύνην διοικοῦντας, ἀλλ' ἐλεῶν καὶ δακρύων. Οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτό φημι παρὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων κρίνεσθαι, κἂν ὁ βίος αὐτῶν σφόδρα διαβεβλημένος ᾖ. Σὺ δὲ ἂν σαυτῷ προσέχῃς, οὐδὲν παραβλαβήσῃ εἰς τὰ ἐγκεχειρισμένα αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ δι' ὄνου φωνὴν ἀφεθῆναι ἐποίησε, καὶ διὰ μάντεως εὐλογίας πνευματικὰς ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ ἐν ἀλόγῳ στόματι καὶ ἐν ἀκαθάρτῳ γλώττῃ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ ἐνεργήσας διὰ τοὺς προσκεκρουκότας Ἰουδαίους, πολλῷ μᾶλλον δι' ὑμᾶς τοὺς εὐγνώμονας, καὶ εἰ σφόδρα φαῦλοί εἰσιν οἱ ἱερεῖς, τὰ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἐργάσεται, καὶ πέμψει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ καθαρὸς ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας ἐπισπᾶται αὐτὸ καθαρότητος, ἀλλὰ χάρις ἐστὶν ἡ τὸ πᾶν ἐργαζομένη. Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, δι' ὑμᾶς, εἴτε Παῦλος, εἴτε Ἀπολλὼς, εἴτε Κηφᾶς. Ἃ γὰρ ἐγκεχείρισται ὁ ἱερεὺς, Θεοῦ μόνον ἐστὶ δωρεῖσθαι· καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φθάσῃ φιλοσοφία, ἐλάττων τῆς χάριτος ἐκείνης φανεῖται. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα ῥᾳθύμως τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον οἰκονομῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ, ῥᾳθυμούντων τινῶν τῶν προεστώτων, ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀρχόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς πολλάκις ἐπισωρεύητε τὰ κακά. Καὶ τί λέγω τοὺς ἱερεῖς; οὔτε ἄγγελος, οὔτε ἀρχάγγελος ἐργάσασθαί τι δύναται εἰς τὰ δεδομένα παρὰ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ Πατὴρ καὶ Υἱὸς καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πάντα οἰκονομεῖ· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δανείζει γλῶτταν, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρέχει χεῖρα. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ δίκαιον ἦν διὰ τὴν ἑτέρου κακίαν, εἰς τὰ σύμβολα τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν τοὺς πίστει προσιόντας παραβλάπτεσθαι.","english":"that by judging in this way you make the judgment seat harder for yourself? And I say this, not approving those who administer the priesthood unworthily, but pitying them and weeping. Yet I do not say for this reason that they are to be judged by those under their rule, even if their life is thoroughly discredited. But if you attend to yourself, you will suffer no harm in the things entrusted to him by God. For if he caused speech to be given through a donkey, and through a diviner he granted spiritual blessings, and worked in the irrational mouth and unclean tongue of Balaam for the sake of the offending Jews, how much more will he accomplish all his own works through you who are grateful, even if the priests are exceedingly worthless, and will send the Holy Spirit. For the clean man does not draw it from his own purity, but it is grace that accomplishes everything. For all things, he says, are for your sake, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas. For the things entrusted to the priest are for God alone to bestow; and wherever human philosophy reaches, it will appear less than that grace. And I say this, not so that we may manage our own life carelessly, but so that, when some of those who preside are careless, you who are under their rule may not often heap up evils for yourselves. And why do I speak of the priests? Neither an angel nor an archangel can accomplish anything in the things given by God, but the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit administer all things; the priest lends his own tongue and offers his own hand. For it was not even right that, because of another's wickedness, those who approach the symbols of our salvation in faith should be harmed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":610,"ref":"p610","source":"Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα εἰδότες, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν φοβώμεθα, καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας αὐτοῦ ἐντίμως ἔχωμεν, πᾶσαν αὐτοῖς ἀπονέμοντες τιμὴν, ἵνα καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰκείων κατορθωμάτων, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς ἐκείνους θεραπείας πολλὴν λάβωμεν παρὰ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΘʹ. Περὶ τοῦ, ὅτι πολλὰς ὁδοὺς ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἔδωκε πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἐὰν θέλωμεν· καὶ ὅτι τὸν μέλλοντα ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν πάσας δεῖ φυλάττειν τὰς ἐντολάς· τὸν δὲ τινὰ μὲν κατορθοῦντα, τινὰ δὲ παραβαίνοντα, ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ γνῶναί ἐστι τὴν διαφορὰν πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους. Πάλιν ἀναγκάζομαι, ἀγαπητοὶ, κατηγορῆσαι τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων. Καὶ τί πάθω; οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, ἀλλ' ἀναγκάζομαι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν σιγήσαντα καὶ μηδὲν εἰπόντα τῶν γενομένων ἀφανίσαι διὰ τῆς σιγῆς τὰ γινόμενα, ἔδει σιγᾷν· εἰ δὲ τοὐναντίον γίνεται (οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐκ ἀφανίζεται, ἡμῶν σιγώντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαλεπώτερα γίνεται), ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ κατηγορῶν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον, οὐκ ἀφίησι περαιτέρω προελθεῖν. Οὐδεμία γάρ ἐστιν οὕτως ἀναίσχυντος ψυχὴ καὶ ἰταμὴ, ὡς συνεχῶς ἀκούουσα κακιζόντων αὐτήν τινων, μὴ ἐντρέπεσθαι, μηδὲ καθυφεῖναι τῆς κακίας τῆς πολλῆς. Ἔνι γὰρ, ἔνι καὶ τοῖς ἀναισχύντοις μικρόν τι αἰδοῦς· ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ ἐνέσπειρε τὴν αἰδὼ τῇ φύσει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ φόβος οὐκ ἤρκει ῥυθμίσαι ἡμᾶς, καὶ πολλὰς ἑτέρας κατεσκεύασεν ὁδοὺς τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν·","english":"Knowing all these things, therefore, let us both fear God and hold his priests in honor, rendering them all honor, so that both for our own right actions and for our care toward them we may receive a great reward from God, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 39. On the fact that God has given us many ways to avoid sinning, if we are willing; and that the one who is to attain the kingdom of heaven must keep all the commandments; but that the one who succeeds in some and transgresses in others will know the difference from the others in Gehenna. Again I am compelled, beloved, to accuse the present state of affairs. And what am I to suffer? I did not wish it, but I am compelled. For if, by falling silent and saying nothing about what has happened, I could make what is happening disappear through silence, it would be necessary to be silent; but if the opposite happens (for not only does it not disappear when we are silent, but it even becomes worse), it is necessary to speak. For the one who accuses those who sin, even if nothing else, does not allow them to proceed further. For there is no soul so shameless and bold that, on continually hearing certain people rebuking it, does not feel shame nor slacken from its great wickedness. For there is, there is even in the shameless a small measure of shame; for God implanted shame in our nature. For since fear was not sufficient to discipline us, he also prepared many other ways of not sinning.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":611,"ref":"p611","source":"οἷον, τὸ κατηγορεῖσθαι ἄνθρωπον, τὸ δεδοικέναι νόμους τοὺς κειμένους, τὸ δόξης ἐρᾷν, τὸ φιλίας ἀντιποιεῖσθαι· πᾶσαι γὰρ αὗται αἱ ὁδοὶ τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν εἰσί. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἃ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν οὐκ ἐγένετο, διὰ φόβον ἀνθρώπων ἐγένετο. Τὸ γὰρ ζητούμενον τοῦτό ἐστι· πρότερον μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν μαθεῖν, εἶτα τὸ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν τοῦτο ποιεῖν ὕστερον κατορθώσομεν. Ἐπεὶ διὰ τί Παῦλος τοὺς μέλλοντας κρατεῖν τῶν ἐχθρῶν οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου προτρέπει τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ τὴν ἐκδικίαν ἀναμένειν; Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν, φησὶν, ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Τέως γὰρ τοῦτο βούλεται, κατορθωθῆναι τὴν ἀρετήν. Ὅπερ οὖν ἔλεγον, ἔνεστί τι αἰσχυντηρὸν ἐν ἡμῖν. Πολλὰ φυσικὰ ἔχομεν ἀγαθὰ πρὸς τὴν\n\nἀρετήν· οἷον, πρὸς τὸ ἐλεεῖν ἀπὸ φύσεως κινούμεθα πάντες ἄνθρωποι, καὶ οὐδὲν οὕτως ἀγαθὸν ἐν τῇ φύσει ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἄλλο, ὡς τοῦτο. Ὅθεν ἄν τις εἰκότως ἐξετάσειε, διὰ τί τοῦτο μάλιστα τῇ φύσει ἡμῶν ἐνέσπαρται, τὸ κατακλᾶσθαι δάκρυσι, τὸ ἐπικάμπτεσθαι, τὸ ἑτοίμους εἶναι. Οὐδεὶς φύσει ἐστὶν ἀργὸς, οὐδεὶς φύσει ἐστὶν ἀκενόδοξος, οὐδεὶς φύσει ἐστὶ ζήλου κρείττων, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐλεεῖν πᾶσιν ἔγκειται φύσει, κἂν ὠμός τις ᾖ, κἂν ἀπηνής. Καὶ τί θαυμαστόν· θηρία ἐλεοῦμεν· οὕτως ἐκ περιουσίας ἡμῖν ὁ ἔλεος ἔγκειται. Κἂν σκύμνον ἴδωμεν λέοντος, πάσχομέν τι· ἐπὶ δὲ ὁμοφύλου πολλῷ πλέον. Ὅρα πόσοι ἀνάπηροι· καὶ τοῦτο ἱκανὸν εἰς ἔλεον ἡμᾶς ἀγαγεῖν. Οὐδὲν οὕτως εὐφραίνει τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἐλεημοσύνη. Διὸ οἱ ἱερεῖς τούτῳ ἐχρίοντο, καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς καὶ οἱ προφῆται· τῆς γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας εἶχον σύμβολον τὸ ἔλαιον.","english":"For instance, for a man to be accused, to fear the laws that are established, to love glory, to lay claim to friendship; for all these are ways of not sinning. For often what was not done for God's sake was done for fear of men. For this is what is sought: first to learn not to sin, and then later we shall succeed in doing this for God's sake. For why does Paul urge those who are about to overcome their enemies not from the fear of God, but from awaiting vengeance? For by doing this, he says, you will heap coals of fire on his head. For in the meantime this is what he wills, that virtue be accomplished. What then I was saying, there is something shameful in us. We have many natural goods toward virtue; for instance, we are all moved by nature to show mercy, and there is nothing else in our nature so good as this. Whence one might reasonably examine why this especially has been implanted in our nature, to be broken down by tears, to be bent, to be ready. No one is by nature idle, no one is by nature free from vainglory, no one is by nature superior to jealousy, but to show mercy is implanted in all by nature, even if someone be savage, even if harsh. And what is wonderful? We show mercy to wild beasts; so abundantly is mercy implanted in us. And if we see a lion's cub, we feel something; and for one of our own kind, much more. See how many are maimed; and this is sufficient to lead us to mercy. Nothing so gladdens God as almsgiving. Therefore priests were anointed with this, and kings and prophets; for the oil was a symbol of God's love for humanity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":612,"ref":"p612","source":"Πάλιν ἐμάνθανον, ὅτι τὸν ἄρχοντα πλέον ἐλέου δεῖ ἔχειν· ἐδήλου, ὅτι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα εἰς ἄνθρωπον δι' ἔλεον μέλλει ἔρχεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἐλεεῖ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ φιλανθρωπεύεται, διὰ τοῦτο ἐλαίῳ ἐχρίοντο. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἀπὸ ἐλέους ἐποίησε· καὶ βασιλεῖς ἐλαίῳ ἐχρίοντο. Ἐλεεῖς γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντας, ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι. Κἂν ἄρχοντά τις ἐπαινῇ, οὐδὲν οὔτως αὐτῷ πρέπον ἐρεῖ, ὡς ἔλεος· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀρχῆς ἴδιον, τὸ ἐλεεῖν. Ἐννόησον ὅτι δι' ἔλεον ὁ κόσμος συνεστάθη, καὶ μίμησαι τὸν Δεσπότην. Ἔλεος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ἔλεος δὲ Κυρίου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα. Κἂν ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἴπῃς, κἂν δικαίους εἴπῃς, πάντες τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ δεόμεθα, πάντες ἀπολαύομεν αὐτοῦ, κἂν αὐτὸς ᾖ Παῦλος, κἂν Πέτρος, κἂν Ἰωάννης. Καὶ ἄκουσον αὐτῶν λεγόντων· οὐδὲν δεῖ λόγων τῶν ἡμετέρων. Τί γάρ φησιν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος; Ἀλλ' ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ποίησα. Τί οὖν; μετὰ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐδεῖτο ἐλέους; ἄκουσον τί φησι· Περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα· οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ, ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. Καὶ περὶ Ἐπαφροδίτου φησί· Καὶ γὰρ ἠσθένησε παραπλήσιον θανάτου· ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἠλέησεν, οὐκ αὐτὸν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμὲ, ἵνα μὴ λύπην ἐπὶ λύπῃ σχῶ· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐβαρήθημεν, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, ὥστε ἐξαπορηθῆναι ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦ ζῇν. Ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θανάτου ἐσχήκαμεν, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ, ὃς ἐκ τηλικούτων θανάτων ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ ῥύσεται· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐῤῥύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος· καὶ ῥύσεταί με ὁ Κύριος. Καὶ πανταχοῦ εὐρήσομεν τοῦτο αὐτὸν καυχώμενον, ὅτι ἐλέῳ ἐσώθη.","english":"Again I learned that the ruler ought to have more of mercy; he showed that the Spirit too is about to come upon man through mercy. Since God has mercy on men and loves mankind, for this reason they were anointed with oil. For he made the priesthood out of mercy; and kings were anointed with oil. For you have mercy on all, he says, because you are able to do all things. And if one praises a ruler, he will say nothing so fitting to him as mercy; for this is proper to rule, to show mercy. Consider that through mercy the world was established, and imitate the Master. The mercy of a man is upon his neighbor, but the mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh. And whether you speak of sinners or of righteous men, we all need the mercy of God, we all enjoy it, whether it be Paul himself, or Peter, or John. And hear them saying: our own words are nothing. For what does this blessed man say? But I was shown mercy, because I did it ignorantly. What then? Did he not need mercy after these things? Hear what he says: I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. And concerning Epaphroditus he says: For indeed he was sick near to death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, so that I should not have sorrow upon sorrow; and again, We were burdened, he says, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who delivered us from so great deaths, and will deliver us; and again, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion; and the Lord will deliver me. And everywhere we shall find him boasting of this, that by mercy he was saved.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":613,"ref":"p613","source":"Καὶ Πέτρος δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλεηθῆναι τοιοῦτος ἦν· ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἠθέλησεν ὁ σατανᾶς σινιάσαι ὑμᾶς, ὡς τὸν σῖτον, καὶ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἡ πίστις σου. Καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐν ἐλέῳ τοιοῦτος ἦν· καὶ πάντες δὲ ἁπλῶς· ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς. Πάντες γὰρ δεόμεθα τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἔλεος γὰρ Θεοῦ, φησὶν, ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα. Εἰ δὲ οὗτοι ἐδέοντο τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ, τί ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν; Πόθεν γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς; Τί δὲ, εἰ μόνον ἐνιαυτὸν τὸν ὑετὸν ἐπέσχεν, οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντα ἀπώλεσε; τί δὲ, εἰ ἐπομβρίαν εἰργάσατο; τί δὲ, εἰ ὑπερέβρεξε; τί δὲ, εἰ μυίας ἔπεμψεν; Ἀλλὰ τί λέγω; εἰ οὕτως ἐποίησεν, οἷόν ποτε, οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντες ἀπώλοντο; Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνήσκῃ αὐτοῦ; Εὔκαιρον εἰπεῖν νῦν· Ἂν ἀπειλήσῃ τῇ γῇ μόνον, πάντες εἷς ἐγένοντο τάφος. Ὡς σταγὼν ὕδατος ἀπὸ κάδου, φησὶν, οὕτω τὰ ἔθνη ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ· ὡς σίελος λογισθήσονται, ὡς ῥοπὴ ζύγου. Ὡς εὔκολον ἡμῖν τὴν τρυτάνην κινῆσαι, οὕτως αὐτῷ πάντα ἀπολέσαι, καὶ ποιῆσαι πάλιν. Ὁ τοίνυν τοσαύτην ἔχων ἐξουσίαν ἡμῶν, καὶ ὁρῶν ἡμᾶς καθ' ἑκάστην ἁμαρτάνοντας, καὶ μὴ κολάζων, οὐχὶ ἐλέῳ διαβαστάζει; Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ κτήνη, ἐλέῳ ἐστίν· Ἀνθρώπους γὰρ καὶ κτήνη σώσεις, Κύριε. Εἶδεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἔπλησεν αὐτὴν ζώων. Διὰ τί; διὰ σέ. Σὲ δὲ διὰ τί ἐποίησε; δι' ἀγαθότητα. Οὐδὲν ἐλαίου κρεῖττον· φωτός ἐστιν αἴτιον, καὶ ἐκεῖ φωτὸς αἴτιον. Καὶ ἀνατελεῖ, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, πρώϊμον τὸ φῶς σου, ἐὰν ποιήσῃς ἔλεον εἰς τὸν πλησίον.","english":"And Peter too was such a man because of having been shown mercy; for hear Christ saying to him, \"Satan desired to sift you like wheat, and I prayed for you, that your faith might not fail.\" And John was such a man in mercy; and indeed all of them simply. For hear Christ saying, \"You did not choose me, but I chose you.\" For we all need the mercy of God; for \"the mercy of God,\" it says, \"is upon all flesh.\" But if these needed the mercy of God, what might one say about the rest? For from where, tell me, does he cause the sun to rise on the evil and the good? And what if he had withheld the rain for only a year—would he not have destroyed everything? What if he had brought a flood? What if he had rained excessively? What if he had sent flies? But why do I speak of this? If he had done as he once did, would not all have perished? What is man, that you are mindful of him? It is timely to say now: \"If he but threaten the earth, all become one grave.\" \"As a drop of water from a bucket,\" it says, \"so are the nations before him; they shall be reckoned as spittle, as a turning of the scales.\" As it is easy for us to move the balance, so it is for him to destroy all things and to make them again. He, then, who has such authority over us, and sees us sinning each day, and does not punish—does he not bear with us in mercy? Since even the cattle are by mercy: \"For you save humans and cattle, Lord.\" He looked upon the earth and filled it with living creatures. Why? For your sake. And why did he make you? Because of his goodness. Nothing is better than oil; it is the cause of light, and there too it is the cause of light. And \"your light shall rise,\" says the prophet, \"early, if you show mercy to your neighbor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":614,"ref":"p614","source":"Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ἔλαιον τοῦτο τὸ φῶς κατέχει· οὕτως ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐκεῖ φῶς μέγα ἡμῖν\n\nχαρίζεται καὶ θαυμάσιον. Πολὺς τοῦ ἐλέου τούτου ὁ λόγος τῷ Παύλῳ ἦν· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Μόνον τῶν πτωχῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν· ἄλλοτε δὲ, Ἐὰν ᾖ ἄξιον τοῦ κἀμὲ πορεύεσθαι. Καὶ πανταχοῦ ἄνω καὶ κάτω περὶ τούτου ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν μεριμνῶντα. Καὶ πάλιν· Μανθανέτωσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι· καὶ πάλιν, Ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι καλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἄκουε δὲ καὶ ἄλλου τινὸς λέγοντος· Ἐλεημοσύνη ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται. Ἐὰν δὲ τὸν ἔλεον ἀνέλῃς, Κύριε, τίς στήσεται; καὶ ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃς, φησὶν, εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου. Μέγα τι ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἐλεήμων· μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ ἐλεεῖν. Ὁρᾷς ὅση τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ἰσχύς; τοῦτο πάντα ἐποίησε, τοῦτο τὸν κόσμον εἰργάσατο δι' ἀγαθότητα μόνον· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ γέενναν ἠπείλησεν, ἵνα βασιλείας τύχωμεν· βασιλείας δὲ τυγχάνομεν δι' ἔλεον. Διὰ τί γὰρ μόνος ὢν τοσούτους ἐποίησεν; οὐ δι' ἀγαθότητα; οὐ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν; Ἂν ἐρωτήσῃς, Διὰ τί τόδε καὶ τόδε; πανταχοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα εὑρήσεις. Ἐλεήσωμεν τοὺς πλησίον, ἵνα ἐλεηθῶμεν αὐτοί· οὐκ ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον, ἢ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς συνάγομεν τὸν ἔλεον τοῦτον ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὅταν σφοδρὰ ᾖ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ φλόξ· τὸ ἔλεον τοῦτο τοῦ πυρός ἐστι σβεστικὸν, ἡμῖν δὲ φωτὸς αἴτιον· οὕτω τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς γεέννης διὰ τούτου ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα· ἐπεὶ πόθεν σπλαγχνισθήσεται καὶ ἐλεήσει; Ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ὁ ἔλεος γίνεται. Οὐδὲν οὕτω παροξύνει τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς τὸ ἀνελεήμονα εἶναι.","english":"And just as this oil sustains the light, so almsgiving grants us there a great and wonderful light. Paul spoke much about this mercy; for hear him saying, \"Only that we should remember the poor\"; and at another time, \"If it is worthy that I myself should also go.\" And everywhere, up and down, you see him caring about this. And again: \"And let our people also learn to maintain good works\"; and again, \"For these things are good and profitable to men.\" But hear also another saying: \"Almsgiving delivers from death.\" And if you take away mercy, O Lord, who shall stand? And if you enter, he says, into judgment with your servant. A great thing is a man, and precious is a merciful man. For this is a merciful man; or rather, this is God's own—to show mercy. Do you see how great is the strength of God's mercy? This made all things, this fashioned the world through goodness alone; for this he also threatened hell, that we might obtain the kingdom; and we obtain the kingdom through mercy. For why, being alone, did he make so many? Was it not through goodness? Was it not through love of humanity? If you ask, \"Why this and why that?\" everywhere you will find goodness. Let us show mercy to our neighbors, that we ourselves may be shown mercy; we gather this mercy not so much for them as for ourselves on that day, when the flame of the fire is fierce; this mercy is able to quench the fire, and for us it is the cause of light; thus through it we shall be delivered from the fire of hell; since from where will he have compassion and show mercy? Mercy comes from love. Nothing so provokes God as to be unmerciful.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":615,"ref":"p615","source":"Ὥσπερ δὲ αἰσθήσεις ἡμῖν πέντε εἰσὶ, καὶ πάσαις εἰς δέον κεχρῆσθαι δεῖ, οὕτω καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἀρεταῖς. Εἰ δέ τις σωφρονοίη μὲν, ἀνελεήμων δὲ εἴη· ἢ ἐλεήμων μὲν ᾖ, πλεονεκτοίη δέ· ἢ ἀπέχοιτο μὲν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, τῶν δὲ αὑτοῦ μὴ μεταδοίη· πάντα εἰκῆ γέγονεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μία μόνον ἀρετὴ παραστῆσαι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς δεῖ καὶ ποικίλης καὶ παντοδαπῆς καὶ πάσης αὐτῆς. Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς· Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ πάλιν, Ὃς ἐὰν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσελεύσεται· οἶδε γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως βασιλείαν καλεῖν. Μίαν ἐὰν λύσῃ, φησὶν, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται· ὥστε πασῶν ἡμῖν δεῖ. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς οὐκ ἔνι χωρὶς ἐλεημοσύνης εἰσελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ κἂν αὕτη μόνη ἐλλείπῃ, εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἀπελευσόμεθα· Ἀπέλθετε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον, τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. Τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί; Ὅτι ἐπείνασα, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ με. Εἶδες πῶς οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐγκληθέντες, διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἀπώλοντο; Καὶ αἱ παρθένοι διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἐξεβλήθησαν τοῦ νυμφῶνος· καίτοι γε σωφροσύνην εἶχον. Εἰρήνην, φησὶ, μετὰ πάντων διώκετε, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν, ὅτι χωρὶς μὲν σωφροσύνης οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸν Κύριον·","english":"Just as we have five senses, and all must be used as needed, so too with all the virtues. If someone is temperate but unmerciful, or is merciful but greedy for gain, or abstains from what belongs to others but does not share his own, everything has been in vain. For one virtue alone is not enough to present us with boldness at the judgment seat of Christ, but there is need of many and varied and manifold and every virtue. For hear him saying to his own disciples: \"Go, make disciples of all the nations, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you\"; and again, \"Whoever loosens one of these least commandments shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven\"—that is, in the resurrection. For he will certainly not enter the kingdom; for he knows how to call even the time of the resurrection a kingdom. \"If he loosens one,\" he says, \"he shall be called least\"; so we need all of them. And see how it is not possible to enter without almsgiving, but even if this alone is lacking, we shall go away into the fire. For he says, \"Depart, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.\" For what reason and why? \"Because I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink.\" Do you see how, though nothing else was charged against them, for this alone they perished? And the virgins for this alone were cast out of the bridal chamber, although they had chastity. \"Pursue peace with all,\" he says, \"and the sanctification without which no one shall see the Lord.\" Consider, then, that without chastity it is not possible to see the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":616,"ref":"p616","source":"οὐ πάντως δὲ μετὰ σωφροσύνης δυνατὸν ἰδεῖν· πολλάκις γὰρ ἕτερον ἐνεπόδισε. Πάλιν, ἂν πάντα κατορθώσωμεν, τὸν δὲ πλησίον οὐδὲν ὠφελήσωμεν, οὐδὲ οὕτως εἰσελευσόμεθα εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν. Πόθεν δῆλον· Ἀπὸ τῶν τὰ τάλαντα πιστευθέντων οἰκετῶν· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἡ ἀρετὴ πᾶσα ἀκέραιος ἦν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλέλειπτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ περὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν ὀκνηρὸς γέγονεν, εἰκότως ἐξεβάλλετο. Ἔστι καὶ ἀπὸ λοιδορίας μόνης εἰς γέενναν ἐμπεσεῖν· Ὁ γὰρ λέγων, φησὶ, τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Μωρὲ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. Κἂν ἅπαντά τις κατορθώσῃ, ὑβριστὴς δὲ ᾖ, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται. Καὶ μή τις ὠμότητα καταγινωσκέτω τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ τοὺς τοῦτο ἐπταικότας ἐκβάλλει τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, κἂν ὁτιοῦν τῶν παρανόμων ἐργάσηταί τις, ἐξέπεσε τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ὄψεως, κἂν ἕνα νόμον τῶν κειμένων παραβῇ· κἂν συκοφαντήσῃ κατηγορῶν, ἀπώλεσε τὴν ἀρχήν· κἂν μοιχεύσῃ καὶ ἁλῷ, ἀνάξιος γέγονε· κἂν μυρία ᾖ κατορθωκὼς, ἀπόλλυται· κἂν φόνον ἐργάσηται καὶ","english":"But it is not altogether possible to see this with temperance, for often one thing has hindered another. Again, if we set everything right but benefit our neighbor in nothing, not even so shall we enter the kingdom. How is this clear? From the servants who were entrusted with the talents; for there every virtue was intact, and nothing was lacking, but since he became sluggish concerning the work, he was rightly cast out. It is also possible to fall into Gehenna from reviling alone; for he who says, it says, to his brother, \"Fool,\" shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire. And even if someone sets all things right, but is insolent, he shall not enter. And let no one condemn God of cruelty, if he casts out of the kingdom of heaven those who have stumbled in this. For if among men, even if someone does any one of the unlawful things, he falls from the sight of the king, even if he transgresses one law of those established; even if he slanders in accusing, he has lost his office; even if he commits adultery and is caught, he has become unworthy; even if he has set ten thousand things right, he is ruined; even if he commits murder and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":617,"ref":"p617","source":"δειχθῇ, καὶ τοῦτο ἱκανὸν αὐτὸν διαφθεῖραι· εἰ οἱ τῶν ἀνθρώπων νόμοι τοσαύτης ἀπολαύουσι τῆς φυλακῆς. πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἀγαθός ἐστι, φησί. Μέχρι τίνος τὸν μωρὸν τοῦτον λόγον φθεγγόμεθα; Μωρὸν δὲ εἶπον, οὐχ ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν ἀγαθότητα αὐτοῦ νομίζομεν εἰς ταῦτα χρησίμην ἡμῖν εἶναι, καίτοι μυρία πολλάκις διαλεχθέντων ἡμῶν περὶ τούτου. Ἄκουε γὰρ τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης· Μὴ εἴπῃς, Ὁ οἰκτιρμὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ πολὺς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου ἐξιλάσεται. Οὐχὶ κωλύει λέγειν ἡμᾶς, Ὁ οἰκτιρμὸς αὐτοῦ πολύς· οὐ τοῦτο παραινεῖ, ἀλλὰ βούλεται ἡμᾶς καὶ συνεχῶς λέγειν τοῦτο, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάντα κινεῖ Παῦλος· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰ ἑξῆς· μὴ ἐπὶ τούτῳ, φησὶ, θαύμαζε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ἐπὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ λέγειν, Τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου ἐξιλάσεται. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τοσαῦτα περὶ ἀγαθότητος διαλεγόμεθα, οὐχ ἵνα ταύτῃ θαῤῥοῦντες πάντα πράττωμεν, ἐπεὶ ἡ ἀγαθότης ἐπὶ λύμῃ ἔσται τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἀπογινώσκωμεν ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἀλλὰ μετανοῶμεν. Τὸ γὰρ χρηστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει, οὐκ εἰς πλείονα κακίαν· εἰ δὲ μοχθηρὸς γένῃ διὰ τὴν χρηστότητα, σὺ διαβάλλεις μᾶλλον αὐτὴν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις (πολλοὺς γὰρ ὁρῶ κατηγοροῦντας τῆς μακροθυμίας τοῦ Θεοῦ), ὥστε δίκην δώσεις, οὐκ εἰς δέον αὐτῇ χρησάμενος. Φιλάνθρωπος ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιος κριτής· συγχωρῶν ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλ' ἀποδίδωσιν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· ὑπερβαίνει ἀδικίας, ἐξαίρει ἀνομίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξέτασιν ποιεῖται. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐναντία; Οὐκ ἐναντία, ἂν τοῖς χρόνοις αὐτὰ διέλωμεν.","english":"be shown, and this alone is enough to corrupt him—if the laws of men enjoy such great guard. How much more the laws of God. But he is good, it says. Until when shall we utter this foolish word? I called it foolish, not because he is not good, but because we think his goodness is useful to us for these things, although we have often discoursed countless times about this. For hear the Scripture saying: Do not say, His great compassion will atone for the multitude of my sins. It does not forbid us to say, His compassion is great; it does not advise this, but wishes us also to say this continually, and for this reason Paul moves everything—but because of what follows: do not, it says, marvel at God's love for humanity on this account, on the account of sinning and saying, The multitude of my sins will be atoned for. For on this account we discourse so much about goodness, not so that trusting in it we may do everything, since goodness would then be for the ruin of our salvation, but so that we may not despair in our sins, but may repent. For the kindness of God leads you to repentance, not to greater wickedness. But if you become wicked because of kindness, you rather slander it among men (for I see many accusing the longsuffering of God), so that you will pay the penalty, having used it not as one ought. God is loving toward humanity, but also a just judge; forgiving sins, but rendering to each according to his works; passing over injustices, removing lawlessnesses, but also making examination. How then are these not contrary? They are not contrary, if we divide them by their times.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":618,"ref":"p618","source":"Ἐξαίρει ἀνομίας ἐνταῦθα καὶ διὰ λουτροῦ καὶ διὰ μετανοίας· ἐξέτασιν ποιεῖται τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐκεῖ διὰ πυρὸς καὶ βασάνων. Ἂν τοίνυν, κἂν ὦ μυρία, φησὶν, ἐργασάμενος κακὰ, καὶ δι' ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκβάλωμαι, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκπίπτω, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐργάζομαι πάντα τὰ κακά; Ἀγνώμονος οἰκέτου ὁ λόγος, ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοῦτον ἐπιλυσόμεθα τὸν λόγον. Μὴ ἐργάζου τὰ κακὰ, ἵνα σαυτὸν ὠφελήσῃς. Βασιλείας μὲν γὰρ πάντες ὁμοίως ἐκπεσούμεθα, ἐν δὲ γεέννῃ οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν δώσομεν δίκην πάντες, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν μείζονα, ὁ δὲ ἡμερωτέραν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ σὺ κἀκεῖνος κατεφρονήσατε, καὶ ὁ τὰ πολλὰ, καὶ ὁ τὰ ὀλίγα, ὀμοίως ἐκπεσεῖσθε τῆς βασιλείας· εἰ δὲ οὐχ ὁμοίως κατεφρονήσατε, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν μεῖζον, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον, ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ τῆς διαφορᾶς αἰσθήσεσθε. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἀπειλεῖ τοῖς ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ δεδωκόσιν εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἀπελεύσεσθαι, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἰς τὸ πῦρ, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ; τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί; Οὐδὲν οὕτω τὸν Θεὸν παροξύνει, ἀλλὰ πάντων αὐτὸ προτίθησι τῶν δεινῶν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς φιλεῖν δεῖ· ὁ καὶ τοὺς φίλους διαφθείρων, καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων κατὰ τοῦτο χείρων ὢν, τίνος οὐκ ἔσται κολάσεως ἄξιος; Ὥστε ἐνταῦθα τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν. Οὐαὶ γὰρ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ ποιοῦντι. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς τοῦτο ἦν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς Καινῆς· εἰ ἔνθα συγκεχώρητο χρημάτων κτῆσις καὶ ἀπόλαυσις καὶ ἐπιμέλεια, τοσαύτη πρόνοια ἐγένετο τῆς εἰς τοὺς πένητας βοηθείας· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἔνθα κελευόμεθα πάντα ῥῖψαι; Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἐποίουν ἐκεῖνοι;","english":"Here he removes lawlessness both through washing and through repentance; there he makes an examination of what has been done through fire and torments. If, then, he says, even though I have worked countless evils, and for one of them I am cast out and fall from the kingdom, for what reason should I not work all the evils? The argument is that of a senseless servant, but nevertheless we will also resolve this argument. Do not work evils, so that you may benefit yourself. For we shall all alike fall from the kingdom, but in Gehenna we shall not all pay the same penalty, but one greater, another milder. For if you and that man both showed contempt, both the one with many and the one with few, you will alike fall from the kingdom; but if you did not show contempt alike, but one greater, the other less, in Gehenna you will perceive the difference. Why then, he says, does he threaten those who have not given alms that they will depart into the fire, and not simply into the fire, but into that prepared for the devil and his angels? For what reason and why? Nothing so provokes God, but he sets this before all terrors. For if one must love enemies, the man who destroys even friends, and is in this respect worse than the Greeks, of what punishment will he not be worthy? So that here the greatness of the sin made him depart with the devil. For woe to the one who does not do alms. But if this was so under the Old Covenant, much more under the New; if where the possession and enjoyment and care of money was permitted, such great provision was made for helping the poor, how much more where we are commanded to throw away all things? For what did those men not do?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":619,"ref":"p619","source":"δεκάτας, καὶ πάλιν δεκάτας παρεῖχον, ὀρφανοῖς, χήραις, προσηλύτοις ἐπήρκουν. Ἀλλά μοί τις θαυμάζων τινὰ, ἔλεγε, Δεκάτας δίδωσιν ὁ δεῖνα. Πόσης αἰσχύνης τοῦτο γέμει, εἰ ὃ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὐκ ἦν θαυμασμοῦ, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν θαυμαστὸν γέγονεν; Εἰ τότε κίνδυνος ἦν, τὸ δεκάτας ἀπολιπεῖν, ἐννόησον ὅσον ἐστὶ νῦν. Ἡ μέθη πάλιν οὐ κληρονομεῖ τὴν βασιλείαν. Ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ τῶν πολλῶν λόγος; Οὐκοῦν, εἰ κἀγὼ κἀκεῖνος ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς, οὐ μικρὰ παραμυθία. Τί οὖν; Μάλιστα μὲν οὐ τῆς αὐτῆς σὺ κἀκεῖνος ἀπολαύσετε τιμωρίας· ἄλλως δὲ, οὐδὲ παραμυθία τοῦτό ἐστι. Τότε γὰρ ἡ κοινωνία τῶν παθῶν ἔχει παραμυθίαν, ὅταν σύμμετρα ᾖ τὰ δεινά· ὅταν δὲ ὑπερβαίνῃ καὶ ἐν ἐκστάσει ἡμᾶς ποιῇ, οὐκέτι ἀφίησι λαβεῖν παραμυθίαν. Εἰπὲ γὰρ τῷ καταικιζομένῳ, καὶ εἰς τὴν πυρὰν ἐμβεβηκότι, ὅτι Καὶ ὁ δεῖνα τοῦτο πάσχει· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αἰσθήσεται τῆς\n\nπαραμυθίας. Οὐχὶ πάντες ὁμοῦ ἀπώλοντο οἱ Ἰσραηλῖται; ποίαν τοῦτο αὐτοῖς παραμυθίαν ἔφερεν; οὐχὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὸ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἐλύπει; διὸ καὶ ἔλεγον, Ἀπολώλαμεν, ἐξολώλαμεν, παρανηλώμεθα. Ποία τοίνυν αὕτη παραμυθία; Μάτην ἑαυτοὺς παραμυθούμεθα ταύταις ταῖς ἐλπίσι· μία μόνη παραμυθία ἐστὶ, τὸ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἄσβεστον· ἐμπεσόντας δὲ οὐκ ἔνι παραμυθίας τυχεῖν, ἔνθα ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων, ἔνθα κλαυθμὸς, ἔνθα σκώληξ ἀτελεύτητος, ἔνθα πῦρ ἄσβεστον. Ἐννοήσεις γὰρ ὅλως τινὰ, εἰπέ μοι, παραμυθίαν, ἐν θλίψει καὶ στενοχωρίᾳ ὤν; ἐν σαυτῷ γὰρ ἔσῃ λοιπόν.","english":"Tithes, and again tithes, they provided; they assisted orphans, widows, and strangers. But someone, admiring a certain person, said, \"So-and-so gives tithes.\" How much shame is this full of, if what was not a matter of admiration among the Jews has become admirable among Christians? If then there was danger in abandoning tithes, consider how great it is now. Drunkenness again does not inherit the kingdom. But what is the argument of the many? Therefore, if both I and that man are in the same circumstances, it is no small consolation. What then? In the first place, you and that man will certainly not enjoy the same punishment; but otherwise, neither is this a consolation. For the sharing of sufferings has consolation then, when the terrors are proportionate; but when they exceed and put us in a state of distraction, it no longer allows us to receive consolation. For tell the man who is being mangled and has stepped into the pyre, \"So-and-so also suffers this\"; but he will not even perceive the consolation. Did not all the Israelites perish together? What consolation did this bring them? Did it not rather grieve them all the more? Therefore they also said, \"We have perished, we are utterly undone, we are consumed.\" What consolation, then, is this? In vain we console ourselves with these hopes; there is only one consolation, not to fall into that unquenchable fire; but for those who have fallen in, it is not possible to obtain consolation, where there is the gnashing of teeth, where there is weeping, where the worm is unending, where the fire is unquenchable. For will you think of any consolation at all, tell me, when you are in affliction and distress? For from then on you will be by yourself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":620,"ref":"p620","source":"Μὴ, δέομαι καὶ παρακαλῶ, μὴ ἑαυτοὺς εἰκῆ ἀπατῶμεν, καὶ τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις παραμυθώμεθα, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πράττωμεν, ἅπερ ἡμᾶς σῶσαι δυνήσεται. Συγκαθίσαι τῷ Χριστῷ πρόκειται, καὶ σὺ περὶ τούτων ἀκριβολογῇ; Εἰ γὰρ μηδὲν ἕτερον ἦν ἁμάρτημα, ὑπὲρ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων πόσην κόλασιν ὑποστῆναι ὑμᾶς ἐχρῆν, ὅτι οὕτω νωθεῖς, ὅτι οὕτω ταλαίπωροι καὶ ῥᾴθυμοί ἐσμεν, ὡς, προκειμένης τοσαύτης τιμῆς, ταῦτα λέγειν; Ὅταν δὲ ἐννοήσῃς τότε τοὺς κατωρθωκότας, οὐ τήκῃ πλέον; ὅταν ἴδῃς ἀπὸ δούλων καὶ ἀπὸ δυσγενῶν ὀλίγα καμόντας ἐνταῦθα, καὶ τοῦ θρόνου μετέχοντας ἐκεῖ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ, οὐχὶ τῆς κολάσεώς σοι ταῦτα χείρονα ἔσται; Εἰ γὰρ νῦν ὁρῶν εὐδοκιμοῦντας, καίτοι οὐδὲν πάσχων κακὸν, πάσης τιμωρίας χεῖρον ὑπὸ τούτου μόνου διαφθείρῃ, καὶ πενθεῖς σαυτὸν καὶ δακρύεις, καὶ μυρίων εἶναι θανάτων κρίνεις ἄξιον, τί τότε ὑποστήσῃ; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ γέεννα ἦν, αὐτὴ ἡ ἔννοια τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἦν ἱκανὴ ἀπολέσαι καὶ διαφθεῖραι; Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο οὕτως ἕξει, ἱκανὸν ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας τῶν πραγμάτων μαθεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν εἰκῆ ψυχαγωγῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς τοιούτοις ῥήμασιν· ἀλλὰ προσέχωμεν καὶ φροντίζωμεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας, καὶ ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελώμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν καλῶν ἐργασίαν ἑαυτοὺς διεγείρωμεν, ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν τυχεῖν τῆς τοσαύτης δόξης, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι κράτος, δόξα, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"I beg and entreat you, let us not deceive ourselves in vain, nor console ourselves with these words, but let us do those things which can save us. It is set before us to sit together with Christ, and do you quibble over these matters? For if there were no other sin, for these words alone how great a punishment ought you to undergo, because we are so sluggish, because we are so wretched and careless, that, with so great an honor set before us, we say such things? And when you consider those who have succeeded, do you not melt all the more? When you see men from slaves and from low birth who have labored a little here, and there share the royal throne, will these things not be worse for you than punishment? For if now, seeing them prospering, though you suffer no evil, you are corrupted by this alone worse than any punishment, and you mourn for yourself and weep, and judge yourself worthy of ten thousand deaths, what will you then endure? For if there were no Gehenna, would not the very thought of the kingdom be enough to destroy and corrupt you? And that this will be so, it is enough to learn from the experience of things. Let us not, then, in vain entertain ourselves with such words; but let us attend to and take thought for our own salvation, and let us care for virtue, and rouse ourselves to the working of good things, that we may be deemed worthy to obtain so great a glory, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be power, glory, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":621,"ref":"p621","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Μʹ. Περὶ τοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ πάντα ποιεῖν καὶ πραγματεύεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν· καὶ ὅτι μέγα ἀγαθὸν, τὸ συγχωρεῖν τοῖς εἰς ἡμᾶς πλημμελοῦσι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· τοῦτο δὲ μεῖζον ἐλεημοσύνης ἐστίν. Οὐδὲν τῶν ἐπιτυγχανόντων τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν μακαριώτερον, ἀδελφοὶ, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τῶν ἀποτυγχανόντων ἀθλιώτερον. Εἰ γὰρ πατρίδος τις ἐκβεβλημένος ὑπὸ πάντων ἐλεεῖται, καὶ κληρονομίαν ἀπολέσας δοκεῖ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἐλεεινὸς εἶναι· ὁ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκπίπτων καὶ τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν ἐκεῖ, πόσοις ὀφείλει δάκρυσι δακρύεσθαι; μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ δακρύεσθαι; δακρύεται γάρ τις, ὅταν τι πάθῃ ὧν οὐκ αὐτός ἐστιν αἴτιος. Ὅταν δὲ ἐξ οἰκείας γνώμης ἑαυτὸν περιπείρῃ τῇ κακίᾳ, οὐδὲ δακρύων, ἀλλὰ θρήνων ἔσται ἄξιος· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τότε πένθους. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καίτοι ἀσεβοῦσαν, ἐπένθησε καὶ ἐδάκρυσεν. Ὄντως μυρίων ὀδυρμῶν ἄξιοί ἐσμεν, μυρίων θρήνων, ἐὰν πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη λαβοῦσα φωνὴν, καὶ λίθοι καὶ ξύλα καὶ δένδρα καὶ θηρία καὶ ὄρνεις καὶ ἰχθύες, καὶ ἁπλῶς πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη, ἐὰν λαβοῦσα φωνὴν, ἡμᾶς ὀδύρηται τοὺς ἐκπεπτωκότας τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, οὐδὲν κατ' ἀξίαν ὀδυρεῖται, οὐδὲ θρηνήσει. Ποῖος γὰρ λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται, ποῖος νοῦς ἐκείνην τὴν μακαριότητα, καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐκείνην, τὴν ἠδονὴν, τὴν δόξαν, τὴν εὐφροσύνην, τὴν λαμπρότητα; Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη; Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι ὑπερβαίνει ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐνενόησέ ποτέ τις, Ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.","english":"Homily 40. On the fact that we must do everything and take every pains for the salvation of our brethren; and that it is a great good to forgive the sins of those who trespass against us; and that this is greater than almsgiving. Nothing, brethren, is more blessed than those who attain the kingdom of heaven, just as nothing is more wretched than those who fail to attain it. For if a man banished from his homeland is pitied by all, and one who has lost an inheritance seems to all to be worthy of pity, he who falls away from heaven and from the good things laid up there—with how many tears ought he to be wept for? Or rather, ought he not even to be wept for? For one is wept for when he suffers something for which he is not himself responsible. But when a man of his own choice pierces himself with wickedness, he will be worthy not merely of tears but of lamentation; or rather, even then, of mourning. Since our Lord Jesus Christ also mourned and wept over Jerusalem, godless though it was. Truly we are worthy of countless wailings, countless lamentations, even if the whole inhabited world, taking a voice—stones and wood and trees and beasts and birds and fish, and simply the whole world, if it took a voice—should bewail us who have fallen away from those good things, it would bewail and lament nothing according to our deserts. For what speech will be able to set forth, what mind conceive, that blessedness, and that virtue, the pleasure, the glory, the gladness, the splendor? Things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man? He did not say that it simply surpasses them, but that no one has ever even conceived them—the things which God has prepared for those who love him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":622,"ref":"p622","source":"Ὧν γὰρ ἑτοιμαστὴς καὶ παρασκευαστὴς ὁ Θεὸς ἀγαθῶν, ποῖα εἰκὸς εἶναι ταῦτα; Εἰ γὰρ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς εὐθέως, οὐδενὸς παρ' ἡμῶν προϋπηργμένου,\n\nτοσαῦτα ἐχαρίσατο, παράδεισον, ὁμιλίαν τὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ, ἀθανασίαν ὑπέσχετο, βίον μακάριον καὶ φροντίδων ἀπηλλαγμένον· τοῖς τοσαῦτα πεπονηκόσι καὶ ἠθληκόσι καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ὑπομείνασι τί οὐ χαριεῖται; Τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐκ ἐφείσατο δι' ἡμᾶς, τὸν Υἱὸν τὸν γνήσιον εἰς θάνατον ἔδωκε δι' ἡμᾶς ἐχθροὺς ὄντας τίνος οὐ καταξιώσει γενομένους φίλους; τίνος οὐ μεταδώσει, καταλλάξας ἑαυτῷ; Καὶ πλούσιός ἐστι σφόδρα καὶ ἄπειρος, καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖ καὶ σπουδάζει τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλίας τυχεῖν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ σπουδάζομεν οὕτως, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἐπιτυχεῖν. Καὶ τί λέγω, οὐ σπουδάζομεν; οὐ θέλομεν οὕτω τυχεῖν αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὡς αὐτὸς θέλει. Καὶ ὅτι πλέον θέλει, δι' οὗ ἐποίησεν ἔδειξεν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν μόλις ὁλίγου καταφρονοῦμεν χρυσίου· αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔδωκε τὸν αὐτοῦ. Χρησώμεθα εἰς δέον τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀπολαύσωμεν αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλίας· Ὑμεῖς γὰρ φίλοι μου ἐστὲ, φησὶν, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἃ λέγω ὑμῖν. Βαβαί· τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, τοὺς ἀπείρως αὐτῷ διεστηκότας, ὧν ἀσυγκρίτῳ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ κατὰ πάντα διενήνοχε, τούτους φίλους αὐτοῦ καλεῖ. Τί οὖν οὐχ αἱρετὸν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς φιλίας; Ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων φιλίας πολλάκις κινδυνεύομεν· ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδὲ χρήματα προϊέμεθα; Πένθους ὄν τως ἄξια τὰ ἡμέτερα, πένθους καὶ δακρύων καὶ ὀδυρμῶν καὶ ὀλοφυρμοῦ μεγάλου καὶ κοπετῶν. Τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν ἐξεπέσαμεν, ἐταπεινώθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους ἡμῶν, ἀνάξιοι τῆς τιμῆς ἐφάνημεν τοῦ Θεοῦ.","english":"For if God is the one who prepares and makes ready good things, what must those things be? For if, when he had made us, immediately, before we had done anything at all,\n\nhe granted us so many things—paradise, converse with him, immortality he promised, a blessed life free from cares—what will he not grant to those who have labored so much and struggled and endured for his sake? He did not spare the Only-Begotten for our sake; he gave his genuine Son over to death for our sake, when we were enemies. Of what will he not deem worthy those who have become friends? Of what will he not give a share, having reconciled them to himself? And he is exceedingly rich and boundless, and he desires and is eager to obtain our friendship; but we are not so eager, beloved, to obtain it. And why do I say, we are not eager? We do not wish to obtain his good things as much as he himself wishes. And that he wishes it more, he has shown by what he did. For we scarcely bring ourselves to despise a little gold for our own sake; but he gave even his own Son for our sake. Let us use the love of God as we ought; let us enjoy his friendship. For you are my friends, he says, if you do what I tell you. Well then! Those who were enemies, who were infinitely separated from him, compared to whom he excelled in all things by incomparable excess—these he calls his friends. What, then, is not worth suffering for this friendship? For the friendship of men we often run risks; but for the friendship of God do we not even spend money? Our condition is truly worthy of mourning, of mourning and tears and lamentation and great wailing and beating of breasts. We have fallen from our hope, we have been brought low from our height, we have appeared unworthy of the honor of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":623,"ref":"p623","source":"ἀγνώμονες καὶ μετὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας γεγόναμεν καὶ ἀχάριστοι· ἐγύμνωσεν ἡμᾶς πάντων ὁ διάβολος τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Οἱ καταξιωθέντες εἶναι υἱοὶ καὶ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ συγκληρονόμοι, τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν διενηνόχαμεν τῶν ὑβριζόντων αὐτόν. Τίς ἡμῖν ἔσται παραμυθία λοιπόν; Αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσε πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὴν γέενναν ὠθήσαμεν. Ἄρα καὶ ψεῦδος καὶ κλοπὴ καὶ μοιχεία κέχυται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· οἱ μὲν αἵματα ἐφ' αἵμασι μιγνύουσιν, οἱ δὲ πράγματα πράττουσιν αἱμάτων χείρονα· πολλοὶ τῶν ἀδικουμένων, πολλοὶ τῶν πλεονεκτουμένων μυρίους εὔχονται θανάτους ἢ ταῦτα παθεῖν· καὶ, εἰ μὴ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐδεδοίκεσαν, καὶ διεχειρίσαντο ἂν ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτω φονῶντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν. Ταῦτα οὖν οὐχ αἱμάτων χείρω; Οἴμοι ψυχὴ, ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν εὐλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ κατορθῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὑπάρχει. Νῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς βοήσωμεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν πρῶτον. Ἀλλά μοι τοῦ θρήνου συλλάβεσθε. Τάχα τινὲς καὶ οἰωνίζονται καὶ γελῶσι. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπιτείνειν χρὴ τὸν θρῆνον, ὅτι οὕτω μαινόμεθα καὶ παραπαίομεν, ὅτι οὐδὲ εἰ μαινόμεθα ἴσμεν, ἀλλ' ἐφ' οἷς ἐχρῆν στένειν γελῶμεν. Ἀποκαλύπτεται, ἄνθρωπε, ὀργὴ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει. Πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπορεύσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά· πῦρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ κύκλῳ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ. Ἡμέρα Κυρίου ὡς κλίβανος καιόμενος. Καὶ οὐδεὶς ταῦτα εἰς νοῦν βάλλεται, ἀλλὰ μύθων μᾶλλον καταπεφρόνηται τὰ φρικώδη ταῦτα δόγματα καὶ φοβερὰ, καὶ πεπάτηται, καὶ ὁ ἀκούων οὐδεὶς, οἱ δὲ γελῶντες καὶ χλευάζοντες πάντες.","english":"We have become senseless and ungrateful even after his benefactions; the devil has stripped us of all good things. We who were deemed worthy to be sons and brothers and co-heirs have differed in nothing from his enemies who insult him. What consolation will there be for us henceforth? He himself called us to heaven, but we pushed ourselves toward Gehenna. Indeed, falsehood and theft and adultery have been poured out upon the earth; some mingle blood with blood, others do things worse than bloodshed; many of the wronged, many of the defrauded, pray for countless deaths or to suffer these things; and, if they had not feared the fear of God, they would even have laid hands on themselves, so murderous are they against themselves. Are these things, then, not worse than bloodshed? Woe to my soul, for the devout one has perished from the earth, and the one who sets things right among men does not exist. Now let us also cry out first on our own behalf. But join with me in lamentation. Perhaps some even take omens and laugh. For this very reason the lamentation must be intensified, because we are so mad and deranged, because we do not even know that we are mad, but we laugh at the things over which we ought to groan. It is revealed, O man, wrath from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. God will come openly. Fire will go before him, and a violent storm round about him; fire will be kindled before him, and it will set his enemies round about in flames. The day of the Lord is like a burning oven. And no one takes these things to heart, but these dreadful and fearful doctrines are despised more than myths, and trampled upon, and there is no one who listens, but all are laughing and mocking.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":624,"ref":"p624","source":"Τίς ἔσται πόρος ἡμῖν; πόθεν σωτηρίαν εὑρήσομεν; Ἀπολώλαμεν, παρανηλώμεθα, γεγόναμεν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν κατάγελως, καὶ χλευασμὸς τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων. Μέγα φρονεῖ νῦν ὁ διάβολος, γαυροῦται καὶ χαίρει· ἐν αἰσχύνῃ οἱ πιστευθέντες ἡμᾶς ἄγγελοι πάντες καὶ κατηφείᾳ· οὐδεὶς ὁ ἐπιστρέφων, εἰκῆ πάντα ἡμῖν ἀνάλωται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν δοκοῦμεν ληρεῖν; Εὔκαιρον καὶ νῦν καλέσαι τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ὁ ἀκούων, διαμαρτύρασθαι τὰ στοιχεῖα· Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, γῆ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησε· δότε χεῖρα, ὀρέξατε οἱ μηδέπω καταβαπτισθέντες τοῖς ὑπὸ τῆς μέθης ἀπολωλόσιν, οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες τοῖς κάμνουσιν, οἱ νήφοντες τοῖς μαινομένοις καὶ τοῖς περιφερομένοις. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν χάριν τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ φίλου προτιμάτω· καὶ ἡ ὕβρις καὶ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις εἰς ἒν ὁράτω μόνον, αὐτοῦ τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ὅταν πυρετὸς καταλάβῃ, καὶ δοῦλοι κρατοῦσι δεσποτῶν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἐπικαίηται, τὴν ψυχὴν συγχέων, ἀνδραπόδων δὲ ἐσμὸς\n\nπαρεστήκει, οὐδενὶ εἴκει, οὐδὲ ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν νόμον τὸν δεσποτικὸν ἐν τῇ βλάβῃ τοῦ δεσπότου. Συστρέψωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, παρακαλῶ. Πόλεμοι καθημερινοὶ, καταποντισμοὶ, ἀπώλειαι μυρίαι κύκλῳ, καὶ πάντοθεν ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ περιστοιχίζεται· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὡς εὐαρεστοῦντες, οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἐν ἀδείᾳ· πάντες τὰς χεῖρας εἰς πλεονεξίαν εὐτρεπίζομεν, οὐδεὶς εἰς βοήθειαν· πάντες εἰς ἁρπαγὴν, οὐδεὶς εἰς προστασίαν. Ἕκαστος ὅπως πλείονα ποιήσῃ τὰ ὄντα ἐσπούδακεν, οὐδεὶς ὅπως βοηθήσῃ τῷ δεομένῳ· ἕκαστος πῶς προσθῇ τοῖς χρήμασι πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν μέριμναν, οὐδεὶς ὅπως τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διασώσῃ.","english":"What resource will there be for us? From where will we find salvation? We are lost, we have been squandered, we have become a laughingstock to our enemies, and a mockery to the Greeks and the demons. The devil is now proud, he exults and rejoices; all the angels entrusted with us are in shame and dejection; there is no one to turn us back, everything has been spent by us in vain, and do we seem to you to be babbling? It is timely now also to call heaven, because there is no one who hears, to testify to the elements: Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken; give your hand, you who have not yet been baptized, reach out to those destroyed by drunkenness, you who are healthy to the sick, you who are sober to the mad and to those carried about. Let no one, then, for the sake of a friend's salvation prefer it; and let insult and rebuke look to one thing only, his own benefit. When a fever seizes him, slaves also take hold of their masters. For when that man is burning up, confounding his soul, and a swarm of slaves\n\nstands by, he yields to no one, nor does he recognize the master's law in the harm of the master. Let us gather ourselves together, I beseech you. Daily wars, drownings, countless destructions all around, and on every side the wrath of God encircles us; but we, as though we were well-pleasing, are thus in security; we all make ready our hands for greed, no one for help; all for plunder, no one for protection. Each has hastened to make his possessions more, no one to help the one in need; each has great concern how to add to his wealth, no one how to save his own soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":625,"ref":"p625","source":"Φόβος εἷς ἔχει πάντας, μὴ πενιχροὶ, φησὶ, γενώμεθα· μὴ εἰς γέενναν ἐμπέσωμεν, οὐδεὶς ἀγωνιᾷ καὶ τρέμει. Ταῦτα θρήνων, ταῦτα κατηγορίας, ταῦτα διαβολῆς ἄξια. Ἀλλ' οὐ ταῦτα ἐβουλόμην· λέγειν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης βιάζομαι. Σύγγνωτε, ὑπὸ πένθους ἀναγκάζομαι· πολλὰ καὶ ὧν οὐ βούλομαι φθέγγομαι. Χαλεπὴν ὁρῶ τὴν πληγὴν, ἀπαραμύθητον τὴν συμφορὰν, παρακλήσεως μείζονα τὰ καταλαβόντα ἡμᾶς δεινά· ἀπολώλαμεν. Τίς δώσει τῇ κεφαλῇ μου ὕδωρ, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου πηγὰς δακρύων, ἵνα θρηνήσω; Κλαύσωμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, κλαύσωμεν. στενάξωμεν. Τάχα τινές εἰσιν ἐνταῦθα λέγοντες, Πάντα θρήνους ἡμῖν λέγει, πάντα δάκρυα. Οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, πιστεύσατε, οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, ἀλλ' ἐγκώμια καὶ ἐπαίνους διεξιέναι· νυνὶ δὲ οὐ τούτων καιρός. Οὐ τὸ θρηνεῖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, χαλεπὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θρήνων ἄξια ποιεῖν· οὐ τὸ ὀδύρεσθαι ἀποτρόπαιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τὰ ὀδυρμῶν ἄξια πράττειν. Μὴ κολασθῇς, καὶ οὐ πενθῶ· μὴ ἀποθάνῃς, καὶ οὐ κλαίω. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὲν τὸ σῶμα κέηται νεκρὸν, πάντας παρακαλεῖς συναλγεῖν, καὶ ἀσυμπαθεῖς ἡγῇ τοὺς μὴ πενθοῦντας· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς ἀπολλυμένης, λέγεις μὴ πενθεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι· πατήρ εἰμι, καὶ δακρύω· πατήρ εἰμι φιλόστοργος. Ἀκούετε οἷα βοᾷ ὁ Παῦλος· Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω. Ποία μήτηρ κύουσα οὕτω πικρὰς ἀφίησι φωνὰς, ὡς ἐκεῖνος; Εἴθε ἐνῆν αὐτὴν τῆς διανοίας τὴν πυρὰν ἰδεῖν, καὶ εἶδες ἂν, ὅτι πάσης γυναικὸς καὶ κόρης χηρείαν ἄωρον ὑποστάσης πλέον καίομαι· οὐχ οὕτως ἐκείνη τὸν ἄνδρα πενθεῖ τὸν ἑαυτῆς, οὐδὲ πατὴρ υἱὸν, ὡς ἐγὼ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦτο τὸ παρ' ἡμῖν. Οὐδεμίαν ὁρῶ προκοπήν· πάντα εἰς διαβολὰς καὶ κατηγορίας·","english":"One fear possesses everyone—lest we become poor, it says; lest we fall into Gehenna—and no one agonizes or trembles. These things are worthy of lamentations, worthy of accusation, worthy of condemnation. But I did not wish to say these things; I am compelled by grief. Forgive me, I am forced by mourning; I utter many things even that I do not wish. I see the wound as grievous, the calamity as unconsolable, the terrors that have overtaken us as greater than comfort; we are lost. Who will give water to my head, and springs of tears to my eyes, that I may lament? Let us weep, beloved, let us weep; let us groan. Perhaps there are some here saying, He speaks nothing to us but lamentations, nothing but tears. I did not wish it, believe me, I did not wish it, but to go through encomia and praises; but now is not the time for these things. It is not lamenting, beloved, that is grievous, but doing things worthy of lamentations; it is not bewailing that is abominable, but doing things worthy of bewailings. Do not be punished, and I do not mourn; do not die, and I do not weep. But if the body lies dead, you urge everyone to grieve with you, and you consider those who do not mourn to be without compassion; but when the soul is perishing, do you say that one should not mourn? But I cannot; I am a father, and I weep; I am a loving father. Hear what Paul cries out: My little children, for whom I am again in travail. What mother in labor utters such bitter cries as he? If only it were possible to see the fire of his mind, and you would see that I burn more than any woman or girl who has endured untimely widowhood; not so does she mourn her husband, nor a father his son, as I mourn this multitude that is with us. I see no progress; all things are for condemnations and accusations.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":626,"ref":"p626","source":"οὐδεὶς ἔργον τίθεται ἀρέσκειν Θεῷ· Ἀλλὰ τὸν δεῖνα, φησὶν, εἴπωμεν κακῶς καὶ τὸν δεῖνα· ὁ δεῖνα ἀνάξιος τοῦ κλήρου, ὁ δεῖνα ἀσέμνως βιοῖ. Ὀφείλοντες τὰ ἡμέτερα πενθεῖν, κακὰ κρίνομεν ἑτέρους; Οὐδὲ ὅτε καθαροί ἐσμεν ἁμαρτημάτων, ὀφείλομεν τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει, φησί, τί δὲ ἔχεις, ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών; Σὺ δὲ τί κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, μυρίων αὐτὸς γέμων κακῶν; Ὅταν εἴπῃς, Ὁδεῖνα πονηρός ἐστι καὶ λυμεὼν, καὶ μοχθηρὸς, ἐννόησον σαυτὸν, καὶ ἐξέτασον ἀκριβῶς τὰ σαυτοῦ, καὶ μεταμελετήσῃ ἐπὶ τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν. Εἴ τι οὖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὥσπερ ἐν δικαίοις σταθμοῖς, τοὺς λόγους ἡμῶν στῆσαι ἐπιχειρήσει, ἐν μυρίοις ταλάντοις λόγων βιωτικῶν μόλις εὑρήσει δηνάρια ἑκατὸν ῥημάτων πνευματικῶν, ἢ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ ὀβολοὺς δέκα. Εἰ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς ταῦτα παρατηρήσει, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Ταῦτα ἐννοοῦντες, οἰκτίρμονες ὦμεν, συγγνωμονικοὶ περὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἑκατὸν δηνάριά ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα, τὰ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἁμαρτήματα· τὰ δὲ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν παρ' ἡμῶν, μυρία τάλαντα. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶ τῇ ποιότητι τῶν προσώπων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κρίνονται· οἷόν τι λέγω· ὁ τὸν ἰδιώτην ὑβρίσας ἥμαρτεν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁμοίως, ὡς ὁ τὸν ἄρχοντα, καὶ μειζόνως τούτου ὁ τὸν μείζονα ἄρχοντα, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁμοίως ὡς ὁ τὸν ἐλάττονα· ὁ δὲ τὸν βασιλέα, πολλῷ πλέον· καὶ ἡ μὲν ὕβρις ἐστὶν ἡ αὐτή· τῇ δὲ ὑπεροχῇ τοῦ προσώπου μείζων γίνεται. Εἰ δὲ ὁ βασιλέα ὑβρίζων, ἀφόρητον ἔχει τὴν τιμωρίαν διὰ τὴν τοῦ προσώπου ἀξιοπιστίαν· ὁ τὸν Θεὸν ὑβρίζων πόσων ἔσται ὑπεύθυνος ταλάντων;","english":"No one makes it their business to please God; but, it says, let us speak ill of this man and that man; this man is unworthy of the clerical office, that man lives indecently. Owing to mourn our own sins, do we judge others harshly? Not even when we are clean of sins ought we to do this. For who is it, it says, that distinguishes you, and what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you had not received it? But why do you judge your brother, yourself full of countless evils? When you say, This man is wicked and a destroyer and depraved, consider yourself and examine your own affairs closely, and you will repent of what was said. If, then, anyone in the church, as in just balances, attempts to weigh our words, among ten thousand talents of worldly words he will scarcely find a hundred denarii of spiritual utterances, or rather not even ten obols. If, then, God will observe these things, who will endure it? Bearing these things in mind, let us be merciful, forgiving toward those who sin against us. A hundred denarii here are the sins committed against us; but the sins committed by us against God are ten thousand talents. For you know that sins are also judged by the quality of the persons involved; what I mean is this: he who insults a private citizen has sinned, but not in the same way as he who insults a ruler, and more greatly than this he who insults a greater ruler, but not in the same way as he who insults a lesser one; but he who insults the king, far more; and the insult is the same, but by the preeminence of the person it becomes greater. If, then, he who insults the king has an unbearable punishment because of the dignity of the person, of how many talents will he be liable who insults God?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":627,"ref":"p627","source":"Ὥστε κἂν τὰ αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἁμαρτάνωμεν, ἅπερ εἰς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, οὐδὲ οὕτω τὸ ἴσον ἐστίν· ἀλλ' ὅσον μέσον Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, τοσοῦτον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐκείνων καὶ τούτων. Νῦν δὲ καὶ πλείονα εὑρίσκω τὰ ἁμαρτήματα οὐ τῇ ὑπεροχῇ τοῦ προσώπου\n\nμεγάλα γινόμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ φύσει. Καὶ φρικτὸς μὲν ὁ λόγος καὶ φοβερὸς ὄντως, πλὴν ἀνάγκη λεχθῆναι, ἵνα ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν κατασείσῃ καὶ παρασαλεύσῃ· δεικνὺς ὅτι πολλῷ πλέον ἀνθρώπους φοβούμεθα, ἢ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τιμῶμεν ἀνθρώπους, ἢ τὸν Θεόν. Ἐννόησον· ὁ μοιχεύων οἶδεν, ὅτι Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὁρᾷ, καὶ τούτου μὲν καταφρονεῖ· ἂν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἴδῃ, κατέχει τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. Οὐχὶ προτιμᾷ ἀνθρώπους μόνον, οὐχὶ ὑβρίζει τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον, ἐκείνους δεδοικὼς, τούτου καταφρονεῖ. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνους ἴδῃ, κατέχει τὴν φλόγα τῆς ἐπιθυμίας. Μᾶλλον δὲ ποίαν φλόγα; οὐκέτι φλὸξ, ἀλλὰ ὕβρις. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ ἐξῆν γυναικὶ κεχρῆσθαι, εἰκότως φλὸξ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν· νυνὶ δὲ ὕβρις καὶ στρῆνος. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπους ἴδῃ, ἵσταται τῆς μανίας· τῆς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίας ἔλαττον φροντίζει. Πάλιν, ἕτερος ὁ κλέπτων σύνοιδεν ὅτι ἁρπάζει, καὶ ἀνθρώπους μὲν πειρᾶται ἀπατῆσαι, καὶ ἀπολογεῖται πρὸς τοὺς ἐγκαλοῦντας, καὶ σχῆμα περιτίθησι τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ· τὸν δὲ Θεὸν μὴ δυνάμενος πεῖσαι, οὐ φροντίζει, οὐδὲ αἰδεῖται, οὐδὲ τιμᾷ. Κἂν μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς κελεύσῃ ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἑτέρου χρημάτων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ δοῦναι, πάντες ἑτοίμως εἰσφέρομεν· τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ κελεύοντος μὴ ἁρπάζειν, μηδὲ τὰ ἑτέρων λαμβάνειν, οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι προτιμῶμεν ἀνθρώπους τοῦ Θεοῦ;","english":"So even if we sin against God in the same ways as against men, not even so is it equal; but as great as the distance between God and men, so great is the difference between those sins and these. But now I find that our sins are even greater, not becoming great through the superiority of the person, but by their very nature. And the statement is shudder-inducing and truly terrifying, yet it must be spoken, so that it may shake and unsettle our mind, showing that we fear men far more than God, and honor men more than God. Consider: the adulterer knows that God sees him, and he despises Him; but if a man sees him, he restrains his desire. Does he not prefer men? Does he not insult God? And what is far worse, fearing those men, he despises Him. For if he sees them, he restrains the flame of desire. But what sort of flame? It is no longer a flame, but insolence. For if it were not permitted to have intercourse with a woman, the matter would reasonably be a flame; but as it is, it is insolence and wantonness. For if he sees men, he stops his madness; but for God's patience he cares less. Again, another, the thief, knows that he is stealing, and he tries to deceive men, and makes a defense against those who accuse him, and puts a shape upon his defense; but God, since he cannot persuade Him, he does not care for, nor respect, nor honor. And if the king commands us to abstain from another's property—or rather even to give our own—we all readily contribute; but when God commands us not to steal, nor to take what belongs to others, we do not endure it. Do you see that we prefer men to God?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":628,"ref":"p628","source":"Φορτικὸν τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ ἐπαχθές· ἀλλὰ δείξατε ὅτι φορτικὸν, φύγετε τὸ ἔργον· εἰ δὲ τὸ ἔργον οὐ δεδοίκατε, πῶς ὑμῖν πιστεῦσαι δύναμαι λέγουσιν, ὅτι Τὰ ῥήματα δεδοίκαμεν, καὶ βαρεῖς ἡμᾶς; Ὑμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς τῷ ἔργῳ βαρεῖτε, καὶ οὐδεὶς λόγος· ἐγὼ δὲ, ἂν τὰ ῥήματα εἴπω, ὧν ὑμεῖς τὰ πράγματα πράττετε, ἀγανακτεῖτε; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον; Γένοιτο ψεῦδος εἶναι τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ· βούλομαι αὐτὸς λοιδορίας δόξαν λαβεῖν κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν, ὡς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην λοιδορησάμενος ὑμᾶς, ἢ ἰδεῖν ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ἐγκαλουμένους. Οὐ μόνον δὲ αὐτοὶ ἀνθρώπους προτιμᾶτε τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρους ἀναγκάζετε. Πολλοὶ πολλοὺς οἰκέτας ἠνάγκασαν καὶ παῖδας· οἱ μὲν εἰς γάμον εἵλκυσαν μὴ βουλομένους, οἱ δὲ ὑπηρετήσασθαι διακονίαις ἀτόποις καὶ ἔρωτι μιαρῷ καὶ ἁρπαγαῖς καὶ πλεονεξίαις καὶ βίαις· ὥστε διπλοῦν εἶναι τὸ ἔγκλημα, καὶ μηδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης συγγνώμην αὐτοὺς εὑρέσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἄκων πράττεις τὰ πονηρὰ, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἐπίταγμα τοῦ ἄρχοντος· μάλιστα μὲν οὐδὲ οὕτως ἱκανὴ ἡ ἀπολογία, πλὴν χαλεπωτέρα γίνεται ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὅταν καὶ ἐκείνους ἀναγκάζῃς τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπίπτειν. Ποία γὰρ ἂν εἴη τῷ τοιούτῳ συγγνώμη λοιπόν; Ταῦτα εἶπον, οὐχὶ κατακρῖναι βουλόμενος ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι πόσων ἐσμὲν ὀφειλέται τῷ Θεῷ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐξ ἴσου τιμῶντες ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑβρίζομεν τὸν Θεόν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅταν προτιμῶμεν ἀνθρώπους. Εἰ καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τὰ εἰς ἀνθρώπους γινόμενα, εἰς Θεὸν πολλῷ μείζονα δείκνυται· πόσῳ μᾶλλον, ὅτε καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἁμαρτία τῇ ποιότητι μείζων ᾖ καὶ χαλεπωτέρα;","english":"The word is burdensome and offensive; but show that it is burdensome, and flee the deed. But if you do not fear the deed, how can I believe you when you say, \"We fear the words, and they are heavy upon us\"? You make yourselves heavy by the deed, and no one says a word; but if I speak the words of which you do the deeds, are you indignant? And how is this not absurd? May what comes from me prove to be false; I myself wish to receive the reputation of abuse on that day, as having abused you idly and in vain, rather than to see you accused of such things. And not only do you yourselves prefer men to God, but you also compel others. Many have compelled many servants and children: some have dragged them unwilling into marriage, others to serve in shameful ministries and vile lust and robberies and acts of greed and violence; so that the charge is double, and they find no pardon even from the necessity. For if you yourself do wicked things unwillingly, and because of the ruler's command—in the first place, not even so is the defense sufficient, but the sin becomes more grievous when you also compel those others to fall into the same things. What pardon, then, could there be for such a one hereafter? I have said these things, not wishing to condemn you, but to show how many debts we owe to God. For if, even when we honor a man equally with God, we insult God, how much more when we prefer men? If even these sins committed against men are shown to be much greater against God, how much more when the sin itself is greater and more grievous in its quality?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":629,"ref":"p629","source":"Ἐξεταζέτω τις ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ὄψεται πάντα δι' ἀνθρώπους ποιῶν. Σφόδρα ἦμεν μα κάριοι, εἰ τοσαῦτα διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπράττομεν, ὅσα δι' ἀνθρώπους, καὶ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξαν καὶ τὸν φόβον, καὶ τὴν τιμήν. Εἰ τοίνυν τοσούτων ἐσμὲν ὑπεύθυνοι, ὀφείλομεν μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας ἀφιέναι τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν ἡμᾶς καὶ πλεονεκτοῦσι, καὶ μὴ μνησικακεῖν. Ὁδὸς γάρ ἐστι λύσεως ἁμαρτημάτων οὐδὲ πόνων δεομένη, οὐδὲ δαπάνης χρημάτων, οὐδὲ ἄλλου οὐδενὸς, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς προαιρέσεως. Οὐκ ἀποδημίαν χρὴ στείλασθαι, οὐκ εἰς τὴν ὑπερορίαν ἐλθεῖν, οὐ κινδύνους ὑποστῆναι καὶ πόνους, ἀλλὰ θελῆσαι μόνον. Ποίαν, εἰπέ μοι, συγγνώμην ἕξομεν ἐν τοῖς δοκοῦσιν εἶναι δυσκόλοις, ὅταν καὶ πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον ἔχον κέρδος, καὶ τοσαύτην τὴν ὠφέλειαν, καὶ οὐδένα πόνον, μὴ πράττωμεν; Οὐ δύνασαι χρημάτων καταφρονῆσαι, οὐ δύνασαι τὰ ὄντα δαπανῆσαι εἰς τοὺς δεομένους; θελῆσαι οὐ δύνασαί τι ἀγαθόν; ἀφεῖναι τῷ ἠδικηκότι οὐ δύνασαι; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοσούτων ὑπεύθυνος ἦς, ἐκέλευσε δὲ μόνον ὁ Θεὸς ἀφεῖναι, οὐκ ἔδει; νῦν δὲ τοσούτων ὑπεύθυνος ὢν οὐκ ἀφίης; καὶ ταῦτα δὲ, ἀφ' ὧν ἔχεις αὐτοῦ ἀπαιτεῖ. Ἂν μὲν οὖν ἡμεῖς παρ' ὀφειλέτην ἔλθωμεν ἡμέτερον, ἐκεῖνος εἰδὼς τοῦτο, θεραπεύει","english":"Let each person examine himself, and he will see that he does everything for the sake of men. We would be exceedingly blessed if we did for God as much as we do for men—for the glory that comes from men, and fear, and honor. If, then, we are liable for so much, we ought with all eagerness to forgive those who wrong us and take advantage of us, and not to bear grudges. For it is a way of release from sins that needs no toil, no expenditure of money, no anything else—but simply a choice. There is no need to set out on a journey, nor to go into a foreign land, nor to undergo dangers and labors—only to will it. Tell me, what excuse shall we have in matters that seem difficult, when a thing that has such great profit and such great benefit, and no toil at all, we do not do? You cannot despise money? You cannot spend what you have on those in need? Can you not will something good? Can you not forgive the one who has wronged you? For if you were not liable for so much, and God had merely commanded you to forgive, ought you not to do it? But now, being liable for so much, do you not forgive? And these things he demands from what you have. If, then, we come to one who is our debtor, he, knowing this, attends to it","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":630,"ref":"p630","source":"καὶ ὑποδέχεται καὶ τιμᾷ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυται φιλοφροσύνην μετὰ δαψιλείας, καὶ ταῦτα, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ δανείσματος διαλυόμενος, ἀλλ' ἡμέρους ἡμᾶς θέλων καταστῆσαι περὶ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν· σὺ δὲ τῷ Θεῷ ὀφείλων τοσαῦτα, καὶ κελευόμενος ἀφεῖναι, πάλιν ἵνα σὺ λάβῃς, οὐκ ἀφίης; τί δήποτε, παρακαλῶ; Οἴμοι, πόσης μὲν ἀπολαύομεν φιλανθρῳπίας; πόσην δὲ ἐπιδεικνύμεθα κακίαν; πόσον πόνον; πόσην νωθείαν; πῶς εὔκολον ἡ ἀρετή; Ἐνταῦθα οὐ σώματος ἰσχύος χρεία, οὐ πλούτου χρημάτων, οὐ δυναστείας, οὐ φιλίας, οὐκ ἄλλου οὐδενός· ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ θελῆσαι μόνον, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσται πρᾶγμα, πολλὴν ἔχον ὠφέλειαν. Ἐλύπησεν ὁ δεῖνα, καὶ ὕβρισε καὶ ἔσκωψεν; ἐννόησον, ὅτι καὶ σὺ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα εἰς ἑτέρους ποιεῖς, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν Δεσπότην· ἄνες καὶ συγχώρησον· ἐννόησον, ὅτι λέγεις· Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν· ἐννόησον, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἀφῇς, οὐ δυνήσῃ μετὰ παῤῥησίας τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· ἂν δὲ ἀφῇς, ὀφειλὴν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀπαιτεῖς, οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος φύσιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ δεδωκότος φιλανθρωπίαν. Καὶ ποῦ ἴσον, τὰ εἰς τοὺς ὁμοδούλους ἀφιέντα τῶν εἰς τὸν Δεσπότην ἡμαρτηκότων τὴν ἄφεσιν λαβεῖν, ἀλλ' ὅμως τυγχάνομεν τῆς τοσαύτης φιλανθρωπίας, ἐπειδὴ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐν ἐλέει καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς. Ἵνα δέ σοι δείξω, ὅτι καὶ χωρὶς τούτων καὶ χωρὶς τῆς ἀφέσεως, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀφεῖναι μόνον σὺ καρποῦσαι τὸ κέρδος· ἐννόησον πόσους ὁ τοιοῦτος ἔχει φίλους, πῶς πανταχοῦ ἐγκώμια τοῦ τοιούτου ἅπαντες διεξέρχονται. Ἀγαθὸς ἀνὴρ εὐμετάλλακτος, οὐκ οἶδε μνησικακῆσαι, ἅμα ἐπλήγη καὶ ἅμα ἰάθη.","english":"And he receives and honors him, and shows every kindness with generosity, and this, not discharging the debt from what was lent, but wishing to make us gentle in the matter of exacting repayment. But you, owing so much to God and being commanded to forgive, do you not forgive again so that you may receive? Why ever, I ask? Alas, how great is the love for humanity we enjoy? How great is the wickedness we display? How great the toil? How great the sluggishness? How easy is virtue? Here there is no need of bodily strength, nor of wealth of money, nor of power, nor of friendship, nor of anything else; but it suffices only to will, and the whole matter is accomplished, having great benefit. So-and-so grieved you, and insulted and mocked you? Consider that you too do many such things to others, and to the Master himself; let it go and forgive. Consider that you say: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive. Consider that if you do not forgive, you will not be able to say this with boldness; but if you forgive, you exact the matter as a debt, not because of the nature of the matter, but because of the love for humanity of the one who gave. And where is it equal, for one who forgives offenses against fellow servants to receive forgiveness of sins against the Master? But nevertheless we obtain such love for humanity, since he is rich in mercy and compassion. But to show you that even without these things and without the forgiveness, from the mere act of forgiving you reap the gain: consider how many friends such a person has, how everywhere all recount the praises of such a person. A good man is easily reconciled, he does not know how to bear a grudge; at once he was struck and at once he was healed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":631,"ref":"p631","source":"Τὸν τοιοῦτον περιστάσει τινὶ περιπεσόντα τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐλεήσῃ; τίς οὐ συγγνώσεται ἁμαρτάνοντι; τίς οὐ δώσει χάριν ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων ἀξιοῦντι; τίς οὐ θελήσει φίλος εἶναι καὶ δοῦλος ψυχῆς οὕτως ἀγαθῆς; Ναὶ, παρακαλῶ, πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου πράττωμεν, μὴ πρὸς φίλους, μὴ πρὸς συγγενεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκέτας. Ἀνιέντες γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν ἀπειλὴν, εἰδότες, ὅτι καὶ ὁ Κύριος ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ἂν ἀφίωμεν τοῖς πλησίον τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἂν ἐλεημοσύνας παρέχωμεν, ἂν ταπεινοὶ ὦμεν (καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἀφαιρεῖ ἁμαρτίας· εἰ γὰρ ὁ τελώνης, ἵνα μόνον εἴπῃ, Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, κατῆλθε δεδικαιωμένος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐὰν ταπεινοὶ ὦμεν καὶ συντετριμμένοι, δυνησόμεθα πολλῆς φιλανθρωπίας τυχεῖν)· ἂν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτήματα καὶ καταγινώσκωμεν ἑαυτῶν, τὸ πλέον ἀποσμηξόμεθα τοῦ ῥύπου. Πολλαὶ γὰρ αἱ ὁδοὶ αἱ καθαρεύουσαι. Πάντοθεν τοίνυν πολεμῶμεν τῷ διαβόλῳ. Οὐδὲν εἶπον δύσκολον, οὐδὲν δυσχερές. Ἄφες τῷ λελυπηκότι, ἐλέησον τὸν δεόμενον, ταπείνωσόν σου τὴν ψυχήν· κἂν σφόδρα ᾖς ἁμαρτωλὸς, δυνήσῃ καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιτυχεῖν, διὰ τούτων αὐτὰ ἐκκαθαίρων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ ἀποσμήχων τὴν κηλῖδα. Γένοιτο δὲ πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐνταῦθα ἀποκαθηραμένους ἅπαντα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸν ῥύπον διὰ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως, ἐκεῖ τυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"Who would not show mercy to such a man when he has fallen into some calamity? Who would not forgive him when he sins? Who would not grant him favor when he pleads on behalf of others? Who would not wish to be a friend and servant of so good a soul? Yes, I beseech you, let us do everything on his behalf—not only toward friends and relatives, but also toward household servants. For, he says, relaxing the threat, knowing that your Lord also is in heaven. If we forgive our neighbors their trespasses, if we give alms, if we are humble (for this too takes away sins; for if the tax collector, merely by saying, Be merciful to me, a sinner, went down justified, much more shall we, if we are humble and contrite, be able to obtain great loving-kindness); if we confess our own sins and condemn ourselves, we shall wipe away the greater part of the filth. For many are the paths that purify. Therefore let us wage war against the devil from every side. I have said nothing difficult, nothing troublesome. Forgive the one who has grieved you, show mercy to the one in need, humble your soul; and even if you are a very great sinner, you will be able to attain the kingdom, cleansing away your sins by these things and wiping off the stain. May it come to pass that we all, having here purged away all the filth of our sins through confession, may there obtain the promised good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ; with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":632,"ref":"p632","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΑʹ. Περὶ τοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ μιμεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς κἂν τοὺς οἰκέτας ἡμῶν, ὁπόσα ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον φόβον πράττουσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον τὰ αὐτὰ πράττωμεν· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀνεκδιηγήτων ἀγαθῶν τῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις ηὐτρεπισμένων.\n\nΕἰ τοῖς οἰκέταις ὁ Παῦλος, ἀγαπητοὶ, πολλῇ κεχρῆσθαι τῇ ὑπακοῇ τοῖς κυρίοις, Τιμοθέῳ γράφων, ἐπέταττεν· ἐννοήσατε πῶς ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγόντα ἡμᾶς, τὸν τρέφοντα, τὸν ἐνδιδύσκοντα. Εἰ καὶ μηδαμῶς οὖν ἑτέρως, κἂν ὡς οἱ οἰκέται οἱ ἡμέτεροι, δουλεύσωμεν αὐτῷ. Οὐχὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ζωὴν εἰς τοῦτο κατεστήσαντο ἐκεῖνοι, εἰς τὸ\n\nἀναπαύεσθαι τοὺς δεσπότας αὐτῶν, καὶ τοῦτο ἔργον αὐτοῖς ἐστι, καὶ οὗτος βίος, τὸ τὰ δεσποτικὰ μεριμνᾷν; οὐχὶ τὰ τοῦ δεσπότου πᾶσαν τὴν ἡμέραν μεριμνῶσι, τὰ δὲ αὐτῶν πολλάκις μικρὸν ἑσπέρας μέρος; Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον, τὰ μὲν ἡμέτερα διαπαντὸς, τὰ δὲ τοῦ Δεσπότου οὐδὲ μικρὸν μέρος, καὶ ταῦτα, οὐ δεομένου τῶν ἡμετέρων, καθάπερ οἱ δεσπόται τῶν δούλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων αὐτῶν πάλιν εἰς ἡμέτερον προχωρούντων κέρδος. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἡ διακονία τοῦ οἰκέτου τὸν δεσπότην ὠφελεῖ· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ δούλου τὸν μὲν Δεσπότην οὐδὲν, πάλιν δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν οἰκέτην ὀνίνησι. Τῶν ἀγαθῶν γάρ μου, φησὶν, οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, τί τῷ Θεῶ κέρδος, ἐὰν ἐγὼ δίκαιος ὦ; ποία δὲ βλάβη, ἐὰν ἄδικος; οὐχὶ ἀκήρατος ἡ φύσις ἐκείνη; οὐχὶ ἀβλαβής; οὐχὶ παντὸς ἀνωτέρα πάθους; οἱ οἰκέται οὐδὲν ἴδιον ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ πάντα δεσποτικὰ, κἂν μυριάκις πλουτῶσιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ πολλὰ ἴδια ἔχομεν.","english":"HOMILY 41. On the fact that we ought to imitate even our own servants in whatever they do because of fear of us, so that we too may do the same things because of the fear of God; and on the indescribable good things prepared for the saints.\n\nIf Paul, beloved, writing to Timothy, commanded servants to show great obedience to their masters, consider how we ought to be disposed toward the Master who brought us from non-being into being, who feeds us, who clothes us. If in no other way, then, let us serve him at least as our own servants do. Did those servants not devote their whole life to this end—to giving rest to their masters—and is this not their work, and this their life, to care for their masters' concerns? Do they not care for their master's affairs the whole day, and for their own often only a small part of the evening? But we do the opposite: our own affairs all the time, but the Master's not even a small part—and this, though he has no need of our affairs, as masters need slaves, but even these very things redound again to our own gain. For there the servant's service benefits the master; but here the servant's service benefits the Master not at all, but again the servant himself. For he says, You have no need of my good things. Tell me, for what gain to God is it if I am righteous? Or what harm if I am unrighteous? Is not that nature pure? Is it not inviolable? Is it not above every passion? Servants have nothing of their own, but all things belong to their masters, even if they be ten thousand times rich; but we have many things of our own.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":633,"ref":"p633","source":"Οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοσαύτης τιμῆς ἀπολαύομεν παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ. Ποῖος δεσπότης ὑπὲρ οἱκέτου τὸν υἱὸν ἔδωκε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ; οὐδείς· ἀλλὰ πάντες ἂν ἕλοιντο τοὺς οἰκέτας ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων δοῦναι. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοὐναντίον· τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν, ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῶν μισούντων αὐτόν. Οἱ οἰκέται, κἂν βαρέα τινὰ ἐπιτάττωνται, οὐδὲ οὕτω δυσχεραίνουσι, καὶ μάλιστα, ἂν ὦσιν εὐγνώμονες· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀποδυσπετοῦμεν μυρία. Τοῖς οἰκέταις οὐδεὶς ἐπαγγέλλεται τοιοῦτον, οἷον ἡμῖν ὁ Θεός· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐλευθερίαν, φησὶ, τὴν ἐνταῦθα, τὴν πολλάκις τῆς δουλείας χαλεπωτέραν· πολλάκις γὰρ κατέλαβε λιμὸς, καὶ πικροτέρα δουλείας αὕτη ἡ ἐλευθερία γέγονε· καὶ τὸ δῶρον τοῦτο τὸ μέγιστον. Παρὰ δὲ τῷ Θεῷ οὐδὲν ἐπίκηρον, οὐδὲν φθαρτόν· ἀλλὰ τί; Οὐ λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους, φησίν· ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε· Αἰσχυνθῶμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, φοβηθῶμεν· κἂν ὡς οἱ οἰκέται ἡμῖν δουλεύουσι, δουλεύσωμεν ἡμεῖς τῷ Δεσπότῃ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος τὴν δουλείαν ἡμεῖς ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην φιλοσοφοῦσι, σκεπάσματα μόνον ἔχουσι καὶ τροφάς· ἡμεῖς δὲ ὑβρίζομεν εἰς τὴν τρυφήν. Εἰ μηδαμόθεν ἄλλοθεν, κἂν παρ' ἐκείνων δεχώμεθα τῆς φιλοσοφίας τοὺς κανόνας. Οἶδε γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ οὐχὶ πρὸς οἰκέτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἄλογα πέμπειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· οἷον, ὅταν τὴν μέλιτταν, ὅταν τοὺς μύρμηκας κελεύῃ μιμεῖσθαι. Ἐγὼ δὲ κἂν τοὺς οἰκέτας μιμήσασθαι παραινῶ· ὅσα ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τὸν ἡμέτερον πράττουσι, κἂν τοσαῦτα διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἡμεῖς πράττωμεν· οὐ γὰρ εὑρήσομεν πράττοντας ὑμᾶς.","english":"It is not without reason that we enjoy such great honor from the God of all. What master gave his own son for a servant? No one; but everyone would choose to give their servants for their children. Here, however, the opposite happened: he did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, for all his enemies who hated him. Servants, even if they are ordered to do something burdensome, are not so resentful, especially if they are well-disposed; but we complain about countless things. No one promises servants such things as God promises us. But what? Freedom, he says, the freedom here, which is often harsher than slavery; for often famine has overtaken it, and this freedom has become more bitter than slavery; and this gift is the greatest. But with God nothing is perishable, nothing corruptible; but what? I no longer call you servants, he says; you are my friends. Let us be ashamed, beloved, let us fear; even as servants serve us, let us serve the Master; or rather, we do not demonstrate service even to the smallest fraction. They practice philosophy out of necessity, having only covering and food; but we are insolent in luxury. If from nowhere else, at least let us receive the rules of philosophy from them. For Scripture knows how to send people not only to servants, but even to irrational creatures; for example, when it commands us to imitate the bee, when it commands us to imitate the ants. But I even urge you to imitate servants: whatever they do because of fear of us, let us do the same amount because of the fear of God; for we will not find you doing so.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":634,"ref":"p634","source":"Ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τὸν ἡμέτερον ὑβρίζονται μυριάκις, καὶ παντὸς φιλοσόφου μᾶλλον ἑστήκασι σιγῶντες· ὑβρίζονται καὶ δικαίως καὶ ἀδίκως, καὶ οὐκ ἀντιλέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ παρακαλοῦσιν, ἀδικοῦντες οὐδὲν πολλάκις· οὐδὲν πλέον τῆς χρείας λαμβάνοντες, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἔλαττον, στέργουσι· καὶ ἐπὶ στιβάδος καθεύδοντες, καὶ ἄρτου μόνον πληρούμενοι, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην πᾶσαν δίαιταν ἔχοντες εὐτελῆ, οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦσιν οὐδὲ δυσχεραίνουσιν. Ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τὸν παρ' ἡμῶν φόβον ἐμπιστευόμενοι χρήματα πάντα ἀποδιδόασι (μὴ γάρ μοι τοὺς μοχθηροὺς εἴπῃς τῶν οἰκετῶν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὴ λίαν κακούς)· ἂν ἀπειλήσωμεν, εὐθέως συστέλλονται. Ἆρα οὐ φιλοσοφίας ταῦτα; Μὴ γὰρ ὅτι ἀνάγκῃ γίνεται εἴπῃς, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ σοὶ ἀνάγκη τῆς γεέννης ἐπίκειται, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω σωφρονεῖς, οὐδὲ τοσαύτην παρέχεις τιμὴν τῷ Θεῷ, ὅσης ἀπολαύεις παρὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Ἔχει ἕκαστος τῶν οἰκετῶν οἴκημα τὸ νενομοθετημένον, καὶ οὐκ ἐπεμβαίνει τῷ τοῦ πλησίον, οὐδὲ λυμαίνεται τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τοῦ πλείονος. Καὶ ταῦτα ἴδοι τις ἂν ἐν οἰκέταις διὰ τὸν τῶν δεσποτῶν φόβον φυλαττόμενα· καὶ σπανίως ἂν ἴδοις οἰκέτην τὰ τοῦ οἰκέτου ἁρπάζοντα, ἢ λυμαινόμενον. Παρὰ δὲ ἀνθρώποις ἐλευθέροις τὰ ἐναντία τούτων γίνεται· ἀλλήλους δάκνομεν καὶ κατεσθίομεν, οὐ δεδοίκαμεν τὸν Δεσπότην· τὰ τῶν συνδούλων ἁρπάζομεν, κλέπτομεν, τύπτομεν, ὁρῶντος αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν ποιήσειεν οἰκέτης, ἀλλὰ κἂν τύπτῃ, μὴ ὁρῶντος τοῦ δεσπότου· κἂν ὑβρίζῃ μὴ ἀκούοντος· ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ πάντα καὶ ὁρῶντος καὶ","english":"Those men, because of the fear they have of us, are insulted ten thousand times, and they stand silent more than any philosopher; they are insulted both justly and unjustly, and they do not talk back, but they plead, often doing no wrong; taking nothing beyond what is needed, and often even less, they are content; and sleeping on a pallet, and filling themselves with bread alone, and having all the rest of their way of life cheap, they do not complain or resent it. Those men, because of the fear they have of us, when entrusted with money, return it all (for do not tell me of the wicked among servants, but of those not exceedingly bad); if we threaten, they immediately shrink back. Are these things not philosophy? For do not say that it happens by necessity, because necessity of Gehenna lies upon you too, and not even so are you temperate, nor do you render to God as much honor as you enjoy from your servants. Each of the servants has the dwelling appointed by law, and does not trespass on his neighbor's, nor does he plunder it in his desire for more. And one may see these things guarded among servants because of the fear of their masters; and rarely would you see a servant snatching or plundering what belongs to a servant. But among free men the opposite of these things happens: we bite and devour one another, we do not fear the Master; we snatch, steal, and strike what belongs to our fellow servants, while he looks on. But a servant would not do this, but even if he strikes, it is when the master does not see; even if he insults, it is when he does not hear; but we, while God sees and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":635,"ref":"p635","source":"ἀκούοντος τολμῶμεν. Φόβος ὁ τοῦ δεσπότου πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐκείνων διαπαντός· ἡμῶν δὲ οὗτος οὐδέποτε. Διὰ τοῦτο πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γέγονε, πάντα συγκέχυται καὶ διέφθαρται, καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν οὐδέποτε εἰς νοῦν λαμβάνομεν τὰ ἡμαρτημένα· τοὺς δὲ οἰκέτας τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἁμαρτάνοντας ἅπαντα ἐξετάζομεν μετὰ ἀκριβείας καὶ τὰ μικρότατα. Ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχὶ τοὺς οἰκέτας ὑπτίους ποιῆσαι βουλόμενος, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡμέτερον ὕπτιον ἐπιστρέψαι, τὸ ῥᾴθυμον διεγεῖραι· ἵνα κἂν οὕτω δουλεύωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς ἡμῖν οἱ οἰκέται· οὕτω τῷ πεποιηκότι ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἡμῖν οἱ ὁμοούσιοι, καὶ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔχοντες παρ' ἡμῶν. Ἐλεύθεροι τῇ φύσει καὶ οὗτοί εἰσιν· Ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν ἰχθύων, καὶ τούτοις εἴρηται. Οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη φύσεως ἡ δουλεία, ἀλλ' ἀξίας ἐστὶ καὶ περιστάσεως· ἀλλ' ὅμως πολλὴν ἡμῖν παρέχουσι τὴν τιμήν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τούτοις μὲν μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας ἐπιτιθέμεθα τῆς ἡμετέρας ἕνεκεν διακονίας· τῷ δὲ Θεῷ οὐδὲ πολλοστὸν παρέχομεν μέρος, καὶ ταῦτα πάλιν εἰς ἡμᾶς στρεφομένης τῆς ὠφελείας. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν σπουδαιότερον δουλεύσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἑαυτοὺς ὀνήσομεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ μᾶλλον κερδανοῦμεν. Μὴ δὴ τοσαύτης ἀποστερήσωμεν ὠφελείας ἡμᾶς αὐτούς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς αὐτάρκης ἐστὶ καὶ ἀνενδεής· ἡ δὲ ἀμοιβὴ καὶ τὸ κέρδος πάλιν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀνατρέχει. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ φιλοσοφῆσαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀποκειμένων τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγαθῶν, ἀληθῶς ἐκείνη ἐστὶν ἡ ὄντως ἀνάπαυσις, ἔνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη καὶ λύπη καὶ στεναγμός· ἔνθα οὐδὲ φροντίδες, οὐδὲ πόνοι, οὔτε ἀγωνία, οὔτε φόβος καταπλήττων καὶ σείων τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλὰ μόνος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος ἡδονῆς πλήρης ὤν.","english":"We dare to do this while he listens. The fear of the master is always before those men's eyes; but never before ours. This is why everything has been turned upside down, everything is confounded and corrupted, and we ourselves never take our own sins into account; but when our servants sin, we examine everything with precision, even the smallest matters. I say this, not wishing to make servants slack, but to turn our own slackness around, to rouse our indifference; so that even in this way we may serve God as our servants serve us, and serve the One who made us as those of the same nature serve us, and have nothing of that kind from us. These too are free by nature; let them rule the fish, and this has been said to them. This servitude is not of nature, but of worth and circumstance; yet even so they show us great honor. But we set ourselves upon them with all precision for the sake of our own service; yet to God we do not render even a small fraction, and even this benefit returns again to us. For the more earnestly we serve God, the more we shall benefit ourselves, and the more we ourselves shall gain. Let us not then deprive ourselves of so great a benefit. For God is self-sufficient and in need of nothing; but the recompense and the gain run back again to us. And if we must philosophize also about the good things laid up for the saints, truly that is the rest that is real, where pain and sorrow and groaning have fled away; where there are no cares, no toils, no agony, no fear that strikes and shakes the soul, but only the fear of God, which is full of pleasure.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":636,"ref":"p636","source":"Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ, Ἐν ἱδρῶτι τοῦ προσώπου σου φαγῇ τὸν ἄρτον σου, οὐδὲ ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι· οὐκ ἔστιν, Ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει· πάντα χαρὰ, εἰρήνη, εὐφροσύνη, ἡδονὴ, ἀγαθοσύνη, πραότης, ἀγάπη. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ ζηλοτυπία οὐδὲ βασκανία, οὐ θάνατος οὗτος ὁ τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς, οὐκ ἔστι σκότος, οὔτε νύξ· πάντα ἡμέρα, πάντα φῶς, πάντα λαμπρά. Οὐκ ἔστι καμεῖν, οὐκ ἔστι κόρον λαβεῖν· ἀεὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν διατελέσομεν. Βούλεσθε δῶ τινα καὶ εἰκόνα ὑμῖν τῆς ἐκεῖ καταστάσεως; Οὐκ ἔστι δυνατόν· πλὴν ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὡς δυνατὸν, πειράσομαι δοῦναι ὑμῖν τινα εἰκόνα. Ἀναβλέψωμεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὅταν, μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος νέφους, φαίνῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ στέφανον· εἶτα πρὸς τὸ κάλλος τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοῦ πολὺν διατρίψαντες χρόνον ἐννοήσωμεν, ὅτι καὶ ἔδαφος ἕξομεν οὐ τοιοῦτον μὲν ὂν, ἀλλὰ τοσούτῳ γινόμενον κάλλιον, ὅσῳ τῶν πηλίνων ὀρόφων ὁ χρυσοῦς· καὶ τὸν μετ' ἐκεῖνον πάλιν, τὸν ἀνώτερον ὄροφον, εἶτα τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοὺς ἀρχαγγέλους, τοὺς ἀπείρους δήμους τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, αὐτὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ βασίλεια, τὸν θρόνον τὸν πατρικόν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἰσχύει, ὅπερ ἔφην, ὁ λόγος παραστῆσαι τὸ πᾶν· πείρας χρεία καὶ τῆς διὰ πείρας γνώσεως. Πῶς οἴεσθε, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν Ἀδὰμ εἶναι ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ; Πολὺ βελτίων ἐστὶν ἐκείνης αὕτη ἡ διαγωγὴ, ὅσῳ τῆς γῆς ὁ οὐρανός. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέραν εἰκόνα ἐπιζητήσωμεν.","english":"There is no \"In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread,\" nor thorns and thistles; there is no \"In sorrow you shall bring forth children, and your turning shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you\"; all is joy, peace, gladness, pleasure, goodness, gentleness, love. There is no jealousy there, nor envy, not this death of the body, nor that death of the soul; there is no darkness, nor night; all is day, all is light, all is radiant. There is no toiling, no taking of satiety; we shall always continue in desire for good things. Do you wish me to give you some image also of the state there? It is not possible; yet nevertheless, as far as possible, I shall attempt to give you some image. Let us look up to heaven, when, with no cloud troubling it, it shows its own crown; then, having spent much time on the beauty of its appearance, let us consider that we shall also have a floor, not such as this is, but becoming as much fairer as the golden is than roofs of clay; and again the one after that, the higher roof, then the angels, the archangels, the countless hosts of the incorporeal powers, the very kingdom of God, the paternal throne. But the word is not able, as I said, to present the whole; there is need of experience and of knowledge through experience. How do you think, tell me, that Adam was in paradise? This way of life is much better than that, as much as heaven is than earth. Yet nevertheless let us seek also another image.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":637,"ref":"p637","source":"Εἰ συμβαίη τὸν βασιλεύοντα νῦν πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης κρατῆσαι, εἶτα μήτε ὑπὸ πολέμων, μήτε ὑπὸ φροντίδων ἐνοχλεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τιμᾶσθαι μόνον καὶ τρυφᾷν, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἔχειν δορυφόρους, πάντοθεν δὲ τὸ χρυσίον αὐτῷ ἐπιῤῥεῖν, καὶ ἀπόβλεπτον εἶναι· ποίαν οἴεσθε ἔχειν ψυχὴν αὐτὸν, εἰ τοὺς πολέμους τοὺς πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς πεπαυμένους ἑώρα; Τοιοῦτόν τι ἔσται· μᾶλλον δὲ οὔπω καὶ τῆς εἰκόνος ἐφικόμην ἐκείνης· διὸ χρὴ καὶ ἑτέραν ἐπιζητῆσαι. Ἐννόησον δή μοι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ παιδίον βασιλικὸν, ἕως μὲν ἂν ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ ᾖ, οὐδενὸς ἐπαισθάνεται· εἰ δὲ συμβαίη ἄφνω ἐξελθὸν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἀνελθεῖν τὸν βασιλικὸν, μὴ ἡρέμα, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον πάντα προσλαβεῖν· οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ κατάστασις αὕτη κἀκείνη· ἢ εἴ τις δεσμώτης μυρία παθὼν κακὰ, ἀθρόον ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν ἁρπαγείη θρόνον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐφικόμην ἀκριβῶς τῆς εἰκόνος. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ὧν ἄν τις ἐπιτύχῃ καλῶν, κἂν αὐτὴν εἴπῃς τὴν βασιλείαν, παρὰ μὲν τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν ἀκμάζοντα ἔχει τὸν πόθον, καὶ παρὰ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ","english":"If it should happen that the one now reigning over the whole inhabited world held power, and then were troubled neither by wars nor by anxieties, but were only honored and lived in luxury, and had many guards, and gold flowed in upon him from every side, and he were the object of admiration—what kind of soul do you think he would have, if he saw the wars throughout the whole earth brought to an end? Something like this it will be; but not even yet have I attained that image. Therefore it is necessary to seek another as well. Consider it for me. For just as a royal child, while he is in his mother's womb, perceives nothing; but if it should happen that, having suddenly come forth from there, he ascended the royal throne, not gradually but all at once receiving everything—so is this state and that one; or if someone a prisoner, having suffered countless evils, were suddenly snatched up to the royal throne. But not even in this way have I attained the image precisely. For here, whatever good things one might obtain—even if you mention kingship itself—on the first day the desire is at its peak, and on the second and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":638,"ref":"p638","source":"τρίτην, χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος, μένει μὲν ἐν ἡδονῇ, οὐ τοσαύτῃ δέ· λήγει γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ἀεὶ, οἵα ἂν ᾖ· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐ μειοῦται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιδίδωσιν. Ἐννόησον ὅσον ἐστὶ ψυχὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν ἐκεῖ μηκέτι τέλος προσδοκᾷν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, μηδὲ μεταβολὴν, ἀλλ' ἐπίδοσιν, καὶ ζωὴν τέλος οὐκ ἔχουσαν, καὶ ζωὴν παντὸς μὲν κινδύνου, πάσης δὲ ἀθυμίας καὶ φροντίδος ἀπηλλαγμένην, μεστὴν εὐθυμίας καὶ μυρίων ἀγαθῶν. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς πεδίον ἐξιόντες, ἔνθα σκηνὰς ὁρῶμεν στρατιωτῶν ἐκ παραπετασμάτων πηγνυμένας, καὶ δόρατα καὶ κράνη καὶ ὀμφαλοὺς ἀσπίδων λάμποντας, μετέωροι γινόμεθα τῷ θαύματι· εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα συμβαίη μέσον ἰδεῖν τρέχοντα, ἢ καὶ ἵππον ἐλαύνοντα μετὰ ὅπλων χρυσῶν, τὸ πᾶν ἔχειν νομίζομεν· τί οἴει, ὅταν τῶν ἁγίων ἴδῃς τὰς σκηνὰς τὰς αἰωνίους τῷ οὐρανῷ πεπηγυίας; Δέξονται γὰρ ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους αὐτῶν σκηνάς· ὅταν αὐτῶν ἕκαστον ὑπὲρ τὰς ἀκτῖνας τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἴδῃς ἀπολάμποντα, οὐκ ἀπὸ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης, ἧς τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς ἀνθρώπινος ὀφθαλμὸς οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν; Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴποι τὰς χιλιάδας τῶν ἀγγέλων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων, τῶν Χερουβὶμ, τῶν Σεραφὶμ, τῶν Θρόνων, τῶν Κυριοτήτων, τῶν Ἀρχῶν, τῶν Ἐξουσιῶν, ὧν τὸ κάλλος ἀμήχανον, πάντα νοῦν ὑπερβαῖνον; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ μέχρι τίνος οὐ στήσομαι διώκων ἀκίχητα; Οὔτε γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, φησὶν, οὔτε οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲν οὔτε ἐλεεινότερον τῶν ἀποτυγχανόντων, οὔτε μακαριώτερον τῶν ἐπιτυγχανόντων.","english":"A third, and as time goes on, it remains in pleasure, but not so great; for it always ceases through habit, whatever it may be; but there it not only does not diminish, but even increases. Consider how great it is for a soul that has departed there no longer to expect an end to those good things, nor a change, but increase, and a life that has no end, and a life freed from every danger, every despondency and anxiety, full of cheerfulness and countless good things. For if, going out into a plain where we see the tents of soldiers pitched from curtains, and spears and helmets and the bosses of shields gleaming, we are lifted up in wonder; but if it should also happen that we see the king running in the midst, or even driving a horse with golden armor, we think we have everything; what do you think, when you see the eternal tents of the saints pitched in heaven? For they will receive you, it says, into their eternal tents; when you see each of them shining brighter than the rays of the sun, not from bronze and iron, but from that glory whose gleams a human eye cannot see? And these things indeed concerning men. But what could one say of the thousands of angels, of archangels, of Cherubim, of Seraphim, of Thrones, of Dominions, of Principalities, of Powers, whose beauty is beyond contrivance, surpassing every mind? But to what point shall I not stop pursuing things unattainable? For neither has eye seen, it says, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him. Therefore nothing is more pitiable than those who fail, nor more blessed than those who succeed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":639,"ref":"p639","source":"Γενώμεθα δὲ τῶν μακαρίων καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἵνα ἐπιτύχωμεν τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΒʹ. Περὶ τοῦ, ὅτι οὐ χρὴ θορυβεῖσθαι ὁρῶντας ἡμᾶς τοὺς μὲν ἀγαθοὺς δυσπραγοῦντας, τοὺς δὲ πονηροὺς ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ τυγχάνοντας· καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν διαφέρει ὀδωδότος νεκροῦ ὁ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζῶν. Μηδεὶς ὁρῶν πονηροὺς εὐπραγοῦντας, ἀγαπητοὶ, θορυβείσθω· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις, οὔτε τῆς πονηρίας, οὔτε τῆς ἀρετῆς· εἰ δέ που γίνεται καὶ τῆς πονηρίας καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ κατ' ἀξίαν, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, ὡσανεὶ γεῦμα τῆς κρίσεως, ἵνα οἱ τῇ ἀναστάσει διαπιστοῦντες, κἂν τοῖς ἐνταῦθα σωφρονίζωνται. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδωμεν πονηρὸν πλουτοῦντα, μὴ καταπίπτωμεν· ὅταν ἴδωμεν ἀγαθὸν κακῶς πάσχοντα, μὴ θορυβώμεθα· ἐκεῖ γὰρ οἱ στέφανοι, ἐκεῖ αἱ κολάσεις. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε κακὸν πάντη εἶναι κακὸν, ἀλλ' ἔστι τινὰ ἔχειν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀγαθά· οὔτε ἀγαθὸν πάντη εἶναι ἀγαθὸν, ἀλλ' ἔχειν τινὰ καὶ ἁμαρτήματα. Ὅταν οὖν εὐπραγῇ ὁ πονηρὸς, ἐπὶ κακῷ τῆς αὐτοῦ κεφαλῆς· ἵνα γὰρ ἐκείνων τῶν ὀλίγων ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀντίδοσιν ἐνταῦθα λαβὼν, ἐκεῖ λοιπὸν τέλεον κολάζηται, τούτου χάριν ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαμβάνει. Καὶ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος μάλιστά ἐστιν, ὁ ἐνταῦθα κολαζόμενος, ἵνα πάντα ἀποθέμενος τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, εὐδόκιμος καὶ καθαρὸς ἀπίῃ καὶ ἀνεύθυνος. Καὶ τοῦτο διδάσκων ὁ Παῦλος ἡμᾶς, φησί· Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἄῤῥωστοι καὶ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί· καὶ πάλιν, Παρέδωκα τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ σατανᾷ.","english":"Let us also become blessed, so that we may obtain the eternal good things in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 42. On the fact that one must not be disturbed when we see the good faring badly and the wicked in abundance; and that the one who lives in sins differs in no way from a stinking corpse. Let no one, beloved, be disturbed when he sees the wicked prospering; for here is not the recompense, neither of wickedness nor of virtue. And if in some place there is a recompense of both wickedness and virtue, it is not according to worth, but simply, as it were a taste of the judgment, so that those who disbelieve in the resurrection may be brought to their senses even by the things here. When, then, we see a wicked man rich, let us not fall; when we see a good man suffering badly, let us not be disturbed; for there are the crowns, there the punishments. And besides, it is not possible for a bad man to be entirely bad, but he has some good things too; nor for a good man to be entirely good, but he has some sins too. When, then, the wicked man prospers, it is to the harm of his own head; for in order that, having received here the repayment of those few good things, he may be punished there completely, for this reason he receives them here. And that one is especially blessed, who is punished here, so that, having laid aside all his sins, he may depart approved and pure and blameless. And teaching us this, Paul says: For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and many sleep; and again, I delivered such a one to Satan.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":640,"ref":"p640","source":"Καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησὶν, ὅτι Ἐδέξατο ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου διπλᾶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· καὶ πάλιν ὁ Δαυῒδ, Ἴδε τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν ὑπὲρ τὰς τρίχας τῆς κεφαλῆς μου, καὶ μῖσος ἄδικον ἐμίσησάν με· καὶ, Ἄφες πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου· καὶ πάλιν ἕτερος, Κύριε, εἰρήνην δὸς ἡμῖν· πάντα γὰρ ἀπέδωκας ἡμῖν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν δεικνύντος ἐστὶ τοὺς καλοὺς τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων δίκας ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαμβάνοντας· ποῦ δὲ τὰ ἀγαθὰ πονηροὶ ἀπολαμβάνοντες ἐνταῦθα, ἐκεῖ τέλεον κολάζονται; Ἄκουε τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ λέγοντος πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον· Ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου, καὶ Λάζαρος τὰ κακά.\n\nΠοῖα ἀγαθά; Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τὸ, Ἀπέλαβες, ἀλλὰ μὴ,ἔλαβες, εἰπὼν, δείκνυσι κατὰ ὀφειλὴν ἑκατέρους παθόντας, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐν εὐπραγίᾳ, τὸν δὲ ἐν δυσπραγίᾳ γενόμενον· καί φησι, Διὰ τοῦτο οὗτος ἐνταῦθα παρακαλεῖται· ὁρᾷς γὰρ αὐτὸν καθαρὸν ἁμαρτημάτων· καὶ σὺ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλύωμεν, ὅταν εὐπαθοῦντας ὁρῶμεν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἀλλ' ὅταν κακῶς πάσχωμεν, αὐτοὶ χαίρωμεν· ἁμαρτιῶν γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔκτισις. Μὴ ζητῶμεν ἄνεσιν· θλῖψιν γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς ὁ Χριστός. Καί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Πάντες οἱ θέλοντες εὐσεβῶς ζῇν ἐν Χριστῷ, διωχθήσονται. Οὐδεὶς γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς ἐν τῷ σκάμματι λουτρὰ ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ τράπεζαν πλήθουσαν σιτίοις καὶ οἴνῳ· τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν ἀθλητοῦ, ἀλλὰ βλακός. Ὁ γὰρ ἀθλητὴς μάχεται κόνει, ἐλαίῳ, ἀκτῖνος θερμότητι, ἱδρῶτι πολλῷ, θλίψει καὶ στενοχωρίᾳ. Ἀγῶνος οὗτός ἐστι καὶ τοῦ πυκτεύειν ὁ καιρός· οὐκοῦν καὶ τοῦ τραύματα λαμβάνειν καὶ αἱμάττεσθαι καὶ ἀλγεῖν. Ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος·","english":"And the prophet says, \"He has received from the hand of the Lord double for his sins\"; and again David, \"See my enemies, that they have multiplied beyond the hairs of my head, and with unjust hatred they have hated me\"; and, \"Forgive all my sins\"; and again another, \"Lord, give us peace, for you have repaid all things to us.\" But these things show that those who are good receive here the just penalties for their sins; but where do the wicked receive good things here, and there be punished completely? Hear Abraham saying to the rich man: \"You received your good things, and Lazarus his evil things.\"\n\nWhat good things? For here the word \"you received,\" not \"you took,\" shows that both suffered according to debt, the one coming into prosperity, the other into adversity; and he says, \"Therefore he is comforted here; for you see him clean of sins; and you are in pain.\" Let us not, then, be distressed when we see sinners faring well here, but when we ourselves suffer ill, let us rejoice; for the matter is a payment of sins. Let us not seek relief; for Christ promised affliction to his disciples. And Paul says: \"All who wish to live piously in Christ will be persecuted.\" No noble athlete in the arena seeks baths and a table full of food and wine; this is not the part of an athlete, but of a soft fellow. For the athlete struggles with dust, with oil, with the heat of the sun, with much sweat, with affliction and distress. This is the time for contest and for boxing; and therefore also for receiving wounds and bleeding and suffering pain. Hear what the blessed Paul says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":641,"ref":"p641","source":"Οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων. Πάντα τὸν βίον ἐναγώνιον εἶναι νομίσωμεν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἄνεσιν ζητήσομεν, οὐδέποτε θλιβόμενοι ξενοπαθήσομεν· εἴπερ μηδὲ πύκτης, ὅτε ἐν ἀγῶνί ἐστι, ξενοπαθεῖ. Ἕτερός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς ἀνέσεως καιρός. Διὰ θλίψεως ἡμᾶς τελειωθῆναι δεῖ. Εἰ καὶ μὴ διωγμός ἐστι, μηδὲ θλῖψις, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ἕτεραι θλίψεις, αἱ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συμπίπτουσαι· εἰ δὲ ταύτας οὐ φέρομεν, σχολῇ γε ἐκείνας ἐνέγκαιμεν ἄν. Πειρασμὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ εἴληφε, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ ἀνθρώπινος. Εὐχώμεθα μὲν οὖν τῷ Θεῷ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· εἰσελθόντες δὲ φέρωμεν γενναίως. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ σωφρόνων ἀνδρῶν, τὸ μὴ κινδύνοις ἐπιῤῥίπτειν ἑαυτοὺς, τοῦτο δὲ γενναίων καὶ φιλοσόφων. Μήτε οὖν ἐπιῤῥίπτωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἁπλῶς, θρασύτητος γάρ· μήτε ἀγόμενοι καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων καλούντων ἐνδιδῶμεν, δειλίας γάρ· ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὲν τὸ κήρυγμα καλῇ, μὴ παραιτώμεθα· ἁπλῶς δὲ, αἰτίας μὴ οὔσης μήτε χρείας, μήτε ἀνάγκης τῆς κατὰ θεοσέβειαν καλούσης, μὴ ἐπιτρέχωμεν· ἐπίδειξις γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ φιλοτιμία περιττή· ἐὰν δέ τι τῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν παραβλαπτόντων γίνηται, κἂν μυρίους ὑποστῆναι θανάτους δέῃ, μὴ παραιτώμεθα μηδέν. Μὴ προσκαλοῦ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, ὅταν σοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προχωρῇ, ὡς ποθεῖς. Τί περιττοὺς ἐπισπᾶσαι κινδύνους οὐδὲν κέρδος ἔχοντας; Ταῦτα λέγω, βουλόμενος ὑμᾶς φυλάττειν τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Χριστοῦ κελεύοντος εὔχεσθαι μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, καὶ κελεύοντος τὸν σταυρὸν λαβόντας ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ. Ταῦτα γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συνᾴδοντα.","english":"Thus I box, not beating the air. Let us consider the whole of life to be a contest, and let us never seek relaxation, and let us never, when afflicted, be faint-hearted; since not even a boxer, when he is in the contest, is faint-hearted. Another time is that of relaxation. We must be made perfect through affliction. Even if there is no persecution, nor affliction, yet there are other afflictions that fall upon us each day; and if we do not bear these, we would scarcely bear those. No temptation has taken you, he says, except what is human. Let us therefore pray to God not to enter into temptation; but having entered, let us bear it nobly. For that is the part of prudent men, not to throw themselves into dangers, but this is the part of brave and philosophic men. Therefore let us neither throw ourselves in rashly, for that is audacity; nor, when led and when circumstances call, let us give in, for that is cowardice; but if the proclamation calls, let us not refuse; but simply, when there is no cause nor need, nor necessity calling according to godliness, let us not rush in; for the thing is a display, and superfluous ambition; but if any of the things that harm piety should occur, even if it be necessary to endure ten thousand deaths, let us refuse nothing. Do not summon temptations, when the things according to piety go well for you, as you desire. Why do you draw upon yourself superfluous dangers that have no profit? I say these things, wishing you to keep the laws of Christ, who commands us to pray not to enter into temptation, and who commands us, having taken up the cross, to follow him. For these things are not contrary, but are in very great harmony.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":642,"ref":"p642","source":"Σὺ μὲν γὰρ οὕτω παρεσκεύασο, ὡς στρατιώτης γενναῖος ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἔσο διηνεκῶς νήφων, ἐγρηγορὼς, ἀεὶ τὸν πολέμιον προσδοκῶν. Πολέμους μέντοι μὴ τίκτε· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι στρατιώτου, ἀλλὰ στασιαστοῦ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἡ τῆς εὐσεβείας σάλπιγξ καλῇ, εὐθέως ἔξιθι, καὶ καταφρόνησον τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ἔμβηθι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας εἰς τοὺς ἀγῶνας· ῥῆξον τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν ἐναντίων, σύγκοψον τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ διαβόλου, στῆσον τὸ τρόπαιον. Ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲν ἡ εὐσέβεια παραβλάπτηται, μήτε πορθῇ τις τὰ ἡμέτερα δόγματα, κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν λέγω, μηδὲ ἀναγκάζῃ τι ποιεῖν τῶν μὴ δοκούντων τῷ Θεῷ, μὴ περιττὸς ἔσο. Αἱμάτων δεῖ γέμειν τὸν τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ βίον· αἱμάτων, οὐκ ἐν τῷ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἐκχεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκχεῖν. Μετὰ τοσαύτης τοίνυν προθυμίας τὸ αἷμα ἐκχέωμεν τὸ ἴδιον, ὅταν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο ᾖ, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν ὕδωρ τις ἐκχέοι· καὶ γὰρ ὕδωρ ἐστὶ τὸ αἷμα περιῤῥέον τὸ σῶμα· καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης εὐκολίας τὸ σῶμα ἀποδυώμεθα, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἐὰν μὴ χρήμασιν ὦμεν προσδεδεμένοι, ἐὰν μὴ οἰκίαις, ἐὰν μὴ προσπαθείᾳ, ἂν μὴ πάντων ὦμεν ἀπηρτημένοι. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸν στρατιωτικὸν τοῦτον βίον ζῶντες πᾶσιν ἀποτάσσονται, καὶ ἔνθα ἂν ὁ πόλεμος καλῇ, ἐκεῖ παραγίνονται καὶ ὁδοιποροῦσι, καὶ πάντα μετὰ προθυμίας ὑπομένουσι· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιώτας οὕτω παρασκευάζεσθαι χρὴ καὶ παρατάττεσθαι πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον τῶν παθῶν. Οὐκ ἔστι διωγμὸς νῦν, μηδὲ γένοιτο γενέσθαι ποτέ· ἀλλ' ἕτερος","english":"For you have been equipped in this way, as a noble soldier in arms; be continually sober, awake, always expecting the enemy. But do not breed wars; for this is not the part of a soldier, but of a seditious man. But if the trumpet of piety calls, go out at once, and despise your life, and enter with great eagerness into the contests; break the line of the adversaries, crush the face of the devil, set up the trophy. But if piety is not harmed at all, nor does anyone plunder our doctrines—I mean with respect to the soul—nor compel us to do anything of the things that do not seem good to God, do not be superfluous. The life of a Christian must be full of blood—of blood, not in pouring out the blood of others, but in being ready to pour out one's own. With as much eagerness, then, let us pour out our own blood, when it is for Christ, as one would pour out water; for blood is water flowing through the body; and with as much ease let us strip off the body as one would also a garment. And this will be so, if we are not bound to money, if not to houses, if not to attachment, if we are not dependent on all things. For if those who live this military life renounce all things, and wherever the war calls, there they go and travel, and endure all things with eagerness, much more must we, the soldiers of Christ, be prepared in this way and arrayed for the war of the passions. There is no persecution now, nor may there ever be; but another","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":643,"ref":"p643","source":"πόλεμός ἐστιν, ὁ τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας, ὁ τῆς βασκανίας, ὁ τῶν παθῶν. Τοῦτον τὸν πόλεμον διηγούμενος ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα. Ἀεὶ οὗτος ὁ πόλεμος ἐνέστηκε· διὰ τοῦτο ἀεὶ ὡπλισμένους ἡμᾶς ἑστάναι βούλεται. Στῆτε οὖν, φησὶ, περιζωσάμενοι· ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸ ἐνεστῶτός ἐστι καιροῦ· καὶ ἐνέφηνεν, ὅτι ἀεὶ δεῖ ὁπλίζεσθαι. Πολὺς γὰρ ὁ πόλεμος διὰ γλώσσης, πολὺς δι' ὀφθαλμῶν· τοῦτον τοίνυν κατέχωμεν· πολὺς ὁ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκεῖθεν ἄρχεται καθοπλίζειν τὸν στρατιώτην τοῦ Χριστοῦ· Στῆτε γὰρ περιζωσάμενοι, φησὶ, τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, Ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Διὰ τί, Ἐν ἀληθείᾳ; Ἐμπαιγμὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ ψεῦδος ἡ ἐπιθυμία· διό φησιν ὁ προφήτης· Αἱ ψόαι μου ἐπλήσθησαν ἐμπαιγμάτων. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡδονὴ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλὰ σκιὰ ἡδονῆς. Περιζωσάμενοι, φησὶ, τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Τουτέστι, τῇ ἀληθινῇ ἡδονῇ, τῇ σωφροσύνῃ, τῇ κοσμιότητι. Διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα παραινεῖ, εἰδὼς τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ἀτοπίαν, καὶ βουλόμενος ἡμῶν πάντα τὰ μέλη περιπεφράχθαι· Θυμὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄδικος οὐκ ἀθωωθήσεται· καὶ θώρακα ἡμᾶς περικεῖσθαι βούλεται, καὶ ἀσπίδα. Θηρίον γάρ ἐστιν εὐκόλως ἐμπηδῶν ὁ θυμὸς, καὶ μυρίων θριγκίων καὶ διαφραγμάτων ἡμῖν δεήσει πρὸς τὸ περιγενέσθαι καὶ κατασχεῖν. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἡμῖν τοῦτο μάλιστα τὸ μέρος, ὥσπερ ἔκ τινων λίθων, τῶν ὀστέων ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἔρεισμα αὐτῷ περιθεὶς, ὥστε μὴ διαῤῥῆξάν ποτε, μήτε διατεμὸν, εὐκόλως τὸ πᾶν λυμήνασθαι ζῶον. Πῦρ γάρ ἐστι, φησὶ, καὶ ζάλη μεγάλη· καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἕτερον μέλος ταύτην τὴν βίαν ἀνάσχοιτο.","english":"There is a war—the war of the desire for money, the war of envy, the war of the passions. Describing this war, Paul says: Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh. This war is always upon us; therefore he wants us always to stand armed. Stand therefore, he says, having girded yourselves—which is itself a matter of the present time; and he has shown that we must always be arming ourselves. For great is the war through the tongue, great through the eyes; let us therefore restrain it; great is the war of the desires. For this reason he begins from there to arm the soldier of Christ: Stand therefore, he says, having girded your loins, and he added, In truth. Why, In truth? For desire is mockery and falsehood; therefore the prophet says: My reins were filled with mockeries. The thing is not pleasure, but the shadow of pleasure. Having girded, he says, your loins in truth. That is, with the true pleasure, with chastity, with decency. For this reason he gives these exhortations, knowing the absurdity of sin, and wishing all our members to be fenced about; for unjust anger, he says, shall not be acquitted; and he wants us to wear a breastplate and a shield. For anger is a wild beast that easily leaps in, and we shall need countless fences and barriers in order to overcome and restrain it. And for this reason God built this part for us especially, as it were out of certain stones, from the bones, placing a support around it, so that it should never burst through or cut through and easily destroy the whole living creature. For it is fire, he says, and a great tempest; and no other member could endure this violence.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":644,"ref":"p644","source":"Λέγουσι δὲ καὶ ἰατρῶν παῖδες τούτου χάριν ὑπεστορῆσθαι τὸν πνεύμονα τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὥστε εἰς ἁπαλὸν αὐτὴν οὖσαν καθάπερ εἴς τινα σπόγγον ἐναλλομένην διαναπαύεσθαι τὴν καρδίαν, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἰς τὸ ἀντίτυπον καὶ σκληρὸν τὸ στέρνον καταβλάπτεσθαι τῇ ῥύμῃ τῶν ἁλμάτων. Δεῖ τοίνυν ἡμῖν θώρακος ἰσχυροῦ, ὥστε διαπαντὸς ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ τοῦτο τὸ θηρίον διατηρεῖν· δεῖ δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ περικεφαλαίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖ τὸ λογιστικὸν τυγχάνει, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου ἢ σωθῆναι δυνατὸν, ὅταν τὰ δέοντα γίγνωνται, ἢ ἀπολέσθαι ἔνι, διὰ τοῦτό φησι, Καὶ περικεφαλαίαν σωτηρίου. Ὁ γὰρ ἐγκέφαλος φύσει μέν ἐστιν ἁπαλός· διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς, καθάπερ τινὶ ὀστράκῳ, τῷ βρέγματι καλύπτεται ἄνωθεν· πάντων δὲ ἡμῖν αἴτιος γίνεται τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν κακῶν, εἴτε τὰ δέοντα γνοὺς, εἴτε τὰ μὴ τοιαῦτα. Καὶ οἱ πόδες δὲ καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ὅπλων ἡμῖν δέονται· οὐχ αὗται αἱ χεῖρες, οὐδὲ οὗτοι οἱ πόδες, ἀλλὰ πάλιν οἱ τῆς ψυχῆς, αἱ μὲν μελετῶσαι τὰ δέοντα, οἱ δὲ, ἵνα πορεύωνται ἔνθα χρή. Πάντα τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὑπὲρ ἐκείνης πράττωμεν τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς· πάντα πρὸς ἐκείνην ὁρῶντες ἐργαζώμεθα. Σκότος ἐστὶν ἡ κακία, ἀγαπητὲ, θάνατός ἐστι, νύξ ἐστιν· οὐδὲν ὁρῶμεν τῶν δεόντων, οὐδὲν πράττομεν τῶν προσηκόντων. Καθάπερ οἱ νεκροὶ δυσειδεῖς εἰσι καὶ ὀδωδότες· οὕτω καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἐν κακίᾳ πολλῆς εἰσιν ἀκαθαρσίας μεσταί· μέμυκεν αὐτῶν τὰ ὄμματα, τὸ στόμα συνείληπται, ἀκίνητοι μένουσιν ἐν τῇ κλίνῃ τῆς κακίας· μᾶλλον δὲ τῶν ταῦτα παθόντων ἐλεεινότεροι. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ἑκάτερα νεκροί· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ πρὸς μὲν ἀρετὴν ἀναίσθητοι, ζῶντες δὲ πρὸς κακίαν.","english":"The physicians' sons also say that for this reason the lung has been spread out beneath the heart, so that the heart, being soft, leaping as it were into a sponge, might find rest, and not be damaged by the force of its leaps against the resistant and hard breastbone. We need, then, a strong breastplate, so as always to keep this beast in quietness; and we need a helmet too. For since the reasoning faculty is there, and from it one can either be saved, when the things that ought to be are done, or be lost, for this reason he says, And a helmet of salvation. For the brain is by nature soft; therefore it too, as if by some shell, is covered from above by the skull; and it becomes the cause for us of all good things and of evils, whether it knows what ought to be or what is not so. And the feet and the hands need weapons for us—not these hands, nor these feet, but again those of the soul: the hands to practice what ought to be, the feet so that they may walk where it is necessary. All things, then, beloved, let us do for the sake of that future life; looking to it in all things, let us work. Evil is darkness, beloved, it is death, it is night; we see nothing of what ought to be, we do nothing of what is fitting. Just as the dead are ugly and foul-smelling, so also the souls of those in evil are full of great uncleanness; their eyes are closed, their mouth is shut fast, they remain motionless on the bed of evil—or rather they are more pitiable than those who have suffered these things. For the latter are dead to both alike; but the former are insensible to virtue, yet alive to evil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":645,"ref":"p645","source":"Νεκρὸν κἂν πλήξῃ τις, οὐκ αἰσθάνεται, οὐδὲ ἀμύνεται, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὥσπερ ξύλον αὖον· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὖον ὄντως ἐστὶν ἀποβαλοῦσα τὴν ζωήν· μυρία καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν λαμβάνει τὰ τραύματα, καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνεται, ἀλλ' ἀνάλγητος πρὸς πάντα διάκειται. Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τοῖς μεμηνόσιν αὐτοὺς παραβάλλων, τοῖς μεθύουσι, τοῖς παραπαίουσι. Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἔχει ἡ κακία, καὶ πάντων ἐστὶ χαλεπωτέρα. Ὁ μαινόμενος ἔχει πολλὴν συγγνώμην παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων· οὐ γάρ ἐστι προαιρέσεως τὸ νόσημα, ἀλλὰ φύσεως μόνης· ὁ δὲ ἐν κακίᾳ διάγων, πόθεν συγγνωσθήσεται; Πόθεν οὖν ἡ κακία; πόθεν οἱ πλείους κακοί; Εἰπέ μοι, πόθεν ἡ κακία τῶν νοσημάτων, πόθεν φρενῖτις; πόθεν ὕπνος βαρύς; οὐχὶ ἐξ ἀπροσεξίας; Εἰ τὰ φυσικὰ νοσήματα ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως ἔχει τὴν ἀρχὴν, τὰ προαιρετικὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον. Ἡ μέθη πόθεν; οὐχὶ ἐξ ἀκρασίας ψυχῆς; ἡ φρενῖτις οὐχὶ ἀπὸ ὑπερβολῆς πυρετοῦ; ὁ δὲ πυρετὸς οὐχὶ ἀπὸ τῶν\n\nπλεοναζόντων ἐν ἡμῖν στοιχείων; ἡ πλεονεξία δὲ τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν στοιχείων οὐχὶ ἐξ ἀπροσεξίας; Ὅταν γὰρ ἢ ἔνδειαν, ἢ πλεονεξίαν εἰς ἀμετρίαν τι τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐξαγάγωμεν, ἀνάπτομεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ. Πάλιν, ἂν τῆς φλογὸς ἀναφθείσης ἐπιμένωμεν καταφρονοῦντες, καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐργαζόμεθα πυρὰν, ἢν οὐδὲ σβέσαι δυνάμεθα. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κακίας γίνεται, ὅταν ἀρξαμένην αὐτὴν μὴ κωλύωμεν, μηδὲ ἐγκόπτωμεν, οὐδὲ ἐφικέσθαι δυνάμεθα τοῦ τέλους λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ μείζων γίνεται τῆς ἡμετέρας ἰσχύος. Διὸ, παρακαλῶ, πάντα πράττωμεν, ὥστε μηδέποτε ἀπονυστάξαι. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς φύλακας, ὅτι πολλάκις μικρὸν ἑαυτοὺς δόντες τῷ ὕπνῳ, οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο τῆς πολλῆς φυλακῆς;","english":"If someone strikes a dead body, it does not feel it, nor does it defend itself, but it is like dry wood; so too the soul that has cast away life is truly dry: it receives countless wounds each day, and does not feel them, but is utterly insensible to everything. One would not err in comparing such people to the insane, to the drunk, to the delirious. All these things vice possesses, and it is harsher than all of them. The madman has much forgiveness from those who see him; for the disease is not of choice, but of nature alone; but the one who lives in vice—how shall he be forgiven? Where then does vice come from? Where do the majority of the wicked come from? Tell me, where does the vice of diseases come from, where does frenzy come from? Where does heavy sleep come from? Is it not from carelessness? If natural diseases have their beginning from choice, then chosen diseases much more so. Where does drunkenness come from? Is it not from the soul's lack of self-control? Is frenzy not from an excess of fever? And is fever not from the elements that abound in us? And is the excess of the elements in us not from carelessness? For whenever we bring one of the things in us to immoderation, either by deficiency or by excess, we kindle that fire. Again, if, once the flame has been kindled, we persist in despising it, we are working for ourselves a pyre that we cannot even extinguish. So it also happens with vice: when we do not check it once it has begun, nor stop it, we are no longer able to reach its end, but it becomes greater than our strength. Therefore, I beseech you, let us do everything so as never to nod off. Do you not see the guards, that often, having given themselves a little to sleep, they gained nothing from their long watch?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":646,"ref":"p646","source":"δι' ἐκείνου γὰρ τοῦ μικροῦ τὸ πᾶν διέφθειραν, τῷ βουλομένῳ κλέψαι πολλὴν δόντες τὴν ἄδειαν. Καθάπερ γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς τοὺς κλέπτας ὁρῶμεν, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι ἡμᾶς ὁρῶσιν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος μάλιστα πάντων ἐφέστηκε καὶ ἐφεδρεύει καὶ τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας. Μὴ νυστάξωμεν τοίνυν· μὴ εἴπωμεν Παρὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν, παρ' ἐκεῖνο οὐδέν· ὅθεν οὐ προσεδοκήσαμεν, πολλάκις ἐσυλήθημεν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κακίας· ὅθεν οὐ προσεδοκήσαμεν, ἀπωλόμεθα. Πάντα περισκοπῶμεν ἀκριβῶς. Μὴ μεθυσκώμεθα, καὶ οὐχ ὑπνώσομεν· μὴ τρυφῶμεν, καὶ οὐ καθευδήσομεν, μὴ μαινώμεθα πρὸς τὰ ἔξω, καὶ ἐν νήψει διατελέσομεν· ῥυθμίζωμεν ἑαυτοὺς πάντοθεν. Καὶ καθάπερ τοὺς ἐπὶ σχοίνου τεταμένης βαδίζοντας οὐκ ἔνι ῥᾳθυμῆσαι μικρόν· τὸ γὰρ μικρὸν μέγα ἐργάζεται κακόν· περιτραπεὶς γὰρ εὐθέως κατηνέχθη καὶ ἀπώλετο· οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡμᾶς ῥᾳθυμεῖν δυνατόν. Στενὴν βαδίζομεν ὁδὸν, ὑπὸ κρημνῶν ἑκατέρωθεν ἀπειλημμένην, ὁμοῦ δύο πόδας οὐ δεχομένην. Ὁρᾷς πόσης ἡμῖν ἀκριβείας δεῖ; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς τὰς τοιαύτας ὁδοιποροῦντας ὁδοὺς, πῶς οὐ τοὺς πόδας ἀσφαλίζονται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; Ἂν γὰρ δόξῃ ἑτέρωθι προσέχειν αὐτὸν, κἂν ὁ ποῦς βεβαίως ἑστήκῃ, ἰλιγγιάσας ἀπὸ τοῦ βάθους ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς, τὸ πᾶν κατήνεγκεν. Ἀλλ' ἑαυτῷ δεῖ προσέχειν καὶ τῇ βαδίσει· διὰ τοῦτό φησι, μήτε δεξιὰ, μήτε ἀριστερά. Πολὺς ὁ βυθὸς τῆς κακίας ἐστὶ, μεγάλοι οἱ κρημνοὶ, πολὺ κάτω σκότος. Τῇ στενῇ πρόσχωμεν μετὰ φόβου, μετὰ τρόμου περιπατῶμεν. Οὐδεὶς τοιαύτην ὁδεύων ὁδὸν ἐπιφέρεταί τι τῶν περιττῶν· ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ εὔζωνον ὄντα δυνηθῆναι διαδραμεῖν.","english":"For through that small one they destroyed everything, giving great license to the one who wished to steal. For just as we do not see thieves as they see us, so too the devil stands over us and lies in wait more than all others and gnashes his teeth. Let us not therefore nod off; let us not say, \"Nothing from this, nothing from that.\" Often we have been plundered from where we did not expect it. So too with vice: from where we did not expect it, we have perished. Let us examine everything carefully. Let us not get drunk, and we shall not sleep; let us not live in luxury, and we shall not slumber; let us not be frantic about outward things, and we shall remain sober; let us regulate ourselves from every side. And just as it is not possible for those walking on a stretched rope to be careless even a little—for the little works a great evil; for once turned aside, one is immediately carried down and destroyed—so neither is it possible for us to be careless. We walk a narrow road, hemmed in by precipices on both sides, not admitting two feet at once. Do you see how much exactness we need? Do you not see those who travel such roads, how they secure not only their feet but also their eyes? For if one seems to look elsewhere, even if the foot stands firmly, the eye, growing dizzy from the depth, has brought everything down. But one must attend to oneself and to one's walking; this is why it says, neither to the right nor to the left. Great is the abyss of vice, great are the precipices, great is the darkness below. Let us attend to the narrow way with fear, let us walk with trembling. No one traveling such a road carries anything superfluous; for it is enough, being lightly equipped, to be able to run through.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":647,"ref":"p647","source":"Οὐδεὶς συμποδίζει τοὺς πόδας τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ' εὐλύτους ἀφίησιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ μυρίαις φροντίσιν ἑαυτοὺς καταδεσμοῦντες, καὶ μυρία φορτία βιωτικὰ ἐπιφερόμενοι κεχηνότες καὶ ἐκκεχυμένοι, πῶς τὴν στενὴν προσδοκῶμεν βαδίζειν ὁδόν; Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, ὅτι στενή ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ θαυμασμοῦ, Τί στενὴ ἡ ὁδός; Τουτέστι σφόδρα στενή. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν ἐπὶ τῶν πάνυ θαυμαζομένων. Καὶ τεθλιμμένη, φησὶν, ἡ ὁδὸς, ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Στενή· ὅταν γὰρ καὶ ῥημάτων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καὶ πράξεων καὶ πάντων ὀφείλωμεν εὐθύνας ὑπέχειν, στενὴ ὄντως ἐστί. Στενοτέραν δὲ αὐτὴν ποιοῦμεν ἡμεῖς, πλατύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ εὐρύνοντες, καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἐκχέοντες. Ἡ γὰρ στενὴ παντὶ μὲν δυσχερὴς, μάλιστα δὲ τῷ λιπαινομένῳ· ὡς ὅ γε κατατήκων ἑαυτὸν, οὐδὲ αἰσθήσεται τῆς στενοχωρίας· ὥστε ὁ μεμελετηκὼς θλίβεσθαι, οὐδὲ ἀποδυσπετήσει πρὸς τὸ πιέζεσθαι. Μὴ τοίνυν μετὰ ἀνέσεως προσδοκάτω τις τὸν οὐρανὸν ὄψεσθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἔνι· μηδεὶς μετὰ τρυφῆς ἐλπιζέτω τὴν στενὴν ὁδεύειν ὁδόν· οὐ γὰρ δυνατόν· μηδεὶς τὴν εὐρύχωρον βαδίζων, τὴν ζωὴν ἐλπιζέτω. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς λουτροῖς, τραπέζῃ πολυτελεῖ, ἢ δορυφορίαις ἑτέραις ἐντρυφῶντα τὸν δεῖνα, μὴ ταλανίσῃς σαυτὸν, ὡς οὐ μετέχων τούτων, ἀλλὰ στέναξον ἐκεῖνον, ὅτι τὴν ἀπολλυμένην ὁδὸν ὁδεύει. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ταύτης τῆς ὁδοῦ, ὅταν εἰς θλῖψιν τελευτᾷ; ποῖον δὲ βλάβος ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς στενοχωρίας, ὅταν εἰς ἄνεσιν ἔρχηται; Εἰπέ μοι, εἴ τις εἰς τὰ βασίλεια καλούμενος, καὶ διὰ στενωπῶν θλιβερῶν καὶ ἀποκρήμνων βαδίζοι, ἕτερος δέ τις τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἀγόμενος, διὰ μέσης τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἕλκοιτο·","english":"No one hobbles his own feet, but he leaves them free; yet we, binding ourselves with countless cares and carrying countless worldly burdens, gaping and sprawling, how do we expect to walk the narrow road? He did not say simply that it is narrow, but with astonishment, \"How narrow is the road!\" That is, exceedingly narrow. This is what we too do in the case of things greatly admired. And straitened, he says, is the road that leads to life. And well did he say \"narrow\"; for when we must give account of words and thoughts and deeds and all things, it is truly narrow. But we make it narrower, widening and broadening ourselves and sprawling our feet. For the narrow road is difficult for everyone, but especially for the one who is fattened; whereas he who wastes himself away will not even perceive the constriction; so that the one who has trained himself to be pressed will not even be vexed at being squeezed. Let no one, then, expect with ease to see heaven; for it is not possible. Let no one hope to walk the narrow road with luxury; for it is not possible. Let no one walking the broad road hope for life. When, therefore, you see so-and-so luxuriating in baths, in a costly table, or in other bodyguardings, do not count yourself wretched as not sharing in these things, but groan for him, because he is walking the road that perishes. For what is the profit of this road, when it ends in affliction? And what harm is there from that constriction, when it comes to rest? Tell me, if someone invited to the palace were to walk through narrow, cramped, and steep places, while another being led to death were dragged through the middle of the marketplace—","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":648,"ref":"p648","source":"τίνα, εἰπέ μοι, μακαριοῦμεν; τίνα στενάξομεν; οὐχὶ τὸν διὰ τῆς εὐρυχώρου βαδίζοντα; Οὕτω καὶ νῦν μὴ τοὺς τρυφῶντας μακαρίζωμεν, ἀλλὰ\n\nτοὺς μὴ τρυφῶντας· οὗτοι πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν σπεύδουσιν, ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς τὴν γέενναν. Καὶ ἴσως μὲν αὐτῶν πολλοὶ γελάσονται τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν λεγόμενα· ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτοὺς μάλιστα διὰ τοῦτο ὀδύρομαι καὶ θρηνῶ, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἴσασιν ἐφ' οἷς χρὴ γελᾷν, ὑπὲρ ὧν χρὴ μάλιστα πενθεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντα συγχέουσι καὶ ταράττουσι καὶ θορυβοῦσι. Διὰ ταῦτα αὐτοὺς ἐγὼ θρηνῶ. Τί λέγεις, ἄνθρωπε; μέλλων ἀναστήσεσθαι, καὶ λόγον ὑφέξειν τῶν σοι πεπραγμένων, καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποστήσεσθαι δίκην, τούτων μὲν οὐδένα λόγον ποιῇ, γαστρίζεσθαι δὲ μελετᾷς καὶ μεθύειν, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις γελᾷς; Ἀλλ' ἐγώ σε θρηνῶ, τὰ μένοντά σε κακὰ ἐπιστάμενος, τὴν διαδεξομένην σε τιμωρίαν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θρηνῶ μάλιστα, ὅτι γελᾷς. Πένθησον σὺν ἐμοὶ, θρήνησον μετ' ἐμοῦ τὰ σὰ κακά. Εἰπέ μοι, ἐάν τίς σοι τῶν οἰκείων ἀποδημήσῃ ἐν Χριστῷ, οὐχὶ τοὺς μὲν γελῶντας ἐπὶ τῇ τελευτῇ καὶ ἀποστρέφῃ καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἡγῇ, τοὺς δὲ δακρύοντας καὶ συμπενθοῦντας φιλεῖς· Εἶτα τῆς μὲν γυναικὸς προκειμένης νεκρᾶς, τὸν γέλωτα ἀποτρέψῃ· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς σοι τεθανατωμένης, τὸν δακρύοντα ἀποστρέφῃ· γελᾷς δὲ αὐτός; Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἡμᾶς διέθηκεν ὁ διάβολος ἐχθροὺς ἑαυτοῖς εἶναι καὶ πολεμίους; Ἀνανήψωμέν ποτε, διαβλέψωμεν, γρηγορήσωμεν, ἐπιλαβώμεθα τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, τὸν πολὺν ὕπνον ἀποτιναξώμεθα. Κρίσις ἐστὶν, ἀνάστασίς ἐστιν, ἐξέτασις τῶν πεπραγμένων· ὁ Κύριος ἔρχεται ἐν νεφέλαις· Πῦρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά·","english":"Whom, tell me, shall we call blessed? Whom shall we lament? Is it not the one who walks the broad road? So now let us not call the luxurious blessed, but those who do not live in luxury; these hasten toward heaven, those toward Gehenna. And perhaps many of them will laugh at what we say; but I mourn and lament them especially for this reason, that they do not even know what they ought to laugh at and what they ought most of all to grieve over, but they confuse and disturb and throw everything into turmoil. For this I lament them. What do you say, man? When you are about to rise again and to give an account of what you have done and to undergo the final judgment, do you take no account of these things, but practice gorging yourself and getting drunk, and besides this you laugh? But I lament you, knowing the evils that await you, the punishment that will succeed you; and I lament you especially for this, that you laugh. Grieve with me, lament with me your own evils. Tell me, if one of your household departs in Christ, do you not turn away from those who laugh at the death and consider them enemies, while you love those who weep and grieve with you? Then, when your wife lies dead before you, you turn away laughter; but when your soul is dead, do you turn away the one who weeps, and do you yourself laugh? Do you see how the devil has arranged it so that we are enemies and foes to ourselves? Let us come to our senses at last, let us see clearly, let us be watchful, let us lay hold of eternal life, let us shake off our great sleep. There is a judgment, there is a resurrection, an examination of what has been done; the Lord comes on the clouds; fire shall be kindled before him and round about him a violent tempest.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":649,"ref":"p649","source":"ποταμὸς πυρὸς σύρεται ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, σκώληξ ἀτελεύτητος, πῦρ ἄσβεστον, σκότος ἐξώτερον, βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. Κἂν μυριάκις ἐπὶ τούτοις δυσχεραίνητε, ἐγὼ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. Εἰ γὰρ λιθαζόμενοι οἱ προφῆται οὐκ ἐσίγων, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς ἀπεχθείας δεῖ φέρειν, καὶ μὴ πρὸς χάριν ὑμῖν ὁμιλεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπατήσαντες ὑμᾶς αὐτοὶ διχοτομηθῶμεν. Ἐκεῖ κόλασίς ἐστιν ἀθάνατος, ἀπαραμύθητος, ὁ προστησόμενος οὐδείς. Τίς ἐλεήσει, φησὶν, ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον; Ὅταν ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς μὴ ἐλεήσωμεν, τίς ἡμᾶς ἐλεήσει, εἰπέ μοι; Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τινὰ ξίφος ἐλαύνοντα δι' ἑαυτοῦ, τούτου δυνήσῃ φείδεσθαί ποτε; οὐδαμῶς. Πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅταν παρὸν ᾖ κατορθῶσαι, καὶ μὴ κατορθώσωμεν, τίς ἡμῶν φείσεται; οὐδείς. Ἐλεήσωμεν ἑαυτούς. Ὅταν εὐχώμεθα τῷ Θεῷ λέγοντες, Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, τοῦτο λέγοντες πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐλεήσωμεν. Ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν κύριοι τοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἡμᾶς ἐλεῆσαι· αὐτὸς ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἐχαρίσατο· ἐὰν ἄξια ἐλέους πράττωμεν, ἐὰν ἄξια φιλανθρωπίας τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ πράττωμεν, ἐλεήσει ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ἐὰν δὲ ἑαυτοὺς μὴ ἐλεῶμεν, τίς ἡμῶν φείσεται; Ἐλέησον τὸν πλησίον, καὶ ἐλεηθήσῃ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πόσοι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν προσέρχονται λέγοντες, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐπιστρέφῃ; πόσοι γυμνοὶ, πόσοι ἀνάπηροι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπικαμπτόμεθα, ἀλλὰ παραπεμπόμεθα αὐτῶν τὰς ἱκετηρίας; Πῶς οὖν ἀξιοῖς ἐλεηθῆναι, αὐτὸς οὐδὲν ἄξιον ἐλέους ποιῶν;","english":"A river of fire is drawn along before him, an unending worm, an unquenchable fire, outer darkness, the gnashing of teeth. And even if you are vexed at these things ten thousand times, I will not cease speaking. For if the prophets, though being stoned, did not keep silent, much more must we bear hatred and not speak to please you, lest, having deceived you, we ourselves be cut in two. There is punishment there—deathless, without consolation, with no one to stand before it. Who, it says, will pity a charmer bitten by a snake? When we do not pity ourselves, who will pity us, tell me? If you see someone driving a sword through himself, could you ever spare him? By no means. Much more, when it is possible to set things right and we do not set them right, who will spare us? No one. Let us pity ourselves. When we pray to God saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, let us say this also to ourselves, and pity ourselves. We are masters of God having mercy on us; he has granted this to us; if we do things worthy of mercy, if we do things worthy of his love for humanity, God will have mercy on us; but if we do not pity ourselves, who will spare us? Pity your neighbor, and you will be pitied by God. How many each day come forward saying, Have mercy on me, and you do not even turn toward them? How many are naked, how many crippled, and we do not bend down, but we dismiss their supplications? How then do you think yourself worthy to be pitied, when you yourself do nothing worthy of pity?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":650,"ref":"p650","source":"Γενώμεθα οἰκτίρμονες, γενώμεθα ἐλεήμονες, ἵν' οὕτως εὐαρεστήσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπιτύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΓʹ. Περὶ τοῦ, ὅτι ὁ τῶν παρόντων καταφρονῶν, ἀμφοτέρων ἐξουσιάζει· καὶ ὅτι παντὸς βορβόρου καὶ ἀκαθαρσίας ἡ πλεονεξία χείρων. Ἐπειδὴ μεγάλη τις ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔμελλε δίδοσθαι χάρις, ἀγαπητὲ, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, βουλόμενος ὁ Θεὸς μὴ χάριτι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὡς ὀφειλὴν παρασχεῖν, παρασκευάζει πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδοῦναι ὑπὲρ τοῦ προστάγματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μηδὲν δόξῃ μέγα ποιεῖν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδιδοὺς Υἱὸν, εἴ γε ἄνθρωπος πρὸ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν· ἵνα μὴ χάριτι μόνον νομισθῇ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀφειλῇ. Οὓς γὰρ ἂν φιλῶμεν, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς χαρίζεσθαι βουλόμεθα, τὸ\n\nδοκεῖν παρ' αὐτῶν τι πρότερον λαβόντας μικρὸν, οὕτως αὐτοῖς τὸ πᾶν διδόναι, καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπὶ τῇ λήψει μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐπὶ τῇ δόσει, καὶ οὐ λέγομεν, Τόδε ἐδώκαμεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ, Τόδε ἐλάβομεν παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο, τουτέστιν, ὡς ἐν αἰνίγματι (ὥσπερ γὰρ παραβολὴ ἦν ὁ κριὸς τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ), ἢ ὡς ἐν τύπῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπήρτιστο ἡ θυσία, καὶ ἔσφακτο ὁ Ἰσαὰκ τῇ προαιρέσει, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν χαρίζεται τῷ πατριάρχῃ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ὃ ἀεὶ λέγω, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν δείκνυται;","english":"Let us become merciful, let us become compassionate, so that we may thus be well-pleasing to God and obtain the good things promised to those who love him, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, honor, and power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 43. Concerning the fact that the one who despises present things has mastery over both; and that greed is worse than any mire and uncleanness. Since some great grace was from the beginning about to be given to human beings, beloved, God, wishing not to do this by grace but to provide it as a debt, first prepares a man, his own Son, to give himself up for the commandment of God, so that he might not seem to do anything great by giving up his own Son, if indeed a man did this before him; so that this might not be thought to be done by grace alone, but also as a debt. For those whom we love, we also wish to grant them this favor—to seem to have first received something small from them, and thus to give them everything, and we boast more over the receiving than over the giving, and we do not say, \"We gave this to him,\" but, \"We received this from him.\" Whence, he says, he also received him in a parable, that is, as in a riddle (for the ram of Isaac was, as it were, a parable), or as in a type. For since the sacrifice was completed and Isaac was slain in intention, for this reason he grants him to the patriarch. Do you see that what I always say is now also demonstrated?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":651,"ref":"p651","source":"ὅταν παραστήσωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν ἀπηρτισμένην, καὶ δείξωμεν ὅτι ὑπερορῶμεν τῶν γηΐνων πραγμάτων, τότε ἡμῖν καὶ τὰ γήϊνα χαρίζεται, πρότερον δὲ οὔ, ἵνα μὴ τὸ λαβεῖν ἡμᾶς προσδεδεμένους ἔτι προσδήσῃ. Λύε, φησὶ, σαυτὸν τῆς δουλείας, καὶ τότε λάβε, ἵνα μηκέτι ὡς δοῦλος λάβῃς, ἀλλ' ὡς δεσπότης. Καταφρόνησον πλούτου, καὶ ἔσῃ πλούσιος· καταφρόνησον δόξης, καὶ ἔσῃ ἔνδοξος· καταφρόνησον τῆς τιμωρίας τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ τότε αὐτῆς ἐπιτεύξῃ· καταφρόνησον ἀνέσεως, καὶ τότε αὐτὴν λήψῃ· ἵνα λαβὼν μὴ ὡς δέσμιος λάβῃς, μηδὲ ὡς δοῦλος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐλεύθερος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν παίδων τῶν μικρῶν, ὅταν μὲν ἐπιθυμῇ τὸ παιδίον παιδικῶν ἀθυρμάτων, μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς ἐκεῖνα κρύπτομεν, οἷον, σφαῖραν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ ἐμποδίζηται τῶν ἀναγκαίων· ὅταν δὲ αὐτῶν καταφρονήσῃ καὶ μηκέτι ἐπιθυμῇ, ἀδεῶς αὐτὰ μεταδιδόαμεν, εἰδότες ὡς οὐδεμία βλάβη λοιπὸν αὐτῷ ἐντεῦθεν γίνεται, τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκείνης οὐκέτι ἰσχυούσης ἀπάγειν αὐτὸν τῶν ἀναγκαίων· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅταν ἴδῃ μηκέτι ἐπιθυμοῦντας τῶν ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν, ἀφίησιν αὐτοῖς κεχρῆσθαι· ὡς γὰρ ἐλεύθεροι καὶ ἄνδρες αὐτὰ ἔχομεν, οὐχ ὡς παῖδες. Ὅτι γὰρ ἐὰν καταφρονήσῃς τῆς τιμωρίας τῶν ἐχθρῶν, τότε ἐπιτεύξῃ, ἄκουε τί φησιν· Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· καὶ ἐπήγαγε· Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακα πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν ὅτι, ἐὰν καταφρονήσῃς τοῦ πλούτου, τότε αὐτοῦ ἐπιτεύξῃ, ἄκουε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος·","english":"When we present our mind fully equipped and show that we disdain earthly things, then he grants us earthly things as well, but not before—lest our receiving them, while we are still bound, bind us further. Loose yourself, he says, from slavery, and then receive, so that you no longer receive as a slave but as a master. Despise wealth, and you will be rich; despise glory, and you will be glorious; despise the punishment of your enemies, and then you will attain it; despise ease, and then you will receive it—so that when you receive, you receive not as a prisoner nor as a slave, but as a free man. For just as with small children, when the child desires childish toys, we hide those things with great care—a ball, for instance, and all such things—so that he is not hindered from what is necessary; but when he has come to despise them and no longer desires them, we freely give them over to him, knowing that no harm comes to him from them any longer, since that desire no longer has the strength to lead him away from what is necessary—so also God, when he sees that we no longer desire the things here below, permits us to use them; for we possess them as free men and adults, not as children. For that if you despise the punishment of your enemies, then you will attain it, hear what he says: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; and if he is thirsty, give him drink; and he added: For in doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head. And again, that if you despise wealth, then you will attain it, hear Christ saying:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":652,"ref":"p652","source":"Οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀφῆκε πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἢ οἰκίας, ἢ ἀδελφοὺς, ὃς οὐχὶ ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Καὶ ὅτι, ἐὰν καταφρονήσῃς δόξης, τότε αὐτῆς ἐπιτεύξῃ, ἄκουε πάλιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὁ θέλων ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, ἔστω ὑμῶν διάκονος· καὶ πάλιν, Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ταπεινώσῃ ἑαυτὸν, οὗτος ὑψωθήσεται. Τί λέγεις; ἐὰν ποτίσω τὸν ἐχθρὸν, τότε αὐτὸν κολάζω; ἐὰν ἀφῶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, τότε αὐτὰ ἔχω; ἐὰν ταπεινώσω ἑαυτὸν, τότε ὑψηλὸς ἔσομαι; Ναὶ, φησί· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ ἐμὴ δύναμις, διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τὰ ἐναντία παρέχειν. Εὔπορός εἰμι καὶ εὐμήχανος· μὴ δείσῃς· τῷ ἐμῷ θελήματι ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθεῖ φύσις, οὐκ ἐγὼ τῇ φύσει ἕπομαι· ἐγὼ πάντα ἐργάζομαι, οὐκ ἐγὼ ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἄγομαι· διὸ καὶ μεταπλάττειν καὶ μεταῤῥυθμίζειν αὐτὰ βούλομαι. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις ἐν τούτοις; τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν εὑρήσεις. Ἐὰν ἀδικήσῃς, ἠδικήθης· ἐὰν ἀδικηθῇς, τότε οὐκ ἠδικήθης. Ἐὰν ἀμύνῃ, τότε οὐκ ἠμύνω, ἀλλὰ σαυτὸν ἠμύνω· Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἀδικίαν, φησὶ, μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐκ ἠδικήθης, ἀλλ' ἀδικεῖς; Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Διὰ τί οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖσθε; Εἶδες ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀδικεῖσθαι; Ὅταν ὑβρίσῃς, τότε ὑβρίσθης· καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ μέρους ἴσασιν οἱ πολλοὶ, ὡς ὅταν λέγωσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν, μὴ ὑβρίσῃς σαυτόν. Διὰ τί; Ὅτι πολὺ τὸ μέσον σοῦ κἀκείνου· ὅσα γὰρ ἂν ὑβρίσῃς, ἐκεῖνος δόξαν ἡγεῖται. Τοῦτο ἐπὶ πάντων ἐννοῶμεν, καὶ γενώμεθα ὑψηλότεροι τῶν ὕβρεων. Πῶς, ἐγὼ λέγω.","english":"There is no one who has left father, or mother, or houses, or brothers, who will not receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. And that, if you despise glory, then you will attain it, hear again Christ himself saying: Whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be your servant; and again, For whoever humbles himself, this one will be exalted. What are you saying? If I give drink to my enemy, then do I punish him? If I give up my possessions, then do I have them? If I humble myself, then will I be exalted? Yes, he says; for such is my power, to provide opposites through opposites. I am resourceful and inventive; do not fear. By my will the nature of things follows, I do not follow nature; I work all things, I am not led by them; therefore I wish to reshape and refashion them. And why do you marvel at these things? For you will find the same in all the others as well. If you do wrong, you have been wronged; if you are wronged, then you have not been wronged. If you defend yourself, then I have not defended you, but you have defended yourself; for he who loves injustice, he says, hates his own soul. Do you see that you have not been wronged, but you do wrong? Therefore Paul also says: Why do you not rather suffer wrong? Do you see that this is not being wronged? When you insult, then you have been insulted; and many know this in part, as when they say to one another, let us go from here, do not insult yourself. Why? Because there is a great difference between you and that one; for whatever insults you heap up, he considers it glory. Let us reflect on this in all things, and let us become higher than insults. How, I say.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":653,"ref":"p653","source":"Ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν τὴν ἁλουργίδα ἔχοντα μάχην ἔχωμεν, τῷ ὑβρίζειν αὐτὸν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ὑβρίζειν ἡγούμεθα· τοῦ γὰρ πλύνεσθαι ἄξιοι ἡγούμεθα. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; τῶν οὐρανῶν πολίτης ὢν, καὶ τὴν ἄνω φιλοσοφίαν ἔχων, μετὰ τοῦ γήϊνα φρονοῦντος πλύνεις σαυτόν; Κἂν γὰρ μυρία χρήματα κέκτηται, κἂν ἐν δυναστείᾳ ᾖ, οὔπω οἶδε τὸ καλὸν τὸ σόν. Μὴ ὑβρίσῃς σαυτὸν, ἐκεῖνον ὑβρίζων· σαυτοῦ φεῖσαι, μὴ ἐκείνου· σαυτὸν τίμησον, μὴ ἐκεῖνον. Οὐχὶ παροιμία τοιαύτη ἐστὶν, ὁ τιμῶν, ἑαυτὸν τιμᾷ; Εἰκότως· οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον τιμᾷ,\n\nἀλλ' ἑαυτόν. Ἄκουε σοφοῦ τινος λέγοντος· Ποίησον τῇ ψυχῇ σου τιμὴν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς. Κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς, τί ἐστιν; Εἰ ἐπλεονέκτησε, φησὶ, μὴ πλεονεκτήσῃς, εἰ ὕβρισε, μὴ ὑβρίσῃς. Εἰπέ μοι, παρακαλῶ, εἴ τις πένης πηλὸν ἐῤῥιμμένον ἀπὸ τῆς αὐλῆς ἔλαβε τῆς σῆς, ἆρα ἂν ὑπὲρ τούτου δικαστήριον συνεκρότησας; οὐδαμῶς. Διὰ τί; Ἵνα μὴ ὑβρίσῃς σαυτὸν, ἵνα μὴ πάντες σου καταγνῶσι. Τοῦτο καὶ νῦν γίνεται. Πένης γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πλούσιος, καὶ ὅσῳ πλουτεῖ, τοσούτῳ πένης γίνεται τὴν ὄντως πενίαν. Πηλός ἐστιν ὁ χρυσὸς ἐν αὐλῇ ἐῤῥιμμένος, οὐκ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου κείμενος· ἡ γὰρ οἰκία σου οὐρανός ἐστιν. Ὑπὲρ τούτου οὖν συγκροτήσεις δικαστήριον; καὶ οὐ καταγνώσονταί σου οἱ ἄνω πολῖται; οὐκ ἐκβαλοῦσί σε τῆς ἑαυτῶν πατρίδος τὸν οὕτω ταπεινὸν, τὸν οὕτως εὐτελῆ, ὡς ὑπὲρ ὀλίγου πηλοῦ μάχεσθαι αἱρεῖσθαι; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ κόσμος ἦν σὸς, εἶτα αὐτόν τις ἔλαβεν, ἐπιστραφῆναι ἐχρῆν;","english":"If we have a fight against the man himself who wears the purple, we consider that in insulting him we are insulting ourselves; for we consider that we deserve to be washed. What do you say, tell me? You, a citizen of the heavens and possessing the philosophy from above, do you wash yourself alongside the one who thinks earthly things? For even if he possesses countless riches, even if he is in power, he does not yet know your beauty. Do not insult yourself by insulting him; spare yourself, not him; honor yourself, not him. Is there not a proverb of this sort: the one who honors honors himself? And reasonably so; for he does not honor him, but himself. Hear a certain wise man saying: Do honor to your soul according to its worth. According to its worth—what is that? If he has taken advantage, he says, do not take advantage; if he has insulted, do not insult. Tell me, I beg you, if some poor man took mud thrown from your courtyard, would you have convened a court for this? By no means. Why? So that you do not insult yourself, so that all may not condemn you. This is what happens now too. For the rich man is poor, and the more he is rich, the more he becomes poor with true poverty. Gold is mud thrown in the courtyard, not laid up in your house; for your house is heaven. For this, then, will you convene a court? And will the citizens above not condemn you? Will they not cast you out of their own homeland—you who are so lowly, so worthless, as to choose to fight over a little mud? For if the world were yours, and then someone took it, ought you to have turned back?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":654,"ref":"p654","source":"Οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι δεκάκις τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐὰν θῇς, καὶ ἑκατοντάκις, καὶ μυριάκις, καὶ δὶς τοσοῦτον, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ πολλοστὸν τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἐστιν ἀγαθῶν; Ὁ τοίνυν τὰ ἐνταῦθα θαυμάζων, ἐκεῖνα ὕβρισεν, εἴ γε ὅσον αὐτὰ ἄξια σπουδῆς ἡγεῖται, τοσοῦτον ἐκείνων ἀπολιμπάνεται, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ θαυμάσαι ἐκεῖνα δυνήσεται· πῶς γὰρ, πρὸς ταῦτα ἐπτοημένος; Διατέμνωμεν τὰ σχοινία καὶ τὰς πλεκτάνας· τοῦτο γὰρ τὰ γήϊνα πράγματα. Μέχρι πότε κάτω κύπτομεν; μέχρι τίνος ἀλλήλοις ἐπιβουλεύομεν, καθάπερ τὰ θηρία, καθάπερ οἱ ἰχθύες; Μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ θηρία οὐκ ἐπιβουλεύει ἀλλήλοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις· οἷον ἄρκος ἄρκον οὐ ταχέως ἀναιρεῖ, οὐδὲ ὄφις ὄφιν οὐκ ἀναιρεῖ, τὸ ὁμόφυλον αἰδούμενος· σὺ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ ὁμοφύλου καὶ μυρία ἔχων δικαιώματα, τὸ συγγενὲς, τὸ λογικὸν, τὸ τὸν Θεὸν εἰδέναι, μυρία ἄλλα ἕτερα, τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἰσχὺν, τὸν συγγενῆ καὶ τῆς φύσεως κεκοινωνηκότα, τοῦτον ἀναιρεῖς καὶ μυρίοις περιβάλλεις κακοῖς; Τί γὰρ, εἰ μὴ τὸ ξίφος ὠθεῖς, καὶ βαπτίζεις εἰς τὴν δέρην τὴν δεξιάν; ἕτερα χαλεπώτερα τούτου ποιεῖς, λύπαις διηνεκέσι περιβάλλων. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ εἰ εἰργάσω, ἀπήλλαξας ἂν αὐτὸν φροντίδος· νῦν δὲ λιμῷ δουλείας περιβάλλεις, ἀποδυσπετήσεσιν, ἁμαρτίαις πολλαῖς. Ταῦτα λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, οὐχὶ φονᾷν ὑμᾶς παρασκευάζων, οὐδὲ ὡς ἐπὶ ἔλαττον ἐκείνου κακὸν ἔρχεσθαι προτρεπόμενος, ἀλλὰ μὴ θαῤῥεῖν ὡς μὴ μέλλοντας δώσειν δίκην. Φονεύων γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν πλησίον ὁ ἀφαιρούμενος συμβίωσιν. Κατάσχωμεν ἑαυτοῖς τὰς χεῖράς ποτε·","english":"Do you not know that if you set the inhabited world down ten times, and a hundred times, and ten thousand times, and twice as much again, it is not even a fraction of the good things in the heavens? Therefore the one who admires the things here has insulted those things, if indeed by as much as he considers these worthy of earnest effort, by so much does he fall short of those—or rather, he will not even be able to admire those; for how could he, when he is frantic over these? Let us cut through the ropes and the nets; for these are earthly affairs. Until when shall we stoop downward? Until when shall we plot against one another, like wild beasts, like fish? Or rather, wild beasts do not plot against one another, but against those of another kind; for example, a bear does not quickly kill a bear, nor does a snake kill a snake, respecting its own kind. But you, with one of your own kind, though you have countless claims of justice—kinship, reason, the knowledge of God, countless other things besides, the strength of nature—do you kill this kinsman who shares in nature with you, and surround him with countless evils? For what if you do not thrust the sword and plunge your right hand into his throat? You do other things more grievous than that, surrounding him with ceaseless griefs. For if you had done that, you would have released him from care; but now you surround him with slavery to hunger, with despair, with many sins. These things I say, and in saying them I will not cease—not to make you murderers, nor urging you to come to a lesser evil than that, but so that you may not be confident as though you were not going to give account. For, he says, the one who takes away a man's livelihood is a murderer of his neighbor. Let us at some point restrain our hands from ourselves.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":655,"ref":"p655","source":"μᾶλλον δὲ μὴ κατάσχωμεν, ἀλλὰ ἐκτείνωμεν αὐτὰς καλῶς, μὴ πρὸς πλεονεξίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἐλεημοσύνην. Μὴ ἄκαρπον ἔχωμεν τὴν χεῖρα, μηδὲ ξηράν· ἡ μὲν γὰρ μὴ ποιοῦσα ἐλεημοσύνην, ξηρά· ἡ δὲ καὶ πλεονεκτοῦσα, μιαρὰ καὶ ἀκάθαρτος. Μηδεὶς μετὰ τοιούτων ἐσθιέτω χειρῶν· ὕβρις γὰρ τῶν κεκλημένων τοῦτο. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τις ἐπὶ ταπήτων καὶ στρωμνῆς ἁπαλῆς καὶ χρυσοπάστων σινδόνων κατακλίνας ἡμᾶς ἐν οἴκῳ λαμπρῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ, καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος διακόνων παραστησάμενος, εἶτα πίνακα ἐξ ἀργύρου παρασκευασάμενος καὶ χρυσοῦ, καὶ πολλῶν ἐμπλήσας ἐδεσμάτων καὶ πολυτελῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν, ἠνάγκαζεν ἐσθίειν, εἰ μόνον ἀνεξόμεθα αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας εἰς βόρβορον χρίοντος ἢ καὶ κόπρον ἀνθρωπίνην, καὶ οὕτω συγκατακλινομένου; ἆρα ἄν τις ταύτην ἠνέσχετο τὴν κόλασιν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὕβριν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐνόμισεν ἄν; Ἔγωγε οἶμαι, καὶ εὐθέως ἂν ἀπεπήδησε. Νῦν δὲ βορβόρου τοῦ ὄντως οὐχὶ τὰς χεῖρας ὁρᾷς ἐμπεπλησμένας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ἐδέσματα, καὶ οὐκ ἀποπηδᾷς; οὐκ ἀποφεύγεις; οὐκ ἐπιτιμᾷς; ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἐν δυναστείᾳ ᾖ, μέγα τὸ πρᾶγμα τίθεσαι, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολλύεις τὴν σαυτοῦ τοιαῦτα σιτούμενος; Παντὸς γὰρ βορβόρου πλεονεξία χείρων· ψυχὴν γὰρ, οὐ σῶμα μολύνει καὶ ποιεῖ δυσέκπλυτον. Σὺ τοίνυν ὁρῶν τοῦ βορβόρου τούτου ἀνακεχρωσμένον μὲν τὸν κατακλινόμενον καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν ὄψιν, ἐμπεπλησμένην δὲ καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν (βολβίτων γὰρ καὶ ἔτι τούτων ἀκαθαρτότερα ἐκεῖνα καὶ μιαρώτερα τὰ ἐδέσματα)· ὡς δὴ τιμηθεὶς διάκεισαι, καὶ ὡς μέλλων τρυφᾷν; Καὶ οὐδὲ τὸν Παῦλον δέδοικας, εἰς μὲν Ἑλλήνων τράπεζαν, εἰ","english":"Rather, let us not hold them back, but stretch them out well—not for greed, but for almsgiving. Let us not keep the hand unfruitful, nor dry; for the hand that does not give alms is dry, and the hand that grasps for more is foul and unclean. Let no one eat with such hands, for this is an insult to the guests. For tell me, if someone had us recline on carpets and soft bedding and gold-embroidered linen in a bright and great house, and stationed a great multitude of servants, and then prepared a platter of silver and gold, and filled it with many delicacies, costly and of every kind, and compelled us to eat—if only we would endure his hands smearing us with mire or even human dung, and him reclining with us thus—would anyone have endured this torment, and not rather have considered the matter an insult? I at least think so, and would have leapt away at once. But now you see not only the hands filled with mire—the true mire—but the very dishes themselves, and you do not leap away? Do you not flee? Do you not rebuke it? But if he is in power, you make the matter a great thing, and you destroy your own soul by eating such things? For greed is worse than any mire; for it defiles the soul, not the body, and makes it hard to wash clean. You, then, seeing the one who reclines at table stained with this mire—both his hands and his face—and the house and the table filled with it (for those dishes are more unclean and more foul than bulbs and even worse things than these)—do you behave as though you were honored, and as though you were about to feast? And have you no fear of Paul, who, to a table of Greeks, if","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":656,"ref":"p656","source":"βουλοίμεθα, ἀκωλύτως συγχωροῦντα ἀπελθεῖν, εἰς δὲ τὰς τῶν πλεονεκτῶν οὐδὲ βουλομένους ἐῶντα; Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος ᾖ, φησὶ, πόρνος· ἀδελφὸν ἐνταῦθα λέγων πάντα τὸν πιστὸν ἁπλῶς, οὐ τὸν μονάζοντα. Τί γάρ ἐστι τὸ ποιοῦν τὴν ἀδελφότητα; τὸ λουτρὸν τῆς παλιγγενεσίας, τὸ δυνηθῆναι καλέσαι πατέρα τὸν Θεόν. Ὥστε ὁ μὲν μοναχὸς ὢν, ἂν κατηχούμενος ᾖ, οὐκ ἀδελφός· ὁ δὲ πιστὸς, κἂν κοσμικὸς εἴη, ἀδελ φός ἐστιν. Εἴ τις, φησὶν, ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴχνος μονάζοντος τότε ἦν, ἀλλὰ πάντα πρὸς κοσμικοὺς διελέγετο ὁ μακάριος οὗτος. Ἐάν τις, φησὶν, ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος ᾖ πόρνος, ἢ πλεονέκτης, ἢ μέθυσος, τῷ τοιούτῳ μηδὲ συνεσθίειν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων οὕτως, ἀλλ', Ἐάν τιςὑμᾶς καλέσῃ τῶν ἀπίστων, τοὺς Ἕλληνας λέγων, καὶ θέλετε πορεύεσθαι, πᾶν τὸ παρατιθέμενον ὑμῖν ἐσθίετε. Ἐὰν δέ τις ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος, φησὶ, μέθυσος. Βαβαὶ, πόση ἡ ἀκρίβεια! Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐ φεύγομεν τοὺς μεθύσους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπερχόμεθα πρὸς αὐτοὺς, μεθέξοντες τῶν παρ' αὐτῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γεγένηται, πάντα συγκέχυται καὶ ἀνατέτραπται καὶ ἀπόλωλεν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ καλέσει σέ τις τῶν τοιούτων ἐπὶ ἑστίασιν, σὲ τὸν πένητα καὶ εὐτελῆ νομιζόμενον, εἶτα ἀκούσειε παρὰ σοῦ, ὅτι, ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ πλεονεξίας ἐστὶ τὰ παρατιθέμενα, οὐκ ἀνέξομαι μολύνειν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, οὐκ ἂν ᾐδέσθη; οὐκ ἂν ἐνετράπη; οὐκ ἂν κατῃσχύνθη; Τοῦτο μόνον ἱκανὸν ἦν διορθῶσαι, καὶ ποιῆσαι ταλανίσαι μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ ἑαυτὸν, θαυμάσαι δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ πενίᾳ σε, εἴ γε ἑώρα ἑαυτὸν μετὰ τοσαύτης σπουδῆς καταφρονούμενον παρὰ σοῦ.","english":"Would we wish that he allow them to depart without hindrance, but not even wish to permit them to go to the houses of the greedy? For if anyone who is called a brother, he says, is a fornicator—calling \"brother\" here simply every believer, not the monk. For what is it that makes brotherhood? The bath of regeneration, the ability to call God Father. So that the one who is a monk, if he is a catechumen, is not a brother; but the believer, even if he be a worldly man, is a brother. If anyone, he says, who is called a brother. For not even a trace of a monk existed then, but this blessed man conversed with all in reference to worldly men. If anyone, he says, who is called a brother is a fornicator, or greedy, or a drunkard, with such a one do not even eat. But it is not so in the case of the Greeks; rather, If any of the unbelievers invites you—calling the Greeks unbelievers—and you wish to go, eat everything set before you. But if anyone who is called a brother, he says, is a drunkard. Alas, how great is the strictness! But we not only do not flee the drunkards, but even go to them, to partake of what they provide. Therefore everything has been turned upside down, everything is confounded and overturned and ruined. For tell me, if one of such men invites you to a banquet—you who are considered poor and worthless—and then hears from you that, since the things set before us come from greed, I will not endure to defile my own soul, would he not be ashamed? Would he not be put to shame? Would he not be disgraced? This alone was sufficient to correct him, and to make him weigh himself in the balance on account of his wealth, and to marvel at you on account of your poverty, if indeed he saw himself despised by you with such great zeal.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":657,"ref":"p657","source":"Ἀλλὰ γεγόναμεν δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν, τοῦ Παύλου ἄνω καὶ κάτω βοῶντος, Μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. Πόθεν οὖν γεγόναμεν δοῦλοι, εἰπέ μοι; Ἐπειδὴ πρότερον γαστρὸς γεγόναμεν δοῦλοι καὶ χρημάτων καὶ δόξης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων· προεδώκαμεν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ἣν ἐχαρίσατο ἡμῖν ὁ Χριστός. Τί οὖν μένει τὸν γενόμενον δοῦλον, εἰπέ μοι; Ἄκουε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὁ δοῦλος οὐ μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ἔχεις ἀπόφασιν αὐτοτελῆ, ὅτι οὐδέποτε εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσέρχεται. Ἡ γὰρ οἰκία τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ Πατρός μου, φησὶ, μοναὶ πολλαί εἰσιν. Ὁ τοίνυν δοῦλος οὐ μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· δοῦλον ἐκεῖνον λέγει, τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας δοῦλον. Ὁ δὲ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, οὐδαμόθεν ἔχων παραμυθίαν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰς τοσοῦτον κακίας τὰ πράγματα ἦλθεν, ὡς καὶ ἐλεημοσύνας αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τούτων ποιεῖν, καὶ πολλοὺς δέχεσθαι. Διὰ τοῦτο ἡ παῤῥησία ἡμῶν ἐκκέκοπται καὶ οὐδὲ ἐπιτιμῆσαί τινι δυνάμεθα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως κἂν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν φεύγωμεν τὴν ἐντεῦθεν βλάβην, ὑμεῖς τε οἱ τὸν βόρβορον τοῦτον ἀνελίττοντες, παύσασθε τῆς τοιαύτης λύμης. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὸ νεκρὸν σῶμα πρὸς οὐδεμίαν αἴσθησίν ἐστι χρήσιμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ λυπεῖ τοὺς πλησιάζοντας· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία εὐθέως τὸ λογιστικὸν πλήττει, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησιν οὐδὲ αὐτὴν τὴν διάνοιαν ἠρεμεῖν, ἀλλὰ θορυβεῖ καὶ ταράττει. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ λοιμὸς τικτόμενος διαφθείρειν τὰ σώματα. Τοιαύτη ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία· λοιμοῦ οὐδὲν διενήνοχεν, οὐ τὸν ἀέρα διαφθείρουσα πρῶτον, εἶτα τὰ σώματα, ἀλλ' εὐθέως εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν εἰσπηδῶσα.","english":"But we have become slaves of men, I know not whence, though Paul cries aloud up and down, Do not become slaves of men. Whence, then, have we become slaves, tell me? Because we first became slaves of the belly and of money and of reputation and of all other things; we betrayed the freedom which Christ bestowed on us. What, then, awaits the one who has become a slave, tell me? Hear Christ saying: The slave does not remain in the house forever. You have an absolute verdict, that he never enters the kingdom. For the house is this. In the house of my Father, he says, there are many mansions. The slave, then, does not remain in the house forever; he calls that one a slave, the slave of sin. But the one who does not remain in the house forever remains in Gehenna forever, having consolation from nowhere. But indeed matters have come to such a depth of wickedness that they even make alms from these things and receive many. For this reason our boldness has been cut off, and we are not even able to rebuke anyone. Nevertheless, even if from now on we flee the harm that comes from this, do you also who roll about in this mire cease from such defilement. For just as a dead body is useful for no sensation, but even grieves those who come near it, so too sin immediately strikes the reasoning faculty, and does not allow even the thought itself to be at rest, but throws it into confusion and disturbs it. And a plague is said, when it is bred, to destroy bodies. Such is sin also; it differs in nothing from a plague, not corrupting the air first and then the bodies, but leaping straightway into the soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":658,"ref":"p658","source":"Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς λοιμώττοντας, πῶς φλεγμαίνουσι, πῶς περιστρέφονται, πῶς δυσωδίας εἰσὶν ἐμπεπλησμένοι, πῶς αὐτῶν αἰσχρὰ ἡ ὄψις, πῶς ὅλοι ἀκάθαρτοι; Τοιοῦτοί εἰσι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες, κἂν μὴ βλέπωσιν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι· παντὸς πυρέττοντος οὐκ ἔστι χείρων ὁ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν χρημάτων, ἢ τῶν σωμάτων ἀλούς; οὐχὶ ἀκαθαρτότερος τούτων πάντων ἐστὶ, πάντα τὰ ἀναίσχυντα καὶ ποιῶν καὶ πάσχων; Τί γὰρ αἰσχρότερον ἀνδρὸς χρημάτων ἐρῶντος; ὅσα αἱ ἑταιριζόμεναι γυναῖκες, ὅσα αἱ ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς οὐ παραιτοῦνται ποιεῖν, τοσαῦτα οὐδὲ οὗτος· μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκείνας εἰκός ἐστι παραιτήσασθαι, ἢ τοῦτον· καὶ δουλοπρεπῆ πράγματα ὑπομένει κολακεύων οὓς οὐ δεῖ, πανταχοῦ ἀνώμαλος· πονηροὺς ἄνδρας καὶ γέροντας πολλάκις διεφθαρμένους, πολλῷ καὶ πενεστέρους αὐτοῦ καὶ εὐτελεστέρους, παρακάθηται\n\nκολακεύων, καὶ ἑτέρους ἀγαθοὺς καὶ πάντοθεν ἐναρέτους ὑβρίζων καὶ θρασυνόμενος. Εἶδες ἑκατέρωθεν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην; τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν; καὶ ταπεινός ἐστι πέρα τοῦ μέτρου, καὶ ἀλαζών. Ἀλλ' ἑστήκασιν ἐπὶ οἰκήματος αἱ πόρναι· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἔγκλημα, ὅτι τὸ σῶμα πωλοῦσι χρημάτων ἕνεκεν. Ἀλλὰ πενία, φησὶ, καὶ λιμὸς καταναγκάζει. Εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἱκανὸν εἰς ἀπολογίαν· ἐξῆν γὰρ ἐργαζομένας διατρέφεσθαι. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἕστηκεν ὁ πλεονέκτης, οὐκ ἐπὶ οἰκήματος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως μέσης· οὐ σῶμα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν προδιδοὺς τῷ διαβόλῳ, ὥστε καὶ συγγίνεσθαι καὶ εἰσέρχεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὥσπερ ὄντως πρὸς πόρνην, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν πληρώσας, ἐξέρχεται· καὶ ὁρῶσι πᾶσα ἡ πόλις, οὐ δύο ἄνδρες καὶ τρεῖς.","english":"Do you not see the diseased, how they are inflamed, how they toss about, how they are filled with foulness, how shameful their appearance is, how wholly unclean they are? Such are those who sin, even if they do not see it. For tell me: is not the man who is caught by the desire for money, or for bodies, worse than any man in a fever? Is he not more unclean than all these, doing and suffering every shameless thing? For what is more shameful than a man in love with money? Whatever the women who prostitute themselves, whatever the women on the stage do not refuse to do, so much neither does this man; or rather, it is more likely that those women would refuse than this man. And he endures slavish things, flattering those whom he ought not, everywhere uneven: often he sits beside wicked men and old men who have been corrupted, men far poorer and more worthless than himself, flattering them, and insulting and browbeating others who are good and virtuous in every way. Did you see the disgrace on both sides? The shamelessness? He is both humble beyond measure and a braggart. But the prostitutes stand at a brothel; and this is the charge, that they sell their body for money. But poverty, he says, and hunger compel them. Even if that is so, not even this is sufficient for a defense; for it was possible for them to support themselves by working. Here, however, the greedy man stands, not at a brothel, but in the middle of the city; not selling his body, but betraying his soul to the devil, so as both to consort with him and to enter in to him, as though truly to a prostitute, and having fulfilled all his desire, he goes out; and the whole city sees, not two men or three.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":659,"ref":"p659","source":"Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῶν πορνῶν ἴδιόν ἐστιν, ὅτι τοῦ τὸ χρυσίον διδόντος εἰσί· κἂν δοῦλος ᾖ, κἂν μοναχὸς, κἂν ὁστισοῦν, προτείνῃ δὲ τὸν μισθὸν, καταδέχονται· τοὺς δὲ ἐλευθέρους, κἂν πάντων ὦσιν εὐγενέστεροι, χωρὶς τοῦ ἀργυρίου οὐ προσίενται. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὗτοι ποιοῦσι· τοὺς μὲν ὀρθοὺς λογισμοὺς, ὅταν ἀργύριον μὴ ἔχωσιν, ἀποστρέφονται· τοῖς δὲ μιαροῖς καὶ ὄντως θεομάχοις συγγίνονται διὰ τὸ χρυσίον, καὶ ἀσχημόνως συγγίνονται, καὶ τὸ κάλλος ἀπολλύουσι τῆς ψυχῆς. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι φύσει μὲν εἰδεχθεῖς καὶ μέλαιναι καὶ ἀγροικίδες καὶ ἄμορφοι καὶ κακόπλαστοι, καὶ πάντοθεν αἰσχραί· οὕτως αἱ τούτων γίνονται ψυχαὶ, οὐδὲ τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἐπιτρίμμασι τὴν ἀμορφίαν συγκαλύψαι δυνάμεναι. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐσχάτη ᾖ δυσείδεια, ὅσα ἂν ἐπινοήσωσιν, οὐδὲ ὑποκρίνασθαι δύνανται. Ὅτι γὰρ ἀναισχυντία πόρνας ποιεῖ, ἄκουσον τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος. Ἀπηνῃσχύντησας πρὸς πάντας, ὄψις πόρνης ἐγένετό σοι. Τοῦτο καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πλεονέκτας ἐστὶν εἰπεῖν· ἀπηνῃσχύντησας πρὸς πάντας· οὐ πρὸς τούσδε, καὶ τούσδε, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας. Πῶς; Οὐ πατέρα, οὐχ υἱὸν, οὐ γυναῖκα, οὐ φίλον, οὐκ ἀδελφὸν, οὐκ εὐεργέτην, οὐδένα ἁπλῶς αἰδεῖται ὁ τοιοῦτος. Καὶ τί λέγω φίλον καὶ ἀδελφὸν καὶ πατέρα; αὐτὸν οὐκ αἰδεῖται τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντα μῦθος εἶναι αὐτῷ δοκεῖ, καὶ γελᾷ ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ἐπιθυμίας μεθύων, καὶ οὐδὲ τῇ ἀκοῇ παραδεχόμενός τι τῶν ὠφελεῖν αὐτὸν δυναμένων. Ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ἀτοπίας, καὶ ὅσα φθέγγονται· οὐαί σοι, μαμωνᾶ, καὶ τῷ μὴ ἔχοντί σε. Ἐνταῦθα διακρίομαι ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ· οὐαὶ γὰρ τοῖς ταῦτα λέγουσι, κἂν ἐν γέλωτι λέγωσιν.","english":"And this is also characteristic of prostitutes, that they are available to the one who gives the gold; whether he is a slave, or a monk, or anyone at all, if he holds out the payment, they receive him; but free men, even if they are nobler than all, they do not admit without the silver. This is what these people do here as well: sound reasonings, when they have no silver, they turn away from; but with the foul and truly God-fighting thoughts they consort because of the gold, and they consort shamefully, and they destroy the beauty of the soul. For just as those women are by nature hideous and dark and rustic and shapeless and ill-formed, and in every way shameful, so too the souls of these people become, unable even by outward cosmetics to conceal their shapelessness. For when the ugliness is extreme, whatever they devise, they cannot even counterfeit it. For that shamelessness makes prostitutes, hear the prophet saying: You have acted shamelessly toward all; the face of a prostitute has become yours. This can also be said to the greedy: You have acted shamelessly toward all—not toward these and those, but toward all. How? Such a man reverences neither father, nor son, nor wife, nor friend, nor brother, nor benefactor, nor anyone at all. And why do I say friend and brother and father? He does not reverence God himself, but all things seem to him a myth, and he laughs, drunk with excessive desire, and does not even receive through hearing anything of the things able to profit him. But oh, the absurdity, and what things they utter: Woe to you, mammon, and to the one who does not have you. Here I weep from anger; for woe to those who say these things, even if they say them in laughter.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":660,"ref":"p660","source":"Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, οὐ τοιαύτην ἀπειλὴν ἠπείλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, λέγων· Οὐ δύνασθε δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν; σὺ δὲ ἐκλύεις τὴν ἀπειλήν; Οὐχὶ εἰδωλολατρείαν αὐτὴν εἶναί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, καὶ τὸν πλεονέκτην εἰδωλολάτρην καλεῖ; σὺ δὲ ἕστηκας γελῶν κατὰ τὰς βιωτικὰς γυναῖκας, γελωτοποιῶν κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ; Τοῦτο πάντα ἀνέτρεψε καὶ κατέβαλε· γέλως γέγονε τὰ ἡμέτερα καὶ πολιτισμὸς καὶ ἀστειότης· οὐδὲν εὐσταθὲς, οὐδὲν βαρύ. Οὐ πρὸς τοὺς βιωτικοὺς ἄνδρας λέγω μόνον ταῦτα, ἀλλ' οἶδα οὓς αἰνίττομαι· γέλωτος γὰρ ἐμπέπλησται ἡ ἐκκλησία· ἂν ὁ δεῖνα ἀστεῖον εἴπῃ, γέλως εὐθέως ἐν τοῖς καθημένοις γίνεται. Καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ τῆς εὐχῆς οὐ παύονται πολλοὶ τοῦ γέλωτος. Πανταχοῦ χορεύει ὁ διάβολος, πάν τας ἐνεδύσατο, πάντων κρατεῖ· ἠτίμασται ὁ Χριστὸς παρέωσται, ἐν οὐδενός ἐστι μέρει ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Οὐκ ἀκούετε Παύλου λέγοντος. Αἰσχρότης καὶ μωρολογία καὶ εὐτραπελία ἀρθήτω ἀφ' ὑμῶν; Μετὰ τῆς αἰσχρότητος τὴν εὐτραπελίαν τίθησι, σὺ δὲ γελᾷς; Τί ἐστι μωρολογία; Τὰ μηδὲν ἔχοντα χρήσιμον. Γελᾷς δὲ ὅλως καὶ διαχεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον ὁ μονάζων, ὁ ἐσταυρωμένος, ὁ πενθῶν; γελᾷς, εἰπέ μοι; Ποῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο ποιοῦντος ἤκουσας; οὐδαμοῦ· ἀλλὰ κατηφοῦντος μὲν πολλάκις· καὶ γὰρ ὅτε τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἶδεν, ἐδάκρυσε, καὶ ὅτε τὸν προδότην ἐνενόησεν, ἐταράχθη, καὶ ὅτε τὸν Λάζαρον ἐγείρειν ἔμελλεν, ἔκλαυσε· σὺ δὲ γελᾷς; Εἰ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων ἁμαρτήμασιν ὁ μὴ ἀλγῶν κατηγορίας ἄξιος, ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ ἀναλγήτως διακείμενος καὶ γελῶν, ποίας ἔσται συγγνώμης ἄξιος;","english":"For tell me, did not God threaten such a threat, saying: \"You cannot serve two masters\"? And do you weaken the threat? Does not Paul say that this very thing is idolatry, and call the covetous man an idolater? And do you stand laughing like the women of the world, playing the jester like the people in the theater? This has overturned and cast down everything; our affairs have become laughter and refinement and wit; nothing is steadfast, nothing is serious. I say these things not only to men of the world, but I know whom I am hinting at; for the church has been filled with laughter; if so-and-so says something witty, laughter immediately arises among those sitting there. And the amazing thing is, at the very time of prayer many do not cease from laughter. Everywhere the devil dances, he has clothed himself in all, he rules over all; Christ has been dishonored, cast aside, the Church is in no one's regard. Do you not hear Paul saying: \"Filthiness and foolish talking and jesting let it be removed from you\"? Along with filthiness he places jesting, and do you laugh? What is foolish talking? Things that have nothing useful in them. And do you laugh at all and relax your face, you who are a monk, you who have been crucified, you who mourn? Do you laugh, tell me? Where did you hear of Christ doing this? Nowhere; but often he was downcast; for when he saw Jerusalem, he wept, and when he thought of the traitor, he was troubled, and when he was about to raise Lazarus, he wept; and do you laugh? If the one who does not grieve over the sins of others is worthy of accusation, the one who is unmoved by his own and laughs—of what forgiveness will he be worthy?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":661,"ref":"p661","source":"Πένθους ὁ καιρὸς καὶ θλίψεως, ὑπωπιασμοῦ καὶ δουλαγωγίας, ἀγώνων καὶ ἱδρώτων· σὺ δὲ γελᾷς; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπετιμήθη Σάῤῥα; οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ\n\nΧριστοῦ λέγοντος, Οὐαὶ οἱ γελῶντες, ὅτι κλαύσετε; Ταῦτα ψάλλεις καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Τί γὰρ λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; ὅτι ἐγέλασα; οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐκοπίασα ἐν τῷ στεναγμῷ μου. Ἀλλὰ τάχα τινές εἰσιν οὕτω διακεχυμένοι καὶ χαῦνοι, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιτιμήσει ταύτῃ γελᾷν, ὅτι δὴ περὶ γέλωτος ταῦτα διαλεγόμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ἡ παραφορὰ, τοιαύτη ἡ παραπληξία· οὐδὲ αἰσθάνεται τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως. Ἕστηκεν ὁ ἱερεὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν πάντων εὐχὴν ἀναφέρων, σὺ δὲ γελᾷς οὐδὲν δεδοικώς; καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ὑπὲρ σοῦ τὰς εὐχὰς ἀναφέρει, σὺ δὲ καταφρονεῖς; Οὐκ ἀκούεις τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης· Οὐαὶ οἱ καταφρονηταί; οὐ φρίττεις; οὐ συστέλλεις σαυτόν; Καὶ εἰς μὲν βασίλεια εἰσιὼν, καὶ σχήματι καὶ βλέμματι καὶ βαδίσματι καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις κοσμεῖς σαυτόν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ἔνθα τὰ ὄντως εἰσὶ βασίλεια, καὶ τοιαῦτα οἷα τὰ οὐράνια, γελᾷς; Σὺ μὲν οὖν οἶδα ὅτι οὐχ ὁρᾷς· ἄκουε δὲ ὅτι ἄγγελοι πάρεισι πανταχοῦ, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρεστήκασι τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ πάντα ἐμπέπλησται τῶν ἀσωμάτων ἐκείνων δυνάμεων. Οὗτος ἐμοὶ καὶ πρὸς γυναῖκας ὁ λόγος, αἳ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἀνδρῶν οὐ τολμῶσι τοῦτο ποιεῖν ταχέως· κἂν ποιῶσι δὲ, οὐκ ἀεὶ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀνέσεως· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀεί. Κατακαλύπτεις, εἰπέ μοι, τὴν κεφαλὴν, καὶ γελᾷς, ὦ γύναι, ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ καθημένη;","english":"The time is one of mourning and affliction, of dejection and servitude, of struggles and sweat; and do you laugh? Do you not see how Sarah was rebuked? Do you not hear Christ saying, \"Woe to you who laugh, for you shall weep\"? You sing these things every day. For what do you say, tell me? That I laughed? By no means; but what? \"I was weary in my groaning.\" But perhaps some are so relaxed and frivolous as even to laugh at this rebuke, because we are discoursing about laughter. For such is derangement, such is madness: it does not even perceive the rebuke. The priest of God stands offering up the prayer of all, and do you laugh, fearing nothing? And he offers up prayers on your behalf, and do you despise them? Do you not hear the Scripture saying, \"Woe to the despisers\"? Do you not shudder? Do you not restrain yourself? When you enter a palace, you adorn yourself in bearing and look and gait and all other respects; but here, where the true palaces are, and such as are heavenly, do you laugh? I know indeed that you do not see; but hear that angels are present everywhere, and especially stand by the King in the house of God, and all things are filled with those bodiless powers. This is my word also to the women, who do not dare to do this readily in the presence of their husbands; and even if they do, not always, but only at the time of relaxation; but here they do so always. Tell me, do you cover your head, and do you laugh, O woman, as you sit in the church?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":662,"ref":"p662","source":"εἰσῆλθες ἐξομολογήσασθαι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, προσπεσεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, δεηθῆναι καὶ ἱκετεῦσαι ὑπὲρ τῶν κακῶς σοι πεπλημμελημένων, καὶ μετὰ γέλωτος τοῦτο ποιεῖς; πῶς οὖν αὐτὸν ἐξιλεώσασθαι δυνήσῃ; Καὶ τί κακὸν ὁ γέλως, φησίν; Οὐ κακὸν ὁ γέλως, ἀλλὰ κακὸν τὸ παρὰ μέτρον, τὸ ἄκαιρον. Ὁ γέλως ἔγκειται ἐν ἡμῖν, ἵνα, ὅταν φίλους ἴδωμεν διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου, τοῦτο ποιῶμεν· ὅταν τινὰς καταπεπληγμένους καὶ δεδοικότας, ἀνῶμεν αὐτοὺς τῷ μειδιάματι, οὐχ ἵνα ἀνακαγχάζωμεν καὶ ἀεὶ γελῶμεν· γέλως ἔγκειται τῇ ψυχῇ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, ἵνα ἀνῆταί ποτε ἡ ψυχὴ, οὐχ ἵνα διαχέηται· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐπιθυμία ἡμῖν ἔγκειται σωμάτων, καὶ οὐ πάντως ἀνάγκη διὰ τὸ ἐγκεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτῇ χρῆσθαι ἢ μὴ χρῆσθαι ἀμέτρως· ἀλλὰ καὶ κρατοῦμεν αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐ λέγομεν, Ἐπειδὴ ἔγκειται, χρησώμεθα. Μετὰ δακρύων δούλευε τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα δυνηθῇς ἀπονίψασθαι τὰ ἡμαρτημένα. Οἶδα ὅτι πολλοὶ διαμωκῶνται ἡμᾶς λέγοντες, Εὐθέως δάκρυα. Διὰ τοῦτο δακρύων καιρός. Οἶδα ὅτι καὶ οἰωνίζονται οἱ λέγοντες· Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν. Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης. Οὐκ ἐγὼ λέγω, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ τὴν πεῖραν τῶν πραγμάτων πάντων λαβὼν ταῦτά φησιν. Ὠκοδόμησά μοι οἰκίας, ἐφύτευσα ἀμπελῶνας, κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων, ἐποίησά μοι οἰνοχόους καὶ οἰνοχοούσας· καὶ τί δὴ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα; Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης. Πενθήσωμεν τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ, πενθήσωμεν, ἵνα ὄντως γελάσωμεν, ἵνα ὄντως ἡσθῶμεν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς χαρᾶς τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς. Ταύτῃ μὲν γὰρ τῇ χαρᾷ πάντως λύπη ἀναμέμικται, καὶ οὐδέποτε καθαρὰν αὐτὴν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν·","english":"You have come to confess your sins, to fall down before God, to entreat and supplicate on behalf of the wrongs you have committed against yourself, and do you do this with laughter? How then will you be able to propitiate him? And what evil, someone says, is laughter? Laughter is not evil, but what is beyond measure is evil, what is untimely. Laughter is implanted in us so that, when we see friends after a long time, we do this; when we see certain people overwhelmed and afraid, we may relieve them with a smile, not so that we may guffaw and laugh continually. Laughter is implanted in our soul so that the soul may be relieved at times, not so that it may be dissolved in mirth; since indeed desire for bodies is also implanted in us, and it is not altogether necessary, because it is implanted, either to use it or to use it without measure; but we also master it, and we do not say, \"Since it is implanted, let us use it.\" Serve God with tears, so that you may be able to wash away your sins. I know that many mock us, saying, \"Tears at once!\" For this reason it is a time for tears. I know that those who say, \"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die,\" also take omens from it. Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity. It is not I who say this, but the very one who gained experience of all things says it. I built myself houses, I planted vineyards, reservoirs of waters, I made for myself cupbearers and maidservants; and what then after all these things? Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity. Let us mourn, then, beloved, let us mourn, so that we may truly laugh, so that we may truly rejoice in the time of joy that is sincere. For with this joy grief is altogether mingled, and it is never possible to find it pure.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":663,"ref":"p663","source":"ἐκείνη δὲ εἰλικρινής τίς ἐστι καὶ ἄδολος, καὶ οὐδὲν ὕπουλον ἔχουσα, οὐδὲ ἀνα μεμιγμένον· ἐκείνην ἡσθῶμεν τὴν χαρὰν, ἐκείνην μεταδιώξωμεν. Ἄλλως δὲ, οὐκ ἔστι ταύτης ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἢ διὰ τοῦ ἐνταῦθα μὴ τὰ ἡδέα, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὠφελοῦντα αἱρεῖσθαι, καὶ μικρὸν θλίβεσθαι ἑκόντας, καὶ μετὰ εὐχαριστίας ἅπαντα φέροντας. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιτυχεῖν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀξιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΔʹ. Περὶ κατανύξεως καὶ ὑπομονῆς καὶ ἐπιθυμίας τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν· καὶ περὶ τῆς δευτέρας παρουσίας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, μὴ μόνον ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ψηφίζεσθαι προνοίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ παρόντα ἀγών ἐστι\n\nκαὶ σκάμματα καὶ στάδιον· τὰ δὲ μέλλοντα, ἔπαθλα καὶ στέφανοι καὶ βραβεῖα. Ὥσπερ γοῦν τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἐν τῷ σκάμματι καὶ ἱδρῶτι καὶ κόνει καὶ θέρμῃ πολλῇ καὶ πόνοις καὶ ταλαιπωρίαις μάχεσθαι δεῖ· οὕτω καὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἐνταῦθα πολλὰ ὑπομένειν χρὴ, καὶ φέρειν ἅπαντα γενναίως, εἰ μέλλει λαμπροὺς ἀπολήψεσθαι τοὺς στεφάνους ἐκεῖ. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως κινεῖ λόγον; καθάπερ ἠκούσατε αὐτοῦ βοῶντος καὶ λέγοντος· Πιστεύομεν γὰρ ὅτι ὁ ἐγείρας τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἡμᾶς διὰ Ἰησοῦ ἐγερεῖ καὶ παραστήσει σὺν ὑμῖν. Διὸ οὐκ ἐκκακοῦμεν, φησὶ, μεγίστην παράκλησιν ἔχοντες ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι, τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδα. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, Διὸ μὴ ἐκκακεῖτε, ἀλλὰ τί;","english":"That joy is pure and guileless, having nothing deceitful in it, nor anything mixed in; let us rejoice in that joy, let us pursue that joy. Moreover, it is not possible to attain it except by choosing here not what is pleasant but what is profitable, and by being willingly afflicted a little, and by bearing all things with thanksgiving. For in this way we shall be able also to attain the kingdom of heaven; may it come to pass that we all be deemed worthy of it in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 44. On compunction and endurance and the desire for the good things to come; and on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I entreat you, brothers, to judge concerning God's providence not only from things present but also from things to come. For the present things are a contest and a wrestling-ground and a stadium; but the things to come are prizes and crowns and awards. Just as, then, the athlete in the wrestling-ground must struggle amid sweat and dust and great heat and toils and hardships, so also the righteous man here must endure many things and bear all things nobly, if he is to receive those radiant crowns there. For this reason Paul also continually stirs up for us the word concerning the resurrection, just as you heard him crying out and saying: For we believe that he who raised the Lord will raise us also through Jesus and will present us with you. Therefore, he says, we do not lose heart, having the greatest consolation in our struggles, the hope of things to come. And he did not say to them, \"Therefore do not lose heart,\" but what?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":664,"ref":"p664","source":"Διὸ οὐκ ἐκκακοῦμεν· δεικνὺς καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ὄντα διηνεκῶς. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσω ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ. Πῶς ἀνακαινοῦται; Τῇ πίστει, τῇ ἐλπίδι, τῇ προθυμίᾳ, τῷ κατατολμᾷν τῶν δεινῶν. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν μυρία πάσχῃ τὸ σῶμα, τοσούτῳ χρηστοτέρας ἔχει τὰς ἐλπίδας ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ λαμπροτέρα γίνεται, καθάπερ χρυσίον πυρούμενον ἐπὶ πλέον. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς καθαιρεῖ τὰ λυπηρὰ τοῦ παρόντος βίου. Τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως, φησὶ, καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται, μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, εἰς τὴν ἐλπίδα τὸ πρᾶγμα κατακλείσας. Καὶ ὅπερ ἀλλαχοῦ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν· καὶ, Ἐλπὶς δὲ βλεπομένη, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐλπίς· τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατασκευάζων, τίθησι παράλληλα τὰ παρόντα τοῖς μέλλουσι, τὸ παραυτίκα πρὸς τὸ αἰώνιον, τὸ ἐλαφρὸν πρὸς τὸ βαρὺ, τὴν θλῖψιν πρὸς τὴν δόξαν. Καὶ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἀρκεῖται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέραν τίθησι λέξιν, διπλασιάζων ταύτην, καὶ λέγων· Καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολήν. Εἶτα καὶ τὸν τρόπον δείκνυσιν, εἰπὼν πῶς ἐλαφρὸν τὸ τῶν τοιούτων θλίψεων. Πῶς οὖν ἐλαφρόν; Μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα. Οὕτω καὶ τοῦτο κοῦφον τὸ παρὸν, κἀκεῖνο μέγα τὸ μέλλον, ἂν τῶν ὁρωμένων ἀπάγωμεν ἑαυτούς. Τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα· οὐκοῦν καὶ αἱ θλίψεις τοιαῦται· τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια· οὐκοῦν καὶ οἱ στέφανοι τοιοῦτοι.","english":"Therefore we do not lose heart, showing that he himself is constantly in the struggles. But even if our outer man is being destroyed, yet the inner man is renewed day by day. How is he renewed? By faith, by hope, by eagerness, by boldly daring the terrible things. For to the extent that the body suffers countless things, to that extent the soul has better hopes and becomes more radiant, just as gold is more thoroughly refined by fire. And see how he brings down the sorrowful things of the present life. For the momentary lightness of affliction, he says, works out beyond measure unto an exceeding eternal weight of glory, since we do not look at the things seen but at the things not seen, having enclosed the matter in hope. And what he said elsewhere, that By hope we were saved; and, Hope that is seen is not hope; establishing this here too, he sets present things alongside future things, the momentary against the eternal, the light against the heavy, affliction against glory. And he is not content with these, but he adds another expression, doubling it, and saying, Beyond measure unto exceeding measure. Then he also shows the manner, having said how the affliction of such things is light. How then is it light? Since we do not look at the things seen but at the things not seen. Thus both this present thing is light and that future thing is great, if we lead ourselves away from the things seen. For the things seen are temporary; therefore the afflictions are also of this sort; but the things not seen are eternal; therefore the crowns are also of this sort.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":665,"ref":"p665","source":"Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε μόνον, αἱ θλίψεις τοιαῦται, ἀλλὰ, καὶ τὰ βλεπόμενα ἅπαντα, κἂν κόλασις ᾖ, κἂν ἀνάπαυσις, ὥστε μηδὲ ἐκεῖθεν χαυνοῦσθαι, μηδὲ ἐντεῦθεν βαπτίζεσθαι. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων εἶπε, βασιλεία αἰώνιος, ἀλλὰ, Τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια, κἂν βασιλεία, κἂν κόλασις ᾖ πάλιν, ὥστε καὶ ἐκεῖθεν φοβῆσαι, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν προτρέψασθαι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια, πρὸς ἐκεῖνα βλέπωμεν, τὰ αἰώνια. Ποίαν γὰρ καὶ σχοίημεν ἀπολογίαν, τὰ πρόσκαιρα ἀντὶ τῶν αἰωνίων αἱρούμενοι; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ παρὸν ἡδὺ, ἀλλ' οὐ διηνεκές· τὸ μέντοι ὀδυνηρὸν αὐτοῦ, διηνεκὲς καὶ ἀσύγγνωστον. Ποίαν γὰρ ἔχουσιν ἀπολογίαν οἱ Πνεύματος ἁγίου καταξιωθέντες, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσαντες δωρεᾶς, χαμαίζηλοι γινόμενοι, καὶ καταπίπτοντες εἰς τὴν γῆν; Καὶ γὰρ πολλῶν ἀκούω λεγόντων τὰ καταγέλαστα ταῦτα ῥήματα· δός μοι τὴν σήμερον, καὶ λάβε τὴν αὔριον. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τοιαῦτα ᾖ, φησὶν, οἷα καὶ φατὲ, τὰ ἐκεῖ, ἓν ἀνθ' ἑνὸς γέγονεν· ἂν δὲ μηδὲν ὅλῳς ᾖ, δύο ἀντ' οὐδενός. Τί τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων παρανομώτερον; τί ληρωδέστερον; Ἡμεῖς περὶ οὐρανῶν διαλεγόμεθα καὶ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ σὺ τὰ τῶν ἱπποδρομίων ἡμῖν ἄγεις εἰς μέσον, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ οὐδὲ ἐγκαλύπτῃ τοιαῦτα φθεγγόμενος, ἃ τῶν παραπαιόντων ἐστίν; οὐκ ἐρυθιᾷς οὕτω προσηλωμένος τοῖς παροῦσιν; οὐ παύσῃ παραφρονῶν, καὶ ἐξεστηκὼς, καὶ ἐν νεότητι ληρῶν; Καὶ τὸ μὲν Ἕλληνας τοιαῦτα λέγειν, οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν· τὸ δὲ πιστοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοιαῦτα ληρεῖν, ποίαν ἂν ἔχοι συγγνώμην; ὅλως γὰρ ὑποπτεύεις τὰς ἀθανάτους ἐκείνας ἐλπίδας;","english":"And he did not say only, \"The afflictions are such,\" but also, \"all things that are seen,\" whether it be punishment or rest, so as neither to be puffed up from that quarter nor plunged from this. For this reason he did not say concerning the things to come, \"an eternal kingdom,\" but \"the things that are not seen are eternal,\" whether it be a kingdom or again a punishment, so as both to frighten from that quarter and to encourage from this. Since, then, the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal, let us look toward those things, the eternal things. For what defense would we have, choosing the temporary instead of the eternal? For even if the present is pleasant, yet it is not lasting; but its painful part is lasting and unforgivable. For what defense do those have who were deemed worthy of the Holy Spirit and enjoyed so great a gift, when they become earth-bound and fall down to the earth? For I hear many saying these ridiculous words: \"Give me today, and take tomorrow.\" For if, he says, the things there are such as you also say, one thing has come in exchange for one; but if they are nothing at all, two things in exchange for nothing. What is more lawless than these words? What more foolish? We are discoursing about the heavens and those ineffable good things, and you bring before us the doings of the hippodromes, and are you not ashamed nor do you cover yourself, uttering such things as belong to the insane? Do you not blush, so nailed fast to the present things? Will you not cease raving and being beside yourself and babbling in your youth? And that Greeks should say such things is no wonder; but that faithful men should babble such things—what pardon could it have? For do you at all suspect those immortal hopes?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":666,"ref":"p666","source":"ὅλως νομίζεις ἀμφίβολα ταῦτα; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ἄξια συγγνώμης; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὰ ἐκεῖ; Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν βλέπεις· ἆρα οὖν οὐχ ἡγήσῃ εἶναι Θεὸν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ὁρᾷς Θεόν; Καὶ σφόδρα ἡγοῦμαι, φησίν. Ἂν οὖν ἔρηταί τίς σε πάλιν, καὶ τίς ἦλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα ἀπήγγειλε; τί ἐρεῖς; πόθεν οἶσθα ὅτι\n\nἔστι Θεός; Ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρωμένων, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῆς εὐταξίας τῆς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει, ἀπὸ τοῦ πᾶσιν εἶναι τοῦτο κατάδηλον. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ τὸν περὶ κρίσεως δέχου λόγον. Πῶς, φησίν· Ἐρήσομαί σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόκριναι. Δίκαιός ἐστιν αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὰ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπονέμει ἑκάστῳ, ἢ τοὐναντίον, τοὺς μὲν ἀδίκους βούλεται εὐημερεῖν καὶ τρυφᾷν, τοὺς δὲ ἀγαθοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις εἶναι; Οὐδαμῶς, φησίν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο πάθοι. Ποῦ οὖν οἱ καλῶς ἐνταῦθα πράξαντες τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσονται; ποῦ δὲ οἱ πονηροὶ τῶν ἐναντίων, εἰ μὴ μέλλει τις μετὰ ταῦτα ζωὴ καὶ ἀντίδοσις εἶναι; Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι ἓν ἀνθ' ἑνὸς, καὶ οὐχὶ δύο ἀνθ' ἑνός; μᾶλλον δὲ δύο ἀντ' οὐδενὸς ἔσται τοῖς δικαίοις, τοῖς δὲ ἁμαρτωλοῖς καὶ ἐνταῦθα τρυ φῶσι τοὐναντίον ἅπαν; Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τρυφήσαντες, εἶτα ἐκεῖ κολασθέντες, οὐδὲ ἓν ἀνθ' ἑνὸς ἔλαβον· οἱ δὲ ἐν ἀρετῇ διάγοντες δύο ἀντ' οὐδενός. Τίνες γὰρ ἐν ἀνέσει; οἱ τῷ παρόντι ἀποχρησάμενοι βίῳ, ἢ οἱ φιλοσοφήσαντες; Σὺ μὲν ἴσως ἐκείνους ἐρεῖς, ἐγὼ δὲ τούτους δείκνυμι, μάρτυρας αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους καλῶν τοὺς ἀπολελαυκότας τῶν παρόντων, καὶ οὐκ ἀναισχυντήσουσι πρὸς ἃ μέλλω λέγειν. Καὶ γὰρ προμνηστρίαις τινὲς ἐπηράσαντο πολλάκις, καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, καθ' ἣν ἐπλάκησαν αἱ παστάδες, καὶ τοὺς μὴ γεγαμηκότας ἐμακάρισαν·","english":"Do you altogether think these things doubtful? And where is there any excuse for this? But do you not see the things there? For you do not see God either; will you therefore refuse to believe that God exists, because you do not see God? Yes indeed, I believe, he says. If then someone asks you again, \"And who came from heaven and announced these things?\" what will you say? From where do you know that\n\nGod exists? From the things that are seen, he says, from the order in all creation, from the fact that this is evident to all. In the same way, then, receive also the account concerning judgment. How? he says. I will ask you, and you answer me. Is God himself just, and does he distribute to each according to desert, or on the contrary, does he wish the unjust to prosper and live in luxury, while the good are in the opposite condition? By no means, he says; not even a human being would consent to that. Where then will those who have done well here enjoy good things? And where will the wicked enjoy the opposite, if there is not to be some life and recompense after this? Do you see that it is one thing in exchange for one, and not two in exchange for one? Or rather, there will be two in exchange for nothing for the righteous, but for sinners who also live in luxury here, the exact opposite of everything? For those who have lived in luxury here and then are punished there have received not even one in exchange for one; while those who live in virtue receive two in exchange for nothing. For who are at ease? Those who have made the most of the present life, or those who have lived as philosophers? You perhaps will say the former, but I will show it is the latter, calling as witnesses those very people who have enjoyed the present things, and they will not be ashamed at what I am about to say. For some have often cursed matchmakers, and the day on which the bridal chambers were entwined, and have called those who have not married blessed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":667,"ref":"p667","source":"πολλοὶ δὲ δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον παρῃτήσαντο, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τὸ φορτικὸν τοῦ πράγματος. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐ τὸν γάμον διαβάλλων, τίμιος γὰρ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς κακῶς αὐτῷ χρωμένους. Εἰ δὲ οἱ γάμῳ ὡμιληκότες ἀβίωτον πολλάκις τὸν βίον ἐνόμισαν, τί ἂν εἴποιμεν περὶ τῶν εἰς πορνικὰ βάραθρα κατενεχθέντων, καὶ παντὸς αἰχμαλώτου δουλικώτερον καὶ ἀθλιώτερον διακειμένων; περὶ τῶν ἐν τρυφῇ κατασαπέντων, καὶ μυρία τῷ σώματι νοσήματα περιβεβληκότων; Ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν δόξῃ εἶναι ἡδύ. Οὐδὲν μὲν οὖν ταύτης τῆς δουλείας πικρότερον. Καὶ γὰρ ἁπάντων ἀνδραπόδων μᾶλλόν ἐστι δουλικώτερος ὁ κενόδοξος, καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἀρέσαι βουλόμενος· ὁ δὲ ταύτην καταπατήσας, πάντων ἐστὶν ἀνώτερος, καὶ μόνος ἐλεύθερος, ὁ μὴ φροντίζων τῆς παρ' ἑτέρων δόξης. Ἀλλὰ τὸ χρήματα ἔχειν ἐπέραστον; Ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἀπεδείξαμεν, ὅτι ἐν πλείονι πλούτῳ καὶ ἀνέσει οἱ τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένοι καὶ μηδὲν ἔχοντες μᾶλλόν εἰσιν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μεθύειν ἡδύ; Καὶ τίς ἂν εἴποι τοῦτο; Οὐκοῦν τὸ μὴ πλουτεῖν τοῦ πλουτεῖν ἥδιον, καὶ τὸ μὴ γῆμαι τοῦ γῆμαι, καὶ τὸ μὴ κενοδοξεῖν τοῦ κενοδοξεῖν, καὶ τὸ μὴ τρυφᾷν τοῦ τρυφᾷν· καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ πλέον ἔχουσιν οἱ τοῖς παροῦσι μὴ προσηλωμένοι. Καὶ οὕπω λέγω, Ἐκεῖνος μὲν κἂν μυρίοις βασάνοις κατατείνηται, ἔχει τὴν χρηστὴν ἐλπίδα διαβαστάζουσαν αὐτόν· οὗτος δὲ κἂν μυρίας ἀπολαύῃ τρυφῆς, ἔχει τὸν φόβον τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐκταράττοντα αὐτοῦ τὴν ἡδονὴν καὶ συγχέοντα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος οὐ μικρὸς τρόπος κολάσεως, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ ἐναντίος τρυφῆς καὶ ἀνέσεως. Καὶ τρίτος δὲ μετὰ τοῦτόν ἐστι τρόπος. Ποῖος δὴ οὗτος;","english":"Many have declined for no other reason than the burdensomeness of the matter. And I say this not to slander marriage—for it is honorable—but because of those who use it badly. But if those who have had dealings with marriage have often considered life unlivable, what should we say about those who have been dragged down into the pits of fornication, and are disposed more slavishly and miserably than any captive? About those who have rotted away in luxury, and have wrapped countless diseases around the body? But to be held in esteem is pleasant. Nothing, then, is more bitter than this slavery. For the vainglorious man is more slavish than all slaves, wanting to please just anyone; but the one who has trampled this underfoot is higher than all, and alone free—the one who does not care about the esteem that comes from others. But to have money is desirable? But we have often shown that those who are rid of these things and have nothing are in greater wealth and ease. But to get drunk is pleasant? And who would say this? Therefore not being rich is pleasanter than being rich, and not marrying than marrying, and not being vainglorious than being vainglorious, and not living in luxury than living in luxury; and here those who are not nailed to present things have the greater share. And I do not yet say that the former, even if he is stretched out on countless tortures, has good hope carrying him through; but the latter, even if he enjoys countless luxuries, has the fear of what is to come disturbing and confounding his pleasure; for this too is no small form of punishment, just as the opposite is of luxury and ease. And there is a third form after this. What then is this?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":668,"ref":"p668","source":"Ὅτι τὰ μὲν τῆς τρυφῆς τῆς βιωτικῆς οὐδὲ ἡνίκα ἐστὶ φαίνεται, τῇ τε φύσει καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐλεγχόμενα· ἐκεῖνα δὲ οὐ μόνον ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀκίνητα μένει. Ὅρα ὅτι οὐ δύο ἀντ' οὐδενὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρία, καὶ πέντε, καὶ δέκα, καὶ μυρία ἀντ' οὐδενὸς δυνησόμεθα εἶναι. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος αὐτὸ τοῦτο μάθῃς, πρόσεχε· Ὁ πλούσιος καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος, ὁ μὲν τῶν παρόντων, ὁ δὲ τῶν μελλόντων ἀπήλαυσεν· ἆρα οὖν σοι δοκεῖ ἓν εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ κολάζεσθαι καὶ τὸ ἐν βραχείᾳ ὥρᾳ πονεῖν; τὸ νοσεῖν ἐν φθαρτῷ σώματι, καὶ τὸ ἀθάνατα ἀποτηγανίζεσθαι χαλεπῶς; τὸ στεφανοῦσθαι καὶ τὸ τρυφᾷν ἀθάνατα μετὰ τὴν μικρὰν ἀῤῥωστίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ βασανίζεσθαι ἀπέραντα μετὰ τὴν βραχεῖαν τῶν παρόντων ἀπόλαυσιν; Καὶ τίς ἂν ταῦτα εἴποι; Τί γὰρ βούλει εἴπωμεν, τὴν ποσότητα; τὴν ποιότητα; τὴν κατ' ἀξίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἑκατέρων ψῆφον; Μέχρι τίνος τὰ κανθάρων φθέγγεσθε ῥήματα τῶν βορβόρῳ διηνεκῶς ἐγκαλινδουμένων; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνθρώτων ταῦτα λογικῶν ψυχὴν οὕτω τιμίαν ἀντ' οὐδενὸς προέσθαι, δέον ὀλίγου πόνου τοὺς οὐρανοὺς λαβεῖν. Βούλει σε καὶ ἑτέρωθεν διδάξω, ὅτι ἔστιν ἐκεῖ κριτήριον φοβερόν; Ἄνοιξόν σου τὰς θύρας τοῦ συνειδότος, καὶ βλέπε τὸν ἐν τῇ","english":"That the things of worldly luxury are not even seen when they exist, being refuted by nature and time; but those things not only exist, but also remain immovable. Observe that we shall be able to be as nothing not only two instead of nothing, but also three, and five, and ten, and ten thousand. But so that you may learn this very thing also by an example, pay attention: The rich man and Lazarus, the one enjoyed the present things, the other the things to come. Does it then seem to you to be one and the same thing—to be punished at all times, and to suffer for a brief hour? To be sick in a corruptible body, and to be fried immortally in severe torment? To be crowned and to luxuriate immortally after that little weakness, and to be tormented endlessly after the brief enjoyment of present things? And who could say these things? For what do you wish us to speak of—the quantity? The quality? The judgment according to the worth of God concerning each? Until when do you utter the words of beetles forever wallowing in the mire? For not even of rational men is it to betray a soul so precious for nothing, when it is necessary to obtain the heavens by a little labor. Do you wish me to teach you from another place also, that there is a fearful judgment there? Open the doors of your conscience, and see the one in the","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":669,"ref":"p669","source":"διανοίᾳ σου ἐγκαθήμενον δικαστήν· εἰ δὲ σὺ σαυτὸν κατακρίνεις, καίτοι φίλαυτος ὢν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιο μὴ δικαίαν τὴν κρίσιν ἐνεγκεῖν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς πολλὴν ποιήσεται τοῦ δικαίου τὴν πρόνοιαν, καὶ τὴν ἀδέκαστον περὶ πάντων οἴσει ψῆφον, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ πάντα φέρεσθαι ἐάσει; καὶ τίς ἂν ταῦτα εἴποι; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδείς· ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἕλληνες καὶ βάρβαροι, καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι, καὶ πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων συμφωνοῦσιν ἐν τούτοις ἡμῖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὁμοίως, καί φασιν εἶναί τινα δικαστήρια ἐν ᾅδου· οὔτω φανερὸν καὶ ὡμολογημένον τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εὐθέως κολαζόμεθα, φησίν; Ἵνα τὴν μακροθυμίαν ἐπιδείξηται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἐκ μετανοίας ἡμῖν παράσχῃ σωτηρίαν, καὶ μήτε τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἀνάρπαστον ἐργάζηται, τούς τε ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἀρίστης δυναμένους σωθῆναι μὴ προεξαρπάσῃ τῆς σωτηρίας. Εἰ γὰρ εὐθέως ἐκόλαζε παρ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ ἀνῄρει, πῶς ἂν ἐσώθη Παῦλος; πῶς δὲ Πέτρος, οἱ κορυφαῖοι τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλοι; πῶς ἂν ὁ Δαυῒδ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς μετανοίας ἐκαρπώσατο σωτηρίαν; πῶς οἱ Γαλάται; πῶς ἕτεροι πλείους; Διὰ δὴ ταῦτα οὐδὲ πάντας ἐνταῦθα ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην, ἀλλ' ἐκ πάντων ἐνίους· οὔτε ἐκεῖ πάντας, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἐνταῦθα, τὸν δὲ ἐκεῖ, ἴνα καὶ τοὺς σφόδρα ἀναισθήτους διεγείρῃ δι' ὧν κολάζει, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα προσδοκᾷν ποιήσῃ δι' ὧν οὐ κολάζει. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς πολλοὺς ἐνταῦθα κολαζομένους, ὡς τοὺς τῷ πύργῳ καταχωσθέντας· ὡς ἐκείνους, ὧν τὸ αἷμα ταῖς θυσίαις ἔμιξεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος· ὡς τοὺς ἀώρῳ θανάτῳ παρὰ Κορινθίοις τελευτήσαντας διὰ τὸ τῶν μυστηρίων ἀναξίως μετασχεῖν·","english":"Consider the judge seated in your own conscience. If you condemn yourself—though you are self-loving and would not tolerate bearing an unjust judgment—will not God all the more exercise great providence over justice, and bring an impartial verdict concerning all things? Or will he simply allow everything to be carried along at random and without purpose? And who could say that? There is no one. Rather, both Greeks and barbarians, poets and philosophers, and every race of mankind agree with us in these matters, even if not in the same way, and they say that there are certain tribunals in Hades; so evident and acknowledged is the matter. And for what reason, someone says, are we not punished here immediately? So that he may display his own long-suffering, and provide us with salvation through repentance, and neither make our race something to be snatched away, nor snatch away before their salvation those who are able to be saved by a most excellent change. For if he punished immediately, right at the sins themselves, and destroyed, how would Paul have been saved? How would Peter, the foremost teachers of the world? How would David have reaped the salvation that comes from repentance? How the Galatians? How many others? For these reasons he does not require an account from all here, but from some out of all; nor from all there, but one here and another there, so that he may awaken even the very insensible by those whom he punishes, and make them expect what is to come by those whom he does not punish. Or do you not see many punished here—as those buried under the tower; as those whose blood Pilate mingled with the sacrifices; as those at Corinth who died an untimely death because they partook of the mysteries unworthily?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":670,"ref":"p670","source":"ὡς τὸν δῆμον τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων κατασφαγέντα· ὡς ἑτέρους πολλοὺς καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν διηνεκῶς; Καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ πολλὰ ἀμαρτόντες ἀπῆλθον μὴ δόντες ἐνταῦθα δίκην, ὡς ὁ πλούσιος ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου, ὡς ἕτεροι πολλοί. Ταῦτα δὲ ποιεῖ, καὶ τοὺς ἀπιστοῦντας τοῖς μέλλουσι διεγείρων, καὶ τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐργαζόμενος προθυμοτέρους, καὶ τοὺς ῥᾳθυμοῦντας σπουδαιοτέρους ποιῶν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς δίκαιος κριτὴς καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ μακρόθυμος, καὶ μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Ἂν δὲ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν χρησώμεθα, ἔσται καιρὸς, ὅτε οὐδὲ βραχὺ μακροθυμήσει λοιπὸν, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἐπάξει τὴν δίκην. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἵνα μίαν ῥοπὴν τρυφήσωμεν (τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος), ἀπείρων αἰώνων ἐπισπασώμεθα κόλασιν, ἀλλὰ ῥοπὴν πονέσωμεν, ἵνα διηνεκῶς στεφανωθῶμεν. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς οὕτως οἱ πλείους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποιοῦσι, καὶ τὸν ὀλίγον πόνον αἱροῦνται ὑπὲρ τῆς μακρᾶς ἀναπαύσεως, εἰ καὶ τοὐναντίον αὐτοῖς ἐκβαίνει; Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἰσομοιρία καὶ πόνων καὶ κέρδους, πολλάκις δὲ τὸ ἔμπαλιν· ἡ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ἀντιστρόφως· ὀλίγον μὲν τὸ ἐπίπονον, πολὺ δὲ τὸ ἡδὺ καὶ ἄπειρον. Σκόπει δέ· Ὁ γεωργὸς δι' ὅλου πονεῖται τοῦ ἔτους, καὶ πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ τέλει τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκπίπτει πολλάκις τοῦ καρποῦ τῶν πολλῶν πόνων· ὁ κυβερνήτης πάλιν καὶ ὁ στρατιώτης μέχρις ἡλικίας ἐσχάτης ἐν πολέμοις καὶ πόνοις, καὶ πολλάκις ἑκάτερος αὐτῶν ἀπῆλθε κενὸς, ὁ μὲν τοῦ πλούτου τῶν φορτίων, ὁ δὲ πρὸ τῆς νίκης καὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς ἐκπεσών.","english":"as when the people of the Jews were slaughtered by the barbarians; as many others both then and now continually. And others too, having sinned greatly, departed without paying the penalty here, as the rich man in the case of Lazarus, as many others. He does this both to awaken those who disbelieve in the things to come and to make those who believe more zealous, and to make the slothful more earnest. For God is a righteous judge and strong and long-suffering, and does not bring wrath every day. But if we use his long-suffering as an occasion for sloth, there will be a time when he will no longer be long-suffering even a little, but will straightway bring the penalty. Therefore, lest we enjoy one moment of luxury (for this present life is that), let us not draw upon ourselves the punishment of endless ages, but let us labor for a moment, that we may be crowned forever. Do you not see that in worldly affairs too most people act this way, and choose a little toil for the sake of long rest, even if the opposite turns out for them? For here there is an equal share of toils and gain, and often the reverse; but the kingdom is the opposite way: little is the painful part, but great and endless is the pleasant. Consider: the farmer toils the whole year through, and often at the very end of his hope falls short of the fruit of his many labors; the pilot again and the soldier until the last of their age in wars and toils, and often each of them has departed empty—the one of the wealth of his cargoes, the other falling short before victory and of life itself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":671,"ref":"p671","source":"Τίνα οὖν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, εἰπέ μοι, ἐν μὲν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς τὰ ἐπίπονα προτιμῶντες, ἵνα μικρὸν ἀναπαυσώμεθα, ἢ οὐδὲ μικρὸν, καὶ γὰρ ἄδηλος ἡ ἐλπίς· ἐν δὲ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἀντιστρόφως ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἄφατον κόλασιν ἐπισπώμενοι διὰ μικρὰν ῥᾳθυμίαν; Διὸ παρακαλῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς, ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε ἐκ τῆς παραπληξίας ταύτης ἀνενεγκεῖν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ, οὐκ ἀδελφὸς, οὐ πατὴρ, οὐ παῖδες, οὐ φίλοι, οὐ γείτων, οὐκ ἄλλος οὐδείς· ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων προδοθῶμεν, πάντα οἰχήσεται καὶ ἀπολούμεθα πάντως. Πόσα ὁ πλούσιος ἐθρήνησεν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην παρεκάλεσε, καὶ πεμφθῆναι τὸν Λάζαρον ᾔτησεν; ἀλλ' ἄκουσον τί πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ· Χάος μέγα μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν, ὥστε μηδὲ βουλομένοις ἐξεῖναι διαβῆναι. Πόσα παρεκάλεσαν αἱ παρθένοι ἐκεῖναι τὰς ὁμήλικας ὑπὲρ ὀλίγου ἐλαίου, ἀλλ' ἄκουσον καὶ ἐκεῖναι τί λέγουσι· Μήποτε οὐκ\n\nἀρκέσῃ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν· καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτὰς ἴσχυσεν εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα εἰσαγαγεῖν. Ταῦτα δὴ λογιζόμενοι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπιμελώμεθα τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς. Ὅσους γὰρ ἂν εἴπῃς πόνους, καὶ ὅσας ἂν προσενέγκῃς τιμωρίας, οὐδὲν ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἔσται πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθά. Τίθει γοῦν, εἰ βούλει, πῦρ καὶ σίδηρον καὶ θηρία, καὶ εἴ τι τούτων χαλεπώτερον· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ σκιὰ ταῦτα πρὸς ἐκεῖνα τὰ βασανιστήρια. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ ὅταν ἐπιτεθῇ σφοδρότερον, τότε μάλιστα κοῦφα, ταχεῖαν ποιοῦντα τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν, τοῦ σώματος οὐκ ἀρκοῦντος καὶ εἰς σφοδρότητα καὶ εἰς μῆκος κολάσεως·","english":"What defense, then, shall we have, tell me, when in worldly matters we prefer the painful things, so that we may rest a little—or not even a little, for the hope is uncertain—but in spiritual matters we do the opposite, and draw upon ourselves unspeakable punishment for the sake of a little ease? Therefore I exhort all of you, at least late, at some point, to recover from this madness. For no one will rescue us in that time—not brother, not father, not children, not friends, not neighbor, not anyone else; but if we are betrayed by our works, all will be gone and we shall utterly perish. How much did that rich man lament, and entreat the patriarch, and ask that Lazarus be sent? But hear what Abraham said to him: A great gulf is fixed between us and you, so that not even those who wish are able to cross over. How much did those virgins entreat their companions for a little oil, but hear also what those say: Lest there not be enough for us and for you; and no one was able to bring them into the bridal chamber. Considering these things, then, let us also take care of our own life. For however many toils you may mention, and whatever punishments you may bring forward, all these will be nothing compared to the good things to come. Set forth, then, if you wish, fire and iron and wild beasts, and anything harsher than these; yet even so these are not even a shadow compared to those torments. For when these are applied more violently, then especially are they light, bringing a swift release, since the body is not sufficient for both the violence and the length of the punishment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":672,"ref":"p672","source":"ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα συνέρχεται, καὶ παράτασις καὶ ὑπερβολὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς χρηστοῖς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λυπηροῖς. Ἕως οὖν ἐστι καιρὸς, προφθάσωμεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει, ἵνα ἥμερον αὐτὸ ἴδωμεν τότε καὶ γαληνὸν, ἵνα τὰς ἀπειληφόρους δυνάμεις ἐκείνας διαφύγωμεν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς ἐνταῦθα στρατιώτας, τοὺς τοῖς ἄρχουσι διακονουμένους, πῶς ἕλκουσι, πῶς δεσμοῦσι, πῶς μαστιγοῦσι, πῶς τὰς πλευρὰς διορύττουσι, πῶς τὰς λαμπάδας ταῖς βασάνοις προσάγουσιν; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα παίγνια καὶ γέλως πρὸς ἐκείνας τὰς τιμωρίας· καὶ γὰρ πρόσκαιροι αὖται αἱ κολάσεις, ἐκείνων δὲ οὔτε ὁ σκώληξ τελευτᾷ, οὔτε τὸ πῦρ σβέννυται· καὶ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα πάντως ἄφθαρτον ἔσται τὸ ἀνιστάμενον τότε. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό ποτε πείρᾳ ταῦτα ἡμᾶς μαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι ῥήματος στῆναι ἡμῖν τὰ φοβερὰ, μηδὲ παραδοθῆναι τοῖς βασανισταῖς ἐκείνοις, ἀλλ' ἐντεῦθεν σωφρονισθῆναι. Πόσα τότε ἐροῦμεν ἑαυτῶν κατηγοροῦντες, πόσα ὀλοφυρούμεθα; πόσα οἰμώξομεν; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὄφελος λοιπόν. Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ναῦται, τοῦ πλοίου διαλυθέντος καὶ καταδύντος, ὠφελῆσαι δυνήσονται λοιπὸν, οὔτε ἰατροὶ, τοῦ κάμνοντος ἀπελθόντος· ἀλλ' ἐροῦσι μὲν πολλάκις, ὅτι τὸ καὶ τὸ ἐχρῆν ποιῆσαι, πάντα δὲ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς διορθώσεως ἐλπίδες μένουσι, καὶ λέγειν ἅπαντα καὶ ποιεῖν χρή· ἐπειδὰν δὲ μηκέτι κύριοι μηδενὸς ὦμεν, τοῦ παντὸς διαφθαρέντος, εἰκῆ καὶ λέγεται πάντα καὶ γίνεται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐροῦσι τότε, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπὸ ταύτης ἀπόνασθαι δύνανται τῆς φωνῆς εἰς τὸ τὴν κόλασιν διαφυγεῖν·","english":"But there it is not so; rather both things come together, both duration and excess, in things pleasant and in things painful. While, then, there is time, let us anticipate his face in confession, so that we may see it then gentle and calm, so that we may escape those threatening powers. Do you not see the soldiers here, those who serve the rulers, how they drag, how they bind, how they scourge, how they pierce the sides, how they bring torches to the tortures? But all these things are child's play and laughter compared with those punishments; for these chastisements are also temporary, but of those neither does the worm end, nor is the fire quenched; for the body that rises then will certainly be incorruptible. But may it never be that we learn these things by experience, but let the fearful things stand for us only at the word, and let us not be handed over to those torturers, but be disciplined from here. How many things shall we then say accusing ourselves, how many shall we lament? How many shall we wail? But there is no profit any longer. Since neither can sailors, once the ship has broken up and sunk, profit any longer, nor physicians, once the patient has departed; but they will often say that this and that ought to have been done, but all in vain and to no purpose. For while hopes remain from correction, one must both say and do everything; but when we are no longer masters of anything, everything having been ruined, everything is said and done in vain. For the Jews also will say then, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, but they cannot benefit at all from this voice so as to escape the punishment.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":673,"ref":"p673","source":"ὅτε γὰρ ἔδει εἰπεῖν, οὐκ εἶπον. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο πάθωμεν, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη μεταβαλώμεθα, καὶ σπουδάσωμεν εἰς ἐκείνην εἰσελθεῖν τὴν κατάπαυσιν, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Ὄντως γὰρ ἐκείνη ἐστὶν ἀνάπαυσις, ἕνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη, λύπη καὶ στεναγμὸς, ἔνθα οὔτε φροντίδες, οὕτε πόνοι, οὔτε ἀγωνία, οὔτε φόβος καταπλήττων καὶ σείων τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλὰ μόνος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος, ἡδονῆς πλήρης ὤν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἱδρῶσι τοῦ προσώπου φαγεῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκεῖ, οὐδὲ ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν λύπαις τεκεῖν τέκνα, οὐδὲ Πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει· πάντα εἰρήνη, χαρὰ, εὐφροσύνη, ἡδονὴ, ἀγαθωσύνη, πραότης. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ ζηλοτυπία, οὐδὲ βασκανία, οὐ νόσος, οὐ θάνατος, οὐχ οὗτος ὁ τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ σκότος, οὐδὲ νύξ· πάντα ἡμέρα, πάντα φῶς, πάντα λαμπρά. Οὐκ ἔστι καμεῖν, οὐκ ἔστι κόρον λαβεῖν, ἀεὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν διατελέσομεν. Βούλεσθε δώσω τινὰ εἰκόνα ὑμῖν τῆς ἐκεῖ καταπαύσεως; Οὐκ ἔστι δυνατόν· πλὴν ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὡς δυνατὸν, πειράσομαι δοῦναι ὑμῖν τινα εἰκόνα. Ἀναβλέψωμεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὅταν, μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος νέφους, φαίνῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ στέφανον· εἶτα πρὸς τὸ κάλλος τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοῦ πολλὴν διατρίψαντες χρόνον, ἐννοήσωμεν ὅτι καὶ ἔδαφος ἕξομεν, καὶ οὐ τοιοῦτον μόνον, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον γινόμενον κάλλιον ἴδωμεν, ὅσον τῶν πηλίνων ὀρόφων ἐστὶν ὁ χρυσοῦς· καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον πάλιν τὸν ἀνώτερον ὄροφον, εἶτα τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοὺς ἀρχαγγέλους, τοὺς ἀπείρους δήμους τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, αὐτὰ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βασίλεια, τὸν θρόνον τὸν πατρικόν.","english":"For when it was necessary to speak, they did not speak. So that we too may not suffer this, let us change from here already, and let us be eager to enter into that rest, just as the Apostle said. For truly that is rest, where pain, grief, and groaning have fled away, where there are neither cares, nor labors, nor agony, nor fear that strikes and shakes the soul, but only the fear of God, being full of pleasure. There it is not by the sweat of the face that one eats bread, nor are there thorns and thistles; there it is not in sorrows that one bears children, nor is there \"Your turning away shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you\"; all is peace, joy, gladness, pleasure, goodness, gentleness. There is no jealousy there, nor envy, nor sickness, nor death, neither this death of the body, nor that death of the soul; there is no darkness there, nor night; all is day, all is light, all is bright. There is no toiling, there is no taking of satiety; we shall always continue in desire for good things. Do you wish me to give you some image of the rest there? It is not possible; nevertheless, as far as possible, I shall try to give you some image. Let us look up to heaven, when, with no cloud troubling it, it shows its own crown; then, having spent much time on the beauty of its appearance, let us consider that we shall also have a floor, and let us see it becoming not only such, but as much more beautiful as the golden is than roofs of clay; and after that again the higher roof, then the angels, the archangels, the countless hosts of the incorporeal powers, the very kingdoms of God, the paternal throne.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":674,"ref":"p674","source":"Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἰσχύει, ὅπερ ἔφθην, ὁ λόγος δηλῶσαι τὸ πᾶν· πείρας γὰρ χρεία καὶ τῆς διὰ πείρας γνώσεως. Πῶς οἴεσθε, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ εἶναι; Πολὺ ἐκείνης βελτίων ἐστὶν ἡ διαγωγὴ αὕτη, ὅσῳ τῆς γῆς οὐρανός. Πλὴν καὶ\n\nἑτέραν εἰκόνα ἐπιζητήσωμεν. Εἰ συμβῇ τὸν βασιλεύοντα νῦν πάσης κρατῆσαι τῆς γῆς, εἶτα μήτε ὑπὸ πολέμων, μήτε ὑπὸ φροντίδων ἐνοχλεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τιμᾶσθαι μόνον καὶ τρυφᾷν καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχειν φόρους, πάντοθεν δὲ τὸ χρυσίον αὐτῷ ἐπιῤῥεῖν, καὶ ἀπόβλεπτον εἶναι· ποίαν οἴεσθε ἔχειν αὐτὸν ψυχὴν, εἰ τοὺς πολέμους τοὺς πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς πεπαυμένους ἑώρα; Τοιοῦτόν τί ἐστι· μᾶλλον δὲ οὔπω τῆς εἰκόνος ἐφικόμην ἐκείνης· διὸ χρὴ ἑτέραν ἐπιζητῆσαι. Ἐννόησον δή μοι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ παιδίον βασιλικὸν, ἕως μὲν ἂν ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ ᾖ, οὐδενὸς ἐπαισθάνεται· εἰ δὲ συμβῇ ἄφνω ἐξελθεῖν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἀνελθεῖν τὸν βασιλικὸν, μὴ ἠρέμα, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον πάντα προσλαβεῖν· οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ κατάπαυσις αὕτη κἀκείνη. Ἢ εἴ τις δεσμώτης μυρία παθὼν κακὰ, ἀθρόον ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν ἁρπαγῇ θρόνον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐφικόμην ἀκριβῶς τῆς εἰκόνος. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ὧν ἄν τις ἐπιτύχῃ καλῶν, κἂν αὐτὴν εἴπῃς τὴν βασιλείαν, παρὰ μὲν τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν ἀκμάζοντα ἔχει τὸν πόθον, καὶ παρὰ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ τὴν τρίτην, χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος, μένει μὲν ἐν ἡδονῇ, οὐ τοσαύτῃ δέ· λήγει γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας, οἵα ἂν ᾗ. Ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐ μειοῦται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιδίδωσιν.","english":"But the word cannot, as I said before, make the whole thing clear; for experience is needed, and the knowledge that comes through experience. Tell me, how do you think it was for Adam to be in paradise? This way of life is far better than that, as much as heaven is better than earth. Nevertheless, let us seek another image as well. Suppose the one who is now king gained possession of the whole earth, and then were troubled neither by wars nor by anxieties, but were honored only, and lived in luxury, and had many tributes, and gold flowed in upon him from every side, and he were looked up to; what kind of soul do you think he would have, if he saw the wars everywhere on earth brought to an end? Something like this is what it is—or rather, I have not yet reached that image exactly; therefore I must seek another. Consider it with me. For just as a royal child, while he is in his mother's womb, has no perception of anything; but if it should happen that he suddenly comes out from there and ascends the royal throne, not gradually but all at once receiving everything—so is this rest and that. Or if a prisoner, having suffered countless evils, were suddenly snatched up to the royal throne. But not even so have I reached the image precisely. For here, whatever good things one attains—even if you name kingship itself—the desire is at its peak on the first day, and on the second and third, but as time goes on, it remains a pleasure, yet not so great; for it fades from familiarity, whatever it is. But there it not only does not diminish, but even increases.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":675,"ref":"p675","source":"Ἐννόησον γὰρ ὅσον ἐστὶ ψυχὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν ἐκεῖ, μηκέτι τέλος προσδοκᾷν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, μηδὲ μεταβολὴν, ἀλλ' ἐπίδοσιν καὶ ζωὴν τέλος οὐκ ἔχουσαν, καὶ ζωὴν παντὸς μὲν κινδύνου, πάσης δὲ ἀθυμίας καὶ φροντίδος ἀπηλλαγμένην, μεστὴν εὐθυμίας καὶ μυρίων ἀγαθῶν. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς πεδίον ἐξιόντες ἐνταῦθα, ἔνθα σκηνὰς ὁρῶμεν στρατιωτῶν ἐκ παραπετασμάτων πηγνυμένας, καὶ δόρατα καὶ κράνη καὶ ὀμφαλοὺς ἀσπίδων λάμποντας, μετέωροι γινόμεθα τῷ θαύματι· εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα συμβῇ εἰς μέσον ἰδεῖν τρέχοντα μετὰ ὅπλων χρυσῶν, τὸ πᾶν ἔχειν νομίζομεν· τί οἴει, ὅταν τῶν ἁγίων ἴδῃς τὰς σκηνὰς τὰς αἰωνίους ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ πεπηγυίας; Δέξονται γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους, φησὶ, σκηνάς· ὅταν αὐτῶν ἕκαστον ὑπὲρ τὰς ἀκτῖνας τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἴδῃς ἀπολάμποντα, οὐκ ἀπὸ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης, ἧς τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς ἀνθρώπινος οὐ δύναται ὀφθαλμὸς ἰδεῖν; Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴποι τὰς χιλιάδας τῶν ἀγγέλων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων, τῶν Χερουβὶμ, τῶν Σεραφὶμ, τῶν ἀρχῶν, τῶν ἐξουσιῶν, ὧν τὸ κάλλος ἀμήχανον, πάντα νοῦν ὑπερβαῖνον; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ μέχρι τίνος οὐ στήσομα. διώκων ἀκίχητα; Οὔτε γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, φησὶν, οὐδὲ οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν. Τί τοίνυν μακαριώτερον τῶν ἐπιτυγχανόντων τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης; τί τῶν ἀποτυγχανόντων ἀθλιώτερον; Εἰ γὰρ πατρίδος τις ἐκβεβλημένος ὑπὸ πάντων ἐλεεῖται, καὶ ὁ κληρονομίαν ἀπολέσας, δοκεῖ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἐλεεινὸς εἶναι·","english":"For consider how great a thing it is for a soul that has departed there no longer to expect an end to those good things, nor any change, but progress and a life that has no end, and a life freed from every danger, from all despondency and care, full of cheerfulness and countless good things. For if, going out into a plain here, where we see the tents of soldiers pitched from curtains, and spears and helmets and the bosses of shields gleaming, we are lifted up in wonder; and if it should happen that we see the king also rushing into the midst with golden arms, we think we have everything; what do you think it will be when you see the eternal tents of the saints pitched in heaven? For they will receive you into the eternal tents, it says; when you see each of them shining brighter than the rays of the sun, not from bronze and iron, but from that glory whose flashes the human eye cannot see? And these things are among men. But what could one say of the thousands of angels, of archangels, of Cherubim, of Seraphim, of principalities, of powers, whose beauty is beyond reckoning, surpassing every mind? But to what end shall I not stop pursuing things that cannot be grasped? For eye has not seen, it says, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him. What, then, is more blessed than those who attain that glory? What is more wretched than those who fail to attain it? For if anyone banished from his homeland is pitied by all, and he who has lost an inheritance seems to all to be pitiable;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":676,"ref":"p676","source":"ὁ καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκπίπτων καὶ τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν, πόσοις ὀφείλει δάκρυσι καταῤῥαίνεσθαι; Δακρύει γάρ τις, ὅταν τι πάθῃ τῶν ἀβουλήτων, ὧν οὐκ αὐτός ἐστιν αἴτιος· ὅταν δὲ ἐξ οἰκείας γνώμης ἑαυτὸν περιπείρῃ τῇ κακίᾳ, οὐδὲ δακρύων, ἀλλὰ θρήνων ἐστὶν ἄξιος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τότε πένθους· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ,καίτοι ἀσεβοῦσαν, ἐπένθησε καὶ ἐδάκρυσεν. Ὄντως μυρίων ὀδυρμῶν ἄξιοί ἐσμεν καὶ μυρίων θρήνων. Ἐὰν πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη λαβοῦσα φωνὴν, καὶ λίθοι καὶ ξύλα καὶ δένδρα καὶ θηρία καὶ ὄρνιθες καὶ ἰχθύες ὀδύρηται ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐκπεπτωκότας τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, οὐδὲν κατ' ἀξίαν ὀδυρεῖται, οὐδὲ θρηνήσει. Ποῖος γὰρ λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται, ποῖος νοῦς ἐκείνην τὴν μακαριότητα, καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐκείνην, τὴν δόξαν, τὴν εὐφροσύνην, τὴν λαμπρότητα, Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη; Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι ὑπερβαίνει ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ', οὐδὲ ἐνενόησέ ποτέ τις, Ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Ὧν γὰρ ἑτοιμαστὴς καὶ παρασκευαστὴς ὁ Θεὸς ἀγαθῶν, ὁποῖα εἰκὸς εἶναι ταῦτα; Εἰ γὰρ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς εὐθέως, οὐδενὸς παρ' ἡμῶν προϋπηργμένου, τοσαῦτα ἐχαρίσατο, παράδεισον, ὁμιλίαν τὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ, ἀθανασίαν, βίον μακάριον καὶ φροντίδων ἀπηλλαγμένον· τοῖς τοσαῦτα πεπονηκόσι καὶ ἠθληκόσι καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ","english":"He who falls even from heaven and from the good things laid up for us—with how many tears ought he to be drenched? For a person weeps when he suffers some unwished-for thing of which he is not himself the cause; but when from his own choice he plunges himself into wickedness, he is worthy not merely of tears but of lamentation, and indeed even then of mourning; since our Lord Jesus Christ also mourned and wept over Jerusalem, though it was impious. Truly we are worthy of countless wailings and countless lamentations. If the whole inhabited world, taking voice, and stones and wood and trees and beasts and birds and fish, were to bewail us who have fallen from those good things, it would bewail and lament nothing according to our desert. For what speech will be able to set forth, what mind, that blessedness, and that virtue, the glory, the gladness, the splendor, things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not ascended into the heart of man? He did not say that it simply surpasses, but, nor has anyone ever even conceived, the things which God has prepared for those who love him. For when God is the preparer and provider of good things, of what sort is it likely that these things are? For if, having made us at once, with nothing beforehand done by us, he bestowed so many things—paradise, converse with himself, immortality, a blessed life and one freed from cares—for those who have toiled so much and striven and for his sake","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":677,"ref":"p677","source":"ὑπομείνασι τί οὐ χαρίσεται; Τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐκ ἐφείσατο δι' ἡμᾶς, τὸν Υἱὸν τὸν γνήσιον εἰς θάνατον ἔδωκε δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὄντας· τίνος οὐκ ἀξιώσει γενομένους φίλους; τίνος οὐ μεταδώσει καταλλάξας ἑαυτῷ; Καὶ πλούσιός ἐστι σφόδρα ἀπείρως, καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖ καὶ σπουδάζει τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλίας τυχεῖν, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ σπουδάζομεν οὕτως, ἀγαπητοί. Καὶ τί λέγω, οὐ σπουδάζομεν; οὐ θέλομεν οὕτω τυχεῖν αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὡς αὐτὸς θέλει. Καὶ ὅτι πλέον ἡμῶν θέλει, ὃ ἐποίησεν ἔδειξεν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν μόλις καταφρονοῦμεν ὀλίγου χρυσίου, αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔδωκε τὸν αὐτοῦ. Χρησώμεθα εἰς δέον τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀπολαύσωμεν αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλίας. Ὑμεῖς γὰρ φίλοι μού ἐστε, φησὶν, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἃ λέγω ὑμῖν. Βαβαί· τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, τοὺς ἀπείρως αὐτοῦ διεστηκότας, ὧν ἀσυγκρίτῳ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ κατὰ πάντα διενήνοχε, τούτους φίλους ἐποίησε, καὶ καλεῖ φίλους. Τί οὖν οὐχ αἱρετὸν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς φιλίας; Ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων φιλίας πολλάκις κινδυνεύομεν· ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀγάπης οὐ χρήματα προησόμεθα; Πένθους ὄντως ἄξια τὰ ἡμέτερα, πένθους καὶ ὀδυρμῶν καὶ ὀλοφυρμῶν μεγάλων καὶ κοπετῶν· τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν ἐξεπέσαμεν, ἐταπεινώθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους ἡμῶν, ἀνάξιοι τῆς τιμῆς ἐφάνημεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγνώμονες μετὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας γεγόναμεν καὶ ἀχάριστοι· ἐγύμνωσεν ἡμᾶς πάντων ὁ διάβολος τῶν ἀγαθῶν· οἱ καταξιωθέντες εἶναι υἱοὶ, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ κληρονόμοι, τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν διενηνόχαμεν τῶν ὑβριζόντων. Τίς ἡμῖν ἔσται παραμυθία λοιπόν;","english":"For those who have endured, what will he not grant? He did not spare the Only-begotten for our sake; he gave his genuine Son to death for our sake, who were enemies. Of what will he not deem us worthy, once we have become friends? Of what will he not give us a share, having reconciled us to himself? And he is exceedingly, boundlessly rich, and he desires and earnestly seeks to obtain our friendship, but we do not earnestly seek it as we ought, beloved. And why do I say, we do not earnestly seek it? We do not wish to obtain his good things as he himself wishes. And that he wishes it more than we do, he has shown by what he did. For we scarcely bring ourselves to despise a little gold for our own sakes, but he gave even his own Son for our sake. Let us use the love of Christ as we ought; let us enjoy his friendship. For you are my friends, he says, if you do what I command you. Alas! Those who were enemies, who stood infinitely far from him, from whom he differed in all things by an incomparable excess—these he made friends, and he calls them friends. What then is not worth suffering for this friendship? For the friendship of men we often run risks; but for the love of Christ will we not surrender our money? Our condition is truly worthy of mourning, of mourning and lamentation and great wailing and beating of the breast. We have fallen from our hope, we have been brought low from our height, we have appeared unworthy of the honor of God, we have become senseless and ungrateful after his benefactions. The devil has stripped us of all good things. We who were deemed worthy to be sons, brothers, and heirs have differed in nothing from his enemies who insult him. What consolation, then, will there be for us?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":678,"ref":"p678","source":"Αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσε πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὴν γέενναν ὠθήσαμεν. Ἀρὰ καὶ ψεῦδος καὶ κλοπὴ καὶ μοιχεία κέχυται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· οἱ μὲν αἵματα ἐφ' αἵμασι μίσγουσιν, οἱ δὲ πράγματα πράττουσιν αἱμάτων χείρω. Πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν πλεονεκτουμένων μυρίους εὔχονται θανάτους, ἢ ταῦτα παθεῖν· καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐδεδοίκεσαν, καὶ διεχειρίσαντο ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτω φονῶντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν. Ταῦτα οὖν οὐχ αἱμάτων χείρω; Οἴμοι ψυχὴ, ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν εὐλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ κατορθῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὑπάρχει. Νῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς βοήσωμεν περὶ ἡμῶν πρῶτον. Ἀλλά μοι τοῦ θρήνου συλλάβεσθε. Τάχα τινὲς καὶ ὀνειδίζουσι καὶ γελῶσι. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπιτείνειν χρὴ τὸν θρῆνον, ὅτι οὕτω μαινόμεθα καὶ παραπαίομεν, καὶ οὐδ' ὅτι μαινόμεθα ἴσμεν, ἀλλ' ἐφ' οἷς ἐχρῆν στένειν, γελῶμεν. Ἀποκαλύπτεται, ἄνθρωπε, ὀργὴ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἤξει, πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπορεύσεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ κύκλῳ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ· πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά. Ἡμέρα Κυρίου, ὡς κλίβανος καιόμενος. Καὶ οὐδεὶς ταῦτα εἰς νοῦν βάλλεται, ἀλλὰ μύθων μᾶλλον καταπεφρόνηται τὰ φρικώδη καὶ φοβερὰ πράγματα ταῦτα· καὶ ὁ ἀκούων οὐδεὶς, οἱ δὲ γελῶντες καὶ χλευάζοντες πάντες. Τίς ἐστιν ἡμῖν πόρος; πόθεν σωτηρίαν εὕρωμεν; Ἀπολώλαμεν, παρανηλώμεθα, γεγόναμεν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν κατάγελως, καὶ χλευασμὸς τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων. Μέγα φρονεῖ νῦν ὁ διάβολος καὶ γαυροῦται καὶ χαίρει ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ ἡμῶν·","english":"He himself called us to heaven, but we pushed ourselves into Gehenna. Curse and lie and theft and adultery have been poured out upon the earth; some mingle blood with blood, others do deeds worse than bloodshed. For many of those who are wronged pray for countless deaths, or to suffer these things; and if they did not fear God, they would even have laid hands on themselves, so murderous are they against themselves. Are these things not worse than bloodshed? Woe is my soul, for the devout man has perished from the earth, and one who sets things right among men does not exist. Now let us too cry out first concerning ourselves. But join with me in my lament. Perhaps some even reproach and laugh at us. For this very reason the lament must be intensified, because we are so mad and deranged, and we do not even know that we are mad, but we laugh at the very things over which we ought to groan. Wrath from God is being revealed, O man, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. God will come openly; fire will go before him, and it will set his enemies ablaze all around; fire will burn before him, and a violent storm all around him. The day of the Lord is like a blazing furnace. And no one takes these things to heart, but these dreadful and fearful things are rather despised as myths; and there is no one who listens, but all are laughing and mocking. What way of escape is there for us? From where shall we find salvation? We are lost, we have been squandered, we have become a laughingstock to our enemies, and a mockery to the Greeks and to the demons. Now the devil is proud and exults and rejoices in our shame.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":679,"ref":"p679","source":"οἱ πιστευθέντες ἡμᾶς ἄγγελοι πάντες ἐν κατηφείᾳ, οὐδεὶς ὁ ἐπιστρέφων, εἰκῆ πάντα ἡμῖν ἀνάλωται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν δοκοῦμεν ληρεῖν. Εὔκαιρον καὶ νῦν καλέσαι τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ὁ ἀκούων, διαμαρτύρασθαι τὰ στοιχεῖα· Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, ἡ γῆ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησε. Χεῖρα ὀρέξατε, οἱ μηδέποτε καταβαπτισθέντες, τοῖς ὑπὸ τῆς μέθης ἀπολωλόσιν, οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες τοῖς κάμνουσιν, οἱ νήφοντες τοῖς μαινομένοις, οἱ σπουδαῖοί τε καὶ ἑδραῖοι τοῖς περιφερομένοις. Μηδεὶς, παρακαλῶ, χάριν τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ φίλου προτιμάτω· καὶ ἡ ὕβρις καὶ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις εἰς ἓν ὁράτω μόνον, αὐτοῦ τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ὅταν πυρετὸς καταλάβῃ, καὶ δοῦλοι κρατοῦσι δεσποτῶν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐπικαίηται τὴν ψυχὴν συγχέων, ἀνδραπόδων δὲ ἑσμὸς παρεστήκῃ, οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν νόμον τὸν δεσποτικὸν ἐν τῇ βλάβῃ τοῦ δεσπότου. Συστρέφωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, παρακαλῶ. Πόλεμοι καθημερινοὶ, καταποντισμοὶ, ἀπώλειαι μυρίαι κύκλῳ, καὶ\n\nπάντοθεν ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμᾶς περιστοιχίζεται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς εὐαρεστοῦντες, οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἐν ἀδείᾳ· πάντες τὰς χεῖρας εἰς πλεονεξίαν εὐτρεπίζομεν, οὐδεὶς εἰς βοήθειαν· πάντες εἰς ἁρπαγὴν, οὐδεὶς εἰς προστασίαν· ἕκαστος πλείονα τὰ ὄντα σπουδάζει ποιῆσαι, οὐδεὶς δὲ πρὸς τὸ βοηθῆσαι τῷ δεομένῳ· ἕκαστος πῶς προσθήσει τοῖς χρήμασι, πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν μέριμναν οὐδεὶς δὲ ὅπως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ διασώσῃ. Φόβος εἷς ἔχει πάντας, μὴ πένητες, φησὶ, γενώμεθα· μὴ εἰς γέενναν δὲ ἐμπέσωμεν, οὐδεὶς ἀγωνιᾷ καὶ τρέμει. Ταῦτα θρήνων, ταῦτα διαβολῆς ἄξια. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐβουλόμην λέγειν, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης βιάζομαι. Διὸ σύγγνωτε·","english":"All the angels entrusted with our care are in dejection; there is no one who turns back; everything has been spent by us in vain, and we seem to you to be babbling. It is timely now to call heaven to witness, since there is no one who hears, and to adjure the elements: Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. Stretch out a hand, you who have never been plunged under, to those destroyed by drunkenness; you who are healthy, to the sick; you who are sober, to the raving; you who are earnest and steadfast, to those who are carried about. Let no one, I beg, prefer the salvation of a friend to this; and let insult and rebuke look to one thing only, his benefit. When a fever seizes him, even slaves hold their master. For when that man is inflamed, confounding his soul, and a swarm of slaves stands by, he does not recognize the master's law in the master's harm. Let us gather ourselves together, I beg. Daily wars, drownings, countless destructions all around, and\n\nfrom every side the wrath of God encircles us. But we, as though pleasing him, are thus at ease; we all make ready our hands for greed, no one for help; all for plunder, no one for protection; each is eager to make his possessions more, but no one to help the one in need; each has great concern how he may add to his wealth, but no one how he may save his own soul. One fear holds all—lest we become poor, he says; but that we may not fall into Gehenna, no one struggles and trembles. These things are worthy of lamentation, worthy of accusation. But I did not wish to say these things, but I am compelled by my pain. Therefore forgive me;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":680,"ref":"p680","source":"ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ πένθους ἀναγκάζομαι πολλὰ καὶ ἃ οὐ βούλομαι φθέγγεσθαι. Χαλεπὴν ὁρῶ τὴν πληγὴν, ἀπαραμύθητον τὴν συμφορὰν, παρακλήσεως μείζονα τὰ καταλαβόντα ἡμᾶς δεινά· ἀπολώλαμεν· Τίς δώσει τῇ κεφαλῇ μου ὕδωρ, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου πηγὰς δακρύων; Κλαύσωμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, κλαύσωμεν, στενάξωμεν. Τάχα τινές εἰσιν ἐνταῦθα λέγοντες, Πάντοτε θρήνους ἡμῖν λέγεις, πάντοτε δάκρυα. Οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, πιστεύσατε, οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, ἀλλ' ἐγκώμια καὶ ἐπαίνους διεξιέναι· νυνὶ δὲ τούτων ὁ καιρός. Οὐ τὸ θρηνεῖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, χαλεπὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θρήνων ἄξια ποιεῖν· οὐ τὸ ὀδύρεσθαι ἀποτρόπαιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τὰ ὀδυρμῶν ἄξια πράττειν. Μὴ κολασθῇς, καὶ οὐ πενθῶ· μὴ ἀποθάνῃς, καὶ οὐ κλαίω. Σὺ δὲ ἂν μὲν τὸ σῶμά σου ἀλγῇ, πάντας παρακαλεῖς συναλγεῖν, καὶ ἀσυμπαθεῖς ἡγῇ τοὺς μὴ συναλγοῦντάς σοι· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς ἀπολλυμένης, λέγεις μὴ πενθεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι· πατὴρ γάρ εἰμι, καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος. Ἀκούετε οἷα βοᾷ ὁ Παῦλος, Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω. Ποία γὰρ μήτηρ κύουσα οὕτω δεινὰς ἀφίησι φωνὰς, ὡς ἐκεῖνος; Εἴθε ἐνῆν νῦν αὐτῆς τῆς διανοίας τὴν πυρὰν ἰδεῖν, καὶ εἶδες ἂν, ὅτι πάσης γυναικὸς καὶ κόρης χηρείαν ἄωρον ὑποστάσης πλέον καίομαι. Οὐχ οὕτως ἐκείνη τὸν ἄνδρα πενθεῖ τὸν ἑαυτῆς, οὐδὲ πατὴρ υἱὸν, ὡς ἐγὼ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦτο τὸ παρ' ἡμῖν. Οὐδεμίαν γὰρ ὁρῶ προκοπήν· πάντας εἰς διαβολὰς καὶ κατηγορίας, οὐδεὶς εἰς ἔργον τίθεται ἀρέσκειν Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ, Τὸν δεῖνα, φησὶ, λέγωμεν κακῶς, καὶ τὸν δεῖνα· ὁ δεῖνα ἀνάξιος τοῦ κλήρου, ὁ δεῖνα ἀσόμνως βιοῖ. Ὀφείλοντες τὰ ἡμέτερα πενθεῖν, κατακρίνομεν ἑτέρους·","english":"For I am compelled by grief to utter many things that I do not wish. I see the blow is severe, the calamity without consolation, the terrors that have overtaken us greater than any comfort. We are undone. Who will give water to my head, and fountains of tears to my eyes? Let us weep, beloved, let us weep, let us groan. Perhaps there are some here saying, You always speak lamentations to us, always tears. I did not wish it—believe me—I did not wish it, but to set forth eulogies and praises; but now is the time for these things. It is not lamenting, beloved, that is grievous, but doing things worthy of lamentation; it is not wailing that is abominable, but doing things worthy of wailing. Do not be punished, and I do not mourn; do not die, and I do not weep. But if your body is in pain, you beg everyone to grieve with you, and you consider those who do not grieve with you to be without sympathy; but when your soul is perishing, do you say there is no mourning? But I cannot—for I am a father, and a tender-hearted father. Hear what Paul cries out: My little children, for whom I am again in travail. For what mother with child utters such dreadful cries as he? If only it were possible now to see the fire of his very mind, you would see that I am burned more than any woman or maiden who has endured untimely widowhood. She does not mourn her own husband thus, nor a father his son, as I mourn this multitude that is among us. For I see no progress; all are given to slander and accusation, no one sets himself to do what pleases God, but, So-and-so, one says, let us speak ill of, and so-and-so; so-and-so is unworthy of the lot, so-and-so lives without shame. Owing it to mourn our own affairs, we condemn others.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":681,"ref":"p681","source":"οὐδὲ, εἰ καθαροὶ ὦμεν ἁμαρτημάτων, ὀφείλομεν τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει, φησί; Τί δὲ ἔχεις, ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών; Τί δὲ κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου μυρίων γέμων κακῶν; Ὅταν εἴπῃς, ὁ δεῖνα μοχθηρός ἐστι καὶ λυμεὼν καὶ πονηρὸς, ἐννόησον σαυτὸν, καὶ ἐξέτασον τὰ σαυτοῦ ἀκριβῶς, καὶ μεταμεληθήσῃ ἐπὶ τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστι πρὸς ἀρετὴν προτροπή τις τοιαύτη, οἷον ἁμαρτημάτων ἀνάμνησις Ἐὰν ταῦτα τὰ δύο στρέφωμεν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, δυνησόμεθα τυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, δυνησόμεθα καθαίρειν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀποσμήχειν· μόνον λάβωμεν ἔννοιάν ποτε, μεριμνήσωμεν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀγαπητοί· ἀλγήσωμεν ἐνταῦθα τῷ λογισμῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἀλγήσωμεν ἐκεῖ τῇ κολάσει, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀπολαύσωμεν τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, ἔνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη καὶ λύπη καὶ στεναγμός· ἵνα τύχωμεν τῶν ὑπερβαινόντων τὸν ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν ἀγαθῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, ἅμα τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΕʹ. Περὶ τοῦ μὴ πενθεῖν σφοδρῶς τοὺς τελευτῶντας. Μὴ πενθῶμεν πικρῶς, ἀγαπητοὶ, τοὺς τελευτῶντας καὶ τοὺς ἐνθένδε ἀπιόντας, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον θρηνήσωμεν καὶ κλαύσωμεν τοὺς κακῶς τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον καταλύσαντας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ γεωργὸς, ὅταν ἴδῃ τὸν σῖτον διαλυόμενον, οὐ θρηνεῖ, ἀλλ' ἕως μὲν ἂν βλέπῃ στερεὸν ἐν τῇ γῇ μένοντα, δέδοικε καὶ τρέμει· ἐπὰν δὲ ἴδῃ διαλυθέντα, χαίρει· ἀρχὴ γὰρ τῆς μελλούσης σπορᾶς ἡ διάλυσις. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς τότε χαίρωμεν, ὅταν πέσῃ ἡ οἰκία ἡ φθαρτὴ, ὅταν σπαρῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος.","english":"Not even if we were pure of sins ought we to do this. For who distinguishes you? it says. What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not receive it? And why do you judge your brother, being full of countless evils? When you say, \"Such a one is worthless and a destroyer and wicked,\" consider yourself, and examine your own affairs carefully, and you will regret what was said. For there is no, there is no such incentive to virtue as the remembrance of sins. If we turn these two things over within ourselves, we shall be able to obtain the promised good things, we shall be able to purify ourselves and wipe ourselves clean; only let us take thought at some time, let us give heed to the matter, beloved; let us grieve here in our reasoning, so that we may not grieve there in punishment, but so that we may enjoy the eternal good things, where pain and sorrow and groaning have fled away; so that we may obtain the good things that surpass the human mind, in Christ Jesus our Lord; for to him be the glory and the might, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Homily 45. On not mourning excessively for the departed. Let us not mourn bitterly, beloved, for the departed and those who depart from here, but rather let us lament and weep for those who have ended their own life badly. For even a farmer, when he sees the wheat dissolving, does not mourn, but as long as he sees it remaining solid in the earth, he fears and trembles; but when he sees it dissolved, he rejoices; for the dissolution is the beginning of the coming sowing. So let us too rejoice then, when the corruptible house falls, when the man is sown.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":682,"ref":"p682","source":"Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ σπορὰν τὴν ταφὴν ἐκάλεσε· καὶ γὰρ αὕτη βελτίων ἡ σπορά. Ἐκείνην μὲν γὰρ διαδέχονται θάνατοι καὶ πόνοι καὶ κίνδυνοι καὶ φροντίδες, ταύτην δὲ, ἂν ὀρθῶς βιῶμεν, στέφανοι καὶ βραβεῖα· καὶ τὴν μὲν φθορὰ καὶ θάνατος,\n\nτὴν δὲ ἀφθαρσία καὶ ἀθανασία καὶ τὰ μυρία ἀγαθά. Ἐπ' ἐκείνης τῆς σπορᾶς συμπλοκαὶ καὶ ἡδοναὶ καὶ ὕπνος, ἐπὶ ταύτης δὲ φωνὴ μόνον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβαίνουσα, καὶ πάντα ἀθρόως τελεσφορεῖται· καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάμενος οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ἐπὶ βίον ἄγεται πολύμοχθον, ἀλλ' ἔνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη καὶ λύπη καὶ στεναγμός. Εἰ δὲ καὶ προστασίαν ἐπιζητεῖς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θρηνεῖς τὸν ἄνδρα, ἐπὶ τὸν κοινὸν πάντων προστάτην καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ εὐεργέτην κατέφυγε τὸν Θεὸν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμαχον συμμαχίαν, ἐπὶ τὴν εὔκολον βοήθειαν, ἐπὶ τὴν διαρκῆ σκέπην, τὴν πανταχοῦ παροῦσαν καὶ πανταχόθεν ἡμᾶς τειχίζουσαν. Ἀλλ' ἡ συνήθεια ποθεινὸν καὶ ἐπέραστον. Οἶδα κἀγώ· ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἐπιτρέψῃς τῷ λογισμῷ τὸ πάθος, καὶ λογίσῃ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, τίς ὁ λαβὼν, καὶ ὅτι γενναίως ἐνεγκὼν θυσίαν τὴν γνώμην ἀναφέρεις τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ κῦμα δυνήσῃ διαδραμεῖν· καὶ ὅπερ ὁ χρόνος οὐκ ἐργάζεται, τοῦτο ἡ φιλοσοφία ποιήσει· ἂν δὲ καταμαλακισθῇς, λήξει μὲν τῷ χρόνῳ τὸ πάθος, σοὶ δὲ οὐδένα τὸν μισθὸν οἴσει. Μετὰ δὲ τῶν λογισμῶν τούτων καὶ παραδείγματα σύλλεγε, τὰ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, τὰ ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς· ἐννόησον ὅτι ὁ Ἀβραὰμ κατέσφαξε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ οὔτε ἐδάκρυσεν, οὔτε πικρὸν ῥῆμα ἐξέβαλεν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος Ἀβραὰμ, φησὶν, ἦν. Καὶ μὴν σὺ ἐπὶ μείζονα ἐκλήθης σκάμματα.","english":"And do not be amazed that he called burial a sowing; for this sowing is better. For that one is succeeded by deaths and toils and dangers and cares, but this one, if we live rightly, by crowns and prizes; and that one by corruption and death, but this one by incorruption and immortality and countless good things. In that sowing there are entanglements and pleasures and sleep, but in this one only a voice descending from the heavens, and all things are brought to completion at once; and the one who rises is no longer led thereafter into a life of much toil, but to where pain and sorrow and groaning have fled away. But if you also seek protection, and for this reason you lament the man, he has fled for refuge to God, the common protector and savior and benefactor of all, to the unassailable alliance, to the ready help, to the enduring shelter, which is present everywhere and walls us in from every side. But habit is longed for and deeply desired. I know it too; but if you entrust the passion to reason, and consider with yourself who it is that has taken him, and that by bearing it nobly you bring your resolve as a sacrifice to God, you will be able to run past this wave too; and what time does not accomplish, philosophy will do; but if you grow soft, the passion will cease with time, but it will bring you no reward. And along with these reasonings, gather examples as well, those in the present life and those in the divine Scriptures; consider that Abraham slaughtered his own son, and neither wept nor let fall a bitter word. But that was Abraham, it says. And yet you have been called to greater contests.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":683,"ref":"p683","source":"Ὁ δὲ Ἰὼβ ἤλγησε μὲν, τοσοῦτον δὲ, ὅσον εἰκὸς πατέρα φιλόπαιδα καὶ σφόδρα κηδόμενον τῶν ἀπελθόντων· ὡς ἅ γε νῦν ποιοῦμεν ἡμεῖς, ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων ἐστίν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἴ τινος εἰς βασίλεια ἀπενεχθέντος καὶ στεφανωθέντος, ἔκοπτες σεαυτὸν καὶ ἐθρήνεις, φίλον ἄν σε τοῦ στεφανωθέντος ἔφην εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἐχθρὸν σφόδρα καὶ πολέμιον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ νῦν ἐκεῖνον θρηνῶ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἐμαυτόν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο φιλοῦντος, τὸ θέλειν ἔτι ἐναγώνιον εἶναι ἐκεῖνον διὰ σαυτὸν, καὶ ὑποκεῖσθαι τῇ ἀδηλίᾳ τοῦ μέλλοντος, παρὸν στεφανοῦσθαι καὶ προσορμεῖν, ἢ πελάγιον σαλεύειν, ἐξὸν ἐν λιμένι εἶναι. Ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ κεχώρηκε, φησί. Διὰ τί οὐκ οἶδας, εἰπέ μοι; εἴτε γὰρ ὀρθῶς ἐβίου, εἴτε ἑτέρως, δῆλον ποῦ χωρήσει. Δι' αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο κόπτομαι, φησὶν, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθε. Σκῆψις ταῦτα καὶ πρόφασις. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν ἀπελθόντα ἐθρήνεις, ζῶντα διαπλάσαι ἐχρῆν καὶ ῥυθμίσαι· ἀλλὰ τὰ σαυτοῦ σὺ πανταχοῦ σκοπεῖς, οὐ τὰ ἐκείνου. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ χαίρειν, ὅτι ἐνεκόπη τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ οὐ προσέθηκε τῇ κακίᾳ, καὶ βοηθεῖν, ὡς ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, οὐ τῷ δακρύειν, ἀλλ' εὐχαῖς καὶ ἱκετηρίαις καὶ ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ προσφοραῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ταῦτα ἐπινενόηται, οὐδὲ εἰκῆ μνήμην ποιούμεθα τῶν ἀπελθόντων ἐπὶ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν προσίεμεν δεόμενοι τοῦ ἀμνοῦ τοῦ κειμένου, τοῦ λαβόντος τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ἀλλ' ἵνα τις αὐτοῖς ἐντεῦθεν γένηται παραμυθία·","english":"But Job grieved, yet only as much as is fitting for a father who loves his children and cares deeply for those who have departed; for the things we do now are the actions of enemies and foes. For if someone had been carried off into a palace and crowned, and you beat yourself and lamented, I would call you a friend of the one crowned—no, rather a bitter enemy and foe. But not even now, he says, do I lament for that one, but for myself. Yet not even this is the part of one who loves him—to wish that he should still be in contest because of you, and subject to the uncertainty of the future, when he might be crowned and come to anchor, or toss on the open sea, when he might be in the harbor. But I do not know where he has gone, he says. Why do you not know, tell me? For whether he lived rightly or otherwise, it is clear where he has gone. It is for this very reason, he says, that I am crushed—because he departed a sinner. These are pretexts and excuses. For if you lamented the departed for this reason, you ought to have molded and shaped him while he was alive; but you look everywhere to your own concerns, not to his. And if he departed a sinner, for this reason too one ought to rejoice that his sins were cut off, and he did not add to his wickedness, and to help him, as far as possible—not by weeping, but by prayers and supplications and almsgiving and offerings. For it is not without reason that these things have been devised, nor do we make remembrance of the departed at the divine mysteries at random, and come forward entreating the Lamb who lies slain, who took away the sin of the world, for them—but so that some consolation may come to them from this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":684,"ref":"p684","source":"οὐδὲ μάτην ὁ παρεστὼς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τῶν φρικτῶν μυστηρίων τελουμένων βοᾷ, ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ κεκοιμημένων, καὶ τῶν τὰς μνείας ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιτελούντων. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν αἱ μνεῖαι ἐγένοντο, οὐδ' ἂν ταῦτα ἐλέχθη. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι σκηνὴ τὰ ἡμέτερα, μὴ γένοιτο· Πνεύματος γὰρ διατάξει ταῦτα γίνεται. Βοηθῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μνείαν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιτελῶμεν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐκάθαιρεν ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς θυσία, τί ἀμφιβάλλεις, εἰ καὶ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπελθόντων προσφερόντων, γίνεταί τις αὐτοῖς παραμυθία; Εἴωθε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἑτέροις ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων χαρίζεσθαι· καὶ τοῦτο ἐδείκνυτο ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· Ἵνα ἐν πολλῷ προσώπῳ τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς χάρισμα διὰ πολλῶν εὐχαριστηθῇ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Μὴ δὴ ἀποκάμωμεν τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσι βοηθοῦντες, καὶ προσφέροντες ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εὐχὰς τελείας. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ κοινὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης κεῖται καθάρσιον. Διὰ τοῦτο θαῤῥοῦντες ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης δεόμεθα τότε καὶ μετὰ μαρτύρων αὐτοὺς καλοῦμεν, μετὰ ὁμολογητῶν, μετὰ ἱερέων. Καὶ γὰρ ἓν σῶμά ἐσμεν ἅπαντες, κἂν λαμπρότερα μέλη μελῶν· καὶ δυνατὸν πάντοθεν συγγνώμην αὐτοῖς συναγαγεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν εὐχῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δώρων, ἀπὸ τῶν μετ' αὐτῶν καλουμένων. Τί τοίνυν ἀλγεῖς, τί δὲ θρηνεῖς, ὁπότε τοσαύτην δυνατὸν συγγνώμην συναγαγεῖν τῷ ἀπελθόντι; Ἀλλ' ὅτι σὺ","english":"Not in vain does the one standing at the altar cry out, while the awe-inspiring mysteries are being celebrated, on behalf of all who have fallen asleep in Christ, and of those who perform the memorials for them. For if the memorials had not been made for them, these things would not have been said. For our affairs are not a stage—God forbid—for these things come to pass by the ordinance of the Spirit. Let us therefore help them, and perform memorials on their behalf. For if the sacrifice of the father cleansed the children of Job, why do you doubt that when we offer on behalf of those who have departed, some consolation comes to them? For God is accustomed to grant favors to others on behalf of others; and Paul showed this when he said: That in many persons the gift bestowed on us might be thanked by many on our behalf. Let us not then grow weary in helping those who have departed, and in offering complete prayers on their behalf. For the common cleansing of the world lies there. Therefore, being of good courage, we pray for the world then, and we call them together with the martyrs, with the confessors, with the priests. For we are all one body, even if some members are more illustrious than others; and it is possible to gather forgiveness for them from every side—from the prayers, from the gifts offered on their behalf, from those who are called together with them. Why then do you grieve, why do you lament, when it is possible to gather so great a forgiveness for the one who has departed? But because you","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":685,"ref":"p685","source":"γέγονας ἔρημος, καὶ προστάτην ἀπώλεσας; Ἀλλὰ μηδέποτε τοῦτο εἴπῃς· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν ἀπώλεσας· ὥστε, ἕως ἂν τοῦτον ἔχῃς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σοι μείζων καὶ πατρὸς, καὶ παιδὸς, καὶ κηδεστοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ζώντων ἐκείνων, οὗτος ἦν ὁ τὰ πάντα ποιῶν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐννόει, καὶ λέγε κατὰ τὸν Δαυΐδ· Κύριος φωτισμός μου, καὶ σωτήρ μου, τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; Εἰπὲ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ Πατὴρ τῶν ὀρφανῶν, καὶ κριτὴς τῶν χηρῶν, καὶ ἐπίσπασαι αὐτοῦ τὴν βοήθειαν, καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἕξεις νῦν προνοοῦντα, ἢ πρότερον, ὅσον ἐν μείζονι κατέστης ἀπορίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ παιδίον ἀπώλεσας; Οὐκ ἀπώλεσας, μὴ λέγε· ὕπνος τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, οὐ θάνατος, μετάστασις, οὐκ ἀπώλεια, ἀποδημία ἀπὸ τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω. Μὴ δὴ παρόξυνε τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ἵλεων ποίει. Ἂν γὰρ ἐνέγκῃς γενναίως, ἔσται τις κἀντεῦθεν τῷ ἀπελθόντι καὶ σοὶ παραμυθία· ἂν δὲ τοὐναντίον ποιῇς, μᾶλλον ἐξάπτεις τὴν ὀργὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ, παιδὸς μαστιχθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου, σὺ παρεστὼς ἐδυσχέρανας, μειζόνως ἂν παρώξυνας κατὰ σαυτοῦ τὸν δεσπότην. Μὴ δὴ ποίει τοῦτο, ἀλλ' εὐχαρίστει, ἵνα σοι καὶ ταύτῃ σκεδασθῇ τὸ νέφος τῆς ἀθυμίας· εἰπὲ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· ἐννόησον ὅσοι μᾶλλον σοῦ εὐχαριστοῦντες, οὐδὲ ἔλαβον τὴν ἀρχὴν παῖδας, οὐδὲ πατέρες ἐκλήθησαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐβουλόμην· καὶ γὰρ βέλτιον ἦν μηδὲ πεῖραν σχεῖν, ἢ μετὰ τὸ γεύσασθαι τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐκπεσεῖν. Μὴ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ λέγε ταῦτα, μὴ παροργίσῃς καὶ ταύτῃ τὸν Δεσπότην, ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ μὲν ὧν ἔλαβες εὐχαρίστησον, ὑπὲρ δὲ ὧν οὐκ εἰς τέλος ἔχεις δόξαζε.","english":"Have you become desolate, and lost your protector? But never say this; for you have not lost God either. So then, as long as you have him, he himself will be to you greater than a father, and a child, and a kinsman. For even while those were alive, it was he who did all things. Consider these things, then, and say with David: The Lord is my light and my savior; whom shall I fear? Say: You are the father of orphans and the judge of widows, and draw his help to yourself, and you will have him now providing for you more than before, inasmuch as you have come into greater distress. But have you lost a child? You have not lost him; do not say so. The matter is sleep, not death; a departure, not destruction; a journey from lesser things to better. Do not provoke God, then, but make him propitious. For if you bear it nobly, there will be from this a consolation both for the one who has departed and for you; but if you do the opposite, you rather kindle the wrath of God. For if, when a child was being scourged by his master, you standing by were indignant, you would have provoked the master against yourself all the more. Do not do this, then, but give thanks, so that in this way too the cloud of despondency may be scattered for you. Say with that blessed man: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Consider how many who give thanks more than you did not even receive children at all in the beginning, nor were called fathers. For neither did I wish it, he says; for it was better not even to have experience than, after tasting the pleasure, to fall away from it. Do not, I beseech you, do not say these things; do not provoke the Master in this way either, but give thanks for what you have received, and glorify him for what you do not possess to the end.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":686,"ref":"p686","source":"Οὐκ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι βέλτιον ἦν μὴ λαβεῖν, τοῦτο ὃ σὺ λέγεις ἀγνωμόνως· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ηὐχαρίστει λέγων· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκε· καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ηὐλόγει, λέγων· Ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα οὕτως ἐπεστόμιζε δικαιολογούμενος πρὸς αὐτὴν, καὶ τὰ θαυμαστὰ ἐκεῖνα φθεγγόμενος ῥήματα· Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Καίτοι γε μετὰ ταῦτα χαλεπώτερος γέγονεν ὁ πειρασμός· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐξελύετο, ἀλλ' ὁμοίως ἔφερε γενναίως, καὶ ἐδόξαζε. Τοῦτο καὶ σὺ ποίει καὶ λογίζου πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, ὅτι οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἔλαβεν, ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας, ὁ μᾶλλον σοῦ κηδόμενος, καὶ τὸ συμφέρον εἰδὼς, οὐ πολέμιός τις οὐδὲ ἐπίβουλος. Ὅρα πόσοι ζῶντες ἀβίωτον τὸν βίον τοῖς γονεῦσιν ἐποίησαν. Τοὺς δὲ γενναίους οὐχ ὁρᾷς, φησίν; Ὁρῶ καὶ τούτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἀσφαλέστερα τὰ κατὰ τὸν παῖδα τὸν σόν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ εὐδοκιμοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀδήλῳ τὰ τοῦ τέλους αὐτῶν· ὑπὲρ δὲ ἐκείνου λοιπὸν οὐ δέδοικας οὐδὲ τρέμεις, μή τι πάθῃ, ἢ μεταβολήν τινα δέξηται. Ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ γυναικὸς λογίζου καλῆς καὶ οἰκουροῦ, καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων εὐχαρίστει τῷ Θεῷ· κἂν ἀπολέσῃς γυναῖκα, δόξαζε· ἴσως σε εἰς ἐγκράτειαν ἀναγαγεῖν βούλεται ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ μείζονα καλεῖ σκάμματα, ἐλευθερῶσαί σε τοῦ δεσμοῦ ἠθέλησεν. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἰ καθημένων ἡμῶν ἔπεμψεν ὁ βασιλεύς τινα καλῶν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια, κλαίειν ἔδει καὶ θρηνεῖν, εἰπέ μοι;","english":"Job did not say, \"It was better not to have received,\" as you say so senselessly; but he gave thanks even for those things, saying, \"The Lord gave\"; and he blessed him for these things, saying, \"The Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord forever.\" And in this way he silenced his wife, reasoning with her and uttering those wonderful words: \"If we have received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure evil things?\" And yet after this the trial became more severe; but even so he did not weaken, but bore it bravely in the same way, and glorified God. Do this also yourself, and consider within yourself that it was not a man who took away, but God who made you, who cares for you more than you do, and knows what is beneficial—not some enemy or plotter. Consider how many living children have made life unlivable for their parents. \"Do you not see the brave ones?\" he says. I see these too, but the circumstances of your child are safer even than theirs. For even if they are well esteemed, the outcome of their end is uncertain; but concerning that child you no longer fear or tremble, lest he suffer anything or undergo some change. Reason thus also concerning a good and domestic wife, and give thanks to God for all things; and even if you lose your wife, glorify him. Perhaps God wishes to lead you to self-control, and calls you to greater contests; he wished to free you from the bond. Tell me, if while we were sitting here the king sent someone to call us to the palace, should we weep and lament, tell me?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":687,"ref":"p687","source":"Ἄγγελοι πάρεισιν ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἀπεσταλμένοι, κἀκεῖθεν ἤκοντες, παρ' αὐτοῦ πεμφθέντες τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν σύνδουλον καλέσαι τὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ σὺ κλαίεις, εἰπέ μοι; οὐκ οἶδας οἷον μυστήριόν ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον; πῶς φρικτὸν καὶ φοβερὸν καὶ ὕμνων ἄξιον ὄντως καὶ αἴνων; Βούλει μαθεῖν, ἵνα εἰδῇς ὅτι οὐχὶ δακρύων ὁ καιρός; τῆς γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας μέγιστόν ἐστι μυστήριον. Ὥσπερ τινὰ οἰκίαν ἀφιεῖσα πρόεισιν ἡ ψυχὴ πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἐπειγομένη Δεσπότην· σὺ δὲ πενθεῖς; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τικτομένου τοῦ παιδίου τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐχρῆν· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο τόκος ἐστὶν ἐκείνου πολλῷ βελτίων· πρόεισι γὰρ ἐφ' ἕτερον φῶς, ἀπολύεται ὥσπερ ἀπὸ δεσμωτηρίου τινὸς, ὡς ἀπὸ ἀγῶνος ἔξεισι. Ναὶ, φησίν· ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν εὐδοκίμων καλῶς ταῦτα λέγεις. Τί οὖν πρὸς σὲ, ἄνθρωπε, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐπὶ εὐδοκίμων τοῦτο ποιεῖς; Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, τί τοῦ παιδίου καταγνῶναι ἔχοις ἂν τοῦ μικροῦ; τίνος ἕνεκεν πενθεῖς αὐτό; τί τοῦ νεοφωτίστου; καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ περιέστη. Τίνος ἕνεκεν πενθεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; Καθάπερ γὰρ ἥλιος καθαρὸς ἄνεισιν, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ σῶμα","english":"Angels are present, sent from the heavens, and having come from there, sent by the King himself to call their fellow servant, and do you weep, tell me? Do you not know what a mystery is being accomplished? How awe-inspiring and fearful and truly worthy of hymns and praises? Do you wish to learn, so that you may know that this is not a time for tears? For it is the greatest mystery of the wisdom of God. As if leaving some house, the soul goes forth hastening to its own Master; and do you mourn? Then you ought to have done this also when the child was being born; for this is a birth far better than that one; for it goes forth to another light, it is released as from some prison, it comes out as from a contest. Yes, he says; in the case of those of good repute you say these things well. What then is it to you, man, that you do not do this even in the case of those of good repute? For tell me, what could you have to condemn in the little child? For what reason do you mourn for him? What of the newly enlightened? For he too has come to the same state. For what reason do you mourn, tell me? For just as the sun rises pure, so also a soul [leaving] the body","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":688,"ref":"p688","source":"ἀπολείπουσα μετὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος λάμπει φαιδρόν. Οὐχ οὕτω βασιλέα ἐπιβαίνοντα πόλεως μετὰ τοσαύτης σιγῆς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὡς ψυχὴν ἀφεῖσαν σῶμα, καὶ μετ' ἀγγέλων ἀπιοῦσαν. Ἐννόησον τίς ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ, ἐν οἵᾳ τότε ἐκπλήξει γίνεται, ἐν οἵῳ θαύματι, ἐν οἵᾳ ἡδονῇ. Τί πενθεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν τοῦτο μόνον ποιεῖς; Εἴθε τοῦτο ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐκώλυσα τὰ πένθη· εἴθε τοιοῦτος ὁ σκοπὸς ἦν· οὗτος ὁ θρῆνος ἀποστολικὸς, οὗτος ὁ θρῆνος δεσποτικός· ἔκλαυσε γὰρ καὶ Ἰησοῦς τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐβουλόμην τούτῳ διῃρῆσθαι τῷ νόμῳ τὰ πένθη· ὅταν δὲ ἀνακαλουμένου ῥήματα λέγῃς, καὶ συνήθειαν, καὶ προστασίαν, οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦτο πενθεῖς, ἀλλὰ σκέπτῃ. Πένθησον, στέναξον τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν· καὶ ἐγὼ κατάξω δάκρυα, καὶ ἐγὼ σοῦ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳ καὶ μείζονι τιμωρίᾳ ὑπεύθυνος ὁ τοιοῦτος· ἐγὼ θρηνήσω μετὰ τοιούτου σκοποῦ. Οὐ σὲ δὲ μόνον τὸν τοιοῦτον δεῖ θρηνεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἅπασαν καὶ τοὺς ἀπαντῶντας, καθάπερ τοὺς ἐπὶ θάνατον ἀπαγομένους. Ὄντως γὰρ θάνατος οὗτός ἐστι πονηρὸς, ὁ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν. Ἀλλὰ τὰ ἄνω κάτω γεγένηται. Οὗτος ὁ θρῆνος καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶ, καὶ διδασκαλίαν ἔχει πολλὴν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ μικροψυχίαν. Εἰ ἐθρηνοῦμεν τὸν θρῆνον τοῦτον ἅπαντες, ζῶντας ἂν αὐτοὺς διωρθώσαμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, εἰ κύριος ἦς φάρμακα ἐπενεγκεῖν κωλύοντα τὸν θάνατον ἐκεῖνον τὸν σωματικὸν, ἐποίησας ἄν· οὕτω καὶ νῦν, εἰ τοῦτον ἐθρήνεις τὸν θάνατον, ἐκώλυσας ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ σοῦ καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνου τοῦτο γενέσθαι. Νῦν δὲ αἴνιγμά ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον, κυρίους μὲν ὄντας μὴ συγχωρῆσαι τοῦτο ἐπελθεῖν, ἀφεῖναι γενέσθαι, γενόμενον δὲ πενθεῖν.","english":"Departing with a clear conscience, she shines brightly. It is not so magnificent a sight to see a king entering a city with such great silence as to see a soul leaving the body and departing with angels. Consider what the soul is, in what astonishment it then finds itself, in what wonder, in what pleasure. Why do you mourn, tell me? But do you do this only over sinners? Would that it were so, and I would not have forbidden mourning; would that such were the purpose; this mourning is apostolic, this mourning is the Lord's; for Jesus also wept over Jerusalem. I wish that mourning were distinguished by this law. But when you speak words of one being called back, and of habit, and of protection, it is not for this that you mourn, but you are making excuses. Mourn, groan for the sinner; and I too will shed tears, and I more than you, inasmuch as such a one is liable to greater punishment; I will lament with such a purpose. But it is not only you who ought to lament such a one, but also the whole city and all who meet him, as those being led away to death. For truly this is the evil death, the death of sinners. But things have been turned upside down. This mourning is both of philosophy and has much teaching, while that other is of small-mindedness. If we all mourned this mourning, we would have corrected them while they were alive. For just as, if you were able to apply medicines preventing that bodily death, you would have done so, so too now, if you mourned this death, you would have prevented this from happening both in your case and in his. But now what happens is a riddle: that those who are masters did not permit this to come upon them, but allowed it to happen, and when it has happened, they mourn it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":689,"ref":"p689","source":"Ὄντως θρήνων ἄξιοι, ὅταν παραστῶσι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οἷα ἀκούσονται ῥήματα; οἷα πείσονται πράγματα; Εἰκῆ ἔζησαν οὗτοι· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ εἰκῆ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ κακῷ. Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων εὔκαιρον εἰπεῖν· συμφέρον ἦν αὐτοῖς, εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθησαν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, τοσοῦτον ἀναλῶσαι χρόνον ἐπὶ καλῷ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλῆς; εἰ γὰρ εἰκῆ μόνον ἀνήλωτο, οὐκ ἂν ἤρκεσεν ἡ ζημία; Εἰπέ μοι, εἴ τις μισθωτὸς γενόμενος εἴκοσιν ἔτη κατακόπτοιτο εἰκῆ, οὐ κλαύσεται καὶ θρηνήσει, καὶ δόξει πάντων ἐλεεινότερος εἶναι; Οὗτος πᾶσαν τὴν ζωὴν εἰκῆ κατεκόπη, οὐδεμίαν ἡμέραν ἔζησεν ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τρυφῇ, τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ, τῇ πλεονεξίᾳ, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, τῷ διαβόλῳ· τοῦτον οὖν οὐ θρηνήσομεν, εἰπέ μοι; οὐ πειρασόμεθα τῶν κινδύνων ἐξαρπάσαι; Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστιν, ἐὰν μόνον θέλωμεν, ἥμερον αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τὴν κόλασιν. Εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν συνεχεῖς, ἐλεημοσύνην διδῶμεν, κἂν ἐκεῖνος ἀνάξιος ᾖ, ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς δυσωπηθήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ Παῦλος ἕτερον ἠλέησε, καὶ δι' ἄλλους ἄλλου ἐφείσατο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τοῦτο δεῖ ποιεῖν. Ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνου χρημάτων, ἐκ τῶν σῶν, ὅθεν ἂν θέλῃς, βοήθησον, ἐπίσταξον ἔλαιον, μᾶλλον δὲ ὕδωρ. Οὐκ ἔχει ἐλεημοσύνας οἰκείας ἐπιδείξασθαι; κἂν συγγενικάς. Οὐκ ἔχει τὰς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένας; κἂν τὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μετὰ παῤῥησίας αὐτὸν ἐξαιτῆται τότε ἡ γυνὴ, λύτρον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καταθεμένη. Ὅσῳ πλειόνων γέγονεν ἁμαρτημάτων ὑπεύθυνος, τοσούτῳ μείζονος αὐτῷ δεῖ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης· οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ ἴσην ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν νῦν, ἀλλ' ἐλάττω πολλῷ. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον αὐτόν τινα ποιῆσαι, καὶ ἕτερον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ.","english":"Truly they are worthy of lamentation, when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ, what words will they hear? What things will they suffer? These men lived in vain—or rather not in vain, but even to their own harm. And concerning them it is timely to say: it would have been better for them if they had not been born. For what profit is there, tell me, in spending so much time to the detriment of one's own head? For if it had been squandered merely in vain, would the loss not have been sufficient? Tell me, if a hired laborer spent twenty years toiling in vain, will he not weep and lament, and seem more pitiable than all? This man has spent his whole life toiling in vain, he lived not a single day for himself, but for luxury, for debauchery, for greed, for sin, for the devil. Will we not, then, lament for him, tell me? Will we not try to snatch him from the dangers? For it is possible, it is possible, if only we are willing, to make his punishment milder. Let us make continuous prayers on his behalf, let us give alms, and even if he is unworthy, God will be moved by our entreaties. For if Paul showed mercy to another, and for the sake of others spared another, how much more ought we to do this. From that man's possessions, from your own, from wherever you wish, help him, pour out oil—or rather, water. Has he no alms of his own to show? Then at least those of his relatives. Has he none that were done by him? Then at least those done on his behalf, so that the woman may then with boldness entreat for him, having laid down a ransom for him. The more sins he has become liable for, the greater the almsgiving he needs—not only for this reason, but because it does not now have equal strength, but much less. For it is not the same thing for a man to do something himself, and for another to do it on his behalf.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":690,"ref":"p690","source":"Ὡς οὖν ἐλάττονος οὔσης, οὕτω καὶ τῷ πλήθει μεγίστην ποιῶμεν αὐτήν. Μὴ περὶ σήματα, μὴ περὶ ἐντάφια ἀσχολώμεθα· τοῦτο ἐντάφιον μέγιστον· περίστησον χήρας, εἰπὲ τοὔνομα, πάσας κέλευσον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ποιεῖσθαι τὰς δεήσεις καὶ τὰς ἱκετηρίας· δυσωπήσει τοῦτο τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ καὶ μὴ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγένηται, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸν ἕτερος γίνεται αἴτιος τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης· καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἐστί. Χῆραι περιεστῶσαι καὶ δακρύουσαι, οὐχὶ τοῦ παρόντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἴσασιν ἐξαρπάσαι θανάτου. Πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ὑφ' ἑτέρων δι' αὐτοὺς γεγενημένων ἐλεημοσυνῶν ἀπώναντο· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ τέλεον, ἀλλ' ὅμως παραμυθίαν εὗρόν τινα. Εἰ μὴ τοῦτό ἐστι, πῶς τὰ παιδία σώζεται; καίτοι γε ἐκεῖ οὐδὲν αὐτὰ εἰσφέρει, ἀλλ' οἱ γονεῖς τὸ πᾶν. Καὶ γυναιξὶν εὐχαρίσθη παιδία πολλάκις, οὐδὲν αὐτὰ εἰσενεγκόντα. Πολλὰς ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ\n\nσώζεσθαι δίδωσιν ὁδοὺς, μόνον μὴ ἀμελῶμεν. Τί οὖν, ἂν πένης ᾖ, φησί; Πάλιν ἐρῶ, τὸ πολὺ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐκ ἐν τῷ διδομένῳ κρίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει· μόνον μὴ δῷς ἐλάττω τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἐξέτισας. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἂν ἕρημος ᾖ καὶ ξένος, καὶ μηδένα ἔχῃ; Διὰ τί γὰρ μηδένα ἔχει, εἰπέ μοι; τούτῳ αὐτῷ δίδως δίκην, ὅτι μηδένα ἔχεις σαυτῷ φίλον οὕτως ἐνάρετον. Τοῦτο οὖν γίνεται, ἵνα, κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ ὦμεν ἐνάρετοι, σπουδάζωμεν ἑταίρους καὶ φίλους ἐναρέτους ἔχειν, καὶ γυναῖκα, καὶ υἱὸν, καὶ φίλον, ὡς καρπούμενοί τι καὶ δι' αὐτῶν, μικρὸν μὲν, καρπούμενοι δὲ ὅμως. Ἂν σπουδάσῃς μὴ πλουτοῦσαν, ἀλλ' εὐλαβῆ γυναῖκα ἀγαγέσθαι, ταύτης ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παραμυθίας·","english":"Since, then, it is a lesser thing, let us make it greatest also in abundance. Let us not busy ourselves about monuments or funeral rites; this is the greatest funeral rite: set widows around him, speak his name, bid them all make supplications and entreaties on his behalf; this will move God. Even if it has not been done by him, yet on his account another becomes the cause of almsgiving; and this too is a mark of God's love for humanity. Widows standing around and weeping know how to snatch him from death, not only of the present but also of the future. Many have benefited even from alms done by others on their behalf; for even if not completely, yet nonetheless they found some consolation. If this is not so, how are children saved? And yet there they contribute nothing, but the parents do everything. And to women children have often been pleasing, though they contributed nothing. God gives us many ways\n\nof being saved, only let us not be negligent. What then, he says, if he is poor? Again I will say, the greater part of almsgiving is judged not only in what is given but also in the intention; only do not give less than your ability, and you have paid the whole. What then, he says, if he is desolate and a stranger, and has no one? For why does he have no one, tell me? In this very thing you pay the penalty, because you have no friend so virtuous for yourself. This then comes about, so that, even if we ourselves are not virtuous, we may be eager to have virtuous companions and friends—both a wife, and a son, and a friend—so as to reap some benefit even through them, little indeed, but reaping nonetheless. If you are eager to marry not a wealthy but a devout woman, you will enjoy this consolation from her;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":691,"ref":"p691","source":"ἂν σπουδάσῃς μὴ πλουτοῦντα υἱὸν καταλιπεῖν, ἀλλ' εὐλαβῆ, καὶ θυγάτριον σεμνὸν, καὶ ταύτης ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παραμυθίας. Ἂν ταῦτα σπουδάσῃς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσῃ τοιοῦτος. Καὶ τοῦτο μέρος ἀρετῆς, τοιούτους αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ φίλους καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ παιδία. Οὐκ εἰκῆ προσφοραὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπελθόντων γίνονται, οὐκ εἰκῆ ἱκετηρίαι, οὐκ εἰκῆ ἐλεημοσύναι· ταῦτα πάντα τὸ Πνεῦμα διέταξε, δι' ἀλλήλων ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖσθαι βουλόμενον. Ὅρα· ὠφελεῖται ἐκεῖνος διὰ σοῦ, ὠφελῇ σὺ δι' ἐκεῖνον. Κατεφρόνησας χρημάτων προαχθεὶς ἐργάσασθαί τι γενναῖον; καὶ σὺ αὐτῷ τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ αὐτός σοι τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης γέγονεν αἴτιος. Μὴ ἀμφίβαλλε, ὅτι καρπώσεταί τι χρηστόν· οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὁ διάκονος βοᾷ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ κεκοιμημένων, καὶ τῶν τὰς μνείας ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιτελούντων. Οὐχ ὁ διάκονός ἐστιν ὁ ταύτην ἀφιεὶς τὴν φωνὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ χάρισμα λέγω. Τί λέγεις; ἐν χερσὶν ἡ θυσία, καὶ πάντα πρόκειται ηὐτρεπισμένα, πάρεισιν ἄγγελοι, ἀρχάγγελοι, πάρεστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, μετὰ τοσαύτης φρίκης ἑστήκασιν ἅπαντες, παρεστήκασιν ἐκεῖνοι βοῶντες πάντων σιγώντων, καὶ ἡγῇ ἁπλῶς γίνεσθαι τὰ λεγόμενα; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἁπλῶς, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἱερέων προσφερόμενα, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πληρώματος; Μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ πάντα μετὰ πίστεως γίνεται. Τί οἴει τὸ ὑπὲρ μαρτύρων προσφέρεσθαι; τὸ κληθῆναι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ; Κἂν μάρτυρες ὦσι, κἂν ὑπὲρ μαρτύρων, μεγάλη τιμὴ τὸ ὀνομασθῆναι, τοῦ Δεσπότου παρόντος, τῆς μνείας ἐπιτελουμένης ἐκείνης, τῆς φρικτῆς θυσίας, τῶν ἀφάτων μυστηρίων.","english":"If you take care to leave behind a son who is not rich but devout, and a modest daughter, you will enjoy this consolation. If you take care of these things, you too will be such a person. And this is a part of virtue: to choose friends, a wife, and children of this sort. Not in vain are offerings made on behalf of the departed, not in vain supplications, not in vain alms; the Spirit ordained all these things, wishing us to be benefited through one another. Consider: that one is benefited through you, and you are benefited through him. Did you despise money and, moved by it, do something noble? Both you have become the cause of salvation for him, and he has become the cause of almsgiving for you. Do not doubt that he will reap some good; it is not simply the deacon who cries out, \"For those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and for those who perform the memorials on their behalf.\" It is not the deacon who utters this cry, but the Holy Spirit—I mean the gift. What are you saying? The sacrifice is in our hands, and all things are set forth prepared, angels are present, archangels are present, the Son of God is present, all stand with such trembling, those present cry out while all are silent—and you think the words spoken are simply happening? Therefore also the other things are simply done—both the things offered for the Church and the things offered for the priests and the things for the fullness? May it not be so, but all things are done with faith. What do you think it means that the offering is made for the martyrs, that one is named in that hour? Whether they are martyrs, or whether it is on behalf of martyrs, it is a great honor to be named, when the Master is present, when that memorial is being performed, when the fearful sacrifice and the ineffable mysteries are present.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":692,"ref":"p692","source":"Καθάπερ γὰρ, καθημένου τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅσα ἄν τις βούληται, ἀνύει, ἐγερθέντος δὲ, ὅσα ἂν λέγῃ, εἰκῆ ἐρεῖ· οὕτω καὶ τότε, ἕως ἂν προκέηται τὰ τῶν μυστηρίων, πᾶσι τιμὴ μεγίστη, τὸ μνήμης ἀξιοῦσθαι. Ὅρα γάρ· καταγγέλλεται τότε τὸ μυστήριον τὸ φρικτὸν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Θεός· μετὰ τοῦ θαύματος ἐκείνου εὐκαίρως ὑπομιμνήσκει αὐτὸν τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὅταν ἐπινίκια τῶν βασιλέων ἄγηται, τότε εὐφημοῦνται μὲν καὶ ὅσοι τῆς νίκης ἐκοινώνησαν, ἀφίενται δὲ καὶ ὅσοι ἐν δεσμοῖς εἰσι διὰ τὸν καιρόν· παρελθόντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, ὁ μὴ τυχὼν, οὐκέτι τινὸς ἀπολαύει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα· τῶν ἐπινικίων οὗτος ὁ καιρός. Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἂν, φησὶν, ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κυρίου καταγγέλλετε. Μηδὲ ἁπλῶς προσίωμεν, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε ταῦτα γίνεσθαι νομίζωμεν. Ἄλλως δὲ, μαρτύρων μεμνήμεθα, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς πίστιν, ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ Κύριος· καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ τεθανατῶσθαι τὸν θάνατον σημεῖον, τοῦ νεκρὸν αὐτὸν γεγενῆσθαι. Ταῦτα εἰδότες, ἐπινοῶμεν ὅσας δυνάμεθα παραμυθίας τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσιν, ἀντὶ δακρύων, ἀντὶ θρήνων, ἀντὶ μνημείων τὰς ἐλεημοσύνας, τὰς εὐχὰς, τὰς προσφοράς· ἵνα κἀκεῖνοι καὶ ἡμεῖς τύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"For just as when the king is seated, a person accomplishes whatever he wishes, but when he has risen, whatever he says he will say in vain; so too then, as long as the things of the mysteries are set forth, there is the greatest honor for all—to be deemed worthy of remembrance. For observe: then that awesome mystery is proclaimed, that God gave himself for the world; after that wonder, he opportunely reminds him of those who have sinned. For just as when triumphs of kings are celebrated, then those who shared in the victory are acclaimed, and those who are in chains are released because of the occasion; but when the occasion has passed, the one who did not obtain it no longer enjoys any of it; so indeed also here: this time is the triumph. For as often, he says, as you eat this bread, you proclaim the death of the Lord. Let us not approach casually, nor suppose that these things happen as it chances. Moreover, we remember the martyrs, and this is for faith, that the Lord has died; and this is a sign that death has been put to death, that he has become a corpse. Knowing these things, let us devise every consolation we can for those who have departed—instead of tears, instead of lamentations, instead of memorials, almsgiving, prayers, offerings—so that both they and we may obtain the promised good things, by the grace and love for humanity of the only-begotten Son, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":693,"ref":"p693","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Μς ʹ. Ὅτι, εἰ καὶ πάντων ἁμαρτημάτων ἐσμὲν ὑπεύθυνοι, δυνάμεθα καὶ δι' ἐξαγορεύσεως σωθῆναι· καὶ ὅτι ἕκαστος ἡμῶν τῶν πιστῶν ἄγγελον ἔχει φύλακα· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἱερέων.\n\nΤῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀγαπητοὶ, οἱ μὲν καὶ ἐνταῦθα κολάζονται καὶ ἐκεῖ, οἱ δὲ ἐνταῦθα μόνον, οἱ δὲ ἐκεῖ μόνον, οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν καὶ ἐκεῖ, ὡς σταυρωταὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔδοσαν δίκην, ἡνίκα ἔπαθον τὰ ἀνήκεστα ἐκεῖνα, τῆς πόλεως ἁλούσης, καὶ ἐκεῖ χαλεπωτάτην ὑπομενοῦσιν· ὡς οἱ Σοδόμων πολῖται, ὡς ἕτεροι πολλοί· ἐκεῖ δὲ μόνον, ὡς ὁ πλούσιος ὁ ἀποτηγανιζόμενος, καὶ οὐδὲ σταγόνος κύριος ὤν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ὡς ὁ πεπορνευκὼς παρὰ Κορινθίοις· οὔτε δὲ ἐνταῦθα, οὔτε ἐκεῖ, ὡς οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ὡς οἱ προφῆται, ὡς ὁ μακάριος Ἰώβ· οὐ γὰρ δὴ κολάσεως ἦν ἅπερ ἔπαθον, ἀλλ' ἀγώνων καὶ παλαισμάτων. Σπουδάσωμεν τοίνυν τῆς τούτων εἶναι μερίδος· εἰ δὲ μὴ τούτων, κἂν τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀποδυομένων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Καὶ γὰρ φοβερὸν ἐκεῖνο τὸ κριτήριον, καὶ ἀπαραίτητος ἡ τιμωρία, καὶ ἀνήκεστος ἡ κόλασις. Εἰ δὲ βούλει μηδὲ ἐνταῦθα δοῦναι δίκην, σαυτῷ δίκασον, ἀπαίτησόν σου τὰς εὐθύνας· ἄκουσον Παύλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Εἰ ἐκρίνομεν ἑαυτοὺς, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα. Ἂν τοῦτο ποιῇς, ὁδῷ προβαίνων καὶ ἐπὶ στέφανον ἥξεις. Καὶ πῶς ἀπαιτήσομεν δίκην, φησὶν, ἑαυτούς; Πένθησον, στέναξον πικρὸν, ταπείνωσον σαυτὸν, κάκωσον, ἀνάμνησον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κατ' εἶδος· οὐ μικρὰ τοῦτο βάσανος ψυχῆς. Εἴ τις γέγονεν ἐν κατανύξει, οἶδεν ὅτι μάλιστα πάντων ἡ ψυχὴ τούτῳ κολάζεται· εἴ τις γέγονεν ἐν ἁμαρτίας μνήμῃ, οἶδε τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὀδύνην.","english":"Homily 46. That, even if we are guilty of all sins, we can be saved through confession; and that each of us who believe has a guardian angel; and concerning the priests.\n\nOf men, beloved, some are punished both here and there, some here only, some there only, and some neither here nor there. Here and there, as the crucifiers of Christ; for they both paid the penalty here, when they suffered those unbearable things at the capture of the city, and there they will undergo the most grievous punishment; as the citizens of Sodom, as many others. There only, as the rich man being scorched, and not even master of a drop. Here, as the one who committed fornication among the Corinthians. Neither here nor there, as the apostles, as the prophets, as blessed Job; for what they suffered was not indeed of punishment, but of contests and struggles. Let us therefore be zealous to be of their portion; and if not of these, at least of those who here put off their sins. For that tribunal is fearful, and the vengeance inexorable, and the punishment incurable. But if you wish not even here to pay the penalty, judge yourself, exact the accounts from yourself; hear Paul saying, that If we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. If you do this, advancing on the way, you will come even to the crown. And how, he says, shall we exact the penalty from ourselves? Mourn, groan bitterly, humble yourself, afflict yourself, recall your sins in kind; this is no small torment of the soul. If anyone has been in compunction, he knows that the soul is punished by this most of all; if anyone has been in remembrance of sins, he knows the pain that comes from it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":694,"ref":"p694","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο δικαιοσύνην ἔπαθλον τίθησιν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ τοιαύτῃ μετανοίᾳ, λέγων· Λέγε σὺ πρῶτον τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστι μικρὸν εἰς διόρθωσιν τὸ πάντα συναγαγόντας τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, κατ' εἶδος αὐτὰ στρέφειν συνεχῶς καὶ ἀναλογίζεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο ποιῶν οὕτω κατανυγήσεται, ὡς μήτε τοῦ ζῇν ἑαυτὸν ἄξιον εἶναι νομίζειν· ὁ δὲ τοῦτο νομίζων, κηροῦ παντὸς ἁπαλώτερος ἔσται. Μὴ γάρ μοι πορνείας εἴπῃς μόνον, μηδὲ ταῦτα τὰ δῆλα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς λαθραίους ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ τὰς συκοφαντίας, καὶ τὰς κακηγορίας, καὶ τὰς κενοδοξίας, καὶ τὸν φθόνον, καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα συνάγειν χρή· οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτα μικρὰν οἴσει κόλασιν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ λοίδορος εἰς γέενναν ἐμπεσεῖται, καὶ ὁ μεθύων οὐδὲν κοινὸν ἔχει πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν πλησίον οὕτω προσκρούει τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς μηδὲ μαρτυροῦντος αὐτοῦ ὠφελεῖσθαι, καὶ ὁ τῶν οἰκείων ἀμελῶν τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηται, καὶ ὁ πένητας περιορῶν εἰς τὸ πῦρ πέμπεται. Μὴ τοίνυν μικρὰ ταῦτα εἶναι νόμιζε, ἀλλὰ συνάγαγε πάντα, καὶ ὡς ἐν βιβλίῳ γράφε. Ἂν γὰρ σὺ γράψῃς, ὁ Θεὸς ἐξαλείφει, ὥσπερ οὖν, ἐὰν μὴ σὺ γράψῃς, ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐγγράφει καὶ δίκην ἀπαιτεῖ. Πολὺ τοίνυν βέλτιον παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτὰ γραφῆναι, καὶ ἄνωθεν ἐξαλειφθῆναι, ἢ τοὐναντίον, ἡμῶν ἐπιλανθανομένων, τὸν Θεὸν αὐτὰ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐνεγκεῖν τῶν ἡμετέρων κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἀναλογιζώμεθα, καὶ εὑρήσομεν πολλῶν ἑαυτοὺς ὑπευθύνους ὄντας. Τίς γὰρ πλεονεξίας καθαρός; Μὴ γάρ μοι τὸ μέτρον εἴπῃς, ἀλλὰ κἀν τῷ μικρῷ τὴν αὐτὴν δώσομεν δίκην.","english":"For this reason God sets righteousness as the prize for such repentance, saying: \"Speak first of your sins, that you may be justified.\" For it is no small thing for correction that, having gathered together all one's sins, a person should turn them over continually in kind and reckon them up. For the one who does this will be so pricked to compunction that he will not think himself worthy even to live; and the one who thinks this will be softer than any wax. For do not tell me of fornication only, nor of those obvious sins, but one must also gather in the secret plots, and the slanders, and the evil speakings, and the vainglories, and envy, and all such things; for neither will these bring a small punishment. For the reviler also will fall into Gehenna, and the drunkard has nothing in common with the kingdom, and the one who does not love his neighbor so offends God that not even with his own testimony is he profited, and the one who neglects his own household has denied the faith, and the one who overlooks the poor is sent into the fire. Do not, then, think these things to be small, but gather them all together, and write them as in a book. For if you write them, God blots them out; just as, if you do not write them, God both records them and demands the penalty. Much better, then, that they be written by us and blotted out from above, than the opposite—that, while we forget, God brings them before our eyes on that day. In order, then, that this not happen, let us reckon up all things with exactness, and we shall find ourselves liable for many things. For who is clean of greed? For do not tell me of the measure, but even in the small we shall pay the same penalty.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":695,"ref":"p695","source":"Τοῦτο ἐννόει, καὶ μετανόει. Τίς ὕβρεως ἀπήλλακται; τοῦτο δὲ εἰς γέενναν ἐμβάλλει. Τίς λάθρα τὸν πλησίον οὐ κακηγόρησε; τίς οὐκ ἀπενοήθη; οὗτος δὲ πάντων ἀκαθαρτότερος. Τίς δὲ οὐκ εἶδεν ἀκολάστοις ὀφθαλμοῖς γυναῖκα; οὗτος δὲ μοιχὸς ἀπηρτισμένος. Τίς οὐκ ὠργίσθη τῷ ἀδελφῷ εἰκῆ; οὗτος δὲ ἔνοχος τῷ συνεδρίῳ. Τίς οὐκ ὤμοσεν; οὗτος δὲ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Τίς οὐκ ἐπιώρκησεν; οὗτος δὲ τοῦ πονηροῦ πλέον. Τίς οὐκ ἐδούλευσε τῷ μαμωνᾷ; οὗτος δὲ τῆς γνησίας ἐξέπεσε τοῦ Χριστοῦ δουλείας. Ἔχω καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα τούτων εἰπεῖν· ἀρκεῖ δὲ ταῦτα, καὶ ἱκανὰ τὸν μὴ λίθον ὄντα μηδὲ σφόδρα ἀναίσθητον εἰς κατάνυξιν ἀγαγεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν εἰς γέενναν ἐμβάλλει, πάντα ὁμοῦ συνελθόντα τί οὐκ ἐργάσεται; Ὁρᾶτε, φησὶ, μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· οἱ γὰρ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν διαπαντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ἕκαστος γὰρ πιστὸς ἄγγελον ἔχει. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἕκαστος ἀνὴρ τῶν εὐδοκίμων ἄγγελον εἶχε, καθώς","english":"Think on this, and repent. Who is free from insolence? Yet this casts one into Gehenna. Who has not slandered his neighbor in secret? Who has not played the fool? Yet this man is more unclean than all. Who has not looked at a woman with licentious eyes? Yet this man is a fully accomplished adulterer. Who has not been angry with his brother without cause? Yet this man is liable to the council. Who has not sworn? Yet this man belongs to the evil one. Who has not sworn falsely? Yet this man belongs to the evil one still more. Who has not served mammon? Yet this man has fallen away from the genuine servitude of Christ. I have also other things, more numerous than these, to say; but these suffice, and are enough to bring to compunction one who is not a stone nor altogether insensible. For if each one of them casts into Gehenna, what will not all of them together, coming at once, accomplish? See, he says, that you do not despise one of these little ones; for their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. For each believer has an angel. Since indeed from the beginning each man among the notable had an angel, just as","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":696,"ref":"p696","source":"φησιν ὁ Ἰακώβ· Ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ τρέφων με, καὶ ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἐκ νεότητός μου. Εἰ τοίνυν ἀγγέλους ἔχομεν, νήφωμεν, καθάπερ παιδαγωγῶν τινων ἡμῖν παρόντων. Πάρεστι γὰρ καὶ δαίμων· διὰ τοῦτο εὐχόμεθα καὶ λέγομεν, τὸν ἄγγελον αἰτοῦντες τῆς εἰρήνης, καὶ πανταχοῦ εἰρήνην αἰτοῦμεν (οὐδὲν γὰρ ταύτης ἴσον), ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις εἰρήνην, ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς, ἐν ταῖς λιταῖς, ἐν ταῖς προῤῥήσεσι· καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς καὶ πολλάκις αὐτὴν δίδωσιν ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Διὰ τί; ὅτι αὕτη μήτηρ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐστιν, αὕτη τῆς χαρᾶς ὑπόθεσις. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς εἰσιοῦσιν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τοῦτο λέγειν προσέταξεν εὐθέως, καθάπερ τι σύμβολον τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Εἰσερχόμενοι γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὰς οἰκίας λέγετε, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Ταύτης γὰρ οὐκ οὔσης, πάντα περιττά. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔλεγεν· Εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν· εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν. Αὕτη τῇ ἀγάπῃ προοδοποιεῖ. Καὶ οὐ λέγει ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ', Εἰρήνη πᾶσι. Τί γὰρ, ἂν μετὰ τοῦδε μὲν εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν, μεθ' ἑτέρου δὲ πόλεμον καὶ μάχην; τί τὸ κέρδος; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῷ σώματι, ἂν τὰ μὲν ἡσυχάζῃ τῶν στοιχείων, τὰ δὲ διαστασιάζῃ, δυνατὸν ὑγίειαν συνεστάναι ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἁπάντων εὐταξίας καὶ συμφωνίας καὶ εἰρήνης· κἂν μὴ πάντα ἡσυχάζῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων μένῃ, πάντα ἀνατραπήσεται. Καὶ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ δὲ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, ἂν μὴ πάντες ἡσυχάζωσιν οἱ λογισμοὶ, εἰρήνη οὐκ ἔσται. Τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν ἡ εἰρήνη, ὡς υἱοὺς Θεοῦ καλεῖσθαι τοὺς αὐτῆς ποιητὰς καὶ δημιουργούς. Εἰκότως·","english":"Jacob says: The angel who nourishes me, and who delivers me from my youth. If, then, we have angels, let us be sober, as though tutors were present with us. For a demon is also present; therefore we pray and say, asking for the angel of peace, and everywhere we ask for peace (for nothing is equal to it), peace in the churches, in the prayers, in the litanies, in the announcements; and once and twice and three times and many times the president of the Church gives it: Peace be to you. Why? Because this is the mother of all good things, this is the foundation of joy. Therefore Christ also commanded the apostles to say this immediately as they entered houses, as a kind of symbol of good things. For entering, he says, into the houses, say: Peace be to you. For without this, all things are superfluous. And Christ said to the disciples: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. This prepares the way for love. And the president of the Church does not say simply, Peace be to you, but, Peace to all. For what if we have peace with this one, but war and battle with another? What is the gain? For not even in the body, if some of the elements are at rest but others are in dissension, is it possible for health ever to be established, but through the good order and concord and peace of all; and if not all are at rest and remain within their own bounds, all will be overturned. And in our mind too, if all the thoughts are not at rest, there will be no peace. So great a good is peace, that its makers and craftsmen are called sons of God. Reasonably.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":697,"ref":"p697","source":"ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν, εἰρηνοποιήσων τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰ δὲ οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, οἱ νεωτεροποιοὶ υἱοὶ διαβόλου. Τί λέγεις; ἔρεις καὶ μάχας ἐμβάλλεις; Καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος, φησίν; Εἰσὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ χαίροντες ἐπὶ τοῖς κακοῖς, καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ διασπῶντες μᾶλλον, ἢ οἱ στρατιῶται τῇ λόγχῃ διέτεμνον, ἢ Ἰουδαῖοι τοῖς ἥλοις διέκοψαν. Ἐκεῖνο τούτου ἔλαττον τὸ κακόν· ἐκεῖνα διατμηθέντα τὰ μέλη πάλιν συνήφθη· ταῦτα δὲ ἀποσπασθέντα, ἂν ἐνθάδε μὴ συναφθῇ, οὐκέτι συναφθήσεται, ἀλλὰ μένει τοῦ πληρώματος ἔξω. Ὅταν βούλῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ πολεμῆσαι, ἐννόησον ὅτι τοῖς μέλεσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ πολεμεῖς, καὶ παῦσαι τῆς μανίας. Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος ἐστί; τί γὰρ, εἰ εὐτελής; τί γὰρ, εἰ εὐκαταφρόνητος; Οὕτως οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα, φησὶν, ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· καὶ πάλιν, Οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν διαπαντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὁ Θεὸς δι' αὐτὸν καὶ σὲ καὶ δοῦλος ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσφάγη· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲν αὐτὸν εἶναι νομίζεις; Οὐκοῦν μάχῃ καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τῷ Θεῷ, τὰς ἐναντίας αὐτῷ φέρων ψήφους; Ὅταν εἰσέλθῃ ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς, εὐθέως λέγει, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν· ὅταν ὁμιλῇ, Εἰρήνη πᾶσιν· ὅταν ἡ θυσία τελεσθῇ, Εἰρήνη πᾶσι· καὶ μεταξὺ πάλιν, Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ τοσαυτάκις ἀκούοντες εἰρήνην ἔχειν, ἐκπεπολεμώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους; λαμβάνοντες καὶ ἀντιδιδόντες, τῷ διδόντι τὴν εἰρήνην πολεμοῦμεν; Λέγεις, Καὶ τῷ πνεύματί σου. καὶ διαβάλλεις αὐτὸν ἔξω;","english":"Since the Son of God also came to earth for this purpose, to make peace both in the earth and in the heavens. And if the peacemakers are sons of God, the troublemakers are sons of the devil. What do you say? Do you stir up strife and quarrels? And who, he says, is so wretched? For there are many who rejoice in evils and tear apart the body of Christ more than the soldiers cut it with the spear, or the Jews broke it with the nails. That evil is less than this: those members, once cut apart, were joined together again; but these, once torn away, if they are not joined together here, will no longer be joined, but remain outside the fullness. When you wish to make war on your brother, consider that you are making war on the members of Christ, and cease from your madness. For what if he is cast out? What if he is of little worth? What if he is contemptible? Thus, he says, it is not the will before my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish; and again, Their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. God for his sake became both your servant and mine, and was slain; and do you think he is nothing? Therefore you fight even against God in this, casting votes contrary to him? When the leader of the Church enters, he immediately says, Peace be with you; when he speaks, Peace to all; when the sacrifice is completed, Peace to all; and in between again, Grace to you and peace. How then is it not absurd that, hearing so many times that we should have peace, we are at war with one another? Receiving and giving back, do we make war on the one who gives peace? You say, And with your spirit. And do you slander him outside?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":698,"ref":"p698","source":"Οἴμοι, ὅτι τὰ σεμνὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σχήματα γέγονε πραγμάτων μόνον, οὐκ ἀλήθειά τις· οἴμοι, ὅτι μέχρι ῥημάτων τὰ σύμβολα μένει τοῦ στρατοπέδου τούτου· ὅθεν καὶ ἀγνοεῖτε διὰ τί λέγεται, Εἰρήνη πᾶσιν. Ἀλλ' ἀκούετε τὰ ἑξῆς. Τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός; Εἰς ἣν δ' ἂν πόλιν ἢ κώμην εἰσέλθητε, εἰσερχόμενοι εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν· καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία, ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ' αὐτήν· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἀξία, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀποστραφήτω. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἴσμεν, ὅτι τύπον ῥημάτων νομίζομεν ταῦτα εἶναι, καὶ οὐ συντιθέμεθα τῷ νῷ. Μὴ γὰρ ἐγὼ δίδωμι τὴν εἰρήνην; ὁ Χριστὸς δι' ἡμῶν φθέγγεσθαι καταξιῶν. Εἰ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον ἅπαντα χρόνον κενοὶ τῆς χάριτός ἐσμεν, ἀλλ' οὐ νῦν δι' ὑμᾶς. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς ὄνον ἐνήργησε καὶ εἰς μάντιν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις δι' οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ὠφέλειαν· εὔδηλον ὅτι οὐδὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς παραιτήσεται ἐνεργεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀνέξεται καὶ\n\nτοῦτο δι' ὑμᾶς. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν εἴπῃ, ὅτι Εὐτελὴς ἐγὼ καὶ ταπεινὸς καὶ οὐδενὸς ἄξιος λόγου, καὶ οὕτω μοι προσεχέτω· εἰμὶ γὰρ τοιοῦτος· ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἔθος τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐφίστασθαι. Καὶ ἵνα μάθητε, τῷ Κάϊν κατηξίωσε λαλῆσαι διὰ τὸν Ἄβελ, τῷ διαβόλῳ διὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ, τῷ Φαραὼ διὰ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ διὰ τὸν Δανιὴλ, τῷ Βαλτάσαρ διὰ τὸν αὐτόν. Καὶ μάγοι δὲ ἀποκαλύψεως ἔτυχον, καὶ Καϊάφας προεφήτευσε, Χριστοκτόνος ὢν καὶ ἀνάξιος, διὰ τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα. Λέγεται καὶ Ἀαρὼν διὰ τοῦτο μὴ λεπρωθῆναι. Διὰ τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, ἀμφοτέρων καταλαλησάντων, ἐκείνη μόνη τὴν δίκην ὑπέμεινε; Μὴ θαυμάσῃς.","english":"Alas, that the solemn forms of the Church have become mere appearances of things, and not any truth! Alas, that the symbols of this army remain only as far as words! This is why you do not know why it is said, \"Peace to all.\" But hear what follows. What does Christ say? \"Into whatever city or village you enter, when you enter the house, greet it; and if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.\" For this reason we do not know, because we think these things are a pattern of words, and we do not attend with our mind. Is it not I who give peace? Christ deigns to speak through us. Even if all the rest of the time we are empty of grace, yet not now, for your sake. For if the grace of God worked through a donkey and through a soothsayer by dispensation, and for the benefit of the Israelites, it is evident that he will not refuse to work even through us, but will endure even this for your sake. Let no one therefore say, \"I am worthless and lowly and deserving of no account,\" and so pay attention to me—for I am such a one—but it is always God's custom, for the sake of the many, to set even such men over them. And so that you may learn: he deigned to speak to Cain for the sake of Abel, to the devil for the sake of Job, to Pharaoh for the sake of Joseph, to Nebuchadnezzar for the sake of Daniel, to Belshazzar for the sake of the same. And the magi obtained revelation, and Caiaphas prophesied, being a Christ-killer and unworthy, because of the dignity of the priesthood. It is also said that Aaron was not leprous for this reason. For why, tell me, when both had spoken against him, did only she undergo the penalty? Do not marvel.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":699,"ref":"p699","source":"Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἀξιώμασι, κἂν μυρία τις κατηγορῆται, οὐ πρότερον εἰς δικαστήριον ἄγεται, ἕως ἂν ἀπόθηται τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκείνη μετ' αὐτοῦ ὑβρίζηται· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς πνευματικῆς, κἂν ὁστισοῦν ᾖ, ἐνεργεῖ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις· ἐπεὶ πάντα ἀπόλωλεν· ὅταν δὲ αὐτὴν ἀπόθηται, εἴτε ἀπελθὼν εἴτε καὶ ἐνταῦθα. τότε δὴ, τότε χαλεπωτέραν δώσει τὴν δίκην. Μὴ δὴ νομίζετε παρ' ἡμῶν ταῦτα λέγεσθαι· ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις ἐστὶν ἡ καὶ εἰς ἀνάξιον ἐνεργοῦσα, οὐ δι' ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δι' ὑμᾶς. Ἀκούσατε οὖν τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός· Ἐὰν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία, ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ' αὐτήν. Πῶς δὲ ἀξία γίνεται; Ἐὰν δέξωνται ὑμᾶς, φησίν· Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ δέξωνται ὑμᾶς, μηδὲ ἀκούσωσι τῶν λόγων ὑμῶν, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως. ἢ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ. Τί οὖν ὄφελος, ὅτι δέχεσθε ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἀκούετε τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν λεγομένων; τί τὸ κέρδος, ὅτι θεραπεύετε, καὶ οὐ προσέχετε τοῖς λεγομένοις ὑμῖν; Ἐκείνη ἐστὶ τιμὴ ἡμῖν, ἐκείνη θεραπεία ἡ θαυμαστὴ καὶ ὑμᾶς ὠφελοῦσα καὶ ἡμᾶς, ἐὰν ἡμῶν ἀκούητε. Ἀκούετε καὶ τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος· Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ἀρχιερεύς ἐστιν. Ἄκουε καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Πάντα ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν τηρεῖν, τηρεῖτε καὶ ποιεῖτε. Οὐκ ἐμοῦ καταφρονεῖς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἱερωσύνης· ἂν ἴδῃς ταύτης γυμνὸν, τότε καταφρόνει· τότε οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ἀνέχομαι ἐπιτάττειν· ἕως δ' ἂν ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τούτου καθήμεθα, ἕως ἂν τὴν προεδρίαν ἔχωμεν, ἔχομεν καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν, εἰ καὶ ἀνάξιοί ἐσμεν.","english":"For if in the case of secular dignities, even if someone is accused ten thousand times over, he is not brought before a court until he has laid down his office, so that that office may not be insulted along with him, how much more in the case of the spiritual office—whatever sort of man he may be—the grace of God is at work; since otherwise all would be lost. But when he has laid it down, whether by departing or even while still here, then, yes then, he will give a more severe account. Do not suppose that these things are said by us of ourselves; it is the grace of God that works even through an unworthy man, not for our sake but for yours. Hear, then, what Christ says: \"If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it.\" And how does it become worthy? \"If they receive you,\" he says. \"But if they do not receive you, nor listen to your words, truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment\" than for that city. What benefit, then, is there in receiving us, if you do not listen to what we say? What gain is there in honoring us, if you do not attend to what is said to you? That is the honor we receive, that is the wonderful service that benefits both you and us—if you listen to us. Hear Paul also saying: \"I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest.\" Hear Christ also saying: \"Whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do.\" You are not despising me, but the priesthood. If you see it stripped of worth, then despise it; then not even I endure to give commands. But as long as we sit upon this throne, as long as we hold the presidency, we also hold the dignity and the power, even if we are unworthy.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":700,"ref":"p700","source":"Εἰ ὁ Μωϋσέως θρόνος οὕτως ἦν αἰδέσιμος, ὡς δι' ἐκεῖνον ἀκούεσθαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θρόνος. Ἐκεῖνον ἡμεῖς διεδεξάμεθα, ἀπὸ τούτου φθεγγόμεθα, ἀφ' οὗ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔθετο ἡμῖν τὴν διακονίαν τῆς καταλλαγῆς. Οἱ πρέσβεις, οἷοί περ ἂν ὦσι, διὰ τὸ τῆς πρεσβείας ἀξίωμα πολλῆς ἀπολαύουσι τῆς τιμῆς. Ὅρα γάρ· εἰς μέσην βαρβάρων ἔρχονται τὴν γῆν μόνοι μεταξὺ τοσούτων πολεμίων, καὶ ἐπειδὴ μεγάλα ὁ τῆς πρεσβείας ἰσχύει νόμος, πάντες αὐτοὺς τιμῶσι, πάντες εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀποβλέπουσι, πάντες μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἐκπέμπουσι. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν πρεσβείας ἀνεδεξάμεθα λόγον, καὶ ἥκομεν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἀξίωμα. Ἥκομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς πρεσβεύοντες, ἀξιοῦντες καταλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον· καὶ λέγομεν ἐπὶ τίσιν· οὐ πόλεις ἐπαγγελλόμενοι δώσειν, οὐδὲ σίτου μέτρα τόσα καὶ τόσα, οὐδὲ ἀνδράποδα, οὐδὲ χρυσίον, ἀλλὰ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, ζωὴν αἰώνιον, συνουσίαν τὴν μετὰ Χριστοῦ, τὰ ἄλλα ἀγαθὰ, ἃ μήτε εἰπεῖν ἡμῖν δυνατὸν, ἕως ἂν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ταύτῃ ὦμεν καὶ τῷ παρόντι βίῳ. Πρεσβεύομεν τοίνυν, ἀπολαύειν δὲ βουλόμεθα τιμῆς, οὐ δι' ἡμᾶς, μὴ γένοιτο· ἴσμεν γὰρ ἡμῶν τὸ εὐτελές· ἀλλὰ δι' ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ὑμεῖς μετὰ σπουδῆς τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀκούητε, ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὠφελῆσθε, ἵνα μὴ μετὰ ῥᾳθυμίας ἢ ἀπροσεξίας κατέχητε τὰ λεγόμενα. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς πρέσβεις, πῶς πάντες αὐτοὺς περιέπουσιν; ἡμεῖς Θεοῦ πρέσβεις ἐσμὲν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους. Εἰ δὲ πρόσαντες ὑμῖν τοῦτο, οὐχ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ ἡ ἐπισκοπὴ, οὐχὶ ὁ δεῖνα, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐπίσκοπος. Μηδεὶς ἐμοῦ ἀκουέτω, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀξιώματος.","english":"If the throne of Moses was so venerable that he was heard on account of it, how much more the throne of Christ. We have succeeded to that throne; from this we speak, from which Christ also appointed for us the ministry of reconciliation. Ambassadors, whatever sort they may be, enjoy great honor because of the dignity of their embassy. For observe: they go into the midst of a barbarian land alone, among so many enemies, and since the law of embassy is mighty, all honor them, all look to them, all send them forth in safety. We too, then, have received the word of an embassy, and we have come from God; for this is the dignity of the episcopate. We have come to you as ambassadors, asking you to put an end to the war; and we say on what terms: not promising to give cities, nor so many measures of grain, nor slaves, nor gold, but the kingdom of heaven, eternal life, fellowship with Christ, and the other good things which it is not possible for us to speak of while we are in this flesh and in the present life. We are ambassadors, then, and we wish to enjoy honor, not for our own sake—God forbid; for we know our own worthlessness—but for your sake, that you may hear what comes from us with zeal, that you may be benefited, that you may not hold on to what is said with indifference or inattention. Do you not see the ambassadors, how all attend to them? We are ambassadors of God to men. But if this is burdensome to you, it is not we, but the episcopate itself; not this man here, but the bishop. Let no one hear me, but the dignity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":701,"ref":"p701","source":"Πάντα τοίνυν ποιῶμεν κατὰ τὸ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, ἵνα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ζήσωμεν, καὶ καταξιωθῶμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΖʹ. Εἰς τὸ μὴ ἀναξίως προσέρχεσθαι τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις. Ἐπειδὴ ἐμνήσθημεν τῆς θυσίας ταύτης, βούλο μαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς μικρὰ εἰπεῖν τοὺς μεμυημένους, μικρὰ μὲν τῷ μέτρῳ, μεγάλην δ' ἔχοντα τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν οὐ γὰρ ἡμέτερά εἰσι τὰ λεγό μενα, ἀλλὰ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος. Τί οὖν ἐστι; Πολλοὶ τῆς θυσίας ταύτης ἅπαξ μεταλαμβάνουσι τοῦ παρόντος ἐνιαυτοῦ, ἕτεροι δὲ δὶς, ἄλλοι πολλάκις. Πρὸς ἅπαντας οὖν ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ἐστι χρήσιμος, καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καθεζομένους· ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ μετέχουσι, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ διὰ δύο ἐτῶν. Τί οὖν; τίνας ἀποδεξόμεθα; Οὔτε τοὺς ἄπαξ, οὔτε τοὺς πολλάκις, ἀλλὰ τοὺς καὶ μετὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος, μετὰ καθαρᾶς καρδίας, τοὺς μετὰ βίου ἀμολύντου· οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἀεὶ προσιέτωσαν· οἱ δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτοι, μηδὲ ἅπαξ. Ὁ γὰρ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων ἀναξίως, κρῖμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Ταῦτα δέδοται τοῖς ἁγίοις· τοῦτο καὶ ὁ διάκονος ἐπιφωνεῖ, τοὺς ἁγίους καλῶν διὰ τῆς φρικτῆς ἐκείνης φωνῆς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι δυνατὸ ἀνθρώπῳ εἰδέναι τὰ τοῦ πλησίον, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ, αὐτὴν ἀφίησι τὴν φωνὴν, Τὰ ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις. Εἴ τις οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος, μὴ προσιέτω. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησιν, ἁμαρτημάτων καθαρὸς, ἀλλὰ, ἅγιος·","english":"Let us therefore do all things according to what is pleasing to God, so that we may live to the glory of God and be counted worthy of the good things promised to those who love him, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 47: On not approaching the divine mysteries unworthily. Since we have made mention of this sacrifice, I wish to say a few things to you who have been initiated—few in measure, but possessing great power and benefit; for what is said is not ours, but the Holy Spirit's. What then is it? Many partake of this sacrifice once in the present year, others twice, others many times. So our word is useful to all, and even to those who sit in the desert; for they partake once a year, and often even every two years. What then? Whom shall we approve? Neither those who partake once, nor those who partake many times, but those who come with a pure conscience, with a pure heart, with an undefiled life. Let such as these come always; but those who are not such, not even once. For the one who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, as the Apostle says. These things are given to the saints; this the deacon also proclaims, calling the saints with that awe-inspiring voice. For since it is not possible for a man to know the things of his neighbor, except the spirit that is in him, he dismisses that very voice: The holy things to the holy. If anyone is not holy, let him not come. He does not say simply, clean from sins, but, holy.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":702,"ref":"p702","source":"τὸν γὰρ ἅγιον οὐχὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγὴ ποιεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος παρουσία, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ὁ πλοῦτος. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ ἁμάρτημα; Τὸ μὴ μετὰ φρίκης προσιέναι, ἀλλὰ τύπτοντας τὰ στήθη, καὶ ἀλαλάζοντας, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Ταῦτα πολλάκις εἶπον, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ἐπὶ τῶν Ὀλυμπίων, ὅταν ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔχων, πῶς ἡ εὐταξία τοῦ κήρυκος βοῶντος ἡσυχίαν εἶναι; Πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἔνθα μὲν ὁ διάβολος πομπεύει, πολλὴν εἶναι τὴν ἡσυχίαν· ἔνθα δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν συγκαλεῖ, πολὺν εἶναι τὸν θόρυβον; μᾶλλον ἐν πελάγει γαλήνη, καὶ ἐν λιμένι κύματα. Τί θορυβῇ, εἰπέ μοι; Πραγμάτων ἀνάγκη καλεῖ πάντως. Ὅλως γὰρ οἶδας, ὅτι πράγματα ἔχεις ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ; μέμνησαι δὲ ὅλως, ὅτι ἐπὶ γῆς εἶ; Καὶ πῶς οὐχὶ τοῦτο λιθίνης διανοίας, τὸ νομίζειν κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐπὶ γῆς εἶναι, καὶ οὐχὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων χορεύειν, μεθ' ὧν καὶ τὸ μυστικὸν ἐκεῖνο μέλος ἀνέπεμψας τῷ Θεῷ, ἐπινίκιον ᾠδὴν, Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος; Διὰ τοῦτο ἀετοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Χριστὸς εἰπὼν, Ὅπου τὸ πτῶμα, ἐκεῖ καὶ οἱ ἀετοὶ, ἵνα οὐρανοβατῶμεν, ἵνα ὑψηλὰ πετώμεθα, τοῖς πτεροῖς τοῦ πνεύματος κουφιζόμενοι· ἡμεῖς δὲ κατὰ τοὺς ὄφεις χαμαὶ συρόμεθα, καὶ γῆν ἐσθίομεν. Βούλεσθε εἴπω, πόθεν ὁ θόρυβος γίνεται; Ὅτι οὐ διαπαντὸς τὰς θύρας ὑμῖν ἀποκλείομεν, ἀλλὰ συγχωροῦμεν πρὸ τῆς ἐσχάτης εὐχαριστίας ἀναχωρεῖν· τοῦτο πολλῆς καταφρονήσεώς ἐστι. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρόντος, τῶν ἀγγέλων παρεστώτων, τῆς τραπέζης προκειμένης, αὐτὸς καταλείπεις καὶ ἀναχωρεῖς;","english":"For it is not only freedom from sins that makes a person holy, but also the presence of the Spirit and the wealth of good works. And what is the sin? Not to approach with trembling, but instead beating the breast, shouting, and the rest. I have said these things often, and in saying them I will not cease. Do you not see at the Olympic games, when the president of the contests, wearing the crown on his head, how orderly the herald is as he cries for silence? How is it not absurd that where the devil parades in pomp, there is great silence, but where Christ calls us to himself, there is great uproar? Rather, there should be calm in the sea and waves in the harbor. Why are you making a disturbance, tell me? The necessity of business calls you, of course. Do you really know that you have business at that hour? Do you at all remember that you are on earth? And how is this not the mark of a stone-like mind, to think that at that moment you are on earth and not dancing with the angels, with whom you also sent up to God that mystic song, a song of victory, Holy, holy, holy? This is why Christ called us eagles when he said, Where the body is, there also are the eagles, so that we might walk the heavens, so that we might fly on high, lightened by the wings of the Spirit; but we drag ourselves on the ground like snakes and eat the earth. Do you want me to say where the uproar comes from? Because we do not keep the doors closed to you at all times, but allow you to depart before the final thanksgiving; this is a matter of great contempt. What are you doing, man? With Christ present, with the angels standing by, with the table set before you, do you yourself abandon it and depart?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":703,"ref":"p703","source":"καὶ ἐπὶ δείπνῳ μὲν κληθεὶς, οὐ τολμᾷς ἀναχωρῆσαι πρὸ τῶν φίλων; Βούλεσθε εἴπω τίνος ἔργον ποιοῦσιν οἱ πρὸ τῆς εὐχαριστίας ἀναχωροῦντες; Ὅτε ἐκοινώνησε τὸ ἔσχατον δεῖπνον Ἰούδας τὴν τελευταίαν νύκτα ἐκείνην, τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἀνακειμένων, αὐτὸς προπηδήσας ἐξέβη. Ἐκεῖνον μιμοῦνται οἱ τοιοῦτοι. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐξῆλθεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο προδότης, οὐκ ἂν ἀπώλετο· εἰ μὴ τοῦ ποιμένος ἑαυτὸν ἐχώρισεν, οὐκ ἂν θηριάλωτος γέγονεν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἡ ἐσχάτη μετὰ τὴν θυσίαν εὐχὴ κατ' ἐκεῖνον γίνεται τὸν τύπον; Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ μετὰ Ἰουδαίων, οὗτοι μετὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου ὑμνήσαντες ἐξῆλθον. Ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα θορυβῆτε καὶ κράζητε, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς σιγῆς καὶ εὐκοσμίας τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης ἁψώμεθα θυσίας, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκκαθάρωμεν, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν. Μὴ πρόσεχε, ὅτι ἄρτος ψιλὸς καὶ οἶνός ἐστι· σῶμα γὰρ καὶ αἷμα κατὰ τὴν Δεσποτικὴν τυγχάνει ἀπόφασιν· μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς γεύσεως κρίνῃς τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως πληροφοροῦ ἀνενδοιάστως. Προσιὼν δὲ, μὴ τεταμέναις χερσὶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀριστερὰν θρόνον ποίησον τῆς δεξιᾶς, καὶ κοιλάνας τὴν παλάμην, ὡς μέλλων βασιλέα ὑποδέχεσθαι,","english":"And when invited to a dinner, do you not dare to withdraw before your friends? Do you wish me to tell you whose deed they perform who withdraw before the eucharist? When Judas partook of the last supper on that final night, while all the others were reclining at table, he himself sprang up and went out. Such people imitate him. For if he had not gone out, he would not have become a traitor, he would not have perished; if he had not separated himself from the shepherd, he would not have become the prey of wild beasts. Do you see that the final prayer after the sacrifice takes place after that pattern? For he went out with the Jews, but these, after singing hymns with the Master, went out. I say these things, not so that you may be disturbed and cry out, but so that with much silence and good order we may approach this sacred sacrifice, in order that we may both cleanse our soul and obtain the eternal good things. Do not pay attention to the fact that it is plain bread and wine; for it is body and blood according to the Master's declaration. Do not judge the matter by taste, but be fully assured by faith without hesitation. And when you approach, not with hands stretched out, but make the left hand a throne for the right, and hollowing the palm, as one about to receive a king,","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":704,"ref":"p704","source":"μετὰ πολλοῦ φόβου τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπόδεξαι, ἵνα μή τις μαργαρίτης ἐκπέσῃ ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου, καὶ ζημιωθῇς ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου. Ὁμοίως προσέρχου καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ αἵματι, μὴ ἀνατείνων τὰς χεῖρας λέγων τὸ ἀμήν. Ἔτι δὲ τῆς νοτίδος οὔσης ἐν τοῖς χείλεσι, ταῖς χερσὶν ἐπαφῶμεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ τὸ μέτωπον· καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ αἰσθητήρια ἁγιάζεται· καὶ εὐχαρίστει τῷ Θεῷ ἀξιώσαντί σε τηλικούτου μυστηρίου. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ κόσμου ἔστι σωθῆναι; Τί λέγεις; βούλῃ συντόμως δείξω μὴ τὸν τόπον εἶναι τὸν σώζοντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν προαίρεσιν; Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ὢν, ὡς ἐν λιμένι, ὑπέστη τὸ ναυάγιον· ὁ δὲ Λὼτ ἐν τοῖς Σοδόμοις, ὥσπερ ἐν πελάγει, διεσώζετο. Ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐδικαιώθη· ὁ δὲ Σαοὺλ ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις ὢν τῆς βασιλείας, τῆς ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἐξέπεσε δόξης καὶ τιμῆς. Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀπολογία, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάσχομεν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ θείαις συνάξεσι σχολάζειν ἡμᾶς. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς βουλομένους ἀξιώματα λαβεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιγείου βασιλέως, πῶς παρεδρεύουσι, καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς παράκλησιν κινοῦντες, ὅπως μὴ ἐκπέσωσι τοῦ ζητουμένου; Ταῦτά μοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀπολιμπανομένους τῶν ἁγίων συνάξεων εἴρηται, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ φοβερᾷ τῆς μυστικῆς ὥρᾳ εἰς συντυχίαν καὶ ματαιολογίας ἀσχολουμένους. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; οὐχ ὑπέσχου τῷ ἱερεῖ εἰπόντι, Ἄνω τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὰς καρδίας, καὶ εἶπες, Ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον; οὐκ αἴδεσαι καὶ ἐρυθριᾷς εἰς ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τὴν ὥραν ψεύστης εὑρισκόμενος;","english":"Receive the body of Christ with great fear, lest some pearl fall from your hand and you be deprived of one of your members. Approach the holy blood likewise, not stretching out your hands while saying the Amen. And while the moisture is still on your lips, let us touch our eyes and forehead with our hands; and the rest of the senses are sanctified; and give thanks to God who has deemed you worthy of so great a mystery. And how, he says, is it possible to be saved in the midst of the world? What are you saying? Do you wish me to show briefly that it is not the place that saves, but the manner and the disposition toward God? Adam, being in paradise as in a harbor, suffered shipwreck; but Lot in Sodom, as in the open sea, was saved. Job was justified on the dunghill; but Saul, being in the treasuries of the kingdom, fell from the glory and honor of this world and of the world to come. This is no defense, but we suffer these things because we do not devote ourselves to prayers and divine assemblies. Or do you not see those who wish to receive offices from the earthly king, how they sit in attendance, and move others to intercession, so that they may not fall short of what they seek? These things have been said by me to those who absent themselves from the holy assemblies, and to those who at the fearful hour of the mysteries occupy themselves with conversation and idle talk. What are you doing, man? Did you not promise the priest when he said, Lift up your mind and your hearts, and you said, We have them toward the Lord? Are you not ashamed and do you not blush, being found a liar in these words and at this hour?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":705,"ref":"p705","source":"Βαβαὶ, τῆς βασιλικῆς τραπέζης ἐξηρτυμένης, τοῦ ἀμνοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ σοῦ σφαγιαζομένου, τοῦ ἱερέως ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἀγωνιζομένου, τῶν Σεραφεὶμ παρεστώτων, τῶν ἑξαπτερύγων τὰ πρόσωπα καλυπτόντων, πασῶν τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων μετὰ τοῦ ἱερέως πρεσβευόντων ὑπὲρ σοῦ, τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ πνευματικοῦ κατερχομένου, τοῦ αἵματος ἐν τῷ κρατῆρι τῆς ἀχράντου πλευρᾶς κενουμένου, οὐδὲ τὸ συνειδός σου κατακρίνει σε, ἄνθρωπε; Ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα ὀκτὼ ὡρῶν ἐχούσης τῆς ἑβδομάδος, μίαν καὶ μόνην ὥραν ἀφώρισεν ὁ Θεός· καὶ αὐτὴν ἐὰν εἰς πράγματα βιωτικὰ καὶ συντυχίας καὶ γελοῖα ἀναλίσκῃς, μετὰ ποίας λοιπὸν παῤῥησίας τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις προσέρχῃ, μετὰ ποίου συνειδότος; Ἆρα, εἰ κόπρον ἔσχες ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν, ἐτόλμας προσεγγίσαι τῷ κρασπέδῳ τοῦ βασιλέως; οὐδαμῶς. Μηδ' ὅτι ἄρτος ἐστὶν ἴδῃς, μηδ' ὅτι οἶνος· οὐ γὰρ ὡς αἱ λοιπαὶ κοιναὶ βρώσεις εἰς ἀφεδρῶνα χωρεῖ· ἄπαγε, μηδὲν νομίσῃς τοιοῦτον. Διὸ καὶ προσερχόμενοι, μὴ ὡς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ αὐτῶν Σεραφεὶμ τῇ λαβίδι τοῦ πυρὸς, ἣν Ἡσαΐας εἶδε, μεταλαμβάνειν τοῦ θείου σώματος νοήσωμεν. Δέομαι καὶ παρακαλῶ μὴ ἀπολειπώμεθα τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν· συναγόμενοι δὲ, μὴ εἰς συντυχίας ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀσχολώμεθα, ἀλλὰ στῶμεν ἔμφοβοι καὶ ἔντρομοι, κάτω τὸ ὄμμα νεύοντες, ἄνω τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχοντες, στενάξωμεν τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τῷ φθαρτῷ καὶ προσκαίρῳ βασιλεῖ παρισταμένους, πῶς εἰσιν ἀμετακίνητοι, μηδὲν φθεγγόμενοι, μηδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὧδε κἀκεῖσε περιστρέφοντες, ἀλλὰ στυγνοὶ καὶ κατηφεῖς, ἔμφοβοι;","english":"Alas, with the royal table set before us, with the Lamb of God slain for you, with the priest struggling on your behalf, with the Seraphim standing by, with the six-winged ones covering their faces, with all the incorporeal powers joining the priest in interceding for you, with the spiritual fire descending, with the blood being poured out into the cup from the immaculate side—does not even your conscience condemn you, O man? The week has one hundred and sixty-eight hours; God set apart one single hour. And if you spend even that one on worldly affairs and conversations and jesting, with what boldness, then, do you approach the divine mysteries, with what conscience? Tell me, if you had dung on your hands, would you dare to come near the hem of the king's garment? By no means. Do not look at it merely as bread, nor merely as wine; for it does not pass into the latrine as the other common foods do—far be it!—think no such thing. Therefore, as we approach, let us understand that we receive the divine body not as from men, but as from the Seraphim themselves with the tongs of fire which Isaiah saw. I beg and entreat you, let us not forsake the churches; and when we assemble, let us not busy ourselves with conversations in the church, but let us stand in fear and trembling, casting our eyes downward, having our soul on high, groaning in our heart. Or do you not see those who stand before the mortal and temporary king—how unmoved they are, uttering nothing, not turning their eyes here and there, but grim and downcast and fearful?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"John 1:29","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “the lamb of god”, which matches John 1:29. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":706,"ref":"p706","source":"Ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, ἄνθρωπε, τὸν ἔλεγχον λάβε, καὶ κἂν ὡς τῷ ἐπιγείῳ βασιλεῖ, πρόσελθε καὶ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ Θεῷ. Ταῦτα πολλάκις λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. Εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ὡς Θεῷ πρέπει, εἰσέλθωμεν, μὴ μνησικακίαν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἔχοντες, ἵνα μὴ, λέγοντες, Ἄφες ἡμῖν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν, κατακριθῶμεν. Φοβερὸν γάρ ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον, καὶ σχεδὸν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν βοᾷ ὁ τοῦτο λέγων· Ἀφῆκα, δέσποτα, ἄφες· συνεχώρησα, συγχώρησον. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο, καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν δικαστήριον, ἐπιστρέψωμεν λοιπὸν ἐκ τῆς πλάνης τῆς ὁδοῦ ἡμῶν. Ἐλεύσεται γὰρ ἡμέρα, ὅτε τὸ θέατρον τοῦ βίου διαλύεται, καὶ οὐδεὶς λοιπὸν οὐκέτι ἀγωνίζεται. Οὗτος ὁ καιρὸς τῆς μετανοίας, ἐκεῖνος τῆς κρίσεως· οὗτος τῶν ἀγώνων, ἐκεῖνος τῶν στεφάνων. Διεγέρθητε, παρακαλῶ, καὶ τῶν λεγομένων προθύμως ἀκούσατε. Ἐζήσαμεν τῇ σαρκὶ, ζήσωμεν λοιπὸν καὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ἐζήσαμεν τῇ ἀμελείᾳ, ζήσωμεν λοιπὸν τῇ μετανοίᾳ. Τί φυσᾶσαι, γῆ καὶ σποδὸς, ὦ ἄνθρωπε; τί ὑπερηφανεῖς; τί","english":"Take the reproof from yourself, O man, and approach both the earthly king and the heavenly God. I say these things often, and saying them I will not cease. When we enter the churches, let us enter as is fitting for God, not holding resentment in the soul, lest, while saying, \"Forgive us, as we also forgive,\" we be condemned. For the saying is fearful, and the one who says it cries out, so to speak, to God himself: \"I have forgiven, O Master; forgive. I have pardoned; pardon.\" Knowing these things, then, and that fire, and the fearful judgment seat, let us turn back from the error of our way. For a day will come when the theater of life is dissolved, and no one any longer contends. This is the time of repentance, that of judgment; this of struggles, that of crowns. Awake, I beseech you, and hear willingly what is said. We have lived for the flesh; let us live henceforth also for the spirit. We have lived in negligence; let us live henceforth in repentance. Why do you puff yourself up, earth and ashes, O man? Why are you proud? Why","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":707,"ref":"p707","source":"μεγαλαυχεῖς; τί ἐλπίζεις ἐκ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου δόξης καὶ πλούτου; Ἐξέλθωμεν ἐπὶ τοὺς τάφους, παρακαλῶ· ἴδωμεν τὰ μυστήρια, ἴδωμεν τὴν φύσιν διεσπαρμένην, ὀστᾶ βεβρωμένα, σώματα σεσηπότα· ἐπίσκεψαι, κἂν σοφὸς εἶ, κἂν φρόνιμος, εἰπέ μοι, ἐκεῖ τίς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τίς ὁ ἰδιώτης, τίς ὁ εὐγενὴς καὶ τίς ὁ δοῦλος, τίς ὁ σοφὸς καὶ τίς ὁ ἰδιώτης. Ποῦ τὸ κάλλος ἐκεῖ τῆς νεότητος, ποῦ ἡ περιχαρὴς ὄψις, ποῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ οἱ εὐειδεῖς, ποῦ τὸ ἀποστίλβον πρόσωπον; οὐ πάντα κόνις; οὐ πάντα τέφρα; οὐ πάντα σποδός; οὐ πάντα σκότος; οὐ πάντα βρῶμος καὶ δυσωδία; Ταῦτα ἐννοοῦντες, καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας ἐνθυμηθέντες, ὡς καιρὸν ἔχομεν, ἐργασώμεθα τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ἵνα τῆς μελλούσης ἀτελευτήτου γεέννης ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, καὶ τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἀξιωθῶμεν, χάριτι, καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.\n\nΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΗʹ. Ἀπάνθισμα ἐν εἴδει λόγου ἐκ Χρυσοστόμου συλλεγὲν παρὰ Θεοδώρου· τί πράττων ὁ Χριστιανὸς κληρονομήσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Ἀγαπᾷν τὸν Θεὸν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν πλησίον ἀγαπᾷν, ὡς ἑαυτὸν, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνὴν εἰπόντος· Ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσητε, μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους. Ὁ ταπεινῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μηδέποτε κατεπαιρόμενος τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ· Καρδίαν γὰρ συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουδενώσει·","english":"Do you boast great things? What do you hope for from the glory and wealth of the world? Let us go out to the tombs, I beseech you; let us see the mysteries, let us see nature scattered abroad, bones eaten away, bodies rotted; consider, whether you are wise or prudent, tell me, there who is the king and who the commoner, who the noble and who the slave, who the wise and who the commoner. Where is the beauty of youth there, where the radiant face, where the comely eyes, where the gleaming countenance? Is not everything dust? Is not everything ash? Is not everything cinder? Is not everything darkness? Is not everything stench and foul odor? Pondering these things, and calling to mind the last day, since we have time, let us work what is good, that we may be delivered from the coming unending Gehenna, and be deemed worthy of the kingdom of the heavens, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.\n\nHomily 49. A collection in the form of a homily gathered from Chrysostom by Theodore: what a Christian must do to inherit eternal life. To love God with all his soul and strength, and to keep his commandments, and to love his neighbor as himself, according to the voice of the Lord who said: If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; and again, By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. He who humbles his soul before God, and never exalts himself over his neighbor; for a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":708,"ref":"p708","source":"ὁ συνθλιβόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ πλησίον ἁμαρτίᾳ, καὶ πενθῶν τὰς ἰδίας ἁμαρτίας, καὶ χαίρων ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ πλησίον εὐφροσύνῃ, καὶ μὴ φθόνῳ τηκόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ τούτου εὐδαιμονίᾳ· ὁ ἐν πραότητι δεχόμενος καὶ παιδεύων τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους, καὶ ἐπιποθῶν ἀεὶ καὶ διψῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐργάζεσθαι· οὗτος γὰρ τηρήσει καὶ τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς· ὁ ἐπικαμπτόμενος ἐλέῳ εἰς τοὺς χρῄζοντας τὸν ἔλεον, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν εἰρήνης ὅλον διδοὺς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἀγωνιζόμενος κληθῆναι υἱὸς Θεοῦ καὶ διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἐργασίαν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὑβριζόμενος καὶ κατηγορούμενος καὶ διωκόμενος, καὶ ἀποθνήσκων ἕνεκεν τῆς δικαιοσύνης τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ὁμολογίας τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν, ὅτι τοῦτο ἔστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή· ὁ πᾶσαν ἐκτρεπόμενος αἱρετικὴν βλασφημίαν, καὶ ὀρθῶς ὁμολογῶν τὴν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ὁμολογίαν· ὁ ἀλήθειαν μελετῶν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ δολῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γλῶτταν ἐν ψεύδει, καὶ μὴ ποιῶν κακὸν τῷ πλησίον, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· ὁ μὴ κατηγορῶν, μὴ λοιδορῶν, μηδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων ἐργαζόμενος, ἀλλὰ τηρῶν ἐπιμελῶς πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ποιῶν αὐτάς· ἐκτείνων τὰς χεῖρας εἰς ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀποστερούμενος, καὶ μὴ ἀντιτείνων, μεταδιδοὺς τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι χιτῶνα, λοιδορούμενος καὶ εὐλογῶν, ἀγγαρευόμενος καὶ προστιθεὶς, μηδὲν αἰσχρὸν ἢ βλάσφημον ἐν τῷ στόματι περιφέρων ῥῆμα, ἢ ὅρκον προϊέμενος, ἀλλὰ ἕνα ὅρον γινώσκων, τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ μελετῶν πάντοτε ταύτην, νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, καὶ πλείω τοῦ ναὶ, καὶ τοῦ οὒ, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου διάταξιν μὴ λέγων τινὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀπολογίαις αὐτοῦ·","english":"The one who is crushed by the sin of his neighbor, and mourns his own sins, and rejoices in his neighbor's gladness, and is not consumed by envy at his prosperity; the one who receives in gentleness and instructs those who set themselves against him, and always longs and thirsts to work the righteousness of God; for this man will also preserve the purity of his own soul; the one who is bent by mercy toward those who need mercy, and gives himself wholly for the peace that is according to God, and strives to be called a son of God, and through this labor, and further also being insulted and accused and persecuted, and dying for the sake of the righteousness of God and the confession of Christ, because this is eternal life; the one who turns away from every heretical blasphemy, and rightly confesses the confession of the Holy Trinity; the one who meditates truth in his heart, and does not deceive his tongue with a lie, and does no evil to his neighbor, according to what is written; the one who does not accuse, does not revile, nor does anything else of the forbidden things, but carefully keeps all the commandments of Christ and does them; who stretches out his hands to almsgiving, being robbed and not resisting, giving to the one who has no tunic, being reviled and blessing, being compelled and adding more, carrying no shameful or blasphemous word in his mouth, nor uttering an oath, but knowing one boundary, the truth, and always meditating on it, night and day, and not saying to anyone in his defenses more than yes and no, according to the ordinance of the Lord;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":709,"ref":"p709","source":"κινῶν τε τὴν γλῶσσαν πρὸς ὑμνῳδίαν, τὰ γόνατα καὶ τὰς χεῖρας σὺν τῷ νοῒ πρὸς δέησιν, δάκρυον πρὸς κατάνυξιν ἐκχέων ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ· μεριμνῶν διὰ παντὸς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν κρίσιν, καὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, πάντοτε ἀναλογιζόμενος ἃ ἥμαρτεν, ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν προσφέρων τὰς αἰνέσεις τῷ Θεῷ· τὰς δὲ ἀγαθὰς πράξεις ἐπιμελῶς ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ μὴ ἐπιφέρων αὐτὰς, ἢ ἐπιδεικνύμενός τισιν, ἢ μεγαλαυχούμενος ἐν αὐταῖς ὥσπερ ὁ Φαρισαῖος, ἀλλὰ τῷ εἰδότι Θεῷ καταλιμπάνων τὴν γνῶσιν αὐτῶν, ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· φεύγων μέθην, φεύγων ἐπιορκίαν, γαστριμαργίαν, ἀκαιρολογίαν, φθόνον, ἔριν, κακίαν,\n\nπλεονεξίαν τὴν δευτέραν εἰδωλολατρείαν, θυμὸν, ὀργὴν, πορνείαν, μοιχείαν, καὶ πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν σώματος· μὴ ποιῶν φαρμακείαν, ἢ μαντείαν, ἢ ἐπῳδήν τινα, ἀλλὰ ἁγνίζων ἑαυτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας πρὸς τὸ ἀμέμπτως μεταλαμβάνειν τοῦ τιμίου σώματος καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ· προϊστάμενος ὀρφανῶν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ χηρῶν ὁμοίως καὶ προσηλύτων· μὴ ἀποστρεφόμενος ἐκ τοῦ αἰτοῦντος, ἢ τοῦ θέλοντος δανείσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ διασπῶν πᾶσαν ἄδικον συγγραφήν· εἰ δὲ καὶ δικαίαν κέκτηται, μὴ ἐπιφέρων ἢ ἐπιδεικνύμενός τισιν, ἅπας τοῦ Θεοῦ ὢν, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔχων, εἴπερ τι ἔχει δικαίως ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτῷ παρέχων τὰ ἴδια, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητῶν τὸ ἐλλεῖπον, καὶ δοξάζων τοὺς δοξάζοντας τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τιμῶν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ· τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τῆς πίστεως ἐλεῶν διὰ τὴν τύφλωσιν, καὶ πάσῃ δυνάμει πειρώμενος ἐπιστρέφειν, τοὺς δὲ ἐπιμένοντας ἀποστρεφόμενος, καὶ τέλειον μῖσος μισῶν τοὺς μισοῦντας τὸν Κύριον·","english":"Moving his tongue to hymnody, his knees and hands together with his mind to supplication, pouring out a tear for compunction before God; ever mindful of his own death, and the coming judgment, and the defense of his works, always reckoning up the sins he has committed, and offering praises to God on their account; diligently performing good deeds, and not bringing them forward, or displaying them to anyone, or boasting in them like the Pharisee, but leaving the knowledge of them to God who knows, who will render to each according to his works; fleeing drunkenness, fleeing perjury, gluttony, untimely speech, envy, strife, malice, covetousness, the second idolatry, wrath, anger, fornication, adultery, and every defilement of the body; not practicing sorcery, or divination, or any incantation, but sanctifying himself night and day so as to partake blamelessly of the precious body and blood of Christ; standing as protector of orphans, and likewise of widows and strangers; not turning away from the one who asks, or the one who wishes to borrow, but also tearing up every unjust contract; and if he possesses a just one, not bringing it forward or displaying it to anyone, being wholly God's and having what he has from God, if indeed he has anything justly from him, and providing his own to him, and seeking from God what is lacking, and glorifying those who glorify God, and honoring his servants; pitying the enemies of the faith because of their blindness, and trying with all his power to convert them, but turning away from those who persist, and hating with a perfect hatred those who hate the Lord;","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":710,"ref":"p710","source":"ἐν πάσῃ ἀγαθοσύνῃ, ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ, ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ ἀναστρεφόμενος, ὡς ὅλον ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὅλος ὑπάρχων τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐκ τῆς μνήμης αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ ἀεὶ καὶ κινούμενος, καὶ σαλευόμενος, καὶ κοιταζόμενος, καὶ ἀνιστάμενος, καὶ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων καὶ διημερεύων, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου παραπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἐστὶν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ· καὶ, Φοβηθήτω πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ δὲ σαλευθήτωσαν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν οἰκουμένην· μὴ μνησικακῶν, ὅτι ὁδοὶ μνησικάκων εἰς θάνατον, καὶ ὁ ἀφεὶς τῷ πλησίον τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἀφίεται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ μνησθῶμεν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὧν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἥμαρτον ἕτεροι, οὐδὲ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν ἡμετέρων μέμνηται, ὧν εἰς αὐτὸν ἠμάρτομεν. Κρίνειν δὲ δικαίως ἐν φόβῳ Θεοῦ. Ἡ γὰρ κρίσις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι· μὴ κατακρίνειν ἑτέρους ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἤγουν ἐξουδενοῦν καὶ βδελύσσεσθαι, καὶ ἐπιτηρεῖν τὰ τοῦ πλησίον κακὰ, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς δικαιοῦν, καὶ μὴ βλέποντας τὰς ἰδίας δοκοὺς, ἀλλὰ τὰ κάρφη τοῦ πλησίον, ἤγουν τὰ μικρὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν ἐλαττώματα προφέρειν· ὅπερ μεγάλως παροργίζει τὸν Θεόν· οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον κρίνειν ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην· τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος. Τὸ δὲ κρίνειν καὶ διορθοῦσθαι ἐν ἀγάπῃ, καὶ ἐξελέσθαι ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀδικοῦντος αὐτὸν, καὶ γενέσθαι ἀδυνάτων πατέρα, καὶ ὀφθαλμὸν ἕνα τῶν τυφλῶν, καὶ πόδα τῶν χωλῶν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, εὐσεβὲς καὶ δίκαιον μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης νουθεσίας καὶ παραινέσεως γενόμενον· καθὼς ὁ μακάριος Ἀπόστολός φησι·","english":"Conducting himself in all goodness, in all piety, in all chastity, as one who has God wholly within himself and is wholly God's, always moved and shaken by the memory of him and his commandments, both lying down and rising up, and eating and drinking and spending the day, according to what is written: I set the Lord before me continually, because he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken; and, Let all the earth fear, and let all the inhabitants of the world be shaken at him; not bearing grudges, because the ways of the grudge-bearers lead to death, and he who forgives his neighbor his sin is forgiven his sins by God. For if we do not remember the sins that others have sinned against us, neither does God remember ours, which we have sinned against him. And to judge justly in the fear of God. For judgment belongs to God; not to condemn others in their sins, that is, to despise and abhor them, and to watch for the evils of one's neighbor, and to justify oneself, and, not seeing one's own beams, but the specks of one's neighbor, that is, to bring forward the small failings of our brothers; which greatly provokes God; for it is not just to judge another's servant; for every man belongs to God. But to judge and correct in love, and to rescue the wronged from the hand of the one who wrongs him, and to become a father of the powerless, and a single eye of the blind, and a foot of the lame, according to what is said, is pious and just when done with the fitting admonition and exhortation; as the blessed Apostle says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":711,"ref":"p711","source":"Τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑμῶν· φεύγειν δὲ τὸν Χριστιανὸν τὰ αἰσχρὰ κέρδη, καὶ εἶναι μᾶλλον εὐλαβῆ καὶ ὅσιον, καὶ προσέχειν τῇ ἀναγνώσει καὶ τῇ παρακλήσει καὶ τῇ νουθεσίᾳ καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Διδάσκων καὶ νουθετῶν ἑαυτοὺς ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς, ἐν χάριτι ᾄδοντες ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ· τιμῶντες καὶ τοὺς γεγεννηκότας ἡμᾶς, ἵνα γενώμεθα μακροχρόνιοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ μὴ κακολογεῖν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα, ἀλλὰ προνοεῖσθαι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν οἰκείων τῆς πίστεως. Καὶ ὁ μὴ ἀπολιμπανόμενος τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν συλλόγων, ἤγουν τῶν κοινῶν συνάξεων καὶ εὐχῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δημοσίως ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ διδοὺς τῷ Θεῷ τὰς εὐχὰς, καὶ μὴ ἐξουδενῶν παραινέσεις σοφὰς, ἢ θεοσεβῆ διδάγματα· ἢ ἄπιστα κρίνων ἢ ἀδύνατα τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ θαύματα καὶ ἔργα, κατὰ γενεὰν ἐνεργούμενα, μὴ λογιζόμενος τοῦτο. Οὕτως ἄνθρωπος πράττων, καὶ οὕτως ἔχων τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἐν φρονήσει, τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην κληρονομήσει τοῖς ἁγίοις βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, τὴν μηδέποτε τέλος ἔχουσαν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων Ἀμήν.","english":"For three years, night and day, I did not cease with tears to admonish each one of you: that the Christian should flee shameful gain, and be rather devout and holy, and attend to reading and exhortation and admonition and teaching, according to what is said: Teaching and admonishing yourselves with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord; honoring also those who gave us birth, that we may become long-lived upon the earth, and not speaking evil of father or mother, but providing also for one's own, and especially for those of the household of the faith. And he who does not forsake the assemblies of the church, that is, the common gatherings and prayers, but also publicly before all the people gives his prayers to God, and does not despise wise counsels or God-fearing teachings; nor judges the wonders and works of God to be incredible or impossible, wrought throughout every generation, not reckoning this. A man acting thus, and thus having God in his heart, in prudence, will inherit the kingdom prepared for the saints from the foundation of the world, which never has an end; may it come to pass that we all obtain it, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]}]}