Letters of Michael Glykas

^A at the beginning of his temptation was seventy-eight years old, and having spent seven years in the affliction, he reached the age of eighty-five. And whence is this evident? From the years given to him after the affliction. For since God later gave everything to Job in double measure, of necessity He also granted him double the years of his life. Therefore, the halves of the one hundred and seventy are eighty-five. From this, then, the total years of Job are found to be two hundred and fifty-five. But if the Scripture says ^B the entire time of his life was two hundred and forty-eight years, do not be surprised; for the author did not join the seven years of his affliction to the time of his life, since he did not reckon the time of the affliction as a time of life on account of the deadening caused by the suffering. Thus, blessed Job seems to have assigned the names to his daughters in demonstration of the goods later granted to him by God; for in accordance with the reality, he applied the names to them. And the first he called Day, as if after a certain deep night from the hardships that surrounded him, a bright day had shone upon him; and the second he named ^C Cassia, as if he were already living in a certain fragrance and enjoyment of good things; and the third he called Amalthea’s Horn, as if he were henceforth overflowing with every good thing. For the ancients called abundance the "horn of Amalthea"; for it is said that there was a certain goatherd who had a goat named Amalthea, which by digging with its horn revealed a treasure to its master. And it is said, "There were not found, according to the daughters of Job, others more beautiful than they under heaven." And why this? So that by the sight of them, the memory of the suffering might be completely erased. And Job received ten children after the affliction, because he had ^D lost those ten also. If the Scripture says that Job received everything double, do not be surprised. For all other things—camels, mules, herds of sheep, and all such things—he received double according to the Scripture; for these things are all mortal and will not rise again then. But the children, it is agreed, will rise again then. Wherefore he receives only ten here after the affliction. For he will recover those others that he lost, so that from this he has twice ten children, that is to say, twenty. Rightly, then, the Scripture said that Job received everything double after the affliction. And Amram, as has been said, begets Moses, and they immediately throw him into the river, having first placed him in a crate, because of the fear of Pharaoh; for he ordered the male children of the Hebrews to be killed in order that they might not subjugate anyone through their number. But the daughter of Pharaoh, walking along the shore, and seeing the crate, commands it to be taken out.

^A Then, having learned where the child came from and how he had been thrown into the river, she takes him from that same person and gives him to be nursed. Thus, he comes to manhood. He sees a Hebrew being oppressed by an Egyptian; he does not endure it, kills the Egyptian, and hides him in the sand. After this, he sees two Hebrews arguing with one another and attempted to reconcile them. But they said to him, “Who set you up as a ruler over us? Do you wish to kill us, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” Hearing these things, therefore, and being fearful lest he be found out, Moses departs from the borders of Egypt and flees to the desert. Then he sees God, and from there he is sent to Pharaoh to lead out the people. These things the Mosaic history relates.

Josephus, however, adds these details about this matter: One of the ^B sacred scribes (for they were clever in the truth regarding future events) announces to the king that one would be born to the Israelites at that time, who would humble the sovereignty of the Egyptians, and, having been raised, would increase the Israelites, would surpass everyone in virtue, and would acquire an undying glory. The king, fearing according to that person’s counsel, orders every male born to the Hebrews to be thrown into the river and destroyed, and orders the Egyptian midwives to watch the birth-pains of the Hebrew women; for he commanded that they alone should act as midwives for them. This plan was intended for the infants born to be destroyed by them. The child, therefore, is born according to the prediction, eluding the guards because of the gentleness of the pains and because the mother did not suffer violent pangs in birth. And for three months they feed him secretly in their own home; then Amram, fearing lest it become known, ^C makes a papyrus basket of some kind, and having coated it with pitch, he places the child in it and throws him into the river. Then Thermuthis, the king’s daughter, playing by the river and seeing the basket, sends swimmers, and they bring it to her. And seeing him, she loved the child exceedingly for his size and beauty, and she worries about how he might be nursed. But he would not accept an Egyptian woman. From which point Miriam, who was present, saying that the child seeks his own kindred, encourages her to bring a Hebrew woman. Hence, his own mother is cleverly called. She gave him his name according to the occurrence; for the Egyptians call water *mo*, and *yses* are those who have been saved from the water. He was the seventh from Abraham. And when he was three years old, God raised the height of his stature in a wonderful ^D way. And no one was so unrefined that, having seen Moses, they were not struck by his beauty. From which point Thermuthis, being barren, makes him her own. Whereupon she also brings him to the king and tells him everything, and that "He will be your successor," and since he was not a child of your own

there was no one who, upon seeing Moses, did not stand amazed at the remarkable elegance of his form. Hence it happened that Thermutis, herself being barren, adopted him, brought him to the king, and explained to him the whole sentiment of her mind, namely, that this man would be the king's successor, seeing as he had no son born of his own. And having said these things, she placed the infant into the hands of her father, who presently adorned him with the royal diadem. ^A Then Moses, with a certain childish simplicity, pulled it from his head and trampled it with his feet. Having seen this, that man, most learned in the Sacred Letters, rushed to kill the infant, and exhorted Pharaoh that this should be done entirely. But Thermutis anticipated him and spirited Moses away. From that time he was being educated most excellently, and his virtue became known even to the Egyptians themselves, who, when they saw that the Ethiopians were at some time undertaking an expedition against them, they also opposed their camps to the hostile camps. Since not a few were falling on both sides, it was suggested to the king by a certain divine instinct that he should grant Moses to his own people as a leader and commander. Moses allowed this duty to be imposed upon himself, and led his forces against the Ethiopian enemy; and because he was about to traverse a certain desert ground, in which there was a great abundance of harmful reptiles, he devised a certain remarkable thing. He saw to it that some round baskets were made, and having thrown ibises into them, he carried them with him; for ibises are most hostile to serpents, which indeed flee when they approach, and if they resist, they are swallowed up just as if [they were] by stags. And the ibises are entirely tame and gentle, and rave savagely only against the genus of serpents. With their help, therefore, Moses traversed the otherwise inaccessible land; he joined battle with the Ethiopians, who were living on a certain island [that was] difficult of access because it was closed off by rivers flowing around it on all sides. Then Tharbis, the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians, who saw Moses fighting most valiantly, was captured by a vehement love for him, and sent her most faithful servants to him for the sake of indicating the affection of her mind; at the same time, mention having been made of marriage, she promised the betrayal of the city. ^B Moses assented to these demands of hers; the nuptials were celebrated, the Ethiopians were killed, and the Egyptians were led back to their ancestral soil. From that time Moses was exposed to envy, the Egyptians fearing lest he should at some time stir up new things against them as well. These things having been observed, Moses withdrew himself, and having learned that the ways and journeys were being obstructed everywhere by guards, he consulted for his own safety by instituting a flight through the wilderness. Thence he arrived at the well where the daughters of Raguel were watering their father's flock. Presently, the things which Moses had done were reported to Raguel—who he was, and in what manner he had not hesitated to succor the daughters of the man himself. Moved by these things, he took Moses as his son-in-law. Moses, affected by such benefits from Jothor (for that was the cognomen of Raguel), lived with him and grazed the father-in-law's flock. And when he was leading it around near Mount Sinai, God [was seen] by him [as he was] ^C

"κτῆνος, καὶ τελευτῶν αὐτίκα οἱ βάτραχοι, κἂν ὁ Φαραὼ θεασάμενος ὅτι γέγονεν ἄνεσις, ἐπαίρεται καὶ πάλιν εἶναι σκληρός. ^B Τρίτη δὲ πληγὴ ἡ τῶν σκινιφῶν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν Αἰγύπτου γένεσις. Ὁ γὰρ Κύριος εἶπε πρὸς Μωσέα · « Εἰπὸν Ἀαρὼν, ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ πάταξον τῇ βακτηρίᾳ τὸν χοῦν τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται σκινίφες ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἐν τοῖς τετράποσιν. » Ἐποίησε δὲ ταὐτὰ Ἀαρών, καὶ οἱ ἐπαοιδοὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν, καὶ εἶπον · « Δάκτυλος Θεοῦ ἐστι τοῦτο. » Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἀσθενῆ τὰ τῶν μάγων, καὶ ἀδυνατοῦντα πρὸς τὰ θεῖα καὶ ἄκτιστα; Τετάρτη δὲ πληγὴ ἡ τῶν κυνυμιῶν. « Κἀγὼ , φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, παταξω ἐν σοὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς θεράπουσί σου καὶ ἐν τῷ λαῷ σου κυνυμιὰν. » Ἐπισημήνασθαι δὲ δεῖ, ὅτι ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πληγῇ διεχώρισε ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν Γεσὲμ, ἐν ᾗ ἦσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραήλ, ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἵνα μὴ ἐκείνοις συμπαθῶσι τῆς πληγῆς οἱ Ἰσραηλῖται. Πέμπτη δὲ πληγὴ ὁ θάνατος τῶν κτηνῶν Αἰγυπτίων. « Ἰδοὺ , φησὶν, ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τὰ κτήνη τὰ ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις, καὶ ἔσται θάνατος μέγας σφόδρα. » Ἕκτη δὲ πληγὴ τὰ ἐλκή. « Λάβετε, φησὶν, ὑμῖν πλήρη τὰς χεῖρας αἰθάλης καμιναίας, καὶ πασπάσει αὐτὴν Μωσῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐναντίον Φαραὼ, καὶ ἔσται κονιορτὸς ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ κτήνη ἕλκη φλυκτίδες ἀναζέουσαι. » Ἑβδόμη δὲ πληγὴ ἡ τῆς χαλάζης καὶ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐπιφορὰ, καὶ ὅτι τῇ χαλάζῃ πῦρ ἐμίγνυτο. Ὀγδόη δὲ πληγὴ ἡ τῶν ἀκρίδων ἐπίθεσις. Ἔνατη δὲ πληγὴ τὸ σκότος τὸ ψηλαφητόν. Δεκάτη δὲ πληγὴ ὁ θάνατος τῶν πρωτοτόκων Αἰγυπτίων.

ΤΜΗΜΑ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΝ

PARS II.

AB ADAMO USQUE AD CÆSARIS IMPERIUM.

PART II

FROM ADAM UNTO THE EMPIRE OF CÆSAR

^A God’s Moses, and the frogs die immediately, even though Pharaoh, seeing that there was a respite, remained in his former disobedience. The third plague is the producing of lice from the dust. For it says: "Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, exactly as the Lord spoke, and he struck the dust of the earth, and the lice came to be upon both men and upon four-footed animals." Know therefore that the creature of the lice, even if it is very small, is nevertheless most troublesome; for it not only ruins the surface of the skin, causing unpleasant itching with its unseen bites, but it also forces its way into the interior through the nostrils and ears. In addition to these things, it also harms the pupils of the eyes by flying into them. Likewise, the enchanters of the Egyptians also tried to bring forth the louse, and they could not. Therefore they said to Pharaoh that this is the finger of God. The fourth plague is through the dog-fly. For as it says, "The Lord acted, and the dog-fly came in a multitude into the houses of Pharaoh and into all the land of Egypt. And the land was grievously destroyed by the dog-fly." For this creature indeed grows into bodies through its bite. When you hear "dog-fly," understand the audacity of the animal; for flying in like an arrow, it was stinging only the Egyptians. And the Scripture, indicating this, says literally: "And I will distinguish the land of Gesem, upon which my people are, upon which the dog-fly is not there, so that you may see that I am the Lord thy God of all the earth. And I will make a distinction between my people and between your people." Moses therefore prays to God concerning these things, and he took away the dog-fly from Pharaoh, but he did not wish to send them away. The fifth plague is the destruction of four-footed animals. "For behold," says Moses to Pharaoh, "the hand of the Lord is upon all your cattle, and there is a very great death. And the Lord did this word, and all the cattle of the Egyptians died, but of the cattle of the children of Israel not even one died." The heart of Pharaoh was therefore hardened, and he did not send away the people. The sixth plague is the infliction of blisters, as it says: "The Lord spoke and Moses took the soot of the furnace before Pharaoh, and he cast it up to heaven. And there became ulcers, blisters boiling up on both men and four-footed animals, and the sorcerers could not stand before Moses because of the ulcers. And the Lord said to Moses: Rise up early, and say to Pharaoh: Unless..."

thou let my people go, I will put forth my hand and smite thee, and I will slay thy people. And for this cause thou hast been kept, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared in all the earth. ^B The seventh plague was that of hail and fire. For the Lord rained hail upon all the land of Egypt, and the fire ran along upon the ground. And the hail smote all that was in the field, from man even to beasts. But in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail. ^C And so Moses prays again to God according to the word of Pharaoh, and the noises and the hail ceased. Know, however, that the Egyptians were struck with terror not only by the extraordinary descent of hail along with fire, but also by the strangeness of the phenomenon itself; for Egypt does not experience winter, because it is not far from the torrid zone; for the fiery heat flowing secretly from thence is wont to make everything in the surrounding region mild. The eighth plague was that of the locusts. For Moses lifted up his rod toward heaven; and the Lord brought in a south wind all that day and all that night, and it took up the locusts, and brought them upon all the land of Egypt. Whereupon Pharaoh said to God: I have sinned. Then Moses prays again to God, and he brings out a wind from the sea, and cast all the locusts into the Red Sea. Concerning these, David also says thus: He spake, and the locust came, and the bruchus, of which there was no number. ^D Now the bruchus is the newly-born and wingless locust. The ninth plague was that of the palpable darkness. For Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was darkness and gloom and a tempest upon all the land of Egypt for three days. No one saw his brother, and no one rose from his bed for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in all their dwellings. For because they had left the Creator and were worshipping the creatures, through the creatures He most justly chastised them. For because of this, while other regions were shining with light, Egypt alone was surrounded by the palpable darkness. For indeed, when an Egyptian was constrained to go out for some necessary reason, he could not find the door, even though he felt about much. The tenth plague was the death of the firstborn. This plague was the last in order of time, but in power and in the pain it caused, as David also says, it was the beginning and the first of all. For about the middle of the night, and without sickness, their children were being slain. And rising in the morning, and seeing their most beloved dead, and being no longer able to hold

themselves back, they cried out to Pharaoh, at which point he also released the people, albeit against his will.

But regarding these things, beloved, do not resist, nor say, "If God hardens the heart of Pharaoh, why does He blame him for being hardened?" Know that the delay of the scourges was the cause of the hardening for him, as the great Basil says. For He did not take his heart when it was yielding and obedient to His commands and turn it toward being hard and disobedient. By His longsuffering, therefore, He caused it to become hardened all the more. For observe how, whenever He brought the plagues upon him, he promised to release the people, but when He released him from the torments, he was hardened. The Scripture also indicating this said: "But Pharaoh seeing that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and did not hear them." But also when God Himself says: "For this very reason I raised you up, so that I might show my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Do not say, with irritation, "For the sake of your own reputation, do you punish a man?" Dismiss these thoughts, and attend to this example. The art of medicine, striving to do something beneficial for human nature, used to dissect living men. But this was itself unjust, that for the salvation of others, living men were sacrificed. What, then, did the ancients do? Taking the one condemned to suffer death because of robbery or sorcery, they would cut him open while alive, neither wronging the one being punished nor failing to discover an aid to human nature. They cut into him while alive, then, so that while the innards were still quivering, they might ascertain their activity. Thus, then, even the master-craftsman God shows great signs through the incurably sinful Pharaoh, both punishing the one worthy of punishment and bestowing the most excellent healing upon those who came after, providing that one's punishment as a cause of salvation for them. And concerning these matters, so be it.

^C After the tenth plague, the Hebrews sacrifice the lamb and thus depart from Egypt on the fourteenth day of the moon. Wherefore even now, according to custom, they still sacrifice in this way, calling the feast "Pascha," which signifies "passing over." But as Josephus says, it is because on that evening God, passing over them, cast the plague upon the Egyptians. The Hebrews then, fleeing and having no abundance of supplies from the land because of the wilderness, were nourished by bread made of flour mixed and set only by a slight heat from them. And they used these for thirty days; for they did not suffice for a longer time.

barley. Then, the earth in Mesopotamia having split open, a mule came forth, signaling an incursion of enemies with a human voice. At that time, a certain eunuch named Nicetas, who held the highest position under Copronymus and knew nothing other than eating and drinking, was ordained patriarch. Once, while reading the Gospel in his cell, instead of saying “according to Matthew,” he uttered “according to Matthaion.” Whereupon one of those standing by said, “Do not divide the diphthong ‘ai.’” To him he replied with anger, “You are talking nonsense; my soul hates many diphthongs and triphthongs!” ^B The tyrant, returning from an expedition, developed gangrene in his legs, and died near the Strougylon, seized by a violent fever, saying only this at the end: “Living, I am delivered to unquenchable fire because of Mary; but from now on, let her be honored.” Know, beloved, that having searched many times for why he was called Copronymus, we found nothing other than this: there is a region called Kabala. Those who originated from there were naturally called Kabalinoi. He himself had his birth from there, and since by a certain custom dung is called kabalina, that basest of men was justly nicknamed Copronymus, as though he were carrying the name of dung within himself.

After him, his son Leo, from the Chazar, ruled for 5 years, being pious at the beginning. Afterward, he wore the ecclesiastical crown, from which he died, having been incinerated as if by a violent fever. At that time, that dog also existed which recognized the murderer of its master as he entered a tavern to drink wine. For after the murder of its master, the dog became a wayfarer accompanying a certain evildoer. The murderer, having chanced to enter there, was recognized ^C by the dog, and the dog barked at him so much that it caused suspicion about him. The murderer was subsequently held, brought before the magistrate, examined strictly, confessed against his will, and was finally executed as an evildoer.

After him, his son Constantine, with his mother Irene, ruled for 17 years, by whom piety was strengthened and monasteries were expanded. At that time also, someone excavating in Thrace found a sarcophagus on which was written: “Christ is about to be born of Mary the Virgin, and I believe in Him. In the time of Constantine and Irene, the pious emperors, you shall see me again, O sun.” This Irene, co-reigning with her son Constantine, and not bearing what was being done by him (for he had caused her to fall from power, although he repented and brought her back to the palace, and he cast out his own wife, who was chaste and very good, and introduced the union of another woman), for this reason blinded him while he was sleeping, so that from that time the sun did not give forth its pure rays for many days. But Empress Irene, having felt remorse for what she had done, ^D and wishing to wash herself clean of the hatred, emptied the treasures of wealth into the city and resolved its debts. Nevertheless, the all-seeing eye did not slumber; for, having tasted the pleasure of power for a brief time, she drank a cup that tasted of wormwood. For one of the senators, by the name of Nicephorus, a patrician by title from the generals, rose up and dishonorably displaced her from the kingdom.

This Nicephorus, therefore, ruled for 9 years, a man most murderous, a slave to gold, another Midas in every sense, making the offices available to those who would buy them. He seemed gloomy to everyone, but when they brought him gold, he appeared very charming. But he also imposed a heavy burden on the Byzantines, and because of the aging walls, he ordered the collection of the so-called “dikeron.” In addition to these things, the arrears owed to the army also prevailed. At that time, the relic of Saint Euphemia, which had been cast into the sea by Copronymus, was recovered on the island of Lesbos. And concerning these matters, thus it is. But Zonaras...

^A And the great Basil says these things concerning Moses: that he is the one testified to be handsome before God, even when he was an infant at the breast; whom the daughter of Pharaoh adopted and reared in the royal manner, having set over him the wise teachers of the Egyptians for his instruction; who, having despised the burden of tyranny and having returned to the lowliness of his own kindred, chose to suffer affliction with the people of God; he who was driven into exile by those toward whom he had acted well, and from there arrived in Ethiopia, and there spent his entire leisure from other things, and for forty whole years busied himself in the contemplation of beings; he who, having already reached his eightieth year, saw God as it is possible for a human to see, or rather as no other was privileged to, according to the testimony of God Himself: «If there shall be a prophet of yours to the Lord, I will be known to him in a vision and I will speak to him in a dream; not so as my servant Moses, who is faithful in all my house; mouth to mouth I will speak to him, in appearance and not in riddles.» ^B And after these things he is sent to Pharaoh for the sake of leading the people out from there. Having arrived, therefore, in Egypt, he took his wife and his children, and he entered. For this reason an angel also appears, frightening him; for he was not being sent there to live, but to lead out Israel. Which he himself, perceiving, sends away his wife. And it is clear from Jethro meeting him as he was coming out with his wife. However, he subjects Pharaoh, who was not persuaded to return the people, to unbearable scourges.

And why on earth did God permit the sorcerers to do the same things as Moses? So that the difference between falsehood and truth might be shown. For they, too, were changing their rods into serpents, but the rod of Moses swallowed the rods of those men. They also changed the water into blood, but they did not have the power to recall the water to its former nature. And they brought forth frogs, but they could not rid the houses of the Egyptians of them. ^D And while they were permitted to afflict the Egyptians, they were no longer permitted to stop the punishment. Rather, [God] brought the boils upon their own bodies as well, so that it might be manifest from this that not only are they unable to restrain the divinely-sent wraths, but they are also punished together with the others. Whence the magicians even said that the signs were happening by the finger of God. Let no one, therefore, marvel if the Antichrist, when he comes, performs signs and wonders; for even those magicians, both Zambres and Jannes, were changing rods into serpents. But Simon the magician also used to make statues walk, and by rolling into fire he was not burned, and he flew into the air, and he made bread out of stones; he changed form, he became double-faced, he was turned into gold, doors

^A in his chronological work says these things concerning this matter. Two accounts are circulated: for the one says that Saint Euphemia was delivered to the fire by Copronymus, even if he failed in his hope (for another body was burned in her stead), while the other says that she was cast into the depths and, by divine grace, was recovered near the island of Lesbos. At that time, while Nicephorus was thus managing the affairs of the empire badly, there was a tumultuous uproar among the people and much sedition. At that time, too, they compelled Bardanes the commander to don the imperial power. Whereupon, fearing the uncertainty of fortune, he approached a certain seer to learn his future, and indeed he learned unerringly everything that would come to pass. However, divine justice pursued Nicephorus because he had sent the great Theodore the Studite into exile, despite the latter speaking on behalf of justice and the canons; for having campaigned against the Bulgarians, he fell in the war and was beheaded. He left the scepter to his son Stauracius. But Stauracius also was quickly removed from the midst, having been wounded by a spear in this same battle, having reigned for two months. After him, Michael Rangabe reigned, ^B the son-in-law of Nicephorus through his daughter Procopia, for four years and nine months, a man worthy of the empire; for besides other things, he also restored those saints who were in exile. Scylitzes, however, makes this Michael the beginning of his own chronological work. The aforementioned Bardanes, ^C when he approached the seer monk at Philomelium, had as his companions Leo the Armenian, Michael the Stammerer, and a certain Thomas. And Bardanes, according to the monk's prediction, was blinded because he aspired to tyranny, while Leo later and Michael became masters of the empire. However, the loss of the empire by Michael Rangabe happened in this way. There was a certain household slave girl belonging to Michael; she would be seized by fits of madness at the time of the lunar conjunctions. Whenever she was held by the spell, she would go to the Boukoleon and cry out loudly to the emperor, "Come down, come down; depart from what is alien!" This happened many times. The emperor was astounded. He consulted about this with a certain kinsman of his named Theodotus. And he, as soon as the girl became possessed by the demon, questioned it and learned to whom the palace belonged and what its signs were. And it was Leo the Armenian. Much time in the middle passed, and the Armenian, being a general, was sent by Michael to the East. Then the military revolted and rose up against Michael. Finally, he donned the hairshirt and willingly stepped aside from the empire.

that were closed, he caused to open of themselves; he caused domestic vessels to appear as if carried of themselves for service; he caused many shadows to go before him, which he claimed were the souls of the dead. Being sought once by the Caesar and becoming afraid, he fled, having cast his own form onto another. But if this man accomplishes such and so many things by the cooperation of Satan, he will have nothing new at all for the time of the consummation, having found an instrument even more suitable than Simon himself—namely, the Antichrist—and through him he will perform greater signs and wonders. For the Apostle himself discusses this very thing regarding the Antichrist, saying, "whose coming will be according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders." ^B

Pharaoh, then, is subjected to ten plagues. For what reason, then? Because the number ten is perfect. Therefore, he who has sinned perfectly is also punished perfectly. For after the death of Joseph and of the Pharaoh who ruled over the Egyptians, another ruler arose for the Egyptians, and one who was very bitter, and he too was called Pharaoh. For just as the kings of the Romans wished to call themselves Caesars, as if acquiring for themselves the glory of the one who had been sole ruler, Julius Caesar, so too the rulers of the Egyptians wished to be called Pharaohs from that first Pharaoh.

Concerning the Decalogue to Moses

1. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. There shall be no other gods for you besides me. You shall not make for yourself an idol nor any likeness of all that is in the heaven above, and all that is on the earth below. You shall not worship them, nor shall you serve them. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."

2. "Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you because of them. And pray to inherit the prayer of your father and your mother, and you shall be long-lived in your old age."

3. "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not act lewdly, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not make a slander against your neighbor." ^C

4. "You shall not desire your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his field, nor his oxen, nor his beast of burden, nor any of his creation, nor all things that are your neighbor's."

5. "Remember the seventh day of the Sabbath to keep it holy. Six days you shall do all your work. But on the day of the Sabbath you shall do nothing, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your maidservant, nor your beast of burden, nor your ox, nor the stranger who dwells in your house, nor your bondman; but all shall rest in your house; and you shall go to the holy place, and learn the law and the commandments, and you shall be blessed by the priest, and [receive] ransom."

6. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, and you shall say to them: A man who curses his God shall receive a great sin. Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death; all the congregation of the children of Israel shall stone him with a stone, whether he be a stranger or a native."

7. "From the presence of a gray head you shall rise, and you shall honor the person of an elder, and you shall fear the Lord your God." ^D

8. "If a man strikes his father or his mother, let him be put to death. For fathers shall not be put to death for [the sins of] their children, and children [shall not be put to death] for their fathers. Each shall die for his own sin. And whoever insults his father or his mother, let him be put to death; for he is a murderer."

9. "You shall not receive a vain report. You shall not join with a lawless man to be an unjust witness. You shall not be with the many in wickedness."

10. "You shall not have pity on a poor man in judgment. You shall not pervert the judgment of a poor man in his cause. From every unjust word you shall withdraw. You shall not kill the innocent and the righteous, and you shall not justify the wicked for the sake of bribes. For bribes blind the eyes of those who see, and pervert just causes. You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not show partiality to a poor man, nor shall you respect the person of a powerful man. In justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not walk with guile among your people, and the earth shall be shaken by the blood of your neighbor."

534 Being sent into exile, he stood upright and would offer a greeting to someone. Having been asked what this meant, and to whom he was offering the greeting, he would say it was to Theophanes the Confessor, the abbot of the Field, because he welcomed us with candles and incense. Upon these things, Leo, reflecting on the monk’s prediction regarding himself, kept Michael in bonds, since such a man was even more bold and shameless. Wherefore, a vote was taken by the senate for Michael to become fodder for the fire. This would have indeed come to pass, had the Augusta not prevented such a thing, perhaps putting forward as intercession the holy birth of Christ which was present at that time. Leo, however, being terrified by dreams and oracles and other such things, hastened his execution; but he also said to his spouse, “Michael is already being finished off because of you, and you and those from you will soon know why.” Not long after, Michael, emboldened by the prediction of the aforementioned monk, plotted an ambush against Leo, having revealed this even to Pappias, who was guarding him. Thus it was that by night he brought in armed soldiers together with the chanters. And Michael was raised to the imperial throne, though his feet were held by an iron shackle; but Leo, who had fled to the holy church, he cut down mercilessly with swords. Therefore, after Leo, the stammering Michael reigned for 8 years, he who originated from Amorium and was impious, yet he did not force the pious to be impious. Upon this, the saints were released at that time, and the great Theodore was brought back from his exile; for the Armenian had forestalled him by exiling him and doing many evils, inasmuch as he defended the holy icons. During the reign of this Michael, a certain Thomas, having gathered a heavy force from the East and the West, and having made not a few triremes, campaigned against the Queen of Cities. So great was his power that he reached the extent of breaking the chain that was suspended on the acropolis and went towards Blachernae. For three whole years, then, the matters of the war were beaten out. Then Thomas was defeated, fled, and came to Adrianople. He was kept under watch there in a circle by Michael for a sufficient time. He gave up, even though unwilling; he was seized, his hands and feet were cut off, he was set upon a donkey, saying only this: “Have mercy on me, O true emperor.” After Michael, his son Theophilus reigned for 12 years and 3 months. At that time, he made a selection of maidens, one of whom was Kasia, whom he sent away because of her answer full of wisdom; for having offered her an apple, as if he had fallen in love on account of her beauty, and saying, “From a woman flowed the base things,” he heard from her that from a woman also flowed the better things. Wherefore he took the Paphlagonian Theodora as his wife. Every week he would ride on horseback through the market to the church in Blachernae; for even if he did not pay honor to the holy icons, he kept his faith to the Savior and the Theotokos herself, as he used to say. He would also inquire about the goods for sale in the market, and if they were being sold for a high price, he would become angry at the Eparch. To him came a woman wronged by Petronas, the kinsman of the Augusta; for by raising a certain dwelling, he was harming her who was his neighbor. Petronas had indeed been spoken to, but he did not rectify it. Wherefore he was punished severely, and the dwelling having been torn down, all the material was given to the woman. When, having looked out, he saw the Empress’s cargo ship, he ordered it to be committed to the flames, saying, “The Lord having shown me to be emperor, you are forcing me to be a shipmaster? Besides, if we are hastening to acquire for ourselves things from commerce along with the royal prosperity, from where would private citizens procure the things for life?” So magnificent an emperor was Theophilus that he even fashioned some marvelous devices. For spirit, sent up from there in a certain mechanism, would echo music

^A

Regarding the Law and the Desert Journey of the Israelites

He was occupied with the promulgation of the law to the people. Therefore he ascends the mount of Sinai. There he passes eighty days, as Georgius has recorded, abstaining from food. For he ascended the mountain twice—the second time when he had broken the tablets he had previously received from God, having been angered justifiably against those who had made the calf. Having descended from the mount to see the people acting lawlessly, how could he have partaken of food, unless he had immediately ascended again and propitiated God? On account of which it became necessary for him to fast for eighty days—for he ascended the mountain twice, since he had smashed the first tablets, judging that impious and lawless people unworthy of them.

Such are the views of Georgius, and this is his mode of reasoning. But I do not know if the actual events transpired just as he has supposed. For if this were the case, Moses would not have said in Deuteronomy, "Forty days I did not eat bread and did not drink water." He ascended the mountain twice, indeed, and he fasted twice; but in the days between these, he appears to have eaten bread and drunk water. For if this were not so, he would have said in Deuteronomy that he fasted eighty days, not forty, which is the number expressed there.

And this opinion of ours is supported by the golden orator. For ^B in his discourse on the beginning and entrance of the holy Quadragesima, he says the following: "For lest it be thought that the Lord assumed flesh by mere appearance, He fasted for forty days, equal to Moses and Elijah, and no more." For if Moses had managed to fast for eighty days, as Georgius says, without touching food in any way during those days, golden-mouthed John would by no means have said that the Lord fasted an equal number of days to Moses.

Besides these things, you ought to know that even if someone commits a sin for the sake of some perceived benefit, he is not therefore guiltless. For Aaron, who carved the calf for the people in order to keep them in check, was not entirely worthy of pardon; on account of which he needed divine philanthropy to escape punishment. And Moses, manifesting this, said: "I prayed to the Lord for Aaron my brother, and he did not die." This man, who was granted the vision of God face to face, equally as the angels, as the great [Basil] says. ^C

These things and many others God ordained for Moses. And Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights. But the people gathered and sacrificed to the calf, which Aaron had made by smelting.

Amalek. And after these things, Amalek came with thousands and myriads to join battle with the Hebrews, who were under arms. Moses went up the mountain and stretched forth his hands in prayer. And when Moses lifted his hands on the mount, he would rout Amalek. But when he grew weary and lowered them, Amalek would rout the Jews. ^D Upon these things, notice that Aaron and Hur, having paid attention to this, entered, one on the right and the other on the left; and they supported the hands of Moses aloft, and thus, in the end, Amalek perished. And the saying of David was fulfilled: "The sinner is caught in the works of his own hands." And when the Jews had reached the desert of Kadesh, the serpents were devouring them, and they were dying. Then Moses, having fixed the bronze serpent crosswise on high, the serpents that were biting ceased; but also, as many as were bitten by the serpents, by looking intently upon the bronze serpent, were delivered from death.

^A Basil, by reason of the contradiction at the water, is commanded to go up into the mountain of Abarim, which was also called Nabo, and to see the land of promise, and thus to end his life there. For God does not allow his death to be made known, that those who had worshipped the calf might not take his bones and declare them to be divine. Yet, that this most divine man Moses was buried by holy angels, the great Epiphanius says. For even if the devil stood by at that time—as ^B Judas says in his catholic epistle—seeking after him as a murderer and as one who died in contradiction, yet the archangel Michael withstands him and says to him, "The Lord rebuke thee." If these things are so, where shall we place the things of Josephus, or how shall we accept them? Nevertheless, these things must be added to what has been said above for the sake of elucidation. For he brings forward Moses, at the time of his death, speaking these very words to the people: "Fellow soldiers, since it has already seemed good to God, and by reason of old age, one hundred and twenty-five ^C years having been completed, I must depart from life, I suggest to you even now the things that are necessary; I myself depart rejoicing in your good things." And as he went to where he was about to disappear, all went weeping. As he was embracing both Eleazar and Joshua and speaking with them, still on the mountain of Abarim, a cloud suddenly stood over him, and he vanishes down into some ravine. And Josephus, at times, thus appears to be mythologizing. But Moses, at his end, lays his hands upon Joshua the son of Nun, even though it had been testified beforehand that he had the Holy Spirit. From ^D which, indeed, custom has prevailed that the high priests lay hands upon those being ordained, and so they partake of divine grace; for He says, "And thou shalt lay thy hands upon him." When this Joshua was fighting for the Gibeonites (for some made war against them as if they had defected to Joshua), a miracle occurred regarding the sun in the midst of the heavens; for it stood still from its forward motion for the space of an entire day. But if you, like others, are gripped by the dilemma of why the generation of the Hebrews, exiting from Egypt, wandered forty years in the wilderness, hear: for in the book of Numbers the cause is clearly set before you. When those sent by Moses for the reconnaissance of the land of the Canaanites returned and intimidated the people to such an extent that they even murmured much against God, apart from Caleb and Joshua, God said: "Ye shall not enter into the land for which I stretched out my hand, but Caleb and Joshua the son of Nun, and the children whom ye said would be for plunder. But your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be grazing...

^A in the wilderness for forty years, and they shall finish your journey until your bones be consumed in the wilderness, according to the number of the days in which ye searched the land, forty days; and ye shall know my wrath." For together with other things, the scouts brought forth this also for the corruption of the people: "There we saw the generation of Enaq, men of surpassing height, giants, in whose presence we were as locusts." They even brought back from there a cluster of grapes of such size that it had to be carried on poles. That the Israelites, being chastised according to divine wrath, spent such a long time in the wilderness, the great Cyril also testifies in his words, in that book which he inscribed *On Worship in Spirit*, stating: Because the Israelites offended God with their roaring, they wandered through the wilderness for forty years. For God confirmed with an oath that He would not bring them into the Land of Promise. And David set forth this oath of God, saying: "I swore in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest." The limit of this wrath was defined by as many years as were explained above; and when those had elapsed, it was entirely extinguished. Then their children crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land, that divine indignation not exceeding the fortieth year. There was also a figure of this in that those who had sinned received a number of stripes. For after that number, the time of liberation succeeds, which carries with it the mystical crossing of the Jordan; for they also crossed the Jordan after forty years. Now this Joshua the son of Nun was previously called Auses, but after he had returned from the spying he was renamed by Moses. To this Joshua, indeed, after the forty years ^B which the people spent in the wilderness, God said: "Circumcise the people with stone knives, and thus cross the Jordan." For Moses was not permitted to cross, although he asked God many things about this. For after he had spoken the words of the poem to the people, God said to him: "Go up into Mount Abarim. This is Mount Nabo, over against Jericho. And behold the land of Canaan, and die, in the same manner as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor, because ye were disobedient to my word at the waters of contradiction." That he begged God to cross the Jordan, he himself indicated when he said: "And the Lord looked down upon me for your sakes, and did not hear me; and the Lord said to me: Let it suffice thee, speak no more to me of this matter. Go up into the mount, and see with thine eyes, for thou shalt not cross this Jordan." And why was it that, because of a small transgression, Moses was ordered to see the land from afar, but was forbidden to lead the people in? The Master teaches us through these things that He requires extreme precision from those who are perfect in virtue—for as the Wisdom of Solomon says ^C, "The least one is deemed worthy of mercy, but the mighty shall be mightily tested."

^D That the transgression of Moses was deemed great, God himself revealed by saying: "Go up and die, because you disobeyed my word at the waters of contention." All these things were caused by distress. For the Jews, rising up against the divine Moses when he was despondent over the death of Miriam, and pressing him on account of the water, as is written in the Book of Numbers, forced him to utter that dubious voice. Therefore, set aside the accounts of Josephus, for they appear to contradict the Holy Scriptures in everything; for he died because of divine wrath, not because of old age, as that man claims. That it was because God was angry at the spies that the people spent forty years in the desert is also clearly shown in Deuteronomy. For when Moses spoke his final words to the people, he said, among other things: "We came even before to cross over and inherit the land of Canaan; but those perverse spies and the murmuring of the people caused them to wander in the desert." He said these things to them upon his second return, that is, when the forty years were completed. Pay attention, then; for it is evident from this that if it were not for the divine wrath arising from the perversity of the spies, they would have passed through the desert in a short time and crossed the Jordan. Therefore, walking through the desert for forty years, they ate manna, an unsown and unplowed food. For God rained it down every day, with the exception of the Sabbath, teaching them from this as well to do nothing on the Sabbath. For this reason, the manna that came down on Preparation Day was double, so that they might have food even on the Sabbath. If someone on a second or third day took from the manna and kept some for the following day, it was necessarily seen to be corrupted. For what reason? Because it was a transgression of the law. Teaching them to live a life free from anxieties, He promised to provide them with necessary food each day. But they, disbelieving, kept a portion of what was collected for the next day. This is why it stank. For that this condition was not of the nature of the manna is witnessed by the Sabbath, on which that which was collected and kept on account of it on the Preparation Day was preserved uncorrupted. It is also witnessed by that which was preserved for many generations in the ark. This manna was collected only in the morning; for when the sun rose, it would melt. This manna, however—as the most divine Nyssen says, taking his cues from the Wisdom of Solomon—was uniform, but the quality of the desire [was what arose in them...].

rendered it manifold, so that it tasted to each person according to the nature of his longing. Thus, too, the bread that descended from heaven, that is, the intelligible manna, is accustomed to be disposed according to the disposition of each person’s soul. This manna had the appearance of coriander, and they say its entire nature has the quality of a seed, so that even when it is broken down, its power to be sown does not disappear. Thus, too, the divine and spiritual manna, though scattered and distributed everywhere, is found whole and entire in every part. And why need I say much? Just as when that manna came down from above, the race of the Hebrews, being utterly astonished, said, "What is this?" ^B so too, concerning this intelligible manna, the bread of life—the Only-begotten Son of God himself, who descended from heaven and was seen upon earth—all were struck with amazement and said, "What is this? How did the Son of God descend to the earth? How did he wear flesh? How did he become a man?" And so much for these things.

After the death of Moses, God said to Joshua: "Moses my servant is dead; now, therefore, arise and cross the Jordan, you, and all this people." And when the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan heard that the Lord God had dried up the river Jordan, their minds were melted away, and there was no prudence left in them before the face of the children of Israel. And they suffered something similar to that which Jacob experienced ^C from joy, when he had gone down into Egypt and beheld Joseph; for from joy there comes a dilation, while from fear there comes a contraction of the power that gives us life, and in one way or another, death sometimes necessarily follows. After crossing over, they took Jericho without weapons, and for this reason they devoted it, that is, they consecrated it to God. But Achar, the son of Charmi, took a garment and a mass of gold from the things devoted to the Lord, and stirred God to anger. Joshua, therefore, having besought God and learned the cause of the wrath, buried him and his entire household with stones. In this war against Jericho, the Sabbath began to be broken; for they circled it for seven days with trumpets, ^D within which period the Sabbath was necessarily included. And when Joshua was fighting against the five kings, as has been mentioned above, the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not proceed towards the west until the end of one day. And Israel took all the possessions of the Canaanites in war, because it was done through the Lord. But also Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, destroyed the three sons of Enak, Sousi, Tholmi, and Schiman. These, too, were giants and very tall; for if this were not so, they would not have named them the sons of Enak.

^A You must know that the first law written among the Hebrews in Exodus is this: "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, nor any representation of whatever is in the heaven above or in the earth below." There is no tautology here in "idol" and "representation," for the "representation" is an image of something—whether of a land animal, or a sea creature, or a bird—but the "idol," according to the exegesis of Origen, is a baseless mental construct, such as the cynocephalus worshipped by the Egyptians or the hippocentaur among the Greeks. Thus, you should also know in this place that the first law was written among the Hebrews in that book which is about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt; and these are the first words of the law: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol, nor an image of anything whatsoever that exists either above in heaven or below on earth." There is no inept repetition of the same thing here; for "idol" and "image" do not mean the same thing, since an image is [the likeness] of either a terrestrial, marine, or flying animal, but an idol, according to Origen's opinion and explanation, is a mental concept that exists, such as that imaginary construct, the cynocephalus, which was worshipped among the Egyptians, or the Hippocentaur of the Greeks.

^B After Jesus the son of Nave, the people were governed by judges. The first of them was Judas, who overcame Adonibezec and cut off his hands and feet, he being a king of the Gentiles. For the Canaanites, after the death of Jesus, emboldened to overcome the Jews, entrusted the leadership to Adonibezec and marched against them. But they were disappointed in their purpose; for not a few of them were killed, and Adonibezec himself was captured. Being mutilated in his hands and feet, he said: "Seventy kings with their hands and feet cut off used to gather [scraps] under my table. As I have done, so God has requited me."

^C Also, Barach, along with Debbora the prophetess, judged Israel for forty years. Debbora was a prophetess. When she saw the Jews wishing to withdraw because of the multitude of Canaanites marching against them, she checked them and persuaded them to engage the enemy; and from this they killed many of them. For a heavy winter storm occurred which injured the Canaanites in the greatest measure, but did not hurt the Jews at all. Then Sisara, seeing the rout that had occurred, leaped from his chariot and fled to a certain woman named Jahel to be saved by her. Sisara, having asked for a drink, she gave him milk that was already spoiled. And having drunk more than enough, he fell into a deep sleep. Then indeed, Jahel killed him by driving a tent-peg through his temples. ^D And thus the victory fell to them according to the prophecy of Debbora. Therefore, Scripture rightly called Sousi, Tholmi, and Schiman the sons of Enak, giants. [alt-version omitted]

who, by reason of the size of their bodies and forms in no way resembling other men, were a wonder to behold and a terrible tale to hear. And even now the bones of these men are shown, which pass belief. At their age, namely that of Barach and Debbora, the wisest men among the Greeks, Prometheus and Orpheus of Thracia, were famous, as well as the physician Aesculapius and Lycurgus, the lawgiver of the Lacedaemonians. ^A They say that Aesculapius had acquired the medical art so accurately that he even restored a certain dead man to life; upon which accomplishment Jupiter, being angry, struck the man with a thunderbolt and removed him from human affairs. Wishing to demonstrate that all things happen by His power and not by the multitude of a people, God advised Gedeon, when he wished to attack the Madianites, to lead his army to the river at midday, when the heat was most intense; and to count those who knelt and drank as brave, but to consider those who drank hurriedly and with noise as doing so out of fear. Gedeon having carried out these instructions of God, three hundred men were found who, with trepidation, brought the water they had scooped with their hands to their mouths, as Josephus has recorded. ^B Whence God told him to attack the enemy with these same men. Thus, at night, they fall upon them, carrying trumpets in their hands as well as lighted torches inside certain vessels. And Gedeon, old with age, departs this life, leaving seventy sons born of legitimate marriage—because he had taken many wives—and one illegitimate son born of a concubine. From a divine promise, Manoas begets a child, who is called Samson, which, according to the interpretation of Josephus, signifies "strong." At that time, Hercules also flourished. So brave was Samson that when he had entered Gaza and stayed with a certain harlot, and was being watched by all the inhabitants of the town, he tore out the gates with their fastenings by his hands and thus departed the city. But even before this happened, upon undertaking a war against the Palestinians, he did something of this sort: It was summer, and the fruits had already matured so that the harvest was approaching, when Samson, having captured three hundred foxes, bound lighted torches to their tails and thus set them loose into the fields of the Palestinians. In this way their crops were burned. Those foreigners, after their fields were set afire, wage war against the Israelites, demanding the surrender of Samson. What, then, did the Israelites do? Fearing the attack of the enemies, they hand over Samson to them bound. ^C But Glycas, as I have already warned, does not aim to correct or refute these accounts, nor does he sincerely relate what the sacred pages report regarding the three hundred soldiers prepared for battle by Gedeon.

They surrendered him to those who had come upon him. But he, ^A seeing them rush against him, broke his bonds, and taking the jawbone of an ass, killed a thousand men of the Philistines. Hence, struggling in such a contest, he was consumed by thirst. He therefore prays to God, and at that moment He comforts him; for the jawbone produced an abundant flow of water when pressed by him. From this, such a spring appears even to this day in the suburbs of Eleutheropolis, called the Spring of the Jawbone. Now Josephus says that because he attributed the victory to his own strength and not to God, he was permitted to suffer such thirst. Yet this man, so mighty in strength, was later made a laughingstock by a woman. For after these things he loved Dalila, who was from the Philistines, who, having been bribed by the foreigners, asked him to tell her in what his strength consisted. And he, at first deceiving her, said: "If they bind me with seven moist sinews, that is, bowstrings, I shall be weakened and be like one of the men." She, taking the sinews, bound him, and then shouted: "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he, rising, broke them. Deceived, she persisted and again asked to learn whence his strength came. And he, misleading her, said: "If they bind me with seven new ropes, my strength shall fail." She having done this as well, and having shouted: "The Philistines are upon you, Samson," he immediately broke them from his arms. Again, therefore, when she asked him, he said: "If you weave the seven locks of my head ^B and fasten them with pegs and nail them to the wall, I shall be weak and be like the rest of men." Having failed in this as well, she again implored him, so he reveals the secret, and says to her: "A razor has not come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother's womb. And if I am shaven, I shall be weak, and my strength will depart from me, and I shall be like one of the men." Dalila, therefore, having lulled him to sleep, shaved him, and having done this, shouted: "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he, rising, could no longer exert himself as he had before. Accordingly, the foreigners fall upon him, and having seized him, they put out his eyes. But what happened after this? Samson wept to the Lord, and said: "Adonai, Lord of hosts, remember me now, and strengthen me yet this once, O God, and I shall take one vengeance for my two eyes upon the Philistines." Wherefore God did not overlook him, who was being mocked; for he was set before boys for laughter after he was blinded. Paradoxically, therefore, He strengthens him. Wherefore, while they were sitting and getting drunk (for they were celebrating for the sake of victory to their idols), he laid hold of the two pillars of the house in which they were sitting, and after seizing them said: "Let my soul die with the Philistines." Which also came to pass. From which God also shows that not [through his own power] ^C did it happen, but by the will of God through his prayer.

^A For He granted such strength to Samson that he was able to shake the pillars supporting the shrine of the idols, and to bring down the roof along with them, and to bury three thousand men, and an equal number of women. God does not overlook those who are wronged and call upon Him, nor does He abandon their benefactor into the hands of those who are hostile. The most divine Anastasius the Sinaite is greatly astonished at this, marveling at the ineffable dispensation and philanthropy of God, ^B contemplating how He deemed Samson worthy of the portion of the saved, even though he had delivered himself to death for the sake of those who had wronged him.

But it is not worth passing over for what reason Samson acquired such strength from his mother’s womb. Because the Israelites, having served the foreigners for forty years, had completely forgotten God, and there being no righteous man among them, for this reason God provided them from infancy with such a righteous and strong man, so that by seeing the salvation afforded to them through his virtuous conduct and marvelous bravery, they might amend themselves and seek out the God of all things. But they chose rather to be forgetful of God, ^C and they would cast the man who had done them such great service into the hands of the enemy. Hence, the providence of God quite reasonably abandoned them; for after Samson, there was no longer a judge among the Hebrews.

If, beloved, you also ask this: for what reason did God permit the daughter of Jephthah to be slaughtered (for he too was a judge among the Hebrews), hear the answer. The vow of Jephthah was exceedingly foolish; for he ought, as was likely, to have considered that a dog or an ass might first meet him, animals considered unclean according to the law. Therefore, God, instructing others through him so that they might make their vows with foresight (for he had promised to sacrifice to God whatever met him when he came out of the house), did not prevent the slaughter. ^D Yet the daughter was far superior to Jephthah; for seeing him rending his garments and lamenting, she said: "If you have opened your mouth concerning me, do to me in the manner that went out of your mouth, for the things for which the Lord has wrought vengeance for you against your enemies, the sons of Ammon."

Know also this, in addition to what has been said: that after the death of Samson, the tribe of Benjamin perceived the desire of the Sodomites, which is contrary to nature, and they lusted after those who were visiting as guests. A Levite...

who was dwelling in Jerudim, brought home a wife from Bethlehem, a concubine, who out of a certain faint-heartedness had returned to her parents. Wherefore the Levite also journeyed thither, and having been honorably received by his father-in-law, he took his wife and departed for Gabaa, a city of the tribe of Benjamin, and lodged with an old man who was a resident of that city. The people of Benjamin who lived in that city, having learned of this, surrounded the house of the old man and broke down the doors, seeking to commit acts of violence against the guest. The old man offered them his daughter, who was not yet married, and the guest’s concubine, to be used at their pleasure, begging them to spare the guest. But they would not be persuaded. The Levite also went out and handed over his concubine, and they abused her for the whole night and then sent her away. She crawled to the door where he was lodging and immediately gave up the ghost. Her husband, finding her dead, placed her upon his beast and brought her home, and having divided her into twelve pieces, he sent one piece to each tribe, proclaiming the lawlessness of the tribe of Benjamin. Upon this, Israel was enraged and they besought God. Consequently, they attacked them, and since they would not hand over the guilty parties for punishment, they slaughtered them and set the city on fire. ^A

The problem which Samson proposed to the Philistines was of this sort: "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." By the sweetness he meant the honey, and by the eater and the strong he meant the lion, in whose dead body bees had fashioned honey, which Samson took and ate. But it is worth observing here, my beloved, that the Jews call us unclean in vain. For if we are unclean because we eat hares, swine, and other such things, which are not eaten according to the Law, it must necessarily follow that Elijah, the greatest among the prophets, is also bound by the same charges. For what reason? Because he ate bread received from an unclean animal, namely, the raven. And for what reason did these things happen, and why? That we might learn that even before grace was revealed, the Old Testament violated the commands of the Law. For if the raven is unclean, how did that great man Elijah receive food from it? How also did Samson, being a Nazirite and subject to the Law, eat of the honeycomb which bees had fashioned in the carcass of a lion? How, again, did God refresh a man afflicted with thirst by means of an unclean and blood-stained jawbone, if the raven, the lion’s carcass, and the jawbone of the ass are unclean? How did God heal his own servants by means of such things? And how, if they are unclean, did they receive common praise from the beginning? For He says, "God saw them, and said it was good." If, therefore, the swine is good as a creature of God, how is the same animal subsequently unclean? It is evident, then, that the Law of Israel was for a time. ^{B C D}

of the vital power breathed into him, it is not at all surprising if, having become corruptible from an incorruptible state due to the transgression. Do not, therefore, doubt any longer. For if from the beginning God made man from dust incorruptible, he was all the more able to make him corruptible from an incorruptible state, as we have already said. And do not tell me: "If Adam had already succumbed to corruption and mortality through sin, why did the fallen angels not suffer the same thing as the first-formed man? Why did they not also become corruptible and mortal through their fall?" Away with such talk, if you please, say nothing of the kind; for that Adam was not simple, but of ^A a double nature, consisting of soul and body. And according to his soul, he was akin to the immaterial and invisible powers, while according to his body, he was akin to this material and visible world; for this reason, having transgressed the divine commandment, he fell under death according to the divine decree, but not in both parts. But rather, according to that part which had been taken from the earth by God, for thus he heard: "You are earth, and into earth you shall go." However, the soul did not become mortal in the same way as the body, because it did not take its origin from the earth, though it did fall into countless passions, as seems to be the opinion of the Golden-mouthed [Chrysostom] concerning this. But what are these? Forgetfulness, ignorance, griefs, anxieties, despondencies, cares, and ^B whatsoever things of such a kind. Hence it was not appropriate to doubt any longer. For it is evident that, if the multitude of the fallen angels had also been composite, possessing their composition from both body and spirit, they would have suffered the same things as the first-formed man. Do not say, therefore: "If Adam was immortal, how did he become mortal, how did he become corruptible?" Let go of the "how"; for where God is, the "how" has no place. For God fashioned man for incorruptibility and established him as lord of all earthly things, and gave him everlasting immortality, as has been discussed above, and his affairs were indeed to stand thus for all ages, because the divine gifts are without regret. But when God saw him slipping into sin, and therefore falling from that ^C lofty and angelic way of life, he permits this, and it takes place against him.

^A except for Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his power and shall destroy them from the face of the earth." Upon which his head was cut off, truly wisely and methodically, by a woman, Judith, and all his possessions were plundered by the Jews. Then, and only then, did Achior also believe in God and was circumcised. In the days of the judges, a famine having occurred, Naomi departed from Bethlehem with her children into the country of Moab; and there they took wives, Orpah and Ruth. After ten years, the men having died, Naomi returned. Both daughters-in-law followed her. And Orpah, having been persuaded by the words of Naomi, returned, but the admirable Ruth was not persuaded, saying: "Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." And coming together, she was joined to Boaz and bore Obed, the father of Jesse, from whom came David. Among those taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar were Mordecai, his wife Esther, and others who lived under Artaxerxes. This Mordecai, having heard in the king's court two eunuchs plotting against the king, reported them to him; and they were put to death. Because of these things, Haman, who was the greatest before the king, being grieved, persuaded the king to attack the Jews and to send letters to the rulers of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India even to Ethiopia, to utterly slaughter the Jews wherever they might be found on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month. Queen Esther learns of these things and, having fasted for three days, entreats first God, and then the king Artaxerxes himself, saying: "I saw thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled from fear of Thy glory," and she fell down, fainting. But he urged her to ask what she wished. And Haman, having seen Mordecai in the courtyard, prepares to have him hanged on ^B towards the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, to slaughter—he learns these things Queen Esther, oversight—for being sleepless at night, he came to reading. Upon which he remembered what Mordecai had done for him. And he told his servant to bring the books of the daily records so that they might read to him. And he found the writings recorded concerning Mordecai, etc.

[LATIN COLUMN]

which they would undoubtedly have captured in war: but if not, it led to the fact that, once the war was set in motion, the head of Holofernes was cut off by Judith, and all his wealth was plundered by the Jews. Then Achior embraced the divine faith. He consulted to offer himself to Holofernes as his master, so that he might let that nation go. Having heard these things, Holofernes in turn interrogated Achior, asking whether there was any God besides Nebuchadnezzar: that he would surely send his forces and utterly destroy that nation. This plan of the woman was indeed cunning and turned out successfully. Achior embraced the divine faith and was circumcised. ^C Rush. 1, 16. ex V et F. Glycas did not consult the sacred text of Esther; for the words which pertain to the letter (for the day destined for the slaughter of the Jews was the fourteenth of the twelfth month, Adar) he joined with the following and rendered them in this way: "When Queen Esther had recognized this matter, at the twelfth month, complete (a), etc." The same also did not express quite conveniently the things narrated above regarding Naomi and her daughters-in-law, and those things which pertain to Ruth he attributed—by an intolerable error, or rather by an oversight and singular thoughtlessness—to Orpah, whom we know returned to her fatherland, while only Ruth followed her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem. We have changed these things to the mind of the annotator. Otherwise, at the time when the judges were presiding over the nation of Israel, a famine having arisen, Naomi left Bethlehem and set out into the land of the Moabites. There, when the sons had taken wives, Orpah to wit and Ruth, and, ten years having passed, they had died, Naomi returned to her own land ^D with her daughters-in-law accompanying her. For Orpah did not want to obey her when she asked them to remain there, because she said she would acknowledge her nation as her own, and finally would have her mother-in-law's God as her own. In this way, having set out, she was married to Boaz with her mother-in-law, and bore Obed, the father of Jesse, the grandfather of David. Among others whom Nebuchadnezzar had led away captive were Mordecai and the woman Esther. When these were still surviving under the reign of Artaxerxes, it happened by chance that when Mordecai had discovered in the royal court the plots of two eunuchs initiated against the king, he reported the whole matter to the king, by which disclosure they were punished with death. Haman was offended by this, who had the greatest power before the king, and was the cause for the king to attack the Jews, and having sent letters to the governors of the hundred and twenty-seven regions, which regions are situated between India and Ethiopia, he commanded that however many Jews were found anywhere at all, they should be utterly put to death on the 14th day of the 12th month. When Queen Esther had recognized this matter, having completed a fast of three days, she first prays to God, then addresses King Artaxerxes with these words: "When I gazed upon thee, O king, as like unto a divine angel, my heart fell, struck by terror at the majesty of thy presence." and reaching the end, she contracted marriages with Boaz. Following at the beginning of the page, he erred in the interpretation of the meaning of that sentence: For Glycas looked to those words of the sixth chapter: which the vulgate interpreter rendered thus: "The king spent that night sleepless, and ordered the histories and annals of former times to be brought to him. When these were read in his presence, it came to that place where it was written how Mordecai had reported the plots of the eunuchs Bagathan and Thares who wished to slay King Assuerus, etc."

some were slain, others captured, and still others—whosoever had happened to survive in any way—yielded themselves up even against their will. He even occupied Achrida itself, in which town the royal palace of the Bulgarians happened to be; from there he took away great riches, namely jewels, pearls, and a hundred centenaria of gold.

Following these events, he set out for Athens, and after offering up to the Mother of God the thanksgivings due for his victory, and having adorned her temple with many splendid and costly votive gifts, he returned to Constantinople ^A. He celebrated his triumph by entering through the Great Gates, wearing a golden crown that had a crest and a peak on its upper part; preceding him were Maria, the wife of Vladislav, along with the daughters of Samuel and the rest of the Bulgarians. Thus, amidst trophies, he entered the church. At that time, the Patriarch Sergius implored him repeatedly to abolish that tax which was called the *Allelengyon*; for the Emperor had promised to do this if he should prevail over the Bulgarians. But he did not persuade him.

The Emperor, having accomplished all these things, wished to undertake an expedition against Sicily. But he was prevented; for he was seized by a sudden illness and died, and was buried in the church of the Theologian, ^B which is near the Hebdomon. He had enthroned Alexius, a monk from the Studion Monastery, as patriarch; for he happened to have come to visit him, bringing with him the venerable head of the Precursor—for the Emperor was accustomed to use him as a counselor in the administration of the commonweal.

After the death of Basil, the entire power of the empire was transferred to his successor and brother, Constantine, who reigned for three years. He did not decorate the empire by the example of his brother Basil; he was a man addicted to dancing-girls and buffoons. Moreover, he was so engrossed in horse-races, as no other mortal ever was, that he held all concern and care for the commonweal as nothing. If he found any men of any worth, he cast them down from their station ^C and blinded them, and in their place raised up to the magistracies others who were utterly foolish and laughable. He oppressed not only the poor but also the wealthy. For in the three years which contain the time of his reign, he demanded five exactions; of which his brother had previously remitted two for his subjects.

Following these things, seized by a sudden illness, he began to deliberate with himself whom he should leave as successor to the empire. When he was taught by some that the power would pass after him to Romanus, who was of the senatorial order and held the surname of Argyropulus, by a certain necessity ^D he ordered such a man to be summoned, and gave him the option—even against his will—either to divorce his lawful wife and be joined in marriage to the daughter of the Emperor and thus be proclaimed emperor, or else to lose his eyes through blinding. While Romanus remained dizzy and hesitant between the two, his wife, fearing lest he should suffer some terrible fate, of her own accord laid aside her worldly hair, and thus, along with his sight, she granted her husband the empire as well. Of the three daughters that the Emperor Constantine had, the first was rejected, and the third declined. Thus, one is joined...

^A Since he was sleepless during the night, he began reading, and thus he was reminded of what Mordecai had done for him. Hence, even against the will of Haman, he was exceedingly honored. Haman himself bore the culpability of the evil; for he was hanged upon a cross, at the request and arrangement of Esther. And other letters were sent, not only for their salvation, but that they might also defend themselves against their adversaries; for they slew 500 men, and others still. The ten sons of Haman were also hanged. Concerning this, Scripture says: “And the thirteenth and fourteenth days of the month of Adar shall be a festive day for their generations.”

^B Tobit was led into captivity during the reign of Enemessar, king of the Assyrians. “I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life. And when I was led captive with Sarah and Tobias to Nineveh, all of my kin ate of the bread of the Gentiles, but I did not. And if Sennacherib the king slew any, because he came fleeing from Judea, I buried them by stealth; for he slew many in his wrath. And at night, for fear, I buried many. Hence it happened that I laid down to sleep by the wall of the courtyard with my face uncovered, and I did not know that there were sparrows in the wall. And they voided hot dung into my eyes, and white spots formed in them. My wife brought me a kid which she had received as the wage of her labor. But I, thinking it was stolen property, would not eat it, and I was reproached by her as if I profited nothing from virtue. And I wept unto the Lord: ‘It is more profitable for me to die than to live, for I have heard false reproaches.’”

^C At that time, Sarah the daughter of Raguel was also reproached as if she had throttled the seven husbands she had taken; but Asmodeus, the wicked demon, slew them before they could be with her, so that she even wished to hang herself because of it. But God overlooked the reproach of neither Tobit nor Sarah. For when Tobias was sent to retrieve the paternal silver that had been left in trust, Raphael, the angel of the Lord, accompanied him. And upon the road, a fish appearing by the river, the lad was terrified. But the angel permitted him to take it and eat it, and to keep the heart and the liver—the liver for the fumigation of Asmodeus, and the heart for the anointing of his father’s eyes. He led him to the house of Raguel, where he took Sarah as his wife, and cast out Asmodeus who loved her. ^D By this same means, when the eyes of Tobit were anointed, a miracle occurred. After these things, the holy angel said unto them: “Almsgiving is…

delivers from death, and it shall purge away all sin. And now, when you and Sarah, your bride, prayed, I brought the memorial of your prayer before the holy God. And when you buried the dead, I was with you. And when you did not delay to rise and leave your breakfast, that you might go and cover the dead person, you did not escape my notice in acting well, but I was with you. And now God has sent me to heal you and your bride, Sarah. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels, who bring up the prayers of the saints.” And having given this counsel, he ascended to Him who had sent him. Indeed, you have already learned this name of Raphael from the account of Tobit; but the name Uriel, as the truly wise Psellus has written, is known to us in neither the books of the Old nor the New Testament. There is, however, a certain Hebrew book unknown to the many, inscribed *The Prayer of Joseph*, where Joseph’s father, Jacob, is introduced as speaking with this angel Raphael, even if it is currently rejected and discounted by the Hebrews, just as are the other apocrypha. Now, Tobit lived to be one hundred and fifty years old, and Tobias one hundred and twenty-seven. After burying his parents, he went to his father-in-law, Raguel, and before he died, he heard of the destruction of Nineveh, which Nebuchadnezzar captured, according to the prophecy of Tobit. ^B

To return to Samson: after his death, until the priest Eli, there was an,ararchy among them for forty years, and they were destroyed by rising against one another. As for the evil of overlooking those under one’s authority who sin and failing to restrain them sharply, the events concerning Eli, the Ark, and the people demonstrated this. For at that time, Eli fell into a pitiful death, the Ark was captured, and the people were slain by the sword. For the Philistines rushed against the Jews, they joined battle, and about four thousand Hebrews fell. Then, taking up the Ark, they rushed against their enemies, having trusted that they would be victorious as usual. They joined battle, and not a few of the Hebrews fell, and the Ark itself was captured. Therefore, news that was not good reached Eli; he bore the destruction of his sons bravely, even though faults accompanied them—fornication and gluttony (for they would violate the marriages of others, and they would eat the meat before it had been sanctified); ^C but not being able to bear the capture of the Ark, he fell from his seat and died; for he happened at that time to be sitting on a chair by the gates of the sanctuary, having lived ninety-eight years. ^D

^A The Philistines, having taken the Ark, led it captive to the city of Azotus. Then Dagon also was shattered, having fallen from his own base and lying as if in the posture of one worshipping. For God showed there that the Ark was not captured as if He were weak (for if this were the case, their god Dagon would not have been shattered in its presence, so that, if divine grace were not present in it, [yet because it was]) it was captured [in fact] due to the wickedness of the Jews. At that very time, those who had captured it were dying from dysentery, casting out their entrails, which were corrupted. Moreover, a great multitude of mice arose and harmed the produce of the land. The Azotians, therefore, barely understood that such things were happening to them on account of the Ark; hence they request the Ascalonites to accept it to themselves. And having received it, they meet with similar evils. The Ascalonites send it to others, and they in turn to others; and all suffer the same things. The chieftains of those five cities that had been afflicted by these punishments—namely, Accaron, Gaza, Azotus, and the rest—come together and deliberate about this matter. Wherefore they yoke two cows that have recently calved, place the Ark upon them, and leaving them at a crossroads, they grant them power to go along whichever road they wish. If they should depart into the lands of the Hebrews, they say one must consider the Ark to be the cause of such evils; but if they should turn another way, let us pursue it, they said, as one that has no such power. These things happen, and they recognized that a divine power was present with the Ark. ^B The Hebrews, therefore, suffering such things, seek a king and receive Saul, even though God did not bear this kind of request gently, on account of which He also said to Samuel: " They have not rejected you, but Me, so that I should not reign over them." Now this Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, son of Cis, who was both excellent in form and great in stature. He lost his father's donkeys and comes to the prophet Samuel, intending to ask about them. The prophet, taking the holy oil, pours it over the young man's head and, having kissed him, "Know," he says, "you are king; you have been appointed today by God." But he also told him the things that would happen to him on the way, that he would join prophets and, having become inspired, would prophesy together with them. He anoints him while the multitude is also looking on. And in this way the commonwealth of the Hebrews was transformed into a kingdom. He said to them, "You have greatly provoked God by requesting a king." And it is evident from this: for just as one had never seen winter in the height of summer, so you have beheld this happen. And when the prophet had said these things, lightnings and thunders and hail were brought down, as if ^C from that the people said [they had committed] a sin against God. Saul, however, being about to rush against the Philistines, orders the high priest to take the priestly

garment and prophesy to him concerning the outcome of that war. Once the oracle signaled [success], Saul led his forces out against the Philistines; but intoxicated by victory, he bound the Hebrews with a certain imprecation: if anyone, sparing the enemy, took food—and did not persevere in slaughtering the enemies until nightfall brought an end to the killing—that man should be accursed and devoted to destruction. ^A While Saul was saying this, it happened by chance that, as the soldiers entered a certain forest that was full of bees, Saul’s son, not having heard the father’s curse, pressed out a honeycomb and ate it. And when he later understood what had been done, he said that his father had not done right to impose such a curse; for it is settled that a man attacks an adversary most courageously once he has found food and refreshed himself a little. Saul, having attained victory ^B and offered sacrifices to God, orders the high priest to learn again whether God would grant them to reach the enemy camp and destroy them. The high priest responding that the divine oracle was silent, Saul said: "This does not happen without a certain cause, but there is some hidden sin of ours that is the reason for God’s silence. And I take an oath, even if my own son Jonathan were the one who committed this sin, I would certainly kill him and thus appease God." In this way it happened that the lot fell upon Jonathan; and when his father asked him what crime he had committed and how he had sinned against God, he answered that he was conscious of nothing other than having tasted honey the day before, being ignorant of the curse with which his father had bound ^C the people. Upon hearing this, Saul swears that he will kill him; and since the son did not resist at all and was about to submit to the oath, the people, feeling pity, rescued Jonathan from the hand of Saul and appeased God with supplications. And let these things be recounted in this manner.

He said that Samuel spoke of God saying that, since the Amalekites had treated the Hebrews very evilly in the wilderness, when they were marching out of Egypt, He commanded Saul to punish them with war and to spare none of them. Saul therefore conquered them by main force, but took their king Agag captive, whose beauty and size of body, as Josephus says, he admired and judged worthy of salvation. And he offered sacrifices to God from those spoils. Because of this, God said to Samuel: "It repenteth me that I have appointed Saul king; therefore I have rendered him unworthy to rule over Israel." ^D Hence also Samuel spoke thus to Saul when he had spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites: "Thou hast acted foolishly, because thou didst not keep the commandment which the Lord commanded thee. Therefore the kingdom shall not abide with thee, and the Lord shall seek a man after His own heart to be ruler over His people." In addition to these things, he also said to him, when [1 Reg. xiv, 24. 1 Reg. xv, 11.]

he offered his sacrifice: "The Lord has no delight in burnt offerings, but rather in heeding His voice." And again: "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from thy hand this day, and will give it to thy neighbor who is better than thou" (I Kings XV, 22, 28). Hence, as the prophet ^A was much concerned about Saul, God said to him, "And taking the holy oil, go to Bethlehem to Jesse, and anoint one of his sons as king" (I Kings XVI, 1). He comes, therefore, and since all the other sons of Jesse were rejected (for the holy oil did not flow for them), David, the youngest of all, is anointed. For this reason, the Holy Spirit was henceforth in him, while an evil spirit came upon Saul. As he was being choked, the physicians said, as Josephus states, that such a malady would not be abated unless someone were found who knew how to sing with a harp. ^B Therefore, when search was made for whether such a person existed, David was brought. He therefore makes him his shield-bearer and treats him with honor. And thus Josephus. But as for that evil spirit that choked Saul, the harp of David quieted it, provided it were moved by the all-holy Spirit; for he sang to that, and the other, even though unwillingly, was calmed by it.

After these things, the Philistines go on an expedition against the Judeans. From their camp comes down a man of enormous size named Goliath (for he was six cubits and a span in height), clad in a breastplate weighing five thousand shekels, with other armor in proportion; he uttered a great cry and demanded to fight in single combat. As everyone was in despair, David was brought in, and after comforting Saul—and with difficulty persuading him (for Saul was not confident, looking at the youth of David)—he rushed against Goliath and killed him with a sling. From then on, since the women were saying that Saul had struck down thousands of Philistines, but David tens of thousands, Saul became afraid for his own kingdom; for which reason he henceforth held David in suspicion and harbored no small envy. ^C Whence he also sent him on military expeditions so that he might be killed there in the war. But David, having God with him, performed heroically everywhere, so that even the daughter of Saul, being a virgin, fell in love with him. These things become known to Saul. And he, seizing the opportunity for treachery against him, as Josephus relates, said he would give his daughter if he would bring me a thousand heads of the enemy. These things happen, and he takes Melchol as his wife. Saul does not endure this, but envies him even more, as he was also fearing for his own kingdom. ^D He therefore plans to kill him. He charges these things to his son Jonathan and the most faithful of his household. But he reveals the counsel to David and speaks to his father in his behalf. After these things, he pursues David once and twice

and many times. At that time, he approaches the high priest Abiathar; then he also ate the showbread. From there, he flees again to Abimelech; and at that time, he also feigns the symptoms of an epileptic. Upon these things, David, having found Saul once and twice, and being able to kill him easily, did not wish to do this, committing all his affairs to God. And so much for these things. The Philistines, however, again wage war against the Jews, for which reason Achish also summons his allies. Saul also attacks Mount Gilboa, and seeing the massive encampment of the foreigners, he was troubled, and his heart failed him. And he inquired of the Lord through the Ephod, and He did not answer him; for if they were not well-regarded by Him, He would not listen to them. For this reason, he seeks a ventriloquist, even though he had previously managed to expel their kind from his city, as he was formerly pious towards God. They were called ventriloquists because they have a demon dwelling within their belly, which foretells oracles or prophecies about future events. That woman, however, is persuaded with difficulty, and she brings up the soul of Samuel from Hades, just as Josephus narrates. For the wise in divine matters, Theodoret, calls this account impious and unholy; for he is not persuaded that the soul of any dead man, let alone that of such a great prophet, can be brought up from Hades. Others, not wishing to accept that this account is unholy, say that a certain demon who deceives the people reported the things concerning Saul to the ventriloquist. Theodoret, however, accepts neither the first as pious nor the second; for if the one who appeared was a demon, he would not have spoken true words. Therefore, he says that God himself, having fashioned the form of Samuel, willed to deliver the pronouncement; for He indeed said through one of the prophets: "If you approach the false prophet, I, the Lord God, will answer through him." Thus, He blessed the people through Balaam, and through an impious seer, the things that were to come were announced. These things come to pass, and the Philistines attack the Hebrews. Finally, Saul and his sons fall. Saul, however, having received many wounds and being unable to endure, orders one of his men to bring his sword against him, so that he might not be surrendered to the hands of the enemies. But he did not obey. So he falls upon his own sword, and not being able to end his life even so, he persuades a certain Amalekite, who finishes him off. The Philistines, despoiling the enemies, encounter Saul and his sons, and having cut off their heads, they carry them through the whole land, and they crucify their bodies outside the wall, just as Josephus narrates.

^A Thus Saul ended his life, because he had disobeyed God regarding the Amalekites and because he had delivered the race of the priests to destruction; for through Doeg the Syrian he slew about three hundred and fifty priests who were wearing the ephod. Saul held sway over Israel for forty years, standing head and shoulders above all Israel. God, wishing to gratify the Hebrews, had chosen such a man to reign over them; for it was by reason of his prowess in wars, and not for his piety, that they had requested a king. Thus He chooses the greatest of all men, since we admire not the virtue of the soul, but the stature of the body. ^B After the death of Saul, his son Memphiboseth reigned over Israel, and David over Judah; for he had already been anointed by Samuel. Then Richab and Baneas slew Memphiboseth in secret and came to David as if they had done something praiseworthy. But he destroyed them, just as he had earlier destroyed that Amalekite through whom Saul met his end. At that point, David was established as king over all the people. As for the daughter of Saul—if not as Josephus narrates, then in any case he received her as a prize when he struck down Goliath with a sling; for so it had been agreed between them. David, therefore, after being proclaimed king, takes up a position at Jerusalem, and having routed the Jebusites dwelling there, he makes Jerusalem the seat of his own kingdom. ^C David was the first, as Josephus narrates, to drive the Jebusites out from there, and he named the city after himself; for it was called Solyma in the time of Abraham. After this, he sees Bersabee bathing in her house, and from this he falls in love with her. He is joined to her, and arranges for Urias, who was her husband, to fall in death. Not long after, he is convicted by Nathan. Then he flees because of the revolt of Abesalom, having left his ten concubines to guard his house. The cause of Abesalom’s becoming a parricide was this: David had a daughter of great beauty, who had the same mother as Abesalom. Amnon, the eldest of the sons of Memphiboseth, ^D fell in love with her, and not being able to satisfy his desire, he wasted away with it. Because of this, he feigns sickness. He begs his father that his sister remain with him for the sake of his care. This comes to pass. He reveals his passion to her, but she did not agree. He forces himself upon her, at which he is seen to be disobedient. Immediately, hatred arises in Amnon against her, for which reason he casts her out. She is distressed in no small way. Richas and Branas, Richas, Richaios and Baneas.

^A revealing these things to Absalom. The opportunity is observed, and he goes out to the shearing of his sheep, taking his brothers with him. A feast is held, and when Amnon is stupefied, his servants kill him. From this point, therefore, Absalom, being terrified, begins to devise schemes against his father. And first of all, Achitophel persuades him to enter into his father's concubines; then he counsels him to rush against David with an army. But not being heard because the counsel of Chousai seemed better (for it happened that Chousai was a friend to David), he resorted to the noose. On this account, Absalom is pursued all the more, and is indeed caught. But O, the soul of David! For, having suffered such things from a parricide, he kept saying: "Spare the lad Absalom." But even when Joab had pierced the heart of Absalom, when he was hanging by his hair from the tree, he mourned beyond measure.

^B However, to David, who was pondering the building of a temple to the Lord, Nathan said: "Whatever is in your heart, go and do, for God is with you." For even he was unaware of the future, just as Samuel did not recognize the son of Jesse who was to be anointed, and as Elisha was unaware of the affliction of the Shunammite. By night, however, the Lord appeared to him and said: "Go and say to my servant David: That you shall not build a house for me, because you poured out much blood upon the earth before me." 1 Par. xvii, 4.

^C This seems to have been said for the benefit of those who commit murders; for he would not have condemned a just murder to the king, he who called the just murder of Phinehas a sacrifice. On which account David also gives to Solomon his son the pattern of the temple and of his houses. Everything he gave to him in writing from the hand of the Lord. But Nathan himself, when he was sent to him by God, said: "You did this well, that it came into your heart about building a house; but not you, he who comes from you shall build it." 1 Reg. xviii, 5.

^D Even if God is long-suffering when sin is dared, yet He punishes at some time. For see that with the Gibeonites the Israelites had agreed not to kill them, yet Saul, along with other foreign nations, killed them also. However, the penalties of such a daring deed He exacted in the time of David, bringing on a pestilence. And if they had not killed the seven children of Saul, the divine wrath would not have ceased. We learn, therefore, from this that the Master knows no difference of race, but God justly defends those who have been wronged, even if they are of another nation. And David himself, having wronged Uriah, who was of another nation (for he was a Hittite), did not remain unpunished. But the child of adultery, who was first born to Bathsheba, who had been debauched by David, was s

^B rotting with worms and teeming with stench, his life miserably ended, his body’s dust deposited on the island of Prote, where he had constructed new cells intended for religious exercises.

Michael, surnamed Parapinakes, reigned after him for six years, a man entirely soft, and, if I may put it so, womanly regarding the administration of the commonweal. He entrusted the power of managing affairs to the prelate of Side, John, ^A by whom all was managed excellently, as he was a man outstanding and industrious in his dealings. But to this good wheat eventually some weeds were mixed in. For a certain eunuch named Nicephorus, also called by the diminutive name Nicephoritzes, who had been accused of countless crimes before this Michael’s reign and ordered into exile, was now recalled by Michael and invested with all power—a man who was a eunuch, yet most skilled in confounding affairs and turning things upside down. ^C Everywhere there were accusations, confiscations of property, and unjust exactions; after which followed public groans and wailing, along with a demonstration of divine wrath. For when the Turks saw that the peace treaties entered into with Diogenes had utterly come to nothing, and that the one they had held in high honor had been so cruelly slain by the Romans, they set out from Persia with great forces and invaded the Roman provinces. Moved by this event, Michael also himself convened an army, to which he gave as commander Isaac Comnenus, who, having set out against the enemy, was taken captive when he engaged in battle with the Turks at Caesarea, and lost all his forces. ^D The emperor, having received the messenger of the unhappy battle, could not but grieve, yet he was not at all improved, as one who was led by the suggestions and authority of Nicephorus like some slave. ^A Isaac having been ransomed for a set price, John Caesar was chosen in his place as commander of the forces. And indeed, it is impossible to set forth in words how great the calamities were that befell the Romans in this incursion of the Turks. For the Caesar himself also came into the power of the enemies, and when he had offered himself, with his head shorn, he betook himself to the palace. ^B And these were those famous deeds of Nicephoritzes, who among his other wickednesses, also with singular solicitude desiring gain, as a man most fertile in devising evils, saw to it that a shortage of grain should arise. For everywhere he prevented merchants from selling grain; meanwhile, he alone, nearby Rhaedestus, having established a *phoundax* and monopolies, so that thence...

After him, Michael Parapinakes held power for 6 years; the man was entirely slack and, so to speak, womanly ^C toward the administration of the commonwealth, for which reason he entrusts the power to John, the Metropolitan of Side. And all things were well managed by him, as he was a man good and clever in affairs, but to this good wheat a weed is also mingled. For a certain eunuch, Nicephorus, also called Nicephoritzes, who had been accused of myriad evils before Michael and was hence an exile, is summoned by Michael and is invested with all power; a man indeed a eunuch, but skilled at confounding affairs and turning things upside down. For there were accusations everywhere, confiscations and unjust exactions, ^D

...

^A snatched away by God. For he was destined to be a reproach to the pious king and a proof of his transgression. The Master, therefore, caring for him, did not allow such a one to live. The first book of the Chronicles hints that all the psalms belong to David, as Theodoret says. For he says that David at the beginning ordained that the Lord be praised by the hand of Asaph and his brothers. However, David, having reigned for thirty years, as Theodoret says, met his end at about seventy. One must add to the matters above these things also, which belong to the history of Josephus. David makes an expedition against the Philistines, and having pursued them for a long way, he was separated from all his men. And one of the enemies, who was ^B a descendant of the Giants, seeing him alone and exhausted by labor, hastened to kill him. And this would have happened, had not Abishai, the brother of Joab, having been found there instantly, killed the enemy and restored David safe to his own. From this the whole people bound him by an oath that he would never again meet them in battle. The Philistines encamp again against the Hebrews, among whom was a man six cubits in height, who had more fingers on each of his feet and hands than is natural; for he was also a descendant of the Giants. Jonathan the Sudean killed this man in single combat, and thus became the cause of victory for his side. From that time forth, the Philistines ceased to make war against the Hebrews. Upon which, receiving respite, David began to praise God and compose sacred odes. One must know that David gained many soldiers, invincible in strength, but five were exceptional. For one of them ^C killed six hundred in a single day, and another, having leapt against the enemies, did not stop until he killed nine hundred. For they were so bold that three of them went to Bethlehem and brought water to David, who was within Jerusalem, entering and exiting through the midst of the Philistines, who were encamped outside, and did not dare to oppose them because of their great boldness. And David did not want to drink the water, but poured it as a libation to God, and admired the soldiers. After these things, Solomon, having been appointed by David, sat upon the throne of the Lord for the kingdom, that is to say, upon the throne given to him by the Lord. The end of the first book of the Chronicles shows that Samuel the seer, and Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer had books written. ^D One must know that Hurnias and Adonias were the same, a son of David; for he had two names. This man, having invited Joab and Abiathar to a banquet, was plotting about the kingdom. But the prophet Nathan makes known the things concerning

^A these to Bathsheba (for she knew the purpose and counsel of God), and she reports the matter to David. David, who did not wish to punish Joab himself, as he had labored much for his sake, advised Solomon his son to kill him, so that he might not despise his youth. He gives him the same counsel concerning Semei, a downright seditious man; whom he himself had nonetheless tolerated, even though he had been insulted by him many times and in many ways. Solomon prevails, and at that time kills his brother Adonias. But he does the same concerning Joab, even though he had fled to the altar of God. For divine law orders that a murderer who has fled to the temple be slain.

^B Solomon, having sacrificed a thousand offerings, supplicated God, and asked to obtain wisdom and understanding. The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask what you shall ask for yourself.” He replied, “You have made your servant king in place of David my father, and I am a small child, and I do not know my going in and my going out, and you shall give to your servant a heart to listen to and discern your people in righteousness.” And the Lord said to him, “Because you have asked this word from me, and have not asked for many days, nor wealth, nor the souls of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to listen to justice, behold I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a prudent and wise heart, such that there has not been anyone before you, and after you there shall not arise one like you among kings. And if you walk in my way, as David your father, I will multiply your days.” After these things he builds a temple to God, and asks that His eyes be kept open upon the divine house and that He might listen to them. And the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, just as He appeared in Gabaon, and said, “I have heard the voice of your prayer, and I have sanctified this temple; and my eyes and my heart shall be there all the days. But if you turn away from me, I will root out Israel from this land, and this house which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast away from my presence.” When Solomon had prayed, fire came down from heaven and consumed the offered sacrifices. Observe, therefore, how great was the piety of Solomon before, as even fire was brought down upon ^C his sacrifices. And he builds the temple with unhewn stones (for they were found self-formed by divine providence, so that they needed no harmony of iron, as Theodoret says), but he built the temple's enclosure with cut stones, and there he also needed quarrymen. The length of the temple was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty. Around the temple, chambers were built for the sake of the Levites and the storage of the vessels; for only the holy places were accessible to the priests. The height of the temple was one hundred and twenty cubits. Gold covered the entire temple. These things, as for all the temple, the grace of the Holy Spirit pointed out to David, and he himself to Solomon. He builds

^A that divine house three hundred and twenty years after the Exodus. And so many years passed, so that, having been purified by their wandering in the mountains, they might love the one place, Jerusalem.

These things concern the ancient temple, which is divided into three parts: into the station of the laity, that of the priests and the Levites (which was called the Holy Place), and into the inner sanctuary itself, which was called the Holy of Holies, into which no one entered except the high priest alone, and he but once a year, and that not without blood. And you will find these things in the heavens as well. For in the heaven nearest to us, clearly the air, are all the promiscuous animals; deeper within the visible firmament, as the Sinaite theologian Anastasius says, the celestial powers reside, and perhaps even the souls of the saints themselves. Higher than the second and invisible heaven, no one has entered except the true High Priest, Christ, the antitype of the true things. ^B That the things of this earthly temple have been built according to the image of the heavenly is something that the great Paul himself declared, saying thus: “For Christ has not entered into the handmade holy places, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Behold, then, with understanding, that even the visible beauties of this temple are representational images of that invisible beauty, and that the sensory fragrances are models of that intelligible diffusion. And the material lights are images of that other illumination; for through these material things we are led by the hand toward that ineffable contemplation, just as it seems to the great Dionysius.

But that Solomon surpassed all in all things, let Scripture teach you, saying: “And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of Egypt in wealth and wisdom, ^C and all the kings of the earth sought the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom. For his wisdom was increased above every wise man of Egypt.” Regarding the books of Solomon, from which even the students of medicine took their starting points: after receiving wisdom from God, he spoke three thousand parables and five thousand odes concerning all the ^D plants on the earth and all the animals.

^A The Sabaeans are an Ethiopian nation. Their queen was that admirable Sybil who, since she neither knew the Law nor had heard the prophets, praised the Giver of wisdom through Solomon: “Blessed be,” she said, “the Lord thy God, who was pleased to set thee upon the throne of Israel.” Among the tests by which she tried Solomon, she devised this as well: she adorned several beautiful boys and girls with the same clothing and the same haircut, and presented them to him, asking him to distinguish between the two sexes. He ordered them to wash their faces, and thus discerned the nature of each, as the males washed their faces in a manly way, while the females did so gently. She was struck with wonder and said, “I have seen more than I heard.” She gave him 120 talents of gold, and spices, and precious stones, and even the root of the opobalsam, from which source, as Josephus says, Palestine subsequently possessed this plant, and then she returned. A talent contains 125 pounds, from which it can be gathered that he received from the queen 15,000 of our gold centenarii.

Not only these things, but so long as he was pious, he held all the nations from the Euphrates to the Nile as tributaries. But from that time on ^B he became vulnerable to his enemies. In the beginning, Solomon was an object of wonder as he wrote his Proverbs and erected the temple—as the great Cyril says—at the very time that Homer was singing the tragedies of the Trojan disasters, 160 years after the fall of Ilium. But later he fell into impiety. This is clear from what the divine Scripture details about him, saying: “And strange women turned the heart of Solomon after other gods.” Nor less clearly do we learn, from that which the prophet Ahijah said to his servant Jeroboam, that Solomon worshiped idols. He spoke thus: “Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give thee ten sceptres, and I will give two sceptres to him for David my servant’s sake and for Jerusalem my city, for he hath forsaken me and hath served Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians, and Chamos the idol of Moab, and Melchom the offence of the children of Ammon.” ^C Some say that Astarte is Lucifer himself, that is to say, the same goddess as Venus. Scripture calls idols abominations and offences. And it appears that God also speaks thus to Solomon himself: “Because these things have happened with thee, and thou hast not kept my commandment and my statutes, which I commanded thee, I will rend and tear thy kingdom out of thy hand, and I will give it to thy servant.” ^D

753 EPISTOLA VI. To the same John Aspiotes. Further, this also is questioned, whether human bodies will rise again as male and female.

Whatever you have doubted, most holy man, asking how human bodies will rise from the dead, and in what form, and whether there is a distinction between male and female; a not small perplexity and lack of counsel has held us for a long time now, for which we do not possess the strength to respond to you easily. For even if great Athanasius himself, the divine Anastasius of Sinai, the divine Gregory of Nyssa, and others of the saints might seem to resolve the matter which is proposed by you today, yet we are nonetheless sluggish regarding investigating such things and contending over such topics. For what reason? Because these things are doubted by almost everyone, as they are considered to be carried outside of ecclesiastical tradition. But since you compel us meanwhile to set before you the sayings of the aforementioned saints, so that from them you may learn what is their force and how one must receive them, and what is gathered for us from them, behold, you have us obeying in this, even though we are unwilling. And if you wish, before others, pay heed to the most divine Athanasius himself. For in the 754 Chapters against Antiochus he is found saying: “Just as God made one human from the beginning, so in the regeneration we all rise as one human,” that is to say, every image of a human being will then be similar to the image and fashion and stature and shape of Adam. Therefore in the resurrection there is no male and female, and small and great, nor a distinction of faces and figures. ^B Regarding those things about which, most holy man, you doubted, asking how human bodies shall rise from the dead, and with what figure, and whether the distinction of male and female will exist in them, it is a long time that not a small hesitation and poverty of counsel have been tormenting us, since those powers are not available to us so that we might be able to answer you easily concerning these matters. For if even great Athanasius himself, and divine Anastasius the Sinaite, and divine Gregory of Nyssa, and the rest of the saints were to appear to resolve the controversy which is today proposed by you, yet they would be loath to scrutinize such things or to clash over such topics. Why? Because they are doubted by almost all, as they are deemed to wander outside of ecclesiastical tradition. But since you force us to bring into the midst for you the sayings of the praised saints meanwhile, so that you may know what is their power and how they ought to be understood, and what we might collect from them, behold, we, though unwilling, are satisfying your wish in this. And, if you wish, lend your ear first to divine Athanasius himself; for in the ^C Chapters to Antiochus he is found saying this: “Just as God made only one human being from the beginning, so in the regeneration we shall all rise as one human”; that is, every image of a human being will then be similar to the image, and formation, and magnitude, and figure of Adam. Therefore male and female, small and great, black and yellow, do not exist in the resurrection, nor the distinction of faces and figures.

ANNAL QUARTER II

The Holy Scripture, looking to the disposition of those who were drinking, called the honey "water" ^A in a certain solitude, when, water having been found, they thought they were being sated with honey. Hence it comes that the Holy Letters, out of consideration for the affection of those who were drawing water, deemed it worthy of the very name of honey.

"After these things Joas held power, who did what was right in the eyes of God all the days of Iodas the high priest. Having lived for one hundred and thirty years, and having died, he was deemed worthy of a royal tomb. But after he died, Joas turned aside to impiety." For which cause prophets were sent to him, Joas himself, among whom was also Zacharias, the son of Iodas, whom they stoned inside the open court in the temple. And as he was dying he said, "Look, Lord, and judge." And he did not fail in his entreaty; for having fallen ill, he was slaughtered by his subjects.

His son, Amasias, having reigned and having conquered the Idumaeans by divine aid and having enslaved ^B their gods, later—the foolish man—honored them, attributing the victory to them. To whom the prophet said, "I know that the Lord has counseled to destroy you," for he ended in the same way as his father.

Thus, having obtained the empire, Joas conducted himself righteously toward God as long as the high priest Iodas was alive; who, when he had attained to one hundred and thirty years of age and had fulfilled his destiny, attained such honor that he was interred in the royal sepulcher. But when he had been removed from human affairs, King Joas then turned aside to impiety. For this reason, not a few prophets were sent to him, among whom was Zacharias, the son of the high priest Iodas, whom King Joas overwhelmed with stones in the part of the temple situated in the open air. As he was dying, he used words of this manner: "Look upon these things, Lord, and punish ^C." Nor was his petition in vain; for the king, when he had fallen into sickness, was killed by his subjects.

His son Amasias, when he had seized the kingdom and had reported a victory over the Idumaeans by divine aid and had overthrown their gods, the foolish man eventually honored those religiously consecrated ones and attributed the victory gained to them themselves. On account of which a certain prophet denounced him, saying that God had resolved to take Amasias from the midst. Nor long after, he was extinguished by a similar manner of death as his father.

"The Holy Scripture praises Ozias: 'For he was,' it says, 'inquiring after the Lord, in the fear of the Lord, in the days of Zacharias.' But after these things, having desired to enter into the inner sanctum and to burn incense, and having been rebuked by the high priest and the eighty priests—for they said to him, 'It is not ^D allowed for you, Ozias, to burn incense, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron'—he, [said], 'Am I not king, and have I not been clothed with the royal purple?' He was therefore struck with leprosy because of this. And while he sat inside because of the leprosy, his son Joatham was conducting the kingdom."

And another was Zacharias, the son of Iodas, whom Joas stoned, and another was he in the time of Ozias. "I think this is the one," says Theodoret, "about whom the Lord spoke to Isaiah, 'Make for me as faithful witnesses men, Urias the priest and Zacharias the son of Barachias.'"

Achaz, the son of Joatham, surpassed all in impiety, for which cause he found many evils. And not even so did he understand, but, "I will seek," he said, "the gods of the nations who smite me, and I will sacrifice to them, and they will assist me." And he even led his own sons through fire. But what is this? As Josephus reports, he burned one of his own sons as a whole burnt offering to Baal. "I think," says Theodoret, "that the species of error which reached even unto us is hinted at from this. For once of the year we see fires being lit, and certain boys and men jumping over these, but even infants being carried through the flame by their mothers. This seemed to be a certain averruncation and purification." I think this was the accusation brought against Achaz, whom those who died did not deem worthy of royal honor.

He subsequently succeeded to the empire upon the death of his father, who had reigned for 33 years; and, having held power for a long time, he ended his life, leaving his son John, aged six, as his heir.

Michael Palaiologos, however, who even while Theodore was alive had long been inciting innovations, transferred the sum of power to himself and blinded John. The same man recovered Constantinople, over which the fourth emperor from Flanders, Baldwin II, brother of the now-deceased Robert, then presided. Thus, a certain form of empire was re-established through Michael, with the Latins entirely expelled from the jurisdiction of the Greeks, except for meager remnants still clinging to the Peloponnese. And since it seemed neither safe nor conducive to peace for Michael to have a crowd of workmen and merchants, consisting of Venetians and Pisans, who remained after the expulsion of the Latins, living within the city along with the Genoese, their perpetual enemies, he assigned Galata to the Genoese, situated across the water, granting freedom from duties on goods, which he had promised them even before he possessed the city, if he were helped by them in recovering it. Magistrates from their homeland were sent to these people at fixed times, to dispense justice and preside over their own. And the Venetians, indeed, called their own a Bailiff or curator, the Pisans a consul, and the Genoese a Podestà.

Baldwin of Flanders, liberated from danger at Constantinople and having escaped, once he had arrived in Italy, formed an alliance with the Neapolitan King Charles—the brother of the King of the French, who had slaughtered Conradin of Swabia, the legitimate heir to that kingdom—betrothing the king’s daughter to his own son, hoping that with his resources he would recover Constantinople. But this desire and effort was altogether in vain. During the reign of Palaiologos, on the 25th day of May, in the year 6775, around the third hour before noon, the moon obscured the sun, and there was a total eclipse of almost 12 points. So great, moreover, was the darkness that arose in its midst that many stars appeared; which, indeed, portended the greatest calamities of the Romans, impending from the Turks.

Following these things, the emperor betrothed his son Andronikos to Anna of Pannonia, and at the same time adorned him with the emblems of the empire, having promised under oath that he would piously venerate the Church, keep its privileges inviolate, and never plot against his father.

However, when King Charles of Naples was making great preparations in favor of Baldwin of Flanders, Palaiologos stirred up domestic wars against him, inciting the surrounding peoples, the Sicilian king and the Venetians, to make war upon him. Furthermore, he sent legates to the Pope concerning the establishment of concord between the churches of old and new Rome, provided that he would turn aside the expedition of Charles. And the legation having been kindly heard by the Pope, the terms of concord were begun, the heads of which were as follows: First, that in the hymns of the sacred volumes, the Pope should be mentioned along with the four patriarchs. Second, that it should be permitted to anyone to appeal to old Rome, as it was a greater and more perfect curia.

Gradually, however, they felt more mildly, after the books of Nikephoros Blemmydes—who, having been consulted during the reign of Emperor John Doukas concerning these same controversies against the Latins, had written much—were exhibited to John Bekkos the Chartophylax. In this way it came about that Bekkos, who had long and most bitterly opposed the Latins, changed his opinion, rendered the victory ambiguous, and, having ascended the patriarchal throne, he was admitted to the intimate friendship of the emperor.

Upon the death of Michael, his son Andronikos succeeded to the empire; during his reign, the Turkish princes, Carmanus Alisurius, Sarchanes, Calames, Cerasus, Atman (who is also Oomanus), and the sons of Amurius, divided among themselves the Asiatic provinces taken from the Greeks. Against these, the Catalans were summoned from Spain by the leader Ronzerius, with great promises of rewards, if they would turn the Turks away from the borders of the Greeks. But when, after the matter against the Turks had been conducted successfully, their stipends were not paid to them as had been agreed, they turned their arms against the Greeks themselves, ravaged Asia, and crossed over into Europe again. And when Callipolis was occupied, and Ronzerius—whom the emperor had previously honored with the title of Caesar—was sent to Adrianople, where Michael, the son of Andronikos, the designated emperor, was staying at that time, to demand their stipends, Ronzerius was killed by the Greeks at the royal command. Upon the news of his murder, the Catalans prepared themselves for war, ravaged the property of the Greeks, and roamed through Thrace, striking down Michael in open battle at Aper (this is the name of a town in Thrace); trusting in their victory, they invaded Macedonia and, having crossed the mountains and valleys which are called Tempe, they burst into Thessaly. And when the Thessalians decided that the Catalans should not be provoked at all, they obtained, by giving money and guides for their journey, that they would depart from their borders.

Therefore, having been brought into Boeotia, they sought peaceful passage through his lands from the Duke of Athens and Thebes. He, having scorned the Catalans and their demands with pride and mockery, gathered his forces through the autumn and winter until the spring. Thus, the Catalans at the beginning of spring, having pitched camp not far from the river Cephissus, awaited the enemy. Their cavalry numbered 3,500, and there were 4,000 infantry. While they awaited the arrival of the enemy, they plowed all that land where they had decided to fight; then, having erected a rampart and dug trenches to the river, they irrigated the entire plain so that it became a marsh. In the middle of spring, the prince of the region arrived with great forces, leading 6,400 cavalry and more than 8,000 infantry. And his opinion and arrogance were far greater. For he hoped that, once the Catalans were defeated, he would bring everything under his own power as far as Byzantium. And when he saw the plain lying between his own men and the enemy, green with much grass, suspecting nothing of what had been done, he charged against them with his cavalry, while they were standing in battle array outside the field. But before the Atticans arrived at the middle of the plain

357 ANNALIUM PARS II. 358 cum ossibus divini hominis, e Judæa profecti, et omnia prolocuti quæ Josias deinceps exsecutus est, sepulta fuisse. Itidem divinum hunc hominem ^A Ἰωσίας, ὁ ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μὲν Ἰώσηπος Ἰαδὼν αὐτὸν ὀνομάζει, ἡ δὲ βίβλος τῶν Παραλειπομένων Ἰωὴλ αὐτὸν ἡμᾶς καλεῖσθαι ἐδίδαξεν. Josephus quidem Jadonem appellat, Omissorum vero liber docet ei nomen Joeli fuisse. ^A Ἐπαινεῖ ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ τοῦ ᾿Ασᾶ τὴν προτέραν εὐσέβειαν· Ἐποίησε γάρ φησιν, ὁ ᾿Ασᾶ τὸ εὐθὺ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ (3 Reg. xv, 11). Ὅθεν καὶ τοὺς ἐμόρους πάντας ὑπέταξεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑορτὴν ἐπινίκιον ἐκτελέσας ὀμόσαι παρεσκεύασεν ἅπαντας ὡς τῆς ἐννόμου πολιτείας οὐκ ἀποστήσονται. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ τῇ Ἀστάρτῃ λατρεῦσαι προελομένην τῆς βασιλείας ἐγύμνωσεν. Οὐκ ἐν πᾶσι δὲ τέλειος ἦν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξῆρε τὰ ὑψηλά. Καὶ τοῦ Βασὰ δὲ στρατεύσαντος κατ' αὐτοῦ, οὐ τὸν Θεὸν εἰς συμμαχίαν ἐκάλεσεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν βασιλέα Συρίας. Ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ δι' ᾿Ανανῆ τοῦ προφήτου τὴν ἀπιστίαν διήλεγξεν ὁ Θεός εἰπών, «Ἐν τῷ πεποιθέναι σε βασιλεῖ Συρίας, καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, ἧται ὁ Βασᾶν κατὰ σοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο ἐσώθη ἡ δύναμις βασιλείας Ἰσραήλ» (2 Paral. xvi, 6). Ὁ δὲ Ἀσᾶ μὴ θρηνήσας ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς δέον ἦν, τὸν προφήτην ἐφυλάκισε, καὶ νοσήσας ὕστερον οὐ τὸν Κύριον ἐζήτησεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἰατρούς, ἴσως δὲ τοὺς φαρμακούς.

Secundum hæc prædicant Litteræ sacræ regis Asæ pietatem, quam ab initio declaraverit, Recte, inquiunt, se gessit Asa erga Dominum Deum suum. Quo factum ut finitimos omnes imperio suo subjiceret. Quin etiam triumphali festo instituto cunctos sacramento devinxit se a præscripta in lege disciplina vivendique ratione non discessuros. Præterea matrem suam quæ Astarte cultum probaret, regno abdicavit. Non tamen in omnibus perfectum sese gessit. Nec enim sacella editorum sustulit, ac deinceps Basa Israelicorum rege cum exercitu adversus ipsum profecto auxilium opemque Dei non imploravit, sed Syriæ regem arcessivit. Idcirco per Ananem vatem Deus ipsius diffidentiam hujusmodi verbis objurgavit: Quoniam Syriæ regi, non Domino Deo tuo innixus es, propterea manus tuas Israelici regis exercitus evasit. Tum Asa, nequaquam deplorato delicto suo, quemadmodum facere debuerat, etiam fatidicum in carcerem conjecit. Deinde morbo correptus non ad opem Domini confugit, sed ad medicos; quorum appellatione fortassis venefici et excantores veniunt.

^B Ἐπαινεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἰωσαφὰτ ὡς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐζηλωκότα κατ' ἀρχὰς τοῦ Δαβίδ. Τὸ γὰρ, «Ὕψωθη αὐτοῦ ἡ καρδία», οὐ κατηγορία, ἀλλ᾽ ἔπαινος· ἐπήγαγε γὰρ, «ἐν ὁδοῖς Κυρίου». Ἐπιμέμφεται δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν γαμικὴν ἐπιμιξίαν ἣν πρὸς τὸν ᾿Αχαάβ ἐποιήσατο· Γοθολίαν γὰρ τοῦ ᾿Αχαὰβ τὴν θυγατέρα κατεγγύησε τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ. Ὅπερ δὲ ἀφῆκεν ἡ τῶν βασιλειῶν ἱστορία, ἐνταῦθα ῥηθήσεται. Ἐπανιόντι γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ᾿Αχαὰβ παρατάξεως τῷ Ἰωσαφὰτ ἀπήντησεν Ἰηοῦ προφήτης ὁ τοῦ ᾿Ανανῆ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ. «Βασιλεῦ Ἰωσαφάτ, εἰ ἁμαρτωλῷ σὺ βοηθεῖς; εἰ μισουμένῳ ὑπὸ Κυρίου σὺ φιλιάζῃ; διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένετο ἐπὶ σὲ ὀργὴ παρὰ Κυρίου. Ἀλλ' οἱ ὀλίγοι ἀγαθοὶ εὑρέθησαν ἐν σοὶ, ὅτι ἐξῆρας τὰ ἄλση ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς Ἰούδα». Ἐντεῦθεν οὖν μανθάνομεν ὡς ἐλαττοῖ τὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι τιμωρίας τὰ πρῶτα κατορθώματα. Ὁ τοίνυν Ἰωσαφὰτ δεξάμενος τὸν ἔλεγχον διωρθώσατο ἐπὶ πᾶσι, καὶ κριτὰς τῇ πόλει ἐπέστησεν, ἵνα δικαίως πάντα πράττοιντο. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πολεμίων ἐπιστάντων πρὸς Θεὸν κατέφυγεν, ὃς καὶ παρεθάρρυνεν αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιήλ λέγων· «Μὴ φοβηθῆτε τὸ πολὺ πλῆθος, ἀλλ' αὔριον ἐξέλθετε». Πρώτους δὲ τοὺς Λευΐτας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξήγαγεν· ὅθεν καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἀλλήλους κατέκοψαν. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν βίβλον προφητικήν· λέγει γὰρ ἡ ἱστορία· «Καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ λόγοι Ἰωσαφὰτ οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἔσχατοι οὐκ ἰδοὺ γεγραμμένοι εἰσὶν ἐν λόγοις Ἰηοῦ υἱοῦ ᾿Ανανή».

Laudant et Litteræ sacræ Josaphatum, ut qui virtutem exemplo Davidis, unius ex majoribus suis, unice dilexerit. Nam quod in eis perscriptum legimus: «Elatum est cor ejus», id vero non ad vituperationem spectat, sed ad laudem atque commendationem: subjiciuntur enim hujusmodi quædam verba, «In præscriptis et institutis a Domino». Unum in eo reprehenditur, conjugalis videlicet vinculi et affinitatis conjunctio cum Achaabo instituta. Quippe Gotholiam Achaabi filiam suo filio conjugem dedit. Atque hoc loco recitandum est, quod scripta de regibus historia memoriæ non prodidit. Cum ex acie Josaphatus reverteretur, qua suppetias Achaabo tulerat, Iehu vates Ananis filius occurrit, ac regem in hunc modum compellavit: «Tene, Josaphate rex, homini scelerato ferre auxilium? Tene cum exosis Domino amicitiam colere? Ergo istius rei Domino irato pœnas dares: sed exstiterunt in te laudabilia quædam, quod lucos scilicet e solo ditioneque Judaica exterminaveris». Quibus ex verbis discere licet præclara hominum facta, quæ prius sint præstita, delictorum sequentium pœnas imminuere. Josaphatus quidem certe cum hanc reprehensionem benigne tulisset, cunctis in actionibus se deinceps egregie gessit, ac judices reipublicæ præfecit, eisdem imperans ut omnia de juris et æqui præscripto facerent cumque hostes ipsum invasissent, ad Deum confugit. Is hominis animo robur addidit, hujusmodi verbis per Jezecielum vatem editis: Nolite tantam istam multitudinem metuere, sed cras ad illam egredimini.

^A And there was a woman, a lady of the family of the Malatestas, marquises of the 346th, who was truly a woman of excellent beauty and other endowments. It is said that hot vinegar was poured into his eyes—which indeed happened afterwards (though with fruitless effort, for he had recovered his sight at that time)—together with his son John, seeking aid so that he might take possession of the Byzantine Empire. When they had obtained 4,000 horsemen, they marched on Byzantium. ^B John the emperor and his son Manuel, having heard of Andronicus' arrival, entered the fortress which they call the Golden, preparing themselves to endure a siege. But Andronicus received the fortress into surrender through negotiations, and confined both in a very cramped wooden tower: in which they spent three years, while Bajazet warned in vain that they should be killed. In the fourth year, they persuaded the prison warden, who provided food to the captives, to supply them with iron in secret. This being done, they escaped to Bajazet, promising a huge tribute for their reinstatement. After exploring the intentions of the Byzantines, Manuel was given to them as emperor by the authority of Bajazet, who would pay thirty thousand gold pieces annually to the Turk, with Andronicus and his son John deported to the court of Bajazet, where they were to be maintained. ^C With Manuel's help, Bajazet took Philadelphia, a fortified city of Lydia, which was the only one in Asia still under Greek law.

But when Manuel did not fulfill the promises made to Bajazet, and refused to come to the court of the Turk, the siege of Constantinople began, which lasted a whole decade, and the city would have been completely captured, had not Tamberlanes the Scythian, having waged war on the Turks, captured Bajazet himself. While this siege was ongoing, Manuel, having entrusted the city to John, the son of Andronicus, who had defected to him from Bajazet, set out for Italy to the Venetians and the Duke of Milan for the sake of aid. Thence he entered Gaul and found the King of the Gauls, Charles, suffering from insanity, nor could he obtain from any of the Gallic dukes that for which he had come. Wherefore, upon the advice of the nobles who were there, he decided to wait for so long until the king should recover. But when the illness was protracted for a long time, he did not dare to remain any longer, and therefore, having crossed Germany and Pannonia, he returned home.

When Mahomet died—whom the Greeks found to be very kind and friendly—his firstborn son Amurates assumed the Turkish kingdom in the 12th year of his reign. ^D By inaugurating this rule of his, the Greeks hastened their own affairs toward complete ruin. For they summoned from Lemnos Mustapha, who claimed to be the son of Bajazet, although Mahomet, who had died a little earlier (as has been said), had stated that he was a pretender, and had obtained from the Greeks that he be kept closed in prison. But when, on account of the violence of the winds, Mustapha could not be transported from Lemnos into the Hellespont, nor be set up as king in Europe, they intercepted the crossings into Europe in the Propontis and Hellespont with triremes in order to block Amurates. Meanwhile, they sailed to Calliopolis, an opulent city of the Chersonese, so that they might hold a conference there with the arriving Mustapha, and when they had made him king of Europe, they asked him to restore Calliopolis to them, and they easily obtained that. Then indeed the commanders of Amurates, left in Europe by his father Mahomet, sent a certain Bajazet from the number of the nobles to Byzantium to Manuel, to ask that the treaty entered into with Mahomet should not be violated, and at the same time offer twelve of the highest-ranking hostages, two hundred thousand gold pieces, and finally a large region adjacent to Calliopolis, whichever the Greeks asked for, if the Byzantine emperor would abandon Mustapha and not bring aid to either side, but rather let them collide with hostile arms.

After the death of Bajazet, when his son Mahomet had come to power after his brothers and had made a perpetual peace with the Greeks, the emperor Manuel set out to the Peloponnese and surrounded the Isthmus with a wall, so that the whole region might be safe. Manuel had sons: John, Andronicus, Theodore, Constantine, Demetrius, and Thomas. He admitted John the firstborn, who seemed to excel the others, into a partnership of the empire. He gave him as a wife one from Italy, daughter of the prince of Montferrat, endowed indeed with an excellent temperament, but of unliberal appearance; for which reason she was little to his heart, nor did he live with her, nor did he observe the law of marriage. She, however, noticing that she was unloved by her husband, boarded a ship and betook herself to her own relatives. Andronicus, corrupted by elephantiasis, did not live long. Theodore was sent by his father to his uncle Theodore the purple-born, so that, educated by his uncle, he might succeed him in the principality of the Peloponnese. When these things were understood, John, son of Manuel, a youth desirous of power, thought at first that his affairs would be better if those men waged enmity among themselves, and that they would lose their own affairs by mutual discord. Furthermore, he thought it would not be of little benefit to himself if both were in need of his help. And if they were to divide the kingdom between themselves, he decided that each could more easily be suppressed by him, who however was not in reality equal to either. But afterwards, he followed a far different opinion, wholly addicted to Mustapha's party. But Manuel, the father of John, thought differently from his son, establishing that the religion of treaties must not be violated. Nevertheless, the son won, and aid was decreed for Mustapha. Soon Calliopolis was besieged and taken by storm, and when the Greeks asked for it back, Mustapha said that this would be unpleasant for the Turks, as the kingdom had not yet been acquired, and at the same time asked them to wait only a little while. Subsequently, Adrianople was occupied, the seat of the Turkish kingdom in Europe; upon which being done, troops of Turks defected to him everywhere, as if he were the son of Bajazet. Having brought Europe into his power, he crossed into Asia with the Azapides, the foot-soldiers of the Turks, and other European troops, and with Zunaites, the prince of Smyrna, in order to gain control of that as well. At the same time, having sent ambassadors to the Greeks, he begged that they not innovate anything in his absence: he would return Calliopolis once Amurates was defeated. Amurates also sent his own, who would promise the most ample things if they would follow his sides...

Quo facto, rex primos omnium levitas eduxit, nec multo post ipsimet hostes se mutuis vulneribus conciderunt. Licet autem ex indiciis quibusdam colligere, quemdam alium quoque librum de Josaphato scriptum fuisse: nam hujusmodi verba exstant in historiæ monumentis: An non multæ Josaphati orationes et facta tum ineuntis ætatis tirocinii defecta in libris Iei vatis, Ananis filii, perscripta sunt?

Caeterum præclare divinus ille Davides canit: ^A Libera me ab hominum calumnia. Nam de Nabuthæo perscriptum legimus, fuisse qui verbis hujusmodi hominem deferrent: Nabuthæus Deo et regi bene precatus est, hoc est maledixit. Sic enim verbum istud hoc loco debet accipi, quemadmodum et in Jobo legimus: In os profecto bene tibi precabitur. Hoc pacto delatus vitam amisit, Jezabele rem consilio et astu suo procurante. Hinc factum ut magnus ille vates Elias verbis talibus Achaabum compellare non dubitaret: Hæc tibi Dominus denuntiat: Tune hominem occideris et ejus bona possidens? At enim a Domino sic habeto. Quo in loco linxere porci et canes Nabuthæi sanguinem, ibidem canes tuum quoque cruorem lingent, seque scorta tuo sanguine alluent. Quibus ^B verbis Achaabus admodum contristatus non mox pœnas luit propterea quod mærore affectus fuisset. Quin etiam Deus Aderis filium, qui Samariam obsidebat, cum duobus et triginta regibus in potestatem ei dedit; quem ubi vita donatum præter edictum divinum, satellitibus etiam adjunctis, dimisisset, iram Dei adversus se concitavit. Nam is continuo per vatem Michæam (hoc enim ipsius nomen Josephus memoriæ prodidit) quodam a viatore læsum ac vulneratum in capite, verbis hujusmodi allocutus est: Quoniam tu exitialem virum de manu emisisti, tam vita illius tua vita quam populus populo rependetur.

Post hæc tribus elapsis annis, sumpto secum Josaphato Judææ rege, vates suos quadringentos consulit, censerentne sibi cum exercitu pergendum adversus Rema Galaaditidis oppidum, an expeditionem potius omittendam. Respondent Baalis vates omnino pergendum. At cum Josaphatus quæreret ecquis præ- ^C terea Domini vates adesset (ejus enim opera Dominum esse consulendum): Est, inquit Achaabus, adhuc quidam vates cui Michææ nomen. Sed nunquam ille animo meo grata vaticinatur. Nihilominus arcessitur; et primo quidem respondet cundum esse, quod Domino favente regi feliciter res omnes sint successura. Verum deinceps eum obtestante per sacramentum rege, divinam mentem aperit. Tum Achaabo ad Josaphatum dicente: Nonne prædixi vatem hunc mihi nihil boni denuntiare, sed tantum infausta?, subjecit Michæas: Videbam Dominum, Deum Israelitarum, in solio suo considentem, cumque universæ copiæ cœlestes ipsi astarent, hæc fatus est: Quis Achaabum regem Israelicum decipiet, ut cum exercitu Rema Galaaditidis oppidum proficiscatur atque ^D ibi perdat? Et exiit spiritus, et stetit coram Domino, et dixit: Ego decipiam illum. Et dixit Dominus ad eum: In quo? Et ego dixi: Exibo, et ero spiritus mendax in ore omnium prophetarum ejus, et decepi eum. Et dixit: Potes exire, et facito. Hæc autem omnia, ut ait Theodoretus, per prosopopœiam dicta sunt, edocentia nos divinam permissionem. Ita nimirum et ea quæ de Job scripta sunt, in quibus Scriptura ait angelos coram Deo et diabolum in medio eorum adstitisse, et sic f…

But while they persisted in their friendship with Mustapha, claiming to have spoken with him—men who all said they would journey to Rome—and having dismissed the envoys of Amurates with their business unfinished, they returned to the camp and spread the rumor that the Greeks had been won over to Amurates. At the same time, they threatened the soldiers of Mustapha with the worst, as if they were clearly about to perish in Asia, with the return to Europe cut off. As this rumor flew through Mustapha’s camp, and the envoys he himself had sent were not yet present, the spirits of the Turks began to waver, and immediately Zunaites fled to his paternal domain, with the other leaders and troops also slipping away. Upon this, Mustapha fled to the sea to secure his own safety, and betook himself to Europe.

While these things were happening in Asia, the Byzantine Emperor in the Peloponnese was besotted with a certain woman—the daughter of a priest—at a completely inopportune time, meanwhile neglecting the excellent opportunity to exclude Amurates from crossing into Europe. Amurates, having crossed over with his own forces through the help of a certain Genoese shipmaster, pursued Mustapha most fiercely, captured him, and strangled him. Hostile to the Greeks, he besieged Constantinople, though with a futile attempt, for they resisted so bravely that he was compelled to lift the siege. But since he was not willing to grant peace even to the Greeks, they summoned Mustapha—thirteen years of age—the brother of Amurates, and promised to secure the kingdom for him, so that he might create trouble for Amurates. However, he too was led by the Greeks into Asia, and betrayed to Amurates and killed by his tutor, to whom he had been entrusted by his father Mahomet for his upbringing.

Following these events, envoys were sent again to Amurates, especially the illustrious men Notaras and Caroluca, and finally the Greeks obtained peace. While it lasted, the Genoese, provoked by the son of John Manuel, waged war on Constantinople and besieged it; but when they could not capture it, being fortified at Galata (which was a Genoese city across from Byzantium, also having the name Pera), they returned to Italy. Nevertheless, war continued to be waged between the Galatians and the Byzantines until, after many Genoese had been captured by the general John Leontaris, a return to friendship was achieved.

That war finished, the son of John Manuel sent envoys to the Roman pontiff Eugenius, to request that a council be convoked at which the controversies of the Greeks and Latins might be settled. He was testing the spirits of the Westerners in this way, to see if they appeared disposed to return to concord with the Greeks. These envoys set out to the Germans, who, gathered at Basel, were holding a council against Eugenius and, having rejected him, had created Felix, Duke of Savoy, a man of manifest integrity, as supreme pontiff. Therefore, both pontiffs, having equipped triremes, summoned the Byzantine emperor John. For both wished that a council be held under them, and that the religious controversy which existed with the Greeks be finished. When triremes were present from both, the emperor dismissed the embassy of the Basel council with kind words; regarding the Romans, Venetians, and the rest of Italy, he had already decided to travel there, as he had previously arranged.

When he had arrived at Venice, he set out from there for Ferrara, where he had learned that the pontiff Eugenius was residing. When he had come to him, he was wearied by pleas to assist the pontiff in the contention that had arisen with the Germans. From there they set out for Florence, where, when the Greeks had arrived, they dealt much and long with the pontiff so that the affair of the diverse religion might be brought to a happy conclusion. When this had been brought to an end, they sanctioned by writings and sacred protestations that they would henceforth be unanimous in the same religion. This done, the pontiff promoted two most noble men among the Greeks to the order of cardinals and joined them to himself in familiarity: Bessarion, the Trapezuntian of Nicaea, and Isidore, the prelate of Sarmatia or Russia. For he had been greatly helped by their work in entering into concord with the Greeks. Bessarion was endowed with such power of intellect that he did not merely equal the most outstanding of the Greeks, but even surpassed them. In judgment on any matter, he was of great worth. He excelled in such knowledge of Greek and Latin letters that he easily took the palm of erudition among all. Nicholas, who succeeded Eugenius, made much of the man and held him in singular regard. For this reason, he was appointed by him prefect of Bologna, that he might govern it in the pontifical name. However, when that city was agitated by various seditions, Bessarion demonstrated his own divine prudence and virtue in those tumults. It is certain that Isidore, no less wise and a lover of his fatherland, namely Byzantium, was subsequently captured by the Turks when Mahomet the Second stormed the city, for whose salvation Isidore was then fighting bravely. Eugenius returned this man to the number of cardinals, as his authority was held in highest regard among the Greeks, because he thought he would contribute greatly to his own affairs in establishing concord with the Greeks, as indeed happened.

When the Greek emperor sought from the pontiff a garrison to retain Byzantium, the latter replied in such a way that he promised the empire of the Greeks would be his care for the future, and said he would not cease in stirring up the Germans and Hungarians to take up arms against the Turks for the use of the Greeks. These things done, the emperor returns to Byzantium. Returning home, however, the Greeks were no longer willing to abide by those things that we have said were agreed and settled in Italy. Therefore, the Roman pontiff, moved, sent certain learned men to Byzantium to come into conversation with the Greeks; they did not admit the synod convened in Italy nor its decrees. For Marcus, the prelate of Ephesus, and Scholarius, the most learned of the Greeks, were just as unwilling then as before to agree with the Latins. When it came to conversation and disputation, the Romans could accomplish nothing, but returned home with their business unfinished. Moved by this, the pontiff did not send the promised aid to the Greeks; they, themselves estranged from the pontiff,

διαλεχθῆναι πρὸς τὸν Κύριον [to converse with the Lord], the divine Chrysostom says that this is a personification. Josephus, however, says that Baal is the god of the Tyrians, Astarte of the Sidonians, and Baalim the shrine of Baal. And thus much for these matters. ^A Jehoshaphat, although he sought a prophet and learned such things, nevertheless marched off to war with Ahab; yet, on account of his other virtue, as has been said above, he was preserved. Micaiah, however, when thrown into prison by Ahab, said with frankness: "If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me." But the divine prophecy concerning Ahab delivered through Elijah also reached its end. Having been wounded, he stood for a long time in his chariot so that he would not cause a rout by flight. The blood flowing from the wound was congealed in the chariot. The charioteer washed this by a fountain, and the dogs licked it up. The harlots also came at dawn to wash themselves according to custom, for the water was stagnant and stained with blood. ^B Joram, the kinsman of Ahab, having emulated the impiety of his father-in-law, met with a punishment worthy of it. For the great prophet Elijah made known the decree by letter: "Thus says the Lord: 'Because you have not walked in the way of Jehoshaphat your father, but have killed your brothers, behold, the Lord strikes a great blow in your house, and you shall be in evil sicknesses, in sickness of the bowels, until your intestines come out.'" The Philistines therefore turned against him and enslaved everyone, and killed all his children except for Ochozias. The disease also fell upon him, and even after death he was not deemed worthy of a royal burial. Truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ^C After him came Ochozias, who himself was an emulator of the impiety of his fathers. Therefore, two captains of fifty were sent to the great Elijah with arrogance, calling him to inquire about the king's sickness; upon which, bringing down fire from above, he consumed them. But here those who accuse the prophet of cruelty are accusing God Himself; for everything is done through Him. A third captain of fifty is therefore sent, and using gentle words, he escaped the punishment. Descending, therefore, and meeting those who had been sent to the idols, he said: "Because there is no God in Israel, do you go to seek Beelzebub, the god of Ekron? The bed on which you have gone up, you shall not come down from." Let them therefore know from this ^D that

^A regarding the thirst of those drinking, the Scripture called the water "honey." Following these things, Joas holds power, who did what was right in the sight of God all the days of the high priest Joiada. Having lived for one hundred and thirty years and died, he was deemed worthy of a royal tomb. But after he died, Joas turned toward impiety. On account of which, prophets were sent to him, the Joas, among whom was also Zacharias, the son of Joiada, whom they stoned inside the open space in the temple. And as he was dying he said, "Look, O Lord, and judge." And he did not fail in his request; for having fallen into an illness, he was slain by his subjects. His son, Amasias, having become king and having conquered the Idumaeans with divine assistance and made slaves of their gods, later the senseless man honored *them* ^B, attributing the victory to them. To whom the prophet said: "I know that the Lord has purposed to destroy you." For he perished similarly to his father. The divine Scripture praises Ozias: "For he was," it says, "seeking the Lord in the fear of the Lord in the days of Zacharias." But after these things, desiring to enter the holy place and to offer incense, and being rebuked by the high priest and the eighty priests—for they said to him, "It is not for you, Ozias, to offer incense, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron"—he said, "Am I not king and clothed in a royal purple robe?" He was therefore rendered leprous on account of this. While he remained inside because of the leprosy, his son Joatham was directing the kingdom. But there was one Zacharias, the son of Joiada, whom Joas stoned, and another who was during the time of Ozias. I think this one is, says Theodoret, he ^C regarding whom the Lord said to Isaiah, "Make me witnesses, faithful men, Urias the priest and Zacharias the son of Barachias." Achaz, the son of Joatham, surpassed all in impiety, on account of which he also found many evils. And not even so did he understand, but, "I will seek," he said, "the gods of the nations who strike me, and I will sacrifice to them, and they will support me." But he also led his sons through fire. But what is this? As Josephus records, he offered one of his sons as a whole burnt offering to Baal. "I think," says Theodoret, "the form of error that has reached until our times is alluded to from this. For once in the year we see fires being lit, and certain boys and men jumping over them, and indeed infants being carried through the flame by their mothers. This seemed to be a certain diversion of evil and purification. I think this accusation was made against Achaz, whom, when he died, they did not deem worthy of royal honor."

^A His son Jezechias was endowed with the highest virtue, and he performed all that his father David had done. Among other things, he destroyed the bronze serpent which Moses had made; for until those days, the children of Israel were burning incense to it. He also took the greatest care of the temple. Then, when there were not enough priests for the sacrifices, as the Book of Chronicles says, the Levites also assisted. This is something we can see even now; for when a priest is not present and the need is pressing, even a deacon is compelled to administer baptism to one who requests it. When Sennacherib had undertaken an expedition against him, he sent to Isaiah, saying: "This day is a day of anguish, and of searching, and of provocation, for the children are come to the birth, and there is no strength to the woman who is giving birth." By this he meant: We are burning and inflamed with anger at hearing the blasphemies of the Rabsaces, yet we are unable to punish the impious. For Sennacherib had ordered him, through the Rabsaces, to say: "Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you." But God, as soon as the king went into the temple and prayed, dispatched the prophet Isaiah, announcing the good things that would happen to him, using, among other words, these: "I will shield this city for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant." These things were spoken by God so that Jezechias would not think his prayer was heard because of his own righteousness. From this we learn that the just, even after they are dead, act as patrons of the living. Jezechias, however, both trusted in God and contributed his own diligence. First, he blocked the springs that were before the city; then he raised the towers to a greater height and built another outer wall. It happened also at that time that he fell ill to the point of death, such that, having become humble, he turned to the Lord, ^B as it is related in the Book of Chronicles: "And Jezechias humbled himself," it says, "from the pride of his heart." Since his father, Achaz, had received the prophecy: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive," he thought himself to be the Emmanuel and that the promise would reach its conclusion in him. Wherefore, practicing virginity, he had no desire to enter into marriage. But even when he had seen the destruction of the aliens (for in one night thousands were destroyed by an angel), he became all the more confirmed in his own foolish opinion. Wherefore he was disciplined by the Lord, being afflicted in his foot with a rot; but then God gave him a sign so that he would know he would not die at that time: "Behold, I will turn the shadow of the steps, which the sun has already gone down, ten steps on the steps of your father's house." They say that Achaz had constructed by some mechanism in his house certain steps which were like a clock and measured the path of the sun. Then, therefore, God—so that he might believe what was said (for fifteen years of life were added to him)—caused the shadow of the sun to go backward, since Jezechias himself was also returning from the sunset of his life to a second beginning of life; on account of which the sign of the sun, and no other, was given. ^D

^A And according to Hippolytus, that day became thirty-two hours long; for the sun, having traversed ten levels, ran back over the same ones, and then, having used its own order, came to the sunset having traversed the twelve again. And so much for Hippolytus; but Eustathius, the patriarch of Antioch, says that that day came to be twenty-two hours; for he seems to say that the retrogradation of the sun occurred in the twinkling of an eye, not in ten hours. Thus, that day indeed became twenty-four hours long, in which Jesus, the son of Nave, caused the sun to stand in the very zenith for the duration of a whole day; for it had ascended for six hours, and through similar ones again to the middle of the heaven. ^B Know, however, beloved, that the sun did not stand still primarily, nor did the miracle happen concerning the sun alone, but concerning the first heaven itself; for it being hindered from its forward movement by the divine command, it was an absolute necessity that the sun, which is moved along with it, should also stand still. And be persuaded by the great Maximus, who, in his writings to Thalassius, discusses this matter in these very words: “God restrained the unrestrained course of the sun and the moon in a paradoxical manner, having caused the ever-moving nature of the universe to be motionless. These things, however, the God who works wonders for all things brings about, so that from this he might clearly show that neither law nor necessity is laid upon the stars, just as the many thought, seeing them always moving in the same way. He causes them, therefore, to stand, presenting the power that is inherent in Him over all things, and allows them to be carried again according to the law entrusted to them from the beginning.” ^C Accordingly, Merodach, the king of Babylon, sends his ambassadors to Ezechias on account of both the sickness and the miracle concerning the sun. But he, having passed over all other things, showed his wealth to the ambassadors, on account of which the following things were said to him by Isaias the prophet: “Behold, days are coming, and all that is in your house shall be taken, and they shall go away to Babylon. And your sons, whom you shall beget, shall be eunuchs in the house of the king of Babylon.” By “sons” he means the three children together with the prophet Daniel; for these have become descendants of Ezechias. Therefore, the Scripture is accustomed to name descendants as sons, just as it also calls David the father of Ezechias; for Ezechias is not a son of David, but certainly his descendant. Merodach, however, as has been said from above, sent to Ezechias for the sake of the miracle concerning the sun; for the Ares [i.e., the Chaldean astronomer] says that its retrogradation was most paradoxical. ^D sendit, nisi propter prodigium illud de sole. Narrat enim re- trogradationem ejus tantam fuisse, ut rem plane inusitatam et paradoxam judicarit.

certainly would not have received such gentle treatment from them, nor would they have so readily accepted his suggestions. This, therefore, was the reason, according to the opinion of our holy fathers and teachers discussed above, why the ^A all-wicked one used the serpent—and no other instrument—to deceive our first parents.

But whence is it clear that the devil spoke through the serpent, since Scripture says nothing of the sort anywhere? Behold, for even Paul makes mention of the serpent, saying: "I am afraid that the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness." Whence, then, is it clear that the devil speaks through the serpent? The Lord Himself removed the difficulty, lest anyone should attribute sin to the serpent alone. For to the Jews, when they said to Him, "We are from God," He said, "If you were from God, you would do the will of God. Now you are from your father the devil. He was a murderer from the beginning." Hence it is clearly demonstrated that by speaking through the serpent itself, the devil brought about the human race's subjection to death. If this were not so, he who was immortal would not have become mortal. And if you do not believe what is said, trust the wise Solomon, who says: "God did not make death, but created man for incorruption; but through the envy of the devil, death entered the world." It is therefore manifest ^C that the all-wicked one himself spoke through the serpent; for if this were not so, the Lord would not have called him a murderer.

And since these things are so, for what reason does Scripture mention only the serpent, and remain completely silent about matters concerning the devil? Because of the idolatrous madness of the Jews. For, as the divine Anastasius of Sinai says, so they would not, upon learning that there are certain other natures, deify them, the Mosaic book does not discourse ^D on the nature of demons or angels. For if, even after so many miracles, they declared the image of the calf to be God, what would they not have done if they had received the knowledge of invisible natures? That these things are so is clear from what...

^A and returned, bringing with him the holy tile—that hand-made-by-no-human-effort imprint of the form of Christ our God, which he found in Hierapolis, having coveted that city—and a lock of the hair of John the Baptist, matted with blood. Even though Nicephorus was such a man, and had increased the Roman state to such a degree (for he occupied more than a hundred cities and fortresses in Cilicia, Syria, and Phoenicia, the greatest and most illustrious of which were Anazarbus, Adana, and the others, or Mamistra, also called Mopsus' Hearth, Tarsus, Pagrae, Synephium, Aleppo, and Laodicea, and moreover made those in Phoenicia, namely Tripoli and Damascus, tributary), nevertheless he became hateful to every man, and everyone thirsted to see his destruction. For even if many most beautiful qualities shone in him, yet two evils stained him: his illicit union with Theophano, and his miserliness and lack of generosity toward all.

For a famine once gripped the city, such that one medimnos [of wheat] was sold for a gold coin. Phocas learned of this and remedied the affliction in a petty manner; for having opened the public granaries, he ordered two medimnoi to be sold for a gold coin, not imitating in this the Macedonian Basil. For that emperor, seeing the Byzantines mourning and learning that the famine was the cause of their sorrow, ordered that twelve medimnoi be sold for a gold coin.

Also, when the Emperor Phocas at that very time had gone out as if to exercise the army, and a man white-haired with age came and tried to be enrolled among the soldiers, he said to him: “But you, O man, being old, how are you eager to be enrolled in my army?” The other, answering aptly, said: “I am much stronger now than when I was in my prime.” The same emperor asked: “And how so?” The man, using irony, said that he had previously loaded two mules with the grain of one gold coin, but under his reign, he was able to carry on his shoulders the grain bought for two gold coins. Understanding the irony, he went away, not at all disturbed.

Furthermore, having overthrown the cities counted above, he left only Antioch passed by, even though he was capable of overthrowing it. He left it specifically, fearing the rumor that was spread; for it was said that as soon as the city of Antioch was captured, the emperor would die. Wherefore, having left Michael Bourtzes as guardian in those parts, and a certain eunuch named Peter as commander of the camp, and having enjoined them by no means to assault Antioch, he came to the imperial city. But Bourtzes, wishing to gain a reputation for himself, despised his orders, and having besieged the city in every way, captured it. Phocas, learning this, was not a little vexed, and he lashed out at Bourtzes with insults and removed him from his command. From this, therefore, the hatred against him took its beginning; in addition to these things, also those under his hand [to the frequent...]

^A Although God led these to him, and although He subjected all things under his feet, as David says, yet sin deprived him of this dominion too. But how did it deprive him? Not because such dominion was inherently susceptible to anarchy, as most people suppose, but because Adam, by transgressing the commandment given to him, fell away from all those things which had been entrusted to him by God through grace.

So it is, most holy one, even regarding immortality itself. For if we believe that God does all things and transforms them by His own will, as the prophet Amos also says concerning this, we must of necessity believe that He makes the mortal out of the immortal, and conversely, makes the immortal out of the mortal and corruptible. Therefore, let no one say that Adam was created susceptible to death from the beginning, if indeed after a short time he fell into corruption and death. Pay no mind to them, since they are clearly playing with things that are not for play. For at the same time that Adam transgressed the commandment, at that same time he became susceptible to death. And the Holy Scripture confirms this word, saying: "On whatever day you eat from the plant, you shall die the death." And what need is there to say much? If Adam had been created susceptible to death from the beginning, Solomon would not have said, "God did not make death." For these things are in complete harmony with one another. It appears, therefore, from this that at the moment he transgressed the commandment, at that same moment he became what he was not. But what is this? Was Adam not susceptible to death from the beginning? But having eaten from the wood, only then did he become susceptible to death. For, it says, at the hour you eat from the plant, you shall die the death. And do not wonder at this. For even if God imparted to him an intellectual soul, so that he was thenceforth immortal ^B for all time—and the Golden-Tongued one confirms this word—yet the transgression of the commandment, as has been said before, both stripped him of immortality and cast him out of Paradise, and caused him to turn back to the earth from whence he was taken. The prophet Amos, therefore, well said that God does and transforms all things by His own will for our benefit.

Recognize this, then. For if, as the argument has shown from many things, Adam was created by God incorruptible and immortal, whence then do those people launch into saying he was a medium between immortality and mortality? ^C Mortal, Adam could not be from the beginning—not because the body is not by its own nature mortal and dissoluble, but because the will of God is a stronger bond for every thing than that it could be dissolved for any reason, according to the golden doctrine of Plato in the *Timaeus*, where he introduces God the Creator addressing the gods thus: "Attend to these things, you who have arisen from the sowing of the gods: those works of which I am parent and effector are not dissoluble against my will: although everything that is bound can be solved. But it is by no means in the nature of goodness to wish to dissolve a bond. But since you have been born, you cannot be immortal or indissoluble. Yet you shall not be dissolved by any means, nor shall any fates of death destroy you, nor is fraud mightier than my counsel: which is a greater bond for your perpetuity than those by which you were bound when you were being begotten," as M. Tullius translated Plato's words into Latin. However, what Glycas says, that Adam began to be able to die after sin, does not look to free will but to the condition of the body; for even before sin, by his own choice, he could die—namely, by sinning—and fall into a mortal condition. Let Peter Lombard be consulted, Book II of the *Sentences*, dist. XIX, and Thomas, I, I, Q. xcvii, art. 1, where it is shown that Adam was immortal only by the gift of God, not by his own nature, which they learned from Augustine, *De civitate Dei*, bk. XIII, ch. 20, 23; bk. VIII, *De Genesi ad litteram*, ch. 4 and 5, and the author of the *Questions of the Old and New Testament*, qu. 19.

It seems rightly said that Adam could be considered a medium between mortality and immortality before sin: for he was immortal by the gift of God, mortal by nature and condition; immortal if he had wished to remain obedient, mortal if he had failed by sinning against God. Excellently, Peter Lombard, Book II of the *Sentences*, dist. XIX: "The first man, therefore..."

EPISTLE VIII

First of all, it is necessary to speak concerning these things, O divinely-like man, as to what is the condition laid up there for the just, and how each one of them and in what manner they will rest after the life here; for thus the discussion concerning this head will become more evident to those who attend. For if we hear our Savior Jesus Christ saying in the Gospels, "In my Father's house there are many mansions" (John XIV, 2), he does not thereby make mention of a difference of dwellings raised up here or there and allotted to the just, but rather the properties of the charismata in reference to the evangelical and divine Word. For the rest, the difference is in the charismata; for the mansion is one and not many. But what is that mansion, and whence are the charismata distributed to the just? Our Lord Jesus Christ himself is then established as all things to all. He himself is the mansion, and the ineffable joy of the just; he himself is the enjoyment, he himself is the resurrection of all. And this is manifest from those things which [Gregory] the Theologian is found saying in this way: "Henceforth I will not cast off what was agreed upon by me in baptism, so that I might not fall from the blessedness of that place. And this is the more expressive comprehension of the Trinity."

In addition to these, the most holy Barlaam, having been asked what the kingdom of heaven is, gave such an answer to that Joasaph: "As I have learned from the Scripture, it is to become near to the contemplation of the holy Trinity; and with unveiled face to behold its glory." Hence, all the just will gaze upon the intelligible sun, and will become participants of that divine light, even if not all equally; but each one according to his own purity. For just as this sensible sun is set forth for the sight of all, and it sends forth its rays to one less, and to another more vehemently; but just as it is received by each accordingly, according to the disposition of the eyes; so you must believe it will be then concerning that inaccessible splendor, and those who cling to it. For according to the blessed Paul, a transformation

^A they contend with their whole heart that he had, and they do not pronounce him immortal in every way according to the dignity conferred upon him before sin. Let them give an answer to these points. But they could not say anything. For those men, as you see, do not only insist that he was in a middle state, but they also do not hesitate to attribute natural afflictions to him who, before sin, was free from corruption and destruction and impassible. And they do this without any proof, as was said, from Scripture. But do not fear on this account. For that man was of such a nature from the beginning, namely incorruptible and impassible, and that in some way he did not suffer, being superior to any corruption, the Gold-Tongued [Chrysostom] showed in his seventeenth homily on the *Hexaemeron*, saying that man before sin possessed such impassibility as angels have, and that he was a participant in ineffable glory; and he showed it much more clearly in his book *On the Statues*, since he was making an argument about this. For because some were calumniating this corruptible body to such an extent that they even called it unworthy of the creation of God—for they said that if it were a creature of the divine hands, it would not be subject to such a myriad of afflictions—he used arguments against them like this: "Let no one speak to me of this man who has offended, who has been condemned, who has been disgraced. But if you wish to learn what kind of body God fashioned for us from the beginning, let us go to paradise and look at the man who was created at the beginning." For that body was not then corruptible and subject to time, but, like some golden statue having come forth from a furnace and shining brilliantly, thus that body was exempt from all corruption; and ^B neither did toil trouble it, nor did sweat damage it, nor did anxieties plot against it, nor did sadnesses besiege it, nor was it vexed by dirt, nor tears, nor any other such passion. But after he behaved insolently toward his benefactor, and hoped to become God, and took up an understanding beyond his own dignity, then, truly then, God, schooling him, made him corruptible and mortal, and bound him to these many necessities. Thus far that most divine John. Therefore, the discourse rightly called that body incorruptible. For that which is not subject to any kind of corruption is certainly incorruptible. But if it was incorruptible, how, I ask, and in what way did it suffer? We desire to learn this. For we cannot understand by our own reflections how a body [remained] from any corruption... ^C according to the nature of an earthly body, he was immortal in a certain way, in one sense, because he could not die, and mortal in a certain way, because he could die. For in that first state he had the ability to die and the ability not to die. Therefore, Augustine says of him in book XII of *The City of God*, chap. 23: "He was prevented from the necessity of death not by an absolute and indissoluble immortality, but by the tree of life." It is therefore a source of wonder that Glycas is not afraid to attack these such manifest things. See a little lower down.

[Note: The remaining paragraph summarizes that man is said to be free from natural pains before sin in the sense that he was not disturbed by passions that cause nature to decay, but rather possessed capacities whereby nature is restored, as Thomas teaches (I, q. 97, art. 2). Hence, the great Augustine writes in book XIV of *The City of God*, chap. 10: "How happy, then, were they, and by no perturbations of mind were they agitated, and by no bodily inconveniences were they harmed..."]

^A of it; and he said: "My father committed many wicked acts from his youth, and in his old age he repented. And now I will go as my soul desires, and afterwards I will return to the Lord." For this reason God did not wait, because he was not brought to his senses by the things his father suffered. Amosus formed a certain wicked thought in his mind, for he said: "My father committed many wicked acts from his youth, and in his old age he repented. Therefore I also at this age will carry on according to the lust of my soul, and then I will turn to the Lord." On this account, God did not wait for his repentance, since he had not become better because of his father’s calamities. Josiah his grandson succeeded him in the kingdom. This one acquired the piety of his ancestor David. And first of all he took care of the temple, having destroyed, among other things, the house which Solomon had built for Astarte, the abomination of the Sidonians; then, having heard the divine words in Deuteronomy, he both tore his garments and lamented greatly. For this reason God indeed pronounced the sentence against the people and the temple, but for the king He predicted good things: "Because," He says, "you heard my words and your heart was softened, and you tore your garments and wept before me, your eyes will not see all the evils that I am bringing upon this house." He smashed the vessels of the idols into the brook of Cedron, and he burned the priests of the idols in Bethel, according to the prophecy of Joel, that man of God. In the times of King Josiah, as George says, the city of Byzantium was founded by Byzas, king of Thrace (40). ^B It must be known that Nebuchadnezzar pillaged Jerusalem three times: under Joakim, under Jechonias, and later under Zedekiah, as George says. Theodoret, following the most divine Jeremiah, says that Joakim and Jechonias are the same person. Zedekiah, according to the great Epiphanius, was blinded, led off to Babylon, and cast into a mill for twenty-six years, even if he was later honored. Thus, the years of those who reigned in Jerusalem from David until Zedekiah amount to 498, and there were twenty-two kings in all from the single line of David. Those who reigned in Samaria were 18, from Jeroboam until Oseas, under whom Samaria ceased and perished at the hands of Salmanasar. In place of the Samaritans, Assyrians settled there, from whom the heretical Samaritans and Sadducees ^C arose. These, being consumed by lions that suddenly set upon them, and having learned from the old men there the God honored in that place, and that it was from Him that such things were suffered—though some say Byzas. From this passage, and certain others, the reader will learn that the chronicle of George Syncellus is not complete and finished in all its parts, as it appeared in print, issued from the manuscript copy of the Royal Library by the Rev. Father Jacques Goar of the Order of Preachers at the Royal Press, but that certain things are still missing from it, to be supplied from other, more abundant records, if any should happen to occur. Let the reader observe, however, that our Glycas was deceived while he confused King Jechonias with his successor Zedekiah, contrary to the authority ^D of the sacred pages. For neither was Zedekiah, when led to Babylon, honored later, but Joachim, the son of Joakim, who was also called Jechonias, concerning whom the sacred writer says in the last chapter of the fourth book of Kings: "And it happened in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Joachim, king of Judah." It happened indeed in the thirty-seventh year of the transmigration of Joachim, king of Judah, in the 12th month, on the 27th day of the month, Evilmerodach, King of Babylon, lifted up the head of Joachim, king of Judah, from prison, and he spoke to him, etc.

^A for the sake of reminder and instruction? That which suffers is of necessity corruptible. But if Adam was corruptible, because he was subject to suffering, how do they again insist that he was a nature intermediate between the incorruptible and the corruptible? These ^B things seem to us, for the time being, to be irrational and very unlearned; for if, as they say, the divine Gregory said that the body of Adam was a medium between magnitude and humility, that is between immortality and mortality, why did this great man beforehand call it temporary? Let them render an answer to these points. For if it was temporary, it is evident that it was also mortal. And if Adam was mortal, because he had a body that was temporary, how did he later say it was a medium between magnitude and humility? Understand therefore, O holy head, that in discussing a few ^C things regarding the common nature of men, the divine Gregory gave, I know not how, the opportunity to the aforementioned Father to opine that he was discussing such things regarding the first Adam. Thus therefore, most holy one, even the medium of magnitude and humility was not written by the great man, as I suppose, concerning corruption and incorruption, but altogether concerning soul and body. For the soul of a man, having received its existence through the divine inbreathing, was admittedly greater than this clay body. And what need is there to say much? ^D If you should carefully examine the theological syllables, and furthermore the explanation issued upon them, then you have to learn what the difference is among them, and that such an explanation seems to oppose the pious rationale to a very high degree. For at once, the "temporary and immortal," and "the existence in order to suffer, and by suffering, that one be reminded and instructed," and "that the animal be managed from thence, and transferred elsewhere," none of these will in any way fit that progenitor ^A and first Adam; unless perhaps we say that even before the transgression he was subject to corruption and mortality—he who was created for incorruption according to the image of the eternity of God. It would have been better to be silent on these matters, since we have perceived that the divine Gregory himself said nothing of the sort, at least concerning the first Adam for the time being. For how could he, if in proceeding further he even gives him a body exempt from all corruption, ^B and confirms the argument in which he spoke thus word for word: "And without any covering and protection; for such it was fitting for him who was from the beginning to be"? On which it is also worthy to note: if it was fitting for him who was from the beginning to be such—not in need, that is, of any covering and protection, and this is entirely perfect impassibility—it is evident that the "temporary and immortal" and "the existence in order to suffer, and by suffering, that one be reminded and instructed," pertained to the common nature of men... ^C (Thus Plato writes in his *Statesman* that in the golden age men lived for the most part nude and without any coverings under the open sky. "Naked, indeed," he says, "and unburdened, and wandering, they lived for the most part.") ^D (Lucretius, book V: "Nor did they yet know how to handle things with fire, nor to use/ Skins, and clothe the body with the spoils of beasts./ But they frequented groves, and hollow mountains and forests,/ And amid the thickets were hiding their squalid limbs, etc.") (Not only as concerning the soul, which the Stoics strove to introduce, but also concerning the body. Concerning the apathia of the Stoics, see what we have noted lower down regarding this same epistle.)

801 ^A nor was man merely the handiwork of divine hands.” And these things, indeed, this aforementioned divine man discourses concerning paradise; from which it is possible for the attentive reader to learn that he is a more divine creature, and superior to this corruptible creation. For if this were not so, never would that Adam, while dwelling therein, have exulted and rejoiced; never would he who was incorruptible, living in an incorruptible state, have enjoyed a blessed life. That these things are so, and that that place was of such a kind, the great Basil himself clearly demonstrated regarding paradise, discoursing as follows: “Thus also, he made the habitancy of man the work of his own hand, a place superior to the whole of creation, situated in a conspicuous spot, inaccessible to darkness, and on account of its height, easily seen; no hurricane there, no tempest, no hail, no wintry freezing; the earth was rich and soft, watered by most fertile streams. But how shall I bring into your sight the things that are in that fatherland? How shall I call you back to it from this exile?” Learn therefore from this, O sacred head, of what nature paradise is. For even if we grant, along with all the rest, that it also is bounded by the ocean which encompasses the whole earth, just as the majority have thought, nevertheless, consider it to be superior to this life which is being altered and is changing at every hour. For if this were not so, it would not have been said to be situated in a conspicuous spot; it would not have been ^B higher than the whole earth; it would not have been adorned with ever-blooming and immortal plants. That these things are so, and that paradise is above this earth, the one wise in divine things, Theodoret, also indicated, saying thus: “Out of the whole earth, then, as a certain excellent spot towards the East, God having chosen what is called Eden, in it he constructed paradise; in which, desiring to honor man whom he had created, he commanded him to dwell.” Attend therefore: for it appears from this that paradise was free from corruption. For if this were not so, he would not have placed man in it when he wished to honor him; and these things are attested by the entire holy Scripture, which testifies that this was created free from corruption. And what need is there to say many things? Paradise was free from corruption; if it were bounded by the ocean which encompasses the whole earth, as they say, that universal deluge would necessarily have reached even it, ^C and corrupted it along with the rest as being subject to corruption, since at that time the water, as the Scripture says, was raised fifteen cubits above all the mountains. It is manifest, therefore, also from this that paradise is superior to this mutable life. But if it is superior to this life, it is manifest that it is also free from corruption; and if it is free from corruption, it is an absolute necessity that all the plants in it also be superior to corruption. For if, as some think, these were subject to corruption and change, then it must be said that he who tasted of the sensible food was entirely in the state of participation in it. And what need is there to say many things? If paradise was corruptible, the most divine Ambrose and the martyr of Christ, Justin, would not have said that it was shameful to assert that the ^D of [the world...].

^A For the phrase "according to the image" signifies nothing other than the principle of rule and dominion. For just as the God of all things holds rule over all, both visible and invisible, being the creator of all, so too, having created this rational animal, He willed him to have dominion over all seen things; for which reason He also graced him with the essence of his soul, willing him to be immortal for all time. But do not doubt what is said, since even Solomon set this forth, saying: "God created man for incorruption, and [as] an image of His own eternity" (Wis. 2:23). And his state would indeed have been thus perpetual; but because he slipped through sloth and transgressed the commandment given to him, He did not even then turn away from him completely; but having deprived him of immortality, and having condemned him to death, He left him in almost the same principle of rule.

^B 5: It is not at all implausible to say that the likeness to God resides in man according to the principle of rule. For the governing of all things upon the earth has been given to him.

He was not, however, cast out of it entirely, lest the grace be found worthless, but it was mutilated. For it was not just that the one who was defeated should also be crowned, but that he should be disciplined by the fear of wild beasts.

Furthermore, even having transgressed the commandment, He did not turn away from him completely, but having deprived him of immortality, and having condemned [him] to death, He left him in that same rule. Therefore, it is clear that before the eating, man was immortal; for if he were not at that time, He would not have brought death upon him after the eating in the order of punishment, as the golden-tongued John says in his sixteenth homily. But it is worth attending here. For God did not only will to appoint him king of all things seen, but He also showed his established rule through the works themselves. For He brought all the animals to him at that time, even though He was not ignorant of the future, and so all things, standing in a servile state, received their names from him. Thus, therefore, He honored him through his intellectual soul and immortality; for if, inasmuch as he possesses reason, he holds power even today. For if you see wild beasts exercising arrogance and sometimes looking shamelessly at him, do not wonder; for even this happens by all means according to divine economy, so that from this we might be reminded, even against our will, of the sin on account of which we were condemned to fear and tremble before those subjected to our rule. ^C It is not, however, inconsistent with truth to say that the likeness to God also exists in man in respect to his capacity to rule. For the power to rule over all things on earth was given to him. Theodoret asks, in question 20 on Genesis: Some have said that man was created according to the image of God in respect to the faculty of ruling, using a most clear argument from the fact that the Creator added, “And let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and all the reptiles that creep upon the earth.” For just as He Himself holds the rule over all, so He gave to man dominion over the irrational animals. Theodoret himself was of this opinion in his comment on 1 Corinthians 11:7; also Isidore of Pelusium, book 3, epistle 95; John Chrysostom, homily 10 on Genesis; and Diodorus of Tarsus, according to Theodoret. And Augustine seems not to dissent from this in book 1 of *De Genesi contra Manichæos*, chapter 17.

Isidore of Pelusium, epistle 95, book 3, teaches that Adam's rule was indeed mutilated after the sin, but not entirely taken away. For he was not cast out of all rule, lest the grace be found empty and void, but it was truncated. For it was not just that he who was defeated should also be crowned, but that he should be chastised by the fear of wild beasts. Thus our Glycas in the first part of his *Annales*.

Moreover, He did not entirely turn away from him [who had] transgressed His commandment, but having stripped him of immortality and condemned him to death, He left him in almost the same rule. For man, by means of the reason with which he is endowed, still retains all things in his power today. Although we see wild beasts occasionally rushing at man at their own will, we ought not to marvel at this so much, since it happens by divine counsel, so that in this way we may be admonished, even against our will, of the sin for whose cause this punishment befell us: that we should fear those subjected to our rule. The same is taught by John Chrysostom, homily 9 on Genesis. Excellently, Ambrose, book 6 of *Hexaemeron*: "Nothing seemed more robust in the created order than the elephant, nothing so terrible or tall: nothing so wild as lions or tigers: and these serve man, and lay aside their nature through human instruction; they forget what they were born, they put on what they are ordered. Why say more! They are taught like little ones, they serve like the infirm, they are beaten like the timid, they are corrected like subjects: they pass into our customs, because they have lost their own motions."

Man was immortal not only as regards the soul, but the soul itself, before the first man's sin, was the provider of immortality for the body, as Thomas teaches, 1, 1, Quest. xcv, Art. 1. For he writes: For his body was not indissoluble by any vigor of immortality; but there was in the soul a certain power, supernaturally given by God, by which the body was able to be preserved from all corruption…

generation of those who were allotted to rule. Christ was born, he who was also the expectation of the nations. This man, Herod, as has been recounted, having fought alongside Augustus Caesar with his own expenses when he marched against Cleopatra, received the kingship in Judea as a sort of honorary gift from him. And concerning these matters, so be it.

When Nebuchadnezzar was boasting and speaking great things regarding the beautiful city which he had built, a voice came from heaven saying: "Nebuchadnezzar, your kingdom has passed from you, and they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts, and they shall feed you grass like an ox. And seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men." And in that very hour these things were fulfilled, and along with the others, his hair was magnified like a lion’s, and his nails like a bird’s. He suffered these things because he boasted about the vision of the image; for from that point he supposed himself to be a god. Whence he also set up his own image for the sake of it being worshipped, and he lit that furnace. After this, he sees a second dream: a tree reaching to heaven, covered on all sides with birds. A voice from above threatened the cutting down of the tree, without its root, however. Daniel clarifies this vision, and says that for seven years he would herd with the beasts on the mountains, then return to his kingdom. And this is indeed what happened.

Furthermore, when Nebuchadnezzar was boasting magnificently regarding the name of that city which, by building it, he had brought to impressive elegance, a voice from heaven was heard, which uttered words of this sort: "Your kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar, has now departed from you, and you will be driven away from the gatherings of mortals; you will live among wild beasts; you will feed on the grass of the field; and seven years will be spent by you in this way, until you acknowledge that there is a certain Most High, by whose judgment and power the kingdoms of mortals are held." When these things had been spoken, the outcome answered in that very hour. For among other things, his hair grew to the size of lion's hair, and likewise he acquired claws that matched the claws of birds. He suffered these things because, among other reasons, he had taken too great airs after the vision he saw in his sleep; for he thought he was a god. Led by this opinion, he erected his own statue so that it might be worshipped, and he even lit a furnace into which those who refused to do what was commanded would be thrown.

Following these, he had that other dream in which he saw a tree reaching even to heaven, in which birds of every kind were singing. A voice issued from heaven which threatened the cutting down of the tree, the root being excepted, however. Daniel also interprets that dream, and predicts that it would come to pass that he would wander for seven years among the mountain beasts; when that time passed, he would recover his kingdom, just as also occurred.

Nebuchadnezzar’s successor in the empire was his son, and after him another son, Belshazzar. When this man had given a banquet and invited his magnates, he sat drinking and gluttonizing, having for service at such a banquet those sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from the divine temple in Jerusalem. On account of this, God is angered. Because of this, He decrees the total destruction of those who despise Him. Belshazzar therefore sees on the plaster of the wall of the house in which he was sitting, while he was celebrating the banquet, the knuckles of a hand and letters declaring: "Mene, Tekel, Phares." Whence the king is not a little troubled by these things. He asks his wise men about them; but they swear that they know nothing. The prophet Daniel is also summoned; for the prophetic power in him had become clearly manifest when he both spoke and clarified that marvelous vision of Nebuchadnezzar. For he saw in a dream a multi-colored image and a stone cut without hands from a mountain, which shattered the image. But he had forgotten the vision. Having become awake, he sought to learn the vision. And while all his wise men were at a loss, and...

^A And thus he speaks word for word: "Enoch was pleasing to God, and he is transferred." And observe the goodness of the Master. For when he had found a man who had performed the duties of virtue, he did not deprive him of that dignity which he had bestowed upon the first-formed man before the transgression of the commandment. But what was the dignity which God bestowed upon the first man in the beginning? It was to be incorruptible, immortal, and exempt from destruction, as the argument has already clearly shown. This dignity Adam indeed received, but he lost it nonetheless, because he transgressed the commandment and because he touched the tree with a perverse design. Wherefore, so that we do not despair completely, as though we were never to recover that immortality, he transfers Enoch, deems him worthy of incorruptibility, and thus prepares him to live for ages, teaching by this that our mortal nature awaits the boundaries of that immortality ^B from which it fell through the transgression of sin. Take heed, therefore. For if this is so, what need is there to say more? For if that first man possessed this incorruptibility, which God taught that the mortal nature awaits by transferring Enoch, it appears clearly that man was created by God from the beginning such as the divine oracles declare he will rise from the dead. So do not hesitate. Reflect with yourself on what Anastasius of Sinai also set forth most clearly in his oration *On the Resurrection* concerning these things in this manner ^C: "Such a body is raised from the dead as it was from the beginning, having cast off all that had befallen it on account of sin." Attend, therefore: if it rises such as it was from the beginning—and it is certain that the body then rising will be superior to death and corruption, which the great Paul testifies: "It is necessary..." [In this section, the text follows the argumentation of the Latin doctors, in particular as noted by Augustine, *De peccatorum meritis et remissione*, book 3, affirming that Enoch and Elijah do not remain alive in any other way than the first man and his descendants, had he not sinned, would have been immortal. For if God, he says, provided for the Israelites that their garments and sandals did not wear out for so many years, what is the wonder if the same power were provided to an obedient man, so that, having an animate and mortal body, he might have in it a certain state of life without decay of years, ^D at a time which God might will, to move from mortality to immortality without undergoing intermediate death? For just as this very flesh which we now have is not non-vulnerable because it is not necessary that it be wounded, so that body was not non-mortal because it was not necessary that it die. I believe such a condition was granted even to those who were translated from here without death, while still in an animate and mortal body. For neither did Enoch and Elijah wither from old age through so long a time, nor yet do I believe them to have been already changed into that spiritual quality of body which is promised in the resurrection, etc.] [Augustine, *De civitate Dei*, book 13, chapter 20, speaks thus concerning the body of the saints restored in the final resurrection: "Not only will it not be such as it is now in every best state of health, but not even such as it was in the first men before sin. Who, though they would not have died unless they had sinned, used food like men, not yet carrying spiritual, but as yet earthly animate bodies." Chapter 23 follows: "The first man was made of the earth, earthy, into a living soul, not into a life-giving spirit, which was reserved for him through the merit of obedience. Therefore, his body, which required food and drink so that it would not be afflicted by hunger and thirst, and was restrained from the necessity of death not by that absolute and indissoluble immortality, but by the tree of life, and was kept in the flower of youth, was without doubt not spiritual, but animate; never to die, however, unless he had sinned by transgressing the judgment of the One who foretold and warned."]

^A others adopted other such notions out of poor judgment. Whence it is that even the older of the ecclesiastical expositors—Philo the philosopher and Papias of Hierapolis, who was contemporary with the Apostles, Irenæus of Lyons, Justin the martyr and philosopher, Clement the secretary, and the divine Cappadocian Gregories—while they wished to overturn these most shameful notions, yet, at the same time, looking to the divinely inspired Scripture, as Paul counsels, they contemplated all matters regarding Paradise spiritually, truly handling their own treatises for the sake of dispensation [oikonomikos].

But perhaps you produce the great Basil, the golden-tongued and divine John, the blessed Epiphanius, and the most divine Cyril, and you say that they went through all matters in Paradise according to the letter. We know this also, and we would not deny it. But observe the dispensation [oikonomia] of the divine, God-minded Fathers; observe that Davidic utterance receiving its completion in them, which says: “A wise man will dispense his words in judgment.” For when they found the execrable Origen allegorizing the entire Hexaemeron into mythical tragedies, understanding nothing according to the letter—for he spoke vacuously of Adam and the Paradise as incorporeal, and understood all other things intellectually—they decided to leave aside the allegorists and to interpret their own treatises on the Hexaemeron according to the letter, and most wisely so. For they would not have called the fig tree a fig, and the fig again the tree of eating, if they had heard anyone speaking vainly about that first woman in relation to a tree of eating. ^B That Adam did not experience sensible eating in Paradise, the golden-tongued John himself, who used such great condescension [synkatabasis], clearly showed in his homilies on the Hexaemeron, by saying: “Adam had a wonderful life; for just as an angel, so did man dwell upon the earth, clothed in a body, yet existing outside of bodily needs.” If, therefore, he was superior to bodily needs, how or in what manner was he drawn to eating, neither exhaling his flesh through transpiration, nor being compelled by nature itself, as he possessed total freedom from passions? It appears, therefore, from this that that eating was something else, which the plants in Paradise provided to Adam, if indeed sensible eating is the replenishment of that which flows out secretly. And thus matters stand in this regard.

Do not approach the divine Scripture in a cursory manner, nor choose to attend to some teachers while thoughtlessly overlooking and turning away from others; for this is not without danger. But strive to reconcile all of them together with good will, as having spoken in one and the same Spirit. If they seem perhaps to differ among themselves, blame not the teachers themselves, but the times and the circumstances. For these, too, according to the blessed Paul, ^C striving for all things, by means of dispensation...

^A sleep, sweat, and all such things as entered into human life after the transgression. And why? In order that, having refined all these in the fire of the divinity, he might purify humanity and restore it again to the ancient dignity of incorruption, and impassibility, and immortality. For this reason, also, in becoming incarnate, he did not see fit to wear the body of the first Adam; for that body, being incorrupt, as that divine man already mentioned ^B says, had no need of healing. Rather, he assumed my flesh, which had fallen ill and turned aside, that he might heal it and deliver it from the passions to which man fell subject after sin; and that he might bring us back to himself—we who, because of wickedness, had flowed away from existence, as the divine Theologian Gregory says—through his incarnation. He is, therefore, as has been said, a man even as we are; he does all things and suffers for our salvation all those things that are recorded in the holy Gospels; finally, he is nailed to the cross, he is put to death, ^C and is deemed worthy of burial according to the Jewish law. Then why does he rise naked from the tomb, leaving the burial cloths there? He did this altogether to show that his most holy body was transformed into the incorrupt and immortal, and that it became such as the body of Adam was from the beginning, when, being naked, it was not in need of any covering, since it was not lacking the immortality bestowed by grace.

Thus, therefore, most holy one, the Lord’s body also, because it was subject to corruption before the passion, necessarily ^D stood in need of the protection of garments. But after the passion and the resurrection, having become incorrupt, it no longer stood in need of any covering. It was transformed, and as has been said, became incorrupt through the divinity of the Word dwelling within it, so that the whole nature of men might share in incorruption from that source and return to the ancient dignity of immortality. For if this were not the case, if he did not intend to renovate man, who had been broken by sin, and restore him to be as he was from the beginning, what else would have compelled him to become man as we are, and to do and suffer everything that the evangelical account has taught us? Let them go, therefore. For see how the Theologian Gregory also presents this very thing, discoursing thus: "A head of the mysteries of Christ is my perfection, and recreation, and return to the first Adam." If therefore, most holy one, God came to us in the flesh in order to refashion man who had been broken, and to renovate him who had grown old through sin, and to bring him back to his original dignity—that is, to that immortal and indestructible state, as the discourse has argued above—then those who dogmatize otherwise from their own heads, and who do not walk in accordance with the orthodox mind of the Church, are in error. Let them therefore go...

^A ...those who in their ignorance ended their lives in impiety; we made before Him such a response, saying: "For the salvation of mankind [the Word] truly became man." On which one might also be at a loss, saying: "Why did the events of the Incarnation not take place in the times before, so that from this everyone might have known the mystery concerning Christ?" But since we have heard the Lord in the Gospels saying: "Father, the hour has come," that is, the proper time, which was foreordained before the foundation of the world for the salvation of men (for if this were not so, He would not have said, "The Son of man goes according to the appointed time"), who is so confident in himself as to oppose so clearly those things which the Lord himself affirms? And this time seemed fitting, and suitable to the divine will, because that most holy Virgin ^B who was to serve the mystery concerning Christ was then brought into the world, and because at that time the disease of wickedness was waning (according to the divine Gregory of Nyssa), which had from the beginning afflicted the nature of humanity. For if He had become man beforehand, the wickedness that dwelt within would not have easily yielded to the remedies; nor would the nations, being called at that time, have heard; for a malady that is crude, as a certain wise man said, does not yield—that is, a corrupted humor that has penetrated into the depths is not easily drawn forth by the applications of medicines.

^C ...When the cursed demons, with the devil leading them, left nothing in order, but were filled with every injustice and greed; and knowing no satiety of the evil they wrought, drove men to the furthest extreme of passions—then, even then, the King of all, the Word of the Father, having hated the tyranny of the one side and pitied the calamities of the other, putting on human nature, stood in the battle line. Therefore, some trophies stood, others were being raised, and others were in hope. And the barbaric troop of demons, with their commander, lamented their misfortunes; but human nature ran back toward liberty. "When the wicked demons with their leader the devil had not allowed anything to remain in order, but gorging themselves on every kind of iniquity and violence, and finding no satiety in any injury or insolence, had driven men to extreme evils: then truly, then that King of all, the Word of the Father, and having hated the tyranny of those [demons], and having pitied the distresses of these [men], assuming human nature, emerged into the battle line. Wherefore, ^D trophies partly stood fixed, partly were erected, and partly remained to be hoped for: and that ferocious throng of demons with their evil leader grieved over the blow they had received: but human nature was restored again to liberty." Cyril of Alexandria also, in his book against the Anthropomorphites, chapter 24, discourses at length, and affirms that human nature was assumed by the divine Word when the darkness of wickedness had grown to its highest measure, and sin had superabounded. He himself also uses the example of the physician, but clearly to insinuate the opposite. Furthermore, Glykas discourses on these same things in the second part of his Annals.

ANNALS PART III. FROM THE REIGN OF CAESAR UNTIL CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

^A Maccabaeus, who, moved by a certain divine zeal, slew the royal commander and performed countless other glorious deeds. But King Antiochus, having set out against Persia, and returning in dishonor, seized by a most grievous disease, recognized his state, saying: "It is just that I suffer for those things which I have committed against Jerusalem." And casting forth worms, he breathed out his soul. ^B After him, his son Antiochus Eupator, during whose reign Judas Maccabaeus, having routed the commanders of Antiochus, stirred up Antiochus against himself with an infinite multitude and fifty-five elephants, upon which were wooden towers, each containing thirty-two armed soldiers. Then, indeed, then Judas performed great deeds, so as even to receive the high priesthood from the people. During his time, Jesus, the son of Sirach, having composed the all-virtuous work, was known to the Jews.

The affairs of the Romans were previously conducted by consuls for 464 years ^C until Julius Caesar, the "Caesar" — that is, the one not born by natural birth; for his mother having died in the ninth month of her pregnancy, they cut her open and brought him forth, whence he was called Caesar, from whom all the Roman emperors were called Caesars. He was dictator for ten years.

*PART III. FROM THE REIGN OF CAESAR UNTIL CONSTANTINE THE GREAT.*

Joannes Meursius, a Dutchman, a man excellently deserving of the literary republic, especially in publishing Greek writers—at Leiden in the year 1618, first published and translated into the Latin language the *Roman History* of Theodore Metochites from Julius Caesar to Constantine the Great, adding very brief notes, with a preface concerning Theodore Metochites himself, whose deeds he pursues, and Nicephorus Gregoras’s "Nenia" or Funeral Oration upon the same. ^D But the learned man was deceived in his opinion, and led many into error, whether deluded by some little Greek who sold this fragment of our Glykas to him, or to the Reverend Father Andreas Schottus (from whom he confesses to have received it) as if it had been compiled by Theodore Metochites; or whether the name of the possessor, which the title "Metochitov" displayed, transitioned into the appellation of the true author, which in this case was missing; or for whatever other reason. Therefore, the book of the singular *Roman History* is nothing other than the third book of Michael Glykas, and that not entirely complete—namely, from page 204 of this Royal edition to 245, where the unhappy death of Galerius Maximianus is described.

Concerning what else may be lacking in our work, we shall diligently compare the edition of Joannes Meursius with other manuscript codices which we have used thus far, and we shall attach his notes and emendations, designated by the capital letters JM.

Roman affairs were administered by consuls for 464 years-—564 years, according to Constantinus Manasses, at PG 157. The Alexandrian Chronicle holds for 393 years. To our Theodore (correct this, reader, and replace Theodore with Glykas), Cedrenus agrees, and he is the author of other things as well. Florus counts up to Augustus. Indeed, the opinion of Manasses is closer, which is confirmed by the Capitoline Fasti, from which it is thought that from the first consuls to the monarchy of Julius were 460 years—namely, as I am accustomed to think, from the year of the City 245, in which Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus first entered the consulship, up to the year 705 of the same Rome, in which C. Julius Caesar, created Dictator by Marcus Lepidus, prefect of the City, abdicated the dictatorship after the eleventh day, when he had been declared consul for the following year. On the same page, write for "eight" [in the text]. In the codex JM, mistakenly for "Ibidem" [it says] "eight." Leunclavius in his manuscript seems to have read "12," and thus translated "12 years," from which Joannes Meursius wrote this note: "Glykas [counts] 12 years, Cedrenus counts 4 years, 7 months," from which the Sicilian Fasti do not deviate. But instead of our Metochites (the *palimpsest* volume, which it is a wonder he did not recognize from the mutual comparison of the Leunclavian version as being indeed Glykas himself), the Capitoline Fasti prevail, which explicitly attribute the years to him. But falsely. For how many you will have counted from that first dictatorship initialized in the year U.C. 705, up to the Ides of March of the year 709, not yet finished, in which he perished, struck by many wounds in the Senate; you will have rightly declared that so many monarchs have existed.

^C They cut open her womb and he is said to have been taken out alive and unharmed from there. From this they say he was given the name Caesar, from which all the emperors of the Romans were called Caesars; for in the Roman tongue, cutting is called *Caesar*. This Julius Caesar was called dictator, that is to say, monarch; for he alone and first held the Roman scepter for 18 years. He gave laws to the Romans, and introduced the indictions and the leap year, and named the month of July, which was formerly called Quintilis. ^B After Julius, the one who from infancy was Octavius, but later was called Augustus because of his brilliance—though some others say he was the son of Octavius—reigned for 56 years. From him the emperors of the Romans were called *Sebastoi* and *Augusti*; and the month which was formerly called Sextilis was named August. Now Augustus or Caesar is called among the Romans as one who is something more than human; for all the most sacred and venerable things are called *augusta*. For this reason they also called him *sebastón* (venerable), from being revered, as a kind of sacred person. ^C Caesar, after having conquered his opponents, including Antony himself in a naval battle, held all power and became a monarch. And at the place of the camp, having built a city, he named it Nicopolis. He also set up bronze statues of a man and a donkey. For it is said that while it was still night, on the day the naval battle took place, he encountered a man driving a donkey; and when asked, he said: "For me, the name is Eutyches (Fortunate), but for the donkey, Nicon (Victor)." ^D These statues were later brought to Byzantium and set up in the Hippodrome. But he also, having conquered Cleopatra and subjected all of Egypt, destroyed the kingdom of the Ptolemies, which had lasted for 290 years. And having mastered the whole earth and having abolished the local rulers, he killed those who had murdered his uncle Julius. Then, truly then, the prophecy of Isaiah reached its end: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation." For the local governorships and kingdoms and the wars between them were abolished. Or do you not know? When these things were being prophesied, one was ruling over Jerusalem, another over Samaria, and another over the Moabites. And Christ being born according to the flesh under the Roman Empire...

all the dominions of all nations were subject to its rule. ^A Here, note that from the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which took place under Nehemiah and Ezra, up to the last high priest Hyrcanus, whom Herod put to death, the number of his years is completed. From then on, and up to the manifestation of the Lord in the Jordan, the remaining seven weeks are counted, according to the prophecy of Daniel, which says thus: "Seventy weeks have been narrowed to destroy the vision and prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies," that is, Christ himself, the Son of God and God. However, after the killing of Hyrcanus, the high priests were appointed unlawfully; for they were not descended from him.

It is also said of Augustus Caesar that he was quick to anger, but was changed very quickly. ^B This man had pronounced the death sentence upon many people, but a certain wise man of that time, having written on a paper, threw it before Caesar. The letters said: "Executioner, cease judging." Reading these, Caesar departed from the throne and rendered all his decrees void. He was very fond of women, and especially of those who were married; and, what is worse, he would order husbands, even against their will, to be servants of such filth. But a certain wise Alexandrian by the name of Athenodorus, having often advised Caesar regarding such things, and being unable to persuade him at all, takes another route. For, having seen a certain man in the senate lamenting—for he was forced to enclose his own wife in a covered litter and send her to Caesar—he urged him to mourn no longer, but to enclose himself in the litter in place of his wife and be sent to Caesar. The man is persuaded, though with difficulty. And what transpired after this? Athenodorus enters, carrying a sword, and is thus sent through the litter to Caesar. Caesar receives him and breaks the seals. Athenodorus comes out brandishing the sword. Caesar is terrified, and promises by oaths never again to be defiled by alien beds. After this, Athenodorus, departing to the one who had brought him, and knowing Caesar to be temperamental, yet quick to change his mind, bows to his ear as though ^C as if to...

Apollodorus, the rhetorician of Pergamum, who became the teacher of Caesar Augustus, and who taught him together with the philosopher Athenodorus of Tarsus, lived for eighty-two years, the same as Athenodorus. ^D [Note: This section refers to scholarly discussion regarding the identity of Athenodorus.]

you have given me the command to carry out my duties for the remainder of my life, as if to someone who is about to defile the marriages of others. Upon this, Athenodorus, on the point of returning to his homeland—knowing that the Caesar was a man of precipitous anger, but of a kind that would suddenly burn out—leaned toward his ear as if to kiss him, and said: "Caesar Augustus, one thing only is still wanting to you. Do not pass sentence upon the accused before you have recited the twenty-four letters to yourself." Moreover, Caesar was so beloved by his subjects that a certain Roman citizen, when about to depart from life, commanded his children to offer thank-offerings to the gods, because he left Augustus alive behind him. When Caesar himself was departing from life, he said: "I found the city earthen, I have left it adorned with beautiful towers and marble." Furthermore, he said that he wished for many to clap their hands for him when he died, as is accustomed to be done at the death of a mime or a player. These words, in truth, looked to nothing else than that he was mocking this life. And so much for these matters.

Know, however, beloved son, that in the 42nd year of the reign of the aforementioned Augustus Caesar, our Lord Jesus Christ was born, according to the flesh, from the ever-virgin Mary. For this blameless woman was born according to a divine promise, and when she had reached her third year, she was led to the temple and spent a sufficient time in its inner sanctums, with her food provided by an angel, until she was fourteen years of age. Concerning this, the high priests, as was fitting, took counsel and offered prayers to God. At that time, she was betrothed to Joseph, God himself prompting this by means of the staff that sprouted. Then, indeed, the prophetic utterance received its fulfillment, which says: ^C "Behold, a sealed book is given to a man who knows letters," (that is, to one who had lived in marriage), "and he shall say, I cannot read it, for it is sealed." Not much time passed before a divine angel was sent to her, saying: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you." She, having become startled at the word, and saying, "How shall this be, since I know not a man?" hears from Gabriel these things: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Observe that by saying "Holy Spirit" and "power of the Most High," by which Christ is signified (for Christ is the power of God), He revealed the whole holy Trinity in this. For even if the Son alone was incarnate, nevertheless the Father and the Holy Spirit were present with Him as He was being incarnate, according to the indivisibility of the consubstantiality, as the great Athanasius says. According to this, Paul also used to say that in Him ^D dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, that is, substantially.

^B Accordingly, at that point her virgin womb conceives and swells. Joseph is troubled in no small measure by these things and considers secretly dismissing the pregnant woman. A divine angel stands by him in a dream, saying, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife; for that which is born in her is from the Holy Spirit." Having awakened, he took his wife, and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn Son. The great Basil says that Joseph knew not the all-holy one neither before the birth nor after the birth. For the word "until" is found in many places in Scripture to be indefinite, as when it says, "And the raven did not return until the earth was dried up"; for indeed, even after the drying up of the earth, the raven did not return. And elsewhere: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" If "until" were not indefinite, we would say the Lord ceases to sit after His enemies are placed under His feet. But the Savior Christ also said to His disciples, "And I will be with you all the days until the end of the age." If "until" were not indefinite, then after the end of the age Christ would not be with His disciples. Moreover, Paul says this: "We shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." These things are dealt with in this way, but the great Athanasius says that he did not truly know her until she had brought forth the Lord. He did not know what was in her. Only when she had brought forth, then indeed he came to know. Then Joseph knew what the power of the Virgin was. Then he knew, when she had given birth and did not experience the conditions of childbirth, when she provided milk in an unusual way and a nipple strange to natural sustenance, when she gave the breast and did not undergo the veins' flowing. Do not consider this a strange thing. Since the one being born was God and man, of necessity He joined to Himself both the divine and the human. Human were the swelling of the womb, the nine-month period of gestation, the usual exit of the one being born, the nourishment of milk, and the growth from a small to His appropriate bodily stature; for according to the blessed Paul, He experienced all our attributes without the debt of sin. Divine, on the other hand, were the seedless conception, the miraculous pregnancy, and the undefiled birth. And this is what the theologian tongue said: "The laws of nature are dissolved." For among other things, the all-holy one brought forth Christ without maternal pangs; for according to the Damascene, where pleasure did not precede, reasonably neither did pain follow. That the signs of the gestation were miraculous, the Areopagite Dionysius also showed, speaking thus about

^A And God... but Adam lived two hundred and thirty years and begat a son according to his likeness and his image, that is to say, such as the image and radiance he had from the beginning, and he called his name Seth, which means "resurrection"; because he saw that miraculous form restored, for which reason even the people who lived at that time called him God. These things, then, the divine Macarius the Egyptian also seems to intimate. For through that glory which then shone upon the face of the God-seer Moses, into which no one could gaze, he represented both these things: namely, the glory which Adam had from the beginning, and that which the choir of the just will have hereafter. And hear what this divine man says word for word in his chapters: "I consider the glorified face of Moses to be a type and pattern of the first man fashioned by the hands of God." ^B And again: "The blessed Moses showed a type, through the glory of the Spirit shining on his face, of how the bodies of the saints will be glorified in the resurrection of the just." Well, therefore, did that discourse say that the resurrection is a return to that original and first life. Moreover, regarding what has already been said, the Savior showed something else by being transfigured. What is this? That glory which he is about to reveal at his second coming. And trust the Theologian Gregory, who says: "Christ will come with his body, such as he appeared to the disciples on the mount, his divinity overcoming the flesh." ^C Well, therefore, did the Lord say that the just would shine like the sun at that time. For once they have received the radiance leaping forth from the Lordly body, they will then be transformed, and although they will be seen directly, they will be like some translucent body receiving the brightness of the sun. In this regard, the all-great Paul also said that the Savior will then transform the body of our lowliness, so that it might become conformed to the body of his glory; for this reason, it is not worthy to doubt these things. For if Adam from the very beginning, when he was fashioned by divine hands, received such brightness through the divine in-breathing, it is entirely evident that the man who rises from the dead will attain the same. ^D

^A tionen, on the descent from the sublime, and other things of that sort. But do not doubt further; for such a star was not one of the many which God set in the firmament at the beginning, but a certain invisible power, transformed into such an appearance, as John the gold-tongued says. For it was necessary that at such a paradoxical birth there should also be a paradoxical star as a messenger and proclaimer, as the most divine Cyril says. For if this were not so, it would not have shone to such an extent, nor would it have surpassed the solar rays at midday. If this were not so, it would not have persuaded the Magi to rise from there and undertake so great a journey, nor would it have led them so wondrously to Jerusalem, nor, having descended from on high, would it have stood above the child who was born, nor would it have disappeared after these things. For since, being led by it, they had approached Christ and had become firmly established in the unerring faith concerning Him, they no longer needed such a guiding hand. Hence it is that, having been warned in a dream, they departed by another way to their country.

Beside these things, my beloved, you bring forward the explanation of the Archbishop of Bulgaria into the middle, and from that you persist in arguing that the worship by the Magi occurred not in the cave itself, but in a certain house. For this divine man, as it seems, taking his starting point from the words of the Gospel according to Matthew, which speak of the Magi in this way: “And having entered the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,” ^B says as much, that after the Lord was born and reclined in the manger, it was likely that a house was found in which to receive the worship from the Magi. And that person who was discussed seems clearly to say that the Magi did not see Christ in the cave in which the manger was. But he who has a tongue of gold, reconciling both the things said about the house and those about the manger itself, speaks thus: that when she had given birth, she immediately laid him down; for since many were gathering because of the registration, there was no house to be found. He brings forward also the most divine Luke, noting this and saying that because there was no place in the inn, she laid him in the manger, but after this she took him up and had him upon her knees. ^C But also in the sixth homily on the Gospel according to Matthew concerning the Magi, he says thus: “But what sign of a kingdom did they see at all, seeing a hut and a manger and a child in swaddling clothes and a poor mother?” And after a little: “But tell me, how did the star show such a narrow place of a manger and a hut, if it had not left the sublime, descended below, and stood above the head of the child itself?” And after these things: “Since therefore it led and gave guidance, and stood them by the manger, it no longer speaks to them through a star, but through an angel thenceforth.” And in the eighth homily, word for word, he says thus concerning the Magi: “But what is it that persuaded them to ^D offer [their gifts]?”

[ENGLISH SO FAR ENDS:] ^A be deemed worthy of brightness through the grace of the all-holy Spirit. And believe the blessed David, who speaks thus concerning this: "You shall send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth." Observe, then. Since the Savior, when He was transfigured on the mount, showed in Himself what beauty Adam possessed from the beginning, and what beauty the just are soon to receive, for this reason the divine Gregory of Nyssa also said that they bear within themselves the divine image, both the man before the transgression and he who is to be resurrected from the dead hereafter.

That these things are so, and that the grace which is hoped for is a return to that first life, as we have often said, the Lord Himself showed before others. For when He embraced the prodigal son as he was returning, He said, among other things: "Clothe him with the first robe." Do not, therefore, doubt any further. For by calling it the "first" robe, He indicated clearly that the resurrection is nothing other than a restoration of the fallen into their ancient state.

EPISTLE IV

To the same. For what reason did the devil attack Adam through the serpent and not through any other of the animals, and from whence, finally, is it evident that he attacked Adam through the serpent, since Scripture does not say this clearly? And if there is truly a reason, why did Scripture completely conceal it?

Since you heard our Savior Jesus Christ saying in the Gospels, "A man's enemies will be those of his own household," and that, due to such creatures, kings and others are plotted against by men, it is not worth wondering so much, if the many-wiled dragon himself also made use of the serpent as an instrument to deceive the first man. For, according to the most divine Chry- ^{B C D}

^A For he says: “Quid tandem eis persuasit ut puerum summopere venerarentur? Nec enim Virgo speciem quamdam illustrem præ se ferebat, nec domus erat splendida.” And a little later: “Nihil istic magnum et insigne conspiciebatur, ex iis quidem rebus quæ sensu percipiebantur, sed tantum præsepe ac tugurium materque paupercula, ut nimirum hinc nudam Magorum philosophiam agnoscas.” Concerning all of which, you may observe that Chrysostom in that place, where the manger was contained, called it both a house, a tugurium, and a cave. Wherefore, let not your mind wander here and there, but pay heed rather to this golden orator, for he was a golden-beaten trumpet of the all-holy Spirit.

Christ, therefore, as it has been said, is born, and then is circumcised on the eighth day, and is brought into the temple after ^B 40 days. For scripture says: “And when the days of her ^C purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem” (Luke II, 22). And the law is of this sort: “If a woman shall conceive seed and bear a male child, she shall be unclean 40 days; but if she shall bear a female, 80 days” (Leviticus XII, 2-5). But why, I ask, and for what reason were these things instituted? And why was this period prescribed for the mother of a female doubled? Theodoret speaks in this manner regarding these things, explaining that this time of uncleanness was legislated of old for the sake of rest for women, who are burdened in the time of pregnancy; for through fear of uncleanness the law restrains husbands, and persuades them not to approach their wives at that time. And because a female offspring subjects the one bearing it to greater distress (for it is said that such a one stirs sooner in the womb than a male), for this reason the time of uncleanness was granted as twofold to those bearing females, as from this they obtained twofold rest. And such are the things of ^D Theodoret. The most divine Cyril, however, says that the male is shaped in 40 days, but the female requires 80 days for the emergence into human form. And because the male was brought to the temple for the sake of purification on the fortieth day, but the female on the eightieth, it appears entirely that such a formation stands in need of purification from God. And thus indeed the divine Fathers spoke concerning this; but the so-called *Leptogenesis*, by whomsoever it was written and how, says that after 40 days Adam entered into paradise, and Eve after 80, and for this reason both male and female are brought to the temple in such number of days, analogous perhaps to Adam and Eve. But leave it aside; for the true history of Moses shows that on the sixth day God formed Adam, and placed him straightaway in paradise; and likewise He forms Eve in paradise itself on the sixth day, having taken one of the ribs of Adam; for after the sixth day He created nothing.

^A If we believe that all men will rise again superior to corruption, answer me now: what is it that will compel them to take sensible food? But if man will live in the resurrection according to the likeness of the angels, as divine Gregory of Nyssa says (for he says, "And they shall all be as the angels of God"), how shall we say that he is in need of food and drink? This is impossible; absolutely impossible. For even if we use foods in the present time, it is because we have that very nature which compels us; but, as Nyssen says, man will then be freed from this ministry and will be disposed on an equal footing with the angels, just as the Lord said in the Gospels. But John Damascene also, in his hundredth chapter On the Resurrection, says word for word: "A natural body is sown, that is to say, dense and mortal; a spiritual body is raised, such as was the Lord's body after the resurrection, passing through closed doors, indefatigable, and devoid of the need for food, sleep, and drink. For man will then live in all things a life equal to the angels, according to him who says: 'And they shall all be as the angels of God.'"

And what need is there to say many words? If we are bound to have Christ himself before all things—those who are about to receive those good things "which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man"—they will never be brought, as I think, to participate in any other kind of diet. That this blessedness is not sensible food, but rather the intelligible joy produced in the saints through sight, the Lord himself showed when he spoke thus: "Father, those whom you have given me, I desire that where I am, they also may be with me, that they may behold my glory." ^B Observe then: he did not say, "that they may partake," but "that they may behold my glory." He showed, therefore, from this, as the golden-tongued John says while expounding this divine utterance, that all this rest consists in looking upon the Son of God. For just as those who gaze upon the rays of the sun and enjoy themselves in the air have a most refined delight from the sight, so too will it be then. For an intelligible joy will be excited there in the saints through sight, as has been said. This doctrine is also established by the most divine John Damascene when he treats the subject of the immaculate mysteries of Christ, and says the following: "These holy mysteries are called the antitypes of those to come, not because ^C they are allegorically [untrue or mere symbols]..." ^D

[alt-version omitted]

Therefore, some theologians falsely maintain that the blessed in heaven will also enjoy tastes and drinks and delicacies of that kind; and hence the heresy of Cerinthus is excluded, as well as those of the Chiliasts, who affirm that men, after they have risen, will reign with Christ in this world, abounding in all delicacies and pleasures. Concerning whom, see Eusebius of Caesarea, *Ecclesiastical History*, Book III, chapter 28, and Book VII, chapter 25; and Augustine, *On the City of God*, Book XX, chapter 7, to omit the others.

Thus, the learned man Avicenna rightly explains the happiness of the just after death according to the views of Muhammad, placing it in the single contemplation of God, and interpreting that which he seems to suggest concerning sensible pleasures. See his work *On the Afterlife* (De Almahad).

^A God determined that this should be, for He was to be the reproach of the pious king and the refutation of his iniquity. The Lord, however, desiring him to live, did not allow such a thing, and it was brought about by divine care and providence that David’s life was prolonged.

The first book of Paralipomenon implies that all the psalms are David’s. Theodoret also testifies to this, saying that David first ordained that God should be celebrated by the work of Asaph and his brethren. According to the same Theodoret, David reigned for thirty years and passed away around the age of seventy. I am pleased in this place to add to these also the narrative of Josephus. It came to pass sometimes that David led his troops against the Philistines, and having pursued them for a long time, he was separated from all his own by a long interval. ^B Then a certain man from the enemies, born of the race of the Giants, seeing him alone and exhausted from labor and devoid of strength, hastened to kill him; and this would have happened, had not Abishai, the brother of Joab, come up and killed the enemy, thus saving David and restoring him safely. For this reason, the whole people bound themselves with an oath, that from then on he should not meet with them in battle. Again, the Philistines pitched their camp against the Hebrews. They had with them a man six cubits tall, who had many more fingers on each foot and each hand than nature provides; for he himself was of the race of the Giants. ^C A certain Jonathan, a Shimeathite, killed this man in single combat, and thus became the cause of victory. From that point on, the Philistines ceased to fight against the Hebrews. Upon which, receiving respite from his troubles, David began to praise God and compose sacred odes.

Knowing that David possessed many soldiers of invincible strength, yet five who were altogether exceptional. Among their number was one who killed six hundred enemies in a single day, and another who would not cease from leaping upon the enemies until he had killed nine hundred. They were so bold that three of them went to Bethlehem to bring water to David, who was then in Jerusalem, and they returned through the midst of the Philistines who were encamped outside the city, and, because of this remarkable boldness, dared to expose themselves to danger. ^D And David would not drink this water, but poured it out as a libation to God, and admired the virtue of the soldiers.

After these things, Solomon, having been designated by David, sat on the throne of the Lord to reign; that is to say, on the throne given to him by the Lord. We read in the first book of Paralipomenon, written by Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, that these chronicles contain the deeds done by David. One must know that he was the same as Orniam and Adonias, as he was called by those names. He, having invited Joab and Abiathar to a banquet, was anxiously meditating on seizing the kingdom. Then the prophet Nathan, learning of these plans of Berse-

and showed his hands to the disciples, doing the one according to nature—for it is the nature of a spiritual body to pass through solid things without hindrance—but the other according to ^A economy, so that they might believe that the body which had suffered had risen; thus it is shown.” These things therefore, as the aforementioned divine Fathers say, were so that the resurrection might be believed, and so that they might learn that it was he who had been crucified, and that no other than he had risen. Consistent with this, the Lord also said to the disciples: “See my hands, that it is I myself.” If these things are thus, it is by all means irrational for us, being persuaded by our own reasoning, to interpret the evangelical and divine sayings differently, if we have those very ^B men explaining such things by the Spirit. And why must one say much? Unless, according to the golden-tongued John, we say that the figures of the nails were shown by [divine] economy for the sake of the disciples, it is absolutely necessary that those rising from the dead—of whom Christ himself became the first-born—should rise at that time just as they had been consigned to the earth, whether they had some deformity or were otherwise bearing mutilated bodies. And the body of the Lord was not a spirit, as the trembling disciples supposed. For if it were this, he would not have eaten in their presence, the women would not have ^C kissed his feet, the Lord himself would not have said: “A spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me having.” Wherefore the body of the Lord was not a spirit, but it was nevertheless subtle and light and spiritual, as being guided by the all-holy Spirit. For if this were not so, he would not have appeared in different places in a single hour; nor would he who was seen and known yesterday be invisible and unknown today. For having become incorruptible, as has been said, he was not easily seen or known by corruptible eyes, but only when he himself altogether willed it, and as he himself permitted the disciples to behold him. And this is that which the evangelist ^D John said: “Jesus manifested himself to his disciples having risen from the dead.” For by saying “manifested,” he showed clearly that the disciples would not have seen him after the resurrection unless he had used a condescension, unless he were altered into another form. For in accordance with this also, the evangelical history says that he was seen by the disciples in another form. For he shows from this that a spiritual body is not seen by the eyes of flesh, unless it be altered paradoxically into another form. For it is altered according to the intention of the one using [it].

-^Aba (for he knew God's purpose and ordinance), informs David about the matter. David, however, not wishing to have Joab punished by his own hand—since he had endured many toils on his behalf—counsels his son Solomon not to despise his youth. He gives him the same advice regarding Semei, as a seditious man, whom he himself had nevertheless tolerated, even though he had been insulted by him many times. Solomon prevails, and at that time executes his brother Adonias. But the same also happens to Joab, although he had fled to the house of God. For divine law commands that a homicide who has fled to the temple be put to death.

Solomon, ^B having sacrificed a hecatomb at one time, supplicates God, and asks for wisdom and prudence. And the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.” And he said, “Thou hast given unto Thy servant David my father, and I am a small youth, and I know not the going out and the coming in, and Thou shalt give to Thy servant a heart to hear and to judge Thy people in righteousness.” And the Lord said to him, “In that thou hast asked this thing from Me, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but thou hast asked for thyself wisdom to hear judgment, behold, I have done according to thy word. Behold, I have given thee a heart wise and prudent, so that there has not been anyone like thee before thee, and after thee there shall not arise any like unto thee. And if thou walkest in My way, as David thy father, I will multiply thy days.” ^C After this, he builds a temple to God, and asks that His eyes be kept open over the divine house and that He hear them. And the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared in Gabaon, and said, “I have heard the voice of thy prayer, and I have sanctified this temple which thou hast built, and My eyes shall be there and My heart all the days. And if thou turnest away from Me, I will remove Israel from this land, and I shall cast away this house which I have sanctified to My name, and I shall cast them out from My presence.” However, when Solomon was praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices which had been offered. Behold how great the piety of Solomon was beforehand, if fire was even brought down upon his sacrifices. And the stones of the temple were wrought without tools ^D (for they were found by divine providence in such a way that they needed no joining of iron, as Theodorus says), but he used stone-cutters for the trimming of the stones for the circuit of the temple. The length of the temple was sixty cubits, and the width twenty. Around the temple, chambers were built for the housing of the Levites and the storage of the vessels; for these were accessible only to the priests. The height of the temple was eighty cubits. Everything in the temple was overlaid with gold. All these things the grace of the Holy Spirit showed to David, and he to Solomon. He builds

^A And there is that which is in the brain, which is also called the animal [part], which through the nerves and muscles provides both sensation and movement of the whole body. For by such animal powers our entire life consists. That the animal body possesses such an expression and is constituted from thence in the way the preceding discourse indicated, is clear both from the things themselves and no less from the lawful commandments contained in the Gospel according to Mark: "For you shall love," he says, "the Lord your God with all your mind," etc. By saying heart, and soul, and mind, he indicated the different powers of the soul: the vital, which he revealed through the heart; the natural, which he signified through the soul; and the rational, which the discourse represented through the mind. For he exhorts one to love God through all the powers of the soul. ^B And now our body is enlivened in this way—wherefore it is also called animal; but then, delivered from all these things, as it has become incorruptible, it will be altogether spiritual, governed and ordered in an ineffable way by the all-holy Spirit. Hence also Paul said: "It is sown an animal body, it is raised a spiritual body." Take heed therefore: "It is sown an animal body," that is to say, dense and mortal; it is "raised a spiritual body," that is, thin and light and ethereal, and altogether freed from density and weight; but also [it is] governed by the Spirit alone, as the divine Isidore of Pelusium says. For now, even if the Holy Spirit is present with us, the soul possesses the authority of the actions; but then it [the body] will be such as to perform all things according to the laws of the Spirit; and this is what Paul meant when he said: "It is sown an animal body, it is raised a spiritual body." ^{C D}

^A three [such temples]. One of these was that which the blessed John mentioned, that is, a truly renowned woman and sister of Lazarus. The second, however, who had previously prostituted herself, approached Christ in the house of Simon the leper, as Matthew narrates. The third was also a harlot, as Luke indicates, who met Christ in the house of Simon the Pharisee, who was offended on that account and spoke to himself words of this sort: "If this man were a prophet, he would have known what kind of woman this is who touches him." I also know, beloved son, that some contend and assert that the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ took place on that great Wednesday; but the argument on which they rely, to me at least, seems little to be probable. For if this miracle occurred on Mount Tabor, but the Lord was feasting in Jerusalem on that great Wednesday in the house of Simon the leper, it is manifest ^B that this miracle of the transfiguration occurred on some other day, and not on that Wednesday at all. For since there is an interval of about two days between Tabor and Jerusalem, how then will they say that Christ was found both on Tabor and in Jerusalem on one and the same day? He could, of course, as God, have caused Himself to be found here and there at the same time; but he did not wish to do this before the passion, so that the matter might not be thought to be something imaginary. Wherefore, according to the common nature of bodies, He was making His local transitions from one place to another.

After these things, He sends two of the disciples to a certain man for the sake of preparing the legal pascha, which He ate beforehand on the evening of the great Thursday, as John the gold-tongued says. ^C Then, reclining, He delivered His own pascha to the disciples through bread and wine, using these words: "Take, eat; this is my body," and "Drink all of you: this is my blood." And indeed, before the disciples, He Himself partook of His own body and blood. For what reason? So that the disciples might not be troubled again, as had happened before, when they heard Christ saying: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." At that time, those who turned back from Him no longer walked with Him, saying that this word was hard, which no one could easily hear. Therefore, so that something of this kind might not happen to them again, as they were about to eat flesh and drink blood, He first tasted His own flesh, wishing that they too should be filled with these things without any hesitation. And the Savior prepares this supper for the consolation of the disciples; for He saw them to be not a little fearful and broken in spirit because of His departure from them. ^D Therefore, as has been said, He communicates His own body and blood with them, adding these words: "Do this in remembrance of me." Judas also partakes besides the others, and then goes away to the Jews, revealing to them the things done by the Lord.

^A And the Evangelist, indicating this, said that even he, having taken the morsel, went out; and it was night. He goes, therefore, to those with whom he had agreed to deliver up the Lord. And the Lord, indeed, arranges the final things for his disciples; then thus he comes to a place that the betrayer also knew, who immediately, having taken the band of soldiers and ministers from the chief priests and Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches. Then he questions them; they fall to the ground. Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, though he was not able to cut off his head; for this was what he was striving to do. Then, truly then, the Lord said to him: "Dost thou think that I cannot now beseech my Father, and he shall present to me more than twelve legions of angels? How then may the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" These things the Savior said to the disciples, striking fear into them and persuading them from then on not to busy themselves with any of the things happening. For if to the Scriptures, he says, this seems good—that is, for me to suffer—how do you oppose, using swords? The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it? ^B Having, therefore, bound Jesus, they led him away to Annas first, and there he is judged. He is questioned regarding his teaching and his disciples. He answers as is fitting. He receives a blow, and says: "If I have spoken evil, and so on." Thence, therefore, he is led to Caiaphas, then to Pilate when it is morning; before the cock crows he is led to Caiaphas, but in the morning to Pilate. The Evangelist shows that during the entire half of the night he was interrogated by Caiaphas and was convicted of nothing, and for this reason he sent him on to Pilate. And indeed Mark, recounting the matter regarding the cock-crowing, says thus: "Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice" (for when he had denied once, the cock crowed the first time, but when he had denied the third time, it crowed the second), explaining more accurately the weakness of Peter, having learned from the teacher himself, for he was also a student of his. But Matthew, having said that "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice," indicated the whole cock-crowing, that is, the first, which occurs through various utterances, just as the second cock-crowing does, and the third. Therefore, in having said "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice," Matthew seemed to say, as it were, that even before the first cock-crowing arrives, thou shalt deny me three times. However, after the Lord is judged by Pilate, his back is scourged with braided thongs; for such, in fact, is what the whip is. Then, thus, he is delivered up to be crucified. And all these things have been done by the untimely cowardice of Pilate; for [he wished to appease the Jews regarding the things of which they accused him, showing him to be a rebel, to...]

have him crucified, having first scourged him with lashes. For this reason, Pilate is also worthy of punishment, because, although he was able to release him (for he says: "I have power to release you, and I have power to crucify you"), he did not do so, fearing the Jews, and especially those crying out: "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar." Consequently, he is condemned; and this is made clear by what the Lord said to him: "He who delivered me to you has the greater sin."

However, the evangelist John, while demonstrating the time when Pilate sat in the place called the Pavement ^A in order to judge the matters concerning Jesus, said: "It was the preparation of the Passover, and it was about the sixth hour." But why is the sixth day of the week called the preparation of the Passover by the evangelist John? The reason is clearly set before you. Just as the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, yet is called Sabbath—that is, rest—because of the rest that occurred on it from all works (for then the servant, the beast of burden, and all others rest), so the preparation is indeed the sixth day of the week, but it is called "preparation" because on it the Jews prepare and, so to speak, make ready those things for the Sabbath. For on that day, they are not permitted to light a fire, nor collect wood, nor even simply prepare food. So, ^B because the sixth day makes these preparations by the evening, it has been named "Preparation." Therefore, the evangelist John, calling such a day the "preparation of the Passover," clearly showed that at that time the Jews were preparing for the first feast of the Passover according to the ordinance of the Law. For from the sixth hour of the fourteenth day of the moon, all leavened bread was destroyed by fire, and they prepared the unleavened bread according to custom. If these things are so, it is clearly evident that that which was given by Christ through bread and wine on the evening of Great Thursday was leavened, because the time for unleavened bread had not yet arrived then, contrary to the common opinion of the many. Therefore, dismiss the words of the many, and attend to the sequence ^C of the sacred oracles. That the lamb was to be sacrificed on the day of the Preparation, not on Great Thursday, is evident from many other things, and not least from what we are about to mention. They were accustomed to call that day, on the evening of which the Passover was sacrificed, both "day of unleavened bread" and "Passover" alike, definitively from its evening. For because the lamb was sacrificed and the unleavened bread was eaten on the evening of the fourteenth, for this reason this fourteenth day was called both "Passover" and "day of unleavened bread." And we find that these names had also been given to the Great Preparation. And attend, if you will, to what is said. The first of the unleavened bread is called the...

Great Thursday, as being before the unleavened bread. For just as Mark calls the Preparation "the day before the Sabbath," as being before the Sabbath, so too does Matthew call the Great Thursday "the first of the unleavened bread," as being before the unleavened bread, as the golden-tongued one says: "He clearly indicated the Great Preparation." Likewise, Luke also, in saying that the day of the unleavened bread had come—that is, had approached—hinted at the same things as Matthew. Moreover, John also, by saying that the supper took place before the feast of the Passover, called the Preparation itself by that name, and the things that follow clarify this; for he says: "And they themselves did not enter, so that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover," and again, "It is a custom for you that I should release one to you at the Passover," that is, the one now imminent. Furthermore, indicating the time when Pilate sat in a place called the Pavement, he says thus: "And it was the Preparation of the Passover, and it was about the sixth hour." And proceeding further, "For that day of the Sabbath was a great day." He would not have called it great in any other way unless that first day of the unleavened bread—which is also called holy by the Law—had fallen upon that Sabbath. All these things clearly suggest that, by agreement, the Passover was slaughtered on the evening of that Preparation. For this reason, he called it the Preparation of the Passover, as preparing those things for the Passover that was truly imminent. Therefore, without any argument, it appears that the Passover took place on the evening of the Preparation. For if this were not the case, the evangelist John would not have said, "And they themselves did not enter the praetorium so that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover." ^B And attend, if you wish, to the great Cyril, who, before others, seals such things, saying that while they were honoring the type—that is, the lamb—and on this account were not choosing to enter the praetorium, they were insulting the Truth himself, Christ; for they were intending to sacrifice the Passover according to the Law, which had no power among them. If these things are so, they are clearly speaking in vain who say that the typical lamb is eaten on the evening of Great Thursday; for in competing to establish the unleavened bread, they attempt to maliciously corrupt the truth. And do not oppose me with John Chrysostom, in his eighty-fourth homily on Matthew, who says that the Jews, having unexpectedly seized Christ, also chose to overlook the feast of the Passover then falling at that time. For you have him in his interpretation of the [Gospel] according to John, when it is said: "And they themselves did not enter, so that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover," completely nullifying such a conjecture. Hence it is that we refrain from inquiring into the things of the divine man when he is even more contradictory to himself, having no strength; we judge that such things ought to be honored in silence, especially if it is more reasonable to hold to the later [statements], because these appear to be in harmony with the explanations of the other Fathers. For he says that Christ ate the Passover one day early,

deferring his own slaughter to the day of Preparation, when the legal Passover was wont to be slaughtered. That the bread which the Lord gave to the apostles at the supper was leavened bread, not unleavened, as those [others] assert, this most divine man clearly indicates to you. For, speaking concerning the Old and New Covenants, ^A he says: "There was the letter; here is the spirit. There was the ark; here is the Virgin. There was Aaron’s rod; here is the Cross. There was the lamb; here is Christ. There were the unleavened loaves; here is the bread." These things have been written down for you in summary, as you see; for the time does not permit us to dwell longer on discussions concerning these matters. Next, our Lord Jesus Christ is delivered up to be crucified; and see what things followed. For from the sixth hour, darkness covered the whole earth until the ninth hour, God being indignant, as is to be supposed, at the things which were being dared. For that it was not an eclipse, as Chrysostom says, but rather wrath and divine indignation, is clear even from the time itself; for the darkness lasted for three hours, whereas an eclipse happens in a single moment of time. Such is the argument of Chrysostom. That divine man, ^B Dionysius the Areopagite, however, does not speak simply so, but reports that the universal darkness happened in a new and unusual manner by the opposition of the lunar body obstructing the sun. For writing to the hierarch Polycarp concerning the fact that the sophist Apollophanes did not accept the Christian religion, he sets forth these words: "Say to him—to Apollophanes—‘What do you think of that eclipse which happened at the time of the saving passion? For we both were in Heliopolis at that time, and standing together, we saw the moon in an unusual manner falling upon the sun; for it was not the time of their conjunction. And then again we saw it from the ninth hour until the evening, in a supernatural manner, having moved to the diameter of the sun.’" And he himself was so struck with fear at the time that he turned to me and said: "These, Dionysius, are the vicissitudes of divine things." In this manner does Dionysius speak of this. The prophet Zechariah speaks in a wonderful way ^C of that same darkness which occurred at the time of the saving passion. He says: "In that day there shall be no light (namely, when Christ shall be crucified), but there shall be cold and frost for one day, and that day shall be known to the Lord." For God has advance knowledge of all things. It shall not be a day, nor yet a night. For it could not properly be called a day because of that three-hour darkness, nor truly night because of the light which existed until the sixth hour and returned after the ninth. The prophet, signifying this, said, "And towards evening there shall be light." These things, my beloved, not only did the prophets foretell, but they are found also in many Greek commentaries; for even a great earthquake...

is said to have occurred at that time, and such darkness that the stars appeared. Then, truly then, he also brings forth the prophetic word on the cross which says: ^A "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He said these things in Hebrew: *Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani*. For what reason? So that these things might be clear even to the Jews. But those men, being so licentious and shameless, as the man of golden tongue says, thought he was calling Elijah. And these were thus. But that voice also tore the veil and opened the tombs. Yet those foolish men, even seeing such things, did not want to understand at all. Rather, they were saying, "Let him come down from the cross, that we may see and believe." But he, remaining on the cross, as the Golden-mouthed says, showed this abundantly in the bodies of his servants; for if it was a great thing for Lazarus, who had been dead four days, to come out, ^B it was far greater for many of those who had fallen asleep long ago to appear alive all at once. And pay close attention to the most divine Matthew speaking about these things: "And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and they entered the holy city and appeared to many after his resurrection." But here it is worth your attention. For if, according to John of the Golden mouth, these bodies were raised while Christ was still on the cross, how does the evangelist record that they appeared after Christ's resurrection? I fear lest "his" ought to be read instead of "their"; for those bodies, after their resurrection from the dead, entered the holy city and appeared to many. Then, truly then, that prophetic utterance also received fulfillment which says to those in bonds, "Come forth," ^C and to those in darkness, "Be revealed." And according to the sixth hour, as the Scriptures say, the Lord is crucified, but according to the ninth he entrusts his spirit into the Father's hands. But if you also hear of his holy soul descending to Hades, do not marvel at this, nor say that it is impossible for it both to have descended to Hades and to have been entrusted into the Father's hands. For the hand of God, that is, the power holding all things, is both above in heaven and below on earth, and never ceases from the recesses of Hades. So that even if the holy soul of Christ was descending to Hades at that time, yet it was not separated from the power that holds all things, as we have said; rather, the power of the Father is Christ himself, as Paul says. He therefore entrusts his soul to the Father's hands, so that from this ^D and to all

the souls of the just, the journey to the regions above and to the heavens might be granted: for he did not die in vain and without purpose for us. He descends, however, to Hades, so that he might preach to those who were detained there as well, and instruct and demonstrate that religious piety of which they had previously been ignorant. Have faith in this matter in that chief, Peter, who discourses on these things in the following manner: "He went and preached also to the spirits that were in prison, which sometime were disobedient." Following these words, Gregory the Theologian reflects upon this matter as follows: "Did the Lord, having manifested himself in Hades, save all, or only those who had believed?" Do not, I say, doubt this. For just as he announced a message of peace to men living upon the earth, and to those who believed he became the author of salvation, while to the disobedient he was proof of their own incredulity, as John Damascene speaks, so also did he deal with those who were in Hades. Nor, beloved son, should it seem a marvel to you if some souls held in Hades did not admit the preaching of Christ. For just as we see that when God caused the foundations of the prison to be shaken for Paul's sake, the jailer himself immediately embraced the faith, while the other captives persisted in their incredulity, even though they saw their own iron fetters suddenly broken and torn apart, so you must believe it happened with those who were held in Hades. ^B But if you also wish to know the reason why the Savior preached even to the souls who were in Hades, know that it is this. The Savior assumed our nature in the year 5500 from the creation of the world. Why at that time? Because at that time that which was to serve the mystery of Christ was brought to light, as the great Basil says. For the disease of vice, as that divine Gregory of Nyssa speaks, which had invaded human nature from the beginning, had already lost its strength. For the Gentiles were then about to believe through the call, as that great Paul also signifies with these words: "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son." Rightly, therefore, in the year already indicated, the Lord assumed flesh, because it was altogether appropriate and convenient for this purpose. But since some of those who had closed their lives in ignorance of piety were endowed with such excellent souls that, had they been called, they would surely have approached and embraced the Gospel concerning Christ, if indeed they had seen him dwelling on earth with the flesh in previous ages, for this reason he does not refuse to descend even to Hades and to preach to the souls detained there, so that in this way no place for excusing themselves would remain for anyone, nor would the good lose their own goodness, nor could the wicked reply with words of this kind: "If we had seen, we would surely have believed." Let these things be said concerning these matters.

^A It was necessary that they take part in the blessing. That the life of man was angelic and equal to the angels, this is shown more clearly from whence the nature is found at the point where marriage finds its origin. Since, therefore, the construction of Eve was urgent, as has been said before, God anticipated it and made her even before Adam fell. For after his fall, there was no longer a time for creation, but rather one of curse and anger, pain and grief, sweat of the brow, a life of suffering, the donning of garments of skin, and a turning back to the earth. At such a time, therefore, to remove a rib, to build Eve, and to bless them, was, as I suppose, unacceptable and entirely improper. For that was not a time for blessing, but for anger, for a curse, for turning away, and for death. "For earth," he says, "you are, and to earth you shall depart." Why then, even before Adam fell, did He bring Eve forth from his rib? By way of indulgence, absolutely, as was said before. For if this were not the case, the great Paul would not have said, "It is good not to touch a woman." And why is it necessary to say much, that He brought forth the female, if he would not later, through Paul, advise not to touch a woman? He who brought her forth from the beginning was the one speaking in Paul, and if he did not bring forth the female at that time by way of concession, he shows from this that before the production of the female there was another type of noble life that was equal to the angels. For according to this, he also drew upon it elsewhere, saying, "Let him who is able to receive it, receive it." ^B That these things are so, and that before the production of the female there was a lofty and angelic state, the expectation of that state makes manifest. And do not marvel on account of this. For if the Lord promises celibacy in the life to come—"For they shall be," he says, "all as the angels of God"—and for this reason the Nyssen says it is a return to that ancient and first life, what needs to be said regarding the first Adam and his way of life other than that he was equal in honor to the angels, and that he lived an angelic life, just as has been said before? Pay attention, therefore. For the condition of that Adam clearly presents what the expected grace is, inasmuch as it is a return to that first state, as has already been said. For even if we are bound by the law of marriage today, yet this law was not given from the very beginning, but by way of indulgence later, because of the fall from perfection, on account of which one is also deprived of crowns, as the golden-tongued one says. If, therefore, as has been said, the female herself was brought forth by way of indulgence, and marriage was given, it is entirely necessary that these all pass away at some point, ^C and that there be found then two such persons, who will be raised from the dead, such as that first Adam was, as the great Athanasius says to Antiochus. But the most divine Anastasius is also found speaking of these things thus: "We shall then put aside everything foreign that has entered into us because of sin." If, however, these things are so regarding the female herself, what is there to say? If for this reason [the female was produced]...

^A resurrection was such that, if it had occurred secretly, the thing would have been suspicious; therefore Pilate allowed the tomb to be sealed as they wished. Since these things are so, do not search too curiously into the divine words, nor seek three days and three nights in the burial of Christ and our Savior, especially when you have the most divine Isidore measuring out this interval for you. The Lord was crucified at the sixth hour of Friday. From this hour until the ninth hour, darkness occurred: consider this as a night for me. Again, from the ninth hour until evening, there was light: consider this again as a day. Behold, you have a day-night ^B interval. Again, the night of Friday and the day of Saturday constitute a day-night interval; behold, you have two day-night intervals. Again, the night of Saturday and the dawn of Sunday make a day-night interval; behold, you have a third day-night interval, in which the Lord also rose, although the hour of the resurrection was unclear, just as the hour of his second coming will also be.

I remember, beloved son, that among other things you also inquired about this: for what reason the burial of the Lord was for three days, and not for a longer or shorter ^C interval. It was fitting that Christ should die for the entire nature of humanity, that is to say, for those who had already died before, for those still living, and for those who were to be born in the future, since there are also three times: past, present, and future. He saved those who had already died by descending into Hades; he saved those living at that time as having believed in him; and those who were to come after, as having believed in the preaching of the apostles and having been baptized. If, therefore, he took our whole nature, it is clear that he also refashioned our whole nature. ^D Thus, the burial of the Lord was properly for three days.

The Lord rises from the dead, therefore, but he is not immediately taken up to the heavens. For according to the opinion of the great Athanasius, the Lord spent forty days on earth because he wished to confirm the disciples. For this reason, he manifested himself to them at times and conversed with them in peace, showing the scars in that divine body, eating and drinking with them—not as one in need of food, but to provide proof—and doing all the other things that were accustomed to strengthen those who were weak. First of all, he was seen by two women, at which time they held his feet and embraced them. Then he appears to the Magdalene alone; after this to the chief, Peter, just as Paul also says: "The Lord, having been raised from the dead, was seen first by Cephas." He was seen by those with Luke and Cleopas, he was seen by the ten, then by the eleven; he was seen by them in Galilee, likewise

^A Abraham the rich man; for if he did not know him, how could he have called him by name? No one, I think, will consider this impossible. Is it not possible for this child, and this woman, and that old man, to recognize each other then, even if they rise with one age and one figure? For here there is no recognition from signs and figures and ages; but with the insightful eye of the soul we shall all recognize all, as it pleased our Maker and Creator. This very thing the most divine Anastasius sets before you more clearly, and thus he says: "And there will not be recognition then from signs." Nor do these generative parts represent the female and the male, because neither is there male and female in Christ, as Paul says. If then these things are so, and according to great Athanasius we all rise as one man in the regeneration—for there is one age among all, one creation, one form, one figure and size—it would be superfluous to seek a difference in figures; for if corruption introduced such a difference, it is absolutely necessary, now that incorruption has come, for all these things to pass away along with corruption. And thus indeed [thinks] Athanasius, who is truly wise in divine matters: that the difference of figures and the beginning of marriage were on account of sin; for in the beginning there was no such thing, since the multiplication of human beings was intended to be as the angels, as has been said before; and from this there was no need of help from the female; and indeed if Adam had not been seen as disobedient, there would have been no need of marriage, and of the construction that subsequently serves for marriage. For to what purpose would it have served, if it was not forbidden for [the human race] to advance [in numbers] without it?

The discourse has previously discussed this for you ^B more clearly. But if these things are so, if marriage had its beginning on account of disobedience and the corruption that comes from death, as he of the golden tongue says; if after the height of creation God brought upon man the property of irrational construction, as he of Nyssa says; if the difference of figures is of the second creation, according to the divine Sinaite Anastasius; if all rise according to that first man in one form and one figure, as the great Athanasius says, seeing that the difference according to male and female was later fashioned by God for a reason which has been discussed above—what must one say in regard to the proposed question? ^C These things we ask to learn.

If John Damascene also seems to counter the things that have been said. For in the forty-fourth of his Dogmatic Chapters, he is found saying these things concerning the first man: "God, however, fashioned this man male, having imparted to him His own divine grace, and furthermore also rule over all earthly things." From this, therefore, he seems to be in opposition; for by saying that that first man was fashioned by God as male, he has placed before us no minor difficulty. For if, as the great Athanasius says, we shall all rise as one in the regeneration, that is to say, similar to the first man in figure and creation; [and if] he is male...

toward Tiberias; he was seen by James, the brother of God; he was seen above five hundred men. And lastly, he appeared to them on the Mount of Olives, in which place he also made his ascent from the earth after the fortieth day, as has been said. If you wish to learn why he spent these forty days on earth after his resurrection from the dead, and not more or fewer, behold, the great Epiphanius shall resolve such a mystery for you in few words: "For in the same way," he says, "that after his birth Christ was laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and after forty days was brought into the divine temple and presented to God according to the law of Moses, so too, having become the firstborn from the dead, he remains on earth for forty days, and then returns to the Jerusalem above, to appear before the face of God on our behalf." And be persuaded by the great Paul, who says: "For Christ did not enter into sanctuaries made by hands, which are copies of the true ones, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God on our behalf."

^B Consequently, the Lord was taken up. Ten days pass after this, and the descent of the all-holy Spirit occurs. This descent occurs after the completion of ten days, because the number ten is perfect. Since, therefore, the Holy Spirit was descending for this purpose—that he might make the imperfect disciples perfect—on that account he came upon them in a perfect number, that is, on the tenth day. That he made the imperfect disciples perfect, the chief, Peter, demonstrated. For look mindfully at how previously, having been thrown into confusion by a wretched servant girl, he denied his teacher three times; but later, having been sharpened by the all-holy Spirit, he harangued with great boldness in the midst of the people, and from there he persuaded everyone to come to Christ without hesitation.

After fifty days, then, as has been said, from the resurrection of Christ from the dead, the descent of the all-holy Spirit occurs. For what reason? Because the old law also was given on the fiftieth day after the manifestation of God. For according to the golden-tongued and divine John, or rather according to the history of the God-seer Moses, fifty days passed after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, and at that time Moses received the God-inscribed tablets. If, therefore, the old law was given within fifty days, it was entirely necessary for the grace of the all-holy Spirit to be given on that same day, so that from this, beloved, according to both the Old and the New Covenants, the nature of the Godhead might be shown to be indivisible, and that the Holy Spirit was the lawgiver both then and now. "And there appeared to them tongues parting asunder, as of fire." Why tongues? Because there was need of preaching, and so that by his preaching, the world might be saved.

^A by God, as that man wise in divine things, John, says: what need is there to speak further on these points? For if all shall rise in a male figure, or if all according to some other figure, as God who fashioned us knows—even if he does further assert that there is neither male nor female there, because the figure is the same—otherwise, if the first man possessed the difference according to the male [sex] as innate to his existence, it was then possible to see the female immediately coexisting with him. For the male was made because of the female, and the female because of the male, of necessity, and the all-encompassing kinds of living creatures make this manifest. For none of them emerged from the earth without union; for their copulation was necessary for the succession of the race, because He did not desire that these should be multiplied like the angels.

But these things require a more elevated mind, in order for them to be reconciled with one another; but as for us, we are not only at a loss regarding these matters, but also in those where man himself, by coming down to his own level, appears to be contradicting himself. For he has already ^B beforehand stated that the first man was produced by God as a male, that he was considered worthy of divine grace, and that he was entrusted with the lordship of earthly things; but after these things, he has added these words verbatim: "But God, the foreknower, knowing that he would fall into transgression and that he would be subjected to corruption, brought forth the female from him as a helper for him according to him, for the sake of the constitution of the race by succession." For this reason we have doubted not a little. For it appears that, if he were not to have been subjected to corruption, He would not have brought forth the female from him. But if He had not brought her forth, how would the multiplication of men have taken place? But [it would have occurred] like the angels, without union, as the Nyssene says. And for what reason he says that Adam was produced at the beginning in the figure of the male, we desire to learn these things. For the divine [author] from this point ^C appears to be contradicting both the aforementioned Fathers and even more so himself, unless we say that the Saint took the word "male" here according to another meaning; for this word signifies sometimes also the active, the strong, and the perfect, as the etymology of such a word shows. For, producing him such from the beginning, God made him a participant in His own divinity and entrusted to him the lordship of all earthly things.

Pay attention, therefore. For if our generation today is animal, yet sin has become the cause of this. And if it does not burden your ears, I shall take up this discourse again a little. For God fashioned man, He placed him in paradise, and there was neither any reason for marriage in his case, nor did he need the helper of the female. For even if God, while fashioning him, saw how great the human race would be according to number, yet according to that first one, if he had not been found disobedient, all would have been produced without union; for if God was not ignorant of the future, yet He desired ^D to show what His intention was for man beforehand. For it was for this reason that He produced him alone, and honored him with immortality. According to that first one, therefore, if he had remained obedient, all the human race was to have been produced.

and so that the form might interpret the function, as that golden-mouthed one says of the tongue. For the apostles were fishermen, and they had need of the word for their preaching. And he said "parting," because the fire appeared descending [in a] uniform [manner], then was divided and distributed among the apostles. And that fire was not the Spirit himself, but a power of the Spirit. But these tongues were not cast into their mouths, but sat upon their heads; for they were being ordained as rulers and heralds of the world. For see that this custom prevails even until now; for the Gospel is placed upon the head of the one about to be ordained as high priest, and when it is placed there, there is nothing else to be seen but a tongue resting upon the head. And it appeared in the form of fire because of Him who said: "I came to cast fire upon the earth" for the sake of the passions that were growing wild like a forest.

^B And it sat upon each one of them. Therefore everyone who serves God is a throne of God; for it is for this reason that he said "it sat." And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the power to speak. Upon which also those standing by said: "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how do we hear each in our own dialect, Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the rest?" And they received the gifts of fifteen tongues for the time being, as the one who is golden of tongue says, as far as those present were concerned. For what was the need of the Persian tongue when no Persians were present? And fifteen tongues appeared for this reason too, so that the activity of the Trinity might be shown, and the twelve [apostles] as ministers. And it was possible to see the Galilean Peter speaking in the Roman tongue, a language he had not learned, just as it was possible to see each one of the others speaking in a peculiar tongue. For the Holy Spirit ordains this, so that there might not be contention among the apostles about where each ought to go. Upon which also to each one a particular tongue is given as a rule. That is, do you speak in the Roman tongue? Go away to Rome. Do you speak Persian? ^C Go away to Persia. And in one tongue, as has been said, they received the rule; but since it was necessary for them, as they departed to Rome, to pass through many nations, they received other tongues as auxiliaries, having the first [one] in place of an ordination. For every one of the apostles is found speaking in diverse tongues, since they were passing also through many nations. This is clear from what Paul says: "I thank God that I speak in the tongues of you all." Then, indeed, then the prophecy of the most divine Joel was receiving its fulfillment, which says thus: "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh," that is, upon that which has believed. For not only did the apostles receive [the gift of] tongues...

^A Hence, therefore, the teachers of the Church, having seized upon this occasion, confirmed the dogma concerning that recognition alongside others. For if here men recognize one another by means of signs, since the perspicacious eye of our soul has been darkened by sin and is unable to see as it did before, but there it is without signs—for there is one age among all, and one form, as the Scriptures say ^B—all will recognize all, as the discourse will shortly demonstrate to you. For if here all had one and the same character, no small confusion would occur in this life. For what reason? Because our mind does not currently possess the power of discernment in a healthy state, as it did formerly. Divine providence, therefore, aiding our infirmities, has permitted the variation of bodies to exist among us by dispensation, ^C so that all might thereby be recognized by one another. But there, O godlike man, there is nothing of the kind. And if you wish, hear first from John of the Golden Speech, who confirms and says these things regarding this matter: that we shall recognize not only those known to us here, but also those we have never seen. For you have not seen Abraham, nor Isaac, nor the other ancient fathers; but seeing them at that fearful ^D and common assembly, you will recognize them, and having recognized them, you will say: "Behold Abraham, behold Isaac, behold Jacob, behold Peter and Paul, and the rest in order." And for this reason, do not wonder, nor consider it something strange. For if those bodies which rose from the dead at the time of the Savior’s passion, being a prefiguration of the last and common resurrection, entered into the holy city and appeared to many—that is, were recognized (for had they not been destined to be recognized, they would not have appeared, but since they appeared, they were nevertheless known)—and [this happened] even among those who had no prior knowledge of those seen; for none of those who were present at that time, as the golden-mouthed one is found saying in his eighty-eighth homily on the holy Gospel according to Matthew, recognized the sight of the righteous who had long since fallen asleep—much more will such a recognition occur at that true and final resurrection. For when this thick flesh has become thin and light, and patriarchal, the perspicacious eye of our soul will not be hindered in the clearest way. And let that first Adam persuade you; ^A for having become awake and seeing that Eve, he recognized her, and having recognized her, he said: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." Do not, therefore, disbelieve what is said; for when we come to that Adam—for the resurrection is nothing else than a restoration to the ancient state of those who have fallen—we shall of necessity recognize even those whom we have never seen, O brethren; for we are one body, and all have one head: Christ. Of necessity, therefore, we shall all recognize all. For even if we were born at different times, yet of all there is one Father, God. Wherefore it is fitting that all from the beginning unto the end should gather together at the same time, and be carried forth collectively in that patriarchal joy. For on this account also, those who received the promise, according to the great Paul, shall not [apart from us be perfected].

not only spoke in foreign tongues, but also all ^A who were baptized by them received a like gift. And this is just what the Lord said: "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." And see what happened to those twelve men in Ephesus, as Luke relates, who, having been baptized into the baptism of John, said they did not even know what the Spirit was; but when Paul laid his hands upon them, then they received the gift of tongues. For because the Holy Spirit was invisible, it was altogether necessary that there should be some sensible proof of His presence, so that from this point on all might come to the divine laver without hesitation. This gift, however, stirred Simon also to approach the apostles and ask for baptism; for had he not seen the power of the Spirit as something sensible, he would not have approached the disciples of Christ, nor would he have appeared so needy of their work. And at that time those who were baptized received the gift of tongues by the outpouring of the all-holy Spirit; but upon those with Cornelius, ^B the Holy Spirit fell even before they were baptized, and they spoke in tongues. But why, I ask, did they receive the efficacy of the all-holy Spirit even before they were baptized? Because of the great prejudice of those who had believed from among the circumcision. For these were divided, not wishing to mingle with the Gentiles who were being baptized.

I know, however, beloved, that you also desire to learn the time at which the calling of the blessed Paul took place. And according to certain historians, and especially Hippolytus the Theban, seven years had passed after the resurrection of the Lord from the dead when Stephen, the first martyr, received his blessed end; and after this, about six months passed, and the calling of Paul occurred. But the History of Eusebius Pamphili relates that not even one year had been completed after the resurrection of the Lord from the dead, when all these things took place, both the struggles of the first martyr and the approach of the blessed Paul. But one could have seen fulfilled in him at that time the saying which declares: "Where you are going, you know; but what you are about to suffer, you do not know." For having received letters from the chief priests in order to go and slay the Christians found anywhere, he is blinded ^C in his eyes along the way; for an ineffable light from above flashed around him, and thus the lamps of his body were immediately extinguished. But he also heard a voice from above saying to him: "Saul, Saul" (that is, brother, brother, why do you persecute me?). He is then sent to Ananias and receives baptism, and thence he is enlightened in his psychic and bodily eyes. The all-great Paul then preaches for 35 years. For in the eighteenth year of Tiberius Caesar the saving passion of Christ took place.

^A know one another, when there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither Scythian nor barbarian, neither small nor great, neither male and female, neither black nor fair, neither slave nor free; but all are like the angels?’ It is entirely impossible for such as these to know or be known. And such indeed is what they think and say. But we, opposing them, say this: Those who abandon themselves to human reasonings and on this account contend that we shall not recognize one another there, will end by rejecting the very resurrection of the dead from their bodies. And this is not so surprising as it might seem to them; for a body that has flowed away, a body that has perhaps been devoured by a beast, or fish, or bird, how shall it be gathered into one again and rise? And how shall it, having been so dispersed, return to its former state? But leave, if you wish, those who pry into such things; for being "natural" (psychical) men themselves, according to the apostle Paul—if indeed one must call such a great person [by that name]—they do not receive the things of the Spirit. Leave them, if such is their mindset.

I say, then, that [the claim] that we shall not recognize one another there is destructive of the future judgment itself, as the aforementioned divine man said. For judgment is accustomed to take place with the persons being known, just as it is written: “I will convict thee, and set thy sins before thy face” (Ps. XLIX, 21). So that if we do not recognize one another, we shall not be judged; and not being judged, we shall not receive what is worthy of how we have lived. How, moreover, shall the apostles sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, ^C if they do not recognize those whom they judge? And how shall the blessed Job receive twice as many children again, if he does not recognize them in the kingdom of heaven? Since the former he received here, but the latter he had been promised he would receive in the age to come. Therefore, brethren, believing, we shall believe that we shall both rise and recognize one another as we were, but in the beauties of incorruptibility, just as it has been said before. For our first parents in paradise, even before the transgression, recognized one another when they were incorrupt, and after the transgression, when they were subject to corruption, they recognized one another likewise. Whence it must be believed that brother will recognize brother, and father child, and wife husband, and friend friend. I would add also that the ascetic will recognize the ascetic, the confessor the confessor, the martyr his fellow-contender, the apostle his fellow-apostle, and all will recognize all, so that the dwelling of all may be in God, who along with all blessings grants also the recognition of one another.

But also, as he was making his arrangements at the time when this divine man was departing [this life], he said these things word for word: “If I attain salvation, I will not cease to pray to the Lord boldly for all of you, expecting to see, receive, and embrace you one by one through the departure from the world; for I have such confidence, that His goodness will keep us all together in the age to come, just as here, if we have kept His commandments.” ^D

That we shall all recognize all, and not just the righteous those who are righteous, as some think, and in their own

^A This eighteenth year had not yet been completed when the aforementioned events occurred. The nineteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar began to run its course, and Paul began his preaching, as history relates. Thus the four remaining years of the reign of Tiberius pass; for he is found to have held power for twenty-two years in total. The four years of the reign of Gaius pass by similarly, and likewise, the roughly fourteen years of Claudius pass by. Nero succeeds this man, and in the thirteenth year of his reign, he kills the Apostle. Consequently, thirty-five years are found during which Paul preached. And he carried out his ministry so diligently that he even went to see James the brother of the Lord and received counsel from him regarding the need to shear himself and purify himself on account of the Jews.

^C This James served as the first high priest of Jerusalem; for they chose him so that Peter and John and James would not contend for the sake of glory, as Clement the Stromateus relates. This James was called "the Just" because of his virtue. This is the one who was cast down from the pinnacle and struck on the head with a club by the fuller, leading to his death. For the Jews, when Paul appealed to Caesar and was sent to Caesar by Festus—having failed in the hope for which they had concocted their plot against him—turned their attention to this James and said, "Restrain the people, since they have been led astray into Jesus; for we bear witness to you, and all the people do, that you are a just man." It was the Passover at that time. And having set him upon the pinnacle, they said, "O Just One, we all obey you. Since the people are led astray after Jesus who was crucified, proclaim to us what is the door of God." But when he replied that Jesus is seated in heaven at the right hand of the great power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven, they all shouted, "Alas! Alas! Even the Just One has been led astray." They cast him down therefore, and pelted him with stones. And immediately, Vespasian besieged them. ^D James was so just that the prudent among the Jews supposed these things had happened because of him. Josephus also writes: "These things happened to the Jews as retribution for James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus, the one called Christ."

Now concerning the manner of his end—that is, his being cast down and stoned, and his kneeling and praying for them, and his being struck with a club and perfected—Clement has recounted it, while Josephus says these things: "He drank no wine or strong drink, he ate no meat, no razor passed upon his head, he did not anoint himself with oil, and he made no use of a bath." It was permitted to him alone to enter into the holy places and pray for the people, so that his knees had become hardened like a camel's from kneeling and praying for the forgiveness of the people. But the Jews killed him after the death of Festus, having found a moment of anarchy.

^A Now this James, namely the brother of the Lord, was not numbered among the twelve disciples, but nonetheless held the first rank among them. For when the Lord had risen from the dead, as Clement says, He imparted the knowledge to Peter, John, and James the brother of the Lord, and they to the rest. For before the resurrection, the brothers of the Lord were indignant at the Lord and did not believe Him, as the evangelist John says. But pay attention, beloved. For even if the Lord chose those twelve first, and even if He deemed them worthy of greater honor, and even if He promised that they would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and that they would be His fellow-guests on that day because they remained with Him, still we have the Lord Himself elsewhere saying to the sons of Zebedee, when they asked for a seat on the right and on the left: "It is not Mine to give this, but to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father." If, therefore, that honor is not given by grace but according to the struggles that each individual will demonstrate, do not marvel if those who, like Paul, and indeed James the brother of the Lord, have struggled, are found to be partners and sharers in the honor of the twelve. For this is what he who had the golden tongue said, that no one would be greater than Paul at that time. That the disciples of Christ were intended to be twelve in number, and not more or fewer, has been declared from the beginning. And give attention, if you will, to what is said. For in the way that this sensible sun, beginning from the first sign and having made its own cycle through the twelve signs of the zodiac, and having fulfilled all its own course in them, returns again to where it began its journey, so also the intelligible Sun of righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God, having risen upon the world as He Himself willed, and having run through the world beneath the heavens through the twelve disciples, having accomplished all His will through them, returned again to where He came from. ^B And that the twelve disciples chosen by the Lord, and indeed those who struggled like them, have obtained a better place than those patriarchs of old, the golden-tongued John showed more clearly. For He said that they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel, an honor which he did not give to the patriarchs. And although many shall come from the east and west, and shall recline with Abraham and Isaac, no other person shall be a fellow-sitter with the apostles. And that they, having appeared at that time under a shadow, are less than those who have flourished in the truth. And these things, indeed, were said by the golden-tongued one, while Theodore [sic]...

^B asserts that those who think and speak thus of those ancient fathers are in error. For although they did not see the Lord with their senses, they did see Him in their intellect. And how could he be inferior who receives the saints into his bosom? And what of Moses, who was transformed along with the Lord’s transformation, with Elias also present, with such majesty and glory that they could speak with Him concerning both the cross and the death to follow? This is the opinion of Theodoret. You, however, beloved son, should rather adhere to the words of that golden orator. And for what reason? Because they are in harmony with the words of the Lord, who also speaks to the apostles in the Gospel according to Luke: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Luke X, 23). What, then, are these things? They are, clearly, all those things that occurred during the administration of the Word in the flesh, the sight of which was granted to the apostles alone. Wherefore the apostles excel the prophets in two respects: both in having seen Christ bodily and in having been initiated into divine matters spiritually.

And if you seek to learn how many there are who have been raised from the dead, and who they were, we will not hesitate to enumerate these very resurrections for you. There are, in total, eight such resuscitations recorded. The first, the son of the woman of Sarephta, whom the prophet Elias restored to life. The second, the son of the Shunamite, whom Elisha raised. The third, that soldier who, upon touching the relics of Elisha, leaped up as if from a fire. The fourth, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. The fifth, the son of the widow. The sixth, Lazarus. The seventh, the many bodies of the saints. The eighth, finally, was that most holy and Lordly body itself; although certain heretics, the Apellians, were so mad as to claim that the body of the Lord was dissolved in the tomb into the four elements of which it consisted. But those many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose ^C primarily so that through this very miracle, He who was then suffering might be publicly proclaimed to be God; and at the same time, that faith in the final and common resurrection of mortals might be confirmed, and that the liberation and return of the souls that had been held in the underworld might be made manifest. For the souls that believed in Christ as He descended to the underworld were immediately released and set free. And because it was not possible for souls to be seen with sensible eyes, by a divine plan the souls of those holy men who had fallen asleep appeared with their bodies, so that faith might be more perfect; and then they flew back again to the places destined for them. Beware, however, beloved son, lest your mind also be led astray by the fables that are rumored here and there. For if it is claimed by many that Magdalen...

Magdalene, and heard from her that Christ healed a man blind from birth, and hence remarked to her that He must have known well the minerals of the earth (for if this were not so, He would not have enlightened that blind man), we too are aware of this, but we class such a rumor among the myths. For it is impossible that Galen could have met the Magdalene, as they say, given that he mentions the Emperor Marcus in his writings to Piso, and Commodus again in the first book of his work *On Morals*; for from our Lord Jesus Christ to that very reign of Commodus, about one hundred and fifty years are found. And so much for this.

I know, however, beloved son, that you have also proposed this among other questions: Why, you ask, did the disciples of Christ and the apostles, in recording other matters, keep silent altogether concerning the Dormition of the Ever-Virgin? And it is possible to answer that the evangelists, in narrating the economy of our Savior in the flesh, proceeded up to His very ascension from earth. But the immaculate Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ is said to have reached a deep old age, as the most divine Andrew of Crete maintains. Therefore, it was impossible for the Dormition of the Ever-Virgin to be intermingled with the evangelical history, seeing that it occurred, as we said, a long time afterward. Furthermore, the disciples of Christ did not themselves record anything separately concerning this, because they were occupied with the account of the economy, and were concerned that they might make the unbelievers believers and might bring all to the blameless faith in Christ; thus they overlooked other things, especially those that did not contribute to the divine preaching.

Yet the story of that divine Dormition has not been kept entirely silent, for the divinely-inspired and great Dionysius is found to have written some wondrous things concerning it in his letters to Timothy. And pay attention, if you will, to what is said. For that divine man discusses this matter in these very words: "And we ourselves, as you know, along with many of our holy brethren, had gathered for the viewing of the life-giving and God-receiving body, and there were present also James the brother of the Lord and Peter, the chiefest of the apostles." To these he also brings forward the one who led that divine hymn, who had become possessed by God, standing outside himself and, as it were, departing for the hymnody as he was transformed. And what need is there for many words? The inspired Dionysius reveals through his own words—to Piso, about 180 years, for from our Lord Jesus Christ to that very reign of Commodus—

^A he brings food from Judea to him in such a way, such are the prodigies. The same prophet is present for Daniel, and he is not lacking for the reapers.

After Cyrus, Cambyses his son, who also had the surname Nebuchadnezzar, followed him. Holophernes was the commander of his forces, whom the prudent Judith killed, and although she possessed all his wealth, she did not become insolent in spirit, but dedicated all these things to the Lord and served Him in widowhood, living in her accustomed continence until her 85th year. After him, Smerdis the Magus, then Darius the son of Hystaspes, under whom Zerubbabel and Jesus finished the temple that had been neglected, occupied the kingdom. After Darius, Artabanus reigned, whom Artaxerxes Longimanus succeeded. In his time Sophocles, Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Pythagoras, Thucydides, Euripides, Herodotus, Empedocles, Diogenes, Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle were famous. After Artaxerxes, another Artaxerxes arose, and others in order succeeded as kings of the Persians up to Darius the son of Arsames, who being defeated and the Persian kingdom ^B overthrown, Alexander took over and possessed the empire of the world.

From this, therefore, learn that the first kingdom was of the Assyrians, or the Babylonians; the second of the Medes, by whom the first was destroyed; then after this, the Persians, who succeeded the empire of the Medes; the fourth of the Macedonians, by whom the Persians were defeated; and lastly, the Romans.

After Alexander, his attendants and princes divided the kingdom. Ptolemy the son of Lagos ruled over Egypt, whom fifteen other Ptolemies followed in order up to Cleopatra. Antigonus occupied Asia, while Seleucus Nicator occupied Syria and Palestine, and founded two cities in Cilicia and one in Syria. Of these he named the first Seleucia, the second Antioch, and the third Laodicea, from his own name and that of his son and daughter. In his time, the Rhodians, having gained the empire of the sea, erected a statue of the sun in bronze on their island, which, because of its great size, they called the Colossus, and they themselves were subsequently called Colossians. After Seleucus, his son Antiochus reigned, and five of the same name later on. Then Antiochus Illustris, the son of Seleucus Philopator, obtained the kingdom, under whom Jerusalem was ^C captured a second time. For, having seized all of Egypt like a grasping and unjust man, he returned to Jerusalem in wrath, whither he sent a commander who brought many evils upon the holy city and forced the people to embrace the Greek religion. There existed then a certain Matthias, who had five sons, and among others, Judas, who, moved by divine zeal, initiated the military campaign. ^D

(12) Some suspect that the Rhodians were called Colossians from the Colossus of the sun which was erected, to which Glycas refers. Who this Artabanus is, whom he places between Darius the son of Hystaspes and Artaxerxes Longimanus—I know not, unless perhaps it is an error of the name; for it is Xerxes who was the son of Darius and the father of Artaxerxes. What he adds, however, that he was illustrious, Sophocles, Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Pythagoras, Thucydides, Euripides, Herodotus, Empedocles, Diogenes, Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle, this is clearly a mistake, as in our universal library, from which I recently excerpted the chronological library of ecclesiastical and secular affairs, he demonstrates.

^A all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, that is, essentially. As that renowned Athanasius of ours says. Therefore also Paul ^B said that in Christ the whole fullness of divinity dwells corporally, that is, essentially.

In this manner she conceives in her womb, the virginal belly swells: Joseph is not a little troubled by this, and contemplates putting away the pregnant woman secretly. A divine angel stands by him in a dream, saying, “Do not fear to take Mary your wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” ^C Therefore, having awakened from sleep, he took his wife, and did not know her until she brought forth her firstborn Son. Now, the great Basil says that Joseph did not know this most pure virgin either before the birth or after the birth. For the word “until” is found in many places of the Holy Scripture to be indefinite, as when it says, “And the raven did not turn back until the earth was dried.” And indeed, the raven did not turn back even after the earth was dried. And in another place: “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” If the word “until” were not indefinite, we would then say that the Lord ceases to sit after his enemies have been placed under his feet. Also the Savior Christ said to his disciples: “And I will be with you always, until the end of the age.” If the word “until” were not indefinite, it follows that Christ will not be with his disciples after the consummation of the world. And yet Paul says thus: “We shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” And these things are thus. But the great Athanasius says that Joseph did not truly know her until she brought forth the Lord. He did not know what that was which was in her. Only when she brought forth, then indeed he began to know. Then Joseph knew what was the power of the virgin. Then he knew, when she had been delivered, and he did not perceive the things of childbed, when she provided milk in a strange way and a breast alien to natural nourishment, when she gave the teat and yet did not suffer any ^D vein-depletion. But do not consider the matter strange. For because the one being born was God and man, He necessarily joined to Himself both divine and human things. Human things were the swelling of the belly, the nine-month period of the pregnancy, the customary exit of the one being born, the nourishment with milk, and the growth from a small size to the appropriate stature of his body: for, as the blessed Paul says, He experienced all our things, sin alone excepted. Again, the divine things were the seedless conception, the miraculous pregnancy, and the undefiled birth. And this is what the theological tongue said: “The laws of nature are dissolved.” For among other things, the most pure one bore Christ without maternal pangs; for according to the Damascene, where pleasure did not precede, reasonably neither did pain follow. That the things of the pregnancy were miraculous, even Dionysius the Areopagite showed, saying thus concerning

[GREEK COLUMN] Maximianus his son. After Georgius, the Confessor Theophanes, also hegoumenos of the [Monastery of the] Agros, composed the remainder up to the death of the Emperor Nikephoros, the one from the *genikoi* [officials]. Under whom Scylitzes began his chronological history from Michael Rangabe.

The Great Constantine, when he campaigned against Maxentius, then saw in the heavens the honorable cross, by which he conquered. Then, having become slothful and having rushed against his enemies, he was defeated; and, despondent, he fell asleep, and in a dream was struck on his nostrils by a rod, and the blood issuing from there he traced into the form of a cross upon a linen cloth. Having seen these things, and having become repentant for the matter, he conquered his enemies again. But after these things, he was led astray into idol-mania by his wife Fausta. But God drew him back again through leprosy; for that disease, having taken hold of him, severely straitened and afflicted him in every way. And as the priests of the Capitoline Zeus advised, infants were gathered so that they might be slaughtered and he might be immersed in their blood, and thus, supposedly, be delivered from the disease. Passing by, therefore, and hearing their mothers lamenting, and having learned the cause of the lamentation, he said: "It is better for me to suffer than to condemn so many infants to death." Wherefore, at night, the apostles stood before him, saying that he should call for Bishop Sylvester. The saint is called, therefore, and having baptized him, releases him from the leprosy. The great man afterwards fought so much for the faith that he transformed all the customs: to fast on Wednesday and Friday, to rest on Sunday, not to purchase Jewish servants, and no longer to condemn anyone to the cross because of the reverence for the honorable cross of Christ. Among other things, he also renames the days of the week, which were previously named after Cronus and Ares and the other stars. The spouse of the great one, however, Fausta, daughter of Maximianus, whom he caused to cast off her soul by heat in a bath; the cause was her stepson Priscus Crispus,

[LATIN COLUMN] ANNALIUM PARS IV.

PART IV. CONCERNING THE CONSTANTINOPOLITAN EMPERORS WHO REIGNED THEREAFTER.

[The remainder of this paragraph is fragmented and unreliable; it concerns] other things [which] are suspected and mixed with fables. He killed his wife Fausta, who was the daughter of Maximianus, in a bath that was heated beyond measure. The cause of this was Priscus, Faust's stepson, on account of a crime of the stepmother; [which story] is also found in manuscripts V and F, for which should be substituted, as all antiquity speak[s]...

475 MICHAELIS GLYCÆ

Secundum hæc ab impiæ sententiæ sectatoribus impulsus hic Constantius antistites accersivit, ut synodus coiret, per quam decerneretur Trinitatem unius et ejusdem essentiæ non esse. Verum conatus omnis irritus fuit; nam cum gravem in morbum incidisset deque vita jam desperasset, Euzoium Antiochenum antistitem ad se venire jussit, illustrationemque divinam celeriter consecutus vivendi finem fecit. Ipso vivente pontifex Hierosolymorum erat ^A Cyrillus, vir eximius, qui ad Constantium in hæc verba perscripsit: Patre tuo regnante crux in terris reperta est. Rursum te regnante crux de cœlo est patefacta. Nam in Golgothæ loco, circiter horam diei tertiam, in ipso Quinquagesima festo, signum crucis conspectum est, de luce quadam fulgentissima compactum. Neque tantum ab uno conspectum est vel per imaginationem quamdam, sed ab omnibus et multas quidem in horas.

Post Constantium successit in imperio Julianus, annisque duobus et septem mensibus eo potitus est. Princeps hic nequissimus ante inita regni tempora, quemadmodum magnus ille Cyrillus antistes Alexandrinus commemorat, in numero fidelium erat, ipsum quoque baptismum consecutus, utut deinceps illum per sanguinem impurum et exsecrandum deposuit, et egregie sacris erat in libris exercitatus. Verum deinceps viri quidam superstitiosi cum familiares ei facti fuissent, habilis ad ipsum de fidei desertione sermonibus tandem perfecerunt ut qui sacrosanctis in ecclesiis et monasteriis educatus erat, impurorum dæmoniorum ^B evaderet: cumque facundus esset a natura, linguam suam adversus Salvatorem nostrum Jesum Christum exacuit, et libros adversus religiosum Christianorum cultum tres conscripsit. Tanto furore sanctos oppugnabat, ac præsertim illo ipso tempore quo delapsus ignis e cœlo pulcherrimum illud Antiochiæ suburbium, quod Daphnen vocant, una cum ipsis simulacris exusserat, ut aheneam Christi statuam, a muliere sanguinis fluxum perpessa collocatam Cæsareæ Philippi, quam nunc Paneadem vocant, inhumaniter confregerit; et sacras Joannis Baptistæ reliquias brutorum ossibus permistas concremaverit. Præterea Judæos adversus Christianos armabat, eosdemque juvabat in exstructione templi sui, quanquam in hoc conatu sunt impediti a vento, gravi terræ motu, et igne denique. Nam ignis e fundamentis ipsis cum prosiliisset, eos ab opere instituto deterruit et detraxit.

Sciendum est autem tibi, dilecte fili, quod in hodiernum usque diem nomen illius, qui Julianum in expeditione Persica jaculo confixit, ignoretur. Quanquam enim perscriptum reperiamus in libro ^C de sancti Basilii miraculis, quæ magnus ille vir Amphilochius litteris commendasse perhibetur, mandato perpetuæ Virginis Deiparæ per sanctum Mercurium magni Basilii precibus desertorem hunc trajectum fuisse, non tamen hæc narratio meretur ut ei continuo fidem adhibeas. Quamobrem istuc? Quoniam in eodem scripto legimus magnum Basili- ^D um archiepiscopum Cæsareæ fuisse, quum per ea loca transiret...

^A and at the time in Tiberias; he was seen by James, the brother of the Lord; he was seen by more than five hundred men. And lastly, he was seen by them on the Mount of Olives, where he was also taken up from the earth after forty days, as we have said.

If you wish to learn also the reason why, after his rising from the dead, he spent forty days on earth and neither more nor less, the great Epiphanius resolves this mystery for you in a few words: "For in the same way," he says, "that after Christ was born, he was laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and after forty days was brought into the divine temple and presented to God according to the law of Moses, so too does he do here; and thus he is returned to the Jerusalem above, so that he may appear before the face of God on our behalf." And be persuaded by the great Paul, who says: "For Christ has entered not into things made by hands, which are copies of the true ones, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb. IX, 24).

The Lord was therefore taken up. Ten days pass after that, and the descent of the Holy Spirit takes place. That such a descent occurs after the completion of ten days is because the number ten is perfect. Since, therefore, the Holy Spirit descended for this reason, that he might render the still imperfect disciples perfect, for this cause he descended upon them in this perfect number, that is, on the tenth day. And that he did show the imperfect disciples to be perfect, the chief, Peter, clearly demonstrated. For you who are diligent will see that he, who previously had been terrified by a poor little maid and had denied his master three times, later, having been strengthened by the Holy Spirit, preached with much boldness in the midst of the people, and from that point persuaded all to approach Christ without hesitation.

After fifty days had passed since the resurrection of Christ from the dead, as has been said, the descent of the Holy Spirit takes place. Why? Because the old law was also given, with God appearing on the fiftieth day. For, according to the golden-tongued and divine John—or rather, according to the history of the seer Moses—fifty days had passed from the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, and at that time the tablets which Moses received, ^B engraved by God, were given to him. Therefore, if the old law was given in fifty days, it necessarily had to follow that on that same day the grace of the Holy Spirit should be given; and from this, beloved, one can gather both in the old and in the new covenant that the nature of the Godhead is shown to be indivisible, and that the Holy Spirit was ordained both then and now.

And there appeared to them cloven tongues as of fire. Why tongues? Because there was need of preaching, ^{C D} [alt-version omitted]

lived in shadow, are entirely inferior to those who have existed in the very vigor of the truth. These things are from Chrysostom. Theodoret, however, says that those who feel and speak in this way about those ancient fathers are in error. For although they did not see the Lord sensibly, they nonetheless beheld Him by the understanding of the mind. And who is inferior and lesser than the one who receives the saints into his own bosom? Who was Moses, who, when the Lord was transformed, was himself also transformed, with Elijah also present, with such majesty and glory that they could even converse with Him about both the cross and the death that was to follow? Such is the opinion of Theodoret. ^B But you, beloved son, rather incline toward the words of that golden orator. And for what reason? Because such things harmonize with the words of the Lord, who in the Gospel recorded by Luke speaks to the apostles as follows: “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” What, then, are these things? They are, by all means, the things regarding the economy in the flesh, which the apostles alone were deemed worthy to see. Consequently, the apostles surpass the prophets in two respects: both in having seen Christ bodily and in having been initiated by Him into divine matters spiritually.

^C But if you also desire to learn how many have been raised from the dead, and who they were, we will not hesitate to recount these very resurrections by listing them. There have occurred in all eight resurrections of the dead. The first: the son of the woman of Zarephath, whom the prophet Elijah restored to life, came back to life. The second: the son of the Shunammite, whom Elisha raised. The third: that soldier who, upon touching the remains of Elisha, leaped up as if from a fire. The fourth: the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. The fifth: the son of the widow. The sixth: Lazarus. The seventh: the many bodies of the saints. The eighth, finally, was that most holy body of the Lord which was resurrected; although there were certain heretics, Apellians, who frantically claimed that the body of the Lord in the tomb was dissolved into the four elements of which it had been composed. However, those many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected primarily so that through this very prodigy it might be publicly declared that He who was then suffering was God; and at the same time, by the mystery of the 231 last and common resurrection, faith might be brought about, so that the liberation and return of their souls might be made manifest, as well as those that had been held in Hades. For those souls that believed in Christ as He descended into Hades were immediately released and set free. ^D And since it was impossible for souls thus naked to be seen by sensible eyes, by a certain divine providence the souls of those holy men who had fallen asleep appeared with their very bodies, so that faith might be increased; and afterward they flew back again to the places destined for them.

Beware, however, beloved son, lest by the fabulous tales that are spread here and there your own mind be perverted. For the rumor has gained ground among many...

that he ordered the wealthy to be destroyed and their properties to be seized. The same man, observing mud in a narrow street of Rome, ordered it to be thrown into the lap of Vespasian, a most strategic man. ^A At that time, Philo the wise and Josephus flourished. This Josephus was called a lover of the truth, because he praised the Lord's Baptist and likewise testified that Christ was a wise man and a worker of great signs, and that after being crucified, He appeared alive on the third day. But do not wonder, beloved, if even some barbarians chose what is good; for God, in fashioning man, implanted in him the discernment of good and evil. For this reason, not only did many of those who were not barbarians loathe an unjust life, but even not a few of the barbarians. For they say that the Hyperboreans dwell beyond the Rhipaean mountains, and that they practice justice, living on tree fruits and water. But also that the Brahmans practice beyond human measure, covering their bodies with leaves and living in the woods. And Anacharsis the Scythian was so possessed by the love of temperance and discipline that even when he slept, he would keep his lips and his private parts with his own hands; for he showed that these parts need such great guardianship not only when one is awake, but also when he is asleep.

^B After Gaius, Claudius held power for 13 years. This Claudius is said to have been so fearful that he would have those standing by him searched, lest they carry a sword in their bosoms. After him, Nero his son [reigned] for 14 years. This most unclean person, being about 17 years old, was the first to begin the persecution and killed the chief apostles, as some other historians say, on one and the same day, but in different years; but as Eusebius of Pamphilus says, in the same year and on the same day. But a certain Tertullian, a man among the illustrious in Rome, and Gaius, an ecclesiastical man, and Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, write that Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom at one and the same time, in the thirteenth year of the reign of Nero. And he killed Peter for such a cause as this. During the time of Nero, there was Simon the Magician, to whom the chief apostle came and found a dog chained in his entryway, devouring those who attempted to enter to see Simon without permission. ^C He commanded it to enter, and with a human voice to announce Peter. And at that time it did this, and all who were within were amazed. Simon himself did this same thing and called for Peter. Simon, however, conversing with the chief apostle, said this among other things: "If Adam had foreknowledge, why did he not foresee the deception of the serpent?" And Peter said: "If he did not have foreknowledge, how did he impose names upon his sons according to their future actions at the very moment they were born? For he named one Cain, which means 'zeal'—for being zealous, he killed his brother..."

He called the other Abel, which name signifies 'mourning'; for because he was killed, his parents were in mourning. But if Adam, who was the handiwork of God, possessed knowledge of future events, much more must that be attributed to the Creator." But that insane man ^B inferred that a certain ignorance fell upon God because the Sacred Scriptures say that God tempted Abraham; and also because they record that God spoke thus with Himself: "I will go down and look at Sodom." Then, after other illusions, Simon was raised into the air, promising that he would send down certain good things to the people from there. But I, Peter, prayed by myself, and looking fixedly at him, I said: "If I am an apostle of Jesus Christ and not an impostor, as Simon claims, I command the evil powers to let him go and hold him no longer." And immediately he was brought down to the earth and shattered into pieces. Hence the Romans keep that day as a notable one; for it was a Sabbath, on which the faithful also engaged in prayer and fasting on behalf of the teacher. This practice prevails there even to this day. Having learned these things, Nero crucified Peter. And Paul, as the golden-tongued orator says in his discourse to those who forbid solitude, he finished by the sword, inasmuch as he had instructed Eperastus, his concubine. For this reason he also stirred up the persecution; for being a lascivious man, he could not bear that his concubines should turn to the Lord. ^C The divine John Chrysostom, a man truly inspired by God, also addresses Paul somewhere in such-like words: "What place, I ask, received that milky blood of yours, seen on the garment of him who impaled you? Which indeed, rendering his barbarian soul sweeter than honey by its great power, made him who was previously an unbeliever into a believer." Both of them, as the same Chrysostom testifies, fell asleep in the city of Rome, on the 29th of June, under the Emperor Nero.

I know, beloved son, that you, while reading through the history of the Acts of the Apostles by the divine Luke, have reasonably doubted whether it is consistent that Luke, having set forth all the other deeds of Paul, should have chosen to pass over in silence his blessed migration from this life. It is possible to answer this question in this way: that Luke composed the book of the Acts at that time when Paul had arrived in Rome for the first time; and for this reason it came to be that he recounted the other deeds of Paul but omitted the testimony of his faith, as it had not yet come to pass. ^D For Paul, being free at Rome for two whole years, was carrying out the duty of preaching; and up to this time Luke was with him. Then, having returned to Rome a second time, and having taught the rudiments of the Christian religion to Eperastus, Nero's cupbearer and also his concubine, he closed his life with a blessed end. That Luke himself was not with Paul earlier, Paul confesses in the second Epistle to Timothy, which he wrote when cast into chains by Nero. "In my first," he says, "defense..."

He was the grandson of Heraclius, and reigned for 27 years. At that time, that false prophet Moameth appeared. For the Israelites, up to the time of Heraclius, practiced idolatry, worshiping Astarte—that is, the moon—whom they also called Chaber, which means "great." At that time, Moameth arose among them. Serving a certain wealthy woman, he later took her as his wife. He also suffered from epilepsy, and wishing to conceal this affliction, he claimed to see the angel Gabriel; being unable to bear his sight, he would grow faint and fall. The things concerning him appeared worthy of belief on account of a certain Arian monk who bore false witness for him for the sake of base profit. This Moameth, having gone to Palestine and encountered Jews, Arians, and also Nestorians, drew from them all and handed down a religion of his own. He does not use the law in its entirety; for he taught circumcision, but not the observance of the Sabbath. He also calls himself the gatekeeper of paradise, and says that three rivers flow within it: of honey, of wine, and of milk. He further says that only a shadow of Christ was crucified by the Jews out of envy, for God had taken Christ himself up because He loved him. To the inquiry of that time—"Did you, O Jesus, claim yourself to be God?"—he alleges that Christ replied that he did not name himself God, but that men did so. He taught that all things are determined and come to be for men from God. Moses and Aaron, he claimed, would indeed stand at the judgment of Christ, but would be sent away to punishment as deceptive men. He also said that we are to have life there through perishable food and drink. Furthermore, they secretly worship Aphrodite. This is clear from their prayer; for they say thus: "Alla alla ua, cabar alla," which is to say, "God, God is greater," and the great one, that is, the moon, the goddess Aphrodite.

After the death of the God-rejected Moameth, a comet-star appeared toward the south for thirty days, signifying the inroad of the Arabs; for at that time they seized Damascus and many other places. Their land is praised, for it is very fruitful on account of the temperate air. Moreover, the rue tree does not differ from the fig tree in height. And in Palestine there is a fountain that provides healing, in which they say the Lord washed while traveling. And a tree stands there that is a remedy for every infirmity; this tree bent down to the earth and, as it were, worshiped the Lord as He was fleeing into Egypt; it still preserves the shape of that worship. There is also the "bataritis" root, a flame-like one, to which no one dares to draw near; it is pulled up by a dog tied near the root. The root, when carried by a demon-possessed person, puts the demon to flight. Opobalsam is also cultivated in abundance there. For this reason, God gave this land to the people of Israel as something exceptional. In it, the Lord also accomplished all things. Consequently, the interpreters of the land called it the eye of the earth.

...and in the same mode it became known to all, at the same hour that the deacon had read that prayer over the tomb, that by a new and admirable arrangement that brother had been freed from his sacred bond. From this, too, one may sufficiently estimate what great power resides in that bond by which mortals are bound by priests. In the ecclesiastical history of Philo the philosopher, it is found that during a certain time of the old persecutions, a certain elder was excommunicated by his bishop. But when that aforementioned elder had gone away somewhere for a necessary cause, it happened that he was seized by the Gentiles and sealed the truth with his testimony. For this reason, a ^A church was built on that spot, and dedication ceremonies were performed; and when the bishop pronounced these words, "Peace to all," the bier left the church, and this did not happen once, but two or three times. Hence, the elder appeared in a dream to the bishop, saying, "Go, and be the author of my case to my bishop that he may come here and loose me from my bonds. For he excluded me from my sacred office, and for that reason I am unable to participate in the sacred rites with you. I have indeed attained the crown of testimony, but I have not yet looked upon the face of God. But if he who bound me does not come here to set me free, no other person will be able to do so." When, therefore, these things were complied with, the bier ceased to leave the church. And for this reason all gave glory to God, who had granted such power to His servants. John, that golden-mouthed orator, discourses on this matter in words of this kind: "We, indeed, according to the ecclesiastical law and prescription, impose bonds upon some. If anyone makes little of these, let him know that the time of death and judgment will approach, which shall teach him that the word of God and the laws of His Church are in no way false or mendaciously devised."

After Leo, his son Constantine, by the surname Copronymus, held the empire for 34 years—a variable leopard from a most savage lion. There was no sort of iniquity in him. He forbade by law that the saints be called by this name; he ordered their relics to be spit upon; he proclaimed that no one should implore their intercession, asserting that they could, forsooth, provide nothing; and, what is greater than every blasphemy, he held the same opinion concerning the Mother of God. For concerning her he said that as long as she carried Christ within herself, she was to be honored and venerated; but from the moment she gave birth to Him (oh, what is Your patience, Christ!), she differed in nothing from other women. A reflection and image of this matter can be taken from a purse; when it is filled with gold coins, it is accustomed to be held in value, but when it is emptied, it is considered worth nothing. ^C Furthermore, he endeavored with great zeal to profane the sacred houses. For he blotted out the religious images that had been brought in, and in their place, he substituted paintings of circus games and hunts. And he did not only contrive crimes of this kind, but he also persecuted the followers of the monastic life and slaughtered them like lambs. When Artabasdus, of whom we have made mention above, saw these things, he brought war against Constantine, and having cast him down, he himself was proclaimed emperor. Then, indeed, piety began to flourish again, and the churches recovered their former beauty. But that Beliar could not endure these things. For Constantine wormed his way into the armies, inflamed them with flatteries, and gathered military forces. He engaged in battle with Artabasdus, won a ^D decisive victory, and overpowered him.

^A ...making the expedition against the Persians. But these things do not seem [correct] also to the great Gregory the Theologian; for if, as he says in the prefaces, the great Basil was sitting in Pontus after this man [Valens] had subsequently ascended to power, with Eusebius being the high priest of the Caesareans at that time, then it is far more certain that he [Basil] was not yet a high priest in the times of Julian. From this it appears, therefore, that Julian, when passing by, neither found the great Basil to be high priest, nor did he threaten him and his Church. But neither did he [Basil] make any petition for this reason [to have him killed], nor was Christ’s martyr Mercurius sent to destroy the apostate; for if these things had happened this way, the one who threw the spear at him would not have remained unknown until today. Therefore, the wretched man is struck by a spear, though the one who threw it is unknown. But as I heard from someone, says the Theologian, he was not even taken into the tomb, but was rejected and cast out by the earth that was shaken on his account, a prelude, I believe, of the punishment hereafter. For after doing many abominable things, he died at about the age of thirty. But also, having sent a demon from Persia to the West to bring back a response quickly, he was frustrated there as well regarding his goal; for the demon he sent, upon encountering a certain monk named Publius who was praying, could not go on for ten days, and having returned with his mission unaccomplished, it shouted [of his defeat]. And the heartless man, slicing open women, would divine by their entrails. ^B After Julian, Jovian reigned excellently for one year, who, when being chosen by all, said: "I cannot be emperor of polluted men," upon which all cried out, "We are Christians." Yet after eight months of his reign, he died in Cilicia, leaving great grief for all. After him, Valentinian [reigned] for twelve years, having received the empire from God as a reward for his having been cast out by Julian on account of his confession for the sake of Christ. He had his own brother, the most disgraceful Valens, as co-emperor in the East. And how is this man not the most wicked, if he even burned on a ship the eighty priests who were sent to him from Constantinople for the sake of an embassy? This man, being warred against by the Goths, sought help from his most divine brother. But he not only did not give it, but even rebuked him, saying: "It is not right to help a man who is warring against God." And Valens, having reigned impiously for fourteen years, was delivered to the fire by the enemy in a barn; but that monk, Isaacius, who was rebuking him—and having been imprisoned by him and delivered to the jail—smelled the stench in the prison ^D of the one burned there, as has been said. Moreover, Valentinian built the aqueduct and brought water into the city. This man also, because of the wife of a certain praepositus...

[LATIN COLUMN] rum secludo et arceo. Praeterea clericos omnes, qui ea vobiscum ausi fuerint ab eo tempore communicare quo colligationem et vinculum hoc meum resciveritis, ordine moveo. Consimiliter Arsacium, quem in solium episcopatus loco magni Joannis illius substituistis, etiam post mortem cùm omnibus qui eum ipso commercium habuerunt ordine movemus, neve perscribatur ejus nomen sacris in tabulis vetamus. Hoc enim indignus est honore, ut qui episcopatum adulterio quasi commisso polluerit. Atque huic nostræ de his ordine movendis sententiæ Theophili segregationem, exsecrationem, absolutam denique Christianorum a cœtu exclusionem adjungimus. » Quas litteras ubi recitari Arcadius audivisset, in hæc verba Innocentio rescripsit: « Norunt omnes homines mentis compotes commissa per ignorationem nec divinitus nec per leges puniri, neque adeo quemquam alterius nomine supplicium luere. ^A Quod quidem propterea scripsi, ut mansuetudinem tuam certam redderem nos nihil eorum cognitum habuisse quæ nostris antistitibus et clericis acciderunt, cujus rei testem benignum illum Deum imploramus. Nimirum purus et innocens sum, quod ipsorum condemnationem attinet; quippe cum eorum communione sim usus, causæ nihil erat quamobrem eos affligerem. Quod autem attinet filiam tuam Eudoxiam, scito me illâ parum moderate pro ratione delicti mercedem retulisse. Quo sane factum est ut ex eo mærore ac angustia difficili gravissimaque correpta ægritudine decumbat. Igitur, quod superest, enixe te obsecro ut nos a segregatione liberes nec multipliciter punias; nec enim ipse Dominus idem ob delictum bis hominem percutit. » Ad hasce litteras Innocentius in hunc modum respondit: « Studium diligentiamque vestram Dei præscripto et voluntati consentaneam, quam propter ipsius nomen declarastis, accepimus et probavimus. Quapropter sacris a vinculis soluti ad signa Dominica confirmatis animis accedite. » Hanc ob causam sollicite cogitare cœpit Arcadius quo pacto virum sanctum magnam hanc in urbem reduceret.

Rebus autem humanis exempto Arcadio,

Μετὰ δὲ Ἀρκάδιον ἐβασίλευσε Θεοδόσιος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ καὶ Καλλιγράφος, ἔτη μβ'. Οὗτος ἐξελθὼν ἱππασθῆναι καὶ συμπεσὼν τῷ ἵππῳ τὸν βίον τελευτᾷ. Οὗτος τὸν ἐν τοῖς Χαλκοπρατείοις τῆς Θεοτόκου ναὸν ἔκτισε, πρότερον ὄντα συναγωγὴν Ἰουδαίων. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τεῖχος τῆς πόλεως παρεξέβαλεν. Ἐφ' ᾧ σεισμὸς μέγας ἐγένετο, ὥστε πεσεῖν τὰ τείχη τῆς πόλεως καὶ πολὺ μέρος αὐτῆς. Ἐπικράτει δὲ ὁ σεισμὸς καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν χώραν μῆνας τρεῖς. Τότε δὴ τότε τοῦ πατριάρχου Πρόκλου καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνυποδέτων λιτανευόντων, συνέβη παιδίον ἁρπαγῆναι καὶ τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον μυηθῆναι, καὶ οὕτω τὴν θείαν στῆναι ὀργήν. Τότε καὶ Ἰουδαῖος παράλυτος βαπτισθεὶς ὑγιὴς εὑρέθη. Ὁ μέντοι διαληφθεὶς πατριάρχης Πρόκλος ἐν Κυζίκῳ χειροτονεῖται πρότερον καὶ μὴ δεχθεὶς παρὰ τῶν ἐκεῖσε, χειροτονεῖται ἐνταῦθα. Ὁ δὲ δυσσεβὴς Νεστόριος σὺν ἓξ ὁμόφροσιν αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν ὅτι Διμηναῖον καὶ τριμηναῖον οὐ δύναμαι λέγειν Θεόν. Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ Ἀντιοχείας μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Νεστορίου καθαίρεσιν καταλαβών, καὶ λυπηθεὶς ὅτι χωρὶς αὐτοῦ καθηρέθη Νεστόριος, παραλαβὼν τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἐπισκόπους, ἐν οἷς καὶ Θεοδώρητος Κύρου καὶ Ἰβας ὁ Ἐδέσσης, καθαίρεσιν ὑπαγορεύει τοῦ μεγάλου Κυρίλλου.

Some say that this Anastasius was ^A seized by the comitial disease and was thus committed to the tomb, and that afterward a voice was heard from the tomb, which, when opened, revealed a corpse whose arms were missing, having evidently been devoured by the man himself from hunger. At the church of Saint Menas in the acropolis, an excavation was found in which there were many bones of giants; Emperor Anastasius ordered these to be placed in the palace as a curiosity. Similarly, at Saint Mamas, there was a bridge over a great river; because it was believed that a dragon dwelt under this bridge, virgins were sacrificed there among other offerings. These things Emperor Zeno suppressed.

You should know that Emperor Anastasius possessed one very beautiful quality intermingled with his vices; and had he not erred in his divine worship, this goodness might well have outweighed all his other evils. For he completely eradicated a most wicked tax, which history is eager to relate. Every individual—man and woman, maiden, boy and infant, beggar, free-born citizen and slave—had to pay a silver coin to the treasury for excrement, dung, and urine. This burden was imposed even upon animals themselves, for six obols, called "folles," were exacted from the owner for each beast. Anastasius, therefore, respecting certain men of the solitary life who had interceded with him for this cause, completely removed this ^B burden. Now, Kavadh, the king of the Persians, having learned that precious stones lay in a certain fortress and being prevented from seizing them by the demons who dwelt there, had recourse to every kind of sorcery. He summoned Jews and all others, but none of them could achieve anything; only the bishop of that place, by the sign of the cross, drove the spirits away. And so much for these matters.

After Anastasius, Justin the Thracian reigned for 9 years. ^C Under him, a peculiar star appeared in the heavens above the Brazen Gate of the palace for 26 days, and a most dreadful earthquake occurred. Constantinople suffered collapses in various places, but that great city of Antioch was almost entirely swallowed up by a chasm in the earth and became a tomb for its inhabitants; those who remained alive were consumed by fire bursting forth from below. Pompeiopolis was split in the middle, and half of it was swallowed up along with its inhabitants. This shaking of the earth lasted for an entire year. A woman also came from Cilicia ^D of the race of the giants, who exceeded any man, however tall, by one cubit; she was also quite stout in proportion to her height.

After him, Justinian the Great reigned for 39 years. This emperor, even before his reign, was affectionately disposed toward Hilderich, the king of the Vandals. When he had attained the throne, having received letters signifying that Gelimer had risen up against him and had shut him up in prison along with his wife and children.

CONCERNING VARIOUS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

^A ...had committed when they yielded. But what a heavy penalty they incurred, and what wrath of God they brought upon themselves, those who place their hopes in astrologers and soothsayers! And it is indeed a matter to be lamented, the senseless absurdity of impious men. For not only did they deify the largest animals, but even the smallest and most foul. For what could be more loathsome than a fly? Yet nevertheless they proclaimed even the image of this creature to be a god, and that which living they drive away with a fan, they called God in its likeness.

But Elias, the prince of the prophets, he who possessed such freedom of speech that he even spoke thus to Ahab, “As the Lord my God liveth, if there shall be dew or rain these years, except by the word of my mouth” (III Reg. xvii, 1)—he who covered the priests of Baal with such shame that they were all slain by the Israelites at his exhortation—so that he might not suffer from any pride, he was allowed by God to be persecuted by Jezebel to such an extent that he even said to God, ^B “It is enough; take, I pray thee, my life from me; for I am not better than my fathers” (III Reg. xix, 4). One might ask how the prophet, being holy and living according to the law, ate the food provided by ravens. The Lawgiver himself provided this for him by means of ravens, bread in the morning and flesh in the evening. For these laws were established because of the weakness of the Jews. For indeed, Samson was stripped of his grace because of drunkenness and lust, but he received no accusation for having eaten the honeycomb which bees had woven in the carcass of a ^C lion. But observe this, beloved. When the prophet came to Sarepta and was welcomed with a humble bread in the time of famine, he prayed over those vessels, saying: “The jar of flour shall not fail, and the cruse of oil shall not diminish” (III Reg. xvii, 14). But here it is worth inquiring whether there was truly oil in that cruse. For when I hear the prophet saying, “And the cruse of oil shall not diminish, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth,” I do not believe that the prophet prayed concerning oil. For when there was such a drought, and men were dying at that time from the lack of water, what benefit would it have been if the cruse provided oil? That cruse was not, therefore, a cruse of oil, since there was no need of oil for those who were suffering because of water. But since oil in Scripture signifies joy, for ^D this reason the prophet called that cruse a cruse of oil. For there is nothing that brings such joy as water during the time of drought. And let the Holy Scripture convince you, which calls water honey. For the Hebrews, being seized by unbearable thirst in the desert, and finding water, seemed to be filled with honey. As regards the...

^A rest, that Joseph [this was the surname of this Joseph], seeing Nicephorus dressed in this way, fell at his feet and said that he would never again believe anyone who spoke against him. By this reasoning, Phocas got away safely from there, and presently Joseph began to repent of his deed, because he had let the prey that had been brought within his nets escape so carelessly. Consequently, by writing letters to John Tzimiskes, the general of the East at that time—a spirited man and one suited for conducting affairs, and, after Phocas, the most illustrious among the other generals—and likewise writing to others, he adjudged that they should make a move and, having separated from Nicephorus, depose him from his position and consign him to the tonsure of the monastic life; and that Tzimiskes should receive the office of Domestic of the East, and might appoint whomever he wished as Domestic of the West. But all of them, being kindly disposed toward Nicephorus, showed the letters of Joseph to him and exhorted him to prepare himself for defense with a strong spirit. In this way, Phocas was proclaimed emperor by the armies of the East, even though for a long time he had been burning with the desire of obtaining both the empire and the Empress Theophano. ^B Then, with his forces, he betook himself to Chrysopolis, and from Chrysopolis he crossed over toward the Hebdomon, and with the whole people he proceeded through the Golden Gate to the church, and there he was girded with the diadem by Polyeuctus. He presided over the empire for six years. At the beginning, he ordered Theophano to be cast out of the palace and to change her place of residence, Joseph also being punished with the same penalty; at the same time, he created his own father Caesar. Afterward, having put aside the mask and the scene, he joined Theophano to himself in lawful marriage, and he began to eat meat again, from which he had abstained from the time when Bardas, his son by his former wife, while intent upon equestrian exercises in the field and playing with his kinsman Pleusa, had been struck by a spear and died against the will of the striker. The marriage having been celebrated in the new temple at the palace, when it was time to enter into the sanctuary, Polyeuctus, holding Phocas by the hand as he approached the holy rails, entered into the adyton himself, ^C but pushing out the emperor, he said that he would not be admitted until he had paid the penalties for proceeding to a second marriage. Furthermore, a rumor had been spread far and wide, which caused no small disturbances in the Church, that one of the children of Theophano had been received by Nicephorus from the holy baptism. And the patriarch did not hesitate to amplify these very things. But the Caesar informed Polyeuctus—who was stalling and refusing to share in sacred things with the emperor—of the whole matter. Stylianus also, the proto-priest of the great palace, from whom this rumor was said to have emanated to everyone, confirmed with an oath that Phocas had done nothing of the sort. Polyeuctus, therefore, although he knew clearly and manifestly that Stylianus was perjuring himself, forgave the emperor for the sin of compaternity; and he who formerly insisted that punishment be inflicted upon him on account of the second marriage, even left this great fault unpunished. After Phocas had arrived at the empire, he instituted an expedition into Syria; and after he had ^D destroyed many

...the enemy, and having been defeated, he donned ^A a robe of purple belonging to one of his own men, and he fled secretly. Having paid the penalty for that war, he was fulfilling the saying: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." [John xv, 13]

Constans went down to Sicily, wishing to establish a royal seat there, since he was greatly hated by the Byzantines for having brought Pope Martin from Rome to Constantinople with contumely and having sent him into exile to Cherson, because he had disciplined that eminent man for not approving the sect of the Monothelites. When he had lived in Sicily for six years, expecting that his children might come from Constantinople, he was killed in a bath. In those years there appeared Constantine, who also had the name Silvanus, a successor of Paul of Samosata, who taught to attend only to the evangelists and the Apostle, and was corrupted by them. ^B

After Constans, his son Constantine, surnamed Pogonatus or Barbatus, obtained the empire for 17 years. He accepted the appellation of Barbatus for a reason of this kind: having learned in Sicily that his father had died, he set out; upon returning from there, he began to be called Barbatus, because he had returned with a full, thick beard, whereas he had gone there without a beard, having matured. He departed this life from dysentery.

After Constantine was dead, Justinian obtained the empire for 16 years, and having had his nose slit, obtained the name Rhinotmetus. This emperor was hated beyond measure by the whole populace, being a hard man and a scorner of others, thinking that he held all things in his grasp. By reason of this, it came about that Leontius, a patrician, having stirred up a sedition by night, was proclaimed emperor by the Venetians; and when the day had come, he seized Justinian and, having slit his nose, ordered him to be exiled to Cherson. In this way Leontius reigned for three years, ^C at the end of which the same thing happened to him that had happened to Justinian. For, being sent by him against the Arabs—who had a very great army—and having borne his previous misfortune with an unequal mind when he was once and for all defeated by them, he sailed straight to Byzantium, intending to fight. Wherefore Apsimarus—whom others called Tiberius—having been placed in command by Leontius, cut off his nose and shut him in prison. He himself presided over the kingdom for seven years. Leontius was extraordinarily troubled by the prognostications that he held from the stars regarding what would happen to him in the future. For he writes to the Chagan, the ruler of the Chazars, promising money if he would seize Justinian and send him back so that he might cut off his head. Justinian learns of these things and ^D gouges out his eyes, and again becomes emperor of those who had been captured in any way whatever and did not wish to approach him. He even occupied Achrida itself, where the royal palaces of the Bulgarians happened to be; from which he also took many treasures, namely, stones and pearls and one hundred centers of gold. After all these things, having arrived in Athens, and having rendered the thanksgiving of victory to the Theotokos, and having adorned that temple with many brilliant and expensive offerings, he returned to Constantinople, and marched through the great gates wearing a golden crown having a crest on top, with Maria, the wife of Vladislav, and the daughters of Samuel and the rest of the Bulgarians preceding him, and thus he entered the church with the trophies. That patriarch Sergius, who at that time was beseeching him much to abolish the "allelengyon"—for he had promised to do this if he were to prevail over the Bulgarians—was not persuaded. The emperor, having accomplished all these things, also wished to undertake an expedition against Sicily. But he was prevented; for having been seized by a sudden illness, he departed, and is buried in the church of the Theologian at the Hebdomon, having installed Alexius, a monk from the Studion monastery, as patriarch. For it happened that he came to visit him along with the precious head of the Forerunner; for he also had him as a counselor for the administration of the common weal.

^A he takes him alive, gouges his eyes out, and by this means Julianus the second truly recovers the empire. For he himself was also accustomed to sacrifice human victims to Venus. Wherefore, during his reign, certain dire diseases spread everywhere by divine wrath, and the plague destroyed such a mass of men that it was no less than that which occurred in the days of Justinian; for entire houses were completely closed up. Moreover, certain horrible terrors appeared to mortals, for when they were beside themselves and carried out of their minds, they thought they encountered certain savage men. Then there arose a great and bitter cold, so that the sea from the northern part of the Pontus petrified from the frost for a hundred miles from the shore, and the thickness of this ice reached thirty cubits, and as snow fell upon it subsequently, it increased by another twenty cubits. In the month of February, the ice having been divided into various fragments, it was carried down as far as the city itself and Abydos; in these fragments, it was possible to see many beasts frozen fast. If anyone wished to go on foot from the acropolis as far as Chrysopolis, he could do so completely unimpeded. And these fragments, striking the walls of the city, shook them vehemently. During the reign of the same Copronymus, a modius of barley sold for 12 aurei. And as the earth cracked in Mesopotamia, a mule came out and with a human voice signaled the incursions of enemies to those who were about to follow. And then a certain eunuch, Nicetas, who held the first rank with Copronymus and knew nothing else but how to eat and drink, was ordained patriarch. At one time, while reading the Gospel in his cell, instead of saying, “From the Gospel according to Matthew,” ^B he pronounced: “From the Gospel according to Matthaeum.” Whereupon one of those standing by said: “Do not divide the diphthong.” To which he replied with anger: “You are babbling; for my soul greatly hates the diphthongs and triphthongs.” The tyrant, returning from an expedition, developed ^C carbuncles on his legs, and died near the Strongylum, seized by a violent fever, having said this and only this on these matters: “I am delivered to unquenchable fire for the sake of the Virgin, yet from now on let her be honored.” Know also, beloved, that having sought many and many times whence he was called Copronymus, we found nothing else but this alone. There is a certain region so called Caballa. Those, therefore, who originate from there were naturally called Caballini. From there, therefore, he also had his birth, and since, according to a certain custom, dung is called *caballina*, most justly that wickedest man was called Copronymus, as if carrying the name ^D of dung in himself. I wish you to observe in this place, beloved son, that we have made many and frequent inquiries as to why this emperor was called Copronymus, and have found only this: that there is a certain region which is called Caballa; from it, whoever originated were called Caballini. Wherefore, since this Constantine derived his origin from there, and as the custom has taken root that we say *stercus caballinum* (horse dung), not without reason was that most wicked man called Copronymus, as one who carried a dung-derived name in himself.

After him, his son Leo from the Khazar woman reigns for five years, being pious at first; but then he wears the crown of the Church, whence he is charred as if by a violent fever and dies. At that time, there was also that dog which recognized the murderer of its master as he entered the tavern.

…the name of the foolish one), but when I looked into the mirror, I saw the forms represented there by reflection, and I called them puppets.” So much did Theophilus loathe the images, insomuch that he even shut up that religious man, Methodios, who was a champion of the images, in a certain cavern just as a corpse is hidden in a tomb. And not only this, but he also joined two robbers with him. Then, indeed, when one of them died, he became a cause of much stench to the blessed man. At that time, those who had their foreheads branded and were being sent into exile, through the agency of a certain fisherman, wrote to Methodios in these words, included in iambic verses: ^A

290 To the living corpse and the life-bearing dead man, Dwelling on earth and yet treading the pole, The bound write to the bound, and those inscribed to the inscribed.

To this, Methodios wrote back in this sense:

To those who are in turn enrolled in the books of heaven, And who are not without praise for having their faces marked, The living buried one greets them as fellow-prisoners.

^B However, God brought Methodios out of that cave in a strange and admirable way. For Theophilus, being a lover of learning, encountered certain writings difficult to understand, whose meaning he could not find. Having heard from someone that no other mortal could explain such writings more successfully than Methodios, who was in the tomb, he immediately called him back from there and thereafter held him in great esteem. And because the jaws of Methodios had been paralyzed by Theophilus on account of his speaking out on behalf of the holy images (for after the Seventh Synod this emperor renewed the iconoclasm), they were bound with a thin cloth. ^C Hence, a custom has prevailed even until now, as I think, among chief priests, to have bands bound on their front parts.

But also, as Theophilus was dying, he requested that the holy images should not be restored, nor that the patriarch John, a renowned sorcerer, should be removed. But after he had departed this life, Theodora removed John, and having deposed him, substituted the holy man Methodios in his place. Then, indeed, his adversaries suborned a certain prostitute to bring charges against Methodios; when this matter was brought into court, Methodios lifted the hem of his garment and exposed his private parts. They were completely cold and withered. Being asked for what reason his manhood had withered so greatly, he replied that he had once been sent to Rome for a certain necessity, and having suffered an inflammation of carnal desire there, he begged for the help of the disciples of Christ. Upon which he thought he saw in a dream the primate Peter, and that when he touched his private parts, he felt a fire consuming them. From that time on, those members of his had been dead, and the inflammation of desire had no longer troubled him. But as the first woman led Adam out of Paradise, so Lady Theodora led her spouse into Paradise. ^D When she, therefore, received proof of the matter, she showed kindness to these holy Fathers, through whom...

putrefactis vermibus et fœtore scateret, misere vitam finiit, in Prote insula pulvere corporis deposito, ubi novas ædes exstruxerat, religiosis exercitiis destinatas. ^A Imperavit post ipsum Michaelus cognomento Parapinaces annos sex, homo plane mollis, et ad rei publicæ gubernationem, ut ita dixerim, femina. Rerum administrandarum potestatem Joanni Sidæ antistiti commisit, a quo præclare omnia gerebantur, ut qui vir egregius et industrius esset: verum huic bono tritico tandem etiam malarum herbarum aliquid admixtum fuit. Nicephorus enim, eunuchus, qui diminuto vocabulo Nicephoritzes appellabatur, ante imperium Michaeli hujus accusatus ob sexcenta flagitia solumque vertere jussus, nunc a Michaelo revocatus omnem potestatem accepit, spado quidem ille, sed rerum perturbandarum et ima sursum vertendi peritissimus. ^B Posteaquam is ad gubernationem accessit, ubique sunt auditæ querelæ, bonorum publicationes, exactiones injustæ; quas consecuti sunt publici gemitus et ejulationes cum iræ divinæ declaratione. Cum enim Turci viderent fœdera pacis inita cum Diogene prorsus in irritum recidisse, quemque suam in potestatem redactum magno in honore habuissent, eum a Romanis crudeliter interfectum esse, magnis cum copiis a Perside profecti provincias Romanas invaserunt. Ea re motus Michaelus etiam ipse conscribit exercitum, cui prætorem dat Isaacium Comnenum, qui profectus in hostem ad Cæsaream commisso cum Turcis prælio captivus abducitur, ^C omnesque copias amittit. Imperator accepto infelicis pugnæ nuntio, non poterat non ille quidem mærere, totus tamen non emendabatur, ut qui tanquam mancipium aliquod Nicephori consiliis et auctoritate duceretur. Cum Isaacius pretio numerato redemptus fuisset, Joannes Cæsar ejus loco dux copiarum est delectus. Neque vero verbis exponi potest quantæ Romanis in hac Turcorum incursione calamitates acciderint. Nam ipse quoque Cæsar in hostium potestatem venit, cumque de se præbuisset, rasis crinibus in regiam sese contulit. Atque hæc erant illa præclara Nicephoritzæ facinora, qui reliquas inter improbitates etiam singulari sollicitudine lucris inhians, ut in excogitandis malis fecundissimus, quo annonæ caritas exsisteret procuravit. Etenim ubique ^D locorum prohibebat ne qui mercatores annonam venderent; atque interim ipse solus juxta Rhædestum fundacum et monopoliis institutis, ut inde fundaca a fundo, Michael gnarus quidam dicens, si non adderet etiam Parapinacem, non esset cito agnitus, eo quod tunc modius [pinakion], id est patina, numismate venderetur. Parapinaces dicitur, eo quod tunc modius patina venderetur numismate.

or permitted her, especially since he was already lying ill in bed. Moreover, the empress was somewhat alienated in spirit from the son of John, the emperor-designate, and had transferred all her goodwill to Bryennius. For this reason, John studiously cultivated the senate and the other orders in favor of his eldest daughter and her husband.

^C Now, one of those Latins who had set out toward the East, named Bohemond, having made a treaty with the emperor and received great sums of money, set upon Antioch in the emperor's name. Having taken it by force, he forgot their pacts and did not hesitate to invade the Romans themselves. Then, intending to journey toward the West, and fearing he might be intercepted by the Romans, he spread a false rumor of his own death, and thus achieved what he wished. Yet later he returned to friendship with the emperor.

But soon after this, the sovereign was seized by such a grave illness that he seemed to be failing in spirit. ^D Therefore, there was brought to him an image of our Savior which stands at the Chalke, which is seen suspended on a veil before the image itself. When this had been spread over the sick man's bed, he recovered his strength entirely. This event struck not only the common people, but even the nobles and magistrates with a kind of fear. For a rumor was prevalent among the masses that the emperor was destined to pay the debt of nature on that very Great Sabbath; which, indeed, when brought to the emperor, tormented his spirit not a little, although the event itself proved it to have been false.

From then on, the emperor spent the entire spring and summer near Philippopolis. The reason was his discussion concerning religion with the Manichaeans, whom the common tongue calls Paulicians. This race of people is settled in great numbers in that region, having been brought down from the East and placed in colonies by the emperor John Tzimiskes. Debating with them, he brought many back to the orthodox faith.

At that time, many fires broke out here and there. And when spring approached, [E] such violent gusts of wind arose that, among other downfalls and ruins of works, the statue set upon the column in the forum called the Plakoton also fell, and many of those who happened to be there were killed; and a torrential rainstorm broke out on the memorial of the holy apostles, so severe that buildings collapsed and both men and beasts were drowned by the waters.

In the midst of these things, there was an incursion of Turks against the Romans. The sovereign, not being able to campaign in person, as he was bedridden, sent out an army under the leadership of Eustathius Camytzes, who, having clashed with the Turks, was taken prisoner and lost his army. The sovereign could no longer tolerate this, but went there himself and dispersed the Turks like smoke. And those who were holding Camytzes prisoner, turning deserters, came with him to the emperor. [F] After this, the ruler of the Turks made a treaty with the emperor, and each party went home.

But when, after this, his illness grew worse, by the common opinion of the physicians, he received a burning iron against his stomach. And because the air in the palaces seemed unwholesome, being somewhat humid, he was moved to the palaces of the Manganes, as fate—it seems—was dragging him down; for those skilled in such things say that it was written concerning him: "He will fall in birth-pains." He died, therefore, in that place, having reigned...

631 MICHAELIS GLYCE ANNALIUM 632 bastocrator, and Manuel the emperor’s brother through his daughter, Alexius Branas, is appointed commander. He, having returned after a successful war, and Alexius Comnenus, his nephew through the brother of the same Manuel, incites William, King of Sicily, to seize Dyrrachium and Thessalonica; upon the capture of which, enormous cruelty was exercised by the Sicilians. Hence, Epidamnus, Amphipolis, and Mosynopolis came into the power of the enemy, as Andronicus, through folly and luxury, did not come to the aid of his own [people]. As these evils increased daily, Andronicus began to be anxious about his successor. Therefore, having learned through wicked arts that some man whose name was Isaac would be his successor, he himself thought that the Isaac who (as has been said) had occupied Cyprus was meant; but his intimates feared Isaac Angelus, to whom Andronicus was thoroughly opposed. Wherefore, by his own counsel, Stephen Hagiochristophorites, the most savage administrator of Andronicus’s crimes, prepares himself to kill Isaac; who, as if in a desperate situation, anticipating Stephen, kills him with his own hand. Then, betaking himself to the Great Church, he implores the aid of the thronging people. They, arming themselves more and more, proclaim Isaac Angelus Emperor and lead him to the palace. From there, guards were sent to pursue the fleeing Andronicus. He had reached the Tauroscythians with his wife Anna and a certain harlot named Chelen, intending to cross from there. But, having been cast back onto the shore several times by sea storms, he was captured by those pursuing him. ^A Brought to Isaac, after various insults, his right hand is cut off. After a few days, having had his other eye gouged out, he was placed upon a mangy camel and led through the forum in a triumphal display. Then some struck his head with clubs; others befouled his nostrils with dung; others squeezed sponges filled with the excrement of men and beasts into his face; others assailed his parents with obscene words; certain ones pricked his sides with spits; finally, an impudent harlot poured a pot full of boiling water onto his face. Led in this way into the theater, he was suspended by his feet, bound with a rope. Meanwhile, he himself kept crying out, "Lord, have mercy," and, "Why do you break a bruised reed?" Yet the fury of the mob was not even then satisfied by Andronicus being suspended. For with his tunic torn, his private parts were abused; and a certain man thrust a long sword through his jaws as far as his intestines. Also, two of the Latin race drove swords with both hands into his buttocks, to make a trial of which was sharper. After so many hardships, he with difficulty cut off his life, with his right hand moved to his mouth in pain, so that many thought he was sucking the warm blood still dripping from it due to his recent wound. He reigned for two years, having previously also possessed power for the space of one year without the purple and diadem. After his death, his sons also, John and Manuel, perished by blinding.

Henceforth, Isaac, intent on routing the Sicilians who were already threatening even Constantinople, ^B having administered [matters] carefully, beyond the hope of all destroys the Sicilians and recovers the captured cities. More than 10,000 of the Sicilians perished in the war, and about four thousand in prisons from cold and hunger. Commanders were also captured, Richard and Baldwin, together with Alexius Comnenus, the author of the war, whose eyes were soon gouged out. Following these things, Cyprus was unsuccessfully attempted, and the movements of the Vlach nation followed; against whom nothing was done rightly by John, the emperor’s paternal uncle, nor by John Cantacuzenus. Yet Alexius Branas, being sent to subdue them, having aspired to the empire, returned to Constantinople and besieged it. But not long after, his attempt proving vain, he was slain by Conrad, Marquess of Montferrat, upon whom the emperor had bestowed the honor of Caesar—a man very sturdy and strong, summoned from Italy to Constantinople with very great largesse, so that he might join in marriage with Theodora, the emperor’s sister. Mention of him was made above, that he had captured the city of Mainz, having conquered it in battle. He met an untimely death, killed through treachery by a certain Chasius in Palestine, where, having captured Loppe (which they now call Accouen) and other towns, he had given a great specimen of virtue and prudence, to the great terror of the Saracens. While the war against the Vlachs was still ongoing, Theodore Mangaphas, whom they later called Morotheodorus, having occupied his native Philadelphia, tried in vain for the empire, being later shut away in perpetual imprisonment.

^C Frederick, too, the King of the Germans, undertook an expedition to snatch Palestine from the Egyptian Saracens. Isaac tried to hinder this journey of his, contrary to the word given, but when he saw that he could accomplish nothing, he finally granted the Germans free passage. The extraordinary hospitality of the Laodiceans toward the travelers shone forth at that time. Wherefore the Germans prayed for every most favorable thing for them from God, and Frederick himself, with hands and eyes raised to heaven, and knees bent on the ground, prayed that they might obtain from God, the governor of this universe, whatever might be useful for life, whatever might bring salvation to their souls. He added this also, that if the remaining provinces of the Romans had received the soldiers of Christ as kindly, he would have very willingly given them [his] wealth brought with him, and that they would have already crossed the Roman borders long ago with spears unstained by the blood of any Christian. But when Frederick, having entered the territory of the Sultan of Iconium, who had himself also granted him peaceful passage, was violated contrary to the faith pledged, he so laid low the Turks at Philomelium and Cingularium in two battles that he became both famous and formidable among the eastern nations, especially after a not long interval of time had passed, when he inflicted similar defeats upon them at Iconium itself, which soon surrendered to him. Having taken possession of the city, the Germans, content with suburban dwellings, and having at least taken away provisions, departed without wrongdoing. Hence, honorably [received] by the Armenians

the second, who was called Zoe, and in this way is proclaimed empress, having held power for five years. At that time, she began with favorable preludes; for she ordered that eighty pounds of gold be given annually from the imperial treasuries to the Great Church of God. She also suppressed the *allelengyon*, emptied the prisons, and did many other such things. In the month of October, on the 31st day, ^A a comet appeared, moving its course from west to east; on this same day, a not inconsiderable defeat of the Roman army occurred, while Michael Spondyles, the prefect of great Antioch, was in command. There was also an inundation of rain that persisted until the month of March itself, with the rivers having overflowed and the low-lying areas forming seas, so that almost all the animals and the crops sown in the earth were choked and perished, and consequently a severe famine followed in the ensuing year. However, the misfortune of the Roman army occurred in Syria. At that same time, a certain prodigy also occurred in the theme of the Thracesians, near the foothills of Mount Kouzinai, where there is a spring of clear and transparent water; at this spring, a certain miserable voice was heard, mixed with wailing and woe, and a lamentation similar to the mourning of women. And this did not happen once or twice, but from the month of March until June of that same year, day and night. When some people went to inspect the place where the voice was resounding, the wailing migrated elsewhere. This, as it seems, portended the misfortune that had befallen the Romans in Coele-Syria. For after Emperor Nicephorus Phocas had restored the majority of the cities of Syria and Phoenicia to the Roman Empire, and after ^B John, his successor, had fortified what had been captured and extended the dominion as far as Damascus—since the emperor who came after them, being obstructed both by civil wars and by constantly campaigning against the Bulgarians, could not well secure the affairs in the East; for he had arrived there only in appearance and had returned at that time, having a constant preoccupation with subjugating the Bulgarians. From that point, then, those in the East, having seized an opportunity, began to consider seeking their own liberty. For this reason, the rebellion was meditated upon during the reign of Basil, but was concealed. But during the reign of Constantine, who was guiding the empire carelessly, the Saracens—with no one to stop them—boldly ravaged the fortifications in the cities, having engaged in great incursions everywhere. With affairs in this state, the emperor [Romanus] ^C set out with an impulse against the Saracens. He came to Philomelion. Ambassadors were sent to him from Beroea, requesting sympathy and admitting to the previous subjugation and the tribute-bearing taxes. But Romanus, wishing to demonstrate some bravery against Syria, just as the emperors before him, does not receive the ambassadors, but rushes against them, neither taking into account the shortage of water, nor the Saracens themselves, who are rather unstoppable in the summer season, as is their custom. He joins battle with such [opponents], and flees; he is defeated, when the account ^D cannot easily express it.

[They were] few, and unarmed, opposing [the soldiers] with swords. ^A They fall, then, to the number of about three thousand. For all that, the citizens, because of their great numbers, forced the gates, burst into the palace, and immediately snatched the gold in the secret vaults and rushed against the emperor himself. He, having become a fugitive, came to the monastery of Stoudios and remained there with his uncle.

It is a small number of the people, therefore, that was slain, on account of the fact that they were unarmed and opposed to armed men. In the end, however, the citizens, having become superior on account of their number, broke down the doors and entered the palace. And when they had plundered the gold stored in the secret vaults, they marched against the emperor; who, in total desperation, betook himself to flight to the monastery of Stoudios, and joined his uncle.

Again, the Empress Zoe is preferred, along with her sister Theodora, whom the people had favored at the beginning ^B since she had declared her benevolence toward them; it seemed necessary that Michael should be sought out immediately. And as the voices of the people were groaning over matters of this magnitude, saying, "Let him be crucified, let him be blinded," Zoe seemed to be swayed by pity for him, but Theodora, appointed by the city prefect, stirred up the masses of men so that they would rush to find them both. And when they arrived, and sensed that they were in the inner sanctuary of the temple, they took refuge there. But being dragged from there, and dragged through the marketplace, they were blinded at the place called Sigma, as Theodora had planned. ^C From that time, Zoe and her sister Theodora governed the public affairs and the senate for about a month with great praise, seeing to it that the abolished magistracy was everywhere granted without price, whereas previously they were for sale.

A deliberation arose as to how Zoe might be lawfully joined in matrimony to one who, through this union, might attain the imperial height. She thought to marry Constantine, who was called Artoklines; for he was comely in form, and was said to be intimate with her. But he was not destined to be her husband, as he was carried off by poison. ^D For this reason, she summoned Monomachos from his exile, whom the Orphanotrophos had sent to Mytilene, to remain there. A rumor had been spread among the commoners that he would be the one to rule. This other [writer], Scylitzes, also recorded that the governors who had previously held [the city] were removed, and the Empress summoned Monomachos from Lesbos, who it was said had been banished by Michael because he was having a relationship with the empress. And although earlier he was not far from the danger of losing his eyes, now, being recalled, he was joined to her in lawful marriage, with the priests of the New Rome reciting the holy prayers, in the year of the world 6550. He gave a brilliant beginning to his imperial administration, and he reigned for twelve years. And while indeed he was utterly ignorant of affairs of war, and [furthermore]...

the immortal, and the incorruptible. And being [so], he will not be a body exempt from all corruption; we are not capable, and for this reason, the...

[663 A] confirms what has been stated; whose words are read thus in the one hundred and ninth [canon]: "If anyone says that Adam was created by God as mortal, and did not become subject to corruption after sin, let him be anathema." So too, most holy man, as many as suppose Adam to be intermediate between immortality and mortality, fall far from the truth of reason.

[663 B] Nor should you hesitate over these things. For if, when God brought forth man, He had then said to him, "In the day that you eat of the tree, you shall die the death," those who opine that he was by nature both mortal and immortal from the beginning would have had something to say. But since the commandment was given long after his creation—from which death indeed took occasion against us, for He says, "If you eat, you shall die the death"—it was not at all appropriate for those who seek to investigate the first man, who are even now reading and searching the Holy Scripture, to be overly curious, since from this they were perfectly aware of the nature in which he was formed, who was in fact fashioned according to the image of God. For it is manifest that God, wishing to honor the workmanship of His own hands, from the very start and from that very beginning, adorned it with the gift of incorruption. And the whole choir of the saints bears witness to this word; so do not disbelieve what is said. For since God wished to appoint man as prince of all earthly things, for this reason (as the gold-tongued John says) He granted him the essence of a soul, desiring thereby that he should also be immortal forever. For if this had not been the case, if Adam had not received from God an intellectual soul, he was going to be nothing according to the most divine John, inasmuch as he was formed from dust, from which site the irrational animals were also brought forth.

[663 C] Understand therefore, O sacred head, that through the great goodness of God, who bestows such things, incorruption was then given to the first-formed Adam, and the grace was at once in him perfect and entirely complete in all respects. For if this had not been, the divine paradise would not have been granted to him to inhabit.

[alt-version omitted]

[663 D] To be born: nothing from nothing, and nothing can revert to nothing. He would not have been going to be nothing, but he would have been resolved into those principles of which he consisted. That Adam entered paradise after 40 days, and Eve after 80, as Glycas reports in the first part of his Annals. Divine interpreters differ greatly among themselves as they desire to explain what is to be understood by the name of paradise. Let Augustine be heard in Book VIII *On Genesis to the Letter*, chapter 1: "I am not unaware that many have said many things about paradise. Nevertheless, there are three general opinions about this matter: one of those who wish paradise to be understood only corporally; another of those who wish it understood only spiritually; a third of those who accept paradise in both ways, sometimes corporally, sometimes spiritually. To speak briefly, therefore, I confess that the third opinion pleases me." Augustine confesses that he is in this opinion also in his book *On Genesis against the Manichaeans*, and in book XIII *Of the City of God*, chapter 21. Ambrose was also of the same mind in his book *On Paradise*, as was Jerome in epistle 61 to Pammachius and his Commentary on chapter 10 of Daniel, and the Hebrew scholars.

πιπτε πάθεσι σῶμα πάσης ἀπηλλαγμένον φθορᾶς, οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἱκανοὶ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παρακαλοῦμεν μαθεῖν. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν, ἐσιώτατε, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Ηρακλείας, εἰ καὶ θεῖα σοφὸς ἦν ὁ ἀνὴρ, ἀμφιβολίαν ἡμῖν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἐνίησι. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ προσφέρειν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ μέσου τό γε νῦν ἔχον οὐκ ἔπρεπε. Τίνος ένεκεν; Οτι τοὺς λόγους ἐκεῖνος ἐπεξηγούμενος ἐν οἷς ἔφθασε περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διαλαβεῖν ὁ ἐν θεολογία μέγας Γρηγόριος, πῶς τε τὴν πλάσιν ἔσχηκε κατ' ἀρχὰς ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ οἶας αὐτίκα μετείληχε φύσεως, ὁποῖος τε ἦν καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἔκπτωσιν γέγονε, και οἷας ἔτυχε καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα λήξεως, ἵνα μὴ τὸ κακ ἀθάνατον ᾖ, δύο ταῦτα δίδωσιν ἡμῖν ἐννοεῖν· ἡ ὅτι τῶν θεολογικῶν ἰχνῶν ἀκολουθῆσαι κατόπιν ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἔφθασεν, εἰ καὶ τολμηρὸν ἡμᾶς οὕτως εἰπεῖν, ἢ ὅτι, τὰ πολλῷ τολμηρότερον, αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ λοιπὸν ἐναντιούμενος ἦν ὁ μέγας Γρηγόριος. Ἀλλὰ χαλε- παίνειν ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐχ ὅσιον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φορτι κοὺς ἡμᾶς οἱ πλείους ἡγοῦνται, καὶ δὴ ἀσυνέτους ἀποκαλοῦσι τοιαῦτα δῆθεν ἀποφαινομένους οὐκ εὐμα- θῶς τὸ δοκεῖν· ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσεις πῶς ἄρα καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἐπεξηγήθη τὰ θεολογικὰ ταῦτα ῥητά, τὸ πρᾶγμα κἀκεῖνος θαυμάσειε, κἀντεῦθεν ἡμᾶς ἀπολύσει τῆς αἰτιάσεως. Καλῶς οὖν ὁ μακάς ριος ἔλεγε Παῦλος, Ο λαλών γλώσσῃ προσευχές σθω ἵνα καὶ διερμηνεύῃ. "Ορα γὰρ ὅτι ποτὲ μὲν ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῷδε τῷ λόγῳ πρόσκαιρον εἶναι ἔλεγε κατά γε τὸ σῶμα πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸν ἄνθρωπον ποτὲ δὲ φθορᾶς ὁμοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀθανασίας καὶ θνητότητος, μέσον εἶναι διετείνετο τὸν πρῶτον ἐκεῖνον Αδάμ, καὶ τοῖς φυσικοῖς ὑπέ κειτο πάθεσιν, ὡς ἂν οὕτω πάσχῃ, καὶ πάσχων ὑπομιμνήσκηται καὶ παιδεύηται τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ νοὸς ἐπαιρόμενος· ἐνίοτε δὲ πάλιν ἄκραν ἔχειν αὐτ τὸν ἀπάθειαν ἔλεγε· καὶ ὅτι τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Αδάμ φθορᾶς ἀπάτης ὑπέρτερον ἦν, ἅτε δὴ τῆς κατὰ χάριν, ἀθανασίας οὐκ ἀμοιροῦν. Οθεν οὐκ εὐπαρά- δεκτα ταῦτα τοῖς ἀκριβῶς τὰ θεῖα κατεξετάζουσι κρίνεται. Καὶ μή μοι τὸν λόγον ἡγοῦ τουτονὶ φορ- τικόν. Εἰ γὰρ οὔτε τοῦτο ἦν ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος οὔτε ἐκεῖνο, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, οὔτε φθαρτός, οὔτε ἄφθαρ τος, οὔτε θνητὸς οὔτε ἀθάνατος, ὡς ἐκείνῳ δοκεῖ· πῶς αὖθις αὐτὸν ἄκραν ἔχειν ἀπάθειαν ἔλεγε τῆς τε κατὰ χάριν οὐκ ἀμοιρεῖν ἀθανασίας αὐτόν ; Εγω γε τέως ἀμηχανίᾳ συνέχομαι, πῶς εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐλήλυθε διαφωνίας ὁ θαυμαστὸς ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ· πῶς αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν τέως ἡμῖν ἐναντιού- μενος φαίνεται. Εἰ γὰρ οὔτε φθαρτὸς ἦν ὁ πρῶτος Αδάμ, οὔτε μὴν ἄφθαρτος, πῶς ἔπασχε λοιπὸν

EPISTOLA II. Porro, sanctissime vir, etiam ab Heracleæ episcopo, quanquam in divinis rebus sapiente, disputata dubitationem non vulgarem nobis injiciunt. Quapropter illum in præsens adducere in medium non decebat. Quæ est igitur illa dubitatio? Quoniam ille explanans quæ de homine disseruit celebris in theologia Gregorius, quomodo scilicet ab initio effictus sit a Deo, et qualem mox naturam sortitus, qualisque post casum factus sit, et qualem deinde sortem adeptus, ne malum foret sempiternum, hæc duo nobis cogitanda reliquit, aut se theologicis vestigiis non institisse (etsi hoc audacius a nobis dicitur), aut, quod longe audacius est, magnum hunc Gregorium ipsum sibi contradicere. Verum idcirco mihi succensere ^A laud quum est. Licet enim plures nos pro superbis habeant et insipientes vocent, qui hæc nimirum ad fidem, ut videtur, difficiliora affirmemus; tamen si quis accurate inquisierit, quomodo et qua ratione theologicas Gregorii sententias exposuerit, admirabitur, et inde nos accusare desinet. Bene igitur Paulus : Qui loquitur linguis, oret ut interpretetur. Ecce enim in hoc libro aliquando dixit, hominem esse temporarium secundum corpus ante peccatum; aliquando inter corruptionem simul et incorruptionem, sicut inter mortalitatem et immortalitatem, medium primum illum Adamum et naturalibus passionibus subjectum fuisse contenderit, ut ita patiens admoneretur, et de præstantia mentis superbiens emendaretur; aliquando summam ipsum apathiam habuisse, et corpus ejus, omni corruptione superius, utpote immortalitatis secundum gratiam minime expers, fuisse dixit. Hæc divina accuratius perpendentibus nequaquam admittenda ^B censentur. Cave autem arroganter hoc a me dictum existimes. Si enim neque hoc erat primus homo, neque illud; id est, nec corruptibilis, nec incorruptibilis, nec mortalis, nec immortalis, ut illi placet, quomodo rursus eumdem summam habuisse apathiam, et secundum gratiam immortalitatis non expertem fuisse asserit? Equidem præ stupore vix me capio, quomodo admirandus ille vir in tantam discrepantiam devenerit : quomodo, ut nobis quidem videtur, ipse secum pugnet. Si enim nec corruptibilis erat primus homo nec ^C incorruptibilis, quomodo igitur admonitionis et castigationis causa patiebatur? ^D

with him to the emperor. While these things were happening, the prince of the Turks struck a treaty with the emperor; this initiated, both sides departed for home. But because the emperor's illness was worsening day by day, by common opinion of the physicians a red-hot iron was applied to his stomach. And because the air of the palace seemed little suited, as it was somewhat more southern, he was transported to the Mangana palace, with fate, as is reasonable to believe, drawing him thither. For the common saying—"He shall fall in Acesodynes"—they claim was written of him, as they are very skilled at interpreting such oracles. There, then, he closed his final day on earth, leaving behind his son John Comnenus as successor to the empire. ^A

THE END OF MICHAEL GLYCAS'S ANNALS.

CONTINUATION OF THE ANNALS OF GLYCAS, FROM JOHN COMNENUS TO THE FALL OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE, BY JOANNES LEUNCLAVIUS.

By adding what follows to the preceding, readers will have the complete corpus of Byzantine history.

336 When the emperor Alexius was breathing his last, John, the eldest son, with the aid of his brother Isaac, the Sebastocrator, and with the father aware—or so it was rumored—but against the wishes of his mother, who would have preferred that her son-in-law Bryennius, together with her daughter the Caesarissa Anna, should possess the empire, having obtained the paternal ring, partly by showing it to the guards and partly by force, having had the gates unhinged, entered the great palace and, hailing himself emperor, began to administer the republic. With his power confirmed, he used the help of his kinsmen in government, especially John Comnenus, his chamberlain, who soon cast himself down through his own arrogance, and Gregory Taronites, a modest man, and furthermore Gregory Camaterus, born of obscure lineage, and John Axuch the Persian, whom he loved wonderfully because of long-standing intimacy, and he honored him with the office of Grand Domestic. Before the first year had passed, a sedition was stirred up against the emperor, whose leaders were Bryennius and the Caesarissa Anna. But it was suppressed in time, with the emperor punishing the seditious with humanity.

After these things, having defeated the Turks in Phrygia, he fortified the recovered Laodicea. And having undertaken a second expedition, he skillfully lured the garrison from their ambush posts and, cutting them off from the city, took Sozopolis along with many other towns and fortified places that the Turks had taken from the Romans. He also conquered in a massive battle the Scythians who are called the Patzinaks, and likewise the Triballians and the Serbs, whom, having brought them under his power, he largely transferred to the Nicomedian province of Asia. He had four sons: Alexius, Andronicus, Isaac, and Manuel. After his coronation, he was seen through a dream ^B sitting on a lion, which he guided with the reins, although otherwise he had nothing suited for taming the beast. Seeing this, it was signified that he would possess the empire in title but without the reality, which he would soon lose, as subsequently happened. John also waged a successful war against the Huns who had invaded the Roman borders, using for a pretext the stripping of his merchants, although the hidden and truer cause was declared to be humanity toward Almuzen, brother of the king of the Huns, who had fled to him as a refugee. In this expedition, the borders of the empire were greatly extended toward the west.

Having then defeated the Persarmenians and occupied Castamone, he entered Constantinople on foot in triumph, by no means having mounted the triumphal chariot, but having placed upon it an image of the Mother of God, to whom he offered the victories received as if to his colleague in the empire. Soon having returned to the East, he recaptured Castamone, which had been taken by Tanisman, and took by storm Gangra, Adana, Tarsus, and Baca—a most fortified castle—and Anazarbus. Entering Coelesyria, he was received most honorably by Prince Raymond at Antioch, and he struck a pact both with Raymond and with the Count of Tripoli. Then, penetrating to the Euphrates, he occupied Piza and some other fortifications. Not long after, death carried off his firstborn, Alexius, whom he had admitted to a share in the empire, and Andronicus, who was next to him—he was not long to survive them, wounded during a hunt by his own poisonous arrow, which a wild boar, left alone, had struck from his quiver. While dying, having made an address to his men, he preferred Manuel, the youngest of his sons, who happened to be present at the time, over the elder Isaac ^C.

received, he intended to go to Antioch, for the man’s glory was growing from day to day and his name was celebrated, as much for his prudence as for his invincible army, so that no enemy dared to engage with him. But when he had arrived at a certain river, he was suffocated by the whirlpools of the water: a man worthy of honest and perpetual memory, and in the judgment of the wise even at such a passing fortunate, not only because he was born of noble lineage and held the ancestral empire over many peoples, but rather for this reason, that beyond all the princes of Christian nations, burning with desire for Christ, he despised his homeland, royal delights, tranquility, and a blessed and proud life at home with his dearest ones, and chose instead to endure hardships with the Christian inhabitants of Palestine. After his father died, his son subjected Laodicea in Coelesyria, Beirut, and other cities of Syria, and after exhausting himself with many labors for the name of Christ, he closed his final day at Acre, which he was besieging. The remainder of the army climbed onto their ships at Tyre and returned unscathed to their own people.

Nor did the Germans alone during this time bear arms against the Saracens who occupied Palestine; the kings of the Franks and the English also brought their great fleets to Tyre. And although they could not drive the Saracens from the holy city, they returned home with their objective unachieved. On the journey, however, the Englishman occupied Cyprus, having captured the tyrant Isaac Comnenus, of whom we spoke above, and he granted the island to the King of Jerusalem, so that he might live there, having lost his kingdom.

Furthermore, it was not only the frequent seditions of those who coveted the empire that troubled Isaac, but also the nation of the Vlachs, which advanced and invaded fortified cities. For they were devastating Anchialus, subduing Varna, destroying Triaditza or Sardica, and casting out the citizens of Stumpio. Finally, on an expedition against the Vlachs, undertaken with magnificent equipment, while Isaac was intent upon the hunt, he was stripped of both his eyes and his empire by his brother Alexius, concerning whom he had not just suspected no evil, but had even expected the highest affection and deference. He reigned for 9 years and 8 months, not yet 40 years old when he lost the kingdom.

Emperor Alexius, having been designated in the camp, abandoned the war against the Vlachs and returned to Constantinople, where, after he had been inaugurated, something memorable occurred. For as he departed the temple and was about to mount an Arabian horse, it would not admit its rider, but with eyes suffused with blood, ears erect, repeatedly striking the ground, and raising its fore-hooves with a snort, it gave a sign as if it disdained to receive Alexius upon its back. But when, after many soothing sounds and stroking of its neck, it appeared pacified and seemed about to forgo those frequent circles and kickings, the emperor leapt upon it and took the reins. Nevertheless, it grew fierce, and would not cease its ill-timed prancing until the jewelled crown was knocked from the emperor’s head and partially crushed, and it had thrown him off as well. When another horse was brought, the broken crown was seen as an inauspicious omen of the disasters of his reign. ^A

It was not unknown, and portended imminent ruin and future misfortunes. After this, the emperor wished to be called Comnenus, with the surname Angelus, either because he was of a ^B more humble origin, or because he wished to be dissociated from his brother who had been repudiated. His entire life was soft, and his mind perpetually sluggish. Everything was done generally according to the will of the empress, whose spirit was masculine and whose foresight was singular, but whose life was clearly unchaste, which truly dishonored her husband as well.

At this time, Amerigus [Henry], King of the Germans, the son of Frederick, having accepted his paternal principate, and having subdued Sicily and Italy, was provoking the Greeks; although he was being restrained from this course by his adversary, the Pope of Old Rome. He demanded, furthermore, through ^C his legates that the Roman provinces—from Dyrrachium as far as Thessalonica—be restored to him, just as they had recently been subjected by the right of war by the King of Sicily, to whom he had now succeeded. He added paternal grievances, namely that Emperor Manuel had incited and armed the Pope of Old Rome against Frederick. Therefore, he threatened the Romans that they must either redeem peace with a great sum of money, or endure war immediately. The sum of money, however, that was to be paid annually in the name of peace was initially estimated at fifty centenarii of gold, but was finally reduced to 16 centenarii. In order for Alexius to pay this, he despoiled the tombs of the emperors and scraped together 70 centenarii of silver and some gold. But before the money could be sent, the King of Germany paid the debt of nature, after he had taken very grave vengeance upon the Sicilians who had incited the uprising. He ordered the elected king and leader of the faction to be crowned with an iron crown, which had four holes, as it was affixed to his head with the same number of nails. Which, when it had been finished, "You have," said Amerigus, "the crown you hunted; no one envies you this." ^D He, however, soon fell to the ground after a vertigo arose, and expired. After Sicily was captured, Irene, the daughter of the Emperor Isaac, was abducted as a captive along with the others, and betrothed to Philip, the brother of the King of Germany, having lost a previous wife, and who had obtained the kingdom of Sicily after the death of Tancred the father.

There followed, thereafter, most grave disasters for Constantinople. For Isaac, formerly emperor, while he was conferring with the Latins on secret plans about avenging his injuries and overthrowing his brother Alexius, was sending letters to Irene, his daughter, the wife of Philip, King of the Germans, by which he incited her to bring him aid, and was receiving letters from her, by which he was advised as to what ought to be done. Then his son Alexius was also led out of custody and walked freely where he pleased. Therefore, according to his father's plan, with the help of a certain Pisan, he was led into Sicily and presented to his sister, who, having sent a just guard, embraced her brother and begged her husband Philip to lend aid to her father as best he could, and also to help her brother, an exile and a fugitive. Other evils also happened. For when, due to the avarice of the ministers and relatives of the emperor, certain ancient privileges were being taken away from the Venetian merchants,

[643] desire. But as they persisted in the friendship of Mustapha, and, their business unaccomplished, dismissed the envoys of Amurath, they returned to their camp and spread the rumor that the Greeks had been won over to Amurath; at the same time, they threatened the soldiers of Mustapha with every extreme, as if they were clearly about to perish in Asia, with the return to Europe cut off. When this rumor flew through the camp of Mustapha, and the envoys whom he himself had sent were not yet at hand, the minds of the Turks began to waver, and immediately Zunaites fled toward the paternal domains, with the other leaders and troops also slipping away. ^A Upon this act, Mustapha fled to the sea, in order to look to his own safety, and betook himself into Europe.

While these things were happening in Asia, the Byzantine emperor in the Peloponnese was love-struck with a certain woman, the daughter of a priest, at an entirely inappropriate time, neglecting meanwhile a brilliant opportunity for excluding Amurath from the crossing into Europe. When he, having crossed his men with the help of a certain Genoese boatman, had caught Mustapha after an intense pursuit and strangled him, he became hostile to the Greeks and besieged Constantinople, though with an unsuccessful attempt, for they resisted so bravely that he was compelled to lift the siege. But when he did not even then wish to grant peace to the Greeks, they summoned Mustapha’s brother, a boy of thirteen years, and promised that they would reconcile the kingdom to him, so that he might create difficulties for Amurath. ^B But he too, led by the Greeks into Asia, was surrendered to Amurath by his tutor, to whom he had been entrusted to be educated by his father Mahomet, and was killed.

Following these things, with envoys sent again to Amurath, especially illustrious men, Notaras and Caroluca, the Greeks at last obtained peace. While this was lasting, the Genoese, irritated by the son of John Manuel, waged war against Constantinople and besieged it, surrounding it with a blockade: which, when they could not take, they returned to Italy, after fortifying Galata (which was a city of the Genoese, in the region of Byzantium, also having the name Pera). Nevertheless, war was waged between the Galatans and the Byzantines, until at last, many Genoese having been captured by the leader Joannes Leontares, a return to concord was made.

After that war was finished, the son of John Manuel sent envoys to the Roman pontiff Eugenius, intending to request that a council be announced by which the controversies of the Greeks and Latins might be settled. ^C In this way he was testing the spirits of the Westerners, to see whether they might seem likely to return to concord with the Greeks. These envoys set out to the Germans who, gathered at Basel, were celebrating a council against Eugenius and, having rejected him, had created Felix, Duke of Savoy, a man of demonstrated probity, as supreme pontiff. Therefore, both pontiffs, having equipped triremes, were summoning John, the Byzantine emperor. For each wished for the council to be celebrated under himself and for the religious controversy that stood between him and the Greeks to be finished. When triremes from both were present, the emperor dismissed the legation of the Council of Basel with kindly words; [644] declaring that he had already made arrangements with the Romans, Venetians, and the rest of Italy to set out for Rome.

When he had arrived at Venice, he proceeded from there to Ferrara, where he had learned that the pontiff Eugenius was residing. When he came to him, he was wearied by entreaties, that he might aid the pontiff in the contention which had arisen with the Germans. From there they set out to Florence, where, when the Greeks had come, they had much work with the pontiff for a long time, so that the affair of the differing religion might be successfully settled. When this had been brought to an end, they confirmed with writings and sacred obtestations that they would henceforth be unanimous in the same religion. This being done, the pontiff chose into the order of cardinals two most noble men among the Greeks and joined them to himself in familiarity: Bessarion, the Trapezuntine, and Isidore, the prelates of Nicaea and of Sarmatia or Russia, respectively. For by the work of these men he was greatly aided in entering into concord with the Greeks. Bessarion was endowed with such power of intellect that he not only equaled the most outstanding of the Greeks, but even surpassed them. He was of great value in any judgment in any matter. He excelled in such skill of Greek and Latin literature that he easily captured the palm of erudition among all. Nicolaus, who succeeded Eugenius, esteemed the man greatly and honored him singularly. Wherefore he was appointed by him at Bologna to govern it in the name of the pontificate. But when that city was agitated by various seditions, Bessarion demonstrated his divine wisdom and virtue in those tumults. It is established that Isidore, no less wise and a lover of his fatherland—namely, Byzantium—was captured by the Turks subsequently, when Mahomet the Second was storming the city, for whose safety Isidore was then fighting bravely. Eugenius, since his authority was held in the highest regard among the Greeks, brought this man into the number of the cardinals, because he thought he would contribute greatly to his affairs in establishing concord with the Greeks, as indeed it happened.

But when the Greek emperor was seeking protection from the pontiff for holding Byzantium, he replied that he would promise that the empire of the Greeks would be a care to him in the future, and did not say that he would cease in inciting the Germans and Hungarians so that they might take up arms against the Turks according to the needs of the Greeks. These things done, the emperor returns to Byzantium. But the Greeks, returning home, no longer wished to stand by those things which we have said were agreed upon and settled in Italy. Wherefore, the Roman pontiff, moved, sent certain learned men to Byzantium so that they might come into colloquy with the Greeks: who did not admit the synod gathered in Italy or its decrees. For Marcus, the prelate of Ephesus, and Scholarius, most learned of the Greeks, wished then no more than before to assent to the Latins. When the time came for colloquy and disputation, the Romans could accomplish nothing, but returned home with their business unperfected. Moved by this matter, the pontiff did not send the promised aids to the Greeks: whom, even though they were turned away from the pontiff,

^A you continue to soothe and soften with your commemorations as if by a magic spell. But such is your opinion of me. I, however, am truly nothing but an owl, deformed in every respect, and blinded by the very light of day; wherefore, even now, when called to the works of light, I flinch and shrink back, as the business is truly beyond my nature and my powers. Therefore, do not be overcome by your love for us and deem us to be something when we are nothing; nor compel us to treat of divine matters, we who have an impure life and a tongue likewise unskilled in explaining such things. For we would not go so far into madness as to be utterly ignorant of who we are and to what depth of evils we have fallen through sin. Truly, I fear that that prophetic word might be pronounced against us: "Why do you declare my statutes, and take my covenant into your mouth?" ^B Therefore, it would have been better for us to write praises than to be so free and absolute in refusing nothing, and heedlessly undertaking things beyond our strength. But in truth, lest by spurning your commands we incur the fault of disobedience, behold, trusting in your holiness, we dare to approach that which we cannot reach, and we unravel your inquiries as best we can. Therefore, give me your ear.

That one must not immediately descend to those wallowing in sins—such as fornication or adultery, O most holy man—but rather pursue such with those reproofs by which the wounds of the soul are accustomed to be healed, Holy Scripture has sufficiently and more than sufficiently demonstrated; and no less do the physicians of bodies show this by clear proof. For you see them cut at times when necessity demands cutting. Furthermore, they apply cauteries and bitter medicines; they often despair of health and augur death to the sick. And why, for what end? ^C That they might restore them to health. For in his Olympic Oration he says: "But you, having such delightful spectacles to gaze upon, and such things to hear—rhetoricians who are powerful, and writers most sweet in both metrical and unmetrical discourse, and peacocks of diverse color, and so many sophists puffed up by glory and disciples as if by wings—you, I say, leaving these aside, come to me and wish to hear one who knows nothing, nor claims to know. May I not rightly liken your eagerness to what happens to the owl, though hardly without some divine will?"

In this way you too, having so many pleasant spectacles and so many things to hear—some of them vehement rhetoricians, others most pleasant writers in both verse and prose, and others various peacocks, namely many sophists puffed up by glory and disciples as if by wings—you, I say, leaving these aside, come to me and wish to hear one who knows nothing, nor asserts that he knows. But might I not rightly liken your eagerness to what tends to happen to the owl, almost not without some divine will? ^D

EPISTLE III. To the same. Concerning the glory and brightness with which Adam shone from the beginning.

^B If you also seek to learn this, most holy man, from what glory and brightness the first man fell through his transgression, the Lord’s voice will teach you, speaking in the words we present: "Then the righteous will shine as the sun." For from this, if we attend, we shall find what is sought—and all the more so, since Holy Scripture instructs us again and again, some things through others. For since the grace that is hoped for is nothing but a return to that first life, as Gregory of Nyssa says, stating: "The righteous shall shine then like the sun," it is manifest in every way that the human essence from the beginning did not differ at all from the brightness of the sun. For the resurrection is nothing other than the restoration of those who have fallen to their ancient state. For this very reason, all will rise in the same age, in the same form, and in the same figure according to the habit of that first man, as the great Athanasius affirms in his *Questions to Antiochus*.

That these things are so, and that such brightness belonged to that Adam from the beginning—as much as the Lord’s voice says will be for the saints on that day—our Lord Jesus Christ himself showed more clearly when he was transfigured on Mount Tabor; and the hymnographers and divine melodists, namely the great Cosmas and John Damascene, will teach you wisely how this is so. For they say: "When you had driven away the darkness added to Adam by sin, you shone forth with your divine light, O Savior, and that archetypal beauty of the image of the first man," ^C that is to say, of Adam, [you restored].

As Cyril of Alexandria also thinks in his book against the Anthropomorphites, chapter 10: "Sin," he says, "obliterated the beauty of the God-like image, and Satan rendered the brilliant face of humanity full of filth. But the restorer appeared, who transforms into its ancient state that which had been wronged, and transforms us again into his own image, so that the characters of his divine nature may shine in us through sanctification and righteousness, and through a life well-ordered according to virtue."

is necessarily corruptible. But if Adam were corruptible, since he was suffering, how do they attempt to prove that he was naturally the midpoint between corruptible and incorruptible? ^A To us, who are unlearned, these things seem to be poorly concluded by them. For if, as they maintain, the divine Gregory teaches that the body of Adam was a midpoint between magnitude and lowliness, that is, between immortality and mortality, why did the same great man previously call it "temporary"? Let them offer an answer to this. For if it was temporary, it is evident that it was also mortal. And if Adam was mortal, since he possessed a body that lasted only for a time, how did he later say that it was a midpoint between magnitude and lowliness? Know therefore, O sacred head, that while discoursing on the common nature of men, the divine Gregory gave occasion, I know not how, to the aforementioned Father to think that he was discoursing on these things concerning the first man. Thus, therefore, most holy one, the great man wrote of the midpoint of magnitude and lowliness not, as I think, concerning corruption and incorruption, but universally concerning soul and body. For indeed the soul of every man, having obtained its being through the divine inbreathing, was without doubt greater than this clay body. And why say more? For if you read the theological words attentively, and then consider the exposition issued upon them, then, I say, you will learn how much they differ, and you will learn that in pious judgment such an explanation seems exceedingly contradictory. For immediately [one finds] "temporary and immortal, and so that he might suffer, and by suffering might be reminded and instructed." And that the living creature was thus arranged, and removed elsewhere, ^B will not in any way apply to that progenitor and first Adam; unless perhaps we say that even before the transgression he was subject to corruption and mortality—he who was created for incorruption and according to the image of the eternity of God. It would have been better to be silent on these matters, since we recognize that the divine Gregory himself said no such thing concerning the first Adam for the time being. For how, since as he proceeds he also gives him a body superior to all corruption and confirms the argument in the words which he speaks literally: "And without any covering and protection. For it was fitting that such a one should be as he who was first created ^C (37), not needing, namely, any covering or protection (this, however, is perfect apathia (38))," it is evident that "temporary" and "immortal," and "so that he might suffer, and while suffering might be reminded and instructed"—these things, I say, must be understood concerning the common nature of men, as we have already warned. For it was impossible for the great Gregory to disagree with himself, now declaring the body of Adam to be impassible, now declaring it to be ^D suffering. For if it were fitting for him to be such from the beginning, namely, free from any covering and protection—and this is truly the height of apathia—it is evident that "temporary and immortal," and "so that he might suffer, and [while] suffering be reminded and instructed," [refers], regarding the common human

(37) Plato writes in his Golden Age that men lived naked and for the most part in the open air. "They were naked, even being unencumbered," he says, "and wandering; they fed for the most part on fruit. For the temperate climate was harmless to them, and soft beds were provided everywhere," etc. Lucretius, book v: "They did not yet know how to handle things with fire, nor to use / Skins, and to clothe their bodies with the spoils of wild beasts." (38) Not only in respect of the soul, as the Stoics attempted to introduce, but also in respect of the body. Concerning the apathia of the Stoics, see what we noted below on this same epistle.

it was upon it by reason of sin. ^A Observe, therefore: if such a one is raised as he was from the beginning, then that which is raised is acknowledged to be better than death and corruption, and confirms the saying of the great Paul, saying: *It is necessary for this corruptible to put on incorruption, and for this mortal to put on immortality*, and that that body, I mean the one first made by God, was truly immortal, as we have already said many times.

The divine Gregory of Nyssa also shows this, when he explains the divine text of the *Ecclesiastes* more fully, distinguishing it thus in his discourse: *What is that which has been? That which shall be. What is that which has been made? That which shall be made.* He says that man was not made by the hand of God as he is now, on account of sin, namely, mutable and corruptible; but that which he was from the beginning, that ^B which shall be made later, is manifestly immutable and incorruptible. If, therefore, God created man in incorruption after the image of His own eternity, as Solomon showed, if He showed that it was His own intention to impart to him a rational soul, that he might also be immortal forever, as Chrysostom says—if, therefore, he granted the enjoyment of eternal life to man from the beginning, as the great Basil says—if the first creation of man was incorrupt, as the divine Anastasius of Sinai says—if God originally gave a body to man that was immortal and incorruptible, as the blessed Andrew found and said—if, therefore, God honored man, the king of all earthly things, with free will and immortality, as the blessed ^C Barlaam says, how can we hereafter say that he was made by God both immortal and mortal? This is unacceptable, I think, and altogether too much so. And how, indeed, could the great Gregory in his theology not fall into such fancies about the first man? For having said that he is void of such an affliction and problem from the beginning, he showed clearly that the first man was clothed in a robe of immortality by God. For if this were not so, the final resurrection of bodies would not be called a return to that ancient and first state. Be persuaded also by this, by the great Paul who says: *It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption*, which the Lord ^D granted to human nature through his wondrous resurrection from the dead. And the divine Anastasius says the same in the holy book written by him, entitled *The Guide*: "In the beginning, man was incorrupt and immortal, having been made by God; but because of sin, he became corrupt and mortal, and material and flowing. Indeed, God having permitted upon him, as he was made man, natural and blameless passions—I mean hunger and thirst, labor, and everything else that human life contracted after the transgression—He felt mercy for him, and having been moved, deemed it not unworthy to have him put on..."

added to man, but when He distinguished the difference between male and female. If, before imposing such a difference upon nature, He had not said: ^A “Increase and multiply,” we would not have had need of this kind of generation through which irrational creatures are begotten. For this reason, David also, lamenting the misery of man, said: “Woe to me, for man, being in honor, did not understand. He was compared to the senseless cattle, and became like them.” For having accepted this animal generation by nature because of his inclination toward the material, he who was previously equal in honor to the angels has truly become bestial.

^B These points, then, most holy one, John of Damascus also seems to confirm regarding the first man, discussing them as follows: “But God, knowing [all things] beforehand, aware that he would fall into transgression and that corruption would befall him, brought forth from him a female as a helper for him, suitable for the preservation of the race by succession after the transgression.”

The same things have been discussed as those set forth by John of the golden mouth. For in the chapters in which he set out the matter concerning marriage and virginity, he discusses this as follows: “God, having formed man, placed him in paradise, and there was no account of marriage; there was a need for a helper to be made for him, and she was made; and not even then did marriage seem to be necessary. But after they received corruption from death, and pain, and the curse, and the laborious life, then marriage also supervened.” ^C You see from whence it is shown that marriage became necessary? From disobedience, from the curse, from death. For where there is death, there is marriage. For these reasons, therefore, marriage came in later; as long as Adam remained obedient, there would have been no need for such. For even without this, the multitude of men was not prohibited from coming forth. For if ten thousand times ten thousand angels minister to God, and thousands of thousands of archangels stand by Him, and no one of these came to be through succession and births, and...

707 MICHAELIS GLYCE 708 ^A sent to him, after these things were subject to him; after he had received from him their names? How did he say after all these things: "Let us make him a helper," if indeed the female was present from the beginning? In what way was she intended to help Adam, if he had not fallen from that state of his soul? For when his perfection was given up for lost, then he received a helper from God. For what reason? So that the race of men might from then on increase in number. It is evident, therefore, that if Adam had remained obedient, if he had not fallen from the equality of honor with the angels, he would not have needed help from the female. He did need it, however, as one who had already fallen in the manner in which the angels grew toward a multitude. And this is what the Nyssen ^B said above: "For this reason God mixed something of the irrational with his own image, that is, he made them male and female; for this seems to the divine Father to be of the irrational portion, since nothing such exists in the divine and blessed nature, so that man might bring some likeness to that from this." Therefore, if because of the deviation, the difference according to male and female was mixed by God into his image, it is evident that the image was altogether free from such a difference at the beginning. But if the sacred Scripture speaks in this crude way, that God made them from the beginning, still, as I think, one should not use this accommodation of the Word to defend it. For see that the Lord was addressing the Jews, when they approached him and asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause. ^C Hence, indeed, instructing them not to think such things, he said: "Male and female God made them from the beginning," and "What God has joined together, let not man put asunder." These words, as I think, are of accommodation. For if this were not so, if the production of the female had occurred according to the first purpose of God, the Lord himself would not later have negotiated the separation from her; for how would he have been hindering later, in a methodical way, what he permitted in the beginning, saying "Leave everything, and take up your cross and follow me"? According to indulgence, therefore, the production of the female occurred, and according to indulgence was marriage. Whence, as gold says, the tongue is deprived of praise. But in addition to what has been said, the most divine Cyril also said: ^D "If marriage is according to indulgence, as the blessed Paul says, how can that which is healed by indulgence be a virtue?" Rightly, therefore, is marriage deprived of praise, because it is not a virtue; for it is according to indulgence. Do not, however, reject this argument. For see that the Theologian Gregory also used to call the generation that comes to us from marriage nocturnal, and servile, and full of passion. And we do not contradict him on this account. For if marriage has become honorable, as having been blessed by God for the sake of begetting children; if the matter is blameless, according to him who spoke thus: "But if you have also taken a wife, you have not sinned,"—yet they said that the female was not a helper then, but turned out to be an entrapper of man into sin. (GLYCAS, part. 1 Annal.)

EPISTOLA VI.

Abraham the rich; for if he did not know him, how would he have called him by name? No one, I believe, will think this impossible. Should it not also be that this child, and this woman, and that old man, will be known by one another then, even if they rise with the same age and form? For recognition there is not through signs and forms and ages; but we shall all know one another with the discerning eye of the soul, just as our Maker and Creator has been pleased. This very thing the most divine Anastasius sets forth for you more clearly, and he says thus: “And there will not be recognition through signs then.” But he does not even represent these reproductive organs as male and female, because in Christ there is neither male nor female, as Paul says. If, however, these things are so, and according to the great Athanasius we all rise as one man in the regeneration—for there is one age among all, one creation, one species, one habit, and one size—it would be superfluous to seek a difference in forms; for if corruption introduced such a difference, it is absolutely necessary that, with the arrival of incorruption, all these things should pass away along with corruption. And thus, indeed, Athanasius, who is truly wise in divine matters, states that the difference of forms and the beginning of marriage were due to sin; for in the beginning there was nothing of the kind, since the multiplication of men was destined to be like the angels, as has been said before, and hence did not need help from the female; for if Adam had not been seen to be disobedient, he would not have needed marriage and the structure that contributes to marriage thereafter. For what purpose would this have served, if the proceeding of men without it was not forbidden? The preceding discourse has reasoned with you more clearly about this.

If, however, these things are so; if on account of disobedience and the corruption that comes from death, marriage had its beginning, as the Golden-Tongued says; if after the sublimity of creation God brought into man the property of an irrational structure, as the Nyssen says; if the difference of forms is of the second creation, according to the divine Sinaite Anastasius; if, according to that first man, all arise with one species and one form, as the great Athanasius says, inasmuch as the difference according to male and female was later fashioned by God for a reason which has been discussed above—what is there left to say regarding the proposed question? These are the things we ask to learn.

If, moreover, John of Damascus seems to contradict what has been said. For in the forty-fourth of his Dogmatic Chapters he is found saying these things also about the first man: “God, however, made this man male, making him a partaker of His own divine grace, and furthermore of the rule of all earthly things.” From this, therefore, he seems to contradict; for by saying that that first man was created male by God, he has introduced an uncertainty that is not to be overlooked. For if, as the great Athanasius says, we shall all rise as one in the regeneration—that is, similar to the first man in form and fashion—and that first one produced by God was male, as [the] divine [ruler] of matters...

Imaginem Deum appellaverunt, quid non utique ^A ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ὁσηὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλάλησε fecissent, si invisibilium etiam naturarum cogni- τὸν Ἰσραήλ· «Ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ὁ στερεῶν tionem habuissent? Hæc autem ita se habere οὐρανὸν καὶ κτίζων γῆν, οὗ αἱ χεῖρες ἔκτισαν στρα- liquet ex iis quæ Deus per prophetam Oseam ipsi τιὰν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψα σοι αὐτὸν Israeli locutus est: «Ego Dominus Deus tuus, τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ὀπίσω αὐτῶν.» Κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ firmans cœlum, et creans terram: cujus manus ἡ τῶν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ φυτευθέντων δύο ξύλων δια- militiam cœli creaverunt, et illud non revelavi φορά τε καὶ φύσις τῷ παναγίῳ σεσίγηται Πνεύ- tibi, ut ambulares post illa.» Ob hoc ipsum et ματι· ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις Πατράσιν ἀσύμφωνα duorum lignorum in paradiso plantatorum diffe- γέγονεν ἡ περὶ τούτων ἐξέτασις. quare et sanctorum rentiam atque naturam Spiritus sanctus reticuit : ^D Patrum discors fuit de hisce disquisitio.

EPISTOLA V

Dominus noster Jesus Christus, Dei Filius et Ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Deus, ille qui carnem propter ineffabilem suam Θεοῦ καὶ Θεὸς, ὁ σάρκα φορήσας δι᾽ ἄφατον ἔλεος, misericordiam circumtulit, homo nostri instar ef- καὶ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς χρηματίσας ἄνθρωπος, ὁ διὰ τὴν σω- fectus; qui propter nostram salutem ea omnia τηρίαν ἡμῶν καὶ ποιήσας πάντα καὶ παθὼν ὅσαπερ fecit et perpessus est quæ evangelica narrat histo- ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ἱστόρηται, ὁ διὰ σταυροῦ καταδεξά- ria; qui in crucem actus mortem obiit, et tertia μενος θάνατον, ὁ τριήμερος ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάς, die a mortuis resurrexit, illæ eorum qui dormie- κἀντεῦθεν τὴν τελευταίαν ἀνάστασιν δωρησάμενος runt primitiæ, cum primogenitus mortuorum ex- ἅπασιν, ἡ ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ὁ πρωτότοκος stitisset, manifeste in semetipso demonstravit qua- ἐκ νεκρῶν γεγονὼς, ἀριδήλως ἐν τοῖς καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν lia nostra corpora in illa resurrectione suscitanda ὑπετύπωσεν, ὁποῖα τὰ ἡμέτερα σώματα κατὰ ἐκεί- sint. Quare de his disputare non decet. Cla- νην ἀνάστασιν ἐγερθήσονται. Ὅθεν καὶ περὶ τούτων rum siquidem animum intendere volentibus exem- ἐξετάζειν οὐκ εὔλογον· ὅτι καὶ σαφὲς τοῖς προσέ- plum perspicuumque proponitur. Vere enim cor- ^C χειν ἐθέλουσιν τὸ ὑπόδειγμα πρόκειται. Ἄφθαρτα ruptionis expertia, neque operimenti, neque cibi, μὲν γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἀναστήσονται μήτε σκέπης δεύ- neque potionis, neque rei ejusmodi alicujus, indiga μενα, μήτε βρώσεως καὶ πόσεως, μήτε ἄλλου τοιού- resurgent. Prudenter siquidem animadvertere est, του τινός. Ὅρα γὰρ νουνεχῶς, ὅτι καὶ τὸ τοῦ Κυ- et ipsum Domini corpus ejusmodi, ut evan- ρίου σῶμα τοιοῦτον ἐκ τάφου ἐγήγερται κατὰ αὐτὴν gelica historia prodit, e sepulcro resurrexisse, om- εὐαγγελικὴν ἱστορίαν ἐκεῖσε πάντα καταλιπὸν τὰ nibus ibidem relictis sepulcralibus exuviis. Si vero, ἐντάφια. Εἰ δὲ, καθάπερ εἴρηται, γυμνὸν ἐκ τάφου prout dictum est, nudum e sepulcro Domini cor- τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου σῶμα ἐξέθορεν, εὔδηλον πάντως ὡς [cœtera pergit]

the divine wisdom, Anastasius, in view of the urgent economy regarding the soul. But if the all-holy body of Christ ^A was of such a kind, from which the grace of the resurrection has been bestowed upon all our bodies (and how, indeed, has it not been bestowed, if they shall be caught up through the clouds to meet the Lord in the air?), it is no longer worthy for you to doubt further regarding the proposed question, especially since you heard the great Paul saying as follows: "The Savior will then transform the body of our humiliation, so that it may become conformed to the body of his glory."

For this body ^B, O godlike man, with which we are now clothed, is an animal body, that is to say, thick and mortal, governed by natural and animal qualities and powers, and made to live by the vital power which is observed in the heart, by means of the arteries which, by bringing [it] in and taking [it] out, hold together our life; and by the natural [power] in the liver, which is also called nutritive, which, through the veins springing up there, irrigates and feeds the whole body, ^C and keeps [it] diffused through all the members of the body, and does not reside in any one peculiar part of the body, contrary to Aristotle, who placed it in the heart, and Plato, who placed it in the head and in certain [other] seats. Michael further appears to admit in man a Platonic vehicle or intermediary bodily substance, concerning which so much can be read among the Platonists and the ancient Fathers of the Church, such as Origen, Jerome, and others, whom it is not possible to list at this moment.

^D (49) [He] quite correctly and wisely derives the origin of the arteries from the heart, as can be seen in Thomas Bartholin’s booklet *De arteriis*. But that he should call them "leading out" and "leading in," seems to introduce a certain circulation of the humors, a thing which was also believed by many of the ancients, and by the author of the book *On Regimen*; by Hippocrates in the middle of his booklet *On the Nature of Bones*, and at the end of his book *On the Nature of Man*; by the author of the book *On Food*; by Diogenes of Apollonia in Aristotle, *History of Animals*, book 3, chapter 2, and in the book *On Sleep*, chapter 3; and by Plato in the *Timaeus*. And that this is indeed to be understood primarily concerning the blood is the opinion of Jo. Walaeus in his *Epistle on the Motion of Chyle and Blood*, to Thomas Bartholin. But it is surprising that, although all these authors, as it seems to some, had anticipated the knowledge of the circular motion of the blood, this thing had remained hidden from learned men for so many centuries, until in more recent times, with Michael Servetus, Paolo Servita, Cesalpino, Colombo, and finally William Harvey as leaders, they came into it by a certain prosperous fate, and perceived the very true matter clearly and lucidly, as the praised epistle of Jo. Walaeus and Jo. Bapt. Morgagni, V. C., have handed down to memory.

(50) It is not indeed surprising if our Glycas derives the beginnings of the veins from the liver; for this was believed by many of the ancients, and among those closer to our own age [by] Th. Bartholin in his booklet *On Veins*, chapter 1. And indeed, with regard to the portal vein and the vena cava, from which cava all the other nearly all veins are propagated through the body, [see] Paulo Barbette, *Practical Anatomy*, chapter 8; Jo. Munnicks, *On Anatomy*, and Mangelo, to omit Walaeus, Heurnius, and others. Unless perhaps it may seem that Glycas wished to oppose Aristotle.

^A nor should we ask in what kind of body we shall rise. For no one knows the shape or constitution of an incorruptible and spiritual body. It is for this reason that the blessed Paul, skillfully silencing those who curiously pry into such things, said that one thing is committed to the earth, and another, by a miracle, rises from it, as God fully willed; for he says, "Thou fool, that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be," and what follows.

^B There shall be another mode of life hereafter, ineffable and beyond human conception. There will be no need then for the liver or the vena cava, from which and through which blood is now dispersed into all the members and parts of the body; for men will not then possess such flesh, which is dense and transitory, and has its composition from the four humors. For if the Lord, when He had risen from the dead, said thus to His disciples: "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have," do not be troubled within thyself; for the Lord was rather condescending everywhere to His own disciples. For if He said He bore flesh after the resurrection from the dead, yet the blessed Paul, saying, "We henceforth know no man after the flesh" [Christ], clearly showed that the Lord said and did most things by way of condescension. If this were not so, He would not have shown His wounds in such a refined and spiritual body. But you ask, What is this great condescension? Since He had risen from the dead, the disciples thought they were seeing a spirit. In order, therefore, that Satan might not find an opportunity to sow the thought that Christ had not truly risen—and if Christ has not risen, there will be no resurrection of bodies—it was for this reason that He ate before His disciples and showed them wounds in an incorruptible body, ^C so that, while He was not flesh in reality, He appeared to be flesh to those who wished to see Him so. "For unless I see," he says, "in His hands the print of the nails, I will not believe." Mark this, then. If He had not condescended, as has been said before, to appear as flesh to the disciples, He would not have shown them the print of the nails.

^A Churches did not refuse to gather while naked, whereas others for some such reasons held bad counsel. Hence, the more ancient of the ecclesiastical expositors—Philo the philosopher and Papias of Hierapolis, a contemporary of the Apostles; Irenaeus of Lyons; Justin the martyr and philosopher; Clement the secretary (86); and the divine Cappadocian Gregories—while they wished to overturn these most disgraceful opinions and yet look also to the divinely inspired Scripture, as Paul counsels, contemplated all matters pertaining to the paradise spiritually, truly approaching their own compositions with economy.

^B But perhaps you produce the great Basil, the golden-tongued and divine John, the blessed Epiphanius, and the most divine Cyril, and say that they went through all things in paradise according to the letter. We know this too, and would not deny it. But look at the economy of the divine, god-minded Fathers; look at that Davidic saying finding its end in them, which says: "A wise man will dispose his words in judgment." For when they found that cursed Origen had allegorized the whole of the Hexaemeron into mythical tragedies, understanding nothing according to the letter—since he spoke nonsense that Adam and paradise were incorporeal, and took all other things intellectually—they decided, while letting go of the allegories, to interpret their own compositions on the Hexaemeron according to the letter, and indeed most wisely. For they would not have called the fig-tree a fig-tree, and again the fig the tree of eating, if they had heard anyone speaking nonsense about that first woman having a "tree of eating."

^C That Adam did not experience sensible eating in paradise, even the golden-tongued John himself, who used such condescension, clearly showed in his homilies on the Hexaemeron, saying thus: "Adam had a wondrous life; for just like some angel, so the man spent his time on earth, being clothed with a body, yet existing outside of bodily needs." If, therefore, he was superior to bodily needs, how and in what manner was he drawn to eating, neither exhaling his own flesh through transpiration nor being compelled by nature itself, as having a total lack of passions? It is evident, therefore, from this that that eating which the plants in paradise provided to Adam must have been of another kind, if indeed sensible eating is the replenishment of that which secretes. And these things have their way thus.

^D Do not approach the divine Scripture in a cursory manner, neither choose to attend to some teachers while disregarding and turning away from others thoughtlessly; for this is not without danger. But strive to reconcile all of them together with good will, as having spoken in one and the same Spirit. But if they happen to seem to disagree with one another, do not blame the teachers themselves, but the times and the circumstances; for they too, according to the blessed Paul, sought to gain all, striving through dispensation.

819 MICHAELIS GLYCÆ 820 ^A nor that it is spherical, nor that it revolves in a circle by day and night, ^B following its path from the east and resting in the west, such that the sun itself is moved by the velocity of this rotation; this is unknown to absolutely no one who has applied himself to His holy books. Nevertheless, it is not without design, as it seems to me, that these words were poured forth from the golden-tongued one concerning the heavens; wherefore do not wonder. For if the great Paul says of one, “If you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing,” yet in another place he is seen circumcising Timothy; and at one time among the Jews he acts as a Jew, while at another time among those without the law he becomes as one without the law, and elsewhere he termed himself a Roman, though he was indeed descended from Jewish stock: what is strange if the most divine John, correcting certain ones who were pondering the motion of the heavens and reasoning from the opposite side about the universe, calls the heaven semi-sected and immobile? ^C This discourse, therefore, as we have said, was fashioned by the aforementioned Father as an accommodation: for, in the manner of a teacher, he also here—following the Apostle’s example—strives to lead everyone toward divine knowledge. Chrysostom, desiring to lead all toward divine knowledge, did not always care for exactness of speech or opinion, just as he did in the production of the great luminary, and in the making and molding of Adam, and in the all-pure mysteries of Christ themselves. For he says ^D that this luminary was produced so that it might make the day more brilliant; he says that the body of man is older than the soul; and in delivering the mystical sacrifice of the sanctifications, he appears to deliver it to the faithful by wine alone, so that from this the sacrilegious Armenians are even more confirmed in their own—as they call it—heresy. But we maintain that these things were said by the golden-tongued one as an accommodation. Why? Because while others in the council of the holy Fathers have spoken differently, regarding the obscuration of the luminaries, if it happens for the same reason—that is, if it is beyond controversy that many other things, being on the same and equal plane, escape the sight on account of the length of the interval, just as ships at sea, one not being seen by another, the breadth above the surface of the waters defining the sight so that it does not extend beyond the horizon—what wonder is it if the occultation of the stars happens for the same reason? And in the solution to question 130, he contends that the heaven has the form of a chamber, contrary to the opinions of the Greek philosophers, and says it is supported in a way by waters: “The waters therefore support the heaven, and the earth supports the waters, and the divine command supports the earth.” That these things contradict the natural philosophers there is no one who does not know. I deliberately pass over the Latin Fathers who went along with this same opinion, and indeed did away with the antipodes, among whom are Augustine (*De civit. Dei*, Book xvi, chap. 9), Lactantius (*De falsa sapient. philosoph.*, chap. 24), and very many others, whose paradoxes Macrobius appeared to have sufficiently refuted in Book I, *In Somn. Scip.*, where he defends the opposite and certain opinion.

our generation likewise has its progress, with perturbation, indeed, anticipating it; for which reason that theologian called it sickly and servile. The divine David also confirms these things, saying thus: "In iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother conceived me." For if this were not so, if he had not seen this animate ^A and irrational generation—to which he who had been made in the image of God was brought down through the transgression—he would not have lamented so much, saying: "Man, when he was in honor, did not understand; he was compared to the senseless beasts and became like them." If these things are so, what need is there to say whether, before the female was produced, before marriage was permitted, some other way of life and a different structure of the body existed, befitting that initial constitution in which man was equal in honor to the angels? Let the facts themselves teach you, before the argument, that it was so before the fall. For why did Paul command virgins and widows to remain as he was? If, therefore, God made male and female from the beginning, how do married people sometimes voluntarily dissolve their marriages and separate from each other? Why also do some afflict themselves with fasting and other harsh treatment of the body, even though God has produced countless edible things for our enjoyment? It is clear, therefore, that it is by looking toward that ancient life that men practice virginity, and sometimes dissolve marriages, ^B and embrace fasting, and endure every other bodily affliction. For the female, as it has been said, and the union of marriage did not exist from the beginning, when, of course, He brought forth him who was in His image. And if these were not present, neither was there any difference of forms at all; for how could there be, if, as Nyssen says, this was crafted for the creature last, after the construction of the image? Understand this, therefore. For neither from the beginning, as it has been said, did God make such a difference; but the first Adam himself provided it for himself later, falling away already from perfection. For if he were not about to transgress, if he were not in danger of falling into corruption, there would have been no place, as has been set forth above, for the difference of forms, ^C of the male and the female.

If, therefore, O most holy one, as the majority say, the fall of Adam happened first, and then the female was produced, the things said seem to be easily acceptable from this point of view; but we must know that the bringing forth of Eve from the side of Adam was absolutely necessary at that time. For what reason? So that she might not be considered of another nature because of the difference of form, and so that it might lead the genders to concord and cause a certain natural affection to be implanted in them. Besides these things, moreover, it was necessary that Eve should not come forth from the earth, but from the substance of Adam, so that an endearment might be implanted in the spouses from this. ^D There was need, therefore, O most holy man, as the majority maintain, that the ruin of Adam should happen first, and then the female be produced, so that from this point, the things that are said might seem easily acceptable. Yet it must not be ignored that the production of Eve from Adam's side was altogether necessary for man after he had fallen into sin. For the sake of what? So that she might not be deemed of another nature on account of the diversity of form, and so that it might lead the genders to consension and concord, and implant in them a certain natural love. It was this, that the woman was made from the side of the man? But be it so, let us believe that it behoved this to be done to commend the power of the conjunction itself. Furthermore, Cajetan interprets and explains this production of Eve from Adam's rib entirely allegorically, concluding.

(this is the first page of the chain)

the learned John says; what further is to be said on these matters? For if all shall rise in a masculine form, or all in some other form, as God who fashioned us knows; if he says that there is neither male nor female there, because the form is one and the same; furthermore, if the first man had the difference of his substance connatural to the male aspect, one could immediately see the female also coexisting with him. For the male, on account of the female, and the female, on account of the male, were of necessity made, and all species of animals demonstrate this. For none of them emerged from the earth without union. For their coition was necessary for the succession of the species; because He did not desire that even these be multiplied according to the angels. ^B But these things require a loftier mind, so that they may be reconciled with one another; we, however, not only are at a loss regarding these matters, but also in those things in which man, by descending to himself, appears to contradict himself. For he had already said that the first man was produced by God as a male, deemed worthy of divine grace, and obtained the dominion of earthly things; but after these things, he added word for word: “But God, the All-knowing, seeing that he would be in transgression and fall into corruption, produces the female from him, as a helper for him according to him, for the constitution of the species through succession.” On account of which we have not uninquiringly doubted; for it appears that, if he were not to be subject to corruption at all, He would not have produced the female from him; and if He had not produced her, how would the multiplication of men have occurred? But according to the angels without union, as Nyssenus says; and for what reason he says that Adam was produced at the beginning in the form of the male, these things we ask to learn. For the divine father is seen from this to be more in contradiction to the aforementioned Fathers and to himself, unless perhaps we say that the holy man here took the word "male" according to another signification; for this word sometimes signifies the active, and the strong, and the perfect, as the etymology of such a word shows. For producing him such from the beginning, God made him a participant of His own divinity and gave him the dominion of all earthly things.

^C Attend, therefore. For if this generation of animals is ours today, yet sin has been the cause of it. And lest it seem heavy to your ears, I will resume this discourse a little. For God fashioned man, He placed him in paradise, and there was no account of marriage with him, nor did he have need of the helper the female. For even if God, while fashioning him, saw how great the human race would be in number, yet even according to that first man, had he not been found disobedient, all would undoubtedly have been produced without union; for even if God was not ignorant of the future, yet He desired to show what the purpose was concerning man beforehand. For this reason He produced him alone, and honored him with incorruptibility. According to that first man, therefore, if he had remained obedient, the whole human race was to have been produced. ^D

^A are incorruptible and will recognize one another, when there is no Jew, nor Greek? No Scythian, no Barbarian? No small and great; no male and female; no black and yellow; no slave and free? But all will be like the angels? It is utterly impossible that such as these should recognize or be recognized. And this is indeed what they think and say. But we, standing against them, say this: Those who are addicted to human reasonings, and thus maintain that they will not recognize one another there, in the first place reject the very resurrection of the bodies from the dead. And this matter is not so wonderful as it seems to them. For the body that has flowed away, the body that may have been devoured by a beast, or by a fish or a bird, how will it be gathered together into one again and rise? And how, having been so dissolved, will it return to its former condition? But away, if you wish, with those who curiously scrutinize such things; for as they are sensual, according to the Apostle Paul, if indeed it is right to say of the great one, they do not accept the things of the Spirit. Away with them if they think such things. I say indeed that not to recognize one another there also overturns the future judgment itself, as the praised divine man says. For judgment is accustomed to take place of persons who are recognized, just as it is written: “I will convict you, and set your sins before your face.” So that if we do not recognize one another, we shall not even be judged. But if we are not judged, we shall not receive the things worthy of what we have done in life. And how will the Apostles sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, if they do not recognize those whom they judge? And how will the blessed Job ^B receive double for his children, if he does not recognize them in the kingdom of heaven? Since he received some here, but had the promise that he would receive others in the age to come. Therefore, brothers, believing, we shall believe that we shall both rise and recognize ourselves as we are; but in the beauties of incorruptibility, as was also said before. For our forefathers in paradise, even before the transgression, recognized one another when they were incorruptible; and after the transgression, being subject to corruption, they recognized one another just the same. Whence it must be believed that brother will be recognized by brother, and son by father, and wife by husband, and friend by friend; I would add also the ascetic by the ascetic, and the confessor by the confessor, and the martyr by his fellow-contestant, and the apostle by the fellow-apostle, and all by all, so that the dwelling of all may be in God, who with all good things grants also to recognize one another. But also the divine person here, while he was departing, declared and said these things word for word: “If I attain salvation, I shall not cease to pray boldly to the Lord for all of you, expecting to see, and to receive, and to embrace you one by one through the departure from this world. For I have such confidence that His goodness will preserve us all in the same state in the age to come as it does here, provided we have kept His commandments.”

That we all shall recognize all, and not the just only the just, as some think, and in their ^{C D}

EPISTOLA XIV

^A ...of empty things, but by which all the nations, being drawn and falling down before Christ, condemn their former error and vanity. And hear Jeremiah speaking: "Lord, my strength and my refuge in the day of evil, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, and there was no help in them." Tell me, then, to whom does this prophetic word apply: to Christ, or to some other? Let Zephaniah also persuade you to confess Christ as Lord, saying thus: "The Lord shall appear unto all the Gentiles, and shall destroy all the gods of the nations; and all shall worship him, everyone from his own place." What do you say to this? Has this Lordly appearing come, or has it not? Are the gods of the nations—Jupiter, Apollo, Venus, and Diana—destroyed, or not? The Lord has therefore appeared, according to the prophecy of Zephaniah, unto all the nations. And who is this, if not our Lord Jesus Christ? For by His arrival all the gods of the nations were brought down. That the nations, who knew neither the law, nor heard the prophets, nor sought the Lord at all, were destined, when the time arrived, to run unto Him and truly find the Lord, is evident from hence: "I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me"; and again, "They to whom it was not told concerning me shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand." Hearing such and so many prophetic sayings clearly announcing the appearing of the Saviour Christ, why do you continue to fall into vain folly, watching for a Christ in empty things, while hoping for the Antichrist? You deaf ones, hear: for Isaiah, announcing the time of the Saviour, and that salvation would not come through any other prophet or any just man, says these things: "He himself will come and save us. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear, and the lame man shall leap as an hart." Did these things come to pass at the arrival of Christ, who was crucified by you, or did they not? Why do you disbelieve, seeing the words of the prophets taking their fulfillment in Christ Himself? ^B That the mystery concerning Christ was destined to be disbelieved by you because of the greatness of the miracle, God declared long ago, saying: "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declares it unto you." Rightly did the prophet say, "He himself will come and save us"; for in the same way that God, when forming man at the beginning, did not make use of any assistant, so too now, in renewing the corrupted image, He did not entrust the restoration to another. ^C ...and the Spirit who inspired them did not cease to proclaim their wondrous power. Yet there is no one who does not know that trifling men have made it a point to find fault with the all-wise John, and have studied to fasten upon him a blot of heresy because he had argued that John was of rustic breeding and unskilled, not yet having been filled with the Holy Spirit. You may consult his most absolute work on the training of the apostles, a storehouse of all manner of sacred erudition, from which, as from a pantry, it will be possible to draw whatever you may need to become more learned and more cultured—and you will also learn with what great shame those ill-disposed men must have been suffused, who, driven by a certain mania for slandering, thus insulted such a great man. ^D

871 Emmanuel shall be called, whoever is a master of reason; for this is common and familiar, and happens daily. If, therefore, a sign was given to Achaz by God, as Isaias says, the change of word contributes nothing at all to your distortion, since the Virgin must both be and be called the mother of this child for the sake of the confirmation of the sign. I pass over speaking of that of David: «He said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you :» for you immediately seize the word, and using your customary craftiness, you invert the meaning of the statement, and you pervert the divine voice, which clearly indicates Christ himself, and transfer it to David; and this, while knowing clearly that such a voice corresponds to Christ, who is worshipped everywhere in every nation and place. For to David, who sat and ruled in only one part of the world, were neither all nations given as an inheritance, nor the ends of the earth as a possession. But that these things are so, Isaias, who came after David, showed more clearly, saying: «And the peoples of the Sabaeans, men of high stature, shall pass over to you, and shall worship you, and shall pray in you; because God is in you, and there is no God except you; you are God, and we knew not.» Of whom does God say these things? To whom did the chosen servants of the Indians approach, worshipping and praying in him, if not to the Savior of all, Christ the Son of God and God? And things are precisely in this way. Since he endured to wear flesh, it was a consequence that he should also accept the natural passions of the flesh, without sin, however, because it in no way contradicts this. And Isaias, revealing this, was saying: «Sin he did not commit, nor was deceit found in his mouth.» For who else could it be, of whom such a prophecy has been uttered, if we do not say it is Christ himself, the Son of God, who endured to wear flesh for our sake? For according to the wise Solomon, «There is no man who has not sinned.» ^C But you present this also to me, saying: if it was to happen that the Word of God would become flesh, and suffer these things, and do these things, why did the prophets not reveal the things concerning these matters more clearly, so that they might not be open to contradiction, and so that the things concerning Christ might not become a stone of stumbling? But hear: God, foreknowing that your race is stiff-necked and evil, and that the firstborn son of Israel would be spurned, and that a people from the nations would be introduced, speaks of these things obscurely and with difficulty; for the sign of Achaz foretold by Isaias, the world has recognized as most openly fulfilled in the Virgin Mother; «For a sign, to use the words of Theodoret, and a great sign, this birth is called.» No one calls that a sign which happens every day. For if it is not a virginal, but a marriage-bed birth, how is that which follows according to nature called a sign? All the Fathers indeed clearly agree on this, that this passage is to be understood concerning the Savior of the world, and there is no reason why we should be detained by the teachers of the Hebrews, who, to deceive their own, cast about dreams and utter more unrefined trifles. See also the Dialogue of St. Justin the martyr with Trypho, where he refutes the Jews because they attempted to invert the genuine reading of the text. Divine wisdom, which indeed reaching from one end to another, willed that we be enriched by the spoils of the Jews, and instructed by their own books; for the things which are contained in them do not look only to them, but also to us, even better, they make us realize that we have been grafted onto the good olive tree through the death of Christ, so that we may bear fruit. ^D

Præterea aliud est quod dicam. Quoniam Christus hominem se ipsum, non tamen Deum, ut fateris, dicebat esse, cur ipsum crucifixerunt? At non ob hoc; quanam igitur de causa? Utpote contra legem agentem et solventem Sabbata. At quomodo et qua ratione? Dic, quæeso. Quia paralyticum Sabbato ire fecit, quia curvam erexit, quia mortuum quadriduanum excitavit. Sed in hisce quænam legis prævaricatio? Jumentum e fovea educens in Sabbatum prævaricari non dicitur, et contra legem peccat qui mortuum fœtentem ad vitam revocat? Heu quam injustum judicium, heu quænam vestræ mentis seductio, ut præstantius a vobis vere brutis jumentum judicetur quam homo! Sed quid ita mordicus Sabbati honorem tueris, o miser et insane? Antiquitus mandans Deus honorari Sabbatum, nullumque in eo a nobis opus patrari, si tamen octavus ab ortu pueri fuerit dies, solvere Sabbatum, et consequenter ipsum circumcidere, manifeste ostendit, quod adveniente sub vespere octava diei circumcisione, quæ quodammodo est sancta Dominica, ipsa enim post septimam, ex quo et octava vocatur, Sabbati honor dissolvetur. Circumcisio vero merito sane dicitur; in ipsa enim ex mortuis Dominus noster Jesus Christus cum resurrexisset, et peccatum sublatum fuit, et dæmonum superbus fastus contritus est. Verum quid plura? Quum Deus Sabbati solutionem innuit per circumcisionem octava die faciendam (23), ut jam superius diximus, æque ac per Jeremiam postea, cum nuntiavit novum fœdus constituendum. Ne graveris igitur, neque contra nos eristice pugnes, si una cum aliis Sabbati etiam honor immutetur; novo enim constituto fœdere, novæ etiam quædam constitutiones ejus esse debent. Novum vero prorsus illud ^B

EPISTOLA XIV.

ἐκεῖνό ^A γέ τοι πλέον, οὐ μὴν αὐτὸν εἶναι σφαιροειδῆ, οὐδὲ κυκλικῶς τὴν αὐτοῦ περίοδον διὰ νυχθημέρου ποιούμενον ἐξ ἀνατολῶν ἄρχεσθαι, καὶ εἰς ἀνατολὰς καταλήγειν ὡς ἐντεῦθεν τῇ ὀξείᾳ τούτου φορᾷ καὶ αὐτὸν συγχρονεῖσθαι τὸν ἥλιον· οὐδενὶ πάντως τῶν ταῖς ἱεραῖς αὐτοῦ βίβλοις ἐνασχολούμενον ἠγνόηται. Πλὴν οἰκονομικῶς, ὡς ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, τὰ περὶ τούτου τῷ χρυσορρήμονι ἐσχεδίασται. Καὶ τούτων χάριν μὴ θαύμαζε. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ πάμμεγας Παῦλος τοῦ μὲν ἔλεγε· «Ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφέλησεν·» τοῦ δὲ περιτέμνων τὸν Τιμόθεον φαίνεται, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, ποτὲ δὲ τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος γίνεται, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ Ῥωμαῖον ἑαυτὸν ἐπωνόμαζεν, ἐκ γένους καὶ ταῦτα Ἰουδαϊκοῦ καταγόμενος· τί καινὸν εἰ καί τινα ^B ὁ θειότατος Ἰωάννης ἐπανορθούμενος, τῇ τῶν οὐρανῶν κινήσει προσέχοντας, καὶ ἀντιλογιζομένους τὸ πᾶν, ἀκίνητον λέγει τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἡμίτομον; Οἰκονομικῶς οὖν οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ὡς ἔφημεν, τῷ διαληφθέντι περιεσχεδίασται· διδασκαλικῷ γὰρ τρόπῳ καὶ οὗτος κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον Χρυσόστομος, θέλων ἅπαντας πρὸς θείαν ἐπίγνωσιν ὁδηγεῖν, οὐ τοσοῦτον ἔστιν ὅτε τῆς ἀκριβείας ἐφρόντιζεν, ὁποῖον δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ παραγωγῇ τοῦ μεγάλου φωστῆρος πεποίηκεν, ἐπὶ τῇ ποιήσει τε καὶ πλάσει τοῦ Ἀδάμ, καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀχράντοις τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστηρίοις· αὐτίκα γὰρ καὶ λέγει τὸν φωστήρα τοῦτον παραχθῆναι, ἵνα τὴν ἡμέραν λαμπροτέραν ἐργάσηται· λέγει τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τῆς ψυχῆς· τὴν δὲ τῶν ἁγιασμάτων μυστικὴν τελειωτικὴν δι’ οἴνου καὶ μόνου φαίνεται παραδιδοὺς τοῖς πιστοῖς, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς Ἀρμενίους ἐπιπλέον κρατῦναι τὴν ἑαυτῶν, ὡς φασιν, αἵρεσιν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οἰκονομικῶς λέγομεν εἰρῆσθαι τῷ χρυσορρήμονι. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Ὅτι ἄλλων τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων ὁ σύλλογος [καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἅπαντες... ^C ...διὸ] οὐκ ἐφίεται, μήτε τὸ ἀποτείνεσθαι τοῦ ὁρίζοντος. Τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν φωστῆρων γίνεται ἡ ἐπίκρυψις διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν; Ἦτοι, εἰ δήπουθεν ἄδηλα ἄττα ἐστὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ ἴσῳ ἐπιπέδῳ ὄντα, καὶ διὰ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ διαστήματος κεκρυμμένα ὄντα τῆς ὄψεως, ὡς τὰ πλοῖα τὰ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων μὴ ὁρώμενα, τοῦ πλάτους τῇ τῶν ὑδάτων ἐπιφανείᾳ, ὡς οἱονεί, circulo quodam, τὴν δίψιν περαιοῦντος, καὶ μὴ ἐπιτρέποντος ultra ἑαυτοῦ ^D τοῦ ὁρίζοντος, τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν φωστῆρων γίνεται ἡ ἐπίκρυψις διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν; Καὶ ἐν τῇ λύσει τῆς ρλ΄ ἀποκρίσεως, instar cameræ, φησὶ τὸ εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν κατὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων φιλοσόφων σκαιὰν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων πως ἀνέχεσθαι λέγων· «Βαστάζει οὖν τὸν μὲν οὐρανὸν τὰ ὕδατα, τὰ δὲ ὕδατα ἡ γῆ, τὴν δὲ γῆν τὸ θεῖον πρόσταγμα.» Ἅπερ πᾶσι τοῖς φυσικοῖς ἀντιμάχεσθαι τίς οὐκ οἶδεν; Ἐπιτηδὲς παρατρέχω τοὺς Λατίνους Πατέρας, οἵτινες εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν δόξαν συνεβάδισαν, καὶ οὕτως τοὺς Ἀντίποδας ἀνεῖλον, ἐν οἷς ἐστιν Αὐγουστῖνος, De civit. Dei, βιβλ. ιβ΄, κεφ. θ΄· Λακτάντιος, De falsa sapient. philosoph., κεφ. κδ΄, καὶ πλεῖστοι ἕτεροι, ὧν τὰ παράδοξα ἱκανῶς καὶ ὑπερβαλλόντως ἀνασκευάσαι φανεὶς ὁ Μακρόβιος βιβλίῳ α΄, ἐν τῷ Ὑπομνήματι τῆς τοῦ Σκιπίωνος Ὀνείρου, ὅπου τῆς ἐναντίας καὶ βεβαίας δόξης ὑπερασπίζεται.

ὑπερασπίζεται.» ^A you will be circumcised in all your male members, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and you.” Do not, therefore, boast of carnal circumcision, nor exalt yourself against us who are uncircumcised, especially when the new covenant, as we have said, has been given to us—a covenant far more exalted and greater than the former one.

The same things must also be said concerning the animal sacrifices that we have used without distinction. For the new legislation, having arrived, has utterly abolished those observances of the Law that had been given at that time, as we said, because of the weakness of Israel. For in order that they might be kept entirely from Egyptian impiety, God established such laws and distinguished all animals into clean and unclean; and He commanded that they must slaughter those which were counted in the rank of gods in Egypt, while, on the other hand, they were not to touch those which were considered unclean, even though they served as food for Israel there.

But if you call us unclean because, forsooth, we eat the pig, the hare, and other things of that sort against the Law, it is absolutely necessary for you to subject the greatest of the prophets, Elijah, to the same accusations. For he went to a foreign woman, he partook of a table provided by her, he built an altar on Carmel on the Sabbath, he wore himself out with long journeys, and he ate bread he received from an unclean animal, the raven. ^B But how did these things happen, and for what reason? It was that you might learn that, even before grace, the old covenant used to overturn the things of the Law.

For if the raven were unclean, how could so great a man as Elijah receive food from it? And how could Samson, being a Nazirite and subject to the Law, have eaten the honeycomb which bees had fashioned inside a dead lion? And how could God have comforted him when he was thirsty by means of an unclean and blood-stained jawbone? If the raven, the dead lion, and the ass's jawbone were unclean, how could God have healed His servants through such things? How could the Lawgiver himself overturn what He had established? Not at all.

If the hare and the pig are unclean, how did they receive a general commendation from the beginning? "For God saw them," it says, "and said that they were good." If, therefore, the hare is good as a creature of God, and very good, it remains so thereafter. It is evident, therefore, from many things that God, intending to correct the propensity of Israel toward evil, established such laws and had recourse to such treatments. For if God had delighted in the savors of meat or had accepted sacrifices, He would not have said through Isaiah, "Who has sought these things from your hands?" And if He had really taken pleasure in musical instruments, He would not have said later, "Remove from me the sounds of your songs." And, to speak simply, unless you yourself had been given to asking for gods, unless you had performed dances around the molded...

calf—for "the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play"—God would certainly not have commanded you to engage in sacrifices and musical instruments. For the most wise physician, seeing the disease festering, does not immediately employ harsh medicines, nor does he quell the vehemence of the suffering with incisions, but rather he treats the circumstances of the illness gently and cheerfully, lest the suffering become malignant and intractable to the physician's arts; but when the time calls for it, eventually he applies a milder remedy and uses cautery, and thus in due time grants a cure.

But why say many things? When he said through Jeremiah: "I will establish a new covenant," he completely abolished the observances of the Law, which he had permitted of old for your sake. Thus, therefore, since you were carnal at that time, he secured you with a carnal sign, namely circumcision. Do not, therefore, call us unclean because we are uncircumcised: we are indeed uncircumcised, but we are justified by faith, just as Abraham was, before Christ himself, and we live securely and shall live. But your disobedient race, impatient of the reins as usual, was utterly destroyed according to the pronouncement of Moses, and succumbed completely to annihilation. "For the Lord your God," he says, "will raise up a prophet for you from among your brethren, like me, and it will be that every soul that does not listen to him will be destroyed." And do not tell me that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Nave; for he was neither deemed worthy of such a theophany as Moses was, nor did he become a lawgiver like him, nor did he find such grace as did Moses, who saw God. From that time forth, therefore, my Jesus, the Savior of the world, truly Christ and Lord, was announced. "The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brethren, like me"—that is, equal to me in all respects. For just as I, because of the infant-slaying Pharaoh, was cast from my very swaddling clothes into the marsh, so too will He, because of the infant-slaying Herod, flee into Egypt. This, indeed, Isaiah also foretold, saying: "Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud and will come into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will be shaken." That is, if anyone is the one who took the idols of Egypt out of the way, and prepared the worship to be offered there to one and the only God, then admit, even against your will, the advent of my Christ; for this truly happened, and there is no room for contradiction in these matters.

He declared this same thing more clearly: "In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall fear the Lord." For just as I killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand of the sea, so too will He hide the legion of evil spirits in the depths of the sea along with the swine themselves. And with reason: for where there is a swinish life, there, by all means, are the demons. "Like me." Just as I, reconciling the quarreling Israelites, seemed overall burdensome and troublesome, on which account I even fled to Ethiopia, and there I led a foreign people...

so too will he, having been sent away by his fellow tribesmen, proceed to another people, namely, the Church from the nations. "Like me." Just as I was sent by God to deliver the people from Egypt, so too will he be sent by his own Father, that he might deliver the world from the dark error and sin that possess it. "Like me." Just as I, by stretching out my hands, put Amalek to flight, so too will he, extending his hands upon the cross, defeat the spiritual Amalek. "Like me." Just as I, not to mention things one by one, was appointed lawgiver and leader of the people, so too will he appear as a new lawgiver, "And it shall be, that every soul which will not hear him shall be destroyed." ^A And these things have this manner. But you still set yourself against the truth, trusting in your glosses, and refer this prophecy to Joshua the son of Nun. I accept your gloss. But where shall we place that of Isaiah, you thrice-wretched and miserable man? Will you have the strength to repel his prophecy as well? Certainly not. For God says through him to Israel: "I will indeed destroy you with my sword, and a new name shall be called over those who serve me." What do you say? Did he destroy you, or not? Do others serve God, or not? Even if you do not confess it, the new name itself cries out more clearly than a trumpet and bears witness. Therefore, either show another new name, or acknowledge, even against your will, that of the Christians; for one would not find a name more recent than this title. But if these things are so, why do you still act vainly? Why do you hunt for times among the new, and await the Anointed One himself, when you are unable even to conceive of who this Anointed One is, and whence his origin of birth consists? But is he a mere man? And yet the prophets heap upon the one who is to come the signs of divinity. But is he God-man? And what else must be said? For look, you unwittingly confess another person of divinity; for you cannot say the Father, when the prophet says: "A child was born to us, a son was given to us." At last, having squeezed the grape cluster of the letter, drink the wine that gladdens the heart of man. ^B But, in truth, because you still feel against the truth, and say that Christ's presence has not yet come, seeking pretexts from Isaiah who says: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall not learn to make war anymore." Why, having left aside the other prophets who were clearer heralds of Christ and of his presence, do you hold this saying of Isaiah with both hands, and carry it everywhere, and strive to pervert simple-minded souls, because they distort the Scriptures at will; for they explain this most evident prophecy regarding Christ against all truth, and think that their return from Babylon is being predicted by Isaiah in these words, though falsely. For, "Wars," says Theodoret, "were continuous throughout the whole inhabited world, as it was divided into many kingdoms, and those of the kings ^C by nation...

insurgent against one another." For wars were mutual throughout the whole earth, that kingdom being divided into many parts, and the kings of individual nations rising up against one another. "Out of Sion went forth the law," by which the New Testament is understood, which was first given there to the apostles, and through them was exhibited from thence to all nations; and upon the advent of our Savior God, the Roman empire flourished completely, which, destroying many other kingdoms and obtaining the sovereignty of all, bestowed peace upon land and sea, when, according to the mind of Jerome and Eusebius, the gate of Janus having been closed by Augustus, there was most secure peace throughout the whole world; and the nations subject to the Roman empire, adds Theodoret, "are no longer using military instruments against one another, but all enjoy the goods of agriculture." No longer do they use weapons against one another, but all generally enjoy the fruits of agriculture. Refer also to the dialogue of Justin Martyr with Trypho.

The doctors of the Jews, relying on the prophecy of Isaiah, seek after another argument at the advent of the Savior, so that they may attempt to weaken our faith, but in vain; for we are taught that the letter kills, and therefore we study not the mere voices of the Scriptures, but the spirit. The word of the Lord went forth from Jerusalem, and it was sanctioned by law that mutual love and charity ought to be used among us as the most faithful token of the New Testament; yet if we are unjustly attacked, we are not forbidden to render the attempts of our enemies futile, or to protect ourselves and our own. Besides the Jews who falsely applaud themselves, Luther and the Anabaptists also erred, and once the Manichaeans, who held the opinion that war can never be waged by Christians, even if provoked—which is both contrary to nature and to truth, as Tertullian in book III *Against Marcion*, Origen in book V *Against Celsus*, Athanasius in book I *On the Incarnation of the Word*, and Irenaeus in book IV, chapter 67, demonstrated at length. But concerning the right of war, and by what reason it ought to be declared and conducted, you may refer to the most absolute work which H. Grotius entitled *De Jure Belli*.

^A and it says this: "And now, indeed, after the creation of the sun it is day, when the air is illuminated by the sun in the hemisphere above the earth; and night is the shadow of the earth caused by the sun being hidden."

That these things are so, and that if the sun did not travel under the earth the air would not be so devoid of light, we shall know from the very facts themselves. In the island of Britain, the day is eighteen hours long, and the night is six hours; and not only is it six hours long, but its darkness is not very deep, but—to put it this way—such as is called by us the "twilight"; for the rays of the sun strike them. For what reason? Because even in those very nights the sun revolves very close by, due to the fact that the briefest part of it sinks beneath the earth, and the most sharp-sighted of the Britons clearly see during the night, and almost perceive everything with their eyes. Learn, therefore, from this, that even in our climate, if the sun were not passing under the earth but were revolving very close by here and there, the night would truly not be night, nor would its darkness be very deep, but such as the argument heretofore made known, inasmuch as the earth would not be obstructing the solar rays at all; for night is nothing other than the shadow of the earth, as the great Basil said. Therefore, since the sun is not circling under the earth but is revolving very close by, as was said above, it is entirely impossible for there to be a deep night.

That the heaven is not bipartite, ^B and that this is not only what appears from above according to the prophetic saying that states: "Who set up the heaven like an arch," is clearly revealed by the things already explained; and it is no less easy for those paying attention to understand this from the things that shall be explained. For in the explained chapter, John Damascene also sets forth these things word for word: "The heaven has three hundred and sixty degrees, the hemisphere above the earth having one hundred and eighty, and that which is under the earth likewise one hundred and eighty degrees."

That the heaven is also spherical, the divine Anastasius the Sinaite has shown most clearly; for in his discourse on the *Hexaemeron*, in which he demonstrates that the things of God are above nature and the reasoning of art, he says this: "God created the heaven, that is to say the sphere, then the earth, that is to say the center." ^C For it would have been necessary to speak in reverse: "God created the earth and the heaven, that is, the center, and then the sphere." For if the center were not fixed, the circle of the year would not be traced.

The same things concerning the heaven the wise Origen, who previously contemplated divine matters, also gives us clearly to understand. For, rebuking those who approach the things of God in a crude manner—^D that is to say, [alt-version omitted]—or again, one should have said: "God created the earth, and the heaven, the center namely, and then the sphere." For if the center were not fixed, the circle of the year would not be traced. Moreover, Origen, wise in divine things, gives us clearly to understand the same concerning the heaven; for he overturns those who approach to explain Scripture with unwashed hands, and hence imagine God to be endowed with human form, and added these things to the rest: "How can the round..."

dam semper mobile cœlum sedes Dei esse potest? Si autem hæc ita se habent, ut præcedens sermo demonstravit, ne amplius repugnes, neque hujusmodi divinæ Scripturæ testimonia afferas; supra enim laudato Apostoli dicto: « Quod fixit Dominus, et non homo, » nihil aliud significatum existima, quam certam cœli productionem, et constitutionem, et perpetuam illius conjunctionem, et concentum: nam si immobile esset cœlum propter firmitatem, qua a Deo fixum fuisse dicitur, lunam quoque in eodem loco manere, non semper mobilem esse, oportebat; siquidem fundamentis ædificaverat firmis: « Lunam enim, dicit, et stellas, quas tu fundasti. » ^B

Ex his ergo omnibus edisce, o sacrum caput, non sine consilio ab aurea verba fundente divino Joannes de his disputatum esse. Nisi enim hoc esset, nonne laudatis sanctis Patribus adversans crederetur? Impossibile quippe est ad invicem aliter unquam sentire, prout mihi videtur, qui in uno eodemque Spiritu locuti sunt.

EPISTOLA XII

Adhuc et hoc quæritur, cum Deus prima die lucem creaverit, qua de causa die quarta luminaria condiderit.

Aurea verba fundens et divinus Joannes in quinta ipsius in Hexaemeron homilia Mosaicum dictum enarrans quod ait: « Et fecit Deus luminaria ^C magna, » non parvi momenti contradictionem inducere videtur. Neque enim accuratius in hujusmodi rationibus immorari voluit; cum opportunitate temporis pari passu gradiens, ut videtur, sicut etiam alias hoc fecisse repertus est, despicit, aliquando enim sedulitati parcit divinus hic vir. Nisi enim hoc esset, nullo modo ad verbum sic dicere visus esset, elementum hoc, scilicet solem quarta die conditum, ad hoc productum fuisse, ut lucidiorem faceret diem. Attende igitur: hinc enim apparet, aliud fuisse quod prima die productum est lumen, et aliud solem istum, qui quarta die conditus est; primamque illam lucem subobscuriorem fuisse ea, quæ die quarta producta est. Hoc tamen omnino verum non est. Tunc enim ipsa ^D producta est lucis essentia; ait enim: « Dixit Deus, Fiet lux, et facta est lux; » quarta vero non lux,

^A but what more? Unless God had spared the root from the beginning, inasmuch as He foresight saw the beautiful fruits that would come from it—the evangelists, surely, the apostles, the righteous, and before all, the very assumption of our Christ and Savior’s humanity—He would have mercilessly crushed all of Israel from that time on. And the prophet, revealing this, said: "Unless the Lord had left us a seed, we would have become as Sodom, and would have been made like unto Gomorrah"—that is, we would have been delivered to total destruction. Therefore, because of the fruits, as we said, He spared the root, which was then acting with ingratitude, so that together with it He might not cut them off also; but after it had brought forth the fruit, He no longer endured to keep it, but mercilessly harvested it.

^B Cease, therefore, from the prophets; you peruse their books in vain, for there is no gain for you from them. No one has ever read a book that is sealed. Why, then, do you willfully deceive yourself? Know who you are and into what misfortune you have fallen; understand that, besides other things, you have also been deprived of the treasure of knowledge. And these are not my words; your own Isaiah cries out to you plainly: "And these words shall be to you as the words of a book that is sealed." For your heart has been hardened, you have heard heavily with your ears, and you have willingly closed your eyes. And to you, once intelligent and wise, the things of divine knowledge have been sealed; but to us, the foolish nations, they have been entirely laid open. And do not marvel; for we have heard, we have also seen, we have understood, and we have known the truth. And if you are not persuaded by what is said, be persuaded by your own prophet again; for he says: "And in that day the ^C deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind, who are in darkness and in the mist, shall see."

It is clear, then, from this, that knowledge has departed from you Jews; but the nations, who were previously dull and senseless, have become understanding through the knowledge of the Law. "For to those," He says, "to whom it was not told concerning Me, they shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand." For although Israel was the first-born son, and received the promises first, yet as a parricide he became an exile, and from that time the wretch has justly fallen from the gifts of God; wherefore, lamenting them, the prophet said: "The rich have become poor ^D and have hungered." And deservedly so; for having killed the Bread of Life, they have been held in perpetual hunger. Do not any longer lay claim to the ancient honor and order; for it is impossible for those who have fallen from there, as we have said, to return again. Cain was the first-born, but he gained nothing from it; for because of the blood of Abel and the unjust murder he committed against him, he went out from the presence of God, and from that time on he was groaning and trembling throughout his whole life. Esau was the first-born, but because of his wickedness and gluttony, he gave away the birthright itself and fell from the blessing. Therefore, let these and similar things persuade you, too, who are the first-born, to accept the fall even against your will, and not to

^A frown, nor oppose manifest facts; for this very word, "first-born," gives one to conceive of a second son. If this were not so, and if a second son had not been kept in store by God from the beginning, Israel would not have been called "first-born"; for, as you know, if a second does not follow, a first cannot be called "first." For these things are mutually dependent on one another: the first on the second, and the second on the first. But you still move your lips and turn to other discourses; yet we shall keep silent, for no one who knocks, even if he knocks quite loudly at a deaf man's door, will ever be heard. But the divine Amos will fight on our behalf, saying: "The house of Israel has fallen; it shall not rise again."

And so much for that point, O most divine man, for we are unable to write more, being pierced—the Lord knows—by many arrows of dejection; and if we did not have the holy Books in our hands, and did not draw no small relief therefrom, we might perhaps have made use of a halter and shamefully departed from life itself. And do not think what is said is a fable; for the blessed David also adumbrating this same thing said: "Unless thy law had been my meditation, then ^B I should have perished in my humiliation." Let us not, therefore, neglect reading; for we must return to whence we departed just now. Let us believe Solomon who says: "Become wise, my son, that thy heart may be glad." For if that eunuch of Candace was so intent on reading that he meditated on the prophet Isaiah even while riding in a chariot on the road, what excuse shall we satisfy, who do not even endure to look at the Books at home? Who procured for that Ethiopian the purity that comes from the divine bath? Was it not reading? Who led the apostle Philip to him? Was it not his eagerness for the Word? Let us be put to shame by him, both as he read and as he was illuminated; we, too, are Ethiopians in soul, having contracted much blackness from sin. Let us learn that there is no other way for us to be cast down and re-clothed. "They have," he says, "Moses and the prophets." Let us run to reading, let us be changed in a beautiful change. Instead of a pool, we have the Books; instead of Philip, the One proclaimed by him. Let us go through ^C the whole of Scripture, if possible, so that we may both make ourselves better and block the blasphemous mouths of those who oppose us. For if we have known certain trees that were healed of their natural malignancy by some industry and art, much more would the wounds we have contracted from our own choice be healed by the counter-teaching of the Spirit. If we read once and twice, and do not understand, let us not lose heart; let us persevere, let us keep watch. "My eyes," he says, "prevented the morning, that I might meditate on thy words." Indeed, how beneficial it is to attend is shown by that widow who was able to soften the judge of injustice, who was harder than a stone. Let us meditate, let us inquire, let us approach those wiser than ourselves. "For if you see," he says, "rain, rise early for it." And if ^D we always do this, if we have, in a manner, prepared the ground of our soul and cast such seeds into it, let us be certain that we shall

897 EPISTOLA XV. 898

so let us ever act, if we thus divide our soul, and cast such seeds, let us be confident that we shall also reap a harvest of glory in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

EPISTLE XV.

It must be known that in the sixty-fifth chapter of the Apocalypse of the evangelist and divine John, these things are also set forth: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, and the sea is no more." Pay attention, therefore. For as regards heaven and earth, the text does not signify non-existence, but rather points to their renewal for the better. For according to the exceedingly great Paul, "the creation itself shall be liberated from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God." And the divine psalmodist is also found speaking thus about the heavens: "Thou shalt fold them up, and they shall be changed." For that which waxes old, when it is renewed, does not undergo the destruction of its substance, but the removal of old age and wrinkles. And so far did he go in speaking about heaven and earth; but regarding the sea, he did not say so, but what? "And the sea is no more." For what need is there of the sea, when men no longer have need to sail it, or to procure by its means the commodities produced in countries lying far away? The great Basil also confirms this view, bringing forward the saying of Isaiah which says: "Who says to the deep, be desolate, and I will dry up all thy rivers." And such is the interpretation of those who explain the divine words of the Apocalypse. But the great Basil, in his third homily on the Hexaemeron, treats the discourse on this subject more clearly, and speaks as follows: "Why, and for what reason, is the place of the world we inhabit surrounded by water, bound by infinite seas, and watered by countless ever-flowing rivers? Because of the ineffable wisdom of Him who ordained that a nature contrary to fire should be difficult to consume. For the Creator of the creation knew how much time He had destined for the existence of this world, and for this reason He made such an allotment of supply for the fire, so that this terrestrial sphere might not be burned up before the time by the excess of heat. There will, however, be a time when even all the waters will be scorched by fire, as says Isaiah, where he discourses to the God of all: 'Who says to the deep, be desolate, and I will dry up all thy rivers.'" And this meaning ^B

^A of the sea's no longer existing, in my opinion, does not differ at all from this. If this is the case, we ought to accept what is written and not hold notions contrary to those who were mouthpieces of the Spirit. For it is sufficient, he says, for the disciple if he should become as his teacher.

EPISTOLA XVI.

^B That the one who committed to record the acts of the apostles, and the great Hippolytus among the martyrs himself, heard those words of the Gospel, as it seems, which say, "If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me," and say that the Evangelist and divine John is among the living and enjoys the company of Enoch and Elijah, this has by no means escaped our notice. For even if we are ignorant to such a degree, nevertheless we have long since found and read the treatises composed on this very subject by the men mentioned. And from this it was necessary to respect what was written, not at all to oppose and fight against these points. But since we also have not a few other holy men ^C drawing from that source, and declaring other things concerning this matter, and we are of necessity persuaded by and submissive to their words, as we are not able at all to act against the sacred canons. For if the divine canons exhort us to prefer the vote of the majority, it is right that we too should accept this same thing. For even if the aforementioned divine Hippolytus shone among the martyrs of Christ, and from there it is incumbent to agree with his treatises; still it is not worthy that we should appear to incline toward him in all these matters, especially if they are opposed to the orthodox mind of the Church. For see, he says that that Antichrist, whose coming will be according to the working of Satan in great power and signs and wonders of lying, as the Apostle says, ^D is the devil himself in his discourse on the end; and from there [he says] he is to be born of a virgin woman precisely like Christ, and so to have walked about in the world according to an appearance, and at that time to have performed signs and wonders through himself. And such things regarding the Evangelist John, as we have already said, appear to the men mentioned. But the golden-tongued John interpreted the aforementioned Gospel passage that says, "If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me," not about life, nor did he make his explanation according to such a reasoning, but rather, "You, O Peter, follow me," that is, "Go out teaching everywhere, and separate yourself from John; but let him remain here, until I go forth to crush those who crucified me with the Roman rod."

^A And the elder Ammonius also says concerning this Gospel passage, "If I will that he remain until I come," that it hints at the longevity of his life from that time forward. For he died in the times of Trajan, without punishment. Moreover, Apollinaris also says that the brethren supposed out of ignorance that he would not die. And John, who is among the saints, the Damascene, also says these things concerning this matter: "Enoch, that is to say, and Elias will be sent, and they will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and they will be slain by the Antichrist." Of the Evangelist John, however, he makes no mention, or at least he forgot about such a one, and thus he is found to mention only those two, Enoch, that is to say, and Elias. He did not consider him among the living. But the great apostle himself in his Apocalypse introduces two who shall prophesy in the last days and perform signs for three years and a half, saying as follows: "And I will give to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These commentators understood to be Enoch and Elias; another person is not set forth in such a Revelation. And after a few words: "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them who are slain, and shall send gifts one to another: because these two prophets tormented those who dwelled upon the earth; afterwards, however, they shall rise again." ^B But the historian Hippolytus also, when discussing the apostles, witnesses that the blessed John the Evangelist was recalled from exile under the Emperor Nerva, and that he afterwards finished his life in such a way that his remains were found nowhere. Prochorus also handed down things consistent with these. For he says that by his command a pit was dug, into which, having fallen and having been covered with earth, he rendered up his spirit to us. Afterwards, having narrated these things to those in the city, we returned and found the place empty. But the brother of the divine Gregory ^C the Theologian, Caesarius, being asked secretly at Constantinople about this matter, said that John himself had made this clear in the Gospel according to him, in which he discourses thus: "The saying therefore went out unto the brethren, that that disciple does not die. And Jesus did not say to him that he does not die, but, 'If I will him to remain until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.' For he said this most excellently, correcting their erroneous supposition, as he has done in many places, calling them foolish and slow of heart." But also in the epistle of Polycrates, successor and archbishop of Ephesus, to Victor, successor and archbishop of the great ^D Rome, these things are written: "Great elements have fallen asleep throughout Asia, which shall rise again in the last day. Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who has fallen asleep in Hierapolis with his daughters; also John, who reclined upon the breast of Jesus; this one has fallen asleep in Ephesus." And the great Athanasius also in the [book On the Resurrection, says that Enoch and Elias are living, and he mentions no other one in any way. Even the great Gregorius, the expounder, says that James was killed, but that John departed from life in peace. Finally, the divinest Ephrem, in a sermon concerning the second coming, is found to have cited only two men as being foretold, namely Enoch and Elias. And these things have been handed down by the aforementioned Fathers concerning the blessed evangelist John. Whether he still lives and is associated with Enoch and Elias, or not, is to be judged by your sublimity, and I leave it to be ministered to the eyes of the unknowing according to custom.

^A hard and resistant, it is altogether unfruitful and least suitable for performing its duty; but where it is rich and temperate, there it produces an abundance of herbs. This same thing can be seen in the female womb: "For increase," God says, "and multiply." Wherefore, through the mutual conjunction of spouses, the human race is increased into a multitude. But when a womb is found to be intemperate in any way, it is sterile in every respect, and has proven itself altogether unsuitable for generation. Thus, therefore, you should understand the question proposed. For if God said, "Let us make man according to our image"; and the image of God, as was said above, is our mind; yet it shows its own operation according to the condition of the organ. Hence, when the organ is in a correct state according to nature, the mind also operates; but when the same is in any way corrupted, then the mind is not fit for its operations, even if it itself receives no harm in itself. For just as ^B in a citharode, and in the cithara, it is possible to observe that the harmony of the organ is often corrupted, while the artisan himself does not in the least have his art impaired; so truly, and in our mind, and in the very instrument through which it is accustomed to operate, consider it to happen in the same unchanging manner.

Therefore, the mind is indeed the same in all, according to the image of the sun, since it was created through the divine inbreathing; but the organs are diverse, inasmuch as they are constructed from the four elements. According to them, therefore, the mind also operates; and do not wonder anymore. For very beneficially, as it has been said, God commanded in the beginning for the four elements to come together ^C and through these to make the earthly man. Hence comes the difference of our bodies, so that they may be recognized by one another as easily as possible. For our mind has not yet obtained such a sound power of discernment as to have grasped the notion of all things without signs. So that if it had one and the… [the text breaks off here]

evident, ^A have clearly erred who, because of the purchase of that field, supposed that Judas lived on after his hanging. For if it is recorded in the Book of Acts that Judas was hanged, and falling prostrate, burst asunder in the midst, as we said above, the aforementioned book and the holy Gospels themselves would thence appear to contradict one another; yet it is not worth wondering so much at these things. For it is likely that both of these occurrences took place at that time: namely, his departing this life by the noose, and the spilling out of his bowels, as has often been recounted—since the cord by which he was suspended broke, and from that point he was carried down to the earth, and thus burst asunder in the midst, so that it lay as a spectacle extraordinary to all. For who would have considered one who had become his own executioner as ^B worthy of burial, or would have sought to assist him in any other way? Learn, therefore, from this, that he received the end of his life in the very act of hanging. For see how he who is golden of tongue, in his eighty-fifth homily on the Gospel according to Matthew, discusses indeed the hanging of Judas and his decease; yet he says no more than that. Whence the saint implies that Judas did not survive for even a moment afterwards, as the majority have supposed. But the most divine Nilus also sets forth this very thing, saying: "What did the teaching and wonder-working of Christ profit Judas, if he ended his life later by the noose?" And the presbyter Ammonius confirms these things, saying that when Christ descended into Hades, all souls, even that of Judas himself, were released from their bonds, but not all followed Christ back up, only those that believed. If therefore Judas lived on after the hanging, how did the Lord find his soul bound in Hades? It is clear, ^C therefore, from this too, that he fulfilled his due in the very act of hanging. Yet he did not come to the noose, as some have supposed, with the intent of anticipating Christ and, by descending into Hades, obtaining forgiveness from Him there. For no one who is in possession of his senses would ever accept this. For he who had become so hardened in his understanding, and who had altogether despaired of his own salvation, how or in what manner would he have pondered such things within himself? How would he have contemplated descending into Hades and working out repentance there? Furthermore, from where did he hear, or by whose report did he learn, that Christ would descend to Hades and preach a message of repentance to those who were there, especially if indeed he hears daily the Prophet saying: "But in hell, who shall confess to Thee?" ^D Besides what has already been said, O most holy man, I desire that you should know what George Cedrenus the chronicler reports concerning Judas, so that this also might not be hidden from you. For he relates that Judas, being urged by the Apostles to approach and repent of his deed, constantly refused; and therefore, hearing that Christ had ascended into the heavens, he became so swollen that he burst asunder. And these things indeed concern the vanity of that opinion. That he, having despaired of his own salvation, and not hoping for salvation in Hades, sought the end of his life by the noose, the great Athanasius has clearly taught in his questions to Antiochus in these words: "There is nothing de-[...]

- speratione deterius qua correptus Judas sibi laqueum induit. Quod si res ita se habent, quomodo juxta Pappiam historicum Judas veluti magnum impietatis signum per mundum incessisset? Disce igitur hinc, o sacrum caput, non inconsulte, sed sedulo divinas legere Scripturas. De hoc enim Dominus dixit : Scrutamini Scripturas; illæ enim sunt quæ testimonium perhibent de me. Itaque hinc patet, quod nisi scrutati fuerimus Christum, id est veritatem, eum non inveniemus; veritas enim Christus, et Christus veritas. Δαβὶδ καθ' ἑκάστην ἀκούων λέγοντος, Ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τὶς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι; Πρὸς δέ γε τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ὁσιώτατε ἄνερ, καὶ τί περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα φησὶν ὁ χρονογράφος ἐκεῖνος Γεώργιος ὁ Κεδρηνός, εἰδέναι βούλομαί σε δι' εἴδησιν. Λέγει γὰρ ὅτι πολλὰ παρακαλούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὁ Ἰούδας, ὥστε προσελθεῖν καὶ βαλεῖν μετάνοιαν, οὐκ ἠθέλησεν, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ ἀκούσας, ὅτι ἀνελήφθη ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὠγκώθη, ὥστε καὶ μέσον λαχίσαι. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς ματαιολογίας ταύτης οὕτως· ὅτι δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν ὁ ἄθλιος ἀπογνούς, οὐ μὴν ἐν θέᾳ σωτηρίας ἐλπίζων τυχεῖν, τῷ δι' ἀγχόνης τέλει ἐχρήσατο, καὶ ὁ μέγας Ἀθανάσιος ἀριδήλως τοῦτο δεδήλωκεν, ἐν τοῖς πρὸς Ἀντίοχον κεφαλαίοις οὕτως εἰπών· Οὐδὲν χεῖρον ἀπογνώσεως, ᾗ συσχεθεὶς ὁ Ἰούδας ἀπήγξατο. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, πότε λοιπὸν ὁ Ἰούδας κατὰ τὸν ἱστορικὸν ἐκεῖνον Παππίαν μέγα τῷ κόσμῳ περιεπάτησε ἀσεβείας ὑπόδειγμα; Μάνθανε οὖν ἐντεῦθεν, ὦ ἱερὰ κεφαλή, μὴ παροδευτικῶς, ἀλλ' ἐρευνητικῶς τὴν θεόπνευστον ἀναγινώσκειν Γραφήν. Ἐπὶ τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Κύριος, Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφάς, ἔλεγεν· αὗται γὰρ μαρτυροῦσι περὶ ἐμοῦ. Εὔδηλον οὖν ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς εἴγε μὴ ἐρευνήσομεν, οὐκ ἂν εὑρήσομεν τὸν Χριστόν, τουτέστιν αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἀλήθεια γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ Χριστὸς ἡ ἀλήθεια.

IN EPISTOLAM SEQUENTEM MONITUM

The reading of the lives of the Saints, the blessed passing of the same, and their migration into heaven, impels the soul to desire the kingdom of heaven and those most joyful rewards which God has truly prepared for His worshippers. Yet, this most sweet hope is not slightly infringed, or certainly weakened, by the most pernicious and false opinion of certain Greeks, that the rewards (and therefore also the punishments) of souls are to be deferred until the consummation of the world and the resurrection of the bodies. A preeminent error, indeed, and one long since condemned by the Apostolic See and by the œcumenical synod of Florence; which, nevertheless, Thomas Burnet the Englishman attempted to revive: against whose importunate lucubration our great Muratori immediately cut the cords. In various works of the Greeks which we have published sparingly, we have demonstrated to the readers at different times the passages which favor the truth of this dogma. And indeed, in the seventh volume of the *Scriptores Veteres*, we also printed the Latin booklet of an anonymous ancient against the error of the Greeks. But now, in the Vallicellian papers of Leo Allatius, we have also observed some letters or sermons of Michael Glycas, that is, excellent disputations of a Greek man against his own countrymen; in which, with many arguments and many testimonies of the Fathers and ecclesiastical authors, he contends and demonstrates that the rewards of pious souls released from their bodies are not deferred; likewise their intercession with God for us, the knowledge and care they have of our affairs, and altogether the relationship of the saints among themselves, that is to say, the communion of the blessed with us, who are still journeying on earth. From the three letters of Glycas therefore transcribed by Allatius, we commit to the press the last one, as it is longer and more excellent: omitting the former ones, parts or fragments of which Allatius himself produced in his dissertation on the ecclesiastical books of the Greeks. Furthermore, to the writing of Glycas which we have selected, we have prefixed another fragment by an anonymous author; which the same Allatius noted he had transcribed from the Vatican Palatine codex 146, f. 60, 6; in which fragment likewise the aforementioned dogma is clearly defended.

INCERTI, UTRUM IN COELIS SINT ANIMAE. ἈΔΗΛΟΥ, ΕΙ ἘΝ ΟΥΡΑΝΟΙΣ ΕΙΣΙΝ ΑΙ ΨΥΧΑΙ.

a'. That the souls of the saints are in heaven, Gregory of Nyssa says: "Let us not, therefore, be troubled, brethren, at being released from these earthly things; for he who from here...

behaves himself as a rational creature, will remember the things that were clearer and more distinct than if he were still in life." ^A For much more will the soul, after death, being freed from the shackles of the body, and having become naked of its own passions, bearing its faculty of memory then more purely, and its intellectual perception, remember its own deeds more clearly than while it was still living... (The leaf is missing.) ^B And there are three ranks: the first is the triadical order: Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim. These are the places of rest; here the water of rest is God, sitting upon a throne of glory and bestowing hundredfold rewards upon those who have borne fruit to the perfect measure of the hundred. The second is: Dominions, Virtues, and Powers. These are the verdant places of refreshment—the verdure of the rest of the Holy Spirit—affording manifold rewards to those who have borne fruit to the measure of the sixty. The third is: Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. These are the bright and divine places where there is the tabernacle of rest, the new heavens and the new earth, and the sun of righteousness is Christ our God, bestowing the crowns of righteousness upon those who have borne hundredfold fruit to the thirty-fold measure of protection and reception. For every holy man among us will acquire his own hierarchy and rank ^C among the celestial virtues; and whose place he filled in the ecclesiastical hierarchy among us, to that one he ascends after death, being joined to it, and he rests, finding it to be a bright place of God’s rest.

^D And the souls of the sinners, as if full of darkness and foul odor and filth, are taken by angels who are ministers of punishment and darkness, against their will and with terrible fear, trembling, and dread, into the recesses of Hades and into gloomy prisons; they are delivered to the jailers, the unclean spirits, where the prince of darkness is kept in everlasting fire with his fellows. One must know that the mystical rites and sacrifices offered for those who have committed the sin that is unto death are performed in vain; but to those who have not so sinned, they are of the greatest benefit. And the sin unto death is unbelief, and despair, and an impenitent heart, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and to deny Christ, and to die as a heretic in some heresy.

§ 5. One must also know this, that the apostles divided the forty days of the old mourning into three parts: into the third, the ninth, and the fortieth day. For so also the Lord Himself, after His three-day resurrection, manifested Himself to the disciples, the doors being shut, and breathed on them, saying: "Receive the Holy Ghost." And after eight days, lo, after the resurrection, He appeared to them a second time within the eight days; for when the Evangelist said "after eight days," he did not count the day of the resurrection; if that is included, nine are counted. According to this model, we perform the memorials of the holy departed a second time from the day of burial until the ninth day; likewise also for the forty days, since on the fortieth day the Lord was taken up.

^A Were the Creator not the one who suffered, surely the creatures would not have suffered with Him. With respect to the darkness at the time of the cross, it was already predicted by Isaiah who says: "I will clothe the heaven with darkness, and will make sackcloth its covering." It was also predicted by Amos himself: "The sun," he says, "shall set at midday, and the light shall grow dark upon the earth in the day." What is more paradoxical, the prophet adding something even more incredible with the words: "The sun shall set at midday," speaking of the very hour in which the Lord was crucified: "For it was about the sixth hour."

But you do not accept these things that are said; you think them a deception and a falsehood, and you do not believe them, nor have you ever believed. You have long been hard-hearted; you have suffered from unbelief from the beginning. Having once enjoyed so many good things in the desert, and having become a spectator of so many miracles, you did not remain with the God who worked these things, but you grumbled at every hour and tempted the Lord, saying: "Is the Lord among us, or not?" ^B And, greatest of all, you sought gods who would go before you. And what need is there to contend about miracles? If you wish, maintain that this very arrival of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to us, which took place in the five thousand five hundredth year from the foundation of the world, has not yet come, and thus you will show us to be entirely occupied with vanity. But you deceive yourself, O contentious, arrogant, and puffed up one; the Lord has rendered this counsel of yours void, just as He did long ago the counsel of Ahithophel, by the same noose of helplessness in which you are being choked according to him.

^C Hearing also from Theodoret as an interpreter on Psalm VII, who recounts the matter thus: "The blessed David, fleeing the wretch and parricidal son, found Hushai as a helper; he persuaded Absalom not to pursue his father immediately upon the suggestion of Ahithophel, but to gather all the people, and only then to campaign against his begetter. Ahithophel, therefore, being vexed and greatly distressed because the counsel of Hushai had appeared preferable, became his own executioner and received his end by hanging." The blessed David, fleeing his wicked and parricidal son, found for his aid Hushai, who persuaded Absalom not to pursue his father immediately according to the counsel of Ahithophel, but to first gather all the people, and then move war against his parent. Deeply affected by grief and thoroughly troubled, Ahithophel, because the counsel of Hushai had appeared more excellent, became his own murderer and ended his life by hanging. You may also see Josephus, *Jewish Antiquities*, book VII, chapter 9, recounting this history more fully. Salianus in *Annales Eccles. Vet. Test.* at the year of the world 2980, volume III, page 420, number 18, bringing forth the words of verse 23, chapter XVII, book II of Kings, which are of this kind: "The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man had consulted the oracle of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel," mistakenly thinks that Ahithophel is praised by Scripture, and, against the faith of the Holy Fathers, calls him the most prudent of all the king's counselors. "But truly," says Estius, "it is the cunning of Ahithophel that is praised, not his probity or virtue in a true sense; and Ahithophel is praised in the way the Lord in Luke praises the steward of iniquity, and says that the children of this world are wiser in their own generation than the children of light."

^A and to depart and be with Christ. What then, O holy head, could anyone say to this? If, therefore, the departed souls of the saints are present with Christ and behold His glory, as they themselves desired, what prevents them from interceding face to face for us and making Him propitious regarding our transgressions? For if that seer of God, Moses, was so near to God—and this while walking in this life—that he conversed with God Himself mouth to mouth and in bodily form, and interceded for Israel without hesitation, saying: "If You will forgive them, forgive; but if not, blot me out also with them," why should we not say that those who have changed their life in the Lord, having become closer to God, intercede for us face to face before God? Do those who stand before earthly kings and share their confidence not offer petitions, and sometimes even free certain condemned men from their guilt?

^B And who will have the strength to contradict this? And this is so, even as the blessed Theodore the Studite disposed regarding his own disciples at the time he was traveling abroad, saying: "If, having departed, I find confidence before God, I shall not cease to pray for you." That these things are so, the theologian Gregory also showed more clearly in his funeral oration for Basil the Great, saying of that divine man: "And now indeed he is in the heavenly sanctuaries, entering into the inner parts of the veil, interceding face to face with God for us." And of this, do not marvel, nor say: "How do those who have been so completely freed from the body remember again those in the body?" For if that rich man, scorched in the flames of Hades, so dwelled upon his past life within himself that he remembered his father's house and fervently prayed for his brothers, saying: "Father Abraham, send Lazarus to the house of my father, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them so they do not suffer the same things, nor arrive at this place of torment," why should we not say that the departed souls of the saints remember the things here even more clearly, and pray to God more fervently for those whom they desire?

^C And do not tell me that these things concerning the rich man were spoken parabolically, and that therefore an evident truth is not derived from them; for you have the great Basil himself accepting this parable, and setting out from there, speaking thus: "For even if those who have acted like that rich man pay the just penalties for what they owe, yet their intellectual faculty is not turned to madness by way of punishment; for they will not appear as inferior to the prior knowledge which they held firmly in the flesh, but rather will have a clearer vision." Do not, therefore, doubt that the departed souls of the saints are present with Christ, even with the blessed Paul saying, as was said above: "I desire to depart and be with Christ." And they dwell in Paradise; for the Lord says to the blessed thief, and to every saint: "Today you will be with me in Paradise"; but furthermore, they are not prohibited from entering heaven itself. For this way He Himself...

has granted us to tread, entering as the forerunner into the upper dwelling-place. For if this were not so, the Apostle himself would not have called Him the forerunner; for a forerunner is strictly both and is called a forerunner. And just as He did not name Him the first-born from the dead without reason or by chance, because of those who will rise in common at the final time, so too he said that He entered as a forerunner into the upper dwelling-place, not idly, but strictly for the sake of those who ^A are to enter there after Him. But if these things are so, if those who have changed their life in Him are present with Christ, why should we deny that they intercede for us, and appear in visions and in sleep?

We find this dogma confirmed by others before the rest; for in the life of the great martyr Anastasia the Roman, it says also this: Blessed Theodota, appearing to the martyr Anastasia who was in prison about the sixth hour of the night, strengthened her for the contests; and she, having left nothing good unexamined, asked this too, saying, in what way, after having died, did she visit her? And she said that this had been granted by God to the souls of the martyrs, that after the departure from here, they should visit whomsoever they wished, and deem them worthy of conversation and consolation. This the theologian Gregory also confirms, saying: ^B "Then I shall see Caesarius, splendid, glorious, rejoicing, such as you appeared to me in a dream, most beloved of brothers."

7. Do not, therefore, disbelieve the things that are said; for see that also at the time when those who have lived according to God depart, they have seen visions of saints; and this is manifest from what happened to the great Daniel the Stylite, to the great Sabas, and to others of the saints, not a few. For when they were being separated from the body, saints from the ages, both righteous men and martyrs, stood by them, calling them with the heavenly powers. If, therefore, it were not true that the souls of the saints, having departed from here, stand by those on earth, that patriarch Photius, following the great Gregory the Dialogist, would not have said thus: "To the small ^C remains of the saints, the operation of signs is given all the more because of the unbelief of the many; for to them as a whole, no reasoning stands in the way, that these things cannot perform miracles by the oversight of the triumphant souls, who struggled together in the contests and labors of the bodies." What is clearer than this? For by the oversight, he says, of the triumphant souls, the relics of the saints perform wonders. For truthful is God, who said to those who in them—to the apostles and all who have lived in a manner pleasing to God—"Behold, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the world."

8. Do not, therefore, doubt any longer, nor say, how can those moved elsewhere be present to those here? For even to the saints who have passed away, the grace of the all-holy Spirit is present; ^D and hence they appear in their temples, and stand by those who call upon them, and do all other things according to the will of God.

^A For, he says, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Do not, therefore, inquire further how those who have departed elsewhere appear again to those who are here. For if that prophet Habakkuk, while still detained by the burden of the flesh, reached the Chaldean land from Jerusalem in one and the same hour, bringing food to the prophet Daniel in the lions' den, why should we not say that the souls of the saints also appear to those who call upon them? Dismiss, therefore, the "how," for where the grace of God is, there is no place for inquiring into the "how." That they appear, I know, for I do not oppose the traditions of the Fathers; but how, I do not know. He who is wonderful in his saints knows. That I live and am nourished, I know; but how, I do not know. And that the soul is joined to the body, I know; but how, I do not know. And that it is incorporeal and immaterial, I know, for I have heard it; but what is its form and what it is in its essence, I do not know, because this has remained inexpressible. For how could anyone know that which was created in the image of the uncircumscribed and incomprehensible God? If the essence of the soul could be grasped, so too could the prototype of the image itself. But if the prototype is incomprehensible, the image of the prototype is of necessity also incomprehensible. Hence, many things have been philosophized concerning it, but no one has ever been able to grasp its nature, as it was created in the image, as has been said, of the incomprehensible and inaccessible God.

^B Dismiss, therefore, the "how" in the case of paradoxes, lest you also be judged for unbelief in this matter. "For if you do not believe," he says, "you will not understand." How did the apostles from the ends of the earth, and these burdened by this heavy body, gather together at the time of the transition of the all-holy Theotokos? Why should we not say that angels came here in place of the apostles? How did Paul ascend to the third heaven and thence be carried away into paradise and hear ineffable words? How shall the just be caught up to meet the Lord in the air? How did Moses and Elias stand together on the mountain with the transfigured Christ? Just as all these things are paradoxical, yet they happened and we believe them, so it is fitting for you to think concerning the souls of the saints that have departed. And that they appear to those who are here, believe from what you have heard above; but the "how," leave to the Lord Himself. For we are not permitted to conceive of anything more than what He allows, lest we suffer something like what Lucifer, who fell, suffered. For not being able to bear the splendor given to him by the Lord—inasmuch as it was immense—he was suddenly overturned and fell in a great collapse to the earth. ^C For this reason, also, the things revealed to the great Paul at the time he was caught up were transmitted in silence. For if they had resulted in ruin it would have been profitable, but surely he who is the teacher of the world would not have passed them over in silence! For how would he not have decided to be silent? Since he himself said that he was given a thorn for his own flesh, lest he be exalted by the abundance of the revelations.

__ ^A that we should in no way touch those things which are above comprehension, but rather acknowledge our defeat in these matters, and say with the divine David: "Thy knowledge is become wonderful from me; it is strengthened, I shall not be able to attain to it." For to the saints who have fallen asleep in Christ, supernatural gifts have also been imparted; they hear us when we pray, and they assist the oppressed for the sake of comfort, as has been said from above. For if those who, like me, have passed their lives in sloth, perceive the good deeds performed here on their behalf, as we are taught by the holy Scriptures, how much more do those who have served the commandments in Christ himself. Hence also the Theologian Gregory, in his funeral oration to his sister, among other things said: "Accept the present discourse, O blessed one; for this was granted to those like you by God, that they might perceive such things."

^B

Epistola XIX.

To Nitum the monk.

Epistola XIX. Prayers for the dead and alms are not performed in vain.

That therefore we ought not to hesitate at all regarding the good deeds performed by some—for the sake of the pious, but also for sinners—let the disciples of Christ and the apostles persuade us before others, who ordained that the third, ninth, and fortieth day, and indeed even the annual commemoration, be performed publicly for the departed. For if the divine Gregory of Nyssa, following the holy apostles, is found saying: "Nothing is handed down from the disciples of Christ without reason or without profit, but the matter is entirely useful, to perform the memorial of the sleeping faithful at the divine mystery," ^C much more does it behoove us to follow without hesitation. For if, as we have said, we are not forbidden to offer sacrifice on behalf of those who have died in sins, and the great Basil, in the third prayer which is said on the day of Pentecost, clearly teaches this, [it is a subject] that has been sufficiently argued before God, both by many critics and by theologians. ^D

^A The divinest Malachi, crying out with a loud voice, spoke the same things to those who have been discussed: "I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord, neither will I accept an offering at your hands; for from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure sacrifice; but you profane them." Did these things happen, or not? Is the unbloody and pure sacrifice offered to God in every place among the Gentiles, or not? But why speak at length? Let us hear the prophet saying: "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; and he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people." Tell me, then, what is the law that went forth from Zion, and who are those who received it? The nations, certainly; for they were convicted as having wandered from the faith, and they received the law of Christ, which he indeed gave to his disciples in Jerusalem, and through them to all the nations. "Out of Zion shall go forth the law"—for it was necessary for the new people from the nations to be given a new law, just as Jeremiah says: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt." Therefore, let them either say what is the law that was given from Zion, ^B or let them accept the new legislation of Christ. For after his resurrection from the dead, just as the prophets had foretold, he ascended into the heavens and thundered—that is, he granted this very new covenant through the all-holy Spirit. But you say to me: if he were the Son of God, he truly rose again. And listen: if this happened, would you have believed? Certainly not; for he who did not believe those things which had gone before would not have believed in his resurrection even if it had happened in the sight of all. Do you not know of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead on the fourth day? How did you not believe? What is more incredible than the sun being darkened when Christ was crucified? What is greater than the dead rising, rocks being split, and the very veil of the temple being torn in two? Are these not more wonderful than all miracles, indeed, even excluding the resurrection itself? How, having been a spectator of such wonders, did you not believe? ^C Truly, that of Isaiah has been fulfilled: "Their heart has grown fat; they have ears, and do not hear; they have eyes, and do not see." But concerning the resurrection of the dead that occurred in the time of Christ our Savior, it was spoken by the divinest prophet: "He will heal and cure us after two days; but on the third day we shall rise again, and we shall live in his presence."

Truly, however, you put this forward to me as well, saying: "What is new here? If your Christ, having performed signs, led a not-insignificant people into error? For behold, we learn that Muhammad also performed many signs, and from that he has deceived a not-insignificant people. If, therefore, Christ is God on account of the signs performed by him, then by this same reasoning Muhammad will also be God." But listen: the signs of Muhammad are ^D manifest

^A in their own way, and by many other things, but especially because no prophet was able to predict him in any way whatsoever; and those things concerning Christ are found to be perfectly true, having their foundation in the prophets. And if you wish, I will again cite the testimony of the Word from Sophonias. "The Lord shall appear over all the nations, and they shall worship him, each from his own place." ^B Who is he that appeared to all the nations, Christ or Muhammad? Which of those gods of the nations did he utterly destroy, and he who caused one God to be worshipped by all, in all places—is it Christ or Muhammad? Answer, if you are able. If the prophecy of Sophonias does not end in Christ, then it is in Muhammad, or simply in some other person from the ages. But you cannot say this, unless you refer it to the one and only Christ, condemned by you, the Son of God! But that the prophets were ^C formerly proclaiming the things concerning him is evident from this: for after his presence, no prophet arose according to his prediction. For the Law and the prophets were until John; since when the one who was to be proclaimed had come, the mystery concerning him was understood, so there was no longer any need for a prophet. And why is there need to say much, when all the prophets were proclaiming with a great voice the presence of Christ? The admirable Daniel has pointed him out almost clearly, specifying even the moment of his arrival. For what reason, ^D and to what end? "Lest, through ignorance, men should be led astray, and we should receive one Christ instead of another." This, then, is the problem regarding Muhammad, my friend, and it is a rotten and unstable one.

"But having turned away from trouble towards another path, and mindful of the evangelical words, you add, saying to me: 'How shall I reckon him to be God, since he says according to the Law to the one who said to him, "Good Teacher," he said, "No one is good except God alone"?'" And first, I ask of you: "What fellowship has light with darkness?" How is it that you attempt to open the evangelical sense while the veil of your mind is drawn over your eyes? ^A "Remove the veil, and you will see the glory of the Lord." For it is said, "Reveal my eyes, and I will consider the wondrous things of your Law." "Remove the bitterness from your mouth, and you will taste the honey of the Gospel, and feast upon ineffable sweetness." These are the words that are a stumbling block to you.

^A in order to inform his own servant regarding this matter, inspired the word of truth into the withered skull of the high priest of the idols, which he had happened upon on his journey; and when questioned, it replied as follows: "When you offer sacrifices for the dead, then we feel slight consolation. Therefore, we must assist one another as much as we have strength, and in the manner we have spoken, help must be given to the departed." For, according to John Damascene, God readily accepts things offered even for those who departed unready and unprepared, and these offerings made by their relatives in fulfillment of their deficiencies, He treats and reckons as a deed and act for them. Pay heed, therefore. For this God-filled man, in his discourse on those who have fallen asleep, brings forward the great Athanasius, who says of these things: "Even if one who has been perfected in piety is placed in the air, do not refuse to place candles and oil at the tomb, having invoked Christ the ^B God. For these are acceptable to God, and carry with them from Him a great reward; and the candle and the oil are even more like a whole burnt offering; just as the bloodless sacrifice is an expiation, and benevolence toward the poor is an addition to every good reward. Whence they are not slightly helpful, even if such things are offered to God by others." ^C And wanting to demonstrate this, and to make his servant certain concerning this matter, the Lord inspired the word of truth into the withered skull of the high priest of the idols, which he himself had happened upon on his journey; and when questioned, it replied: "When you offer sacrifices for the dead, then we feel a small consolation. Therefore, we must assist one another as much as we have strength, and in the manner in which we have spoken, help must be given to the dead." For, according to John of Damascus, He readily accepts what is offered even for those who have departed unprovided and unprepared, if anything is offered by their relatives and kin in supplementing their debts, and He ascribes and reckons these things in place of works and actions. Pay attention, therefore. For this God-filled author, in his oration on the dead, brings forward the great Athanasius, who discourses about these very things as follows: "Even if someone is laid to rest in the air, provided he has finished his life in piety, do you nevertheless by no means refrain from setting candles and oil at the sepulcher, having first invoked Christ God. For these are acceptable to God, and they elicit that He give back to us more than He has received. For we set oil and candles as a burnt offering; by the sacrifice that is void of blood, we appease and soothe God; by ^D beneficence toward the poor, we obtain a greater retribution of all good things. Hence they provide no little utility, even if they are offered to God by others." The great Cyril, confirming these same things and showing that commemorations benefit the departed in the highest degree, and that it is no wonder if the sacrifice is offered to God by one person but the benefit passes to another, adds these things: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, speaking in this way to the centurion, when he said to Him: 'I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but only speak a word, and my servant shall be healed' (Matt. VIII, 8; Luke VII, 6), said: 'Go, and as thou hast believed, so let it be done to thee' (Matt. VIII, 13), most clearly showed that through the faith of another, even he who is not present is saved. Do not, therefore, hesitate any further. For if things offered by one for another are useless, then even the things performed in the divine bath for the sake of the one being enlightened benefit him in no way, since the assent and the renunciation are performed by others, and not by those receiving the illumination." If these things are so, and the commemorations are in every way most profitable and truly acceptable—for if this were not so, the apostles and disciples of Christ would never have ordained, as has been said above, that commemorations be held for the dead at prescribed times, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

EPISTOLA XX. (Fragm.)

^A Verily, if you give all the worldly wealth of the world for such infidels, as the disciples of Christ declare, it will profit them nothing at all. If these things are so, what must we say concerning the power of holy prayers? For what the giving of worldly goods to the poor cannot accomplish, the prayer of a just man has accomplished paradoxically. For the great Gregory, called the Dialogist, having supplicated God for the remission of the sins of the Emperor Trajan, who ended his life in impiety, did not fail in his request. But also the first martyr, Thecla, having supplicated God for a certain Gentile woman, by name Falconilla, delivered her from eternal torments. And the great Macarius, having encountered on the road the dried-up skull of the high priest of the idols, and having asked it about those things he desired to learn, heard from it—for God then inspired true words into it—^B "When you offer sacrifices for the dead, then we feel small consolations." Furthermore, the Emperor Maurice, having walked in sin, even worse than what might be forgiven—for he delivered a countless throng of the army to the sword of the barbarians—escaped eternal punishment through the prayers of holy men.

EPISTLE XXI. (Fragment)

EPISTLE XXII. (Fragment)

^A the souls of the saints pass through the joyless place of Hades, yet they are not detained, except for those who, living in luxury and delights, brought upon themselves the death that comes through sin. Wherefore, the souls of the saints will indeed pass through the gates of Hades. For the disciple is not above the master. Yet, they will not be held fast as heretofore, when sin reigned together with death. They will pass through, however, that they may learn the mysteries there, accomplished beyond nature by the Lord: how He conquered, and how, having shattered those bars, He has risen. This same thing also the Theologian Gregory, intimating in his oration on Pascha, says: 'If He descended into Hades, descend thou also. Know also the mysteries of Christ there, and what was the stewardship of the twofold descent.'"

EPISTLE XXIII

That those who rashly surmise that Paul was one of the twelve disciples of Christ are not to be heeded.

Regarding the difficulty you propose ^B concerning the blessed Paul, most noble man, as to whether he was co-opted into the choir of the twelve disciples of Christ: you ought to know that this most great Apostle exists outside that number of twelve. For his calling occurred much later, as you know, even after the ascension of our Savior and the descent itself of the most Holy Spirit—after, that is, he had persecuted the Church of Christ, after he had consented to the taking-off of Stephen the Protomartyr, and after he had received letters from the high priests to go against the Christians. For then that unspeakable lightning ^C shone round about him in the midst of the way; then he heard a voice from above saying: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" And then the lamps of his body were quenched. Whence he is sent to Ananias and receives baptism from him. But all these things happened long after the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

What need is there to say much? Read the book of the Acts. It recounts by name the twelve disciples of Christ, who had received that paradoxical gift of tongues through the arrival of the Holy Spirit. But you will not find Paul there, but Peter, and Andrew, John, James his brother, Matthew, Philip, Bartholomew, Simon the Zealot, James the son of Alphaeus, and Judas his brother, Thomas, and that Matthias who, being previously one of the seventy disciples, was nevertheless ^D chosen by lot in place of Judas the traitor by Peter together with the eleven, as the God-inspired Luke records. These men, then, who have been mentioned, twelve in number, were alone at that time and were the first to receive the grace of the most Holy Spirit. Whence we say that the blessed Paul is outside that number of twelve. But as for those who say that he too was one of the twelve...

let them either show one who fell away, and again from there let them cease saying that Paul was one of the twelve. For if no one had departed from there, and if the disciples had not again become eleven, how did the blessed one enter? And in what way was he reckoned with the company of the twelve? Do not, therefore, consider as easily acceptable those things which are brought forward so truly by some, even though you have been nurtured in the divine writings of the Fathers. For since each of the disciples completed his own race, since he kept the faith even to his own end—and the records set forth for their sake by Dorotheus, bishop of Tyre and martyr, make this clear—then, therefore, how can we say that anyone was cast out of the choir so that Paul might enter in his place? There is that one wretched man who fell from the choir and left his position to another, Judas Iscariot, concerning whom it is also written in the Psalms ^A that "his bishopric let another take."

But even if Paul is not reckoned with the choir of the twelve, his honors are not thereby diminished, nor does he take second place to the remaining disciples. Far from it! For if the Lord chose those first twelve, if He deemed them worthy of much honor, if He promised that they would sit upon twelve thrones, if they will be fellow-diners with Him on that day because they remained with Him—yet we have elsewhere the Lord Himself saying thus to the sons of Zebedee, when they asked for the right and left seat: "It is not mine to give this, but to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." Therefore, if the things of that honor are not given by grace, but according to the struggles which each one displays, do not marvel if those who have struggled like Paul are found to be ^B partners and fellow-participants in the honor of the twelve. And why say many things? If no one laboured more than Paul, it is clear that no one would stand higher than Paul there, as the golden-tongued John says. Learn, therefore, from this, that Paul is a partner and participant in that ineffable glory which the twelve and the first disciples of Christ obtained, and yet he does not fill their number, as the discourse has already made known.

To Andronicus Palaeologus

Nevertheless, although Paul is not included in the number twelve, his honors are not on that account diminished, nor is he inferior to the remaining disciples. Perish the thought. For although the Lord chose those first twelve, whom He also honored with the greatest dignities; ^C although He promised that they would sit on twelve thrones; although they will be table-companions to Him on that day, because they remained with Him; yet we have the Lord Himself elsewhere saying thus to the sons of Zebedee, when they requested the right and left seat: "It is not mine to grant this, but to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." Therefore, if that honor is not exhibited by grace, but according to the contests which each has fought, it is not to be wondered at if those who have contended like Paul are to be companions and fellow-participants in the honor of the twelve. Why are many things brought forward? If no one toiled more than Paul, it is plain that no one will sit higher than Paul there, as John of the golden mouth says. Learn, therefore, from this, that Paul is ^D a companion and participant in that glory which cannot be expressed in words, of which the twelve and the first disciples of Christ became partakers, and yet he does not fill the number of those, just as the discourse has already demonstrated.

Epistle XXIV. On the Day of Lights. Whether it is more worthy than the Solemnity of Christ's Nativity.

If you too, most noble man, along with others, have heard Gregory the Theologian calling the day of Lights more radiant than the very birth of Christ—which John of the golden mouth extols to such a degree that he even calls it the metropolis of all the feasts—do not marvel at this, nor assume that the expounders of the Spirit are at variance with one another. For if you apply your mind, you will discover that the golden-tongued one exalts the Nativity for one reason, while the Theologian calls the day of Lights more radiant for another. For the divine John, looking to the very ineffable dispensation of God, and how He inclined the heavens and descended...

and became man according to us, ^A exalts the matter, and holds it in great wonder. And how indeed would he not wonder at this great mystery, if even to those hearing it, it seemed incredible alone? And hear what God Himself says to the Jews through the most loud-voiced of the prophets: "Behold, you despisers, and wonder; for I work a work in your days, which you will not believe, if one should declare it unto you" (Hab. 1, 5). Therefore, the Holy Scripture calls Him a stone of stumbling and a rock of scandal for no other reason whatever than for those who take scandal at Him, and do not piously receive the mystery that God became man. Pay attention, therefore. For the baptism of the Son of God is not as worthy of wonder as the fact that He became man, just like us. For if He had not become man, He would never have come to be baptized. And this is manifest from the words of the Lord Himself: "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matth. 3, 15); that is, since He has become man, it is necessary to fulfill all human things. This is the cause for which the most divine John so greatly exalts the birth; for it stuns the mind, the hearing, and the understanding.

But nonetheless, Gregory the Theologian, making a comparison not of the events themselves—I mean of the birth and the baptism—but of what followed upon them, called the feast of Lights more radiant. And with good reason. For there, in the birth, there is the course of a newly appearing star, the arrival of the Magi, the amazement of the shepherds, and the hymn of the angels; but here, that is to say in the baptism, not the course of a star, but a voice from above from the Father Himself, most clearly saying, "This is my Son" (Matth. 3, 17), and the Holy Spirit descending upon the Son, and confirming the word of the Father. For regarding this, the Forerunner also said: "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize, He said to me, 'Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, He is my beloved Son'" (John 1, 33). And to speak simply, in the Jordan the knowledge of the Holy Trinity came to be. Since, therefore, these things are greater than those which were seen and done at the birth, for this reason the Theologian called the feast of Lights more radiant. ^B For at that time, things hitherto hidden were revealed. For even if the mystery of the incarnation is great, it was not made clear to anyone. For it shrouded His ineffable birth, as being not easily acceptable due to the incredibility of the miracle. For if this had not been the case, the woman who had not known man would not have been called the wife of Joseph. Thus, therefore, most noble one, by taking the sayings of the saints and interpreting them in this way correctly, you will never fall from the truth.

EPISTLE XXV. To Esaias the monk. — Regarding not assimilating the monastic life to baptism (1).

That he is indeed a farsighted and divine man...

EPISTLE XIV

^A I have yet another thing to say to you regarding these matters. Since Christ called himself man, though not God—as you yourself testify—why then did they crucify him? Yet not for this reason. For what cause, then? Because he was considered to be acting against the law and breaking the Sabbath. And how and in what manner? Tell me. Because he made the paralytic walk on the Sabbath; because he straightened the woman who was bent over; because he raised the man who had been dead four days. And what law-breaking was in these deeds? If one who pulls a beast out of a pit on the Sabbath is not said to break the law, does he who brings a dead man, already stinking, back to life break the law? Oh, what unjust judgment! Oh, the delusion of your minds, that among you a beast is judged to be worth more than a man! But why, O wretched and senseless man, do you hold so tenaciously to the honor of the Sabbath? Long ago, when God gave the commandment that the Sabbath should be honored and that no work should be done by us upon it, if it happened that a child was eight days old, He commanded us to break the Sabbath and to circumcise him without hindrance; He thereby clearly showed that when the age of the truly eighth day should come—which is the holy Lord’s Day, for it follows the seventh, whence it is also called the eighth—the honor of the Sabbath would be abolished. And this can very fittingly be called a circumcision: for in it our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and sin was set aside, and the arrogant pride of the demons was crushed. And what need is there to say much? ^B Long ago, God signified the abolition of the Sabbath through the eighth-day circumcision, as we have already stated, and no less also later through Jeremiah, when He promised to establish a new covenant. Do not, therefore, be vexed, nor contend against us contentiously, if, along with other things, the honor of the Sabbath is also transformed; for since the covenant is new, its decrees must also be new.

Now, that was altogether a thing inclined to the worship of many gods, whence Clement of Alexandria calls them most justly "idol-maniacs," a view held by almost all the Greek Fathers, as also by our Glycas. Theodoretus, in his Discourse of Healings, clearly teaches this, saying: "The all-wise Lord did not teach all the dogmas concerning the Trinity idlely, lest they find a pretext for polytheism by leaning toward the error of the Egyptians." That is to say: The most wise God did not in any way deliver all the mysteries of the Trinity to them openly, lest those prone to the error of the Egyptians should find an occasion for a multitude of gods. ^C But Isidore of Pelusium, in the above-cited epistle, examining the matter more precisely, says: "If someone should ask, 'Why were these things not proclaimed clearly and explicitly from the beginning?' I would answer that, for those who listen understandingly, this is indeed a brilliant demonstration and instruction, as also seemed good to the wise Philo. But if it was spoken in a shadowed way, one must consider that, in legislating for the Jews who were prone to polytheism, He did not see fit to introduce a distinction of persons, lest, by defining that there is a different nature in the hypostases, they should devolve into idolatry; but rather, having learned the lesson of the monarchy from the beginning, they might gradually be taught the dogma of the hypostases, which again reverts to the unity of nature." This is: "If someone asks the cause why these things were not preached from the beginning in clear and transparent words, I would answer him: first and foremost, that for those who listen prudently and sharply, this is a clear and open demonstration and doctrine, just as it seemed to the learned Philo. And even if we grant that it was delivered obscurely and figuratively, it must be observed that, because He was prescribing laws for the Jews who were inclined toward the worship of many gods, He did not speak of a distinction of persons at all, ^D lest they—professing that there is a different nature in the [divine] persons—should lapse into the worship of idols; rather, having been first educated in the dogma of the one principality and authority, they might gradually learn the doctrine of the persons. This is to be understood regarding the base rabble of the Jews and subsequent times, not regarding their holy and ancient prophets."

(22) The Fathers who fought for the truth of the Christian faith used the same argument to restrain the perfidy of the Jews, who boast only in circumcision and the religion of the Sabbath. Above all, however, the martyr Justin should be consulted in his Dialogue, where he refutes Trypho, showing in a more expansive discourse than our Glycas that God would never have commanded that newborn infants be circumcised on the eighth day, and that priests should offer sacrifices on the Sabbath, if the religion of this day were to be kept forever, as they contend, who are "uncircumcised in the flesh," yet even more "crass in heart and spirit." See also the same author’s Response to Question 27 to the Orthodox, in which one may read almost similar things.

is a mark of the grievance, and [here] it is black; for the garment of mourning would be that alone which is indicative of tears. For see that all men also, when they mourn their own dead, encircle themselves with black garments. Therefore, those who approach through repentance are dressed in black, since they have chosen to mourn themselves as being already dead in their transgressions. The black color, then, signifies nothing other than mourning, as has been said, and tears. For if this [color] also provided forgiveness of faults, just as does the divine laver, he would not have called such a thing a laborious baptism; but having called it "laborious," he clearly showed that it cannot release sins without toil and tears. For according to the divine Fathers, one baptism is acknowledged—an arduous and laborious granting of the solution of offenses. Concerning this, the golden-mouthed John also explains word for word in his interpretation of the Gospel according to Matthew, thus: "Has someone fallen into fornication after baptism? No consolation is left here for the sin."

^B Let not the holy rite of this monastic habit therefore beguile us who are too sluggish. That it renders the one tonsured worthy of divine understanding, and fills him with much boldness against the intellectual enemies, I myself also agree. But that it is able to remit sins for the one being perfected, I cannot altogether see. For if this were the case, it would be much more fitting for the one being ordained for any reason—because of the sacred liturgy performed over him and the visitation of the All-Holy Spirit—to be completely delivered from his own offenses. And yet, he drags his lawlessness behind him like a long rope, even if the most holy high priest of all should sing over him, if I may say so, divine chants and incantations, and invoke the grace of the All-Holy Spirit. But also, the divine Gregory of Nyssa, by granting the participation of the mysteries to some who had fallen into terrible crimes at the time of their departure, yet forbidding them from their communion should they unexpectedly recover, shows plainly that accessing ^C repentance does not grant the effortless solution of errors. For if it granted it straightway, as does the divine laver, he would not have prevented those who had recovered from participating in the holy mysteries of Christ. That soul-sicknesses, just like bodily wounds, require much care and ^D time before they are healed, is clear from the things that follow them afterward; the history of the prophet David sets this forth most clearly. For the forgiveness of his transgressions was not granted to him without toil, as the majority think, when Nathan the prophet rebuked him and he confessed to have sinned, but [it was granted] in much toil and in the bringing upon him of myriad misfortunes. And yet, it was a great thing that a king, having been rebuked by a private individual, was neither angered nor incensed, but was rather humbled and confessed his sin. But not even in this way was the easy solution of the sin awarded to him. For while he was listening to the things being rebuked by Nathan, David said, "The Lord liveth"

^A" , and he heard from him again this very judgment: "You are the one who has done this. And now the sword shall not depart from your house unto eternity. Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor, and they shall sleep with them in the sight of the sun; for you did it in secret, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel."

Upon these things, then, David said to Nathan: "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said: "The Lord has also put away your sin; you shall not die." For you, he says, passed sentence of death upon the person brought before you, and death was the penalty for him. But you shall not die. For the Lord has "put away" your sin, that is, He postponed the vengeance because of your humility and the confession of the sin. That an amnesty for his transgressions was not being given to him through the prophet, nor a perfect remission, is understood thence by those who pay attention. For the history says that he suffered everything that had been threatened against him through the prophet before his confession, even after his confession.

If, however, for David, who received the reproof so gently—and that while in royal power—the remission of his sins was not granted without labor (for he fell into myriad calamities on account of them), what must be said regarding others? I myself have not been able, up to this point, to easily think or pronounce anything about this matter, especially since the very name of this monastic and sacred habit clearly shows ^C that it cannot provide in itself, by itself, the solution of sins. For it is called a "profession" of repentance. Indeed, he who is invested with this professes repentance for the transgressions already committed. But he who has made a profession is not immediately reckoned as having already done it. And he who has not done what he promised, but is still lingering, how shall he receive the reward as if he had worked? Nothing, therefore, of advantage would the profession yield, if the professions do not also proceed to the deed.

For if you see a certain youth being invested with military garb by the ruler, and from that point promising to proceed against enemies and to join battle, and to endure blows and wounds, and to despise life itself, and to face death; if he has not, however, actually reached the point of bringing his promises to completion, how do you think the judge of the contest would be disposed towards him? Will he welcome him with honor, and deem him worthy of a higher rank, and reward him with royal gifts? By no means at all, by no means; but he will bestow such things upon him who has also proceeded to finish the things promised entirely.

Let not the covering of the habit alone, therefore, soothe us who are more sluggish, as if it were a second baptism. For it is only the divine bath of regeneration that is able to refashion and regenerate, and to render those coming to it new instead of old, and not this habit ^D; as the Theologian Gregory declares, this...

^A monastic state, as he says, goes through the matter word for word: And this arises not being a second regeneration, nor a refashioning, nor a restoration to the ancient state, although we seek it even more in many groanings and tears, from which a scarring indeed comes, but with difficulty according to my own definition and reasoning. For it comes, and we believe. But if we also expunge the scars, I would be glad, since I myself need philanthropy. It appears, therefore, from this, that this garment does not grant, without toil, healing from the wounds and weals of wickedness. ^B I consider such a garment sacred, and very much so, because it is the way toward salvation, and because it is a profession of repentance, and a symbol of mortification; but that it is not able in itself alone to provide forgiveness, unless labors also accompany it, and fountains of tears, and the practice of virtues. For if even these provide healing with difficulty, as the aforementioned divine man said, what must be said if we do not happen to have the means to use these, because of the urgency and narrowness of the time? The Lord is merciful, therefore, but there is need of much toil for those who call upon His mercy from ^C there. And this is what the divine David said, hinting at the difficult nature of repentance: "I chastened my soul with fasting, and my flesh was changed for oil"; and again: "Because I kept silence, my bones waxed old from my crying all the day." Rightly, therefore, did the most holy Ephrem say that it is not the tonsure and the clothing that constitute the monk, but the heavenly way of life and the divine conduct. On account of which he also gives us to understand that, because of our slippery nature, such clothing was shown in a most wondrous ^D way to the great Pachomius by an angel. Why? So that it might restrain those approaching repentance, like a bridle, and not allow them at all to remember their flight back; and this is altogether clearer, as he said thus: "Monk, observe the habit with which you are clothed, and acknowledge that it sets you apart from this world, and draws you completely toward spiritual work." In accordance with this, the most holy John of the Ladder also said: "Let your very garment persuade you to the work of mourning. For all who mourn the dead clothe themselves in black garments." Because, therefore, of our slippery nature, the sacred rite of the garment was given. For if this were not so, those desiring to be monks would not have needed such a thing. And observe the great Antony, the most divine Paul the Theban, and all who were living as monks at that time, that even without this habit, since they possessed a firm soul, they reached the supreme peak of holiness.

True repentance, therefore, is not a black cloak and the shedding of hair, but a turning toward the Lord, and a condemnation of an unhappy life, and an abstinence from former evils, and hot tears after these for one's sins. "For, son," it says, "you have sinned. Do not add, but also pray concerning your former things."

^A for it is not enough for repentance, as the golden-tongued Chrysostom says, merely to cease from sin, but it is necessary also to perform fruits worthy of repentance. Since for those who are wounded it is not sufficient only to extract the arrow, unless they also apply remedies suitable to the wound. Therefore, this repentance, the author of the *Ladder* also, when setting it forth, said: "Repentance is a reconciliation with the Lord through the practice of works contrary to the sins." It is clear, therefore, from this, that this habit alone, without much labor and the exercise of virtues, does not give a release from entanglements. If these things are so, if it does not immediately provide a release from past sins to those who approach it willingly, how—for we truly require so many tears thereafter, such that we might be brought to parity with the fountain of baptism, according to Gregory the Great in his *Theology*—how might He grant a remission of errors to those who run to it unwillingly, so to speak, and by sheer necessity?

I am afraid, indeed, that the sacred rite of the habit is altogether inappropriate for such people. For I do not know what he who is being clothed in it might actually do, already breathing his last. He is prepared for battle, but his hands are constrained. He is girded with the full armor, but it is no longer the time for war. He promises to stay in the cell, but he is snatched away from these things by force. He promises to yield to the superior, but the tyranny of death permits no such thing. He confesses that he renounces wife and children, and at once he lays down his own soul. He protests that he has not approached the habit by force, but pleurisy pressing upon him forces him, even against his will, to cut his hair. He gives away to those in need those things which he is unwillingly leaving behind here. He promises many other things, such as to be reproached, to be insulted, and all such things. But he performs none of them, for the end of his life is set for him as narrow and beyond what is fair, in which rewards have been prepared; but a person so affected, as I suppose, receives nothing. For to one who promises, as has been said before, but does not perform, the royal gifts do not by any means pertain.

Therefore, we do not safely apply to these people the parable in the Gospels of the vineyard and those called into it. For it does not bear the image of those who confess themselves to be pious, and yet approach repentance, as it were, at the time of death. For even if those who came at the eleventh hour received the same reward as those who had labored in advance, their readiness to work provided them with an equal reward. For since they defended their own idleness by saying, "No one has hired us," they clearly showed that if they had been called earlier, they would have immediately gone out into the vineyard. Nevertheless, even those called at the eleventh hour followed the one calling them readily and without hesitation, for which reason they received no less than those who had been called before. If these things are so, what defense shall we have? Can we say, as they did, that no one hired us? And truly, it does not cease day by day.

^A according to the prediction of Isaiah, and caused the things of peace to arise in splendor; but hear how. The law of Christ, arriving and gathering all into one, Jews and Gentiles alike, made them live in peace with one another as those who are of one faith. But you do not agree with what is said; yet you must perforce accept what will be said. Has the Roman Empire not allowed those peoples who were about to destroy many dominions to use weapons of war against each other? Do you not see how, while these things were being prophesied, one ruled in Jerusalem, another in Samaria, another commanded the Moabite Arabs, and another, Ascalon; but when the Lord was born in the flesh, all the lordships of the nations became subject to the Roman power? Being forced, therefore, to submit themselves to such a power, all kept peace with one another, even if unwillingly, and gave themselves up entirely to the labors of agriculture, casting their instruments of war far from them.

And these things indeed are so. But if you do not yet think that Christ has arrived because universal peace has not yet been established, why do you not also say that Moses did not enter in before Pharaoh according to the divine command, and did not lead Israel out of Egypt? For when God said to Moses: "I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have descended to deliver them, and to lead them into a good land, into a land flowing with milk and honey," this did not yet take place, as we learn from history; for all who went out of Egypt were slaughtered in the desert, and none of them entered into that land except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Jesus the son of Nave. Therefore, one of two things must be answered: either that God lies and deceives men, or that that time had not yet come of which God spoke to Moses. But just as God then willed indeed to deliver Israel from the distress by which it was oppressed, and to lead them into a land of rest and a peaceful condition; but His will did not reach its end, for all gave up their souls in the desert, since they murmured against God, since they coveted— ^{B C}

For wars were mutual in the whole earth, that kingdom being divided into many parts, and the kings of individual nations rising up against one another. Out of Zion went forth the law, by which the New Testament is understood, which was given first to the apostles there, and through them was exhibited from thence to all nations; and under the advent of our God and Savior, the Roman Empire flourished completely, which, indeed, destroying many other kingdoms and obtaining the supremacy of all, granted peace on land and sea, when, to be sure, in the opinion of Jerome and Eusebius, the Temple of Janus being closed under Augustus the third, there was the safest peace in all the world; and the nations subject to the Roman Empire, adds Theodoret, "no longer use warlike instruments against one another; but all enjoy the goods from agriculture." ^D No longer do they use weapons against one another, but all universally rejoice in the goods of agriculture. You may also approach the Dialogue with Trypho of Justin Martyr.

…the teachers of the Jews, relying on the prophecy of Isaiah, hunt for another argument to try to weaken our faith, but in vain; for we are taught that the letter kills, and therefore we study not the voices of the Scriptures, but the spirit. The Word of the Lord went out from Jerusalem, and it was decreed by law that mutual love and charity among us ought to be used as the most faithful token of the New Testament; but if we are unjustly attacked, we are not forbidden from making the efforts of our enemies of no effect, and from protecting ourselves and our own. Besides the Jews who vainly applaud themselves, Luther and the Anabaptists also erred, as did formerly the Manichaeans who went into that free-handed opinion, that war can never be waged by Christians even if provoked, which is both contrary to nature and to truth, as Tertullian showed at greater length, lib. 3 Contra Marcionem; Origen, lib. 5 Contra Celsum; Athanasius, lib. 1 De Incarnatione Verbi; and Irenaeus, lib. 4, cap. 67. But concerning the law of war, and in what manner it must be declared and conducted, you should approach that most absolute work which H. Grotius entitled De jure belli.

EPISTOLA XXV.

^A ...and for one to be the first to speak is of no avail; nor can it fully avail for justification, as the divine voice says. And consider that Cain: for since he did not say it first, but after he had been rebuked by the Lord, saying, "My sin is greater than that I should merit forgiveness," he did not obtain forgiveness, because, as the golden-tongued John says, such a thing was not even a confession. Moreover, the great Basil terrifies me, saying: "Grace, O man, to death, not to thee; for if thou wert immortal, thou wouldst never have remembered the commandments." Even the herald of repentance himself terrifies me, when he says: "There is no almsgiving when one is dying and is no longer lord [of his property]; for thou dost not give from thine own, but from necessity itself." Grace to death, and not to thee. Hence, we do not safely bring forward the thief here, who only said "Remember me," and was ^B immediately deemed worthy of paradise. For times and persons must be examined before all else. The thief’s benevolence was great, great was his recognition. For when Peter was denying, not bearing the threats of a maid, and the rest of the apostles had turned to flight, he at that time confessed God in Christ, who had been abandoned by all. And not only this, but he also vehemently rebuked the thief who had been crucified along with him and who was blaspheming against Christ Himself, saying: "We indeed receive the due reward of our deeds." Wherefore he was at that time deemed worthy of paradise, saying, "Remember me, O Lord, when thou comest in thy kingdom." To take heart, therefore, from this is not reasonable; for paradise was not so readily granted to him by Christ. But if, having said only, "Remember me, O Lord," he immediately heard a voice from there, it is not ^C to be wondered at. For if this earthly king welcomes with joy foreigners from any place who have fled to him for refuge, and immediately deems them worthy of the greatest gifts and much honor, how much more would that munificent King, seeing that thief—and that too at such a time—approaching Him with such great faith, not have welcomed him with joy, and not have immediately made him an inhabitant of paradise? And of these things, so be it. But me, more than others, the narrative that is in the Lives of the Fathers terrifies; for it is written that a certain Elder went to a city to sell his wares, and was quickly called to the gateway of a certain rich man who was about to die. Sitting there, therefore, he gave attention, and he sees some black men, mounted on horses that were also black, and having fiery rods in their hands. And having arrived at the gateway, they left the horses outside; ^D but they themselves entered in. And the sick man, having seen them, cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, have mercy on me and help me." Those men say to him, "Now that the sun has set, art thou mindful of God? Why, when the day was shining, didst thou not seek Him? Now there is no hope of salvation." And thus, having violently snatched away his soul, they departed. If these things are so, what shall we do, who are hopeful of demonstrating repentance in our final breaths?

931 ^A Baptism, therefore, is truly the second repentance, and it renews the first, as we have said; but it requires many tears, as our discourse has already demonstrated. For if this were not so, our holy Fathers would not have called it a laborious baptism. These same garments themselves, more than any others, shout and bear witness to this, for black is indeed symbolic of mourning. But where there is no disposition of the will, nor a sufficient shedding of tears—so as to be able to wash away the one who repents—but instead the tyranny of death is choking one, what hope of salvation is there, or what sort of repentance is this? If yesterday we were carefree and completely despised the divine commands, but today, being cut down by the sickle of death, we call upon the divine mercy with a feeble and inarticulate voice, this is an iniquity greater than that which can be forgiven us, and all the more so because it is inexcusable, and because death itself compels and forces it. Therefore, if we do not seize the time in advance, if we do not forestall the divine countenance in confession, and if we make use of repentance without a settled intention, then only the merciful God knows how the forgiveness of sins will be ours. For who is so confident in himself that he dares to make assertions in matters so uncertain ^B and known only to God? And this even as he hears Him saying through the Prophet every day: *Declare thou thy sins first, that thou mayest be justified.* For even if the Lord, who is easy to be reconciled, did not turn away the prodigal when he returned, but rather embraced him and kissed him warmly and thought him worthy of much honor, still, it was his good disposition, his true conversion, and his repentance that brought this about. For he did not await death, as these do, so as to then try to take hold of repentance; rather, coming to his senses by himself out of that delusion, considering who he had been before, and where he had eventually arrived, he turned back with haste to his loving Father—but not in the confidence of a son; for having sinned, he had set that aside, and so, in a humble habit and with downcast eyes, he begged to be numbered as one of the Father’s hired servants. On account of this, the all-compassionate God receives him and does for him all that we have heard in the Gospels. These things, then, have been recounted by us, who are unskilled in divine matters, concerning the monastic and divine ^C habit; but it is certainly the duty of your holiness to discuss what has been said, to remove ambiguity from the middle, and to outline the truth nakedly, as it were, and according to custom.

EPISTOLA XXVI.

Many indeed and often, O divine and sacred head, have questioned concerning the forty days' fast celebrated before the holy Nativity of Christ, from whom it was instituted, and how it came to be, since the disciples of Christ and the apostles...

^A have been found to have prescribed nothing whatsoever regarding this? And one ought not to marvel at this. For perhaps they have failed to know that the greater part of our canons and dogmas were delivered and legislated by the holy Fathers themselves. For if this were not the case, for what reason did those innumerable and divine Fathers gather together in the same place and so frequently? For as the Gospel according to Christ was spread abroad, so also the rules of life were defined more accurately by them. For some things they completely changed, while others they increased; such as, above all others, the more mystical tradition of the divine laver, the solemnity of sacred seemliness, and the entire remainder of the Church’s decorum. Since the majority of people, as we have said, have been ignorant of these things, they are held fast in perplexity, even in the current question. Which, indeed, I think you ^B have been experiencing.

EPISTLE XXVI (Fragment). To the illustrious Alypius. Regarding second nuptials among the Greeks.

That these things are indeed so, and that it is necessary for us to fast during these solemn days, that very council of union will teach you most clearly. For when it granted those third nuptials, it imposed certain limitations, just as if they had not been permitted by the apostles according to the laws. There, therefore, this fast is imposed indefinitely, in which some fast in one way, others in another, and others for a full forty days. “For he who can receive it,” it says, “let him receive it.” The aforementioned council therefore ordains that those who have contracted a third marriage are not to be deprived ^C completely and at all times of the immaculate mysteries of Christ, but to partake of them; yet not without consideration; but that they should live quietly by themselves for four years, as those who have not contracted marriage according to the law; but thereafter, three times a year, to approach the immaculate mysteries—namely, on the day of the Nativity of Christ, at the Dormition of the most holy Theotokos, and at the Resurrection of Christ—because the fast of such feasts precedes them. And these things have been well decreed by the holy council regarding the third and unlawful marriage. And indeed, how is this marriage not unlawful, if even the second marriage is permitted by the blessed Paul only ^D because of our infirmity? For if this were not so, Gregory, who excelled in theology, would not have been seen writing these things concerning it: “The first is law, the second is permission, the third is lawlessness, and that which is above this is swine-like living”; nor would the great Basil have said that there is no law in a third marriage. For even if the Novella of the Emperor, the Lord Constantine Porphyrogenitus, allows third nuptials, nevertheless the holy Fathers have called it polygamy and punished fornication. That he condescends with Paul...

to our infirmities, and not as though legislating for what is seasonal, that second marriage is granted, is evident from what that great man himself said: "I wish all to be as I am, in continence." And therefore, also when speaking about second [marriage], he said: "I say it, and not the Lord." ^A Hence, therefore, the first marriage is openly shown to be legitimate, since the Church also took one husband, Christ, and not two, and so forth.

EPISTLE XXVIII. (Fragment.) To the monk Alypius. — He excuses his Greeks for using Jewish rites.

Hear what we are about to say with attention and very soberly. The race of the Hebrews celebrated three most ample solemnities each year; and let divine Scripture persuade us of this when it says: "Three times in the year shall every male appear before the Lord thy God," ^B at the time when the sheep was sacrificed, when Pentecost fell among them, and when the feast of Tabernacles arrived. Three times already we also, following them, celebrate festivals each year. For when the Lord said to the Jews: "The kingdom shall be taken from you, and shall be given to the nations," then the bright things of the Hebrews shifted their step toward us. But they, indeed, were celebrating solemnities in memory of the things that had occurred in Egypt and in the desert; we, however, in memory of Christ himself, just as the Lord himself, when he was establishing the mysteries of the New Testament, commanded, saying: "Do this in ^C remembrance of me." For they, celebrating the lamb, were eating; we, however, [eat] Christ himself, the truly Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. That our things are not alien to Judaic customs, even if they differ in manner, Paul teaches: "The old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new." And from this it is even more evident. Twice in the week the Jews used to fast; twice we also fast according to the apostolic tradition. But they [did so] on the second and fifth day; we, however, on the fourth and sixth, even if we owe much more than they. ^D "For unless," he says, "your righteousness abounds more than that of the Pharisees and Scribes, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." And why is it necessary to say many things, and to enumerate them one by one? Among them was circumcision, among us is the divine laver; among them the Ark, among us the Virgin; among them the rod of Aaron, among us the wood of the Cross flowers; among them was the lamb, among us Christ himself. And this is what the very famous Gregory, in treating of theological matters, said: "The letter departs, the spirit receives an increase; shadows fly past, the truth arrives." Hence, therefore, learn that there are also three with us, just as with them, the greatest solemnities, verily solemnities. For among them oxen and sheep in

turos in Christo Jesu Domino nostro, cui gloria in saecula. Amen.

EPISTLE XV

To my most venerable brother in the Lord, the lord John Tricha. — How should one understand that which is found in the Apocalypse of the divine evangelist John: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, and there is no more sea." ^B It must be known that in the sixty-fifth chapter of the Apocalypse of the blessed evangelist and divine John, these things are also set forth: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, and there is no more sea." Give heed, therefore. For he did not signify the non-existence of the heaven and the earth, but rather the word indicated a restoration unto something better. For according to the great Paul, "the creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Rom. viii, 21). And the divine psalmist is also found speaking thus concerning the heavens: "You shall change them, and they shall be changed" (Ps. ci, 27). For that which grows old and is being renewed admits not of the destruction of its essence, but of the removal of its old age and wrinkles. And so far he has spoken concerning the heaven and the earth; but concerning the sea, not so. But what? "And there is no more sea." For what use is there for a sea, when men ^C no longer need to sail it, nor by means of it to procure freight/goods grown in far-off lands? The great Basil also confirms this view, bringing forward the saying of Isaiah which says: "Who says to the deep, Be desolate, and I will dry up all your rivers" (Isa. xliv, 27). And thus do those who explain the divine words of the Apocalypse understand these things. But the great Basil, in his third homily on the Hexaemeron, has a still clearer discourse concerning this, and thus he says: "Why and for what reason is the place of our world surrounded by water, bound by vast seas, and irrigated by myriad perennial rivers?" On account of the unspeakable wisdom of Him who ordained that the nature contrary to fire should be difficult to consume. ^D For the Creator of the universe knew how much time He had destined for the constitution of this world, and for this reason He beforehand bestowed upon the fire such a quantity of fuel/consumption, so that this earthly realm might not be set ablaze before its time by the excess of heat. Yet there will be a time when all the waters will be scorched by fire, as says Isaiah, where he discourses to the God of the universe: "Who says to the deep, Be desolate, and I will dry up all your rivers." And these things hold this meaning: if, therefore, he said that the deep will be destroyed, and indeed that the waters will be dried up in the rivers and seas, it is not fitting to marvel that the blessed John himself also says this in the Apocalypse, among other things: "And there is no more sea." For the deep will be desolate then and

[LATIN COLUMN]

OF JOANNES DIACONUS OF ADRIANOPLE IN PRAISE OF JOANNES PALAEOLOGUS — A POLITICAL POEM.

ARGUMENT

THE POLITICAL POEM OF JOANNES DIACONUS.

^A Of him who is the humble oikonomos of Orestias, And deacon of the same blessed church, By surname called John, A work of excellent desire, for the divine, crowned Palaiologos, strong and grace-named, Who by his graces set in motion the seas of the oceans, Composed by the commands of the divine shepherd Of Orestias, the brilliant and extraordinary Polycarp. If I had breasts made of solid metal, And tongues many-voiced, and piercing sounds, Or rather, if one were truly found all tongue, And if this pole, the many, and the wet earth, and other things Which of existing things have had their arrangement by the Creator, And I wished to weave for you hymns of praise, [[alt-version omitted]] ^B Of him who is the humble oikonomos of Orestias, And deacon of the same blessed church, By surname called John, A work of excellent desire, for the divine, crowned Palaiologos, the strong and the beautiful-named, The victor far and wide over the sea by the grace of God, Composed at the command of the holy and illustrious, And also the wondrous Polycarp, Bishop of Orestias.

. 1023 THEODORI AGALLIANI 1024 and the processions of God’s providence over all things.” And speaking of the will of God regarding the creatures, Damascene says: “The eternal and everlasting generation and procession is a work of the divine nature, but creation is a work of the divine will.” And the Fifth Ecumenical Council speaks thus: “God,” says Origen, “in coming from not creating to creating, was by all means turned from one thing to another; but we say that He was not turned according to nature, but according to action; or rather, not even according to that, for He always had the power to create and to fashion; but such power was brought into action because He willed it.” Does this man not agree with these Fathers, whose own definitions regarding creatures he applies to the procession of the Holy Spirit? For when he says that when the Father brings forth the Spirit, the will that accompanies the essence—an origin and power through the action of projection, or breathing—becomes the productive cause of the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit. But the absurdities—or rather, the blasphemies—arising from this are manifest to all, and there is no need for many words; he also divides the will, insofar as it is an origin of certain things, dividing it into an autonomous one and a constrained one, saying I know not what regarding each—for proceeding further he says, “Not as an autonomous origin, but as a necessary and natural power and origin,” and then he adds: ARGYROPOULOS. Hence the divine Spirit is called love by the theologians; for the power of love is will. AGALLIANOS. Well then did we speak, or rather the theologians, that the creation of the God of all, who is immobile, with regard to the creation, is His will, which is not ^{B C} chap. of the book *On the Trinity*: “Laughable,” he says, “is the dialectic of Eunomius, from which the Eunomian heretics have sprung up. Who, not able to understand, or not willing to believe, that the only-begotten Word of God, through whom all things were made, is Son of God by nature—that is, begotten from the essence of the Father—said He was Son not of the nature or essence, but of the will of God; wishing, clearly, to testify to a will inherent in God, in accordance with which He begat the Son.” How then would he himself, mocking the heretics who say these things, fall into the same errors? For he would surely be more laughable. And what he says regarding memory and will, he contends does not derive from Scripture, but that he gathers it from his own mind by a certain intuitive reasoning from the created image of God, which is man, delivering a certain conjecture regarding the uncreated God as he proceeds. For in the same chapter which we just mentioned, he says thus: “But regarding the creation which God made, whenever we were able, we instructed those who demanded a word concerning such matters, so that His invisible things are understood and seen through the things that have been made as much as they are able, and especially through the rational or intellectual creation, which was made according to the image of God, through which, as through a mirror, as much as they are able—if they are able—to see God the Trinity in our memory, and in the understanding and in the will. These three, being naturally established in the same mind from God, each one vividly contemplates, and how great it is in him, where the eternal and immutable essence is also naturally meant to be remembered, and seen, and desired. For it is remembered through memory, it is seen through the understanding, it is embraced through love, [and] he entirely finds [that it] is separated from the divine hypostases; for it is a common action and one power, the creative [power]. Behold, the divine Spirit is called love, it has will as a power productive of itself; and the Latins will never wash off this filth of calling the Holy Spirit a creature, since they also suppose it to be brought forth from the will of God. ARGYROPOULOS. He says that the things said are in agreement with the voices of those who theologize, and no less with the things said by the holy Augustine in his book *On the Trinity*, in which he called memory the generative power and will the pneummatic [power]. AGALLIANOS. Alas for this calumny! And which of the theologians handed down these voices with which the things said agree? None, surely. For he slanders the most blessed Augustine, as calling the memory and the will of the Father powers, the one generative, and the will pneumatic. For it has not been found anywhere in his writings, as far as we know, that these things are said in such a way, but rather the entire opposite. For he also agrees with the rest of the saints of the ^D For both the memory of man, and especially that which the beasts do not have—that is, according to which intelligible things are contained in such a way that they do not reach it through the senses of the body—has in this image of the Trinity, according to its own measure, an incomparably dissimilar, yet nonetheless some sort of, likeness of the Father. And further, the understanding of man, which is fashioned from thence through the purpose of the reasoning mind, whenever what is known is spoken, and not of any tongue, but of the heart in which the Word is, has in its own great dissimilarity also some likeness of the Son. And indeed, the love of man, proceeding from knowledge and joining the memory and the understanding, as if common to the Father and to the begotten, whence it is perceived as being neither Father nor begotten, has in this image, even if very dissimilar, some likeness of the Holy Spirit.” And again: “But regarding the Holy Spirit, I have demonstrated nothing in this enigma which would seem to be like Him, except for our will, or love, or charity, which is a stronger will.” And in the 21st again: “This name fits the Holy Spirit, just as love; and what is love other than…”

nature’s natural movement toward the good?”

PRAISE OF JOHN PALAEOLOGUS

The lion, the roaring beast, by breathing out a roar, is wont to strike fear, as one fearsome, into the races of all living things. “The lion,” it says, “shall roar, and who shall not tremble?” For which of these, when cowed, does not dread this trembling, or run to flight and dens and hiding-places? ^A

His radiant [presence] transformed your cheerfulness, alas for the misery! The great Ister saw you sailing upon him, stretched out smooth backs, gave no thought to the surge, neither of the tumultuous, grievous, and rough swell; with gentle currents, he welcomed you, the mild one, and received you into his embrace with these made tame, and without a wind he bore the vessels of your power, as if imitating the marks and minds of sentient beings, acting thus like another loyal and good servant, and prudently fearing, as I think, your ^B depths.

Since it can neither hide its own voice, nor altogether endure the trembling from that [roar]. But you, pouring forth a roar from the mouth of your serenity, the most gentle one, the one who has been rendered tranquil, you speak to all with this, and address them with gentleness, and you strike away far from them every panic. Those who turn to you, their gentle master, enjoy ten thousand blessings.

The bird-king, having fixed his nest according to his custom in a tree of good foliage, shaded by its trunks, knows how to gather there the refuse for his sparrows, setting the nests under his nest; as he preserves them outside of harm by his own shelter, and by the fear which all birds naturally have for him; for neither was a hostile serpent, nor a debt-collecting bird, nor any other thing of the rapacious and active birds, of those biting from the beak, of those tearing from the claws, ^C ever able to approach them, or to press them at all. But having extended the wings of the power that is yours, like unfledged chicks you warm the Roman Land, covering it in your own way, and shame the destroyers, like the great bird-king his own hiding-places.

The bright Morning Star—arising from Theman, as it was commanded by the word of the Lord, and bringing the day with torches until the very evening, until the lightless sunsets—ends his course, and again begins his course from the east, and again ends the course until the same sunsets. ^D And the long struggles, the courses and the labors, which you sustain most steadfastly on behalf of the subjects, or rather to speak more truly, on behalf of the Christians, in heat, and in cold, and wrestling against violent forces, not sparing, O sovereign lord, your body, nor your flesh, truly despising life itself excessively, and hastening most powerfully, as one sympathetic by nature, to rescue the bright Roman Land from the lawless beast, having fallen everywhere into grievous nooses.

Neither did physical luxury, and grace, and ease drag you, nor charm you, nor soften you. For to fight brilliantly on behalf of the subjects, to carry powerful arms, to run risks entirely by land and by sea, and by every country, you deem luxury, and a boast, and an extraordinary grace. A shield is a blanket to you, when you look toward sleep, and a breastplate a covering instead of the purple, instead of a holy cowl a helmet of iron, instead of silken sandals leggings again; and you bear these for us, as one sympathetic by nature.

The neighbors of the Ister saw the deeds done by you: Scythians, Moesians, and Triballians together with those from the Rhos, all at once, the greatest ones, foreigners, generals, satraps, commanders of divisions, fell before your power, and slavishly approached, bent the knee to you, offered the loyal worship of slaves, applauded with pæans, shouted out in high spirits, and did the rest of their own duties before you, the Ausonian ruler, just as the law directs a servant to perform before a master. The lord of the Moesians knows the nature of your mind, and seeing this, he shows it always as a decree of God, fulfilling the order of his master, like a loyal servant.

But you, lightless, unillumined, running from Byzantium, and making the impulses of your course toward the west (for thus the gloom of events has placed you, shedding darkness upon us from an hidden storm, and hiding your radiance; and the light-bearing [quality] of your power, like the brightness of the sun or the denseness of the clouds) like a Morning Star shining upon the land of the Ausonians, a joyous sun arise from the west, brightly flashing with the gleams of events, like another giant straightway running earthward; even if the multitude of the many and grievous failings, and their weighty counsels that are beyond mind and wits, and the strongest part of their quick-wittedness has been set. The divine, the illustrious, the king of the Paeonians knows, he admired the all-delightful and strange quality of your beauty, he admired the altogether elect quality of your nature, he admired the altogether excellent quality of your knowledge, he received you with outstretched hands, the one of the Word, even if some cloud flowing in again from transgressions changed your bright onsets all at once.

Come forth from the graves, O David, running more mystically, and hither to a second light of burial, fleeing the evening. Now strike the psaltery again and the harp.

^A and to preach there? And these things, while David the prophet hears daily, saying: "And in Hades who will acknowledge Thee?" But in addition to what has been said, O most holy man, I wish you to know for your information what that chronicler George Cedrenus says concerning Judas. For he says that Judas, being often exhorted by the apostles to draw near and repent, did not wish to; wherefore, having also heard that Christ was taken up, he became so puffed up that he even burst in the middle. And concerning this vain talk, it is thus; but that the wretch despaired of his own salvation, not indeed hoping to find a place for salvation, and resorted to the end of hanging, the great Athanasius has also clearly demonstrated this in his chapters addressed to Antiochus, saying thus: "There is nothing worse than despair, gripped by which Judas hanged himself." If these things are so, when then did Judas walk about the world as a great example of impiety according to that historian Papias? Learn then from this, O sacred head, not to read the God-inspired Scripture cursorily, but searchingly. For on this account the Lord also said: "Search the Scriptures, for they bear witness concerning Me." It is clear, therefore, from this that if we do not search, we shall not find Christ, that is to say, the Truth itself. For Christ is Truth, and Christ is the truth.

NOTICE REGARDING THE FOLLOWING EPISTLE

The reading of the lives of the saints, and of the blessed passing of the same, and of their migration to heaven, impels the soul to desire the kingdom of heaven and those most joyful rewards which God has prepared for those who truly worship Him. Yet this most sweet hope is not slightly infringed, or at least weakened, by the most pernicious and false opinion of certain Greeks, that the rewards (and therefore also the punishments) of souls are to be deferred until the consummation of the world and the resurrection of the bodies. A palmary error, surely, and long since condemned by the Apostolic See and by the ecumenical Council of Florence; which, however, Thomas Burnet the Englishman attempted to renew; against whose man's immediately importunate lucubration our great Muratori cut the nerves. In various writings of the Greeks which we have published sparingly, we have again and again demonstrated to the readers places which favor the truth of this dogma. And indeed, in volume VII of the *Scriptores Veteres*, we also printed a Latin booklet by an ancient anonymous author against the error of the Greeks.

But now, among the Vallicellian papers of Leo Allatius, we have also observed some letters or sermons of Michael Glycas, that is, excellent disputations of a Greek man against his own countrymen; in which, with many arguments and many testimonies of the Fathers and of ecclesiastical authors, he contends and demonstrates that the rewards of souls released from their bodies are not deferred; likewise their intercession before God for us, the knowledge and care they have for our affairs, and altogether the connection of the saints among themselves, namely, the communion of the blessed with us who still wander upon the earth. From the three letters of Glycas transcribed by Allatius, therefore, we commit the last, longer and more excellent one, to the press: omitting the former ones, of which Allatius himself produced certain parts or fragments in his dissertation on the ecclesiastical books of the Greeks. Indeed, before the writing of Glycas which we have chosen, we have placed a certain other fragment of an anonymous author; which the same Allatius noted that he had transcribed from Vatican Palatine codex 146, f. 60, b; in which fragment the aforementioned dogma is likewise excellently defended.

OF AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR, WHETHER SOULS ARE IN HEAVEN

^A departs, dwells in the royal courts in heaven. There are two elements in the whole of creation divided for the conduct of rational nature: earth and heaven. The earth is the place of those who have been allotted life in the flesh, while heaven is for the incorporeal; it is therefore absolutely necessary that we live our life somewhere. As long as we are not transplanted from the earth, we all remain on the earth; but if we depart from here, we shall be moved to heaven." And not only do the souls recognize one another, but—what is better—they even know each other more than they did when living together in this life; indeed, rejoicing together, they enjoy the fruition of that ineffable and blessed and inconceivable splendor of visions. That souls are active after the separation of the body, the great herald Athanasius teaches us; he speaks thus in his discourse against idols: ^B "If the body is moved by the soul, it follows that the soul is moved by itself, and consequently after the burial of the body it is moved again by itself; for it is not the soul that dies, but it is the body that dies through the soul’s departure. For if they are of one nature, so are their operations; and those whose work is equal, to them belongs the same reward."

2. Indeed, according to the angels, having been released from the bodily bond, [the soul] ascends and descends, and is sent for the benefit and utility of others, as it is holy and good. Every righteous soul dances with the angels and rejoices with them; and to dance with the angels is a form of active operation, not of inactivity; for the souls of the saints are directed toward the goal of true service ^C equal to that of the angels. The service of the angels is unceasing praise to God, and ministering, and serving, and being sent, and helping those in need, and guiding the straying by the hand. Yet neither the holy angels nor the souls of the saints ever make appearances without God's command; but indeed, this applies even to those who have sinned more gravely than to be beyond pardon. For the man who is destitute of charity, but full of hardness of heart, being held to account for the debts he owed, would by no means ignore the care of his brothers, so that, returning from wickedness to virtue, he might rescue those of his own blood and ^D from the punishment that awaits them. For even if they pay the penalty for what they owe, it does not mean that their knowledge is turned into folly as a punishment; for those whose knowledge they possessed securely while in the flesh would not only appear less in light of their previous understanding, but would be advanced to a more accurate perception. And those with whom they shared in evil deeds, they are able to remember along with them in their deliberations. Yet a slave does not set a slave free, nor can a dead man bring one to life. But if a man who is asleep carries the images of his daily cares in his dreams, and remembers the things he has done, as seems to the great Basil, and in his dreams his soul talks of these things with others and with itself; and if, once awake, he recalls to memory what was presented to his eyes in sleep, much more so does the soul, after the death of the body, released from its bonds and immune to its pains, more clearly possess a memory of itself and a greater knowledge.

^A

3. And there are three choirs: the first is the triadic order, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim; these are places of rest; where the water of rest is God, sitting upon a throne of glory, and rendering hundredfold rewards to those who have borne the fruit of the hundredfold measure. The second order, Dominions, Virtues, and Powers; these are the verdant places of refreshment, where the gentle grace of the Holy Spirit extends innumerable rewards to those who have borne the fruit of the sixtyfold measure. The third order, Principalities, Archangels, Angels; these are the radiant places of divinity, where the tabernacle of rest is, and new heavens and a new earth; here the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, bestowing crowns of righteousness, grants to those who have borne the fruit of the thirtyfold measure of ministry their reward; for a holy man, according to this hierarchy and order, earns among the celestial virtues a place in his own proper merit; one who occupies a place in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and after this life is lifted up to it, and becomes an heir of this state, obtains the place itself, the domicile of the light of God’s rest; and rising after death to that place, and being joined to it, he rests, finding that place to be a luminous rest in God. ^B

4. The souls of sinners, full of darkness, and filth, and dung, are defiled by the angels who are ministers of wrath; and enwrapped in that darkness, against their will and with trembling and fear and dread, they are pushed into the depths of Hades and into dark prisons, and handed over to unclean spirits who are their guards. Here the prince of eternal darkness is enclosed with his own associates. It is necessary to know that mystic rites and sacrifices offered for those who have committed the sin unto death are in vain; but they greatly benefit those who have not committed such sins. Mortal sin is unbelief, and despair, an unrepentant heart, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and denying Christ, and to die as a heretic in some heresy. ^C

5. But it is necessary to know this also, that the forty days of ancient mourning are divided in three ways by the apostles: in the third, in the ninth, and in the fortieth. Thus also the Lord, after His three-day resurrection, showed Himself to the disciples, the doors being shut, and breathed on them saying: Receive the Holy Spirit. And after eight days, behold again, after the resurrection, within eight days, He appeared to them anew. The Evangelist says that He did not count the day of the resurrection, which is included, but they are counted as nine. According to this method, therefore, we perform the memorials of those who have fallen asleep on the ninth day from the burial; likewise also the forty days, since on the fortieth day the Lord was taken up. ^D

973 ESALE CYPRII DE PROCESSIONE SPIRITUS SANCTI 974

^D Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father. I ask you, and answer, not contentiously and ignorantly, but with reason and prudence. Is the Paraclete whom the Son sends someone else, and the Spirit who proceeds from the Father someone else, or are they one and the same? Next, why is the Spirit of truth called Spirit? I pass over indeed that, *He will glorify me, for he will take of mine, and will declare it to you* [John xvi, 14]; and, *All things that the Father hath are mine* [ibid. 15]. For this reason I said, *He will take of mine, and will declare it to you*. And in the sixteenth chapter he says: *But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name* [John xiv, 26]. Behold, the Father also sends, not grace, but the Paraclete, and the Holy Spirit. And that, *He that seeth me seeth the Father* [John xiv, 9]. And in the Apocalypse: *He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb* [Apoc. xxii, 1]; and again, *I saw a two-edged sharp sword, proceeding out of the mouth of Christ* [Apoc. i, 16].

^B These things all I pass over, and others similar because of their number. You say, however, that the Father is the sole fountain of the supersubstantial Godhead. And we confess this even better than you, and more theologically. We confess, however, that the Son is also a fountain of the Holy Spirit, following the great Athanasius, and Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. For the first, in his discourse on the Incarnate Economy, says: "For he knows the Son standing with God the Father, the fountain of the Holy Spirit." And Gregory, in the discourse on the Holy Spirit, ^C calls the Father the eye, the Son the fountain, and the Holy Spirit the river. And the golden-mouthed John, in the discourse on the mystery of baptism, "For this reason," he says, "the Savior shows himself to be the fountain of life, and the Holy Spirit to be living water." As for what you put in the fourth place, it moves me to laughter. For you say, "The Holy Spirit proceeds, and nothing more." Do we deny that he proceeds? The Holy Spirit is also said to be from the Father. Add the rest: "And it is attested that he is from the Son." For it is not the Damascene, but Gregory of Nyssa, who says this in his interpretation of the *Our Father*, which is rather in favor of the truth, and against you, just as are all the other things. Therefore, it seems to me supererogatory and futile to answer you on each point individually. For preach these things to the smiths, the cup-bearers, the furriers, ^D and other sordid craftsmen. These, naturally, will admire you and praise you, as they do not know what you are saying. But those who understand consider these things to be the arrows and babblings of infants. Nevertheless, though, O acutely-minded theologian and master, tell me this: Why do all the saints say, "Everything that the Father has, the Son also has, except for begetting, except for producing, except for being Father"; and no one has said, "excepting also, sending forth"? Why do all the saints say that the Father gives everything to the Son in begetting? And you say "not everything"? If, therefore,

^A everything is according to you, then he is not consubstantial with the Father; which is far from being able to enter the mind of any Christian. These few things, then, out of many, I have said to you. But you, going through the sayings of the Fathers, diligently examine them, and zealously seek out their meaning, and learn these things from those who know, lest you incur laughter, whether in writing or speaking. For you see that whatever authorities you have recorded in writing are all against you rather than for you. And if you have a desire to grasp the truth of my words with your own hand, come to me, and you will see; if not, I will come to you, and I will argue from your own books, and, God helping, I will demonstrate the truth. For the doorkeeper will open, I am not mistaken, the door of the sheepfold, because we do not climb in from elsewhere like thieves; and ^B he will reveal to us what is hidden therein. Would that he might for you as well!

NOTICE ON HILARION THE MONK

DIALECTICAL DISCOURSE OF HILARION THE MONK CONCERNING THE MYSTICAL BREAD OF THE GREEKS AND THE AZYME OF THE LATINS

^A When I was discerning the mystical bread of the Greeks and the azyme of the Latins, a certain discourse or exposition of Nicetas, a most learned Father among the Greeks, was shown to me, in which he ran through many arguments concerning azymes during the Lord’s Supper, directed against the Latins: "On that Thursday there was no azyme, since the moon was on its thirteenth day. For on its fifteenth day it was prescribed by law that the Azymes should take place. And for this reason, the divine Luke and the other evangelists among the apostles say: 'Taking bread and giving thanks, he broke bread,' that is, common bread and not azyme; for it was not yet time." These are the words of Nicetas. And in another place: "If, however, Christ was sacrificed and crucified on the fourteenth day of the moon, on the day of Preparation [Friday], but on the Sabbath there was the feast of Azymes, when did he eat the azymes, and when did he hand it down to the apostles to do in the New Testament?" and the rest.

I, for my part, would say that I am greatly astonished that these things were set forth by Nicetas, a man certainly educated and learned. For he clearly declares two things contrary to the Gospels and to the words of the Law regarding the eating of the lamb, that is to say, and the Paschal time—namely, that it was on the Sabbath and not on the Friday. All these things we can easily demonstrate to be false and to contain no truth. And the first point, to say that Christ, while eating the lamb, did not eat the azymes, is wrapped in contradiction. For never in the Law did God give a commandment regarding the Paschal lamb without also mentioning the Azymes. For to Moses and Aaron he spoke as follows: *Let every man take a lamb according to their families and their houses, a lamb perfect, a male, one year old, from the lambs and the kids; and the whole multitude shall sacrifice it, and they shall eat the flesh in that night roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with bitter herbs* [Exod. xii, 3-8]. And infra, much more clearly: *On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening, you shall eat azymes until...*

the twenty-first day of the month at evening. Seven days leaven shall not be found in your houses. Everyone who eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the assembly of the sons of Israel* [Exod. xii, 18-19]. These are the words of divine law to the lawgivers. If, therefore, Christ ate the lamb according to the prescription of the law, how shall it be said that He did not eat azymes? And in the New Testament, the Evangelist Matthew: *On the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him: Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Pascha?* [Matth. xxvi, 17]. And Mark: *On the first day of the Azymes, when they sacrificed the Pascha, the disciples of His say to Him: Where do You want us to go, and prepare for You, that You may eat the Pascha?* [Marc. xiv, 12]. And Luke: *It was, moreover, the day of the Azymes, on which the Pascha had to be sacrificed, and He sent Peter and John, saying: Going, prepare for us the Pascha, that we may eat* [Luc. xxii, 7-9]. Which Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria, a Greek interpreter, explains in this manner: "The evangelist names the 'first of the Azymes' as one preceding the Parasceve, and on which at evening they ate azymes."

See therefore, beloved Greeks, that it is gathered most openly both from the old law and from the New Testament, how Christ, when He ate the lamb, also ate the azymes. To these we may add the custom of the Jews, who always ate azymes on the evening of the fourteenth moon. But if you refute the Latins from the appellation of bread—that indeed, Christ, taking bread and giving thanks, broke it—I say that every leavened thing is bread. And when someone says "bread," he denotes both, both azyme and leavened. And by what reason do some foolishly and irrationally assert that azyme is not bread, taking arguments from a certain new etymology of bread? Namely, that *artos* (bread) is so called because it contains in itself the *arsin* (lifting/rising) of the leaven; but azyme, not having this lifting, cannot be called bread. These etymologies are trifles. We, however, not without reason, and as befits philosophers, declare the pure matter: that bread is a genus, and is divided into its species, azyme and leavened, just as an animal is divided into man and horse, and the genus is predicated univocally of its species. And just as man and horse admit the name and definition of animal—the name, because both are animals; the definition, because both are animate and sensible essence—in no other way do azyme and the leavened pertain to bread. For they share the same name, in that both are bread, and the definition, in that both are said to be the essence of wheat and bread. Besides, who will correctly call leaven the perfection of bread, which corrupts the very bread itself? For Paul says: *Do you not know, brothers, that a little leaven corrupts the whole mass?* [1 Cor. v, 6]. Furthermore, from the Mosaic law, in which it is written, *On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening, the Pascha to the Lord, and on the fifteenth day of the month, this shall be a festive day of the Azymes to the Lord. ^A I speak according to the custom of those who apply themselves to philosophy, always naming... ^{B C D}

not to touch upon things beyond comprehension at all, but in these matters to confess one's defeat, and to say with the divine David: "Thy knowledge is become wonderful from me; it is strengthened, we cannot attain unto it." For to the saints who have fallen asleep in Christ, supernatural gifts have been imparted; and they hearken to us ^A when we pray, and stand by those in affliction for the sake of consolation, as has been said from above. For if those who, like me, have spent their lives slothfully are yet made aware of the good deeds performed here on their behalf, as we are taught by the sacred Scriptures, how much more so are those who have served the debts in Christ Himself? Hence it is that the Theologian Gregory, in his funeral oration for his sister, said these things among others: "Receive the present discourse, O blessed one; for God has granted to those like you, that they should enjoy such things."

11. But if these things are so, whence do we derive the authority ^B to deprive the departed souls of the saints of such grace? And this, while Peter, the chief of the apostles, says that God has bestowed good things upon men, which even the angels desire to look into. And what need is there to say much? For if we heard concerning some saints still remaining in this life that, through their prayer, even some who had ended their lives in impiety were delivered from eternal punishment, what stands in the way that they, having changed their life and having become, as it were, closer to God, should not do the same for those who have gone before, and possess the same energy and power—not to mention a much greater one, because of the laying aside of this flesh? ^C Let us not, therefore, oppose the patristic traditions, nor let us curiously inquire how these things can be; for these things were written, not that we might be overly inquisitive, but that we might believe, and that by believing we might have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

EPISTOLA XIX.

Prayers for the dead and alms are not in vain.

That one should not waver at all regarding the good deeds performed by some—on behalf of the pious, indeed, but also for sinners—let the disciples of Christ and the apostles persuade us, before all others, who ordained that the third, ninth, and fortieth day—and indeed also the annual—memorials be performed in common for the dead. For if the divine Gregory of Nyssa, following the holy apostles, ^D is found saying thus: "Nothing is handed down by the disciples of Christ without reason nor without gain, but the matter is entirely profitable, to make a memorial during the divine liturgical service for those of the faithful who have fallen asleep," then how much more does it behoove us to follow without questioning. For if, as we have said, we are not forbidden to offer sacrifice on behalf of those who have died in sins, and the great Basil, in the third prayer which is said on the day of Pentecost, clearly teaches it, so to God...

who at that very feast and saving day grants us to accept expiatory supplications on behalf of those who have descended into Hades, providing great hopes, and rest to those who are held by their oppressors. And if the dead shall not praise you, O Lord, nor shall those who are in Hades present themselves with boldness to bring sacrifice to you, but we who are living intercede for their souls. ^A And if one should say to me: "If it were the case that sacrifices were offered for all of the dead to God, and generally, that all would attain salvation, you have here the great Dionysius who puts this opinion aside," and he makes clear which ones of those who have departed life in sins are forgiven, and which are not. For, in going through the lives of those who have departed, he says: "If there were some light things, they have benefit on account of the good deeds which are done for them; but if they were heavy and excessive," he concludes that God stands against them. Added to this, the great Epiphanius in *Panarion* also has things to this effect: "Prayers of the pious are useful for the departed, if great crimes do not hinder."

And these indeed hand down these things. But John of Damascus presents these same things more openly, showing, from this point forward, which of the transgressions can easily be forgiven, and which cannot be forgiven at all, saying in his discourse, *On Those Who Have Fallen Asleep*: "Those who, together with other inhumanity and cruelty, were entirely unmerciful, and were not moved by the entreaties of those who were in need, but even robbed them—truly these will not be helped; for God, as the great Dionysius says, has closed himself against them." ^B Whosoever were of a good conscience, but yet, on account of premature death, did not reach the completion of divine laws for themselves, these will benefit most from the prayers made on their behalf. Yet, no less, the divine Chrysostom adds to this topic, saying: "You did not attain in your life to set all things regarding your soul in order, yet even at the end of life you can command your own people following your death to give you help through good works—I mean through almsgiving—and thereby render the Savior propitious to you; for these are pleasing and acceptable to Him." And if the great Basil somewhere says: "Be not deceived, God is not mocked; do not bring a dead man to the altar, offer your sacrifice for the living," he does not mean this as a prohibition, nor consequently that good works are to be neglected for the dead. For know that he is directing this speech against those who are greedy, ^C unyielding, and completely inhuman, and that it is clear which ones this divine man is addressing: one with a heart of stone. Therefore he did well, for if he had not used stronger language, he would never have, at that time, fed those who were perishing from famine.

[LATIN COLUMN]

And what necessity is there to say that Christ was one day early on account of the crucifixion that was to happen on the day of Prepare-day [Friday]? Since holy Luke stands against this, writing thus of the fifth feria [Thursday]: "It was the day of Azymes when the Pasch ought to be sacrificed." For by saying "ought," he reveals the necessity of the law, and not the free will of Christ. Let us conclude, therefore, from the opinion and sentiment of the learned Latin theologians, that Christ was fixed to the cross on the very day of the Pasch, that is, on the Parasceve, when he had decided to suffer, and to sacrifice himself as the true Lamb at the time of the typical lamb, and according to astronomers, on that same Parasceve occurred the fifteenth moon from the vernal equinox. The translation of the Pasch to the Sabbath, however, happened from the ancient custom of the Jews, who, perceiving the difficulty between these two solemnities, at which time food could not be prepared, joined two feast days into one Sabbath; and for this reason John wrote: "For that day of the Sabbath was great," as if to imply that it was a double feast day. And this we can likewise learn from the Jews themselves, who never celebrate the Pasch on the day of the Parasceve. And about the azymes, and the Paschal sacrifice, these things suffice. And these things I have written to you, most friendly Greeks, not disparaging your bread—for which, being worshipped, I have as much reverence as our own azymes—but explaining that you are not acting well, nor as a Christian, while you injure and treat with contempt the azymes of the Latins. For in both, as has been said, the true Christ is contained. Being admonished, therefore, lovingly, cease from audacity and slander in the future.

NOTICE OF JOANNES ARGYROPHILUS

Most say that he set out for Italy, and specifically that this happened when Constantinople was captured by the Turks in the year 1453. Paulus Jovius, however, after having written that Theodore Gaza fled to Italy when Amurath was shaking all of Greece with his victorious arms, reports that Argyrophilus was also ejected from Greece by the same Turkish onset, and by this very fact seems to signify that he had crossed into Italy before the capture of Constantinople. Nic. Comn. Papadopoli relates that he came to Italy a second time, and that upon his first arrival he was sent by Bessarion to Padua, where he learned the Latin letters in the gymnasium of that city and was occupied with Aristotle; then, however, he returned to Constantinople, stayed there for some years, and before the city was conquered by the Turks, migrated to Italy and fixed his residence there. A most ample field for displaying the riches of his learning fell to Argyrophilus at Florence. For Cosmas Medici, who flourished above all others in that city by both wealth and authority, so that he was proclaimed father of the fatherland by public decree, followed men of letters with the highest love and fostered them with incomparable munificence; he received him most honorably, and gave him as a tutor to his son Peter and his grandson Lorenzo, who held him in the place of a parent. Moreover, he gave him the power to teach the Aristotelian philosophy, to which he was addicted, and to explain Greek authors to the studious youth in public lectures. Argyrophilus performed the assigned duty with great praise; and he not only imbued Lorenzo Medici, as yet but a boy, with dialectics and that part of philosophy which concerns morals, but he also taught very many Italians who, to use the words of Cortesius, compelled by the admirable fame of his learning, had surrendered themselves to his discipline. From the number of auditors he had at Florence, the same Cortesius produces Donatus Acciaiolus and Matthæus Palmerius. Among his disciples, however, he who holds first place, and who shone forth more brightly from that source in every kind of Greek and Latin learning, is Angelus Politianus. He explicitly professes that that Byzantine Argyrophilus was once his preceptor in philosophy, and adds that he was held to be most erudite, not only in Latin letters, but also in the decrees of wisdom and all the disciplines which are called cyclic by Martianus. There exist two Greek epigrams of this same Politianus in praise of this preceptor of his, written in the ninth year of his age. How much he valued the knowledge of Greek letters in this most excellent disciple of his can be understood from the fact that Scipio Carteromachus testifies that he himself saw Politianus writing in Greek, which was often a source of admiration to Joannes Argyrophilus. After he had for a sufficiently long time discharged the office of teacher of philosophy and Greek letters at Florence, and had been distinguished in both authority and favor with Cosmas Medici, and subsequently with his son Peter and grandson Lorenzo, to whom he also dedicated certain books of Aristotle translated by himself into Latin, because a grave pestilence was falling upon that city and devastating Etruria, around the year 1475.

JOANNES ARGYROPULUS. — NOTITIA.

Argyropulus moved to Rome, and there he undertook the task of teaching Greek letters, and especially the philosophy of Aristotle. In that city, and indeed in the Vatican, Johannes Reuchlin, our countryman, heard Argyropulus lecturing publicly; having already had his grounding in Greek letters at Basel from Andronicus Contoblacus, and then at Paris from Hieronymus Spartiate. They say that when Reuchlin, at Argyropulus’s own command, recited and interpreted a part of a certain Thucydidean speech, Argyropulus not only marveled that he had pronounced the words fluently, but had also explored their meaning altogether excellently, and exclaimed to the men of high standing who were present: "Alas, Greece has flown across the Alps into our exile," in much the same manner as the orator Apollonius once, having heard Cicero declaiming at Rhodes, affected by admiration as much as by grief, said that he had transferred Greek letters and eloquence to the Romans. In his old age at Rome, Argyropulus also had a student from among our own, Jacob Questeberg of Friberg, who learned from him not only the Greek language, but also grasped the rudiments of philosophy.

Worn out by old age, Argyropulus died at Rome, when, as Jovius relates, he had fallen into a fever from an immoderate consumption of watermelons, leaving behind a son, Isaac, a musician noble and famous. As for the year of his death, writers do not agree among themselves, nor does it seem capable of being defined with certainty.

Argyropulus was of an altogether outstanding natural talent and of famous learning and scholarship in Greek letters, being most skilled above all in the Aristotelian philosophy. For this reason, those who knew him more closely, and who were the most suitable judges and assessors, vied with one another in extolling him with great praises. Among these, first and foremost, is Francesco Filelfo, in his letters of recommendation written to Th. Francus from Milan in the year 1461, and [Reuchlin] himself, in his work on the Hebrew language, book 1, page 20, where he expounds upon the teachers he had in learning the Greek language: "I did not receive the Greek language from the Ionians, nor anywhere in Greece, but first at Basel from Andronicus Contoblacus, then at Paris from Georgius Hieronymus Spartiate, afterwards at Rome from Argyropulus the Byzantine, who was lecturing publicly on Thucydides under Pope Sixtus IV, and finally at Florence and Milan from Demetrius Chalcocondyles, receiving it bit by bit, as if it were crumbs falling from the master's table."

[The remainder of the page consists of bibliographic notes, citations, and critical commentary regarding the biographical timeline of Argyropulus and his students.]

^A Verily, if you hand over to the infidels all the wealth of the world, as the disciples of Christ say, it will be of no benefit to them. And if this is the case, what must be said about the prayers that are offered for them? For what the prayers of the poor cannot effect for the sake of earthly things, the prayer of a just man has achieved miraculously. For the great Gregory, surnamed Dialogus, did not yield to the requests made to him for the remission of the sins of the emperor Trajan, who had ended his life in impiety. But the great martyr Thecla, when she was entreated for a certain Greek woman, Falconilla by name, snatched her from eternal punishments. Macarius, too, meeting on the path the skull of the arch-priest of the idols, which was drying up, and inquiring about the things he wished to learn from it, heard the truth of the Word which, at that time, God had breathed into it; ^B for if, when we perform the sacrifices for the dead, we then perceive little consolation, we are indeed feeble. Even the emperor Maurice, having fallen into a sin greater than that which could be forgiven him—for he gave up an army of ten thousand men to be slaughtered by the barbarians—escaped eternal punishment through the prayers of the holy men.

EPISTOLA XXI. (Frag.)

EPISTOLA XXII. (Frag.)

For when later, at the time of the Passion, the Lord said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," the souls of the just were then granted an ascent to the heights; for Christ did not die for them gratuitously. The souls of the sinners, however, remain as they were before in the lower places. And this is evident from those things which he treats in the narrative of the Dormition of the most holy Theotokos. For even Andreas of Crete, as he says, [speaks] of all men, and of the just also.

the souls of the saints pass through the joyless place of Hades, and they are not detained, except for those who, through the ease of life, have drawn upon themselves the death that comes through sin. Thus, the souls of the saints will indeed pass through the gates of Hades. For the disciple is not above his master. However, they will not be held fast as before, when sin reigned together with death. But they shall pass through so that they may be initiated into the mysteries accomplished there by the Lord beyond nature, how He conquered, and how He rose, having shattered those bars. This very thing the Theologian Gregory also implies in his oration on Pascha, and says as follows: "If He descends into Hades, descend with Him. Know also the mysteries of Christ there, and what is the economy of the double descent." ^B

EPISTOLA XXIII. To Constantine Palaiologos. That those should not be heeded who rashly opine that Paul is one of the twelve disciples of Christ.

Regarding the question you propose concerning the blessed Paul, most noble man, as to whether he was co-opted into the college of the twelve disciples of Christ, you ought to know that this great Apostle is outside this number of twelve. For his calling occurred long after, as I know, both the ascension of our Savior and the very descent of the most Holy Spirit; that is to say, after he had persecuted the Church of Christ, after he had consented to the killing of the protomartyr Stephen, and after he had received letters from the high priests and had gone out against the Christians. ^C For at that time that mystical lightning flashed around him in the middle of the road; at that time also he heard a voice from above saying thus: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"; and at that time he was also blinded in the lamps of his body. Hence it is that he is sent to Ananias, and receives baptism from him. Moreover, all these things happened long after the arrival of the Holy Spirit. And what need is there to say much? Read the book of the Acts. For it mentions by name the twelve disciples of Christ, who, through the arrival of the Holy Spirit, had received that wondrous gift of tongues; and you will not find Paul there, but Peter, and Andrew, and John, and James his brother, Matthew, Philip, ^D Bartholomew, Simon the Zealot, James of Alphaeus, and Judas his brother, Thomas, and that Matthias, who, although he was previously of the number of the seventy disciples, was nevertheless elected by lot by Peter in place of Judas the traitor, together with the eleven, as the divinely-inspired Luke records. These twelve men, then, who have been mentioned, and they alone, received at that time and first the grace of the All-Holy Spirit. Hence, therefore, we say that the blessed Paul is outside this number of twelve. But those who say that this man is also one of the twelve...

EPISTOLA XXIV.

^A and let them show the one who has fallen, and again, whence he fell, and let them cease calling Paul one of the twelve. For if he did not go out from there, if he did not again become one of the eleven, how did the blessed one enter? By what manner was he numbered with the choir of the twelve? Do not, therefore, lightly accept what is introduced by some as true in this way, even if it is supported by the writings of the Fathers. For since each of the disciples finished his own course, since he kept the faith even to his end, and the memorials drawn up for their sake by Dorotheus, bishop of Tyre and martyr, testify to this, how then can we speak of anyone being cast out of the choir, such that Paul entered in his place? If that wretch fell from the choir, and left his rank to another, the Iscariot—concerning whom it is written in the Psalms, "And let another take his office"— ^B nevertheless, even if Paul is not counted in the number of the twelve, his honors are not on that account diminished, nor is he rendered inferior to the other disciples. Far be it. Even if the Lord chose those twelve first, and honored them with the greatest of dignities; even if He promised that they would sit upon twelve thrones, and will be His companions on that day, because they have remained with Him; yet we have it elsewhere, that the Lord Himself, when the sons of Zebedee sought the right and left throne, said to them: "It is not mine to give this, but for whom it has been prepared by my Father." Therefore, if that honor is not given by grace, but according to struggles, and the one who strives as Paul did will be found a consort and participant of the twelve-fold honor, do not marvel. And why say many things? If no one toiled more than Paul, it is plain that no one is greater than Paul ^C among those who stand there, as the gold-tongued John says. Learn, therefore, from this, that Paul is a consort and participant of that ineffable glory which the twelve first disciples of Christ attained, and that he is not filling the number of those, as the argument has already made known.

EPISTOLA XXV.

^D To Andronicus Palaeologus.—Concerning the Feast of Lights. On the solemnity of the Nativity of Christ, he might be more worthy (1).

If you, O most noble man, among others, have heard the theologian Gregory calling the day of Lights more splendid than the day of Christ's nativity—which the gold-tongued John extols to such a degree that he calls it the metropolis of all the feasts of Christ—do not marvel at this, nor think that the interpreters of the Spirit are at variance with one another. For if you apply your mind, you will find in one sense that one praises the birth because of the tongue, and in another that the theologian again calls the day of Lights more glorious. For the divine John, looking to the same ineffable economy of God, and [rest of page content missing]

producing, nor are they produced: for this is proper to the hypostasis; for they are neither perfections nor faculties, since these things are in the hypostasis and with the ^A hypostasis. And they are called by theologians, the one generative, and the other productive faculty; and for this reason the product of the former is called offspring and Son, and the product of the latter is called projection and Spirit. For things which are from principles must, in those which are of the same kind, resemble their own proper principles, and from them also derive their name.

γ. Since both of those which are produced are said to be from the essence of the Father, but He Himself neither generates nor is generated, nor yet projects nor is projected, as the theologians say, it is necessary that the essence of both be such a principle whereby the Father produces both, the Son and the Holy Spirit. ^B Otherwise, as they are of the same essence, both the things produced by the producer and the things produced [in relation] to one another could not exist otherwise than from the essence of the Father, as from a principle and a faculty; which neither produces nor is produced, nor in that which is "from something," nor in that which is defined "in relation to something," existing namely in the Father and in the Son and in the Spirit, and as a principle and as a species, in so far as it is bestowed. But yet, the hypostasis of the Father being one when He produces the persons, and the essence being again one and the same principle and ^C faculty, the things produced would be in all ways and entirely the same. Or rather, the produced person would be one in reality, if there were not other things joined to the essence, through which the faculties—by which the Son and the Spirit are produced—might in some way differ. And these [faculties] would be mind and will: the former, being together with the essence a principle and faculty through the energy of generation, is productive of the Son (for which reason the Son of God has been named 'Word' by the theological thunder; for the word is the offspring of the mind); and the latter, the will, being together with the same essence a principle and faculty ^D through the energy of projection, or spiration, is productive of the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, not as a free-willed principle, but as a necessary and natural faculty and principle (for which reason the divine Spirit is called 'Love' by those treating theology; for the faculty of love is the will). And what we have said harmonizes with the voices of the theologians, and no less with those things said by the holy Augustine in his book *On the Trinity*, in which he called both the generative faculty memory, and the spirative faculty will.

δ. It is evident, therefore, from what has been said, that the Father is the fount of Deity, and the sole cause, and the sole source of the supersubstantial Deity, and the sole Begetter at once and Projector, and whatever else the school of the theologians has named Him; not only because He possesses the aforementioned faculties and fruitfulnesses from no one, but because He alone among divine things is the sole producer. For He alone is the producer by the aforementioned faculties, as a fount and principle and cause, and

whatever else any one might imagine in such a matter and likeness, He produces. It is also clear that the two aforementioned faculties are altogether the divine essence, and [all] that is attributed to God—mind and will. Mind, then, and will are perfections. But since the two persons who are produced, the Son and the Divine Spirit, are, the one indeed proceeds from the Father, as Father, and so is referred to Him by sonship: for the Son is of the Father, just as the Father also is called Father of the Son; but the other, again, proceeds from the same Father, not as Father, but as producer, of course, and as one who puts forth, and as one who breathes, and as many things as happen to be of similar power. And for this reason, the Divine Spirit is referred to Him by procession. For the issue is called of the producer, just as the producer is the producer of the issue. Just as, therefore, ^A the Father is conceived before the producer, not according to eternity—for in that respect Father and producer are contemporaneous, existing as such from all eternity—but according to the power and the act of bringing forth. For He brings forth the Son before the Spirit, being already understood to exist by the property toward the Son, namely by paternity; so also the Son, again, is conceived before the Spirit, not because they are not at the same time and coternally [with each other]; for in this way the three persons are altogether and coternally [existent], and in no way is one before another; but because to be begotten is by the nature of the matter before being put forth, and to beget is before putting forth, by which the Father is conceived before the producer. And this is altogether the order of the divine hypostases, rising also from the fount-like principle of the Father, according to which the Father is ^B before both, and the Son is before the Divine Spirit; and these things [exist] at the same instant of eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Divine Spirit being together.

5. But further, it is just to add to the things already said, as it is most theological, that the Father brings forth each of the divine persons, equal to Himself in all respects and altogether similar in the same perfections in number. For all things that reside in the Father without paternity, and all things that correspond to the divine paternity, even without paternity and breathing taken together, and as many as correspond to them in common—theological discourse ^C hands down that these are common also to those from the Father. For those things themselves, that is to say, paternity, and paternity together with breathing, and as many things as follow upon paternity, and the relations again of paternity and breathing, are mere relations, not perfections, just as also sonship is, and the breathing in the Spirit; and for this reason these are properties, each belonging to one only of the persons, [a property] which in no way is moved or transformed. But apart from these, all things are the same in number, common to the three, so that the Son is God equal and similar to God the Father in the same respects, and ^D the Spirit is God to God the Father and to the Son; and for this reason there is one God in three, by the same and one essence, and by the same perfections, with the mode alone being in some way altered, such that in the Father these are as in a fount, and are without beginning, and without cause, and are not given by any other, but in the Son and Spirit...

they are given by another, that is, by the Father, not indeed as from a fount, nor without beginning and cause. For the Father alone is the fount of the supersubstantial divinity, and He alone is cause and causator, because He alone is without cause and without beginning. For He Himself is not from any other, so that He too might be in some way caused, and that the things that are in Him might be from some other and not without beginning and, as it were, in a fount. Since He alone is the principle of the Son and of the Spirit, without beginning and without cause, as we were saying.

6 The Father, therefore, in bringing forth the Son, imparts to Him the divine essence and all its perfections, so that He also imparts the power of generation and of procession simultaneously. For the persons being of the same essence also have the same perfections, as was shown; and both intellect and will are perfections. Moreover, who does not know that intellect and will are entirely and in every way the same in the Father and the Son and the Spirit? But indeed, when the Son was being brought forth from the Father as Father, the Holy Spirit is not understood as being brought forth from the Father as Producer. For the Father is pre-conceived as Father, before the Producer as he is Producer, as was stated. Furthermore, with the paternity subsisting—being one property—supporting the paternal hypostasis, just as the Son is supported by filiation and the Spirit by procession, there could not be both paternity and the procession that is in the Father simultaneously. For paternity will be pre-conceived before that which is in the Father—or, to say the same thing, before the active procession. Wherefore the Son also, when the Father as Producer brings forth the Holy Spirit, possessing the same power from the Father through generation—namely, the productive power—will be co-conceived with the Father in regard to the procession of the Spirit, which is one from the Father through the Son, namely by one power and one principle, that which is in the Father and the Son; in the former, indeed, as in a fount and without beginning and not from another, but in the Son, being given through generation from the Father, as from a principle without beginning and a fount and a cause, from which both the Son and the Holy Spirit forth-proceed. Hence, the Holy Spirit is reasonably said to proceed from the Father through the Son, according to the knit-together theology. For He is not from the Father alone, lest the Son be thought unlike Him, not possessing the same perfections as the Father, and for this reason not consubstantial—which is in no way different from the heresy of Arius, which alienates the Son from the divine nature of the Father; for those whose powers are different, their essences also would be different. Nor, again, is He from the Son, lest the Son in turn be thought a principle without beginning, and thence again be alien to the paternal essence and nature; and besides, lest the Holy Spirit be thought a grandson of the Father, and the Son once more a son of the Son of God; for thus the Son might again be a Father. And besides, lest one should think that something belongs to the Son as a power productive of the Holy Spirit, which is not the same in number as that which is in God and Father. For this would also introduce once again the unlikeness of essence, and these things are all impious and atheistic.

^A And that this is so, even the Theologian Gregory indicates, setting it forth word for word thus: "But these things are not a second regeneration, nor a restoration to the ancient state, even if we seek it with many sighs and tears, from which a scar eventually comes, though with difficulty according to my own account and discourse." For it comes, and we believe it. But if we desire to escape the scars, I would certainly wish, when he himself also shows kindness, that he would not display this to us without the labor of stripes and wounds, which come from sin, to health. I very much think that it is a sacred garment, which is for salvation, and a profession of repentance, and a symbol of mortification; but it cannot itself by itself grant forgiveness, unless labors and fountains of tears and works of virtue follow it. For if it were with difficulty led to a scar, as the aforesaid man said, what must be said if we are to use them, owing to the inconveniences and straits of time, and the lack of facility? Are they not merciful, therefore, the Lord? But yet, for those calling upon His mercy with exceeding labor there is work. And this is what the divine psalmist David noted, signifying the toil of repentance: "My soul was humbled in fasting, and my flesh was changed because of the oil." And again: "Since I kept silent, my bones grew old from my crying all the day." ^B Therefore, the most holy Ephrem rightly declared: "The monk is not constituted by the tonsure and the habit, but by the heavenly way of life and the divine institution." By which he warns us, on account of our slippery nature, that this habit should be held with great wonder, as it was to the great Pachomius, by an angel. Why? Lest it check those coming to repentance like a rein, and not permit them at all to turn back to the former state. He expressed this with these manifest words: "Monk, consider the habit with which you are clothed, and know that you have departed from this world, and are wholly drawn to spiritual work." The most holy John, author of the Scale, rebuked this, saying: "Let the labor of mourning excite you, and the habit itself yours. For all who mourn for the dead clothe themselves in black garments. Therefore, on account of our slippery nature, the sacred habit is offered as a mystery. For if it were not so, those who might desire the monastic life would not have need of it." ^C And he shows that the great Antony, the most divine Paul the Theban, and all the rest who have put on the monastic habit, even without this habit, while bearing their soul and body, attained to absolute perfection and the summit of holiness.

Wherefore true repentance will not be the black cloak, the casting off of hair, but a turning to the Lord, and not a correct despising of the former evils, abstaining from them, and after that a loving of tears. "For my child," he says, "you have sinned; do not add further, but pray for your former sins"; for it is not enough for repentance ^D that he should be the one to use them, due to the pressure of the time and the straits: for the Lord is merciful, but he also has need of much toil by those calling upon Him for mercy. And this is that which the Godly David said of the repentance that is toilsome: "My soul was humbled in fasting, and my flesh was changed because of the oil." And again: "Since I kept silent, my bones grew old from my crying all the day long." Rightly, therefore, the most holy Ephrem said that the monk is not constituted by the tonsure and the habit, but by the heavenly manner of life, and the divinely inspired way of life. "For," he says, "he gives us to understand that such a habit is slippery for us, and he describes the great Pachomius as taught by an angel in a wonderful way." For what cause? "To curb those coming to repentance like a rein, and not to permit them at all; but rather to be insistent upon their turning back." And this is entirely reasonable, as he who said, "Monk, behold the scheme which you have put on, and know how you depart from this world, and are wholly drawn to spiritual work." Also, the most holy John of the Ladder said: "Let him apply himself to the work of mourning, and this itself is the garment. For all who mourn for the dead clothe themselves in black. Therefore, for the sake of our slipperiness, the sacred rite of the garment is given." For if this were not so, those who desire to be monastics would not have accepted the need for it. And see the great Antony, the most divine Paul the Theban, and those who at that time were monastics, that even without this scheme, as being those who had their soul at the highest peak, they reached the highest summit of holiness.

True repentance therefore is not a black cloak and the casting off of hair, but to turn to the Lord, and to condemn evil, and to love what is good, and, after this, to shed warm tears for one’s sins. "For my child," he says, "you have sinned; do not add further, but pray for your former sins." For it is not sufficient for repentance...

as the golden-tongued Chrysostom says, merely to cease from sin, but it is necessary that fruits worthy of repentance be produced, since for those who are wounded it is not enough merely to extract the arrow, but one must also soothe the wound with appropriate medicinal plasters. ^A Confirming this repentance, the author of the *Scala* also used to say: "Repentance is a reconciliation with God through the exercise of good works which are contrary to the sins." From this it appears that this habit alone, without great labor and the exercise of virtues, by no means grants the remission of sins. If these things are so, and if it does not immediately offer the forgiveness of iniquities to those who come to it voluntarily (for how would it, as we require so many tears afterwards, so that we may be made equal to the fountain of baptism according to the great Gregory, who is so profound in treating theological matters?), by what reasoning will it grant the remission of transgressions to those who flee to it, as I may say, against their will and by force? I am indeed doubtful, lest the tradition of this habit be entirely disadvantageous and inappropriate for such people. ^B For I do not grasp what he can do, who is clothed in it while he is drawing his final breath. For he is prepared for the struggle, but is hindered by his hands; he is fortified with the full armor, but the time for battle has passed; he promises to remain in solitude, but he is snatched away by force from these human affairs; he promises obedience to the superior, but the tyranny of death does not grant it; he professes to renounce his wife and children, and immediately lays down his soul. He protests that he is not coming to the habit by force, but a pleurisy pressing upon him forces him, even against his will, to cut his hair; he bestows his possessions to those in need, which he is unwillingly abandoning here; and he professes many other things, such as being disgraced, suffering injuries, and the like, but he performs nothing from these, because the end of his life, in which the rewards are prepared, is narrowed for him and is shorter than is fitting; but such a man, ^C as I suspect, receives nothing. For to him who makes promises, as has been said, but does not perform them, royal gifts are by no means granted. Therefore, we do not safely apply to these people the parable in the Gospels of the vineyard and of those who were called into it; for it does not represent the image of those who profess to be pious, yet run to repentance at the moment of death, as it seems to them. For even though those who arrived at the eleventh hour received the same reward as those who had previously expended labor, nevertheless, a ready and prompt operation provided them with an equal reward. For when they excused themselves for their own idleness, saying, "No one has hired us," * they clearly showed that if they had been called earlier, they would have immediately run off into the vineyard. Nevertheless, even those called about the eleventh hour followed the one calling them very promptly and without any hesitation, and for this reason they had no smaller reward than those who had been called earlier. If these things are so, what defense shall we have? Can we say as they did, "No one has hired us," no one...

has preached the truth to us? ^A nor any other thing absurd or impossible follows upon this. For in the one productive power, the persons, that is, the hypostases, are divided—Father and Son—just as in the one essence there are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They do not exist as two producers, but as one; yet they are two who produce, differing only in their mode of operation. For the former refers to the power, which is one, and not a plurality in each, and therefore the producer is altogether one; but the latter refers to the hypostases as effectively distinguished. And for this reason, very theologically, we say that there are two who produce. This is the piety of the Roman Church, which is the same as saying the piety of the universal faith regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit. In such dogmas have we been nurtured and instructed; we follow not sophisms, as some slanderously claim, nor the persuasive words of wisdom, nor naked human thoughts, but the theologians of the Church and whatever they have uttered from God. ^B Hence, it is possible through these passages even to think that the saints speak in harmony with themselves, and do not differ regarding the same things—which is what those who are ignorant of theological wisdom suffer, either by transfixing the proclamations of the saints with an obelus, or by adulterating them with forgeries, or by denying them, or by interpreting them wrongly, unwittingly, and just as they please.

^C But may you not suffer such a thing, you whom I truly deem happy in all other respects, and especially in your precision regarding piety and the correctness of orthodox dogmas. Rather, having weighed with precision what is brought forward by both sides, follow those who treat theological matters with reason, rather than the unskilled who, with ignorance, offer no account that could be considered reasonable, but who rather evade judgment, cover up the truth, and destroy the race of the Greeks by both their deeds and their words. I wished to extend the present discourse and to write much more to you about these same things, but I deemed these sufficient for the present for your inquiring soul, being able to perceive the many from the very few. In the time that follows, if you should command it, we shall discuss theology more thoroughly, ^D going through the dogmas of theology with greater precision. For I must surely obey you, as a father and guardian of the race.

EPISTLE OF JOANNES ARGYROPULUS TO DOMINICUS ROBOREUS, CARDINAL OF TURIN

In the Turin codex 433 (Pasini, *Cod. Taurin.*, p. 102) is the work of Aristotle *De Anima*, translated by Joannes Argyropulus with a final, more elegant revision for the sake of Dominicus Roboreus, Cardinal of Turin. On the front of the whole work is a most elegant epistle of Argyropulus to Cardinal Roboreus, for whose sake he had undertaken this more accurate interpretation. It will not be useless to submit the whole of it here, inasmuch as it commends the cardinal’s wonderful inclination toward letters and the sciences.

Joannes Argyropulus to Dominicus Roboreus, Cardinal of Turin, wishes eternal health and happiness.

My love and highest benevolence toward you, most wise Father, compel me by their own best right to do this: which if I did not do, there would surely be no man who would not think that I either did not know or was neglecting and slighting my duty and office, both of which would show a not mediocre shame.

^A For there is no one who does not know what love implies, what benevolence demands. It is indeed the mark of a man who is too dull and too senseless not to know what the reason of benevolence requires, and to neglect or set aside what springs from the depths of love is truly the mark of one who is pleased and displeased by the same things, and who, even in the greatest and most honorable matters, fails of his own accord. I pass over narrating the merits and mutual rights of benevolence and mutual love, for if anyone should fail to respond to these to the extent of his powers, he would not unjustly be held liable for the crime of ingratitude or injustice—things from which human uprightness and noble character seem to recoil above all else.

You have established such a course of life for yourself most beautifully, that with your domestic and family affairs disposed of well and elegantly, you live in part for the duty and office of a high magistracy for the sake of other men, and in part satisfy yourself in your studies of literature and most noble doctrines, having embraced both supreme manners of living. In this, you have also taken me as your companion and associate, not unaware that the studies to which we apply ourselves can be done more expeditiously, accurately, and well in this way. I, who have always thought that all human affairs, when the best end is removed, are vain and matters to be held of no account—he whose settled opinion it was that a man who has embraced either manner of life, if deprived of both eyes, is like a body lacking one, like a one-eyed man, while he who is endowed with both has the more excellent sight from the right and the inferior from the left, and he who is deprived of both is entirely akin to the blind—to whom our most holy religion, divinely offered to us, is also exceedingly pleasing in this respect, because it endeavors by its most beautiful laws and institutions to render men adorned and perfected in both manners of living, both according to nature and to their Maker; ^B who finally, setting aside honesty and the studies of wisdom, finds nothing to delight in; what, I ask, should I do towards you? What should I perform that would be most accommodating to both of us, whether urged by the present, pressing, and fitting love, or moving as both our life’s institution and nature itself dictates, and as if commanded by right reason? Would it not be everything that you desire, provided only that the opportunity is available to us, so that we may not seem inept or utterly ignorant of reason by offering things other than those which are necessary? Would it not be everything that can lead you to the easy attainment of man's desired goal, to which you are already proceeding with all study and effort?

Furthermore, to assist your most excellent and honorable studies with my strength and to give you frequent service, having neglected and set aside other matters, I considered it worth the effort; and I thought that the ways and paths by which one proceeds straight to human happiness and blessedness ought to be demonstrated to you. I decided that, together with you, the writers and authors of the liberal arts ought to be read and perused by me. I believed that all the truth enclosed in them ought to be summoned into the light. Finally, I judged that the formulas and reasons for the faculty of disputation ought to be tasted and not neglected, without which I considered the investigation and perception of truth ought to be neglected—which indeed will certainly confer upon us no small benefit for that toward which we strive with all our might. I mean, to translate more elegantly and offer to you some of the works of Aristotle, that most excellent philosopher of ours and supreme craftsman—those works which in my judgment are the sole fountains of all good things, from which human ends emanate—taking the beginning especially from where the science of the soul is handed down. By this, clearly, we can perceive not only the nature of all other living creatures but also our own most exactly, and the origins, causes, principles, and fountains of human happiness. ^C For, as it does not escape you, we have long since determined that both are not unjustly of concern to us: I mean the knowledge of things—both those which have need of no service of ours, and those of which we are the authors, and which are placed under our power—and the elegance of language: the method of speaking, the choice of words, the ornament, grace, and abundance, so that things and their meanings may be convenient and accommodated to the diction, and the diction to things and meanings, if meanings are to be accommodated to speeches, as both their reason and nature, and the institution of wise men, seek, demand, and require. For those are not to be proposed to us as examples who use ornamentation of words without knowledge of things, or who are endowed with science without skill in the art of speaking. It is truly a matter of marked disgrace to speak both vainly and depravedly, although the latter, perhaps by fortune of inability or by reason of sloth, is the second to be avoided. Let us join together those things which must be joined—for no one can ever join those things which cannot be joined without their own disgrace—and let us not separate wisdom from elegance, charm, and the grace of words and speech.

Therefore, this labor, in my opinion, being not dishonorable, not useless, not unpleasant, and not dissenting from or abhorring our common purpose or our mutual benevolence, I have deemed, decided, and defined ought to be given by me to you as if by a certain law, persistent and frequent, and, indeed, such that unless the necessity of nature intervene, no force can take it from us. ^D Since these things are so, set yourself to read with good fortune the work of Aristotle on the soul, which has been translated by us for your sake—having been polished with the latest emendation more elegantly, as the subject matter allows and the rule of interpreting prescribes (for in such matters a wide field is not granted). You will have us also in this reading and perceiving, since we have so willed and established it, as companions, helpers, and guides, not indeed sluggish, not inert, not slothful, but most prompt for undergoing every labor, the fruit of which is the end to be attained by you, for which nature brought you forth, and for which God, the Maker of all things, adorned you with so many great powers and faculties. Farewell, more than half of my soul, and persuade yourself that no one is dearer to me than you.

THEODORUS AGALLIANUS AGAINST JOANNES ARGYROPOULUS

EXCERPT from the preface of DOSITHEUS, Patriarch of Jerusalem. (Taken from the volume *Tomo Agapes* edited in the press at Jassy in Moldovachia, 1698 fol.)

The twelfth writing is that of Theodorus Dikaiophylax Agallianus, who is called Hieromnemon in the *Katallage* [Reconciliation], because he held a different office when he wrote that work, and another office when he wrote the present one. He also wrote other works of this kind, which we shall print, God willing, in another volume later on. It should be known that this Joannes Argyropulus wrote certain discourses in favor of the Council of Florence, and he wrote a letter to the Grand Duke, which Agallianus refutes, demonstrating that Argyropulus is not only blasphemous and audacious, but also unlearned. From this it becomes clear that everything that Argyropulus wrote elsewhere regarding the Council of Florence is falsely fabricated and far from the truth. Moreover, in the aforementioned letter, he wrote very blasphemously in favor of the Council of Florence, confirming its most audacious decree; and see how Agallianus refutes him.

REFUTATION by the most honorable Theodorus Agallianus, Dikaiophylax of the Great Church, of the book of Joannes Argyropulus in defense of the Latin dogma.

...whom I and anyone else who thinks rightly would justly count equal [to the ancients], if they were able, or were willing—which is worse—to understand neither the voice nor the theology nor the purpose, but chose to be the cause of spiritual ruin for themselves and for all of us who follow, which some furies-driven or envious person, or rather one who would boast of having fallen away from his senses, might claim. Many thanks to the all-excellent and wise Argyropulus, that he has also delivered us from fear by signifying, in what he writes to the admirable Grand Duke, the opinion of the Roman Church, and how it will concur in mind, and in what manner it will unite with the Church of the East in the questions concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit, so that the Son is also considered and proclaimed the principle and cause of the Holy Spirit, as that [Church] teaches, taking this as a point of origin; as if it were something acknowledged, although it has been contradicted and refuted by many noble arguments by many of those who have shone no less in wisdom or holiness in the churches of the East; dragging the things of the saints, and reframing them toward such a mind, and writing these things to such and so great a man, who possesses much of the knowledge in such matters, as he himself testifies, condemning, as I think, not only him, but us all who follow such teachers, and even the wise and holy men before us. This fear troubled me greatly and bridled my soul: that there might be some who say they can demonstrate that the Latin dogma is found in the saints, or rather, who insist and claim that such is the truth; and that we do not understand [the truth], being carried along by irrationality and other passions, so that I did not trust my own knowledge of such matters, which I had gathered over a long time of studying such things, and I suspected the accounts of others who discourse on such things, and, so to speak, I feared no small fear: if it were as they themselves say, and I, being unable to understand it from my own resources, and following others, was not correctly...

1013 REFUTATION OF ARGYROPULOS. 1014: not only of those whose right-thinking is known to him, but also of those who do not hold such views, in order that he may select the good from all, like the wise bee; I would not call this graceful myself, as one might say, but rather noble and admirable, and truly characteristic of a learned soul. Whence it is for me, having dismissed the matters concerning these things, to proceed already to those that are more theological, not doing this out of curiosity, either now or at any other time—for this happens to be, above all, a matter of necessity—nor negligently; for if anything is worthy of perfect attention, this is it, unless perhaps one should say it is meddlesome to theologize, or even more meddlesome to theologize, if one calls him who speaks or is going to speak nothing necessary, unworthy of sacred theology. What then do the affairs of theology say? Had I been found departing from the correct opinion, or rather should I share with others concerning these things, not even being deceived in the greatest matter. But now, having beheld in these things the full strength of the argument, and having discerned that the hope of the union of the Churches is at risk on these points—since indeed for this reason some think the wiser men will be drawn in, for they believe that those who are not such are perhaps more easily taken—we wondered how wise men, well-endowed with intellect and education, and appearing to have advanced by the experience of theology, attempt to judge and weigh the faith and the theology of the Fathers by such things, either deceiving themselves or thinking that others will easily be persuaded by them. But I have been freed, as I said, from fear, better established in the ancestral glory. For it is as if the character of opponents, when tested, makes those who differ with them more steadfast or even more noble. And he who touches upon a refutation of any kind might perhaps appear to do so while possessed by some passion, by which he distorts and misinterprets things that are well-established, and clings to more rotten ones, and drinks with this alone as his goal: how he might seem to overcome the antagonist sufficiently; I, however, deem this to be unseemly and unjust in any matter whatsoever. For it is a condemnation of the truth and a corruption of the conscience, not least in those things where discourses concerning the faith occur, which is a new matter, and the greatest, and the head of all. I consider it impious and profane not to pass judgment on these things with an impassive and pure [mind].

ARGYROPULOS. ^A And the theological outlines and principles, of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being one in essence, distinguished according to the idioms [properties]... [Distinguished by] the idioms of the three persons existing in the Divine...

AGALLIANOS. ^B The fundamental principle, as pious and true and most theological, is the most true start and hypothesis of the faith, even if what is built upon it were to be imposed in accordance with those [principles] of the architects, and those which we are commanded to follow. For he says the divine persons are to be distinguished by their idioms. It is good, therefore, to ask the theological Fathers: what are the idioms of the persons which also distinguish the persons, and are of such a nature that they do not change, and are named impassible and uncommunicable? For this would be a Lydian stone, not to guess, but [to test] against any other human [argument] of those who frame these words. Therefore, I call upon the truth itself as my witness in these matters, that I am coming to speak of as many things as my conscience clearly dictates to me, having learned them from the wise and holy men who preceded me, and from the common teachers of piety and the principles of the faith; or rather I should say, I will not even render the verdict from my own tribunal. But having merely laid these before the writings of the saints, and having examined the sense of these against theirs, I will set up as judges those who are fair-minded and who will pass through the present matters impassibly; whom I ask not to pay attention to the wording, which is simple, but to examine the sense and seek the truth. I also offer thanks for the praises bestowed upon the most glorious great Doukas, together with all the others; for we all together owe thanks to such a man, being as he is zealous in common and beneficial matters, and each one of us individually [owes thanks] because of his goodwill toward each, having offered himself as a common storehouse of good and of all need and assistance to each one; but these praises of him, I too confess, are few in comparison to the many and great things that befit him, and [I confess that I have treated] them with extreme restraint, and having touched upon them as it were with the tips of my fingers, so that the present time might be surrendered to the brevity [of the task], and because perhaps the season for more complete praises has not yet arrived; for for the good, all time is open for praise. But the grace of his virtues is that he is able not only to attend to dogmas... ^D ...the sequence [of the argument], showing both the counterfeit and the sincere. For if he maintains that position, he will reserve the beginning and the cause within the Godhead solely for the Father, as the Father's own idiom; but if he legislates [them as] common to the Father and the Son, he will entirely disturb the theological outlines. For immediately, the Theologian Gregory says: "The idioms [are signs] of the Father, as the Unbegotten and the Principle, being conceived and called [as such]." And the holy Dionysius: "The Father is the sole source of the super-essential Godhead." And Cyril: "If fruit-generation, or rather God-generation, is a mark of the hypostasis of the Father, it is entirely a natural idiom of His." And the great Basil: "The unbegottenness and being called Father is the idiom of the Father." Expanding on this, Gregory says: "This is the Father: Begetter and Producer. And it is the idiom of the Son to be called Son, and to be begotten from the Father. And it is the idiom of the Spirit to be called Holy Spirit, and to proceed from the Father." But let these things, as I said, be laid down as if they were a square and a rule, from which it will be clear what fits his subsequent conclusions; but what is it that follows?

ARGYROPULOS. The Father brings forth the One, but generates the Two, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

AGALLIANOS. From which of the theologians have you heard, man, this [terminology]...

compassionate toward our weaknesses, and not as a legislator, ^A providing what is fitting, second marriage is granted, as is evident from what he himself, the very great [Apostle], said: "I wish all to be as I am myself in continence." For this reason, also discussing the subject of a second [marriage], he said: "I say it, and not the Lord." From this, therefore, the first marriage is clearly shown to be lawful, since the Church also has taken one husband, Christ, and not two, and so on.

EPISTLE XXVIII.

As for what we are about to say, pay attention and listen with great sobriety. The race of the Hebrews celebrated three most magnificent ^B festivals each year; and may the divine Scripture convince us of this, when it says: "Three times a year every male shall appear before your God," at which time the sheep was sacrificed, when Pentecost fell for them, and when the feast of Tabernacles arrived. Three times already we also, in accordance with their custom, celebrate feasts throughout the year. For when the Lord said to the Jews: "The kingdom shall be taken from you, and it shall be given to the nations," then the bright things of the Hebrews fell away and passed over to us. ^C But they used to hold their feasts in memory of the events that had occurred to them in Egypt and the wilderness; we, however, do so in memory of Christ himself. Just as the Lord himself, when he was establishing the mysteries of the New Testament, had commanded, saying: "Do this in my remembrance." For they, while celebrating, ate the lamb; we, however, eat Christ himself, truly the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. That our practices do not run counter to Jewish customs, even if they differ in manner, Paul transmits, saying: "The old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." And this is further evident from the following. Twice in the week the Jews used to fast; twice already we also fast according to the apostolic tradition. ^D However, they [fasted] on the second and fifth days; we, however, on the Wednesday and Friday, even though we owe [it] much more than they. "For if," he says, "your righteousness does not exceed that of the Pharisees and Scribes, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven." And what need is there to say more and to enumerate them one by one? Among them was circumcision, among us the divine laver; among them the Ark, among us the Virgin; among them the rod of Aaron, among us the wood of the Cross flowers; among them was the lamb, among us Christ himself. And this is what the most celebrated [Father] said when discussing theological matters: "The letter departs, the spirit receives increase; the shadows fly past, the truth arrives." From this, therefore, learn that there are also three most magnificent festivals among us, just as there were among them, indeed, festivals. For among them oxen and sheep were...