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Consolatoria ad aegrotum

BY THE SAME, A CONSOLATORY HOMILY TO ONE WHO IS SICK. Father, give your blessing. The life of men is short, and the brightness of this toilsome life is of short duration, a spider's web, easily dissolved is glory, the fantasy of life is a dream, but most blessed is the repose of the just. The rest in heaven is endless, the gifts of an unfading benefactor, fittingly. For of him whose nature is unchangeable, the giving is also unceasing. Therefore, their struggle here is temporary; but their victory with the prizes there is eternal. For we sweat as if in a wrestling arena of life, struggling with afflictions, and nature has many antagonists. Pleasures undermine what is firm, luxuries change what is manly, 31.1716 despondencies enervate the tone, slanders pour down insults, flatteries devise plots, fears trip one into despair, and in such a storm nature is unceasingly tempest-tossed. For not only are the sorrows of life burdensome, but even those things that seem pleasant vex by their change, and we journey through a life almost full of afflictions and tears, and if you wish to know, learn the sorrows of life. Man was sown in the womb, but affliction preceded the sowing. The seed was cast into the furrow of nature; if we only consider it, we blush at the beginnings of our birth. What was cast down was changed into blood, the blood thickened into flesh, the flesh was formed in time, what was formed was ensouled beyond reason, the ensouled one was nourished by what is according to nature, the embryo leaps, being confined, it is vexed at the prison of nature; but the time of birth came at last, the bars of labor pains were loosed, the doors of nature were opened, the womb released what it held; the boxer of affliction slipped forth into life, the tongue of creation breathed the air, and what after this? The first sound, he cried. It is enough from the beginnings to know life. The infant fell to the earth, and did not laugh; but as soon as he fell, he took hold of pains and weeps. For he knew that he had been shipwrecked in the sea of afflictions. He was nourished with tears, weaned against his will, he reaches childhood, and fears parents or servants. He became a youth, and was handed over to tutors for his education. Behold, a fear having no rest. He was idle, he was whipped, he stayed awake, but he learned, he excelled exceedingly, he was perfected in his studies, he showed himself to be successful, he shines through every form of discourse, he is filled with legal experience, in time he advanced to manhood, he gave himself to military service. The beginning again of greater afflictions. He fears rulers, he is suspicious of plots, he is nailed to profit, he investigates, he rages for profit, he stays awake, he lives in lawsuits, he travels for accountings, not being dragged, for he follows unwillingly, he toils beyond his strength, at night he worries, by day he stands by, as a slave. For need has sold his freedom. Then after these things, having often toiled and pleased, he was deemed worthy of honors, he was raised to a high office, he presides over nations, he 31.1717 commands armies, as a consul he is ambitious, he heaped up wealth; but time ran on with his toils, and old age overtook his rank, and before he could enjoy his wealth, he departed, snatched from life, and in the very harbor he suffered shipwreck. For death follows, mocking the vain hopes of mortals. Such is the life of men, an unstable sea, a changeable air, an uncertain dream, a passing stream, dispersing smoke, a leaping shadow, a sea troubled by waves; and the storm is fearful, the voyage is perilous, and we the passengers are drowsy. For the sea of life is fearful and wild, hopes are vain, as

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Consolatoria ad aegrotum

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΠΑΡΑΜΥΘΗΤΙΚΗ ΑΣΘΕΝΟΥΝΤΙ. Πάτερ, εὐλόγησον. Ὁ βίος τῶν ἀνθρώπων βραχὺς, καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιος τῆς ἐπιμόχθου ζωῆς ἡ φαιδρότης, ἱστὸς ἀρά χνης, εὐδιάλυτος ἡ δόξα, ἡ φαντασία τοῦ βίου ὄναρ, ἀλλὰ μακαριωτάτη τῶν δικαίων ἡ ἄνεσις. Ἀπέραν τός ἐστιν ἡ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀνάπαυσις, ἀμαράντου φιλο τίμου τὰ δῶρα, εἰκότως. Οὗ γὰρ ἀναλλοίωτος ἡ φύσις, τούτου καὶ ἄπαυστος ἡ δόσις. ∆ιὸ πρόσκαι ρος μὲν αὐτῶν ἐνθάδε ἡ πάλη· ἀΐδιος δὲ ἡ μετὰ τῶν ἄθλων ἐκεῖσε νίκη. Ἱδροῦμεν γὰρ ὡς ἐν παλαίστρᾳ τῷ βίῳ, ταῖς θλίψεσι παλαίοντες, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνταγωνιστὰς ἔχει ἡ φύσις. Αἱ ἡδοναὶ τὸ στεῤῥὸν ὑπεκλύουσιν, αἱ τρυφαὶ τὸ ἀνδρεῖον μετ 31.1716 αλλάττουσιν, αἱ ἀθυμίαι τὸν τόνον ἐκνευρίζου σιν, αἱ συκοφαντίαι τὰς ὕβρεις καταχέουσιν, αἱ κο λακεῖαι τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς προσπλάττουσιν, οἱ φόβοι εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν σκελίζουσι, καὶ ἐν τοιαύτῃ ζάλῃ χειμάζεται ἀπαύστως ἡ φύσις. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μόνον τὰ λυπηρὰ τοῦ βίου φορτικὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ δοκοῦντα ἡδέα τῇ μεταβολῇ ἀνιᾷ, καὶ σχεδὸν θλίψεων καὶ δακρύων μεστὸν ὁδεύομεν βίον, καὶ εἰ θέλεις γνῶναι, μάθε τὰ λυπηρὰ τοῦ βίου. Ἐσπάρη ὁ ἄν θρωπος ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ, ἀλλὰ θλῖψις τῇ σπορᾷ ἡγήσατο. Κατεβλήθη τὸ σπέρμα εἰς τὴν τῆς φύσεως αὔλακα· εἰ μόνον ἐνθυμηθῶμεν, ἐρυθριῶμεν τὰ προοίμια τῆς γενέσεως. Ἠλλοιώθη τὸ καταβληθὲν εἰς αἷμα, ἐπαχύνθη τὸ αἷμα εἰς σάρκα, ἐμορφώθη ἡ σὰρξ τῷ χρόνῳ, ἐψυχώθη τὸ μορφωθὲν ὑπὲρ λόγον, ἐτράφη ὁ ψυχωθεὶς τοῖς κατὰ φύσιν, σκιρτᾷ τὸ ἔμβρυον στενοχωρούμενον, δυσχεραίνει πρὸς τὸ τῆς φύσεως δεσμωτήριον· ἀλλ' ἦλθε μόλις ὁ χρόνος τοῦ τόκου, ἐλύθη τῶν ὠδίνων τὰ κλεῖθρα, ἀνεῴχθησαν αἱ τῆς φύσεως θύραι, ἀπέλυσεν ἡ μήτρα, ὃν κατεῖχεν· ἐξωλίσθησεν εἰς τὸν βίον ὁ τῆς θλίψεως πύκτης, ἀνέπνευσε τὸν ἀέρα ἡ τῆς κτίσεως γλῶσσα, καὶ τί μετὰ τοῦτο; Πρώτη φωνὴ, ἔκλαυσεν. Ἀρκεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν προοιμίων γνῶναι τὸν βίον. Ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὸ βρέφος, καὶ οὐκ ἐγέλασεν· ἀλλ' εὐθὺς πεσὸν, τῶν πόνων ἀντελάβετο καὶ κλαίει. Ἔγνω γὰρ, ὅτι εἰς τὴν τῶν θλίψεων ἐναυάγησε θάλασσαν. Ἐτράφη μετὰ δακρύων, ἀπεγαλακτίσθη μὴ βουλόμενον, εἰς παῖδας τελεῖ, καὶ δέδοικε γονέας ἢ οἰκέτας. Μει ρακίσκος ἐγένετο, καὶ παιδαγωγοῖς παρεδόθη εἰς λόγους. Ἴδε φόβος ἄνεσιν οὐκ ἔχων. Ἐῤῥᾳθύμησεν, ἐμαστίχθη, ἠγρύπνησεν, ἀλλ' ἐξέμαθε, προέκοψε κατάκρας, ἀπηρτίσθη ἐν λόγοις, ἐπεδεί ξατο εὐδοκίμησιν, διὰ πάσης ἰδέας λόγων ἀστράπτει, νομικῆς πεπλήρωται πείρας, εἰς ἄνδρας προέβη τῷ χρόνῳ, στρατείᾳ ἑαυτὸν ἐπέδωκεν. Ἀρχὴ πάλιν μει ζόνων θλίψεων. Φοβεῖται ἄρχοντας, ὑφορᾶται ἐπι βουλὰς, προσήλωται τῷ κέρδει, ἐρευνᾷ, λυσσᾷ περὶ τὸ κέρδος, ἀγρυπνεῖ, ἐν ταῖς δίκαις ζῇ, ἐν λο γοθεσίοις ἀποδημεῖ, μὴ ἑλκόμενος, ἀκολουθεῖ γὰρ ἄκων, κάμνει ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, ἐν ταῖς νυξὶ φροντίζει, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ παρέστηκεν, ὡς δοῦλος. Ἡ γὰρ χρεία τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἐπώλησεν. Εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα πολλάκις καμὼν καὶ ἀρέσας, τιμῶν ἠξιώθη, πρὸς ὕψος ἀρχῆς ἀνήχθη, ἐπιστατεῖ ἔθνεσι, στρα 31.1717 τοπέδοις κελεύει, ὡς ὕπατος φιλοτιμεῖται, ἐσώρευσε πλοῦτον· ἀλλὰ συνέδραμε τοῖς καμάτοις ὁ χρόνος, καὶ συνέφθασε τῷ ἀξιώματι τὸ γῆρας, καὶ πρὶν ἢ ἀπολαῦσαι τοῦ πλούτου, ἀπῆλθεν ἁρπασθεὶς τοῦ βίου, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ λιμένι ὑπέμεινε τὸ ναυάγιον. Συνακολουθεῖ γὰρ ταῖς ματαίαις ἐλ πίσι καταγελῶν τῶν βροτῶν ὁ θάνατος. Τοιοῦτος ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος, ἄστατος θάλασσα, ἀὴρ ἀνώμα λος, ὄναρ ἀβέβαιον, ῥεῦμα παρατρέχον, καπνὸς διαχεόμενος, σκιὰ μεταπηδῶσα, πέλαγος ὑπὸ κυμά των ἐνοχλούμενον· καὶ ἡ μὲν ζάλη φοβερὰ, ὁ δὲ πλοῦς ἐπισφαλὴς, οἱ δὲ ἐπιβάται νυστάζομεν. Φοβε ρὰ γὰρ καὶ ἀγρία ἡ τοῦ βίου θάλασσα, μάταιαι αἱ ἐλπίδες, ὡς