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De sancta Droside martyre

ENCOMIUM On the holy great-martyr Drosis, and on the remembrance of death

1. The industrious shepherds, when after a long winter they see a bright ray, and a warmer day has come, leading the sheep out of the fold, they lead them to the accustomed pastures. Imitating these, this good shepherd also has led this sacred flock, and the spiritual sheepfold of Christ, to these spiritual pastures of the saints. The sheep are indeed sated standing at the manger; but when they get outside the pens, they reap greater benefit from the fields, bending down with great delight, and cropping the grass with their teeth, breathing the pure air, and looking at the clear and bright sunbeam, leaping beside lakes and springs and rivers. And the earth, too, brings them some delight, being adorned everywhere with flowers. This has great benefit not only for them, but also for us. For our table was set full of spiritual foods inside as well, but this procession to the saints has a certain recreation and a profit no less than the recreation, not because we breathe the pure air, but because we look upon the achievements of these noble ones; not leaping beside rivers of waters, but beside rivers of spiritual gifts; not bending down and cropping grass with our teeth, but recounting the virtues of martyrs; not seeing the earth adorned with flowers, but beholding bodies teeming with spiritual gifts. Now each of the martyria provides no small profit to those who gather, but this one most of all. For as soon as one steps upon the threshold, a multitude of tombs immediately falls upon the eyes from every side, and wherever one might look, one sees chests and monuments and tombs of the departed. This contemplation of the tombs contributes in no small part to our philosophy. For the soul, through this sight, even if it is lazy, is quickly restrained, and if it is earnest and aroused, becomes more earnest. If someone bewails poverty, from this sight 50.684 he immediately receives consolation, and if he is proud of his wealth, he is humbled and restrained. For the sight of the tombs compels each of the viewers, even unwillingly, to philosophize about his own end, and persuades him to consider nothing of present things to be certain, neither painful, nor good. And he who is persuaded of these things will not easily be caught in the trap of sin. For this reason a certain wise man also exhorts, saying: In all your words remember your last end, and you will never sin. And another, in harmony with this, speaks, advising thus: Prepare your works for the departure, and make yourself ready for the journey; not speaking of the perceptible journey, but of the departure from hence. For if we continually and each day foresee the uncertainty of our end, we shall not sin readily. For neither the splendid things of life will be able to puff us up, nor will the painful things be able to cast us down and disturb us, since both have an uncertain end. For often he who is alive today does not even remain until evening. Now for those who spend their time inside the city, it is not very likely that they will meditate and philosophize on such things; having gone out beyond the walls, and having come to these tombs, and the multitude of the

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De sancta Droside martyre

ΕΓΚΩΜΙΟΝ Εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν μεγαλομάρτυρα ∆ροσίδα, καὶ εἰς τὸ μεμνῆσθαι θανάτου

αʹ. Οἱ φιλόπονοι τῶν ποιμένων, ἐπειδὰν διὰ μακροῦ χειμῶνος ἴδωσι λαμπρὰν

ἀκτῖνα, καὶ θερμοτέραν γενομένην ἡμέραν, τῆς μάνδρας ἐξαγαγόντες τὰ πρόβατα, πρὸς τὰς συνήθεις ἄγουσι νομάς· τούτους καὶ ὁ καλὸς ποιμὴν οὗτος μιμούμενος, τὴν ἱερὰν ταύτην ἀγέλην, καὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποίμνην πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἁγίων νομὰς ἤγαγε ταύτας τὰς πνευματικάς. Κορέννυνται μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς φάτνης ἑστῶτα τὰ πρόβατα· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὰν ἔξω γένηται τῶν σηκῶν, πλείονα ἀπὸ τῶν πεδίων καρποῦνται τὴν ὠφέλειαν, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς τέρψεως κατακύπτοντα, καὶ τὴν πόαν διὰ τῶν ὀδόντων ἀποκείροντα, καθαρόν τε ἀέρα ἀναπνέοντα, καὶ πρὸς ἀκτῖνα βλέποντα διειδῆ καὶ φαιδρὰν, παρὰ λίμνας καὶ πηγὰς σκιρτῶντα καὶ ποταμούς· φέρει δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἡ γῆ τινα τέρψιν τοῖς ἄνθεσι καλλωπιζομένη πάντοθεν. Οὐκ ἐπ' ἐκείνων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν τοῦτο πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Πλήρης μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔνδον ἡ τράπεζα τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐδεσμάτων παρέκειτο, ἀλλ' ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους ἔξοδος τούτους ἔχει τινὰ καὶ ψυχαγωγίαν καὶ κέρδος τῆς ψυχαγωγίας οὐκ ἔλαττον, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ καθαρὸν τὸν ἀέρα ἀναπνέομεν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὰ τῶν γενναίων τούτων κατορθώματα βλέπομεν· οὐ παρὰ ποταμοὺς ὑδάτων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ ποταμοὺς χαρισμάτων σκιρτῶντες· οὐ κατακύπτοντες, καὶ πόαν κείροντες τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ μαρτύρων ἀρετὰς ἀναλεγόμενοι· οὐχὶ γῆν ὁρῶντες καλλωπιζομένην ἄνθεσιν, ἀλλὰ σώματα βλέποντες χαρίσμασι βρύοντα πνευματικοῖς. Ἕκαστον μὲν οὖν τῶν μαρτυρίων παρέχει τοῖς συλλεγομένοις κέρδος οὐ μικρὸν, μάλιστα δὲ ἁπάντων τοῦτο· ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ ἐπέβη τις τῶν προθύρων, καὶ πλῆθος εὐθέως τάφων πανταχόθεν προσπίπτει τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ ὅπου περ ἂν ἴδῃ, λάρνακας καὶ μνήματα καὶ θήκας ὁρᾷ τῶν κατοιχομένων. Οὐ μικρὸν δὴ ἡμῖν εἰς φιλοσοφίας μέρος αὕτη συντελεῖ τῶν τάφων ἡ θεωρία. Ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ διὰ τῆς ὄψεως ταύτης, κἂν ῥᾴθυμος ᾖ, ταχέως συστέλλεται, κἂν σπουδαία καὶ διεγηγερμένη, σπουδαιοτέρα γίνεται· κἂν ἀποδύρηταί τις πενίαν, ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ταύ 50.684 της εὐθέως παραμυθίαν δέχεται, κἂν ἐπὶ πλούτῳ μέγα φρονῇ, ταπεινοῦται καὶ καταστέλλεται. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν τάφων ὄψις ἕκαστον τῶν ὁρώντων τὰ περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἄκοντα φιλοσοφεῖν ἀναγκάζει, καὶ πείθει μηδὲν τῶν παρόντων νομίζειν εἶναι βέβαιον, μὴ λυπηρὸν, μὴ χρηστόν· ὁ δὲ ταῦτα πεισθεὶς οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἁλώσεται τῇ τῆς ἁμαρτίας παγίδι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ σοφός τις παραινεῖ λέγων· Ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις σου μιμνήσκου τὰ ἔσχατά σου, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μὴ ἁμάρτῃς· καὶ ἕτερος δέ τις συνωδὰ τούτῳ φθέγγεται συμβουλεύων οὕτως· Ἑτοίμαζε εἰς τὴν ἔξοδον τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ παρασκευάζου πρὸς τὴν ὁδόν· οὐ περὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς ὁδοῦ διαλεγόμενος, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίας. Ἂν γὰρ διηνεκῶς καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὸ τῆς τελευτῆς προβλέπωμεν ἄδηλον, οὐ ταχέως ἁμαρτησόμεθα· οὔτε γὰρ τὰ λαμπρὰ τοῦ βίου φυσῆσαι, οὔτε τὰ λυπηρὰ καθελεῖν ἡμᾶς καὶ θορυβῆσαι δυνήσεται ἄδηλον ἑκάτερα τὸ τέλος ἔχοντα. Καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις ὁ σήμερον ζῶν οὐδὲ μέχρι τῆς ἑσπέρας μένει. Ἔνδον μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐνδιατρίβοντας οὐ σφόδρα εἰκὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα μελετᾷν καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν· ἐξελθόντας ἔξω τειχῶν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τάφους τούτους ἐλθόντας, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν