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wants you to become good through dangers, and wishes to engage his own army with the opposing army, in this you shall be invincible to every toil by preparation, and undaunted in soul in the face of danger, and move readily from land to land, and from sea to sea. For when they persecute you, He says, flee from city to city. And when you must be called to court, 31.624 and to stand before rulers, and to endure uprisings of the people, and to see the fearsome gaze of the public executioner, and to hear a harsh voice, and to bear the grievous sight of punishments, and to be tried by tortures, and to contend even unto death, do not be disobedient to all these things, keeping before your eyes Christ who was in these circumstances for your sake, knowing that it is for Christ’s sake that you must be in these circumstances, and you will be victorious in them. For you follow a victorious king, who wishes you to be a sharer of his victory. For not even in dying are you defeated, but then indeed you have conquered most perfectly, having kept the truth unchanged for yourself until the end, and having held the boldness for the truth unshaken.

And from death you will journey to eternal life, and from dishonor among men to the glory that is from God, and from the tribulations and punishments in the world to the eternal rests that are with the angels. Earth did not accept you as a citizen, but heaven will receive you; the world persecuted you, but angels will bear you to present you to Christ; and you will be called a friend, and you will hear the most desired praise: Well done, good and faithful servant, noble soldier, and imitator of the Master, follower of the King, I will reward you with my gifts; I will listen to your words, since you also listened to mine. You will ask for the salvation of afflicted brothers, and for the companions of the faith and for the initiates of holy love you will receive from the King a share of good things; and you will dance the eternal dances, and among the angels you will wear a crown, ruling over creation under the King, and co-reigning eternally and blessedly with the chorus of blessedness. But if He should also wish to leave you still in the world after the contests, so that you may fight more and various contests, and save many from invisible and visible wars, great will be your glory also on earth, and you will be honored among your friends, who have found you a protector and helper and a good intercessor. These will nourish you as a good soldier; these will honor you as a noble champion; these will welcome you and receive you with joy, receiving you as an angel of God, as Paul says, as Christ Jesus. These and such are the models of the divine military service. But the discourse is not only with men. For the female sex also serves as a soldier with Christ, being enlisted for the campaign by the courage of its soul, and not being rejected because of the 31.625 weakness of the body, and many women have fought with no less excellence than men.

And there are some who have been even more highly esteemed. From these are those who fill the chorus of virginity. From these are those who shine forth in the contests of confession and in the victories of martyrdom. And not only men but also women followed the Lord Himself during His presence, and through both the ministry of the Savior was accomplished. Since such and so glorious things are laid up for the military service according to Christ, let fathers desire it for their sons, and mothers for their daughters. Let them offer their own offspring, rejoicing in the eternal hopes which their children will share, desiring to have protectors with Christ and good intercessors. And let us not be fainthearted concerning our children, nor fear if they will suffer, but let us rejoice, because they will be glorified. Let us present to the Lord the things given by Him, so that we may also become sharers in the good reputation of our children, offering ourselves and standing beside them. To those indeed who are so eager and

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κινδύνων ἀγαθὸν θέλῃ σε γενέσθαι, καὶ τὸ στράτευμα τὸ ἑαυτοῦ θελήσῃ συμ βαλεῖν τῷ στρατεύματι τῷ ὑπεναντίῳ, ἐνταῦθα σὺ πρὸς πάντα πόνον ἀήττητος ἔσο τῇ παρασκευῇ, καὶ πρὸς κίνδυνον ἄτρεπτος τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ γῆν ἐκ γῆς μετανίστασο προθύμως, καὶ θάλατταν ἐκ θαλάττης. Ὅταν γὰρ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς, φησὶ, φεύγετε ἀπὸ πόλεως εἰς πόλιν. Καὶ εἰς δικαστήριον ὅταν δέῃ καλεῖ 31.624 σθαι, καὶ πρὸς ἄρχοντας παραστῆναι, καὶ δήμων ἐπαναστάσεις ὑπενεγκεῖν, καὶ δημίου βλέμμα φοβε ρὸν ἰδεῖν, καὶ σκληρὰν ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν, καὶ κολαστη ρίων ὄψιν ὑπομεῖναι χαλεπὴν, καὶ πειραθῆναι βασά νων, καὶ μέχρι θανάτου διαγωνίσασθαι, μὴ ἀπειθήσῃς πρὸς ἅπαντα ταῦτα, πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχων τὸν ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἐν τούτοις γενόμενον Χριστὸν, εἰδὼς, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν τούτοις γενέσθαι σε δεῖ, καὶ νικήσεις ἐν τούτοις. Νικητῇ γὰρ ἀκολουθεῖς βασιλεῖ, τῆς νίκης αὐτοῦ βουλομένῳ σε γενέσθαι κοινωνόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν ἡττήθης, ἀλλὰ τότε δὴ καὶ τελεώτατα ἐνί κησας, ἄχρι τέλους ἄτρεπτον φυλάξας τὴν ἀλήθειαν σεαυτῷ, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας παῤῥησίαν ἀμετακίνητον σχών.

Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου μὲν πρὸς αἰώνιον ὁδεύσεις ζωὴν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀτιμίας ἐπὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ θλίψεων καὶ κολάσεων ἐπὶ τὰς αἰωνίους ἀναπαύσεις τὰς σὺν ἀγγέλοις. Γῆ σε πολίτην οὐκ ἀπεδέξατο, ἀλλ' οὐρανὸς ὑποδέξεται, κόσμος ἐδίωξεν, ἀλλὰ βαστάσουσιν ἄγγε λοι παραστῆσαί σε Χριστῷ· καὶ φίλος κληθήσῃ, καὶ τὸν ποθεινότατον ἔπαινον ἀκούσεις· Εὖ, δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ καὶ πιστὲ, στρατιῶτα γενναῖε, καὶ μιμητὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, βασιλέως ἀκόλουθε, ἐγώ σε τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἀμείψομαι δώροις· ἐγὼ τῶν σῶν ἀκούσομαι λόγων, ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ τῶν ἐμῶν. Αἰτήσεις ἀδελφῶν σωτηρίαν καταπονουμένων, καὶ τοῖς κοινωνοῖς τῆς πίστεως καὶ τοῖς μύσταις τῆς ἱερᾶς ἀγάπης λήψῃ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν μετουσίαν· χορεύσεις δὲ τὰς αἰωνίους χορείας, καὶ μεταξὺ τῶν ἀγγέλων στε φανηφορήσεις, βασιλεύων κτίσεως ὑπὸ τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ συνδιαιωνίζων μακαρίως τῷ τῆς μακαριότητος χορῷ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ κόσμου σε καταλεῖψαι ἔτι μετὰ τοὺς ἀγῶνας θέλοι, ἵνα καὶ πλείονας ἀγῶνας καὶ ποι κίλους διαγωνίσῃ, καὶ σώσῃς ἐκ τῶν ἀοράτων καὶ ὁρατῶν πολέμων πολλοὺς, μεγάλη σου καὶ κατὰ γῆν ἡ δόξα, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς φίλοις ἔσῃ τίμιος, προστάτην σε καὶ βοηθὸν καὶ πρεσβευτὴν ἀγαθὸν εὑρηκόσιν. Οὗτοι θρέψουσιν ὡς στρατιώτην ἀγαθόν· οὗτοι τιμήσουσιν ὡς ἀριστέα γενναῖον· οὗτοι δεξιώσονται καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς ὑποδέξονται ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ δεχόμενοι, καθὰ Παῦλός φησιν, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῆς θείας στρατείας τὰ παραδείγματα. ∆ιαλέγεται δὲ οὐκ ἀνδράσι μόνοις ὁ λόγος. Στρατεύεται γὰρ καὶ τὸ θῆλυ παρὰ Χριστῷ, τῇ ψυχικῇ ἀνδρείᾳ κατα λεγόμενον εἰς τὴν στρατείαν, καὶ οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώ 31.625 ματος ἀσθένειαν ἀποδοκιμαζόμενον, καὶ πολλαὶ γυ ναῖκες ἠρίστευσαν ἀνδρῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον.

Εἰσὶ δὲ αἳ καὶ μειζόνως εὐδοκίμησαν. Ἐκ τούτων εἰσὶν αἱ τῆς παρθενίας πληροῦσαι τὸν χορόν. Ἐκ τούτων αἳ τοῖς ἀγῶσι τῆς ὁμολογίας καὶ ταῖς νίκαις τῆς μαρτυρίας ἐκλάμπουσιν. Ἠκολούθουν δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ Κυρίῳ κατὰ τὴν παρουσίαν οὐκ ἄνδρες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες, καὶ δι' ἀμφοτέρων ἡ λειτουργία τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπετελεῖτο. Τοιούτων καὶ οὕτως ἐνδόξων ἀποκειμένων τῇ στρατείᾳ τῇ κατὰ Χριστὸν, ἐπιθυμείτωσαν. αὐτῆς καὶ πατέρες παίδων, καὶ μητέρες θυγατέρων. Προσαγέτωσαν τὰ αὑτῶν γεννήματα, χαίροντες ἐπὶ ταῖς αἰωνίοις ἐλπίσιν, ὧν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῖς μεθέξουσι, προστάτας ἔχειν παρὰ Χριστῷ καὶ πρεσβευτὰς ἀγαθοὺς ἐπιθυμοῦντες. Καὶ μὴ μικρόψυχοι περὶ τοὺς παῖδας γενώμεθα, μηδὲ φοβηθῶμεν εἰ πονήσουσιν, ἀλλ' εὐφρανθῶμεν, ὅτι δοξασθήσονται. Παραστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ τὰ δοθέντα παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἵνα καὶ τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τῶν παίδων γενώμεθα κοινωνοὶ, συμπροσάγοντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ συμπαριστῶντες. Τοῖς δὴ οὕτω προθυμουμένοις καὶ