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admiring them, not only that they took off all the ornaments about their body and readily contributed to the work and to those who were laboring, but also that they carried out the dust in their bosoms, and sparing neither costly raiment, nor the tenderness of their limbs, they thought it pious and considered everything of less importance than the undertaking. But when, driven together suddenly by a fierce tempest and earthquake, some rushed to one of the nearby sanctuaries, as if to supplicate, others, as is wont to happen in such circumstances, using what was at hand for assistance, and others were otherwise carried along by the confusion, rushing in with those who were running. There are some who say, that the sanctuary did not even receive them, but that having approached the gates while they were open, they found them shut by some invisible and unseen power, which works such wonders for the consternation of the impious and the safety of the pious; but what everyone now says and believes is that as they were forcing their way and striving about the entrance, a fire met them coming out of the sanctuary and stopped them, and it burned up and consumed some (so that something similar happened to them as the sufferings of the Sodomites, or the wonder concerning Nadab and Abihu, who offered strange incense and were imperiled), while others it maimed in their vital parts, and left as a living monument of God's threat and wrath against sinners. This indeed was such a thing, and let no one disbelieve it, lest they also disbelieve the other powers of God; but what is still more paradoxical and more manifest than this, a light stood in the heaven, outlining the cross, and the shape and name formerly dishonored on earth by the godless is now shown equally to all in heaven, and becomes for God a trophy of victory over the impious, loftier than any trophy.

V. To these things what will the wise of this age say, and those who dignify what is among them, who draw their deep beards, and trail their elegant cloaks before us? You too, recount your tales to me in turn, you who write long speeches, and compose unbelievable histories, and gaze up at the heavens, and speak falsely of the heavenly bodies, and weave nativities and events from the movement of the stars? Tell me also of your stars, the Crown of Ariadne, and the Lock of Berenice, and the licentious Swan, and the insolent Bull; and if you wish, your Serpent-bearer, and Capricorn, and the Lion, and as many others as you, having known them for their evil, have made either gods or stars. Where do you have this circle in your teachings? And where the star that formerly ran to Bethlehem from the east, the guide and sponsor of your Magi? I too have something to say from the heavens; that star declared the coming of Christ; this is the crown of Christ's victory.

VI. These things, then, are from the heavens and from the things above which sympathize with our affairs, according to the great harmony and affinity of the universe; but let the psalm complete for me what follows: that You have also overthrown cities (like those ancient ones for the same impieties), in their very lawlessness against us, some inundated by the seas, others brought down by earthquake, so that one could almost say what remains, that Their memorial has perished with a sound and with a notorious destruction; for so great was their fall, and such was the ruin, both of those from neighboring regions and especially of those who rejoiced in the impiety, that much time would be needed for them, if anyone should ever dare this for their restoration.

VII. Thus, then, were the earth and heaven; but does the air not give a sign at such times, nor was it then sanctified by the signs of the passion? Let the spectators and initiates of that wonder show even now their garments, those that were then marked with the symbols of the cross. For at the same time someone was relating these things, whether one of us, or

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ἐκείνων θαυμάζον τες, οὐ μόνον ἅπαντας τοὺς περὶ τὸ σῶμα κόσμους περιελομένας ἑτοίμως συνεισφέρειν τῷ ἔργῳ καὶ τοῖς πονουμένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κόλποις τὸν χοῦν ἐκφε ρούσας, καὶ οὔτε πολυτελοῦς ἐσθῆτος, οὔτε μελῶν ἁπαλότητος φειδομένας, εὐσεβεῖν οἴεσθαι καὶ πάντα ἐλάττω νομίζειν τοῦ ἐγχειρήματος. Ὡς δὲ ὑπὸ ἀγρίας λαίλαπος καὶ βρασμοῦ γῆς ἄφνω συνελαθέντες, ἐπί τι τῶν πλησίον ἱερῶν, οἱ μὲν ὡς ἱκετεύσοντες, ὥρμησαν, οἱ δὲ, ὅπερ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις φιλεῖ συμ βαίνειν, τῷ παρόντι χρώμενοι πρὸς βοήθειαν, οἱ δὲ ἄλλως τῇ ταραχῇ συμφερόμενοι, καὶ τοῖς θέουσι συν εισπίπτοντες. Εἰσὶ μὲν οἳ λέγουσιν, ὡς οὐδὲ τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτοὺς προσεδέξατο, ἀλλ' ἀναπεπταμέναις προσελ θόντες ταῖς πύλαις, ἐπικλεισθείσαις ἐνέτυχον ἔκ τινος ἀοράτου καὶ ἀφανοῦς δυνάμεως, ἣ τὰ τοι αῦτα τερατουργεῖ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν κα 35.669 τάπληξιν, καὶ τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἀσφάλειαν· ὃ δὲ ἅπαντες ἤδη καὶ λέγουσι καὶ πιστεύουσιν, ὅτι βιαζομένους αὐτοὺς καὶ φιλονεικοῦντας περὶ τὴν εἴσοδον, πῦρ ἔστησεν ἀπαντῆσαν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, καὶ τοὺς μὲν κατ έφλεξε καὶ ἀνήλωσεν (ὡς ὅμοιόν τι περὶ αὐτοὺς συμβῆναι τοῖς Σοδομιτῶν πάθεσιν, ἢ τῷ περὶ Νάδαβ καὶ Ἀβιοὺδ θαύματι ξένως καὶ θυμιάσασι καὶ κινδυ νεύσασι), τοὺς δὲ τῶν καιρίων ἀκρωτηριάσαν, στήλην ἀφῆκεν ἔμψυχον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρ τωλῶν ἀπειλῆς καὶ κινήσεως. Τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τοιοῦτο, καὶ ἀπιστείτω μηδεὶς, ὅτι μηδὲ ταῖς ἄλλαις τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεσιν· ὃ δὲ ἔτι τούτου παραδοξότερον καὶ περιφανέστερον, ἔστη φῶς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τὸν σταυρὸν περιγράφον, καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἐπὶ γῆς ἀτιμαζόμενον τοῖς ἀθέοις καὶ σχῆμα καὶ ὄνομα νῦν ἐν οὐρανῷ δείκνυται πᾶσιν ἐπίσης, καὶ γίνεται τρόπαιον τῷ Θεῷ τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν νίκης, τρο παίου παντὸς ὑψηλότερον.

Εʹ. Πρὸς ταῦτα τί φήσουσιν οἱ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου σοφοὶ, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀποσεμνύνοντες, οἱ τὰς βαθείας ὑπήνας ἕλκοντες, καὶ τὸ κομψὸν περισύρον τες ἡμῖν τριβώνιον; ἀντιδιήγησαί μοι καὶ σὺ τὰ σὰ, ὁ τοὺς μακροὺς λόγους γράφων, καὶ τὰς ἀπίστους συντιθεὶς ἱστορίας, καὶ κεχηνὼς πρὸς τὰ ἄνω, καὶ τῶν οὐρανίων καταψευδόμενος, καὶ πλέκων ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀστέρων κινήσεως τὰς γενέσεις καὶ τὰ συμ βαίνοντα; Λέγε μοι καὶ σὺ τοὺς σοὺς ἀστέρας, τὸν Ἀριάδνης στέφανον, καὶ τὸν Βερενίκης πλόκαμον, καὶ τὸν ἀσελγῆ Κύκνον, καὶ τὸν ὑβριστὴν Ταῦρον· εἰ δὲ βούλει, τὸν Ὀφιοῦχόν σου, καὶ τὸν Αἰγό κερω, καὶ τὸν Λέοντα, ἄλλους τε ὅσους ἐπὶ τῷ κακῷ γνωρίσας, ἢ θεοὺς ἢ ἀστέρας ἐποίησας. Ποῦ σὺ τοῦτον ἔχεις τὸν κύκλον ἐν τοῖς σοῖς μα θήμασι; Ποῦ δὲ τὸν ἐπὶ Βηθλεὲμ δραμόντα πρότερον ἐκ τῆς ἑῴας ἀστέρα, τὸν ὁδηγὸν τῶν σῶν Μάγων καὶ πρόξενον; Ἔχω τι κἀγὼ λέγειν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανίων· ἐκεῖνος τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν ἀνεδήλωσεν ὁ ἀστήρ· οὗτος τῆς Χριστοῦ νίκης ὁ στέφανος. 35.672

ςʹ. Ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανίων καὶ τῶν ἄνω συμ πασχόντων τοῖς ἡμετέροις, κατὰ τὴν μεγάλην τοῦ παντὸς ἁρμονίαν τε καὶ οἰκείωσιν· τὰ δὲ ἑξῆς ὁ ψαλμὸς συμπληρούτω μοι· ὅτι Καὶ πόλεις καθ εῖλες (ὡς τὰς παλαιὰς ἐκείνας ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀσε βήμασιν), ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν παρανομίαις, τὰς μὲν πελάγεσιν ἐπικλυσθείσας, τὰς δὲ σεισμῷ κατ ενεχθείσας, ὡς μικροῦ καὶ τὸ λειπόμενον ἔχειν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ἀπώλετο τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν μετ' ἤχου καὶ περιβοήτου τῆς ἀπωλείας· τοσαύτη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ πτῶσις, καὶ τοιοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα, καὶ τῶν ἐκ γειτόνων, καὶ μάλιστα τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ περιχαι ρόντων, ὡς πολλοῦ χρόνου δεῖν αὐταῖς, εἴ τις ἄρα καὶ τολμήσειε τοῦτο πρὸς ἐπανόρ θωσιν.

Ζʹ. Ἆρ' οὖν γῆ μὲν οὕτω καὶ οὐρανός· ἀὴρ δὲ οὐκ ἐπισημαίνει τοῖς τοιούτοις καιροῖς, οὐδὲ ἡγιάσθη τότε τοῖς σημείοις τοῦ πάθους; Ἐπιδειξάτωσαν ἔτι καὶ νῦν τὰς ἐσθῆτας, οἱ τοῦ θαύματος ἐκεί νου θεαταὶ καὶ μύσται, τὰς τότε κατασημανθείσας τοῖς τοῦ σταυροῦ στίγμασιν. Ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ ταῦτα διηγεῖτό τις, εἴτ' οὖν τῶν ἡμετέρων, εἴτ'