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to be captured, on account of their great wealth, their lack of possessions), nothing else, whether absent, present, or expected, exalted them, nor persuaded them to become worse, and to betray anything of the Trinity, and to suffer the loss of divinity. On the contrary, then, they were strengthened by their dangers, and became more ambitious for piety. For such is suffering for Christ's sake, it adds to their affection, and becomes like a pledge of future contests for the great-minded. 36.245 Such, O Egypt, are your present narratives and wonders.

Eʹ. But you used to praise to me the Mendesian goats, and the Memphite Apis, some fatted and fleshy calf, and the rites of Isis, and the dismemberments of Osiris, and your venerable Serapis, a piece of wood worshipped with myth, and time, and the folly of its worshippers, as some unknown and heavenly matter, yet still matter, even if it is assisted by falsehood; and things even more shameful than these, the manifold creations of certain beasts and reptiles, all of which Christ and the heralds of Christ have overcome; some shining forth in one way, others in another, each in their own times; and indeed also the Fathers just now mentioned; by whom you, O admirable one, are better known today, than by all, all together, both of old and new narratives.

ςʹ. For these reasons I embrace and greet you, O best of peoples, and most Christ-loving, and most fervent in piety, and worthy of your leaders; for I have nothing greater than this to say, nor with which I might better entertain you; and I give you my right hand, with a few things by my tongue, but most by the movements of my mind. My people; for I call mine those of one mind and one faith, and a worshipper of the same Fathers, and of the same Trinity. My people; for you are mine, even if it does not seem so to the envious; and, that those who suffer this may be more wounded, behold I give the right hands of fellowship in the presence of so many witnesses, both seen and unseen; and I thrust away old slander with new goodness. My people; for you are mine, even if I, the least, claim the greatest. For such is the grace of the Spirit; it makes those of one mind of equal honor. My people; for you are mine, even if from afar; because we are divinely joined together, and in another way than that of material things. For bodies are joined by place, but souls are fitted together by the Spirit. My people, who formerly made it your philosophy to suffer for Christ, but now, if you are persuaded by me, not to act, but to consider the power to act as a sufficient gain, and to think that you are offering a service to Christ, just as you then offered endurance, so now you offer forbearance. A people, over whom the Lord is arrayed to do good, just as He is to do evil to His adversaries. A people, whom the Lord chose for himself out of all whom he had called. A people, inscribed upon the hands of the Lord, to whom the Lord says, For you are my will; and, Your gates are a carving; and whatever else is for those who are saved hereafter. A people, and do not wonder at my insatiability, if 36.248 I turn to you often; for I delight in the continuity of your name, just as those who are insatiably filled with certain sights, or sounds.

Ζʹ. But, O people of God, and ours, beautiful indeed was your former festival, which you held upon the sea, and if ever there was any other grace for the eyes, when I saw the sea forested with masts, and covered with a man-made cloud, and the beauty and speed of the ships, as if dispatched for a procession, and a moderate wind standing at the stern, as if intentionally acting as a bodyguard, and escorting to the city a city of the sea; but more beautiful and magnificent is the one now seen. For you did not mingle yourselves with the many, nor did you measure piety by number, nor did you endure to become a riotous mob rather than a people of God purified by reason; but, as is fitting, rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, you offered to God the things that are God's; to the one, tribute, to the other, fear; and the people to your own

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ἁλωτοὶ, διὰ τὸν μέγαν πλοῦ τον, τὴν ἀκτημοσύνην), οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν τῶν ἀπόντων, ἢ τῶν παρόντων, ἢ τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἐπῆρεν, οὐδὲ ἀνέπεισε χείρους γενέσθαι, καὶ προδοῦναί τι τῆς Τριάδος, καὶ ζημιωθῆναι θεότητα. Τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν ἐῤῥώσθησαν τοῖς κινδύνοις, καὶ φιλοτιμότε ροι γεγόνασιν εἰς εὐσέβειαν. Τοιοῦτο γὰρ τὸ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, τῷ φίλτρῳ προστίθησι, καὶ οἷον ἀῤῥαβὼν γίνεται τῶν ἑξῆς ἄθλων τοῖς μεγαλόφροσι. 36.245 Τοιαῦτά σου, Αἴγυπτε, τὰ νῦν διηγήματά τε καὶ θαύματα.

Εʹ. Σὺ δέ μοι τοὺς τράγους ἐπῄνεις τοὺς Μενδησίους, καὶ τὸν Μεμφίτην Ἄπιν, μόσχον σιτευτόν τινα καὶ πολύσαρκον, καὶ τὰς Ἴσιδος τελετὰς, καὶ τοὺς Ὀσίριδος σπαραγμοὺς, καὶ τὸν σεμνόν σου Σάραπιν, ξύλον προσκυνούμενον μετὰ μύθου, καὶ χρόνου, καὶ τῆς τῶν προσκυνούντων ἀνοίας, ὡς ὕλην ἄγνωστόν τινα καὶ οὐράνιον, πλὴν ὕλην, κἂν βοηθῆται τῷ ψεύ δει· καὶ τὰ ἔτι τούτων αἰσχρότερα, κνωδάλων τινῶν καὶ ἑρπετῶν πολυειδῆ πλάσματα, ὧν πάντων ὑπερ ῆρε Χριστὸς, καὶ οἱ Χριστοῦ κήρυκες· ἄλλοι τε ἄλ λως κατὰ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστοι χρόνους ἐκλάμψαντες· καὶ δὴ καὶ οἱ νῦν μνημονευθέντες Πατέρες· ἀφ' ὧν σὺ γινώσκῃ μᾶλλον, ὦ θαυμασία, σήμερον, ἢ πάντων ὁμοῦ πάντες, καὶ παλαιῶν καὶ νέων διηγημάτων.

ςʹ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σε περιπτύσσομαι καὶ ἀσπάζομαι, λαῶν ἄριστε, καὶ φιλοχριστότατε, καὶ θερμότατε τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τῶν ἀγόντων ἄξιε· οὐ γὰρ ἔχω τι τού του μεῖζον εἰπεῖν, οὐδὲ ᾧ μᾶλλον ἂν ὑμᾶς ξενίσαιμι· καὶ δεξιοῦμαι, ὀλίγα μὲν γλώσσῃ, τὰ πολλὰ δὲ δια νοίας κινήμασι. Λαὸς ἐμός· ἐμὸν γὰρ ὀνομάζω, τὸν ὁμόφρονα καὶ ὁμόδοξον, καὶ παρὰ τῶν αὐτῶν Πατέρων, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς Τριάδος προσκυνητήν. Λαὸς ἐμός· ἐμὸς γὰρ, κἂν μὴ δοκῇ τοῖς βασκαίνουσι· καὶ, ἵνα πληγῶσι μᾶλλον οἱ τοῦτο πάσχοντες, ἰδοὺ δίδωμι δεξιὰς κοινωνίας ἐπὶ τοσούτων μαρτύρων, ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων· καὶ ἀπωθοῦμαι παλαιὰν διαβολὴν νέᾳ χρηστότητι. Λαὸς ἐμός· ἐμὸς γὰρ, εἰ καὶ τὸν μέγιστον ὁ μικρότατος σφετερίζομαι. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις· ὁμοτίμους ποιεῖ τοὺς ὁμό φρονας. Λαὸς ἐμός· ἐμὸς γὰρ, εἰ καὶ πόῤῥωθεν· ὅτι θεϊκῶς συναπτόμεθα, καὶ τρόπον ἄλλον, ἢ ὃν αἱ πα χύτητες. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ σώματα τόπῳ συνάπτεται, ψυ χαὶ δὲ Πνεύματι συναρμόζονται. Λαὸς ἐμὸς, ὁ πρότερον μὲν φιλοσοφῶν τὸ πάσχειν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, νῦν δὲ τὸ μὴ ποιεῖν, ἐὰν ἐμοὶ πείθησθε, ἀλλ' αὔταρ κες κέρδος τίθεσθαι τὴν τοῦ ποιεῖν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι Χριστῷ λατρείαν εἰσφέρειν, ὥσπερ τότε τὴν καρτερίαν, οὕτως ἐν τῷ παρόντι τὴν ἐπιείκειαν. Λαὸς, ἐφ' ὃν παρατέτακται ὁ Κύριος τοῦ εὖ ποιῆσαι, ὥσπερ τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι τοὺς ἐναντίους. Λαὸς, ὃν ἐξ ελέξατο ἑαυτῷ Κύριος ἐκ πάντων ὧν προσεκαλέσατο. Λαὸς, ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν Κυρίου ἐζωγραφημένος, ᾧ, Σὺ γὰρ εἶ θέλημα ἐμὸν, λέγει Κύριος· καὶ, Αἱ πύλαι σου γλύμμα· καὶ ὅσα τοῖς σωζομένοις ὕστερον. Λαὸς, καὶ μή με θαυμάσητε τῆς ἀπληστίας, εἰ 36.248 πολλάκις ὑμᾶς ἀναστρέφω· κατατρυφῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς κλήσεως, ὥσπερ οἱ θεαμάτων τινῶν, ἢ ἀκουσμάτων ἀπλήστως ἐμφορούμενοι.

Ζʹ. Ἀλλ', ὦ Θεοῦ λαὸς, καὶ ἡμέτερος, καλὴ μὲν ὑμῶν καὶ ἡ πρώην πανήγυρις, ἣν ἐπὶ τῆς θα λάσσης ἐστήσασθε, καὶ εἴπερ ἄλλη τις ὀφθαλμῶν χάρις, ἡνίκα εἶδον δενδρουμένην τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ χειροποιήτῳ νέφει κεκαλυμμένην, καὶ κάλλος νηῶν, καὶ τάχος, ὥσπερ εἰς πομπὴν ἐσταλμένων, καὶ πνεῦμα μέτριον κατὰ πρύμναν ἱστάμενον, ὥσπερ δορυ φοροῦν ἐξεπίτηδες, καὶ παραπέμπον τῇ πόλει πόλιν πελάγιον· καλλίων δὲ ἡ νῦν ὁρωμένη καὶ μεγα λοπρεπεστέρα. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς πολλοῖς φέροντες ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀνεμίξατε, οὐδὲ πλήθει τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐμετρήσατε, οὐδὲ δῆμος γενέσθαι μᾶλλον ὀχλώδης ἠν έσχεσθε, ἢ λαὸς Θεοῦ λόγῳ κεκαθαρμένος· ἀλλ' ὅσον εἰκὸς, Καίσαρι τὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος εἰσενεγκόντες, τῷ Θεῷ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ προσενείματε· τῷ μὲν τὸ τέλος, τῷ δὲ τὸν φόβον· καὶ τὸν δῆμον τοῖς ὑμετέροις