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for men according to the divine laws, so that he is in the position of a father to his subjects, interacting with the cities with all gentleness. But he who seems to rule men, but is a slave to anger and love of power and pleasures, would first seem ridiculous 47.389 to his subjects, because he wears a crown set with gems and gold, but is not crowned with self-control, and while his whole body gleams with a purple robe, his soul is unadorned. Then, he will not even know how to manage his rule; for he who was unable to rule himself, how could he be able to direct others by the laws? And if you wish to see the warfare of each, you will find the one fighting demons and conquering and prevailing and being crowned by Christ; for he comes to the war with divine aid, fortified with heavenly weapons, so that victory must be his; but the king fighting barbarians. And by as much as demons are more fearsome than men, so much more glorious is he who conquers these than he who vanquishes those. And if you should wish to learn the cause of each one's war, you will find a great inequality. For the one wars against demons for the sake of piety and the worship of God, desiring to snatch cities or villages from error; but the other fights barbarians for the sake of places or boundaries or plundered wealth, or when greed and the love of unjust rule summon him to battle; where indeed many kings often, desiring greater things, have lost what they already had in addition. Rule and wars, therefore, have shown how greatly the king and the one who is zealous to live in the worship of God differ from one another; and one might know them precisely by examining the life of each and his daily actions. For he would find, in truth, the one conversing with prophets, and adorning his soul with the wisdom of Paul, and leaping continually from Moses to Isaiah, and from him to John, and from him to another; but the king continually conversing with taxiarchs and prefects and bodyguards; for one's character becomes like that of those with whom he continually associates. Therefore, the monk molds his mind to the character of the apostles and prophets, but the king to that of generals and bodyguards and shield-bearers, men who are slaves to wine and indulge in pleasures, and who spend the greater part of the day in drinking, knowing nothing timely or noble on account of wine. Thus, for this reason also, it is fitting to count the solitary life blessed rather than the one in power and kingship and scepters.

3. And if we should wish to examine the time of night as well, we shall see the monk adorned with the worship of God and with prayers, singing long before the birds, living with angels, conversing with God, enjoying heavenly goods; but him who is set over many nations and peoples and armies, and who rules much land and much sea, stretched out on his bed and snoring. For the one is nourished by food in such quantity as would not require deep sleep; but luxury and drink put the other to sleep, keeping him in bed until day itself. Thus, the monk has modest clothing and a modest table, and table-companions who are athletes of the same virtue; but the king must 47.390 be adorned with stones and gold, and have a splendid table set before him, and use as table-companions, if he should be foolish, those worthy of his own wickedness, but if he should have sense and be self-controlled, perhaps good and just men, but falling far short of the virtue of the others. Thus, even if a king philosophizes, he will not be able to come even a little bit near to the goodness of the monk. For he is burdensome to his subjects in his travels, and when inhabiting a city, and enjoying peace, and engaging in wars, and collecting taxes, and assembling armies, and taking captives, and conquering, and being defeated; for when defeated he fills his subjects with his own troubles, and when conquering he becomes unbearable, priding himself on his trophies, and

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ἀνθρώποις μετὰ τῶν θείων νόμων, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἐν πατρὸς τάξει τοῖς ἀρχομένοις εἶναι, μετὰ πάσης ἡμερότητος ὁμιλοῦντα ταῖς πόλεσιν. Ὁ δὲ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἄρχειν δοκῶν, θυμῷ δὲ καὶ φιλαρχίᾳ καὶ ἡδοναῖς δουλεύων, πρῶτον μὲν καταγέλαστος εἶναι δό 47.389 ξειεν ἂν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις, ὅτι στέφανον μὲν φορεῖ λιθοκόλλητον καὶ χρυσοῦν, σωφροσύνῃ δὲ οὐκ ἐστεφάνωται, καὶ ἁλουργίδι μὲν ὅλον τὸ σῶμα λάμπεται, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἀκόσμητον ἔχει. Ἔπειτα δὲ οὐδὲ ὅπως μεταχειρίσαιτο τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπιστήσεται· ὁ γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἄρχειν, πῶς ἂν ἑτέρους δυνηθείη κατευθύνειν τοῖς νόμοις; Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἑκατέρων ἰδεῖν, εὑρήσεις τὸν μὲν δαίμοσι μαχόμενον καὶ κρατοῦντα καὶ νικῶντα καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ στεφανούμενον· μετὰ γὰρ τῆς θείας ῥοπῆς ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἔρχεται, οὐρανίοις πεφραγμένος ὅπλοις, ὥστε ἀνάγκη τούτου γενέσθαι τὸ κράτος· τὸν δὲ βασιλέα βαρβάροις μαχόμενον. Ὅσῳ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ δαίμονες φοβερώτεροι, τοσούτῳ λαμπρότερος ὁ τούτων κρατῶν τοῦ νικῶντος ἐκείνους. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἑκατέρου πολέμου καταμαθεῖν βουληθείης, πολὺ τὸ οὐκ ἴσον εὑρήσεις. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείας πολεμεῖ τοῖς δαίμοσιν, ἢ πόλεις ἢ κώμας ἐκ τῆς πλάνης ἐξαρπάσαι ποθῶν· ὁ δὲ μάχεται βαρβάροις ὑπὲρ τόπων ἢ ὅρων ἢ χρημάτων ἁρπασθέντων, ἢ πλεονεξίας καὶ ἔρωτος ἀρχῆς ἀδίκου παρακαλούσης ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην· ἔνθα δὴ πολλοὶ πολλάκις βασιλεῖς, τῶν μειζόνων ἐπιθυμήσαντες, καὶ τὰ παρόντα προσαπώλεσαν. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀρχὴ καὶ οἱ πόλεμοι τοσοῦτον ἀλλήλων διαφέροντας ἔδειξαν τόν τε βασιλέα, καὶ τὸν ἐσπουδακότα τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείᾳ συζῇν· γνοίη δ' ἄν τις αὐτοὺς ἀκριβῶς, τὸν βίον ἑκατέρου καὶ τὰς πράξεις τὰς παρ' ἡμέραν σκοπῶν. Εὕροι γὰρ ἂν ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸν μὲν ὁμιλοῦντα προφήταις, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Παύλου σοφίᾳ τὴν ψυχὴν καλλωπίζοντα, καὶ μεταπηδῶντα συνεχῶς ἀπὸ μὲν Μωσέως πρὸς Ἡσαΐαν, ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου πρὸς Ἰωάννην, ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου πρὸς ἕτερον· τὸν βασιλέα δὲ συνεχῶς ὁμιλοῦντα ταξιάρχοις καὶ ὑπάρχοις καὶ δορυφόροις· οἷς δέ τις ὁμιλεῖ συνεχῶς, τούτοις ἀφομοιοῦται τὸ ἦθος. Οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν μονάζων πρὸς τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν ἤθη ἐκτυποῦται τὴν γνώμην, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν καὶ δορυφόρων καὶ ὑπασπιστῶν, ἀνθρώπων οἴνῳ δουλευόντων καὶ ἡδοναῖς χαριζομένων, καὶ τὸ πλέον τῆς ἡμέρας διατριβόντων ἐν πότῳ, οὐδὲν καίριον ἢ καλὸν διὰ τὸν οἶνον ἐπισταμένων. Οὕτως ἄρα καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν μονήρη βίον προσήκει μακαρίζειν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν ἐν δυναστείᾳ καὶ βασιλείᾳ καὶ σκήπτροις.

γʹ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῆς νυκτὸς τὸν χρόνον ἐξετάζειν βουληθείημεν, τὸν μοναχὸν μὲν ὀψόμεθα τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείᾳ καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς κοσμούμενον, πολὺ πρότερον ᾄδοντα τῶν ὀρνίθων, ἀγγέλοις συμβιοτεύοντα, Θεῷ συλλαλοῦντα, τῶν οὐρανίων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύοντα· τὸν δὲ πολλοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐφεστηκότα καὶ δήμοις καὶ στρατοπέδοις, καὶ πολλῆς μὲν γῆς, πολλῆς δὲ ἄρχοντα θαλάττης, ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης ἀνατεταμένον καὶ ῥέγχοντα. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ τοσούτοις τρέφεται σιτίοις, ὅσα οὐκ ἂν ἀπαιτήσειε τὸν μοναχὸν ὕπνον βαθύν· τὸν δὲ ἡ τρυφὴ κατακοιμίζει καὶ ὁ πότος μέχρις ἡμέρας αὐτῆς ἐν τῇ κλίνῃ κατέχων. Ἔστι τοίνυν τῷ μὲν μοναχῷ καὶ ἀμπεχόνη καὶ τράπεζα μετρία, καὶ σύσσιτοι τῆς αὐτῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθληταί· τὸν βασιλέα δὲ λίθοις τε 47.390 ἀνάγκη καὶ χρυσῷ καλλωπίζεσθαι, τράπεζάν τε παρατίθεσθαι λαμπρὰν, καὶ χρῆσθαι συσσίτοις, εἰ μὲν ἄφρων εἴη, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κακίας ἀξίοις, εἰ δὲ νοῦν ἔχοι καὶ σωφρονοίη, χρηστοῖς ἴσως καὶ δικαίοις, πολὺ δὲ λειπομένοις τῆς ἐκείνων ἀρετῆς. Οὕτω κἂν φιλοσοφῇ βασιλεὺς, οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐγγὺς ἐλθεῖν τῆς τοῦ μονάζοντος καλοκαγαθίας δυνήσεται. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὁδοιπορίαις βαρύς ἐστι τοῖς ὑπηκόοις, καὶ πόλιν οἰκῶν, καὶ εἰρήνης ἀπολαύων, καὶ πολέμων ἁπτόμενος, φόρους τε εἰσπραττόμενος, καὶ στρατεύματα συγκροτῶν, καὶ αἰχμαλώτους ἄγων, καὶ νικῶν, καὶ ἡττώμενος· ἡττώμενος μὲν γὰρ τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν ἀναπίμπλησι τοὺς ἀρχομένους, νικῶν δὲ ἀφόρητος γίνεται, καλλωπιζόμενός τε τοῖς τροπαίοις, καὶ