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and of power. From all sides the soldier of Christ was fenced in, on both sides the pious commander was armed with a breastplate; Full of faith and power. These things, he says, sufficed for victory, these things were strong enough to provide the trophy. For faith and power both conquered the author of evil and struck the Jews with terror. Full of faith and power, he performed great signs and wonders among the people. The champion displayed multitudes of miracles, a multitude of wonders the soldier of Christ performed; He performed signs and wonders among the people, bestowing the ability to run on the lame, and sending forth health to the paralyzed, so that he might stir up the chief priests to envy; thus he desired to taste death for Christ's sake. Then a pentapolis of most impious men is called out against him. For there arose, he says, certain men from the synagogue called that of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. O how great a crowd wickedness gathered! O how great a people envy turned together! Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia. A countless crowd, he says, was arrayed against a single soldier; measureless multitudes rushed against a single champion; men of five cities ran down upon one young man. O the incurable wickedness of the Jews! from the very sight of it they wished to frighten the champion, so that by the excess of the multitude his nerves might be loosened. Then the all-wicked ones also set an order to the battle, and in the preliminaries they weave words of questions for Stephen. For there arose, he says, certain men from the synagogue called that of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. Why, they say, O young man, do you rashly insult the Divine? Why do you persuade the crowd with rehearsed speeches? Why do you distract the nation with the deceit of miracles? Here is the end of the questions: Is the one born of Mary God? Is the son of the carpenter the Creator? Is not Bethlehem his village, and Nazareth his nurse? Do you imagine the one born on earth to be God? God, the one who for humility was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger? The one who fled from the angered Herod? The one who received the bath of the Jordan for purification? The one who was a slave to hunger 59.503 and thirst? The one who felt weariness and sleep, the one who was seized, and was not strong enough to escape? The one who was slapped, and did not avenge himself? The one who was hung up, and was not strong enough to come down? The one who found an accursed and shameful end? Do you imagine the one placed in a tomb to be in the heavens? Do you preach that one similar to mortals is the life of the dead? Would God then have deigned to suffer these things? Did he not command, and strike dead those who came against him? Did he not, by commanding, bring on sudden death? Either cease then from your error, or receive you also a death like his.

2. Saying such things, they were disputing with Stephen. Then Stephen: Are not the writings of the prophets kept among you? Do you not unroll the books of the Old Testament? Did you not say to one another, We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he is from; we are disciples of Moses? Did not Moses say: The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; him you shall hear? Did not Micah write long ago: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler? Did not Isaiah announce beforehand the birth from the one who knew not marriage: Behold, the virgin shall be with child? Did not Habakkuk foretell the presence of the animals in the manger: In the midst of two living creatures you shall be known? Did not Isaiah speak of the flight into Egypt because of Herod: Behold, the Lord comes on a light cloud into Egypt? Did not David foretell the flight of the waters of the Jordan: The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you, and they were afraid? Did not Isaiah write beforehand the outcome of his toils and labors: He himself took our sins, and bore our diseases? Did not David the prophet foretell the violence of the nails: They have pierced my hands and my feet? Did not Moses proclaim beforehand the hanging on the wood: You shall see your life

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καὶ δυνάμεως. Πανταχόθεν περιεπέφρακτο ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιώτης, ἑκατέρωθεν ἐτεθωράκιστο ὁ εὐσεβὴς πολεμάρχης· Πλήρης πίστεως καὶ δυνάμεως. Ἐπήρκεσαν, φησὶ, ταῦτα πρὸς νίκην, ἐξίσχυσαν ταῦτα παρασχεῖν τὸ τρόπαιον. Πίστις γὰρ καὶ δύναμις καὶ τὸν ἀρχέκακον ἐνίκα, καὶ Ἰουδαίους κατέπληττε. Πλήρης πίστεως καὶ δυνάμεως ἐποίει σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα μεγάλα ἐν τῷ λαῷ. Θαυμάτων ὁ ἀριστεὺς ἐνεδείκνυτο πλήθη, τεραστίων πλῆθος ὁ Χριστοῦ εἰργάζετο στρατιώτης· Ἐποίει σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ λαῷ, χωλοῖς μὲν χαριζόμενος δρόμους, παρέτοις δὲ ὑγίειαν ἐκπέμπων, ἵνα πρὸς φθόνον τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς διεγείρῃ· οὕτως ἐπεθύμει διὰ Χριστὸν γεύσασθαι θανάτου. Εἶτα ἐκκαλεῖται κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀνδρῶν ἀσεβεστάτων πεντάπολιν. Ἀνέστησαν γὰρ, φησὶ, τινὲς τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῆς λεγομένης Λιβερτίνων, καὶ Κυρηναίων, καὶ Ἀλεξανδρέων, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Ἀσίας, συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ. Ὢ πόσον ὄχλον ἡ κακία συνήγαγεν! ὢ πόσον δῆμον ὁ φθόνος συνέτρεψε! Λιβερτίνους, Κυρηναίους, Ἀλεξανδρεῖς, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Ἀσίας. Ἄπειρος, φησὶν, ὄχλος καθ' ἑνὸςπαρετάξατο στρατιώτου· ἄμετρα πλήθη καθ' ἑνὸς ὥρμησαν ἀριστέως· πέντε πόλεων ἄνδρες ἐφ' ἕνα κατέδραμον νεανίαν. Ὢ τῆς ἀνιατρεύτου τῶν Ἰουδαίων κακίας! ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς θέας ἠθέλησαν τὸν ἀριστέα ἐκφοβῆσαι, ἵνα τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τοῦ πλήθους ὑπεκλυθῇ τὰ νεῦρα. Εἶτα καὶ τάξιν οἱ παμπόνηροι ἐπιτιθέασι τῇ μάχῃ, καὶ ζητημάτων τῷ Στεφάνῳ ἐν προοιμίοις πλέκουσι λόγους. Ἀνέστησαν γὰρ, φησὶ, τινὲς ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῆς λεγομένης Λιβερτίνων, καὶ Κυρηναίων, καὶ Ἀλεξανδρέων, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Ἀσίας, συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ. Τί, φασὶν, ὦ νεανία, ἀπερισκέπτως ὑβρίζεις τὸ Θεῖον; τί μεμελετημένοις λόγοις πείθεις τὸν ὄχλον; τί θαυμάτων ἀπάτῃ διασκεδάζεις τὸ ἔθνος; Ὧδε τῶν ζητημάτων τὸ πέρας· Θεός ἐστιν ὁ ἐκ Μαρίας τεχθείς; ∆ημιουργὸς ὁ τοῦ τέκτονος υἱός; οὐ Βηθλεὲμ τούτου κώμη, καὶ τροφὸς ἡ Ναζαρέτ; Θεὸν φαντάζῃ τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς τεχθέντα; Θεὸς, ὁ δι' εὐτέλειαν σπαργανωθεὶς ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ; ὁ ἀποδράσας ὀργισθέντα τὸν Ἡρώδην; ὁ πρὸς κάθαρσιν λουτρὸν δεξάμενος Ἰορδάνην; ὁ πείνῃ 59.503 δουλεύσας καὶ δίψῃ; ὁ κόπου αἰσθόμενος καὶ ὕπνου, ὁ κρατηθεὶς, καὶ μὴ ἰσχύσας διαδρᾶσαι; ὁ ῥαπισθεὶς, καὶ ἑαυτὸν μὴ ἐκδικήσας; ὁ ἀναρτηθεὶς, καὶ κατελθεῖν μὴ ἰσχύσας; ὁ ἐπάρατον καὶ ἐφύβριστον εὑράμενος τέλος; Τὸν ἐν τάφῳ τεθέντα, ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἶναι φαντάζῃ; τὸν παραπλήσιον θνητοῖς, νεκρῶν ζωὴν εἶναι κηρύττεις; Κατεδέχετο οὖν Θεὸς ταῦτα παθεῖν; οὐκ ἐκέλευσε, καὶ τοὺς ἐπελθόντας ἐνέκρου; οὐχὶ προστάττων αἰφνίδιον ἐπῆγε τὸν θάνατον; Ἢ παῦσαι τοίνυν τῆς πλάνης, ἢ τὸν ἴσον αὐτοῦ δέχου καὶ σὺ θάνατον.

βʹ. Τοιαῦτά τινα λέγοντες ἦσαν συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ. Εἶτα ὁ Στέφανος· Οὐ παρ' ὑμῖν φυλάττονται τῶν προφητῶν τὰ συγγράμματα; οὐχ ὑμεῖς τὰς τῆς Παλαιᾶς ἀναπτύσσετε βίβλους; οὐκ ἐλέγετε ἀλλήλοις, Ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν, ὅτι Μωϋσῆ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεὸς, τοῦτον δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν· ἡμεῖς τοῦ Μωϋσέως μαθηταί ἐσμεν; Οὐχὶ Μωϋσῆς ἔλεγε· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ· αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε; οὐ προέγραψε πόῤῥωθεν Μιχαίας· Καὶ σὺ, Βηθλεὲμ γῆ Ἰούδα, οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος; οὐ τῆς ἀπειρογάμου ὁ Ἡσαΐας προανήγγειλε τὸν τόκον· Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει; οὐ τῶν ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ ζώων τὴν παράστασιν ὁ Ἀμβακοὺμ προεῖπεν· Ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζώων γνωσθήσῃ; οὐ τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ φυγὴν δι' Ἡρώδην εἶπεν ὁ Ἡσαΐας· Ἰδοὺ Κύριος ἔρχεται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης εἰς Αἴγυπτον; οὐ τῶν ὑδάτων τοῦ Ἰορδάνου τὸν δρασμὸν ὁ ∆αυῒδ προεμήνυσεν· Εἴδοσάν σε ὕδατα, ὁ Θεὸς, εἴδοσάν σε ὕδατα, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν; οὐ τῶν κόπων καὶ πόνων τὴν ἔκβασιν ὁ Ἡσαΐας προέγραψεν· Αὐτὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἔλαβε, καὶ τὰς νόσους ἐβάστασεν; οὐ τῶν ἥλων τὴν βίαν ∆αυῒδ προεῖπεν ὁ προφήτης· Ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου καὶ πόδας μου; οὐ τὴν ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ ἀνάρτησιν ὁ Μωϋσῆς προανεκήρυξεν· Ὄψεσθε τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν