2

that all the choice of worldly people is vanity; which he also emphatically calls vanity of vanities. "What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?" All people are under the same sun; but of those who toil, some toil for what is above the sun, that they may inherit the kingdom in heaven; others for what is under the sun, that they may acquire empty glory, or money, or honors. What then does one person have more than another in toiling for things under the sun, where all of us, having left this life here, endure the common death? "A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever." Of the things that have come into being, some are without succession, coextensive with the present age, such as heaven, and earth, and sun, and stars; but the perishable things are preserved by the succession of generation, such as humans, and birds, and fish, and plants. Why then do you toil, O people, for earthly things? when the senseless element, the earth, extends for a long time, but you perish generation by generation? Or thus: The earth stands forever, becoming your accuser, upon which you have worked lawless deeds. But according to the deeper meaning, a generation goes, that of the Jews, being cast out; and a generation comes, that of those who have believed in Christ. And the divine Scripture, called earth, because of its immovability, and fruitfulness, and all-receptiveness; that of the Old and New Testament remains forever, having immovable both the promises for the righteous and the threatened punishments against sinners. "The sun rises, and to its place it hastens." He teaches the well-ordered course of the sun, leading us on to the understanding of the one who created the sun. And it moves in a circular path, as some have noted from Esdras, who said thus: Great is the earth, and high is the heaven, and swift in its course is the sun, and it turns in the circle of heaven, and in one day it comes to its place. And so, he said, this great sun, when compared to the sun of righteousness, is vanity. But according to the deeper meaning, you will understand it thus: The sun rises in the hearts of the faithful, guiding those who are just now making progress toward what must be done; 93.484 but it also sets in them; when they investigate the depths of the doctrines, creating a greater longing for knowledge. Otherwise, the sun, the only-begotten Word of God, rises from the Father's bosom; he sets in the last days, at the setting of this life, having become incarnate, and in a way concealing his own divinity. For to the faithful he was known as God, and immutably become man; but to the unbelievers he was considered a mere man. Again he rises from the Theotokos Mary according to the flesh; and he sets, having arrived in Hades; but also again he rises, being raised from the dead. And according to every mode of contemplation, he draws all the faithful to the kingdom of heaven, having said without falsehood, When I am lifted up, I will draw all to myself. "Rising there it goes toward the South, and circles toward the North." He spoke of the regions through which the sun travels. But according to contemplation symbolically, it is possible to understand the South, being warm, as the prudence in us; for prudence is fiery and warm; and the North as courage; for it is harsh and skillful; and the Southwest as temperance, which cools and dries up the pleasures of the body. And the East as justice, which proceeds through all virtues. Therefore, he says, illuminating all the regions of the soul, the Sun of righteousness shines. Otherwise: The incarnate God the Word himself traveled about the villages and cities lying in the South; and through the apostles, the northern parts; gathering the Church from the nations, and going about all things, he urges all to salvation. "Round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns." According to the literal sense, he calls the sun 'spirit', because of the swiftness of its motion. But some, being guided by pagan reasonings, say that it is also an ensouled living being. But according to the deeper meaning, the Holy Spirit, being with the divine apostles, made them travel about

2

πᾶσαν τὴν κοσμικῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων προαίρεσιν ματαιότητα εἶναι· ἣν καὶ ἐπιτεταμένως ματαιότητα ματαιοτήτων ἀποκαλεῖ. "Τίς περισσεία τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ᾧ μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;" Πάντες ἄνθρωποι ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ἥλιόν ἐσμεν· τῶν δὲ μοχθούντων οἱ μὲν μοχθοῦσι διὰ τὰ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον, ἵνα τὴν ἐν οὐρανῷ βασιλείαν κληρονομήσωσιν· οἱ δὲ διὰ τὰ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ἵνα τὴν κενὴν δόξαν, ἢ χρήματα περιποιήσονται, ἢ ἀξιώματα. Τί οὖν περισσὸν ἔχει ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῷ μοχθεῖν τὰ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅπου πάντες τὴν ἐνθάδε καταλελοιπότες ζωὴν, τὸν κοινὸν ὑπομένομεν θάνατον; "Γενεὰ πορεύεται, καὶ γενεὰ ἕρχεται, ἡ δὲ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕστηκε." Τῶν γεγονότων τὰ μὲν ἀδιάδοχα, συμπαρεκτεινόμενα τῷ ἐνεστῶτι αἰῶνι, ὡς οὐρανὸς, καὶ γῆ, καὶ ἥλιος, καὶ ἄστρα· τὰ δὲ φθειρόμενα τῇ διαδοχῇ τῆς γενεᾶς σώζεται, ὡς ἄνθρωποι, καὶ πετηνὰ, καὶ νηκτὰ, καὶ φυτά. Τί οὖν μοχθεῖτε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, περὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια; ὅπουγε τὸ μὲν ἀναίσθητον στοιχεῖον ἡ γῆ εἰς μακρὸν διατείνεται χρόνον, ὑμεῖς δὲ κατὰ γενεὰν ἀπόλλυσθε; Ἢ οὔτως· Ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕστηκεν, κατήγορος ὑμῶν γιγνομένη, ἐφ' ἧς τὰς ἀθεμίστους εἰργάσασθε πράξεις. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, Γενεὰ πορεύεται, ἡ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἐκβαλλομένη· γενεὰ δὲ ἔρχεται, ἡ τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πιστευσάντων. Ἡ δὲ θεία Γραφὴ, γῆ ὀνομαζομένη, διὰ τὸ ἀκίνητον, καὶ καρποφόρον, καὶ πάνδεκτον· ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς καὶ Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένει, ἀκινήτους ἔχουσα τάς τε τῶν δικαίων ἐπαγγελίας, καὶ τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀπειληθείσας κολάσεις. "Ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ ἕλκει." Τὸν εὔτακτον δρόμον τοῦ ἡλίου διδάσκει, προπέμπων ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν κατανόησιν τοῦ τὸν ἥλιον δημιουργήσαντος. Κινεῖται δὲ κυκλοφορικῶς, ὥς τινες ἐκ τοῦ Ἔσδρα ἐσημειώσαντο, οὕτως εἰρηκότος· Μεγάλη ἡ γῆ, καὶ ὑψηλὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς, καὶ ταχὺς τὸν δρόμον ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ στρέφεται ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ ἔρχεται. Καὶ οὗτος οὖν, ἔφη, ὁ μέγας ἥλιος πρὸς τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιον παραβαλλόμενος, ματαιότης ἐστί. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, οὕτω νοήσεις· Ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος ἐν ταῖς τῶν πιστῶν καρδίαις, ὁδηγῶν εἰς τὰ πρακτέα τοὺς ἄρτι προκόπτοντας· 93.484 ἀλλὰ καὶ δύνει ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅταν τὰ βάθη τῶν δογμάτων ἐρευνῶσι, μείζονα τὸν πόθον τῆς γνώσεως ἐργαζόμενος. Ἄλλως, Ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἐκ πατρῴων κόλπων· δύνει ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἡμερῶν, πρὸς δυσμαῖς τοῦδε τοῦ βίου σαρκωθεὶς, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πως ὑποκρύπτων θεότητα. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ πιστοῖς Θεὸς ἐγνωρίζετο, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἀτρέπτως γεγονώς· τοῖς δὲ ἀπίστοις ψιλὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐνομίζετο. Πάλιν ἀνατέλλει ἐκ τῆς Θεοτόκου Μαρίας τὸ κατὰ σάρκα· δύνει δὲ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ παραγενόμενος· ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν ἀνατέλλει ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνιστάμενος. Κατὰ δὲ πάντα τὸν τρόπον τῆς θεωρίας, πάντας τοὺς πιστοὺς ἕλκει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀψευδῶς εἰρηκὸς, Ὅταν ὑψωθῶ, πάντα ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν. "Ἀνατέλλων αὐτὸς ἐκεῖ πορεύεται πρὸς Νότον, καὶ κυκλοῖ πρὸς Βοῤῥᾶν." Τὰ κλίματα ἔφη, δι' ὧν ὁ ἥλιος ὁδεύει. Κατὰ δὲ θεωρίαν συμβολικῶς, Νότον ἐνδέχεται νοεῖν θερμὸν ὄντα, τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν φρόνησιν· πυρώδης γὰρ καὶ θερμὴ ἡ φρόνησις· Βορέαν δὲ τὴν ἀνδρείαν· σκληρὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἐπιδέξιος· Λίβαν δὲ τὴν σωφροσύνην, τὴν ψύχουσαν καὶ ξηραίνουσαν τὰς τοῦ σώματος ἡδονάς. Ἀπηλιώτην δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν διὰ πασῶν χωροῦσαν ἀρετῶν. Πάντα οὖν, φησὶ, τὰ κλίματα τῆς ψυχῆς καταυγάζων, ἐναστράπτει ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης Ἥλιος. Ἄλλως· Ὁ ἐνανθρωπήσας Θεὸς Λόγος, τὰς κώμας καὶ τὰς πόλεις τὰς ἐν τῷ Νότῳ κειμένας δι' ἑαυτοῦ περιενόστει· διὰ δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων, τὰ βόρεια μέρη· τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαν συνάγων, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐκπεριερχόμενος, πάντας εἰς σωτηρίαν προτρέπει. "Κυκλοῖ κυκλῶν πορεύεται τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐπὶ κύκλου αὐτοῦ ἐπιστρέφει τὸ πνεῦμα." Κατὰ μὲν ἱστορίαν πνεῦμα καλεῖ τὸν ἥλιον, διὰ τὸ ταχὺ τῆς κινήσεως. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν λόγων ἡγούμενοι, ὅτι καὶ ἔμψυχον ζῶόν ἐστι. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα συνὸν τοῖς θείοις ἀποστόλοις περινοστεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐποίει