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of his household, of the enjoyment of life, of all things that are eagerly sought by men, he fled to the deepest and most trackless deserts, considering life with the wild beasts gentler than fellowship with idolaters, like the zealot Elijah; who, when he saw the idolatry of the Sidonian woman prevailing, ran up to Mount Horeb, and dwelt in a cave, seeking God, until he saw the much-desired one, as it is possible for a man to see God.

Such then was Gordius, having fled from civic tumults, the marketplace crowd, the arrogance of rulers, the law courts, the sycophants, those who sell, those who buy, those who swear, those who lie, shameful speech, jesting, and all the other things that, like tow-ropes, the populous cities drag along. Keeping his ears pure, keeping his eyes pure; and above all, having purified his heart, so that he might be able to see God, and become blessed; he saw through revelations, he was taught the mysteries, not from men, nor through men, but having as the great teacher the Spirit of truth. Whence, coming to the thought of this life, that it is useless, that it is vain, that it is weaker than any dream and shadow, he was stirred up more vehemently toward the desire of the upward calling. And like an athlete, perceiving himself to have been sufficiently trained and anointed for the contest, by fasts, by vigils, by prayers, by the continual and unceasing meditation of the oracles of the Spirit, he watched for this day, on which the whole city with all its people, celebrating a festival for a war-loving 31.497 demon, had filled the theater, watching a horse race. Since therefore all the people were gathered on high, no Jew was absent, nor Greek; and a not insignificant multitude of Christians was mixed in with them, those who live unguardedly, and who sit with the assembly of vanity, and do not avoid the conspiracies of the wicked, who were also then present as spectators of the speed of the horses and the skill of the charioteers; but masters also released their slaves, and children ran from the schools to the spectacle, and there was also a crowd of common and insignificant women, and the stadium was full, and all were now intent on the spectacle of the horses' race; then indeed that noble and great-souled man, great in spirit, coming down from the mountains above to the theater, was not terrified by the people, nor did he consider to how many hostile hands he was delivering himself; but with a fearless heart and a proud spirit, as if passing by continuous rocks or many trees, he ran past those sitting around the stadium, and stood in the midst, confirming the saying, that a righteous man is confident as a lion.

And he was so undaunted in soul, that, having come into full view of the theater, with unshaken boldness he cried out that voice, which some who heard it are still alive to this day: I was found by those who did not seek me; I became manifest to those who did not ask for me; showing by these words that he was not brought to the dangers by necessity, but willingly gave himself to the contest; imitating the Master, who in the darkness of the night, being unknown to the Jews, revealed himself. Immediately then the theater turned to the strangeness of the sight, a man wild in appearance, because of his long sojourn in the mountains having a squalid head, a thick beard, filthy in his clothing, his whole body hardened, carrying a staff, and having a wallet slung on; upon all of which a certain grace was fittingly shining around him from an unseen source. When therefore it was recognized who he was, immediately a mingled shout was raised by all; those of the household of faith applauding from exceeding joy, while those warring against the truth urged the judge on to his murder, and condemned him beforehand to death. All things then were filled with shouting and tumult; the horses were overlooked, the charioteers were overlooked; and the display of the chariots was a vain noise. Of no one

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οἰκε τῶν, ἀπολαύσεως βίου, πάντων ὅσα ἀνθρώποις ἐστὶ περισπούδαστα, πρὸς τὰς βαθυτάτας καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἀβάτους ἐρημίας ἀπέδραμε, τὸν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων βίον τῆς πρὸς τοὺς εἰδωλολατροῦντας κοινωνίας ἡμε ρώτερον ἡγησάμενος, κατὰ τὸν ζηλωτὴν Ἠλίαν· ὃς, ὅτε εἶδεν ἐπικρατοῦσαν τὴν εἱδωλολατρείαν τῆς Σιδω νίας, ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος ἀνέδραμε τὸ Χωρὴβ, καὶ ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ διῆγεν, ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεὸν, ἕως εἶδε τὸν περιπόθητον, ὡς ἰδεῖν ἀνθρώπῳ Θεὸν δυνατόν.

Τοιοῦτος οὖν ἦν καὶ ὁ Γόρδιος, ἀποφυγὼν θορύ βους πολιτικοὺς, ὄχλον ἀγοραῖον, ἀρχοντικοὺς τύ φους, τὰ δικαστήρια, τοὺς συκοφάντας, τοὺς πω λοῦντας, τοὺς ὠνουμένους, τοὺς ὀμνύοντας, τοὺς ψευδομένους, τὴν αἰσχρολογίαν, τὴν εὐτραπελίαν, τἄλλα ὅσα, ὥσπερ ἐφόλκια, αἱ πολυάνθρωποι τῶν πόλεων ἐπισύρονται. Καθαρεύων τὰ ὦτα, καθαρεύων τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς· καὶ πρό γε πάντων τὴν καρδίαν κεκαθαρμένος, ἵνα Θεὸν ἰδεῖν δυνηθῇ, καὶ μακάριος γένηται· εἶδε δι' ἀποκαλύψεων, ἐδιδάχθη τὰ μυστή ρια, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἔχων τὸν μέγαν διδάσκαλον τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας. Ὄθεν ἐλθὼν εἰς ἔννοιαν τοῦ βίου, ὡς ἀνωφελὴς, ὡς μάταιος, ὡς ὀνείρου παντὸς καὶ σκιᾶς ἀδρανέστερος, ἠρεθίσθη σφοδρότερον πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως. Καὶ οἷον ἀθλητὴς, αἰσθόμενος ἑαυτοῦ ἱκανῶς γυμνασθέντος καὶ ἀλειψαμένου πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα, ταῖς νηστείαις, ταῖς ἀγρυπνίαις, ταῖς προσ ευχαῖς, τῇ διηνεκεῖ καὶ ἀπαύστῳ μελέτῃ τῶν λο γίων τοῦ Πνεύματος, τηρήσας τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην, ἐν ᾗ πανδημεὶ πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἑορτὴν ἄγουσα φιλοπο 31.497 λέμῳ δαίμονι κατειλήφει θέατρον, ἀγῶνα ἱπ πικὸν θεωμένη. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἄνω συνεί λεκτο, οὐκ Ἰουδαῖος ἀπῆν, οὐχ Ἕλλην· καὶ Χριστιανῶν δὲ πλῆθος οὐκ ὀλίγον αὐτοῖς συνανεφύρετο, οἱ ἀφυλάκτως βιοῦντες, καὶ καθήμενοι μὲν μετὰ συν εδρίου ματαιότητος, μὴ ἐκκλίνοντες δὲ συστροφὰς πονηρευομένων, οἳ καὶ τότε παρῆσαν θεαταὶ τοῦ τά χους τῶν ἵππων, καὶ τῆς ἐμπειρίας τῶν ἡνιόχων· ἀλλὰ καὶ δούλους ἀνῆκαν δεσπόται, καὶ παῖδες ἐκ διδασκαλείων πρὸς τὴν θέαν ἔτρεχον, παρῆν δὲ καὶ γυναικῶν ὅσον δημῶδες καὶ ἄσημον, πλῆρες δὲ ἦν τὸ στάδιον, καὶ πάντες ἤδη πρὸς τὴν θέαν τῆς τῶν ἵππων ἁμίλλης ἦσαν συντεταμένοι· τότε δὴ ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος καὶ μέγας τὴν ψυχὴν, μέγας τὸ φρόνημα, ἄνωθεν ἐκ τῶν ὀρέων ἐπικαταβὰς τῷ θεάτρῳ, οὐ κατεπλάγη τὸν δῆμον, οὐκ ἐλογίσατο πόσαις χερσὶ πολεμίαις ἑαυτὸν παραδίδωσιν· ἀλλ' ἀτρόμῳ τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ γαύρῳ τῷ φρονήματι, οἱονεὶ πέτρας συνεχεῖς, ἢ δένδρα πολλὰ, τοὺς τὸ στάδιον περικαθημένους παραδραμὼν, εἰς τὸ μέσον κατ έστη, βεβαιῶν τὸν λόγον, ὅτι ∆ίκαιος ὡς λέων πέποιθε.

Καὶ οὕτως ἀπτόητος ἦν τὴν ψυχὴν, ὥστε, ἐν περιφανεῖ τοῦ θεάτρου γενόμενος, ἀτρέπτῳ τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ ἐξεβόησε τὴν φωνὴν ἐκείνην, ἧς μέχρι τοῦ νῦν εἰσί τινες οἱ ἀκούσαντες· Εὑρέθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν· ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσι· δηλῶν διὰ τούτων, ὅτι οὐ πρὸς ἀνάγκην ἤχθη πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους, ἀλλ' ἑκουσίως ἐπέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ ἀγῶνι· μιμησάμενος τὸν ∆εσπότην, ὃς ἐν τῷ σκότει τῆς νυκτὸς ἀγνοούμενος τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἑαυτὸν κατεμήνυσεν. Εὐθὺς μὲν οὖν ἐπέστρεφε τὸ θέατρον τῷ πα ραδόξῳ τῆς θέας, ἀνὴρ ἀπηγριωμένος τὴν ὄψιν, διὰ τὴν χρονίαν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι δίαιταν αὐχμηρὰν ἔχων τὴν κεφαλὴν, βαθὺς τὴν ὑπήνην, τὴν ἐσθῆτα ῥυπῶν, κατεσκληκὼς ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα, βακτηρίαν φέρων, καὶ πήραν ἐνημμένος· οἷς πᾶσιν ἐπέπρεπέ τις χάρις, ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς αὐτὸν περιλάμ πουσα. Ὡς δ' οὖν ἐγνώσθη ὅστις ἐστὶν, εὐθὺς βοὴ συμμιγὴς παρὰ πάντων ἤρθη· τῶν μὲν οἰκείων τῆς πίστεως ὑπὸ περιχαρείας κροτούντων, τῶν δὲ πολε μούντων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ εἰς τὸν κατ' αὐτοῦ φόνον τὸν δι καστὴν παρορμώντων, καὶ προκαταδικαζόντων εἰς θάνατον. Πάντα δ' οὖν βοῆς καὶ θορύβου πεπλήρωτο· παρώφθησαν μὲν ἵπποι, παρώφθησαν δὲ ἡνί οχοι· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἁρμάτων ἐπίδειξις ψόφος μάταιος ἦν. Οὐδενὸς