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having struck down; we consider life unlivable, we are distressed, we are impatient, like little children we are fretful, considering that fire to be nothing less than Gehenna; but these men, with not a fever pressing upon them, but a flame besieging them from all sides, and sparks leaping upon their sores, and biting their wounds more fiercely than any wild beast, like some adamantine men, and seeing these things happening in the bodies of others, so nobly and with the courage that befitted them they stood by the words of their confession, remaining steadfast through all the terrible things, and splendidly displaying both their own courage and the grace of God. Have you often seen at dawn the sun rising, and sending forth saffron-colored rays? Such were the bodies of the saints, like some saffron-colored rays, as streams of blood flowed around them from all sides, and illuminated their bodies much more than the sun illuminates the sky. Seeing this blood, the angels rejoiced, the demons shuddered, and the devil himself trembled. For it was not simply blood that was seen, but saving blood, holy blood, blood worthy of the heavens, blood continually watering the beautiful plants of the Church. The devil saw the blood, and shuddered; for he was reminded of another, the Lord's blood; because of that blood, this blood flowed; for from the time the side of the Lord was pierced, you see henceforth countless sides being pierced. For who would not with great pleasure strip for these contests, being about to share in the Lord's sufferings, and be conformed to the death of Christ? For this compensation is sufficient, and the honor much greater than the pains, and the reward surpassing the struggles, even before the kingdom of heaven. Let us not therefore shudder on hearing that so-and-so was martyred, but let us shudder on hearing that so-and-so grew soft, and fell when such prizes were set forth.

But if you wish to hear also of the things after this, no word can describe them; For "eye has not seen," he says, "nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him;" and no one among men has so loved him as the martyrs. Yet, because the greatness of the good things laid up exceeds both word and thought, we shall not for this reason be silent, but as far as it is possible for us to speak and for you to hear, we will try to show you faintly the blessed50.710 ness that will receive them there; for only they themselves will know it clearly, who enjoy it through this experience. For the martyrs suffer these terrible and unbearable things in a brief moment of time; but after their departure from here they ascend into the heavens, with angels leading them, and archangels escorting them; for they are not ashamed of their fellow servants, but would have chosen to do all things for them, since they too chose to suffer all things for their own Lord, Christ. And when they have ascended into heaven, all those holy powers run together. For if, when foreign athletes visit a city, the whole populace streams from all sides, and surrounding them, they observe the good condition of their limbs, how much more, when the athletes of piety ascend to the heavens, do the angels run together, and all the powers above stream from all sides to observe their wounds, and just as some champions returning from war and battle with many trophies and victories, so with pleasure they all welcome them, and embrace them; then they lead them with a great escort to the king of the heavens, to that throne full of much glory, where the Cherubim and the Seraphim are. And having come there and worshipped the one sitting on the throne, they enjoy more kindness from the Lord than from their fellow servants. For he does not receive them as servants, although even this is the greatest honor, and one of which an equal cannot be found, but as his friends; "For you," he says, "are my friends;" and indeed

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κατασκήψαντος· ἀβίωτον εἶναι νομίζομεν τὸν βίον, ἀλύομεν, δυσανασχετοῦμεν, καθάπερ παιδία μικρὰ δυσχεραίνομεν, τῆς γεέννης οὐδὲν ἔλαττον νομίζοντες ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ· οὗτοι δὲ οὐ πυρετοῦ ἐπικειμένου, ἀλλὰ φλογὸς πάντοθεν αὐτοὺς πολιορκούσης, καὶ τῶν σπινθήρων τοῖς ἕλκεσιν ἐπιπηδώντων, καὶ θηρίου παντὸς δριμύτερον δακνόντων τὰ τραύματα, καθάπερ ἀδαμάντινοί τινες, καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις ὁρῶντες ταῦτα γινόμενα σώμασιν, οὕτω γενναίως καὶ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης αὐτοῖς ἀνδρείας ἐπὶ τῶν τῆς ὁμολογίας εἱστήκεισαν ῥημάτων, ἀπερίτρεπτοι διὰ πάντων τῶν δεινῶν μένοντες, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀνδρείαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν λαμπρῶς ἐπιδεικνύμενοι. Εἴδετε πολλάκις ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω τὸν ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα, καὶ κροκοειδεῖς ἀφιέντα ἀκτῖνας; τοιαῦτα ἦν τῶν ἁγίων τὰ σώματα, ὥσπερ τινῶν ἀκτίνων κροκοειδῶν, τῶν ῥυάκων τοῦ αἵματος πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς περιῤῥεόντων, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν καταυγαζόντων πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἥλιος. Τοῦτο τὸ αἷμα ἄγγελοι μὲν ὁρῶντες ἐτέρποντο, δαίμονες ἔφριττον, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ διάβολος ἔτρεμεν. Οὐ γὰρ αἷμα ἦν ἁπλῶς τὸ ὁρώμενον, ἀλλ' αἷμα σωτήριον, αἷμα ἅγιον, αἷμα τῶν οὐρανῶν ἄξιον, αἷμα διηνεκῶς τὰ καλὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἄρδον φυτά. Εἶδε τὸ αἷμα, καὶ ἔφριξεν ὁ διάβολος· ἀνεμνήσθη γὰρ ἑτέρου αἵματος ∆εσποτικοῦ· δι' ἐκεῖνο τὸ αἷμα τοῦτο ἔῤῥευσεν· ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ἐνύγη ἡ πλευρὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, μυρίας ὁρᾷς λοιπὸν πλευρὰς νυττομένας. Τίς γὰρ οὐ μεθ' ἡδονῆς ἀποδύσαιτο πολλῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας τούτους, μέλλων κοινωνεῖν δεσποτικῶν παθημάτων, καὶ συμμορφοῦσθαι τῷ θανάτῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ἀρκοῦσα γὰρ αὕτη ἡ ἀντίδοσις, καὶ τῶν πόνων πολὺ πλείων ἡ τιμὴ, καὶ ὑπερβαίνουσα τοὺς ἄθλους ἡ ἀμοιβὴ, καὶ πρὸ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Μὴ τοίνυν φρίττωμεν ἀκούοντες, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα ἐμαρτύρησεν, ἀλλὰ φρίττωμεν ἀκούοντες, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα κατεμαλακίσθη, καὶ ἔπεσε τοιούτων προκειμένων ἐπάθλων.

Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ἀκοῦσαι, λόγος μὲν οὐδεὶς παραστῆσαι δύναται· Οὔτε γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, φησὶν, οὔτε οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν· οὐδεὶς δὲ ἀνθρώπων οὕτως αὐτὸν ἠγάπησεν ὡς οἱ μάρτυρες. Οὐ μὴν ἐπειδὴ καὶ λόγον καὶ διάνοιαν ὑπερβαίνει τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν τὸ μέγεθος, διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσομεν, ἀλλ' ὡς οἷόν τε καὶ εἰπεῖν ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν ἀκοῦσαι, πειρασόμεθα ὑμῖν ἀμυδρῶς ἐνδείξασθαι τὴν ἐκεῖ διαδεξομένην αὐτοὺς μακαριότη50.710 τα· σαφῶς γὰρ αὐτοὶ μόνοι εἴσονται, οἱ διὰ τῆς πείρας ταύτης ἀπολαύοντες. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ δεινὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀφόρητα ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ πάσχουσιν οἱ μάρτυρες· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναβαίνουσιν, ἀγγέλων αὐτοῖς προηγουμένων, καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων δορυφορούντων· οὐ γὰρ αἰσχύνονται τοὺς συνδούλους, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἂν εἵλοντο δι' αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι, ἐπειδὴ κἀκεῖνοι πάντα εἵλοντο παθεῖν διὰ τὸν αὑτῶν ∆εσπότην Χριστόν. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἀναβῶσιν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, πᾶσαι ἐκεῖναι αἱ ἅγιαι δυνάμεις συντρέχουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἀθλητῶν ξένων ἐπιδημούντων τῇ πόλει, πᾶς ὁ δῆμος περιῤῥεῖ πανταχόθεν, καὶ κυκλώσαντες αὐτοὺς καταμανθάνουσι τῶν μελῶν τὴν εὐεξίαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν ἀθλητῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναβάντων, συντρέχουσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἄνω δυνάμεις πάντοθεν περιῤῥέουσι καταμανθάνουσαι τούτων τὰ τραύματα, καὶ καθάπερ τινὰς ἀριστέας ἐκ πολέμου καὶ μάχης ἐπανελθόντας μετὰ πολλὰ τρόπαια καὶ νίκας, οὕτω μεθ' ἡδονῆς δεξιοῦνται πάντας αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀσπάζονται· εἶτα ἄγουσιν αὐτοὺς μετὰ πολλῆς δορυφορίας πρὸς τὸν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλέα, ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἐκεῖνον τὸν πολλῆς δόξης γέμοντα, ἔνθα τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ τὰ Σεραφίμ. Ἐλθόντες δὲ ἐκεῖ καὶ προσκυνήσαντες τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου καθήμενον, πλείονος παρὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν ὁμοδούλων ἀπολαύουσι φιλοφροσύνης. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς δούλους αὐτοὺς δέχεται καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο μεγίστη τιμὴ, καὶ ἧς ἴσον οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν, ἀλλ' ὡς φίλους αὐτοῦ· Ὑμεῖς γὰρ, φησὶ, φίλοι μου ἐστέ· καὶ μάλα