John Chrysostom, Sermon on the Captive Eutropius

the silver plate? where are the silver couches? where are the servants? All are in flight. Where are the eunuchs? All have run away. Where are the friends? They changed their masks. Where are the houses? They were shut; Where is the money? The one who had it fled. And where is the money? It has been buried. Where has all this been hidden? Am I not being burdensome, not being offensive, by always saying that wealth betrays those who use it badly? The time has come which shows the truth of my words. Why do you hold on to it, when it helps you not at all in time of trial? If it has strength, when you fall into necessity, let it stand by you; but if it flees then, what need have you of it? The facts themselves bear witness. What is the use? Sharpened swords, threatened death, a raging army, the expectation of so great a threat; and wealth is nowhere. Where has the runaway fled? It prepared all these things for you, and in time of need it flees. And yet many always accuse me, saying, You are attached to the rich; for they too are always attached to the poor. But I am attached to the rich; not to the rich, but to those who use wealth badly. For I always say that I do not slander the rich man, but the robber. A rich man is one thing, and a robber another; a wealthy man is one thing, and a greedy one another. Distinguish the matters, and do not confuse things that cannot be mixed. Are you rich? I do not forbid it. Are you a robber? I accuse you. Do you have what is yours? Enjoy it. Do you take what belongs to others? I will not be silent. Do you want to stone me? I am ready to shed my blood, if only I can prevent your sin. I do not care for hatred, I do not care for war; I care for one thing only, the progress of those who listen. Both the rich are my children, and the poor are my children; the same womb was in labor with both; the same birth pangs brought forth both. If then you are attached to the poor man, I accuse you; for the loss is not so great for the poor man as it is for the rich. For the poor man is not greatly wronged; for he is harmed in his money; but you are harmed in your soul. Let him who wishes cut me off, let him who wishes stone me, let him who wishes hate me; for to me plots are occasions for crowns, and wounds are a number of prizes. 4. Therefore, I do not fear a plot; I fear one thing only, sin. Let no one convict me of sinning, and let the whole world make war on me. For this war makes me more glorious. Thus I also wish to teach you. [Do not fear the plot of a ruler, but 52.400 fear the power of sin. A man will not harm you, unless you strike yourself. If you have no sin, even if ten thousand swords are present, God will rescue you; but if you have sin and are in paradise, you fall. Adam was in paradise, and he fell; Job was on a dunghill, and he was crowned. What did paradise profit him? Or what did the dunghill harm this one? No one plotted against him, and he was overthrown; the devil plotted against this one, and he was crowned. Did he not take his possessions? But he did not plunder his piety. Did he not snatch away his children? But he did not shake his faith. Did he not tear his body? But he did not find the treasure. Did he not arm his wife? But he did not overthrow the soldier. Did he not shoot bows and arrows? But he did not receive wounds. He brought up siege engines, but he did not shake the tower; he brought on waves, but he did not sink the ship. Keep this law for me, I beseech you, and I clasp your knees, if not with my hand, yet with my mind, and I pour out tears. Keep this law for me, and no one will harm you. Never call a rich man blessed, never call wretched [anyone but the man] in sin; call blessed the man in righteousness. For it is not the nature of things, but the opinion of men that makes this one so and that one so. Never fear swords, unless your conscience accuses you; never fear in war, if your conscience is clean] Where are those who have departed? tell me. Did not all submit? Did not those in authority tremble more at them? Did they not pay court? But sin came, and all things were exposed; and

τὰ ἀργυρώματα; ποῦ αἱ κλῖναι αἱ ἀργυραῖ; ποῦ οἱ οἰκέται; Πάντες ἐν φυγῇ. Ποῦ οἱ εὐνοῦχοι; Πάντες ἐδραπέτευσαν. Ποῦ οἱ φίλοι; Τὰ προσωπεῖα ἤλλασσον. Ποῦ αἱ οἰκίαι; Ἀπεκλείοντο· Ποῦ τὰ χρήματα; Ἔφυγεν ὁ ἔχων αὐτά. Καὶ τὰ χρήματα ποῦ; Κατωρύγη. Ποῦ ἐκρύβη τοῦτο ὅλον; Μὴ φορτικός εἰμι, μὴ ἐπαχθὴς, ἀεὶ λέγων, ὅτι ὁ πλοῦτος τοὺς κακῶς κεχρημένους προδίδωσιν; Ἦλθεν ὁ καιρὸς δεικνὺς τῶν ῥημάτων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τί κατέχεις αὐτὸν, ἐν πειρασμῷ σε μηδὲν ὠφελοῦντα; Εἰ ἔχει ἰσχὺν, ὅταν ἐμπέσῃς εἰς ἀνάγκην, παρέστω σοι· εἰ δὲ τότε φεύγει, τί χρείαν αὐτοῦ ἔχεις; Αὐτὰ τὰ πράγματα μαρτυρεῖ. Τί τὸ ὄφελος; Ξίφη ἠκονημένα, θάνατος ἀπειλούμενος, στρατόπεδον μαινόμενον, προσδοκία ἀπειλῆς τοσαύτης· καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος οὐδαμοῦ. Ποῦ ἔφυγεν ὁ δραπέτης; Αὐτός σοι κατεσκεύασε ταῦτα πάντα, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἀνάγκης φεύγει. Καίτοι πολλοὶ ἐγκαλοῦσί μοι ἀεὶ λέγοντες, Κεκόλλησαι τοῖς πλουσίοις· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἀεὶ κεκόλληνται τοῖς πένησιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ κεκόλλημαι τοῖς πλουσίοις· οὐ τοῖς πλουσίοις δὲ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς κακῶς τῷ πλούτῳ κεχρημένοις. Ἀεὶ γὰρ λέγω, ὅτι οὐ τὸν πλούσιον διαβάλλω, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἅρπαγα. Ἄλλο δὲ πλούσιος, καὶ ἄλλο ἅρπαξ· ἄλλο εὔπορος, καὶ ἄλλο πλεονέκτης. ∆ιαίρει τὰ πράγματα, καὶ μὴ σύγχεε τὰ ἄμικτα. Πλούσιος εἶ; Οὐ κωλύω. Ἅρπαξ εἶ; Κατηγορῶ. Ἔχεις τὰ σά;Ἀπόλαυε. Λαμβάνεις τὰ ἀλλότρια; Οὐ σιγῶ. Θέλεις με λιθάσαι; Ἕτοιμός εἰμι τὸ αἷμά μου ἐκχέειν, μόνον τὴν ἁμαρτίαν σου κωλύω. Ἐμοὶ οὐ μέλει μῖσος, οὐ μέλει μοι πόλεμος· ἑνὸς δέ μοι μόνον μέλει, τῆς προκοπῆς τῶν ἀκουόντων. Καὶ οἱ πλούσιοι ἐμὰ τέκνα, καὶ οἱ πένητες ἐμὰ τέκνα· ἡ αὐτὴ γαστὴρ ἀμφοτέρους ὤδινεν· αἱ αὐταὶ ὠδῖνες ἀμφοτέρους ἔτεκον. Ἂν τοίνυν κεκόλλησαι τῷ πένητι, κατηγορῶ σου· οὐ γὰρ τοῦ πένητος τοσαύτη ζημία, ὅση τοῦ πλουσίου. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πένης οὐδὲν μέγα ἀδικεῖται· εἰς χρήματα γὰρ βλάπτεται· σὺ δὲ εἰς ψυχὴν βλάπτῃ. Ὁ βουλόμενος ἀποτεμνέτω, ὁ βουλόμενος λιθαζέτω, ὁ βουλόμενος μισείτω· ὑποθῆκαι γὰρ ἐμοὶ στεφάνων αἱ ἐπιβουλαὶ, καὶ ἀριθμὸς βραβείων τὰ τραύματα. δʹ. Οὐ δέδοικα τοίνυν ἐπιβουλήν· ἓν δέδοικα μόνον, ἁμαρτίαν. Μὴ μέ τις ἐλέγξῃ ἁμαρτάνοντα, καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη πᾶσα πολεμείτω μοι. Ὁ γὰρ πόλεμος οὗτος λαμπρότερόν με ἐργάζεται. Οὕτω καὶ ὑμᾶς παιδεῦσαι βούλομαι. [Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἐπιβουλὴν δυνάστου, ἀλλὰ 52.400 φοβήθητε ἁμαρτίας δύναμιν. Ἄνθρωπός σε οὐ βλάψει, ἐὰν μὴ σὺ σεαυτὸν πλήξῃς. Ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃς ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ μυρία ξίφη παρῇ, ἁρπάζει σε ὁ Θεός· ἐὰν δὲ ἔχῃς ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἐν παραδείσῳ ᾖς, ἐκπίπτεις. Ἐν παραδείσῳ ἦν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, καὶ ἔπεσεν· ἐν κοπρίᾳ ἦν ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ ἐστεφανώθη. Τί ὠφέλησεν ἐκεῖνον ὁ παράδεισος; ἢ τί ἔβλαψε τοῦτον ἡ κοπρία; Ἐκείνῳ οὐδεὶς ἐπεβούλευσεν, καὶ ὑπεσκελίσθη· τούτῳ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἐστεφανώθη. Οὐ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ ἔλαβεν; Ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν οὐκ ἐσύλησεν. Οὐ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ ἥρπασεν; Ἀλλὰ τὴν πίστιν οὐκ ἐσάλευσεν. Οὐ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ διέῤῥηξεν; Ἀλλὰ τὸν θησαυρὸν οὐχ εὗρεν. Οὐ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ὥπλισεν; Ἀλλὰ τὸν στρατιώτην οὐχ ὑπεσκέλισεν. Οὐκ ἔβαλε τόξα καὶ βέλη; Ἀλλὰ τραύματα οὐκ ἐδέξατο. Προσήγαγε μηχανήματα, ἀλλὰ τὸν πύργον οὐκ ἔσεισεν· ἐπήγαγε κύματα, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλοῖον οὐ κατεπόντισε. Τοῦτόν μοι τὸν νόμον τηρήσατε, παρακαλῶ, καὶ τῶν γονάτων ὑμῶν ἅπτομαι, εἰ καὶ μὴ χειρὶ, ἀλλὰ τῇ γνώμῃ, καὶ δάκρυα ἐκχέω. Τοῦτόν μοι τηρήσατε τὸν νόμον, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὑμᾶς βλάπτει. Μηδέποτε μακαρίζετε πλούσιον μηδέποτε ταλανίζετε [εἰ μὴ τὸν] ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ· μακαρίζετε τὸν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ Οὐ γὰρ ἡ φύσις τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' ἡ γνώμη τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοῦτον κἀκεῖνον ποιεῖ. Μηδέποτε φοβηθῇς ξίφη, ἐὰν μὴ τὸ συνειδός σου κατηγορήσῃ· μηδέποτε φοβηθῇς ἐν πολέμῳ, ἐὰν τὸ συνειδός σου καθαρὸν ᾖ] Ποῦ οἱ ἀπελθόντες; εἰπέ μοι. Οὐχὶ πάντες ὑπέκυπτον; οὐχὶ οἱ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντες μεῖζον ἔτρεμον αὐτούς; οὐκ ἐθεράπευον; Ἀλλ' ἦλθεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, καὶ πάντα ἠλέγχθη· καὶ