3

to be put to shame, but the opposite happened; the athlete became more illustrious through that procession, and he made all who inhabited the land of the Cilicians zealous for his virtue. He was led about everywhere, so that the spectators might not only learn of his struggles by hearing, but might also see the victor himself; and the longer he made the courses for him, the more glorious all the races became; the greater the arenas he set, the more wondrous he showed the struggles to be; the more he prolonged the affliction in length of time, the more proven he made his endurance. For gold, when it consorts with the nature of fire for a longer time, becomes purer; just as then the soul of the saint, being tormented, shone forth the more with time, and he was parading the martyr as nothing other than a trophy against himself and the devil, a refutation of the cruelty of the Greeks, a proof of the piety of the Christians, the greatest evidence of the power of Christ, an exhortation and counsel to the faithful, to persevere eagerly in the same contests, a herald of the glory of God, a teacher of the knowledge of such struggles.

For he exhorted all to migrate to his own zeal, not only counseling them by his voice, but also by the deeds themselves sending forth a voice clearer than a trumpet. And just as the heavens declare the glory of God, not by sending forth a voice, but by the splendor of their appearance referring the spectator to the wonder of the Creator; so indeed also that martyr then declared the glory of God, being himself a heaven, and much brighter than this visible one. For the choirs of stars do not show the heaven to be so bright, as the streams of blood from his wounds showed the martyr’s body to be brighter. And that you may learn that the wounds of the martyr are brighter than the stars fixed in heaven, consider this. Both men and demons look upon that heaven and the stars, but while the faithful look upon his wounds, demons do not dare to look upon them, but if they even attempt to see, their eyes are immediately blinded, being unable to bear the flashing light leaping forth from there. And I will confirm this not only from what happened long ago, but also from what still happens even now. For take someone possessed by a demon and raving and bring him 50.670 to that holy tomb where the relics of the martyr are, and you will surely see him leaping away and fleeing. For just as one about to step on hot coals, so he immediately leaps away from the very entrance, not even daring to look upon the reliquary itself. If now, after so much time, when he has become dust and ashes, they do not dare to look up at the tomb, nor at the bare bones of the saint, it is clear that also then, when they saw him reddened with blood on all sides, gleaming with wounds more than the sun with its rays, they were astounded, and being struck in their sight, they withdrew.

3. You see how the wounds of the martyrs

are brighter and more wondrous than the heavenly stars, and have a greater power? The saint, therefore, was led into the midst, and bitter torments surrounded him on every side, fear of future things, pain of present things, anguish for things that had come, agony for things expected. For like some savage beasts, the executioners standing around his body were digging into his sides, scraping his flesh, laying bare his bones, and proceeding to the very inner parts of his entrails. But nevertheless, though searching through everything, they were not able to plunder the treasure of faith. Now in the case of the royal treasuries, where gold and other unspeakable wealth is stored, if you only break through the walls, if you open the doors, you immediately see the treasure lying before you; but here, in the case of this holy and Christ-bearing temple, the opposite happened. The executioners broke through the walls,

3

καταισχύνεσθαι, τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον ἐξέβαινε· λαμπρότερος ὁ ἀθλητὴς διὰ τῆς πομπῆς ἐκείνης ἐγίγνετο, καὶ πάντας τοὺς τὴν Κιλίκων χώραν οἰκοῦντας τῆς οἰκείας ἐποίει ζηλωτὰς ἀρετῆς. Πε ριήγετο πανταχοῦ, ἵνα μὴ μόνον ἐξ ἀκοῆς μάθωσι τὰ παλαίσματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν βλέπωσι τὸν στεφα νίτην οἱ θεαταί· καὶ ὅσῳ μακροτέρους αὐτῷ ἐποίει τοὺς διαύλους, τοσούτῳ λαμπρότεροι οἱ δρόμοι πάν τες ἐγίγνοντο· ὅσῳ μείζονα ἐτίθει τὰ σκάμματα, το σούτῳ θαυμαστότερα ἀπέφαινε τὰ παλαίσματα· ὅσῳ τὴν θλῖψιν ἐπέτεινεν εἰς χρόνου μῆκος, τοσούτῳ τὴν ὑπομονὴν αὐτοῦ δοκιμωτέραν εἰργάζετο. Καὶ γὰρ χρυσίον πλείονα χρόνον τῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ὁμιλοῦν φύσει, καθαρώτερον γίνεται· καθάπερ τότε καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου ψυχὴ βασανιζομένη τῷ χρόνῳ μᾶλλον ἀπέλαμπε, καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ τρόπαιον καθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου, τὸν μάρτυρα περιέφερεν, ἔλεγχον τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὠμότητος, ἀπόδειξιν τῆς τῶν Χριστιανῶν εὐσεβείας, μέγιστον τεκμήριον τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δυνάμεως, παραίνεσιν καὶ συμβουλὴν τοῖς πιστοῖς, ὥστε προθύμως τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐγκαρτερεῖν ἀγῶσι, κήρυκα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης, διδάσκαλον τῆς τῶν τοιούτων παλαισμάτων ἐπιστήμης.

Παρεκάλει γὰρ ἅπαντας πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον ζῆλον μεταναστῆναι, οὐχὶ διὰ τῆς φωνῆς μόνον συμβουλεύων, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐ τῶν τῶν πραγμάτων σάλπιγγος λαμπροτέραν ἀφιεὶς φωνήν. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, οὐχὶ φωνὴν ἀφιέντες, ἀλλὰ τῇ λαμπρότητι τῆς ὄψεως τὸν θεατὴν πρὸς τὸ θαῦμα τοῦ δημιουργοῦ παραπέμποντες· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ μάρτυς ἐκεῖνος διηγεῖτο τότε δόξαν Θεοῦ, οὐρανὸς ὢν καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ πολὺ τοῦ φαινομένου τούτου φαιδρότερος. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τὸν οὐρανὸν λαμπρὸν ἀποφαίνουσιν οἱ τῶν ἄστρων χοροὶ, ὡς τὸ τοῦ μάρτυρος σῶμα λαμπρό τερον ἀπέφηναν οἱ τῶν τραυμάτων ἰχῶρες. Καὶ ἵνα μάθητε ὅτι τὰ τραύματα τοῦ μάρτυρος τῶν ἐν οὐ ρανῷ πεπηγότων ἄστρων λαμπρότερα, σκοπεῖτε. Πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μὲν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας καὶ ἄνθρωποι καὶ δαίμονες βλέπουσι, πρὸς δὲ τὰ τραύματα τούτου ἄνθρωποι μὲν βλέπουσιν οἱ πιστοὶ, δαίμονες δὲ ἀντιβλέψαι οὐ τολμῶσιν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐπιχειρήσωσιν ἰδεῖν, εὐθέως ἀποτυφλοῦνται τὰς ὄψεις, τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐκπηδῶσαν μαρμαρυγὴν οὐ δυνάμενοι φέρειν. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν πάλαι συμβεβηκότων πιστώσομαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν γινομένων. Λαβὼν γάρ τινα δαιμονῶντα καὶ μαινόμενον εἰσάγαγε 50.670 πρὸς τὸν ἅγιον τάφον ἐκεῖνον, ἔνθα τοῦ μάρτυρος τὰ λείψανα, καὶ ὄψει πάντως ἀποπηδῶντα καὶ φεύγοντα. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἀνθράκων μέλλων ἐπιβαίνειν, οὕτως ἐξ αὐτῶν εὐθέως ἐξάλλεται τῶν προθύρων, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν θήκην αὐτὴν ἀντιβλέψαι τολμῶν. Εἰ δὲ νῦν μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον, ὅτε κόνις ἐγένετο καὶ τέφρα, οὐ τολμῶσιν ἀναβλέψαι πρὸς τὸ μνῆμα, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὰ γυμνὰ ὀστᾶ τοῦ ἁγίου, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ τότε, ὅτε ἑώρων αὐτὸν αἵματι φοινισσόμενον πάντοθεν, τραύμασιν ἀποστίλβοντα μᾶλλον, ἢ τὸν ἥλιον ταῖς ἀκτῖσι, κατ επλάγησαν, καὶ πληγέντες τὰς ὄψεις ἀνεχώρησαν.

γʹ. Εἶδες πῶς τῶν οὐρανίων ἀστέρων τὰ τῶν μαρτύ ρων τραύματα

φαιδρότερα καὶ θαυμαστότερα, καὶ μεί ζονα ἔχει τὴν ἰσχύν; Ἤγετο τοίνυν εἰς μέσον ὁ ἅγιος, καὶ πικραὶ πανταχόθεν περιειστήκεισαν κολάσεις, φόβος τῶν μελλόντων, πόνος τῶν παρόντων, ὀδύνη τῶν ἐπελθόντων, ἀγωνία τῶν προσδοκωμένων. Καθά περ γάρ τινες θῆρες ἄγριοι οἱ δήμιοι περιστάντες αὐ τοῦ τὸ σῶμα διώρυττον τὰς πλευρὰς, κατέξαινον τὰς σάρκας, ἀπεγύμνουν ὀστᾶ, πρὸς αὐτὰ τὰ εἴσω τῶν σπλάγχνων ἐβάδιζον. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ πάντα διερευ νώμενοι τὸν θησαυρὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀποσυλῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ταμείων τῶν βασιλικῶν, ἔνθα χρυσίον ἀπόκειται καὶ πλοῦτος ἕτερος ἄφατος, ἂν τοὺς τοίχους διέλῃς μόνον, ἂν τὰς θύρας ἀνοίξῃς, εὐθέως ὁρᾷς τὸν θησαυρὸν προκείμενον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ χριστοφόρου τούτου ναοῦ τὸ ἐναν τίον ἐγίγνετο. ∆ιεῖλον τοὺς τοίχους οἱ δήμιοι,