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do not think that the decision is like ours, neither of affection, nor of love, but of right judgment. For it is not possible to say that because of a burden toward his teachers he leapt away from their instruction. For both enjoy much honor, and they prefer their own things. Therefore, what Paul also said in admiration: He did not choose to have the fleeting enjoyment of sin, considering the reproach of Christ 56.197 greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt. And Daniel set it in his heart not to be defiled at the king's table, and with the wine of his drink, and he asked the chief eunuch that he might not be defiled. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief eunuch. See this ruler of good things. Thus he immediately showed that he was someone great and wonderful. For he calls this one by a better name. But in what was possible, he kept the law. Who else, tell me, would have considered the royal table to be a defilement? See him right from the beginning displaying his philosophy. And he asked, it says, the chief eunuch, that he might not be defiled. See how he is without ambition. He did not say, "I will give my life," but he asked, if possible, to escape notice. For what reason am I ambitious? he says. But not so Joseph, nor Moses. What then? Shall we condemn them? May it not be; for they did not know what it was. For there was not yet according to the law an abstention from foods. See him both refuting and philosophizing, and in small things displaying his philosophy. And what the apostles said, These things you ought to have done, and not to have left the others undone. And he did these things, not because they were offered to idols, but because they were forbidden by the law. How then did he persuade him? See how he immediately resolved the difficulty for you. "God gave," it says, "Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief eunuch." This also happened in the case of Joseph; there too Joseph found mercy and favor with the chief steward; yet both were slaves, and in barbarian households [f. houses]. For indeed the things said were sufficient to dissolve the king's anger. What are you saying? Do you call the master's table accursed? Have you appeared to us purer yourself? Do you not know that for this reason you have learned both the Chaldean tongue and letters, so that you might convert to our order? Whence then did the eunuch respect him at all? The boy was easy to despise, a captive. For even if he was worthy of respect, the danger did not allow him to appear worthy of respect. For this reason, having said that He gave him favor, he states the words of the eunuch and the fear in return. How? It was not possible, but forbidden, unless grace from above ordered all things. And Daniel said to Amelasar, whom the chief eunuch had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael: 'Test your servants 56.198 for ten days, and let them give us seeds of the earth, and we shall eat, and water we shall drink; and let our appearance be seen before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat at the king's table; and as you see, so do with your servants.' And he listened to him, and tested them for ten days. And after the end of the ten days their appearance was seen to be good, and they were stronger in flesh than the young men who ate at the king's table. Great is the boldness, very great the eagerness, great the understanding, great the faith. Test your servants for ten days. Then, lest you think the brightness of their face was from the nature of the seeds, behold water, which does not nourish. And they did not appear simply well-conditioned, but even better-conditioned than those enjoying the royal table. But that meat and wine are accustomed to nourish more than all things is clear to everyone. See right from the beginning the grace blossoming forth from the choice of the youths, [and] from the grace of God. For the choice came from their not being willing, but the grace from their being able. 'And let them be seen,' he says, 'before you.' To you we entrust the judgment. But the favor is light and easy; be convinced by the facts. For I know clearly;

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οἵα ἡ ἡμε τέρα, μήτε φίλτρου, μήτε ἀγάπης εἶναι νομίσῃς τὴν ἀπόφασιν, ἀλλὰ κρίσεως ὀρθῆς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι διὰ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς διδάξαντας ἄχθος ἀπεπήδησε τῆς ἐκείνων παιδεύσεως. Ἀμφότεροι γὰρ πολλῆς ἀπολαύουσι τῆς τιμῆς, καὶ προτιμῶσι τὰ οἰκεῖα. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ Παῦλος θαυμάζων ἔλεγεν· Οὐχ εἵλετο πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν, μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ θησαυρῶν 56.197 τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ἔθετο ∆ανιὴλ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀλισγηθῆναι ἐν τῇ τρα πέζῃ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ τοῦ πότου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἠξίωσε τὸν ἀρχιευνοῦχον, ὅπως μὴ ἀλισγηθῇ. Καὶ ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ∆ανιὴλ εἰς ἔλεον καὶ εἰς οἰκτιρμὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρχιευνού χου. Ὅρα τοῦτον ἄρχοντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Οὕτως αὐ τόθεν ἐνέφαινεν, ὅτι μέγας τις ἦν καὶ θαυμαστός. Τοῦτον γὰρ τῷ βελτίονι, καλεῖ ὀνόματι. Ἐν οἷς δὲ δυνατὸν ἦν, τὸν νόμον ἐφύλαττεν. Τίς ἂν ἕτερος, εἰπέ μοι, μίασμα εἶναι ἐνόμισε τὴν τράπεζαν τὴν βασιλικήν; Ὅρα αὐτὸν ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως ἐνδεικνύμενον τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Καὶ ἠξίωσε, φησὶ, τὸν ἀρχιευνοῦχον, ὅπως μὴ ἀλισγηθῇ. Ὅρα πῶς ἐστιν ἀφιλότιμος. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Τὴν ψυχήν μου δώσω, ἀλλ' ἠξίωσεν, εἰ δυνατὸν, λαθεῖν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν φιλοτιμοῦμαι; φησί. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ οὕτως, οὐδὲ Μωϋσῆς. Τί οὖν; ἐκείνων καταγνωσόμεθα; Μὴ γέ νοιτο· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν ὅ τί ποτε ἦν. Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν κατὰ τὸν νόμον παραίτησις τῶν βρωμάτων. Ὅρα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐλέγχοντα καὶ φιλοσοφοῦντα, καὶ ἐν τοῖς σμικροῖς ἐνδεικνύμενον τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Καὶ ὅπερ ἔλεγον οἱ ἀπόστολοι, Ταῦτα ἔδει πρόσω ποιῆσαι, κἀκεῖνα μὴ ἀφεῖναι. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔπραττεν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ εἰδωλόθυτα ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ κεκωλυμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ νό μου ἦν. Πῶς οὖν ἔπεισεν; Ὅρα πῶς εὐθέως ἔλυσέ σοι τὴν ἀπορίαν. Ἔδωκε, φησὶ, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ∆ανιὴλ εἰς ἔλεον καὶ εἰς οἰκτιρμὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρχιευ νούχου. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ γέγονεν· κἀκεῖ ἠλεήθη Ἰωσὴφ καὶ χάριν εὗρεν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀρχιμαγεί ρου· πλὴν ἀμφότεροι δοῦλοι, καὶ ἐν οἰκείαις [f. οἰ κίαις] βαρβαρικαῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ὄντως ἱκανὰ ἐκλῦ σαι τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ εἰρημένα. Τί λέ γεις; ἐναγῆ τὴν τράπεζαν ὀνομάζεις εἶναι τὴν δε σποτικήν; καθαρώτερος ἡμῖν αὐτὸς ἀνεφάνης; οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο καὶ γλῶτταν καὶ γράμματα με μαθήκατε Χαλδαϊκὰ, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν μετα στῆτε τάξιν; Πόθεν δ' ὅλως αὐτὸν ᾐδέσθη ὁ εὐνοῦχος; Τὸ παιδίον εὐκαταφρόνητον ἦν, αἰχμάλωτον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ αἰδέσιμος ἦν, ἀλλ' ὁ κίνδυνος οὐκ εἴα αἰδέσιμον αὐτὸν φανῆναι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἔλεον, λέγει τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ εὐνούχου καὶ τὸν πάλιν φόβον. Πῶς; Οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν, ἀλλὰ κεκωλυμένον, εἰ μὴ ἄνωθεν χάρις πάντα ᾠκονόμει. Καὶ εἶπε ∆ανιὴλ πρὸς Ἀμελασὰρ, ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ ἀρχιευνοῦχος ἐπὶ ∆ανιὴλ, Ἀνανίαν, Ἀζαρίαν, καὶ Μισαήλ· Πείρασον δὴ τοὺς δούλους σου 56.198 ἡμέρας δέκα, καὶ δότωσαν ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν σπερ μάτων τῆς γῆς, καὶ φαγόμεθα, καὶ ὕδωρ πιό μεθα· καὶ ὀφθήτωσαν ἐνώπιόν σου αἱ ἰδέαι ἡμῶν, καὶ αἱ ἰδέαι τῶν παιδαρίων τῶν ἐσθιόντων τὴν τράπεζαν τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ ὡς ἐὰν ἴδῃς, ποίησον μετὰ τῶν παίδων σου. Καὶ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπείρασεν αὐτοὺς ἡμέρας δέκα. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος τῶν δέκα ἡμερῶν ὡράθησαν αἱ ἰδέαι αὐτῶν ἀγαθαὶ, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἰσχυροὶ ταῖς σαρξὶν ὑπὲρ τὰ παιδάρια τὰ ἐσθίοντα τὴν τράπε ζαν τοῦ βασιλέως. Πολλὴ ἡ παῤῥησία, μεγί στη ἡ προθυμία, πολλὴ ἡ σύνεσις, μεγάλη ἡ πίστις. Πείρασον τοὺς παῖδας σου ἡμέρας δέκα. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς τῆς φύσεως τῶν σπερμάτων εἶναι τὸ φαιδρὸν τοῦ προσώπου, ὅρα δὴ ὕδωρ τὸ μὴ τρέφον. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εὐπαθεῖς ἐφάνησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀπολαυόντων τῆς τραπέζης τῆς βασιλικῆς εὐπαθέστε ροι. Ὅτι δὲ κρέα καὶ οἶνος πάντων μᾶλλον τρέφειν εἴωθε, παντὶ δῆλόν ἐστι. Ὅρα ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως τὴν ἐπανθοῦσαν χάριν ἐκ τῆς προαιρέσεως τῶν παί δων, [καὶ] ἐκ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ προαίρεσις ἐκ τοῦ μὴ θελῆσαι, ἡ δὲ χάρις ἐκ τοῦ δυνηθῆναι. Καὶ ὀφθήτωσαν, φησὶ, ἐνώπιόν σου. Σοὶ τὴν κρίσιν ἐπιτρέπομεν. Κούφη δὲ καὶ εὐμαρὴς ἡ χάρις· διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων πιστώθητι. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οἶδα σαφῶς·