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Do you think you would be scandalized at the time of the Cross? Of the disciples, one betrayed him, the others fled, and another denied him, and with all having departed, he was led away alone, bound. How many do you think, who had first seen him working signs, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, multiplying loaves, working the other wonders, were scandalized at that time, seeing him led away alone and bound, surrounded by common soldiers and followed by Jewish priests who were shouting and causing a disturbance, and seeing him hemmed in, having only his enemies in the midst, and the betrayer present and for the time being exulting? And what about when he was scourged? For it is likely that an infinite multitude was present. For it was a conspicuous feast that gathered everyone, and a metropolis that received the drama of lawlessness, and in the middle of midday. How many, then, do you think were present then and were scandalized, seeing him bound, scourged, drenched in blood, being examined by the governor's tribunal and not one of the disciples present? And what about when those varied and continuous and successive mockeries were made against him? And at one time they crowned him with thorns, at another they put a cloak on him, at another they put a reed in his hand, at another falling down they worshipped him, employing every kind of mockery and laughter. How many do you think were scandalized? How many were disturbed? How many were troubled, when they struck him on the head and said: Prophesy to us, Christ, who is it that struck you? And they led and paraded him all day with taunts and revilings and mockery and laughter in the midst of the Jewish theater. And what about when the servant of the high priest struck him? And what about when the soldiers divided his garments? But when he was led up to the Cross naked, having the scourges on his back, and was being crucified, not even then were the wild beasts softened, but they became rather more frenzied, and the elements of the tragedy were intensified and the mockery increased. Some said: You who would destroy the temple and raise it in three days. Others said: He saved others, himself he cannot save. Still others said: If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross and we will believe you. And what about when, giving him gall and vinegar to drink on the sponge, they mocked him? And what about when the robbers reviled him? And what about what they also said before, that dreadful and most lawless thing, when they said that that robber and housebreaker and one deserving of a thousand deaths should be requested rather than him, and having received the choice from the judge, they preferred Barabbas, not only to crucify him, but also wishing to place an evil reputation upon Christ? For they thought they could establish from these things that he was worse than the robber and so lawless, that he could not be saved either by compassion or by the dignity of the feast.

For they did all things for this reason, so as to slander his reputation. For this reason, indeed, they also crucified the two robbers with him. But the truth was not only not overshadowed, but even shone forth more greatly. And they accused him of tyranny, saying: Everyone who makes himself a king is not a friend of Caesar, bringing a charge of tyranny against him who had nowhere to lay his head. And they also slandered him for blasphemy. For the high priest tore his garments, saying: He has blasphemed. What further need do we have of witnesses? And what kind of death? Not of the condemned? Not of the accursed? Not the most shameful? Not that of those who have transgressed in the most extreme ways and are not worthy even to give up their soul on the earth? And is not the manner of his burial fulfilled as a favor? For a certain man came and requested his body. Thus, not even the one who buried him was one of his own, of those who had received benefits, of the disciples, of those who had enjoyed such great salvation, of all

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οἴει κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ Σταυροῦ σκανδαλίζεσθαι; Τῶν μαθητῶν ὁ μὲν προέδωκεν, οἱ δὲ ἐδραπέτευσαν, ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο καὶ πάντων ἀναχωρησάντων ἤγετο μόνος δεδεμένος. Πόσους οἴει πρῶτον ἑωρακότας τὰ σημεῖα αὐτὸν ἐργαζόμενον, νεκροὺς ἐγείροντα, λεπροὺς καθαρίζοντα, δαίμονας ἀπελαύνοντα, ἄρτους πηγάζοντα, τὰ ἄλλα τεράστια ἐργαζόμενον, σκανδαλισθῆναι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον θεωροῦντας μόνον ἀπαγόμενον καὶ δεδεμένον ὑπὸ εὐτελῶν αὐτὸν στρατιωτῶν περιστοιχιζόμενον καὶ ἱερέων ἰουδαϊκῶν ἑπομένων καὶ θορυβούντων καὶ ταραττόντων καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς μόνον ἐν μέσῳ ἔχοντας ἀπειλημμένον αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν προδότην παρόντα καὶ ἐναβρυνόμενον τέως; Τί δὲ ἡνίκα ἐμαστιγοῦτο; Καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς παρεῖναι πλῆθος ἄπειρον. Ἑορτὴ γὰρ ἦν περι φανὴς ἡ πάντας συνάγουσα καὶ μητρόπολις ἡ τὸ δρᾶμα τῆς παρανομίας δεξαμένη καὶ ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ μέσῃ. Πόσους τοίνυν οἴει παρεῖναι τότε καὶ σκανδαλίζεσθαι ὁρῶντας αὐτὸν δεδεμένον, μεμαστιγωμένον, αἵματι περιρρεόμενον, ὑπὸ ἡγεμονικοῦ δικαστηρίου ἐξεταζόμενον καὶ οὐδένα τῶν μαθητῶν παρόντα; Τί δὲ ἡνίκα αἱ ποικίλαι ἐκεῖναι καὶ συνεχεῖς καὶ ἐπάλληλοι ἐγίνοντο κατ' αὐτοῦ κωμῳδίαι; Καί ποτε μὲν αὐτὸν ἀκάνθαις ἐστεφάνουν, ποτὲ δὲ χλαμύδα περιετίθεσαν, ποτὲ δὲ κάλαμον ἐνεχείριζον, ποτὲ δὲ πίπτοντες αὐτὸν προσεκύνουν πᾶν εἶδος χλευασίας κινοῦντες καὶ γέλωτος. Πόσους οἴει σκανδαλίζεσθαι; Πόσους θορυβεῖσθαι; Πόσους ταράττεσθαι, ὅτε ἐπὶ κορυφῆς αὐτὸν ἔπαιον καὶ ἔλεγον· προφήτευσον ἡμῖν, Χριστέ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε; Καὶ ἦγον καὶ περιῆγον πᾶσαν τὴν ἡμέραν σκώμματα καὶ λοιδορίας καὶ χλευασίαν καὶ γέλωτα ἐν μέσῳ θεάτρῳ ἰουδαϊκῷ. Τί δέ, ὅτε αὐτὸν ἐρράπιζεν ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ ἀρχιερέως; Τί δέ, ὅτε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ διεμερίζοντο οἱ στρατιῶται; Ἡνίκα δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν Σταυρὸν ἀνήχθη γυμνὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ νώτου ἔχων τὰς μάστιγας καὶ ἀνεσκολοπίζετο, οὐδὲ γὰρ τότε οἱ ἄγριοι θῆρες ἐμαλάττοντο, ἀλλὰ μανικώτεροι μᾶλλον ἐγίνοντο καὶ τὰ τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐπετείνετο καὶ τὰ τῆς χλευασίας ηὔξετο. Οἱ μὲν ἔλεγον· ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγείρων αὐτόν. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον· ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι. Ἄλλοι δὲ ἔλεγον· εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατάβηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ Σταυροῦ καὶ πιστεύσομέν σοι. Τί δέ, ὅτε τῇ σπογγιᾷ χολὴν καὶ ὄξος ποτίζοντες ἐνεπαροίνουν αὐτόν; Τί δέ, ὅτε οἱ λῃσταὶ ἐλοιδόρουν αὐτῷ; Τί δέ, ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἔλεγον, τὸ φρικτὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ παρανομώτατον, ὅτε τὸν λῃστὴν ἐκεῖνον καὶ τοιχωρύχον καὶ μυρίων γέμοντα φόνων ἄξιον ἔλεγον ἐξαιτηθῆναι μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ καὶ λαβόντες αἵρεσιν παρὰ τοῦ δικαστοῦ τὸν Βαραββᾶν προετίμησαν οὐ σταυρῶσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πονηρὰν βουλόμενοι τῷ Χριστῷ περιθεῖναι δόξαν; Ἐνόμιζον γὰρ δύνασθαι κατασκευάζειν ἐκ τούτων ὅτι τοῦ λῃστοῦ χείρων ἦν καὶ οὕτω παράνομος, ὥστε μὴ φιλανθρωπίᾳ μήτε ἑορτῆς ἀξιώματι δύνασθαι σῴζεσθαι.

Πάντα γὰρ τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐποίουν, ὥστε αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπόληψιν διαβαλεῖν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς δύο λῃστὰς αὐτῷ συνεσταύρωσαν. Ἀλλ' ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐ μόνον οὐ συνεσκιάζετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως διέλαμπε. Καὶ τυραννίδα δὲ αὐτῷ ἐνεκάλουν λέγοντες· πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν ἑαυτὸν βασιλέα οὐκ ἔστι φίλος τοῦ Καίσαρος, τῷ οὐκ ἔχοντι ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλῖναι τυραννίδος ἐπάγοντες ἔγκλημα. Καὶ ἐπὶ βλασφημίᾳ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐσυκοφάντουν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὑτοῦ λέγων· ἐβλασφήμησε. Τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; Ὁ δὲ θάνατος οἷος; Οὐ καταδίκων; Οὐκ ἐπαράτων; Οὐχ ὁ αἴσχιστος; Οὐχ ὁ τῶν τὰ ἔσχατα παρανενομηκότων καὶ οὐκ ἀξίων ὄντων οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφεῖναι; Τὸ δὲ τῆς ταφῆς εἶδος οὐκ ἐν χάριτος πληροῦται μέρει; Ἐλθὼν γάρ τις τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐξῃτήσατο. Οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ θάπτων αὐτὸν ἦν τῶν οἰκείων, τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων, τῶν μαθητῶν, τῶν τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκότων σωτηρίας, πάντων