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pleasure, God is food, God is the seed cast into the earth, God is its sprouting, God is the growth of fruit trees, God is the luxury through drunkenness, God is the desire of bodies, God is their pleasure. Hence the mysteries of Demeter and Pherrephatte, and the rape of Kore by Aidoneus, and again her return. Hence the rites of Dionysus, and Heracles conquered as if by a stronger god, drunkenness; hence the adulterous orgies of Eros and Aphrodite. Hence Zeus himself, mad for women and in love with Ganymede, and the licentious fabrications of myths about pleasure-loving and passionate gods. And of all these things, death was the cause. For believing that death was the end and consummation of the universe and the dissolution and destruction of souls along with bodies, and that there was no other life than that of the body and the flesh, they led a life worse than that of any irrational animal. Whom indeed the all-kingly Word of God pitied, and at the nod of the man-loving Father hastened to their defense; then, as a most man-loving king, he contrived the refutation of death through human nature, being himself life and the Word of God and the power of God, yet judging it right not to refute the terror of men without the one being helped. For which reason indeed the bodiless one, using a human weapon and a mortal body, conquered death through the mortal. Hence the very first mystery of the body was prepared, hence the trophy of the cross, hence the memorial of immortal and eternal life was called “his remembrance.” For using a mortal weapon and having shown a great wonder to all, he set up a trophy of immortality against death through the mortal weapon. For he was casting the mortal thing as prey to the beast, but it was immediately nailed to the scaffold, being crucified, so that the nature of the mortal thing might be known to all, and what was being done might escape the notice of no one, neither men, nor demons, nor greater powers. For it was necessary for all to see accurately the mortal thing, as in a very great theater, confessing its own nature, so that next, death, coming on like a terrible beast, such as it was, might refute itself, and then the power of life, coming on after death, might present to all again the victory over death, having shown the mortal to be immortal. Therefore, for a short while the power of the Word of God that sustained it released the body, and the one hanging on the wood was immediately dead; but it was not the Word, the life-giver of all, that was being put to death, but the mortal confessed its own nature. And then the dead one, now indeed held by death, having been taken down by men, was deemed worthy of the customary care. And it was delivered to a tomb according to the laws of men. And the tomb was a newly made cave, a cave just then hewn out of rock, not yet having experienced another body; for it was necessary for it to be reserved for the only paradoxical dead one alone. And the rock was wonderful to see, standing alone and upright in an open space, and containing within itself only one cavern, so that, not being one of many, it might not overshadow the wonder of him who had overcome death. So there lay the dead one, the instrument of the living Word, and a very large stone closed the cave, and death was exulting much in this, as though having taken this one also, along with those from of old, under its power; but a three-day period had not yet passed, and life again showed itself after the sufficient refutation of death. For if indeed he had risen sooner, he would not even have been thought to have died; but when he was truly lifted up and had truly died, he had in time truly accepted death. Then indeed, at that time, the life-giving Word of God of all things showed forth the hope laid up for all men through the regeneration of what was then mortal. What then happens after these things? I could no longer be a teacher to you of the things that were done. But the eyewitnesses of these things would be worthy witnesses of all, who by blood and soul, at the sight, confirmed the truth of the things that were done and the

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ἡδονή, θεὸς ἡ τροφή, θεὸς τὸ εἰς γῆν σπέρμα, θεὸς ἡ τούτου βλάστη, θεὸς ἡ τῶν ἀκροδρύων φυή, θεὸς ἡ διὰ μέθης τρυφή, θεὸς ὁ τῶν σωμάτων πόθος, θεὸς ἡ τούτων ἡδονή. ἔνθεν τὰ ∆ήμητρος καὶ Φερεφάττης μυστήρια καὶ Κόρης ἁρπαγὴ ὑπὸ Ἀϊδωνέως καὶ πάλιν ἡ ταύτης ἀνάδοσις. ἔνθεν ∆ιονύσου τελεταὶ καὶ νικώμενος Ἡρακλῆς ὡς ὑπὸ κρείττονος θεοῦ τῆς μέθης, ἔνθεν Ἔρωτος καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ὄργια μοιχικά. ἔνθεν Ζεὺς αὐτὸς γυναικομανῶν καὶ Γανυμήδους ἐρῶν, φιληδόνων τε θεῶν καὶ φιλοπαθῶν ἀσελγῆ μύθων ἀναπλάσματα. τούτων δ' ἦν ἁπάντων θάνατος αἴτιος. τέλος γὰρ καὶ συντέλειαν τοῦ παντὸς λύσιν τε καὶ διαφθορὰν τῶν ψυχῶν ὁμοῦ καὶ τῶν σωμάτων θάνατον καὶ μὴ ἑτέραν ἢ τὴν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ζωὴν εἶναι νομίσαντες, βίον πάσης τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων φύσεως χείρονα διῆγον. οὓς δὴ κατελεήσας ὁ παμβασιλεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, τῷ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου πατρὸς νεύματι ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμυναν ἔσπευσεν, εἶθ' οἷα βασιλεὺς φιλανθρωπότατος τὸν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου ἔλεγχον δι' ἀνθρώπου φύσεως ἐμηχανᾶτο, ζωὴ μὲν αὐτὸς τυγχάνων καὶ θεοῦ λόγος καὶ θεοῦ δύναμις, ἀλλ' οὐ δίχα τοῦ βοηθουμένου τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φόβητρον διελέγξαι κρίνας. διὸ δὴ ὅπλῳ χρησάμενος ἀνθρωπείῳ καὶ θνητῷ σώματι ὁ ἀσώματος, τὸν θάνατον διὰ τοῦ θνητοῦ κατηγωνίσατο. ἔνθεν αὐτὸ τὸ πρῶτον τοῦ σώματος μυστήριον κατεσκευάζετο, ἔνθεν τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ τρόπαιον, ἔνθεν ἡ τῆς ἀθανάτου καὶ αἰωνίου ζωῆς μνήμη «ἀνάμνησις αὐτοῦ» ἐχρημάτιζεν. θνητῷ γὰρ ὅπλῳ κεχρημένος καὶ μέγα θαῦμα τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀποδείξας, τρόπαιον ἀθανασίας κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου διὰ τοῦ θνητοῦ ὅπλου ἔστησεν. ἠφίει μὲν γὰρ τὸ θνητὸν εἰς βορὰν τῷ θηρίῳ, τὸ δ' αὐτίκα τῷ ἰκρίῳ προσηλοῦτο ἀνασταυρούμενον, ὡς ἂν τοῖς πᾶσιν ἡ τοῦ θνητοῦ γνωρισθείη φύσις μηδέ τινα λάθοι τὸ πραττόμενον μὴ ἀνθρώπων μὴ δαιμόνων μὴ δυνάμεων κρειττόνων. ἐχρῆν γὰρ πάντας ἀκριβῶς τὸ θνητὸν ἰδεῖν ὡς ἐν μεγίστῳ θεάτρῳ τὴν οἰκείαν ὁμολογοῦν φύσιν, ἵν' ἑξῆς ἐπελθὼν ὁ θάνατος οἷα θὴρ δεινός, οἷός τις ποτ' ἦν, ἑαυτὸν ἐλέγξῃ κἄπειτα τῆς ζωῆς ἡ δύναμις μετὰ θάνατον ἐπελθοῦσα τοῖς πᾶσιν αὖθις τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου παραστήσηται νίκην, τὸ θνητὸν ἀθάνατον ἀποδείξασα. ἠφίει τοίνυν πρὸς βραχὺ τὸ σῶμα ἡ τοῦτο διακρατοῦσα τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου δύναμις, τὸ δ' ἀνηρτημένον ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου παραχρῆμα νεκρὸν ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ λόγος ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων ζωοποιὸς τὸ νεκρούμενον ἦν, τὸ δὲ θνητὸν τὴν οἰκείαν ὡμολόγει φύσιν. κἄπειτα τὸ νεκρὸν τὸ νῦν δὴ τῷ θανάτω κρατούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καθαιρεθὲν τῆς συνήθους ἠξιοῦτο φροντίδος. μνήματι δὲ κατὰ νόμους ἀνθρώπων παρεδίδοτο. τὸ δὲ μνῆμα σπήλαιον ἦν νεοπαγές, σπήλαιον ἄρτι κατὰ πέτρας λελαξευμένον, οὔπω σώματος ἑτέρου πεπειραμένον· ἔδει γὰρ αὐτῷ μόνῳ σχολάζειν τῷ μόνῳ παραδόξῳ νεκρῷ. θαυμαστὴ δὲ ἰδεῖν καὶ ἡ πέτρα ἐν ἡπλωμένῳ χώρῳ μόνη ὄρθιος ἀνεσταμένη καὶ μόνον ἓν ἄντρον εἴσω ἐν αὑτῇ περιέχουσα, ὡς ἂν μὴ πολλῶν γενομένη τοῦ τὸν θάνατον καταγωνισαμένου ἐπισκιάσῃ τὸ θαῦμα. ἔκειτο μὲν δὴ νεκρὸς αὐτόθι, τὸ τοῦ ζῶντος λόγου ὄργανον, λίθος δ' ἀπέκλειε παμμεγέθης τὸ σπήλαιον, καὶ πολὺς ἦν ἐν τούτῳ γαυριῶν ὁ θάνατος, ὡς ἂν καὶ τοῦτον μετὰ τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος ἑλὼν ὑποχείριον, ἀλλ' οὔπω τριήμερος παρῄει χρόνος καὶ ἡ ζωὴ πάλιν ἑαυτὴν ἔφαινε μετὰ τὸν αὐτάρκη τοῦ θανάτου ἔλεγχον. εἰ γὰρ δὴ θᾶττον ἀνέστη φθάσας, οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ τεθνεὼς ἐνομίσθη, ἀλλ' ὅτε γε ἀληθῶς ὕψωτο καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐτεθνήκει, ἐν χρόνῳ δὲ τὸν θάνατον ἀληθῶς ὑποδέδεκτο. τότε δὴ τότε ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων ζωοποιὸς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος τὴν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀποκειμένην ἐλπίδα διὰ τῆς τοῦ τότε θνητοῦ παλιγγενεσίας ἐπεδείκνυτο. τί οὖν ἐπὶ τούτοις γίνεται; οὐκέτι ἐγώ σοι γενοίμην ἂν τῶν πεπραγμένων διδάσκαλος. οἱ δὲ τούτων αὐτόπται εἶεν ἂν πάντων ἀξιόχρεοι μάρτυρες οἱ δι' αἵματος καὶ ψυχῆς τῇ θέᾳ, τῶν πεπραγμένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν πιστωσάμενοι καὶ τὴν