But the fear of God, the salvation of men, is rare. Whence [it is not] necessary to be amazed when looking at the poor who are falsely accused, and at judges who miscalculate. But one must avoid the appearance of the more powerful being greater. For even if this should come to pass, nevertheless, wickedness in itself will not deliver you from the terrible things that will befall you. And just as a possession gained from plunder is most harmful and most unholy, so also for a man who desires money there is no satisfaction, nor the goodwill of his neighbors; even if they should acquire ever so much silver. For this indeed is vain. But goodness, greatly delighting those who are with her, makes them brave by providing the power to discern each of the matters. And it is a great thing not to be wasted away by such cares; for the poor man, even if he is a slave, and has not overfilled his own stomach, partakes of a gentle respite through sleep; but the desire for wealth is accompanied by sleeplessness and toils of the soul. And what could be more absurd than this, than to store up and preserve wealth with great haste and care, keeping for oneself an occasion for myriad evils? And that wealth must one day be lost and perish, whether the one who acquired it has children or not; and he himself, even if he did not wish it, must fall into the earth and depart, such as he was when he happened to come into being. But being about to depart with empty hands, he increases his own wickedness, as if not considering that the end of his life, like his birth, is upon him, and that he toils for nothing, but rather indulging some gust of wind than his own endeavor, having consumed his entire life, both in most unholy desires, and in irrational impulses, and moreover in griefs and sicknesses. And to speak concisely, to such a man the days are darkness; and life is mourning. But that is certainly good and not to be rejected; for it is a gift of God, for a man to be able to enjoy the fruits of his labors in gladness, having received possessions as gifts from God, and not by plunder. For neither is this man sick with griefs, nor does he for the most part serve wicked thoughts; but he measures out his own life with good deeds, being cheerful in all things, and rejoicing in the gift of God.

CHAPTER 6 1 And I will present in my discourse, the most prevalent among men

wickedness. When God has 1004 supplied all their desires, and has deprived him of nothing whatsoever that he has desired, neither of abundance, nor of great renown, nor of the other things about which men are frantic; but he who prospers in all things, as if afflicted by this one divinely sent evil alone, that of not enjoying them, will store them up for his companion, having become unfruitful both to himself and to his neighbors. This I set down as a great proof and a manifest refutation of surpassing wickedness; and that man, who, having been called the father of many children without harm, and having lived a long time, was not filled in his soul with goodness to such an extent, not having experienced death; this man, I for my part, would envy neither for his many children, nor for his many days; and I prefer to him an untimely embryo that has fallen from its mother's womb. For as that one came in vain, so it departs also secretly in oblivion, not having touched evils, nor looked upon the sun. This is lighter than for the wicked man, even if having measured out his life for a thousand years he does not come to know goodness. But the end of both is death. A foolish man is refuted, especially by receiving no satisfaction from any desire. But the prudent man is not held by these passions. But for the most part, an uprightness of life leads a man to poverty. And the sights of greedy eyes drive many mad, provoking the soul, drawing it to unprofitable zeal, through the vain desire to be seen. Indeed, the things that have now come into being are already known; and it happens to be clear, as to those

Φόβος δὲ Θεοῦ, ἀνθρώπων σωτήριος, σπάνιος δέ. Ὅθεν [οὐ] χρὴ θαυμάζειν ἀφορῶντα πρός τε πένητας συκοφαντουμένους, καὶ πρὸς δικαστὰς παρα λογιζομένους. Χρὴ δὲ ἐκτρέπεσθαι τὸ τῶν δυνατωτέρων μείζονας εἶναι δοκεῖν. Κἂν γὰρ ἐκγένηται τοῦτο, ἀλλ' οὖν τῶν ἐσομένων σοι φοβερῶν, οὐ ῥύσεταί σε ἡ καθ' αὑτὴν πονηρία. Ὥσπερ δὲ κτῆμα τὸ ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς βλα βερώτατον καὶ ἀνοσιώτατον, οὕτω καὶ ἀνδρὶ ἐπιθυμητῇ χρημάτων οὐκ ἐκγίνεται χόρος, οὔθ' ἡ παρὰ τῶν πέλας εὔνοια· κἂν ὁτιοῦν μάλιστα πάμπολυ ἀργύριον ἐπικτήσωνται. Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ μάταιον. Ἀγαθότης δὲ τοὺς συνόντας αὐτῇ ὑπερευφραίνουσα, ἀνδρείους ἀπεργάζεται τοῦ καθορᾷν ἕκαστα τῶν πραγμάτων παρέχουσα τὴν δύναμιν. Μέγα δὲ καὶ τὸ μὴ προστετη κέναι τοιαύταις φροντίσιν· ὁ μέν γε πένης, κἂν δοῦ λος ᾖ, καὶ μὴ ὑπερεμπλήσας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γαστέρα, προσηνοῦς μεταλαμβάνει τῆς διὰ τοῦ ὕπνου ἀνέσεως· πλούτου δὲ ἐπιθυμία σύνεστι ἀγρυπνίαις καὶ καμά τοις ψυχῆς. Τί δ' ἂν γένοιτο τούτου ἀτοπώτερον, ἢ τὸ μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς καὶ ἐπιμελείας ἀποθησαυρί ζοντα τὸν πλοῦτον συντηρεῖν, μυρίων ἑαυτῷ φυλάσ σοντα κακῶν ἀφορμήν; Καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον ἐκεῖνον ἀνάγκη ἀπολέσθαι ποτὲ καὶ διαφθαρῆναι, εἴτε γένοιτο τῷ κτησαμένῳ τέκνα, εἴτε καὶ μή· αὐτόν τε εἰ καὶ μὴ βούλοιτο προσήκει τοιοῦτον εἰς τὴν γὴν πεσεῖν καὶ ἀπελθεῖν, οἷος καὶ ὁπότε εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρὼν ἐτύγχανε. Κεναῖς δὲ χερσὶν ἀπιέναι μέλλων, αὔξει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κακίαν, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐνθυμούμενος, ὅτι ἐπίκειται αὐτῷ τέλος τοῦ βίου τῇ γενέσει ὅμοιον, καὶ ὅτι ἀνόνητα μοχθεῖ, εἰς δέ τινα μᾶλλον ἀνέμου ὁρμὴν, ἤπερ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ σπουδῇ χαριζόμενος, καταναλώσας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον σύμπαντα, ἔν τε ἐπιθυμίαις ἀνοσιωτάταις, καὶ ἐν ὁρμαῖς ἀλόγοις, ἔτι δὲ λύπαις καὶ ἀῤῥωστίαις. Καὶ συνελόντι φάναι, σκότος μέν εἰσι τῷ τοιούτῳ αἱ ἡμέ ραι· πένθος δὲ ἡ ζωή. Ἀγαθόν γε μὴν ἐκεῖνο καὶ οὐκ ἀπόβλητον· Θεοῦ γάρ ἐστι δῶρον, τὸ δυνηθῆναι ἀπο λαῦσαι ἄνθρωπον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ καματῶν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ, θεόσδοτα, καὶ οὐχ ἁρπακτικὰ δεξάμενον κτήμα τα. Οὔτε γὰρ λύπαις οὖτός γε νοσεῖ, οὔτε ὡς ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐνθυμήσεσι πονηραῖς δουλεύει· συμμετρεῖται δὲ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον εὐποιίαις τοῖς πᾶσιν εὐθυμούμενος, καὶ ἀγαλλιώμενος τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεᾷ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ς 1 Παρέξομαι δὲ τῷ λόγῳ, τὴν μάλιστα ἐπιπολά ζουσαν ἀνθρώποις

κακοπραγίαν. Ὅταν Θεὸς μὲν τὰ 1004 καταθύμια αὐτῶν ἅπαντα ἐπιχορηγήσας. μηδένος οὐτινοσοῦν τῶν εεἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἐλθόντων αὐτὸν ἀφέ ληται, μὴ περιουσίας, μὴ πολυδοξίας, μὴ τῶν λοι πῶν περὶ ὅσα ἄνθρωποι ἐπτόηνται· ὁ δὲ τοῖς πᾶσιν εὐθηνούμενος, ὥσπερ τούτῳ μόνῳ θεηλάτῳ κακῷ συνεχόμενος, τῷ μὴ ἀπολαύειν, ἑταίρῳ τῷ αὐτοῦ ταμιεύσεται, πεσὼν ἄκαρπος καὶ ἑαυτῷ, καὶ τοῖς πλησίον. Τοῦτο μέγα τεκμήριον καὶ ἔλεγχον περιφανῆ ὑπερβαλλούσης ἐγὼ τίθεμαι πονηρίας· ἄνδρα τε ἐκεῖνον, ὃς πλείστων πατὴρ ὀνομασθεὶς τέκνων ἀσινῶς, βιοὺς δὲ χρόνον μακρὸν, οὐκ ἐπλήσθη χρηστότητος τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, θάνατον πεῖραν οὐ λαβών· τοῦτον ἔγωγε, οὔτε τῆς πολυπαι δίας, οὔτε τῆς πολυημερίας ζηλώσαιμ' ἄν· καὶ προ κρίνω δὲ αὐτοῦ ἄωρον γαστρὸς μητρῴας ἐκπεσὸν ἔμβρυον. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ ὥσπερ ἦλθε ματαίως, οὕτως ἄπεισι καὶ λαθραίως ἐν ἀμνηστίᾳ, οὐχ ἁψάμενον κα κῶν, οὐδὲ προσβλέψαν ἡλίῳ. Τοῦτο κουφότερον, ἤπερ τῷ πονηρῷ, κἂν χιλίοις ἔτεσι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζωὴν ἀνα μετρησαμένῳ ἀγαθότητα μὴ ἐπιγνῷ. Τέλος δὲ ἀμφοῖν θάνατος. Ἐλεγχομένου ἄφρονος, μάλιστα τῷ πλησμονὴν μηδεμιᾶς λαμβάνειν ἐπιθυμίας. Ὁ δὲ σώφρων, τούτοις οὐκ ἐνίσχεται τοῖς πάθεσιν. Ὡς δ' ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον εὐθύτης ζωῆς ἄνθρωπον τῇ πε νίᾳ ὁδηγεῖ. Ἐξίστησι δὲ πολλοὺς ὀφθαλμῶν λίχνων θεάματα, τὴν ψυχὴν ἐρεθίζοντα, ἐπ' ἀνόνητον σπου δὴν ἕλκοντα, διὰ τῆς τοῦ ὀφθῆναι κενῆς ἐπιθυμίας. Τὰ μέν τοι νῦν γεγεννημένα ἤδη ἔγνωσται· καὶ σα φὲς τυγχάνει, ὡς τοῖς