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This one is philanthropic to them, not 35.873 who provided for their need, but whoever did not send them away bitterly. But many of them do not even out of shame flee the festivals, but rather on the contrary are pushed into them because of their need; I mean these public and sacred festivals, which we have devised for the healing of souls, either coming together for some mystery, or celebrating the martyrs of the truth, so that of those whose contests we honor, we may also imitate their piety. And they are ashamed before men because of their misfortune, being men, and would wish to be covered by mountains, or cliffs, or forests, or finally by night and darkness; but nevertheless they are cast into the midst, a pitiable burden, and worthy of tears. This perhaps is also reasonable, so that they may be for us reminders of our weakness, and persuade us to attach ourselves to none of the things that are present and seen, as if it were permanent. But they are cast forth, some out of desire for a human voice, others for a human face, others so that they might collect small provisions for life from those who live in luxury, but all so that they might taste some gentleness after making their own laments public.

XIII. Who is not broken by their wailings, as they arrange a pitiful concert? What ear can bear the sound? What sight can contain the spectacle? Some lie with one another, badly yoked together by their disease, and each contributing something different from their misfortune to the pitiable scene; and they are to one another an addition to their suffering, pitiable in their sickness, more pitiable in their common plight. A mixed crowd stands around them as a spectacle, grieving with them, but only for a moment. Others roll at people's feet in the sun and dust; and sometimes they are afflicted by fierce frosts, and rains, and disturbances of the winds, not being trampled upon only inasmuch as we loathe even to touch them. And the wail of their petitions sings in response to the sacred melodies within, and a pitiable lament is raised against the mystical voices. Why must I set forth all their misfortune to people who are celebrating a festival? Perhaps I might even stir up a lament in you, if I were to dramatize everything carefully, and the suffering would overcome the festival. For I say these things, since I am not yet able to persuade you, that grief is sometimes more honorable than pleasure, and dejection than a festival, and a praiseworthy tear than unseemly laughter. 35.876

XIV. These then suffer these things, and much more wretched things than I have said, our brothers according to God, even if you do not wish it, who have been allotted the same nature as us, who are fashioned from the same clay from which we first came to be, who are strung with sinews and bones similarly to us, who are clothed in skin and flesh in the same way as all, as the divine Job says somewhere when philosophizing on his sufferings, and rejecting our appearance; or rather, if I must say what is greater, those who have been allotted the "according to the image" just as we have, and who perhaps preserve it better than we do, even if their bodies have been corrupted; who have put on the same Christ according to the inner man, and have been entrusted with the same pledge of the Spirit as we have; who have partaken of the same laws, oracles, covenants, assemblies, mysteries, hopes as we have; for whom Christ likewise died, who takes away the sin of the whole world; who are joint heirs of the life above, even if they have failed greatly in the one here; who are buried with Christ, and are raised with him; if indeed they suffer with him, that they may also be glorified with him.

XV. But what of us, who have been allotted the great and new name, to be called after Christ, the holy nation, the royal priesthood, the chosen and special people, zealous for good and saving works, the disciples of Christ the gentle and philanthropic one, who bore our weaknesses, who humbled himself to the level of our clay, who for our sake became poor in this flesh and earthly tabernacle, and was pained and grew weak for our sake, so that

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φιλάνθρωπος οὗτος αὐτοῖς, οὐχ 35.873 ὃς πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἤρκεσεν, ἀλλ' ὅστις μὴ πικρῶς ἀπεπέμψατο. Οἱ πολλοὶ δὲ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ ὑπ' αἰσχύνης τὰς πανηγύρεις φεύγουσιν, αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοὐναν τίον εἰς ταύτας ὠθοῦνται διὰ τὴν χρείαν· ταύτας δὴ λέγω τὰς πανδήμους καὶ ἱερὰς, ἃς ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ θεραπείᾳ τῶν ψυχῶν ἐξεύρομεν, ἢ κατά τι μυστή ριον συνιόντες, ἢ τοῖς μάρτυσι τῆς ἀληθείας πανη γυρίζοντες, ἵν' ὧν τοὺς ἀγῶνας τιμῶμεν, μιμώμεθα καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Καὶ αἰσχύνονται μὲν τοὺς ἀνθρώ πους διὰ τὴν συμφορὰν, ὄντες ἄνθρωποι, καὶ βού λοιντ' ἂν ὄρεσιν, ἢ κρημνοῖς, ἢ ὕλαις, ἢ τὸ τελευ ταῖον νυκτὶ καὶ σκότῳ περικαλύπτεσθαι· ῥιπτοῦνται δὲ ὅμως εἰς μέσον, φόρτος ἐλεεινὸς, καὶ δακρύων ἄξιος. Τοῦτο μὲν ἴσως καὶ κατὰ λόγον, ἵνα ἡμῖν ὦσι τῆς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν ὑπομνήματα, καὶ πείθωσι μη δενὶ τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὁρωμένων, ὡς ἑστῶτι, προστίθεσθαι. Ῥιπτοῦνται δὲ, οἱ μὲν ἐπιθυμίᾳ φωνῆς ἀνθρωπίνης, οἱ δὲ προσόψεως, οἱ δὲ ἵνα βραχέα ζωῆς ἐφόδια παρὰ τῶν τρυφώντων συλλέξωνται, πάν τες δὲ ἵνα τι πράους γεύωνται τοὺς ἑαυτῶν θρή νους δημοσιεύσαντες.

ΙΓʹ. Τίς οὐ κατακλᾶται τούτων τοῖς ὀδυρμοῖς, οἰ κτρὰν ξυναυλίαν ἁρμοζομένων; τίς ἀκοὴ φέρει τὸ ἄκουσμα; τίς ὄψις χωρεῖ τὸ θέαμα; Οἱ μὲν κεῖνται μετ' ἀλλήλων, κακῶς ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου συνεζευγμένοι, καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλο τι τῆς συμφορᾶς πρὸς τὸ ἐλεεινὸν ἐρανίζοντες· καὶ εἰσὶν ἀλλήλοις προσθήκη τοῦ πά θους, ἐλεεινοὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας, τῆς συμπαθείας ἐλεεινότεροι. Περιίσταται δὲ αὐτοὺς θέατρον συμμιγὲς, συναλγούντων μὲν, ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιρα. Οἱ δὲ κυλινδοῦνται πρὸς τοῖς ποσὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡλίῳ καὶ κόνει· ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ κρυμοῖς ἀγρίοις, καὶ ὄμ βροις, καὶ ταραχαῖς ἀνέμων ταλαιπωρούμενοι, παρὰ τοσοῦτον οὐ συμπατούμενοι, παρ' ὅσον καὶ ψαύειν αὐτῶν βδελυσσόμεθα. Ἀντᾴδει δὲ τοῖς ἱε ροῖς ἔνδον μέλεσιν ὁ τῶν αἰτήσεων ὀδυρμὸς, καὶ ταῖς μυστικαῖς φωναῖς θρῆνος ἐλεεινὸς ἀντεγείρεται. Τί δεῖ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν προτιθέναι τὴν συμφορὰν ἀνθρώ ποις πανηγυρίζουσιν; Ἴσως ἂν καὶ ὑμῖν κινήσαιμι θρῆνον, εἰ πάντα ἐκτραγῳδοίην ἐπιμελῶς, καὶ νική σει τὴν ἑορτὴν τὸ πάθος. Λέγω γὰρ οὖν ταῦτα, ἐπεὶ μηδέπω δύναμαι πείθειν ὑμᾶς, ὡς ἔστι ποτὲ ἡδονῆς λύπη τιμιωτέρα, καὶ κατήφεια πανηγύρεως, καὶ γέ λωτος οὐ καλοῦ δάκρυον ἐπαινούμενον. 35.876

Ι∆ʹ. Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ταῦτα, καὶ πολλῷ γε ὧν εἶπον ἀθλιώτερα, οἱ κατὰ Θεὸν ἡμῶν ἀδελφοὶ, κἂν μὴ βού λησθε, οἱ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμῖν λαχόντες φύσιν, οἱ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ διηρτισμένοι, ἐξ οὗ τὸ πρῶτον γεγόνα μεν, οἱ νεύροις καὶ ὀστέοις ἐνειρμένοι παραπλη σίως ἡμῖν, οἱ δέρμα καὶ κρέας ἐνδεδυμένοι πᾶσιν ὁμοίως, ὥς πού φησιν ὁ θεῖος Ἰὼβ ἐμφιλοσοφῶν τοῖς πάθεσι, καὶ διαπτύων ἡμῶν τὸ φαινόμενον· μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ χρὴ τὸ μεῖζον εἰπεῖν, οἱ τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ λαχόντες ὁμοίως ἡμῖν, καὶ φυλάσσοντες ἴσως ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, εἰ καὶ τὰ σώματα διεφθάρησαν· οἱ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐνδεδυμένοι Χριστὸν κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἡμῖν πιστευθέντες ἀῤῥαβῶνα τοῦ Πνεύ ματος· οἱ τῶν αὐτῶν ἡμῖν μετασχόντες νόμων, λο γίων, διαθηκῶν, συνάξεων, μυστηρίων, ἐλπίδων· ὑπὲρ ὧν Χριστὸς ὁμοίως ἀπέθανεν, ὁ παντὸς αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου· οἱ συγκληρονόμοι τῆς ἄνω ζωῆς, καὶ εἰ παραπολὺ τῆς ἐνταῦθα δι ήμαρτον· οἱ συνθαπτόμενοι Χριστῷ, καὶ συναν ιστάμενοι· εἴπερ συμπάσχουσιν, ἵνα καὶ συνδοξασθῶσιν.

ΙΕʹ. Τί δὲ ἡμεῖς, οἱ τὸ μέγα καὶ καινὸν ὄνο μα κεκληρωμένοι, τὸ καλεῖσθαι ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, τὸ ἅγιον ἔθνος, τὸ βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ὁ περιούσιος λαὸς καὶ ἐξαίρετος, ὁ ζηλωτὴς καλῶν ἔργων καὶ σωτηρίων, οἱ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ τοῦ πράου καὶ φιλανθρώπου, καὶ τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν βα στάσαντος, τοῦ ταπεινώσαντος ἑαυτὸν μέχρι τοῦ ἡμετέρου φυράματος, τοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντος τὴν σάρκα ταύτην καὶ τὸ γεῶδες σκῆνος, καὶ ὀδυνηθέντος καὶ μαλακισθέντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα