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being brought into souls, become causes of condemnation, I will remind you of a royal banquet, or rather a tyrannical one, which is recorded in the book of the Gospels. There was a royal banquet, or rather, if one must speak the truth, a tyrannical one, the birthday of Herod, of the vile fox, of the bloodthirsty beast, of the deceitful one; whose character the Lord also knew, He did not say, 'Tell that lion,' although that beast seemed royal, but, 'Tell that fox.' For though his power was that of a lion, his character was that of a fox. And when the banquet was assembled, and they had proceeded to drinking, a dancing girl is present at the banquet, a shameful and disreputable spectacle, wretched indeed, even if it had entered in the theater and on the stage, let alone at a royal banquet. Do you wish to know the shameful spectacle of the banquet? The dancing girl was of royal lineage, the daughter of Herodias; of a king's family, and with the character of a dancing girl. And this is Herodias, who did not even abide by the limits of nature; who was joined to Philip, and was living with Herod. A riddle is what is said; for the end of licentiousness leads to the searching of riddles. For Herod, having cast aside the memory of his brother, and having become a complete slave to licentiousness, was indeed king of the Jews, but was even more a slave of pleasures. Perhaps as are the ruled, so also are the rulers. Therefore, when Herod's cohabitation was taking place, John the great, the one who was more than a prophet, rebuked the licentiousness with boldness; for truly he was also more than a prophet. For every prophet, having come to maturity of age, was then deemed worthy of the prophetic grace; and some even many years later. But John alone, still a six-month conception in the womb, and being nourished according to the laws of nature, at the God in the womb, through the greeting of his mother, leaped, incomplete in his limbs, perfect in his faith. And perhaps the infant leaps in exultation, hastening, if possible, to anticipate the due time of nature. He saw the mother of the Lord present; he is constrained by the prison of the womb, he leaps in exultation; and since he is not yet able to speak, having neither a tongue able to utter nor a mouth to serve his eagerness, using his mother's tongue he prophesies, and Elizabeth indeed speaks; but John from the womb dictates the words. Is he not rightly then also more than a prophet? There is also another reason, according to which he is also more than a prophet. The prophets foretold the future, and desired to see what they foresaw in spirit. For this reason they cried out: Show us, O Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation. For this reason the Lord said concerning them: Many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and to hear what you hear; and they did not see, nor did they hear. The prophets therefore foretell the future; but John also points out the one prophesied. He foretells the future from the womb, and after these things he says: He whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie, stands in your midst. How does he point him out? Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This man, therefore, a prophet and more than a prophet, did not bear the indecent cohabitation, but speaks boldly on behalf of chastity. Let the beautiful narrative admonish each one that, even if there are no open persecutions, it is always a time for martyrdom. For did anyone set before John an altar and incense? or victims and libations? or say, 'Deny God'? or say, 'Sacrifice to idols'? But by speaking boldly with a free mouth on behalf of chastity, he is found to be a martyr for chastity. For that you may know how much 59.762 prophetic boldness can do, he says to the king: It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. Do you see how by nature it belongs to virtue to rule over wickedness? Herod the king, bodyguards

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ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐπεισαγόμενα, κατακρίσεως αἴτια γίνεται, ὑπομνήσω σε συμποσίου βασιλικοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ τυραννικοῦ, τοῦ ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀναγεγραμμένου. ∆εῖπνον ἦν βασιλικὸν, μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δεῖ τἀληθῆ λέγειν, τυραννικὸν, γενέθλια Ἡρώδου, τῆς μιαρᾶς ἀλώπεκος, τοῦ μιαιφόνου θηρίου, τοῦ δολεροῦ· οὗ τὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐπιστάμενος, οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἴπατε τῷ λέοντι τούτῳ καίτοι τοῦτο τὸ θηρίον ἐδόκει βασιλικὸν, ἀλλ', Εἴπατε τῇ ἀλώπεκι. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία λέοντος, ἀλλ' ὁ τρόπος ἀλώπεκος. Συγκροτουμένου δὲ τοῦ συμποσίου, καὶ προελθόντων αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πίνειν, πάρεισιν ὀρχηστρὶς εἰς τὸ συμπόσιον, αἰσχρὸν θέαμα καὶ ἀδόκιμον, ἐλεεινὸν μὲν, καὶ εἴπερ ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ καὶ τῇ σκηνῇ ἐπεισῆλθε, μήτι γε βασιλικῷ συμποσίῳ. Βούλει γνῶναι τὸ τοῦ συμποσίου θέαμα τὸ αἰσχρόν; Ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλέων ἡ ὀρχηστρὶς, θυγάτηρ τῆς Ἡρωδιάδος· βασιλέως τὸ γένος, καὶ ὀρχηστρίδος ὁ τρόπος. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν Ἡρωδιὰς ἡ μηδὲ τοῖς τῆς φύσεως ὅροις ἐμμείνασα· ἡ Φιλίππῳ συναφθεῖσα, καὶ Ἡρώδῃ συνοικοῦσα. Αἴνιγμα τὸ λεγόμενον· καὶ εἰς αἰνιγμάτων γὰρ ζήτησιν ἄγει τῆς ἀκολασίας τὸ τέλος. Ὁ γὰρ Ἡρώδης παρωσάμενος τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν μνήμην, καὶ τῆς ἀκολασίας ὅλος δοῦλος γενόμενος, ἦν μὲν Ἰουδαίων βασιλεὺς, ἦν δὲ πλέον δοῦλος τῶν ἡδονῶν. Τάχα οἷοι οἱ βασιλευόμενοι, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ δεσπόται. Τοῦ τοίνυν συνοικεσίου τοῦ Ἡρώδου παραγινομένου, Ἰωάννης μὲν ὁ μέγας, ὁ περισσότερον προφήτου, μετὰ παῤῥησίας τὴν ἀκολασίαν διήλεγχεν· ὄντως γὰρ καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου. Πᾶς γὰρ προφήτης, ἐν ἔξει τῆς ἡλικίας γενόμενος, τότε τῆς χάριτος τῆς προφητικῆς ἠξιώθη· ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ πολλοῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις. Ἰωάννης δὲ μόνος ἓξ ἔτι μηνῶν ἔχων τὴν σύλληψιν ἐν γαστρὶ, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς τῆς φύσεως νόμους τρεφόμενος, τοῦ ἐν γαστρὶ Θεοῦ, διὰ τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ τῆς μητρὸς, προεσκίρτησεν, ἀτελὴς τὰ μέλη, τὴν πίστιν τέλειος. Καὶ τάχα σκιρτᾷ ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὸ βρέφος, ἐπειγόμενον, εἰ δυνατὸν, προλαβεῖν τὴν προθεσμίαν τῆς φύσεως. Εἶδε τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν μητέρα παροῦσαν· στενοχωρεῖται τῇ φυλακῇ τῆς γαστρὸς, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει σκιρτᾷ· καὶ ἐπειδὴ λαλεῖν οὐ δύναται μηδέπω, μηδὲ τὴν γλῶσσαν ἔχων φθέγξασθαι δυναμένην, μηδὲ τὸ στόμα ταῖς προθυμίαις ὑπηρετούμενον, παρὰ τῆς μητρὸς γλῶσσαν χρησάμενος προφητεύει, καὶ φθέγγεται μὲν Ἐλισάβετ· Ἰωάννης δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς γαστρὸς ὑπαγορεύει τὰ ῥήματα. Οὐ δικαίως οὖν καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου; Ἔστι καὶ ἄλλος λόγος, καθ' ὃν καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου. Οἱ προφῆται τὸ μέλλον προηγόρευον, καὶ ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν ὃ προέβλεπον τῇ ψυχῇ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κεκράγασι· ∆εῖξον ἡμῖν, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου δῴης ἡμῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο περὶ αὐτῶν ὁ Κύριος εἶπε· Πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε· καὶ οὐκ εἶδον, οὐδὲ ἤκουσαν. Οἱ μὲν οὖν προφῆται τὸ μέλλον προαγορεύουσιν· Ἰωάννης δὲ καὶ τὸν προφητευόμενον δείκνυσι. Προαγορεύει τὸ μέλλον ἐκ τῆς γαστρὸς, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν· Οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος ἵνα λύσω αὐτοῦ τὸν ἱμάντα τοῦ ὑποδήματος, μέσος ὑμῶν ἕστηκε. Πῶς δείκνυσιν; Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Οὗτος οὖν προφήτης, καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου, οὐκ ἤνεγκε τὸ ἄσεμνον συνοικέσιον, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ σωφροσύνης παῤῥησιάζεται. Καλὸν τὸ διήγημα ἕκαστον νουθετείτω, ὅτι κἂν μὴ ὦσι πρόδηλοι διωγμοὶ, μαρτυρίου καιρὸς πάντοτε. Μὴ γὰρ Ἰωάννῃ προὔθηκέ τις βωμὸν καὶ λίβανον; μὴ γὰρ θύματα καὶ σπονδάς; μὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἄρνησαι τὸν Θεόν; μὴ γὰρ εἶπε, Θῦσον τοῖς εἰδώλοις; Ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ σωφροσύνης ἐλευθερίῳ παῤῥησιαζόμενος στόματι, μάρτυς τῆς σωφροσύνης εὑρίσκεται. Ἵνα γὰρ γνῷς πόσον 59.762 δύναται παῤῥησία προφητικὴ, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου γυναῖκα. Βλέπεις πῶς κατὰ φύσιν τῇ ἀρετῇ τὸ ἄρχειν τῆς κακίας; Ἡρώδης βασιλεὺς, δορυφόρους