5

Life is short, but the art is long, the end is near, and the fear is great, and there is no one to deliver. Let us go forth to the tomb, while we are in the body; let us see our vain mind, where it has its dwelling; let us see what we become after a little while, and not be deceived; let us see how we are dissolved, and let us correct ourselves; let us see to what we come, and let us take thought for the end. You who gaze upon beauty, examine these things in the tomb; you who are exalted in high offices and authorities, look into the coffins, and fear God; you who gather griefs and grudges against one another, and are not reconciled, come, see how you are dissolved. Bend over the coffin carefully; see lying there those who were once kings, see those who were once rulers in their remains, see the fearful sight of the remains, and say: Who there is the king, and who the ruler? Who the soldier, and who the general? Who the rich, and who the poor? Who the younger, and who the elder? Who the comely, and who the Ethiopian? Can you not say, that all is not dust? all is not ashes? all is not stench? Are not all things once beloved, now seen as abominable? O, the foolishness! What is this great mystery concerning me? He who yesterday was desired by me, now lies before me as an abomination; the limb that was mine yesterday, I now see as foreign; he whom a little while ago I embraced, now I do not even wish to touch; with tears I wet him as my own, and I flee the ichor as not my own. I am compelled by 60.728 my bowels to approach the stinking one, but I am hindered by his corruption and worms.

I call to mind the image of the one lying here a little while ago, but I see it nowhere in him. Where is the beauty of the face? Behold, it has grown black. Where are the glancing and comely eyes? Behold, they have melted away. Where is the elegance of the hair? Behold, it has fallen out. Where is the outstretched neck? Behold, it is crushed. Where is the swift tongue? Behold, it has fallen silent. Where is the adornment of the hands? Behold, it is undone. Where is the greatness of his prime? Behold, it has flowed away. Where is the luxury of the garments? Behold, it has rotted. Where are the myrrhs and the spices? Behold, they have lost their scent. Where is the folly of youth? Behold, it has passed away. And simply, where is the man of great appearance?

Behold again the dust, has become dust. Yet do not stop your thought at the tomb, but from there pass on to the resurrection; and consider at the same time and believe, that the one now lying here. will rise again, and the tongue that is now silent, will speak again then, when every knee shall bend to God, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and every tongue shall confess. And as Daniel says, I beheld till the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days did sit. His throne was a flame of fire, his wheels burning fire; a river of fire issued forth from before him; a thousand thousands stood before him, and ten thousand times ten thousand ministered to him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened. Truly great is the fear there, great the trembling, unspeakable the distress, unceasing the weeping, unhushed the groans.

When he shall come suddenly upon a throne high and lifted up, then the heaven is rolled up like a scroll, the stars are scattered, the powers of the angels run before, the tombs are opened, the bodies rise, the springs are dried up, the abysses are shaken, the whole earth is convulsed. What sort of people ought we to be then? What sort indeed, giving an account for deeds, for thoughts, for an idle word, for things in the night, for things in the day, for voluntary and involuntary things? It is necessary to be anxious about this, it is good to consider this night and day. What shall we say that is reasonable then? What defense shall we make, tell me, O man? Behold, you live in luxury for fifty or a hundred years, and you are rich, and you beget children, and you give dowries and give in marriage sons and daughters, and you rule and reign over nations and peoples; and after these things, death, and after death, a judgment having no end nor repentance. For there is not, he says, in the

5

Ὁ βίος βραχὺς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρὰ, τὸ τέλος ἐγγὺς, καὶ ὁ φόβος πολὺς, καὶ ὁ λύων οὐδείς. Ἐξέλθωμεν ἐν τῷ μνήματι, ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ σώματι· ἴδωμεν τὸ μάταιον ἡμῶν φρόνημα, ποῦ ἔχει τὸ οἴκημα· ἴδωμεν τί μετ' ὀλίγον γινόμεθα, καὶ μὴ πλανώμεθα· ἴδωμεν πῶς διαλυόμεθα, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς διορθωσώμεθα· ἴδωμεν εἰς τί καταλήγομεν, καὶ τοῦ τέλους φροντίσωμεν. Ὅσοι τὰ κάλλη κατασκοπεῖτε, ἐν τῷ τάφῳ ταῦτα πολυπραγμονεῖτε· ὅσοι εἰς ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας ἐπαίρεσθε, ἐν ταῖς σοροῖς ἐμβλέψατε, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν φοβήθητε· ὅσοι λύπας καὶ μνησικακίας πρὸς ἀλλήλους συνάγετε, καὶ οὐ διαλύεσθε, δεῦτε, ἴδετε πῶς διαλύεσθε. Ἔγκυψον ἐπιμελῶς τῇ σορῷ· ἴδε κειμένους ἐκεῖ τούς ποτε βασιλεῖς, ἴδε τούς ποτε ἄρχοντας ἐν τοῖς λειψάνοις, ἴδε τὴν φοβερὰν θεωρίαν τῶν λειψάνων, καὶ εἰπέ· Ποῖος ἐκεῖ ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ποῖος ὁ ἄρχων; ποῖος ὁ στρατιώτης, καὶ ποῖος ὁ στρατιάρχης; ποῖος ὁ πλούσιος, καὶ ποῖος ὁ πένης; ποῖος ὁ νεώτερος, καὶ ποῖος ὁ γέρων; ποῖος ὁ εὐειδὴς, καὶ ποῖος ὁ Αἰθίοψ; Μὴ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐ πάντα κόνις; οὐ πάντα τέφρα; οὐ πάντα δυσωδία; Οὐ πάντα τά ποτε φιλητὰ, νῦν ὁρῶνται βδελυκτά; Ὢ τῆς ἀφροσύνης! Τί τοῦτο τὸ μέγα περὶ ἐμὲ μυστήριον; Ὁ χθές μοι ποθητὸς, νῦν πρόκειταί μοι βδελυκτός· τὸ χθές μοι μέλος, νῦν ὡς ἀλλότριον βλέπω· ὃν πρὸ μικροῦ ἐνηγκαλιζόμην, νῦν οὐδὲ προσψαῦσαι βούλομαι· τοῖς δάκρυσι βρέχω ὡς ἐμὸν, καὶ τὸν ἰχῶρα φεύγω ὡς οὐκ ἐμόν. Προσελθεῖν τῷ ὀδωδότι ὑπὸ 60.728 τῶν σπλάγχνων βιάζομαι, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς καὶ τῶν σκωλήκων τούτου ἐμποδίζομαι.

Τὴν πρὸ μικροῦ εἰκόνα τοῦ κειμένου ἐννοῶ, ἀλλ' οὐδαμοῦ ταύτην ἐν αὐτῷ καθορῶ. Ποῦ τὸ κάλλος τοῦ προσώπου; Ἰδοὺ μεμελάνωται. Ποῦ οἱ διανεύοντες ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ εὐειδεῖς; Ἰδοὺ ἐτάκησαν. Ποῦ τῶν τριχῶν ἡ εὐπρέπεια; Ἰδοὺ ἀπέπεσε. Ποῦ ὁ ἀνατεταμένος τράχηλος; Ἰδοὺ συντέτριπται. Ποῦ ἡ γλῶσσα ἡ γοργή; Ἰδοὺ ἡσύχασε. Ποῦ τῶν χειρῶν ὁ καλλωπισμός; Ἰδοὺ λέλυται. Ποῦ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἡλικίας; Ἰδοὺ ἐξέῤῥευσε. Ποῦ τῶν ἱματίων ἡ πολυτέλεια; Ἰδοὺ σέσηπται. Ποῦ τὰ μύρα καὶ τὰ ἀρώματα; Ἰδοὺ ἐξώζεσαν. Ποῦ ἡ τῆς νεότητος ἀφροσύνη; Ἰδοὺ παρῆλθε. Καὶ ἁπλῶς ποῦ ὁ πολυφάνταστος ἄνθρωπος;

Ἰδοὺ πάλιν ὁ χοῦς, χοῦς γέγονεν. Ὅμως μὴ μέχρι τοῦ μνήματος τὸν λογισμὸν στήσῃς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖθεν μετάβηθι ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν· καὶ ἐννόησον ἅμα καὶ πίστευσον, ὅτι ὁ παρὼν κείμενος. πάλιν ἔσται ἀνιστάμενος, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ἡ νῦν σιγῶσα, πάλιν λαλήσει τότε, ὅταν καμφθῇ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν γόνυ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται. Καὶ καθά φησιν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ, Ἐθεώρουν ἕως οὗ θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, καὶ Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν ἐκάθισεν. Ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ φλὸξ πυρὸς, οἱ τροχοὶ αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον· ποταμὸς πυρὸς εἷλκεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· χίλιαι χιλιάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ. Κριτήριον ἐκάθισε, καὶ βίβλοι ἠνεῴχθησαν. Πολὺς ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁ φόβος ἐκεῖ, πολὺς ὁ τρόμος, ἀδιήγητος ἡ ἀνάγκη, ἀκατάπαυστον δάκρυον, ἀσίγητοι στεναγμοί.

Ὅτε ἥξει ἐξαίφνης ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, τότε ὁ οὐρανὸς εἱλίσσεται ὡς βιβλίον, τὰ ἄστρα σκορπίζονται, αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν ἀγγέλων προτρέχουσι, τὰ μνημεῖα ἀνοίγονται, τὰ σώματα ἀνίστανται, αἱ πηγαὶ ξηραίνονται, αἱ ἄβυσσοι σαλεύονται, ἡ γῆ πᾶσα κλονίζεται. Ποταποὺς δεῖ εἶναι ἡμᾶς τότε; ποταποὺς ἄρα, διδόντας λόγον ὑπὲρ πράξεων, ὑπὲρ ἐννοιῶν, ὑπὲρ λόγου ἀργοῦ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν νυκτὶ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἑκουσίων καὶ ἀκουσίων; Τοῦτο μεριμνᾷν ἀναγκαῖον, τοῦτο νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας σκοπεῖν καλόν. Τί τὸ εὔλογον εἴπωμεν τότε; τί ἀπολογησώμεθα, εἰπέ μοι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε; Ἰδοὺ τρυφᾷς πεντήκοντα ἔτη ἢ ἑκατὸν, καὶ πλουτεῖς, καὶ τεκνοποιεῖς, καὶ προικίζεις καὶ ἐγγαμίζεις υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἄρχεις καὶ βασιλεύεις ἐθνῶν καὶ λαῶν· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα θάνατος, καὶ μετὰ θάνατον κρίσις τέλος οὐκ ἔχουσα οὐδὲ μετάνοιαν. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ