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confined here within small boundaries, and changing many inhabitants; but one splendor of lineage, the preservation of the image, and conformity to the archetype, as far as is possible for those bound in the flesh, and able to receive a small emanation of the good; but one dominion, the power over the evil one, and the soul's indestructibility and invincibility in the contests for piety, whenever wickedness strives against virtue, and world against world, the one that is passing away against the one that stands, and a bitter judge against noble contestants, and Beliar is arrayed against Christ. For these reasons he persuaded them to despise swords, to consider fire cold, to think the wildest of beasts tame, to regard famine as the highest luxury, to disregard the tears of their kin, and lamentations, and wailings, as the baits of the evil one, and hindrances to the divine journey. For these things belong to manly and noble souls, and to a sound mind. And the example was close at hand, he himself who was saying and writing these things, having considered all things as refuse, that he might gain Christ.

16. Thinking in this way, Cyprian, and thus arming them with words for the contest, produced many athletes. And what reward does he 35.1189 receive for these things? How lavish and generous! He becomes a martyr in addition to all those whom he sent before, being beheaded by the sword, and he places this crown upon his many tortures. Thus is he brought to Christ, thus is he transferred to Christ, Cyprian, who was great in impiety, and greater in piety, the great persecutor and victor, who was no less marvelous for his conversion than for his virtue. For it is not so great a thing to preserve a model of goodness, as it is to innovate in piety. For the one belongs to habit, the other to good counsel; and the one is among the possessions of many, but of the other there are few examples.

17. But what a marvel also was that among his wonders? Let us persevere a little longer with the account, that we may do a favor to the athlete. Such was the man's life, and such was the manner of his contest. But when he ended his life (if it is right to say this, and not rather to call his case a departure to God, or a fulfillment of longing, or a release from bonds, or a separation from a burden), a wonder is worked here also, worthy of those which preceded; The name of Cyprian was great among all, and not only among Christians, but also among those arrayed against us (for the good is revered by all alike); but the body was hidden, and the treasure was with a certain woman, one of those fervent in piety, and this for a long time; I know not whether it was because God was honoring the God-loving woman, and for this reason she was possessed of the martyr, or because He was training our desire, to see if we would not bear being deprived, and bereft of the holy relics. But since the God of the martyrs did not endure that the good of all should be made the private possession of anyone, nor that the common good should be injured by his grace toward her, He makes the body public through a revelation, bestowing this honor upon a certain worthy woman; so that women also might be sanctified, just as they formerly both bore Christ, and announced to the disciples after the resurrection from the dead, so also now with Cyprian, the one revealing, the other delivering up the common benefit. This was the last of his good deeds. Thus he who was worthy not to be hidden comes into the open, and is not permitted to philosophize about his own theft, since he was also better and higher than the honors bestowed on bodies. 35.1192

18. So much then from us, and I do not know that it is necessary to say more. For not even if we were to extend our discourse at length, could we say anything worthy of his qualities, and of what each person has conceived concerning the man. And these things we have recounted, so as to pay the honor owed to him; but the rest must be added by you yourselves, that you also may offer something to the martyr: the casting out of demons, the healing of diseases, the foreknowledge of the future; all of which even the dust of Cyprian can accomplish with faith, as those know who have experienced it, and the

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μικροῖς ὁρίοις ἐνταῦθα διειλημμένας, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀμειβούσας οἰκήτορας· μίαν δὲ γένους λαμπρότητα, τὴν τῆς εἰκόνος τήρησιν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἐξομοίωσιν, ὅσον ἐφικτὸν τοῖς σαρ κὸς δεσμίοις, καὶ βραχεῖαν ἀποῤῥοὴν τοῦ καλοῦ δέχεσθαι δυναμένοις· μίαν δὲ δυναστείαν, τὸ κατὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ κράτος, καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀνάλωτον καὶ ἀήττητον ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγῶσιν, ἡνίκα κακία πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἀγωνίζεται, καὶ κόσμος πρὸς κόσμον, ὁ λυόμενος πρὸς τὸν ἑστῶ τα, καὶ πικρὸς ἀγωνοθέτης πρὸς γενναίους ἀγωνιστὰς, καὶ Βελίαρ πρὸς Χριστὸν παρατάσσε ται. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καταφρονεῖν μὲν ξιφῶν ἀνέ πειθε, ψυχρὸν δὲ νομίζειν τὸ πῦρ, ἡμέρους δὲ οἴεσθαι θηρῶν τοὺς ἀγριωτάτους, λιμὸν δὲ ὑπο λαμβάνειν τὴν ἀνωτάτω τρυφὴν, δάκρυα δὲ τῶν οἰκείων, καὶ θρήνους, καὶ οἰμωγὰς παρατρέχειν, ὡς τοῦ πονηροῦ δελεάσματα, καὶ κωλύματα τῆς θείας ὁδοιπορίας. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἶναι ἀνδρικῶν ψυχῶν καὶ γενναίων, καὶ λογισμοῦ σώφρονος. Καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα ἐγγύθεν αὐτὸς ὁ ταῦτα λέγων καὶ γρά φων, πάντα ἡγησάμενος σκύβαλα, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσῃ.

Ιςʹ. Οὕτω διανοούμενος Κυπριανὸς, καὶ οὕτως ὁπλίζων τοῖς λόγοις πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα, πολλοὺς ἀθλητὰς ἀπειργάζετο. Καὶ τίνα μισθὸν τούτων κο 35.1189 μίζεται; Ὡς δαψιλῆ καὶ φιλότιμον! Μάρτυς ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς προέπεμψε γίνεται, ξίφει τὴν κεφαλὴν τμηθεὶς καὶ ταῖς πολλαῖς βασάνοις ταύτην ἐπιτίθησι τὴν κορωνίδα. Οὕτω Χριστῷ προσάγεται, οὕτω πρὸς Χριστὸν μετατίθεται, ὁ πολὺς ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ, καὶ πλείων ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ Κυπριανὸς, ὁ μέγας καὶ διώκτης καὶ στεφανίτης, ὁ τὴν μετα βολὴν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τὴν ἀρετὴν θαυμάσιος. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω μέγα τύπον ἀγαθοῦ διασώσασθαι, ὡς τὸ καινο τομῆσαι θεοσέβειαν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς συνηθείας, τὸ δὲ τῆς εὐβουλίας· καὶ τὸ μὲν τῶν πολλοῖς ὑπαρ χόντων, τοῦ δὲ ὀλίγα τὰ παραδείγματα.

ΙΖʹ. Ἀλλ' οἷον δὴ κἀκεῖνο τῶν ἐκείνου θαυμάτων; Μικρὸν ἔτι τῷ λόγῳ προσκαρτερήσωμεν, ἵνα τῷ ἀθλητῇ χαρισώμεθα. Τοιαύτη μὲν ἡ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πολιτεία, τοιοῦτος δὲ ὁ τῆς ἀθλήσεως τρόπος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καταλύει τὸν βίον (εἰ θέμις τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ πρὸς Θεὸν ἐκδημίαν ὀνομάσαι τὸ ἐκείνου πρᾶγμα, ἢ πόθου πλήρωσιν, ἢ δεσμῶν λύσιν, ἢ βάρους διάζευξιν), θαυματουργεῖταί τι κἀνταῦθα τῶν προειληφότων ἄξιον· τὸ μὲν ὄνομα πολὺ παρὰ πᾶσι Κυπριανοῦ, καὶ οὐ Χριστιανοῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς τὴν ἐναντίαν ἡμῖν τεταγμένοις (πᾶσι γὰρ ὁμοίως τὸ καλὸν αἰδέσιμον)· τὸ σῶμα δὲ ἀφανὲς ἦν, καὶ ὁ θησαυρὸς παρά τινι γυναίῳ τῶν θερμῶν εἰς εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ μακρόν· οὐκ οἶδ' εἴτε τιμῶντος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν φιλόθεον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο περιεχομένην τοῦ μάρτυρος, εἴτε τὸν πόθον ἡμῶν γυμνάζοντος, εἰ μὴ φέροιμεν ζημιούμενοι, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων λειψάνων ἀποστερούμενοι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἠνέσχετο τὸ πάντων ἀγαθὸν ἴδιον ποιῆσαί τινος ὁ τῶν μαρτύρων Θεὸς, οὐδὲ τὸ κοινὸν ζημιῶσαι τῇ πρὸς ἐκείνην χάριτι, δημοσιεύει τὸ σῶμα δι' ἀποκαλύψεως, καὶ ταύτην γυναίῳ τινὶ τῶν ἀξίων τὴν τιμὴν καταθέμενος· ἵν' ἁγιασθῶσι καὶ γυναῖκες, ὥσπερ τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τεκοῦσαι πρότερον, καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἀπαγγείλασαι μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, οὕτω καὶ νῦν Κυπριανὸν, ἡ μὲν παραδείξασα, ἡ δὲ παραδοῦσα τὸ κοινὸν ὄφελος. Τοῦτο τῶν ἐκείνου καλῶν τὸ τελευταῖον. Οὕτως εἰς μέσον ἔρχεται ὁ τοῦ μὴ λαθεῖν ἄξιος, καὶ οὐ συγχωρεῖται φιλοσοφῆσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κλοπὴν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς σώμασι τιμῶν κρείσσων ἐκεῖνος καὶ ὑψηλότερος. 35.1192

ΙΗʹ. Τὰ μὲν οὖν παρ' ἡμῶν τοσαῦτα, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ', ὅτι δεῖ πλείονα λέγειν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἰ μακρὸν ἀποτείναιμεν λόγον, εἴποιμεν ἄν τι τῶν ἐκείνῳ προσόντων ἄξιον, καὶ ὧν ἕκαστος περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὑπείληφεν. Καὶ ταῦτα, ὅσον ἀφοσιώσασθαι τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἐκείνῳ τιμὴν, διήλθομεν· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ παρ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν προσθετέον, ἵνα τι καὶ αὐτοὶ τῷ μάρτυρι προσενέγκητε, τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων καθαίρεσιν, τὴν τῶν νόσων κατάλυσιν, τὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος πρόγνωσιν· ἃ πάντα δύναται Κυπριανοῦ καὶ ἡ κόνις μετὰ τῆς πίστεως, ὡς ἴσασιν οἱ πεπειραμένοι, καὶ τὸ