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it was revealed to him, but still in a vision; for the prophet is being prepared. But see his boldness. What is this shameless opinion? he says. To me it seems that even before the finding, he had hindered the chief executioner from the slaughter, both by condemning the undertaking and by promising to find a solution to the terrible situation. What then was revealed to Daniel? For even among the saints there is pre-eminence; wherefore he himself is also preferred. And how did he see? In a vision, he says, not according to human wisdom. And rightly he calls it a mystery, which was unknown to all. And he blessed the God of heaven. He means the Almighty; that is, the one who has power even there in the land of the barbarians. Nowhere was there sacrifice, and temple, and altar, but a good disposition; and all things were accomplished. See, after receiving his request, he did not run first to the court of the king, until he had confessed the greatest thanks to the one who had given it; not like us 56.202 who often out of joy for our successes forget to be grateful. But this man was not so; but he blessed God, and said: Blessed be the name of God from eternity and to eternity. For we, he says, are temporary and short-lived, we do not send up blessing for this time only, but for all time; not for the time in which we live, but both for this, and for the time before this, and for the time to come. He must always be blessed, both when He appears and when He does not appear. For his providence extends through all things. See how through thanksgiving he also reveals knowledge of the dreams. That wisdom, and understanding, and strength are his; that is, to know all things, and to foreknow them. For here he says this: he knows all things, he is ignorant of nothing. What then? Is this all? Does he only have foreknowledge? And he did not say, "he has," but, "It is His," wishing to present to us the natural good, that these things belong to him by nature. What then? Does he only foreknow, and not also do? Yes, he also does. He changes seasons and times. Not speaking of the solstices, but the changes of affairs. He establishes kings, and removes them. Because he works changes. Is it therefore only this, that he foreknows and does? Is there not also another very great thing, that he also imparts this knowledge to others? Giving wisdom to the wise; not to those being wise before this, but to those who receive it. If anyone is wise and does not have wisdom from him, he is not wise. Do not think that it is a Chaldean art. And prudence, he says, to those who ask for understanding. Then let us see whether it has come to him from knowledge, or by nature. For he also says this: He reveals deep and hidden things; he did not say, "he finds," but, "He reveals" to others things that are deep and hidden to us, things that are distant and concealed for a long time. Knowing the things in the darkness; and the light is with him. See what he says. As David says: As is its darkness, so also is its light. He speaks of the abundance of knowledge, that is, even if things are unclear, for him there is no darkness, or that he is their light. How does he know the things in darkness? As if having light with himself. It is always with him. He speaks in human terms. Just as there is nothing in darkness for one who lights a lamp, so too there is nothing for God; or rather, if anything more, just as for one who has light in his eyes, for one who always carries it, there is light. To you, O God of my fathers, he says, I give thanks, and I praise, because you have given me wisdom and understanding. He opportunely remembered the fathers now, wishing to entreat him through them, just as one might remind an ardent lover of his beloved. I give thanks, he says, I am grateful, and I praise, because you have given me wisdom and understanding. He means the former. And now you have made known to me what we asked of you. Perhaps it is likely that he 56.203 also asked for other things, so that he might also make known to him the interpretation. Because the vision of the king, he says, you have made known to me. And immediately Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed, he says, to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him: Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; but bring me before the king, and I will declare to the king the interpretation of the vision. He ran to him and says: Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Who would have cared for them?

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αὐτῷ ἀπεκα λύφθη, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἐν ὁράματι· προγυμνάζεται γὰρ ὁ προφήτης. Ὅρα δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Τίς ἡ γνώ μη, φησὶ, ἡ ἀναιδὴς αὕτη; Ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ καὶ πρὸ τῆς εὑρήσεως κεκωλυκέναι τὸν ἀρχιμάγειρον τῆς σφαγῆς, τῷ τε κατηγορῆσαι τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως, τῷ τε ὑποσχέσθαι λύσιν εὑρεῖν τοῦ δεινοῦ. Τί οὖν ἀπεκα λύφθη τῷ ∆ανιήλ; Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἁγίοις ὑπεροχή· διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς προτιμᾶται. Καὶ πῶς εἶδεν; Ἐν ὁρά ματι, φησὶ, οὐ κατὰ ἀνθρωπίνην σοφίαν. Καὶ καλῶς μυστήριον αὐτὸ καλεῖ, ὃ πᾶσιν ἠγνόητο. Καὶ εὐλό γησε τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Τὸν παντοκράτορά φησι· τουτέστι, τὸν καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ βαρβάρων χώρᾳ δυνά μενον. Οὐδαμοῦ θυσία, καὶ ναὸς, καὶ θυσιαστήριον, ἀλλὰ προαίρεσις ἀγαθή· καὶ πάντα ἠνύετο. Ὅρα, μετὰ τὸ λαβεῖν τὴν αἴτησιν, οὐ πρότερον ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ βασιλέως, ἕως οὗ τῷ δεδωκότι χά ριν ὡμολόγησε τὴν μεγίστην· οὐ καθάπερ ἡμεῖς 56.202 πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς τῶν κατορθουμένων καὶ ἐπιλανθανόμεθα τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης. Ἀλλ' οὗτος οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ εὐλόγησε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἶπεν· Εἴη τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογημένον ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, πρόσκαιροι καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιοι, οὐ μὴ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χρόνου τούτου τὴν εὐλογίαν ἀναπέμπομεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ παντός· οὐχ ὑπὲρ οὗ ζῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου μὲν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πρὸ τούτου, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος. Ἀεὶ αὐτὸν εὐλογεῖσθαι χρὴ, καὶ φαίνοντα καὶ μὴ φαίνοντα. ∆ιὰ παντὸς γὰρ ἡ πρόνοια αὐτοῦ τέταται. Ὅρα πῶς διὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας ἐμφαίνει καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τῶν ὀνειράτων. Ὅτι ἡ σοφία, καὶ ἡ σύνεσις, καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ ἐστι· τουτέστι, τὸ εἰδέναι τὰ πάντα, καὶ προγινώσκειν. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τοῦτό φησι· αὐτὸς οἶδε τὰ πάντα, οὐδὲν ἀγνοεῖ. Τί οὖν; Τοῦτο μόνον; πρόγνωσιν ἔχει μόνον; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἔχει, ἀλλ', Αὐτοῦ ἐστι, τὸ φυσικὸν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι ἐκ φύσεως ταῦτα αὐτῷ πρόσεστιν. Τί οὖν; πρόοιδε μόνον, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ ποιεῖ; Ναὶ, καὶ ποιεῖ. Ἀλλοιοῖ και ροὺς καὶ χρόνους. Οὐχὶ τὰς τροπὰς λέγων, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολάς. Καθιστᾷ βασιλεῖς, καὶ μεθιστᾷ. Ὅτι μεταβολὰς ἐργάζεται. Ἆρ' οὖν τοῦτο μόνον, ὅτι πρόοιδε καὶ ποιεῖ; οὐχὶ καὶ ἄλλο μέγιστον, ὅτι καὶ ἑτέροις μεταδίδωσι τούτου τοῦ εἰδέναι; ∆ιδοὺς σοφίαν τοῖς σοφοῖς· οὐχὶ πρὸ τούτου οὖσι σοφοῖς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς λαβεῖν. Εἴ τις σοφὸς μὴ παρ' ἐκείνου τὴν σοφίαν ἔχει, οὐ σοφός. Μὴ νομίσατε τέχνην εἶναι τῆς Χαλδαϊκῆς. Καὶ φρόνησιν, φησὶ, τοῖς αἰτοῦσι σύν εσιν. Εἶτα ἴδωμεν πότερον ἐξ ἐπιστήμης αὐτῷ προσ γέγονεν, ἢ κατὰ φύσιν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο λέγει· Αὐτὸς ἀποκαλύπτει βαθέα καὶ ἀπόκρυφα· οὐκ εἶπεν, εὑρίσκει, ἀλλὰ, Ἀποκαλύπτει ἑτέροις βαθέα ἡμῖν ὄντα καὶ ἀπόκρυφα, τὰ ἐκ μακροῦ τοῦ χρόνου ἀφεστῶτα καὶ κεκρυμμένα. Γινώσκων τὰ ἐν τῷ σκότει· καὶ τὸ φῶς μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Ὅρα τί φησι. Ὥσπερ ὁ ∆αυῒδ λέγει· Ὡς τὸ σκότος αὐτῆς, οὕτω καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς. Τὸ πολὺ τῆς γνώσεως λέ γει, ἤτοι κἂν ἄδηλα ᾖ, αὐτῷ σκότος οὐκ ἔστιν, ἢ ὅτι φῶς αὐτῶν ἐστι. Πῶς γινώσκει τὰ ἐν τῷ σκότει; Ὡσανεὶ φῶς ἔχων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ. Μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἀεί. Ἀνθρωπίνως λέγει. Ὥσπερ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν σκότει τῷ λύχνον ἅπτοντι, οὕτως οὐδὲ τῷ Θεῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ, εἴ τι πλέον, ὥσπερ τῷ τὸ φῶς ἔχοντι ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς, τῷ ἀεὶ περιφέροντι αὐτὸ φῶς ἐστι. Σοὶ, ὁ Θεὸς πατέρων μου, φησὶ, ἐξομολογοῦμαι, καὶ αἰνῶ, ὅτι σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν ἔδωκάς μοι. Εὐκαίρως τῶν πατέρων ἐμνή σθη νῦν, δι' ἐκείνων αὐτὸν δυσωπῆσαι βουλόμενος, καθάπερ εἴ τίς τινα ἐραστὴν σφοδρὸν τῶν ἐρω μένων ἀναμνήσειεν. Ἐξομολογοῦμαι, φησὶ, εὐχα ριστῶ, καὶ αἰνῶ, ὅτι σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν ἔδω κάς μοι. Τὴν προτέραν φησί. Καὶ νῦν ἐγνώρισάς μοι ἃ ἠξιώσαμεν παρὰ σοῦ. Ἴσως εἰκὸς αὐτὸν 56.203 καὶ ἄλλα ἀξιῶσαι, ὥστε καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτῷ γνωρίσαι. Ὅτι τὸ ὅραμα τοῦ βασιλέως, φησὶ, ἐγνώρισάς μοι. Καὶ εὐθέως ἦλθε ∆ανιὴλ πρὸς Ἀριὼχ, ὃν κατέστησε, φησὶ, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπολέ σαι τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος μὴ ἀπολέσῃς· εἰσάγαγε δέ με ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀπαγγελῶ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν σύγκρισιν τοῦ ὁράματος. Ἔδραμε πρὸς αὐτὸν καί φησι· Τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος μὴ ἀπολέσῃς. Τίς ἂν ἐφρόντισεν ἐκείνων;