Chapter VI.—Continuation.  Several Other Martyrs.

To these men who spent their lives in the practice of holiness, there is to be added a great multitude of the elect, who, having through envy endured many indignities and tortures, furnished us with a most excellent example.  Through envy, those women, the Danaids36    Some suppose these to have been the names of two eminent female martyrs under Nero; others regard the clause as an interpolation. and Dircæ, being persecuted, after they had suffered terrible and unspeakable torments, finished the course of their faith with stedfastness,37    Literally, “have reached to the stedfast course of faith.” and though weak in body, received a noble reward.  Envy has alienated wives from their husbands, and changed that saying of our father Adam, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.”38    Gen. ii. 23.  Envy and strife have overthrown39    I. κατέσκαψεν (razed to the ground). great cities, and rooted up mighty nations.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ϛ’. Τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὁσίως πολιτευσαμένοις συνηθροίσθη πολὺ πλῆθος ἐκλεκτῶν, οἵτινες πολλαῖς αἰκίαις καὶ βασάνοις διὰ ζῆλος παθόντες ὑπόδειγμα κάλλιστον ἐγένοντο ἐν ἡμῖν. ∆ιὰ ζῆλος διωχθεῖσαι γυναῖκες ∆αναΐδες καὶ ∆ίρκαι αἰκίσματα δεινὰ καὶ ἀνόσια παθοῦσαι ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πίστεως βέβαιον δρόμον κατήντησαν καὶ ἔλαβον γέρας γενναῖον αἱ ἀσθενεῖς τῷ σώματι. Ζῆλος ἀπηλλοτρίωσεν γαμετὰς ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἠλλοίωσεν τὸ ·ηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀδάμ· «Τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μου καὶ σὰρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου.» Ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις πόλεις μεγάλας κατέστρεψεν καὶ ἔθνη μεγάλα ἐξερίζωσεν.