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We hear the Father of the Lord. But the Word seems to philosophize something of this sort, that the facility toward evil is great, and nature is swift-flowing toward the worse; just as heavy bodies remain completely motionless toward what is above, but if they should be shaken from some high peak down the slope, they are carried with such a rush toward what lies below, their own weight intensifying the motion, that the speed is beyond description. Since, therefore, swiftness in these things is difficult, that which is understood by contrast would be altogether blessed. And this is meekness, a slow and difficult-to-move disposition against such impulses of nature. For just as fire, having a nature ever-moving upward, is motionless in the opposite direction; in the same way, virtue, being swift toward things above and beyond, and never slackening its speed, is fettered with respect to the opposite impulse. Therefore, since the swiftness of our nature toward evil abounds, to be at rest in such things is rightly called blessed. For tranquility in these things becomes a testimony of the movement toward what is above. But it would be better to clarify the argument through examples from life itself; The movement of each person's choice is twofold, proceeding by its authority toward what seems best, on the one hand toward temperance, on the other toward licentiousness. And what has been said in part concerning the form of virtue and vice, let this be understood for every case. For the human character is always split toward opposite impulses, whether anger is divided against gentleness, or pride against moderation, or envy against goodwill, or enmity against a loving and peaceful disposition. Since, therefore, human life is material, and the passions are concerned with material things, and every passion has a swift and unrestrainable 44.1216 impulse toward the fulfillment of its will (for matter is heavy and tends downward); for this reason the Lord calls blessed, not those who live by themselves outside of passion (for it is not possible in a material life to achieve a completely immaterial and passionless life), but says that meekness is the attainable limit of virtue in the life through the flesh, and says that being meek is sufficient for blessedness. For He does not legislate absolute impassibility for human nature; for it is not the mark of a just lawgiver to command those things which nature does not admit; for such a thing is like someone relocating aquatic creatures to an aerial life, or the opposite, to the water, whatever lives in the air; but it is fitting for the law to be suitable to one's own and natural capacity. For this reason the beatitude commands what is moderate and meek, not what is completely impassible; for the one is outside of nature, while the other is achieved through virtue. If, therefore, the beatitude had proposed being unmoved by desire, the blessing would have been unprofitable and useless for life; for who, being joined to flesh and blood, could attain such a state? But now He says that not the one who desires by some chance is to be condemned, but the one who deliberately draws the passion to himself. For the weakness that is mixed with our nature often produces such an impulse, even against our will; but not to be carried away like a torrent by the impulse of passion, but to stand manfully against such a disposition, and to thrust away the passion with one's reasonings, this is the work of virtue. Blessed, therefore, are those who are not swift-flowing toward the passionate movements of the soul, but are restrained by reason, in whom reason, like a bridle checking the impulses, does not allow the soul to be carried away into disorder. But one might rather see such a thing in the case of the passion of anger, how blessed meekness is. For whenever a word, or some action, or a suspicion of the more unpleasant sort stirs up such a disease, and the blood boils around the heart, and the soul rises up for defense; just as the myths, through some potion-drinking, alter nature into the forms of irrational beasts; so it is possible to see a man suddenly become from anger a pig, or a dog, or a panther, or some other such beast. A bloodshot eye; hair standing on end and bristling; a harsh and shrill voice to the

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Πατέρα τοῦ Κυρίου ἀκούομεν. Ἀλλ' ἔοικε τοιοῦτόν τι φιλοσοφεῖν ὁ Λόγος, ὅτι πολλὴ πρὸς τὴν κακίαν ἐστὶν ἡ εὐκολία, καὶ ὀξύῤῥο πον ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἡ φύσις· καθάπερ τὰ βαρέα τῶν σωμάτων πρὸς μὲν τὰ ἄνω παντάπασιν ἀκίνητα μένει, εἰ δέ τινος ἀκρωρείας ὑψηλῆς ἐπὶ τὸ πρανὲς ἀποσεισθείη, τοσούτῳ ῥοίζῳ πρὸς τὸ ὑποκείμενον φέρεται, τοῦ οἰκείου βάρους τὴν φορὰν ἐπιτείνοντος, ὡς ὑπὲρ λόγον εἶναι τὸ τάχος. Ἐπεὶ οὖν χαλεπόν ἐστιν ἡ ἐν τούτοις ὀξύτης, μακαριστὸν ἂν εἴη πάντως τὸ ἐξ ἀντιστρόφου νοούμενον. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι πραότης, ἡ πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας τῆς φύσεως ὁρμὰς βραδεῖά τε καὶ δυσκίνητος ἕξις. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ, ἀεικίνητον τὴν φύσιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω ἔχον, ἀκίνητόν ἐστι κατὰ τὴν ἐναντίαν φοράν· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ πρὸς τὰ ἄνω καὶ ὑπερκείμενα ὀξεῖά τις οὖσα, καὶ οὐχ ὑφιεῖσά ποτε τῆς ταχύτητος, πεπέδηται πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁρμήν. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πλεονάζει κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἡμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὰ κακὰ ταχύτης, καλῶς τὸ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἠρεμοῦν μακαρίζεται. Τὸ γὰρ ἡσύχιον ἐν τούτοις, τῆς πρὸς τὰ ἄνω κινήσεως μαρτυρία γί νεται. Κρεῖττον δ' ἂν εἴη δι' αὐτῶν τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον ὑποδειγμάτων σαφηνίσαι τὸν λόγον· ∆ιπλῆ τῆς ἑκά στου προαιρέσεώς ἐστιν ἡ κίνησις, κατ' ἐξουσίαν πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν προϊοῦσα, ἔνθεν πρὸς σωφροσύνην, ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τὸ ἀκόλαστον. Ὃ δ' ἐπὶ μέρους εἴρηται τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ κακίαν εἴδους, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς νοείσθω. Σχίζεται γὰρ πάντως πρὸς τὰς ἐναντίας ὁρμὰς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἦθος, ἢ θυμοῦ πρὸς ἐπιείκειαν ἀντιδιαιρουμένου, ἢ τύφου πρὸς μετριό τητα, ἢ φθόνου πρὸς εὔνοιαν, ἢ δυσμενείας πρὸς ἀγαπητικὴν καὶ εἰρηνικὴν συνδιάθεσιν. Ἐπειδὴ τοί νυν ὑλώδης μὲν ὁ ἀνθρώπινος βίος, περὶ δὲ τὰς ὕλας τὰ πάθη, πᾶν δὲ πάθος ὀξεῖαν ἔχει καὶ ἀκατάσχετον 44.1216 τὴν ὁρμὴν πρὸς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τοῦ θελήματος (βαρεῖα γὰρ καὶ κατωφερὴς ἡ ὕλη)· διὰ τοῦτο μακα ρίζει ὁ Κύριος, οὐ τοὺς ἔξω πάθους ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν βιο τεύοντας (οὐ γὰρ δυνατόν ἐστιν ἐν ὑλώδει ζωῇ τὸν ἄϋ λον καθ' ὅλου καὶ ἀπαθῆ κατορθωθῆναι βίον), ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐνδεχόμενον τῆς ἀρετῆς ὅρον ἐν τῇ διὰ σαρκὸς ζωῇ τὴν πραότητα λέγει, καὶ ἱκανὸν εἰς μακαρισμὸν τὸ πρᾶον εἶναί φησιν. Οὐ γὰρ καθόλου τὴν ἀπάθειαν νομοθετεῖ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει· οὐδὲ γὰρ δικαίου νομοθέτου τὸ ταῦτα κελεύειν, ὅσα ἡ φύσις οὐ δέχεται· τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον ὅμοιόν ἐστιν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὰ ἔνυδρα μετοικίζοι πρὸς τὸν ἐναέριον βίον, ἢ τὸ ἔμ παλιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅσα τῷ ἀέρι ἐμβιοτεύει· ἀλλὰ τῇ οἰκείᾳ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν δυνάμει πρόσφορον εἶναι προσ ήκει τὸν νόμον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὸ μέτριόν τε καὶ πρᾶον ὁ μακαρισμὸς, οὐ τὸ παντάπασιν ἀπαθὲς ἐγκελεύεται· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔξω τῆς φύσεως, τὸ δὲ δι' ἀρετῆς κατορ θούμενον. Εἰ οὖν τὸ ἀκίνητον πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑπετίθετο, ἀνόνητος ἂν ἦν τῷ βίῳ καὶ ἄχρηστος ἡ εὐλογία· τίς γὰρ ἂν τοῦ τοιούτου καθ ίκοιτο σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι συνεζευγμένος; Νυνὶ δέ φησιν οὐ τὸν ἐπιθυμήσαντα κατά τινα συντυχίαν εἶναι κατά κριτον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐκ προνοίας τὸ πάθος ἐπισπασά μενον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐγγενέσθαι ποτὲ τοιαύτην ὁρμὴν, ἡ συγκεκραμένη τῇ φύσει πολλάκις ἀσθένεια καὶ παρὰ γνώμην παρασκευάζει· τὸ δὲ μὴ χειμάῤῥου δίκην παρενεχθῆναι τῇ τοῦ πάθους ὁρμῇ, ἀλλ' ἀν δρικῶς πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην διάθεσιν στῆναι, καὶ τοῖς λογισμοῖς τὸ πάθος ἀπώσασθαι, τοῦτο τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργον ἐστίν. Μακάριοι τοίνυν οἱ μὴ ὀξύῤῥοποι πρὸς τὰς ἐμπαθεῖς τῆς ψυχῆς κινήσεις, ἀλλὰ κατεσταλμένοι τῷ λόγῳ, ἐφ' ὧν ὁ λογισμὸς καθάπερ τις χαλινὸς ἀναστομῶν τὰς ὁρμὰς, οὐκ ἐᾷ τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς ἀταξίαν ἐκφέ ρεσθαι. Μᾶλλον δ' ἄν τις ἐπὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν θυμὸν πάθους τὸ τοιοῦτον ἴδοι, ὅπως ἐστὶ μακαριστὸν ἡ πραότης. Ἐπειδὰν γὰρ λόγος, ἢ πρᾶξίς τις, ἢ ὑπό νοια τῶν ἀηδεστέρων τὴν τοιαύτην ἀνακινήσῃ νόσον, καὶ περιζέσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ τὸ αἷμα, καὶ διαναστῇ πρὸς ἄμυναν ἡ ψυχή· καθάπερ οἱ μῦθοι διὰ φαρμακοπο σίας τινὸς εἰς ἀλόγων μορφὰς ἀλλοιοῦσι τὴν φύσιν· οὕτως ἔστιν ἐξαίφνης ἰδεῖν σῦν, ἢ κύνα, ἢ πάρδαλιν, ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον θηρίον ἐκ τοῦ θυμοῦ τὸν ἄνδρα γενόμενον. Ὕφαιμος ὀφθαλμός· θρὶξ ἑσταμένη καὶ ἐπιφρίσσουσα· φωνὴ τραχεῖα καὶ ἐποξυνομένη τοῖς