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7.4 But since you mention many being scandalized and led astray, how many of the disciples do you think were scandalized at the time of the cross? One betrayed him, the others fled, another denied him, and with everyone having departed, he was led away alone, bound. How many, then, do you think of those who had formerly seen him working signs, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, causing bread to spring forth, working other wonders, were scandalized at that time, seeing him being led away alone and bound, with common soldiers surrounding him and Jewish priests following and making a clamor and a disturbance, and having him surrounded, alone in the midst of all his enemies, and the betrayer present and for the time being exulting? And what about when he was being scourged? And it is likely that an infinite multitude was present. For it was a conspicuous feast that gathered everyone, and the metropolis was the one that received the drama of lawlessness, and at high noon. How many, then, do you think were present then and were scandalized, seeing him bound, scourged, covered in blood, being examined by the governor's court, and none of the disciples present? And what about when those varied and continuous and successive mockeries were made against him, and at one time they were crowning him with thorns, at another they were putting a cloak around him, at another they were putting a reed in his hand, at another they were falling down and worshipping him, stirring up every form of derision and laughter? How many do you think were scandalized, how many were disturbed, how many were troubled, when they struck him on the face and said: "Prophesy to us, Christ, who is it that struck you?" and they led him and led him about, they spent the whole day on this, on jests and insults and derision and laughter in the midst of the Jewish theater? And what about when the high priest's slave slapped him? And what about when the soldiers divided his garments? And when he was brought to the cross, naked, bearing the scourges on his back, and was being crucified? For not even then were the wild beasts softened, but rather they became more frantic and the tragedy was intensified and the derision increased. For some said: "You who would destroy the temple and raise it in three days." And others said: "He saved others, himself he cannot save." And others said: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe in you." And what about when, giving him gall and vinegar to drink with a sponge, they mocked him? And what about when the robbers reviled him? And what about that dreadful and most lawless thing which I also mentioned before, when they said that that robber and housebreaker, full of countless murders, was worthy to be demanded rather than him, and having received the choice from the judge, they preferred Barabbas, wishing not only to crucify him, but also to attach an evil reputation to Christ? For they thought they could establish from these things that he was worse than the robber and so lawless as to be unable to be saved either by an act of humanity or by the dignity of the feast. For they did everything for this reason, so as to slander his reputation; for this very reason they also crucified the two robbers with him. But the truth was not overshadowed, but shone forth even more greatly. And they also accused him of tyranny, saying: "Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar," bringing an accusation of tyranny against one who had nowhere to lay his head. And they also falsely accused him of blasphemy. For the high priest tore his garments, saying: "He has blasphemed; what further need do we have of witnesses?" And of what sort was his death? Was it not that of the condemned? Not of the accursed? Not the most shameful? Not that of those who have committed the ultimate transgressions and are not worthy even to give up their spirit upon the earth? And was not the manner of his burial fulfilled as a matter of favor? For someone came and requested his body. Thus not even the one who buried him was one of his own, of the

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7.4 Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σκανδαλιζομένων μέμνησαι πολλῶν καὶ πλανωμένων, πόσους οἴει κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ σταυροῦ σκανδαλισθῆναι τῶν μαθητῶν; Ὁ μὲν προέδωκεν, οἱ δὲ ἐδραπέτευσαν, ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο, καὶ πάντων ἀναχωρησάντων ἤγετο μόνος δεδεμένος. Πόσους τοίνυν οἴει πρώην ἑωρακότας τὰ σημεῖα αὐτὸν ἐργαζόμενον, νεκροὺς ἐγείροντα, λεπροὺς καθαίροντα, δαίμονας ἀπελαύνοντα, ἄρτους πηγάζοντα, τὰ ἄλλα τεράστια ἐργαζόμενον, σκανδαλίζεσθαι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον, θεωροῦντας μόνον ἀπαγόμενον καὶ δεδεμένον, εὐτελῶν αὐτὸν στρατιωτῶν περιστοιχιζόντων καὶ ἱερέων ἰουδαϊκῶν ἑπομένων καὶ θορυβούντων καὶ ταραττόντων καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἅπαντας μόνον ἐν μέσῳ ἔχοντας ἀπειλημμένον αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν προδότην παρόντα καὶ ἐναβρυνόμενον τέως; Τί δὲ ἡνίκα ἐμαστιγοῦτο; Καὶ εἰκὸς παρεῖναι πλῆθος ἄπειρον. Ἑορτὴ γὰρ ἦν περιφανὴς ἡ πάντας συνάγουσα καὶ μητρόπολις ἡ τὸ δρᾶμα τῆς παρανομίας δεξαμένη καὶ ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ μέσῃ. Πόσους τοίνυν οἴει παρεῖναι τότε καὶ σκανδαλίζεσθαι ὁρῶντας αὐτὸν δεδεμένον, μεμαστιγωμένον, αἵματι περιρρεόμενον, ὑπὸ ἡγεμονικοῦ δικαστηρίου ἐξεταζόμενον καὶ οὐδένα τῶν μαθητῶν παρόντα; Τί δὲ ἡνίκα καὶ ποικίλαι ἐκεῖναι καὶ συνεχεῖς καὶ ἐπάλληλοι ἐγένοντο κατ' αὐτοῦ κωμῳδίαι, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν αὐτὸν ἀκάνθαις ἐστεφάνουν, ποτὲ δὲ χλαμύδα περιετίθεσαν, ποτὲ δὲ κάλαμον ἐνεχείριζον, ποτὲ δὲ πίπτοντες αὐτὸν προσεκύνουν, πᾶν εἶδος χλευασίας κινοῦντες καὶ γέλωτος; Πόσους οἴει σκανδαλίζεσθαι, πόσους θορυβεῖσθαι, πόσους ταράττεσθαι, ὅτε ἐπὶ κόρρης αὐτὸν ἔπαιον καὶ ἔλεγον· «Προφήτευσον ἡμῖν, Χριστέ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε;» καὶ ἦγον καὶ περιῆγον, πᾶσαν τὴν ἡμέραν εἰς τοῦτο ἀνηλίσκοντο, εἰς σκώμματα καὶ λοιδορίας καὶ χλευασίαν καὶ γέλωτα ἐν μέσῳ θεάτρῳ Ἰουδαϊκῷ; Τί δὲ ὅτε αὐτὸν ἐρράπιζεν ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ ἀρχιερέως; Τί δὲ ὅτε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ διεμερίζοντο οἱ στρατιῶται; Ἡνίκα δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἀνηνέχθη γυμνὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ νώτου τὰς μάστιγας ἔχων καὶ ἀνεσκολοπίζετο; Οὐδὲ γὰρ τότε οἱ ἄγριοι θῆρες ἐμαλάττοντο, ἀλλὰ μανικώτεροι μᾶλλον ἐγίνοντο καὶ τὰ τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐπετείνετο καὶ τὰ τῆς χλευασίας ηὔξετο. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγον· «Ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγείρων αὐτόν.» Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον· «Ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι.» Ἄλλοι δὲ ἔλεγον· «Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατάβηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ πιστεύσομεν εἰς σέ.» Τί δὲ ὅτε τῇ σπογγιᾷ χολὴν καὶ ὄξος ποτίζοντες ἐνεπαροίνουν αὐτῷ; Τί δὲ ὅτε οἱ λῃσταὶ ἐλοιδόρουν αὐτῷ; Τί δέ, ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἔλεγον τὸ φρικτὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ παρανομώτατον, ὅτε τὸν λῃστὴν ἐκεῖνον καὶ τοιχωρύχον καὶ μυρίων γέμοντα φόνων ἄξιον ἔλεγον εἶναι ἐξαιτηθῆναι μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαβόντες αἵρεσιν παρὰ τοῦ δικαστοῦ τὸν Βαραββᾶν προετίμησαν, οὐ σταυρῶσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πονηρὰν βουλόμενοι τῷ Χριστῷ περιθεῖναι δόξαν; Ἐνόμιζον γὰρ δύνασθαι κατασκευάζειν ἐκ τούτων ὅτι τοῦ λῃστοῦ χείρων ἦν καὶ οὕτω παράνομος ὡς μήτε φιλανθρωπίᾳ μήτε ἑορτῆς ἀξιώματι δύνασθαι σώζεσθαι. Πάντα γὰρ τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐποίουν ὥστε αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπόληψιν διαβαλεῖν· διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς δύο λῃστὰς αὐτῷ συνεσταύρωσαν. Ἀλλ' ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐ συνεσκιάζετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως διέλαμπε. Καὶ τυραννίδα δὲ αὐτῷ ἐνεκάλουν λέγοντες· «Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν ἑαυτὸν βασιλέα ἀντιλέγει τῷ Καίσαρι», τῷ οὐκ ἔχοντι ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλῖναι, τυραννίδος ἐπάγοντες ἔγκλημα. Καὶ ἐπὶ βλασφημίᾳ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐσυκοφάντουν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ λέγων· «Ἐβλασφήμησε· τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων;» Ὁ δὲ θάνατος αὐτοῦ οἷος; οὐ καταδίκων; οὐκ ἐπαράτων; οὐχ ὁ αἴσχιστος; οὐχ ὁ τῶν τὰ ἔσχατα παρανενομηκότων καὶ οὐκ ἀξίων ὄντων οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφεῖναι; Τὸ δὲ τῆς ταφῆς εἶδος οὐκ ἐν χάριτος ἐπληροῦτο μέρει; Ἐλθὼν γάρ τις τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐξῃτήσατο. Οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ θάπτων αὐτὸν ἦν τῶν οἰκείων, τῶν