8

his face shone. What are you saying, O evangelist? Why do you compare things that are truly incomparable? Why do you set beside and liken things that are truly unable to be likened? Did the Master shine as a servant? The unbearable and unapproachable light, shone forth like this sun which is seen by all? But I am not likening, he says, nor comparing the only-begotten, and the radiance of the divine glory which is likened to nothing, but speaking to those bound in flesh, I bring forward what is most beautiful and most radiant of bodies as an example, not as a perfect likeness; for it is impossible for the uncreated to be perfectly depicted in creation; but just as the sun is one, yet has two substances, that of the light which was created first, and of the body which came later in creation, and through the whole body the light is indivisibly united, and while the body remains in its place the light spreads over the ends of all the earth, so also Christ, being unoriginate and unapproachable light from light, having come in a temporal and created body, is one sun of righteousness, one Christ, known in two indivisible natures. Therefore, the holy body is circumscribable. For while standing on Tabor, it did not reach outside the mountain; but the divinity is uncontainable, being in all things, and beyond all things. And the body shines like the sun; for the radiance of the light has become of the body. For all things have become common to the one incarnate Word of God, both those of the flesh and those of the uncircumscribable divinity; but that from which the boasts of glory are common is one thing, and that from which the passions are known to be common is another. But the divine prevails, and imparts of its own radiance and glory to the body, while itself remaining, even in passions, unpartaking of passion. Thus his face shone like the sun; not because it was not more radiant than the sun, but as much as those seeing could bear to behold. For how, if he had shown all the manifestation of his glory, would they not have been consumed? His face shone like the sun. For what the sun is among sensible things, that God is among intelligible things. And his garments became white as the light. Just as the sun is one thing—for it is a source of light, unable to be clearly seen—and the light from it arriving at the earth is another; for it is seen and beheld by the working of God's wisdom and love for mankind, so that we might not be rendered entirely without share of good things; so his face shines most clearly like the sun, but his garments are made white like the light, made splendid by the impartation of the divine light. 14. These things being thus accomplished, so that he might be shown to be Lord of the old and new covenant, and that the mouths of the heretics, whose throats are an open sepulchre, might be stopped, and that the re- 96.568 vivification of the dead might be believed, and that he who is witnessed to by the Father might be believed to be Master of the living and the dead, Moses and Elijah, as servants to a Master, stand by in glory, and speaking with him are seen by their fellow servants. For it was necessary that they, having seen the glory and boldness of their fellow servants, yet servants of God, should be astonished at the Master's loving condescension, and should be all the more zealous, and strengthened for the contests. For he who knows the fruits of labors would most easily dare the contests. For the desire of gain knows how to lead to a disregard for the body. For just as soldiers, and boxers, and farmers, and merchants with great eagerness undertake labors, and dare the surge of the sea, and take no account of wild beasts and pirates, so that they may obtain the desired gain, and the more they see those who have toiled before them revelling in the gains, the more they are spurred on to the endurance of labors; so also the spiritual shield-bearers, and boxers, and farmers, and merchants of the Master, not striving for earthly gains, nor desiring fleeting goods, when they see with their own eyes the things that lie in hope, and

8

πρόσωπον ἔλαμψε. Τί φῆς, ὦ εὐαγγελιστά; τί συγκρίνεις τὰ ὄντως ἀσύγκριτα; τί παρατιθεῖς καὶ παραβάλλεις τὰ ὄντως ἀπαράβλητα; Ὁ ∆εσπότης ὡς οἰκέτης ἔλαμψε; Τὸ ἀφόρητον καὶ ἀπρόσιτον φῶς, ὡς οὗτος ὁ ὑπὸ πάντων ἐξήστραψε καθορώμενος ἥλιος; Ἀλλ' οὐ παραβάλλω, φησὶν, οὐδὲ συγκρίνω τὸ μόνον μονογενὲς, καὶ μηδενὶ εἰκαζόμενον τῆς θείας δόξης τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, ἀλλὰ σαρκὸς δεσμίοις φθεγγόμενος, τῶν σωμάτων ὅ τι κάλλιστόν ἐστι καὶ λαμπρότατον, πρὸς παράδειγμα φέρω, οὐ πάντως ὁμοιότατον· ἀμήχανον γὰρ ἀπαραλείπτως ἐν τῇ κτίσει τὸ ἄκτιστον εἰκονίζεσθαι· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος εἷς μέν ἐστιν, ἔχει δὲ οὐσίας δύο, τοῦ τε φωτὸς ὃ γεγένηται πρότερον, καὶ τοῦ τῇ κτίσει ἐφυστερίζοντος σώματος, δι' ὅλου δὲ τοῦ σώματος τὸ φῶς ἀδιαιρέτως ἥνωται, καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ μένοντος τὸ φῶς πάσης τῆς γῆς ἐφαπλοῦται τοῖς πέρασιν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς ἄναρχον ὢν καὶ ἀπρόσιτον, ἐν χρονικῷ καὶ κτιστῷ γενόμενος σώματι, εἷς ἐστιν ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, εἷς Χριστὸς, ἐν δύο ἀδιαιρέτως ταῖς φύσεσι γνωριζόμενος. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν τὸ μὲν σῶμα τὸ ἅγιον περιγραπτόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν Θαβὼρ ἱστάμενον, ἔξω τοῦ ὄρους ἐφικνεῖτο· ἡ δὲ θεότης ἀχώρητος, ἐν πᾶσιν οὖσα, καὶ πάντων ἐπέκεινα. Καὶ τὸ σῶμα λάμπει ὡς ὁ ἥλιος· τοῦ γὰρ σώματος τοῦ φωτὸς ἡ ἔκλαμψις γέγονε. Κοινὰ γὰρ πάντα τῆς ἑνὸς σεσαρκωμένου Θεοῦ Λόγου γεγένηται, τά τε τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῆς ἀπεριγράπτου θεότητος· ἕτερον δὲ τὸ ἐξ οὗ κοινὰ τὰ τῆς δόξης αὐχήματα, καὶ ἕτερον ἐξ οὗ κοινὰ τὰ πάθη γνωρίζεται. Ἐκνικᾷ δὲ τὸ θεῖον, καὶ μεταδίδωσι τῆς οἰκείας λαμπρότητος καὶ δόξης τῷ σώματι, αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν πάθεσι πάθους μένον ἀμέτοχον. Οὕτως ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος· οὐχ ὅτι μὴ τοῦ ἡλίου ὑπῆρχε λαμπρότερον, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐχώρουν καθορᾷν οἱ βλέποντες. Πῶς γὰρ, εἰ πᾶσαν ὑπέδειξεν τὴν τῆς δόξης φανότητα, οὐκ ἂν κατεφλέχθησαν; Ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἐν αἰσθητοῖς ἥλιος, τοῦτο ἐν νοητοῖς Θεός. Τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένοντο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. Ὥσπερ ἕτερον μὲν ὁ ἥλιος· πηγὴ γάρ ἐστι φωτὸς, καθορᾶσθαι τρανῶς μὴ δυνάμενος· ἕτερον δὲ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ πρὸς γῆν ἀφικνούμενον· ὁρᾶται γὰρ καὶ προσβλέπεται Θεοῦ σοφίας καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἐνεργείᾳ, ὡς ἂν μὴ παντελῶς ἀμέτοχοι τῶν καλῶν κατασταίημεν· οὕτω τὸ μὲν πρόσωπον λάμπει τρανότατον ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, ὡς δὲ φῶς λευκαίνεται τὰ ἱμάτια, μεταδόσει τοῦ θείου φωτὸς ἀγλαϊζόμενα. ιδʹ. Τούτων οὕτως τελουμένων, ὡς ἂν δειχθείη παλαιᾶς, καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης Κύριος, καὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ὧνπερ τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος οἱ λάρυγγες, ἐμφραχθείη τὰ στόματα, καὶ πιστευθείη νεκρῶν ἀνα 96.568 βίωσις, ζώντων δὲ καὶ νεκρῶν πιστευθείη ∆εσπότης ὁ πρὸς Πατρὸς μαρτυρούμενος, Μωσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ὡς δοῦλοι ∆εσπότῃ ἐν δόξῃ παρίστανται, καὶ τούτῳ συλλαλοῦντες τοῖς συνδούλοις ὀπτάνονται. Ἔδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τῶν ὁμοδούλων μὲν, Θεοῦ δὲ θεραπόντων τὴν δόξαν καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἑωρακότας, ἐκπλαγῆναι μὲν τὴν τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλάνθρωπον συγκατάβασιν, ζηλῶσαι δὲ πλέον, καὶ νευρωθῆναι πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν πόνων τὰς ἐπικαρπίας εἰδὼς, ῥᾷστα ἂν τῶν ἀγώνων κατατολμήσειεν. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ κέρδους ἐπιθυμία ἐνάγειν οἶδε πρὸς ἀφειδίαν τοῦ σώματος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ στρατιῶται, καὶ πύκται, καὶ γηπόνοι, καὶ ἔμποροι σὺν πολλῇ τῇ προθυμίᾳ τῶν πόνων ἀντιλαμβάνονται, καὶ πελαγίου κατατολμῶσι κλυδῶνος, καὶ θηρῶν, καὶ πειρατῶν οὐκ ἀλέγουσιν, ὡς ἂν τοῦ ποθουμένου κερδήματος τύχωσι, καὶ ὅσῳ τοὺς προμοχθήσαντας ἐντρυφῶντας ὁρῶσι τοῖς κέρδεσι, πολλῷ πλέον πρὸς τὴν τῶν πόνων ὑπομονὴν παραθήγονται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ πνευματικοὶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου ὑπασπισταὶ, καὶ πύκται, καὶ γηπόνοι, καὶ ἔμποροι, οὐ γηΐνων κερδῶν ἐφιέμενοι, οὐδὲ ῥεόντων καλῶν ὀρεγόμενοι, ὅταν τὰ ἐν ἐλπίσι κείμενα αὐταῖς ὄψεσι θεάσονται, καὶ