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The ungrateful say: "Christ should have raised himself." This very statement was a destruction of his kingdom, and a consummation of the whole world. And Nebuchadnezzar believed. For he would not have sacrificed to Daniel, if he had not believed. Nebuchadnezzar believes, but some disbelieve this. For this reason many prophecies came to be. If those had not come to be, do not believe these either. But lest I make the discourse more obscure, come, let us interpret this for you. He saw five materials: gold, silver, bronze, iron, earthenware. Then the whole image is time, and the sequence of time. And he well said, "An image." For our affairs are like an image, a lifeless image. And well 56.206 an image of gold. For just as gold, even if it is bright, is from the earth, so also is our nature, and our affairs. And see that it becomes dust, which it was before this. And yet a stone could not have done this. A stone can shatter, but it cannot change substance. But this has happened. You have seen the mystery of the resurrection. For when our bodies have first been resolved into their elements, and returned to their ancient nature, I mean the earth, then corruption enters in. But the stone does all these things. So whenever you see the image composed of different materials, its head bright, but its breast baser, and its belly more dishonorable, and its legs of less value, consider this difference to be about its appearance. For all things are of one substance; and the end bears witness, dissolving all things into dust. This is no small philosophy. For consider this philosophy also from present affairs, bringing down from the ruler the king, the prefect, the one after him, the bronze, those after these of earthenware, of iron. But if you come to the coffin, even if they strive ten thousand times there making a golden sarcophagus, you will see nature itself. Again, consider for me the rich man, the prisoner, that rich man, the poor man down to the earthenware, and you will see all is dust. But see. It did not appear before that all things were dust, until the stone fell. You were watching until a stone was cut from the mountain without hands, and it struck the image, and the feet of iron and earthenware, and it ground them to powder completely. Then the earthenware, the iron, the bronze, were ground to powder at once, and they became like the chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the great wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. For the nature of things did not appear before, until the sun of righteousness arose, that gold is not gold. But see also in this very thing, not after the shattering, but while they were still standing, that this is in no way more honorable than that. See that these are better than those in appearance, and in time, and in quality. For because of this God also made gold from the earth, so that you might not imagine anything great about it. But for what reason does he call his kingdom golden, and that of the Persians silver, and that of the Macedonians bronze, and that of the Romans iron and earthenware? See the appropriate materials. For gold is indicative of wealth, but weak, and more suitable for deceit and for ornament and ambition. So also was that kingdom of the barbarian. There was much gold with him and with the barbarians, since metallic ores are said to be there too. For among the Seres there is much wealth, but it is useless. But it holds the place of the head, since it appeared first. But that of the Persians is not so wealthy, just as neither is that of the Macedonians; but that of the Romans is more useful and stronger, though later in time, which is why it holds the rank of the feet. Some parts of it are weak, and others are stronger. Such is the strangeness of men. And when lawlessness abounds, he says, the love of many will grow cold. 56.207 And when love grows cold, there must be enmities and wars; with plotters and enemies existing, it is necessary for men to be together with one another, just as the earthenware with the iron. For just as those are separated by nature, and would not associate with one another, so also are these. Both the prophets and the apostles say this. Therefore also the consummation

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λέγουσιν οἱ ἀγνώμονες· ἔδει τὸν Χριστὸν ἀναστῆσαι ἑαυτόν. Αὐτὸ τὸ λεγόμενον κατάλυσις τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἦν, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης συντέλεια. Καὶ ἐπίστευσε Ναβουχοδονόσορ. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ ἐπίστευσεν, ἔθυσε τῷ ∆ανιήl. Πιστεύει Ναβουχοδονόσορ, τινὲς δὲ ἀπιστοῦσι τοῦτο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πολλαὶ προῤῥήσεις ἐγίνοντο. Εἰ μὴ ἐγένοντο ἐκεῖναι, μηδὲ ταύταις πίστευε. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον ἀσαφῆ ποιῶ τὸν λόγον, φέρε τοῦτον ὑμῖν ἑρμηνεύσωμεν. Πέντε εἶδεν ὕλας, χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, χαλκὸν, σίδηρον, ὄστρακον. Εἶτα εἰκὼν πᾶσα ὁ χρόνος ἐστὶ, καὶ ἡ ἀκο λουθία τοῦ χρόνου. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν, Εἰκών. Εἰκόνι γὰρ ἔοικε τὰ ἡμέτερα, εἰκόνι ἀψύχῳ. Καὶ καλῶς 56.206 εἰκὼν ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ χρυσὸς, κἂν λαμπρὸς ᾖ, ἀπὸ γῆς ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ φύσις ἡ ἡμετέρα, καὶ τὰ πράγματα. Καὶ ὅρα ὅτι κόνις γίνε ται, ὅπερ ἦν πρὸ τούτου. Καίτοι τοῦτο λίθος οὐκ ἂν ἐργάσαιτο. Συντρίψαι μὲν δύναται λίθος, οὐσίαν δὲ μεταβαλεῖν οὐ δύναται. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν. Εἶδες τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων ἡμῖν πρότερον στοιχειωθέντων, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐπανελθόντων φύσιν, τὴν γῆν λέγω, τότε ἡ φθορὰ ἐπεισέρχεται. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ὁ λίθος ποιεῖ. Ὥστε ὅταν ἴδῃς τὴν εἰκόνα ἐκ διαφόρων συγκειμένην ὑλῶν, καὶ τὴν μὲν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς λαμπρὰν, τὸ δὲ στῆθος φαυλότερον, καὶ τὴν γαστέρα ἀτιμοτέραν, καὶ τὰς κνήμας εὐτελεστέρας, τὴν διαφορὰν ταύτην περὶ τὴν ὄψιν νόμιζε. Μιᾶς γὰρ οὐσίας τὰ πάντα· καὶ μαρτυ ρεῖ τὸ τέλος, εἰς κόνιν ἅπαντα διαλύον. Οὐ μικρὰ αὕτη φιλοσοφία. Ἐννόησον γὰρ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ταύ την καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατοῦντος καταγαγὼν τὸν βασιλεύοντα, τὸν ὕπαρχον, τὸν μετ' ἐκεῖνον, τὸν χαλκὸν, τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα ὀστρακί νους, σιδηροῦς. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν εἰς τὴν σορὸν ἔλθῃς, κἂν μυριάκις κἀκεῖ βιάζωνται λάρνακα χρυσῆν κατασκευά ζοντες, ὄψει τὴν φύσιν αὐτήν. Πάλιν νόει μοι τὸν πλούσιον, τὸν δέσμιον, ἐκεῖνον τὸν πλούσιον, τὸν πέ νητα μέχρι τοῦ ὀστράκου, καὶ ὄψει πάντα κόνιν. Ἀλλ' ὅρα. Οὐ πρότερον ἐφάνη πάντα κόνις ὄντα, ἕως ὁ λίθος κατέπεσεν. Ἐθεώρεις ἕως ἀπετμήθη λίθος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἄνευ χειρῶν, καὶ ἐπάταξε τὴν εἰκόνα, καὶ τοὺς πόδας τοὺς σιδηροῦς καὶ ὀστρα κίνους, καὶ ἐλέπτυνεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τέλος. Τότε ἐλεπτύνθη εἰς ἅπαξ τὸ ὄστρακον, ὁ σίδηρος, ὁ χαλκὸς, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡσεὶ κονιορτὸς ἀπὸ ἅλωνος θερινῆς· καὶ ἐξῆρεν αὐτὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ τόπος οὐχ εὑρέθη αὐτοῖς. Οὐ γὰρ πρότερον ἐφάνη τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φύσις, ἕως ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀνέτειλεν, ὅτι ὁ χρυσὸς οὐ χρυσός. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τούτῳ οὐ μετὰ τὴν συντριβὴν, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἑστώτων αὐτῶν, οὐδὲν δὲ τοῦτο ἐκείνου τιμιώτερον ὄν. Ὅρα καὶ τῇ ὄψει, καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ, καὶ τῇ ποιότητι ταῦτα ἐκείνων βελτίω. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ χρυσίον ἀπὸ γῆς ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα μηδὲν μέγα περὶ αὐτοῦ φαντασθῇς Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν τὴν αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν καλεῖ χρυσῆν, τὴν δὲ τῶν Περσῶν ἀργυρᾶν, καὶ τὴν τῶν Μακεδόνων χαλκῆν, καὶ τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων σιδηρᾶν καὶ ὀστρακίνην; Ὅρα καταλ- λήλους τὰς ὕλας. Ὁ γὰρ χρυσὸς πλούτου μέν ἐστι ἐμφαντικὸν, ἀσθενὲς δὲ, καὶ πρὸς ἀπάτην καὶ πρὸς κόσμον μᾶλλον καὶ φιλοτιμίαν ἐπιτήδειος. Οὕτω καὶ ἐκείνη ἡ βασιλεία ἡ τοῦ βαρβάρου. Πολὺ παρ' αὐτῷ τὸ χρυσίον ἦν καὶ τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐκεῖ λέγονται εἶναι ὕλαι μεταλλικαί. Καὶ γὰρ παρὰ τῶν Σήρων πολὺς ὁ πλοῦτος, ἀλλ' ἄχρηστος. Κεφαλὴν δὲ ἐπέχει, ἐπειδὴ πρώτη ἐφάνη. Ἡ δὲ Περσῶν οὐχ οὕτως εὔπορος, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ Μακεδόνων· ἡ δὲ Ῥωμαίων χρησιμωτέρα τε καὶ ἰσχυροτέρα, ὑστέρα μὲν τοῖς χρόνοις, διὸ καὶ ποδῶν τάξιν ἐπέχει. Ἔστι δὲ αὐτῆς τὰ μὲν ἀσθενῆ, τὰ δὲ ἰσχυρότερα. Τοιοῦτο τὸ ἀλλό κοτον τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ, φησὶν, ἡ ἀνομία, ψυγήσεται ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν πολλῶν. 56.207 Ἀγάπης δὲ ψυγομένης, ἀνάγκη ἔχθρας εἶναι καὶ πολέμους· τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων ὄντων καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἀνάγκη συνεῖναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀλλήλοις, ὥσπερ τῷ σιδήρῳ τὸν ὄστρακον. Καθάπερ μὲν ἐκεῖνα τῇ φύσει διέστηκεν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀλλήλοις ὁμιλήσειεν· οὕτω καὶ ταῦτα. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ προφῆται καὶ οἱ ἀπό στολοι λέγουσι. ∆ιὸ καὶ συντέλεια