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not movable, not immovable, not an opinion, not an axiom; and if a dead man is found outside of all these things, "the stillborn child is better than this man," that is, one who has not experienced this life at all. And for the anagogical sense, it must be understood thus, just as it was said a little before, "it would have been better for him if he had not been born." Therefore, better than both, those still leading a life and the dead, is he who has not yet come into being. because it came in vanity and departs in darkness. Other men, when they have been well-born and well-reared, have their vanity here by misusing what was given to them; 173 but the stillborn child had its very genesis in vain; it was conceived not to live, not to become an embryo, but so that the seed would be destroyed immediately, as soon as conception occurred. In darkness, therefore, it did not come again among men, it was not known, because "it came in vanity and departs in darkness." It did nothing nor thought anything, nor having known any human things, did it come to know. And for this reason, as it came with ignorance and by not having experienced these things, so again it departs. There is much discussion about these things, and it is questioned by many who are uncertain that, if conceptions occur so that human beings may be born, and if it is up to God to give a child or not, and for it to be long-lived or short-lived, how is it that some conceptions are not brought to term, are not born, while others—this also having happened—live for two or three hours, or let us grant, even ten years. Do these things happen without judgment? Are not these "judgments" like "a great deep"? We only know in general that it has not happened in vain; even if it had vanity by neither being born nor being raised, surely our Creator does not do these things in vain. Why is that not known? Because we have the reasonings of men. But this also happens for the sake of salvation, which God gives to each one. All these things are resolved by the fact that the soul does not pay the same penalty. For if it is sown together, all these things are vain. But by the judgment of God conceptions happen; and God says He gives children. And if at some time some people ask children of him, the gifts of God are judgments. If someone happens upon them in many ways, he prays with reason, and with the reason of wisdom and knowledge, to have gifts. λ··σ̣ο̣···που̣··λ̣ε̣·ς̣ λόγος ἡ ἀκολουθία ὑπ̣ο̣β̣·····. According to the anagogical sense, then, that they were born—who indeed but the offspring of divine teaching—having been conceived in order to be born, and were immediately harmed. Thus, therefore, what is said in the Gospel was also interpreted anagogically. When great tribulation is coming, he says: "Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing." The one who is pregnant, receiving the tribulation and not enduring it, miscarries. And that one was conceived in vain. And some were indeed born, but did not become perfect, but bore the †age† of those who nurse; 174 and again, when the soul quickly came into tribulation, they were harmed, as it had a newly-formed virtue, being in its first catechism. It is also possible to take this as if it were a historical account; when that tribulation mentioned in the Gospel came, there was need for flight. As for the literal meaning of the whole thing, take it thus: those who were pregnant were hindered from using a swift course and were captured. And it also quietly alludes to the war of the Romans against the Hebrews. A pregnant woman is not able to endure hardship either in fleeing or in not being nourished as another woman who is nursing. Therefore, he alludes in the Lamentations to the intensity of the famine and the great evils, that even "compassionate women" ate "their own children."

For it was possible for others who were not compassionate to simply use what was found as food, even if it were a child; but it signifies the intensity of the affliction and the lack of necessities. Therefore, those who are sympathetic not only to their children but also to others, boiled their own children and ate them. Such a thing is recorded of that Mariamne in the accounts of the fall of Jerusalem. This woman was fond of her child—and it was her only child—and she was also of the well-to-do and the very wealthy. And she spent much of her wealth, I think, on food; sometimes she would buy a goat or some kid. And by

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μὴ κινητόν, μὴ ἀκίνητον, μὴ δό ξασμα̣, μὴ ἀξίωμα· καὶ τεθν̣ηκὼς ἐὰν του´̣των ἐκτὸς πάντων εὑρεθῇ, "εἶ π̣α τ̣ὸ ἐ´̣κτρωμα ὑπὲρ τοῦτον̣ α᾿̣γαθόν", ὅ ἐστιν̣ ὁ μὴ ὅλως πειραθεὶς τοῦ β̣ίου τούτου. πρὸς δὲ τη`̣ν α᾿̣ναγωγὴν οὕτ̣ω λημπτ̣έον, ὡς καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὀλίγῳ πρ̣όσθεν ἐλέγετο τ̣ὸ "καλὸν̣ ἦν αὐτῷ, εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη". ἀγαθὸν οὖν ὑπὲρ ἀμ φοτέρους, τοὺς βίον ἀ´̣γον̣τας ἔτ̣ι καὶ τοὺς τεθνηκότας̣, ὁ`̣ς̣ οὔπω ἐγέ νετο. ὅτι ἐν ματαιότητι ἦλθεν̣ κ̣αὶ ἐν σκότει π̣ορεύεται. οἱ ἄλ̣λοι ἄνθρωποι, ὅταν εὖ τεχθέντες καὶ εὐ῀̣ ἀνατ̣ραφέντες ὦσιν, κα̣κῶς 173 χρησάμενοι τοῖς δοθεῖσιν ὧδε ἔσχον τὴν ματαιότη̣τα· τὸ δὲ ἔκτρωμα καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν γένεσιν ματαίως ἔσχεν· συνελήμφθη ο̣ὐχ ἵνα ζήσῃ, οὐχ ἵνα ἔνβρυον γένηται, ἀλλ' ἵνα εὐθέως φθαρῇ ἡ γονή, εὐθέως ὁ´̣τα̣ν παρῇ ἡ σύνλημψις. ἐν σκότει οὖν πάλιν οὐκ ἦλθεν εἰς ἀνθρώπους, οὐκ ἐγνώσθη, ὅτι̣ "ἐν ματαιότη τι ἦλθεν καὶ ἐν σκότει πορεύεται". οὐδὲν ἔπραξεν οὐδὲ ἐνόησεν ου᾿̣δ̣ε`̣ ἐγνωκώς τι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἔσχεν γνῶναι. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὡς ἦλθεν μετὰ ἀγνοί ας καὶ τῷ μὴ πεπείρασθαι τούτων, οὕτω πάλιν πορεύεται. πολύς ἐστιν περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος καὶ ζητούμενος παρὰ πολλοῖς τοῖς ἀδ̣ηλοῦσιν ὅτι, εἰ τὰ συνλήμματα γίνεται, ἵνα γεννηθῶσιν ἄνθρωποι, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ θεῷ ἐστιν τὸ δοῦναι τέκνον καὶ μή, καὶ τὸ πολυχρόνιον εἶναι ἢ ὀλιγοχρόνιον, πῶς τι να εἰς συνλήμματα οὐ τελεσφορεῖται, οὐκ ἀποτίκτεται, ἄλλα δέ-καὶ τοῦτο πραχθέν-δύο ἢ τριῶν ὡρῶν ζῇ, δῶμεν δέ, ὅτι καὶ δέκα ἔτη. μὴ ἀκρίτως̣ ταῦτα γίνεται; οὐκ ἔστιν "τὰ κρίματα" ταῦτα "ἀβύσσῳ πολλῇ" ἐοι̣κότα; μόνον καθ όλου ἴσμεν, ὅτι οὐ ματαίως γεγένηται· εἰ καὶ ματαιότητα ἔσ̣χεν τῷ μηδὲ γεννηθῆναι μηδὲ ἀνατραφῆναι, μάλιστα ὁ ἡμῶν γεννητὴς οὐ ματαίως ταῦτα ποιεῖ. διὰ τί οὐ γιγνωσκόμενον ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν; ὅτι̣ ἔχομεν̣ λογ̣ι̣σμο̣υ`̣ς̣ ἀν θρώπων. ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας̣ δὲ κα̣ι`̣ το̣υ῀̣τ̣ο̣ γ̣ι´̣ν̣ε̣τ̣α̣ι̣, ἣν δίδωσιν ὁ θεὸς̣ ἑκάστῳ. λύει δὲ τ̣αῦτα πάντα τὸ μη`̣ τη`̣ν̣ αὐτὴν δίκην δοῦναι τὴν̣ ψυχὴν αὐτου῀̣. εἰ γὰρ συνσπείρ̣εται, μάταιά εἰσιν ὅλα ταῦτα. ἀλ̣λὰ κρίσει θεοῦ τὰ συνλήμ ματα γίνεται· καὶ ὁ θεὸς λέγει διδόναι τέκ̣να. καὶ εἴ πο̣τε γοῦν τι νες αἰτοῦσιν παρὰ αὐτοῦ τέκνα, τ̣ὰ δόμα̣τα τοῦ θεοῦ συνκρίσε̣ις. εἰ πολλα χῶς ἔτυχέν τις αὐτῶν, λόγῳ εὔχετ̣αι, λόγῳ δὲ τῷ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσε ως, δόματα ἔχειν. λ··σ̣ο̣···που̣··λ̣ε̣·ς̣ λόγος ἡ ἀκολουθία ὑπ̣ο̣β̣·····. κατα`̣ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν λ̣οιπ̣ὸν̣, ὅτι ἐγενν̣ήθ̣η̣σαν-τίνες δῆθεν ἢ αἱ τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας γοναί-συνλ̣η̣μ̣φ̣θ̣ε̣ι῀̣σ̣α̣ι̣, ἱ´̣να τ̣εχθῶσιν, καὶ ε̣ὐθέως ἐβλάβησαν. οὕτως οὖν ἀνήχθη καὶ τὸ ἐν εὐαγγελίῳ λεγόμενον̣. θλ̣ίψεως πολλῆς ἐρχομένης λ̣έγει· "οὐαὶ ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ ταῖς θηλα ζ̣ούσαις". ἡ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα τὴν θλῖψιν λαβοῦσα καὶ μὴ ἐνέγκασα ἐξα̣μ βλίσκει. καὶ ματ̣αι´̣ως ἐκ̣εῖνο συνελήμφθη. ἐνίαι δὲ ἐγεννήθησαν μέν, ἀλλὰ 174 οὐ τέλειαι γεγένηνται, ἀλλὰ τὴν θηλαζουσῶν ἐ´̣φερον †ηλιαν†· καὶ πάλιν ταχὺ τῆς ψυχῆς γε̣νομένης εἰς θλῖψιν ἐβλάβησαν, νεοπαγῆ ἐχούσης ἀρετήν, ἐν κατηχήσει πρώτῃ τ̣υγχ̣ανούσης. δυ̣νατ̣ὸν δὲ καὶ ὡσ̣α̣νεὶ ἱστορίαν λαβεῖν τοῦτο· τῆς θλίψεως ἐκ̣είνης τῆς μνημονευομένης ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἐπελθούσης χρεία ἦν φυγῆς. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν τὸ ὅλον λαβ̣ε´̣· αἱ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσαι ἐνεποδίζοντο ὀξεῖ δρόμῳ χρήσασθαι καὶ κατελαμβάνοντο. ἠρέμα δὲ καὶ τὸν Ῥωμαίων πόλεμον αἰνίττεται τὸν κατὰ τῶν Ἑβραίων. ἐν γα-στρὶ ἔχουσα οὐ δύναται κ̣ακοπαθῆσαι ἢ ἐν τῷ φεύγειν ἢ ἐν τ̣ῷ μὴ τρέφεσθαι ὡς ἡ ἄλλη γυνὴ ἡ θηλάζουσα. τὴν ἐπ̣ι´̣τ̣ασιν οὖν τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ τὰς μεγάλας κακίας ἐν τοῖς θ̣ρήνοις αἰνίττεται, ὅτι καὶ "γυναῖκες οἰκτίρμονες" ἔφαγον "τὰ παιδία ἑαυτῶν".

ε᾿̣νεχώρει γὰρ ἄλλας μὴ οἰκτίρμονας οὔσας χρήσασθαι ἁπλῶς τροφῇ τῷ εὑρις κομένῳ, κἀ`̣ν̣ παιδίον ᾖν αὐτόυ· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπίτασιν τῆς κακώσεως καὶ τοῦ σπανίζειν τὰ ἀνα̣γκαῖα σημαίνει. αἱ συνδιατιθέμεναι οὖν οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὰ τέκνα, ἀλλὰ κ̣α̣ι`̣ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους, τὰ παιδία ἑαυτῶν ἑψήσασαι ἔφαγον. τοιαύτην μνημονεύετ̣αι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ Μαριάμμῃ ἐν τοῖς περὶ τῆς ἁλώσεως τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ. αὕτη φιλόπαις ἦν- μόνον δὲ ἦν παιδίον-ἦν δὲ καὶ τῶν εὐπόρων καὶ τῶν πάν̣υ̣ π̣λ̣ο̣υσ̣ι´̣ω̣ν̣. πολὺ δέ, οἶμ̣αι, εὐπορίας α᾿̣νήλ̣ω̣σ̣ε̣ν̣ εἰς τ̣ροφη´̣ν̣· ἐνίοτε αἶγα ἠγόραζεν ἢ ἔριφόν τινα. κ̣αι`̣ ὑπὸ