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being changed, it suitably and consequently destroys the elaborate harmony and fabric of the encomiums. But for you, O venerable and chaste virgin, and trophy-bearing and unconquered martyr, the discourse will find most easily and tirelessly completely accumulated and brought together, the things which have now been named, and which men admire, and call blessed, and deem worthy of mention; but not perishing and being dissolved, and causing the praises to go forth into the air in vain. For the virtue of your divine soul, and your intimacy with the Creator, bound together for you and preserved, both the good and worldly things that were yours, and made them irreproachable in memory, and to run a long course with all of eternity; 96.812 rather, it has more than doubled and more than increased them. For "The whole world of riches belongs to the faithful, but to the unfaithful, not even one obol," the scriptural saying has declared. For the present things, and the things to come, and all things over which your Bridegroom reigns, have been graciously given and granted to you as a dowry. 22. Since, therefore, on both counts you have won the victory over human praises, both by the splendor of your worldly life, and by the brilliance of the advantages of your soul, both of which you have illumined and adorned with the steadfastness of your martyrdom, depart rejoicing to the celestial tents of hymn-singers, leaving behind elaborate words uttered by a fleshly tongue, and those who confess defeat with their voice. For if the renown of your excellent deeds is beyond human, how is the fitting praise not beyond human conception? Depart, therefore, venerable and beautiful virgin, enjoying super-cosmic rewards. Depart, where speech is silent, unable to recount in detail the glory that is beyond speech. Depart to partake of the unmixed pleasure of the good things beyond thought, where all intellection which gathers knowledge from partial imaginings is simply idle and at leisure, while the mind eternally applies itself to the supernatural and intelligible things. Depart, where the manifold deceit and cycle of sensible things and senses has both ceased and been abolished. Receive your victor’s prizes, and most splendid rewards and awards. Receive the fitting rest and refreshment for your sweat and toils in the arena. Receive your victorious crowns and martyr’s diadems, owed to those who have contended and do contend for Christ. Enjoy the ineffable and inconceivable splendor and beauty of the Bridegroom. Enjoy the ineffable and mystical conversation and union in the super-celestial bridal chamber, than which nothing is by nature more prosperous and more blessed. Nothing has been left to you for glory, O bride of Christ, from the exceedingly renowned heroic deeds of the lamp-bearing virgins, as you exceedingly loved the bridegroom Christ, and were charmed by love of him. Through whom you have not only considered all things as refuse, but you have also preferred the desired one to your own life and soul. How very lawfully you have fought the good fight, and kept the faith unchanging, in times that were changeable and perilous! How very unhaltingly and unhinderedly you have finished the race of piety! How very painful and agonizing, and beyond mortal power, were the tortures brought upon you for your love of Christ, which you endured with all your soul and most eagerly. Therefore also the crown of righteousness is laid up for you, which you, having worthily bound on, have been crowned in the heavenly places. But not even here has Christ left you unrewarded. For "As I live," he says, "I will glorify those who glorify me." Because, as has been proclaimed, in your pool, where also your precious relics 96.813 approach the faithful, the cures for all kinds of sicknesses gush forth beyond the streams, and of those suffering from pestilential ulcers, or another disease, and the bodies of those worn down by other bruises, of the

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ἀλλοιούμενα, συγκαταλύει καταλλήλως καὶ ἀκολούθως τῶν ἐγκωμίων τὴν ἐκπεπονημένην ἁρμονίαν καὶ σύμπλεξιν. Σοὶ δὲ, ὦ παρθένε σεμνὴ καὶ σώφρων, καὶ μάρτυς τροπαιοφόρε τε καὶ ἀήττητε, εὑρήσει μὲν ὁ λόγος εὐπορώτατα καὶ ἀκμητὶ ἄρδην σεσωρευμένα, καὶ συμπεφορημένα, ἃ νῦν κατωνόμασται, καὶ θαυμάζουσι, καὶ μακαρίζουσιν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ἀξιόδηλα τίθενται· οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀπολλύμενα καὶ λυόμενα, καὶ τοὺς ἐπαίνους εἰκῆ χωρεῖν εἰς ἀέρα παρασκευάζοντα. Ἡ γὰρ τῆς σῆς θειώδους ψυχῆς ἀρετὴ, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν Κτίστην οἰκείωσις, συνέσφιγξέ σοι καὶ συνετήρησε, καὶ τὰ προσόντα καλὰ καὶ ἐγκόσμια, καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ ἀνεπίληστα, καὶ τῷ παντὶ αἰῶνι συνδολιχεύειν πεποίηκε· 96.812 μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὑπερεπλασίασε καὶ ὑπερηύξησεν· Τοῦ γὰρ πιστοῦ, ὅλος ὁ κόσμος τῶν χρημάτων, τοῦ δὲ ἀπίστου, οὐδὲ εἷς ὀβολὸς, τὸ γραφικὸν ἀπεφήνατο λόγιον. Τὰ ἐνεστῶτα γὰρ, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα, καὶ πάντων ὧν ὁ σὸς δεσπόζει νυμφίος, σοὶ εἰς προῖκα κεχάρισται καὶ δεδώρηται. κβʹ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοίνυν ἀμφοτέρωθεν κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐπαίνων τὰ νικητήρια κέκτησαι, τῇ τε τοῦ κοσμικοῦ βίου φανότητι, καὶ τῇ τῶν κατὰ ψυχὴν πλεονεκτημάτων λαμπρότητι, ἅπερ ἄμφω τῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου κατήστραψας καὶ κατηγλάϊσας στεῤῥότητι, ἄπιθι χαίρουσα πρὸς οὐρανίους ὑμνοπόλους σκηνὰς, καταλείψασα ἐκ σαρκίνης προφερομένους γλώττης ἐκτετορνευμένους λόγους, καὶ τὴν ἧτταν φωνῇ καθομολογοῦντας. Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον τῶν ἀριστευμάτων ἡ εὐδοκίμησις, πῶς οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν ἀνθρωπίνην ὁ πρόσφορος ἔπαινος; Ἄπιθι τοίνυν, σεμνὴ καλλιπαρθένε, τῶν ὑπερκοσμίων γερῶν ἀπολαύουσα. Ἄπιθι, ἔνθα λόγος σιγᾷ, τῶν ὑπὲρ λόγον τὴν δόξαν διεξοδικῶς εἰπεῖν οὐ δυνάμενος. Ἄπιθι τῶν ὑπὲρ ἐνθύμησιν ἀγαθῶν ἡδονῆς τῆς ἀκράτου μεθέξουσα, ἔνθα νόησις ἅπασα ἐκ τῶν μερικῶν φαντασμάτων τὴν γνῶσιν ἀθροίζουσα ἀργεῖ καὶ σχολάζει ἁπλῶς, τοῦ νοῦ αἰωνίως τοῖς ὑπερφυέσι καὶ νοητοῖς ἐπιβάλλοντος. Ἄπιθι, ἔνθα τῶν αἰσθητῶν καὶ αἰσθήσεων ἡ πολυσχιδὴς ἀπάτη, καὶ περιφορὰ πέπαυταί τε καὶ κατήργηται. Ἀπόλαβέ σου τὰ νικητικὰ βραβεῖα, καὶ ὑπέρλαμπρα γέρα καὶ ἔπαθλα. Ἀπόλαβέ σου τῶν ἐν τοῖς σκάμμασιν ἱδρώτων καὶ πόνων τὴν καθήκουσαν ἀνάπαυλαν καὶ ἀνάψυξιν. Ἀπόλαβέ σου τὰ ἐποφειλόμενα τοῖς διὰ Χριστὸν ἀθλήσασι καὶ ἀθλοῦσιν νικηφόρα στέμματα, καὶ μαρτυρικὰ διαδήματα. Ἀπόλαυε τῆς τοῦ Νυμφίου ἀνεκφράστου καὶ ἀνεννοήτου ἀγλαΐας καὶ ὡραιότητος. Ἀπόλαυε τῆς ἐν τῷ ὑπερουρανίῳ νυμφῶνι ἀποῤῥήτου καὶ μυστικῆς ὁμιλίας καὶ συναφείας, ἧς ὄντως οὐδὲν ὀλβιώτερον καὶ μακαριώτερον πέφυκεν. Οὐδέν σοι τῶν ὑπερλίαν εὐδοκιμηκότων ἀνδραγαθημάτων, τῶν λαμπαδηφόρων παρθένων, ὦ νύμφη Χριστοῦ, πρὸς εὔκλειαν ἀπολέλειπται, ὡς ὑπεράγαν τὸν νυμφίον Χριστὸν ἀγαπήσασα, καὶ τούτου καταθελχθεῖσα ἔρωτι. ∆ι' οὗ οὐ μόνον ἅπαντα λελόγισαι σκύβαλα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἰδίας ζωῆς καὶ ψυχῆς τὸν ποθούμενον προτετίμηκας. Ὡς λίαν ἐννόμως τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισαι, καὶ τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκας ἄτρεπτον, ἐν καιροῖς τρεπτοῖς τε καὶ κινδυνώδεσι! Ὡς λίαν ἀπροσκόπτως καὶ ἀνεμποδίστως τὸν δρόμον τῆς εὐσεβείας τετέλεκας! Ὡς λίαν ἀλγεινὰ καὶ ὀδυνηρὰ, καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν βροτείαν ὑπέστης τὰ ἐπενεχθέντα σοι διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἀγάπην βασανιστήρια ὁλοψύχως καὶ προθυμότατα. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης σοι ἀπόκειται στέφανος, ὅνπερ ἀξίως ἀναδησαμένη, ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις κατέστεψαι. Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐνταῦθα, κατέλιπέν σε Χριστὸς ἀγέραστον. Ζῶ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω. ∆ιότι, καθὼς ἐπήγγελται, ἐν τῷ σῷ κολύμβῳ, ἔνθα καὶ τὰ τίμιά σου λείψανα 96.813 τοῖς πιστοῖς προσπελάζουσιν, ὑπὲρ νάματα βρύει τὰ τῶν παντοδαπῶν ἀῤῥωστημάτων ἰάματα, καὶ τῶν ἕλκεσι λοιμικοῖς, ἢ ἑτέρᾳ νόσῳ καμνόντων, καὶ ἑτέροις μώλωψι κατατρυχομένων τὰ σώματα, τῶν