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growing out from carvings. I pass over in silence the gold that is stretched out into thin and airy foils and everywhere colors these things, so that it might turn the greed of the eyes toward itself, and the contribution of ivory to the elaborate beautification of the entrances, and the gold that is smeared on the carvings of these, or the silver that is hammered in with nails, and all such things. What could one say about the floors of the houses gleaming with the varied colors of the stones, so that even their feet might revel in the splendor of the stones, and the ambition regarding the multitude of such houses, whose construction is made necessary not by the need of life, but by desire proceeding through useless things and inventing unseasonableness? For it is necessary for houses to have corridors, and promenades, and entranceways, and antechambers, and others 5.323 at the gates; for they do not think the gates and the propylaea and the wide space within the gates are sufficient for ostentation, unless something of this sort should meet those entering, such as to immediately astound the one entering with the size of what is seen; and baths in addition to these, whose ambition surpasses their utility, flooded with whole rivers in the abundance of their springs, and gymnasia set before them, and these superfluously fashioned for adornment with varied marbles, and porticoes all around the dwelling supported by Numidian or Thessalian or Syenite columns, and the bronze in the statues formed into countless shapes, for whatever the desire of superfluity might pour the material, and the images from marbles and the paintings on panels, through which they prostitute themselves even to their eyes as art lays bare through 5.324 imitation things that should not be seen, and all that can be seen in such things, artfully contrived for astonishment and beauty. How could one go through each of these things in words, in which zeal is an accusation and a refutation of indifference concerning more honorable things? For the more <someone> abounds in the multitude and the ambition concerning materials for the zeal in the things being built, so much the more he convicts the soul of being unadorned. For he who looks to himself and truly beautifies his own dwelling, so as to one day receive even God as an inhabitant, has other materials, from which beauty is gathered for such a dwelling. I know of gold gleaming in such works, that which is mined from the thoughts of Scripture, I know of silver, the divine oracles that have been tested by fire, whose radiance flashes forth, shining through the truth. And the splendors of varied stones, from which the walls of such a temple are adorned, and the floors of the structure—understanding these as the varied dispositions of the virtues, you would not miss the adornment fitting for this house. Let the floor be paved with self-control, through which the dust of an earthly mind will not disturb the one dwelling there. Let the hope of heavenly things beautify the roof, looking up to which with the eye of the soul you will not gaze at idols of beauty formed by carving knives 5.325, but you will see beauty's very archetype, not adorned with any gold and silver, but that which is more precious than much gold and stone. And if it is necessary to describe in words also the adornment made of slabs, on one side let incorruptibility and dispassion panel the house, on another let righteousness and meekness adorn the dwelling, on another part let humility and long-suffering shine forth, and again on another, reverence toward the divine. And let the good craftsman, love, fit all these things together harmoniously with each other. And if you desire baths, you have, if you wish, both a domestic bath and your own springs, through which it is possible to wash away the stains of the soul, which the great David also used, luxuriating each night in such a bath. And for columns supporting the portico of the soul, do not seek out any Phrygian or porphyry ones, but let that which is steadfast and immovable in every good be more precious to you than these material embellishments. But all sorts of images, whether in paintings or in sculptures, as many as are for the imitation of the truth

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γλυφίσιν ἐκφύοντα. σιωπῶ τὸν χρυσὸν τὸν εἰς λεπτούς τε καὶ ἀερώδεις ὑμένας διατεινόμενον καὶ πανταχῇ τούτοις ἐπιχρωννύμενον, ὡς ἂν τὴν λιχνείαν τῶν ὀμμάτων πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπιστρέφοι, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἐλεφάντων συνεισφορὰν εἰς τὸν περίεργον καλλω πισμὸν τῶν εἰσόδων τόν τε ἀλειφόμενον ταῖς γλυφίσι τούτων χρυσὸν ἢ τὸν διὰ τῶν ἥλων ἐγκροτούμενον ἄργυρον καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα. τί ἄν τις λέγοι ἢ τὰ ἐδάφη τῶν οἴκων ταῖς ποικίλαις τῶν λίθων βαφαῖς ὑπολάμποντα, ὡς ἂν καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν τῆς αὐγῆς τῶν λίθων κατατρυφῶσι, τήν τε κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν τοιούτων οἴκων φιλοτιμίαν, ὧν οὐχὶ ἡ χρεία τῆς ζωῆς τὴν κατασκευὴν ἀναγκαίαν ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐπιθυμία διὰ τῶν ἀνονήτων προϊοῦσα ἐφευρίσκει τὴν ἀκαιρίαν; χρὴ γὰρ τῶν οἴκων τοὺς μὲν δρόμους εἶναι, τοὺς δὲ περι πάτους, τοὺς δὲ εἰσοδίους, τοὺς δὲ προεισοδίους καὶ ἄλλους 5.323 ἐπιπυλίους· οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖν ἡγοῦνται πρὸς κόμπον τὰς πύλας καὶ τὰ προπύλαια καὶ τὴν ἐντὸς τῶν πυλῶν εὐρυχωρίαν, εἰ μή τι τοιοῦτον προσεντυγχάνοι τοῖς εἰσιοῦσιν, οἷον εὐθὺς καταπλῆξαι τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ ὁρωμένου τὸν εἰσερχόμενον· λουτρά τε πρὸς τούτοις παριόντα τῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ τὴν χρείαν ποταμοῖς ὅλοις ἐν τῇ τῶν κρουνῶν δαψιλείᾳ κατακλυζόμενα, καὶ τούτων προβεβλημένα γυμνάσια, καὶ ταῦτα περιττῶς διὰ ποικίλων μαρμάρων εἰς κόσμον ἐξησκημένα, στοαί τε πανταχόθεν περὶ τὴν οἴκησιν Νουμιδικοῖς ἢ Θεσσαλοῖς ἢ Σοηνίταις στύλοις ὑπερειδόμεναι ὅ τε ἐν τοῖς ἀνδριᾶσι χαλκὸς εἰς μυρία εἴδη σχηματιζόμενος πρὸς ὅτιπερ ἂν ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς περιεργίας χέῃ τὴν ὕλην, τά τε ἐκ τῶν μαρμάρων εἴδωλα καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν πινάκων γραφάς, δι' ὧν καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐκπορνεύουσιν ἀπογυμνούσης τῆς τέχνης διὰ 5.324 μιμήσεως τὰ ἀθέατα, καὶ ὅσα ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔστιν ἰδεῖν εἰς ἔκπληξίν τε καὶ ὥραν ἐπιτεχνώμενα. Πῶς ἄν τις τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον διεξέλθοι τῷ λόγῳ, ἐν οἷς ἡ σπουδὴ κατηγορία καὶ ἔλεγχος τῆς περὶ τὰ προτιμότερα ῥᾳθυμίας ἐστίν; ὅσῳ γὰρ ἄν <τις> πλεονάσῃ τῷ τε πλήθει καὶ τῇ περὶ τὰς ὕλας φιλοτιμίᾳ τὴν ἐν τοῖς κατασκευαζομένοις σπουδήν, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐλέγχει τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀκαλλώπι στον. ὁ γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν βλέπων καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ὄντως οἴκησιν καλλωπίζων, ὥστε ποτὲ καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἔνοικον δέξασθαι, ἄλλας ἔχει τὰς ὕλας, ἐξ ὧν τὸ κάλλος τῇ τοιαύτῃ οἰκήσει συνερανίζεται. οἶδα ἐγὼ χρυσὸν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔργοις ἐνστίλβοντα τὸν ἐκ τῶν τῆς γραφῆς νοημάτων μεταλλευόμε νον, οἶδα ἄργυρον τὰ θεῖα λόγια τὰ πεπυρωμένα, ὧν ἀπαστρά πτει ἡ λαμπηδὼν διὰ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκλάμπουσα. λίθων δὲ ποικίλων αὐγάς, ἐξ ὧν οἵ τε τοῖχοι τοῦ τοιούτου ναοῦ κατακοσμοῦνται, καὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς τὰ ἐδάφη τὰς ποικίλας τῶν ἀρετῶν διαθέσεις νοήσας οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις τοῦ τῇ οἰκίᾳ ταύτῃ πρέποντος κόσμου. κατεστορέσθω τῇ ἐγκρατείᾳ τὸ ἔδαφος, δι' ἧς ἡ τῆς γηΐνης διανοίας κόνις οὐ διοχλήσει τὸν διαιτώμενον. ἡ τῶν οὐρανίων ἐλπὶς ὡραϊζέτω τὸν ὄροφον, πρὸς ἣν ἀναβλέπων τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμῷ οὐκ εἰδώλοις κάλλους διὰ γλυφίδων μεμορφωμένοις 5.325 ἐνατενίσεις, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ κατόψει τὸ ἀρχέτυπον κάλλος οὐ χρυσῷ τινι καὶ ἀργύρῳ διηνθισμένον, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιόν ἐστι πολύν. εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ τὸν ἐκ πλακῶν κόσμον ὑπογράψαι τῷ λόγῳ, ἔνθεν ἡ ἀφθαρσία καὶ ἡ ἀπάθεια διαπλακούτω τὸν οἶκον, ἐκεῖθεν ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ τὸ ἀόργητον κοσμείτω τὴν οἴκησιν, καθ' ἕτερον μέρος ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη καὶ τὸ μακρόθυμον διαλαμπέτω καὶ κατ' ἄλλο πάλιν ἡ περὶ τὸ θεῖον εὐσέβεια. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ὁ καλὸς τεχνίτης ἡ ἀγάπη εὐθέτως πρὸς ἄλληλα συναρμοζέτω. κἂν λουτρῶν ἐπι θυμῇς, ἔχεις, ἐὰν θέλῃς, καὶ λουτρὸν κατοικίδιον καὶ κρουνοὺς ἰδίους, δι' ὧν ἔστι τὰς κηλῖδας τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπορρύ ψασθαι, ᾧ ἐκέχρητο καὶ ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα ἐντρυφῶν τῷ τοιούτῳ λουτρῷ. στύλους δὲ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς στοὰν ὑπερείδοντας μὴ Φρυγίους τινὰς ἢ πορφυρίτας περιεργάζου, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν παντὶ ἀγαθῷ στάσιμόν τε καὶ ἀμετακίνητον τῶν ὑλικῶν ἔστω σοι τούτων καλλωπισμάτων πολυτιμότερον. εἴδωλα δὲ παντοδαπὰ ἢ ἐν γραφαῖς ἢ ἐν πλάσμασιν, ὅσα πρὸς μίμησιν τῆς ἀληθείας