15

pushing it and compelling it to move, and the breath may enjoy moisture, wetting it and moistening it, and not allowing it to dry out completely. What ambitious and very wealthy man, having built a house, ever provides for aqueducts in this way, and devises an abundance of springs, and prepares fountains and cisterns for delight, as the Creator of all things, having acquired this rational house, has surrounded it with so many and so great vessels supplying its needs? What architect, designing houses to be ventilated by the breezes of the west wind, so widens the entrances for the wind, as God, the master craftsman, has contrived both for the smoky and sooty breath to exit from the body, and for the clean to flow in and run through all the arteries? What gardener so channels the nature of waters and brings irrigation to the roots of plants, as the one who planted this living being and created the whole of creation, ineffably brings irrigation through the veins to the members of the body? For in respect to nourishment, we humans differ in no way from inanimate trees; for like them, we are in need of it. For a tree that is not nourished becomes withered and dry, and a person oppressed by hunger likewise loses all moisture and is delivered over to death. Just as trees, then, receiving either the rain from the clouds or the streams from rivers and springs, draw up moisture through their roots, and nourish the branches, and the bark, and the pith, and bring forth leaves, and produce blossoms, and ripen fruits; so this living being receives nourishment in the mouth, and this becomes a spring, and the esophagus imitates a channel, which we are accustomed to call the stomach; and the belly, like a root, receiving this, as if to some base of the branches, sends it on to the liver. And it does not endure to enjoy the benefit alone, but to all the parts of the body 83.597 it brings this irrigation through the veins. Thus the body, being nourished, in infants grows, and lengthens, and widens, and gradually acquires a suitable bulk; but when it has arrived at its determined measure, then it ceases from growth and is only nourished; thus the Maker of all things provides for our nature, and not only forms it, but also continues to nourish it, and not only nourishes it, but also undertakes all our other care. But I am at a loss as to how I shall praise the Maker; for the diversity of his providence for us overcomes the mind, all reason gives way to the wisdom of creation, no one can attain to discern the constitution of bodies. This alone is sufficient for you for a hymn to the creator. You do not stoop towards the earth like the irrational animals, nor do you bend towards your belly like the swine; only look up, and behold his providence. He created you alone of the animals upright, supported on two feet, and each of these He has made not of one limb, but composed of three, and bound in three joints; and one He fitted to the hip, another He joined to the knees, and the other He entrusted to the ankles. And with strong sinews He bound the joints together, and in the muscles He implanted voluntary movements; and He made the ligaments neither too loose, nor again excessively tight; for the one would have entirely taken away movement, while the others would have caused the joints to slip and slide from one another. Through this providence of His, you both walk and run when you wish, and have the power of standing and sitting. But see also another kind of care. For so that you might not be distressed sitting on bare joints, but might remain without pain when you make your seat on the ground and on stone, He has placed around you the flesh of the buttocks as a kind of natural mattress; but you are similarly ungrateful. Not

15

ὠθοῦντος αὐτὸ καὶ κινεῖσθαι βιαζομένου, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα νοτίδος ἀπολαύῃ, τέγγοντος αὐτὸ καὶ ὑγραίνοντος, καὶ ξηραίνεσθαι αὐτὸ παντελῶς οὐκ ἐῶντος. Τίς τῶν φιλοτίμων πώποτε, καὶ λίαν εὐπό ρων, οἰκίαν δειμάμενος, οὕτως ὁλκῶν ὑδραγωγῶν προμηθεῖται, καὶ κρουνοῖς ἀφθονίαν ἐπινοεῖ, καὶ κρήνας καὶ ληνοὺς εἰς τέρψιν παρασκευάζει, ὡς ὁ ∆ημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων τὴν λογικὴν ταύτην οἰκίαν τε κτηνάμενος, τοσούτοις αὐτὴν καὶ τηλικούτοις περι εστοίχισεν ἀγγείοις χορηγοῦσι τὴν χρείαν; Τίς δὲ οὕτως ἀρχιτέκτων ὢν, ζεφύρου πνοαῖς καταπνεῖσθαι τὰς οἰκίας μηχανώμενος, εὐρύνει τὰς εἰσόδους τοῦ πνεύματος, ὡς ὁ ἀριστοτέχνης Θεὸς, καὶ τὸ καπνῶδες καὶ λιγνυῶδες ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἐξιέναι πνεῦμα, καὶ τὸ καθαρὸν εἰσρεῖν καὶ διατρέχειν εἰς ἁπάσας τὰς ἀρτηρίας ἐμηχανήσατο; Τίς δὲ φυτουργῶν οὕτως ὀχετηγεῖ τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ ταῖς ῥίζαις τῶν φυτῶν τὴν ἀρδείαν προσφέρει, ὡς ὁ τὸ ζῶον τοῦτο φυτεύσας, καὶ τὴν κτίσιν ἅπασαν δημιουργή σας, ἀῤῥήτως ἐπιφέρει διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν τὴν ἀρδείαν τοῖς τοῦ σώματος μέλεσιν; Τῶν γὰρ ἀψύχων δένδρων οὐδὲν κατὰ τὴν τροφὴν οἱ ἄνθρωποι διαφέρομεν· ὁμοίως γὰρ ἐκείνοις ταύτης ὑπάρχομεν ἐνδεεῖς. Τό τε γὰρ δένδρον μὴ τρεφόμενον αὖον γίνεται καὶ ξηρὸν, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος λιμῷ πιεζόμενος, ὡσαύτως πᾶν τὸ ὑγρὸν ἀποτίθεται, καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ παραπέμπεται. Καθάπερ τοίνυν τὰ δένδρα, ἢ τὸν ἐκ νεφῶν ὑετὸν, ἢ τὰ ἐκ ποταμῶν καὶ πηγῶν δεχόμενα νάματα, ἕλκει μὲν διὰ τῶν ῥιζῶν τὴν νοτίδα, τρέφει δὲ τοὺς κλάδους, καὶ τὸν φλοιὸν, καὶ τὴν ἐντεριώνην, τίκτει τε φύλλα, καὶ ἄνθος φύει, καὶ πεπαίνει καρπούς· οὕτω τόδε τὸ ζῶον δέχεται μὲν ἐν τῷ στόματι τὴν τροφὴν, καὶ γίνεται τοῦτο πηγὴ, ὁλκὸν δὲ ὁ οἰσοφάγος μιμεῖται, ὃν στόμαχον ὀνομάζειν εἰώθα μεν· ἡ δὲ γαστὴρ, οἷόν τις ῥίζα, ταύτην ὑποδεχο μένη, καθάπερ τινὶ τῶν κλάδων ὑποβάθρᾳ, παρα πέμπει τῷ ἥπατι. Τὸ δὲ, οὐκ ἀνέχεται μόνον τῆς χρείας ἀπολαύειν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσι τοῖς μορίοις τοῦ σώμα 83.597 τος ταύτην διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν τὴν ἀρδείαν προσφέρει. Οὕτω τὸ σῶμα τρεφόμενον, ἐν μὲν τοῖς βρέφεσιν αὔξεται, καὶ μηκύνεται, καὶ εὐρύνεται, καὶ πρόσφο ρον κατὰ βραχὺ προσλαμβάνει τὸν ὄγκον· ὅταν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὡρισμένον ἀφίκηται μέτρον, τηνικαῦτα τῆς μὲν αὔξης παύεται, τρέφεται δὲ μόνον· οὕτως ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων Ποιητὴς τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως προμηθεῖται, καὶ οὐ διαπλάττει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διατρέφων διατε λεῖ, καὶ οὐ διατρέφει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν ἡμῶν κηδεμονίαν ποιεῖται. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀπορῶ, πῶς ὑμνήσω τὸν Ποιητήν· νικᾷ γὰρ τὴν διάνοιαν τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς προνοίας ἡ ποικιλία, παραχωρεῖ πᾶς λόγος τῇ τῆς δημιουργίας σοφίᾳ, οὐδεὶς ἐξικνεῖται διαγνῶναι τὴν τῶν σωμάτων κατασκευήν. Ἀπόχρη σοι καὶ τοῦτο μόνον εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τοῦ κτίσαντος. Οὐκ εἰς γῆν διακύπτεις τοῖς ἀλόγοις παραπλησίως, οὐδ' εἰς γαστέρα διανεύεις κατὰ τοὺς χοίρους· ἀνά βλεψον μόνον, καὶ βλέπε τὴν πρόνοιαν. Ὄρθιον σὲ μόνον τῶν ζώων ἐδημιούργησεν, ἐπὶ δύο ποδῶν ὀχούμενον, καὶ τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον, οὐκ ἐξ ἑνὸς πε ποίηκε κώλου, ἀλλ' ἐκ τριῶν συνέθηκε, καὶ εἰς τρεῖς ἁρμονίας ἐνέδησε· καὶ τὴν μὲν τῷ ἰσχίῳ συνήρμοσε, τὴν δὲ τοῖς γόνασι συνέφυσε, τὴν ἑτέραν δὲ τοῖς ἀστραγάλοις ἐπίστευσε. Καὶ νεύροις ἰσχυροῖς τὰς ἁρμονίας συνέσφιγξε, καὶ μυσὶ τὰς ἑκουσίους κινή σεις ἐνέφυσε· καὶ οὔτε χαλαρὰ λίαν, οὔτε πάλιν κο μιδῇ τεταμένα πεποίηκε τὰ δεσμά· τὰ μὲν γὰρ, παντάπασιν ἀφῃρεῖτο τὴν κίνησιν, τὰ δὲ, διαφεύγειν καὶ διολισθαίνειν ἀλλήλων ἐποίει τὰ ἄρθρα. ∆ιὰ ταύ την αὐτοῦ τὴν προμήθειαν, καὶ βαδίζεις, καὶ τρέχεις ὅταν θέλῃς, καὶ στάσεως καὶ καθέδρας τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχεις. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἕτερον κηδεμονίας εἶδος. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ δυσχεραίνῃς ἐπὶ γυμνῶν τῶν ἄρθρων καθήμενος, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἐδάφους καὶ λίθου τὴν καθέδραν ποιούμενος ἄλυπος διαμένῃς, οἷόν τινά σοι στρωμνὴν αὐ τοφυῆ τὸ τῶν γλουτῶν περιτέθεικε σῶμα· σὺ δὲ ὁμοίως ἀχαριστεῖς. Οὐ