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finding fault with the precision. But through what had been said, it occurred to the great man that Alexander had not come to the memory of those voting and speaking without God. And who is this Alexander, he says, whom you have mentioned? Then when one of those present mockingly brought the aforementioned person into their midst, clothed in filthy rags that did not even cover his whole body, and at the same time revealing by his appearance his occupation, with his hands and face and the rest of his body begrimed from the work of a charcoal burner, he was a cause for laughter to the others, Alexander standing thus in their midst, but to that discerning eye what was happening and being seen caused great astonishment; a man in extreme poverty, and with a neglected body looking to himself, and as it were glorying in this appearance, which to uneducated eyes was ridiculous. For such was the case. And he had not come to such a life out of the necessity of poverty, but the man was also a philosopher, as his later life made known, and loftier than the rest, so as to even reach martyrdom, having completed his race through fire. But he attempted to remain unnoticed, or rather made it his practice, being superior to the good reputation sought by the many, and considering this life as nothing, having the desire for the higher and true life. And that he might best achieve his aim of virtue, being such a man he contrived to remain unnoticed, concealing himself under the most dishonorable of occupations as under a hideous mask. Moreover, being in the full bloom of youth, he considered it hazardous to his aim of chastity to make the beauty of his body conspicuous, as if parading the good fortune of his nature; for he knew that such a thing becomes for many an occasion for grievous falls. 46.937 Therefore, that he might neither suffer anything undesirable, nor become an occasion of passion for others’ eyes, for this reason he voluntarily puts on the occupation of a charcoal-burner like some hideous mask, by which his body was trained for virtue through labors, and his beauty was covered by the filth of the charcoal, and at the same time what he gained from his labors was administered for the service of the commandments. When, therefore, he had removed him from the council, and had learned everything about him with precision, he handed him over to his attendants, having instructed them what they should do; and he himself, returning to the council, instructed those assembled from the matters at hand, setting before them discourses concerning the priesthood, and through these outlining a life according to virtue. And he continued in such discourses, holding the attention of the assembly, until his attendants, having fulfilled what had been commanded, appeared, having with them Alexander, who had washed away in a bath the unpleasantness of the soot, and was adorned in the great man’s robes. For he had commanded them to do these things. But when all turned toward Alexander, and were disposed to marvel at the sight, "You have experienced nothing new," the teacher says to them, "having been deceived by your eyes, and having entrusted the judgment of beauty to sense alone. For sense is a treacherous criterion of the truth of things, closing off by itself the entrance to the depth of the mind. At the same time, this was surely pleasing to the demon enemy of piety, that the chosen vessel should lie idle, concealed by ignorance, and that a man who was to be the destroyer of his dominion should not come forth into their midst." Having said these things, he offers the man to God through the priesthood, having perfected him with grace in the customary manner. And while all were looking at the new priest, having been urged to deliver a discourse to the church, Alexander showed immediately in the beginnings of his office that the judgment of the great Gregory concerning him was not false. For his discourse was full of thought, though less adorned with the flower of rhetoric. Wherefore a certain arrogant youth from Attica visiting among them, scoffed at the lack of beauty in his speech, because it was not adorned with Attic refinement; whom they say, by a more divine

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ἀκρίβειαν καταμεμφόμενος. Τῷ δὲ μεγάλῳ γίνεται διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐνθύμιον, μὴ ἀθεεὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἐν μνήμῃ τῶν ψηφιζομένων καὶ εἰρημέ νων γενέσθαι. Καὶ τίς οὗτος, φησὶν, ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, οὗ τὴν μνήμην πεποίησθε; Εἶτά τινος τῶν συμπαρόν των ἐν γέλωτι παραγαγόντος εἰς μέσον τὸν μνημονευ θέντα, ῥακίοις πιναροῖς ἠμφιεσμένον, οὐδὲ ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι, καὶ ἅμα δεικνύντα τῷ φαινομένῳ τὴν ἐργασίαν χερσί τε καὶ προσώπῳ, καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ σώματι κατεῤῥυπωμένον τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τῶν ἀνθράκων, τοῖς μὲν λοιποῖς γέλωτος ἦν ὑπόθεσις, ἐν μέ σοις τοιοῦτος ἑστὼς ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, τῷ δὲ διορα τικῷ ἐκείνῳ ὀφθαλμῷ πολλὴν παρεῖχεν ἔκπληξιν τὸ γινόμενόν τε καὶ ὁρώμενον· ἀνὴρ ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πενίᾳ, καὶ ἀπημελημένῳ τῷ σώματι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν βλέπων, καὶ οἷον ἐπαγαλλόμενος τούτῳ τῷ σχήματι, ὃ τοῖς ἀπαιδεύτοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἦν ἐπιγέλαστον. Καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἔχει. Καὶ οὐκ ἀνάγκῃ πενίας ἐπὶ τὸν τοι οῦτον ἐληλύθει βίον, ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλόσοφός τις ἦν ὁ ἀνὴρ, ὡς ὁ μετὰ ταῦτα βίος ἐγνώρισε, καὶ τῶν λοι πῶν ὑψηλότερος, ὡς καὶ μέχρι μαρτυρίου φθάσαι, διὰ πυρὸς τελειώσας τὸν δρόμον. Τὸ δὲ λανθάνειν ἐπ εχείρησεν, ἢ μᾶλλον ἐπετήδευσε, κρείττων ὑπάρχων τῆς ἐσπουδασμένης παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν εὐκληρίας, καὶ ἀντ' οὐδενὸς τὸν βίον ποιούμενος, τῆς ὑψηλοτέρας τε καὶ ἀληθοῦς ζωῆς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἔχων. Καὶ ὡς ἂν μάλιστα τὸν πρὸς ἀρετὴν σκοπὸν κατορθώσειε, λαν θάνειν ἐμηχανᾶτο τοιοῦτος ὢν, τῷ ἀτιμοτέρῳ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων οἷον εἰδεχθεῖ προσωπείῳ ὑποκρυπτό μενος. Ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ ὑπερανθῶν τῇ νεότητι, σφα λερὸν ἡγεῖτο τῷ τῆς σωφροσύνης σκοπῷ, φανερὸν ποιεῖν τὸ κάλλος τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὥσπερ ἐμ πομπεύων τῇ εὐκληρίᾳ τῆς φύσεως· ᾔδει γὰρ χαλε πῶν καταπτωμάτων ἀφορμὴν τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸ τοιοῦ τον γινόμενον. 46.937 Ὡς ἂν οὖν μήτε πάθοι τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων, μήτε πάθους ὑπόθεσις ἀλλοτρίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς κατασταίη, διὰ τοῦτο καθάπερ τι προσωπεῖον εἰδεχθὲς τὴν ἀν θρακοποιίαν ἑκουσίως ἑαυτῷ περιτίθησι, δι' ἧς τὸ σῶμα τοῖς πόνοις πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἐγυμνάζετο, καὶ τὸ κάλλος τῷ ῥύπῳ τῶν ἀνθράκων ἐπεκαλύπτετο, καὶ ἅμα τὸ ἐκ τῶν πόνων αὐτῷ προσγινόμενον εἰς ἐντο λῶν ὑπηρεσίαν ᾠκονόμητο. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν μεταστή σας αὐτὸν τοῦ συνεδρίου, καὶ πάντα τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπύθετο, τὸν μὲν δίδωσι τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν ἐντειλάμενος ἃ πράττειν ἐχρῆν· αὐτὸς δὲ πάλιν καταλαβὼν τὸ συνέδριον, ἐκ τῶν ἐν χερσὶ τοὺς συνει λεγμένους ἐπαίδευε, τοὺς περὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης αὐ τοῖς λόγους παρατιθέμενος, καὶ διὰ τούτων τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν ὑπογράφων βίον. Καὶ διῆγεν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις λόγοις παρακατέχων τὸν σύλλογον, ἕως ἐκπληρώσαν τες οἱ ὑπηρετοῦντες αὐτῷ τὸ προστεταγμένον ἐπ έστησαν, ἔχοντες μεθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον, λουτρῷ τε τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀσβόλων ἀηδίαν ἀποκλυσάμενον, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ μεγάλου ἱματίοις ἐστολισμένον. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐντειλάμενος ποιῆσαι. Πάντων δὲ πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἐπιστραφέντων, καὶ θαυμαστικῶς πρὸς τὸ φαινόμενον διακειμένων, Οὐδὲν καινὸν πεπόν θατε, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ διδάσκαλος, ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀπατηθέντες, καὶ τῇ αἰσθήσει μόνῃ τὴν κρίσιν τοῦ κάλλους ἐπιτρέψαντες. Σφαλερὸν γὰρ κριτή ριον τῆς τῶν ὄντων ἀληθείας ἡ αἴσθησις, τὴν πρὸς τὸ βάθος τῆς διανοίας εἴσοδον δι' ἑαυτῆς ἀπο κλείουσα. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐχθρῷ δαίμονι τοῦτο φίλον ἦν πάντως ἀργῆσαι τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ συγκαλυπτόμε νον, μηδὲ παρελθεῖν εἰς μέσον ἄνδρα, τῆς ἐκείνου δυναστείας καθαιρέτην ἐσόμενον. Ταῦτα εἰπὼν προσάγει τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὸν ἄνδρα κατὰ τὸν νενομισμένον τρόπον τελειώσας τῇ χάριτι. Πάντων δὲ πρὸς τὸν νέον ἱερέα ἀποβλεπόντων, προτρα πείς τινα πρὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν λόγον ποιήσασθαι, ἔδειξεν εὐθὺς ἐν προοιμίοις τῆς ἀρχῆς ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἄψευστον ἐπ' αὐτῷ τοῦ μεγάλου Γρηγορίου τὴν κρί σιν. Ἦν γὰρ αὐτῷ πλήρης διανοίας ὁ λόγος, ἧττον τῷ ἄνθει κεκαλλωπισμένος τῆς λέξεως. Ὅθεν τις τῶν νέων ἀγέρωχος ἐκ τῆς Ἀτθίδος αὐτοῖς ἐπιχω ριάζων, τὸ ἀκαλλὲς τῆς λέξεως ὑπεγέλασεν, ὅτι μὴ τῇ περιεργίᾳ τῇ Ἀττικῇ κεκαλλώπιστο· ὅν φασιν ἐκ θειοτέρας