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to put an end, and to persuade him to think human thoughts, and to await the end both of life and of the kingdom. First, therefore, through these things He takes care of him, then by the forgetfulness of the dream He exposes the falsehood of the magi and the Chaldeans; and He shows the truth of His own servants, and through the wisdom of His servants He reveals His divine power, and He draws to His worship those who do not know Him, or rather, He compels those who demand worship from all to worship His holy servants. And this the history teaches us. 46. "For then," it says, "king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors to him." But consider how great was that arrogant man, that madman, who thought he was a God (for through another prophet God says to him: "But you are a man, and not God"), who made all men subject to him, to worship the captive, the Jew, who fulfilled the role of a slave, and to believe that through him he was worshipping his God. For on account of this, "an oblation and 81.1312 sweet odors to be offered to him," that is, he commanded frankincense and incense to be offered to him. And through these things the history hints that he commanded those who appeared to be priests to do this. For he who worshipped would certainly have also offered the sweet odor, if he had been accustomed to act as a priest. But since this was entirely fitting for others, he himself did not attempt to do what was not proper, but he urges those who are accustomed to do this to do it. And lest he seem to worship a man in vain, he says to Daniel: "Of a truth your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, because you were able to reveal this mystery." The Ruler of all brought him so much benefit both from the dream and from the forgetting of the dream. For first he knew his own lowliness, then he learned the weakness of the gods worshipped by him, in addition to these things he was taught the power of the true God. For this reason he cries out: "Of a truth your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries." But he calls him God of gods, not according to the meaning of the divine Scripture; for the divine Scripture calls those who have been deemed worthy of the priesthood gods; "For," it says, "you shall not revile the gods, nor speak evil of a ruler of your people;" but this man called the idols gods; for he was not yet able to perceive their complete weakness. Nevertheless, he learned the difference, for which reason he also calls the God of all God of gods, and Lord of kings. Having confessed these things thus, 48. "He magnified Daniel, and gave him many gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the satraps, and over all the wise men of Babylon." And this also is characteristic of divine providence. The piety of the ruler brings the greatest benefit to his subjects; and the Lord also did this in the case of Joseph. And more concisely the blessed David, recounting the things concerning him, and hymning the divine providence, says: "He sent a man before them, Joseph was sold as a slave." Then, having spoken of the hardships that befell him, and having mentioned the prison, and the bonds, he added: "The king sent and loosed him; the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To instruct his princes as himself, and to teach his elders wisdom." Thus also in this case has the Ruler of all acted. For having appointed the thrice-blessed Daniel as ruler of the satraps and of the 81.1313 wise men of Babylon, He set him forth as an archetype of piety and of the other virtues; but nevertheless the prophet did not endure to enjoy this honor alone, but he took his companions in prayer as companions also in honor. 49. "For he requested," it says, "of the king, and he set over all the works of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Daniel

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καταλῦσαι, καὶ πεῖσαι φρο νεῖν ἀνθρώπινα, καὶ ἀναμένειν καὶ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ βασιλείας τὸ τέλος. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν διὰ τούτων αὐτοῦ ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ἔπειτα τῇ λήθῃ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου ἐλέγχει τὴν τῶν μάγων καὶ Χαλδαίων ψευ δολογίαν· δείκνυσι δὲ τὴν τῶν οἰκείων θεραπόντων ἀλήθειαν, καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν θεραπόντων σοφίας τὴν θείαν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν παραδηλοῖ, καὶ εἰς προσκύνησιν ἕλκει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας, μᾶλλον δὲ τοὺς τὴν παρὰ πάντων ἀπαιτοῦντας προσκύνησιν τοὺς ἁγίους αὑτοῦ θεράποντας προσκυνεῖν ἀναγκάζει. Καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. μ ϛʹ. "Τότε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς Ναβουχοδονό σορ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἔπεσε, καὶ τῷ ∆ανιὴλ προσεκύ νησε, καὶ μαναὰ καὶ εὐωδίαν εἶπε σπεῖσαι αὐτῷ." Ἐνθυμήθητι δὲ, ἡλίκον ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἀλαζόνα, τὸν μεμηνότα, τὸν καὶ Θεὸν εἶναι νομίσαντα (δι' ἑτέρου γὰρ προφήτου φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς αὐτόν· "Σὺ δὲ εἶ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς"), τὸν πάντας ἀν θρώπους ὑπηκόους ποιησάμενον, τὸν αἰχμάλωτον προσκυνεῖν τὸν Ἰουδαῖον, τὸν ἀνδραπόδου τάξιν ἀποπληροῦντα, καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι διὰ τούτου τὸν τούτου προσκυνεῖν Θεόν. Τούτου γὰρ χάριν "μαναὰ καὶ 81.1312 εὐωδίαν σπεῖσαι αὐτῷ," τουτέστι, λιβανωτὸν καὶ θυ μίαμα προσενεχθῆναι αὐτῷ ἐνετείλατο. Αἰνίττεται δὲ διὰ τούτων ἡ ἱστορία, ὡς τοῖς δοκοῦσιν ἱερεῦσι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι παρεγγύησεν. Ὁ γὰρ προσκυνήσας πάντως ἂν καὶ τὴν εὐωδίαν προσενηνόχει, εἴπερ ἱερατεύειν εἰώθει. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο ἄλλοις πάντως ἁρμόττον ἦν, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐπεχείρει ποιεῖν, ἃ μὴ προσῆκον ἦν, τοῖς δὲ ποιεῖν εἰωθόσι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι παρακελεύεται. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ, μάτην ἄνθρωπον προσκυνεῖν, λέγει τῷ ∆ανιήλ· "Ἐπ' ἀλη θείας ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν οὗτός ἐστι Θεὸς θεῶν, καὶ Κύ ριος τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια, ὅτι ἠδυνήθης ἀποκαλύψαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο." Το σαύτην ἔκ τε τοῦ ἐνυπνίου, καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἐν υπνίου λήθης ὠφέλειαν αὐτῷ τῶν ὅλων ὁ πρύτανις προσενήνοχε. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἔγων τὴν οἰκείαν εὐ τέλειαν, ἔπειτα μεμάθηκε τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ προσκυνου μένων θεῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν, πρὸς τούτοις ἐδιδάχθη τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ ὄντως Θεοῦ. Οὗ χάριν βοᾷ· "Ἐπ' ἀληθείας ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, οὗτός ἐστι Θεὸς τῶν θεῶν, καὶ Κύριος τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια." Θεὸν δὲ θεῶν προσαγορεύει, οὐ κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν τῆς θείας Γραφῆς· ἡ μὲν γὰρ θεία Γραφὴ τοὺς ἠξιωμένους ἱερωσύνης ὀνομάζει θεούς· "Θεοὺς γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐ κακολογήσεις, καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς·" οὗτος δὲ θεοὺς τὰ εἴδωλα προσηγόρευσεν· οὐδέπω γὰρ ἠδυνήθη τὸ παν τελῶς αὐτῶν ἀσθενὲς συνιδεῖν. Μεμάθηκε δὲ ὅμως τὸ διάφορον, διὸ καὶ Θεὸν τῶν θεῶν τὸν τῶν ὅλων προσαγορεύει Θεὸν, καὶ Κύριον βασιλέων. Ταῦθ' οὕτως ὁμολογήσας, μηʹ. "Ἐμεγάλυνε τὸν ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ δόματα πολλὰ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς χώρας Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ ἄρχοντα σατραπῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος." Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς θείας κηδεμονίας ἴδιον. Μεγίστην φέρει τοῖς ὑπ ηκόοις τὴν ὠφέλειαν τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἡ εὐσέβεια· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ πεποίηκεν ὁ ∆εσπότης. Καὶ συν τομώτερον ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν διηγού μενος, καὶ τὴν θείαν πρόνοιαν ὑμνῶν, φησίν· "Ἐξ απέστειλεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν ἄνθρωπον, εἰς δοῦλον ἐπράθη ὁ Ἰωσήφ." Εἶτα τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτῷ δυσ χερήματα λέξας, καὶ τῆς εἱρκτῆς, καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν μνημονεύσας, ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἀπέστειλε βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἔλυσεν αὐτὸν ἄρχων λαοῦ, καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν, καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν κύριον τοῦ οἴκου αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἄρ χοντα πάσης τῆς κτήσεως αὑτοῦ· παιδεῦσαι τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους αὐτοῦ σοφίσαι." Οὕτω κἀντεῦθεν πεποίηκε τῶν ὅλων ὁ Πρύτανις. Ἄρχοντα γὰρ σατραπῶν καὶ τῶν 81.1313 σοφῶν Βαβυλῶνος τὸν τρισμακάριον ∆ανιὴλ καταστή σας, ἀρχέτυπον αὐτὸν εὐσεβείας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης προὔθηκεν ἀρετῆς· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἠνέσχετο μόνος ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς τιμῆς ὁ προφήτης, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κοινωνοὺς τῆς εὐχῆς κοινωνοὺς ἔλαβε καὶ τῆς τιμῆς. μθʹ. "Ἠτήσατο γὰρ, φησὶ, παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ κατέστησεν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα τῆς χώρας Βα βυλῶνος τὸν Σιδρὰχ, Μισὰχ, καὶ Ἀβδεναγὼ, καὶ ∆ανιὴλ