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For this one, clearly, the last is most honorable. For just as the lovers of glory hunt for glory for themselves even from the wearing of their garments, striving to be looked upon and envied for the costliness of their clothing; so, clearly, it is fitting for the one who has cast his life down to the lowest point through humility to choose in these matters also what is last of all. For just as at the public supper the Corinthians are accused of shaming those who have not, by their own luxury; so, clearly, also in the common and public use of garments, a style of dress that is above the many shames the poor man, as it were, by comparison. And when the Apostle says, “Do not set your minds on high things, but associate with the humble,” let each one examine himself, whether likeness to whom is more fitting for Christians: to those who live in royal palaces and are clothed in soft garments, or to the angel and herald of the Lord’s coming, of whom a greater has not arisen among those born of women. I mean John, the son of Zacharias, whose garment was of camel’s hair. And the saints of old went about in sheepskins, in goatskins. And the Apostle has suggested the purpose of their use, saying in a single phrase, "Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content," since we need only covering; but not, however, of variety, and of the adornment from it, which falls into the forbidden ostentation; that I say not something worse. For these things were introduced later into life through curious and vain artifice. And the first use of coverings is also clear, which God himself gave to those in need. For He made for them, it says, tunics of skins. For such a use of tunics was sufficient for the covering of the unseemly parts. But since another purpose also enters in, that of being warmed by the coverings, it is necessary that their use be aimed at both, 31.980 to cover our unseemly parts, and to be a protection against the harm of the elements. However, since even among these things, some are very useful, and others less so, it is consistent to prefer whatever can be extended to more uses, so that the principle of having no possessions is not harmed at all; and that we not have some things prepared for show, and others for use at home; and these again, some for the daytime, and others as coverings for the night; but to contrive the possession of one such thing, which can suffice for us for everything, both for decent covering during the day and for what is necessary at night. And from this it follows that we also share a common habit with one another, and that, as it were, a certain distinctive mark is placed upon the Christian even from his clothing. For things that tend toward one purpose are for the most part the same as one another. It is also useful for the particularity of the clothing to proclaim each one, and to bear witness beforehand to the profession of the life according to God; so that it follows that action is also demanded by those who meet us. For the unbecoming and unseemly does not appear in the same way in ordinary people and in those who profess great things. For a common person, or some ordinary man, giving or receiving blows in public, and uttering indecent cries, and spending time in taverns, and behaving unseemly in other similar ways, one would not easily even notice, accepting that what happens is consistent with the whole choice of his life; but as for one who has made a profession of exactness, even if he overlooks the least of his duties, all watch him, and bring it up to him as a reproach, making true the saying that, "They will turn and tear you to pieces." So that the profession made through the habit of dress is, as it were, a certain training for the weaker, so that even against their will they may be kept from base things. Therefore, as there is something distinctive for a soldier in his clothing, and another for a senator, and another for another, from which their ranks are, for the most part, conjectured, so there is also to be a certain particularity for a Christian, even from the

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τούτῳ, δηλονότι, τὸ ἔσχατον προτιμότατον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ φιλόδοξοι καὶ ἐκ τῆς περιβολῆς τῶν ἐνδυμά των τὴν δόξαν ἑαυτοῖς θηρῶνται, ἀποβλέπεσθαι καὶ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐπὶ τῇ πολυτελείᾳ τῆς ἐσθῆτος φιλοτιμού μενοι· οὕτω, δηλονότι, τὸν εἰς ἔσχατον αὑτοῦ τὴν ζωὴν διὰ τῆς ταπεινώσεως καταβαλόντα αἱρεῖ σθαι προσήκει καὶ ἐν τούτοις τὸ πάντων ἔσχατον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ δημοσίῳ δείπνῳ ἐγκαλοῦνται Κο ρίνθιοι, ὡς τῇ ἑαυτῶν πολυτελείᾳ καταισχύνοντες τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας· οὕτω, δηλονότι, καὶ ἐν τῇ κοινῇ καὶ προφανεῖ τῶν ἐνδυμάτων χρήσει ὁ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς σχηματισμὸς οἱονεὶ διὰ τῆς συγκρίσεως καταισχύνει τὸν πένητα. Τοῦ δὲ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Μὴ τὰ ὑψηλὰ φρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συν απαγόμενοι, ἐξεταζέτω ἕκαστος ἑαυτὸν, ἡ πρὸς τίνα ὁμοίωσις ἁρμοδιωτέρα ἐστὶ Χριστιανοῖς, τοὺς ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις οἰκοῦντας, καὶ τὰ μαλακὰ ἠμφιεσμένους, ἢ ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον καὶ κήρυκα τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπιδημίας, οὗ μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐκ ἐγήγερται. Ἰωάννην λέγω, τὸν τοῦ Ζαχαρίου, οὗ τὸ ἔνδυμα ἦν ἐκ τριχῶν καμήλου. Καὶ οἱ πάλαι δὲ ἅγιοι περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασι. Τὸν δὲ σκοπὸν τῆς χρήσεως ὑπέβαλεν ὁ Ἀπό στολος, διὰ μιᾶς λέξεως εἰπών· Ἔχοντες διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα, ὡς τῆς σκέπης ἡμῶν προσδεομένων μόνης· οὐκέτι μέντοι καὶ τῆς ποικιλίας, καὶ τοῦ ἀπ' αὐτῆς καλλω πισμοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀπηγορευμένην περπερίαν ἐκπιπτόν των· ἵνα μή τι χεῖρον λέγω. Ταῦτα γὰρ ὕστερον ἐπεισήχθη διὰ τῆς περιέργου ματαιοτεχνίας τῷ βίῳ. ∆ήλη δὲ καὶ ἡ πρώτη τῶν σκεπασμάτων χρῆσις, ἣν αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἐπιδεηθεῖσιν ἔδωκεν. Ἐποίησε γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς χιτῶνας δερματίνους. Πρὸς γὰρ τὴν τῶν ἀσχημόνων ἐπικάλυψιν ἐξήρκει καὶ ἡ τοιαύτη τῶν χιτώνων χρῆσις. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἕτερος σκοπὸς συνεισέρχεται, ὁ τοῦ θάλπεσθαι διὰ τῶν σκεπασμάτων, ἀνάγκη ἀμφοτέρων ἐστοχα 31.980 σμένην εἶναι τὴν χρῆσιν, τοῦ τε περιστέλλειν ἡμῶν τὰ ἀσχήμονα, καὶ τοῦ ἀλεξήματα εἶναι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀέρων βλάβην. Ἐπεὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς· τούτοις τὰ μὲν ἔστι πολύχρηστα, τὰ δὲ ἥττονα, ἀκόλουθον προτιμᾷν ὅσα ἐπὶ πλείονας ἕλκεσθαι χρείας δύναται, ὥστε μηδὲν τὸν τῆς ἀκτημοσύνης παρα βλάπτεσθαι λόγον· καὶ μὴ ἄλλα μὲν εἶναι τὰ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἡμῖν παρεσκευασμένα, ἄλλα δὲ πρὸς τὴν κατ' οἶκον χρείαν· καὶ ταῦτα πάλιν ἕτερα μὲν τὰ μεθημερινὰ, ἕτερα δὲ τὰ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐπιβλή ματα· ἀλλὰ ἐπινοεῖν ἑνὸς τοιούτου τὴν κτῆσιν, ὃ πρὸς πάντα ἡμῖν ἐξαρκεῖν δύναται, πρός τε τὴν εὐ σχήμονα μεθ' ἡμέραν περιβολὴν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀναγ καίαν ἐν τῇ νυκτί. Ἐκ δὲ τούτου συμβαίνει ἡμᾶς καὶ τῷ σχήματι κοινωνεῖν ἀλλήλοις, καὶ οἱονεὶ χαρα κτῆρά τινα ἰδιάζοντα καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐνδύματος τῷ Χρι στιανῷ ἐπικεῖσθαι. Τὰ γὰρ πρὸς ἕνα σκοπὸν συν τείνοντα ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ταυτά ἐστιν ἀλλήλοις. Χρήσιμον δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἰδίωμα προ κηρυττούσης ἕκαστον, καὶ προδιαμαρτυρομένης τὸ ἐπάγγελμα τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ζωῆς· ὥστε ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν παρὰ τῶν συντυγχανόντων ἡμῖν ἀπαιτεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως τὸ ἀπρεπὲς καὶ ἄσχη μον ἐν τοῖς τυχοῦσι καὶ ἐν τοῖς μεγάλα ὑπισχνου μένοις διαφαίνεται. ∆ημότην μὲν γὰρ, ἤ τινα τῶν τυχόντων διδόντα πληγὰς ἢ λαμβάνοντα δημοσίᾳ, καὶ φωνὰς ἀπρεπεῖς ἀφιέντα, καὶ ἐν καπηλείοις διαιτώμενον, καὶ ἄλλα παραπλήσια τούτοις ἀσχη μονοῦντα, οὐκ ἄν τις ῥᾳδίως οὐδὲ παρατηρήσειεν, ἀκόλουθα εἶναι τῇ ὅλῃ προαιρήσει τοῦ βίου καταδε χόμενος τὰ γινόμενα· τὸν δὲ ἐν ἐπαγγέλματι ἀκρι βείας, κἂν τὸ τυχὸν παρίδῃ τῶν καθηκόντων, πάντες ἐπιτηροῦσι, καὶ ἀντ' ὀνείδους αὐτῷ προφέρουσι, ποιοῦντες τὸ εἰρημένον ὅτι, Στραφέντες ῥήξουσιν ὑμᾶς. Ὥστε οἱονεὶ παιδαγωγία τίς ἐστι τοῖς ἀσθε νεστέροις, πρὸς τὸ καὶ ἄκοντας αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν φαύ λων εἴργεσθαι, ἡ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος ἐπαγγελία. Ὡς οὖν ἐστί τι στρατιώτου ἴδιον ἐν τῷ ἐνδύματι, καὶ ἄλλο τοῦ συγκλητικοῦ, καὶ ἄλλο ἄλλου, ἀφ' ὧν εἰκάζεται αὐτῶν, ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον, τὰ ἀξιώματα, οὕτως εἶναί τινα καὶ Χριστιανοῦ ἰδιότητα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς