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and he was well-disposed to the king. Or, That he was faithful; that is, he trusted in God, and He governed all things; and with God governing, what harm could there be? What then does it say? Those tacticians said, We shall not find any pretext against Daniel, unless it is in the laws of his God. Nothing, it says, is possible to find. Why? Is he not a man? has he become faultless in all things? The future is uncertain, and how do you pronounce upon future things? And it says, We have experience from the facts. Unless it is in the laws, it says, of his God, we shall not find a pretext. And yet there he is much more unassailable. God allows the temptation for a test. For was he not able to hinder their wickedness? But so that through this you may learn, and admire him, He does not begrudge the crown to His servants. Then the tacticians and the satraps came before the king, and said to him: O King Darius, live forever. All the commanders of your kingdom, the satraps, the consuls and the toparchs have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to enforce a decree, that whoever asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except from you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 56.226 Now therefore, O king, establish the decree, and set forth the writing, so that the ordinance of the Medes and Persians may not be altered, so that it may not be set aside in opposition to this. Then King Darius commanded the decree to be written. See what they are doing, how they were eager to establish an irrational decree. And they ask this with haste. For did saying, "Whoever asks of a man," have any reason? But they seemed to be sophisticating the matter of the petition by the short time. What is this pretext? why did you say this? It seemed good, he says; we all came together and ratified this, that for thirty days petitions should be made only to you. O barbaric request! O favor full of much irrationality, shaming the very one who seems to be honored! For if this is good, it ought to be perpetual; but if it is bad, not even for the thirty days. Again, if it is good, why do you put forth the multitude? For even without this, one must assent; but if it is bad, one should not yield even if the whole world commands it. The king did not foresee the deceit; and this is clear from what came after. For he decreed, and they secured it with writings, so that even if he wished to afterwards, there would be no opportunity to rescind it. What then does Daniel say when he heard? He was not troubled, he did not add, he did not take away. See the virtuous man always living evenly, as if running past all things like certain flowers, as if viewing both good and painful things in shadows. For if in the beginning he remained so undaunted, much more so now after the experience of the contests, having bound on so many crowns. For what reason did he not go? For what reason did he not find fault, having such great freedom of speech with the king? He did not wish to do this with words, but with deeds. And otherwise we find him everywhere, when need calls, hastening and presenting himself. And when Daniel knew that the decree was commanded, he went into his house; and the windows were open in his upper rooms toward Jerusalem; and three times a day he knelt upon his knees, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. For what reason did he remind us of the windows, that they were open toward Jerusalem? They had a strong desire for the sight. Therefore just as someone having a loved one who is absent loves even the roads that lead there, so also did he. Others desired it for the sake of physical things, but he did not, but for the glory of God. Since that this is so, is clear from this: for he did not choose to go up, since the thing he sought had received its end for him. For this reason we also, as our fathers handed down to us, pray facing the east, we too seek a city and 56.227 an ancient fatherland; for it is truly worthy to seek. How, when God is everywhere, and the prophet says, To him who rides upon the west, the Lord is his name; are we turned toward the east? There, as it were, was the ancient place of healing. But you did not receive

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καὶ εὔνους τῷ βασιλεῖ ἦν. Ἢ, Ὅτι πιστὸς ἦν· τουτέστι, ἐθάῤῥει τῷ Θεῷ, κἀκεῖνος πάντα ἐκυ βέρνα· Θεοῦ δὲ κυβερνῶντος, τίς ἂν γένοιτο βλάβη; Τί οὖν φησι; Εἶπον οἱ τακτικοὶ ἐκεῖνοι, Οὐχ εὑρή σομεν κατὰ ∆ανιὴλ πρόφασιν, εἰ μὴ ἐν νομίμοις Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ. Οὐδὲν, φησὶ, δυνατὸν εὑρεῖν. ∆ιὰ τί; Μὴ οὐκ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν; ἐν πᾶσιν ἄπταιστος γέγονεν; Τὸ μέλλον ἄδηλον, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων πῶς ἀπο φαίνεσθε; Καί φησι, Πεῖραν ἐλάβομεν ἀπὸ τῶν πρα γμάτων. Εἰ μὴ ἐν νομίμοις, φησὶ, Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ εὑρήσομεν πρόφασιν. Καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖ ἄληπτος πολλῷ πλέον. Συγχωρεῖ τὸν πειρασμὸν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς δοκιμήν. Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο κωλῦσαι τὴν κακίαν ἐκείνων; Ἀλλ' ἵνα διὰ τούτου μάθῃς, καὶ τοῦτον θαυμάσῃς, οὐ φθονεῖ τοῦ στεφάνου τοῖς οἰκέτοις αὐτοῦ. Τότε οἱ τακτικοὶ καὶ οἱ σατράπαι παρέστη σαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· ∆αρεῖε βασιλεῦ, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ζῆθι. Συνεβουλεύσαντο πάντες οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας σου στρατηγοὶ καὶ σατρά παι, ὕπατοι καὶ τοπάρχαι, τοῦ στῆσαι στάσει βασιλικῇ, καὶ ἐνισχῦσαι ὁρισμὸν, ὅπως ὃς ἂν αἰτήσῃ παρὰ παντὸς θεοῦ ἢ ἀνθρώπου αἴτημα ἕως ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα, ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ σοῦ, βασι λεῦ, ἐμβληθήσεται εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων. 56.226 Νῦν οὖν, βασιλεῦ, στῆσον τὸν ὁρισμὸν, καὶ ἔκθες γραφὴν, ὅπως μὴ ἀλλοιωθῇ τὸ δόγμα Μή δων καὶ Περσῶν, ὅπως ἂν μὴ παραγραφῇ κατ έναντι τούτου. Τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ∆αρεῖος ἐπέταξε γραφῆναι τὸ δόγμα. Ὅρα τί ποιοῦσι, πῶς ἀλόγιστον δόγμα ἐσπούδαζον στῆσαι. Καὶ κατὰ σπουδὴν τοῦτο αἰτοῦσι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ λέγειν, Ὃς ἂν αἰτήσῃ παρὰ ἀν θρώπου, λόγον εἶχεν; Ἀλλ' ἐδόκουν σοφίζεσθαι τὸν λόγον τῆς αἰτήσεως τῷ βραχεῖ χρόνῳ. Ποία ὑπόθεσις αὕτη; διὰ τί τοῦτο εἶπες; Ἔδοξε, φησί· πάντες συν ελθόντες τοῦτο ἐκυρώσαμεν, ὥστε ἐν τριάκοντα ἡμέ ραις παρὰ σοῦ μόνου αἰτεῖν. Ὦ βαρβαρικὸν αἴτημα· ὦ πολλῆς ἀλογίας γέμουσα χάρις, αὐτὸν τὸν δοκοῦντα τιμᾶσθαι καταισχύνουσα! Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο καλὸν, ἔδει διηνεκὲς τοῦτο εἶναι· εἰ δὲ φαῦλον, οὐδὲ τὰς τριάκοντα ἡμέρας. Πάλιν εἰ καλὸν, τί τὸ πλῆθος προβάλλεσθε; Καὶ γὰρ χωρὶς τούτου ἐπινεῦσαι δεῖ· εἰ δὲ φαῦλον, οὐδὲ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης κελευούσης ὑπείκειν ἐχρῆν. Οὐ προεῖδε τὸν δόλον ὁ βασιλεύς· καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα. Ὥρισε γὰρ, καὶ γράμμασιν αὐτὸν [f. αὐτὸ] ἠσφαλίσαντο, ὥστε μηδὲ βουλομένῳ μετὰ ταῦτα γενέσθαι καιρὸν τοῦ ἀνανεῦ σαι. Τί οὖν ἀκούσας φησὶν ὁ ∆ανιήλ; Οὐκ ἐταράχθη, οὐ προσέθηκεν, οὐκ ἀφεῖλεν. Ὅρα τὸν ἐνάρετον ὁμα λῶς ἀεὶ ζῶντα, ὥσπερ τινὰ ἄνθη παρατρέχοντα πάν τα, ὥσπερ ἐν σκιαῖς καὶ τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ τὰ λυπηρὰ θεώμενον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν ἀρχῇ οὕτως ἀκατάπληκτος ἔμενε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν τῶν ἀγώνων το σούτους ἀναδησάμενος στεφάνους. Τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ προσῆλθε; τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐμέμψατο, τοσαύτην παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ παῤῥησίαν ἔχων; Οὐκ ἐβούλετο ῥήμασιν, ἀλλὰ πράγμασι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Ἄλλως δὲ πανταχοῦ αὐτὸν εὑρίσκομεν, τῆς χρείας καλούσης, ἐπιπηδῶντα, καὶ παραγινόμενον. Καὶ ∆ανιὴλ ἡνίκα ἔγνω ὅτι ἐνετάγη τὸ δόγμα, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ· καὶ αἱ θυρίδες ἀνεῳγμέναι ἐν τοῖς ὑπερῴοις αὐ τοῦ κατέναντι Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ καιροὺς τρεῖς τῆς ἡμέρας ἦν κάμπτων ἐπὶ τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσευχόμενος, καὶ ἐξομολογούμενος ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, καθὼς ἦν ποιῶν ἔμπροσθεν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν τῶν θυρίδων ἡμᾶς ἀνέμνησεν, ὅτι ἀνεῳ γμέναι ἦσαν πρὸς Ἱερουσαλήμ; Σφοδρὸν τῆς θέας εἶχον πόθον. Καθάπερ οὖν τις ποθουμένην ἔχων ἀποῦ σαν, καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς τὰς ἐκεῖ φερούσας φιλεῖ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος. Ἐπεθύμουν δὲ αὐτῆς ἄλλοι τῶν σωματικῶν ἕνεκεν, οὗτος δὲ οὐχὶ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν· οὐ γὰρ εἵλετο ἀνελθεῖν, τοῦ σπουδαζομένου πέρας εἰληφότος αὐτῷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, καθὼς οἱ πατέρες ἡμῖν παρ έδωκαν, πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ὁρῶντες εὐχόμεθα, πόλιν καὶ 56.227 ἡμεῖς καὶ πατρίδα ἀρχαίαν ζητοῦμεν· καὶ γὰρ ὄντως ἄξιον ζητῆσαι. Πῶς, πανταχοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄντος, καὶ λέγοντος τοῦ προφήτου· Τῷ ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐπὶ δυ σμῶν, Κύριος ὄνομα αὐτῷ· πρὸς ἀνατολάς ἐσμεν τετραμμένοι; Ἐκεῖ ὥσπερ ἰατρεῖον ἦν τὸ ἀρχαῖον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔλαβες