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former things, but having rested they must always remain in rest, and that there will be a release from all terrible things. “How do you want me to cease as you wish? Why did I not depart from here?” These are not the words of one complaining, but of one who is perplexed and desires only death. With one accord, he says, those of ages past did not hear the voice of a tax-collector. Death is superior to all things. Not only is there nothing terrible to endure, but not even to receive terrible things by hearing. The small and great is there, and a servant not fearing his master. No one is able to escape that tyranny, not a slave, not a free man. All human things are dissolved, both wealth and honors. Great is the inequality in the present life, great is the freedom after the departure from here. For since the matter seemed to be dreadful, he philosophizes about death on account of his calamity, showing it to be better than life for those in pain. “There is great equality,” he says, “there; it is not possible to fear change as here. It happens to all by necessity, it rules over all equally; it is a hindrance to evils, a release from misery. The things that seem to be terrible are loosed.” For why, he says, is light given to those in bitterness of soul, and life to souls in pain? Again here the words are not of one complaining, may it not be so, but of one who is seeking and grieving. For things not said with the same intention must not be understood in the same way, as when a wise man says: Why did a fool have wealth?, nothing is indicated here other than that he was unworthy. From this we learn that not only life, but also death has come to be for a useful purpose, whenever it is so longed for. Who long, he says, for death and do not obtain it. For this reason Ecclesiastes says: A time for every matter, and again: O death, how sweet is the remembrance of you. But he says these things, so that when you hear of his wife advising him: Say some word and die, you might not think that he did not say it out of a love for life, but out of piety. For he who considered it so desirable and thought it some great good did not dare to find it, though it was possible. Death, he says, is rest for a man. This is a declaration. If, therefore, it is rest, for what reason do the many not rush to it? For this reason God made life desirable for us, so that we might not quickly rush to death. Whose way, he says, has been hidden. It seems to me he means “of death,” but some say “of man.” For that he means “of death” is clear from what has been said before and from his saying: digging for it as for a treasure, clearly one that is hidden. “The future is uncertain,” he says, “we do not find a way.” For do not speak to me of those who hang themselves; for he speaks of what is according to nature and according to the command of God. 57 For the Lord, he says, has shut him in, according to what is said in the Gospel, that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For so that no one may say, “For what reason then do you not choose death?”, the Lord, he says, has shut him in; “The gates,” he says, “are closed.” Then he dramatizes the calamity: 3,24a For before my food, he says, a groan comes to me, 24b and I weep, being held by fear. “I mourn present things, future things. The time for food is for me a time for tears.” For you will feed me, he says, the bread of tears. 3,25a For the fear which I was cautious of came upon me 25b and that which I had dreaded met me. Do you see the philosophy of the man? Not like that one in the psalm who says: I shall not be moved from generation to generation without evil, nor like that one who says: I shall not be moved forever, but he always had a human way of thinking, while enjoying such great prosperity and expecting the opposite each day. Whence he did not bear it badly as though it came upon him at the wrong time, but having trained and practiced in expectation and hope, he had been well trained. 3,26a I was not at peace, he says, nor was I quiet, nor did I rest; 26b but wrath came upon me. He is not speaking about former things, but about present things now, that is: “I am filled with fear, war, and confusion,” he says, “warring with myself.” the war of thoughts from the terrible things from without pressing upon him

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πρότερα, ἀλλ' ἀναπαυσαμένους ἀεὶ μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως δεῖ, καὶ ὅτι πάντων ἔσται λύσις τῶν δεινῶν. «πῶς βούλει με παύσασθαι ὡς θέλεις; διὰ τί μὴ ἀπῆλθον ἐντεῦθεν;» οὐχὶ ἐγκαλοῦντός ἐστι ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλὰ διαποροῦντος καὶ τὸν θάνατον ἐπιθυμοῦντος μόνον. ὁμοθυμαδὸν δέ, φησίν, οἱ δι' αἰῶνος οὐκ ἤκουσαν φωνὴν φορολόγου. πάντων ἐστὶν ἀνώτερος ὁ θάνατος. οὐ μόνον οὐδέν ἐστιν ὑπομεῖναι δεινόν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μέχρις ἀκοῆς τὰ δεινὰ παραδέξασθαι. μικρὸς καὶ μέγας ἐκεῖ ἐστι καὶ θεράπων οὐ δεδοικὼς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ. οὐδεὶς ἐξελθεῖν ἰσχύει τῆς τυραννίδος ἐκείνης, οὐ δοῦλος, οὐκ ἐλεύθερος. πάντα τὰ ἀνθρώπινα διαλέλυται, καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ ἀξιώματα. πολλὴ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἡ ἀνωμαλία, πολλὴ μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν ἡ ἐλευθερία. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ φρικτὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐδόκει εἶναι, ἐμφιλοσοφεῖ τῷ θανάτῳ ὑπὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς δεικνὺς αὐτὸν τῆς ζωῆς ὄντα βελτίονα τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις. «πολλὴ ἰσοτιμία», φησίν, «ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἔστι φοβηθῆναι μεταβολὴν καθάπερ ἐνταῦθα. πᾶσιν ἀναγκαίως συμβαίνει, πάντων ὁμοίως κρατεῖ· κακῶν ἐστιν ἐμπόδιον, ταλαιπωρίας λύσις. τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι δεινὰ λέλυται.» ἵνα τί γάρ, φησίν, δέδοται τοῖς ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς φῶς, ζωὴ δὲ ταῖς ἐν ὀδύναις ψυχαῖς; πάλιν ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦντός ἐστι τὰ ῥή56 ματα, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ ζητοῦντος καὶ ἀλγοῦντος. τὰ γὰρ μὴ μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς διανοίας λεγόμενα οὐχ ὁμοίως ὑποληπτέον, ὥσπερ, ὅταν λέγῃ τις σοφός· ἵνα τί ὑπῆρξε χρήματα ἄφρονι;, οὐδὲν δηλοῦται ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι ἀνάξιος ἦν. ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὅτι οὐχ ἡ ζωὴ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ θάνατος χρησίμως γέγονεν, ὁπότε οὕτως ἐστὶ ποθεινός. οἳ ὁμείρονται, φησίν, τοῦ θανάτου καὶ οὐ τυγχάνουσιν. διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής· καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ πράγματι, καὶ πάλιν· ὦ θάνατε, ὡς γλυκύ σου τὸ μνημόσυνον. ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, ἵν' ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τῆς γυναικὸς συμβουλευούσης αὐτῷ· εἶπόν τι ῥῆμα καὶ τελεύτα, μὴ νομίσῃς διὰ φιλοζωΐαν αὐτὸν μὴ εἰρηκέναι, ἀλλὰ δι' εὐσέβειαν. ὁ γὰρ οὕτω ποθεινὸν ἡγούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ μέγα τι νομίζων ἀγαθὸν παρὸν αὐτὸν εὑρεῖν οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν. θάνατος, φησίν, ἀνδρὶ ἀνάπαυσις. ἀπόφασίς ἐστιν αὕτη. εἰ τοίνυν ἀνάπαυσις, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐπιτρέχουσιν οἱ πολλοί; διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῖν ποθεινὴν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μὴ ταχέως ἐπιτρέχωμεν τῷ θανάτῳ. οὗ ἡ ὁδός, φησίν, ἀπεκρύβη. ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ "τοῦ θανάτου" λέγειν, τινὲς δὲ "τοῦ ἀνθρώπου" φασίν. ὅτι γὰρ "τοῦ θανάτου" λέγει, δῆλον ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων καὶ τοῦ λέγειν· ἀνορύττοντες αὐτὸν ὥσπερ θησαυρόν, δηλονότι κεκρυμμένον. «ἄδηλον τὸ μέλλον», φησίν, «οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν ὁδόν.» μὴ γάρ μοι τοὺς ἀπαγχονιζομένους εἴπῃς· περὶ γὰρ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν λέγει καὶ κατὰ πρόσταγμα τοῦ θεοῦ. 57 συνέκλεισε γάρ, φησίν, ὁ κύριος κατ' αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὸ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ εἰρημένον, ὅτι ἡμέρα κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ οὕτως ἔρχεται. ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ τις· «τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐχ αἱρῇ τὸν θάνατον;», συνέκλεισεν, φησίν, ὁ κύριος κατ' αὐτοῦ· «αἱ πύλαι», φησίν, «κεκλεισμέναι εἰσίν.» εἶτα ἐκτραγῳδεῖ τὴν συμφοράν· 3,24a πρὸ γὰρ τῶν σίτων μου, φησίν, στεναγμὸς ἥκει μοι, 24b δακρύω δὲ ἐγὼ συνεχόμενος φόβῳ. «τὰ παρόντα, τὰ μέλλοντα θρηνῶ. ὁ καιρὸς τῆς τροφῆς καιρὸς ἐμοὶ δακρύων.» ψωμιεῖς γάρ με, φησίν, ἄρτον δακρύων. 3,25a φόβος γὰρ ὃν εὐλαβούμην ἦλθέ μοι 25b καὶ ὃν ἐδεδοίκειν συνήντησέ μοι. ὁρᾷς φιλοσοφίαν ἀνδρός; οὐ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ λέγοντα· οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεὰν ἄνευ κακοῦ οὐδὲ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν λέγοντα· οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλ' ἀνθρώπινον εἶχεν ἀεὶ λογισμὸν τοσαύτης ἀπολαύων εὐημερίας καὶ τὰ ἐναντία καθ' ἑκάστην προσδοκῶν ἡμέραν. ὅθεν οὐδὲ ὡς ἀκαίρως αὐτῷ ἐπελθόντα χαλεπῶς ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλ' ἐγγυμνασάμενος καὶ ἐμμελετήσας τῇ προσδοκίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι καλῶς ἐγεγύμναστο. 3,26a οὔτε εἰρήνευσα, φησίν, οὔτε ἡσύχασα οὔτε ἀνεπαυσάμην· 26b ἦλθε δέ μοι ὀργή. οὐ περὶ τῶν προτέρων λέγει, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν παρόντων νῦν, τουτέστιν· «φόβου, πολέμου καὶ ταραχῆς ἐμπέπλησμαι», φησίν, «αὐτὸς ἐμαυτῷ πολεμῶν.» τῶν ἔξωθεν συνεχόντων αὐτὸν δεινῶν ὁ τῶν λογισμῶν πόλεμος