Chapter VIII.—On the Use of Ointments and Crowns.

The use of crowns and ointments is not necessary for us; for it impels to pleasures and indulgences, especially on the approach of night. I know that the woman brought to the sacred supper “an alabaster box of ointment,”420    Matt. xxvi. 7, etc. and anointed the feet of the Lord, and refreshed Him; and I know that the ancient kings of the Hebrews were crowned with gold and precious stones. But the woman not having yet received the Word (for she was still a sinner), honoured the Lord with what she thought the most precious thing in her possession—the ointment; and with the ornament of her person, with her hair, she wiped off the superfluous ointment, while she expended on the Lord tears of repentance: “wherefore her sins are forgiven.”421    Luke vii. 47.

This may be a symbol of the Lord’s teaching, and of His suffering. For the feet anointed with fragrant ointment mean divine instruction travelling with renown to the ends of the earth. “For their sound hath gone forth to the ends of the earth.”422    Ps. xix. 4; Rom. x. 18. And if I seem not to insist too much, the feet of the Lord which were anointed are the apostles, having, according to prophecy, received the fragrant unction of the Holy Ghost. Those, therefore, who travelled over the world and preached the Gospel, are figuratively called the feet of the Lord, of whom also the Holy Spirit foretells in the psalm, “Let us adore at the place where His feet stood,”423    Ps. cxxxii. that is, where the apostles, His feet, arrived; since, preached by them, He came to the ends of the earth. And tears are repentance; and the loosened hair proclaimed deliverance from the love of finery, and the affliction in patience which, on account of the Lord, attends preaching, the old vainglory being done away with by reason of the new faith.424   [We need not refuse this efflorescence as poetry, nor accept it as exposition.]

Besides, it shows the Lord’s passion, if you understand it mystically thus: the oil (ἔλαιον) is the Lord Himself, from whom comes the mercy (ἔλεος) which reaches us. But the ointment, which is adulterated oil, is the traitor Judas, by whom the Lord was anointed on the feet, being released from His sojourn in the world. For the dead are anointed. And the tears are we repentant sinners, who have believed in Him, and to whom He has forgiven our sins. And the dishevelled hair is mourning Jerusalem, the deserted, for whom the prophetic lamentations were uttered. The Lord Himself shall teach us that Judas the deceitful is meant: “He that dippeth with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me.”425    Matt. xxvi. 23. You see the treacherous guest, and this same Judas betrayed the Master with a kiss. For he was a hypocrite, giving a treacherous kiss, in imitation of another hypocrite of old. And He reproves that people respecting whom it was said, “This people honour Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.”426    Isa. xxix. 13. It is not improbable, therefore, that by the oil He means that disciple to whom was shown mercy, and by the tainted and poisoned oil the traitor.

This was, then, what the anointed feet prophesied—the treason of Judas, when the Lord went to His passion. And the Saviour Himself washing the feet of the disciples,427    John xiii. 5. and despatching them to do good deeds, pointed out their pilgrimage for the benefit of the nations, making them beforehand fair and pure by His power. Then the ointment breathed on them its fragrance, and the work of sweet savour reaching to all was proclaimed; for the passion of the Lord has filled us with sweet fragrance, and the Hebrews with guilt. This the apostle most clearly showed, when he said, “thanks be to God, who always makes us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are to God a sweet savour of the Lord, in them that are saved, and them that are lost; to one a savour of death unto death, to the other a savour of life unto life.”428    2 Cor. ii. 14–16. And the kings of the Jews using gold and precious stones and a variegated crown, the anointed ones wearing Christ symbolically on the head, were unconsciously adorned with the head of the Lord. The precious stone, or pearl, or emerald, points out the Word Himself. The gold, again, is the incorruptible Word, who admits not the poison of corruption. The Magi, accordingly, brought to Him on His birth, gold, the symbol of royalty. And this crown, after the image of the Lord, fades not as a flower.

I know, too, the words of Aristippus the Cyrenian. Aristippus was a luxurious man. He asked an answer to a sophistical proposition in the following terms: “A horse anointed with ointment is not injured in his excellence as a horse, nor is a dog which has been anointed, in his excellence as a dog; no more is a man,” he added, and so finished. But the dog and horse take no account of the ointment, whilst in the case of those whose perceptions are more rational, applying girlish scents to their persons, its use is more censurable. Of these ointments there are endless varieties, such as the Brenthian, the Metallian, and the royal; the Plangonian and the Psagdian of Egypt. Simonides is not ashamed in Iambic lines to say,—

For a merchant was present. They use, too, the unguent made from lilies, and that from the cypress. Nard is in high estimation with them, and the ointment prepared from roses and the others which women use besides, both moist and dry, scents for rubbing and for fumigating; for day by day their thoughts are directed to the gratification of insatiable desire, to the exhaustless variety of fragrance. Wherefore also they are redolent of an excessive luxuriousness. And they fumigate and sprinkle their clothes, their bed-clothes, and their houses. Luxury all but compels vessels for the meanest uses to smell of perfume.

There are some who, annoyed at the attention bestowed on this, appear to me to be rightly so averse to perfumes on account of their rendering manhood effeminate, as to banish their compounders and vendors from well-regulated states, and banish, too, the dyers of flower-coloured wools. For it is not right that ensnaring garments and unguents should be admitted into the city of truth; but it is highly requisite for the men who belong to us to give forth the odour not of ointments, but of nobleness and goodness. And let woman breathe the odour of the true royal ointment, that of Christ, not of unguents and scented powders; and let her always be anointed with the ambrosial chrism of modesty, and find delight in the holy unguent, the Spirit. This ointment of pleasant fragrance Christ prepares for His disciples, compounding the ointment of celestial aromatic ingredients.

Wherefore also the Lord Himself is anointed with an ointment, as is mentioned by David: “Wherefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows; myrrh, and stacte, and cassia from thy garments.”429    Ps. xlv. 7, 8. But let us not unconsciously abominate unguents, like vultures or like beetles (for these, they say, when smeared with ointment, die); and let a few unguents be selected by women, such as will not be overpowering to a husband. For excessive anointings with unguents savour of a funeral and not of connubial life. Yet oil itself is inimical to bees and insects; and some men it benefits, and some it summons to the fight; and those who were formerly friends, when anointed with it, it turns out to deadly combat.

Ointment being smooth oil, do you not think that it is calculated to render noble manners effeminate? Certainly. And as we have abandoned luxury in taste, so certainly do we renounce voluptuousness in sights and odours; lest through the senses, as through unwatched doors, we unconsciously give access into the soul to that excess which we have driven away. If, then, we say that the Lord the great High Priest offers to God the incense of sweet fragrance, let us not imagine that this is a sacrifice and sweet fragrance of incense;430    [Considering the use of incense in Hebrew worship, and the imagery of the Apocalypse, the emphasis with which the Fathers reject material incense, is to be noted.] but let us understand it to mean, that the Lord lays the acceptable offering of love, the spiritual fragrance, on the altar.

To resume: oil itself suffices to lubricate the skin, and relax the nerves, and remove any heavy smell from the body, if we require oil for this purpose. But attention to sweet scents is a bait which draws us in to sensual lust. For the licentious man is led on every hand, both by his food, his bed, his conversation, by his eyes, his ears, his jaws, and by his nostrils too. As oxen are pulled by rings and ropes, so is the voluptuary by fumigations and unguents, and the sweet scents of crowns. But since we assign no place to pleasure which is linked to no use serviceable to life, come let us also distinguish here too, selecting what is useful. For there are sweet scents which neither make the head heavy nor provoke love, and are not redolent of embraces and licentious companionship, but, along with moderation, are salutary, nourishing the brain when labouring under indisposition, and strengthening the stomach. One must not therefore refrigerate himself with flowers when he wishes to supple his nerves. For their use is not wholly to be laid aside, but ointment is to be employed as a medicine and help in order to bring up the strength when enfeebled, and against catarrhs, and colds, and ennui, as the comic poet says:—

The rubbing of the feet also with the fatness of warming or cooling unguents is practiced on account of its beneficial effects; so consequently, in the case of those who are thus saturated, an attraction and flow take place from the head to the inferior members. But pleasure to which no utility attaches, induces the suspicion of meretricious habits, and is a drug provocative of the passions. Rubbing one’s self with ointment is entirely different from anointing one’s self with ointment. The former is effeminate, while anointing with ointment is in some cases beneficial. Aristippus the philosopher, accordingly, when anointed with ointment, said “that the wretched Cinœdi deserved to perish miserably for bringing the utility of ointment into bad repute.” “Honour the physician for his usefulness,” says the Scripture, “for the Most High made him; and the art of healing is of the Lord.” Then he adds, “And the compounder of unguents will make the mixture,”431    Ecclus. xxxviii. 1, 2, 8. since unguents have been given manifestly for use, not for voluptuousness. For we are by no means to care for the exciting properties of unguents, but to choose what is useful in them, since God hath permitted the production of oil for the mitigation of men’s pains.

And silly women, who dye their grey hair and anoint their locks, grow speedily greyer by the perfumes they use, which are of a drying nature. Wherefore also those that anoint themselves become drier, and the dryness makes them greyer. For if greyness is an exsiccation of the hair, or defect of heat, the dryness drinking up the moisture which is the natural nutriment of the hair, and making it grey, how can we any longer retain a liking for unguents, through which ladies, in trying to escape grey hair, become grey? And as dogs with fine sense of smell track the wild beasts by the scent, so also the temperate scent the licentious by the superfluous perfume of unguents.

Such a use of crowns, also, has degenerated to scenes of revelry and intoxication. Do not encircle my head with a crown, for in the springtime it is delightful to while away the time on the dewy meads, while soft and many-coloured flowers are in bloom, and, like the bees, enjoy a natural and pure fragrance.432    [An idyllic passage illustrative of our author’s delight in rural scenes and pleasures.] But to adorn one’s self with “a crown woven from the fresh mead,” and wear it at home, were unfit for a man of temperance. For it is not suitable to fill the wanton hair with rose-leaves, or violets, or lilies, or other such flowers, stripping the sward of its flowers. For a crown encircling the head cools the hair, both on account of its moisture and its coolness. Accordingly, physicians, determining by physiology that the brain is cold, approve of anointing the breast and the points of the nostrils, so that the warm exhalation passing gently through, may salutarily warm the chill. A man ought not therefore to cool himself with flowers. Besides, those who crown themselves destroy the pleasure there is in flowers: for they enjoy neither the sight of them, since they wear the crown above their eyes; nor their fragrance, since they put the flowers away above the organs of respiration. For the fragrance ascending and exhaling naturally, the organ of respiration is left destitute of enjoyment, the fragrance being carried away. As beauty, so also the flower delights when looked at; and it is meet to glorify the Creator by the enjoyment of the sight of beautiful objects.433    [Christianity delights in natural beauty, and always associates its enjoyment with praise to its Author. Ecclus. xliii. 11.] The use of them is injurious, and passes swiftly away, avenged by remorse. Very soon their evanescence is proved; for both fade, both the flower and beauty. Further, whoever touches them is cooled by the former, inflamed by the latter. In one word, the enjoyment of them except by sight is a crime, and not luxury. It becomes us who truly follow the Scripture to enjoy ourselves temperately, as in Paradise. We must regard the woman’s crown to be her husband, and the husband’s crown to be marriage; and the flowers of marriage the children of both, which the divine husbandman plucks from meadows of flesh. “Children’s children are the crown of old men.”434    Prov. xvii. 6. And the glory of children is their fathers, it is said; and our glory is the Father of all; and the crown of the whole church is Christ. As roots and plants, so also have flowers their individual properties, some beneficial, some injurious, some also dangerous. The ivy is cooling; nux emits a stupefying effluvium, as the etymology shows. The narcissus is a flower with a heavy odour; the name evinces this, and it induces a torpor (νάρκην) in the nerves. And the effluvia of roses and violets being mildly cool, relieve and prevent headaches. But we who are not only not permitted to drink with others to intoxication, but not even to indulge in much wine,435    [This was a marked characteristic of Christian manners at war with heathenism.] do not need the crocus or the flower of the cypress to lead us to an easy sleep. Many of them also, by their odours, warm the brain, which is naturally cold, volatilizing the effusions of the head. The rose is hence said to have received its name (ῥόδον) because it emits a copious stream (ῥεῦμα) of odour (ὀδωδή). Wherefore also it quickly fades.

But the use of crowns did not exist at all among the ancient Greeks; for neither the suitors nor the luxurious Phæacians used them. But at the games there was at first the gift to the athletes; second, the rising up to applaud; third, the strewing with leaves; lastly, the crown, Greece after the Median war having given herself up to luxury.

Those, then, who are trained by the Word are restrained from the use of crowns; and do not think that this Word, which has its seat in the brain, ought to be bound about, not because the crown is the symbol of the recklessness of revelry, but because it has been dedicated to idols. Sophocles accordingly called the narcissus “the ancient coronet of the great gods,” speaking of the earth-born divinities; and Sappho crowns the Muses with the rose:—

They say, too, that Here delights in the lily, and Artemis in the myrtle. For if the flowers were made especially for man, and senseless people have taken them not for their own proper and grateful use, but have abused them to the thankless service of demons, we must keep from them for conscience sake. The crown is the symbol of untroubled tranquillity. For this reason they crown the dead, and idols, too, on the same account, by this fact giving testimony to their being dead. For revellers do not without crowns celebrate their orgies; and when once they are encircled with flowers, at last they are inflamed excessively. We must have no communion with demons. Nor must we crown the living image of God after the manner of dead idols. For the fair crown of amaranth is laid up for those who have lived well. This flower the earth is not able to bear; heaven alone is competent to produce it.436    [ “Immortal amaranth, a flower which once In Paradise fast by the tree of life Began to bloom.”    Paradise Lost, iii. 352.] Further, it were irrational in us, who have heard that the Lord was crowned with thorns,437    Matt. xxvii. 29. to crown ourselves with flowers, insulting thus the sacred passion of the Lord. For the Lord’s crown prophetically pointed to us, who once were barren, but are placed around Him through the Church of which He is the Head. But it is also a type of faith, of life in respect of the substance of the wood, of joy in respect of the appellation of crown, of danger in respect of the thorn, for there is no approaching to the Word without blood. But this platted crown fades, and the plait of perversity is untied, and the flower withers. For the glory of those who have not believed on the Lord fades. And they crowned Jesus raised aloft, testifying to their own ignorance. For being hard of heart, they understood not that this very thing, which they called the disgrace of the Lord, was a prophecy wisely uttered: “The Lord was not known by the people”438    Isa. i. 3. which erred, which was not circumcised in understanding, whose darkness was not enlightened, which knew not God, denied the Lord, forfeited the place of the true Israel, persecuted God, hoped to reduce the Word to disgrace; and Him whom they crucified as a malefactor they crowned as a king. Wherefore the Man on whom they believed not, they shall know to be the loving God the Lord, the Just. Whom they provoked to show Himself to be the Lord, to Him when lifted up they bore witness, by encircling Him, who is exalted above every name, with the diadem of righteousness by the ever-blooming thorn. This diadem, being hostile to those who plot against Him, coerces them; and friendly to those who form the Church, defends them. This crown is the flower of those who have believed on the glorified One, but covers with blood and chastises those who have not believed. It is a symbol, too, of the Lord’s successful work, He having borne on His head, the princely part of His body, all our iniquities by which we were pierced. For He by His own passion rescued us from offences, and sins, and such like thorns; and having destroyed the devil, deservedly said in triumph, “O Death, where is thy sting?”439    1 Cor. xv. 55. And we eat grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles; while those to whom He stretched forth His hands—the disobedient and unfruitful people—He lacerates into wounds. I can also show you another mystic meaning in it.440    [See note 10, p. 253. The beauty of this mysticism need not be pointed out, but it need not be pressed as exposition.] For when the Almighty Lord of the universe began to legislate by the Word, and wished His power to be manifested to Moses, a godlike vision of light that had assumed a shape was shown him in the burning bush (the bush is a thorny plant); but when the Word ended the giving of the law and His stay with men, the Lord was again mystically crowned with thorn. On His departure from this world to the place whence He came, He repeated the beginning of His old descent, in order that the Word beheld at first in the bush, and afterwards taken up crowned by the thorn, might show the whole to be the work of one power, He Himself being one, the Son of the Father, who is truly one, the beginning and the end of time.

But I have made a digression from the pædagogic style of speech, and introduced the didactic.441    [This illustrates, in part, the difference between the esoteric, or mystic, and the more popular teaching of our author.] I return accordingly to my subject.

To resume, then: we have showed that in the department of medicine, for healing, and sometimes also for moderate recreation, the delight derived from flowers, and the benefit derived from unguents and perfumes, are not to be overlooked. And if some say, What pleasure, then, is there in flowers to those that do not use them? let them know, then, that unguents are prepared from them, and are most useful. The Susinian ointment is made from various kinds of lilies; and it is warming, aperient, drawing, moistening, abstergent, subtle, antibilious, emollient. The Narcissinian is made from the narcissus, and is equally beneficial with the Susinian. The Myrsinian, made of myrtle and myrtle berries, is a styptic, stopping effusions from the body; and that from roses is refrigerating. For, in a word, these also were created for our use. “Hear me,” it is said, “and grow as a rose planted by the streams of waters, and give forth a sweet fragrance like frankincense, and bless the Lord for His works.”442    Ecclus. xxxix. 13, 14. We should have much to say respecting them, were we to speak of flowers and odours as made for necessary purposes, and not for the excesses of luxury. And if a concession must be made, it is enough for people to enjoy the fragrance of flowers; but let them not crown themselves with them. For the Father takes great care of man, and gives to him alone His own art. The Scripture therefore says, “Water, and fire, and iron, and milk, and fine flour of wheat, and honey, the blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing,—all these things are for the good of the godly.”443    Ecclus. xxxix. 26, 27.

Εἰ μύροις καὶ στεφάνοις χρηστέον. Στεφάνων δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ μύρων χρῆσις οὐκ ἀναγκαία. Ἐξοκέλλει γὰρ εἰς ἡδονὰς καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας, μάλιστα γειτνιώσης τῆς νυκτός. Οἶδ' ὅτι ἀλάβαστρον μύρου παρὰ τὸ δεῖπνον τὸ ἅγιον κομίσασα ἡ γυνὴ τοὺς πόδας ἤλειφεν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἦσεν αὐτόν. Οἶδα δὲ καὶ χρυσῷ καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ τοὺς παλαιοὺς τῶν Ἑβραίων ἀναδουμένους βασιλεῖς. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν γυνὴ μηδέπω τοῦ λόγου μεταλαβοῦσα–ἔτι γὰρ ἦν ἁμαρτωλός–, ὅπερ ἡγεῖτο τὸ κάλλιστον εἶναι παρ' αὐτῇ, τὸ μύρον, τούτῳ τετίμηκε τὸν δεσπότην· ἀμέλει καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ τοῦ σώματος, ταῖς θριξὶ ταῖς ἑαυτῆς, ἀπεψᾶτο τὸ περιττὸν τοῦ μύρου, ἐπισπένδουσα τῷ κυρίῳ μετανοίας δάκρυα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀφέωνται αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. ∆ύναται δὲ τοῦτο σύμβολον εἶναι τῆς διδασκαλίας τῆς κυριακῆς καὶ τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ· μύρῳ γὰρ εὐώδει ἀλειφόμενοι οἱ πόδες θεϊκὴν αἰνίττονται διδασκαλίαν ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς μετ' εὐκλείας ὁδεύουσαν· ἐξῆλθεν γὰρ ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. Καὶ εἰ μὴ φορτικὸς εἶναι δοκῶ, οἱ πόδες οἱ τοῦ κυρίου οἱ μεμυρισμένοι ἀπόστολοί εἰσιν προφητείᾳ τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ χρίσματος ἁγίου μεταλαβόντες πνεύματος. Οἱ γοῦν περινοστήσαντες τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀπόστολοι καὶ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον κηρύξαντες πόδες ἀλληγοροῦνται κυρίου, περὶ ὧν καὶ διὰ τοῦ ψαλμῳδοῦ προθεσπίζει τὸ πνεῦμα· Προσκυνήσωμεν εἰς τὸν τόπον, οὗ ἔστησαν οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, οὗ ἔφθασαν οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ οἱ ἀπόσ τολοι, δι' ὧν κηρυσσόμενος ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα ἧκεν τῆς γῆς. ∆άκρυα δὲ ἡ μετάνοιά ἐστι, καὶ λελυμέναι τρίχες φιλοκοσμίας ἐκήρυσσον ἀπαλλαγὴν καὶ τὴν μετὰ τοῦ κηρύγματος διὰ τὸν κύριον θλῖψιν ἐν ὑπομοναῖς, τῆς παλαιᾶς ἐκείνης διὰ τὴν πίστιν τὴν νέαν λελυμένης κενοδοξίας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πάθος ἐμφαίνει δεσποτικὸν μυστικῶς ταύτῃ νοοῦσι· τὸ ἔλαιον αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος, ἀφ' οὗ τὸ ἔλεος τὸ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς· τὸ δὲ μύρον, δεδολωμένον ἔλαιον, ἐστὶν ὁ Ἰούδας ὁ προδότης, ᾧ τοὺς πόδας ἐχρίσθη κύριος τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ ἀναστροφῆς ἀπαλλαττόμενος· μυρίζονται γὰρ οἱ νεκροί· δάκρυα δέ ἐσμεν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ μετανενοηκότες, οἱ εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότες, οἷς ἀφῆκεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ αἱ τρίχες αἱ λελυμέναι πενθοῦσα Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἡ καταλελειμμένη, δι' ἣν οἱ θρῆνοι οἱ προφητικοί. ∆ιδάξει δὲ ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος, ὅτι δεδολωμένος ὁ Ἰούδας ἐστίν, ὃς ἂν ἐμβάψηται μετ' ἐμοῦ λέγων εἰς τὸ τρύβλιον, οὗτός με παραδώσει. Ὁρᾷς τὸν συμπότην τὸν δόλιον; Καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ Ἰούδας φιλήματι προὔδωκε τὸν διδάσ καλον· γέγονεν ὁ αὐτὸς ὑποκριτὴς καὶ φίλημα δεδολωμένον ἔχων, ἄλλον παλαιὸν μιμούμενος ὑποκριτήν, καὶ τὸν λαὸν ἐλέγχων ἐκεῖνον. Ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσι φιλοῦσί με, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πορρωτέρω ἐστὶν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Οὐκ ἀπεικὸς οὖν αὐτὸν καταμηνύειν ἔλαιον μὲν ὡς μαθητὴν ἠλεημένον, δολερὸν δὲ ὡς προδότην ἔλαιον πεφαρμαγμένον. Τοῦτο ἄρα ἦν ὃ προεφήτευον οἱ μυριζόμενοι πόδες, τὴν Ἰούδα προδοσίαν εἰς πάθος ὁδεύοντος κυρίου. Καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ ἀπονίπτων τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν εἰς τὰς καλὰς πράξεις ἀποστέλλων αὐτούς, τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν αὐτῶν τὴν εἰς τὰς εὐεργεσίας τῶν ἐθνῶν ᾐνίξατο εὐπρεπῆ καὶ καθαρὰν προπαρασκευάσας τῇ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει. Ὤζεσέ τε τούτοις τὸ μύρον καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ πάντας φθάνον τῆς εὐωδίας ἔργον πεφήμισται· καὶ γὰρ πεπλήρωκεν τὸ πάθος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμᾶς μὲν εὐωδίας, Ἑβραίους δὲ ἁμαρτίας. Σαφέστατα τοῦτο ἀπέδειξεν ὁ ἀπόστολος εἰπών· Τῷ θεῷ χάρις τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ φανεροῦντι δι' ἡμῶν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ· ὅτι κυρίου εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις· οἷς μὲν γὰρ ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. Βασιλεῖς δὲ οἱ Ἰουδαίων χρυσῷ καὶ λίθοις τιμίοις συνθέτῳ καὶ ποικίλῳ χρώμενοι στεφάνῳ, οἱ χριστοί, τὸν Χριστὸν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς συμβολικῶς ἐπιφερόμενοι λελήθεσαν κεφαλὴν κοσμούμενοι κυρίῳ. Λίθος γέ τοι τίμιος ἢ μαργαρίτης ἢ σμάραγδος αὐτὸν αἰνίττεται τὸν λόγον, χρυσὸς δὲ αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ ἀδιάφθορος λόγος, ὁ τὸν ἰὸν τῆς φθορᾶς οὐκ ἐπιδεχόμενος. Χρυσὸν αὐτῷ γεννηθέντι βασιλείας σύμβολον προσεκόμισαν οἱ μάγοι. Μένει δὲ ἀθάνατος ὁ στέφανος οὗτος κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κυρίου· οὐ γὰρ μαραίνεται ὡς ἄνθος. Οἶδα καὶ τὰ Ἀριστίππου τοῦ Κυρηναίου. Ἁβροδίαιτος ἦν ὁ Ἀρίστιππος· σοφιστικὸν οὗτος ἐρωτᾷ τινα τοιοῦτον λόγον· ἵππος μύρῳ χριόμενος εἰς τὴν ἵππου ἀρετὴν οὐ βλάπτεται οὐδὲ κύων μυρισθεὶς εἰς τὴν κυνὸς ἀρετήν· οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος ἄρα, ἐπήγαγεν καὶ συνήγαγεν. Ἀλλ' ἵππῳ μὲν καὶ κυνὶ οὐδὲ εἷς λόγος τοῦ μύρου, οἷς δὲ ἡ αἴσθησις λογικωτέρα, τούτοις ἡ ἀπόλαυσις ἐπιψογωτέρα κορασιώδεις ὀδμὰς ἐπιφερομένοις. Τούτων δὲ τῶν μύρων ἄπειροι διαφοραί, βρένθιον καὶ μετάλλιον καὶ βασίλειον πλαγγόνιόν τε καὶ ψάγδας Αἰγύπτιος. Σιμωνίδης δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἰάμβοις οὐκ αἰδεῖται λέγων· κἀλειφόμην μύροισι καὶ θυμιάμασιν καὶ βακκάρι· καὶ γάρ τις ἔμπορος παρῆν. Ἐπιτηδεύουσι δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ κρίνων μύρον καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς κύπρου, καὶ ἡ νάρδος εὐδοκιμεῖ παρ' αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν ῥόδων ἄλειμμα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, οἷς ἔτι χρῶνται γυναῖκες, ὑγρά τε καὶ ξηρὰ καὶ τὰ ἐπίπαστα καὶ ὑποθυμιώμενα μύρα· ἐπινοεῖται γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁσημέραι πρὸς τὸ ἄπληστον τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὸ ἀκόρεστον τῆς εὐωδίας· διὸ καὶ πολλῆς τινος ἀπειροκαλίας ἀποπνέουσιν. Αἳ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας καὶ τὰς στρωμνὰς καὶ τοὺς οἴκους ὑποθυμιῶσί τε καὶ καταρραίνουσιν, μονονουχὶ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἀμίδας ὄζειν ἀναγκάζει τοῦ μύρου ἡ τρυφή. Εὖ μοι δοκοῦσι σχετλιάσαντες τῇ περὶ τοῦτο σπουδῇ τοσοῦτο τοῖς μύροις ἀποδιακεῖσθαί τινες τὴν ἀνδρωνῖτιν ἐκθηλύνουσιν, ὡς καὶ τοὺς τεχνίτας αὐτῶν, τοὺς μυρεψούς, τῶν εὐνομουμένων ἀπελαύνειν πόλεων καὶ τῶν ἀνθεινῶν ἐρίων τοὺς βαφεῖς ἀπελαύνειν καὶ αὐτούς· οὐ γὰρ θέμις δολερὰ εἵματα καὶ χρίσματα εἰς τὴν ἀληθείας παρεισ ιέναι πόλιν. Χρὴ δὲ καὶ μάλα τοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν μὴ μύρων, ἀλλὰ καλοκαγαθίας ὄζειν, γυνὴ δὲ ἀποπνείτω Χριστοῦ, τοῦ ἀλείμματος τοῦ βασιλικοῦ, μὴ διαπασμάτων καὶ μύρων, ἀεὶ δὲ τῷ σωφροσύνης ἀμβροσίῳ χρίσματι συναλειφέσθω, ἁγίῳ τερ πομένη μύρῳ τῷ πνεύματι. Τοῦτο σκευάζει Χριστὸς ἀνθρώποις γνωρίμοις, εὐωδίας ἄλειμμα, ἐκ τῶν οὐρανίων συντιθεὶς ἀρωμάτων τὸ μύρον. Τούτῳ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος συναλείφεται τῷ μύρῳ, ὡς διὰ ∆αβὶδ μεμήνυται· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν σε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου· σμύρνα καὶ στακτὴ καὶ κασία ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων σου. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ μὴ λάθωμεν ὥσπερ οἱ γῦπες τὰ μύρα βδελυττόμενοι ἢ οἱ κάνθαροιτούτους γὰρ ῥοδίνῳ χρισθέντας μύρῳ τελευτᾶν λέγουσιν, καὶ τούτων ἐγκριτέον ὀλίγα τινὰ τῶν μύρων ταῖς γυναιξίν, ὅσα μὴ καρῶσι τὸν ἄνδρα· αἱ γὰρ ὑπέρμετροι χρίσεις τῶν μύρων κηδείας, οὐ συμβιώσεως ἀποπνέουσιν. Καίτοι καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον αὐτὸ ταῖς μελίτταις καὶ τοῖς ἐντόμοις ἐστὶ πολέμιον ζῴοις, ἀνθρώπων δὲ τοὺς μὲν ὤνησεν, ἔστιν δὲ οὓς εἰς μάχην ἐξεκαλέσατο, καὶ τοὺς πρότερον φίλους ἀληλιμμένους τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς σταδίοις ἐκτρέπει εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀγωνίας πάμμαχον. Μαλθακὸν δὲ ἔλαιον τὸ μύρον ὂν οὐκ οἴεσθε τὰ ἤθη τὰ γεννικὰ ἐκθηλύνειν δύνασθαι; μάλιστα. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ τῆς γεύσεως ἀποκεκλείκαμεν, οὕτως ἀμέλει καὶ τῶν ὄψεων καὶ τῶν ὀσφρήσεων τὴν ἡδυπάθειαν ἐξορίζομεν, μὴ λάθωμεν ἣν ἐφυγαδεύσαμεν ἀκολασίαν, κάθοδον αὐτῇ διδόντες εἰς ψυχὴν διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων, οἱονεὶ διὰ θυρῶν ἀφρουρήτων. Εἰ γοῦν τῆς εὐωδίας τὸ θυμίαμα τὸν μέγαν ἀρχιερέα, τὸν κύριον, ἀναφέρειν λέγοιεν τῷ θεῷ, μὴ θυσίαν ταύτην καὶ εὐωδίαν θυμιάματος νοούντων, ἀλλὰ γὰρ τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης δεκτὸν ἀναφέρειν τὸν κύριον, τὴν πνευματικὴν εὐωδίαν, εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον παραδεχέσθων. Αὔταρκες μὲν οὖν τὸ ἔλαιον αὐτὸ λιπᾶναί τε τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν καὶ ἀνεῖναι τὸ νευρῶδες καί τινα τοῦ σώματος ὀσμὴν ἀναστεῖλαι βαρυτέραν, εἰ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο τοῦ ἐλαίου δεοίμεθα· ἡ δὲ ἐπιτήδευσις τῆς εὐωδίας δέλεάρ ἐστι ῥᾳθυμίας, πόρρωθεν εἰς λίχνον ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπισπωμένης. Πάντοθεν γὰρ ἀγώγιμος ὁ ἀκόλαστος καὶ ἀπὸ ἐδωδῆς καὶ ἀπὸ στρωμνῆς καὶ ἀπὸ συναναστροφῆς καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὤτων καὶ ἐκ τῶν γνάθων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν μυκτήρων. Καθάπερ οἱ βόες τοῖς κρίκοις καὶ τοῖς σχοίνοις, οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀκόλαστος θυμιάμασι καὶ μύροις καὶ ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν στεφάνων εὐωδίαις περιέλκεται. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδεμίαν χώραν ἀπονέμομεν ἡδονῇ πρὸς οὐδεμίαν συμπεπλεγμένῃ λυσιτελῆ τῷ βίῳ χρείαν, φέρε κἀνταῦθα διαστειλώμεθα, τὸ χρειῶδες αἱρούμενοι. Εἰσὶ γάρ τινες εὐωδίαι οὐ καρωτικαὶ οὐδὲ ἐρωτικαί, οὔκουν συμπλοκῆς καὶ τῆς ἀκολάστου ἑταιρείας ἀποπνέουσαι, ὑγειναὶ δὲ μετὰ σωφροσύνης καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐγκέφαλον ὑποτρέ φουσαι, ὁπηνίκα ἂν καχεκτῇ, ῥωννύουσαι δὲ καὶ τὸν στόμαχον. Πολλοῦ τοίνυν δεῖ τοῖς ἄνθεσιν ἐπιψύχειν αὐτόν, ὁπότε ἀλεαίνεσθαι ἐθέλει τὸ νευρῶδες· οὐ γὰρ κατὰ πάντα ἀποσκορακιστέον τὴν χρῆσιν αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ φαρμάκῳ καὶ βοηθήματι χρηστέον τῷ μύρῳ πρός τε τὸ ἐπεγεῖραι τὴν ἀπαυδῶσαν δύναμιν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κατάρρους καὶ πρὸς τὰς καταψύξεις δυσαρέστησίν τε, καθὰ καὶ ὁ κωμικός φησί που· μύροις ὑπαλείφεται τὰς ῥῖνας· ὑγιείας μέρος μέγιστον ὀδμὰς ἐγκεφάλῳ χρηστὰς ποιεῖν· καὶ ἡ τῶν ποδῶν διὰ τοῦ λίπους τῶν ἀναθερμαινόντων ἢ ἐμψυχόντων μύρων ἀνάτριψις ὠφελείας ἕνεκεν ἐπιτηδεύεται, ὡς δὴ ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῖς πεπληρωμένοις ὁλκήν τινα καὶ ὑποχώρησιν ἐπὶ τὰ μὴ κύρια τῶν μερῶν γίνεσθαι. Ἡδονὴ δέ, ᾗ μὴ πρόσεστι τὸ χρειῶδες, ἤθους ἐστὶν ἑταιρικοῦ διαβολὴ καὶ φάρμακον ἐρεθισμῶν. ∆ιαφέρει δὲ ὅλως τὸ μυραλοιφεῖν τοῦ μύρῳ χρίεσθαι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ θηλυδριῶδες, τὸ δὲ χρίεσθαι τῷ μύρῳ καὶ λυσιτελεῖ ἔσθ' ὅτε. Ἀρίστιππος γοῦν ὁ φιλόσοφος χρισάμενος μύρῳ κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολωλέναι χρῆναι τοὺς κιναίδους ἔφασκεν τοῦ μύρου τὴν ὠφέλειαν εἰς λοιδορίαν διαβεβληκότας. Τίμα δὲ ἰατρὸν πρὸς χρείαν αὐτοῦ, φησὶν ἡ γραφή· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔκτισεν ὁ ὕψιστος, παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἐστὶν ἴασις. Εἶτα ἐπάγει· καὶ μυρεψὸς ποιήσει μίγμα, ὡς εἰς ὠφέλειαν δηλονότι, οὐκ εἰς ἡδυπάθειαν δεδομένων τῶν μύρων. Οὐ γὰρ περὶ τὸ ἐρεθιστικὸν τῶν μύρων σπουδαστέον οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὠφέλιμον ἐκλεκτέον, ὅπου γε καὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου τὴν γένεσιν ἀνῆκεν ὁ θεὸς ἀνθρώποις εἰς πόνων ἀρωγήν. Αἱ δὲ ἀφραίνουσαι γυναῖκες βάπτουσαι μὲν τὰς πολιάς, μυρίζουσαι δὲ τὰς τρίχας πολιώτεραι θᾶττον γίνονται διὰ τὰ ἀρώματα ξηραντικὰ ὄντα. ∆ιὸ καὶ αὐχμηρότεροι φαίνονται οἱ μυριζόμενοι· ὁ δὲ αὐχμὸς πολιωτέρους ποιεῖ–εἴτε γὰρ αὔανσις τριχὸς ἡ πολιὰ εἴτε ἔνδεια θερμοῦ–, τῆς ξηρότητος τὴν οἰκείαν τῆς τριχὸς ἐκπινούσης τροφὴν τὴν ὑγρὰν καὶ πολιοὺς ἀποτελούσης. Πῶς ἂν εἰκότως ἔτι ἀγαπῷμεν τὰ μύρα, δι' ἃ αἱ πολιαί, οἱ φεύγοντες πολιάς; Καθάπερ δὲ οἱ κύνες ῥινηλατοῦντες ἐκ τῆς ὀδμῆς ἀνιχνεύουσι τὰ θηρία, οὕτως ἐκ τῆς περιέργου τῶν μύρων εὐωδίας θηρῶσιν οἱ σώφρονες τοὺς ἀσελγεῖς. Τοιαύτη δὲ καὶ τῶν στεφάνων ἡ χρῆσις, κωμαστικὴ καὶ πάροινος· ἄπερρε· μή μοι στέφανον ἀμφιθῇς κάρᾳ. Ἦρος μὲν γὰρ ὥρᾳ λειμῶσιν ἐνδρόσοις καὶ μαλακοῖς, ποικίλοις χλοάζουσιν ἄνθεσιν, ἐνδιαιτᾶσθαι καλόν, αὐτοφυεῖ καὶ εἰλικρινεῖ τινι εὐωδίᾳ καθάπερ τὰς μελίττας τρεφομένους· τὸ δὲ πλεκτὸν στέφανον ἐξ ἀκηράτου λειμῶνος κοσμήσαντας οἴκοι περιφέρειν οὐ σωφρόνων· οὐ γὰρ ἁρμόδιον ῥόδων κάλυξιν ἢ ἴοις ἢ κρίνοις ἢ ἄλλοις τισὶ τοιούτοις ἄνθεσι χαίτην πυκάζεσθαι κωμαστικήν, διανθιζομένους τὴν χλόην. Ἐμψύχει γὰρ χαίτην ἄλλως ὁ στέφανος περικείμενος καὶ δι' ὑγρότητά τε καὶ διὰ ψυχρότητα. Ταύτῃ καὶ οἱ ἰατροὶ ψυχρὸν εἶναι φυσιολογοῦντες τὸν ἐγκέφαλον μύρῳ χρίεσθαι ἀξιοῦσι τὰ στήθη καὶ μυκτῆρας ἄκρους, ὡς δυνηθῆναι τὴν πυρώδη ἀναθυμίασιν ἡσυχῇ διοδεύουσαν εὐρώστως ἀναθάλπειν τὴν ψυχρότητα. Πολλοῦ τοίνυν δεῖ τοῖς ἄνθεσιν ἐπιψύχειν αὐτόν, ὁπότε ἀλεαίνεσθαι ἐθέλει τὸ νευρῶδες. Ναὶ μὴν καὶ τὸ τερπνὸν τῆς ἀνθήσεως οἱ καταστεφθέντες ἀπολλύουσιν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀπολαύουσι τῆς ὄψεως οἱ ἀναδούμενοι τὸν στέφανον ὑπὲρ τὰς ὄψεις οὐδὲ μὴν τῆς εὐωδίας οἱ ἀπελαύνοντες ὑπὲρ τὰς ἀναπνοὰς τὰ ἄνθη· ἀναδιδούσης γὰρ ἄνω καὶ ἀναθυμιωμένης κατὰ φύσιν τῆς εὐωδίας ὑπὲρ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔρημος τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ἡ ἀναπνοὴ κατα λείπεται, ἀφαρπαζομένης τῆς εὐωδίας. Ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ κάλλος, οὕτως καὶ τὸ ἄνθος τέρπει βλεπόμενον, καὶ χρὴ δι' ὄψεως ἀπολαύοντας τῶν καλῶν δοξάζειν τὸν δημιουργόν. Ἡ χρῆσις δὲ αὐτῶν ἐπιβλαβής, καὶ θᾶττον παρέρχεται μετανοίᾳ τιμωρουμένη. Αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα καὶ διελέγχεται τὸ ἐφήμερον αὐτῶν· ἄμφω γὰρ μαραίνεσθον, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος καὶ τὸ κάλλος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς θιγγάνοντας αὐτοῖν τὸ μὲν ἐνέψυξεν, τὸ δὲ ἐξέκαυσεν. Ἑνὶ δὲ λόγῳ ἡ παρὰ τὴν ὄψιν ἀπόλαυσις αὐτοῖν ὕβρις ἐστιν, οὐ τρυφή· τρυφᾶν δὲ ἡμῖν, ὡς ἐν παραδείσῳ, προσῆκεν σωφρόνως τῷ ὄντι παρεπομένοις τῇ γραφῇ. Στέφανον μὲν γυναικὸς τὸν ἄνδρα ὑποληπτέον, ἀνδρὸς δὲ τὸν γάμον, ἄνθη δὲ τοῦ γάμου τὰ τέκνα ἀμφοῖν, ἃ δὴ τῶν σαρκικῶν λειμώνων ὁ θεῖος δρέπεται γεωργός. Στέφανος δὲ γερόντων τέκνα τέκνων, δόξα δὲ παισὶν οἱ πατέρες, φησίν· ἡμῖν δὲ δόξα ὁ πατὴρ τῶν ὅλων, καὶ τῆς συμπάσης ἐκκλησίας στέφανος ὁ Χριστός. Καθάπερ δὲ αἱ ῥίζαι καὶ αἱ βοτάναι, οὕτως δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄνθη ἰδίας ἔχει ποιότητας καὶ τὰς μὲν ἐπωφελεῖς, τὰς δὲ ἐπιβλαβεῖς, ἔστι δὲ ἃς καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς. Ὁ γοῦν κιττὸς ἐμψύχει, ἡ δὲ καρύα πνεῦμα ἀφίησιν καρωτικόν, ὡς ἐμφαίνει καὶ τοὔνομα ἐτυμολογούμενον. Νάρκισσος δὲ βαρύοδμόν ἐστιν ἄνθος, ἐλέγχει δὲ αὐτὸ ἡ προσηγορία νάρκαν ἐμποιοῦν τοῖς νεύροις. Αἱ δὲ τῶν ῥόδων καὶ τῶν ἴων ἀποφοραὶ ἡσυχῇ οὖσαι ψυχραὶ συστέλλουσι καὶ ἐπιστύφουσι τὰς καρηβαρίας· ἡμῖν δὲ οὐχ ὁπωστιοῦν συμμεθύειν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οἰνοῦσθαι ἐπιτέτραπται. Ναὶ μὴν ὁ κρόκος καὶ τῆς κύπρου τὸ ἄνθος εἰς ὕπνον ἄλυπον ὑπάγετον. Πολλὰ δὲ αὐτῶν φύσει ψυχρὸν ὄντα τὸν ἐγκέφαλον ἀναθάλπει ταῖς ἀποφοραῖς λεπτύνοντα τῆς κεφαλῆς τὰ περιττεύματα. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τὸ ῥόδον ἐπωνόμασται, φασίν, ὅτι πάμπολυ τῆς ὀδωδῆς ἀφίησι ῥεῦμα· διὸ καὶ θᾶττον μαραίνεται. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡ χρῆσίς πω τῶν στεφάνων ἦν. Οὔτε γὰρ οἱ μνήστορες οὔθ' οἱ ἁβροδίαιτοι κέχρηνται Φαίακες αὐτοῖς. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀγῶσι πρῶτον ἡ τῶν ἄθλων δόσις ἦν, δεύτερον δὲ ὁ περιαγερμός, τρίτον ἡ φυλλοβολία, τελευταῖον ὁ στέφανος, ἐπίδοσιν λαβούσης εἰς τρυφὴν τῆς Ἑλλάδος μετὰ τὰ Μηδικά. Εἴργονται τοίνυν στεφάνων οἱ τῷ λόγῳ παιδαγωγούμενοι, οὐκ ἐπεὶ καταδεῖν δοκοῦσιν τὸν λόγον ἐν ἐγκεφάλῳ τοῦτον ἱδρυμένον, οὐδ' ὅτι κωμαστικῆς ἀγερωχίας σύμβολον ὁ στέφανος εἴη ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὅτι τοῖς εἰδώλοις κατωνόμασται. Ὁ γοῦν Σοφοκλῆς τὸν νάρκισσον ἀρχαῖον μεγάλων θεῶν στεφάνωμα προσεῖπε, τῶν χθονίων λέγων· ῥόδῳ δὲ τὰς Μούσας Σαπφὼ καταστέφει· οὐ γὰρ † ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ῥόδων τῶν ἐκ Πιερίας· κρίνῳ δὲ ἥδεσθαι τὴν Ἥραν φασὶν καὶ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν μυρρίνῃ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα μὲν δι' ἄνθρωπον γέγονε τὰ ἄνθη, ταῦτα δὲ οἱ ἀνόητοι λαβόντες οὐκ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν εὐχάριστον χρῆσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν τῶν δαιμονίων ἀχάριστον ὑπηρεσίαν κατεχρήσαντο, ἀφεκτέον αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν. Ἀοχλήτου δὲ ἀμεριμνίας ὁ στέφανος σύμβολον· ταύτῃ καὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς καταστεφανοῦσιν, ᾧ λόγῳ καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα, ἔργῳ προσμαρτυροῦντες αὐτοῖς τὸ εἶναι νεκροῖς. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ βακχεύοντες οὐδὲ ἄνευ στεφάνων ὀργιάζουσιν· ἐπὰν δὲ ἀμφιθῶνται τὰ ἄνθη, πρὸς τὴν τελετὴν ὑπερκάονται. Οὐ δὴ κοινωνητέον οὐδ' ὁπωστιοῦν δαίμοσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ζῶσαν δίκην εἰδώλων τῶν νεκρῶν καταστεπτέον. Ὁ γὰρ καλὸς τοῦ ἀμαράντου στέφανος ἀπόκειται τῷ καλῶς πεπολιτευμένῳ· τὸ ἄνθος τοῦτο γῆ βαστάζειν οὐ κεχώρηκεν· μόνον δὲ αὐτὸ καρποφορεῖν ἐπίσταται οὐρανός. Πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀλόγιστον ἀκηκοότας ἡμᾶς τὸν κύριον ἀκάνθαις ἐστεμμένον αὐτοὺς ἐντρυφῶντας τῷ σεμνῷ τοῦ κυρίου πάθει ἀναδεῖσθαι τοῖς ἄνθεσιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ κυρίου στέφανος ἡμᾶς ᾐνίττετο προφητικῶς τούς ποτε ἀκάρπους, τοὺς περικειμένους αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἧς ἐστιν κεφαλή· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς πίστεώς ἐστιν τύπος, ζωῆς μὲν διὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ ξύλου, εὐφροσύνης δὲ διὰ τὴν προσηγορίαν τοῦ στεφάνου, κινδύνου δὲ διὰ τὴν ἄκανθαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀναιμωτεὶ προσιέναι τῷ λόγῳ ἔξεστιν. Ὁ δὲ πλεκτὸς μαραίνεται στέφανος οὗτος καὶ τὸ πλέγμα τῆς σκολιότητος ἀναλύεται καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ξηραίνεται· μαραίνεται γὰρ ἡ δόξα τῶν τῷ κυρίῳ μὴ πεπιστευκότων. Ἰησοῦν δὲ ἐστεφάνωσαν ὑψωμένον τῆς αὑτῶν καταμαρτυροῦντες ἀμαθίας· τοῦτ' αὐτὸ γὰρ οἱ σκληροκάρδιοι προφητείαν οὖσαν σεσοφισμένην οὐ νοοῦσιν, ἣν αὐτοὶ ὕβριν καλοῦσιν κυρίου. Οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν κύριον ὁ λαὸς ὁ πεπλανημένος, οὐ περιτέτμηται τὸν λογισμόν, οὐ πεφώτισται τὸν σκοτισμόν, οὐκ εἶδεν τὸν θεόν, τὸν κύριον ἠρνήσατο, ἀπολώλεκεν τὸ εἶναι Ἰσραήλ, ἐδίωξεν τὸν θεόν, καθυβρίζειν ἤλπισε τὸν λόγον, καὶ ὃν ἐσταύρωσεν ὡς κακοῦργον, ἀνέστεψεν ὡς βασιλέα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό τοι εἰς ὃν οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν φιλάνθρωπον θεὸν ἐπιγνώσονται κύριον καὶ δίκαιον· ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρεπίκραναν ἐπιδείξασθαι τὸν κύριον, τοῦτο αὐτῷ ὑψουμένῳ μεμαρτυρήκασι, τὸ διάδημα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῷ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα ἐπηρμένῳ περιάψαντες διὰ τῆς ἀειθαλοῦς ἀκάνθης. Τὸ διάδημα τοῦτο τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσι πολέμιον ἐκώλυσεν αὐτούς, τοῖς συνεκκλησιάζουσιν φίλον ἐθρίγκωσεν αὐτούς· ὁ στέφανος οὗτος ἄνθος ἐστὶ τῶν πεπιστευκότων εἰς τὸν δεδοξασμένον, αἱμάσσει δὲ καὶ κολάζει τοὺς ἠπιστηκότας. Ναὶ μὴν καὶ σύμβολόν ἐστι δεσποτικοῦ κατορθώματος, βαστάσαντος αὐτοῦ τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ τοῦ σώματος πάντα ἡμῶν τὰ πονηρά, δι' ὧν ἐκεντούμεθα· αὐτὸς γὰρ τῷ ἰδίῳ πάθει ῥυσάμενος ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ σκανδάλων καὶ ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἀκανθῶν καὶ τὸν διάβολον καταργήσας εἰκότως ἐπευχόμενος εἴρηκεν· Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐξ ἀκανθῶν τρυγῶμεν σταφυλὴν καὶ σῦκα ἀπὸ βάτων· οἳ δὲ εἰς τραύματα καταξαίνονται, ἐφ' οὓς ἐξεπέτασε τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ λαὸν ἀπειθῆ καὶ ἄκαρπον. Ἔχοιμ' ἄν σοι καὶ ἄλλο μυστικὸν ἐνταῦθα εἰπεῖν. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ παγκρατὴς κύριος τῶν ὅλων, ὁπηνίκα νομοθετεῖν ἤρχετο τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ τῷ Μωσεῖ καταφανῆ ἐβούλετο γενέσθαι τὴν αὑτοῦ δύναμιν, ὄψις αὐτῷ δείκνυται θεοειδὴς φωτὸς μεμορφωμένου ἐπὶ φλεγομένῳ βάτῳ· τὸ δὲ ἀκανθῶδες φυτόν ἐστιν, ὁ βάτος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπαύσατο τῆς νομοθεσίας καὶ τῆς εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίας ὁ λόγος, ὁ κύριος μυστικῶς αὖθις ἀναστέφεται ἀκάνθῃ, ἐνθένδε ἀπιὼν ἐκεῖσε ὅθεν κατῆλθεν, ἀνακεφαλαιούμενος τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς καθόδου τῆς παλαιᾶς, ὅπως ὁ διὰ βάτου τὸ πρῶτον ὀφθείς, ὁ λόγος, διὰ τῆς ἀκάνθης ὕστερον ἀναληφθεὶς μιᾶς ἔργον τὰ πάντα δείξῃ δυνάμεως, εἷς ὢν ἑνὸς ὄντος τοῦ πατρός, ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος αἰῶνος. Ἀλλ' ἐξέβην γὰρ τοῦ παιδαγωγικοῦ τύπου τὸ διδασκαλικὸν εἶδος παρεισάγων, αὖθις οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπάνειμι. Ὡς μὲν οὖν ἐν φαρμάκου μοίρᾳ ἰάσεως ἕνεκα, ἔσθ' ὅπῃ δὲ καὶ διαχύσεως σώφρονος, οὐκ ἀποβλητέον τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθῶν τέρψιν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν μύρων τε καὶ θυμιαμάτων ὠφέλειαν, δεδηλώκαμεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ λέγοιέν τινες, τίς οὖν ἔτι χάρις ἀνθῶν τοῖς μὴ χρωμένοις αὐτοῖς, ἴστων ὡς ἄρα καὶ τὰ μύρα ἐξ αὐτῶν σκευάζεται καὶ ἔστι πολυωφελῆ· σούσινον μὲν ἐκ κρίνων καὶ λειρίων, ἔστι δὲ θερμαντικόν, ἀναστομωτικόν, ἑλκυστικόν, ὑγραντικόν, σμηκτικόν, λεπτομερές, χολῆς κινητικόν, μαλακτικόν· ναρκίσσινον δὲ τὸ ἐκ ναρκίσσου ἐπ' ἴσης ὀνίνησι τῷ σουσίνῳ· μύρσινον δὲ τὸ ἐκ μύρτων καὶ μυρρίνης στυπτικόν, παρακατέχον τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος ἀποφοράς· τὸ δὲ ἐκ ῥόδων ἐμψυκτικόν. Καθόλου γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν εὐχρηστίαν δεδημιούργηται. Εἰσακούσατέ μου, φησί, καὶ ὡς ῥόδον πεφυτευμένον ἐπὶ ῥευμάτων ὑδάτων βλαστήσατε, ὡς λίβανος εὐωδιάσατε ὀσμήν, καὶ εὐλογήσατε κύριον ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πολὺς ἂν εἴη ὁ περὶ τούτων λόγος, εἰς τὰς ἀναγκαίας ὠφελείας λεγόντων ἡμῶν τὰ ἄνθη καὶ τὰ ἀρώματα, οὐκ εἰς τὰς ὕβρεις τῆς τρυφῆς γεγονέναι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἄρα τι συγχωρητέον, ἀπόχρη τῆς ὀδμῆς ἀπολαύειν αὐτοῖς τῶν ἀνθῶν, μὴ καταστεφέτωσαν δέ· πολυωρεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁ πατὴρ καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτοῦ τέχνην τούτῳ παρέχει μόνῳ. Λέγει γοῦν ἡ γραφή· Ὕδωρ καὶ πῦρ καὶ σίδηρος καὶ γάλα, σεμίδαλις πυροῦ καὶ μέλι, αἷμα σταφυλῆς καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ ἱμάτιον, ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν εἰς ἀγαθά.