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I think it better to set forth in a few words for the discourse the enigma of the historical memory, so that such an inscription may become for us an instruction for our life. What then is it that I say? The whole nation he named Syria, and he divides this into two parts, marking each of them with its own characteristics; for one of them is called Mesopotamia of Syria; and the other 5.81 is named Syria of Zobah; and this one and that one are set on fire. And after this, upon the return of the general, the valley of salt is condemned to death by twelve thousand; let us understand, therefore, that the form of Syria is twofold. For some of them are encompassed by the river currents; and these would be those who are overflowed on all sides by the passions. And others are opposed to Zobah, with this name signifying through the discourse the tyranny of the opposing power; therefore, this would be for us the way of alteration for the better, if this twofold nation of wickedness were to be destroyed by the purifying fire; for just as virtue is characterized by life and thought, so also is wickedness observed in these two; and the disorder in life, by which the currents of the passions surround the soul, is called the middle of the rivers, while that which through wicked doctrines is dedicated to the ruler of the world is named Syria of Zobah; and when these have been consumed by the burning and purifying word, it follows that the barren and salty land, which is the camp of the opposing powers, is struck by the blow of the general; for the victory over the enemies would not be ours, unless the commander of the armies prevailed with his hand. And upon the destruction of the enemies, peace follows as a consequence; and this is the consequence of victory, toward which the inscription looks, engraving in our memories the instruction to be altered, by showing through historical examples 5.82 the deliverance from the passions. But the lesson concerning the alteration would become clearer to us, if we should follow the other interpreters, of whom one wrote in his discourse 'Concerning the flowers,' and another 'Concerning the lilies,' instead of the alteration. For the flower shows the change of winter into spring, which signifies the transition from wickedness to the life of virtue. And the appearance of the lily explains to what the alteration must become; for he who becomes radiant through alteration clearly takes on a bright and snow-white form from a black and darkened one. According to every inscription, therefore, to which 'concerning those who will be altered' has been added, I think one must receive this counsel from the word, that one must always, through prayer and diligence in life, acquire the alteration for the better.

CHAPTER 5

The inscription 'concerning the hidden things' the precision concerning the knowledge of God

suggests to perfect. For since the final fall of the soul is the mistaken notion concerning the divine (for what good could one enjoy, not having the Good itself?), for this reason the inscription proposes to you, as a kind of lamp, the searching word of the hidden things of the knowledge of God, the chief point of which is faith in the Son. For thus also says the inscription, 'concerning the hidden things of the Son.' For truly that is hidden which is incomprehensible and invisible 5.83 and above every apprehensive thought, to which the one who has drawn near through faith has reached the end of victory. The discourse 'Concerning her who inherits' is clear. For concerning the soul which fell from its own inheritance, when the sun set on the one who transgressed the commandment, the prophet offers this intercession to God, that it might be in the morning again, having put away the darkness, and become worthy of that sweet voice, which says to

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ἱστορικῆς μνήμης τὸ αἴνιγμα κρεῖττον οἶμαι δι' ὀλίγων προθεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ, ὡς ἂν γένοιτο ἡμῖν ἡ τοιαύτη στηλογραφία εἰς διδαχὴν τοῦ ἡμετέρου βίου. τί οὖν ἐστιν ὅ φημι; ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος Συρίαν ὠνόμασε, μερίζει δὲ τοῦτο εἰς δύο τμήματα ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἰδίοις γνωρίσμασι σημειούμενος· ἡ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν Μεσοποταμία Συρίας λέγεται· ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα τοῦ 5.81 Σωβὰ Συρία κατονομάζεται· καταπίμπραται δὲ καὶ αὕτη καὶ αὕτη. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐξ ἐπιστροφῆς τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου ἡ φάραγξ τῶν ἁλῶν ἐν δυοκαίδεκα χιλιάσι τῷ θανάτῳ κατα δικάζεται· οὐκοῦν νοήσωμεν ὅτι διπλοῦν ἐστι τῆς Συρίας τὸ εἶδος. οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν εἰσι τοῖς ποταμίοις ῥεύμασιν ἐν κύκλῳ διειλημμένοι· αὐτοὶ δ' ἂν εἶεν οἱ τοῖς παθήμασι πανταχόθεν περιρρεόμενοι. οἱ δὲ ἀντίκεινται τῷ Σωβὰ διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου τὴν τῆς ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως τυραννίδα τοῦ λόγου σημαίνοντος· οὐκοῦν αὕτη γένοιτο ἂν ἡμῖν τῆς πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἀλλοιώσεως ἡ ὁδός, εἰ τῷ καθαρσίῳ πυρὶ τὸ διπλοῦν τοῦτο τῆς κακίας ἔθνος ἀφανισθείη· ὡς γὰρ ἡ ἀρετὴ βίῳ καὶ διανοίᾳ χαρακτηρίζεται, οὕτω καὶ ἡ κακία τοῖς δύο τούτοις ἐνθεωρεῖται· καὶ ἡ μὲν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀταξία, ᾗ τὰ τῶν παθῶν ῥεύματα κύκλῳ τὴν ψυχὴν διαλαμβάνει, ἡ τῶν ποταμῶν λέγεται μέση, ἡ δὲ διὰ τῶν πονηρῶν δογμάτων ἀνακειμένη τῷ ἄρχοντι τοῦ κόσμου Σωβὰ Συρίας κατονομάζεται· ὧν τῷ καυστικῷ τε καὶ καθαρσίῳ λόγῳ δαπανηθέντων ἕπεται τὸ τὴν ἄγονόν τε καὶ ἁλμῶσαν γῆν, ἥτις στρατόπεδόν ἐστι τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων, τῇ τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου πληγῇ παταχθῆναι· οὐ γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ἡμῖν ἡ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν νίκη, μὴ τοῦ ἄρ χοντος τῶν στρατιῶν ὑπερσχόντος τῇ χειρί. τῇ δὲ τῶν πολεμίων ἀπωλείᾳ εἰρήνη κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἕπεται· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἀκόλουθον τῆς νίκης, πρὸς ὃ βλέπουσα ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ ἐνστηλιτεύει ταῖς μνήμαις ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἀλλοιωθῆναι ὑφήγησιν διὰ τῶν ἱστορικῶν ὑποδειγμάτων 5.82 τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν παθημάτων ὑποδεικνύουσα. μᾶλλον δ' ἂν ἡμῖν φανερὸν γένοιτο τὸ κατὰ τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν μάθημα, εἰ τοῖς λοιποῖς τῶν ἑρμηνέων ἀκολουθήσαιμεν, ὧν ὁ μὲν τὸ Ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνθῶν, ὁ δὲ Ὑπὲρ τῶν κρίνων, ἀντὶ τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως τῷ λόγῳ προσέγραψεν. τό τε γὰρ ἄνθος ἐνδεί κνυται τοῦ χειμῶνος τὴν εἰς ἔαρ μεταβολήν, ὅπερ σημαίνει τὴν ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν βίον μετάστασιν. ἥ τε τοῦ κρίνου ὄψις πρὸς ὅ τι χρὴ γενέσθαι τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν διερμηνεύει· ὁ γὰρ δι' ἀλλοιώσεως λαμπρὸς γινόμενος δηλονότι ἐκ μέλανός τε καὶ ἐσκοτισμένου λαμπρόν τε καὶ χιονῶδες εἶδος μεταλαμβάνει. κατὰ πᾶσαν τοίνυν ἐπιγραφήν, ᾗ τὸ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων προσγέγραπται, ταύτην οἶμαι δεῖν δέχεσθαι τὴν συμβουλὴν παρὰ τοῦ λόγου, τὸ δεῖν ἀεὶ διὰ προσευχῆς τε καὶ ἐπιμελείας τοῦ βίου κτήσασθαι τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἀλλοίωσιν.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Εʹ

Ἡ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων ἐπιγραφὴ τὸ περὶ τὴν θεογνωσίαν ἀκριβὲς

κατορθοῦν ὑποτίθεται. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ ἔσχατον πτῶμά ἐστι ψυχῆς ἡ διημαρτημένη περὶ τὸ θεῖον ὑπόληψις (τί γὰρ ἄν τις ἀπόναιτο τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθὸν οὐκ ἔχων;), τούτου ἕνεκεν οἷόν τινα λύχνον σοι προτείνει ἡ ἐπι γραφὴ τὸν ἐρευνητικὸν τῶν κρυφίων τῆς θεογνωσίας λόγον, ἧς κεφάλαιόν ἐστιν ἡ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν πίστις. οὕτω γάρ φησιν καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφή, ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων τοῦ υἱοῦ. κρύφιον γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν τὸ ἀκατανόητόν τε καὶ ἀόρατον 5.83 καὶ πάσης ὑπερκείμενον καταληπτικῆς ἐπινοίας, ᾧπερ ὁ προσεγγίσας διὰ τῆς πίστεως εἰς τὸ τῆς νίκης ἔφθασε τέλος. ὁ δὲ Ὑπὲρ τῆς κληρονομούσης λόγος δῆλός ἐστιν. ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς τοῦ ἰδίου κλήρου ἀποπεσούσης, ὅτε ἐπέδυ τῷ τὴν ἐντολὴν παραβεβηκότι ὁ ἥλιος, τὴν ἔντευξιν ταύτην προσάγει τῷ θεῷ ὁ προφήτης, ἵνα ἐν πρωΐᾳ γένηται πάλιν ἀποθεμένη τὸ σκότος καὶ τῆς γλυκείας ἐκείνης φωνῆς ἀξία γένηται, ἥ φησι πρὸς