26

to despise present things as if they were not; not to return evil for evil, nor to be allowed to do evil; and when struck on one cheek, not to spare the other, but to offer this also to the one who strikes, and to give up the tunic with the cloak. He will perhaps add that we should also pray for those who wrong us, and wish the best for our persecutors. And why should he not have known these things accurately, who was once a reader of the divine oracles, and had been honored with the dignity of the great bema, and who honors the martyrs with chapels and sanctuaries?

8. At this I first wonder, how he was so accurately conversant with these things, but did not read that other, or willingly passed it over: that an evil man shall perish evilly? everyone who has denied the Divinity, and, what is greater than this, who thrusts aside those who abide in the confession, and surrounds them with such evils as he himself deserved to fall into. If then, just as he legislates for us to be such and to abide by the defined precepts, he can thus show that also for himself the worst has been commanded, or for his gods this is a good thing; and these two dispositions being divided, I mean both virtue and vice, the better portion has been assigned to us, while the worse has been cast off to them; let him say this, and thus we shall conquer with our enemies as witnesses, and those who persecute our cause; but if they too lay some claim to goodness and gentleness, at least in word, even if not in their deeds, and are not so shameless, though they are exceedingly evil and delight in wicked gods, as to assert that vice belongs to them as some other lot; let them 35.633 show how or where it is just for us to endure even when we suffer, but for them not to spare even those who spare them; for consider it thus. When we have had our times of power, and you have had yours, as these things come and go at different times, what such thing ever happened to your people from Christians, as has often happened to Christians from you? Of what freedoms of speech did we deprive you? Against whom did we stir up raging mobs? against whom rulers, serving beyond what was commanded? Upon whom did we bring mortal danger? Or rather, whom did we drive from office, and from the other honors which are due to the best? And, to speak concisely, upon whom have we inflicted any such thing as the many things that from you were either dared or threatened? But not even you yourselves would say so, you who accuse us of gentleness and philanthropy.

9. Then how do you not consider this, O wisest and most intelligent of all, you who confine Christians to the summit of virtue, that of our legislation some things are of necessity for those who are commanded, things for which there is danger if they do not keep them; but others are not of necessity, but of choice; which if they keep, there is honor and recompense, but if they do not keep, there is no danger whatsoever? For if it were possible for all to be excellent, and to reach the summit of virtue, this would be best and most perfect; but since divine things are separate from human, and for the former there is nothing good of which they do not partake, while for the latter it is a great thing even if they should attain the middle state, what does it mean to you to legislate these things, which are not for all, or for those who do not keep them to be condemned? For just as he who is not worthy of punishment is not immediately worthy of proclamation; so he who is not worthy of proclamation is not immediately worthy of punishment; but one must remain within the bounds of our philosophy, and of human ability, and so demand what is rightly done.

100. But I must again lead my discourse back to the 35.636 subject of letters; for I cannot bear not to return to this often, and I must try to defend them to the best of my ability; for though there are many and terrible things for which he deserves to be hated, there is nothing in which he appears to have transgressed more than this. And may everyone who delights in letters, and is devoted to this portion, of which I myself will not deny I am one, be indignant with me. For I have left the other things to those who want them, wealth, noble birth, good repute, power, which

26

παρόντων καταφρονεῖν ὡς οὐκ ὄντων· κακοῦ δὲ μὴ ἀντιδιδόναι, μηδὲ ἐξεῖναι, κακόν· μηδὲ τὴν παρειὰν παιομένους φείδεσθαι τῆς ἑτέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην ἐμπαρέχειν τῷ παίοντι, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα τῷ ἱματίῳ προσαποδύεσθαι. Προσθήσει δὲ ἴσως, ὅτι καὶ ὑπερεύχεσθαι τῶν ἀδι κούντων, καὶ τὰ κάλλιστα βούλεσθαι τοῖς διώκουσι. Τί δὲ οὐκ ἔμελλε ταῦτα γινώσκειν ἀκριβῶς ὁ τῶν θείων ὑπαναγνώστης ποτὲ λογίων, καὶ τῆς τοῦ με γάλου βήματος ἠξιωμένος τιμῆς, καὶ τοὺς μάρτυρας τιμῶν σηκοῖς τε καὶ τεμένεσιν;

Ηʹ. Οὗ τοῦτο πρῶτον θαυμάζω, πῶς τούτοις μὲν ἀκριβῶς καθωμίλησεν, ἐκεῖνο δὲ οὐκ ἀνέγνω, ἢ ἑκὼν παρέδραμεν· ὅτι Κακὸς κακῶς ἀπολεῖται; πᾶς ὁ τὸ Θεῖον ἐξαρνησάμενος, καὶ ὃ τούτου μεῖζόν ἐστι, τοὺς ἐμμένοντας τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ περιωθῶν, καὶ τοιούτοις κακοῖς περιβάλλων, οἷς αὐτὸς περιπεσεῖν ἦν ἄξιος. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὥσπερ ἡμᾶς τοιούτους εἶναι νομοθετεῖ, καὶ τοῖς ὡρισμένοις ἐμμένειν, οὕτω δύναται δεῖξαι, καὶ αὐτῷ τὸ κάκιστον εἶναι προστεταγμένον, ἢ τοῖς αὐτοῦ θεοῖς ἐν καλῷ τοῦτο τυγχάνον· καὶ εἰς δύο ταῦτα διῃρημένων τῶν ἕξεων, ἀρετήν τε, φημὶ, καὶ κακίαν, ἡμῖν μὲν ἀποκεκρίσθαι τὴν κρείσσω μοῖραν, αὐτοῖς δὲ ἀπεῤῥίφθαι τὴν χείρονα· λεγέτω τοῦτο, καὶ οὕτω νικήσομεν ὑπὸ μάρτυσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ τοῖς διώκουσι τὰ ἡμέτερα· εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοί τι μεταποιοῦνται καλοκἀγαθίας καὶ ἡμερό τητος, λόγῳ γοῦν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐχ οὕτως εἰσὶν ἀναίσχυντοι, κἂν σφόδρα ὦσι κακοὶ, καὶ πονηροῖς θεοῖς χαίροντες, ὥστε φάσκειν ὥσπερ ἄλλον τινὰ κλῆρον προσήκειν αὐτοῖς τὴν κακίαν· δει 35.633 ξάτωσαν πῶς ἢ ποῦ δίκαιον ἡμᾶς μὲν καὶ πάσχοντας καρτερεῖν, αὐτοὺς δὲ μηδὲ φειδομένων φείδεσθαι· σκόπει γὰρ οὕτω. Τῶν μὲν ἡμῖν γεγονότων και ρῶν τοῦ δύνασθαι, τῶν δὲ ὑμῖν ἄλλοτε ἄλλως τούτων περιτρεχόντων τε καὶ μεθισταμένων, τί τοιοῦτο παρὰ Χριστιανῶν ποτε συνέβη τοῖς ὑμετέροις, οἷα παρ' ὑμῶν πολλάκις Χριστιανοῖς; Ποίας παῤῥη σίας ὑμᾶς ἀπεστερήσαμεν; Τίσι δήμους ἐπανεστήσαμεν ζέοντας; τίσιν ἄρχοντας, πλείω τῶν ἐπιταττομένων ὑπηρετοῦντας; Τίσι τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς ἐπηγάγομεν κίνδυνον; Μᾶλλον δὲ τίνας ἀρχῶν ἀπηλάσαμεν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τιμῶν αἳ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ὀφείλονται; Καὶ συνελόντα φάναι, τίνι τι τοιοῦτον ἐπενηνόχαμεν, οἷα πολλὰ παρ' ὑμῶν τὰ μὲν ἐτολμήθη, τὰ δὲ ἠπειλήθη; Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἂν αὐτοὶ φαίητε, οἱ τὸ ἥμερον ἡμῖν ἐγκαλοῦντες καὶ τὸ φιλάν θρωπον.

Θ. Ἔπειτα πῶς ἐκεῖνο οὐ λογίζῃ, ὦ σοφώ τατε πάντων καὶ συνετώτατε, ὁ πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἄκρον συγκλείων Χριστιανοὺς, ὅτι τῆς ἡμετέρας νο μοθεσίας τὰ μὲν ἀνάγκην ἔχει τοῖς ἐπιταττομένοις, ἃ καὶ μὴ φυλάττουσι κίνδυνος· τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἀνάγ κην, αἵρεσιν δέ· ἃ φυλάττουσι μὲν, τιμὴν καὶ ἀντί δοσιν, μὴ φυλάττουσι δὲ, οὐδ' ὅντιν' οὖν κίν δυνον; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν ἅπαντας ἀρίστους εἶναι, καὶ τοῦ ἄκρου τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιβαίνειν, τοῦτ' ἂν ἦν κράτιστόν τε καὶ τελεώτατον· ἐπεὶ δὲ χωρὶς τὰ θεῖα τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, καὶ τοῖς μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτου μὴ τῶν καλῶν μέτεστι, τοῖς δὲ μέγα, κἂν εἰ τοῦ μέσου τυγχάνοιεν, τί σοι βούλεται τὸ ταῦτα νομοθετεῖν, ἃ μὴ τῶν πάντων ἐστὶν, ἢ κατακρίτους εἶναι τοὺς οὐ φυλάσσοντας; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅστις οὐ κολάσεως ἄξιος, ἤδη καὶ ἀναῤῥήσεως· οὕτως ὅστις οὐκ ἀναῤῥήσεως, ἤδη καὶ τιμωρίας· ἀλλ' ἐν ὅροις δεῖ μένοντας τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλοσοφίας, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης δυνάμεως, οὕτως ἀπαιτεῖν καὶ τὸ κατορθούμενον.

Ρʹ. Ἀλλ' ἀνακτέον μοι πάλιν τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τοὺς 35.636 λόγους· οὐ γὰρ φέρω μὴ τοῦτο πολλάκις ἀνακυκλεῖν, καὶ πειρατέον συνηγορῆσαι τούτοις εἰς δύναμιν· πολ λῶν γὰρ καὶ δεινῶν ὄντων, ἐφ' οἷς ἐκεῖνος μισεῖσθαι δίκαιος, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅ τι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦτο παρανομήσας φαίνεται. Καί μοι συναγανακτείτω πᾶς ὅστις λόγοις χαίρων, καὶ τῇ μοίρᾳ ταύτῃ προσκείμενος, ὧν εἶναι καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα παρῆκα τοῖς βουλομένοις, πλοῦτον, εὐγένειαν, εὔ κλειαν, δυναστείαν, ἃ