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6.t.1 A discourse of Asterius, bishop of Amaseia, on the prophet Daniel and

on Susanna 6.1.1 Always the grace of the Spirit, having an overflowing wealth of its gift, is not idle in showing forth its own things whenever and to whomever it wishes. For like a river filled with waters springing up to life, contrary to these visible and earthly ones, it has its outpourings of energy supplied. 6.1.2 For its stream does not fail it as theirs sometimes does, nor does it admit of risings and fallings as they do, nor does it encompass this and that part like them, but is always sufficient both in quantity and for all; and flowing into its partakers from its fullness, it remains no less full, but indeed, even thus having its grace abundantly, it does not know how to be distributed and divided according to ages. 6.1.3 For the immeasurable does not know how to be measured by the bulk of bodies, but to come together and appear with nobility and purity of soul. And for this reason, now it condescends to Samuel, who was just being fed with milk, and now it takes up David from the very flocks of sheep, singling him out from his brothers, by whom he seemed to be overlooked because of his imperfect age. 6.1.4 Another it perfects from a ploughman with its anointing, and after those, the one who is now our subject, the blessed and truly wise Daniel, still tender and utterly young, it establishes at once as judge of elders and as prophet; who, even if he had become a work of that heavy captivity and had Babylon as the one who bore him, and seemed to be in dishonor because of his imperfect age and without boldness of speech because he was caught up in so many evils, 6.1.5 yet from bearing virtue and being instructed in philosophy from his first growth, and being steadfast and weighty in mind, in the very flower of his age he was shown to be a reproof and judge of those old and established men. But, if you please, let us bring the discourse back a little to the beginning and see how lofty and blessed a thing it is to be a friend of God. 6.2.1 When the city of Jerusalem was utterly taken in war by the Assyrians, the peoples of the Hebrews at that time were led away to Babylon. The multitude of captive youths also included the blessed Daniel, and he lived in the enemy land, an easily despised boy, a small and insignificant appendage of an afflicted people, having no opportunity to be noticed among his own people, nor being considered a worthy gain of the war among his enemies; unseen, inglorious on account of his age, on account of his misfortune; seen only by the one who sees well. 6.2.2 For God alone saw the pure soul of the young man, like a pearl bound in sea shells, or gold existing in the bosom of the earth; like a comely bride concealed by the curtains of the bridal chamber. But when the fitting time came and it was necessary for the hidden one to appear, for the unseen one to become known, for the despised one to be admired, for the one hidden in the darkness of misfortune to shine, a small visitation of the Spirit, and the humble one is higher than all; 6.2.3 wise, the one not opening his mouth; a reproof of hidden things; the uneducated, a judge of judges; sitting on a high throne, the one who had not yet even become an attendant of the courts; the young one vindicating slandered chastity, turning back a wandering people, recalling a vote of the whole city badly cast. 6.3.1 For you have just heard the reading and you are surely held in your soul by the wonder. And I, having left aside the other books, as many things as the psalms with benefit to us with

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6.t.1 Ἀστερίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀμασείας λόγος εἰς τὸν προφήτην ∆ανιὴλ καὶ

εἰς τὴν Σωσάνναν 6.1.1 Ἀεὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἡ χάρις ὑπερχεόμενον ἔχουσα τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δωρεᾶς οὐκ ἀργεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς ὁπηνίκα καὶ οἷς ἂν ἐθέλῃ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. Οἷα γὰρ ποταμὸς πεπληρωμένος τῶν εἰς ζωὴν ἁλλομένων ὑδάτων ἀπεναντίας τοῖς ὁρωμένοις τούτοις καὶ κατὰ γῆν, τὰς τῆς ἐνεργείας ἀφέσεις ἔχει χορηγουμένας. 6.1.2 Οὐ γὰρ ἐπιλείπει τὸ ῥεῖθρον αὐτῇ καθάπερ ἐκείνοις ἐνίοτε, οὐδ' ἀναβάσεις καὶ ὑποβάσεις ὥσπερ αὐτοὶ ἐπιδέχεται, οὐδὲ τὸ καὶ τὸ μέρος κατὰ τούτους περιλαμβάνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλήθει ἀεὶ καὶ πᾶσιν ἀρκεῖ· καὶ εἰς τοὺς μετόχους ὑπορρέουσα τοῦ πληρώματος οὐδὲν ἧττον μένει πεπληρωμένη, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ οὕτω τὴν χάριν ἔχουσα δαψιλῆ οὐδὲ πρὸς ἡλικίας οἶδεν διαδίδοσθαι καὶ μερίζεσθαι. 6.1.3 Οὐ γὰρ ὄγκῳ σωμάτων τὰ ἀμέτρητα οἶδεν μετρεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς εὐγενείᾳ καὶ καθαρότητι συνέρχεσθαι τε καὶ ἐπιφαίνεσθαι. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο νῦν μὲν συμπεριφέρεται ἀρτιγαλακτοτροφουμένῳ τῷ Σαμουήλ, νῦν δὲ τὸν ∆αβὶδ ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων αὐτῶν προβάτων ἀναλαμβάνει τῶν ἀδελφῶν οἷς ἐδόκει παρεωρᾶσθαι διὰ τὸ ἀτελὲς τῆς ἡλικίας ἐκκρίνουσα. 6.1.4 Ἄλλον ἐξ ἀροτῆρος τῷ χρίσματι τελειοῖ καὶ μετ' ἐκείνους τὸν νῦν κείμενον εἰς ὑπόθεσιν, μακάριον καὶ τῷ ὄντι σοφὸν ∆ανιήλ, ἁπαλὸν ἔτι καὶ κομιδῇ νέον ὁμοῦ καὶ πρεσβυτέρων κριτὴν καὶ προφήτην καθίστησιν· ὃς εἰ καὶ τῆς βαρείας ἐκείνης ἔργον ἐγεγόνει αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ τῆς ἐνεγκούσης εἶχε τὴν Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ἐν ἀδόξοις ἐδόκει διὰ τῆς ὥρας τὸ ἀτελὲς καὶ ἀπαρρησίαστος διὰ τὸ ἐναπειλῆφθαι τοσούτοις κακοῖς, 6.1.5 ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιφέρεσθαι καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ στοιχειωθῆναι τὴν πρώτην αὔξησιν καὶ καρτερὸς εἶναι τὴν γνώμην καὶ ἐμβριθής, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἄνθει τῆς ἡλικίας τῶν γηραιῶν ἐκείνων καὶ καθεστηκότων ἔλεγχος ἐδείκνυτο καὶ κριτής. Ἀλλὰ μικρόν, εἰ δοκεῖ, πρὸς ἀρχὴν ἀναγαγόντες τὸν λόγον ἴδωμεν, ὅπως ὑψηλὸν καὶ μακάριον τὸ φίλον ὑπάρχειν Θεῷ. 6.2.1 Τῆς πόλεως τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ κατάκραν τῷ πολέμῳ παρὰ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ληφθείσης οἱ τότε λαοὶ τῶν Ἑβραίων ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα διήχθησαν. Εἶχε δὲ καὶ τὸν μακάριον ∆ανιὴλ τῶν δορυαλώτων μειρακίων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ διήγετο ἐπὶ τῆς πολεμίας παῖς εὐκαταφρόνητος, κεκακωμένου δήμου μικρὸν καὶ πολλοστὸν ἐφόλκιον, οὔτε παρὰ τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις ἀφορμὴν ἔχων τοῦ φαίνεσθαι, οὔτε παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἀξιόλογον τοῦ πολέμου νομιζόμενος κέρδος· ἀφανής, ἄδοξος διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, διὰ τὴν συμφοράν· μόνῳ τῷ καλῶς βλέποντι καθορώμενος. 6.2.2 Θεὸς γὰρ μόνος ἔβλεπε τὴν καθαρὰν τοῦ νεανίσκου ψυχήν, ὥσπερ τινὰ μαργαριτὴν ἐν θαλαττίοις ὀστράκοις ἐνδεδεμένον ἢ χρυσὸν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ἐνόντα τῆς γῆς· ὡς νύμφην εὐπρεπῆ τοῖς παραπεπτάσμασι τῆς παστάδος καλυπτομένην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦλθεν ὁ καθήκων καιρὸς καὶ ἔδει τὸν κρυπτόμενον φανῆναι, γνώριμον γενέσθαι τὸν ἀφανῆ, περίβλεπτον τὸν καταφρονούμενον, λάμψαι τὸν τῷ σκότῳ τῆς συμφορᾶς κεκρυμμένον, ὀλίγη τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησις καὶ πάντων ὁ ταπεινὸς ὑψηλότερος· 6.2.3 σοφὸς ὁ μὴ διαίρων τὸ στόμα· ἔλεγχος κρυπτομένων· κριτὴς δικαστῶν ὁ ἀπαίδευτος· ἐπὶ θρόνου καθήμενος ὑψηλοῦ ὁ μηδέπω μηδὲ ὑπηρέτης δικαστηρίων γενόμενος· σωφροσύνην συκοφαντουμένην ἐκδικῶν ὁ νέος, δῆμον πλανώμενον ἐπιστρέφων, ψῆφον πόλεως ὅλης κακῶς ἐνεχθεῖσαν ἀνακαλούμενος. 6.3.1 Ἠκούσατε γὰρ ἀρτίως τοῦ ἀναγνώσματος καὶ τῷ θαύματι πάντως κατέχεσθε τὴν ψυχήν. Κἀγὼ δὲ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων βιβλίων ἀφεὶς ὅσα οἱ ψαλμοὶ ἡμῖν ἐπωφελῶς μεθ'