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discoursing on the time of resurrection when the saints are snatched up into the heavens, he added, saying: “Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” It is clear then from what has been said, that for our sake the Creator has given and distributed certain natural advantages both to the bees, and to all the other irrational creatures, so that we might gather the benefit from every quarter. At once, therefore, from the bees we reap another gain. For we are taught by the discovery of sciences and arts not to be rashly boastful, nor to be proud, nor to be ignorant of nature; but to know the Creator, and to refer the causes of good things to him. And lest we be distressed and annoyed at having partners in the art, and differing in nothing from the irrational creatures, the Creator has given to us the fruit of the honey-making industry; so that at the same time he might humble our proud neck by the partnership in the art, and, having comforted us by the servitude of our partners, he might remove what is grievous. Why then are you grieved, O man, seeing the bees practicing their art? For their labor is your fruit; and while they toil, you enjoy the luxury from their toils. And to the spider too the Creator implanted the art of those fine and invisible threads, in order to teach you how you ought to hunt the kinds of birds. For it weaves its webs, not having been taught the art by reason, but having nature as its teacher. But you, having reason dwelling within, and seeing the example set before you, have contrived countless kinds of nets. And that tiny little creature checks your pride and arrogance, having provided you, without reason, the use of an example. And again the variety of the snares encourages you; for the archetype is one, but the imitations are countless. For birds you have contrived certain cloudy and airy things, and setting these in wide-open places, by the likeness of the snares to the air you deceive the perception of the birds. 83.632 And you take as a collaborator in the hunt the fear of pursuit; for the hunted birds, being driven out, and being pushed from this side and that into the snares, fearing their pursuers, are not strong enough to see clearly what is ahead; then flying into the invisibly stretched nets, they fall into the nooses. And hanging these in the air, you hunt the birds. But others again, more solid than these, have been devised by you for the same hunt of these animals, which you spread on the ground, and digging a pit, you fill it with water, and you place tame birds on the nets, so that by their sight and voice they may attract their kin. Then, with the water being seen, and the bird both crying out and being seen, they fly down, and you, using your art, get them inside the nets. Another device has again been found by you for hunting quadrupeds. For snares, and foot-traps and fetters hunt the stags; while nets [hunt] wild boars, and gazelles, and hares; and pits, and such contrivances, the fiercest of the wild beasts. But the nature of winged things and beasts did not suffice you for hunting, but you have already dared to hunt even the creatures of the sea, and having constructed weels, and all-catching nets, and casting-nets, and seines, and whatever else is of this kind, you hunt swimming nature, and what is underwater you bring up by your art, and you hunt the nurslings of the waters, and though you are a land-dweller you bring up to yourself those who have the deep as their dwelling; and the countless kinds of fish are set before you for enjoyment, your fishing art providing you with the use of them. Do not then be annoyed seeing a spider weaving its fine threads; for you gain from it not to be proud, but to praise the common Creator. And again you are encouraged, seeing it hunting gnats and mosquitoes, and such little creatures, but yourself [hunting] even the swiftest of winged creatures by

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ἀναστάσεως καιρὸν εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἁρπαζο μένων ἁγίων διαλεγόμενος, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· «Ὅπου τὸ πτῶμα, ἐκεῖ συναχθήσονται οἱ ἀετοί.» Εὔδηλον τοίνυν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὡς ἡμῶν χάριν ὁ Ποιητὴς καὶ ταῖς μελίτταις, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀλό γοις ἅπασι, φυσικά τινα πλεονεκτήματα δέδωκε καὶ διένειμεν, ὡς ἂν ἡμεῖς πανταχόθεν τὴν ὠφέλειαν συλλέγωμεν. Αὐτίκα τοίνυν παρὰ τῶν μελιττῶν καὶ ἕτερον δρεπόμεθα κέρδος. ∆ιδασκόμεθα γὰρ τῇ τῶν ἐπιστημῶν καὶ τεχνῶν εὑρέσει μὴ νεανιεύεσθαι, μηδὲ μέγα φρονεῖν, μηδὲ τὴν φύσιν ἀγνοεῖν· ἀλλὰ γινώσκειν τὸν Ποιητὴν, καὶ εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀναφέρειν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰς αἰτίας. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἀλύωμεν καὶ δυσχεραίνωμεν, ὡς κοινωνοὺς ἔχοντες τῆς τέχνης, καὶ μηδὲν τῶν ἀλόγων διαφέροντες, ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Ποιητὴς τὸν τῆς μελιττουργικῆς φιλοπονίας καρπόν· ἵν' ἅμα καὶ τὸν γαῦρον ἡμῶν αὐχένα τῇ κοινωνίᾳ ταπεινώσῃ τῆς τέχνης, καὶ τῇ τῶν κοινωνῶν δουλείᾳ ψυχαγωγήσας, ἀποσκευάσηται τὸ λυποῦν. Τί τοίνυν ἀλγεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, τὰς μελίττας φιλοτε χνούσας ὁρῶν; Ὁ γὰρ ἐκείνων πόνος, σὸς ὑπάρχει καρπός· καὶ αἱ μὲν πονοῦσι, σὺ δὲ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων ἀπολαύεις χλιδῆς. Καὶ ἀράχνῃ δὲ τῶν λεπτῶν ἐκείνων καὶ ἀφανῶν νημάτων ἐνέφυσε τὴν τέχνην ὁ Ποιητὴς, ἵνα σε διδάξῃ πῶς δεῖ θηρεύειν τῶν ὀρνίθων τὰ γένη. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ πλέκει τὰ θήρατρα, οὐχ ὑπὸ λόγου τὴν τέχνην δεδιδαγμένος, ἀλλὰ τὴν φύσιν ἔχων διδάσκαλον. Σὺ δὲ λόγον ἔνοικον ἔχων, καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα προκείμενον θεωρῶν, εἴδη μυρία δικτύων ἐμηχανήσω. Καὶ κωλύει μέν σου τὸν τῦφον καὶ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν τὸ σμικρότατον ἐκεῖνο ζωΰφιον, λόγου δίχα σοὶ παρεσχηκὸς τὴν τοῦ παρα δείγματος χρείαν. Ψυχαγωγεῖ δέ σε πάλιν τὸ τῶν θηράτρων ποικίλον· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀρχέτυπον ἓν, μυ ρία δὲ τὰ μιμήματα. Πτηνοῖς μὲν γὰρ νεφελώδη τινὰ καὶ ἀερώδη ἐμηχανήσω, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἀμφιλαφέσι χωρίοις πηγνὺς, τῇ πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα τῶν θηράτρων ὁμοιώσει κλέπτεις τῶν ὀρνίθων τὴν 83.632 αἴσθησιν. Λαμβάνεις δὲ συνεργὸν εἰς ἄγραν τὸν τῆς διώξεως φόβον· ἐξελαυνόμενα γὰρ τὰ θηρευόμενα τῶν ὀρνίθων, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν κἀκεῖθεν εἰς τὰ θήρατρα συνωθούμενα, δειμαίνοντα τοὺς διώκοντας, κατιδεῖν ἀκριβῶς οὐκ ἰσχύει τὰ πρόσω· εἶτα τοῖς ἀφα νῶς τεταμένοις ἐφιπτάμενα δικτύοις, περιπίπτει τοῖς βρόχοις. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἀέρι κρεμαννὺς, θη ρεύεις τοὺς ὄρνιθας. Ἕτερα δέ σοι τούτων πάλιν στεγανώτερα μεμηχάνηται πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν τούτων τῶν ζώων ἄγραν, ἃ τῇ γῇ μὲν ἐφαπλοῖς, βόθρον δὲ ὀρύττων, ὕδατος τοῦτον πληροῖς, χειροήθεις δὲ ὄρνι θας ἐφιστᾷς τοῖς δικτύοις, ἵνα τῇ ὄψει καὶ τῇ φωνῇ τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἐφελκύσωνται. Εἶτα τοῦ μὲν ὕδατος ὁρωμένου, τοῦ δὲ ὄρνιθος φθεγγομένου τε καὶ φαινομένου, οἱ μὲν ἐφίπτανται, σὺ δὲ τῇ τέχνῃ χρώμενος, ἐντὸς αὐτοὺς τῶν δικτύων ποιεῖς. Ἑτέρα σοι πάλιν ἐξεύρηται μηχανὴ πρὸς τετραπόδων θήραν. Ἁρπεδόναι μὲν γὰρ, καὶ ποδάγραι καὶ ποδοστρά βαι, τοὺς ἐλάφους θηρεύουσιν· ἄρκυες δὲ, συά γρους, καὶ δορκάδας, καὶ λαγωούς· βάραθρα δὲ, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μηχανήματα, τῶν θηρίων τὰ ἀγριώτατα. Οὐκ ἤρκεσε δέ σοι τῶν πετεινῶν καὶ κτηνῶν ἡ φύσις εἰς θήραν, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τῶν θαλατ τίων κατετόλμησας ζώων, καὶ κύρτους, καὶ πάναγρα, καὶ ἀμφίβληστρα, καὶ σαγήνας, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα κατασκευάσας, τὴν νηκτὴν φύσιν ἀγρεύεις, καὶ τὴν ὑποβρύχιον τῇ τέχνῃ μετέωρον φέρεις, καὶ τοὺς τῶν ὑδάτων τροφίμους θηρεύεις, καὶ χερσαῖος ὢν ἀνάγεις παρὰ σαυτὸν τοὺς τὸν βυθὸν ἔχοντας ἐν διαίτημα· καὶ τὰ μυρία τῶν ἰχθύων γένη σοὶ πρό κειται εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν, τῆς ἁλιευτικῆς σοι τέχνης τούτων παρεχούσης τὴν χρείαν. Μὴ τοίνυν δυσχεραί νῃς ἰδὼν ἀράχνην τὰ λεπτὰ ὑφαίνοντα νήμα τα· κερδαίνεις μὲν γὰρ παρ' ἐκείνου, τὸ μὴ μέγα φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κοινὸν ∆ημιουργὸν ἀν υμνεῖν. Ψυχαγωγῇ δὲ πάλιν, ὁρῶν μὲν ἐκεῖνον ἐμπίδας καὶ κώνωπας ἀγρεύοντα, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ζωΰφια, σεαυτὸν δὲ καὶ πτηνῶν τῶν ὀξυτάτων τῇ