§27. The change wrought by the Cross in the relation of Death to Man.

For that death is destroyed, and that the Cross is become the victory over it, and that it has no more power but is verily dead, this is no small proof, or rather an evident warrant, that it is despised by all Christ’s disciples, and that they all take the aggressive against it and no longer fear it; but by the sign of the Cross and by faith in Christ tread it down as dead. 2. For of old, before the divine sojourn of the Saviour took place, even to the saints death was terrible85    Cf. Ps. lv. 4, lxxxix. 47; Job. xviii. 14., and all wept for the dead as though they perished. But now that the Saviour has raised His body, death is no longer terrible; for all who believe in Christ tread him under as nought, and choose rather to die than to deny their faith in Christ. For they verily know that when they die they are not destroyed, but actually [begin to] live, and become incorruptible through the Resurrection. 3. And that devil that once maliciously exulted in death, now that its86    Cf. Acts ii. 24 pains were loosed, remained the only one truly dead. And a proof of this is, that before men believe Christ, they see in death an object of terror, and play the coward before him. But when they are gone over to Christ’s faith and teaching, their contempt for death is so great that they even eagerly rush upon it, and become witnesses for the Resurrection the Saviour has accomplished against it. For while still tender in years they make haste to die, and not men only, but women also, exercise themselves by bodily discipline against it. So weak has he become, that even women who were formerly deceived by him, now mock at him as dead and paralyzed. 4. For as when a tyrant has been defeated by a real king, and bound hand and foot, then all that pass by laugh him to scorn, buffeting and reviling him, no longer fearing his fury and barbarity, because of the king who has conquered him; so also, death having been conquered and exposed by the Saviour on the Cross, and bound hand and foot, all they who are in Christ, as they pass by, trample on him, and witnessing to Christ scoff at death, jesting at him, and saying what has been written against him of old: “O death87    Cf. above, 21. 2., where is thy victory? O grave, where is thy sting.”

Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ καταλελύσθαι τὸν θάνατον, καὶ νίκην κατ' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι τὸν σταυρόν, καὶ μηκέτι λοιπὸν ἰσχύειν, ἀλλ' εἶναι νεκρὸν αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς, γνώρισμα οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ πίστις ἐναργής, τὸ παρὰ πάντων τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν αὐτὸν καταφρονεῖσθαι, καὶ πάντας ἐπιβαίνειν κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ μηκέτι φοβεῖσθαι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῇ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστει καταπα τεῖν αὐτὸν ὡς νεκρόν. Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ πρὶν τὴν θείαν ἐπιδημίαν γενέσθαι τοῦ Σωτῆρος, πάντες τοὺς ἀποθνῄσκοντας ὡς φθειρομένους ἐθρήνουν· ἄρτι δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀναστήσαντος τὸ σῶμα, οὐκέτι μὲν ὁ θάνατός ἐστι φοβερός, πάντες δὲ οἱ τῷ Χριστῷ πιστεύοντες ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ὄντα πατοῦσι, καὶ μᾶλλον ἀποθνῄσκειν αἱροῦνται ἢ ἀρνήσασθαι τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν. Ἴσασι γὰρ ὄντως ὅτι ἀποθνῄσκοντες οὐκ ἀπόλλυνται, ἀλλὰ ζῶσι, καὶ ἄφθαρτοι διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως γίνονται. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὁ πάλαι τῷ θανάτῳ πονηρῶς ἐναλλόμενος διάβολος, λυθεισῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν ὠδίνων, ἔμεινε μόνος ἀληθῶς νεκρός· καὶ τούτου τεκμήριον, ὅτι πρὶν πιστεύσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τῷ Χριστῷ, φοβερὸν τὸν θάνατον ὁρῶσι καὶ δειλιῶσιν αὐτόν. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου πίστιν καὶ διδασκαλίαν μετέλθωσι, τοσοῦτον καταφρονοῦσι τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς καὶ προθύμως ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁρμᾶν καὶ μάρτυρας γίνεσθαι τῆς κατ' αὐτοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος γενο μένης ἀναστάσεως. Καὶ γὰρ ἔτι νήπιοι ὄντες τὴν ἡλικίαν σπεύδουσι ἀποθνῄσκειν, καὶ μελετῶσι κατ' αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἀσκήσεσιν οὐ μόνον ἄνδρες, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες. Οὕτως ἀσθενὴς γέγονεν, ὡς καὶ γυναῖκας τὰς ἀπατηθείσας τὸ πρὶν παρ' αὐτοῦ, νῦν παίζειν αὐτὸν ὡς νεκρὸν καὶ παρειμένον. Ὡς γὰρ τυράννου καταπολεμηθέντος ὑπὸ γνησίου βασιλέως καὶ δεθέντος τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, πάντες λοιπὸν οἱ διαβαίνοντες καταπαίζουσιν αὐτοῦ τύπτοντες καὶ διασύροντες, οὐκ ἔτι φοβούμενοι τὴν μανίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγριότητα, διὰ τὸν νικήσαντα βασιλέα· οὕτω καὶ τοῦ θανά του νικηθέντος καὶ στηλιτευθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, καὶ δεδεμένου τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας, πάντες οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ διαβαίνοντες αὐτὸν καταπατοῦσι, καὶ μαρτυροῦντες τῷ Χριστῷ χλευάζουσι τὸν θάνατον, ἐπικερ τομοῦντες αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἄνωθεν κατ' αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένα λέγοντες· “Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ νῖκος; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ κέντρον;”