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of the bishop of Athens, from the epistle to John the apostle and theologian: Truly the visible things are manifest images of the invisible. 1,28 ͂2,24 Of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, from the epistle to Titus: Therefore we too, instead of the popular conception concerning them, must penetrate reverently within the sacred symbols and not dishonor them, since they are offspring and imprints of the divine characters and manifest images of the ineffable and supernatural visions. (Comment) See how he said not to dishonor the images of the honored. Of the same, from *On the Divine Names*: We too have been initiated into this; now, in a manner analogous to us, through the sacred veils of the loving-kindness of the oracles and hierarchical traditions, which covers the intelligible with the sensible and the super-essential with things that are, and bestows shapes and forms on the formless and shapeless, and both multiplies and forms the supernatural and unfigured simplicity by the variety of divisible symbols. (Comment) If it is an act of loving-kindness to bestow forms and types on the typeless and formless and on the simple and unfigured in a manner analogous to us, how shall we not, in a manner analogous to us, depict in images those things seen in forms and shapes, for the sake of remembrance and the movement from remembrance to zeal? Of the same, from *On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy*: But the essences and orders that are above us, of which I have already made sacred mention, are both incorporeal, and their hierarchy is intelligible and super-cosmic. But we see our own hierarchy, in a manner analogous to ourselves, multiplied by the variety of sensible symbols, by which we are hierarchically led up to the uniform deification in a symmetry proper to us, both to God and to divine virtue, they indeed as intellects perceive in the manner permitted to them, but we are led up by sensible images to the divine contemplations, as far as is possible. (Comment) If, then, in a manner analogous to ourselves, we are led up by sensible images to the divine and immaterial contemplation, and if the divine providence, out of loving-kindness, bestows types and shapes on the unfigured and typeless for the sake of our guidance, what is unseemly in depicting, in a manner analogous to ourselves, him who submitted to shape and form and was seen by nature as a man out of loving-kindness for us? An account handed down to us from above relates that Abgar, the ruler of Edessa, inflamed by the fame of the Lord to a divine love, sent envoys to request a visit from him. And if he should refuse to do this, he commanded a painter to make a likeness of him; and he who knows all and can do all, knowing this, took a cloth and, having pressed it to his face, impressed his own image upon it, which is preserved even to this day. Of Saint Basil, from the oration on the blessed martyr Barlaam, the beginning of which is: Formerly the deaths of the saints: Arise for me now, O brilliant painters of athletic feats, magnify with your arts the marred image of the general; illuminate with the colors of your wisdom the crown-winner described too dimly by me. Let me depart, vanquished by your depiction of the martyr's heroic deeds; I rejoice today in being defeated by such a victory of your strength; let me see the struggle of the hand against the fire painted more accurately by you; let me see the wrestler depicted more brightly on your image. Let the demons weep even now, being smitten by the martyr's heroic deeds in your works. Let the hand be shown to them again, burning and victorious. Let Christ also be inscribed on the panel, the judge of the contests, to whom be glory for ever. 3,47 Of the same, from the oration on the Forty Holy Martyrs: Since both the brave deeds of wars and

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ἐπισκόπου Ἀθηνῶν, ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ θεολόγον ἐπιστολῆς· Ἀληθῶς ἐμφανεῖς εἰκόνες εἰσὶ τὰ ὁρατὰ τῶν ἀοράτων. 1,28 ͂2,24 Τοῦ ἁγίου ∆ιονυσίου τοῦ Ἀρεοπαγίτου ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Τίτον ἐπιστολῆς· Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ τῆς δημώδους περὶ αὐτῶν ὑπολήψεως εἴσω τῶν ἱερῶν συμβόλων ἱεροπρεπῶς διαλαβεῖν καὶ μηδὲ ἀτιμάζειν αὐτὰ τῶν θείων ὄντα χαρακτήρων ἔκγονα καὶ ἀποτυπώματα καὶ εἰκόνας ἐμφανεῖς τῶν ἀπορρήτων καὶ ὑπερφυῶν θεαμάτων. (Σχόλιον) Ἴδε, ὡς ἔφη μὴ ἀτιμάζειν τὰς τῶν τιμίων εἰκόνας. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ θείων ὀνομάτων· Ταύτης καὶ ἡμεῖς μεμυήμεθα· νῦν μὲν ἀναλόγως ἡμῖν διὰ τῶν ἱερῶν παραπετασμάτων τῆς τῶν λογίων καὶ ἱεραρχικῶν παραδόσεων φιλανθρωπίας αἰσθητοῖς τὰ νοητὰ καὶ τοῖς οὖσι τὰ ὑπερούσια περικαλυπτούσης καὶ μορφὰς καὶ τύπους τοῖς ἀμορφώτοις τε καὶ ἀτυπώτοις περιτιθείσης καὶ τὴν ὑπερφυᾶ καὶ ἀσχημάτιστον ἁπλότητα τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τῶν μεριστῶν συμβόλων πληθυούσης τε καὶ διαπλαττούσης. (Σχόλιον) Εἰ φιλανθρωπίας ἐστὶ τὸ τοῖς ἀτυπώτοις καὶ ἀμορφώτοις καὶ τοῖς ἁπλοῖς καὶ ἀσχηματίστοις μορφὰς καὶ τύπους περιτιθέναι πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀναλογίαν, πῶς τὰ μορφαῖς καὶ σχήμασιν ὁραθέντα μὴ ἀναλόγως ἡμῖν εἰκονίσομεν πρὸς μνήμην καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς μνήμης πρὸς ζῆλον κίνησιν; Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἱεραρχίας· Ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς οὐσίαι καὶ τάξεις, ὧν ἤδη μνήμην ἱερὰν ἐποιησάμην, ἀσώματοί τέ εἰσι, καὶ νοητὴ καὶ ὑπερκόσμιός ἐστιν ἡ κατ' αὐτὰς ἱεραρχία. Τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς δὲ ὁρῶμεν ἀναλόγως ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς τῇ τῶν αἰσθητῶν συμβόλων ποικιλίᾳ πληθυνομένην, ὑφ' ὧν ἱεραρχικῶς ἐπὶ τὴν ἑνοειδῆ θέωσιν ἐν συμμετρίᾳ τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀναγόμεθα θεόν τε καὶ θείαν ἀρετήν, αἱ μὲν ὡς νόες νοοῦσιν κατὰ τὸ αὐταῖς θεμιτόν, ἡμεῖς δὲ αἰσθηταῖς εἰκόσιν ἐπὶ τὰς θείας, ὡς δυνατόν, ἀναγόμεθα θεωρίας. (Σχόλιον) Εἰ τοίνυν ἀναλόγως ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς αἰσθηταῖς εἰκόσιν ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν καὶ ἄυλον ἀναγόμεθα θεωρίαν καὶ φιλανθρώπως ἡ θεία πρόνοια τοῖς ἀσχηματίστοις καὶ ἀτυπώτοις τύπους καὶ σχήματα τῆς ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν χειραγωγίας περιτίθησι, τί ἀπρεπὲς τὸν σχήματι καὶ μορφῇ ὑποκύψαντα καὶ φύσει ὁραθέντα ὡς ἄνθρωπον φιλανθρώπως δι' ἡμᾶς εἰκονίζειν ἀναλόγως ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς; Λόγος ἄνωθεν εἰς ἡμᾶς παραδεδομένος κάτεισιν, Αὔγαρον, τὸν Ἐδέσσης ἄνακτα, φήμῃ τῇ τοῦ κυρίου πρὸς θεῖον ἐκπυρσευθέντα ἔρωτα ἀπεσταλ κέναι πρέσβεις τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπίσκεψιν ἐξαιτοῦντας. Εἰ δὲ ἀρνηθείη τοῦτο δράσειν, τὸ τούτου κελεύει ὁμοίωμα ζωγράφῳ ἐκμάξασθαι· ὃ γνόντα τὸν πάντα εἰδότα καὶ πάντα δυνάμενον τὸ ῥάκος εἰληφέναι καὶ τῷ προσώπῳ προσενεγκάμενον ἐν τούτῳ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἐναπομάξασθαι χαρακτῆρα, ὃ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν σῴζεται. Τοῦ ἁγίου Βασιλείου ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸν μακάριον Βαρλαὰμ τὸν μάρτυρα λόγου, οὗ ἡ ἀρχή· Πρότερον μὲν τῶν ἁγίων οἱ θάνατοι· Ἀνάστητέ μοι νῦν, ὦ λαμπροὶ τῶν ἀθλητικῶν κατορθωμάτων ζωγράφοι, τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ κολοβωθεῖσαν εἰκόνα ταῖς ὑμετέραις μεγαλύνατε τέχναις· Ἀμαυρότερον παρ' ἐμοῦ τὸν στεφανίτην γραφέντα τοῖς τῆς ὑμετέρας σοφίας περιλάμψατε χρώμασιν. Ἀπέλθω τῇ τῶν ἀριστευμάτων τοῦ μάρτυρος παρ' ὑμῶν νενικημένος γραφῇ· χαίρω τὴν τοιαύτην τῆς ὑμετέρας ἰσχύος σήμερον ἡττώμενος νίκην· ἴδω τῆς χειρὸς πρὸς τὸ πῦρ ἀκριβέστερον παρ' ὑμῶν γραφομένην τὴν πάλην· ἴδω φαιδρότερον ἐπὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας τὸν παλαιστὴν γεγραμμένον εἰκόνος. Κλαυσάτωσαν δαίμονες καὶ νῦν ταῖς τοῦ μάρτυρος ἐν ὑμῖν ἀριστείαις πληττόμενοι. Φλεγομένη πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἡ χεὶρ καὶ νικῶσα δεικνύσθω. Ἐγγραφέσθω τῷ πίνακι καὶ ὁ τῶν παλαισμάτων ἀγωνοθέτης Χριστός, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. 3,47 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους τεσσαράκοντα λόγου· Ἐπεὶ καὶ πολέμων ἀνδραγαθήματα καὶ