Gregory of Nazianzus, Against Emperor Julian I

of censure; of initiatory rites and of perfection, and whatever clearly belongs to our good order; furthermore to establish hospices and guesthouses, and houses of purification and convents for virgins, and monasteries, and philanthropy towards those in need, both the other kinds, whatever they may be, and that in letters of commendation, by which we send those in need from one nation to another; which things indeed he especially admired among our practices.

112. These things, then, the new dogmatist and sophist was contemplating; but that the man's undertaking was not brought to completion, nor carried into effect, I do not know, 35.649 whether it is a gain for us, who have been rid of him and his followers so quickly, or for him who had proceeded as far as a dream vision; for it would have been shown which were the movements of men, and which the imitations of apes. Since these too are said to imitate some human baits, set out with evil art; by these, however, they are also caught, since their imitation is not able to reach our wisdom. For not more do a Thessalian horse, and a Lacedaemonian woman, and men who drink from the Arethusa, such as, I mean, the Sicilians, as the oracle concerning them says, possess the excellence of their kind, than for Christians such customs and ordinances are of the most fitting things; and such as would not be emulated by any other of those wishing to follow us; since such things have triumphed not so much by human contrivances as by divine power and the confirmation of time.

113. There is nothing like seeing and observing this wonderful refashioning or transformation of theirs, as if on a stage, what their manner of teaching would have been, and what the end of their assemblies; so that, as Plato says concerning the city in speech, we might see their plan in motion. For since all philosophy is divided into these two things, I mean contemplation and practice; and the one being higher, but hard to grasp; and the other lower, but more useful; for us, both are held in esteem through each other; for we make contemplation a journey to the things beyond, and practice a 35.652 stepping-stone to contemplation; for it is not possible to partake of wisdom without having behaved wisely; but to them I do not know which will seem more ridiculous and weaker, since they do not have from divine inspiration the strength of the system, like roots which are borne upon water, having no firmness. And so let us enter into their blessed state, so that we too may play along with a few things while they are playing and telling tales, as in many of the dramas, let us play along; and let there be added to rejoicing with those who rejoice, and weeping with those who weep, the endurance of talking nonsense with those who talk nonsense; and poets know of laughter in tears.

114. Let the theater be ready; or I do not know what they will bid us call their house; let the heralds shout; let the people assemble; let the presidency be held either by those excelling in grey hair, and age, and in the chosen manner of life, or those distinguished by birth and reputation, and by wisdom woven from below, and having more of what is pleasant than of true piety; for we will leave this to them. What will they do next? Let them enroll their own presidents. A purple robe shall adorn them, and a fillet, and the flower and beauty of garlands; since I know that in many ways what is solemn is an object of their zeal, and that which is above the private citizen, as the common and mundane possesses what is contemptible, while the pompous and unattainable possesses what is trustworthy. Or will they condescend even to our level here, not thinking that loftiness in outward appearance is more fitting for them than that in character, as we do? For we take little account of what is seen and pictured; but our greater concern is with the inner man, and to draw the spectator towards that which is understood, by which we especially educate the many.

ἐπιτιμήσεως· προτελείων τε καὶ τελειώσεως, καὶ ὅσα τῆς ἡμετέρας σαφῶς ἐστιν εὐταξίας· ἔτι δὲ καταγώγια πήξασθαι καὶ ξενῶνας, ἁγνευτήριά τε καὶ παρθενῶνας, καὶ φροντιστή ρια, καὶ τὴν εἰς τοὺς δεομένους φιλανθρωπίαν, τήν τε ἄλλην ὁπόση, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιστολιμαίοις συνθήμασιν, οἷς ἡμεῖς ἐξ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος τοὺς χρῄ ζοντας παραπέμπομεν· ἃ δὴ καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἡμε τέρων εἶχε θαυμάσας.

ΡΙΒʹ. Ταῦτα διενοεῖτο μὲν ὁ καινὸς δογματιστής τε καὶ σοφιστής· μὴ ἐπιτελῆ δὲ γενέσθαι, μηδὲ εἰς ἔργον ἀχθῆναι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν ἐγχείρησιν, οὐκ οἶδ', 35.649 εἴτε ἡμῖν κέρδος, τοῖς ἐκείνου τε καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου θᾶττον ἀπηλλαγμένοις, εἴτε τῷ προελθόντι μέχρι τῆς ὀνειρώξεως· ἐδείχθη γὰρ ἂν τίνα μὲν ἀνθρώπων κι νήματα, τίνα δὲ πιθήκων μιμήματα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ οὗτοι μιμεῖσθαι μὲν λέγονται τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τινὰ δελεασμάτων, κακοτέχνως προτιθεμένων· τούτοις μέντοι καὶ ἁλίσκονται, μὴ δυναμένης ἐξικέσθαι τοῦ ἡμετέρου σοφοῦ τῆς μιμήσεως. Οὐ γὰρ μᾶλλον ἵππος Θεσσαλικὴ, καὶ γυνὴ Λακεδαιμονία, καὶ ἄνδρες οἱ τῆς Ἀρεθούσης πίνοντες, οἷον δὴ λέγω Σικελιώτας, ὡς ὁ περὶ αὐτῶν χρησμὸς, τὸ ἔκκρι τον τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἔχουσιν, ἢ Χριστιανοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔθη τε καὶ νομοθετήματα τῶν πρεπωδεστά των ἐστί· καὶ οἷα ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἂν ἄλλου ζηλω θέντα τῶν ἡμῖν ἕπεσθαι βουλομένων· ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἀν θρωπίναις ἐπινοίαις μᾶλλον ἢ θείᾳ δυνάμει καὶ χρόνου βεβαιότητι τὰ τοιαῦτα νενίκηκεν.

ΡΙΓʹ. Οὐδὲν δὲ οἷον καὶ τὴν θαυμασίαν αὐτῶν ταύτην ἀνάπλασιν ἢ μετάπλασιν ὡς ἐπὶ σκηνῆς θεωρῆσαι καὶ καταμαθεῖν, τίς μὲν ἂν ἦν ὁ τῆς διδασκαλίας τρόπος αὐτοῖς, τί δὲ τὸ πέρας τῶν συν ελεύσεων· ἵν', ὅ φησι Πλάτων περὶ τῆς ἐν λόγῳ πό λεως, ἴδωμεν κινουμένην αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπίνοιαν. Εἰς δύο γὰρ ταῦτα διῃρημένης πάσης φιλοσοφίας, θεωρίαν τε λέγω καὶ πρᾶξιν· καὶ τῆς μὲν ὑψηλοτέ ρας οὔσης, δυστεκμάρτου δέ· τῆς δὲ ταπεινοτέ ρας, χρησιμωτέρας δέ· ἡμῖν μὲν ἀμφότερα δι' ἀλλήλων εὐδοκιμεῖ· καὶ γὰρ θεωρίαν συνέκδημον πρὸς τὰ ἐκεῖθεν ποιούμεθα, καὶ πρᾶξιν θεωρίας 35.652 ἐπίβασιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἷόν τε εἶναι σοφίας μετέχειν μὴ σοφῶς ἀναστραφέντας· τοῖς δὲ οὐκ οἶδ' ὁπότερον δόξει γελοιότερόν τε καὶ ἀσθενέστερον, οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐκ θείας ἐπιπνεύσεως τὸ δυνατὸν τοῦ συστήματος, ὥσπερ τῶν ῥιζῶν, αἳ καθ' ὕδατος ὀχοῦνται, πῆξιν οὐκ ἔχουσαι. Καὶ δὴ βάλωμεν εἰς τὴν μακαρίαν αὐ τῶν, ἵν' ὀλίγα καὶ αὐτοὶ παίζουσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ μυ θολογοῦσιν, ὥσπερ ἐν πολλοῖς τῶν δραμάτων, συμ παίξωμεν· καὶ προστεθείη τῷ χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, καὶ κλαίουσι συνδακρύειν, τὸ καὶ λη ραίνουσι συλληρεῖν ἀνέχεσθαι· καὶ γέλωτα ἐν δα κρύοις ποιηταὶ γινώσκουσιν.

ΡΙ∆ʹ. Ἔστω τὸ θέατρον εὐτρεπές· ἢ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι καὶ καλεῖν τὸν οἶκον αὐτῶν κελεύσουσιν· οἱ κήρυκες βοάτωσαν· ὁ λαὸς συνίτω· τὴν προεδρίαν ἐχέτωσαν εἴτε οἱ πολιᾷ, καὶ χρόνῳ, καὶ τῷ τῆς πο λιτείας ἐξειλεγμένῳ προέχοντες, εἴτε οἱ γένει καὶ δόξῃ περίβλεπτοι, καὶ σοφίᾳ τῇ κάτω πλεκομένῃ, καὶ πλεῖον ἐχούσῃ τὸ τερπνὸν τῆς ἀληθοῦς εὐσε βείας· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ποιησόμεθα. Τί ποιήσουσι τὰ ἑξῆς; Αὐτοὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν προέδρους γραψάτωσαν. Ἁλουργὶς αὐτοὺς κοσμήσει, καὶ ταινία, καὶ στεφάνων ἄνθος καὶ κάλλος· ἐπειδὴ πολλαχοῦ τὸ σεμνὸν ἔγνων αὐτοῖς σπουδαζόμενον, καὶ τὸ ὑπερ άνω τοῦ ἰδιώτου ὡς τοῦ μὲν κοινοῦ καὶ πεζοῦ τὸ εὐκαταφρόνητον ἔχοντος, τοῦ δὲ ὑπερόγκου καὶ δυσ εφίκτου τὸ ἀξιόπιστον. Ἢ κἀνταῦθα μέχρις ἡμῶν κα ταβήσονται, μὴ τὸ ἐν τοῖς σχήμασιν ὑψηλὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ ἐν τῷ τρόπῳ πρέπειν αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς, νομίζοντες; Ἡμῖν γὰρ τοῦ μὲν φαινομένου καὶ γραφομένου βραχὺς ὁ λόγος· ἡ πλείων δὲ πραγματεία περὶ τὸν ἐντὸς ἄνθρωπον, καὶ μεθέλκειν τὸν θεατὴν ἐπὶ τὸ νοούμενον, ᾧ καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκπαιδεύομεν.