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unadorned, a subterranean region, in which the light of the world does not shine. Since, therefore, light does not shine in this region, it is necessary that darkness be there perpetually. This region was assigned to souls as a prison, over which were appointed angels 96.544 as guardians, distributing the temporary punishments of the places according to the deeds of each. And in this region a certain place of a lake of unquenchable fire has been set apart, into which we have supposed that no one has yet been cast, but that it has been prepared for the day predetermined by God, in which one sentence of just judgment shall be worthily pronounced upon all; and the unjust and those disobedient to God, who honored as God the vain works of men’s hands, the crafted idols, having become the causes of defilements, may be condemned beforehand to this eternal punishment; but the just may obtain the incorruptible and unfailing kingdom. Those in Hades are now confined, but not in the same place as the just. For there is one descent into this region, at whose gate we have believed an archangel stands with a host; and when those who are led down by the angels appointed over souls have passed through this gate, they do not travel on one road; but the just are led to the right, being enlightened, and being hymned by the angels appointed for that place, are brought to a luminous region, in which the just from the beginning have their abode, not held by necessity, but always enjoying the contemplation of the good things that are seen, and delighting in the expectation of new things seen each time, and considering those things better than these, where the place does not become wearisome. No scorching heat, no cold, no thorn is in it, but the visible countenance of the just Fathers is always smiling, awaiting the rest after this region, and the eternal new life in heaven. And we call this place by name, the bosom of Abraham. But the unjust are dragged to the left by punishing angels, no longer proceeding willingly, but dragged with force like captives; whom the angels set over them send on with mockery, reproaching them, and threatening them with a terrible gaze, pushing them into the lower parts, whom as they are led the appointed ones drag until they are near to Gehenna. And being near, they unceasingly hear the roaring, and do not lack the hot vapor; and seeing the terrible and exceedingly lurid spectacle of the fire from a near view, they are terrified, being already punished by the expectation of the future judgment. But these also see the region of the just, and the just, and are punished by this very thing. For a deep and great chasm is fixed between, so that neither can a just person, having compassion, receive one, nor can an unjust person dare to cross over. This is the account concerning Hades, in which the souls of all are kept until the time which God has appointed, when He will make a resurrection of all, not by transmigrating souls, but by raising up the bodies themselves, which, seeing them dissolved, if you disbelieve, O Greeks, learn not to disbelieve. For having believed, according to the teaching of Plato, that the soul was made by God, created in time and immortal, do not disbelieve that God is able to revive the body also, which was made from the same elements, and make it immortal.

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ἀκατασκεύαστος, χωρίον ὑπόγειον, ἐν ᾧ φῶς κόσμου οὐκ ἐπιλάμπει. Φωτὸς τοίνυν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χωρίῳ μὴ καταλάμποντος, ἀνάγκη σκότος διηνεκῶς τυγχάνειν. Τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον ὡς φρούριον ἀπενεμήθη ψυχαῖς, ἐφ' ᾧ κατεστάθησαν ἄγγελοι 96.544 φρουροὶ, πρὸς τὰς ἑκάστου πράξεις διανέμοντες τὰς τῶν τόπων προσκαίρους κολάσεις. Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τῷ χωρίῳ τόπος ἀφώρισταί τις λίμνης πυρὸς ἀσβέστου, ἐν ᾧ μὲν οὐδέπω τινὰ καταρερίφθαι ὑπειλήφαμεν, ἐσκευάσθαι δὲ εἰς τὴν προωρισμένην ἡμέραν παρὰ Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾗ δικαίας κρίσεως ἀπόφασις μία πᾶσιν ἀξίως προσενεχθῇ· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄδικοι καὶ Θεῷ ἀπειθήσαντες, τά τε μάταια ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων κατεσκευασμένα εἴδωλα, ὡς Θεὸν τιμήσαντες, ταύτης τῆς ἀϊδίου κολάσεως ὡς αἴτιοι μιασμάτων γενόμενοι προκριθῶσι· οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι τῆς ἀφθάρτου καὶ ἀνεκλείπτου βασιλείας τύχωσιν. Οἱ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ νῦν μὲν συνέχονται, ἀλλ' οὐ τῷ αὐτῷ τόπῳ, ὡς οἱ δίκαιοι. Μία γὰρ εἰς τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον κάθοδος, οὗ τῇ πύλῃ ἐφεστῶτα ἀρχάγγελον ἅμα στρατιᾷ πεπιστεύκαμεν, ἣν πύλην διελθόντες οἱ καταγόμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τεταγμένων, οὐ μιᾷ ὁδῷ πορεύονται· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν δίκαιοι εἰς δεξιὰ φωταγωγούμενοι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐφεστώτων κατὰ τόπον ἀγγέλων ὑμνούμενοι, ἄγονται εἰς χωρίον φωτεινὸν, ἐν ᾧ οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς δίκαιοι πολιτεύονται, οὐχ ὑπ' ἀνάγκης κρατούμενοι, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν ὁρωμένων ἀγαθῶν θεωρίας ἀεὶ ἀπολαύοντες, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἑκάστοτε καινῶν ὁρωμένων προσδοκίᾳ ἡδόμενοι, κἀκεῖνα τούτων βελτίονα ἡγούμενοι, οὗ ὁ τόπος οὐ καματηφόρος γίνεται. Οὐ καύσων, οὐ κρύος, οὐ τρίβολος ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ἡ τῶν Πατέρων δικαίων ὁρωμένη ὄψις πάντοτε μειδιᾷ, ἀναμενόντων τὴν μετὰ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ αἰωνίαν ἀναβίωσιν ἐν οὐρανῷ. Τούτῳ δὲ ὄνομα κικλήσκομεν, κόλπον Ἀβραάμ. Οἱ δὲ ἄδικοι εἰς ἀριστερὰ ἕλκονται ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων κολαστῶν, οὐκέτι ἑκουσίως πορευόμενοι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ βίας ὡς δέσμιοι ἑλκόμενοι· οἷς οἱ ἐφεστῶτες ἄγγελοι, ἐπιγελῶντες διαπέμπονται, ἐπονειδίζοντες, καὶ φοβερῷ ὄμματι ἐπαπειλοῦντες, εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη ὠθοῦντες, οὓς ἀγομένους ἕλκουσιν οἱ ἐφεστῶτες ἕως πλησίον τῆς γεέννης. Οἱ ἐγγίονες ὄντες, τοῦ μὲν βρασμοῦ ἀδιαλέπτως ἐπακούουσι, καὶ τοῦ τῆς θερμῆς ἀτμοῦ οὐκ ἀμοιροῦσιν· αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἐγγίονος ὄψεως τὴν φοβερὰν καὶ ὑπερβαλλόντως ξανθὴν θέαν τοῦ πυρὸς ὁρῶντες καταπεπλήγασι, τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως ἤδη κολαζόμενοι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτοι τὸν τῶν δικαίων χῶρον, καὶ τοὺς δικαίους ὁρῶσι, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τούτῳ κολαζόμενοι. Χάος γὰρ βαθὺ καὶ μέγα ἀνάμεσον ἐστήρικται, ὡς μήτε δίκαιον συμπαθήσαντα προσδέξασθαι, μήτε ἄδικον τολμήσαντα διελθεῖν. Οὗτος ὁ περὶ ᾅδου λόγος, ἐν ᾧ αἱ ψυχαὶ πάντων κατέχονται μέχρι καιροῦ, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ὥρισεν, ἀνάστασιν τότε πάντων ποιησόμενος, οὐ ψυχὰς μετενσωματῶν, ἀλλ' αὐτὰ τὰ σώματα ἀνιστῶν, ἃ λελυμένα ὁρῶντες, εἰ ἀπιστεῖτε, Ἕλληνες, μάθετε μὴ ἀπιστεῖν. Τὴν γὰρ ψυχὴν γενητὴν καὶ ἀθάνατον ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γεγονέναι πιστεύσαντες, κατὰ τὸν Πλάτωνος λόγον, χρόνῳ, μὴ ἀπιστήσητε, ὡς καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν στοιχείων γενόμενον, δύνατος ὁ Θεὸς ἀναβιώσας ἀθάνατον ποιεῖν.