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I summoned those who were able to interpret these things. 4, 5. "And the enchanters, the magicians, the Gazarenes, the Chaldeans came in, and I told the dream before them, and they did not make known to me its interpretation; until another came in before me, Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, who has the holy Spirit of God in him." He did not set these things down simply, but in parallel, so that by comparison he might make the prophet's wisdom clear to all; for this reason he also lists the nations of the wise men of Babylon, in order to show that they knew nothing at all, but that he was enlightened by the divine Spirit. He calls him not only by the name which he himself had given, but he adds the Hebrew name. "For Daniel," he says, "whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my God." For thus, he says, I admired him from the beginning, so as to give him the name of the God formerly worshiped by me. And showing the reason, "Who has the holy Spirit of God in him." And this we have learned from the teaching of the prophet. For from where else would he, who was devoted to counterfeit idols, have known the name of the all-holy Spirit? "And I told," he says, "the dream before him." And I spoke, beginning thus: 6, 7. "Belteshazzar, chief of the enchanters, whom I knew has the holy Spirit in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you, hear the vision of the dream, which I saw, and tell me its interpretation. And the visions of my head upon my bed." Prosperity often causes many men to forget their benefactors, but necessities recall the memory of those who have done well. And one who is healthy in body does not remember the physician's skill; but having fallen into sickness, he remembers how, having suffered this before, he enjoyed health through a certain physician; so also Nebuchadnezzar, when he delivered those holy men to the fire, did not remember Daniel's good deed; but when he again saw a dream, 81.1360 and had turmoil in his soul, he remembered Daniel's wisdom, and the recollection and interpretation of the former dream. Therefore he says that he has the Spirit of God, and is able to interpret every mystery, and he entreats him to make this dream, which is unclear, clear to him. Then he tells the dream, and says: "I saw a tree in the midst of the earth. (8) And its height reached to heaven, and its breadth to the ends of the earth." The blessed Daniel said that he was signified by the tree, and he says its height reached to heaven, not signifying the nature of the tree, but his thoughts and fancies. Therefore Isaiah also said: "God will bring upon the great mind, the king of the Assyrians, and upon the height of the glory of his eyes." He called him a great mind, as one who imagined great things, and who daydreamed, which he related shortly after: "For you said: I will place my throne above the stars, and I will be like the Most High." For this reason he sees the height of the tree reaching to heaven; and since he ruled, so to speak, over the whole inhabited world, he sees the breadth of the tree, that is, the extent of its width, stretched out to the very ends of the earth. 9. "Its leaves," he says, "were beautiful, and its fruit abundant." He calls leaves the visible comeliness, that in his clothing, and throne, and palaces, and shield-bearers and spear-bearers, and infantry; and fruit, the tribute brought from all quarters. Therefore he said the fruit was abundant, but not good; for it was not just. "And food for all was in it." For the farmers, enjoying peace through his care, would gather the fruits from the earth; and the soldiers, receiving their rations from him, made their life under arms. "Under it," he says, "the wild beasts took shelter, and in its branches the birds of the sky dwelt, and from it all flesh was fed." For those who lead a beastly life

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τοὺς ταῦτα δυναμένους ἑρμηνεύειν συνεκάλεσα. δʹ, εʹ. "Καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο ἐπαοιδοὶ, μάγοι, Γα ζαρηνοὶ, Χαλδαῖοι, καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον εἶπον ἐγὼ ἐν ώπιον αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐγνώρισάν μοι· ἕως οὗ ἕτερος εἰσῆλθεν ἐνώπιόν μου, ∆ανιὴλ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ, κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, ὃς Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἔχει ἐν αὑτῷ." Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ ταῦτα τέθεικεν, ἀλλὰ παράλληλα, ἵνα τῇ παρ εξετάσει δήλην ἅπασι ποιήσῃ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου σο φίαν· διὸ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη καταλέγει τῶν σοφῶν Βαβυλῶ νος, ἵνα δείξῃ τοὺς μὲν οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐπισταμένους, τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος φωτιζόμενον. Κα λεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀπὸ μόνης τῆς προσηγορίας, ἣν αὐτὸς ἐπιτέθεικεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Ἑβραῖον προστίθησιν ὄνομα. "∆ανιὴλ γὰρ, φησὶν, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου." Οὕτω γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐθαύμασα, ὡς τοῦ πάλαι ὑπ' ἐμοῦ προσκυνουμένου Θεοῦ ἐπιθεῖναι αὐτῷ τὴν προσηγο ρίαν. Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δεικνὺς, "Ὃς Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῷ." Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ προ φήτου διδασκαλίας μεμαθήκαμεν. Πόθεν γὰρ ἑτέρω θεν ἐγνώκει τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος τὴν προσηγο ρίαν τοῖς κιβδήλοις εἰδώλοις προστετηκώς; "Καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ εἶπον." Εἶπον δὲ οὕτως ἀρξάμενος· ʹ, ζʹ. "Βαλτάσαρ, ὁ ἄρχων τῶν ἐπαοιδῶν, ὃν ἐγὼ ἔγνων, ὅτι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν σοὶ, καὶ πᾶν μυστήριον οὐκ ἀδυνατεῖ σοι, ἄκουσον τὴν ὅρασιν τοῦ ἐνυπνίου, οὗ εἶδον, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ εἰπέ μοι. Καὶ αἱ ὁράσεις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης μου." Τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων αἱ εὐημερίαι πολλάκις ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι τῶν εὐεργετη σάντων παρασκευάζουσιν, αἱ δὲ χρεῖαι ἀνακαλοῦνται τῶν εὖ πεποιηκότων τὴν μνήμην. Καὶ ὑγιαίνων μέν τις τὸ σῶμα, τῆς τοῦ ἰατροῦ τέχνης οὐ λαμβά νει τὴν μνήμην· ἀῤῥωστίᾳ δὲ περιπεσὼν, ἀναμιμνή σκεται, ὡς καὶ ἤδη πρότερον τοῦτο παθὼν διὰ τοῦ δεῖνος τοῦ ἰατροῦ τῆς ὑγείας ἀπήλαυσεν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, ἡνίκα μὲν τοὺς ἁγίους ἐκεί νους τῇ πυρᾷ παρεδίδου, τῆς τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ εὐεργεσίας οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ πάλιν εἶδεν ἐνύπνιον, 81.1360 καὶ θόρυβον εἶχεν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, τῆς τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ἀνεμνήσθη σοφίας, καὶ τῆς τοῦ προτέροι ἐνυπνίου ἀναμνήσεώς τε καὶ ἑρμηνείας. ∆ιὸ καὶ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχειν αὐτὸν λέγει, καὶ πᾶν μυστήριον ἑρμηνεύειν αὐτὸν ἱκανὸν εἶναι, καὶ παρακαλεῖ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἐνύπνιον, ἄδηλον ὂν, δῆλον αὐτῷ καταστῆσαι. Εἶτα λέγει τὸ ἐνύπνιον, καί φησιν· "Ἐθεώρουν δένδρον ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς. (ηʹ.) Καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτοῦ ἔφθασεν ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τὸ κῦτος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς." ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦ δένδρου αὐτὸν ἔφη σημαίνεσθαι ὁ μακάριος ∆α νιὴλ, τὸ δὲ ὕψος λέγει φθάσαι ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ δένδρου σημαίνων, ἀλλὰ τοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰς φαντασίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας ἔλεγεν· "Ἐπάξει ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τὸν νοῦν τὸν μέγαν, τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος τῆς δόξης τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ." Νοῦν δὲ μέγαν αὐτὸν προσηγόρευσεν, ὡς μεγάλα φαντασθέντα, καὶ ὀνειρο πολήσαντα, ἃ μετὰ βραχέα διηγήσατο· "Σὺ γὰρ εἶπας· Ἐπάνω τῶν ἀστέρων θήσω τὸν θρόνον μου, καὶ ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ." ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁρᾷ τὸ ὕψος τοῦ δένδρου ἐφθακὸς ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκρά τησεν, ὁρᾷ τοῦ δένδρου τὸ κῦτος, τουτέστι, τὸν ὄγκον τοῦ εὔρους, ἐκταθὲν μέχρις αὐτῶν τῶν περά των τῆς γῆς. θʹ. "Τὰ φύλλα αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ὡραῖα, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ πολύς." Καλεῖ δὲ φύλλα μὲν τὴν ὁρωμένην εὐπρέπειαν, τὴν ἐν ἐσθῆτι, καὶ θρόνῳ, καὶ βασι λείοις, ἀσπιδηφόροις τε καὶ δορυφόροις, καὶ πεζαιτέ ροις· καρπὸν δὲ τὸν πανταχόθεν προσφερόμενον φόρον. ∆ιὸ πολὺν τὸν καρπὸν, ἀλλ' οὐ καλὸν, ἔφη· οὐ γὰρ εἶχε τὸ δίκαιον. "Καὶ τροφὴ πάντων ἐν αὐτῷ." Οἵ τε γὰρ γεωργοῦντες, διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίας εἰρήνης ἀπολαύοντες, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καρποὺς ἐκομίζοντο· οἵ τε στρατευόμενοι, παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰ σιτηρέσια κομιζόμενοι, τὴν ἐν ὅπλοις ἐποιοῦντο ζωήν. "Ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, κατεσκήνουν τὰ θηρία τὰ ἄγρια, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ κατῴκει τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐτρέφετο πᾶσα σάρξ." Οἵ τε γὰρ θηριώδη βίον