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And Sophocles: If you have desired terrible things, you must also suffer terrible things. Therefore, whether concerning an unjust oath or some other offense that God is about to examine, they themselves have almost foretold it, or also concerning the conflagration of the world, willingly and unwillingly they have spoken in agreement with the prophets, although they were born much later and stole these things from the law and the prophets. For what does it matter whether they were last or first? Except that they too, at any rate, spoke in agreement with the prophets. Concerning the conflagration, then, the prophet Malachi foretold: "Behold, the day of the Lord comes burning like a furnace, and it will kindle all the wicked." And Isaiah: "For the wrath of God will come <as fire and> as hail brought down with violence and as water rushing in a ravine." Therefore, the Sibyl and the other prophets, but indeed also the poets and philosophers, have themselves declared concerning justice and judgment and punishment; furthermore, also concerning providence, that God cares not only for us who are living but also for the dead, although they spoke unwillingly; for they were convicted by the truth. And of the prophets, Solomon said concerning the dead: "There will be healing for the flesh and care for the bones." And David the same: "The humbled bones will rejoice." In agreement with these, Timocles also has spoken, saying: A merciful God has pity on the dead. And so, the writers, having spoken of a multitude of gods, came down to a monarchy, and speaking of a lack of providence, they spoke of providence, and affirming a lack of judgment, they confessed that there will be a judgment, and those who deny that there is sensation after death have confessed it. Homer, then, having said: And the soul, like a dream, having flown away, has fluttered off, says in another place: But the soul, flying from the limbs, had gone to Hades, and again: Bury me as quickly as possible, that I may pass the gates of Hades. But concerning the rest, whom you have read, I think you know accurately in what way they have spoken. And everyone who seeks the wisdom of God and pleases him through faith and righteousness and good works will understand all these things. For a certain prophet of those whom we have written of before, by name Hosea, said: "Who is wise and will understand these things, prudent and will know them? For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the just will enter into them, but the wicked will be weak in them." Therefore, the lover of learning must also love to learn. Try, therefore, to meet more frequently, so that by hearing a living voice you may accurately learn the truth. Theophilus to Autolycus, greetings. Since the writers wish to compose a multitude of books for the sake of empty glory, some concerning gods and wars or chronologies, and some also of useless myths and the rest of the vain labor, which you also have practiced until now, and you do not shrink from enduring that toil,

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καὶ ὁ Σοφοκλῆς· Eἰ δείν' ὄρεξας, δεινὰ καὶ παθεῖν σε δεῖ. Ἤτοι οὖν περὶ ἀδίκου ὅρκου ἢ καὶ περὶ ἄλλου τινὸς πταίσματος ὅτι μέλλει ὁ θεὸς ἐξετάζειν, καὶ αὐτοὶ σχεδὸν προειρήκασιν, ἢ καὶ περὶ ἐκπυρώσεως κόσμου θέλοντες καὶ μὴ θέλοντες ἀκόλουθα ἐξεῖπαν τοῖς προφήταις, καίπερ πολὺ μεταγενέστεροι γενόμενοι καὶ κλέψαντες ταῦτα ἐκ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Καὶ τί γὰρ ἤτοι ἔσχατοι ἢ καὶ πρῶτοι ἐγένοντο; πλὴν ὅτι γοῦν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀκόλουθα τοῖς προφήταις εἶπον. περὶ μὲν οὖν ἐκπυρώσεως Μαλαχίας ὁ προφήτης προείρηκεν· "Ἰδοὺ ἡμέρα ἔρχεται κυρίου ὡς κλίβανος καιόμενος, καὶ ἀνάψει πάντας τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς." καὶ Ἠσαΐας· "Ἥξει γὰρ ὀργὴ θεοῦ <ὡς πῦρ καὶ> ὡς χάλαζα συγ- καταφερομένη βίᾳ καὶ ὡς ὕδωρ σῦρον ἐν φάραγγι." Τοίνυν Σίβυλλα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ προφῆται, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ οἱ ποιηταὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι καὶ αὐτοὶ δεδηλώκασιν περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ κρίσεως καὶ κολάσεως· ἔτι μὴν καὶ περὶ προνοίας, ὅτι φροντίζει ὁ θεὸς οὐ μόνον περὶ τῶν ζώντων ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τεθνεώτων, καίπερ ἄκοντες ἔφασαν· ἠλέγχοντο γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας. καὶ τῶν μὲν προφητῶν Σολομὼν περὶ τῶν τεθνηκότων εἶπεν· "Ἔσται ἴασις ταῖς σαρξὶν καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τῶν ὀστέων." τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ ∆αυίδ· "Ἀγαλ- λιάσεται ὀστᾶ τεταπεινωμένα." τούτοις ἀκόλουθα εἴρηκεν καὶ Τιμοκλῆς, λέγων· Τεθνεῶσιν ἔλεος ἐπιεικὴς θεός. καὶ περὶ πλήθους οὖν θεῶν οἱ συγγραφεῖς εἰπόντες καθῆλθον εἰς μοναρχίαν, καὶ περὶ ἀπρονοησίας λέγοντες εἶπον περὶ προνοίας καὶ περὶ ἀκρισίας φάσκοντες ὡμολόγησαν ἔσεσθαι κρίσιν, καὶ οἱ μετὰ θάνατον ἀρνούμενοι εἶναι αἴσθησιν ὡμολόγησαν. Ὅμηρος μὲν οὖν εἰπών· Ψυχὴ δ' ἠΰτ' ὄνειρος ἀποπταμένη πεπότηται, ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει· Ψυχὴ δ' ἐκ ·εθέων πταμένη Ἄϊδόσδε βεβήκει, καὶ πάλιν· Θάπτε με ὅττι τάχιστα πύλας Ἀΐδαο περήσω. Τὰ δὲ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, οὓς ἀνέγνωκας, ἡγοῦμαί σε ἀκριβῶς ἐπίστασθαι ᾧ τρόπῳ εἰρήκασιν. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα συνήσει πᾶς ὁ ζητῶν τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εὐαρεστῶν αὐτῷ διὰ πίστεως καὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀγαθοεργίας. καὶ γάρ τις εἶπεν προφήτης ὧν προεγράψαμεν, ὀνόματι Ὠσηέ· "Τίς σοφὸς καὶ συνήσει ταῦτα, συνετὸς καὶ γνώσεται; ὅτι εὐθεῖαι αἱ ὁδοὶ τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς, οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν αὐταῖς." χρὴ οὖν τὸν φιλομαθῆ καὶ φιλομαθεῖν. πειράθητι οὖν πυκνότερον συμβαλεῖν, ὅπως καὶ ζώσης ἀκούσας φωνῆς ἀκριβῶς μάθῃς τἀληθές. Θεόφιλος Aὐτολύκῳ χαίρειν. Ἐπειδὴ οἱ συγγραφεῖς βούλονται πληθὺν βίβλων συγγράφειν πρὸς κενὴν δόξαν, οἱ μὲν περὶ θεῶν καὶ πολέμων ἢ χρόνων, τινὲς δὲ καὶ μύθων ἀνωφελῶν καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ματαιοπονίας, ἧς ἤσκεις καὶ σὺ ἕως τοῦ δεῦρο, κἀκείνου μὲν τοῦ καμάτου οὐκ ὀκνεῖς ἀνεχόμενος,