36

pledge, having spun out his soul like a spider, he put on that airy tunic, extending from head to the tips of his feet. For the law does not wish virtue to be curtailed.

2.192 The radiance of good works, therefore, are the golden bells ringing around the pomegranates. For there are these two practices, through which virtue is gathered together: faith in the Divine and conscience in one’s life. The great Paul adds these, the pomegranates and the bells, to Timothy’s garment, saying that he must have faith and a good conscience. Therefore, let faith sound forth pure and loud in the proclamation of the Holy Trinity, and let one’s life imitate the nature of the fruit of the pomegranate. 2.193 For its surface is inedible, enclosed by a hard and astringent rind, but what lies within is pleasant to look at, due to the varied and orderly arrangement of the fruit, and is even more pleasant to the taste, sweetening the sense. The philosophical and austere way of life, being somewhat hard to grasp and unpleasant to the sense, is full of good hopes when ripened at its proper time. For when our husbandman opens the pomegranate of life at the proper time and shows the beauty of what is stored within, then the sharing of its fruits becomes sweet to those who partake. For the divine Apostle says somewhere that all discipline for the present seems to be a matter not of joy but of sorrow (that is, the part of the pomegranate that one first encounters when touching it), but later it yields the peaceful fruit; this is the sweetness of the edibles within. 2.194 The account commands that this tunic also be fringed with tassels. Tassels are its spherical appendages, hung for the sake of ornament beyond what is necessary. And through these we learn that virtue must not be measured by the commandment alone, but that something should also be discovered by us through supererogatory invention, so that there might be some addition of ornament to the garment, as Paul was, weaving fine tassels of his own into the commandments. For when the law commanded that those who serve at the altar should share in the offerings of the altar, and that those who proclaim the Gospel should live from it, this man makes the Gospel free of charge, being hungry and thirsty and naked. These are the fine tassels, which adorn the tunic of the commandments by their own addition. 2.195 Then two robes are placed over the long tunic, extending from the shoulders to the chest and the back, joined to each other by two brooches on each shoulder. The brooches are stones, bearing the names of the patriarchs, six on each in engravings. The weaving of the robes is variegated. Hyacinth is interwoven with purple, and the scarlet red is mixed with fine linen. And with all these the thread of gold is interwoven, so that from this multi-colored dye a certain single blended beauty shines forth from the fabric. 2.196 What we learn through these things is this: that the upper parts of the vestment, as many as become a special ornament for the heart, are blended from many and various virtues. Therefore, hyacinth is interwoven with purple. For the kingdom is joined to purity of life. Scarlet is mixed with fine linen, because the bright and pure aspect of life is somehow naturally joined with the blush of modesty. The gold, shining forth with these colors, hints at the treasure laid up for such a life. And the patriarchs inscribed on the shoulder-pieces contribute not a little to such adornment for us. For the life of men is more adorned by the preceding examples of good things. 2.197 Again, another ornament is placed from above upon the ornament of the robes. Little shields of gold let down from each of the shoulder-pieces, and holding up by themselves something made of gold in a square shape, illuminated by twelve stones arranged in rows. There are four rows, each containing a triad of stones. In which not

36

ὑποθήκην, ἐκτήξας ὡς ἀράχνην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν, τὸν ἀερώδη ἐκεῖνον χιτῶνα περιεβάλετο ἐκ κεφαλῆς εἰς ἄκρους πόδας διήκοντα. Οὐ γὰρ βούλεται κολοβοῦσθαι τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁ νόμος.

2.192 Ἡ οὖν λαμπηδὼν τῶν καλῶν ἔργων οἱ χρύσεοι κώδωνές εἰσι τοῖς ῥοΐσκοις περιδονούμενοι. ∆ύο γάρ ἐστι ταῦτα ἐπιτηδεύματα, δι' ὧν ἡ ἀρετὴ συναγείρεται, ἥ τε περὶ τὸ Θεῖον πίστις καὶ ἡ περὶ τὸν βίον συνείδησις. Τούτους προστίθησι τῷ ἐνδύματι τοῦ Τιμοθέου τοὺς ῥοΐσκους τε καὶ τοὺς κώδωνας ὁ μέγας Παῦλος, εἰπὼν αὐτὸν ἔχειν δεῖν πίστιν καὶ ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν. Οὐκοῦν ἡ μὲν πίστις καθαρὸν ἠχείτω καὶ μεγαλόφωνον ἐν τῷ τῆς ἁγίας Τρίαδος κηρύγματι, ὁ δὲ βίος μιμείσθω τοῦ καρποῦ τῆς ῥοιᾶς τὴν φύσιν. 2.193 Ἐκείνης γὰρ ἄβρωτός ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιφάνεια, στερρῷ τε καὶ κατεστυμμένῳ τῷ ἐλυτρῷ διειλημμένη, τὸ δὲ ἐγκείμενον ἡδὺ μὲν ὀφθῆναι τῷ ποικίλῳ τε καὶ εὐκόσμῳ τῆς τοῦ κάρπου διαθέσεως, ἥδιον δὲ τῇ γεύσει γίνεται, καταγλυκαῖνον τὴν αἴσθησιν. Ἡ δὲ φιλόσοφος καὶ κατεστυμμένη διαγωγὴ δύσληπτός τις οὖσα καὶ ἀηδὴς τῇ αἰσθήσει πλήρης ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδων ἐστὶ κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον καιρὸν πεπανθεῖσα. Ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ὁ γεωργὸς ἡμῶν ἀναπτύξῃ τοῦ βίου τὴν ῥοιὰν τῷ ἰδίῳ καιρῷ καὶ δείξῃ τῶν ἀποθέτων τὸ κάλλος, τότε γλυκεῖα γίνεται τοῖς ἀπολαύουσιν ἡ μετουσία τῶν ἰδίων καρπῶν. Φησὶ γάρ που καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος ὅτι πᾶσα παιδεία πρὸς μὲν τὸ παρὸν οὐ δοκεῖ χαρᾶς εἶναι, ἀλλὰ λύπης (τουτέστι τῆς ῥοιᾶς τὸ προεντυγχάνον τοῖς ἁπτομένοις), ὕστερον δὲ καρπὸν εἰρηνικὸν ἀποδίδωσι· τοῦτο ἡ τῶν ἔνδοθεν ἐδωδίμων γλυκύτης. 2.194 Τὸν δὲ χιτῶνα τοῦτον καὶ κοσυμβωτὸν εἶναι ὁ λόγος διακελεύεται. Κόσυμβοι δέ εἰσιν αὐτῷ τὰ ἔξω τῆς χρείας κόσμου χάριν ἀπηρτημένα σφαιροειδῆ ἀπαρτήματα. Μανθά νομεν δὲ διὰ τούτων τὸ δεῖν μὴ τῇ ἐντολῇ μόνον τὴν ἀρετὴν μετρεῖσθαι, ἀλλά τι καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἐξευρίσκεσθαι διὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν παρεπινοουμένων, ὡς ἂν προσθήκη τις κόσμου γένοιτο τῷ ἐνδύματι, οἷος ὁ Παῦλος ἦν, τοὺς καλοὺς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ κοσύμβους ταῖς ἐντολαῖς συμπλέκων. Τοῦ γὰρ νόμου κελεύοντος τοὺς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ παρεδρεύοντας τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ συμμερίζεσθαι καὶ τοὺς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον καταγ γέλλοντας ἐκεῖθεν ζῆν, οὗτος ἀδάπανον ποιεῖται τὸ Εὐαγγέ λιον, πεινῶν καὶ διψῶν καὶ γυμνητεύων. Οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ καλοὶ κόσυμβοι, οἱ τὴν χιτῶνα τῶν ἐντολῶν τῇ παρ' ἑαυτῶν προσθήκῃ κατακοσμοῦντες. 2.195 Εἶτα δύο πέπλοι ἄνωθεν ἐπιβάλλονται τῷ ποδήρει, ἐκ τῶν ὤμων μέχρι τοῦ στήθους καὶ τῶν μεταφρένων καθή κοντες, δύο πόρπαις καθ' ἑκάτερον ὦμον ἀλλήλοις ἑνούμενοι. Αἱ δὲ πόρπαι λίθοι εἰσὶ τὰ τῶν πατριαρχῶν ὀνόματα ἓξ καθ' ἑκάτερον ἐν τοῖς χαράγμασι φέρουσαι. Ποικίλη δὲ τῶν πέπλων ἡ ἱστουργία. Ὑάκινθος μὲν πορφύρᾳ συμπλέκεται, τὸ δὲ τοῦ κόκκου ἐρύθημα τῇ βύσσῳ μίγνυται. Πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις τὸ ἐκ χρυσίου νῆμα συγκατασπείρεται, ὥστε τῆς πολυειδοῦς ταύτης βαφῆς μίαν τινὰ συγκεκραμμένην ὥραν ἐκ τοῦ ὑφάσματος ἀπαυγάζεσθαι. 2.196 Ἃ δὲ διὰ τούτων μανθάνομεν ταῦτά ἐστιν, ὅτι τὰ ἄνω τῆς περιβολῆς, ὅσα τῆς καρδίας ἰδίως γίνεται κόσμος, ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων ἀρετῶν κατακίρναται. Ἡ οὖν ὑάκινθος τῇ πορφύρᾳ συμπλέ κεται. Τῇ γὰρ καθαρότητι τῆς ζωῆς ἡ βασιλεία συνέζευκται. Κόκκος δὲ τῇ βύσσῳ συναναμίγνυται, ὅτι πέφυκέ πως τῷ τῆς αἰδοῦς ἐρυθήματι τὸ λαμπρόν τε καὶ καθαρὸν τοῦ βίου συμφύεσθαι. Ὁ δὲ χρυσὸς τοῖς ἄνθεσι τούτοις συμπερι λάμπων τὸν ἀποκείμενον τῷ τοιούτῳ βίῳ θησαυρὸν ὑπαινίσ σεται. Πατρίαρχαι δὲ ταῖς ἐπωμίσιν ἐγγεγραμμένοι οὐ μικρὰ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον καλλωπισμὸν ἡμῖν συνεισφέρουσι. Τοῖς γὰρ προλαβοῦσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑποδείγμασι κατακοσμεῖται μᾶλλον ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωή. 2.197 Πάλιν δὲ τῷ κόσμῳ τῶν πέπλων ἕτερος ἄνωθεν ἐπιβάλλεται κόσμος. Ἀσπίδες ἐκ χρυσοῦ καθ' ἑκατέρων τῶν ἐπωμίδων καθειμέναι καὶ δι' ἑαυτῶν ἀνέχουσαί τι χρυσό τευκτον ἐν τετραγώνῳ τῷ σχήματι δυοκαίδεκα λίθοις κατα λαμπόμενον, στιχηδὸν διακειμένοις. Τέσσαρες δὲ οἱ στίχοι, τριάδα λίθων ἕκαστος περιέχοντες. Ἐν αἷς οὐκ