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of him, and his bedfellows, that is, his wives, and his concubines, who were with him not according to law, but for licentiousness. But she had entered after the uproar, and it was likely that, being old, she did not then take part in that drunkenness and in the kordakismoi, that is, the dances. "And the queen, it says, answered and said: O king, live forever." And this, as it seems, was a form of address offered by the subjects to the kings of that time 81.1384. And even until now this custom has prevailed; for some of the foolish are accustomed to call even the present kings eternal, and in the writing of contracts some add this, being slaves to ignorance rather than to impiety. Therefore, the queen says: "Let not your thoughts trouble you, and let not your countenance be changed." Then she adds the reason for which she casts out fear; 11. "There is yet, she says, a man in your kingdom, in whom is the holy Spirit of God, and in the days of your father watchfulness and understanding were found in him." And from this it can be understood that she is rather his mother; for this reason she also teaches him things that happened long ago as if he were ignorant of them, and makes known to him the blessed Daniel, and confesses that he is full of the divine Spirit, and she uses the very words of Nebuchadnezzar. For he also said the same things about Daniel, but she added that "And in the days of your father watchfulness and understanding were found in him." And she called watchfulness the sobriety of the soul and the understanding, the comprehension of hidden things, and the contemplation of things that escape the notice of the many. "And the king, she says, Nebuchadnezzar your father, appointed him chief of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, and Gazarenes." Then she also adds the reason: 12. "Because an excellent spirit is in him." Instead of, He has an exceeding grace of the Spirit. Then she enumerates the kinds of spiritual working. "And prudence, she says, and understanding, interpreting dreams, and declaring things held fast, and loosing bonds, Daniel." For he, having become a vessel of the divine Spirit, wisely considers all things, and prudently speaks all things; and he makes clear the riddles of dreams, and frees from obscurity things hidden in some obscurity, and as if they were certain bands and seals, and as if guarded in storerooms, he releases them from their bonds, and both undoes and opens them, and makes those who wish to be inside them; for this is what is meant by: "Declaring things held fast and loosing bonds, Daniel." For this reason, she says, "The king gave him the name Belteshazzar." For when he saw him illuminated by a divine working, he deemed him worthy of the name of his own God. "Now therefore let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation to you." And she does not say, Let Belteshazzar be called; for having learned by experience the power of the prophet, they prefer the Hebrew name to the Chaldean; for which reason they henceforth call him Daniel in what follows. 13. "For then, it says, Daniel came in before 81.1385 the king, and the king said to Daniel: Are you Daniel who is of the sons of the captivity of Judea?" It seems that this one, out of great impiety, after the death of his father, had fled the company of Daniel; wherefore, being immediately struck with fear, he calls the magicians and the Chaldeans, but he cast out even the memory of the prophet from his mind. But when his mother reminded him of the wonders that had happened in his father's time, and Daniel, having been called, came in, he recognized him immediately; for he would not, if he had been ignorant, have mentioned his race, and brought the captivity of Judea into the midst. Nevertheless, he asks, and says: "Are you Daniel who is of the sons of the captivity of Judea?" And before he had yet agreed: 14. "I have heard, he says, concerning you, that a holy Spirit is in you, and watchfulness, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in you." It is fitting also to say concerning this one what the Prophet said concerning Israel: "When he slew them, then they sought him." For behold, fear of the divine power constrained this one also, who was

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αὐτοῦ, καὶ αἱ παρά κοιτοι αὐτοῦ, τουτέστιν, αἱ γαμεταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αἱ παλλακαὶ αὐτοῦ, αἱ οὐ κατὰ νόμον, ἀλλὰ δι' ἀκολα σίαν συνοῦσαι. Αὐτὴ δὲ μετὰ τὸν θόρυβον εἰσελή λυθε, καὶ εἰκὸς ἦν ὡς γεγηρακυῖαν τῆς μέθης ἐκείνης καὶ τῶν κορδακισμῶν, ἤγουν ὀρχησμῶν, τηνικαῦτα μὴ μετέχειν. "Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη, φησὶν, ἡ βασίλισσα, καὶ εἶπε· Βασιλεῦ, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ζῆθι." Τοῦτο δὲ, ὡς ἔοικε, πρόσρησις ἦν τοῖς τότε 81.1384 βασιλεῦσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχομένων προσφερομένη. Καὶ μέχρι δὲ νῦν τὸ ἔθος τοῦτο κεκράτηκεν· αἰωνίους γὰρ καλεῖν τινες τῶν ἀνοήτων καὶ τοὺς νῦν βασιλεῖς εἰώθασι, καὶ ἐν ταῖς συγγραφαῖς δὲ τῶν συμβολαίων τοῦτό τινες προσγράφουσιν, ἀμαθίᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀσε βείᾳ δουλεύοντες. Φησὶ τοίνυν ἡ βασίλισσα· "Μὴ ταραττέτωσάν σε οἱ λογισμοί σου, καὶ ἡ μορφή σου μὴ ἀλλοιούσθω." Εἶτα τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπάγει, δι' ἣν ἐκβάλλει τὸ δέος· ιαʹ. "Ἔστιν ἔτι, φησὶν, ἀνὴρ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου, ἐν ᾧ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ πατρός σου γρηγόρησις καὶ σύνεσις εὑρέθη ἐν αὐτῷ." Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν κατανοῆσαι, ὡς μήτηρ αὐτοῦ μᾶλλόν ἐστιν αὕτη· διὸ καὶ τὰ πάλαι γεγενημένα ὡς ἀγνοοῦντα διδάσκει, καὶ τὸν μακάριον ∆ανιὴλ δῆλον αὐτῷ ποιεῖ, καὶ θείου Πνεύματος ἀνάπλεων εἶναι ὁμολογεῖ, καὶ αὐ τοῖς τοῖς τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ κέχρηται λόγοις. Ταυτὰ γὰρ κἀκεῖνος ἔφη περὶ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ, προστέ θεικε δὲ, ὅτι "Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ πατρός σου γρηγόρησις καὶ σύνεσις εὑρέθη ἐν αὐτῷ." Γρηγό ρησιν δὲ ἐκάλεσε τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς νῆψιν καὶ τὴν σύν εσιν, τῶν κεκρυμμένων τὴν κατανόησιν, καὶ τῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς λανθανόντων τὴν θεωρίαν. "Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς, φησὶ, Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ πατήρ σου ἄρ χοντα ἐπαοιδῶν, μάγων, Χαλδαίων, Γαζαρηνῶν κατέστησεν αὐτόν." Εἶτα καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν προσ τίθησιν· ιβʹ. "Ὅτι πνεῦμα περισσὸν ἐν αὐτῷ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἔχει τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν. Ἔπειτα καταλέγει τῆς πνευματικῆς ἐνεργείας τὰ εἴδη. "Καὶ φρόνησις, φησὶ, καὶ σύνεσις, συγκρί νων ἐνύπνια, καὶ ἀναγγέλλων κρατούμενα, καὶ λύων συνδέσμους, ∆ανιήλ." Οὗτος γὰρ θείου Πνεύματος δοχεῖον γενόμενος, σοφῶς μὲν ἅπαντα βουλεύεται, συνετῶς δὲ ἅπαντα φθέγγεται τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐνυπνίων αἰνίγματα δῆλα ποιεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἀσαφίᾳ τινὶ κεκρυμμένα τῆς ἀσαφίας ἐλευθεροῖ, καὶ οἷον ὑποδέσμους τινὰς ὄντα καὶ σήμαντρα, καὶ ὡς ἐν ταμιείοις φρουρούμενα τῶν δεσμῶν ἀπαλλάττων, διαλύει τε καὶ ἀνοίγνυσι, καὶ εἴσω τούτων τοὺς βου λομένους ποιεῖ· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τό· "Ἀναγ γέλλων κρατούμενα καὶ λύων συνδέσμους, ∆ανιήλ." Τούτου, φησὶ, χάριν "Ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῷ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ θείας φωτιζόμενον ἐνεργείας, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ αὑτοῦ προσηγορίας ἠξίωσε. "Νῦν οὖν κληθήτω ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγελεῖ σοι." Καὶ οὐ λέγει, Κληθήτω Βαλτάσαρ· τῇ γὰρ πείρᾳ μεμαθη κότες τοῦ προφήτου τὴν δύναμιν, προτιμῶσι τῆς Χαλδαίας τὴν Ἑβραίαν προσηγορίαν· οὗ χάριν ἐφεξῆς λοιπὸν αὐτὸν ∆ανιὴλ ὀνομάζουσι. ιγʹ. "Τότε γὰρ, φησὶ, ∆ανιὴλ εἰσῆλθεν ἐνώπιον 81.1385 τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ∆ανιήλ· Σὺ εἶ ∆ανιὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαίας;" Ἔοικεν οὗτος ὑπὸ πολλῆς δυσσεβείας μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτὴν τὴν τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ συν ουσίαν φυγών· διὸ παραυτίκα τῷ δέει καταπλαγεὶς, τοὺς μὲν μάγους καὶ τοὺς Χαλδαίους καλεῖ, τοῦ δὲ προφήτου καὶ τὴν μνήμην τῆς διανοίας ἐξέβαλεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ ἀνέμνησε τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς γεγενημένων θαυμάτων, καὶ κληθεὶς εἰσῆλ θεν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ, ἐπέγνω μὲν αὐτὸν παραυτίκα· οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἴπερ ἠγνόησε, τοῦ γένους ἀνέμνησε, καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς μέσον παρήγαγεν. Πυνθάνεται δὲ ὅμως, καί φησι· "Σὺ εἶ ∆ανιὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαίας;" Καὶ μηδέπω συνομολογήσαντος ἐκείνου· ιδʹ. "Ἤκουσα, φησὶ, περὶ σοῦ, ὅτι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν σοὶ, καὶ γρηγόρησις, καὶ σύνεσις, καὶ σοφία περισσὴ εὑρέθη ἐν σοί." Ἁρμόττει καὶ περὶ τούτου λέγεσθαι, ὃ περὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἔλεγεν ὁ Προφήτης· "Ὅταν ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς, τότε ἐξεζήτουν αὐτόν." Ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτον τὸ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως κατ ηνάγκασε δέος, τὸν ὄντα