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of the king. And he was distinguished also under Belshazzar, and was likewise conspicuous under Darius; and the successions of kings brought about no change in his honor; but while they were extinguished by death, he possessed the same brilliance under all of them. And indeed, those who are entrusted with a kingdom or some other office are accustomed to trust least of all in the closest associates of their predecessors; but this man possessed the same confidence with all of them, and obtained the same honor, and was entrusted with the same leadership; just as, of course, under Darius he became one of the three commanders. And I believe those who are now called prefects were addressed as commanders, and the rulers of the nations as satraps; but the blessed Daniel was also one of the commanders; 81.1400 3. "He surpassed," it says, "both the commanders and the satraps," the rulers of the nations, being placed opposite, that is, side-by-side, being compared and examined alongside them. Then it states the reason for his victory. "Because an excellent spirit," it says, "was in him;" that is, he received a much greater and more abundant grace from God. And from this we learn that even to those who are entrusted with worldly offices, even if they are devoid of piety, a certain grace of wisdom is given from God for the administration of their subjects. And the blessed Daniel alluded to this, saying: "Because an excellent spirit was in him," that is, he had received grace in proportion to his piety. And seeing this, it says, "The king set him over his whole kingdom." For understanding that the man was beloved of God and enjoyed favor from above, he entrusted the whole kingdom for him to administer; but the greatness of the honor provoked envy. "But the commanders and the satraps sought," it says, "to find an accusation against Daniel from the kingdom," or, as some of the copies have it, "from the side of the kingdom;" that is, they contrived everything, desiring to find him transgressing the laws of the kingdom; instead of which, wishing to weave for him what is now called a charge of treason. But they missed their mark. "For they found no accusation," it says, "and no fault, nor any error in him, because he was faithful." And the blessed Daniel had this testimony, not only from those who loved him, but also from those who plotted against him. For while guarding his piety toward God, he also showed great loyalty toward the kings. But when, after concocting countless things, they did not find him transgressing the laws of the kingdom, 5. "The commanders said," it says, "We shall not find any accusation against Daniel, unless it is in the laws of his God." For knowing the exactness of his piety, they set there the traps of their wickedness. 6-9. "And the commanders and the satraps approached the king, and said to him: King Darius, live forever. All the generals in your kingdom, and the toparchs, the consuls, and the satraps, have taken counsel together to establish a royal statute, and to enforce a decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god, or man, for thirty days, except of you, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now therefore, O king, establish the decree, and set forth the writing, that the law of the Medes and Persians may not be altered, so that 81.1401 it may not be changed in the face of this. Then King Darius commanded the written document and the decree." Nothing is more defiled than envy; this forced them to be impious, and made them put forth an ungodly decree, preventing those who wished to offer prayers to God. For not only do they prevent themselves from doing this, but also all the others who are under the kingdom. And so that the evil deed might not become apparent, they add that no one should ask for or receive anything from a man within the thirty days; but should report their need to the king alone during all these days. And those who had surrendered the eye of their mind to envy did not understand that the king is not able to provide all things to those who ask; for neither health, nor life, nor becoming fathers of children, nor an abundance of rains, nor all other things, which God

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βασιλέως. ∆ιέπρεψε δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Βαλτάσαρ, περίβλεπτος δὲ ὡσαύτως ἦν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ∆αρείου· καὶ αἱ τῶν βασιλέων διαδοχαὶ μεταβο λὴν αὐτῷ τῆς τιμῆς οὐκ εἰργάσαντο· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἐσβέννυντο τῷ θανάτῳ, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἴσην ἐπὶ πάντων ἐκέκτητο λαμπηδόνα. Καὶ μὴν εἰώθασιν οἱ βασιλείαν ἤ τινα ἄλλην ἀρχὴν ἐγχειριζόμενοι, ἥκιστα θαῤῥεῖν τοῖς τῶν προτέρων οἰκειοτάτοις· οὗτος δὲ παρὰ πᾶσι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκέκτητο παῤῥησίαν, καὶ τοῦ ἴσου γέρως ἐτύγχανε, τὴν αὐτήν τε ἡγεμονίαν ἐπιστεύετο· ὥσ περ ἀμέλει καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ∆αρείου εἷς τῶν τριῶν ἐγέ νετο τακτικῶν. Τακτικοὺς δὲ ἡγοῦμαι προσαγορεύε σθαι τοὺς νῦν καλουμένους ὑπάρχους, σατράπας δὲ τοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡγεμόνας· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τακτικῶν εἷς ὢν ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιήλ· 81.1400 γʹ. "Ὑπερενίκα, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς τακτικοὺς, καὶ τοὺς σατράπας," τοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡγεμόνας, κατ έναντι, τουτέστιν ἐκ παραλλήλου, τιθέμενος, συγ κρινόμενος καὶ παρεξεταζόμενος. Εἶτα λέγει τὴν αἰ τίαν τῆς νίκης. "Ὅτι πνεῦμα, φησὶ, περισσὸν ἐν αὐτῷ·" τουτέστι, πολλῷ μείζονα καὶ πλείονα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν χάριν ἐδέχετο. Μανθάνομεν δὲ ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς βιωτικὰς ἐγχειριζομένοις ἀρχὰς, κἂν εὐσεβείας ὦσιν ἄμοιροι, δίδοταί τις θεό θεν χάρις σοφίας διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀρχομένων οἰκονομίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο ᾐνίξατο ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ, εἰρηκώς· "Ὅτι πνεῦμα περισσὸν ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ," τουτέστιν, ἀναλογοῦ σαν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ τὴν χάριν ἐδέδεκτο. Καὶ τοῦτο θεα σάμενος, φησὶν, "Ὁ βασιλεὺς κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐφ' ὅλης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ." Συνιεὶς γὰρ, ὅτι θεο φιλὴς ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀπολαύων ῥοπῆς, πᾶ σαν αὐτὸν ἐπέτρεψε τὴν βασιλείαν οἰκονομεῖν· ἀλλὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς τιμῆς τὸν φθόνον ἠρέθισεν· "Οἱ δὲ τακτικοὶ καὶ οἱ σατράπαι ἐζήτουν, φησὶ, πρόφασιν εὑρεῖν κατὰ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας," ἢ, ὥς τινα τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἔχει, "ἐκ πλαγίων τῆς βασι λείας·" τουτέστι, πάντα ἐπραγματεύοντο, εἰς τοὺς τῆς βασιλείας νόμους πλημμελοῦντα αὐτὸν εὑ ρεῖν ἐφιέμενοι· ἀντὶ τοῦ, τὴν νῦν καλουμένην καθ οσίωσιν πλέξαι αὐτῷ βουλόμενοι. Ἀλλὰ διήμαρτον τοῦ σκοποῦ. "Πᾶσαν γὰρ πρόφασιν, φησὶ, καὶ πᾶν παράπτωμα, καὶ ἀμπλάκημα οὐχ ηὗρον ἐν αὐτῷ, ὅτι πιστὸς ἦν." Καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ταύτην ἔσχηκεν ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ, οὐ παρὰ τῶν ἀγαπώντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων. "Τὴν γὰρ περὶ τὸν Θεὸν φυλάττων εὐσέβειαν, εὐνοίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ περὶ τοὺς βασιλέας ἐκέχρητο. Ὡς δὲ μυρία τυρεύ σαντες οὐχ ηὗρον αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς τῆς βασιλείας πλημμελοῦντα νόμους, εʹ. "Εἶπον, φησὶν, οἱ τακτικοί· Οὐχ εὑρήσομεν κατὰ ∆ανιὴλ πρόφασιν, εἰ μὴ ἐν νομίμοις Θεοῦ αὐ τοῦ." Εἰδότες γὰρ αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸ ἀκριβὲς, ἐκεῖ τὰ θήρατρα τῆς πονηρίας ἱστᾶσι. ʹ-θʹ. "Καὶ προσίασι τῷ βασιλεῖ οἵ τε τακτικοὶ καὶ οἱ σατράπαι, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ∆αρεῖε βασι λεῦ, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ζῆθι. Συνεβουλεύσαντο πάντες οἱ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου στρατηγοὶ, καὶ τοπάρχαι, ὕπατοι, καὶ σατράπαι, τοῦ στῆσαι στάσει βασι λικῇ, καὶ ἐνισχῦσαι ὁρισμὸν, ὅπως ὃς ἐὰν αἰτήσῃ αἴτημα παρὰ παντὸς θεοῦ, ἢ ἀνθρώπου, ἕως ἡμε ρῶν τριάκοντα, ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ σοῦ, ἐμβληθήσεται εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων. Νῦν οὖν, βασιλεῦ, στῆ σον τὸν ὁρισμὸν, καὶ ἔκθες τὴν γραφὴν, ὅπως μὴ ἀλλοιωθῇ τὸ δόγμα Μήδων καὶ Περσῶν, ὅπως ἂν 81.1401 μὴ παραλλαγῇ κατέναντι τούτου. Τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ∆αρεῖος ἐπέταξε τὴν συγγραφὴν καὶ τὸ δόγμα." Οὐδὲν τοῦ φθόνου μιαρώτερον· οὗτος καὶ ἀσεβῆσαι τούτους ἠνάγκασε, καὶ δυσσεβὲς προθεῖναι πεποίηκε δόγμα, ἀπεῖργον τοὺς βουλομένους εὐχὰς προσφέ ρειν Θεῷ. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τοῦτο ποιεῖν κωλύουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς βασιλείας ὄντας. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ δῆλον γένηται τὸ κακούργημα, προστιθέασι τὸ μηδὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου αἰτῆσαί τι καὶ λαβεῖν ἐντὸς τῶν τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν· παρὰ μόνου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν ἁπάσαις ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐπαγγέλλειν τὴν χρείαν. Καὶ οὐ συνεῖδον οἱ τὸ ὀπτικὸν τῆς διανοίας τῷ φθόνῳ παραδεδωκότες, ὡς οὐ πάντα δύναται παρασχεῖν τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ὁ βασι λεύς· οὔτε γὰρ ὑγείαν, οὔτε ζωὴν, οὔτε τὸ γενέσθαι παίδων πατέρας, οὔτε ὑετῶν ἀφθονίαν, οὔτ' ἄλλα πάντα, ἃ τὸν Θεὸν