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or anything else of that sort, so rust is on iron, and moth on wool, and worm on wood, so wickedness is on the soul. For it makes it slavish and ignoble; why do I say slavish and ignoble? It makes it the soul of an irrational animal, making it that of a wolf, or of a dog, or of a serpent, or of a viper, or of another beast. And the prophets, showing this and making the change from wickedness known to all, one said: “Dumb dogs, not able to bark,” comparing the treacherous among men who secretly plot against others to rabid dogs. For these do not attack with barking when they are mad, but approaching in silence, they do worse things to those they catch than those who bark. And another again called certain men a “crow.” And another said: “Man, being in honor, did not understand; he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them.” And he who was more than a prophet, the son of the barren woman, standing by the Jordan, called certain men “serpents and offspring of vipers.” What then could be equal to this punishment, when he who was made in the image of God and enjoyed such great honor, the rational and most gentle of creatures, falls into such bestiality? 13.4 Do you see how wickedness has its punishment in itself even before the chastisement? Learn how in virtue, even before the prizes, virtue itself becomes its own prize. Just as in the body, then—for nothing prevents us from using the same example again, since it produces great clarity—just as in the body, then, he who is healthy and well-formed and free from all sickness, even before luxury, enjoys this very thing, having pleasure allotted to him with his health, and neither irregularities of the air, nor drought, nor frost, nor a humble table, nor anything else of that sort could grieve him, since health is sufficient to ward off the harm from these things, so it is accustomed to happen also in the case of the soul. For this reason also Paul, being scourged, persecuted, suffering countless terrible things, rejoiced, saying thus: “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” Not only in the kingdom of heaven is the prize of virtue laid up, but also in the suffering itself, since this too is a very great prize, to suffer something for the sake of truth. For this reason also the band of the apostles returned from the council of the Jews rejoicing, not only because of the kingdom of heaven, but because they were counted worthy to be dishonored for the name of Jesus. For this very thing in and of itself is the greatest honor and crown, and prize, and a cause of unfading pleasure. Rejoice, therefore, and leap for joy. For this contest of slander is not a small contest, but a very great one, and especially when it happens on account of such a great charge for which they have now slandered you in a public court, accusing you of arson. Wherefore also Solomon, wishing to represent the harshness of the struggle, says: “I saw the slanders that are done under the sun, and behold, the tears of the slandered, and there was no one to comfort them.” And if the struggle is great, as indeed it is great, it is clear that the crown laid up for it is also greater. For this reason Christ also commands those who struggle in this contest with fitting endurance to rejoice and leap for joy. “For rejoice,” He says, “and leap for joy, when they say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake, for your reward is great in heaven.” Do you see how much pleasure, how much reward, how much gladness our enemies have become the cause of for us? How is it not absurd, then, for you to inflict upon yourself the evils which they were not able to inflict, but of which they have done the opposite? What is it that I am saying? They were not only not strong enough to exact a penalty from you, but they also provided you with an occasion for gladness and a cause of unfading pleasure. But you, thus straining yourself with despondency

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ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων, καὶ ἐπὶ σιδήρου ἰός, καὶ ἐπὶ ἐρίου σής, καὶ ἐπὶ ξύλου σκώληξ, τοῦτο ἐπὶ ψυχῆς κακία. Καὶ γὰρ ἀνδραποδώδη αὐτὴν ποιεῖ καὶ ἀνελευθέραν· τί λέγω ἀνδραποδώδη καὶ ἀνελευθέραν; Ἀλόγων αὐτὴν ἐργάζεται ψυχήν, τὴν μὲν λύκου, τὴν δὲ κυνός, τὴν δὲ ὄφεως, τὴν δὲ ἐχίδνης, τὴν δὲ ἑτέρου θηρίου ποιοῦσα. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦντες οἱ προφῆται καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς κακίας μεταβολὴν πᾶσι γνώριμον ποιοῦντες, ὁ μὲν ἔλεγε· «Κύνες ἐνεοὶ οὐ δυνάμενοι ὑλακτεῖν», τοὺς ὑπούλους τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ λαθραίως ἐπιβουλεύοντας τοῖς λυττῶσι τῶν κυνῶν παραβάλλων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μετὰ ὑλακῆς, ὅταν λυττῶσιν, ἐπέρχονται ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ σιγῇ προσιόντες χείρονα τῶν ὑλακτούντων ἐργάζονται τοὺς ἁλόντας. Ὁ δὲ «κορώνην» ἐκάλει πάλιν τινὰς ἀνθρώπους. Ὁ δὲ ἔλεγεν· «Ἄνθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκε· παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς.» Ὁ δὲ περισσότερος προφητῶν, ὁ τῆς στείρας υἱός, καὶ «ὄφεις καὶ γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν» παρὰ τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἑστὼς τινὰς ὠνόμασεν. Τί ταύτης τοίνυν ἴσον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς τιμωρίας, ὅταν ὁ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γενόμενος καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσας τιμῆς, τὸ λογικὸν καὶ ἡμερώτατον ζῶον, εἰς τοσαύτην καταπίπτει θηριωδίαν; 13.4 Εἶδες πῶς καὶ πρὸ τῆς κολάσεως ἐν ἑαυτῇ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἡ κακία ἔχει; Μάθε πῶς καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀρετῇ καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων αὐτὴ ἑαυτῆς ἔπαθλον ἡ ἀρετὴ γίνεται. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν τῷ σώματι-οὐδὲν γὰρ κωλύει πάλιν τῷ αὐτῷ χρήσασθαι παραδείγματι πολλὴν ἐργαζομένῳ τὴν σαφήνειαν-, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν τῷ σώματι, ὁ ὑγιαίνων καὶ εὐσωματῶν καὶ πάσης ἀπηλλαγμένος ἀρρωστίας καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρυφῆς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τρυφᾷ συγκεκληρωμένην ἔχων τῇ ὑγιείᾳ τὴν ἡδονήν, καὶ οὔτε ἀέρων αὐτὸν ἀνωμαλίαι, οὔτε αὐχμός, οὔτε κρυμός, οὐδὲ εὐτέλεια τραπέζης, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων λυπῆσαι δύναιτ' ἄν, ἀρκούσης τῆς ὑγιείας τὴν ἐκ τούτων διακρούσασθαι βλάβην, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς συμβαίνειν εἴωθε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος μαστιγούμενος, ἐλαυνόμενος, τὰ μυρία πάσχων δεινά, ἔχαιρεν οὕτω λέγων· «Χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν.» Οὐ μόνον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἔπαθλον κεῖται τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ πάσχειν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο μέγιστον ἔπαθλον τὸ ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας τι παθεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ χορὸς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐπανῄεσαν ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου τῶν Ἰουδαίων χαίροντες, οὐ διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν μόνον τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος Ἰησοῦ ἀτιμασθῆναι. Καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ μεγίστη τιμὴ καὶ στέφανος, καὶ βραβεῖα, καὶ ἡδονῆς ὑπόθεσις ἀμαράντου. Χαῖρε τοίνυν καὶ σκίρτησον. Οὐ γὰρ μικρὸς ἆθλος, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα μέγας οὗτος ὁ τῆς συκοφαντίας ἐστί, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ μεγάλῳ ἐγκλήματι γίνηται ἐφ' ᾧ νῦν ὑμᾶς ἐσυκοφάντησαν ἐν δημοσίῳ δικαστηρίῳ τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν ἐγκαλοῦντες. ∆ιὸ καὶ Σαλομὼν τὸ τραχὺ τοῦ ἀγῶνος παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος· «Εἶδον, φησί, τὰς συκοφαντίας τὰς γινομένας ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ἰδοὺ δάκρυον τῶν συκοφαντουμένων, καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοὺς ὁ παρακαλῶν.» Εἰ δὲ μέγας ὁ ἀγών, ὥσπερ οὖν μέγας, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ὁ κείμενος ἐπὶ τούτῳ στέφανος μείζων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς κελεύει χαίρειν καὶ σκιρτᾶν τοὺς τοῦτον ἀγωνιζομένους τὸν ἀγῶνα μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ὑπομονῆς. «Χαίρετε γάρ, φησί, καὶ σκιρτήσατε, ὅταν εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.» Ὁρᾷς πόσης ἡδονῆς, πόσου μισθοῦ, πόσης εὐφροσύνης ἡμῖν αἴτιοι οἱ πολέμιοι γεγόνασι; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἃ μὴ ἠδυνήθησάν σε ἑργάσασθαι ἐκεῖνοι κακὰ ἀλλ' ὧν τὰ ἐναντία πεποιήκασι, ταῦτα σαυτῇ διατιθέναι; Τί δέ ἐστιν ὅ φημι; Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὐ μόνον σε δίκην ἀπαιτῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφορμήν σοι παρέσχον εὐφροσύνης καὶ ἡδονῆς ὑπόθεσιν ἀμαράντου. Σὺ δὲ οὕτω σαυτὴν κατατείνουσα ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας