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with so great a multitude the victory will fall to one man, nevertheless they labor and toil, And yet there is nothing equal here and there, not only because of the end of the contests, but because it is necessary there for only one to depart crowned; but here the superiority and inferiority is not in these things, in one departing uncrowned and the other crowned, but in one receiving a more splendid proclamation, and the other a lesser, but all nevertheless receiving one. In general, if we wished even from the beginning to form our children, and to hand them over to those willing to train them, it was not unlikely that they would stand in the first rank of the army; for God would not have overlooked so much eagerness and zeal, but would have extended His hand, and touched the statue; and with that hand at work, it is impossible for anything that is done to fail, or rather, it is impossible not to arrive at the height of splendor and glory, if only our part would follow. For if women were able to persuade God to assist them in the care of their children, much more we, if we are willing, will be able to do this. The others, then, so as not to make the discourse long, I will pass over, although I have many to speak of, but I will mention only one. κʹ. There was a certain Jewish woman, Anna; this Anna bore one child, and was not expecting to bear another; for even this one she received with difficulty and with many tears; for she was barren. And seeing her rival for this reason often lording it over her, not even so did she suffer anything such as you do, but when she had that son, she allowed him to remain with her for only so much time as was needed to be nursed. But when he no longer needed this nourishment, taking him she immediately dedicated him to God, and no longer asked him to set foot in his father's house, but he dwelt continually in the temple of God; and if ever she desired to see him, as a mother would, she did not call the child to herself, but she herself went up to him with his father, henceforth abstaining from him as from a dedicated offering. And so noble and great did that young man become, that through his virtue he drew back God, who had turned away from the Hebrew race on account of their widespread wickedness, and was not dealing with them, nor showing any vision any longer, and persuaded Him to grant the same things as before, and to recall again the prophecy which had flown away. And he was able to do these things not having come of age, but while still being a small child; For there was no, it says, distinct vision, and the word was precious. But yet, although these things were so, God communed with him continually. So great a gain it is always to yield one's own possessions to Him, and to give up all things, not only money, nor possessions, but even one's children themselves. For if concerning our own soul we are commanded to do this, much more concerning all other things. For this the patriarch Abraham also did, or rather something much greater; wherefore also with greater glory he received his son back. For then most of all we possess our children, when we hand them over to the Master. For He will preside over them much more, since He also cares for them more. Do you not see these things happening also in the houses of the 47.384 wealthy? For there also, those living below with their fathers, one cannot see them as being so truly splendid, nor possessing so much power; but as many as the masters separate from their parents and assign to their own service and to the guarding of the storerooms, these indeed enjoy greater favor and confidence, and are so much more splendid than their fellow-servants, as masters are than their servants. And if men are so kind and well-disposed towards those who serve them, how much more the infinite goodness, that is, God. Let us, therefore, allow them to serve, not bringing them into a temple like Samuel, but into heaven itself with the angels, with the archangels. For that those who have undertaken this philosophy will altogether minister and serve with them is, I suppose, clear to everyone. And not only over themselves, but also over you they will preside with greater of the

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πλήθει τοσούτῳ εἰς ἕνα τὰ τῆς νίκης περιστήσεται, ὅμως κόπτονται καὶ ταλαιπωροῦσι, Καίτοι γε οὐδέν ἐστιν ἴσον ἐνταῦθα κἀκεῖ, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸ τῶν ἀγώνων τέλος, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀνάγκη ἐκεῖ στεφανωθέντα μόνον ἕνα ἀπελθεῖν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐκ ἐν τούτοις ἡ ὑπεροχὴ καὶ ἡ ἐλάττωσις, ἐν τῷ τὸν μὲν ἀστεφάνωτον ἀναχωρῆσαι, τὸν δὲ ἐστεφανωμένον, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τὸν μὲν λαμπροτέρας, τὸν δὲ ἐλάττονος τυχεῖν τῆς ἀνακηρύξεως, πάντας δὲ ὅμως τυχεῖν. Ὅλως δὲ, εἴπερ ἐβουλόμεθα καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς διαπλάττειν τοὺς παῖδας, καὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις ῥυθμίζειν παραδιδόναι, οὐκ ἦν ἀπεικὸς αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ στῆναι τάξει τοῦ στρατοπέδου· οὐ γὰρ ἂν περιεῖδεν ὁ Θεὸς τοσαύτην προθυμίαν καὶ σπουδὴν, ἀλλ' ἐπέδωκεν ἂν τὴν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα, καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ ἀγάλματος· ἐκείνης δὲ ἐργαζομένης τῆς χειρὸς, ἀμήχανον διαπεσεῖν τι τῶν γινομένων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀμήχανον μὴ πρὸς ἄκρον λαμπρότητος καὶ δόξης ἐλθεῖν, μόνον εἰ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἕποιτο. Εἰ γὰρ γυναῖκες ἴσχυσαν πεῖσαι Θεὸν, συνεφάψασθαι αὐταῖς τῆς τῶν παίδων ἐπιμελείας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν, τοῦτο δυνησόμεθα. Τὰς μὲν οὖν ἄλλας, ὥστε μὴ μακρὸν ποιῆσαι τὸν λόγον, παρήσω, καίτοι πολλὰς ἔχων εἰπεῖν, μιᾶς δὲ μόνον ἐπιμνησθήσομαι. κʹ. Ἄννα τις ἦν Ἰουδαία γυνή· αὕτη ἡ Ἄννα παιδίονἔτεκεν ἓν, καὶ οὐ προσδοκῶσα τέξεσθαι ἕτερον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μόλις καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν ἔλαβε τῶν δακρύων· στείρα γὰρ ἦν. Ὁρῶσα δὲ τὴν ἀντίζηλον αὐτῆς διὰ τοῦτο πολλάκις ἐπεμβαίνουσαν αὐτῇ, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔπαθέ τι τοιοῦτον οἷον ὑμεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸν υἱὸν ἔσχεν ἐκεῖνον, τοσοῦτον εἴασε παρ' ἑαυτῇ μεῖναι χρόνον, ὅσον γαλακτοτροφηθῆναι ἔδει μόνον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκέτι ταύτης ἐδεῖτο τῆς τροφῆς, λαβοῦσα αὐτὸν εὐθέως ἀνέθηκε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τῆς πατρῴας οὐκέτι ἐπιβῆναι παρεκάλεσεν οἰκίας, ἀλλ' ᾤκει διαπαντὸς ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ εἴ ποτε αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν ἐπεθύμησεν, οἷα δὴ μήτηρ, οὐκ ἐκάλει παρ' ἑαυτὴν τὸ παιδίον, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀνέβαινε μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς, καθάπερ ὄντος ἀναθήματος ἀπεχομένη λοιπόν. Καὶ οὕτω γενναῖος καὶ μέγας ὁ νεανίας ἐγένετο ἐκεῖνος, ὡς τὸν Θεὸν ἀποστραφέντα τὸ τῶν Ἑβραίων γένος διὰ τὴν κατακεχυμένην κακίαν, καὶ οὐ χρῶντα αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲ ὄψιν τινὰ φαίνοντα λοιπὸν, ἐπισπάσασθαι πάλιν διὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ πεῖσαι παρέχειν τὰ αὐτὰ, ἅπερ καὶ πρότερον, καὶ τὴν προφητείαν ἀποπτᾶσαν ἀνακαλέσασθαι πάλιν. Καὶ ταῦτα ἴσχυσεν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡλικίας γενόμενος, ἀλλ' ἔτι παιδίον ὢν μικρόν· Οὐκ ἦν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα, καὶ ῥῆμα τίμιον ἦν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τούτων τοιούτων ὄντων, ἔχρα αὐτῷ συνεχῶς ὁ Θεός. Τοσοῦτόν ἐστι κέρδος ἀεὶ τῶν οἰκείων παραχωρεῖν κτημάτων αὐτῷ, καὶ πάντων ἐξίστασθαι οὐχὶ χρημάτων μόνον, οὐδὲ κτημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς κελευόμεθα τοῦτο ποιεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης ἐποίησεν Ἀβραὰμ, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλῷ μεῖζον· διὸ καὶ μετὰ πλείονος δόξης ἀπέλαβε τὸν υἱόν. Καὶ γὰρ τότε μάλιστα ἔχομεν τὰ ἡμέτερα παιδία, ὅταν αὐτὰ τῷ ∆εσπότῃ παραδῶμεν. Πολλῷ γὰρ μειζόνως αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνος προστήσεται, ἐπειδὴ καὶ μειζόνως κήδεται. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε καὶ ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις τῶν 47.384 πλουτούντων ταῦτα γινόμενα; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ τοὺς μὲν κάτω μετὰ τῶν πατέρων οἰκοῦντας, οὐχ οὕτως ὄντως λαμπροὺς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, οὐδὲ τοσαύτην ἔχοντας δύναμιν· ὅσους δ' ἂν τῶν γονέων ἀποστήσαντες οἱ δεσπόται προσνείμωσιν αὐτῶν τῇ διακονίᾳ καὶ τῇ φυλακῇ τῶν ταμιείων, οὗτοι δὴ καὶ εὐνοίας ἀπολαύουσι πλείονος καὶ παῤῥησίας, καὶ τοσοῦτον τῶν ὁμοδούλων εἰσὶ λαμπρότεροι, ὅσον τῶν οἰκετῶν οἱ δεσπόται. Εἰ δὲ ἄνθρωποι περὶ τοὺς διακονουμένους οὕτως εἰσὶ χρηστοὶ καὶ εὔνοι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ ἄπειρος ἀγαθότης, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὁ Θεός. Ἐῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτοὺς ὑπηρετεῖν, οὐκ εἰς ναὸν ἄγοντες καθάπερ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων, μετὰ τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων. Ὅτι γὰρ μετ' ἐκείνων διακονήσονται πάντως καὶ ὑπηρετήσουσιν οἱ ταύτης ἐπειλημμένοι τῆς φιλοσοφίας παντί που δῆλόν ἐστι. Καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῶν μετὰ πλείονος προστήσονται τῆς