56

the dead on the decks, those being drowned, those floating, those cast out onto the shores, those within being overwhelmed by the waves and blocking the way for the ships. And having taught precisely all the tragedies of war, let him add also the horrors of captivity and slavery, which is more grievous than any death. And having said these things, let him command him to mount his horse immediately and to take command of that entire army. Do you think that young lad would be able to bear only the narrative, and not immediately give up his soul at the first sight? 6.13 13. That the temptation of the devil is more grievous than any war. And do not think that I am exaggerating the matter with my word; nor, because we are shut up in this body as in some prison, and are able to see none of the unseen things, think that what has been said is a great thing. For you would have seen a battle much greater and more terrible than this, if you had ever been able to see with these eyes the devil's most gloomy battle-array and his frenzied assault; for there is no bronze and iron there, nor horses and chariots and wheels, nor fire and arrows, these visible things, but other engines much more frightening than these. These enemies have no need of breastplate, nor of shield, nor of swords and spears, but the mere sight of that accursed army is enough to paralyze a soul, unless it should happen to be very noble and, beyond its own great courage, enjoys much of the providence of God. And if it were possible, having stripped off this body, or even with this body to be able to see clearly and without fear his entire battle-array and his war against us with your own eyes, you would have seen not torrents of blood, nor dead bodies, but so many falls of souls and wounds so grievous that you would think that whole description of war which I just went through for you to be some children's toys and play rather than war, so many are those who are smitten each day. But the wounds do not work an equal death, but as great as is the distance between soul and body, so great is the difference between that death and this one; for when the soul receives its blow and falls, it does not lie insensate like the body, but it is tormented from that moment, wasting away with an evil conscience, and after its departure from hence, at the time of judgment it is handed over to immortal punishment. And if anyone is insensible to the devil's blows, his trouble becomes greater because of that insensibility; for he who is not stung by the first blow easily receives a second, and after that another. For the foul one does not cease striking until the last breath, whenever he finds a soul that is supine and contemptuous of its former wounds. And if you should wish to examine the manner of the assault, you would see it to be much more violent and varied; for no one knows as many forms of theft and deceit as that foul one; by this, at any rate, he possesses the greater power, nor can anyone have such an undeclared enmity toward his most hostile foes as the evil one has toward human nature. And if anyone were to examine the eagerness with which he fights, it would be ridiculous even to compare men in this regard; and if someone, having selected the most wrathful and savage of wild beasts, should wish to set them against his madness, he will find them to be most gentle and tame in comparison, with such rage does he breathe, assailing our souls. And the time of the battle here is short, and even in that short time there are many truces; for the coming of night and the fatigue of slaughter and the time for food and many other things are accustomed to give rest to the soldier, so that he can even take off his full armor and breathe a little and cool himself with food and drink and in many other ways recover his former strength. But against the evil one it is not possible ever to lay down one's arms, it is not possible to sleep

56

καταστρωμάτων νεκρούς, τοὺς καταποντιζομένους, τοὺς ἐπιπλέοντας, τοὺς εἰς τοὺς αἰγιαλοὺς ἐκβρασσομένους, τοὺς ἔνδον τοῖς κύμασι περικλυζομένους καὶ ταῖς ναυσὶν ἀποφράττοντας τὴν ὁδόν. Καὶ πάσας ἀκριβῶς διδάξας τὰς τοῦ πολέμου τραγῳδίας, προστιθέτω καὶ τὰ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας δεινὰ καὶ τὴν παντὸς θανάτου χαλεπωτέραν δουλείαν. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπών, κελευέτω τὸν ἵππον ἀναβαίνειν εὐθέως καὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου παντὸς ἐκείνου στρατηγεῖν. Ἆρα οἴει πρὸς τὴν διήγησιν μόνον ἀρκέσειν τὸν μειρακίσκον ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπὸ πρώτης ὄψεως εὐθέως ἀφήσειν τὴν ψυχήν; 6.13 ιγʹ. Ὅτι παντὸς πολέμου χαλεπώτερος ὁ τοῦ διαβόλου πειρασμόσ Καὶ μή με νομίσῃς ἐπαίρειν τὸ πρᾶγμα τῷ λόγῳ· μηδ' ὅτι τῷ σώματι τούτῳ καθάπερ τινὶ δεσμωτηρίῳ κατακλεισθέντες, τῶν ἀοράτων οὐδὲν δυνάμεθα ἰδεῖν, μεγάλα τὰ εἰρημένα εἶναι νομίσῃς. Πολὺ γὰρ ταύτης τῆς μάχης μείζονα καὶ φρικωδεστέραν εἶδες ἄν, εἰ τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν ζοφωδεστάτην παράταξιν καὶ τὴν μανιώδη συμβολὴν τούτοις τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἰδεῖν ἠδυνήθης ποτέ· οὐ γὰρ χαλκὸς ἐκεῖ καὶ σίδηρος, οὐδὲ ἵπποι καὶ ἅρματα καὶ τροχοί, οὐδὲ πῦρ καὶ βέλη, ταῦτα τὰ ὁρατά, ἀλλ' ἕτερα πολὺ τούτων φοβερώτερα μηχανήματα. Οὐ δεῖ τούτοις τοῖς πολεμίοις θώρακος, οὐδὲ ἀσπίδος, οὐδὲ ξιφῶν καὶ δοράτων, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ μόνη ἡ ὄψις τῆς ἐπαράτου στρατιᾶς ἐκείνης παραλῦσαι ψυχήν, ἢν μὴ λίαν οὖσα γενναία τύχῃ καὶ πρὸ τῆς οἰκείας ἀνδρείας πολλῆς ἀπολαύσῃ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας. Καὶ εἴ γε ἦν δυνατόν, τὸ σῶμα ἀποδύντα τοῦτο ἢ καὶ μετὰ αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος δυνηθῆναι καθαρῶς καὶ ἀφόβως ἅπασαν τὴν ἐκείνου παράταξιν καὶ τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς πόλεμον ὀφθαλμοφανῶς ἰδεῖν, εἶδες ἂν οὐ χειμάρρους αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ σώματα νεκρά, ἀλλὰ ψυχῶν πτώματα τοσαῦτα καὶ τραύματα οὕτω χαλεπὰ ὡς ἅπασαν ἐκείνην τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ὑπογραφὴν ἣν ἄρτι διῆλθον πρὸς σὲ παίδων τινὰ ἀθύρματα εἶναι νομίσαι καὶ παιδιὰν μᾶλλον ἢ πόλεμον, τοσοῦτοι οἱ καθ' ἑκάστην πληττόμενοι τὴν ἡμέραν. Τὰ δὲ τραύματα οὐκ ἴσην ἐργάζεται τὴν νέκρωσιν, ἀλλ' ὅσον ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος τὸ μέσον τοσοῦτον ἐκείνης καὶ ταύτης τὸ διάφορον· ὅταν γὰρ λάβῃ τὴν πληγὴν ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ πέσῃ, οὐ κεῖται καθάπερ τὸ σῶμα ἀνεπαισθήτως, ἀλλὰ βασανίζεται μὲν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῇ πονηρᾷ συνειδήσει τηκομένη, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγήν, κατὰ τὸν τῆς κρίσεως καιρὸν ἀθανάτῳ παραδίδοται τιμωρίᾳ. Εἰ δέ τις ἀναλγήτως ἔχοι πρὸς τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου πληγάς, μεῖζον ὑπὸ τῆς ἀναισθησίας ἐκείνῳ γίνεται τὸ δεινόν· ὁ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ προτέρᾳ πληγῇ μὴ δηχθεὶς εὐκόλως δέχεται καὶ δευτέραν καὶ μετ' ἐκείνην ἑτέραν. Οὐ γὰρ διαλιμπάνει μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς παίων ὁ μιαρός, ὅταν εὕρῃ ψυχὴν ὑπτίαν καὶ τῶν προτέρων καταφρονοῦσαν πληγῶν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῆς συμβολῆς τὸν τρόπον ἐξετάζειν ἐθέλοις, πολὺ ταύτην σφοδροτέραν καὶ ποικιλωτέραν ἴδοις ἄν· οὔτε γὰρ κλοπῆς καὶ δόλου τοσαύτας τις οἶδεν ἰδέας ὅσας ἐκεῖνος ὁ μιαρός· ταύτῃ γοῦν τὴν πλείονα κέκτηται δύναμιν, οὔτε ἔχθραν τις οὕτως ἀκήρυκτον δύναται ἔχειν πρὸς τοὺς ἄγαν πολεμιωτάτους αὐτῷ ὅσην πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν ὁ πονηρός. Καὶ τὴν προθυμίαν δὲ εἴ τις ἐξετάζοι μεθ' ἧς μάχεται ἐκεῖνος, ἀνθρώπους μὲν ἐνταῦθα καὶ γελοῖον παραβαλεῖν· εἰ δέ τις τὰ ὀργιλώτατα καὶ ἀπηνέστατα τῶν θηρίων ἐκλεξάμενος ἀντιτιθέναι θέλοι τῇ τούτου μανίᾳ, πραότατα ὄντα καὶ ἡμερώτατα εὑρήσει τῇ παραβολῇ, τοσοῦτον οὗτος πνεῖ θυμόν, ταῖς ἡμετέραις προσβάλλων ψυχαῖς. Καὶ ὁ τῆς μάχης δὲ χρόνος ἐνταῦθα μὲν βραχὺς καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχεῖ δὲ αὐτῷ πολλαὶ αἱ ἀνακωχαί· καὶ γὰρ νὺξ ἐπελθοῦσα καὶ ὁ τοῦ σφάζειν κάματος καὶ τροφῆς καιρὸς καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα διαναπαύειν τὸν στρατιώτην πέφυκεν, ὡς καὶ ἀποδῦναι τὴν παντευχίαν καὶ ἀναπνεῦσαι μικρὸν καὶ σίτῳ καὶ ποτῷ καταψῦξαι καὶ ἑτέροις πολλοῖς τὴν προτέραν ἀνακτήσασθαι δύναμιν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ πονηροῦ οὐκ ἔστι τὰ ὅπλα καταθέσθαι ποτέ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὕπνον