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[HOMILY 8.] As Peter was entering Tripolis, the more studious from Tyre and Sidon, Berytus and Byblos, and many from the neighboring regions came in with him. And not least were the gatherings of the crowds from the city itself, wishing to see him. Therefore, the brothers sent forth by him met us in the suburbs to ascertain the other matters concerning the city and what Simon was doing, so that when they came they might explain. Having welcomed <...> they led him to the house of Maro. And he, having now arrived at the very gateway of the lodging, turned to the crowds and promised to discourse to them about piety on the following day. And when he had entered, the forerunners prepared hospitality for those who had come with him. Nor did those who welcomed and offered hospitality fall short of the eagerness of those who requested it. But Peter, knowing none of these things, when asked by us to partake of food, said that he himself would not partake before those who had come with him had rested. And when we answered that, "This has already been done, since on the pretext of affection for you, all have eagerly welcomed them, so that those who had no one to entertain were exceedingly grieved," Peter, hearing this and being pleased, blessed them for their swift philanthropy, went out and bathed in the sea, and having come in and partaken of food with the forerunners, as evening came on, he slept. But awakening around the second crowing of the cocks, he found us awake. And we were sixteen in all with him: Peter himself, I Clement, Nicetas and Aquila, and the twelve who went before. Therefore, having greeted us, he said, "Today, not having time for those outside, we have leisure for one another. Therefore, I will narrate to you what happened after the departure from Tyre, and you in turn will explain to me more accurately what has been done here by Simon." So when we had exchanged narrations with one another in turn, one of the companions came in, reporting to Peter that: "Simon, having learned that you had arrived, set out on the road to Syria, and the crowds, considering this one night as the space of a year and being unable to wait for the time appointed by you, are standing before the doors in groups and gatherings, talking among themselves about Simon's slander, that having raised their expectations and promised to convict you of many evils when you came, when he learned you had arrived, he fled by night. But as they were desiring to hear you, I do not know from where a rumor fell upon them that you intend to discourse to them today. Therefore, that they may not, having toiled for a long time, be dismissed without reason, you yourself know what you must do." And Peter, marveling at the eagerness of the crowds, answered: "You see, brothers, how the words of our Lord are manifestly fulfilled. For I remember him saying: 'Many shall come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and shall recline in the bosoms of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.' But also, 'many (he says) are called, but few are chosen.' The one

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[OΜIΛIA H.] Eἰς δὲ τὴν Τρίπολιν εἰσιόντι τῷ Πέτρῳ οἱ φιλομαθέστεροι ἔκ τε τῆς Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος Βηρυτοῦ τε καὶ Βύβλου καὶ ἐκ τῶν πλησιο- χώρων πολλοὶ συνεισῄεσαν. οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ τῶν ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς πόλεως ὄχλων συνδρομαὶ ἐγίνοντο ἱστορεῖν βουλομένων αὐτόν. συνετύγχανον οὖν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς προαστείοις οἱ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐκπεμφθέντες ἀδελφοὶ τά τε ἄλλα τὰ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὰ πραττόμενα τῷ Σίμωνι ἐξακριβῶσαι, ὅπως ἐλθόντες ὑφηγήσωνται. ἀποδεξάμενοι <...> αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν Μαροόνου ἦγον οἰκίαν. ὁ δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τῷ τῆς ξενίας πυλῶνι ἤδη γεγονώς, ἐπι- στραφεὶς τοῖς ὄχλοις ὑπέσχετο μετὰ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν περὶ θεοσεβείας αὐ- τοῖς διαλεχθῆναι. εἰσελθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ οἱ πρόοδοι τοῖς συνεληλυθόσιν ξενίας ηὐτρέπιζον. οὐκ ἀπελείποντο δὲ οὐδὲ οἱ ἀποδεχόμενοι καὶ ξενί- ζοντες τῆς τῶν ἀξιούντων προθυμίας. τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν εἰδὼς ὁ Πέ- τρος, ἀξιωθεὶς ὑφ' ἡμῶν τροφῆς μεταλαβεῖν ἔφη μὴ μεταλήψεσθαι πρό- τερον αὐτός, πρὶν ἢ τοὺς συνεληλυθότας αὐτῷ διαναπαύσασθαι. ἀποκρι- ναμένων δὲ ἡμῶν ὅτι· Ἔφθη τοῦθ' οὕτως γεγενῆσθαι, προφάσει τῆς πρὸς σὲ στοργῆς σπουδῇ πάντας αὐτοὺς ὑποδεξαμένων, ὡς τοὺς μὴ ἐσχηκό- τας οὓς ξενίσουσιν ὑπερβαλλόντως λελυπῆσθαι, ὁ Πέτρος ἀκούσας καὶ ἡσθείς, τῆς ὀξείας φιλανθρωπίας εὐλογήσας αὐτοὺς ἐξῆλθεν καὶ θαλάσσῃ λουσάμενος εἰσελθὼν καὶ σιτίων σὺν τοῖς προόδοις μεταλαβὼν ἑσπέρας ἐπικαταλαβούσης ὕπνωσεν. ὑπὸ δὲ τὰς δευτέρας τῶν ἀλεκτρυόνων φωνὰς διυπνισθεὶς εὗρεν ἡμᾶς ἐγρηγορότας. ἦμεν δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ οἱ πάντες ἓξ καὶ δέκα, αὐτὸς ὁ Πέτρος κἀγὼ ὁ Κλήμης Νικήτης τε καὶ Ἀκύλας καὶ οἱ προοδεύσαντες δώδεκα. προσαγορεύσας οὖν ἡμᾶς ἔφη· Σήμερον τοῖς ἔξω μὴ σχολάζοντες ἀλλήλοις ἐσμὲν εὔσχολοι. διὸ ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμῖν τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Τύρου ἔξοδον γεγενημένα διηγήσομαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐμοὶ τὰ ἐνταῦθα ὑπὸ τοῦ Σίμωνος πεπραγμένα καὶ ἀκριβέστερον ἐξηγήσασθε. ἀμειψαμένων οὖν ἀλλήλους ταῖς ἐν μέρει διηγήσεσιν εἰσῄει τις τῶν συνήθων ἀπαγγέλλων Πέτρῳ ὅτι· Σίμων μαθών σε ἐπιδημήσαντα τὴν ἐπὶ Συρίαν ὥρμησεν ὁδόν, οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι τὴν μίαν ταύτην νύκτα ὡς ἐνιαυτοῦ χρόνον ἡγησάμενοι καὶ ἀναμένειν τὴν δοθεῖσαν ὑπὸ σοῦ προθεσμίαν μὴ δυνάμενοι, πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἑστήκασιν κατὰ συστάσεις καὶ συλλόγους, ἀλλήλοις περὶ τῆς τοῦ Σίμωνος διαβολῆς διαλαλοῦντες ὅτι μετεωρίσας αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς κακοῖς σε ἐλέγξειν ἐλθόντα ὑποσχόμενος, ἐπιδη- μήσαντα γνοὺς νύκτωρ ἔφυγεν· πλὴν ἐπιθυμοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἀκοῦσαί σου οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν φήμη τις ἐπέπεσεν ὡς μέλλοντός σου σήμερον αὐτοῖς διαλέγεσθαι. ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἐπὶ πολὺ καμόντες ἀλόγως διαλύωνται, τί χρή σε ποιεῖν, αὐτὸς γινώσκεις. Καὶ ὁ Πέτρος θαυμάσας τῶν ὄχλων τὴν σπουδὴν ἀπεκρίνατο· Ὁρᾶτε, ἀδελφοί, πῶς οἱ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν λόγοι ἐμφανῶς τελοῦνται. μέμνημαι γὰρ αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος· «Πολλοὶ ἐλεύσονται ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν, ἄρκτου τε καὶ μεσημβρίας, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται εἰς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβή. ἀλλὰ καὶ «πολλοί (φησίν) κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί». τὸ μὲν