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to my harvest. These things, he says, I said to myself, that living with righteousness and enjoying divine assistance I would be evergreen and long-lived; for such is the palm tree. And just as trees having their roots 248 by the waters, so I hoped to be flourishing and fruitful. And as fruits that have enjoyed dew and rain and have become full are harvested in their season, so I hoped that after growing old with good things I would exchange this life. 29, my glory is empty with me, and my bow will go forth in his hand. And I said, he says, that my bow also will go forth in the hand of God and everything will turn out for me according to the mark, as an arrow sent by a skillful archer is carried straight to the mark. He says, therefore, that: I supposed my affairs were guided by the divine hand, but now my glory and hope have become empty, that is, vain, since my circumstances have been turned to the contrary. 29, 21-22 Hearing me they paid attention, and were silent for my counsel, and to my word they added nothing. Considering my words a law and a rule and a standard, and being able neither to add anything to them nor to take anything away. 29, 22-23 And they were exceedingly glad whenever I spoke to them; just as thirsty earth awaiting the rain, so they received my speech. For his words were fruitful and had an active power in the souls of the hearers; for first he did, then he taught. And there is praise for the speaker, when he has words put into practice, and for the hearer, when he listens with thirst and longing. 29, 24 If I laugh at them, they will not believe it. 249 Because it was unusual, they thought the thing was a test. And in these things he described a teacher's character; for it is fitting for the divine teacher to be so grave and severe towards all sweet-temperament that he is not believed even when smiling. 29, 24 and the light of my countenance did not fall. But also a divine grace, he says, shone from my face, revealing the beauty of the peace in my soul through my cheeks. Or he also says this: that none of my words was dark or without light, but all were filled with light; for the face of teachers is their teaching; for through the character we recognize the father of the word. 29, 25 I chose their way and sat as chief, and I dwelt as a king among the single-girded troops. And I did not seize their rule by force, but since I chose and introduced what was advantageous for them and showed them the way of virtue, they appointed me their ruler, and thus they were subjected to me as soldiers to a king. And the name "single-girded troops" is taken from some peculiarity of their armor. 29, 25 as one who comforted the suffering. But also when they were in suffering, whether in the soul or from without, I comforted them with words and deeds. 250 30, 1 But now they have laughed at me, the least now admonish me in turn, whose fathers I disdained, whom I did not consider to be worthy of the dogs of my flocks. But my affairs have turned to such a change, that the least, due to want and low birth and youthfulness of age and being completely useless on account of being wicked, admonish me in turn, that is, they think through their admonition to repay me some part of the benefactions I had previously brought to them. Therefore, to compare them not even with dogs is not a word of arrogance, but an indication of their complete uselessness. Therefore, at first glance he seems to speak about certain companions, poor and lowly men; but as he alludes to certain poor volunteer-teachers, ostensibly speaking about others and prolonging the discourse about them, "now therefore," he says, "they admonish me, not being worthy to offer me words of counsel, since not even their fathers possess any such power of virtue as to appear worthy of being entrusted with the guarding of the rational flock," so that he might say that: "not even their fathers are worthy to admonish my disciples, and now these men attempt to admonish me." Or therefore he says this and does not compare men to dogs, but his own teaching and

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τῷ θερισμῷ μου. ταῦτα, φησίν, ἔλεγον κατ' ἐμαυτόν, ὅτι δικαιοσύνῃ συζῶν καὶ τῆς θείας ἀπολαύων ἐπικουρίας ἀειθαλὴς ἔσομαι καὶ πολυχρόνιος· τοιοῦτον γὰρ ὁ φοῖνιξ. καὶ ὥσπερ τὰ δένδρα τὰ ἐπὶ ὑδάτων τὰς ῥίζας ἔ 248 χοντα, οὕτως ἤλπιζον ἀνθηρὸς εἶναι καὶ κατάκαρπος. καὶ ὡς καρποὶ δρόσου καὶ ὑετῶν ἀπολαύσαντες καὶ πλήρεις γενόμενοι καθ' ὥραν θερίζονται, οὕτως ἤλπιζον καταγηράσας τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς μεταλλάξειν τὸν βίον. 29, ἡ δόξα μου κενὴ μετ' ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύσεται. ἔλεγον δέ, φησίν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ χειρὶ πορεύσεται καὶ κατὰ σκοπὸν πάντα μοι ἐκβήσεται, ὡς βέλος ὑπὸ εὐφυοῦς τοξότου πεμπόμενον εὐθὺ τοῦ σκοποῦ φέρεται. λέγει οὖν ὅτι· ὑπὸ μὲν τῆς θείας χειρὸς ὑπενόουν ὁδηγεῖσθαι τὰ κατ' ἐμέ, νῦν δὲ κενή μου γέγονεν ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς, τουτέστι ματαία, εἰς τοὐναντίον μοι τῶν πραγμάτων περιτραπέντων. 29, 2122 ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον, ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἐμῷ ῥήματι οὐ προσέθεντο. νόμον ἡγούμενοι καὶ κανόνα καὶ στάθμην τὰ ἐμὰ ῥήματα, καὶ οὔτε προσθεῖναί τι τούτοις οὔτε ἀφελέσθαι δυνάμενοι. 29, 2223 περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγένοντο, ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν, ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν, οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιὰν προσεδέχοντο. ἔγκαρπα γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῦ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ δραστήριον εἶχον δύναμιν ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀκουόντων ψυχαῖς· πρῶτον γὰρ ἐποίει, εἶτα ἐδίδασκεν. ἔπαινος δὲ καὶ τοῦ λέγοντος, ὅταν ἐμπράκτους ἔχῃ τοὺς λόγους, καὶ τοῦ ἀκούοντος, ὅταν μετὰ δίψης ἀκούσῃ καὶ πόθου. 29, 24 ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσιν. 249 διὰ τὸ ἀσύνηθες πεῖραν εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα νομίζοντες. ἐν τούτοις δὲ ἦθος ὑπέγραψε διδασκαλικόν· οὕτω γὰρ ἐμβριθῆ καὶ ἀμείλικτον εἶναι εἰς πᾶσαν γλυκυθυμίαν προσήκει τὸν θεῖον διδάσκαλον ὡς καὶ προσγελῶντα μὴ πιστεύεσθαι. 29, 24 καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐ κατέπιπτεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ θεία χάρις, φησίν, τοῦ προσώπου μου ἀπέλαμπε τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν εἰρήνης προφαίνουσα τὸ κάλλος διὰ τῶν παρειῶν. ἢ καὶ τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι· τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων οὐδὲ εἷς ἦν σκοτεινὸς οὐδὲ ἀφεγγής, ἀλλὰ πάντες φωτὸς πεπληρωμένοι· πρόσωπον γὰρ διδασκάλων ἡ αὐτῶν διδαχή· διὰ γὰρ τοῦ χαρακτῆρος τὸν πατέρα τοῦ λόγου γνωρίζομεν. 29, 25 ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις. οὐ βίᾳ δὲ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀρχὴν ἥρπασα, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὰ συμφέροντα αὐτοῖς ἐκλεγόμενος εἰσηγούμην καὶ τὴν κατ' ἀρετὴν αὐτοῖς ὁδὸν ὑπεδείκνυον, ἄρχοντά με ἑαυτῶν ἀνέδειξαν, καὶ οὕτως ὑπετάγησάν μοι ὥσπερ στρατιῶται βασιλεῖ. εἴληπται δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν μονοζώνων ἔκ τινος κατὰ τὴν ὅπλισιν ἰδιότητος. 29, 25 ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρεκάλουν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν πάθεσιν αὐτοὺς ὄντας, ἢ τοῖς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἢ τοῖς ἔξωθεν, λόγοις τε καὶ ἔργοις παρεμυθούμην. 250 30, 1 νυνὶ δὲ κατεγέλασάν μου, ἐλάχιστοι νῦν νουθετοῦσί με ἐν μέρει, ὧν ἐξουδένουν πατέρας αὐτῶν, οὓς οὐχ ἡγησάμην εἶναι ἀξίους κυνῶν τῶν ἐμῶν νομάδων. ἀλλ' εἰς τοσαύτην περιετράπη μεταβολὴν τὰ κατ' ἐμέ, ὡς τοὺς ἐλαχίστους δι' ἀπορίαν καὶ δυσγένειαν καὶ τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας νεώτερον καὶ τὸ παντάπασιν ἀχρείους εἶναι διὰ τὸ εἶναι πονηροὺς νουθετεῖν με ἐν μέρει, τουτέστιν οἴεσθαι διὰ τῆς νουθεσίας μέρος τι ἀνταποδιδόναι μοι τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ὧν εἰς αὐτοὺς προεισήνεγκα. τὸ οὖν μηδὲ κυσὶν αὐτοὺς παραβάλλειν οὐκ ἀλαζονείας ῥῆμα, ἀλλὰ δεῖγμα τῆς ἐκείνων παντελοῦς ἀχρειότητος. κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ πρόχειρον περὶ ἑταίρων τινῶν ἔοικε λέγειν πτωχῶν καὶ εὐτελῶν ἀνδρῶν· ὡς δὲ πτωχούς τινας ἐθελοδιδασκάλους αἰνίττεται, δῆθεν περὶ ἄλλων λέγων καὶ περὶ ἐκείνων τὸν λόγον μηκύνων, νῦν οὖν, φησίν, νουθετοῦσί με οὐκ ἄξιοι ὄντες λόγους μοι εἰς συμβουλὴν εἰσφέρειν, ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν τοιαύτην τινὰ δύναμιν ἀρετῆς κέκτηνται, ὡς ἄξιοι φαίνεσθαι τοῦ πιστευθῆναι τῶν λογικῶν θρεμμάτων τὴν φυλακήν, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι· οὐδὲ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν τοὺς ἐμοὺς μαθητὰς νουθετεῖν ἄξιοι, καὶ νῦν οὗτοι νουθετεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσιν ἐμέ. ἢ οὖν τοῦτο λέγει καὶ οὐ κυσὶν ἀνθρώπους παραβάλλει, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διδασκαλίαν καὶ