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they force themselves to bring out their beastly nature. The mouths of such men are the mouths of beasts; 63.671 or rather, even wilder than these; for they utter words that release more venom than those teeth, working murder. But if one were to examine the mind of such men, he would no longer call them just beasts, but also demons; for they are full of much cruelty and hatred toward their fellow servant. For demons have the men they plot against as collaborators with themselves; so that if they did not cooperate, the greater part of their plots against us would be nullified; but these men attempt to overcome even those they abuse when they contend with them. And there is neither love of the kingdom, nor fear of Gehenna, no respect for men, no mercy, no sympathy, but shamelessness and recklessness and contempt for all things to come, and the words of God seem to them to be a myth. Truly of the most savage beasts, is for them to begin injustice without being wronged by anyone; or rather, not even of beasts. For if you let them graze in the wilderness, and do not corner and force them into a strait, they will never do harm, nor approach, nor bite, but will go their own way; but you, being a rational man, honored with such great authority and honor and glory, do not even imitate the beasts towards those of your own kind, but wrong and devour your brother? and how will you be able to defend yourself? Do you not see the bee, whose work kings and commoners use for their health, how nothing prevents it from dying when it does harm, but it dies in its sting? Through it be taught not to grieve your neighbors; for we ourselves receive death first. For we may have grieved them for a little while, but we ourselves shall live no longer, just as it does not. For this reason it is called money, that we may use it for what is needful, not that we may guard it; for this is no longer to possess, but to be possessed. For if we were to look to this, how we might make it much, not how we might enjoy it for what is needful, the order is overturned, and it possesses us more, not we it. For he who loves money will not only not love his enemies, but will also hate his friends. For such a man knows no kinship, remembers no familiarity, respects no age, has no friend; but will be hostile towards all, and, before all others, toward himself, not only by destroying his own soul, but also by exhausting himself with countless cares. And he who despises money has stopped desire; but he who wants to be rich and acquire more, has rather kindled it more, and never stops, but even if he receives ten thousand talents, he desires as many more; and if he obtains these, again he yearns for twice as many more; and going on, he prays that the mountains and the earth and the sea, and everything, would become gold for him, a new sort of madness he raves, a terrible one, and one that can never be extinguished. For when we, who are commanded to give our own things to others, snatch the things of others, what hope of salvation is there then for us? If you did not feed the hungry, you are punished; if you also stripped the clothed, what pardon will you obtain? 63.672 Tell me now, if someone brought you to the land of Persia to see the things there and to return, and then ordered you to build a house; would you not have condemned his extreme folly, as one commanding you to spend unseasonably? How then do you do this very thing on the earth, which a little later you will leave? But I will leave it to my children, he says. But they too leave it a little later after you, and often even before you. For this reason then you are greedy, and seize the things of others, so that the bridle of your horse may be gilded with much gold, and the roof of your house and the capitals of your columns? and of how much Gehenna would these things not be worthy, when for the sake of beautifying stones and pavement, and the bodies of irrational animals that do not even perceive the adornment, you cast your brother, so honored by your Master, into countless misfortunes? And the column is under great care, but the man, or rather Christ, on account of the column and all the things mentioned, is shut up in the utmost famine. And if indeed

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τὸ θηριῶδες ἑαυτοὺς ἐξάγειν βιάζονται. Τῶν τοιούτων καὶ τὰ στό 63.671 ματα θηρίων ἐστὶ στόματα· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων ἀγριώτερα· καὶ γὰρ ῥήματα φθέγγονται μᾶλλον ἐκείνων τῶν ὀδόντων ἰὸν ἀφιέντα, φόνον ἐργαζόμενα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν διάνοιάν τις ἐξετάσειε τῶν τοιούτων, οὐκ ἔτι θηρία μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δαίμονας αὐτοὺς προσερεῖ· καὶ γὰρ πολλῆς γέμουσι τῆς ἀπηνείας καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ὁμόδουλον ἔχθρας. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δαίμονες τοὺς ἐπιβουλευομένους ἀνθρώπους συμπράττοντας ἑαυτοῖς ἔχουσιν· ὡς εἰ μὴ συνέπραττον, τὸ πλέον τῶν ἐπιβουλῶν τῶν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐκείνοις ἀνῄρητο· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ φιλονεικούντων αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐπηρεαζομένων κρατεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι. Καὶ οὔτε βασιλείας ἔρως ἐκεῖ, οὔτε γεέννης φόβος, οὐκ αἰδὼς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἔλεος, οὐ συμπάθεια, ἀλλ' ἀναισχυντία καὶ ἰταμότης καὶ ὑπεροψία τῶν μελλόντων ἁπάντων, καὶ μῦθος αὐτοῖς εἶναι δοκεῖ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥήματα. Ὄντως θηρίων χαλεπωτάτων, τὸ μὴ ὑπό τινος ἀδικουμένους αὐτοὺς ἄρχειν ἀδικίας· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ θηρίων. Ἐκεῖνα γὰρ ἂν ἀφῇς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου νέμεσθαι, καὶ μὴ στενοχωρήσας εἰς ἀνάγκην καταστήσῃς, οὐδέποτε λυμανεῖται, οὔτε προσελεύσεται, οὔτε δήξεται, ἀλλ' ἀπελεύσεται τὴν οἰκείαν ὁδόν· σὺ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὢν λογικὸς, τετιμημένος ἀρχῇ τοσαύτῃ καὶ τιμῇ καὶ δόξῃ, οὐδὲ τὰ θηρία μιμῇ περὶ τοὺς ὁμοφύλους, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀδικεῖς καὶ κατεσθίεις; καὶ πόθεν ἀπολογήσεσθαι δυνήσῃ; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὴν μέλισσαν, ἧς τὴν ἐργασίαν βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγείαν προσφέρονται, πῶς οὐδὲν αὐτῆς προΐσταται τὸ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν ποιοῦσαν κακῶς, ἀλλ' ἐναποθνήσκει τῷ κέντρῳ; ∆ιὰ ταύτης παιδεύθητι μὴ λυπεῖν τοὺς πλησίον· αὐτοὶ γὰρ τὸν θάνατον δεχόμεθα πρότερον. Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ πρὸς μικρὸν ἴσως ἐλυπήσαμεν, αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκέτι ζησόμεθα, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκείνη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο χρήματα λέγεται, ἵνα χρώμεθα εἰς δέον, οὐχ ἵνα φυλάττωμεν· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκέτι κτήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ κτηθῆναι. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο μέλλοιμεν σκοπεῖν, ὅπως αὐτὰ πολλὰ ποιήσωμεν, οὐχ ὅπως εἰς δέον ἀπολαύσωμεν, ἀνατέτραπται ἡ τάξις, καὶ ἐκεῖνα μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς κέκτηται, οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἐκεῖνα. Ὁ γὰρ χρημάτων ἐρῶν, οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἐχθροὺς οὐκ ἀγαπήσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς φίλους μισήσει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ συγγένειαν οἶδεν ὁ τοιοῦτος, οὐ συνηθείας μέμνηται, οὐχ ἡλικίαν αἰδεῖται, οὐ φίλον ἔχει τινά· ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας ἀπεχθῶς διακείσεται, καὶ, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, οὐ τῷ μόνον ἀπολλύναι τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ μυρίαις ἑαυτὸν κατατείνειν φροντίσι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν χρημάτων καταφρονῶν, ἔστησε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν· ὁ δὲ πλουτεῖν βουλόμενος καὶ περιβάλλεσθαι, πλεῖον ἀνῆψε μᾶλλον, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἵσταται, ἀλλὰ κἂν μυρία λάβῃ τάλαντα, ἑτέρων τοσούτων ἐπιθυμεῖ· κἂν τούτων ἐπιτύχῃ, πάλιν δὶς τοσούτων ἄλλων ἐφίεται· καὶ προϊὼν, καὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλατταν, καὶ πάντα εὔχεται αὐτῷ γενέσθαι χρυσίον, καινήν· τινα μανίαν μαινόμενος καὶ φοβερὰν, καὶ οὐδέποτε σβεσθῆναι δυναμένην. Ὅταν γὰρ ἑτέροις τὰ ἑαυτῶν δοῦναι προσταττόμενοι, τὰ ἑτέρων ἁρπάζωμεν, τίς ἄρα ἡμῖν ἐστι σωτηρίας ἐλπίς; Εἰ μὴ πεινῶντα ἔθρεψας, κολάζῃ· εἰ καὶ ἀπέδυσας ἐνδεδυμένον, ποίας τεύξῃ 63.672 συγγνώμης; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἴ τίς σε εἰς Περσικὴν ἤγαγε γῆν ὀψόμενον τὰ ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐπανήξοντα, εἶτα ἐκέλευσεν οἰκίαν δείμασθαι· ἆρα οὐκ ἂν αὐτοῦ κατέγνως ἄνοιαν τὴν ἐσχάτην, ὡς ἀκαίρως δαπανᾷν κελεύοντος; Πῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ἣν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀπολείψεις; Ἀλλὰ τοῖς παιδίοις καταλείψω, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μικρὸν ὕστερον καταλείπουσι μετὰ σὲ, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πρὸ σοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν πλεονεκτεῖς, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἁρπάζεις, ἵνα σοι ὁ τοῦ ἵππου χαλινὸς ἀλείφηται πολλῷ τῷ χρυσῷ, καὶ ὁ τῆς οἰκίας ὄροφος καὶ αἱ τῶν κιόνων κεφαλαί; καὶ πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη ταῦτα γεέννης ἄξια, ὅταν τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν οὕτω παρὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου σου τιμηθέντα, ἵνα λίθους καλλωπίσῃς καὶ ἔδαφος, καὶ σώματα ζώων ἀλόγων οὐδὲ αἰσθανομένων τοῦ κόσμου, εἰς μυρίας ἐμβάλλῃς συμφοράς; Καὶ ὁ μὲν κίων ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ πολλῇ, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, διὰ τὸν κίονα καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα ἅπαντα εἰς ἔσχατον κατακλείεται λιμόν. Κἂν μὲν