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running around the entire section of the stadium, do they there strive to wreck the chariots of their rivals, wherever they see the king sitting? and of so many sights, they consider one eye more trustworthy. But you, seeing the very king of angels presiding as judge over your races, leaving him aside do you take refuge in the gaze of your fellow-servants? For this reason, after myriad struggles, after much sweat, you depart uncrowned, and you go to the judge of the contest without prizes. For how is it not absurd for a servant to do everything he does to please his master, and to seek nothing more than his master’s gaze, nor to draw the eyes of others to 63.676 his deed, even if the observers are great, but to look to one thing only, that his master may see; but for us, who have such a Lord, to seek other spectators, who can offer no benefit, but are able to harm by their gaze, and to empty all our labor for us? But if someone, being puffed up by his achievement, lost everything; he who does this with sins, of how much punishment would he not be worthy? for to be proud while sinning is much more grievous than to sin. If to boast over things that are truly good is folly, how much more so over things that are nothing? For nothing so makes men lawless and foolish as to gape after the opinion of the many; and nothing makes them reputable and of adamant, as to despise it. Therefore, a very vigorous soul is needed for one who is to withstand such a rush and force of spirit. For when he prospers, he sets himself before all others; but when he endures the opposite, he wants to bury himself, being submerged by the passion. And pay attention to what I say. King Uzziah once, overstepping his own bounds, and leaping over the measure of his kingship, entered into the temple with authority, wishing to burn incense. What then did the priest say? It is not lawful for you, O king, to burn incense; you are overstepping the bounds; you seek what has not been given; for this reason you will also lose what you have received; this is not yours, but mine. Have I seized your purple robe? Do not seize my priesthood. But he did not tolerate it, but being puffed up with arrogance he burst into the temple, he threw open the Holy of Holies, wanting to burn incense. Since, therefore, the priest was despised, and the dignity of the priesthood was trampled upon, and he could no longer do anything, except only to rebuke and to show boldness, while the king even brandished weapons, and used his own authority, the priest says: I have done my part, I can do no more; help the priesthood, O Lord, which is being trampled, whose laws are now being wronged and ordinances overturned. And see what happens: Immediately leprosy broke out on his forehead. Where the shamelessness was, there also was the punishment. Did you see the philanthropy of God’s punishment? He did not send a thunderbolt, he did not shake the earth, he did not convulse the heaven, but leprosy broke out; and not in another place, but on the forehead, so that the letters might be set as on a pillar, like a law in some high place, saying: Do not do such things, so that you may not suffer such things. Why then do you stretch your neck, tell me? Why do you walk on tiptoe? Why do you raise your eyebrows? Why do you puff out your chest? You cannot make one hair white or black, and you walk on air as if you rule over all things? Perhaps you wished for wings to grow on you, so that you would not walk on the earth. What shall I call you and bring down your arrogance? Shall I call you ash and dust and smoke and dirt? But I have not yet accurately grasped the image. To me, you seem to resemble burnt tow; for that too, seeming to swell after being set on fire, and to have stood up, if it should endure a slight touch of the hand, it is all brought down and appears more worthless than any ash. And just as bubbles, being raised to a great height, are easily burst, so also those who are puffed up by vainglory are readily destroyed. For there is no evil equal to arrogance. For the devil, not being such before this, thus became the devil; and the first man, being puffed up by the devil with these hopes, was cast down and became mortal; for expecting to be a god, he lost even what he 63.677 had. Which therefore also the

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ἅπαν τοῦ σταδίου περιτρέχοντες τὸ μέρος, ἐκεῖ φιλονεικοῦσι τὰ τῶν ἀντιτέχνων ἅρματα καταστρέφειν, ἔνθα ἂν ἴδωσι τὸν βασιλέα καθήμενον; καὶ τοσούτων ὄψεων ἕνα νομίζουσιν ἀξιοπιστότερον ὀφθαλμόν. Σὺ δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων βασιλέα τοῖς σοῖς δρόμοις ἀγωνοθετοῦντα ὁρῶν, ἐκεῖνον ἀφεὶς ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν ὁμοδούλων καταφεύγεις ὄψεις; ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο μετὰ μυρίας πάλας, μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας ἀστεφάνωτος ἀναχωρεῖς, καὶ χωρὶς βραβείων πρὸς τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην ἀπέρχῃ. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τὸν μὲν οἰκέτην πάντα ὅσαπερ ἂν ποιῇ, εἰς ἀρέσκειαν τοῦ δεσπότου ποιεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖν τῆς θεωρίας τῆς τούτου, μηδὲ ἑτέρων ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐφέλκεσθαι πρὸς 63.676 τὴν πρᾶξιν, κἂν μεγάλοι οἱ θεωροῦντες ὦσιν, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον σκοπεῖν ὅπως ὁ δεσπότης θεάσηται· ἡμᾶς δὲ τοιοῦτον ἔχοντας κύριον, ἑτέρους ἐπιζητεῖν θεατὰς, τοὺς ὠφελῆσαι μὲν οὐδὲν, βλάψαι δὲ ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας δυναμένους, καὶ κενῶσαι πάντα τὸν πόνον ἡμῖν; Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθώματι φυσώμενός τις τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλεσεν· ὁ μετὰ ἁμαρτημάτων τοῦτο ποιῶν, πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη τιμωρίας ἄξιος; τοῦ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνειν τὸ καὶ ἁμαρτάνοντα μέγα φρονεῖν πολὺ χαλεπώτερον. Εἰ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὄντως ἀγαθοῖς καυχᾶσθαι ἀφροσύνη, τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς μηδὲν οὖσι, πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω παρανόμους ποιεῖ καὶ ἀνοήτους, ὡς τὸ πρὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν κεχηνέναι δόξαν· καὶ οὐδὲν εὐδοκίμους καὶ ἀδαμαντίνους ποιεῖ, ὡς τὸ αὐτῆς ὑπερορᾷν. ∆ιὸ καὶ σφόδρα νεανικῆς δεῖ ψυχῆς τῷ μέλλοντι πρὸς τοσαύτην ἀντέχειν ῥύμην καὶ βίαν πνεύματος. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν μὲν εὐημερῇ, πάντων ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἄλλων προτίθησιν· ὅταν δὲ τἀναντία ὑπομένῃ, κατορύξαι ἑαυτὸν βούλεται, ὑποβρύχιος ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους γινόμενος. Καὶ πρόσεχε ᾧ λέγω. Ὁ βασιλεὺς Ὀζίας ποτὲ τὰ ἴδια σκάμματα ὑπερβὰς, καὶ τὸ μέτρον διαπηδήσας τῆς βασιλείας, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν μετὰ αὐθεντίας θυμιᾶσαι θέλων. Τί οὖν ὁ ἱερεύς; Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι, βασιλεῦ, θυμιᾶσαι· ὑπερβαίνεις τὰ σκάμματα· τὰ μὴ δεδομένα ζητεῖς· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἃ ἔλαβες, ἀπολεῖς· οὐκ ἔστι σὸν τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐμόν. Μὴ ἥρπασά σου τὴν πορφυρίδα; μὴ ἁρπάσῃς μου τὴν ἱερωσύνην. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ φυσιούμενος ἐπεισῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν, ἀνεπέτασε τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων θέλων θυμιᾶσαι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ ἱερεὺς κατεφρονήθη, καὶ λόγος ἱερωσύνης ἐπατεῖτο, καὶ οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο οὐκέτι λοιπὸν, ἢ μόνον ἐλέγχειν, καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ὁ δὲ καὶ ὅπλα ἐκίνει, καὶ περιουσίᾳ ἐκέχρητο τῇ ἑαυτοῦ, ὁ ἱερεύς φησιν· Ἐγὼ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐποίησα, οὐδὲν πλέον δύναμαι· βοήθησον ἱερωσύνῃ, Κύριε, πατουμένῃ, ἧς νῦν οἱ νόμοι ἀδικοῦνται καὶ θεσμοὶ ἀνατρέπονται. Καὶ ὅρα τί γίνεται· Εὐθέως ἐξήνθησε λέπρα εἰς τὸ μέτωπον αὐτοῦ. Ὅπου ἡ ἀναισχυντία, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ τιμωρία. Εἶδες φιλανθρωπίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ τιμωρίας; οὐ κεραυνὸν ἀφῆκεν, οὐ γῆν ἔσεισεν, οὐ συνετάραξε τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἀλλ' ἐξήνθησεν ἡ λέπρα· καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου, ἵνα ὡς ἐν στήλῃ τὰ γράμματα ᾖ κείμενα, καθάπερ νόμος ἐν ὑψηλῷ τινι τόπῳ, λέγοντα· Μὴ ποιεῖτε τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ πάθητε τοιαῦτα. Τί τοίνυν τὸν αὐχένα ἀνατείνεις, εἰπέ μοι; τί δὲ βαδίζεις ἐπ' ἄκρων ὀνύχων; τί τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπᾷς; τί τὸ στῆθος φυσᾷς; τρίχα οὐ δύνασαι ποιῆσαι λευκὴν ἢ μέλαιναν, καὶ ὡς πάντων κρατῶν οὕτως ἀεροβατεῖς; τάχα ἐβούλου σοι πτερὰ φῦναι, ἵνα μὴ βαδίζῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τί σε καλέσω καὶ καθελῶ σου τὴν ἀπόνοιαν; εἴπω σε τέφραν καὶ κόνιν καὶ καπνὸν καὶ κονιορτόν; ἀλλ' οὐδέπω ἀκριβῶς τῆς εἰκόνος ἐπελαβόμην. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς στυππείῳ καταφλεγέντι προσεοικέναι· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο δοκοῦν οἰδεῖν μετὰ τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν, καὶ διανεστηκέναι, μικρὰν χειρὸς ἁφὴν ἂν ὑπομένῃ, κατηνέχθη τε ἅπαν καὶ τέφρας ἁπάσης εὐτελέστερον ἐφάνη. Καὶ ὥσπερ αἱ πομφόλυγες εἰς ὕψος αἰρόμεναι μέγα εὐκόλως ῥήγνυνται, οὕτω καὶ οἱ τῇ κενοδοξίᾳ φυσώμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἀπόλλυνται. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπονοίας ἴσον κακόν. Ὅ τε γὰρ διάβολος οὐκ ὢν πρὸ τούτου τοιοῦτος, οὕτω διάβολος γέγονεν· ὅ τε πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ταύταις παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου φυσηθεὶς ταῖς ἐλπίσιν, ἐξετραχηλίσθη καὶ θνητὸς ἐγένετο· προσδοκήσας γὰρ ἔσεσθαι θεὸς, καὶ ὅπερ 63.677 εἶχεν ἀπώλεσεν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ