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of the sun. For He who made those things such, would have had the power to make this thing such, if He had wished; but the cause of its weakness is the aforementioned reason. This does not, however, diminish the wonder of the Creator, but rather increases it. For the lowliness of the substance most of all shows the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the art, that in clay and ash He placed such harmony, and such senses so varied and diverse and capable of such philosophizing. 3. So, the more you might disparage the lowliness of the substance, the more you should marvel at the magnificence of the art. For I do not so much admire a sculptor who makes a beautiful statue from gold, as one who from crumbling clay, through the resourcefulness of his art, is able to display a wondrous and incredible beauty of form. For in the former case, the material contributes something to the one who forms it, but here, the display of the art is unadorned. But if you wish to learn how great is the wisdom of Him who created us, consider what is made from clay: what else but brick and tile? And yet, God the master-craftsman was able from the material from which only tile and brick are made, to create an eye so beautiful as to astonish all who see it, and to place in it such power, as to see such a height of the air, and by the apprehension of a small pupil to encompass so many bodies, and mountains, and valleys, and hills, and seas, and the heaven through that small thing. Do not, therefore, tell me of tears and rheum; for this has come about because of your sin; but consider its beauty, and its power of sight, and how traversing such a length of air it does not grow weary and tired, but while feet ache and are exhausted after going a short way, the eye, traveling over such a height, 49.123 and such a breadth, feels no infirmity. For since this is the most necessary to us of all members, He did not allow it to be oppressed by fatigue, so that its service to us might be unimpeded and unhindered. But rather, what account will be able to set forth all the excellence of this member? And what am I to say about the pupil and the power of sight? For if you examine only the eyelashes of the eye, which seems to be the most insignificant of all the members, even in these you will see much of the wisdom of God the Creator. For just as on the ears of corn the awns, like spears set forth, ward off the birds, not allowing them to perch on the grain and break the stalk which is rather weak; so also upon the eyes, the hairs of the eyelids are set forth like certain awns and spears, repelling dust and motes and everything annoying from without, and not allowing the eyelids to be disturbed. You might also see in the eyebrows another wisdom no less than this. For who would not be astonished at their position? That they are neither projected beyond measure, so as to overshadow the eyes, nor do they sit further in than is necessary; but like the eaves of a house, they project from above, receiving the sweat that comes down from the head, and not allowing it to trouble the eyes. For this reason, hairs are also grown upon them, by their thickness checking what flows down, and containing it with great precision, and providing much comeliness to the face. But one might marvel not only at this, but also at another thing no less than this. For what reason, tell me, do the hairs of the head grow and are cut, but those of the eyebrows no longer? For this has not happened to us simply, nor by chance, but so that by not growing long they might not overshadow the eyes, which is what happens to those who have come to a deep old age. And who could possibly describe all the wisdom shown through the brain? For first, He made it soft, since it provides the sources for all the senses; then, so that it might not be harmed contrary to its own nature, He walled it in on all sides with bones; again, so that it might not be disturbed by being chafed by the hardness of the bones, He stretched a membrane in between, not one

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ἡλιακοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα τοιαῦτα ποιήσας, καὶ τοῦτο τοιοῦτον ποιῆσαι, εἴπερ ἐθέλησεν, ἴσχυσεν ἄν· ἀλλ' ἡ αἰτία τῆς ἀσθενείας ἐστὶν ἡ προειρημένη πρόφασις. Οὐ μὴν τοῦτο ὑποτέμνεται τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ τὸ θαῦμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτείνει πλέον. Τὸ γὰρ εὐτελὲς τῆς οὐσίας τοῦτο μάλιστα δείκνυσι τῆς τέχνης τὸ εὔπορον καὶ εὐμήχανον, ὅτι ἐν πηλῷ καὶ τέφρᾳ τοσαύτην ἐνέθηκεν ἁρμονίαν, καὶ τοιαύτας αἰσθήσεις οὕτω ποικίλας καὶ παντοδαπὰς καὶ τοιαῦτα δυναμένας φιλοσοφεῖν. γʹ. Ὥστε ὅσῳπερ ἂν κατηγορῇς τοῦ τῆς οὐσίας εὐτελοῦς, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον θαύμασον τὸ μεγαλεῖον τῆς τέχνης. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀνδριαντοποιὸν οὐχ οὕτω θαυμάζω τὸν ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ καλὸν ἀνδριάντα ποιοῦντα, ὡς τὸν ἀπὸ πηλοῦ τοῦ διαπίπτοντος τῇ τῆς τέχνης εὐπορίᾳ δυνάμενον κάλλος ἐπιδεῖξαι πλάσεως θαυμαστὸν καὶ ἀμήχανον. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ καὶ συντελεῖ τι ἡ ὕλη τῷ πλάττοντι, ἐνταῦθα δὲ, γυμνὴ τῆς τέχνης ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπίδειξις. Σὺ δὲ εἰ βούλει μαθεῖν πόση τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος ἡμᾶς ἐστιν ἡ σοφία, ἐννόησον τί γίνεται ἀπὸ πηλοῦ· τί δὲ ἕτερον ἀλλ' ἢ πλίνθος καὶ κέραμος; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἴσχυσεν ὁ ἀριστοτέχνης Θεὸς ἀπὸ τῆς ὕλης ἐξ ἧς γίνεται κέραμος καὶ πλίνθος μόνον, ὀφθαλμὸν οὕτω ποιῆσαι καλὸν, ὡς ἅπαντας ἐκπλήττειν τοὺς ὁρῶντας, καὶ τοσαύτην ἐνθεῖναι τούτῳ δύναμιν, ὡς ἀέρος τοσοῦτον ὕψος καθορᾷν, καὶ μικρᾶς κόρης ἀντιλήψει τοσαῦτα περιλαμβάνειν σώματα, καὶ ὄρη, καὶ νάπας, καὶ βουνοὺς, καὶ πελάγη, καὶ οὐρανὸν δι' ἐκείνης τῆς μικρᾶς. Μὴ τοίνυν εἴπῃς μοι τὰ δάκρυα καὶ τὰς λήμας· τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τὴν σὴν ἁμαρτίαν γέγονεν· ἀλλ' ἐννόησον αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ὀπτικὴν, καὶ πῶς τοσοῦτον ἐπιὼν ἀέρος μῆκος οὐ κάμνει καὶ ταλαιπωρεῖ, ἀλλὰ πόδες μὲν ὀλίγον προελθόντες πονοῦσι καὶ ἐκλύονται, ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ὁδεύων τοσοῦτο μὲν ὕψος, 49.123 τοσοῦτο δὲ εὖρος, οὐδεμιᾶς αἰσθάνεται ἀῤῥωστίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν ἁπάντων μελῶν ἡμῖν ἀναγκαιότερόν ἐστι τοῦτο, οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸ πιέζεσθαι καμάτῳ, ὥστε ἀνεμπόδιστον ἡμῖν αὐτοῦ τὴν διακονίαν εἶναι καὶ ἀκώλυτον. Μᾶλλον δὲ ποῖος λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται τοῦ μέλους τούτου τὴν ἀρετὴν ἅπασαν; καὶ τί λέγω περὶ κόρης καὶ τῆς ὀπτικῆς δυνάμεως; Ἐὰν γὰρ, ὃ πάντων εὐτελέστερον εἶναι δοκεῖ τῶν μελῶν, τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ τὰς βλεφαρίδας ἐξετάσῃς μόνον, καὶ ἐν ταύταις πολλὴν ὄψει τοῦ δημιουργοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν σοφίαν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσταχύων οἱ ἀνθέρικες ὥσπερ τινὰ δόρατα προβεβλημένοι τοὺς ὄρνιθας ἀποσοβοῦσιν, οὐκ ἐπιτρέποντες ἐγκαθέζεσθαι τῷ καρπῷ καὶ διακλᾷν τὴν καλάμην ἀσθενεστέραν οὖσαν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, ὥσπερ τινὲς ἀνθέρικες καὶ δόρατα προβέβληνται αἱ τῶν βλεφάρων τρίχες, κόνιν καὶ κάρφη καὶ πάντα τὰ διενοχλοῦντα ἔξωθεν ἀποκρουόμεναι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶσαι ἐνοχλεῖσθαι τὰ βλέφαρα. Ἴδοις ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὀφρύων ἑτέραν σοφίαν οὐκ ἐλάττονα ταύτης. Τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγείη τὴν θέσιν αὐτῶν; ὅτι οὔτε πέρα τοῦ μέτρου προβέβληνται, ὥστε ἐπισκοτεῖν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, οὔτε ἐνδοτέρω τοῦ δέοντος ὑφιζάνουσιν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἰκίας γεῖσος, οὕτως ἐξέχουσιν ἄνωθεν, τὸν ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς κατιόντα ἱδρῶτα δεχόμεναι, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς λυπεῖν οὐκ ἐῶσαι. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τρίχες αὐταῖς εἰσιν ἐμπεφυκυῖαι, τῇ δασύτητι τὰ καταῤῥέοντα ἐπέχουσαι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς στέγουσαι τῆς ἀκριβείας, καὶ πολλὴν ταῖς ὄψεσι τὴν εὐμορφίαν παρέχουσαι. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἄν τις θαυμάσειεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον οὐκ ἔλαττον τούτου. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, αἱ μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς αὔξονται τρίχες καὶ ἀποκείρονται, αἱ δὲ τῶν ὀφρύων οὐκ ἔτι; οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἡμῖν γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ὥστε μὴ χαλωμένας ἐπισκοτεῖν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, ὅπερ οἱ πρὸς βαθὺ γῆρας ἐλθόντες πάσχουσι. Τίς δ' ἂν δυνηθείη τὴν διὰ τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου δεικνυμένην σοφίαν ἅπασαν διελθεῖν; Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἁπαλὸν ἐποίησεν, ἐπειδὴ ταῖς αἰσθήσεσιν ἁπάσαις αὐτὸς χορηγεῖ τὰς πηγάς· εἶτα ἵνα μὴ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν παραβλάπτηται φύσιν, ὀστοῖς αὐτὸν πάντοθεν ἐπετείχισε· πάλιν ἵνα μὴ τῇ σκληρότητι τῶν ὀστῶν παρατριβόμενος ἐνοχλῆται, ὑμένα μέσον ἐπέτεινεν, οὐχ ἕνα