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suffers, but the one who insults, as I have said already? For that he suffers is clear both from the fact that such a thing is called a passion, and clear also from the body; for from anger are born these passions, dimness of sight, paralysis, and countless other things. But he insulted my son, he says, but he insulted my servant. Do not think it weakness not to do this yourself also. For tell me, was it well done? I think not; therefore, do not do what is not well done. I know what kind of angers are born in such circumstances. What then, if he scorns me, he says, if he speaks again? Convict, rebuke, exhort; by meekness anger is loosed; going to him, accuse him. For on our own behalf we ought not to do even this, but on behalf of others, it is indeed necessary to do this. Do not think that your son being insulted is a private insult; and if you grieve on his behalf, do not grieve as though you yourself were insulted; for it is not because the son suffered evil that you were insulted, but the one who did evil. Quench the sharp sword, let it lie in its sheath. If we have it drawn, we will often use it even when there is no occasion, being drawn on by it; but if it be hidden, even if a need should arise, the anger will be quenched. Christ does not wish us to be angry on our own behalf (for hear what he says to Peter: Put your sword back into its sheath); and are you angry on behalf of a son? Teach your son also to be a philosopher; tell him the sufferings of the Master; imitate your Teacher. When they themselves were about to be dishonored, he did not say, I will avenge; but what? They persecuted me, and they will persecute you. Therefore, bear it nobly; for you are not better than I. Say these things also to your son and your servant: You are not better than your Master. But the words of philosophy seem to be widowed. Alas, that it is not possible to demonstrate by word what it is possible to be taught by experience itself. And that you may learn, standing in the midst of two who are fighting, be on the side of those who are wronged, and not of those who do wrong, if you do not see the prize of victory with yourself, if you do not receive glorious crowns. See how God is insulted, and how he answers meekly and gently. Where, he says, is Abel your brother? And what did he say? Am I my brother's keeper? What is more arrogant than this? Would one even have heard this from a son? For if from a brother, would he not have considered the matter an insult? But God again answers gently: The voice of your brother's blood, he says, cries to me. But God is above anger, he says. But for this reason the Son of God came down, that he might make you a god according to human power. But I am not able, he says, being a man. Therefore, let us bring men to you. And do not think I will speak of Paul nor Peter, but some of the lesser and far lower. The young servant of Eli insulted Hannah, saying: Put away your wine from you. What is more insulting than this? What then did she say? I am a woman in a hard day. Nothing is truly equal to affliction; it is the mother of philosophy. And this same woman, having her rival, did not insult her; but what? She flees to God, and while praying does not even remember her, nor does she say, Because so-and-so reproaches me, defend me; so much a philosopher was the woman (let us men be ashamed); and yet you know that there is nothing equal to jealousy. 5. The publican, being insulted by the Pharisee, did not insult him in return, although, if he had wished, he could have; but he bore it philosophically, saying: Be merciful to me the sin 60.126 ner. Mephibosheth, being accused and slandered by his servant, neither said nor did anything evil to him, not even before his king. Do you wish to hear the philosophy of a harlot also? Hear Christ saying, when she wiped his feet with her hair: The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom before you. Did you see her standing and weeping, and washing away her own sins? See how, when she was reproached, she was not angry even with the Pharisee; for if he knew, he says, that this woman is a sinner, he would not have allowed her. And she did not say to him: For what? Tell me, are you clean from sins? but she suffered more, she lamented more, and she shed hotter tears. But if women and publicans and harlots philosophize, and

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πάσχει, ἀλλ' ὁ ὑβρίζων, ὅπερ ἔφην καὶ ἤδη; Ὅτι γὰρ πάσχει, δῆλον μὲν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πάθος καλεῖσθαι τὸ τοιοῦτον, δῆλον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σώματος· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀπὸ ὀργῆς τίκτεται τὰ πάθη, ἀμβλυωπία, παραπληξία, καὶ μυρία ἕτερα. Ἀλλὰ τὸν παῖδα ὕβρισε, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν οἰκέτην. Μὴ νομίσῃς εἶναι ἀσθένειαν τὸ μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, καλῶς γέγονεν; Οὐκ οἶμαι εἰπεῖν· οὐκοῦν μὴ ποιήσῃς τὸ μὴ καλῶς γινόμενον. Οἶδα οἷαι ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις αἱ ὀργαὶ τίκτονται. Τί οὖν, ἂν καταφρονῇ, φησὶν, ἂν πάλιν εἴπῃ; Ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον· πραότητι ὀργὴ λύεται· προσελθὼν ἐγκάλεσον. Ὑπὲρ μὲν γὰρ τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς οὐδὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν χρὴ, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ ἀνάγκη τοῦτο δὴ ποιεῖν. Μὴ ἰδίαν ὕβριν νομίσῃς τὸ τὸν παῖδα ὑβρισθῆναι· κἂν ἀλγῇς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου, μὴ ὡς αὐτὸς ὑβρισθείς· οὐ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ὁ παῖς κακῶς ἔπαθεν, ὑβρίσθης σὺ, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιήσας κακῶς. Σβέσον τὴν μάχαιραν τὴν ὀξεῖαν, ἐν τῇ θήκῃ κείσθω. Ἂν ἔχωμεν αὐτὴν γυμνὴν, πολλάκις καὶ οὐκ ὄντος καιροῦ χρησόμεθα, ἐφελκόμενοι ὑπ' αὐτῆς· ἂν δὲ ᾖ κεκρυμμένη, κἂν χρεία γένηται, σβεσθήσεται ἡ ὀργή. Ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ οὐ βούλεται ἡμᾶς ὀργίζεσθαι ὁ Χριστὸς (ἄκουσον γὰρ τί φησι πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον· Ἀπόστρεψον τὴν μάχαιράν σου εἰς τὴν θήκην)· καὶ σὺ ὑπὲρ παιδὸς ὀργίζῃ; ∆ίδαξον καὶ τὸν παῖδα φιλοσοφεῖν· εἰπὲ αὐτῷ τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου παθήματα· μίμησαί σου τὸν ∆ιδάσκαλον. Ὅτε ἔμελλον καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀτιμάζεσθαι, οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἐκδικήσω· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν. Οὐκοῦν φέρετε γενναίως· οὐ γὰρ ἐμοῦ βελτίους ὑμεῖς. Ταῦτα καὶ σὺ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν παῖδα εἰπέ· Οὐκ εἶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου σου βελτίων. Ἀλλὰ χήρας εἶναι δοκεῖ τὰ ῥήματα τῆς φιλοσοφίας. Οἴμοι, ὅτι λόγῳ παραστῆσαι οὐκ ἔνι, ὡς ὑπὸ τῆς πείρας αὐτῆς διδαχθῆναι ἔνεστι. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ἐν μέσῳ δύο ἑστὼς διαμαχομένων, γενοῦ τῆς μερίδος τῶν ἀδικουμένων, καὶ μὴ τῶν ἀδικούντων, ἂν μὴ παρὰ σαυτῷ τὰ νικητήρια ἴδῃς, ἂν μὴ λαμπροὺς λάβῃς στεφάνους. Ὅρα, πῶς ὑβρίζεται ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πῶς ἀποκρίνεται πράως καὶ ἡμέρως. Ποῦ ἔστι, φησὶν, Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; Καὶ τί ἐκεῖνος; Μὴ φύλαξ ἐγώ εἰμι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου; Τί αὐθαδέστερον τούτου; κἂν παρά γε υἱοῦ ἤκουσεν ἄν τις; εἰ γὰρ παρὰ ἀδελφοῦ, οὐχ ὕβριν ἂν ἡγήσατο τὸ πρᾶγμα; Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς πάλιν ἡμέρως ἀποκρίνεται· Φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, φησὶ, βοᾷ πρός με. Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ἀνώτερός ἐστιν ὀργῆς, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο κατῆλθεν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, ἵνα σὲ θεὸν ποιήσῃ κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην. Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι, φησὶν, ἄνθρωπος ὤν. Οὐκοῦν φέρε ἀνθρώπους σοι παραγάγωμεν. Καὶ μή με νομίσῃς Παῦλον ἐρεῖν μηδὲ Πέτρον, ἀλλά τινας τῶν ἐλαττόνων καὶ σφόδρα κατωτέρω. Τὸ παιδάριον Ἠλεὶ τὴν Ἄνναν ὕβρισε λέγον· Περιελοῦ τὸν οἶνόν σου. Τί τούτου ὑβριστικώτερον; Τί οὖν ἐκείνη; Γυνὴ ἐν σκληρᾷ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγώ εἰμι. Οὐδὲν ὄντως θλίψεως ἴσον· φιλοσοφίας μήτηρ ἐστίν. Ἡ αὐτὴ δὲ αὕτη καὶ τὴν ἀντίζηλον αὐτῆς ἔχουσα, οὐχ ὕβρισεν αὐτήν· ἀλλὰ τί; Πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καταφεύγει, καὶ εὐχομένη οὐδὲ μέμνηται αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ λέγει, Ἐπειδὴ ὀνειδίζει με ἡ δεῖνα, ἐπάμυνόν μοι· οὕτω φιλόσοφος ἦν ἡ γυνὴ (αἰσχυνθῶμεν οἱ ἄνδρες)· καίτοι ἴστε, ὅτι ζήλου ἴσον οὐδέν. εʹ. Ὁ τελώνης ὑβρισθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ Φαρισαίου, οὐκ ἀνθύβρισε, καίτοι γε, εἰ ἐβούλετο, ἠδύνατο· ἀλλὰ φιλοσόφως ἤνεγκε λέγων· Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρ 60.126 τωλῷ. Ὁ Μεμφιβάαλ ὑπὸ τοῦ δούλου κατηγορηθεὶς καὶ συκοφαντηθεὶς, οὐδὲν οὔτε εἶπεν, οὔτε ἔπραξεν εἰς αὐτόν τι πονηρὸν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ. Βούλει καὶ πόρνης ἀκοῦσαι φιλοσοφίαν; Ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, ἡνίκα ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς τοὺς πόδας ἀπέμασσε· Τελῶναι καὶ πόρναι προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν. Εἶδες αὐτὴν ἑστῶσαν καὶ δακρύουσαν, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἁμαρτήματα ἀπολουομένην; Ὅρα, πῶς καὶ πρὸς τὸν Φαρισαῖον οὐκ ὠργίσθη ὀνειδιζομένη· εἰ ᾔδει γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ γυνὴ, οὐκ ἂν εἴασεν αὐτήν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Τί γάρ; εἰπέ μοι· σὺ καθαρὸς ἀπὸ ἁμαρτημάτων εἶ; ἀλλὰ πλέον ἔπασχε, πλέον ὠδύρετο καὶ θερμότερα τὰ δάκρυα ἠφίει. Εἰ δὲ γυναῖκες καὶ τελῶναι καὶ πόρναι φιλοσοφοῦσι, καὶ