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He subjects each of the animals to the stewardship appropriate to it. But if the feet of men were as strong as those of horses, they would have become useless for other things, for difficult terrain, for mountain ridges, for climbing trees; for the hoof is accustomed to hinder walking in such places. So that although their feet are more delicate, they are more suitable for more needs, and they are not harmed at all because of their weakness, since the power of the horse 49.125 serves them, and they have an advantage in the variety of their gait. Again, the eagle has a light wing, but I have reason and skill by which I am able to bring down and subdue all flying animals. But if you wish to see my wing, I have one much lighter than that one, flying not for ten or twenty stades, nor up to heaven, but even above heaven itself, and above the heaven of heavens, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The irrational animals, again, have their weapons in their body, such as the ox its horns, the wild boar its tusks, the lion its claws; but for me God did not place weapons in the nature of the body, but outside the body, showing that man is a gentle animal, and that it is not always the time for me to use these weapons; for I often put them aside, and often I handle them. Therefore, so that I might be free and untrammeled, and not be compelled to carry my weapons continuously, He made them to be separate from my nature. For not only because we have a rational soul do we rule over the irrational animals, but we also have an advantage over them in our body; for God constructed this also to be in keeping with the nobility of the soul, and suitable for its commands; for He did not make the body of such a kind simply, but such as would likely serve a rational soul; for if it were not of such a kind, the activities of the soul would be greatly hindered; and this is clear from diseases. For if the very constitution of the flesh should turn aside even a little from its proper state, many of the activities of the soul are hindered; I mean, for example, if the brain should become hotter or colder. So it is possible to see God's great providence from the body also, not only because from the beginning He made it better than it is now, nor because even now He has refashioned it for usefulness, but because He will also raise it again to a much greater glory. But if you also wish to learn from another quarter how much wisdom God has displayed concerning the body, I will say this, which Paul seems especially of all things to marvel at continually. And what is this? He has made the members to have an advantage over one another, not in the same things, but He has prepared some to excel in beauty, others in strength; for instance, the eye is beautiful, but the feet are stronger; the head is honorable, but it cannot say to the feet, "I have no need of you." And it is possible to see this also in the case of the irrational animals, and this in all of life. For indeed the king has need of his subjects, and the subjects of the king, just as the head has need of the feet. And again in the case of the irrational animals, some are stronger, others are more comely, and some delight us, others feed us, others clothe us; for instance, the peacock delights, but fowls and swine feed, and sheep and goats clothe, and the ox and the ass labor with us. And there are also others which provide none of these things, but exercise our power, as wild beasts increase the strength of hunters, and by fear they discipline our race, and make it more attentive, and for healing they bring us no small contribution from their own bodies. So whenever someone says to you, "How are you the ruler of the irrational animals if you fear a lion?" say to him that in the beginning things were not arranged this way, when I was in favor with God, when I lived in paradise; but since I offended the Master, I became subject to the slaves; and not even now entirely, but I have a certain skill by which I overcome the beasts. Thus it also happens in great households, when the sons, even if they are noble, are yet immature, they fear many of the slaves 49.126; and when they have also given offense, the anxiety is intensified all the more. These things also concerning snakes and

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προσήκουσαν αὐτῷ οἰκονομίαν ἕκαστον ὑπάγει τῶν ζώων. Εἰ δὲ ἦσαν οὕτως ἰσχυροὶ οἱ πόδες τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς οἱ τῶν ἵππων, πρὸς ἕτερα ἂν ἐγένοντο ἄχρηστοι, πρὸς δυσχωρίας, πρὸς ἀκρωρείας, πρὸς ἀναβάσεις δένδρων· ἡ γὰρ ὁπλὴ ταῖς πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα βαδίσεσιν ἐμποδίζειν εἴωθεν. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ ἁπαλώτεροι αἱ πόδες αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πλείους ἐπιτηδειότεροι χρείας, καὶ οὔτε διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειάν τι βλάπτονται, τῆς τοῦ ἵπ 49.125 που δυνάμεως διακονουμένης, καὶ παρὰ τὴν ποικιλίαν τῆς βαδίσεως πλεονεκτοῦσι. Πάλιν ἐστὶ πτερὸν τῷ ἀετῷ κοῦφον, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἐμοὶ λογισμὸς καὶ τέχνη δι' ἧς δύναμαι πάντα τὰ ἱπτάμενα ζῶα κατενεγκεῖν καὶ χειρώσασθαι. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν πτερὸν ἰδεῖν, ἔχω πολλῷ κουφότερον ἐκείνου, οὐ μέχρι δέκα σταδίων καὶ εἴκοσι, οὐδὲ μέχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν ἀνιπτάμενον τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἄνω, οὗ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ καθήμενος. Τὰ ἄλογα πάλιν ἐν τῷ σώματι τὰ ὅπλα ἔχει, οἷον ὁ βοῦς τὰ κέρατα, τοὺς ὀδόντας ὁ ὗς ὁ ἄγριος, τοὺς ὄνυχας ὁ λέων· ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐν τῇ φύσει τοῦ σώματος τὰ ὅπλα κατέθετο ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἔξω τοῦ σώματος, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἥμερον ζῶον ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἀεί μοι τούτων τῶν ὅπλων καιρός· καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις μὲν αὐτὰ ἀποτίθημι, πολλάκις δὲ μεταχειρίζομαι. Ἵν' οὖν ἐλεύθερος ὦ καὶ ἀπολελυμένος, καὶ μὴ διηνεκῶς ἀναγκάζωμαι βαστάζειν τὰ ὅπλα, ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ κεχωρισμένα τῆς φύσεως εἶναι τῆς ἐμῆς. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τῷ ψυχὴν ἔχειν λογικὴν κρατοῦμεν τῶν ἀλόγων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ σώματι πλεονεκτοῦμεν αὐτῶν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐγενείᾳ συμβαῖνον κατεσκεύασεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν αὐτῆς ἐπιτήδειον· καὶ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τοιοῦτον οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐποίησον, ἀλλ' οἷον εἰκὸς εἶναι λογικῇ ψυχῇ διακονούμενον· ὡς εἰ μὴ τοιοῦτον ἦν, σφόδρα ἂν ἐνεποδίσθησαν αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνέργειαι· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ τῶν νοσημάτων. Εἰ γὰρ μικρόν τι παρατραπείη τῆς οἰκείας καταστάσεως αὐτὴ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ διακόσμησις, πολλαὶ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐμποδίζονται· οἷόν τι λέγω, εἰ θερμότερος ἢ ψυχρότερος ὁ ἐγκέφαλος γένοιτο. Ὥστε πολλὴν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὴν κηδεμονίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτὸ βέλτιον ἐποίησε τοῦ νῦν ὄντος, οὐδ' ὅτι καὶ νῦν πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον αὐτὸ μετεσκεύασεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πρὸς πολλῷ μείζονα ἀναστήσει δόξαν πάλιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν θέλεις μαθεῖν ὅσην περὶ τὸ σῶμα ὁ Θεὸς ἐπεδείξατο σοφίαν, ἐρῶ τοῦτο ὃ μάλιστα πάντων ὁ Παῦλος ἐκπληττόμενος φαίνεται συνεχῶς. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Τὰ μέλη πλεονεκτεῖν ἀλλήλων πεποίηκεν, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἐν κάλλει, τὰ δὲ ἰσχύϊ κρατεῖν παρεσκεύασεν· οἷον καλὸς ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς, ἀλλ' ἰσχυρότεροι οἱ πόδες· τιμία ἡ κεφαλὴ, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναται εἰπεῖν τοῖς ποσίν· Χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ βίου παντός. Ὁ γοῦν βασιλεὺς τῶν ὑπηκόων δεῖται, οἱ ὑπήκοοι τοῦ βασιλέως, ὥσπερ ἡ κεφαλὴ τῶν ποδῶν. Καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλόγων τὰ μὲν ἔστιν ἰσχυρότερα, τὰ δὲ εὐπρεπέστερα, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἡμᾶς τέρπει, τὰ δὲ τρέφει, τὰ δὲ περιβάλλει· οἷον τέρπει μὲν ὁ ταὼς, τρέφουσι δὲ ὄρνιθες καὶ ὕες, περιβάλλουσι δὲ πρόβατα καὶ αἶγες, συμπονεῖ δὲ βοῦς καὶ ὄνος. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἃ τούτων μὲν οὐδὲν παρέχει, γυμνάζει δὲ ἡμῶν τὴν δύναμιν, ὡς τὰ ἄγρια θηρία τῶν κυνηγετῶν αὔξει τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ τῷ φόβῳ παιδεύει τὸ γένος ἡμῶν, καὶ προσεκτικώτερον ποιεῖ, καὶ πρὸς θεραπείαν δὲ ἡμῖν οὐκ ὀλίγην φορὰν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων εἰσάγει σωμάτων. Ὥστε ὅταν εἴπῃ σοί τις· Πῶς ἄρχουν εἶ τῶν ἀλόγων φοβούμενος λέοντα; εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὅτι Παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐχ οὕτω τὰ πράγματα διέκειτο, ὅτε εὐδοκίμουν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτε ἐν παραδείσῳ διέτριβον· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ προσέκρουσα τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, ὑπεύθυνος ἐγενόμην τοῖς δούλοις· καὶ οὐδὲ νῦν ὀλοσχερῶς, ἀλλ' ἔχω τινὰ τέχνην δι' ἧς κρατῶ τῶν θηρίων. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν γίνεται τῶν μεγάλων, ὅτε οἱ υἱοὶ, κἂν εὐγενεῖς ὦσιν, ὦσι δὲ ἀτελεῖς, πολλοὺς τῶν δούλων 49.126 δεδοίκασιν· ὅταν δὲ καὶ προσκεκρουκότες ὦσιν, ἐπιτείνεται μᾶλλον ἡ ἀγωνία. Ταῦτα καὶ περὶ ὄφεων καὶ