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of the law from this carelessness little by little came to the very bottom of wickedness, consider what we will suffer, we who are called to greater contests, if we do not pay close attention to ourselves, and proactively extinguish the sparks of evils before the pyre is kindled. For example: Do you constantly perjure yourself? Do not stop only at this, but also remove swearing, and you will need no further labor; for it is much more difficult not to perjure oneself when swearing, than not to swear at all. Are you insolent and abusive and violent? Write a law for yourself not to be angry nor to shout at all, and the fruit is destroyed along with the root. Are you lustful and profligate? Set a limit for yourself again, so as not to look upon a woman, let alone go up to the theater, nor to be curious about the beauties of others in the marketplace. For it is much easier not to see a beautiful woman in the first place, than after seeing her and receiving the desire, to cast out the disturbance arising from it. For the contests are lighter in the beginnings; or rather, we do not even need a contest, if we do not open the doors to the enemy, nor receive the seeds of 60.506 wickedness. For this reason Christ also punished the one who looks at a woman with lust, that He might deliver us from greater labor, commanding us to cast the adversary out of the house before he becomes strong, when he can also be easily cast out. For what need is there to have superfluous troubles, and to grapple with adversaries, when it is possible to set up the trophy without a struggle, and to seize the prize before the wrestling match? For there is not as much labor in not seeing beautiful women, as there is labor in restraining oneself when seeing them; or rather, the former would not be labor at all, but much sweat and toil comes after seeing. 9. When, therefore, the labor is less, or rather there is no toil or labor at all, and the gain is greater, why are we eager to fall into the sea of countless evils? For not only will he who does not look at a woman be more easily, but also more purely free from such desire, whereas he who looks is freed, if indeed he is ever freed, both with greater labor and with some stain. For the one who has not seen the beautiful face is also pure from the desire that comes from it; but the one who has desired to see, having first cast down his reason and polluted it countless times, then casts out the stain from the desire, if indeed he does cast it out. For this reason, therefore, Christ, so that we might not suffer these things, forbids not only murder, but also anger; not adultery, but also a licentious gaze; not perjury, but also swearing at all. And not even here does He stop the measure of virtue, but after He has legislated these things, He proceeds also to what is greater. For having turned us away from murders, and having commanded us to be pure from anger, He commands us also to be ready to suffer evil, and to be prepared to suffer not just as much as the plotter wishes, but to go beyond, and to conquer the excess of his madness by the abundance of one's own philosophy. For He did not say, ‘If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, bear it nobly and be quiet,’ but He added to this also to offer him the other; for He says, ‘Turn to him the other also.’ For this is the brilliant victory, to offer him more than what he wants, and to overcome the bounds of his wicked desire by the abundance of one's own long-suffering. Thus, then, you will both destroy his madness, and you will receive a reward for the former from the latter, and you will destroy his anger. Do you see that in every way we are masters of not suffering evil, not those who do it to us? Or rather, we ourselves have the power not only not to suffer evil, but also to suffer well; which is indeed most wonderful, that not only are we not wronged, if we are sober, but we are even benefited through the very things by which we are wronged by others. Consider this: Did so-and-so insult you? You are master of making this insult your encomium. For if you insult back, you have increased the shame; but if you bless the one who insulted you, you will see all those present crowning and proclaiming you. Do you see how we are benefited by the things by which we are wronged, if we are willing? This is also true in the case of money, and in the case of

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νόμου ἀπὸ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ταύτης κατὰ μικρὸν εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν πυθμένα τῆς κακίας ἦλθον, ἐννόησον τί πεισόμεθα ἡμεῖς οἱ πρὸς μείζονα καλούμενοι σκάμματα, ἂν μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἑαυτοῖς προσέχωμεν, καὶ τοὺς σπινθῆρας τῶν κακῶν, πρὶν ἢ τὴν πυρὰν ἀναφθῆναι, προλαβόντες σβεννύωμεν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ἐπιορκεῖς συνεχῶς; Μὴ πρὸς τοῦτο στῇς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὀμνύναι ἄνελε, καὶ οὐ δεήσῃ πόνου λοιπόν· πολὺ γὰρ δυσκολώτερον, ὀμνύντα μὴ ἐπιορκεῖν, ἢ μηδὲ ὀμνύναι ὅλως. Ὑβριστὴς εἶ καὶ λοίδορος καὶ πλήκτης; Γράψον σεαυτῷ νόμον μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι μηδὲ κράζειν ὅλως, καὶ συναναιρεῖται τῇ ῥίζῃ καὶ ὁ καρπός. Λάγνος εἶ καὶ ἄσωτος; Τίθει σεαυτῷ πάλιν ὅρον, ὥστε μὴ ὁρᾷν εἰς γυναῖκα, μήτι δὲ εἰς τὸ θέατρον ἀναβαίνειν, μηδὲ ἐν ἀγορᾷ τὰ ἀλλότρια περιεργάζεσθαι κάλλη. Πολὺ γὰρ εὐκολώτερον, τὴν ἀρχὴν μηδὲ ἰδεῖν εὔμορφον γυναῖκα, ἢ θεασάμενον, καὶ δεξάμενον τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἐκβάλλειν τὸν ἐκ ταύτης θόρυβον. Κουφότεροι γὰρ ἐν προοιμίοις οἱ ἀγῶνες· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἀγῶνος ἡμῖν δεῖ, ἂν μὴ τὰς θύρας ἀνοίξωμεν τῷ πολεμίῳ, μηδὲ τὰ σπέρματα τῆς 60.506 κακίας δεξώμεθα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὸν ἀκολάστως ὁρῶντα εἰς γυναῖκα ἐκόλασεν, ἵνα πλείονος ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξῃ πόνου, πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν ἰσχυρὸν κελεύων ἐκβάλλειν τῆς οἰκίας, ὅτε καὶ εὐκόλως ἐκβάλλεσθαι δύναται. Ποία γὰρ ἀνάγκη πράγματα ἔχειν περιττὰ, καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι τοῖς ἀνταγωνισταῖς, παρὸν χωρὶς συμπλοκῆς στῆσαι τὸ τρόπαιον, καὶ πρὸ τῆς πάλης ἁρπάσαι τὸ βραβεῖον; Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτος πόνος μὴ ὁρᾷν γυναῖκας ὡραίας, ὅσος πόνος ὁρῶντα κατέχειν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ πόνος τὸ πρότερον ἂν εἴη, ἀλλὰ πολὺς ἱδρὼς καὶ μόχθος μετὰ τὸ ἰδεῖν ἐγγίνεται. θʹ. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ ὁ πόνος ἐλάττων ᾖ, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ ὅλως ᾖ μόχθος τις μηδὲ πόνος, καὶ τὸ κέρδος μεῖζον, τί σπουδάζομεν εἰς τὸ πέλαγος ἐμπεσεῖν τῶν μυρίων κακῶν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ εὐκολώτερον μόνον ὁ μὴ ὁρῶν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθαρώτερον περιέσται τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιθυμίας, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ ὁρῶν καὶ μετὰ πόνου πλείονος, καὶ μετὰ κηλῖδός τινος ἀπαλλάττεται, ἐὰν ἄρα ποτὲ ἀπαλλαγῇ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μὴ ἰδὼν τὴν εὔμορφον ὄψιν, καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἐντεῦθέν ἐστι καθαρός· ὁ δὲ ἐπιθυμήσας ἰδεῖν, πρότερον καταβαλὼν τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ μολύνας αὐτὸν μυριάκις, τότε ἐκβάλλει τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας κηλῖδα, ἐὰν ἄρα ἐκβάλῃ. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα μὴ ταῦτα πάσχωμεν, οὐ φόνον κωλύει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀργήν· οὐ μοιχείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄψιν ἀκόλαστον· οὐκ ἐπιορκίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὀμνύναι καθόλου. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται τοῦ μέτρου τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἐνομοθέτησε, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον πρόεισιν. Ἀποστήσας γὰρ τῶν φόνων, καὶ κελεύσας καθαρὸν εἶναι ὀργῆς, κελεύει καὶ πρὸς τὸ πάσχειν κακῶς ἕτοιμον εἶναι, καὶ μὴ τοσοῦτον παρεσκευάσθαι παθεῖν, ὅσον ὁ ἐπιβουλεύων βούλεται, ἀλλ' ὑπερβαίνειν περαιτέρω, καὶ νικᾷν αὐτοῦ τῆς μανίας τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῇ τῆς οἰκείας φιλοσοφίας περιουσίᾳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐάν τίς σε ῥαπίσῃ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, φέρε γενναίως καὶ ἡσύχασον, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε τούτῳ καὶ τὸ τὴν ἑτέραν αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν· Στρέψον γὰρ αὐτῷ, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ λαμπρὰ νίκη, τὸ πλεῖον αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν ὧν βούλεται, καὶ τοὺς ὅρους τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτοῦ τῇ δαψιλείᾳ τῆς οἰκείας ὑπερβῆναι μακροθυμίας. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου καταλύσεις μανίαν, καὶ τοῦ προτέρου λήψῃ μισθὸν ἐκ τοῦ δευτέρου, καὶ τὴν ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ καταλύσεις ὀργήν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι πανταχοῦ τοῦ μὴ κακῶς πάσχειν ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν κύριοι, οὐχ οἱ ποιοῦντες ἡμᾶς; Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοῦ μὴ πάσχειν κακῶς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ παθεῖν εὖ αὐτοὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχομεν· ὃ δὴ μάλιστά ἐστι θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀδικούμεθα, ἐὰν νήφωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐεργετούμεθα καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ὧν ἀδικούμεθα παρ' ἑτέρων. Σκόπει δέ· Ὕβρισεν ὁ δεῖνα; Σὺ κύριος εἶ ποιῆσαι τὴν ὕβριν ταύτην ἐγκώμιον σόν. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἀνθυβρίσῃς, ἐπέτεινες τὴν αἰσχύνην· ἐὰν δὲ εὐλογήσῃς τὸν ὑβρικότα, πάντας ὄψει τοὺς παρόντας στεφανοῦντάς σε καὶ ἀνακηρύττοντας. Εἶδες πῶς δι' ὧν ἀδικούμεθα εὐεργετούμεθα, ἂν θέλωμεν; Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ χρημάτων, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ