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of the eclipse. He says, therefore, that from the east, being on its fourteenth day (for it was not the time of a conjunction), it reached the sun at the sixth hour, and falling upon it, passed underneath it, entering it on the eastern part of the solar disk, (15∆_432> from whence the moon also came, and entered, passing under it and reversing its course, until it shadowed its entire disk. It was necessary, therefore, if it were an eclipse according to the usual manner, for both the eclipse and the clearing to happen from the same part; for instance, when the moon passes under the sun, so to speak, it first blocks from the east the eastern part of the solar disk, which it also began to pass under; therefore, from there, from the eastern part, the disk of the sun also begins to be cleared, as the moon runs toward the west, and first uncovering, as it passes by and runs past the sun, the part which it first covered, that is, the eastern part. But at the time of the Savior's passion it did not happen thus, but the opposite. For coming from the east, the moon passed under the sun, and they blocked its entire disk. Then it no longer passed toward the west, but reversed its course again toward the east, and first uncovered the western part of the solar disk; for it ran backward to the opposite diameter of the sun toward the east, so that the incidence and the clearing no longer happened from the same part. Phlegon the Greek chronographer also makes mention in the thirteenth book of the "Chronographies" in the 103rd Olympiad, of this eclipse, saying it occurred contrary to what was customary; but he did not record the manner. And Africanus our own in the fifth book of the "Chronographies," and Eusebius of Pamphilus in the same, make mention of the same eclipse.

ON EPISTLE 8, § 1. This Demophilus was a monk, as the inscription indicates; for they called the monks "therapeutae". And having tyrannized over his own presbyter, and being indignant that he had received someone who was in repentance for sins, he cast out, after beating the penitent, and pushed out the presbyter, and installed himself as a self-ordained (15∆_434> presbyter. Note, therefore, that these evil things also happened in those times. Appropriately, therefore, the phrase, "O noble Demophilus," he says, reproaching him for disordered strength and not godly reverence, and by this disparaging the monk.

"And if ever him outside": That is, when the Scriptures say that he has been in the indignation of God, and in the turning away of His face. But first, he says, they show him to have been outside of meekness, and then thus to have suffered being removed from the sight of God.

"From the pre-eminent": Note that meekness is exceptional and pre-eminent for the imitation of God, and that because of his meekness Moses is called a servant of God.

"Of ambition": Ambition is properly the striving for and loving of honor. And "Theocritus" is not so called after someone's name, but refers to one judged and fit by God to rule.

"But why the ancestor of God": That he calls David the ancestor of God, is because of Christ. For the divine Paul says: "Set apart for the Gospel, which he promised beforehand in the holy Scriptures concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." Appropriately, therefore, David is the ancestor of God.

"And yet there is also a law": For it is written in the law, that one should also raise the fallen beast of burden of an enemy.

"But to what is steep": To what is higher. And note the philanthropy of the angels, and that they pray to God on behalf of the nations, and that they rebuke the apostate powers, that is, the demons.

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τῆς ἐκλείψεως. Φησίν οὖν ὅτι ἀπ' ἀνατολῶν τεσσαρεσκαιδεκαταία οὖσα (οὐ γάρ ἦν συνόδου καιρός), ἔφθασεν ὥραν ς' τόν ἥλιον, καί ἐμπεσοῦσα εἰς αὐτόν ὑπέδραμεν, αὐτόν εἰσβάλλουσα εἰς τό πρός ἀνατολάς τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ δίσκου μέρος, (15∆_432> ὅθεν καὶ ἦλθεν ἡ σελήνη, καὶ εἰσέβη ὑποτρέχουσα αὐτὸν καὶ ἀναποδίζουσα, ἕως οὗ ὅλον τὸν αὐτοῦ δίσκον ἐσκίασεν. Ἔδει οὖν, εἰ ἦν κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες ἔκλειψις, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μέρους καὶ τὴν ἔκλειψιν καὶ τὴν ἀνακάθαρσιν γενέσθαι· οἷον ὅτε ὑποτρέχει ἡ σελήνη τὴν ἥλιον, φέρε εἰπεῖν, ἐξ ἀνατολῶν πρῶτον ἀντιφράττει μέρος τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ δίσκου τὸ ἀνατολικόν, ὅπερ καὶ ἤρξατο ὑποτρέχειν· ἐκεῖθεν οὖν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνατολικοῦ μέρους καὶ ἀνακαθαίρεσθαι ἄρχεται ὁ δίσκος τοῦ ἡλίου, τῆς σελήνης ἐπὶ δυσμάς τρε- χούσης, καὶ πρῶτον ἀνακαλυπτούσης μέρος ἐν τῷ παριέναι καὶ παρατρέχειν τὸν ἥλιον, ὅ καὶ πρῶτον ἐκάλυψε, τουτέστι τὸ ἀνατολικόν. Ἐπὶ δέ τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους οὐχ οὕτω γέγονεν, ἀλλά τοὐναντίον. Ἐξ ἀνατολῶν γὰρ ἐλθοῦσα ἡ σελήνη ὑπέδραμε τὴν ἥλιον, καὶ ἔφραξαν ὅλον τὸν δίσκον αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα οὐκέτι ἐπὶ δυσμᾶς παρῆλθεν, ἀλλ' ἀνεπόδισε πάλιν ἐπὶ ἀνατολάς, καὶ ἐγύμνωσε πρῶτον μέρος τὸ δυτικόν του ἡλιακοῦ δίσκου· εἰς τοὐπίσω γὰρ ἀνέδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἐναντίον διάμετρον τοῦ ἡλίου ἐπὶ ἀνατολάς, ὥστε μηκέτι τὴν ἔμπτωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀνακάθαρσιν ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μέρους γενέσθαι. Μέμνηται μὲν καὶ Φλέγων ὁ Ἑλληνικὸς χρονογράφος ἐν τρισκαιδεκάτῳ «Χρονογραφιῶν» ἐν τῇ ργ' Ὀλυμπιάδι, τῆς ἐκλείψεως ταύτης, παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς αὐτὴν λέγων γενέσθαι· οὐ μὴν τὸν τρόπον ἀνέγραψε. Καὶ Ἀφρικανὸς δέ ὁ ἡμέτερος ἐν πέμπτῳ «Χρονογραφιῶν», καὶ Εὐσέβιος ὁ Παμφίλου ἐν ταῖς αὐταῖς μέμνηται τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκλείψεως.

ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΝ Η' § 1. ∆ημόφιλος οὗτος μοναχὸς ἦν, ὡς δηλοῖ ἡ ἐπιγραφή· θεραπευτὰς γὰρ τοὺς

μοναχοὺς ἐκάλουν. Τυραννήσας δέ κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀγανακτήσας, ὅτι ἐδέξατό τινα ἐν μετανοίᾳ ὄντα ἁμαρτημάτων, ἐξέβαλε, τυπτήσας τὸν μετανοοῦντα, τὸν δέ πρεσβύτερον ἐξώθησε, καὶ ἐκάθισεν αὐτοχειροτόνητος (15∆_434> πρεσβύτερος. Σημείωσαι οὖν, ὅτι τά κακά ταῦτα καί ἐπί ἐκείνων τῶν χρόνων ἐγένετο. Εἰκότως οὖν τό, «ὦ γενναῖε ∆ημόφιλε», φησίν, ἰσχύν ἄτακτον καί οὐκ εὐλάβειαν ἔνθεον ὀνειδίζων αὐτῷ, καί ταύτῃ διασύρων τόν μοναχόν.

«Καί εἴποτε αὐτόν ἔξω»: Τουτέστιν, ὅταν αἱ Γραφαί λέγωσιν, ἐν ἀγανακτήσει Θεοῦ γεγονέναι αὐτόν, καί ἐν ἀποστροφῇ τοῦ προσώπου αὑτοῦ. Πρότερον δέ, φησί, δεικνύουσιν αὐτόν τῆς πρᾳότητος ἔξω γεγονέναι, καί εἶθ' οὕτω παθεῖν τό ἀπό ὄψεως γενέσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ.

«Ἐκ τῆς προὐχούσης»: Σημείωσαι ὅτι ἐξαίρετον καί προὖχον εἰς μίμησιν Θεοῦ ἡ πρᾳότης, καί ὅτι διά τήν πραότητα Μωϋσῆς λέγεται θεράπων Θεοῦ.

«Φιλοτιμίας»: Φιλοτιμία κυρίως τό τιμῆς ἐφίεσθαι καί ἐρᾷν. «Θεοκρίτῳ» δέ οὐχ οὕτω τινί καλουμένῳ, ἀλλά τό ἐκ Θεοῦ εἰς τό ἄρχειν κρινομένῳ καί ἐπιτηδείῳ.

«Τί δέ τόν θεοπάτορα»: Ὅτι θεοπάτορα καλεῖ, διά τόν Χριστόν, τόν ∆αυίδ. Φησί γάρ ὁ θεῖος Παῦλος· «Ἀφωρισμένος εἰς Εὐαγγέλιον, ὅ προεπηγγείλατο ἐν Γραφαῖς ἁγίαις περί τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὑτοῦ, τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυίδ κατά σάρκα». Εἰκότως οὖν θεοπάτωρ ὁ ∆αυίδ.

«Καίτοι καί θεσμός»: Γέγραπται γάρ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, ὥστε καί τό τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ὑποζύγιον καταπίπτον ἐγείρειν.

«Ἀλλ' ἐπί τό ἄναντες»: Ἐπί τό ὑψηλότερον. Σημείωσαι δέ τό φιλάνθρωπον τῶν ἀγγέλων, καί ὅτι δέονται ὑπέρ ἐθνῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καί ὅτι ταῖς ἀποστατικαῖς ἐπιτιμῶσι δυνάμεσι, τουτέστι τοῖς δαίμοσιν.