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promises honors, how great will the rest be? But do you want us to show worldly men also? For now we do not have them; however, there are perhaps also reasonable worldly men, but they have not arrived at the highest philosophy. Therefore, I will give you examples from the ancient and holy ones. How many men having wives and raising children, were in no way inferior, had in no way less, than those who have been mentioned? But now it is no longer so because of the present distress, as this blessed one says. Whom then do you want me to mention? Noah, or Abraham? The son of this one, or of that one? but Joseph? But do you want us to come to the prophets? I mean Moses, Isaiah. 4. But, if you please, let us draw our argument to Abraham, whom especially all are always putting forward to us. Did he not have a wife? Did he not have children? For I too say this to you, which you say to us. He had a wife, but it was not because he had a wife that he was admirable; he had possessions, but it was not because he had possessions that he pleased God; he begat children, but it was not because he begat children that he was blessed; he possessed three hundred and eighteen household servants, but it was not for this reason that he was admired. But do you want to learn from what? From his hospitality, from his contempt for possessions, from his decency. For what is, tell me, the mark of a philosopher? Is it not to despise both possessions and glory? And to be superior to envy and every passion? Come then, let us bring him into the midst and strip him bare, and show you what sort of philosopher he was. First, he considered his fatherland as nothing; for he heard, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred;' and immediately he went out. He was not tied to a house; 62.154 for otherwise he would not have gone out; not to the affection of habit, not to anything else. Then, he, more than all, despised glory and possessions; for having won a war and being deemed worthy to receive spoils, he scorned them. But his son was not admired for his possessions either, but for his hospitality, not for his children, but for his obedience, not for his wife, but because of his wife's barrenness. They considered the present life as nothing, they did not make money, they looked down on all things. For tell me, which plants are the best? Are they not those which have strength from within, and are harmed neither by rains, nor hail, nor the blasts of winds, nor any other such inclemency, but stand naked, despising all things, needing neither copings nor fences? Such is the philosopher, such is that wealth; he has nothing, and has all things; he has all things, and has nothing. For the wall is not inside, but on the outside, the coping is not part of its nature, but is placed around it from the outside. What then, tell me? What sort of body is strong? Is it not that which is healthy, and is overcome neither by hunger, nor by fullness, neither by cold, nor by heat; or that which is subject to all these things, and needs cooks and weavers and hunters and doctors, in order to be healthy? He is rich, the one who is truly a philosopher, the one who needs none of these things. For this reason this blessed one said: 'Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.' Do not then put copings around them from the outside; for this is wealth, this is glory. For when these fall—and they do fall—the plant stands naked and vulnerable, not only having gained nothing in the time past, but even having been harmed. For those copings, which prevented it from being exercised against the assaults of the winds, have now caused it to fall all at once. So that wealth does more harm, by making them unpracticed for the hardships of life. Let us therefore prepare our children to be such as to be able to stand against everything, and not be dismayed by what comes upon them; let us bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and a great reward will be laid up for us. For if men who make statues of kings, and paint portraits, enjoy so much honor; shall we, by beautifying the royal image (for man is the image of God), not enjoy countless good things, by restoring the likeness? For this is what is like: the virtue of the soul, when we train our children to be good, when to be free from anger, when to be forgiving;

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τιμὰς ἐπαγγέλλεται, πόση ἔσται ἡ ἄνεσις; Ἀλλὰ βούλεσθε καὶ κοσμικοὺς ἐπιδείξωμεν; Νῦν μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχομεν· πλήν εἰσι μὲν ἴσως καὶ κοσμικοὶ ἐπιεικεῖς, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν ἄκραν οὐχ ἥκοντες φιλοσοφίαν. ∆ιὸ ἀπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν καὶ ἁγίων ἐρῶ ὑμῖν τὰ ὑποδείγματα. Πόσοι γυναῖκας ἔχοντες, καὶ παῖδας τρέφοντες, τῶν εἰρημένων οὐδὲν ἔλαττον, οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἔσχον; Ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι ἐστὶ διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην, καθώς φησιν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος. Τίνα οὖν βούλεσθε εἴπω; τὸν Νῶε, ἢ τὸν Ἀβραάμ; τὸν τούτου παῖδα, ἢ τὸν ἐκείνου; ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἰωσήφ; Ἀλλὰ βούλεσθε ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἔλθωμεν; τὸν Μωϋσέα λέγω, τὸν Ἡσαΐαν. δʹ. Ἀλλ', εἰ δοκεῖ, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν λόγον ἑλκύσωμεν, ὃν μάλιστα πάντες προφέρουσιν ἡμῖν ἀεί. Οὐχὶ γυναῖκα εἶχεν; οὐχὶ παῖδας; καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐγὼ τοῦτο λέγω πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὅπερ ὑμεῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Γυναῖκα εἶχεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπειδὴ γυναῖκα εἶχε, θαυμαστὸς ἦν· χρήματα εἶχεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπειδὴ χρήματα εἶχεν, ἤρεσε τῷ Θεῷ· παῖδας ἔτεκεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπειδὴ παῖδας ἔτεκεν, ἐμακαρίζετο· τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ οἰκογενεῖς ἐκέκτητο, ἀλλ' οὐ τούτου χάριν ἐθαυμάζετο. Ἀλλὰ βούλει μαθεῖν πόθεν; ἀπὸ τῆς φιλοξενίας, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ὑπεροψίας, ἀπὸ τῆς κοσμιότητος. Τί γάρ ἐστιν, εἰπέ μοι, φιλοσόφου; οὐχὶ καὶ χρημάτων καὶ δόξης καταφρονεῖν; καὶ φθόνου καὶ παντὸς πάθους ἀνώτερον εἶναι; Φέρε οὖν, αὐτὸν εἰς μέσον ἀγαγόντες ἀποδύσωμεν, καὶ δείξωμεν ὑμῖν οἷος φιλόσοφος ἦν. Οὐδὲν ἡγεῖτο πατρίδα πρῶτον· Ἔξελθε γὰρ, ἤκουσεν, ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου· καὶ εὐθέως ἐξῆλθεν. Οὐ προσεδέδετο οἰκίᾳ· ἦ 62.154 γὰρ ἂν οὐκ ἐξῆλθεν· οὐ συνηθείας φιλίᾳ, οὐκ ἄλλῳ οὐδενί. Εἶτα δόξης μάλιστα πάντων ἐκεῖνος κατεφρόνησε καὶ χρημάτων· καὶ γὰρ πόλεμον τροπωσάμενος, καὶ λάφυρα ἀξιούμενος λαβεῖν, κατέπτυσεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ παῖς ὁ τούτου, οὐ διὰ τὰ χρήματα πάλιν ἐθαυμάζετο, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν φιλοξενίαν, οὐ διὰ τὰ παιδία, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ὑπακοὴν, οὐ διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν στείρωσιν τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ γυναικί. Οὐδὲν τὴν παροῦσαν ἡγοῦντο ζωὴν, οὐκ ἐχρηματίζοντο, ὑπερεώρων ἁπάντων. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, ποῖα τῶν φυτῶν ἐστιν ἄριστα; οὐχ ἅπερ ἂν οἴκοθεν ἔχῃ τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ μήτε ὄμβροις, μήτε χαλάζαις, μήτε ἀνέμων ῥύμαις, μήτε ἄλλῃ τινὶ τοιαύτῃ ἀνωμαλίᾳ βλάπτηται, ἀλλὰ γυμνὰ ἕστηκε πάντων καταφρονοῦντα, μήτε θριγκίων, μήτε φραγμῶν δεόμενα; Τοιοῦτος ὁ φιλόσοφός ἐστι, τοιοῦτος ὁ πλοῦτος ἐκεῖνος· οὐδὲν ἔχει, καὶ πάντα ἔχει· πάντα ἔχει, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχει. Ὁ γὰρ τοῖχος οὐκ ἔνδον, ἀλλ' ἔξωθέν ἐστιν, ὁ θριγκὸς οὐ τῆς φύσεώς ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἔξωθεν περιβαλλόμενος. Τί δὲ, εἰπέ μοι; ποῖον σῶμα ἰσχυρόν ἐστιν; οὐχ ὅπερ ἂν ὑγιαῖνον ᾖ, καὶ μήτε λιμῷ, μήτε πλησμονῇ, μήτε ψύχει, μήτε καύματι ἁλίσκηται· ἢ τὸ πρὸς πάντα ταῦτα ὑποκείμενον, καὶ τραπεζοποιῶν καὶ ὑφαντῶν καὶ θηρευτῶν καὶ ἰατρῶν δεόμενον, ἵνα ὑγιαίνῃ; Ἐκεῖνός ἐστι πλούσιος, ὁ ὄντως φιλόσοφος, ὁ μηδενὸς τούτων δεόμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ἔλεγεν· Ἐκτρέφετε αὐτὰ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ Κυρίου. Μὴ τοίνυν θριγκία ἔξωθεν περιβάλλετε· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος, τοῦτο ἡ δόξα. Ὅταν γὰρ ταῦτα καταπέσῃ, καταπίπτει δὲ, γυμνὸν ἕστηκε καὶ εὐάλωτον τὸ φυτὸν, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν κερδᾶναν ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι χρόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλαβέν. Ἐκεῖνα γὰρ τὰ θριγκία τὰ κωλύοντα αὐτὸ ἐγγυμνάζεσθαι πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀνέμων προσβολὰς, νῦν ἀθρόον καταπεσεῖν παρεσκεύασεν. Ὥστε βλάπτει μᾶλλον ὁ πλοῦτος, ἀμελετήτους παρασκευάζων πρὸς τὰς ἀνωμαλίας τοῦ βίου. Τοιούτους τοίνυν παρασκευάζωμεν τοὺς παῖδας, ὥστε δύνασθαι πρὸς πάντα ἀντέχειν, καὶ μὴ ξενίζεσθαι τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν· ἐκτρέφωμεν αὐτοὺς ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ Κυρίου, καὶ πολὺς ἡμῖν ὁ μισθὸς ἀποκείσεται. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι ἀγάλματα ποιοῦντες βασιλέων, καὶ εἰκόνας γράφοντες, τοσαύτης ἀπολαύουσι τιμῆς· ἡμεῖς τὴν βασιλικὴν εἰκόνα καλλωπίζοντες (εἰκὼν γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἄνθρωπος), οὐ μυρίων ἀπολαύσομεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὸ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν ἀποδιδόντες; Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὅμοιον, ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρετὴ, ὅταν ἀγαθοὺς εἶναι παιδεύσωμεν τοὺς παῖδας, ὅταν ἀοργήτους, ὅταν ἀμνησικάκους·