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the hippodrome has become inaccessible; and before this, many of our people used to run to them, but now all from there have taken refuge in the church, 49.154 and all sing hymns to our God. Do you see how much gain has come from fear? If fear were not a good thing, fathers would not have set tutors over their children, nor would legislators have set rulers over cities. What is more grievous than Gehenna? But nothing is more useful than the fear of it; for the fear of Gehenna brings us the crown of the kingdom. Where there is fear, there is no envy; where there is fear, the love of money does not trouble; where there is fear, anger is quenched, wicked desire is stilled, every irrational passion is banished; and just as in the house of a soldier who is continually armed, no robber, no burglar, nor any other of those who commit such evil deeds will dare to appear nearby, so also when fear possesses our souls, none of the base passions easily enters into us; but all things flee and are put to flight, driven out from all sides by the tyranny of fear. And this is not the only thing that we reap from fear, but also another thing far greater than this. For it not only drives away our wicked passions, but it also introduces every virtue with great ease. Where there is fear, there is also zeal for almsgiving, and intensification of prayer, and warm and successive tears, and groans having great compunction. For nothing so consumes sins, and makes virtue grow and flourish, as the enduring nature of fear; for this reason it is impossible for one who does not live with fear to be set aright; just as, then, it is impossible for one who lives in fear to sin. Let us not, therefore, be grieved, beloved, nor be downcast at the present affliction, but let us marvel at the resourcefulness of God's wisdom. For by the means by which the devil expected to cast down our city, by these God has both raised it up and set it aright; for the devil inspired some lawless men, and they insulted the statues of the emperors, so that the very foundation of the city might be destroyed; but God used this very event for our greater chastening, by the fear of the expected threat casting out all indifference; and the opposite has happened to what the demon wished, by the very means he himself devised. For our city is cleansed every day, and the narrow streets and crossroads and 49.155 marketplaces have been freed from lewd and dissolute songs, and wherever one might look, there are litanies and praises and tears instead of disorderly laughter, and words of philosophy instead of shameful words, and the whole city has become a church for us, with the workshops closed, and everyone spending the day in these public litanies, and calling upon God with one and a common voice with great eagerness. What speech was ever able to accomplish these things? What exhortation? What counsel? What length of time?

2. For these reasons let us give thanks, and not lose heart nor be discontent. For that fear is a good thing, the things that have been said have also taught; but hear also Solomon philosophizing about it thus, Solomon who was brought up with every luxury and enjoyed much security. What then does he say? It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of laughter. What do you say, tell me? Where there is lamentation, and tears, and wailing, and pain, and so much grief, is it better to go there rather than where there are dances, and cymbals, and laughter, and luxury, and gluttony, and drunkenness? Yes, he says. For what reason, tell me, and why? Because from the one, drunken violence is born, but from the other, self-control; and if someone goes to the banquet of a wealthier person, he will no longer look upon his own house with the same pleasure, but will return to his wife with displeasure, and will partake of his own table with displeasure, and will be disagreeable to his servants and his children and to all in his household, having seen his own poverty more accurately from the wealth of others. And not only is this the terrible thing, but also that he often envies the

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ἱππόδρομος ἄβατος γέγονε· καὶ πρὸ τούτου μὲν πολλοὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων πρὸς ἐκείνους ἔτρεχον, νυνὶ δὲ πάντες ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν 49.154 κατέφυγον, καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον ἅπαντες ἐνυμνοῦσι Θεόν. Ὁρᾷς πόσον ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου τὸ κέρδος ἐγένετο; Εἰ μὴ καλὸν ἦν ὁ φόβος, οὐκ ἂν πατέρες παιδαγωγοὺς τοῖς παισὶν ἐπέστησαν, οὐκ ἂν οἱ νομοθέται ταῖς πόλεσιν ἄρχοντας. Τί γεέννης χαλεπώτερον; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοῦ ταύτης χρησιμώτερον φόβου· ὁ γὰρ τῆς γεέννης φόβος τὸν τῆς βασιλείας ἡμῖν κομίζει στέφανον. Ἔνθα φόβος ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἔστι φθόνος· ἔνθα φόβος ἐστὶ, χρημάτων ἔρως οὐκ ἐνοχλεῖ· ἔνθα φόβος ἐστὶν, ἔσβεσται θυμὸς, ἐπιθυμία κατέσταλται πονηρὰ, ἅπαν ἀλόγιστον ἐξώρισται πάθος· καὶ καθάπερ ἐν οἰκίᾳ στρατιώτου διηνεκῶς ὡπλισμένου οὐ λῃστὴς, οὐ τοιχωρύχος, οὐκ ἄλλος τις τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα κακουργούντων τολμήσει φανῆναι πλησίον, οὕτω καὶ φόβου τὰς ἡμετέρας κατέχοντος ψυχὰς, οὐδὲν τῶν ἀνελευθέρων παθῶν ἐπεισέρχεται ῥᾳδίως ἡμῖν· ἀλλὰ πάντα δραπετεύει καὶ φυγαδεύεται τῇ τυραννίδι τοῦ φόβου πάντοθεν ἐξελαυνόμενα. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶν ὃ καρπούμεθα ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον πολλῷ τούτου μεῖζον. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὰ πονηρὰ ἡμῶν ἀπελαύνει πάθη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν εἰσάγει μετὰ πολλῆς εὐκολίας τὴν ἀρετήν. Ἔνθα φόβος ἐστὶν, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης σπουδὴ, καὶ εὐχῆς ἐπίτασις, καὶ δάκρυα θερμὰ καὶ ἐπάλληλα, καὶ στεναγμοὶ πολλὴν ἔχοντες τὴν κατάνυξιν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω κατεσθίει μὲν ἁμαρτήματα, ἀρετὴν δὲ αὔξεσθαι ποιεῖ καὶ θάλλειν, ὡς διηνεκὴς φόβου φύσις· διὰ τοῦτο τὸν μὴ συζῶντα φόβῳ ἀδύνατον κατορθοῦσθαι· ὥσπερ οὖν τὸν ἐν φόβῳ ζῶντα ἀδύνατον διαμαρτεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλγῶμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, μηδὲ καταπίπτωμεν ἐπὶ τῇ παρούσῃ θλίψει, ἀλλὰ θαυμάσωμεν τὸ εὐμήχανον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας. ∆ι' ὧν γὰρ προσεδόκησεν ὁ διάβολος τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν καταβαλεῖν, διὰ τούτων αὐτὴν ὁ Θεὸς ἀνέστησέ τε καὶ ἀνώρθωσεν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ διάβολος ἐνέπνευσέ τισι παρανόμοις ἀνθρώποις, καὶ εἰς τοὺς τῶν βασιλέων ὕβρισαν ἀνδριάντας, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀφανισθῇ τὸ ἔδαφος· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς αὐτῷ δὴ τούτῳ τῷ γεγενημένῳ πρὸς σωφρονισμὸν ἡμῶν πλείονα ἀπεχρήσατο, τῷ φόβῳ τῆς προσδοκωμένης ἀπειλῆς πᾶσαν ἐκβαλὼν ῥᾳθυμίαν· καὶ γέγονε τοὐναντίον, ἤπερ ὁ δαίμων ἠθέλησε, δι' ὧν αὐτὸς κατεσκεύασεν. Ἡ γὰρ πόλις ἡμῖν καθ' ἑκάστην ἐκκαθαίρεται τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ στενωποὶ καὶ ἄμφοδα καὶ 49.155 ἀγοραὶ τῶν πορνικῶν καὶ διακεκλασμένων ἀπηλλάγησαν ᾀσμάτων, καὶ ὅπουπερ ἄν τις ἴδῃ, λιταὶ καὶ εὐφημίαι καὶ δάκρυα ἀντὶ γέλωτος ἀτάκτου, καὶ ῥήματα φιλοσοφία, ἔχοντα ἀντὶ ῥημάτων αἰσχρῶν, καὶ ἐκκλησία γέγονεν ἡμῖν ἡ πόλις ἅπασα, τῶν ἐργαστηρίων ἀποκεκλεισμένων, καὶ πάντων ἐν ταῖς πανδήμοις ταύταις διημερευόντων λιταῖς, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν μιᾷ καὶ κοινῇ φωνῇ μετὰ πολλῆς καλούντων τῆς προθυμίας. Ποῖος ταῦτα λόγος ἀνύσαι ποτὲ ἴσχυσε; ποία παραίνεσις; τίς συμβουλή; πόσον χρόνου μῆκος;

βʹ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα εὐχαριστῶμεν, καὶ μὴ ἀποδυσπετῶμεν μηδὲ δυσχεραίνωμεν. Ὅτι γὰρ καλὸν ὁ φόβος, ἐδίδαξε μὲν καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα· ἄκουσον δὲ καὶ Σολομῶντος περὶ αὐτοῦ φιλοσοφοῦντος οὕτως, Σολομῶντος τοῦ πάσῃ συντραφέντος τρυφῇ καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσαντος ἀδείας. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνός φησιν; Ἀγαθὸν πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πένθους, ἢ πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον γέλωτος. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; Ὅπου θρῆνος, καὶ δάκρυα, καὶ οἰμωγαὶ, καὶ ὀδύνη, καὶ ἀθυμία τοσαύτη, βέλτιον ἀπελθεῖν μᾶλλον, ἢ ὅπου χορεῖαι, καὶ κύμβαλα, καὶ γέλως, καὶ τρυφὴ, καὶ ἀδηφαγία, καὶ μέθη; Ναὶ, φησί. Τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ διὰ τί; Ὅτι ἐκεῖθεν μὲν παροινία, ἐντεῦθεν δὲ σωφροσύνη τίκτεται· κἂν ἀπέλθῃ τις εἰς εὐπορωτέρου συμπόσιον, οὐκέτι μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡδονῆς ὄψεται τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀλλ' ἀηδῶς μὲν πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα ἐπανήξει, ἀηδῶς δὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ μεθέξει τραπέζης, καὶ δυσάρεστος καὶ τοῖς οἰκέταις καὶ τοῖς παιδίοις καὶ πᾶσιν ἔσται τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἑτέρων εὐπορίας ἀκριβέστερον κατιδὼν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πενίαν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ βασκαίνει πολλάκις τῷ