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proofs of virtue in the soul; for they can be bought with money, and require the flattery of friends; but this authority that comes from chains is a sign of the soul's philosophy, and a very great proof of longing for Christ; and those quickly leap away, but this authority has no successor. Behold, then, how much time has passed from then until now, and the name of this prisoner has become more glorious; and all the consuls, as many as there have been in former times, are silenced and are not even known by name to the many; but the name of this prisoner, the blessed Paul, is great here, and great in the land of the barbarians, and great among the Scythians and Indians, and if you should come to the very ends of the inhabited world, you will hear this name, and wherever anyone might arrive, he will know Paul is carried about everywhere on the lips of all. And what wonder is it, if on land and sea, when even in the heavens the name of Paul is great among the angels, among the archangels and the powers above and God their king? And of what sort, he says, were those bonds, that they brought so much glory to the one who was bound? Were they not made of iron? They were made of iron, but they had much grace of the Spirit blossoming upon them, since he wore them for Christ's sake. O the wonder! The servants were bound, the Master was crucified, and the preaching increases each day, and it was kindled through the very things by which it was thought to be hindered; and the cross, and the bonds, which seemed to be an abomination, these have now become symbols of salvation, and that piece of iron was more precious to us than any gold, not because of its own nature, but because of this cause and purpose. But I see a certain question also arising 49.166 for us from this; and if you pay close attention, I will both state the question and add the solution. What then is the question? This Paul once went in before Festus, and reasoning with him, and defending himself concerning the charges which the Jews brought, and saying how he saw Jesus, how he heard that blessed voice, how through blindness he regained his sight, how he fell and rose again, how he entered Damascus as a captive bound without chains, and having discoursed concerning the prophets and the law, and having shown that they also foretold all these things, he captured the judge, and almost persuaded him to come over to his side. 4. For such are the souls of the saints; whenever they fall into dangers, they do not look to how they might be delivered from the dangers, but they do everything so that they might ensnare those who cast them in; just as indeed happened then; he went in to make his defense, and went away having captured the judge. And the judge himself testified to these things, saying: In a little while you persuade me to become a Christian. This should have happened today also, and this ruler should have marveled at your magnanimity, your philosophy, all your tranquility, and have departed having received instruction from your state of affairs, have marveled at the assembly, praised the council, learned even from the events themselves how great is the difference between Greeks and Christians. But, as I was saying, when Paul had captured him, and he had said, In a little while you persuade me to become a Christian, Paul answered thus: I would pray, both in a little and in a great while, that not only you, but also all who hear me, might become Christians, without these chains. What are you saying, O Paul? When you write to the Ephesians, you say: I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called; and when you discourse to Timothy: in which I suffer hardship even to chains, as an evildoer; and when again to Philemon: Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ; and when you are on trial with the Jews, you say: For the sake of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain; and writing to the Philippians you said: So that most of the brethren, having confidence in my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear; everywhere you carry about the chain, everywhere you put forward the bonds, and

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τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς ἀποδείξεις· χρημάτων γάρ εἰσιν ὠνηταὶ, καὶ φίλων κολακείας δέονται· αὕτη δὲ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶν ἔνδειγμα, καὶ τοῦ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν πόθου τεκμήριον μέγιστον· κἀκεῖναι μὲν ἀποπηδῶσι ταχέως, αὕτη δὲ οὐκ ἔχει τὸν διαδεξόμενον ἡ ἀρχή. Ἰδοὺ γοῦν ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι νῦν πόσος διαγέγονε χρόνος, καὶ λαμπρότερον τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ δεσμίου γέγονε τούτου· καὶ ὕπατοι μὲν ἅπαντες, ὅσοι γεγόνασιν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις, σεσίγηνται καὶ οὐδὲ ἐκ προσηγορίας εἰσὶ γνώριμοι τοῖς πολλοῖς· τὸ δὲ τοῦ δεσμίου τούτου ὄνομα τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου πολὺ μὲν ἐνταῦθα, πολὺ δὲ ἐν τῇ βαρβάρων χώρᾳ, πολὺ δὲ παρὰ Σκύθαις καὶ Ἰνδοῖς, κἂν πρὸς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔλθῃς τὰ πέρατα, ταύτης ἀκούσῃ τῆς προσηγορίας, καὶ ὅπουπερ ἄν τις ἀφίκηται, Παῦλον πανταχοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων στόμασι περιφερόμενον εἴσεται. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ ἐν γῇ καὶ θαλάττῃ, ὅπου γε καὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς πολὺ τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου παρὰ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις, παρὰ τοῖς ἀρχαγγέλοις καὶ ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσι καὶ τῷ τούτων βασιλεῖ Θεῷ; Καὶ ποταπὰ ἦν ἐκεῖνα, φησὶ, τὰ δεσμὰ, ὅτι τοσαύτην ἤνεγκε τῷ δεδεμένῳ τὴν δόξαν; οὐκ ἀπὸ σιδήρου κατεσκεύαστο; Ἀπὸ σιδήρου μὲν κατεσκεύαστο, ἀλλὰ πολλὴν εἶχεν ἐπανθοῦσαν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν, ἐπειδὴ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτὰ περιέκειτο. Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος! οἱ δοῦλοι ἐδέθησαν, ὁ ∆εσπότης ἐσταυρώθη, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα καθ' ἑκάστην αὔξεται τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ διὰ πραγμάτων, δι' ὧν ἐνομίζετο κωλύεσθαι, διὰ τούτων ἀνήφθη· καὶ σταυρὸς, καὶ δεσμὰ, ἅπερ ἐδόκει βδέλυγμα εἶναι, ταῦτα νῦν σωτηρίας σύμβολα γέγονε, καὶ παντὸς χρυσίου τὸ σιδήριον ἐκεῖνο ἡμῖν τιμιώτερον ἦν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν αἰτίαν ταύτην καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Ἀλλ' ὁρῶ τι καὶ ζήτημα τικτόμενον 49.166 ἡμῖν ἐντεῦθεν· κἂν προσέχητε μετὰ ἀκριβείας, καὶ τὸ ζητούμενον ἐρῶ, καὶ τὴν λύσιν προσθήσω. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον; Εἰσελθὼν οὗτος ὁ Παῦλός ποτε πρὸς τὸν Φῆστον, καὶ διαλεγόμενος αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπολογούμενος περὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ὧν ἐπήγαγον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ λέγων πῶς εἶδε τὸν Ἰησοῦν, πῶς ἤκουσε τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης φωνῆς, πῶς διὰ πηρώσεως ἀνέβλεψε, πῶς ἔπεσε καὶ ἀνέστη, πῶς εἰσῆλθεν αἰχμάλωτος εἰς ∆αμασκὸν χωρὶς δεσμῶν δεδεμένος, καὶ περὶ προφητῶν καὶ νόμου διαλεχθεὶς, καὶ δείξας ὅτι κἀκεῖνοι προεῖπον ταῦτα ἅπαντα, εἷλε τὸν δικάζοντα, καὶ σχεδὸν ἔπεισε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μεταστῆναι. δʹ. Τοιαῦται γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων αἱ ψυχαί· ἐπειδὰν εἰς κινδύνους ἐμπέσωσιν, οὐχ ὅπως ἀπαλλαγῶσι τῶν κινδύνων σκοποῦσιν, ἀλλ' ὅπως τοὺς ἐμβαλόντας θηρεύσαιεν, ἅπαντα πράττουσι· καθάπερ οὖν καὶ τότε ἐγένετο· εἰσῆλθεν ἀπολογησόμενος, καὶ τὸν δικαστὴν λαβὼν ἀπῄει. Καὶ ταῦτα αὐτὸς ὁ δικαστὴς ἐμαρτύρησε λέγων· Ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι. Τοῦτο καὶ σήμερον γενέσθαι ἐχρῆν, καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦτον θαυμάσαι ὑμῶν τὴν μεγαλοψυχίαν, τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἅπασαν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς καταστάσεως ὑμῶν διδασκαλίαν λαβόντα ἀπελθεῖν, θαυμάσαι τὸν σύλλογον, ἐπαινέσαι τὸ συνέδριον, μαθεῖν καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων, ὅσον τὸ μέσον Ἑλλήνων τε καὶ Χριστιανῶν. Ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἔλεγον, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸν εἷλεν ὁ Παῦλος, κἀκεῖνος εἶπεν, Ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι, ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως· Εὐξαίμην ἂν ἔγωγε, καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ, οὐ μόνον σὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντάς μου γενέσθαι Χριστιανοὺς ἄνευ τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων. Τί λέγεις, ὦ Παῦλε; Ὅταν μὲν Ἐφεσίοις γράφῃς, λέγεις· Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε· καὶ ὅταν πρὸς Τιμόθεον διαλέγῃ· Ἐν ᾧ κακοπαθῶ μέχρι δεσμῶν, ὡς κακοῦργος· καὶ ὅταν πρὸς Φιλήμονα πάλιν· Παῦλος δέσμιος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ ὅταν Ἰουδαίοις συνδικάζῃ, λέγεις· Ἕνεκα τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν ἅλυσιν ταύτην περίκειμαι· καὶ Φιλιππησίοις γράφων ἔλεγες· Ὥστε τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν, πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, περισσοτέρως τολμᾷν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν· πανταχοῦ τὴν ἅλυσιν περιφέρεις, πανταχοῦ τὰ δεσμὰ προβάλλῃ, καὶ