132

glory, is clear from many sources. For first and foremost, this is clear from the very fact that he was loved by God; for he would not have allowed him to live, let alone to prosper, while usurping God's honor; second, because he also spoke with much boldness, And to me, O king, this mystery was revealed not by any wisdom that is in me; and third again, because he was in the den for God's sake; and when the prophet brought him food, he says, For God has remembered me; so humble and contrite was he. He was in a den for God's sake, and he considered himself unworthy of remembrance and of being heard. But we, daring countless defilements, and being more defiled than all, if we are not heard from our first prayer, we withdraw. Truly great is the distance between them and us, as great as that of heaven from the earth, and if anything, more. What does he say? after so many accomplishments, after the miracle that happened in the den, do you consider yourself so humble? Yes, he says; for whatever we may do, we are unprofitable servants. Thus, in anticipation, he fulfilled the evangelical command, and considered himself as nothing. For God has remembered me, he said. And see again how much humility his prayer is full of. So also the three young men said: We have sinned, we have committed iniquity; and everywhere they show their humility. And yet Daniel had countless opportunities for being exalted, but he knew that these things also came to him from not being exalted, and he did not corrupt the treasure. For beyond all men and in the whole world you knew him not only for these things, that the king, casting himself on his face, made a libation to him, but also that he who was honored as a god throughout the earth considered him a god; for he ruled over all; and this is clear from Jeremiah; For He who covers, he says, the earth as a garment; and again, I have given it to Nebuchadnezzar my servant. And from what he writes this is clear again, that he was admired not only there, where he was, but also everywhere, and was greater when heard of than if the other nations had seen him present, since even through letters he confessed his servitude and the miracle. But nevertheless he was also admired again for his wisdom; For are you wiser, he says, than Daniel? And after all these things he was so humble, as to die ten thousand times for the Lord. 63.184 5. Why then, being so humble, did he not refuse either the prostration from the king or the libations? This I will not say; for it is enough for me only to state the question; but the rest I leave to you, that even so I might rouse your mind. This, however, I command, to choose all things for the fear of God, having such examples; and that we will truly obtain also the things here, if we genuinely take hold of the things to come. For that he did not do this out of madness is clear from his saying, Let your gifts be for yourself. For this again is another question, how while refusing in word, he accepted the honor in deeds, and wore the necklace. And Herod, when he heard, The voice of a god, and not of a man, because he did not give glory to God, was torn apart, and his bowels gushed out; but this man accepted even the honor of a god, not just words. Here it is necessary to say what this is. That from that, men were falling into greater idolatry, but from this, no longer. How? For to be considered such a one was an honor to God; for because of this he said beforehand: And to me it was not revealed by any wisdom that is in me. Otherwise, he does not even appear to accept the libations; for he said, it says, that one should pour a libation, but it has not yet become clear that the deed also followed. But there they brought bulls to sacrifice; and they called one Zeus, and the other Hermes. Therefore, he accepted the necklace, that he might make himself known; but why does he not appear to refuse the libation? for there they did not do it, but attempted, and the apostles forbade them; so that here too he ought to have refused immediately; and there it was a whole people, but here a tyrant. What then did not lead him away, I said before, that he was not pouring a libation as to a god to the overthrow of reverence, but for a greater wonder.

132

δόξαν, πολλαχόθεν δῆλον. Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρῶτον καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ φιλεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦτο δῆλον· οὐ γὰρ ἂν αὐτὸν σφετεριζόμενον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν τιμὴν εἴα ζῆσαι, οὐ λέγω εὐδοκιμῆσαι· δεύτερον, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παῤῥησίας ἔλεγε, Καὶ ἐμοὶ, βασιλεῦ, οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀπεκαλύφθη τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο· καὶ τρίτον πάλιν, ὅτι ἐν λάκκῳ ἦν διὰ τὸν Θεόν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τροφὴν αὐτῷ ἐκόμισεν ὁ προφήτης, φησὶν, Ἐμνήσθη γάρ μου ὁ Θεός· οὕτως ἦν ταπεινὸς καὶ συντετριμμένος. Ἐν λάκκῳ ἦν διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν ἡγεῖτο τῆς μνήμης καὶ τοῦ ἀκουσθῆναι. Ἡμεῖς δὲ μυρία τολμῶντες μιαρὰ, καὶ πάντων ὄντες μιαρώτεροι, ἐὰν μὴ ἐκ πρώτης εὐχῆς ἀκουσθῶμεν, ἀναχωροῦμεν. Ὄντως πολὺ τὸ μέσον ἐκείνων καὶ ἡμῶν, ὅσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πρὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ εἴ τι πλέον. Τί λέγει; μετὰ τοσαῦτα κατορθώματα, μετὰ τὸ ἐν λάκκῳ γενόμενον θαῦμα, οὕτω σεαυτὸν ταπεινὸν ἡγῇ; Ναὶ, φησίν· ὅσα γὰρ ἂν ἐργασώμεθα, ἀχρεῖοι δοῦλοί ἐσμεν. Οὕτω προλαβὼν, τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν παράγγελμα ἐπλήρου, καὶ οὐδὲν ἡγεῖτο ἑαυτόν. Ἐμνήσθη γάρ μου ὁ Θεὸς, ἔλεγε. Καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ αὐτοῦ ὅρα πάλιν ὅσης ταπεινοφροσύνης γέμει. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἔλεγον· Ἡμάρτομεν, ἠνομήσαμεν· καὶ πανταχοῦ τὸ ταπεινὸν ἑαυτῶν δεικνύουσι. Καίτοι γε εἶχεν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ μυρίας ἀφορμὰς τοῦ ἐπαίρεσθαι, ἀλλ' ᾔδει ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα αὐτῷ ὑπῆρχεν ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ἐπαίρεσθαι, καὶ οὐ διέφθειρε τὸν θησαυρόν. Παρὰ πάντας γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πάσῃ οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτοις ᾔδετε μόνον, ὅτι ῥίψας ἑαυτὸν εἰς πρόσωπον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔσπεισεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ θεὸν ἐνόμισεν αὐτὸν ὁ πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς ὡς θεὸς τιμώμενος· πάσης γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐκράτει· καὶ δῆλον ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου· Ὁ ἀναβαλλόμενος γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν γῆν, ὡς ἱμάτιον· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐγὼ ἔδωκα αὐτὴν Ναβουχοδονόσορ τῷ δούλῳ μου. Καὶ ἐξ ὧν ἐπιστέλλει δῆλον τοῦτο πάλιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκεῖ μόνον ἐθαυμάζετο, ἔνθα ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πανταχοῦ, καὶ μείζων ἦν ἀκουόμενος ἢ εἰ παρόντα εἶδον αὐτὸν τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη, ὁπότε καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων ὡμολόγησε τὴν δουλείαν καὶ τὸ θαῦμα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ πάλιν ἐθαυμάζετο· Μὴ σοφώτερος γὰρ εἶ, φησὶ, σὺ τοῦ ∆ανιήλ; Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα οὕτως ἦν ταπεινὸς, ὡς μυριάκις διὰ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἀποθανεῖν. 63.184 εʹ. Τί δήποτ' οὖν οὕτω ταπεινὸς ὢν, οὐ διεκρούσατο οὔτε τὴν προσκύνησιν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, οὔτε τὰς σπονδάς; Τοῦτο οὐκ ἐρῶ· ἀρκεῖ γάρ μοι τὸ ζήτημα μόνον εἰπεῖν· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ὑμῖν ἀφίημι, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω διαναστήσω ὑμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Ἐκεῖνο μέντοι παρεγγυῶ, πάντα διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον αἱρεῖσθαι, ὑποδείγματα τοιαῦτα ἔχοντας· καὶ ὅτι ὄντως καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἐπιτευξόμεθα, ἐὰν τῶν μελλόντων γνησίως ἀντιλαβώμεθα. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἀπονοίᾳ τοῦτο ἐποίησε, δῆλον ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Τὰ δόματά σου σοὶ ἔστω. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἕτερον ζήτημα, πῶς τῷ λόγῳ διακρουόμενος, διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐδέξατο τὴν τιμὴν, καὶ ἐφόρεσε τὸν μανιάκην. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἡρώδης ἀκούσας, Φωνὴ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπου, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἔδωκε δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, διεῤῥάγη, καὶ ἐξεχύθη τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ· οὗτος δὲ καὶ Θεοῦ τιμὴν προσήκατο, οὐχὶ ῥήματα μόνον. Ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ὅτι ἐκεῖθεν μὲν εἰς εἰδωλολατρείαν ἐξέπιπτον οἱ ἄνθρωποι μείζονα, ἐντεῦθεν δὲ οὐκέτι. Πῶς; Τὸ γὰρ νομισθῆναι τοῦτον τοιοῦτον, τιμὴ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἦν· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο προλαβὼν εἶπε· Καὶ ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀπεκαλύφθη. Ἄλλως δὲ, οὐδὲ φαίνεται προσιέμενος τὰς σπονδάς· εἶπε μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι χρὴ σπεῖσαι, οὔπω δὲ δῆλον ἐγένετο, ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἔργον παρηκολούθησεν. Ἐκεῖ δὲ ἤνεγκαν ὥστε τοὺς ταύρους καταθῦσαι· καὶ ἐκάλουν τὸν μὲν ∆ία, τὸν δὲ Ἑρμῆν. Τὸν μὲν οὖν μανιάκην προσήκατο, ἵνα δῆλον ἑαυτὸν ποιήσῃ· τὴν μέντοι σπονδὴν διὰ τί μὴ φαίνεται διακρουόμενος; καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀλλ' ἐπεχείρησαν, καὶ ἐκώλυσαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι· ὥστε καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔδει εὐθέως διακρούσασθαι· καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲν δῆμος ὁλόκληρος ἦν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τύραννος. Τί οὖν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀπήγαγε, προλαβὼν εἶπον, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς θεῷ ἔσπενδεν ἐπὶ ἀνατροπῇ τοῦ σεβάσματος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μείζονι θαύματι.