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only harm; but these both themselves and those who see them. Therefore it is necessary to flee both this and that ruin with great abundance. For He commanded not only not to make a display, but also to be zealous to remain unseen; which He also did before. And indeed in the case of almsgiving He did not set it down simply, but after saying, Take heed that you do not do your alms before men, He added, to be seen by them; but in the case of fasting and prayer He made no such distinction. Why then? Because it is impossible for almsgiving to be entirely hidden; but for prayer and fasting, it is possible. Therefore, just as when He said, Let not your left hand know what your right hand does, He was not speaking about hands, but about the need to hide from all with precision; and when He commanded to enter into the closet, He did not in every case, nor primarily, command to pray only there, but again He hinted at the same thing; so also here when He commanded to anoint oneself, He did not legislate that we should by all means anoint ourselves; since we will all be found transgressing this law, and before all, those who have been most zealous to keep it, the communities of monks, who have taken to the mountains. Therefore, He did not command this; but since it was a continuous custom for the ancients to anoint themselves when they were cheerful and rejoicing (and one could see this clearly from David and from Daniel), He said to anoint oneself, not that we should by all means do this, but that through all things we might be zealous to hide this possession with great precision. And that you may learn that this is so, He Himself, having shown by deeds what He commanded by words, both having fasted for forty days, and having fasted in secret, neither anointed nor washed Himself; but nevertheless, though He did not do these things, He accomplished the whole thing most of all without vainglory. Which indeed He also commands us, both bringing the hypocrites into the midst, and turning away His hearers by a twofold charge. And He hinted at something else through this name, that of the hypocrites, I mean. For not only because the thing is ridiculous, nor because it has the ultimate penalty, but also by showing such deceit to be temporary, He leads away from the wicked desire. For the hypocrite appears brilliant only as long as the theater is seated; or rather, not even then in the eyes of all. For most of the spectators know who he is and whom he is playing. But when the theater is dismissed, he is more 57.288 clearly revealed to all. Therefore, it is entirely necessary for the vainglorious also to endure this. For even here they are manifest to most, that they are not what they seem, but only wear a mask; but much more will they be caught hereafter, when all things appear naked and laid bare. And again from another direction He leads them away from the hypocrites, by showing that the command is light. For He does not make the fast more intense, nor does He command to display a greater one, but not to lose the crown from it. So that what seems to be burdensome is common to us and to the hypocrites; for they also fast; but that which is lightest, not to lose the reward after having labored, this is what I command, He says; adding nothing to the labors, but gathering for us the rewards with all security, and not allowing us to depart uncrowned, like them. And are they not willing even to imitate those who wrestle in the Olympic games, who, though so great a populace and so many rulers are seated, wish to please the one who awards them the victory, though he is far inferior; but you, having a twofold reason for displaying the victory to Him—both because He Himself is the one who awards the prize, and because He incomparably surpasses all who are seated in the theater—you display it to others who not only do not help you at all, but even harm you in the greatest things. 2. But I do not even forbid this, He says. But if you wish also to make a display to men, wait, and I will provide you this also with greater abundance, and with much gain. For now this separates you from glory with Me, just as despising these things unites you to it; but then you will enjoy all things with all security, reaping no small fruit both before those things and here, namely, to trample on all human glory,

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βλάπτουσι μόνον· αὗται δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὰς καὶ τοὺς ὁρῶντας. ∆ιὸ χρὴ καὶ ταύτην κἀκείνην φεύγειν τὴν λύμην ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μόνον μὴ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ σπουδάζειν λανθάνειν ἐκέλευσεν· ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐποίησε. Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐχ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικεν, ἀλλ' εἰπὼν, Προσέχετε μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, προσέθηκε, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς νηστείας καὶ τῆς εὐχῆς οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον διώρισε. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ἐλεημοσύνην μὲν ἀδύνατον πάντη λαθεῖν· εὐχὴν δὲ καὶ νηστείαν, δυνατόν. Ὥσπερ οὖν εἰπὼν, Μὴ γνώτω ἡ ἀριστερά σου τί ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιά σου, οὐ περὶ χειρῶν ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ δεῖν μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἅπαντας λανθάνειν· καὶ κελεύσας εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον εἰσιέναι, οὐ πάντως, οὐδὲ προηγουμένως ἐκεῖ μόνον ἐπέταξεν εὔχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ αὐτὸ πάλιν ᾐνίξατο· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀλείφεσθαι κελεύσας, οὐχ ἵνα ἀλειφώμεθα πάντως ἐνομοθέτησεν· ἐπεὶ πάντες εὑρεθησόμεθα τὸν νόμον παραβαίνοντες τοῦτον, καὶ πρό γε πάντων οἱ μάλιστα αὐτὸν φυλάττειν ἐσπουδακότες, οἱ τῶν μοναχῶν δῆμοι, οἱ τὰ ὄρη κατειληφότες. Οὐ τοίνυν τοῦτο ἐπέταξεν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἔθος ἀλείφεσθαι συνεχῶς ἦν εὐφραινομένοις καὶ χαίρουσι (καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ἄν τις κατίδοι σαφῶς), εἶπεν ἀλείφεσθαι, οὐχ ἵνα πάντως τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα διὰ πάντων σπουδάζωμεν μετὰ ἀκριβείας πολλῆς κρύπτειν τὸ κτῆμα τοῦτο. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν, αὐτὸς τοῦτο, ὅπερ διὰ τῶν λόγων ἐπέταξε, διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιδειξάμενος, καὶ νηστεύσας τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ λαθεῖν νηστεύσας, οὔτε ἠλείψατο, οὔτε ἐνίψατο· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ταῦτα μὴ ποιήσας, μάλιστα πάντων χωρὶς κενοδοξίας τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσεν. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπιτάττει, καὶ τοὺς ὑποκριτὰς εἰς μέσον ἀγαγὼν, καὶ διπλῇ παραγγελίᾳ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἀποτρέψας. Καὶ ἕτερόν τι διὰ τῆς προσηγορίας ταύτης ᾐνίξατο, τῆς τῶν ὑποκριτῶν λέγω. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι καταγέλαστον, οὐδὲ τῷ ζημίαν ἔχειν ἐσχάτην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πρόσκαιρον δεῖξαι τὴν τοιαύτην ἀπάτην, ἀπάγει τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας. Ὁ γὰρ ὑποκριτὴς μέχρι τότε φαίνεται λαμπρὸς, ἕως ἂν τὸ θέατρον κάθηται· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τότε παρὰ πᾶσιν. Ἴσασι γὰρ οἱ πλείους τῶν θεωμένων, τίς ὢν τίνα ὑποκρίνεται. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ τοῦ θεάτρου λυθέντος, σαφέ 57.288 στερον ἅπασιν ἐκκαλύπτεται. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ τοὺς κενοδόξους ὑπομένειν ἀνάγκη πᾶσα. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ τοῖς πλείοσίν εἰσι κατάδηλοι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ τοῦτο ὅπερ φαίνονται, ἀλλὰ προσωπεῖον περίκεινται μόνον· πολλῷ δὲ πλέον μετὰ ταῦτα ἁλώσονται, ὅτε πάντα γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα φαίνεται. Καὶ ἑτέρωθεν δὲ πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἀπάγει τῶν ὑποκριτῶν, τῷ δεῖξαι κοῦφον τὸ ἐπίταγμα ὄν. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν νηστείαν ἐπιτείνει, οὐδὲ μείζονα ἐπιδείξασθαι κελεύει, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀπολέσαι στέφανον. Ὥστε ὃ μὲν δοκεῖ φορτικὸν εἶναι, κοινὸν ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ὑποκριταῖς· νηστεύουσι γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι· ὃ δέ ἐστι κουφότατον, τὸ καμόντας μὴ ἀπολέσαι τὸν μισθὸν, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ κελεύω, φησί· τοῖς μὲν πόνοις οὐδὲν προστιθεὶς, τοὺς δὲ μισθοὺς ἡμῖν συνάγων μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἁπάσης, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιεὶς ἀστεφανώτους ἀπελθεῖν, καθάπερ ἐκείνους. Καὶ οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς Ὀλυμπιακοῖς ἀγῶσι παλαίοντας μιμεῖσθαι ἐθέλουσιν, οἳ, τοσούτου καθημένου δήμου καὶ ἀρχόντων τοσούτων, ἑνὶ βούλονται ἀρέσαι τῷ βραβεύοντι τὴν νίκην αὐτοῖς, καίτοι πολλῷ ὄντι καταδεεστέρῳ· σὺ δὲ διπλῆν ἔχων τὴν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ τὴν νίκην ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἐκείνῳ, τῷ καὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν βραβεύοντα, καὶ τῷ πάντων ἀσυγκρίτως ὑπερέχειν τῶν ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ καθημένων, ἑτέροις ἐπιδείκνυσαι τοῖς οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέγιστά σε παραβλάπτουσι. βʹ. Πλὴν οὐδὲ τοῦτο κωλύω, φησίν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδείξασθαι βούλει, ἀνάμεινον, καὶ ἐγώ σοι καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ πλείονος παρέξομαι τῆς περιουσίας, καὶ πολλοῦ τοῦ κέρδους. Νῦν μὲν γάρ σε ἀποῤῥήγνυσι τῆς πρός με δόξης τοῦτο, ὥσπερ οὖν συγκολλᾷ τὸ τούτων ὑπερορᾷν· τότε δὲ πάντων ἀπολαύσῃ μετὰ ἀδείας ἁπάσης, οὐ μικρὸν καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνων καὶ ἐνταῦθα καρπωσόμενος, τὸ πᾶσαν καταπατῆσαι τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην δόξαν,