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The rulers of this age are those who profess wisdom and with them the principalities and powers, the world-rulers of this world, and in addition the spiritual forces of wickedness and the whole crowd of demons and opposing powers, and the heads of these dragons are divinations, sorceries, auguries, and whatever contributes to idolatry, but also false opinions and accursed deeds. It is the work of the Savior alone to crush the heads of the aforementioned dragons. not from elsewhere but where they seemed to be strong. Then, since he not only crushed the heads of the dragon but also put him entirely to death, he provided him as food for the Ethiopian peoples. For no others should have been filled with his flesh and parts than the peoples of the Ethiopians, who through ignorance are sons of darkness and night. For just as all the sons of light are nourished by the flesh of Jesus, which is true food, so that from the very use of this food they are enlightened to be made whiter than snow, so the children of darkness, Ethiopians according to the inner man, will be nourished by the flesh of the dragon (the forms of wickedness and false opinion), when they are given over to the desires of their hearts to impurity and, in addition, to dishonorable passions and a reprobate mind. 775a Ps 73,17b He began the enumeration from the spring to show that the year begins from spring, the month of new things beginning from the vernal equinox, which Moses announced as the beginning of months and the first among the months of the year. 776a Ps 73,18 The enemy reproaching the Lord is the devil, and the foolish people is the crowd of the other unseen and wicked powers. 777a Ps 73,18-21 The enemy Caiaphas the high priest reproached the savior Christ, and the foolish people of the Jews provoked his name, crying, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him." What is proposed is not true if taken of perceptible beasts. For many perfect men, martyrs of the truth, were devoured by beasts. It must be said, therefore, that a confessing soul will not be given over to those beasts about which it is written, "Israel is a stray sheep; lions have driven him out." The Lord crushed the molars of these lions. One of these is Satan, as Peter the apostle writes, "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The poor of God can be those who for his sake have abstained from wealth, according to those who said, "Behold, we have left everything and followed you," alternatively, his poor are those who in false opinion have cast away the wealth of wickedness. But if those now called God's poor are themselves the poor in spirit, you must consider. After this he beseeches God to look upon the covenant which he made with the fathers around Abraham, so that he might not completely abandon those from his seed; and it must be said that those who are darkened in the earth are filled with houses of iniquity; for these draw near in the earth; wherefore they have an earthly tent for a life, their mind full of cares having been darkened through ignorance.

778a Ps 74,1.2 If to corrupt and to destroy often in the divine scripture is to sin, incorruptibility and having it signifies virtue; for it says, "Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptibility." And since one who has begun a good work must complete it, that is, bring it to an end, "To the end, do not destroy" is said, fleeing corruption until the end, so that one may not remain in it but remain in incorruptibility. And this is a great achievement, wherefore a Psalm of a song is offered up upon its completion.

Having reached the end of not being corrupted, incorruptibility having been achieved, we will thankfully confess to you, O God, as the cause of the good things that exist and are achieved; for with you and from you these things are confirmed. And in addition to the good things achieved, we wish to receive others as well; for not yet

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αρχοντές εἰσι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οἱ ἐπαγγελλόμενοι σοφίαν καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καὶ προσέτι πνευματικὰ πονηρίας καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων οχλος, κεφαλαὶ δὲ τούτων τῶν δρακόντων μαντεῖαι γοητεῖαι οἰωνισμοὶ καὶ οσα συντελεῖ πρὸς εἰδωλολατρίαν ἀλλὰ καὶ ψευδοδοξίαι καὶ πράξεις ἐναγεῖς. μόνου τοῦ σωτῆρος εργον συντρίβειν τῶν εἰρημένων δρακόντων τὰς κεφαλάς. οὐκ αλλοθεν ἀλλ' ενθα ἰσχύειν ἐδόκουν. Ειτ' ἐπεὶ μὴ μόνας τὰς κεφαλὰς τοῦ δράκοντος συνέθλασεν ἀλλὰ καὶ ολον αὐτὸν ἐνέκρωσεν, βρῶμα τοῦτον παρέσχεν λαοῖς τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν. οὐ γὰρ αλλους εδει ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῶν σαρκῶν καὶ μερῶν αὐτοῦ η τοὺς λαοὺς τῶν Αἰθιόπων δι' αγνοιαν σκότους καὶ νυκτὸς οντας υἱούς. ὡς γὰρ τὰς ̓Ιησοῦ σάρκας τροφὴν ἀληθινὴν ουσαν τρέφονται πάντες οἱ τοῦ φωτὸς υἱοὶ ὡς ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς χρήσεως τῆς βρώσεως φωτιζομένους ὑπὲρ χιόνα λευκαίνεσθαι, ουτω τὰ τέκνα τοῦ σκότους Αἰθίοπες κατὰ τὸν εσω ανθρωπον οντα τραφήσονται τὰς σάρκας τὰς δρακοντείους (τὰ κακίας καὶ ψευδοδοξίας ειδη), οταν παραδοθῶσι ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν καὶ προσέτι εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας καὶ ἀδόκιμον νοῦν. 775a Ps 73,17b Ηρξατο ἀπὸ τοῦ εαρος τῆς ἐξαριθμήσεως πρὸς δήλωσιν τοῦ ἀπὸ εαρος αρχεσθαι τὸν ἐνιαυτόν, ἀρχομένου τοῦ μηνὸς τῶν νέων ἀπὸ ἐαρινῆς ἰσημερίας, ον μηνῶν ἀρχὴν καὶ πρῶτον ἐν τοῖς μησὶ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἀπήγγειλε Μωυσῆς. 776a Ps 73,18 ̓Εχθρὸς ὀνειδίζων τὸν κύριον ὁ διάβολος, αφρων δὲ λαὸς ὁ τῶν αλλων ἀοράτων καὶ πονηρῶν δυνάμεων οχλος. 777a Ps 73,18-21 ̓Ωνείδισε τὸν σωτῆρα Χριστὸν ἐχθρὸς Καϊαφᾶς ὁ ἀρχιερεύς, παρώξυνε δὲ τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ λαὸς αφρων ὁ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων κεκραγὼς Αρον αρον σταύρωσον αὐτόν. Οὐκ ἀληθὲς τὸ προκείμενον αἰσθητῶν θηρίων λαμβανομένων. πολλοὶ γὰρ τέλειοι ανδρες, μάρτυρες τῆς ἀληθείας, ἐβρώθησαν ὑπὸ θηρίων. λεκτέον τοίνυν ὡς οὐ παραδοθήσεται ψυχὴ ἐξομολογουμένη θηρσὶν ἐκείνοις, περὶ ων γέγραπται Πρόβατον πλανώμενον ̓Ισραήλ· λέοντες ἐξῶσαν αὐτόν. τούτων τῶν λεόντων τὰς μύλας συνέθλασεν ὁ κύριος. εις τούτων ὁ Σατανᾶς ἐστιν, ὡς Πέτρος ὁ ἀπόστολος γράφει ̔Ο ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος περιπατεῖ ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ. Πένητες δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ειναι δύνανται οἱ αὐτοῦ ενεκα ἀπεσχημένοι πλούτου κατὰ τοὺς εἰπόντας ̓Ιδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι, ἑτέρως πενήτων αὐτοῦ τυγχανόντων τῶν ἐν ψευδοδοξίᾳ κακίας πλοῦτον ἀποβαλόντων. εἰ δὲ αὐτοὶ τοῖς πτωχοῖς τῷ πνεύματι τυγχάνουσιν οἱ ὀνομαζόμενοι νῦν θεοῦ πένητες, ἐπίσκεψαι. Μετὰ ταῦτα παρακαλεῖ τὸν θεὸν ἐπιβλέψαι τὴν διαθήκην ην διέθετο τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν ̓Αβραὰμ πατράσιν, ινα μὴ τέλεον τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ ἐγκαταλείψῃ· πεπληρῶσθαι δὲ οικων ἀνομιῶν ῥητέον τοὺς ἐσκοτισμένους ἐν τῇ γῇ· ουτοι γὰρ ἐν τῇ γῇ προσπελάζουσι· διὸ εχουσι σκῆνος γήϊνον βίον, πολυφρόντιδα νοῦν σκοτισθέντες δι' αγνοιαν.

778a Ps 74,1.2 Εἰ τὸ φθεῖραι καὶ διαφθεῖραι πολλαχοῦ παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ τὸ

ἁμαρτάνειν ἐστίν, ἀφθαρσία καὶ τὸ εχειν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν σημαίνει· ̔Η χάρις γάρ φησι μετὰ τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ̓Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ. καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸν ἀρξάμενον εργου ἀγαθοῦ ἐπιτελέσαι αὐτὸ δεῖ τουτέστιν ἀγαγεῖν αὐτὸ εἰς πέρας, Εἰς τὸ τέλος μὴ διαφθείρῃς ειρηται, μέχρι τέλους φεύγων τὴν φθοράν, ινα μὴ μείνῃ τις ἐν αὐτῇ ἀλλ' ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ μείνῃ. μέγα δὲ τοῦτο τὸ κατόρθωμα, οθεν Ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς ἐπὶ τῇ συμπληρώσει αὐτοῦ ἀναπέμπεται. Εἰς τὸ τέλος φθάσαντες τοῦ μὴ διαφθεῖραι, κατωρθωμένης ἀφθαρσίας, εὐχαρίστως ἐξομολογησόμεθά σοι, θεέ, ὡς αἰτίῳ τῶν ὑπαρξάντων καὶ κατορθουμένων ἀγαθῶν· σὺν σοὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκ σοῦ βεβαιοῦται ταῦτα. καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθωθεῖσιν ἀγαθοῖς προσλαβεῖν καὶ ετερα βουλόμεθα· ουπω γάρ