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philanthropy. What do you say? Do robbers and tomb-robbers inhabit the prison? But the city, tell me, are all who inhabit it righteous? But are not many of them even worse, robbing with greater shamelessness? For those men, if nothing else, at least put forward the wilderness and the darkness, and do these things in secret; but these others, having thrown off the mask, pursue evil with a bare head, being violent and rapacious and covetous. For it is difficult to find a person pure of injustice. 2. But if we do not seize gold, nor so and so many acres 59.335 of land; yet still by some deceit and theft we accomplish the same thing on a smaller scale, and with what means we can. For when in contracts, and whenever one must buy or sell something, we strive and force our way to pay less than the value, and do everything for this end, is the matter not robbery? Is it not theft and covetousness? For do not tell me that you did not carry off a house, or slaves. For injustice is judged not by the measure of what is taken away, but by the intention of those who steal. For the unjust and the just have the same force in great things and in small; and I likewise call men cut-purses, whether someone cuts a purse and takes gold, or in buying from one of the market-sellers, takes away some of the price from its value; and a burglar is not only one who has broken through a wall and stolen something from within, but also one who has corrupted justice and taken something from his neighbor. Let us not then, running past our own faults, become judges of others'; nor where there is occasion for philanthropy, let us scrutinize wickedness; but, considering how we also were disposed of old, let us at last become gentle and philanthropic. How then were we disposed? Hear Paul saying, For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, hateful, and hating one another; and again, For we were by nature children of wrath. But God, seeing us as though held in a prison, and bound with harsh chains, far harsher than those of iron, was not ashamed, but came and stood by the prison, and brought forth from there those deserving of ten thousand punishments, and led them into a kingdom, and made them brighter than heaven, so that we also might do the same things according to our ability. For when He says to the disciples, If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you; He does not write this law only for the washing of feet, but also in all other things which He showed concerning us. Is the one who inhabits the prison a murderer? But let us not grow weary in doing good. Is he a tomb-robber and an adulterer? But let us pity not the wickedness, but the misfortune. And often, as I said, there will be found there even one man worthy of ten thousand. And if you go continually to those who are bound, you will not fail in such a hunt. For just as Abraham, by showing hospitality to chance comers, 59.336 once met even angels; so we too shall meet even great men, if we make the matter our business. And if I must say something wonderful, he who receives a great man is not so worthy of praise as he who receives the pitiful and wretched. For the former has no small occasion in his own life for being treated well; but the one who is cast off and betrayed by all has only one harbor, the mercy of the one who treats him well; so that this, most of all, is pure philanthropy. And he who serves the wonderful and illustrious man, has often done this even for show before men; but he who serves the one cast off and despaired of, does this for the sake of God's commandment alone. Therefore, even when we make a feast, we are commanded to receive the lame and the maimed; and when we perform almsgiving, we have been ordered to pity the least and most insignificant. For inasmuch, He says, as you have done it to one of the least of these, you have done it to Me. Knowing, therefore, the treasure that lies there, let us enter continually and traffic, and let us turn our zeal for the theaters thither. And if you have nothing to bring in, bring in that which comes from

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φιλανθρωπία. Τί φῄς; λῃσταὶ καὶ τυμβωρύχοι τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦσι; Τὴν δὲ πόλιν, εἰπέ μοι, δίκαιοι πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ κατοικοῦντες; ἀλλ' οὐχὶ πολλοὶ καὶ τούτων χείρους μετὰ πλείονος λῃστεύοντες ἀναισχυντίας; Οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον, τὴν γοῦν ἐρημίαν καὶ τὸ σκότος προβάλλονται, καὶ τὸ λανθάνοντες ταῦτα ποιεῖν· οἱ δὲ τὸ προσωπεῖον ῥίψαντες, γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ τὰ κακὰ μετέρχονται, βίαιοι καὶ ἅρπαγες ὄντες καὶ πλεονέκται. Καὶ γὰρ δύσκολον εὑρεῖν ἄνθρωπον ἀδικίας καθαρόν. ʹ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ χρυσίον ἁρπάζομεν, μηδὲ πλέθρα γῆς 59.335 τόσα καὶ τόσα· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπάτῃ τινὶ καὶ κλοπῇ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐπ' ἐλάττοσι, καὶ οἷς δυνάμεθα κατεργαζόμεθα. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς συμβολαίοις, καὶ ἡνίκα δ' ἂν ἀγοράσαι δέῃ τι ἢ καὶ ἀποδόσθαι, φιλονεικῶμεν καὶ βιαζώμεθα ἔλαττον τῆς ἀξίας καταβαλεῖν, καὶ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιῶμεν, οὐ λῃστεία τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν; οὐ κλοπὴ καὶ πλεονεξία; Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι οὐκ οἰκίαν, οὐκ ἀνδράποδα παρεσπάσω. Ἡ γὰρ ἀδικία οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν ἀφαιρουμένων, ἀλλὰ τῇ προαιρέσει τῶν κλεπτόντων κρίνεται. Τὸ γὰρ ἄδικον καὶ τὸ δίκαιον ἐν μεγάλοις καὶ ἐν μικροῖς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει δύναμιν· καὶ βαλαντιοτόμους ὁμοίως ἐγὼ καλῶ, κἂν βαλάντιόν τις διατεμὼν χρυσίον λάβῃ, κἂν ὠνούμενος παρά τινος τῶν ἀγοραίων τῆς ἀξίας παρασπάσῃ τι τιμῆς· καὶ τοιχωρύχος δὲ οὐχ ὁ τοῖχον διελὼν μόνον καὶ ὑφελόμενός τι τῶν ἔνδον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ δίκην διαφθείρας καὶ ἀφελόμενός τι τοῦ πλησίον. Μὴ τοίνυν τὰ ἡμέτερα παρατρέχοντες, τῶν ἀλλοτρίων γενώμεθα δικασταί· μηδὲ ὅπου φιλανθρωπίας καιρὸς, ἐξετάζωμεν πονηρίαν· ἀλλ' ἐννοήσαντες πῶς καὶ ἡμεῖς διεκείμεθα πάλαι, γενώμεθά ποτε ἥμεροι καὶ φιλάνθρωποι. Πῶς οὖν διεκείμεθα; Ἄκουσον Παύλου λέγοντος, Ἦμεν γάρ ποτε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπειθεῖς, ἀνόητοι, πλανώμενοι, δουλεύοντες ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς ποικίλαις, στυγητοὶ, μισοῦντες ἀλλήλους· καὶ πάλιν, Ἦμεν γὰρ φύσει τέκνα ὀργῆς. Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ὥσπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ κατεχομένους ἰδὼν, καὶ ἁλύσεσι χαλεπαῖς δεδεμένους, πολὺ τῶν ἀπὸ σιδήρου χαλεπωτέραις, οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη, ἀλλ' ἦλθε καὶ ἐπέστη τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, καὶ τοὺς μυρίων ἀξίους κολάσεων ἐξήγαγέ τε ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ εἰς βασιλείαν ἤγαγε, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λαμπροτέρους ἐποίησεν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῶμεν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγῃ τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Εἰ οὖν ἐγὼ ἔνιψα τοὺς πόδας ὁ Κύριος καὶ ὁ ∆ιδάσκαλος, καὶ ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε ἀλλήλων νίπτειν τοὺς πόδας· ὑπόδειγμα γὰρ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν, ἵνα καθὼς ἐγὼ ἐποίησα, καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιῆτε· οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ νίπτειν τοὺς πόδας τοῦτον γράφει τὸν νόμον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, οἷς περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπεδείξατο. Ἀνδροφόνος ἐστὶν ὁ τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν; Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τὸ καλὸν ποιοῦντες μὴ ἐκκακῶμεν. Τυμβωρύχος ἐστὶ καὶ μοιχός; Ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν κακίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν συμφορὰν ἐλεῶμεν. Πολλάκις δὲ, ὅπερ ἔφην, εὑρεθήσεται ἐκεῖ καὶ εἷς μυρίων ἀντάξιος ἀνδρῶν. Κἂν συνεχῶς ἀπίῃς πρὸς τοὺς δεδεμένους, οὐκ ἀποτεύξῃ τῆς τοιαύτης θήρας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τοὺς τυχόντας ξενοδοχῶν, 59.336 ἐπέτυχέ ποτε καὶ ἀγγέλων· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπιτευξόμεθα καὶ μεγάλων ἀνδρῶν, ἂν ἔργον τὸ πρᾶγμα ποιησώμεθα. Εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ θαυμαστόν τι εἰπεῖν, οὐχ οὕτως ἐπαίνων ἄξιος ὁ μέγαν ὑποδεχόμενος, ὡς ὁ τὸν οἰκτρὸν καὶ ταλαίπωρον. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ οὐ μικρὰν ἀφορμὴν ἔχει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον πρὸς τὸ παθεῖν εὖ· ὁ δὲ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων προδεδομένος, ἕνα λιμένα μόνον ἔχει, τὸν ἔλεον τοῦ ποιοῦντος αὐτὸν εὖ· ὥστε φιλανθρωπία καθαρὰ τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τὸν θαυμαστὸν καὶ περιφανῆ θεραπεύων, πολλάκις καὶ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων ἐπίδειξιν τοῦτο ἐποίησεν· ὁ δὲ τὸν ἀπεῤῥιμμένον καὶ ἀπεγνωσμένον, διὰ μόνην τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο ἐργάζεται. ∆ιὸ κἂν δοχὴν ποιῶμεν, χωλοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους ὑποδέχεσθαι κελευόμεθα· κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐργαζώμεθα, ἐλαχίστους καὶ εὐτελεῖς ἐλεεῖν ἐπετάγημεν. Ἐφ' ὅσον γὰρ ἐποιήσατε, φησὶν, ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Εἰδότες τοίνυν τὸν ἐκεῖ κείμενον θησαυρὸν, εἰσίωμεν συνεχῶς καὶ πραγματευώμεθα, καὶ τὰς περὶ τὰ θέατρα σπουδὰς ἐκεῖ τρέψωμεν. Κἂν μηδὲν ἔχῃς εἰσενεγκεῖν, εἰσάγαγε τὴν ἀπὸ