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and the soldiers, and likewise those of the circumcision who rose up against him. “For the soldiers” of Pilate, “taking Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole cohort against him, and stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak on him, and weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on his head and a reed in his hand, and kneeling before him they mocked him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews, and spitting on him they took the reed, and struck him on his head. 10.8.79 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak and put his own garments on him, and led him away to be crucified,” almost fulfilling by deed the saying, “For many dogs have encompassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me,” but also, “they have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones,” and further, “but they have looked and stared at me,” and “they parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” was again fulfilled, when they pierced his hands and feet to the cross with nails, and when they took his garments and divided them among themselves; 10.8.80 At any rate, John relates, saying: “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part.” But “the tunic,” because it was “without seam,” “woven from the top throughout, they said to one another: Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the scripture might be fulfilled which says, they parted my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” The soldiers, therefore, did these things. 10.8.81 And Matthew also testifies to what had happened in this way, saying: “And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: they parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots, and sitting down they watched him there.” 10.8.82 And they were dogs surrounding him and an “assembly of the wicked,” the rulers of the Jews from the circumcision, both the scribes and the chief priests, and the Pharisees, who also stirred up the whole crowd to demand his blood upon themselves and upon their own children. 10.8.83 Clearly, then, Isaiah calls them dogs, saying: all are “dumb dogs,” unable “to bark.” For it was their duty, if they had not undertaken the manner of shepherds, at least like good dogs to guard the master’s rational flock and “the sheep of the house of Israel,” “barking” with knowledge, fawning upon and recognizing their own master and chief shepherd and guarding with all vigilance the flock entrusted to them, and to bark, if ever ..., against those from outside who plot against the flock; but they, in the manner of truly dumb and mad dogs, uttered their barks, making the shepherd’s sheep savage, so that it fittingly applies to them, “many dogs have surrounded me, an assembly of the wicked have enclosed me.” 10.8.84 And all who to this day act in a similar manner to them in blaspheming and barking against the Christ of God would not be considered alien to them. But also those who, like the impious soldiers of that time, are “crucifying the son of God again and holding him up to contempt” would not be far from their disposition. 10.8.85 Therefore, all who even now maim the body of Christ, that is, the church, are handling his hands and feet and furthermore his bones, if indeed we are all “one body in Christ, and individually members one of another,” and “the head” cannot say “to the feet, I have no need of you,” nor the eyes to the hands. 10.8.86 At least during the times of persecutions, if anything were ever done against the members of Christ by enemies and foes, one might also say not unseasonably concerning them, “they have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones; but they

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καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς ἐπαναστάντας αὐτῷ. «οἱ» μὲν γὰρ «στρατιῶται» τοῦ Πιλάτου «παραλαβόντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον συνήγαγον ὅλην τὴν σπεῖραν ἐπ' αὐτόν, καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτὸν χλαμύδα κοκκίνην περιέθηκαν αὐτῷ, καὶ πλέξαντες στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ κάλαμον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ γονυπετήσαντες ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἐνέπαιζον αὐτῷ λέγοντες· χαῖρε ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐμπτύσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ἔλαβον τὸν κάλαμον, καὶ ἔτυπτον εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. 10.8.79 καὶ ὅτε ἐνέπαιξαν αὐτῷ, ἐξέδυσαν αὐτὸν τὴν χλαμύδα καὶ ἐνέδυσαν αὐτὸν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ σταυρῶσαι», μονονουχὶ ἔργῳ πληροῦντες τὸ «ὅτι ἐκύκλωσάν με κύνες πολλοί, συναγωγὴ πονηρευομένων περιέσχον με», ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ «ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου καὶ πόδας μου, ἐξηρίθμησαν πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου», καὶ ἔτι τὸ «αὐτοὶ δὲ κατενόησαν καὶ ἐπεῖδόν με», καὶ τὸ «διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον» αὖθις ἐπληροῦτο, ὅτε ἥλοις αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας τῷ σταυρῷ κατέπειραν, καὶ ὁπηνίκα τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ λαβόντες διεμερίσαντο ἑαυτοῖς· 10.8.80 ὁ γοῦν Ἰωάννης ἱστορεῖ λέγων· «οἱ οὖν στρατιῶται, ὅτε ἐσταύρωσαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἔλαβον τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐποίησαν τέσσαρα μέρη, ἑκάστῳ στρατιώτῃ μέρος». «τὸν χιτῶνα» δέ, ὅτι «ἄραφος» ἦν, «ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν ὑφαντὸς δι' ὅλου, εἶπον πρὸς ἀλλήλους· μὴ σχίσωμεν αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ λάχωμεν περὶ αὐτοῦ τίνος ἔσται, ἵνα πληρωθῇ ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον». οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται ταῦτα ἐποίουν. 10.8.81 καὶ ὁ Ματθαῖος δὲ τοῖς γεγενημένοις τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον μαρτυρεῖ λέγων· «σταυρώσαντες δὲ αὐτὸν διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ βαλόντες κλῆρον, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον, καὶ καθήμενοι ἐτήρουν αὐτόν». 10.8.82 Κύνες δὲ ἦσαν κυκλοῦντες αὐτὸν καὶ «συναγωγὴ πονηρευομένων», οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς ἄρχοντες τῶν Ἰουδαίων, οἵ τε γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, οἱ καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀνασείσαντες πλῆθος ἐξαιτήσασθαι τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ καθ' ἑαυτῶν καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων. 10.8.83 σαφῶς γοῦν ὁ Ἡσαΐας κύνας αὐτοὺς ἀποκαλεῖ φάσκων· πάντες «κύνες ἐνεοί», οὐ δυνάμενοι «ὑλακτεῖν». δέον γὰρ αὐτούς, εἰ καὶ μὴ ποιμένων τρόπον ἀνειλήφεσαν, ἀλλὰ δίκην γοῦν ἀγαθῶν κυνῶν τὴν τοῦ δεσπότου λογικὴν ποίμνην καὶ «τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ» φυλάττοντας ἐπιστημονικῶς «ὑλακτεῖν», σαίνοντας μὲν καὶ ἐπιγινώσκοντας τὸν ἑαυτῶν δεσπότην καὶ ἀρχιποίμενα πάσῃ τε φυλακῇ τὴν πεπιστευμένην αὐτοῖς ποίμνην φρουροῦντας, ὑλακτεῖν δέ, εἰ ἄρα ..., κατὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐπιβουλευόντων τῇ ποίμνῃ· οἱ δὲ κυνῶν τρόπον ἐνεῶν ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ μεμηνότων τοὺς ὑλαγμοὺς ἔφερον, τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ ποιμένος ἐξαγριοῦντες, ὥστε εἰκότως αὐτοῖς ἁρμόζειν τὸ «περιεκύκλωσάν με κύνες πολλοί, συναγωγὴ πονηρευομένων περιέσχον με». 10.8.84 καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ εἰς δεῦρο τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον ἐκείνοις διαπραττόμενοι ἐν τῷ βλασφημεῖν καὶ ὑλακτεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἂν ἀλλότριοι ἐκείνων λογισθεῖεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δίκην τῶν τότε ἀσεβούντων στρατιωτῶν «ἀνασταυροῦντες τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ παραδειγματίζοντες» οὐκ ἂν τῆς ἐκείνων μακρὰν γένοιντο διαθέσεως. 10.8.85 πάντες οὖν εἰσέτι καὶ νῦν οἱ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, λωβώμενοι, χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ πόδας καὶ προσέτι τὰ ὀστέα διαχειρίζονται, εἴ γε πάντες «ἓν σῶμά ἐσμεν ἐν Χριστῷ, ὁ δὲ καθ' εἷς ἀλλήλων μέλη», καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴποι «ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσίν, χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω», ὡς οὐδὲ ταῖς χερσὶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί. 10.8.86 κατὰ γοῦν τοὺς καιροὺς τῶν διωγμῶν εἴ ποτέ τινα κατὰ τῶν μελῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων ἐνεργοῖτο, εἴποι ἂν καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀκαίρως τὸ «ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου καὶ πόδας μου, ἐξηρίθμησαν πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου· αὐτοὶ δὲ