284
us to Italy, they delivered both Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion, named Julius, of the Augustan cohort. And embarking on a ship of Adramyttium, being about to sail to the places along Asia, we set sail, Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us. And the next day we put in at Sidon. See how far Aristarchus also accompanies Paul. It is good and useful that Aristarchus is present, being about to report everything in Macedonia. And Julius, treating Paul kindly, permitted him to go to his friends and receive their care. And setting sail from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. He says, Julius permitted him, treating Paul kindly. He does well to permit this, so that he might go to his acquaintances and receive care; for it was likely that he was suffering greatly from the chains, the fear, from being led and carried about. See how he does not hide this either, that he wished to receive care. Again temptations, again contrary winds. See how the life of the saints is woven through all these things; they escaped the tribunal, and they fall into shipwreck and storm; and indicating this, he adds: And having sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came down to Myra of Lycia. And there the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board. Having found an Alexandrian ship, he says. It is found fittingly, so that those might report in Asia the things concerning Paul, and these in Lycia. See how God does not innovate or change anything, but allows him to sail into the unfavorable winds. But even so, he works a miracle. For so that they might sail safely, he did not let them go into the open sea, but they always sailed along the land. And sailing slowly for many days, and having arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone; and coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because the fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, saying: Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, 60.368 not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives. But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the ship-owner than by what was said by Paul. I think he means here the fast of the Jews. For they departed from there after Pentecost after a long time, so as to arrive in the parts of Crete almost in winter itself. And this is no small miracle, that they also were saved on his account. Sirs, I perceive, he says, that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives. Paul therefore ordered them to stay, and foretells the future; but they, being in a hurry, and hindered by the place, wished to winter in Phoenix. 2. And consider the economy; first they hoisted the boat and were departing, then when the wind fell upon them, they gave way to what was carrying them, and were with difficulty saved. And since the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, the majority decided to set sail from there, if somehow they might be able to reach Phoenix and winter there, a harbor of Crete looking toward the southwest and toward the northwest. And when a south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, having set out from Assos, they sailed along Crete. But not long after, a tempestuous wind struck down from it, the one called Euroclydon; and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way and were driven. And running under the lee of a certain small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to secure the boat; which having taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and fearing lest they should fall into the Syrtis, they lowered the sails and so were driven. And as we were violently storm-tossed, the next day they began to throw cargo overboard;
284
ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν, παρεδίδουν τόν τε Παῦλον καί τινας ἑτέρους δεσμώτας ἑκατοντάρχῃ, ὀνόματι Ἰουλίῳ, σπείρας Σεβαστῆς. Ἐπιβάντες δὲ πλοίῳ Ἀδραμυτηνῷ, μέλλοντες πλεῖν τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τόπους, ἀνήχθημεν, ὄντος σὺν ἡμῖν Ἀριστάρχου Μακεδόνος Θεσσαλονικέως. Τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ κατήχθημεν εἰς Σιδῶνα. Ὅρα μέχρι ποῦ συνέρχεται τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ Ἀρίσταρχος. Καλῶς καὶ χρησίμως πάρεστιν ὁ Ἀρίσταρχος, μέλλων ἅπαντα ἀπαγγέλλειν εἰς Μακεδονίαν. Φιλανθρώπως τε ὁ Ἰούλιος τῷ Παύλῳ χρησάμενος, ἐπέτρεψε πρὸς τοὺς φίλους πορευθέντα ἐπιμελείας τυχεῖν. Κἀκεῖθεν ἀναχθέντες ὑπεπλεύσαμεν τὴν Κύπρον διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἀνέμους εἶναι ἐναντίους. Ἐπέτρεψε, φησὶ, Ἰούλιος, φιλανθρώπως τῷ Παύλῳ χρησάμενος. Καλῶς ποιῶν τοῦτο ἐπιτρέπει, ὥστε ἐπιμελείας τυχεῖν ἀπελθόντα παρὰ τοὺς γνωρίμους· εἰκὸς γὰρ ἦν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ πολλῆς κακώσεως εἶναι τῶν δεσμῶν, τοῦ φόβου, τοῦ ἄγεσθαι καὶ φέρεσθαι. Ὅρα πῶς οὐδὲ τοῦτο κρύπτει, ὅτι ἐβούλετο ἐπιμελείας τυχεῖν. Πάλιν πειρασμοὶ, πάλιν ἄνεμοι ἐναντίοι. Ὅρα διὰ πάντων οὕτω τὸν βίον τῶν ἁγίων ὑφαινόμενον· ἐξέφυγον τὸ δικαστήριον, καὶ περιπίπτουσι ναυαγίῳ καὶ χειμῶνι· ὃ καὶ δηλῶν, ἐπάγει· Τό τε πέλαγος τὸ κατὰ τὴν Κιλικίαν καὶ Παμφυλίαν διαπλεύσαντες, κατήλθομεν εἰς Μύρα τῆς Λυκίας. Κἀκεῖ εὑρὼν ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος πλοῖον Ἀλεξανδρῖνον πλέον εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν, ἀνεβίβασεν ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτό. Εὑρὼν πλοῖον, φησὶν, Ἀλεξανδρῖνον. Εἰκότως εὑρίσκεται, ὥστε κἀκείνους ἀπαγγεῖλαι εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τούτους εἰς τὴν Λυκίαν. Ὅρα τὸν Θεὸν οὐδὲν καινίζοντα οὐδὲ μεταβάλλοντα, ἀλλὰ ἀφιέντα αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀνέμους τοὺς ἀνεπιτηδείους πλεῖν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω θαῦμα ἐργάζεται. Ὥστε γὰρ ἀσφαλῶς πλεῖν, οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς πέλαγος, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ παρὰ γῆν ἔπλεον. Ἐν ἱκαναῖς δὲ ἡμέραις βραδυπλοοῦντες, καὶ μόλις γενόμενοι κατὰ τὴν Κνίδον, μὴ προσεῶντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἀνέμου, ὑπεπλεύσαμεν τὴν Κρήτην κατὰ Σαλμώνην· μόλις τε παραλεγόμενοι αὐτὴν, ἤλθομεν εἰς τόπον τινὰ καλούμενον Καλοὺς λιμένας, ᾧ ἐγγὺς ἦν πόλις Λασαία. Ἱκανοῦ δὲ χρόνου διαγενομένου, καὶ ὄντος ἤδη τοῦ πλοὸς ἐπισφαλοῦς διὰ τὸ καὶ τὴν νηστείαν ἤδη παρεληλυθέναι, παρῄνει ὁ Παῦλος, αὐτοῖς λέγων· Ἄνδρες, θεωρῶ, ὅτι μετὰ ὕβρεως καὶ πολλῆς ζημίας 60.368 οὐ μόνον τοῦ φορτίου καὶ τοῦ πλοίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν. Ὁ δὲ ἑκατόνταρχος τῷ κυβερνήτῃ καὶ τῷ ναυκλήρῳ ἐπείθετο μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου λεγομένοις. Τὴν νηστείαν ἐνταῦθα τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων λέγειν ἡγοῦμαι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν ἐξῆλθον ἐκεῖθεν μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον, ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ σχεδὸν τῷ χειμῶνι παραγενέσθαι εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Κρήτης. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μικρὸν θαῦμα, τὸ διασωθῆναι δι' αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκείνους. Ἄνδρες, θεωρῶ, ὅτι μετὰ ὕβρεως καὶ πολλῆς ζημίας, φησὶν, οὐ μόνον τοῦ φορτίου καὶ τοῦ πλοίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Παῦλος ἐκέλευσε μένειν, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα προλέγει· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐπειγόμενοι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ τόπου κωλυόμενοι, ἤθελον εἰς Φοίνικα παραχειμάσαι. βʹ. Καὶ σκόπει τὴν οἰκονομίαν· πρῶτον μὲν ἦραν τὸ σκάφος καὶ ἐξήρχοντο, ἔπειτα ὡς ἐνέπεσεν ἄνεμος, ἐδίδουν τῷ φέροντι, καὶ μόλις ἐσώζοντο. Ἀνευθέτου δὲ τοῦ λιμένος ὑπάρχοντος πρὸς παραχειμασίαν, οἱ πλείους ἔθεντο βουλὴν ἀναχθῆναι ἐκεῖθεν, εἴ πως δύναιντο καταντήσαντες εἰς Φοίνικα παραχειμάσαι, λιμένα τῆς Κρήτης βλέποντα κατὰ λίβα καὶ κατὰ Χῶρον. Ὑποπνεύσαντος δὲ νότου, δόξαντες τῆς προθέσεως κεκρατηκέναι, ἄραντες Ἄσσον, παρελέγοντο τὴν Κρήτην. Μετ' οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἔβαλε κατ' αὐτὴν ἄνεμος τυφωνικὸς, ὁ καλούμενος Εὐροκλύδων· συναρπασθέντος δὲ τοῦ πλοίου καὶ μὴ δυναμένου ἀντοφθαλμεῖν τῷ ἀνέμῳ, ἐπιδόντες ἐφερόμεθα. Νησίον δέ τι ὑποδραμόντες καλούμενον Κλαύδην, μόλις ἰσχύσαμεν περικρατεῖς γενέσθαι τῆς σκάφης· ἣν ἄραντες, βοηθείαις ἐχρῶντο ὑποζωννύντες τὸ πλοῖον· φοβούμενοί τε μὴ εἰς τὴν Σύρτιν ἐκπέσωσι, χαλάσαντες τὰ ἱστία οὕτως ἐφέροντο. Σφοδρῶς δὲ χειμαζομένων ἡμῶν, τῇ ἑξῆς ἐκβολὴν ἐποιοῦντο·