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Basil. For just as one who has bodily nails fixed in himself is rendered inactive, being overcome by the pains; so one who is possessed by the fear of God cannot use his eyes for what he should not, nor move his hands to forbidden deeds, nor do anything at all, small or great, contrary to what is fitting, being pierced, as it were, by a kind of pain at the expectation of the things threatened.

The Theologian. One should not begin with contemplation and end in fear. For unbridled contemplation might perhaps even push one over a cliff; but being instructed by fear and purified and, so to speak, refined, one is lifted up to the heights.

Let us fear one thing only, to fear something more than God. The rustling of leaves frightens hares. And the shadows of things frighten unmanly men.

Chrysostom. Reason will not be able to accomplish as much as fear accomplishes. For the

fear of Gehenna will adorn for us the crown of the kingdom. (864) The devil is the cause of many good things for us, if we should wish it; for fearing his plots, we are sober and remember God. For he who sees the enemy standing by runs to the one who is able to help.

Just as in the house of a soldier who is continually armed, no robber, no burglar, nor any other of those who do such evil deeds will dare to appear; so when fear possesses our souls, none of the base passions easily enters into us.

Didymus. It is not possible for one who truly fears God to have cowardice, since it has been said, "Besides him, fear no other."

Climacus. Just as a ray of the sun, entering a house through a crack, illuminates everything, so that one sees even the finest thing, and the dust flying about; so also the fear of God, arising in the heart with discernment, shows it all its sins.

Severian. The beginning of the salvation of men is the fear of God, and the root of all good things in us is the law of God. Neither is there the law of God without fear, nor fear without the law. For the law has fear as the servant of its commands; and fear has the law as the judge of its ordinances.

Bias. Bias, being asked what in life is fearless, said, "A right conscience."

Epicurus. It is not possible to be without fear while appearing fearsome.

Democritus. One must abstain from sins not because of fear, but because of what is right.

Euripides. Foolish is he who is weak in fear, but having gained a little spirit, thinks great things.

Menander. It seems to me that simplemindedness is shown in understanding all that is necessary, but not guarding against what is necessary.

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Βασιλείου. Ὡς γάρ ὁ ἐμπεπηγότας ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τούς σωματικούς ἥλους, ἀνενέργητός ἐστιν, ὑπό τῶν ὀδύνων κατεχόμενος· οὕτως ὁ τῷ φόβω τοῦ Θεοῦ κατειλημμένος, οὐκ ὀφθαλμῷ χρήσασθαι πρός ἅ μή δεῖ, οὐ χεῖρας κινῆσαι πρός ἀπηγορευμένας πράξεις, οὐχ ὅλως μικρόν ἤ μεῖζον ἐνεργῆσαι παρά τό καθῆκον δύναται, οἷον ὀδύνῃ τινί τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν ἀπειληθέντων συμπεπαρμένος.

Θεολόγου. Οὐκ ἀπό θεωρίας ἀρξαμένους, εἰς φόβον χρή καταλήγειν. Θεωρία γάρ ἀχαλίνωτος, τάχα ἄν καί κατά κρημνῶν ὤσειεν· ἀλλά φόβῳ στοιχειωμένους καί καθαιρομένους, καί, ἵνα οὕτως εἴπω, λεπτυνομένους, εἰς ὕψος αἴρεσθαι.

Ἕν φοβηθῶμεν μόνον, τό φοβηθῆναι Θεοῦ τι πλέον. Φύλλων λαγωούς ἐκφοβοῦσιν οἱ κτύποι. Ἄνδρας δ᾿ ἀνάνδρους αἱ σκιαί τῶν πραγμάτων.

Χρυσοστ. Οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐργάσασθαι δυνήσεται λόγος, ὅσον ἐργάζεται φόβος. Ὁ γάρ

τῆς γεέννης φόβος τόν τῆς βασιλείας ἡμῖν κοσμιεῖ στέφανον. (864) Αἰτία ἡμῖν πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν, εἴ βουλοίμεθα, ὁ διάβολος· δεδοικότες γάρ αὐτοῦ τάς ἐπιβουλάς, μήφομεν καί μεμνήμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁ γάρ ἐφεστῶτα τόν ἐχθρόν ὁρῶν, τῷ δυναμένῳ προστρέχει βοηθεῖν.

Καθάπερ ἐν οἰκίᾳ στρατιώτου διηνεκῶς ὡπλισμένου, οὐ ληστής, οὐ τυχωρύχος, οὐκ ἄλλος τις τῶν τά τοιαῦτα κακουργούντων τολμήσει φανῆναι· οὕτω φόβου κατέχοντος ψυχάς, οὐδέν τῶν ἀνελευθέρων παθῶν ἐπεισέρχεται ῥᾳδίως ἡμῖν.

∆ιδύμου. Οὐ δυνατόν τόν ἀληθῶς φοβούμενον τόν Θεόν δειλίαν ἔχειν, εἰρημένου τοῦ, Πλήν αὐτοῦ μή φοβοῦ ἄλλον.

Κλίμακος. Ὥσπερ ἀκτίς ἡλίου δι᾿ ὀπῆς εἰσελθοῦσα ἐν οἴκῳ πάντα φωτίζει, ὡς καί τό λεπτότατον ὁρᾷν, τόν τε κονιορτόν πετόμενον· οὕτω καί φόβος Θεοῦ μετά διακρίσεως ἐν καρδίᾳ γενόμενος, πάντα αὐτῇ τά ἁμαρτήματα ὑποδείκνυσιν.

Σευηριανοῦ. Ἀρχή σωτηρίας ἀνθρώπων ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος, καί ῥίζα πάντων ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμος. Οὔτε δέ Θεοῦ νόμος ἄνευ φόβου, οὔτε φόβος ἄνευ νόμου. Ὁ μέν γάρ νόμος τῶν ἐπιτεταγμένων ὑπηρέτην ἔχει τόν φόβον· ὁ δέ φόβος τῶν προστεταγμένων δικαστήν ἔχει τόν νόμον.

Βίας. Βίας ἐρωτηθείς, τί ἄν εἴη τῶν κατά τόν βίον ἄφοβον, εἶπεν, Ὀρθή συνείδησις.

Ἐπικούρ. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄφοβον εἶναι, φοβερόν φαινόμενον.

∆ημοκρ. Οὐ διά φόβον, ἀλλά διά τό δέον, ἀπέχεσθαι χρεών ἁμαρτημάτων.

Εὐριπίδου. Ἀσύνετος, ὅστις ἐν φόβῳ μέν ἀσθενής, Λαβών δέ μικρόν τι ψυχῆς φρονεῖ μέγα.

Μενάνδρ. Εὐήθειά μοι φαίνεται δηλουμένη, Τό νοεῖν μέν ὅσα δεῖ, μή φυλάττεσθαι δ᾿ ἅ δεῖ.