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has been begotten. And he has nothing by addition. So when you hear, “As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life,” think of nothing other than the generation; and likewise for the other things. “And for this I came, that I might bear witness to the truth”; that is, that I might say this very thing, and teach, and persuade all. 5. But you, O man, hearing these things, and seeing your Master bound and led about, consider present things to be nothing. For how is it not absurd, if Christ endured so much for you, while you often cannot even bear words? But He is spit upon, while you adorn yourself with clothes and rings, and if you do not receive praise from all, you consider life unlivable. And He is reproached, bears jests, mocking blows on the jaw; but you want to be honored everywhere, and you do not bear the reproach of Christ. Do you not hear Paul saying, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”? Therefore, when someone mocks you, remember your Master, that they bowed to Him with scorn, and tore Him apart with words and with deeds, and showed great irony; but He not only did not defend Himself, but even repaid them with the opposite, with meekness and gentleness. Let us then emulate Him; for thus we will be able to be freed from all insolence. For it is not the one who insults, but the one who is small-souled and is pained by the insults, who creates the insults, 59.454 and makes them sting. For if you are not pained, you have not been insulted. For the suffering of terrible things comes not from those who do them, but from those who suffer them. For why are you pained at all? If he insulted you unjustly, for this reason especially you should not be angry, but pity him; but if justly, much more should you be quiet. For just as if someone called a poor man rich, the praise spoken is nothing to you, but the encomium is rather a mockery; so if, insulting you, he says things that are not true, the reproach is again nothing to you. But if your conscience is convicted by what is said, do not be pained by the words, but correct your actions. And I say these things about true insults. For if he reproaches poverty and low birth, it is again ridiculous. For these things are not a reproach to the one who hears them, but to the one who says them, as he does not know how to be a philosopher. “But when these things are said in front of many,” he says, “who do not know the truth, the wound becomes unbearable.” This is most bearable, when you have a theater of witnesses present who praise you, approve, mock him, and ridicule him. For it is not the one who defends himself, but the one who says nothing, who is admirable among those who have sense. But if no one present has sense, for this reason especially laugh at him, and delight in the theater of heaven. For there all will praise you and applaud you and approve of you. And one angel is enough instead of the whole world. And why do I speak of angels, when the Master Himself will proclaim you? Let us train ourselves with these reasonings. For it is not a fault to be silent when insulted, but on the contrary, to defend oneself when insulted. For if it were a fault to bear in silence what is said, Christ would not have said, “If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” If then he says things that are not true, for this reason let us pity him, because he draws upon himself the punishment and vengeance of accusers, not even becoming worthy to read the Scriptures. For to the sinner God says, “Why do you declare My statutes, and take My covenant in your mouth?” “You sit and speak against your brother.” But if he says things that are true, he is still pitiful. For the Pharisee also said things that were true; but he harmed the one who heard him in no way, but even benefited him; but he deprived himself of countless good things, suffering shipwreck from this accusation. So from both sides he is the one who is wronged, not you. But you, if you are sober, will gain doubly, both propitiating God by your silence, and being more greatly humbled, and taking an opportunity from what was said to correct what you have done, and to despise human glory. For from this our pain has arisen, that many to the of

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γεγέννηται. καὶ οὐδὲν προσλαβὼν ἔχει. Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι Καθὼς ὁ Πατὴρ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως ἔδωκε καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ ζωὴν ἔχειν, μηδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τὴν γέννησιν νόμιζε· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁμοίως. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον, ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· τουτέστιν, Ἵνα τοῦτο αὐτὸ εἴπω, καὶ διδάξω, καὶ πείσω πάντας. εʹ. Σὺ δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούων, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ ὁρῶν τὸν ∆εσπότην σου δεδεμένον καὶ περιαγόμενον, μηδὲν εἶναι τὰ παρόντα πράγματα νόμιζε. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς τοσαῦτα ὑπέμεινε διὰ σέ· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ ῥήματα πολλάκις φέρεις; Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς μὲν ἐμπτύεται, σὺ δὲ καλλωπίζῃ ἱματίοις καὶ δακτυλίοις, κἂν μὴ τῆς παρὰ πάντων εὐφημίας τύχῃς, ἀβίωτον εἶναι νομίζεις τὸν βίον. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν ὀνειδίζεται, σκώμματα φέρει, πληγὰς καταγελάστους κατὰ τῆς σιαγόνος· σὺ δὲ πανταχοῦ τιμᾶσθαι βούλει, καὶ οὐ φέρεις τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐκ ἀκούεις Παύλου λέγοντος· Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ; Ὅταν οὖν σέ τις κωμῳδήσῃ, μνήσθητί σου τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ὅτι μετὰ χλεύης αὐτῷ προσεκύνουν, καὶ διὰ ῥημάτων, καὶ διὰ πραγμάτων διέσυρον, καὶ εἰρωνείαν πολλὴν ἐπεδείκνυντο· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἠμύνατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἠμείψατο, πραότητι καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ. Τοῦτον δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ζηλώσωμεν· οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα καὶ ὕβρεως ἀπαλλαγῆναι πάσης. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ὑβρίζων, ἀλλ' ὁ μικροψυχῶν καὶ ἀλγῶν ταῖς ὕβρεσιν. ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ κατασκευάζων τὰς ὕβρεις, 59.454 καὶ δάκνειν ποιῶν. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ ἀλγήσῃς, οὐχ ὑβρίσθης. Οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τοὺς ποιοῦντας, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοὺς πάσχοντας γίνεται τὸ τὰ δεινὰ πάσχειν. Τί γὰρ ὅλως ἀλγεῖς; Εἰ μὲν ἀδίκως ὕβρισε, ταύτῃ μάλιστα ἀγανακτεῖν οὐ χρὴ, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον ἐλεεῖν· εἰ δὲ δικαίως, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡσυχάζειν χρή. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ πένητα ὄντα πλούσιον προσεῖπέ τις, οὐδὲν πρὸς σὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ὁ ἔπαινος, ἀλλὰ χλευασία μᾶλλον τὸ ἐγκώμιον· οὕτως ἂν ὑβρίζων τὰ μὴ ὄντα εἴπῃ, οὐδὲν πρὸς σὲ πάλιν τὸ ὄνειδος. Εἰ δὲ ἐπιλαμβάνεται τὸ συνειδὸς τῶν εἰρημένων, μὴ ἀλγήσῃς τοῖς ῥήμασιν, ἀλλὰ διόρθωσον τοῖς πράγμασι. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω ἐπὶ τῶν ἀληθῶς ὕβρεων. Ἐπεὶ, ἂν πενίαν ὀνειδίζῃ καὶ δυσγένειαν, καταγέλαστον πάλιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὄνειδος ταῦτα τοῦ ἀκούοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ λέγοντος, ἅτε οὐκ εἰδότος φιλοσοφεῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐπὶ πολλῶν ταῦτα λέγηται, φησὶν, ἀγνοούντων τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀφόρητον γίνεται τὸ ἕλκος. Τοῦτο μὲν μάλιστά ἐστι φορητὸν, ὅταν σοι θέατρον παρῇ μαρτύρων ἐπαινούντων, ἀποδεχομένων, σκωπτόντων ἐκεῖνον, κωμῳδούντων. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἀμυνόμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ μηδὲν εἰπὼν, οὗτος θαυμαστὸς παρὰ τοῖς νοῦν ἔχουσιν. Ἂν δὲ μηδεὶς ᾖ νοῦν ἔχων τῶν παρόντων, ταύτῃ μάλιστα αὐτὸν καταγέλασον, καὶ ἐντρύφησον τῷ θεάτρῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Ἐκεῖ γάρ σε πάντες ἐπαινέσονται καὶ κροτήσουσι καὶ ἀποδέξονται. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ εἷς ἄγγελος ἀντὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης. Καὶ τί λέγω τοὺς ἀγγέλους, ὁπότε αὐτός σε ὁ ∆εσπότης ἀνακηρύξει; Τούτοις τοῖς λογισμοῖς γυμνάζωμεν ἑαυτούς. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐλάττωμα ὑβρισθέντα σιγῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον, ὑβρισθέντα ἀμύνασθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἐλάττωμα ἦν τὸ φέρειν σιγῇ τὰ λεγόμενα, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν ὁ Χριστός· Ἐάν τίς σε ῥαπίσῃ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην. Ἂν μὲν οὖν τὰ μὴ ὄντα λέγῃ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἐλεῶμεν, ὅτι τὴν τῶν κατηγορούντων ἐπισπᾶται κόλασιν καὶ τιμωρίαν, οὐδὲ Γραφὰς ἀναγινώσκειν γινόμενος ἄξιος. Τῷ γὰρ ἁμαρτωλῷ φησιν ὁ Θεὸς, Ἱνατί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου; Καθήμενος κατὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου κατελάλεις. Ἂν δὲ τὰ ὄντα εἴπῃ, καὶ οὕτως ἐλεεινός. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Φαρισαῖος τὰ ὄντα ἔλεγεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος τὸν μὲν ἀκούοντα ἔβλαψεν οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφέλησεν· ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἀπεστέρησε μυρίων ἀγαθῶν, ναυάγιον ἀπὸ τῆς κατηγορίας ὑπομείνας ταύτης. Ὥστε ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ ἀδικούμενος, οὐ σύ. Σὺ δὲ, ἂν νήφῃς, διπλᾶ κερδανεῖς, τό τε ἐξιλεοῦσθαι τὸν Θεὸν τῇ σιγῇ, καὶ τὸ μετριάζειν μειζόνως, καὶ ἀφορμὴν λαμβάνειν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων διορθοῦσθαι τὰ πεπραγμένα, καὶ τὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ὑπερορᾷν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν τὸ ἄλγος ἐγένετο, ὅτι πολλοὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν