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but they command to punish the innocent; for this has been their law from of old. But you, consider in all these things the loving-kindness of the Master. Pilate scourged him, perhaps wishing to release him and to appease the zeal of the Jews. For since he was not able to release him by his previous attempts, hastening to stop the terrible deed at this point, he both scourged him, and allowed what was done to be done, 59.456 for the cloak and the crown to be put on him, so as to relax their anger. For this reason he also brought him out to them wearing the crown, so that seeing the insult done to him, they might breathe a little from their passion and vomit out their poison. And how were the soldiers doing these things, if it were not the command of the governor? For the favor of the Jews; since not even at the beginning did they enter by night when commanded by him, but to gratify the Jews, they dared all things for the sake of money. But nevertheless, when so many and such great things were happening, he himself stood silent; which indeed he also did at the examination, and answered nothing. But you, do not only hear these things, but also keep them continually in your mind, and seeing the king of the world and of all the angels being mocked by soldiers, through words, through deeds, and bearing all things in silence, imitate him through your actions. For since Pilate had said, “The king of the Jews,” they then put on him the guise of mockery. Then bringing him out, he says, “I find no fault in him.” So he went out wearing the crown, and not even so was their anger quenched, but they were shouting, “Crucify, crucify him.” Pilate therefore, seeing that everything was happening in vain, says, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him.” From which it is clear, that he also allowed the former things because of their madness. For I, he says, find no fault in him. 2. See through how many things the judge defends himself, continually acquitting him of charges; but none of these things turned back the dogs. For the “Take and crucify,” is of one washing his hands of the matter, and pushing them to a deed not permitted to them. They therefore brought him, so that this might happen with the judgment of the governor; but the opposite happened, that he was rather acquitted by the judgment of the governor. Then, since they were shamed, “We have a law,” they say, “and according to our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” How then, when the judge said, “Take him, and judge him according to your law,” did you say, “It is not lawful for us to kill anyone;” but here you take refuge in the law? And consider the accusation. “He made himself the Son of God.” Is this a crime, tell me, that one who does the things of the Son of God says that he is the Son of God? What then of Christ? And while they were discussing these things with one another, he was silent, fulfilling that prophecy, “He does not open his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away.” Then Pilate is afraid, having heard from them that he made himself the Son of God, and he fears lest what was said be true, and he might seem to be acting unlawfully; but they, having learned this through deeds and words, have not shuddered, but they kill him, for things for which they should have worshipped. For this reason he no longer asks him, “What have you done?” but again from the beginning, being shaken by fear, he conducts the examination, saying, “Are you the Christ?” But he did not answer. For he who had heard, “For this I was born, and for this I came,” and, “My kingdom is not from here,” and who ought to have resisted and released him, did not do this, but followed the Jewish impulse. Then they, being silenced 59.457 from all sides, bring the charge to a public crime, saying, “He who makes himself a king, speaks against Caesar.” It was necessary therefore to examine this with accuracy, if indeed he had attempted a tyranny, and tried to cast Caesar out of his kingdom. But he does not conduct the examination with accuracy. For this reason he answered him nothing, since he knew that he was asking everything in vain. And besides, since his works bore witness to him, he did not wish to conquer by word and compose a defense, showing that he comes to this willingly. Since therefore he was silent, he says

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δὲ ἀνεύθυνον κολάσαι κελεύουσιν· οὗτος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἄνωθεν ὁ νόμος. Σὺ δὲ διὰ πάντων σκόπει τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ἐμάστιξεν αὐτὸν ὁ Πιλᾶτος, τάχα ἐκλῦσαι βουλόμενος καὶ παραμυθήσασθαι τὸν Ἰουδαϊκὸν ζῆλον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῖς προτέροις οὐκ ἴσχυσεν αὐτὸν ἐξελέσθαι, σπεύδων μέχρι τούτου τὸ δεινὸν στῆσαι, καὶ ἐμάστιξε, καὶ γενέσθαι τὰ γενόμενα συνεχώρησε, 59.456 τὴν χλαμύδα καὶ τὸν στέφανον περιτεθῆναι, ὥστε αὐτῶν χαλάσαι τὴν ὀργήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐστεφανωμένον ἐξήγαγε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἵνα τὴν ὕβριν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν γεγενημένην ἰδόντες, μικρὸν ἀναπνεύσωσι τοῦ πάθους καὶ ἐμέσωσι τὸν ἰόν. Καὶ πῶς οἱ στρατιῶται ταῦτα ἐποίουν, εἴ γε μὴ ἐπίταγμα τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἦν; Εἰς χάριν τὴν Ἰουδαϊκήν· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν παρ' ἐκείνου κελευσθέντες εἰσῆλθον νυκτὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις χαριζόμενοι, χρημάτων ἕνεκεν πάντα ἐτόλμων. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσούτων καὶ τηλικούτων γενομένων αὐτὸς εἱστήκει σιγῶν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐξετάσεως ἐποίησε, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο. Σὺ δὲ μὴ μόνον ἄκουε ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας ἔχε διηνεκῶς, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς οἰκουμένης καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων πάντων ὁρῶν χλευαζόμενον ὑπὸ στρατιωτῶν, διὰ ῥημάτων, διὰ πραγμάτων, καὶ πάντα φέροντα σιγῇ, μιμοῦ διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ σχῆμα αὐτῷ χλευασίας λοιπὸν περιτιθέασιν. Εἶτα ἐξαγαγὼν αὐτὸν, φησί· Οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν εὑρίσκω κατ' αὐτοῦ. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ἔχων τὸν στέφανον, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐσβέσθη ἡ ὀργὴ, ἀλλ' ἐβόων· Σταύρωσον, σταύρωσον αὐτόν. Ἰδὼν τοίνυν ὁ Πιλᾶτος εἰκῆ πάντα γινόμενα, φησίν· Λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς, καὶ σταυρώσατε. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ τὰ πρότερα διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων συνεχώρησε μανίαν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν εὑρίσκω κατ' αὐτοῦ. βʹ. Ὅρα διὰ πόσων ὁ δικαστὴς ἀπολογεῖται, συνεχῶς αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάττων ἐγκλημάτων· ἀλλὰ τοὺς κύνας οὐδὲν τούτων ἐνέτρεψε. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ, Λάβετε καὶ σταυρώσατε, ἀφοσιουμένου ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐπὶ πρᾶγμα οὐ συγκεχωρημένον αὐτοῖς ὠθοῦντος. Αὐτοὶ μὲν οὖν ἤγαγον αὐτὸν, ἵνα μετὰ τῆς τοῦ ἄρχοντος κρίσεως τοῦτο γένηται· συνέβη δὲ τοὐναντίον, ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τοῦ ἄρχοντος αὐτὸν ἀπολύεσθαι μᾶλλον. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ κατῃσχύνθησαν, Ἡμεῖς νόμον ἔχομεν, φησὶ, καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἡμῶν ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν, ὅτι Υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτόν. Πῶς οὖν, εἰπόντος τοῦ δικαστοῦ, Λάβετε αὐτὸν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑμῶν κρίνατε, ἐλέγετε· Οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ἀποκτεῖναι οὐδένα· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν νόμον καταφεύγετε; Καὶ σκόπει τὴν κατηγορίαν. Υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτόν. Τοῦτο ἔγκλημα, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ τὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ πράττοντα λέγειν αὐτὸν εἶναι Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαλεγομένων αὐτῶν ἐσίγα, πληρῶν τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκεῖνο, Οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη. Εἶτα Πιλᾶτος μὲν φοβεῖται, παρ' αὐτῶν ἀκούσας ὅτι Υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ δέδοικε μήποτε ᾖ ἀληθὲς τὸ λεγόμενον, καὶ δόξῃ παρανομεῖν· αὐτοὶ δὲ διὰ πραγμάτων καὶ ῥημάτων τοῦτο μαθόντες οὐ πεφρίκασιν, ἀλλ' ἀναιροῦσιν αὐτὸν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐχρῆν προσκυνεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτι αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾷ, Τί ἐποίησας; ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν πάλιν ὑπὸ τοῦ φόβου κατασειόμενος ποιεῖται τὴν ἐξέτασιν, λέγων· Εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο. Ὁ γὰρ ἀκούσας, ὅτι Εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἦλθον, καὶ, ὅτι Ἡ βασιλεία μου οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν, καὶ ὀφείλων ἀντιστῆναι καὶ ἐξελέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἠκολούθησε δὲ τῇ Ἰουδαϊκῇ ὁρμῇ. Εἶτα ἐκεῖνοι πάντοθεν ἐπιστομιζό 59.457 μενοι, ἐπὶ δημόσιον ἔγκλημα τὸν λόγον ἐξάγουσι, λέγοντες· Ὁ ποιῶν ἑαυτὸν βασιλέα, ἀντιλέγει τῷ Καίσαρι. Ἐχρῆν οὖν τοῦτο ἐξετάσαι μετὰ ἀκριβείας, εἴ γε τυραννίδι ἐπέθετο, καὶ τὸν Καίσαρα τῆς βασιλείας ἐκβαλεῖν ἐπεχείρησεν. Ἀλλ' οὐ ποιεῖται τὴν ἐξέτασιν μετὰ ἀκριβείας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν αὐτῷ ἀπεκρίνατο, ἐπειδὴ ᾔδει εἰκῆ πάντα ἐρωτῶντα. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, τῶν ἔργων μαρτυρούντων αὐτῷ, οὐκ ἐβούλετο διὰ λόγου νικᾷν καὶ ἀπολογίαν συντιθέναι, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἑκὼν ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἔρχεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐσίγησε, φησὶν