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1. The female sex is somehow full of feeling, and more prone to pity. I said this so that you might not wonder why Mary was weeping bitterly at the tomb, while Peter experienced nothing of the sort. For the disciples, it says, went away to their own homes, but she stood weeping. For her nature is impressionable, and she did not yet know the doctrine of the resurrection clearly; whereas they, having seen the linen cloths and believed, went away to their own homes, amazed. And why did they not go immediately to Galilee, as had been commanded them before the Passion? Perhaps they were waiting for the rest; and besides, they were still in the height of their amazement. So they went away; but she stood by the place. For it is a great thing for consolation, as I said, even to see a tomb. Do you not see her, in order to get more comfort, even stooping down and wishing to see the place where the body lay? For this reason, then, for this great diligence she received no small reward. For what the disciples did not see, this woman saw first: angels sitting, one at the feet, and the other at the head, in white; and their appearance was full of much brightness and joy. For since the woman's mind was not exalted enough to accept the resurrection from the burial cloths, something more happens, and she beholds angels sitting in bright apparel, so as to lift her for a time from her grief and to comfort her. But they say nothing to her about the resurrection; but she is gently led forward to this doctrine. She saw bright visions, and more than was 59.468 usual; she saw a radiant form; she heard a sympathetic voice. For what does it say? "Woman, why are you weeping?" And through all these things, as if a door were being opened, she was led little by little to the doctrine of the resurrection. And the way they were seated led her to a question; for they indicated that they knew what had happened. For this reason they do not sit together, but are separate from one another. For since it was not likely that she would dare to ask simply, both by their question and by the way they were seated they lead her to conversation. What then does she say? Ardently and with affection: "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." What are you saying? Do you still know nothing of the resurrection, but still imagine a laying away? Do you see how she has not yet accepted a lofty doctrine? And having said these things, she turned back. And what sequence is this, that while speaking to them, and having not yet heard anything from them, she should turn back? It seems to me that, as she was saying these things, Christ suddenly appeared behind her and startled the angels, and that they, upon seeing the Master, immediately showed by their form, their gaze, and their movement that they saw the Lord; and this turned the woman around, and made her turn back. To them, then, he appeared in this way; but to the woman not so, so as not to startle her at first sight, but in a more humble and common form. And it is clear from the fact that she thought him to be the gardener. But one so humble ought not to be brought to lofty things all at once, but gently. Again therefore he asks her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" This showed that he knew what she wanted to ask, 59.469 and led her to an answer. The woman therefore, understanding this, no longer says the name of Jesus, but as if the one asking knew about whom she was inquiring, she says: "If you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Again she speaks of laying and taking away, and carrying, as if speaking about a dead body. But what she implies is this: "If you have taken him from here because of fear of the Jews, tell me, and I will take him." Great is the goodwill and affection of the woman; but there is as yet nothing lofty in her. For this reason, then, he reveals this to her, not by sight, but by voice. For just as to the Jews he was sometimes recognized, and at other times was unseen even when present; so also when speaking, whenever he wished, then he made himself known. For when he said to the Jews, "Whom do you seek?" they recognized neither his appearance nor his voice, until he willed it; which indeed also happened here. And he only called her name,

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αʹ. Περιπαθές πως τὸ γυναικεῖον γένος, καὶ πρὸς οἶκτον ἐπιῤῥεπέστερον. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπον, ἵνα μὴ θαυμάσῃς τί δήποτε Μαρία μὲν πικρῶς ἐθρήνει τῷ τάφῳ, Πέτρος δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔπαθεν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ μαθηταὶ, φησὶν, ἀπῆλθον πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς, ἡ δὲ εἱστήκει δακρύουσα. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ φύσις εὐέμπτωτος, καὶ τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως οὐδέπω σαφῶς ᾔδει λόγον· καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι τὰ ὀθόνια θεασάμενοι καὶ πιστεύσαντες, ἀπῆλθον πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἐκπληττόμενοι. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εὐθέως ἦλθον εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, καθάπερ αὐτοῖς συντέτακτο πρὸ τοῦ πάθους; Ἀνέμενον τοὺς λοιποὺς ἴσως· καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, ἔτι ἐν ἀκμαζούσῃ ἦσαν ἐκπλήξει. Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἀπῆλθον· ἐκείνη δὲ εἱστήκει πρὸς τῷ τόπῳ. Μέγα γὰρ, ὅπερ ἔφην, πρὸς παραμυθίαν καὶ μνῆμα φαινόμενον. Ὁρᾷς γοῦν αὐτὴν, ὥστε πλέον ἀναπαύεσθαι, καὶ παρακύπτουσαν, καὶ βουλομένην τὸν τόπον ἰδεῖν ἔνθα τὸ σῶμα ἔκειτο; ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς πολλῆς ταύτης σπουδῆς μισθὸν ἔλαβεν οὐ μικρόν. Ὃ γὰρ οὐκ εἶδον οἱ μαθηταὶ, τοῦτο εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ πρώτη, καθημένους ἀγγέλους, τὸν μὲν πρὸς ποδῶν, τὸν δὲ πρὸς κεφαλῆς ἐν λευκοῖς· καὶ τὸ σχῆμα φαιδρότητος πολλῆς γέμον καὶ χαρᾶς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ὑψηλὴ τῆς γυναικὸς ἡ διάνοια, ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν σουδαρίων ὑποδέξασθαι τὴν ἀνάστασιν, γίνεταί τι πλέον, καὶ ἀγγέλους θεωρεῖ καθημένους ἐν φαιδρῷ τῷ σχήματι, ὥστε αὐτὴν ἀναστῆσαι τέως τοῦ πάθους ἐντεῦθεν καὶ παραμυθήσασθαι. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτῇ περὶ ἀναστάσεως λέγουσιν· ἀλλ' ἠρέμα προβιβάζεται τῷ δόγματι τούτῳ. Εἶδεν ὄψεις φαιδρὰς, καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ κατὰ τὴν συν 59.468 ήθειαν· εἶδε σχῆμα λαμπρόν· ἤκουσε συμπαθοῦς φωνῆς. Τί γάρ φησι; Γύναι, τί κλαίεις; ∆ιὰ δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων, ὥσπερ θύρας ἀνοιγομένης, κατὰ μικρὸν εἰς τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἤγετο λόγον. Καὶ ὁ τρόπος δὲ τῆς καθέδρας αὐτῶν εἰς ἐρώτησιν αὐτὴν ἦγε· καὶ γὰρ ἐνέφαινον, ὅτι ᾔδεσαν τὸ γεγονός. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ὁμοῦ κάθηνται, ἀλλὰ διεστηκότες ἀλλήλων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ εἰκὸς αὐτὴν τολμῆσαι ἁπλῶς πυθέσθαι, καὶ τῇ ἐρωτήσει καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς καθέδρας ἄγουσιν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ διάλεξιν. Τί οὖν αὕτη; Θερμῶς ἅμα καὶ φιλοστόργως· Ἦραν τὸν Κύριόν μου, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ τεθείκασιν αὐτόν. Τί φῄς; οὐδέπω οὐδὲν περὶ ἀναστάσεως οἶδας, ἀλλ' ἔτι θέσιν φαντάζῃ; Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐδέπω ὑψηλὸν κατεδέξατο δόγμα; Καὶ ταῦτα εἰποῦσα, ἐστράφη εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω. Καὶ ποία αὕτη ἀκολουθία, πρὸς ἐκείνους διαλεγομένην, καὶ μηδέπω μηδὲν ἀκούσασαν παρ' αὐτῶν, στραφῆναι εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, ταῦτα λεγούσης αὐτῆς, ἄφνω φανεὶς ὁ Χριστὸς ὄπισθεν αὐτῆς ἐκπλῆξαι τοὺς ἀγγέλους, κἀκείνους θεασαμένους τὸν ∆εσπότην, καὶ τῷ σχήματι, καὶ τῷ βλέμματι, καὶ τῷ κινήματι εὐθέως ἐμφῆναι, ὅτι τὸν Κύριον εἶδον· καὶ τοῦτο τὴν γυναῖκα ἐπέστρεψε, καὶ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω στραφῆναι ἐποίησεν. Ἐκείνοις μὲν οὖν οὕτως ἐφάνη· τῇ γυναικὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ὥστε αὐτὴν μὴ ἐκ πρώτης ἐκπλῆξαι τῆς ὄψεως, ἀλλ' ἐν εὐτελεστέρῳ καὶ κοινῷ τῷ σχήματι. Καὶ δῆλον ἐξ ὧν καὶ κηπουρὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐνόμιζε. Τὴν δὲ οὕτω ταπεινὴν οὐκ ἔδει ἀθρόον ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἀγαγεῖν, ἀλλ' ἠρέμα. Πάλιν οὖν αὐτὴν ἐρωτᾷ· Γύναι, τί κλαίεις; τίνα ζητεῖς; Τοῦτο ἐνέφηνεν εἰδέναι αὐτὸν, ὃ βούλεται ἐρωτῆσαι, 59.469 καὶ εἰς ἀπόκρισιν ἤγαγε. Τοῦτο οὖν καὶ ἡ γυνὴ συνιεῖσα, οὐκ ἔτι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγει, ἀλλ' ὡς εἰδότος τοῦ ἐρωτῶντος περὶ οὗ πυνθάνεται, φησίν· Εἰ σὺ ἐβάστασας αὐτὸν, εἰπέ μοι ποῦ ἔθηκας, κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἀρῶ. Πάλιν θέσιν καὶ ἄρσιν, καὶ τὸ βαστάσαι, ὡς περὶ νεκροῦ διαλεγομένη, φησίν. Ὃ δὲ ἐμφαίνει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Εἰ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἤρατε αὐτὸν ἐντεῦθεν, εἴπατέ μοι, καὶ ἐγὼ λήψομαι αὐτόν. Πολλὴ ἡ εὔνοια καὶ φιλοστοργία τῆς γυναικός· ὑψηλὸν δὲ οὐδὲν οὐδέπω παρ' αὐτῇ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λοιπὸν προτίθησιν αὐτῇ τοῦτο, οὐ δι' ὄψεως, ἀλλὰ διὰ φωνῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ποτὲ μὲν ἐγνωρίζετο, ποτὲ δὲ ἄδηλος ἦν καὶ παρών· οὕτω καὶ φθεγγόμενος, ἡνίκα ἐβούλετο, τότε γνώριμον ἑαυτὸν ἐποίει. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἔλεγε, Τίνα ζητεῖτε; οὐ τὴν ὄψιν, οὐ τὴν φωνὴν ἐπέγνωσαν, ἕως ἠθέλησεν· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα συνέβη. Καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς μόνον ἐκάλεσεν,