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and to the cattle and for the servitude of men has been given. But he made no mention in these things of either wild beasts or of reptiles, because they use a different kind of food; for some are carnivorous, while the reptiles use the earth itself as food. But observe how the argument goes around in a circle, passing over the clearer points, but dwelling on those that are contradicted by the many, and not departing from the irrational animals, and their usefulness and their service. And he does this for these two reasons: first, that he might abundantly silence the shamelessness of those who say that there is something superfluous and useless in the world; and second, that he might show how great is God’s care for men, seeing that He takes so much account of the things that were made for their sake. What could be equal to this care, when He thus feeds even the things that serve us, and does not permit them to labor for everything? For He neither abandoned man, nor does He weigh him down with toils, diversifying his salvation. Here it is good to say to him who enslaves his fellow men: the one servitude of men is the irrational animals; but you disregard these. Therefore, having split the nature of servitude and lordship, you have made it serve itself and rule itself. Who is it that sells the one who is in the likeness of God and ruler of all the earth? Who is it that buys? Only God has the power to do this, or rather, not even God Himself; for His gifts are irrevocable. But if God does not enslave the free, who is it that sets his own power above God's? But it is enough to serve the free, and for the difference to be so great, that of the same dust one part should rule, and the other be ruled. But let not the yoke be heavy, nor the penalty of our first sin. And in these, his discourses which are supernatural and most lofty mountains, he makes grass to grow; which the more irrational are able to take as food. And the grass on these mountains is the discourse concerning sensible things and the letter of Scripture; but also the more ethical, of which the many will be able to partake, each of such saying: The Lord shepherds me, and I shall want nothing; He has made me dwell in a place of green pasture; He has nourished me by the water of rest. But having once transcended such a state, no longer being in the servitude of men, but having become men, each will say again: You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my 23.1277 afflictors; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup which inebriates is very strong. And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days. To bring forth bread from the earth, and wine gladdens the heart of man; to make his face cheerful with oil, and bread strengthens the heart of man. It is worthwhile to ask here for what reason David, after saying, who makes grass to grow for the cattle, added: To bring forth bread from the earth, that is, made from grain. What is it that he wishes to intimate? That the same seed becomes a common food for both irrational animals and men, but not in the same way. And this too is of the wisdom of God. For consider: grain is sown, and for a time it is food for men only; but when it sprouts, it comes up having also the food of irrational animals. For just as the animals received their being for our sake, so also their food has its origin from our food. For the green grass was made previously for this reason, that it might preserve the grain. Do you see then that the irrational animals not only serve us, but also that the food of the irrational animals serves our food, and again in its order imitates this very same thing. For just as first there were irrational animals, and then man, because the irrational animals were for man's sake; so also first green grass, and then grain in the sprouting, because the green grass is for the grain's sake. And wine gladdens the heart of man. Not all, or only that which has its origin from Him who said: I am the true vine. But since all sensible things are called earth on account of their material nature, to

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καὶ τοῖς κτήνεσι καὶ τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δεδόσθαι. Οὔτε δὲ θηρίων ἐν τούτοις, οὔτε ἑρπετῶν ἐμνημόνευσε, διὰ τὸ ἑτέρᾳ κεχρῆσθαι ταῦτα τροφῇ· τὰ μὲν γάρ ἐστι σαρκοβόρα· τὰ δὲ ἑρπετὰ, αὐτῇ τῇ γῇ κέχρηται τροφῇ Ὅρα δὲ κύκλῳ περιϊόντα τὸν λόγον καὶ τὰ σαφέστερα παρατρέχοντα, ἐμφιλοχωροῦντα δὲ τοῖς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἀντιλεγομένοις, καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων οὐκ ἀφιστάμενον, καὶ τῆς χρείας αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς ὑπηρεσίας. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο διὰ δύο ταῦτα· δι' ἓν μὲν, ἵνα ἐκ περιουσίας ἐπιστομίσῃ τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν τῶν λεγόντων εἶναί τι περιττὸν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἄχρηστον· δι' ἕτερον δὲ, ἵνα δείξῃ ὅση τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ κηδεμονία, ὅπου γε τῶν δι' ἐκείνους γενομένων τοσοῦτον ποιεῖται λόγον. Τί ταύτης ἶσον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς κηδεμονίας, ὅταν καὶ τὰ δουλεύοντα ἡμῖν οὕτω τρέφῃ, καὶ μὴ συγχωρῇ πονεῖσθαι περὶ πάντα; Οὔτε γὰρ εἴασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὔτε βαρύνει τοῖς πόνοις αὐτὸν, ποικίλλων αὐτοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν. Ἐνταῦθα καλὸν εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὸν τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς καταδουλούμενον· μία δουλεία τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ ἄλογα· σὺ δὲ ταῦτα ὀλιγωρεῖς· διὸ τὴν φύσιν δουλείας καὶ κυριότητος σχίσας αὐτὴν ἑαυτῇ δουλεύειν καὶ ἑαυτῇ κυριεύειν ἐποίησας. Τὸν καθ' ὁμοιότητα Θεοῦ ὄντα καὶ πάσης γῆς ἄρχοντα τίς ὁ ἀπεμπολῶν; τίς ὁ ὠνούμενος; μόνου Θεοῦ τὸ δυνηθῆναι τοῦτο, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀμεταμέλητα γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ χαρίσματα. Εἰ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς οὐ δουλοῖ τὸ ἐλεύθερον, τίς ὁ ὑπερτιθεὶς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δυναστείαν; Πλὴν ἀρκεῖ δουλεύειν τοῖς ἐλευθέροις, καὶ τοσοῦτον εἶναι τὸ διάφορον, ὥστε τοῦ αὐτοῦ χοὸς τὸ μὲν κρατεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἄρχεσθαι. Μὴ βαρυνέσθω δὲ ὁ ζυγὸς, μηδὲ τῆς πρώτης ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίας τὸ ἐπιτίμιον. Ἐξανατέλλει δὲ ἐν τούτοις ὑπερφυέσι καὶ ὑψηλοτάτοις λόγοις αὐτοῦ ὄρεσιν οὖσι χόρτον· ὃν φέρεσθαι τροφὴν οἷοί τέ εἰσιν οἱ ἀλογώτεροι. Ἔστι δὲ ὁ ἐν τούτοις τοῖς ὄρεσι χόρτος ὁ περὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν λόγος καὶ τὸ γράμμα τῆς Γραφῆς· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἠθικώτερος, οὗ μεταλαβεῖν καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ δυνήσονται, ἑκάστου τῶν τοιούτων λέγοντος· Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει· εἰς τόπον χλόης ἐκεῖ με κατεσκήνωσεν· ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεως ἐξέθρεψέ με. Ὑπερβάντες δέ ποτε τὴν τοιαύτην κατάστασιν, οὐκέτι ἐν δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὄντες, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωποι γεγενημένοι, ἐροῦσι πάλιν ἕκαστος· Ἡτοίμασας ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν ἐξεναντίας τῶν θλι 23.1277 βόντων με· ἐλίπανας ἐν ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου, καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν μου μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον. Καὶ τὸ ἔλεός σου καταδιώξεταί με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου, καὶ τὸ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν. Τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἶνος εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου· τοῦ ἱλαρῦναι πρόσωπον ἐν ἐλαίῳ, καὶ ἄρτος καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου στηρίζει. Ἄξιον ἐνταῦθα ζητῆσαι τίνος χάριν εἰπὼν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ὁ ἐξανατέλλων χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσιν, ἐπήγαγε· Τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ἀπὸ τοῦ σίτου δηλαδὴ κατασκευαζόμενον. Τί ποτέ ἐστιν ὅπερ αἰνίξασθαι βούλεται; Ὅτι τὸ αὐτὸ σπέρμα κοινὴ γίνεται ἐδωδὴ καὶ ἀλόγοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις, οὐ κατὰ τὸ αὐτό. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας. Σκόπει δέ· Καταβάλλεται σῖτος, τέως μὲν ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ τροφὴ μόνον· ἐπειδὰν δὲ βλαστάνῃ, ἄνεισι καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων ἔχων τροφήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι δι' ἡμᾶς ἔλαβε τὰ ζῶα, οὕτω καὶ ἡ τροφὴ αὐτῶν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας τροφῆς ἔχει τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἡ γὰρ χλόη διὰ τοῦτο προηγουμένως γέγονεν, ἵνα τὸν σῖτον διατηρῇ. Εἶδες οὖν τὰ ἄλογα οὐ μόνον ἡμῖν δουλεύοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τροφὴν τῶν ἀλόγων τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ τροφῇ ὑπηρετουμένην, καὶ τῇ τάξει πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μιμουμένην. Ὥσπερ γὰρ πρότερον ἄλογα, καὶ τότε ἄνθρωπος, ἐπειδὴ διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὰ ἄλογα· οὕτω καὶ πρῶτον χλόη, καὶ τότε σῖτος ἐν τῇ βλάστῃ, ἐπειδὴ διὰ τὸν σῖτον ἡ χλόη. Καὶ οἶνος εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου. Οὐ πᾶς, ἢ μόνος ὁ τὴν γένεσιν ἔχων ἐκ τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ πάντα γῆ διὰ τὸ ὑλικὸν ὀνομάζεται, εἰς