523

they dared. And they crucified him in the midst, that he might share in their glory. And they gave him vinegar to drink, and this, while insulting him; but he was not willing. But another says, that having tasted it, he said, It is finished. And what is, It is finished? The prophecy concerning him has been fulfilled. For they gave, he says, gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. But not even he shows that he drank; for there is no difference between simply tasting and not drinking, but it signifies one and the same thing. But still their drunken violence does not stop here, but also having stripped him, and crucified him, and offered him vinegar, they proceed further; 58.771 and seeing him impaled on the cross, both they themselves and the passers-by revile him; which was more grievous than all, to suffer these things on the charge of being a deceiver and an impostor, and as a boaster, and one who vainly bragged of the things he said. For these reasons they also crucified him publicly, so that they might make a show of him in the sight of all; for this reason also by the hands of soldiers, so that with these things being dared in a public court, their drunken violence might be intensified. 2. And yet, whom would the crowd that followed and mourned for him not have moved? But not these beasts. For this very reason he deems the former worthy of a response, but the latter no longer. For after doing what they wanted, they are also eager to mar his glory, fearing his resurrection. For this reason they say these things publicly, and they crucified thieves with him, and wishing to show he was a deceiver, they said: You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, come down from the cross. For since, having told Pilate to remove the accusation, (and this was what was written, The King of the Jews;) they accomplished nothing, but he insisted, saying, What I have written, I have written; they themselves therefore tried, by the things with which they mocked, to show that he is not a king. Therefore they said those things, and these: If he is the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross; and again, He saved others, himself he cannot save; and from this they attempted to discredit his former signs; and again, If he is the Son of God, and He wants him, let Him save him. O defiled and utterly defiled ones! What then? Were the prophets not prophets, nor the righteous righteous, because God did not rescue them from dangers? But indeed they were, even while suffering these things. What then could be equal to your folly? For if the bringing on of dangers did not mar their glory in your eyes, but they were prophets even while suffering what they suffered; much more in his case ought you not to have been scandalized, both through what he did and what he said, as he always corrected this suspicion of yours beforehand. But still, though these things were said and done, they availed nothing, not even at the very moment. At any rate, the one who was decayed in utter wickedness, and had spent his entire life in murders and house-breakings, when these things were said, then confessed him, and made mention of a kingdom; and the people lamented him. And yet what was happening seemed to testify to the contrary to those who did not know the economy of the mystery, that he was weak and could do nothing; but still the truth prevailed even through its opposites. Hearing these things, therefore, let us arm ourselves against all passion, against all anger. And if you see your heart inflamed, seal your breast, placing the cross upon it; recall something of what then happened, and you will cast out all anger like dust by the memory of what has been. Consider the words, the deeds; consider that he is the Master, and you are a servant; he for your sake, you for your own sake; he for those who had been benefitted and crucified him, you for yourself; he for those who had insulted him, but you often by those who have been wronged; he, with the whole city watching, or rather the whole populace of the Jews, both foreigners and natives, before whom he uttered his humane words, but you, with few present; and what added to the insult, that even the disciples forsook him. For those who before 58.772 had served him, leaped away; but his enemies and foes, having taken him impaled in their midst

523

ἐτόλμων. Καὶ μέσον αὐτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν, ἵνα τῇ δόξῃ τῇ ἐκείνων κοινωνήσῃ. Καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ ὄξος πιεῖν, καὶ τοῦτο ἐνυβρίζοντες· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν. Ἕτερος δέ φησιν, ὅτι γευσάμενος εἶπε, Τετέλεσται. Τί δέ ἐστι, Τετέλεσται; Ἡ προφητεία πεπλήρωται ἡ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Ἔδωκαν γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸ βρῶμά μου χολὴν, καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος. Οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος δὲ δείκνυσιν ὅτι ἔπιεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ διέστηκε τὸ ἁπλῶς γεύσασθαι τοῦ μὴ πιεῖν, ἀλλ' ἕν τι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ δηλοῖ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται τὰ τῆς παροινίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυμνώσαντες, καὶ σταυρώσαντες, καὶ ὄξος προσενεγκόντες, περαιτέρω προβαίνουσι· 58.771 καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ βλέποντες ἀνεσκολοπισμένον, ὀνειδίζουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ παραπορευόμενοι· ἃ πάντων χαλεπώτερα ἦν, τὸ καὶ ἐπὶ αἰτίᾳ ἀπατεῶνος καὶ πλάνου ταῦτα παθεῖν, καὶ ὡς ἀλαζόνα, καὶ εἰκῆ κομπάζοντα ἅπερ ἔλεγε. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐσταύρωσαν δημοσίᾳ, ἵνα πάντων ὁρώντων ἐμπομπεύσωσι· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ χερσὶ ταῖς στρατιωτικαῖς, ἵνα καὶ ἐν δημοσίῳ δικαστηρίῳ τούτων τολμωμένων, τὰ τῆς παροινίας ἐπιτείνηται. βʹ. Καίτοι τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔκαμψεν ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ καὶ θρηνῶν; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τοὺς θῆρας τούτους. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκείνους μὲν ἀποκρίσεως ἀξιοῖ, τούτους δὲ οὐκέτι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ πρᾶξαι ἅπερ ἤθελον, καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ σπουδάζουσι λυμήνασθαι, δεδοικότες αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δημοσίᾳ ταῦτα λέγουσι, καὶ λῃστὰς συνεσταύρωσαν, καὶ βουλόμενοι δεῖξαι ἀπατεῶνα, ἔλεγον· Ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις οἰκοδομῶν, κατάβηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰπόντες τῷ Πιλάτῳ ἀνελεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν, (αὕτη δὲ ἦν τὸ γεγράφθαι, Ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων·) οὐδὲν ἴσχυσαν, ἀλλ' ἐνεστήκει λέγων ἐκεῖνος, Ὃ γέγραφα, γέγραφα· αὐτοὶ λοιπὸν ἐπειρῶντο, δι' ὧν ἐχλεύαζον, δεῖξαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι βασιλεύς. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐκεῖνα ἔλεγον, καὶ ταῦτα· Εἰ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ ἐστι, καταβάτω νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι· καὶ τὰ πρότερα σημεῖα ἐντεῦθεν ἐπιχειροῦντες διαβάλλειν· καὶ πάλιν Εἰ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ θέλει αὐτὸν, σωσάτω αὐτόν. Ὦ μιαροὶ καὶ παμμίαροι! Τί δέ; οἱ προφῆται οὐκ ἦσαν προφῆται, οὐδὲ οἱ δίκαιοι δίκαιοι, ἐπειδὴ αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐξήρπασε τῶν κινδύνων ὁ Θεός; Ἀλλὰ μὴν ἦσαν, καὶ ταῦτα πάσχοντες. Τί οὖν ἴσον τῆς ἀνοίας ὑμῶν γένοιτ' ἄν; Εἰ γὰρ ἐκείνων οὐκ ἐλυμήνατο παρ' ὑμῖν τὴν δόξαν ἡ τῶν κινδύνων ἐπαγωγὴ, ἀλλ' ἦσαν προφῆται καὶ πάσχοντες ἅπερ ἔπασχον· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τούτου οὐκ ἐχρῆν ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζεσθαι, καὶ δι' ὧν ἐποίησε καὶ δι' ὧν εἶπεν, ἀεὶ ταύτην ὑμῶν προδιορθωσαμένου τὴν ὑπόνοιαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τούτων λεγομένων καὶ γενομένων οὐδὲν ἴσχυσαν, οὐδὲ παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν καιρόν. Ὁ γοῦν ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πονηρίᾳ κατασαπεὶς, καὶ ἐν φόνοις καὶ τοιχωρυχίαις τὸν ἅπαντα καταναλώσας βίον, ὅτε ταῦτα ἐλέγετο, τότε αὐτὸν ὡμολόγησε, καὶ βασιλείας ἐμνημόνευσε· καὶ ὁ δῆμος αὐτὸν ὠλοφύρετο. Καίτοιγε ἐδόκει τἀναντία μαρτυρεῖν τὰ γινόμενα παρὰ τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι τοῦ μυστηρίου τὴν οἰκονομίαν, ὅτι ἀσθενὴς καὶ οὐδὲν δυνάμενος· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἴσχυσε. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἀκούοντες, ὁπλίζωμεν ἑαυτοὺς κατὰ παντὸς θυμοῦ, κατὰ πάσης ὀργῆς. Κἂν φλεγμαίνουσαν ἴδῃς τὴν καρδίαν σου, σφράγισον τὸ στῆθος, τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπιθείς· ἀνάμνησόν τι τῶν τότε συμβάντων, καὶ ὥσπερ κονιορτὸν ἐκβαλεῖς πάντα θυμὸν τῶν γεγενημένων τῇ μνήμῃ. Ἐννόησον τὰ ῥήματα, τὰ πράγματα· ἐννόησον ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ∆εσπότης, σὺ δὲ δοῦλος· ἐκεῖνος διὰ σὲ, σὺ δὲ διὰ σαυτόν· ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων καὶ σταυρωσάντων, σὺ δὲ ὑπὲρ σαυτοῦ· ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ τῶν ὑβρικότων, σὺ δὲ πολλάκις ὑπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἀδικηθέντων· ἐκεῖνος τῆς πόλεως ὁρώσης ἁπάσης, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ δήμου παντὸς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ τῶν ξένων καὶ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων, ἐφ' ὧν τὰ φιλάνθρωπα ἐφθέγξατο ῥήματα, σὺ δὲ ὀλίγων παρόντων· καὶ τὸ μεῖζον εἰς ὕβριν, τὸ καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτὸν ἐγκαταλιπεῖν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ 58.772 ἔμπροσθεν θεραπεύοντες ἀπεπήδησαν· οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ καὶ πολέμιοι ἀνεσκολοπισμένον ἐν μέσῳ λαβόντες