4

should it get the chance, a vehement regret for intemperance enters. For one feels the body has become weaker, and sluggish for necessary work, and altogether infirm.

This, indeed, the trainers have also understood, and so the law of moderation is written in the wrestling schools, keeping the bodies of the young men inviolate from pleasures, and not permitting them as they compete even so much as to look upon shining forms, if they wish to have their heads crowned, since intemperance brings laughter in wrestling, not a crown. These things, as being entirely foreign and superfluous, and unable to become one's own, it is good to pass by, shutting our eyes; but it is fitting to take great care for the things that are truly our own. And what is 31.549 truly our own? The soul, by which we live, being a certain fine and spiritual thing, and needing nothing of things that weigh it down; and the body, the vehicle given to it for this life by the Creator. For this is man: a mind clothed in suitable and fitting flesh. This is formed in our mothers' wombs by the all-wise craftsman of all things. This the season of birth-pangs brings to the light from those dark chambers. This was appointed to rule the things on earth. For this, creation is spread out as a training-ground of virtue. For this, a law is set: to imitate the creator as far as possible, and to sketch out on earth the good order of heaven. This, when called from here, departs. This stands before the judgment seat of God who sent it. This is judged; this receives the recompense for the life lived here. And one would find that the virtues too become our possessions, when through care they are interwoven with our nature; and they are not willing to abandon us as we toil on earth, unless we willingly cast them off by force through the enticements of worse things; and as we hasten to that place, they run before us, and they rank the one who acquired them with the angels, and they shine through eternity under the eyes of the creator.

But wealth, and power, and renown, and luxury, and all that crowd of such things, which daily grows from our folly, neither came forth with us into life, nor departed with any, but that which was said of old to the just man is fixed and holds true for every person: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I depart. Therefore, the one who takes best counsel will care especially for the soul, and will try through all things to keep this pure and genuine; but of the flesh, whether it is wasting with hunger, or wrestling with cold and heat, or afflicted by diseases, or suffering some violence from others, he will make little account, voicing the saying of Paul upon each of the hardships, and uttering: Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. And seeing the dangers to life approaching, he will not appear afraid, but will say to himself with courage: We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. But if one should wish to spare the body as well, as the only possession necessary to the soul, and its collaborator for living on earth, he will turn his attention to its small needs, and so as only to hold it together, and to keep it strong through moderate care for the service of the soul, yet not allowing it to leap for joy from satiety. But if he should ever see it inflamed with desires for more and for what is beyond expedient, he will cry out to it, legislating with the words of Paul: For we brought nothing 31.552 into this world; and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. For by continually chanting and crying these things to it, he will make it well-reined and ever light for the heavenly journey, and will acquire it more as a collaborator for the tasks at hand; but if he should allow it to be insolent, and of all things for a day

4

λάβοι σχολὴν, σφοδρός τις εἰσέρχεται τῆς ἀκρασίας μετάμελος. Ἀδρανεστέρου τε γὰρ αἰσθάνεται γεγενη μένου τοῦ σώματος, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐργασίαν νωθροῦ, καὶ παντάπασιν ἀσθενοῦς.

Τοῦτο δὴ ἄρα καὶ τοῖς παιδοτρίβαις κατανοήσασιν ὁ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐν ταῖς παλαίστραις γέγραπται νό μος, ἄσυλα παρὰ τῶν ἡδονῶν τοῖς νεανίσκοις φυλάττων τὰ σώματα, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπων ἀγωνιζο μένοις αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲ ὄσον προσβλέψαι ταῖς λαμπού σαις μορφαῖς, εἴγε ἐθέλοιεν στεφανωθῆναι τὴν κεφα λὴν, ὡς τῆς ἀκρασίας γέλωτα ἀγούσης ἐν τῷ πα λαίειν, οὐ στέφανον. Ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἀλλότρια πάντη καὶ περιττὰ, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἴδια γενέσθαι δυνάμενα, παρατρέχειν καλὸν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιμύσαντας· τῶν δὲ ὄντως ἡμετέρων πρόνοιαν προσήκει ποιεῖσθαι πολλήν. Τί δὲ ὄντως 31.549 ἡμέτερον; Ψυχή τε, ᾗ ζῶμεν, λεπτή τις οὖσα καὶ νοερὰ, καὶ οὐδὲν δεομένη τῶν βαρυνόντων· καὶ σῶμα, τὸ ταύτῃ δοθὲν ὄχημα πρὸς τὸν βίον παρὰ τοῦ κτί σαντος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἄνθρωπος· νοῦς ἐνδεδεμένος προσ φόρῳ καὶ πρεπούσῃ σαρκί. Τοῦτο ὑπὸ τοῦ πανσό φου τεχνίτου τῶν ὅλων ἐν τοῖς μητρῴοις ἡμῶν πλάτ τεται κόλποις. Τοῦτο εἰς φῶς ἐκ τῶν σκοτεινῶν ἐκεί νων θαλάμων ὁ τῶν ὠδίνων ἄγει καιρός. Τοῦτο ἄρ χειν ἐτάχθη τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς. Τούτῳ γυμνάσιον ἀρετῆς ἡ κτίσις ὑφήπλωται. Τούτῳ κεῖται νόμος, μιμεῖσθαι τὸν πλάστην εἰς δύναμιν, καὶ τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς εὐτα ξίαν σκιαγραφεῖν ἐπὶ γῆς. Τοῦτο, ἐντεῦθεν καλούμε νον, ἀπανίσταται. Τοῦτο τῷ τοῦ πέμψαντος Θεοῦ παρ ίσταται βήματι. Τοῦτο εὐθύνεται· τοῦτο δέχεται τὴν τῶν ἐνταῦθα πεπολιτευμένων ἀντίδοσιν. Καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς δὲ ἡμέτερα κτήματα γινόμενα εὕροι τις ἂν, ὅταν ἐξ ἐπιμελείας συνυφανθῶσι τῇ φύσει· καὶ οὔτε ἐπὶ γῆς μοχθοῦντας ἡμᾶς ἀπολιμπάνειν ἐθέλουσιν, ἢν μὴ πρὸς βίαν αὐτὰς ἑκόντες ἀποδιώξωμεν ταῖς τῶν χειρόνων ἐπαγωγαῖς· ἐκεῖσέ τε ἐπειγομένων προ τρέχουσι, καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις τὸν κτησάμενον συντάττουσι, καὶ λάμπουσι δι' αἰῶνος ὑπὸ τοῖς τοῦ κτίσαντος ὀφθαλμοῖς.

Πλοῦτος δὲ, καὶ δυναστεία, καὶ περιφάνεια, καὶ τρυφὴ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ τοιοῦτος ὄχλος, ὁ καθ' ἡμέραν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀνοίας αὐξα νόμενος, οὔτε συμπροῆλθε πρὸς τὸν βίον ἡμῖν, οὔτε συναπῆλθέ τισιν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῷ δικαίῳ πάλαι ῥηθὲν ἐπὶ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου πέπηγε καὶ κρατεῖ· Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπ ελεύσομαι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἄριστα βουλευόμενος, τῆς ψυχῆς ὅτι μάλιστα φροντίσει, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ πάντων πειράσε ται σώζειν εἰλικρινές τε καὶ γνήσιον· τῆς σαρκὸς δὲ ἢ λιμῷ τηκομένης, ἢ κρυμῷ καὶ θάλπει προσ παλαιούσης, ἢ νόσοις ἀλγυνομένης, ἢ πασχούσης τι παρά τινων βίαιον, ὀλίγον ποιήσεται τὸν λόγον, τὸ τοῦ Παύλου φωνῶν ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν δυσχερῶν, καὶ φθεγγόμενος· Εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξωθεν ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος φθείρεται, ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσωθεν ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέραν καθ' ἡμέραν. Καὶ οὔτε τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ζῇν κινδύνους προϊόντας ὁρῶν, φανήσεται δεδιὼς, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῷ λέξει θαῤῥῶν· Οἴδαμεν, ὅτι, ἐὰν ἡ ἐπίγειος ἡμῶν οἰκία τοῦ σκήνους καταλυθῇ, οἰκοδομὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἔχο μεν, οἰκίαν ἀχειροποίητον, αἰώνιον ἐν τοῖς οὐρα νοῖς. Εἰ δέ τις ἐθέλοι φείδεσθαι καὶ τοῦ σώματος, ὡς μόνου κτήματος ἀναγκαίου ψυχῇ, καὶ συνεργοῦν τος αὐτῇ πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἐπὶ γῆς, μικρὰ πρὸς τὰς τού του χρείας ἐπιστραφήσεται, καὶ ὥστε συνέχειν μόνον αὐτὸ, καὶ τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπηρεσίᾳ διὰ μετρίας ἐπι μελείας ἐῤῥωμένον τηρεῖν, μὴ μέντοιγε ἐπιτρέπειν ὑπὸ κόρου σκιρτᾷν. Εἰ δὲ ἴδοι ποτὲ ταῖς τοῦ πλείονος καὶ πέρα τοῦ λυσιτελοῦντος ἐπιθυμίαις φλεγόμενον, βοήσει πρὸς αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ Παύλου νομοθετῶν· Οὐδὲν 31.552 εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον· δῆλον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. Ἔχοντες δὲ διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησό μεθα. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ ἐπᾴδων αὐτῷ συνεχῶς καὶ βοῶν, εὐήνιόν τε αὐτὸ καὶ κοῦφον ἀεὶ πρὸς τὴν οὐρά νιον ὁδοιπορίαν ἐργάσεται, καὶ μᾶλλον εἰς τὰ προκεί μενα κτήσεται συνεργόν· εἰ δὲ ὑβρίζειν αὐτὸ συγ χωρήσοι, καὶ πάντων ἐφ' ἡμέραν