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Therefore, let no one be eager to call their children by the names of their ancestors—of their father and mother and grandfather and great-grandfather, but by those of the righteous, of the martyrs, of the bishops, of the apostles. Let this also be an object of their zeal; let one be called Peter, another John, and another some other name of one of the saints. And do not tell me about the Greek customs. For it is no small shame and ridicule, when in the house of Christians certain Greek customs are performed, and they light lamps and wait, watching the one first extinguished and burned, and other such things which bring no ordinary destruction upon those who do such things. For do not indeed think that some things that are done are small and trivial. This, therefore, I also exhort you, to name your own children by the names of the righteous. For in the beginning these things were done with good reason and they named the children by the names of their ancestors; for it was a consolation for death, so that the departed might seem to live through the name; but now, no longer. We see, at any rate, the righteous not calling their own children thus; for Abraham begot Isaac; Jacob, Moses were not called after ancestors, nor will we find any of the righteous so named. Of how much virtue and encouragement is this an example, even the name? Since we will not find another reason for the changing of a name than this, that it be a reminder of virtue. “For you,” he says, “shall be called Cephas,” which is interpreted Peter. Why? Because you confessed. “And you shall be called Abraham.” Why? “Because you shall be a father of nations.” And Israel, because he saw God. From this, therefore, let us also begin the care of our children and regulate them. But as I was saying, “He saw a ladder stretched to heaven and reaching there.” Therefore let the name of the saints enter into our houses through the naming of the children, so that it may not only regulate the child, but also the father, when he considers that he is the father of a John, of an Elias, of a Jacob. For if it is given with reverence and of the honor toward the departed and we seize the kinship of the righteous rather than of our ancestors, this too will greatly benefit both us and our children. For, because it is a small thing, do not think it is small; for it is a source of benefit. But as I was saying, let us return again to the sequence. “He saw a ladder set up; he sought to be blessed; God blessed him; he went away to his own kinsmen; he kept sheep.” Then discourse on the things concerning the bride and of the return and he will gain much from there too. For see how many things he will learn: he will be taught to hope in God, being of noble birth, to despise no one, not to be ashamed of simplicity, to bear misfortunes nobly, and indeed all other things. After these things indeed, tell him when he has grown up even more frightening narratives. For upon a mind that is still tender do not place so great a burden, lest you overwhelm it. But when he becomes fifteen years old or even older, let him hear the things concerning Gehenna; or rather, when he is ten and eight and younger, let him hear the things about the flood, the things about Sodom, the things in Egypt, all things that are full of punishment, with great breadth. And when he has grown further let him hear also the things of the new [covenant], the things of grace, the things of Gehenna. With these narratives and with ten thousand others hedge about his hearing, providing examples from home. But if anyone should narrate some spurious things, let us by no means allow, as I said, anyone to approach him. If you see a slave speaking obscenely in front of him, punish him immediately and become a harsh and bitter examiner of the sins committed. If you see a girl, or rather, let no girl even approach nor let the fire be kindled, except if perhaps an old woman and having nothing able to capture a youth; but let him stay away from young women more than from fire. Thus, therefore, he will utter nothing improper, if he hears nothing improper, but is nourished by these things. Do you wish also upon

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Μηδεὶς τοίνυν εἰς τὰ τῶν προγόνων σπευδέτω καλεῖν ὀνόματα τὰ παιδία, τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τοῦ πάππου καὶ τοῦ ἐπιπάππου, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰ τῶν δικαίων, τῶν μαρτύρων, τῶν ἐπισκόπων, τῶν ἀποστόλων. Ἔστω αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦτο ζῆλος· ὁ μὲν Πέτρος καλείσθω, ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης, ὁ δὲ ἑτέραν τινὰ προσηγορίαν ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ μή μοι τὰ ἔθη τὰ ἑλληνικά. Οὐ μικρὰ γὰρ αἰσχύνη καὶ κατάγελως, ὅταν ἐν οἰκίᾳ χριστιανῶν ἔθη τινὰ ἑλληνικὰ ἐπιτελῆται καὶ λύχνους ἀνάπτωσι καὶ ἀναμένωσιν ἐπιτηροῦντες τὸν σβεσθέντα πρῶτον καὶ καυθέντα, καὶ ἕτερά τινα τοιαῦτα ἅπερ οὐ τὸν τυχόντα ὄλεθρον ἐπάγει τοῖς τοιαῦτα ποιοῦσιν. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε μικρὰ εἶναί τινα καὶ εὐτελῆ τὰ γινόμενα. Τοῦτο οὖν καὶ ὑμᾶς παρακαλῶ, ταῖς τῶν δικαίων προσηγορίαις ἐπονομάζειν τὰ ὑμέτερα παιδία. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰκότως ταῦτα ἐγίνετο καὶ ταῖς προσηγορίαις τῶν προγόνων τοὺς παῖδας ὠνόμαζον· παραμυθία γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου ἦν, ἵνα ὁ ἀπελθὼν δοκῇ ζῆν διὰ τῆς ἐπωνυμίας· νῦν δὲ μηκέτι. Ὁρῶμεν γοῦν τοὺς δικαίους οὐχ οὕτω καλοῦντας τοὺς ἑαυτῶν παῖδας· ὁ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐγέννησεν· ὁ Ἰακώβ, ὁ Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἀπὸ προγόνων ἐκλήθησαν, οὐδέ τινα τῶν δικαίων εὑρήσομεν οὕτω καλούμενον. Πόσης τοῦτο ὑπόδειγμά ἐστιν ἀρετῆς καὶ παράκλησις καὶ ἡ προσηγορία; Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἄλλην εὑρήσομεν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς μετονομασίας ἢ ταύτην, τὸ ὑπόμνησιν εἶναι ἀρετῆς. «Σὺ γάρ, φησίν, κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται Πέτρος.» ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ ὡμολόγησας. «Καὶ σὺ κληθήσῃ Ἀβραάμ.» ∆ιὰ τί; «Ἐπειδὴ ἔσῃ πατὴρ ἐθνῶν.» Καὶ Ἰσραήλ, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν τὸν Θεόν. Ἐντεῦθεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς περὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἐπιμελείας ἀρξώμεθα καὶ ῥυθμίζωμεν αὐτούς. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφην, «Εἶδεν κλίμακα τεταμένην εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ φθάνουσαν ἐκεῖ.» Ἐπεισερχέσθω τοίνυν τὸ ὄνομα τῶν ἁγίων εἰς τὰς οἰκίας διὰ τῆς προσηγορίας τῶν παίδων, ἵνα μὴ τὸν παῖδα ῥυθμίζῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν πατέρα, ὅταν ἐννοῇ ὅτι Ἰωάννου ἐστὶ πατήρ, ὅτι Ἠλία, ὅτι Ἰακώβου. Ἂν γὰρ μετ' εὐλαβείας τιθῆται καὶ τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἀπελθόντας τιμῆς καὶ τὴν συγγένειαν ἁρπάζωμεν τῶν δικαίων μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν προγόνων, πολὺ καὶ τοῦτο ὠφελήσει καὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ τοὺς παῖδας. Μὴ γάρ, ἐπειδὴ μικρόν ἐστι, νομίσῃς μικρὸν εἶναι· ὠφελείας γάρ ἐστιν ὑπόθεσις. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφην, ἐπανέλθωμεν πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν. «Εἶδεν κλίμακα ἐστηριγμένην· ἐπεζήτησεν εὐλογηθῆναι· εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός· ἀπῆλθε πρὸς τοὺς συγγενεῖς τοὺς αὑτοῦ· ἐποίμαινεν.» Τὰ περὶ τῆς νύμφης λοιπὸν διαλέγου καὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου καὶ πολλὰ κερδανεῖ κἀντεῦθεν. Ὅρα γὰρ πόσα μαθήσεται· εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίζειν παιδευθήσεται, ἀπὸ εὐγενοῦς ὢν καταφρονεῖν μηδενός, μὴ ἐπαισχύνεσθαι τὴν εὐτέλειαν, φέρειν συμφορὰς γενναίως, τἆλλα δὴ πάντα. Μετὰ δὴ ταῦτα λέγε αὐξηθέντι καὶ φοβερώτερα διηγήματα. Ἁπαλῇ μὲν γὰρ οὔσῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ μὴ τοσοῦτον ἐπιτίθει βάρος, ἵνα μὴ καταπλήξῃς. Ὅταν δὲ ἐτῶν πεντεκαίδεκα ἢ καὶ πλειόνων γένηται, ἀκουέτω τὰ περὶ τῆς γεέννης· μᾶλλον δέ, ὅταν <ἐ>τῶν δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ καὶ ἐλαττόνων, ἀκουέτω τὰ περὶ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, τὰ περὶ τῶν Σοδόμων, τὰ κατ' Αἴγυπτον, πάντα ὅσα κολάσεως γέμει, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς πλατύτητος. Ἐπὶ πλέον δὲ αὐξηθεὶς ἀκουέτω καὶ τὰ τῆς καινῆς, τὰ τῆς χάριτος, τὰ τῆς γεέννης. Τούτοις περίφραττε αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀκοὴν τοῖς διηγήμασι καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις καὶ οἴκοθεν παρεχόμενος τὰ παραδείγματα. Εἰ δέ τις νόθα τινὰ διηγεῖτο, μηδαμοῦ ἐῶμεν, ὅπερ ἔφην, τινὰ αὐτῷ προσελθεῖν. Ἂν ἴδῃς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ δοῦλον αἰσχρολογοῦντα, κόλασον εὐθέως καὶ γενοῦ σφοδρὸς καὶ πικρὸς ἐξεταστὴς τῶν ἡμαρτημένων. Ἂν ἴδῃς κόρην, μάλλον δὲ μηδὲ προσίτω κόρη μηδὲ ὑπεκκαιέσθω τὸ πῦρ, πλὴν εἴ που γραῦς καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχουσα ἱκανὸν νέον ἑλεῖν· νέας δὲ μᾶλλον ἀπεχέσθω ἢ πυρός. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν φθέγξεται ἄτοπον, ἂν μηδὲν ἀκούσῃ ἄτοπον, ἀλλὰ τούτοις ἐντρέφηται. Βούλει καὶ ἐφ'