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Encomium in xl martyres i

ENCOMIUM OF THE SAME ON THE HOLY FORTY MARTYRS. FIRST ORATION.

I myself rejoice in my mind at those things which I suppose vex the majority. For being pressed together among one another is, as is likely, unpleasant for the majority, but for me this is a chief source of joy. For the shepherd's eye rejoices, seeing the flock constrained by its numbers and overflowing the fold; and yet the sheep's pen is not small, but the flock, thriving in its multitude, makes the wide space narrow. It was seeing something of this kind concerning the Lord that Peter answered, saying, "Master, the crowds press upon you and crush you." Truly, as the divine Apostle says somewhere, this is what it is to be afflicted, but not constrained. For, he says, "we are afflicted in every way, but not constrained." But what discourse shall I bring forth for such a gathering? Who will give me a voice louder than a trumpet, so as to sound above the multitude, and deposit the words in the ears of those assembled? Turning my mind to which of the readings shall I find a discourse suitable for those present? Great is Job in teaching life courage by his own examples; great is the Proverb-writer in his enigmatic sayings. And what might one say about the holy Apostle, who out of those unutterable words which he says are beyond human comprehension, has perhaps through his teaching to the Ephesians also hinted to us the secret meaning in the cross, revealing it through riddles. And of such a kind also are other mysteries from the psalmody: a memorial, an inscription on a pillar, and for the winepress. For having understood these things in the inscriptions of the psalms just read to us, we see no small occasion for our discourse being given through these riddles.

But for me, to elaborate on what has been said seems best to reserve for a second occasion; but I desire to find a voice suitable and fitting for the present grace. What then is this? I know a certain 46.752 law proper to nature, engraved on the divine tablets themselves by the lawgiver of nature; which commands us to pay every good recompense to our own parents, as much as our ability allows. For, it says, "Honor your father and your mother," which is the first commandment with a promise, "so that it may be well with you." And if this law is first in its promise, and its successful observance becomes the personal gain of the one who keeps it (for the honor toward parents returns to the one who has fulfilled the law); it would be well for everyone who has understanding to look to this commandment, the end of which becomes a benefit and grace for the one who has done it. Our fathers of the flesh, therefore, having served their own generation for the time allotted to them from the beginning, are in no need of our honor, having long ago departed this life, so that it is not possible to fulfill such a law, since those who would receive the good deed are not present. But the law commands us, by being active, to obtain the promise. For it is not possible for the idle to have the prizes of the active. What then should one do, when one's parents are not present, one who both loves the promise and yet is unable to succeed in this endeavor? Yes, the things we see certainly resolve this difficulty for us. For seeing you, I have no need to seek out other fathers. For you are my fathers, you who are fathers even of my own fathers. For the native land of my parents holds within itself the dignity of its own parents. What then shall we do to fulfill the law of honor to you? For a grateful child indeed

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Encomium in xl martyres i

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΟΝ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΑΓΙΟΥΣ ΤΕΣΣΑΡΑΚΟΝΤΑ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΑΣ. ΛΟΓΟΣ Αʹ.

Οἷς ἀνιᾶσθαι τοὺς πολλοὺς στοχάζομαι, τούτοις αὐτὸς ἀγάλλομαι τὴν

διάνοιαν. Ἀηδὲς γὰρ, ὡς εἰκὸς, τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸ ἐν ἀλλήλοις συνθλίβεσθαι, ἐμοὶ δὲ τοῦτο κεφάλαιον εὐφροσύνης ἐστίν. Εὐφραίνεται γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς τοῦ ποιμένος, τὸ ποίμνιον βλέπων ὑπὸ πλή θους στενοχωρούμενον, καὶ τῆς μάνδρας ὑπερ χεόμενον· καίτοι γε οὐ μικρὰ τῶν προβάτων ἡ ἔπαυλις, ἀλλὰ στενὴν ποιεῖ τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν εὐθη νούμενον τῷ πλήθει τὸ ποίμνιον. Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ περὶ τὸν Κύριον ὁ Πέτρος ἰδὼν ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων, ὅτι, Ἐπιστάτα, οἱ ὄχλοι συνέχουσί σε καὶ ἀποθλί βουσιν. Ὄντως, καθώς φησί που ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, τὸ θλίβεσθαι καὶ μὴ στενοχωρεῖσθαι τοῦτό ἐστι. Παντὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι. Ἐγὼ δὲ τίνα προχειρίσομαι λόγον ἐπὶ τοῦ τοιούτου συλλό γου; Τίς δώσει μοι φωνὴν σάλπιγγος ὑψηλοτέραν, ὥστε ὑπερηχῆσαι τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς τῶν συνειλεγμένων ἐναποθέσθαι τὰ ῥήματα; Πρὸς τί τῶν ἀνεγνωσμένων τρέψας ἐμαυτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, πρόσφο ρον ἐξεύρω τοῖς παροῦσι τὸν λόγον; Πολὺς ὁ Ἰὼβ παιδεύων εἰς ἀνδρείαν τὸν βίον τοῖς καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὑπο δείγμασι, πολὺς ὁ Παροιμιαστὴς τοῖς αἰνίγμασι. Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ Ἀποστόλου, ὃς ἐκ τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ῥημάτων ἐκείνων ἃ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην εἶναί φησι κατανόησιν, τάχα διὰ τῆς πρὸς Ἐφεσίους διδασκαλίας καὶ ἡμῖν ὑπελάλησε τὸν ἀπόῤῥητον ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ λόγον, δι' αἰνιγμάτων ἀνακαλύπτων. Τοιαῦτα δὲ ἕτερα καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς ψαλμῳδίας μυστήρια, ἀνάμνησις, καὶ στηλογραφία, καὶ ἐπιλήνιος. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιγραφαῖς τῶν ὑπαναγνωσθέντων ἡμῖν ψαλμῶν κατανοήσαντες, οὐ μικρὰν ὁρῶμεν ἀφορμὴν τῷ λόγῳ διὰ τῶν αἰνιγμάτων διδομένην.

Ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ τὸ μὲν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπεξελθεῖν, εὔκαιρον εἶναι δο κεῖ δευτέρῳ ταμιεύσασθαι χρόνῳ· ἐπιθυμῶ δὲ τῆς παρούσης χάριτος πρόσφορόν τινα καὶ κατάλληλον ἐξευρεῖν τὴν φωνήν. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν αὕτη; Οἶδά τινα 46.752 νόμον τῆς φύσεως ἴδιον, αὐταῖς ταῖς θείαις πλαξὶν ἐντετυπωμένον παρὰ τοῦ νομοθέτου τῆς φύσεως· ὃς πᾶσαν ἀγαθὴν ἀμοιβὴν τοῖς ἰδίοις γονεῦσιν ἐκτιννύ ναι κελεύει, ὅσην ἂν ἡ δύναμις φέρει. Τίμα γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις, ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται. Εἰ δὲ πρωτεύει κατ' ἐπαγγελίαν οὗτος ὁ νό μος, καὶ τὸ κατόρθωμα τούτου ἴδιον κέρδος τοῦ φυ λάσσοντος γίνεται (ἐπαναστρέφει γὰρ ἡ εἰς τοὺς γονέας τιμὴ εἰς τὸν πεπληρωκότα τὸν νόμον)· καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι πάντα τόν γε νοῦν ἔχοντα πρὸς ταύτην βλέ πειν τὴν ἐντολὴν, ἧς τὸ πέρας εὐεργεσία καὶ χάρις τοῦ ποιήσαντος γίνεται. Οἱ μὲν οὖν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πατέρες, τῇ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς γενεᾷ κατὰ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτοῖς ἀφορισθέντα χρόνον ὑπηρετήσαντες, ἀπροσ δεεῖς εἰσι τῆς ἡμετέρας τιμῆς, ἔξω τοῦ βίου πάλαι γενόμενοι, ὡς μὴ δυνατὸν εἶναι τὸν τοιοῦτον πληρῶ σαι νόμον, τῶν ὑποδεχομένων τὴν εὐποιίαν οὐκ ὄν των. Ὁ δὲ νόμος ἐνεργοῦντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυγχάνειν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας κελεύει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀργοῦν τας ἔχειν τῶν ἐνεργούντων τὰ ἔπαθλα. Τί οὖν χρὴ πράττειν, τῶν γονέων οὐκ ὄντων, τὸν καὶ τῆς ἐπαγ γελίας ἐρῶντα, καὶ ὅπως ἂν τύχῃ τῆς σπουδῆς ταύτης ἀδυνατοῦντα; Ναὶ λύει πάντως τὴν ἀμηχανίαν ταύ την ἡμῖν τὰ ὁρώμενα. Ὑμᾶς γὰρ βλέπων, οὐδὲν δέομαι πατέρας ἄλλους περιεργάζεσθαι. Ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἐστέ μου πατέρες, οἱ καὶ αὐτῶν μοι τῶν πατέρων πατέρες. Ἡ γὰρ πατρὶς τῶν γεννησαμένων ἐν ἑαυτῇ περιέχει καὶ τὸ τῶν γεγεννηκότων ἀξίωμα. Τί οὖν ποιήσαντες τὸν τῆς τιμῆς ὑμῖν νόμον ἀποπληρώσομεν; Εὐγνώμων μὲν γάρ τις παῖς