Oration VII. Panegyric on His Brother S. Cæsarius.

 1.  It may be, my friends, my brethren, my fathers (ye who are dear to me in reality as well as in name) that you think that I, who am about to pay th

 2.  The parents of Cæsarius, to take first the point which best becomes me, are known to you all.  Their excellence you are eager to notice, and hear

 3.  His father was well grafted out of the wild olive tree into the good one, and so far partook of its fatness as to be entrusted with the engrafting

 4.  His mother was consecrated to God by virtue of her descent from a saintly family, and was possessed of piety as a necessary inheritance, not only

 5.  I have entered into these details, not from a desire to eulogize them, for this, I know well, it would be difficult worthily to do, if I made thei

 6.  Bred and reared under such influences, we were fully trained in the education afforded here, in which none could say how far he excelled most of u

 7.  What branch of learning did he not master, or rather, in what branch of study did he not surpass those who had made it their sole study?  Whom did

 8.  But when, after gathering into his single soul every kind of excellence and knowledge, as a mighty merchantman gathers every sort of ware, he was

 9.  Well, among the noble traits of Cæsarius’ character, we must not fail to note one, which perhaps is in others’ eyes slight and unworthy of mention

 10.  Among physicians he gained the foremost place with no great trouble, by merely exhibiting his capacity, or rather some slight specimen of his cap

 11.  Such was the philosophy of Cæsarius, even at court:  these were the ideas amidst which he lived and died, discovering and presenting to God, in t

 12.  However, that I may dwell awhile upon this point, and luxuriate in my story as men do who are eyewitnesses in some marvellous event, that noble m

 13.  Didst thou not fear for Cæsarius, lest aught unworthy of his zeal should befall him?  Nay, be ye of good courage.  For the victory is with Christ

 14.  This victory I esteem far more sublime and honourable than the Emperor’s mighty power and splendid purple and costly diadem.  I am more elated in

 15.  Again another wonder concerning him is a strong argument for his parents’ piety and his own.  He was living in Bithynia, holding an office of no

 16.  This, Cæsarius, is my funeral offering to thee, this the firstfruits of my words, which thou hast often blamed me for withholding, yet wouldst ha

 17.  Such is my offering if it be slight and inferior to his merit, God loveth that which is according to our power.   Part of our gift is now comple

 18.  What now remains?  To bring the healing of the Word to those in sorrow.  And a powerful remedy for mourners is sympathy, for sufferers are best c

 19.  Such, my brethren, is our existence, who live this transient life, such our pastime upon earth:  we come into existence out of non-existence, and

 20.  Let us not then mourn Cæsarius but ourselves, knowing what evils he has escaped to which we are left behind, and what treasure we shall lay up, u

 21.  Is this inadequate for our consolation?  I will add a more potent remedy.  I believe the words of the wise, that every fair and God-beloved soul,

 22.  But now, laying aside lamentation, I will look at myself, and examine my feelings, that I may not unconsciously have in myself anything to be lam

 23.  Would that I might mortify my members that are upon the earth, would that I might spend my all upon the spirit, walking in the way that is narrow

 24.  Yea, would that what we hope for might be, according to the great kindness of our bountiful God, Who asks for little and bestows great things, bo

 O Lord and Maker of all things, and specially of this our frame!  O God and Father and Pilot of men who are Thine!  O Lord of life and death!  O Judge

7.  What branch of learning did he not master, or rather, in what branch of study did he not surpass those who had made it their sole study?  Whom did he allow even to approach him, not only of his own time and age, but even of his elders, who had devoted many more years to study?  All subjects he studied as one, and each as thoroughly as if he knew no other.  The brilliant in intellect, he surpassed in industry, the devoted students in quickness of perception; nay, rather he outstripped in rapidity those who were rapid, in application those who were laborious, and in both respects those who were distinguished in both.  From geometry and astronomy, that science so dangerous15    Dangerous, as being so closely connected with astrology. to anyone else, he gathered all that was helpful (I mean that he was led by the harmony and order of the heavenly bodies to reverence their Maker), and avoided what is injurious; not attributing all things that are or happen to the influence of the stars, like those who raise their own fellow-servant, the creation, in rebellion against the Creator, but referring, as is reasonable, the motion of these bodies, and all other things besides, to God.  In arithmetic and mathematics, and in the wonderful art of medicine, in so far as it treats of physiology and temperament, and the causes of disease, in order to remove the roots and so destroy their offspring with them, who is there so ignorant or contentious as to think him inferior to himself, and not to be glad to be reckoned next to him, and carry off the second prize?  This indeed is no unsupported assertion, but East and West16    East and West, ἑῶά τε ὅμοῦ λῆξις καὶ ἑσπέριος—λῆξις significat regionem, locum:  culmen item, seu fastigium.  Cf. S. Greg. Naz. Orat. xxv. 13. p. 464.  S. Chrys. Hom. LVI. in Ioan. p. 786. alike, and every place which he afterward visited, are as pillars inscribed with the record of his learning.

Ποῖον μὲν εἶδος οὐκ ἐπῆλθε παιδεύσεως; μᾶλλον δὲ ποῖον, ὡς οὐδὲ μόνον ἕτερος; Τίνι δὲ παρῆκεν ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι, καὶ κατὰ μικρόν, μὴ ὅτι τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡλικίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ παλαιοτέρων ἐν τοῖς μαθήμασι, καὶ πάντα ὡς ἓν ἐξασκήσας, καὶ ἀντὶ πάντων ἕκαστον, τοὺς μὲν πτηνοὺς τὴν φύσιν φιλοπονίᾳ νικήσας, τοὺς δὲ γενναίους τὴν ἄσκησιν διανοίας ὀξύτητι, μᾶλλον δὲ τάχει μὲν τοὺς ταχεῖς, σπουδῇ δὲ τοὺς φιλοπόνους ὑπερβαλών, καὶ τοὺς κατ' ἄμφω δεξιοὺς ἀμφοτέροις;

Γεωμετρίας μέν γε καὶ ἀστρονομίας, [καὶ] τῆς ἐπικινδύνου τοῖς ἄλλοις παιδεύσεως, ὅσον χρήσιμον ἐκλεξάμενος, τοῦτο δὲ ἦν, ἐκ τῆς τῶν οὐρανίων εὐαρμοστίας καὶ τάξεως τὸν δημιουργὸν θαυμάσαι, ὅσον βλαβερὸν ταύτης διέφυγεν, οὐ τῇ φορᾷ τῶν ἄστρων διδοὺς τὰ ὄντα καὶ τὰ γινόμενα, ὡς οἱ τὴν ὁμόδουλον ἑαυτοῖς κτίσιν ἐπανιστάντες τῷ κτίσαντι, Θεῷ δὲ καὶ τἄλλα πάντα, ὥσπερ εἰκός, ἀνατιθεὶς καὶ τὴν τούτων κίνησιν. Ἀριθμῶν δὲ καὶ λογισμῶν καὶ τῆς θαυμασίας ἰατρικῆς, ὅση τὰ περὶ φύσεις καὶ κράσεις καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν νοσημάτων φιλοσοφεῖ, ὥστε ταῖς ῥίζαις ἀναιρουμέναις συνεκκόπτειν καὶ τὰ βλαστήματα, τίς οὕτως ἀμαθὴς ἢ φιλόνεικος ὡς ἐκείνῳ δοῦναι τὰ δεύτερα, καὶ μὴ ἀγαπᾶν, εἰ μετ' ἐκεῖνον εὐθὺς ἀριθμοῖτο, τὸ πρεσβεῖον ἐν τοῖς δευτέροις φερόμενος; Καὶ ταῦτα οὐ λόγος ἐστὶν ἀμάρτυρος, ἀλλ' ἐῴα τε ὁμοῦ λῆξις καὶ ἑσπέριος, καὶ ὅσην ἐκεῖνος ἐπῆλθεν ὕστερον, ἐπίσημοι στῆλαι τῆς ἐκείνου παιδεύσεως.