Walled city = Jews; open fields = nations; who is easily taken
Palladius: So then clarify what ever it is the law says.
Cyril: Dim, O Palladius, is the matter of the sale, and having a very uphill approach, even if someone should choose to think it around in bare thoughts; yet I will speak, as possible, and as it would go into my mind. And I will ask, and tell me; For those accustomed to ravage cities and lands, who would be catchable, and not with long sweat? Which then do you say, those inside walls and of the most well-towered cities, or rather those in fields?
Palladius: And for whom is this unclear? for most easily-caught are those in unwalled fields.
Cyril: You spoke rightly; and whom do you think live through better and most fairly, city ones then and those in knowledge of laws, or those reared more rusticly in villages? So then more weakly will those in fields stand-before their own salvation, and those inside towered cities will counsel the better things, and will reckon lawfully the necessary things for themselves unto benefit, and when there is a time of counsel and plans.
Palladius: True; even if they have somehow suffered the being worsted.
Cyril: And indeed also for those in field, and having missed the best counsel, one might sometimes forgive the being caught; for unwalled and more uncounselled than those in the cities. Yet the others one might charge, and very reasonably I think, if after having warded off the enemies and saved the own things, by the assaults of those having stood opposite, they themselves willingly betrayed, and having been worsted beforehand by their own cowardice, have become under hand of those having stood opposite.
Palladius: You spoke well.
Cyril: So then see Jews, dwelling the holy city, about which the God of the wholes says: ‘And I will be for it, says Lord, a wall of fire in a circle, and unto glory I will be in midst of it.’ (Zechariah 2:5) And indeed also having been made wise toward this by law. Therefore also they were saying: ‘Blessed are we the sons of Israel, because the things pleasing to Lord are known for us.’ (Baruch 4:4) So then, do you not say such ones are altogether most hard-to-enter for the assaults of the demons, if at least they should choose to live rightly, and to be borne under the divine laws?
Palladius: Very much so.
Cyril: And the herds of the nations, having the more rustic and easily-beside mind, would reasonably be altogether not with sweat takeable, for the plundering Satan, bare of the help from above, and least enriching the pedagogue law.
Palladius: It seems so.
Cyril: So then Jews, those dwelling a city
Greek
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Διασάφει δὴ οὖν ὅ τί ποτ' ἐστὶν ὅ φησιν ὁ νόμος;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀμυδρὸν, ὦ Παλλάδιε, τῆς ἐμπωλῆς τὸ χρῆμα, καὶ λίαν ἀνάντη τὴν προσβολὴν ἔχον, κἂν εἰ ἐν ψιλαῖς ἐννοίαις αὐτὴν περινοεῖν ἕλοιτό τις· φράσω γε μὴν, ὡς ἔνι, καὶ ὡς ἂν εἰς νοῦν ἴοι τὸν ἐμόν. Ἐρήσομαι δὲ, καί μοι λέγε· Τοῖς καταδῃοῦν εἰωθόσι πόλεις τε καὶ χώρας, τίνες ἂν εἶεν ἁλώσιμοι, καὶ οὐ σὺν ἱδρῶτι μακρῷ; πότερα δὴ φὴς, οἱ τειχῶν ἔσω καὶ πόλεων τῶν εὐπυργοτάτων, ἢ μᾶλλον οἱ ἐν ἀγροῖς;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ τίνι τοῦτο ἀσυμφανές; εὐαλωτότατοι γὰρ οἱ ἐν ἀτειχίστοις ἀγροῖς.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὀρθῶς ἔφης· οἴει δὲ δὴ τίνας ἄμεινόν τε καὶ ἐπιεικέστατα διαζῇν, ἀστικοὺς ἄρα καὶ τοὺς ἐν εἰδήσει νόμων, ἤγουν τοὺς ἐν κώμαις ἀγροικότερον ἀνατεθραμμένους; Οὐκοῦν ἀσθενέστερον μὲν οἱ ἐν ἀγροῖς προστήσονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας, οἱ δὲ πόλεων εἴσω πεπυργωμένων, βουλεύσονται δὴ τὰ ἀμείνω, καὶ λογιοῦνται συννόμως τὰ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀναγκαῖα πρὸς ὄνησιν, καὶ ᾖ βουλῆς καὶ σκεμμάτων καιρός.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές· εἰ καὶ πεπόνθασι μὲν τὸ ἡττᾶσθαι τυχόν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Καὶ μὴν καὶ ἁλῶναι τοῖς ἐν ἀγρῷ, καὶ βουλῆς ἡμαρτηκόσι τῆς ἀρίστης ἔσθ' ὅτε συγγνοίη τις ἄν· ἀτείχιστοι γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀβουλότεροι. Τούς γε μὴν ἑτέρους, ἐπαιτιῷτό τις ἂν, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως οἶμαι, εἰ μετὰ τὸ ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καὶ διασώσασθαι τὰ οἰκεῖα, ταῖς τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων προσβολαῖς, προὔδοσαν μὲν ἑκόντες αὐτοὶ, κακανδρίᾳ δὲ τῇ σφῶν προηττημένοι, γεγόνασιν ὑπὸ χεῖρα τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Θέα δὴ οὖν Ἰουδαίους μὲν, τὴν ἁγίαν οἰκοῦντας πόλιν, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός· «Καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῇ, λέγει Κύριος, τεῖχος πυρὸς κύκλωθεν, καὶ εἰς δόξαν ἔσομαι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς.» Καὶ μέντοι πρὸς τόδε καὶ νόμῳ σεσοφωμένους. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ἔφασκεν· «Μακάριοί ἐσμεν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι τὰ ἀρεστὰ Κυρίῳ γνωστὰ ἡμῖν ἐστιν.» Ἆρ' οὖν, οὐχὶ δυσεμβατωτάτους κομιδῇ τοὺς τοιούτους εἶναι φὴς ταῖς τῶν δαιμονίων ἐπαγωγαῖς, εἴπερ ἕλοιντο βιοῦν ὀρθῶς, καὶ τοῖς θείοις ὑποφέρεσθαι νόμοις;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Αἱ δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀγέλαι, φρένα μὲν ἔχουσαι τὴν ἀγροικοτέραν καὶ εὐπάροιστον, παντελῶς εἶεν ἂν εἰκότως οὐ σὺν ἱδρῶτι ληπταὶ, τῷ διαρπάζοντι Σατανᾷ, γυμναὶ μὲν ἐπικουρίας τῆς ἄνωθεν, ἥκιστα δὲ τὸν παιδαγωγὸν καταπλουτοῦσαι νόμον.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἔοικεν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν, οἱ πόλιν οἰκοῦντες
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 13 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 13 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 13 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 13)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 13)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.