Night = ignorance; bird-omens mocked; Homer Euripides

of the night—that is, of those still in darkness and nodding, and not having the gleam of the God-knowledge; and that it is custom for the God-breathed Scripture to liken the herd of those wandering-upon to the night, hear what the Master of all says toward Jews, when Jerusalem was running back toward idolatry: ‘I have likened your mother to a night; my people has been likened as not having knowledge.’ Do you understand that he calls night those not having knowledge of the true and according to nature divinity, clearly? Therefore the enemy of all has hated seasons and days according to which he himself has been destroyed, yet we have been saved. And the one hating with that one will be of his portion, and will have a lot with him—the needing to be punished without pause.

Palladius: In a portion then of the truly profane and God-hated idolatry will we also set such things, just as indeed also the empty-myth about the so-called genesis.

Cyril: Know well that it does not hold otherwise, just as also the test of the affairs itself has proven. And besides these things one must abominate very well also the loving to cling to useless bird-watchings, and whisperings and charms; for from lightness of mind some of those beside Greeks have slipped unto this, so as to think that the knowledge of the affairs according to us also lies in the winged ones darting into air. Therefore they are also busy about the flights unto dawn and unto evening, unto right and unto left; and if somehow a crow should appear crying, having set the ear under, they receive it as it were some of the most true things, and they run back rejoicing; and the wretched ones blush not at all, laying up the power of such solemn prophecy upon sparrows. And such a word has been made solemn for them, as they think according to themselves; for the gods show through them, he says. Yet we say the apostate angels are not gods, from whom good and admirable prophets have been voted for us, and knowers of the things about to be—both the screaming crow, and indeed also a swift-winged hawk, and tawny doves, according at least to the words beside Greeks, and the other sparrows—worthy at least the prophets of those sounding into them the chirpings unto us ourselves; and blessed also are you and envy-worthy having obtained such God-speakers; yet you have forgotten as it seems, even while admiring the glories of the poets beside you, that it seemed also to them to laugh the matter through, and to think it nonsense, and nothing of the necessary things. For Homer: Soft one, leave birds, he says, Whether they go upon the right toward dawn and sun, Or upon the left, those toward misty gloom. And Euripides clearly and openly defines the vanity of needing to look down at birds’ flights-through. For he says Theseus is raging upon Hippolytus his own child, and indeed also is attempting to drive him out of the one who bore him. And when that one was saying: