17.
It is no wonder that, just as not the same shadow is given to all who receive, so to speak, the bodies that make such shadows — to some no shadow at all, to others the same shadow — so too with the prior gifts. For this is plainly seen to hold for bodies as well by those who study gnomonic problems and the ratio of shadows to the illuminating body: for gnomons are shadowless at certain seasons, and others have, so to speak, short shadows, and others longer shadows than others. It is no great thing, then, if — since the purpose of the giver who grants the prior gifts fits them by certain ineffable and mystical analogies to the receivers and to the times when the prior gifts are given — at one time no shadows at all follow the receivers, at another not all but few, at another lesser ones by comparison, with greater ones following others. As, then, one who seeks the sun's rays is neither gladdened nor grieved by the presence or absence of the bodies' shadow, having the most necessary thing — whether enlightened or deprived of the shadow, or having more or less of the shadow — so, if the spiritual gifts are with us and we are enlightened by God toward the complete possession of the true goods, we shall not fuss over a cheap matter of shadow. For all material and bodily things, whatever they may be, have the worth of a faint and feeble shadow, wholly unable to be compared with the saving and holy gifts of the God of all. For what comparison is there of bodily wealth with the wealth 'in all speech' and 'all' wisdom?
And who but a madman would compare health of flesh and bones with a healthy and vigorous soul and well-measured reasonings? All of which, ordered by the word of God, make bodily sufferings some cheap scratch — even if we count the scratch briefer than it is. But he who has contemplated what the beauty of the bride is, whose 'songs' the word of God loves — a soul in bloom with supercelestial and supermundane beauty — will be ashamed to honor with the same name of beauty the bodily beauty of woman or boy or ... Flesh is as grass, and its 'glory,' which appears in what is called the beauty of women and children, has been likened by the prophetic word to a flower, saying: 'All flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass. The grass is withered, and the flower fallen; but the word of the Lord abides forever.' But who will properly call nobility the trite thing called so among men, who has conceived the nobility of sons of God? And the mind that has contemplated Christ's 'unshakable' kingdom — how will it not despise as worth nothing 'all the kingdom upon earth'? And having seen, as far as a human mind still bound in body can hold, and grasped as far as possible, the army of angels and archistrategi — among them powers of the Lord, archangels and thrones and dominions and principalities and authorities, supercelestial — how will it not, even if feebler than a shadow, despise as dimmest, comparing them, even these things admired among the senseless as worth no account, even if all these are given — and overlook them all, for the sake of not missing the true principalities and the more divine authorities? We must pray, then, pray concerning the prior and truly great and heavenly things, and leave the matters of the shadows that follow the prior things to God, who knows 'what need' we have, through the mortal body, 'before' we ask him.
Greek (GCS)
XVII 1. Οὐ ϑαυμαστὸν δὲ εἰ μὲν πᾶσιν ὁμοίως τοῖς λαμβά- vovow, ἵν᾿ οὕτως εἴπω, τὰ ποιητικὰ τῶν τοιούτων σκιῶν σώματα ἡ ὁμοία οὐ δίδοται σκιὰ, τισὶ δ᾽ ὁμοίως δίδοται σκιά. τοῦτο γὰρ τοῖς ϑεωροῦσι τὰ γνωμονικὰ προβλήματα καὶ τὸν τῶν σκιῶν πρὸς τὸ φωτίζον σῶμα λόγον σαφῶς παρίσταται συμβαῖνον καὶ κατὰ τὰ σώματα᾽ τισὶ γοῦν ἀσκιοί εἶσιν οἱ γνώμονες καιρῷ τινι, ἑτέροις δὲ, ἕν᾽ οὕτως εἴπω, βραχύσκιοι καὶ ἑτέροις παρ᾽ ἑτέρους μακροσκιώτεροι. οὐ μέγα τοίνυν εἰ, τῆς προϑέσεως τοῦ δωρουμένου τὰ προηγούμενα χαριξομένης κατά τινας ἀναλογίας ἀποῤῥήτους xal μυστικὰς ἄρμο- ξόντως͵ τοῖς λαμβάνουσι καὶ τοῖς χρόνοις, ὅτε δίδοται τὰ προηγού- μενα, ὅτὲ μὲν οὐδ᾽ ὅλως αἱ σχιαὶ τοῖς λαμβάνουσιν ἕπονται ὁτὲ δὲ οὐ πάντων ἀλλὰ ὀλίγων ὃτὲ δὲ ἐλάττους συγκρίσει ἑτέρων, μειζό- vov ἄλλοις ἐπαχολουϑουσῶν. ὥσπερ οὖν τὸν ζητοῦντα τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἀχτῖνας οὔτε παροῦσα οὔτε ἀποῦσα ἡ τῶν σωμάτων σκιὰ εὐφραίνει ἢ λυπεῖ, ἔχοντα τὸ ἀναγχαιότατον, ἐπὰν πεφωτισμένος ἦτοι ἐστερη- μένος ῃ τῆς σκιᾶς ῇ πλεῖον | ἢ ἔλαττον ἔχῃ τῆς σχιᾶς" οὕτως ἂν παρῇ ἡμῖν τὰ πνευματικὰ καὶ φωτιζώμεϑα ὑπὸ τοῦ ϑεοῦ πρὸς τὴν παντελῆ κτῆσιν τῶν ἀληϑινῶν ἀγαϑῶν, οὐ μιχρολογήσομεν περὶ εὑ- τελοῦς πράγματος τοῦ κατὰ τὴν σκιάν. πάντα γὰρ τὰ ὑλικὰ καὶ τὰ 5 σωματικὰ, ὁποῖά ποτε ἂν τυγχάνῃ, σχιᾶς ἀμενηνοῦ καὶ ἀδρανοῦς » , 2 - ’ n N x ἔχει λόγον, οὐδαμῶς δυνάμενα παραβάλλεσθαι πρὸς τὰς σωτηρίους τοῦ ϑεοῦ τῶν ὅλων καὶ ἁγίας δωρεάς. ποία γὰρ σύγχρισις σωματικοῦ 2 ic δ᾽ οὕτως) τίς δ᾽ οὐχ οὕτως Bent. (bei Del. I 225 Anm. a) ὃ ἐχπεφεύ- yeı) ἐχπέφευγε Angl. (a. a. O.) | 6 μὲν schreibe ich mit Angl. (bei Del. I 919b), μὴ TAusgg. | πᾶσιν ὁμοίως τοῖς] πᾶσι τοῖς ὁμοίως liest Ang]. (ἃ. ἃ. O.) nicht ohne Wahrscheinlichkeit | 8 7 ὁμοία schreibe ich mit Bent. u. Del. (1225 Anm. b), ὁμοίως Angl. (a. a. O.), ἢ ὅμοιον TAusgg. | ὁμοίως) ὅλως οὐ Bent. u. Del. (I 225 Anm. b) | 10 xal κατὰ τὰ σώματα) κατὰ τὰ χλίματα Angl. (a. a. 0.) | 14 χαρε- ζομένης TLond. χαριζομένου Ox.Del. | 16 οὐδόλως Lond. | 17 ἀλλὰ Τ' ἀλλ᾽ Ausgg. 19 τῶν σωμάτων) τοῦ σώματος Bent. „bei Del. I 225 Anm. f) | 20 πεφωτισμέ- vog ἤτοι ἐστερημένος) πεφωτισμένος (ἢ), εἴτ᾽ ἐστερημένος lesen Bent. Del. (I 225 Anm, g) Angl. (a. a. 0.) ohne Grund, da das vermisste 7 hinter ἐστερημένος vor- handen ist | 25 ποτεὶῖ ποτ᾽ Lond. τίς δ᾽ ἂν μὴ μαινόμενος παραβάλοι ὑγείαν σαρκῶν καὶ ὀστέων πρὸς ὑγιαίνοντα γοῦν καὶ ἐῤῥωμένην ψυχὴν χαὶ συμμέτρους λογισμούς; ἅτινα πάντα λόγῳ ῥυϑμιζόμενα ϑεοῦ εὐτελῆ τινα ἀμυχὴν, χαὶ εἴ ὅ τε ἀμυχῆς βραχύτερον νομίζομεν, ποιεῖ τὰ σωματικὰ παϑήματα. 2. ὁ δὲ κατανοήσας τί ποτ᾽ ἢ τὸ κάλλος τῆς νύμφης, ἧς ö „vuugpiog“ λόγος ὧν ϑεοῦ ἐρᾷ, | ψυχῆς τυγχανούσης ἀνϑούσης ὑπερ- 226 ουρανίῳ καὶ ὑπερχοσμίῳ κάλλει, αἰδεσϑήσεται κἂν τῷ αὐτῷ ὀνό- ματι τοῦ κάλλους τιμῆσαι σωματικὸν κάλλος γυναικὸς ἢ παιδὸς ἢ 10 ἀνόρός" τὸ γὰρ χυρίως κάλλος σὰρξ οὐ χωρεῖ, πᾶσα τυγχάνουσα αἶσχος. , πᾶσα“ γὰρ »».σὰρξ ὡς χόρτος,“ καὶ ἡ,,δόξα“ αὐτῆς, ἥτις ἐστὶ» ἐμφαινομένη τῷ λεγομένῳ κάλλει γυναιχῶν καὶ παιδίων, ἄνϑει κατὰ τὸν προφητικὸν παραβέβληται. λόγον, λέγοντα" οὕτᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς χόρ- τος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς ἄνϑος χόρτου. ἐξηράνϑη ὃ χόρτος, 15 χαὶ τὸ ἄνϑος ἐξέπεσε᾽ τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐγένειαν τίς ἔτε κυρίως ὀνομάσει τὴν τετριμμένην λέ- γεσϑαι παρὰ ἀνϑρώποις, νοήσας εὐγένειαν υἱῶν ϑεοῦ; ,βασιλείαν“ δὲ Χριστοῦ , ἀσάλευτον“ ϑεωρήσας ὃ νοῦς πῶς οὐ καταφρονήσει ὡς οὗὐ- δενὸς λόγου ἀξίας “πάσης τῆς ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλείας; στρατιάν τε ἀγγέ- 20 Amv καὶ ἀρχιστρατήγους ἐν αὐτοῖς δυνάμεων κυρίου ἀρχαγγέλους τε καὶ ϑρόνους καὶ κυριότητας καὶ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας ὑπερουρανίους, ὡς χωρεῖ ὁ ἔτι δεδεμένος σώματι ἀνθρώπινος νοῦς, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν τρανῶς ἰδὼν καὶ κατειληφὼς. δύνασϑαι ἰσοτίμου παρὰ τοῦ πατρὶς ἐκείνοις τυχεῖν, πῶς οὐχὶ, κἂν σκιᾶς ἀδρανέστερος ῇ, χαὶ τούτων 25 τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνοήτοις ϑαυμαζομένων εἷς ἁμαυροτάτων καὶ οὐ- δενὸς λόγου ἀξίων συγχρίσει καταφρονῶν, κἂν διδῶται ταῖτα 167 πάντα, | ὑπερόψεται ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῶν ἀληϑινῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ ϑειοτέρων ἐξουσιῶν μὴ ἀποτυχεῖν; εὐχτέον τοίνυν, εὐχτέον περὶ τῶν προηγου- μένως καὶ ἀληϑῶς μεγάλων xal ἐπουρανίων, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν 80 ἐπαχκολουϑουσῶν σχιῶν τοῖς προηγουμένοις ϑεῷ ἐπιτρεπτέον, τῷ 17 βασιλείαν δὲ Χριστοῦ ἀσάλευτον Bent. Del. (I 226 Anm. Ὁ) nach Hebr. 12, 28; βασιλείαν δὲ Χριστοῦ (βασιλέως τῶν) βασιλευόντων E. Klostermann nach 1 Tim. 6, 15; βασιλέα δὲ Χριστὸν βασιλευόντων Ox., βασιλείαν δὲ Χριστοῦ βασι- λευόντων Lond.Del., βασιλείαν δὲ Χριστοῦ βασιλεύοντος Angl. (bei Del. I 919b), βασὲ ” [80] δὲ χριστοῦ βασιλευόντων T| 24 χἂν σχιᾶς ἀδρανέστερος ἢ, καὶ τούτων Del. (I 226 Anm. c), za} σχιᾶς ἀδρανεστέρων τούτων vermutet Angl. (8.8. 0.) weniger . gut; καὶ σχιᾶς ἀδρανέστερος ἢ καὶ τούτων TAusgg. | 26 hinter συγχρίσει ist vielleicht ἐχείνων ausgefallen | 28 προηγουμένως T προηγουμένων Ausge. ἐπισταμένῳ „av χρείαν“ διὰ τὸ ἐπίκηρον σῶμα ἔχομεν ,πρὸ Too“ ἡμᾶς αἰτῆσαι αὐτόν."