On Virginity 12–16
Greek text: PG 46.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 5 (1893), "On Virginity".
Chapter 12
12PG 46:369b–376c
Ὅτι ούδξ ἐξ- ἀρχῆς, οὐδὲ κατὰ φύσιν συνουσιωμέ· 399-, αὐτεξούσιον ἔχει ὃ ἄνθρωπος τὸ,πα- τικ. Τὸ λογικὸν τοῦτο καὶ διανοητικδν ζῶον, δ ἄνθρωπος, τῆς θείας τε καὶ ἀκηράτου φύσεως ἔργον καὶ μίμημα γεγονώς ' οὕτω γὰρ ὲν τῇ Κοσμογενείᾳ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀναγέγραπται, ὅτι ι Κατʼ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν ' ι τοῦτο οὖν τὸ ζῶον, ὁλάνθρωπος, ού κατὰ φύσιν οὐδὲ συνουσιωμὲνον ἔσχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ παρὰ τὴν πρώτην γένεσιν τὸ παθητικόν τε καὶ ἐπίκηρον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν τὸν τῆς εἰκόνος διασωθῆναι λόγον, εἰ ὑπεναντίως, εἶχε τὸ ἀπεικονισμένον κάλλος πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον. Ἀλλʼ ὕστερον ὲπεισήχθη τὸ πάθος αὐτῷ μετά τὴν πρώτην κατασκευὴν · ὲπεισήχθη δὲ οὓτως· Είκὼν ἦν καὶ ὁμοίωμα, καθὼς εἴρηται, τῆς πάντων τῶν ὅντων βασιλευούσης δυνάμεωςʼ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὲν τῷ σύτεξουσίῳ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ὲξουσιάζοντα πάντων εἶχε τὴν ὁμοιότητα, οὐδεμιᾷ τινι τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀνάγκῃ δεδουλωμένοςο ἀλλὰ τῇ γνώμῃ τῇ ἰδίᾳ πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν διοικούμενος, καὶ τὸ ἀρέσκον αὐτῷ κατʼ ἐξουσίαν αἱρούμενος, τὴν συμφορὰν ταύτην, νῦν κεκράτηται τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, αὐτὸς ἐθελοντὴς ἀπάτῃ παρενεχθεὶς ἐπεσπάσατο, αὐτὸς τῆς κακίας εύρέτης γενόμενος, οὐχὶ παρά Θεοῦ γενομένην εύρὼν“ Θεὸς γάρ θάνατον οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ τρόπον τινὰ κτίστης καὶ δημιουργὸς τοῦ κακοῦ κατέστη ό ἄνθρωπος. Καθάπερ γὰρ τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ φωτὸς κοινὴ μὲν πρόκειται πᾶσιν ἡ μετουσία, οἷς ήτοῦ ὀρᾷν δύναμις πάρεστι δύναται δέ τις, εἰ βουληθείη, μύσας-τὸν ὀφθαλμὴν, ἔξω γενέσθαι τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἀντιλήψεως, ού τοῦ ἡλίου ἀποχωροῦντος ἑτέρωθι, καὶ οὕτως ἐκεῖνο τὸ σκότος ἐπάγοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διὰ τῆς ἐπιμύσεως τῶν βλεφάρων τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ὲκ τῆς ἀκτῖνος διατειχίσαντοςυ τῆς γὰρ ὁρατικῆς δυνάμεως ὲν τῇ ὲπιμύσει τῶν ὀμμάτων ἀργεῖν ἀδυνατούσης, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς ὁράσεως, σκότους ἐνέργειαν γίνεσθαι, ἑκουσίως ὲν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ διὰ τῆς ἀορασίας τυνισταμένηνοῆ ὥσπερ εἴτις οἰκίαν ἑαυτῷ κατατκευάςων, μηδεμίαν ὲντέμοι τῷ φωτὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ίσω πάροδον, ἀναγκαίως ἐν σκότῳ βιώσεται, ἑκὼν ὶποκλείσας ταῖς ἀκτῖσι τὴν εἴσοδονο οὕτω καὶ 6 πρῶro; 6 ἐκ γῆς ἄνθρωπος, μᾶλλον δὲ 6 τὴν κακίαν ὲν τῷ Ξνθρώπῳ γεννήσας, ἐν μὲν τῇ φύσει τὸ καλόν τε καί ὶγαθὸν κατʼ ἐξουσίαν ἔσχεν πανταχόθεν προκείμενονἐθελοντὴς δὲ παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ τὰ παρα φύσιν ἐκαινοτόμησε, τὴν τοῦ κακοῦ πεῖραν ὲν τῇ ἀποστροφῇ τῆς ἂρετῆς τῇ ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει δημιουργήσας. Κακδν γάρ ἔξω προαιρέσεως κείμενον, καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν ὑπόστασιν θεωρούμενον, ὲν τῇ φύσει τῶν ὄντων ἐστὶν οὐδέν. Πᾶν γὰρ κτίσμα Θεοῦ καλὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητονζ καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν 6 Θεὸς καλὰ λίαν · ἀλλ ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὸν ρηθέντα τρόπον εἰσεφθάρη τῇ ζωῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἀκολουθία, καὶ ὲκ μικρᾶς ἀφορμῆς εἰς ἄπειρον τῆς κακίας ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ χυθείσης, καὶ τὸ θεοειδὲς ἐκεῖνο τῆς ψυχῆς κάλλος τὸ κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ πρωτοτόκου γενόμενον, οἷόν τις σίδηρος κατε μελάνθη τῷ τῆς κακίας ἰῷ οὐκ· ἐτι τηνικαῦτα τῆς οἰκείας αὑτῷ κατὰ φύσιν εἰκόνος τὴν χάριν διέσωζεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ αἶσχος τῆς ἁμαρτίας μετεμορφώθη.“Ὀθεν τὸ μέγα καὶ τίμιον τοῦτο, 6 ἄνθρωπος, ὼς ὑπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ὠνομάσθη, ἐκπεσὼν τῆς οἰκείας ἀξίας, οἷον πάσχουσιν οἱ ἐξ ὀλισθήματος ἑγκατενεχθέντες βορβόρῳ, καὶ τῷ πηλῷ τὴν μορφὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐξαλείψαντες, άνεπίγνωστοι καὶ τοῖς συνήῦεσι γίνονται· οὓτως κάκεῖνος ἐμπεσὼν τῷ βορβόρῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀπώλεσε μὲν τὸ εἰκὼν εἶναι τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ, τὴν δὲ φθαρτὴν καὶ πηλίνην εἰκόνα διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μετημφιάσατοο ἣν ἀποθέσθαι συμβουλεύει ό λόγος, οἷόν τινι ὕδατι τῷ καθαρῷ τῆς πολιν τείας άποκλυσάμενον· ὼς ἂν περιαιρεθέντος τοῦ γηῒνου, καλύμματος, πάλιν τῆς ψυχῆς φανερωθῇ τὸ κάλλος. ’Λπόθεσις δὲ τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου ἐστὶν ἡ εἰς τδ οἰκεῖον ἑαυτῷ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ὲπάνοδοςʼ οὗ τυχεῖν ἄλλως οὐκ ἔστι, μὴ οἷος ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐκτίσθη, τοιοῦτον πάλιν γενόμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἡμέτερον ἔργον, οὐδὲ δυνάο μεως ἀνθρωπίνης ἐστὶ κατόρθωμα ἡ πρὸς τὸ Θείον ὁμοίωσιςέ ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλοῷρεᾶς ἐστιν, εὐθὺς ἆμα τῇ πρώτῃ γενέσει χαρισαμένου τῇ φύσει τὴν πρὸς αὑτὸν ὁμοιότητα., Τῆς δὲ ἀνθρωπίνης σπουδῆς τοσοῦτον ἂν εἴη, ὅσον ἐκκαθᾶραι μόνον τὸν ἐπιγενόμενον ἀπὸκακίας ῥύπον αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸ κεκαλυμμένον ὲν τῇ ψυχῇ κάλλος διαφωτίσαι. Τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον δόγμα καὶ ὲν τῷ E64772λίῳ διδάσκειν οἶμαι τὸν Κύριον, λέγοντα τοῖς ἀκούειν δυναμένοις τῆς ὲν μυστηρίῳ λαλουμένης σοφίας, ὅτι ι Ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑ μῶν ἐστιν · › ἐνδείκνυταξ γὰρ,οἷμαι, 6 λόγος αὐτῷ, ὅτι τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγαθὸν οὐ διώρισται τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν, οὐδὲ πόρρωθέν arcu-702V ζητεῖν αὐτὸ -προαιρουμένων ἀπῴκισται · ὲν eam ἐστὶν, ἀγνοούμενον μὲν καὶ λανθάνον, ὅταν ὑπδ τῶν μεριμνῶν τε καὶ ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου συμπνίγηταν εὑρισκόμενον δὲ πάλιν, ὅταν εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὴν διάνοιαν ἡμῶν ἐπιστρέψωμεν εί χρὴ καὶ διʼ ἐτέρων τὸν λόγον πιστώσασθαι, τοῦτο καὶ ὲν τῇ ἁναζητήσει τῆς άπολλυιὲένης δραχμῆς ἡμῖν ὑποτίθεσθαι οἶμαι τὸν Κύριον, ὡς οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν, ἃς δραχμὰς ὁ λόγος ὠνόμασε, κᾶν πᾶσαι παροῦσαι τύχωσι, τῆς μιᾶς ἐκείνης ἀπούσης τῇ χηρευούσῃ ψυχῇο Διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον μὲν ἅπτειν λύχνον ἐλαίου κελεύει, τὸν λόγον τάχα σημαίνων τὸν τὰ κεκρυμμένα φωτίζοντα ’ εἶτα ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ οίκίᾳ, τουτέστιν, ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ζητεῖν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην δραχμήν. Διὰ δὲ τῆς ζητουμένης δραχμῆς τὴν εἰκόνα πάντως τοῦ βασιλέως αἰνίσσεται, τὴν οὐχὶ παντελῶς ἀπολλυμένην, ἀλλὰ ὑποκεκρυμμένην τῇ κόπρῳ. Κύπρον δὲ χρὴ νοεῖν, ὼς οἶμαι, τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ῥυπαρίανε ἧς ἀποσαρωθείσης καὶ ἀνα. καθαρθείσης διὰ τῆς ἐπιμελείας τοῦ βίου, ἔκδηλον τὸ ζητούμενον γίνεσθαι, sap; ᾧ εἰκότως αὐτὴν τε τὴν εὑροῦσαν χαίρειν ψυχὴν, καὶ είς κοινωνίαν τῆς εὑιρροσύνης συμπαραλαμβάνειν τὰςʼ γείτονας. Τῷ ὅντιδ γάρ πᾶσαι αί σύνοικοι τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις, ἃς γείτονας νῦν προσηγόρευσεν. ἐπειδάν άνακαλυφθῇ καὶ ἐκλάμψῃ αὕτη ή τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως εἰκὼν, ἢν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὲνεο-ημήνατο ήμῶν τῇ δραχμῇ ὁ πλάσας κατὰ μόνας τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν, τότε ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν ἐκείνην χαράν τε καί εὐφροσύνην ἐπιστραφήσονται, τῷ ἀφράστῳ κάλλει τοῦ εὑρεθέντος ὲνατενίζουσαι. ε Συγχάρητε ι γάρ ‹ μοι, ο φησὶν, ι ὅτι εὗρον τὴν δραχμὴν ἢν ἀπώλεσα. ι Al δὲ γείτονες, ἦτοι σύνοικοι τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τῇ εὑρέσει τῆς θείας δραχμῆς εὐφραινόμεναι, ἠ λογική τε καὶ ὲπιθυμητικὴ, καὶ ἠ κατὰ λύπην τε καὶ ὀργὴν ἐγγινομένη διάθεσις, καὶ ετ τινες ἄλλαι δυνάμεις εἰσὶ περὶ τὴν ψυχὴν θεωρούμεναι, εἰκότως ἂν καὶ φίλαι-εῖναι νομίζονται, ἃς πάσας τότε χαίρειν ὲν Κυρίῳ εἰκὸς, ὅταν αἱ πᾶσαι πρὸς τὸ καλόν τε καὶ ἀγαθὸν βλέπωσι, καὶ πάντα είς ῗόίαν Θεοῦ ἐνεργῶσι, μηκέτι, τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὅπλα ι μεναι. Είοῦν αὕτη ἐστὶν ή ἐπίνοια τῆς τοῦ ζητουμένου εὑρήσεως, ἡ τῆς Θείας εἰκόνος είς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀποκατάστασις, τῆς νῦν ἐν τῷ τῆς σαρκὸς ῥύπῳ κεκαλυμμένης, ἐκεῖνο γενώμεθα ὃ ἦν παρὰ τὴν πρώτην ἐαυο τοῦ ζωὴν ὁ πρωτόπλαστος. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνος ἦν; Γυμνὸς μὲν τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν δερμάτων ἐπιβολῆς, ὲν παρρησία δὲ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ’πρόσω-πον βλέπων, οὔπω δὲ aia; γεύἰ σεως καὶ ὁράσεως τὸ καλὸν κρίνων, άλλὰ μόνον τοῦ Κυρίου κατατρυφῶν, καὶ τῇ δοθείσῃ βοηθῷ πρὸς τοῦτο .ouyxptbpevog, καθὼς ἐπισημαίνεται ἡ Θεία Γραφὴ, ὅτι οὐ πρότερον αὐτὴν ἔγνω, πρὶν ἐξορισθῆναι τοῦ παραδείσου, καὶ πρὶν ἐκείνην ἀντὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἥν ἀπατηθεῖσα ἐξήμαρτε, τῇ τῶν ὠδίνων τιμωρίᾳ κατακριθῆναι. At‘ ἧς τοίνυν ἀκολουθίας ἔξω τοῦ παραδείσου γεγόναμεν, τῷ προπάτορι ωνεκὸληθέντες, καὶ νῦν διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν παλινδρομήσασινʼ ἐπανελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν μακαριότητα, Τίς οὖν ή ἀκολουθίαςΗδονὴ τότε διʼ ἀπάτης ἐγγενομένη τῆς ἐκπτώσεως ῆρξατο. Εἶτα αἰσχύνη καὶ φόβος τῷ πάθει τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐπηκολούθησε, καὶ τὸ, μηκέτι λοιπὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τολμᾷν εἶναι τοῦ κτίσαντος, ἀλλὰ φύλλοις καὶ σκιαῖς ὑποκρύπτεσθαι· δέρμασι νεκροῖς μετά ταῦτα περικαλύπτονται. Καὶ οὕτως είς τὸ νοσῶδες τοῦτο καὶ ἐπίπονον χωρίον ἄποικοι πέμπονται, ὲν ᾧ ὁ γάμος παραμυθία τοῦ ἀποθνήσκειν ἐπενοήθη. El οὖν μέλλομεν ἀναλύειν ἐντεῦθεν, καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ γίνεσθαι, πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ τελευταίου προσήκει τῆς ἀναρ λύσεως ἄρξασθαιο ὥσπερ οἱ τῶν οἰκείων ἀποξενωθέντες, ὲπειδάν ἐπιστρέψωσιν ὅθεν ὡρμήθησαν, πρῶτον ἐκεῖνον καταλείπουσι τὸν τόπον, ᾧ τελευταῖον προϊόντες ἐνέτυχον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοῦ χωρισμοῦ τῆς ὲν τῷ παραδείσῳ [διατριὸῆς] ζωῆς τὸ τελευταῖον ὁ γάμος ἐστὶ, τοῦτον πρῶτον καταλιπεῖν, ὥσπερ τινὰ σταθμὸν ἔσχατον, τοῖς πρὸς τὴν Χριστὸν ἀναλύοι) σιν ὑφηγεῖται ό λόγος · εἶτα τῆς περὶ τὴν γῆν ταλαιπωρίας ἀναμχωρῆσαι, ἐνιδρύνθη μετά τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὁ ἀνθρωπος ο ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἔξω τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς προκαλυμμάτων γενέσθαι, τοὺς δερματίνους χιτῶνας, τουτέστι, τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ὰπεκδυσαμένουςʼ καὶ πάντα ἀπειπαμένους τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μηκέτι τῇ συκῇτοῦ πικροῦ βίου ύποσκιὰζεσθαι, ἀλλʼ ἀπορρίψαντας τὰ ὲκ τῶν προσκαίρων τούτων φύλλων τῆς ζωῆς προκαλύμματα, ὲν όςρθαλμοῖς γίνεσθαι πάλιν τοῦ κτίσαντος, τήν τε κατὰ γεῦσιν καὶ Mr ιν ’ἀπάτην ἀπώσασθαι, σύμβουλον οὐκέτι τὸν ἰοβόλον ὅφιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μόνην ἔχειν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστι, τὸ μόνου τοῦ καλοῦ ἅπτεσθαι ’ τὴν δὲ τῶν πονηρῶν γεῦσιν ἀπώσασθαι· ὡς ἐκεῖθεν ἡμῖν τῆς τῶν κακῶν ἀκολουθίας ἀρχὴν λαβούσης, ὲκ τοῦ μὴ θελῆσαι τὸ τ κακὸν ἀγνοῆσαι. Διὸ καὶ ἀπερῤἡθη τοῖς πρωτοπλάστοις τὸ μὴ μετά τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων γνῶσιν λαβεῖν ἀλλʼ ἀποσχέσθαι μὲν τοῦ γνωστοῦ καλοῦ τε καὶ πονη poi}, καθαρὸν δὲ καὶ ἀμιγὲς καὶ ἁμέτοχον τοῦ κακοῦ τὸ ἀγαθον καρποῦσθαι. Ὅπερ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐστὶν, ὤς γε ό ὲ μος λόγος, ἢ μετά τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι μόνον, καὶ ταύτην ἄπαυστον ἔχειν καὶ διηνεκῆ τὴν τρυφὴν, καὶ μηκέτι συγκαταμιγνύειν τῇ ἀπολαύσει ταύτῃ τὰ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον ἀφέλκοντα. Kal. εί χρὴ τολμήσαντας εἰπεῖν, τάχα οὕτως ἄν τις ἀπὸ τοῦ x6σμου, ὃς ὲν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται, ἁρπαγείη πάλιν είς τὸν παράδεισον, ὲν ᾧ καὶ Παῦλος γενόμενος, ἥκουσέ τε καὶ ἴδε τὰ ἄρρητα καὶ ἀθέατα, ἃ ούκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι.
Hoti oudx ex- archēs, oude kata physin synousiōme; 399-, autexousion echei ho anthrōpos to,pa- tik. To logikon touto kai dianoētikdn zōon, d anthrōpos, tēs theias te kai akēratou physeōs ergon kai mimēma gegonōs ' houtō gar en tę̄ Kosmogeneią peri autou anagegraptai, hoti i Katʼ eikona Theou epoiēsen auton ' i touto oun to zōon, holanthrōpos, ou kata physin oude synousiōmenon eschen en heautǭ para tēn prōtēn genesin to pathētikon te kai epikēron. Oude gar ēn dynaton ton tēs eikonos diasōthēnai logon, ei hypenantiōs, eiche to apeikonismenon kallos pros to archetypon. Allʼ hysteron epeisēchthē to pathos autǭ meta tēn prōtēn kataskeuēn ; epeisēchthē de houtōs; Eikōn ēn kai homoiōma, kathōs eirētai, tēs pantōn tōn hontōn basileuousēs dynameōsʼ kai dia touto kai en tǭ sytexousiǭ tēs pros ton exousiazonta pantōn eiche tēn homoiotēta, oudemią tini tōn exōthen anankę̄ dedoulōmenoso alla tę̄ gnōmę̄ tę̄ idią pros to dokoun dioikoumenos, kai to areskon autǭ katʼ exousian hairoumenos, tēn symphoran tautēn, nyn kekratētai to anthrōpinon, autos ethelontēs apatę̄ parenechtheis epespasato, autos tēs kakias euretēs genomenos, ouchi para Theou genomenēn eurōn“ Theos gar thanaton ouk epoiēsen, alla tropon tina ktistēs kai dēmiourgos tou kakou katestē o anthrōpos. Kathaper gar tou hēliakou phōtos koinē men prokeitai pasin hē metousia, hois ētou orąn dynamis paresti dynatai de tis, ei boulētheiē, mysas-ton ophthalmēn, exō genesthai tēs tou phōtos antilēpseōs, ou tou hēliou apochōrountos heterōthi, kai houtōs ekeino to skotos epagontos, alla tou anthrōpou dia tēs epimyseōs tōn blepharōn ton ophthalmon ek tēs aktinos diateichisantosy tēs gar horatikēs dynameōs en tę̄ epimysei tōn ommatōn argein adynatousēs, anankē pasa tēn energeian tēs horaseōs, skotous energeian ginesthai, hekousiōs en tǭ anthrōpǭ dia tēs aorasias tynistamenēnoē hōsper eitis oikian heautǭ katatkeuasōn, mēdemian entemoi tǭ phōti tēn epi ta isō parodon, anankaiōs en skotǭ biōsetai, hekōn ipokleisas tais aktisi tēn eisodono houtō kai 6 prōro? 6 ek gēs anthrōpos, mallon de 6 tēn kakian en tǭ Xnthrōpǭ gennēsas, en men tę̄ physei to kalon te kai igathon katʼ exousian eschen pantachothen prokeimenonethelontēs de parʼ heautou ta para physin ekainotomēse, tēn tou kakou peiran en tę̄ apostrophę̄ tēs aretēs tę̄ idią proairesei dēmiourgēsas. Kakdn gar exō proaireseōs keimenon, kai katʼ idian hypostasin theōroumenon, en tę̄ physei tōn ontōn estin ouden. Pan gar ktisma Theou kalon, kai ouden apoblētonz kai panta hosa epoiēsen 6 Theos kala lian ; all epeidē kata ton rēthenta tropon eisephtharē tę̄ zōę̄ tōn anthrōpōn hē tou hamartanein akolouthia, kai ek mikras aphormēs eis apeiron tēs kakias en tǭ anthrōpǭ chytheisēs, kai to theoeides ekeino tēs psychēs kallos to kata mimēsin tou prōtotokou genomenon, hoion tis sidēros kate melanthē tǭ tēs kakias iǭ ouk; eti tēnikauta tēs oikeias hautǭ kata physin eikonos tēn charin diesōzen, alla pros to aischos tēs hamartias metemorphōthē.“Othen to mega kai timion touto, 6 anthrōpos, ōs hypo tēs Graphēs ōnomasthē, ekpesōn tēs oikeias axias, hoion paschousin hoi ex olisthēmatos henkatenechthentes borborǭ, kai tǭ pēlǭ tēn morphēn heautōn exaleipsantes, anepignōstoi kai tois synēuesi ginontai; houtōs kakeinos empesōn tǭ borborǭ tēs hamartias, apōlese men to eikōn einai tou aphthartou Theou, tēn de phthartēn kai pēlinēn eikona dia tēs hamartias metēmphiasatoo hēn apothesthai symbouleuei o logos, hoion tini hydati tǭ katharǭ tēs polin teias apoklysamenon; ōs an periairethentos tou gēïnou, kalymmatos, palin tēs psychēs phanerōthę̄ to kallos. ’Lpothesis de tou allotriou estin hē eis td oikeion heautǭ kai kata physin epanodosʼ hou tychein allōs ouk esti, mē hoios ex archēs ektisthē, toiouton palin genomenon. Ou gar hēmeteron ergon, oude dynao meōs anthrōpinēs esti katorthōma hē pros to Theion homoiōsise alla touto men tēs tou Theou megaloǭreas estin, euthys ama tę̄ prōtę̄ genesei charisamenou tę̄ physei tēn pros hauton homoiotēta., Tēs de anthrōpinēs spoudēs tosouton an eiē, hoson ekkatharai monon ton epigenomenon apokakias rhypon autǭ, kai to kekalymmenon en tę̄ psychę̄ kallos diaphōtisai. To de toiouton dogma kai en tǭ E64772liǭ didaskein oimai ton Kyrion, legonta tois akouein dynamenois tēs en mystēriǭ laloumenēs sophias, hoti i Hē basileia tou Theou entos hy mōn estin ; › endeiknytax gar,hoimai, 6 logos autǭ, hoti to tou Theou agathon ou diōristai tēs physeōs hēmōn, oude porrōthen arcu-702V zētein auto -proairoumenōn apǭkistai ; en eam estin, agnooumenon men kai lanthanon, hotan hypd tōn merimnōn te kai hēdonōn tou biou sympnigētan heuriskomenon de palin, hotan eis ekeino tēn dianoian hēmōn epistrepsōmen ei chrē kai diʼ eterōn ton logon pistōsasthai, touto kai en tę̄ hanazētēsei tēs apolluieenēs drachmēs hēmin hypotithesthai oimai ton Kyrion, hōs ouden ophelos ek tōn loipōn aretōn, has drachmas ho logos ōnomase, kan pasai parousai tychōsi, tēs mias ekeinēs apousēs tę̄ chēreuousę̄ psychę̄o Dia touto prōton men haptein lychnon elaiou keleuei, ton logon tacha sēmainōn ton ta kekrymmena phōtizonta ’ eita en tę̄ idią oikią, toutestin, en heautǭ, zētein tēn apollymenēn drachmēn. Dia de tēs zētoumenēs drachmēs tēn eikona pantōs tou basileōs ainissetai, tēn ouchi pantelōs apollymenēn, alla hypokekrymmenēn tę̄ koprǭ. Kypron de chrē noein, ōs oimai, tēn tēs sarkos rhypariane hēs aposarōtheisēs kai ana. kathartheisēs dia tēs epimeleias tou biou, ekdēlon to zētoumenon ginesthai, sap? hǭ eikotōs autēn te tēn heurousan chairein psychēn, kai eis koinōnian tēs heuirrosynēs symparalambanein tasʼ geitonas. Tǭ hontid gar pasai ai synoikoi tēs psychēs dynameis, has geitonas nyn prosēgoreusen. epeidan anakalyphthę̄ kai eklampsę̄ hautē ē tou megalou basileōs eikōn, ēn ex archēs eneo-ēmēnato ēmōn tę̄ drachmę̄ ho plasas kata monas tas kardias hēmōn, tote epi tēn theian ekeinēn charan te kai euphrosynēn epistraphēsontai, tǭ aphrastǭ kallei tou heurethentos enatenizousai. e Syncharēte i gar ‹ moi, o phēsin, i hoti heuron tēn drachmēn ēn apōlesa. i Al de geitones, ētoi synoikoi tēs psychēs dynameis epi tę̄ heuresei tēs theias drachmēs euphrainomenai, ē logikē te kai epithymētikē, kai ē kata lypēn te kai orgēn enginomenē diathesis, kai et tines allai dynameis eisi peri tēn psychēn theōroumenai, eikotōs an kai philai-einai nomizontai, has pasas tote chairein en Kyriǭ eikos, hotan hai pasai pros to kalon te kai agathon blepōsi, kai panta eis ïoian Theou energōsi, mēketi, tēs hamartias hopla i menai. Eioun hautē estin ē epinoia tēs tou zētoumenou heurēseōs, hē tēs Theias eikonos eis to archaion apokatastasis, tēs nyn en tǭ tēs sarkos rhypǭ kekalymmenēs, ekeino genōmetha ho ēn para tēn prōtēn eauo tou zōēn ho prōtoplastos. Ti oun ekeinos ēn? Gymnos men tēs tōn nekrōn dermatōn epibolēs, en parrēsia de to tou theou ’prosō-pon blepōn, oupō de aia? geui seōs kai horaseōs to kalon krinōn, alla monon tou Kyriou katatryphōn, kai tę̄ dotheisę̄ boēthǭ pros touto .ouyxptbpevog, kathōs episēmainetai hē Theia Graphē, hoti ou proteron autēn egnō, prin exoristhēnai tou paradeisou, kai prin ekeinēn anti tēs hamartias hēn apatētheisa exēmarte, tę̄ tōn ōdinōn timōrią katakrithēnai. At‘ hēs toinyn akolouthias exō tou paradeisou gegonamen, tǭ propatori ōnekolēthentes, kai nyn dia tēs autēs exestin hēmin palindromēsasinʼ epanelthein epi tēn archaian makariotēta, Tis oun ē akolouthiasĒdonē tote diʼ apatēs engenomenē tēs ekptōseōs ērxato. Eita aischynē kai phobos tǭ pathei tēs hēdonēs epēkolouthēse, kai to, mēketi loipon en ophthalmois tolmąn einai tou ktisantos, alla phyllois kai skiais hypokryptesthai; dermasi nekrois meta tauta perikalyptontai. Kai houtōs eis to nosōdes touto kai epiponon chōrion apoikoi pempontai, en hǭ ho gamos paramythia tou apothnēskein epenoēthē. El oun mellomen analyein enteuthen, kai syn Christǭ ginesthai, palin ek tou teleutaiou prosēkei tēs anar lyseōs arxasthaio hōsper hoi tōn oikeiōn apoxenōthentes, epeidan epistrepsōsin hothen hōrmēthēsan, prōton ekeinon kataleipousi ton topon, hǭ teleutaion proïontes enetychon. Epei oun tou chōrismou tēs en tǭ paradeisǭ [diatrioēs] zōēs to teleutaion ho gamos esti, touton prōton katalipein, hōsper tina stathmon eschaton, tois pros tēn Christon analyoi) sin hyphēgeitai o logos ; eita tēs peri tēn gēn talaipōrias anamchōrēsai, enidrynthē meta tēn hamartian ho anthrōpos o epi toutǭ exō tōn tēs sarkos prokalymmatōn genesthai, tous dermatinous chitōnas, toutesti, to phronēma tēs sarkos apekdysamenousʼ kai panta apeipamenous ta krypta tēs aischynēs, mēketi tę̄ sykę̄tou pikrou biou yposkiazesthai, allʼ aporripsantas ta ek tōn proskairōn toutōn phyllōn tēs zōēs prokalymmata, en osrthalmois ginesthai palin tou ktisantos, tēn te kata geusin kai Mr in ’apatēn apōsasthai, symboulon ouketi ton iobolon hophin, alla tēn entolēn tou Theou monēn echein. Hautē de esti, to monou tou kalou haptesthai ’ tēn de tōn ponērōn geusin apōsasthai; hōs ekeithen hēmin tēs tōn kakōn akolouthias archēn labousēs, ek tou mē thelēsai to t kakon agnoēsai. Dio kai aperrēthē tois prōtoplastois to mē meta tou kalou kai tēn tōn enantiōn gnōsin labein allʼ aposchesthai men tou gnōstou kalou te kai ponē poi}, katharon de kai amiges kai hametochon tou kakou to agathon karpousthai. Hoper ouden allo estin, ōs ge o e mos logos, ē meta tou Theou einai monon, kai tautēn apauston echein kai diēnekē tēn tryphēn, kai mēketi synkatamignyein tę̄ apolausei tautę̄ ta pros to enantion aphelkonta. Kal. ei chrē tolmēsantas eipein, tacha houtōs an tis apo tou x6smou, hos en tǭ ponērǭ keitai, harpageiē palin eis ton paradeison, en hǭ kai Paulos genomenos, hēkouse te kai ide ta arrēta kai atheata, ha ouk exon anthrōpǭ lalēsai.
That man has his capacity for passion neither from the beginning nor bound up with his nature, but by his own free will. This rational and thinking living being, man, came to be the work and imitation of the divine and undefiled nature; for so it is written about him in the account of the world’s making, that “according to the image of God he made him.” This living being, then, man, did not have in himself at his first genesis passibility and mortality by nature or as part of his being. For the meaning of the image could not have been preserved if the beauty that was portrayed were contrary to the archetype. Rather, passion was introduced into him later, after the first construction; and it was introduced in this way. He was an image and likeness, as has been said, of the power that reigns over all existing things; and for this reason, in his free will too, he had likeness to the one who has authority over all, enslaved to no necessity from outside, but governing himself by his own judgment as seemed good to him and choosing by his own authority what pleased him. This misfortune by which humanity is now held, he drew upon himself willingly, carried away by deceit, himself becoming the inventor of vice, not finding it made by God; for God did not make death; rather, man in a way became the creator and maker of evil. For as the sharing of the sun’s light is set before all in common who have the power of sight, but anyone may, if he wishes, shut his eye and be outside the perception of light, not because the sun withdraws elsewhere and so brings that darkness, but because the man has walled his eye off from the ray by closing his eyelids (for since the power of sight cannot be idle when the eyes are closed, the activity of seeing necessarily becomes an activity of darkness, produced voluntarily in the man by his not seeing); or as, if someone building a house for himself cuts no passage for the light to enter, he will necessarily live in darkness, having willingly shut out the rays: so too the first man from the earth, or rather the one who brought vice to birth in man, had the beautiful and good set before him on every side in his nature by his own authority, but of his own will he made innovations against nature, fashioning the experience of evil by his own choice in turning from virtue. For evil, lying outside choice and seen as having its own existence, is nothing in the nature of existing things. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected; and all things that God made were very good. But since, in the way described, the sequence of sinning broke into human life, and vice spread in man from a small beginning to infinity, and that godlike beauty of the soul, made in imitation of the prototype, was blackened like iron by the rust of vice, it no longer preserved the grace of its own natural image but was transformed into the ugliness of sin. Hence that great and precious thing, man, as Scripture named him, having fallen from his proper dignity, suffered as those do who, having slipped and fallen into mud and smeared their form with clay, become unrecognizable even to their acquaintances: so he too, falling into the mud of sin, lost being the image of the incorruptible God, and through sin put on the corruptible and clayey image, which the word counsels us to put off, washing it away as in water by purity of life, so that, the earthy covering having been removed, the beauty of the soul may be revealed again. The putting off of what is foreign is the return to what is one’s own and natural; and this cannot be attained otherwise than by becoming again such as one was created at the beginning. For likeness to the divine is not our work, nor the achievement of human power; it belongs to the munificence of God, who at once, with the first genesis, granted our nature likeness to himself. The part of human effort would be only so much as to cleanse away the dirt that has come upon it from vice and to bring to light the beauty hidden in the soul. I think the Lord teaches this doctrine in the Gospel too, saying to those able to hear the wisdom spoken in a mystery, “The kingdom of God is within you.” For the saying shows, I think, that the good of God is not separated from our nature, nor removed far from those who choose to seek it; it is in each one, unknown and hidden when it is choked by the cares and pleasures of life, but found again when we turn our mind to it. And if the point must be confirmed by other passages, I think the Lord suggests this to us also in the search for the lost drachma: that there is no benefit from the other virtues, which the saying called drachmas, even if all are present, when that one is absent from the widowed soul. For this reason he bids her first to light a lamp of oil, perhaps signifying the word that brings hidden things to light; then to seek the lost drachma in her own house, that is, in herself. By the drachma sought he surely hints at the image of the king, which is not wholly lost but hidden under the dung. By dung we should understand, I think, the filth of the flesh; when it has been swept away and cleaned out by care of life, what was sought becomes evident; at which it is fitting that the soul which has found it should rejoice and call the neighbours to share in the joy. For in truth all the powers that share the soul’s dwelling, which he has here called neighbours, when this image of the great King is uncovered and shines out, which he who fashioned our hearts alone stamped on our drachma at the beginning, will then turn to that divine joy and gladness, gazing intently at the inexpressible beauty of what has been found. “Rejoice with me,” she says, “for I have found the drachma that I had lost.” And the neighbours, that is, the powers that share the soul’s dwelling, rejoicing at the finding of the divine drachma, the rational and the desiring, and the disposition that arises in grief and anger, and any other powers seen in the soul, may reasonably also be thought to be friends; it is fitting that all of them should then rejoice in the Lord, when all look to the beautiful and good and do everything for the glory of God, no longer becoming weapons of sin. If, then, this is the device for finding what is sought, the restoration of the divine image to its ancient state, which is now covered in the filth of the flesh, let us become that which the first-formed man was in his first life. What, then, was he? Naked of the covering of dead skins, beholding the face of God with boldness, not yet judging the beautiful by taste and sight, but delighting only in the Lord, and using the helper given to him for this, as divine Scripture indicates, that he did not know her before he was banished from paradise, and before she was condemned to the punishment of labour pains for the sin she committed when deceived. By the sequence by which we came to be outside paradise, condemned with our first father, by the same we may now run back and return to the ancient blessedness. What, then, is the sequence? Pleasure, arising through deceit, began the fall. Then shame and fear followed the passion of pleasure, and no longer daring to be before the eyes of the Creator, but hiding under leaves and shadows; after this they are covered with dead skins. And so they are sent as exiles into this diseased and toilsome place, in which marriage was devised as a consolation for dying. If, then, we are to depart from here and be with Christ, we must begin the departure again from the last stage; as those estranged from their homes, when they turn back to where they set out from, first leave the place they came to last as they went forward. Since, then, marriage is the last stage of the separation from life in paradise, the word directs those who are departing to Christ to leave this first, as a kind of last station; then to withdraw from the toil about the earth, in which man was settled after sin; after this to come outside the coverings of the flesh, putting off the garments of skin, that is, the mind of the flesh; and, renouncing all the hidden things of shame, no longer to be shaded by the fig tree of bitter life, but, throwing off the coverings made from these temporary leaves of life, to come again before the eyes of the Creator, to reject the deceit of taste and sight, and to have no longer the venomous serpent as counsellor, but the commandment of God alone. And this is to lay hold of the good alone and to reject the taste of evils; since the beginning of the sequence of evils came to us from not being willing to be ignorant of evil. That is why the first-formed were forbidden to take, along with the good, the knowledge of its opposites also, but were told to abstain from what is knowable of good and evil, and to enjoy the good pure, unmixed, and without share of evil. This is nothing else, in my account at least, than to be with God alone and to have this delight unceasing and continual, and no longer to mix with this enjoyment the things that draw toward the opposite. And if one must dare to say it, perhaps in this way one might be caught up again from the world, which lies in the evil one, into paradise, where Paul too came and heard and saw the unspeakable and unseen things, which it is not lawful for man to speak.
Gen 1:27 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 17:21 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 15:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:31 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 4:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 1:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 8:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 2:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 John 5:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:4 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Passion and death were not part of man’s nature but came by his free choice; restoring the hidden image of God, like the woman’s lost coin, means retracing the steps of the fall, beginning by leaving marriage, the last stage of the exile from paradise.
- The chapter heading is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. The edition prints a bracketed word ([διατριβῆς], “of the stay”) beside “life in paradise”; it is left out. Gregory teaches that Adam and Eve did not have sexual relations in paradise and that marriage was given after the fall “as a consolation for dying”; this is translated exactly as written, with no comment on its correctness. References: Gen 1:27; Wis 1:13 (“God did not make death”); 1 Tim 4:4; Gen 1:31; Ps 8:4; Luke 17:21; 1 Cor 2:7; Luke 8:14; Luke 15:8–9; Rom 6:13; 1 Cor 10:31; Gen 3:7–21; Gen 2:18; Gen 4:1; Gen 3:16; Phil 1:23; Gen 3:17–19, 21; Rom 8:6; 2 Cor 4:2; 1 John 5:19; 2 Cor 12:4.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 1:13 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 12 (PG 46:369b–376c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/12/#p-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 13
13PG 46:376d–381b
Ὅτι ἡ παρθενία κρείττων τῆς τοῦ θανάτου ὃυνα- · στείας ἐστίν. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ό παράδεισος ζώντων ἐστὶν οἰκητήριον. τοὺς διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας νεκρωθέντας οὗ προσδεχόμενος ἡμεῖς δὲ σάρκινοι ὄντες καὶ θνητοὶ, πεπραμένοι ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας · πῶς ἐστιν ὲν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν ζώντων γενέσθαι τὸν τῇ δυναστείᾳ τοῦ θανάτου κρατούμενονῖ Ποῖον τρόπον καὶ-ποίαν ἐπίνοιαν ἐξεύροι τις ἂν, τῆς ἐξουσίας ταύτης ἔξω γενήσεται; Ἀλλʼ ἀρκεῖ πάντως καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἡ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ὑφήγησιςο Οὐκοῦν ἠκούσαμεν τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς τὸν Νικόδημον 3τῖ λέγοντος, ὄτι t Τὸ γεγεννημένον ὲκ τῆς σαρκὸς, σάρξ ἔστινʼ τὸ δὲ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος, πνεῦμά ἐστιν. ι Οἴδαμεν δὲ τὴν μὲν σάρκα θανάτῳ διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὖσαν ὑπόδικον, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἄφθαρτον, καὶ ζωοποιὸν, καὶ ἀθάνατον. Ὠσπερ τοι·νυντῇ κατὰ σάρκα γενέσει συναποτίκτεται πάντως καὶ ήδιαλύουσα τὸ γεννώμενον δύναμις ’ οὕτω δηλαδὴ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῖς διʼ αὑτοῦ γεννωμένοις τὴν {woποιὸν ἐναποτίθεται δύναμιν. Τί οὖν ἀνακόπτει διὰ τῶν είρημένωνς Ἀποστάντας ἡμᾶς τῆς κατά σάρκα ζωῆς, πάντως τοιοῦτος ἐπακολουθεῖ καὶ ὁ θάνα τος, τοιοῦτον ἐπιζητῆσαι βίον, ὃς οὐκέτι τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ἐφέλκεται. Οὗτος δέ ἐστιν ὁ ὲν παρθενίᾳ βίος. Καὶ ὡς ἀληθῆ ταῦτα, μικρῶν προστεθέντων ἔσται καταςανέστερον. Τίς γὰρ οὑκ οἶδεν, ὄτι τῆς μὲν σωματικῆς συναφείας τὸ ἔργον σωμάτων θνητῶν ἑστι κατασκευὴ, τῆς δὲ πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα κοινωνίας ζωὴ ’καὶ άφθαρσία τοῖς συναφθεῖσιν ἀντὶ τέκνων προσγίνεται; Καὶ καλῶς ἐστι τὸ ἁποστολικὸν εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τούτου, ὄτι (Σώζεται διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας ταύτης» ή τῶν τοιούτων τέκνων μήτηρ εὐφραινομένη,καθὼς ὲν θείοις ὕμνοις ὁ Ψαλμῳδὸς άνευφήμησεν, είπῶν· ι '0 κατοικίζων στεῖραν ὲν οίκῳ μητέρα ἐπὶ τέκνοις εὐφραινομένην. ι Εὑφραίνεται γὰρ μήτηρ ὡς άληθῶς ἠ παρθένος μήτηρ, ή τὰ ἀθάνατα τέκνα κυοφοροῦσα διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, στεῖρα διὰ τὴν σωφροσύνην ὑπὸ τοῦ Προφήτου ὠνομασμένη. Οὐκοῦνό τοιοῦτος βίος προτιμητέος τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν, ὃς κρείττων τῆς τοῦ θανάτου δυναστείας ἐστίν. Ἠ γὰρ σωματικὴ παιδοποιία (καὶ μηδεὶς δυσχεράνῃ τῷ λόγῳ) οὐ μᾶλλον ‹ ζωῆςῆ ἀλλὰ θανάτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀφορμὴ γίνεται· ἀπὸ γὰρ γενέσεως ή φθορά τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει ν ἦς oi παυσάμενοι διὰ τῆς παρθενίας, ἐν ἑαυτοῖς έστησαν τὴν τοῦ θανάτου περιγραφήν, περαιτέρω προελθεῖν αὐτὸν διʼ ἑαυτῶν κωλύσαντες, καὶ ὥσπερ τι. μεθόριον θανάτου καὶ ζωῆς ἑαυτοῖς στήσαντες, ἐπέσχον αὑτὸν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω φορᾶς. Εἰ οῦν οῦ δύναται παρελθεῖν τήν παρθενίαν ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλʼ ὲν αὑτῇ καταλήγει καὶ καταλύεται, σαφῶς ἀποδείκνυται τὸ κρεῖττον εἶναι τοῦ θανάτου τὴν παρθενίαν θ καὶ καλῶς ἄφθορον ὀνομάζεται σῶμα, τὸ μὴ ὑπουργῆσαι) τῇ τοῦ φθαρτοῦ βίου ὑπηρεσίᾳ, μηδὲ τῆς θνητῆς διαδοχῆς ὄργανον γενέσθαι καταδεξάμενον. Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ διεκόπη τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς τοῦ φθείρεσθαι καὶ ἀποθνήσκειν ἀκολουθίας, ὅπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ ttpumnldsrou καὶ μέχρι τῆς τοῦ παρθενεύοντος ζωῆς διὰ μέσου γέγονεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν άργῆσαί ποτε τὸν θάνατον, ἐνεργουμένης διὰ τοῦ γάμου τῆς ἀνθρω. πίνης γενέσεως · ἀλλὰ πάσαις ταῖς προλαβοῦσαις γενεαῖς συμπαροδεύων, καὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ παραγομένοις είς τὸν βίον συνδιεξερχόμενος, ὅρον τῆς ἐνεργείας ἑαυτοῦ τήν παρθενίαν εὗρεν, ὃν παρελθεῖν τῶν ἀμηχάνων ἐστίν. Ὠσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς θεοτόκου Μαρίας ό βασιλεύσας ἀπὸ ’Δδάμ μέχρις ἐκείνης θάνατος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ κατʼ αὐτὴν ἐγένετο, καθάπερ τινὶ πέτρᾳ τῷ καρπῷ τῇς παρθενίας προσπταίσας, περὶ αὐτὴν συνετρίβην ουτως ἐν πάσῃ ψυχῇ τῇ διά παρθενίας τὴν ὲν σαρκὶ παριούσῃ ζωὴν, συντριβήσεται πως καὶ καταλύεται τοῢ Θανάτου τὸ κράτος, οὐκ ἔχοντος τίσι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κέντρον ἐναπερείσηται. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ, εἰ μὴ ὲπιη βληθείη ξύλα, καὶ καλάμη, καὶ χόρτος, καὶ ἄλλο τι τῶν ὑπὸ πυρὸς δαπανωμένων, οὐκ ἔχει φύσιν ἐφʼ ἑαυτυῦ μένειν· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὴ τοῦ θανάτου δύναμις ινεργὴσει, μὴ τοῦ γάμου τὴν ὕλην ὑποτιθέντος αὐτῷ, καὶτοὺς τεθνηξομένους οἷον καταδίκους τινὰς ἑτοιμάξοντυς. Εἰ δὲ ἀ μφιβἀλλεις, ἐπίσκεψαι τῶν συμφορῶν τὰ ὀνόματα, ὃσα ὲκ τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπάγεται, καθὼς ἤδη κατʼ ἀρχάς τοῦ λόγου προείρηται, πόθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει. Ἀρα ἔστι χηρείαν ὀρφανίαν ὀδύρεσθαι,ἢ τὴν ἐπὶ παισὶ συμφορὰν, μὴ προλαεόντος τοῦ γάμους Δί γὰρ περισπούδαστοι θυμηδίαι, καὶ εὐφροσύναι, καὶ ἡδοναὶ, καὶ πάντα ὅσα περὶ τὸν γά· μὸν σπουδάζεται, ταῖς τοιαύταις ὀδύναις ἐναπολήγουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦ ξίφους ἠ μὲν λαβὴ λεία καὶ εὐαφὴς, καλ περιεξεσμένη, καὶ στίλβουσα, καὶ τῷ τύπῳ τῆς παλάμης ὲμιρυομένη · τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν σίδηώ ἐστι, θανάτου ὄργανον, φοβερὸν μὲν ἰδεῖν, φοβερώτερον δὲ εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθεῖν ο τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ὁ γάμος ἐστὶ, καθάπερ λαῦήν τινα διʼ εὐμηχάνου τορείας ὠραϊσμέ· νην, τὸ λεῖον καὶ ἐπιπόλαιον τῆς ἡδονῆς προτείνων τῇ ἐπαφῇ τῆς αἰσθήσει-ιςʼ ἐπειδάν ὲν χερσὶ γένηται τοῦ ἁψαμένου, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλγεινῶν παρουσίαν συνημμένως μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ συνήγαγε, πένθους καὶ συμφο· ρῶν δημιουργὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γινόμενος. Οὗτος ἔδειξε τά ἐλεεινὰ καί πλήρη δακρύων θεάματα, παῖδας ὲν ἀωρία τῆς ἡλικίας ἠρημωμένους, ’ καὶ λάφυρον προκειμένους τοίς δυναστεύουσιν, ὲπιμειδιῶντας πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν κακῶν ἀγνοίας τῷ δυστυχήματι. Χηρείας δὲ γένεσις τίς ἀλλος, καὶ ούχὶ γάμος ὲστίν; Οὐκοῦν ἡ ἀναχώρησις τούτου, πάν· των ἁθρόως τῶν κακῶν τούτων λειτουργημάτων τὴν ἀτέλειαν ἔχει · καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεικός. Ὅπου γὰρ ἀναλύεται ή ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁρισθεῖσα κατὰ τῶν πεπλημμεληκὸτων κατάκρισις (οὐκέτι δὲ θλίψεις τῶν μητέρων. κατά τὸ γεγραμμένον πληθύνονται), οὐδὲ λύπη τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης προηγεῖται γενέσεως, συνανῄρηται πᾶν· τωςὴ άπὸ τοῦ βίου συμφορά, καὶ ἀφῄρηται τῶν προσώπων τὸ δάκρυον, καθὼς φησιν ὁ Προφήτης· Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἁνομίαις ὲστὶνή σύλληψις ἔτι, οὐδὲ ὲν ἁμαρ· τίαις ἡ κύησις · ούδὲ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ὲκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὲκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, ἀλλʼ ὲκ Θεοῦ μόνον ἡ γέννησις γίνεται. Τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται, ὅταν συλλαμβάνῃ μέν τις ὲν τῷ ζωτικῷ τῆς καρδίας ἀφθαξ· σίαν τοῦ πνεύματος ο τίκτει δὲ σοφίαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην. άγιασμὺν ὡσαύτως καὶ ἀπολύτ ρωσιν. Παντὶ γὰρ ἔξεστι μητέρα γενέσθαι τοῦ ταῦτα ὄντος, καθώς φησξ πίδυ ὁ. Ιξῑῧίὲιίλῗν ὅτι ε Ὀ τὸ θέλημά μου “noth κτξὶ ἁδελφὸς καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ μου ἐστίνʼ Tit. ραν ἔχει ἐπὶ τούτων κυημάτων ὁ θάνατοςί Οὖτίιξ ἐκείνοις ὁ θάνατος ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῇς ’ καὶ ἔοικεν εἰκών τις εἶναι τῆς ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι μηκας ριότητος ὁ ἐν παρθενίᾳ βίος, πολλὰ φέρων ἐν ἑαντφ τῶν διʼ ἐλπίδος ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν γνωρίσματα. Ἔστι δὲ ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀλήθειαν τὸν λόγον κατεξετάζοντας ο πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ καθάπαξ ἀποθανὼν, ζῇ τὸ λοιπὸν τῷ Θεῷ οὐκέτι καρποφορῶν τῷ θανάτῳ, καὶ ὅσον τὸ ἐφʼ ἐαυτῷ συντέλειαν τῆς κατὰ σάρκα ζωῆς ἐν ἐαυτῷ ποιήσας, ἀναμένει λοιπὺν τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ, οὐδὲν διάστημα μεταξὺ αὐτοῦ τε καὶτῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῶν διὰ μέσου γενεῶν ἐργαζόμενος. Εἶτα ὃ τι ἐξαίρετον τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει καλῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι καρποῦται βίῳ. El γάρ ίσάγγελος ή ζωὴή μετά τὴν ἀνάστασιν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῖς δικαίοις ἐπήγγελται ο τῆς δὲ ἀγγελικῆς φύσεως τδιον τὸ ἀπηλλάχθαι τοῦ γάμου ἐστίν ο ήδη δέδεκται τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας καλὰ. ταῖς λαμπρότησι τῶν ἁγίων ἀναμιγνύμενος, καὶ τῷ ἁμολδντίρ τῆς ζωῆς τὴν καθαρότητα τῶν ἀσωμάτων μιμούμενος. Εἰ οὖν τούτων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἡ παρθενία γέγονε πρόξενος, τίς μὲν λόγος ἐπαξίως τὴν χάριν ταύτην θαυμάσεται; Τί δὲ ἄλλων τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθῶν οὕτω φανήσεται μέγα καὶ τίμιον, ὡς τῇ τελειότητι ταύτῃ παρισωθῆναι διὰ συγκρίσεως;
Hoti hē parthenia kreittōn tēs tou thanatou houna- ; steias estin. Allʼ epeidē o paradeisos zōntōn estin oikētērion. tous dia tēs hamartias nekrōthentas hou prosdechomenos hēmeis de sarkinoi ontes kai thnētoi, pepramenoi hypo tēs hamartias ; pōs estin en tę̄ chōrą tōn zōntōn genesthai ton tę̄ dynasteią tou thanatou kratoumenoni Poion tropon kai-poian epinoian exeuroi tis an, tēs exousias tautēs exō genēsetai? Allʼ arkei pantōs kai pros touto hē tou Euangeliou hyphēgēsiso Oukoun ēkousamen tou Kyriou pros ton Nikodēmon 3ti legontos, oti t To gegennēmenon ek tēs sarkos, sarx estinʼ to de gegennēmenon ek tou pneumatos, pneuma estin. i Oidamen de tēn men sarka thanatǭ dia tēn hamartian ousan hypodikon, to de Pneuma tou Theou kai aphtharton, kai zōopoion, kai athanaton. Ōsper toi;nyntę̄ kata sarka genesei synapotiktetai pantōs kai ēdialyousa to gennōmenon dynamis ’ houtō dēladē kai to Pneuma tois diʼ hautou gennōmenois tēn {wopoion enapotithetai dynamin. Ti oun anakoptei dia tōn eirēmenōns Apostantas hēmas tēs kata sarka zōēs, pantōs toioutos epakolouthei kai ho thana tos, toiouton epizētēsai bion, hos ouketi tou thanatou tēn akolouthian ephelketai. Houtos de estin ho en parthenią bios. Kai hōs alēthē tauta, mikrōn prostethentōn estai katasanesteron. Tis gar houk oiden, oti tēs men sōmatikēs synapheias to ergon sōmatōn thnētōn hesti kataskeuē, tēs de pros to pneuma koinōnias zōē ’kai aphtharsia tois synaphtheisin anti teknōn prosginetai? Kai kalōs esti to hapostolikon eipein epi toutou, oti (Sōzetai dia tēs teknogonias tautēs» ē tōn toioutōn teknōn mētēr euphrainomenē,kathōs en theiois hymnois ho Psalmǭdos aneuphēmēsen, eipōn; i '0 katoikizōn steiran en oikǭ mētera epi teknois euphrainomenēn. i Heuphrainetai gar mētēr hōs alēthōs ē parthenos mētēr, ē ta athanata tekna kyophorousa dia tou Pneumatos, steira dia tēn sōphrosynēn hypo tou Prophētou ōnomasmenē. Oukouno toioutos bios protimēteos tois ge noun echousin, hos kreittōn tēs tou thanatou dynasteias estin. Ē gar sōmatikē paidopoiia (kai mēdeis dyscheranę̄ tǭ logǭ) ou mallon ‹ zōēsē alla thanatou tois anthrōpois aphormē ginetai; apo gar geneseōs ē phthora tēn archēn echei n ēs oi pausamenoi dia tēs parthenias, en heautois estēsan tēn tou thanatou perigraphēn, peraiterō proelthein auton diʼ heautōn kōlysantes, kai hōsper ti. methorion thanatou kai zōēs heautois stēsantes, epeschon hauton tēs epi to prosō phoras. Ei oun ou dynatai parelthein tēn parthenian ho thanatos, allʼ en hautę̄ katalēgei kai katalyetai, saphōs apodeiknytai to kreitton einai tou thanatou tēn parthenian th kai kalōs aphthoron onomazetai sōma, to mē hypourgēsai) tę̄ tou phthartou biou hypēresią, mēde tēs thnētēs diadochēs organon genesthai katadexamenon. En toutǭ gar diekopē to syneches tēs tou phtheiresthai kai apothnēskein akolouthias, hoper apo tou ttpumnldsrou kai mechri tēs tou partheneuontos zōēs dia mesou gegonen. Oude gar ēn dynaton argēsai pote ton thanaton, energoumenēs dia tou gamou tēs anthrō. pinēs geneseōs ; alla pasais tais prolabousais geneais symparodeuōn, kai tois aei paragomenois eis ton bion syndiexerchomenos, horon tēs energeias heautou tēn parthenian heuren, hon parelthein tōn amēchanōn estin. Ōsper gar epi tēs theotokou Marias o basileusas apo ’Ddam mechris ekeinēs thanatos, epeidē kai katʼ autēn egeneto, kathaper tini petrą tǭ karpǭ tę̄s parthenias prosptaisas, peri autēn synetribēn outōs en pasę̄ psychę̄ tę̄ dia parthenias tēn en sarki pariousę̄ zōēn, syntribēsetai pōs kai katalyetai toÿ Thanatou to kratos, ouk echontos tisi to heautou kentron enapereisētai. Kai gar to pyr, ei mē epiē blētheiē xyla, kai kalamē, kai chortos, kai allo ti tōn hypo pyros dapanōmenōn, ouk echei physin ephʼ heautyy menein; houtōs oude ē tou thanatou dynamis inergēsei, mē tou gamou tēn hylēn hypotithentos autǭ, kaitous tethnēxomenous hoion katadikous tinas hetoimaxontys. Ei de a mphiballeis, episkepsai tōn symphorōn ta onomata, hosa ek tou thanatou tois anthrōpois epagetai, kathōs ēdē katʼ archas tou logou proeirētai, pothen tēn archēn echei. Ara esti chēreian orphanian odyresthai,ē tēn epi paisi symphoran, mē prolaeontos tou gamous Di gar perispoudastoi thymēdiai, kai euphrosynai, kai hēdonai, kai panta hosa peri ton ga; mon spoudazetai, tais toiautais odynais enapolēgousin. Hōsper gar tou xiphous ē men labē leia kai euaphēs, kal periexesmenē, kai stilbousa, kai tǭ typǭ tēs palamēs emiryomenē ; to de loipon sidēō esti, thanatou organon, phoberon men idein, phoberōteron de eis peiran elthein o toiouton ti kai ho gamos esti, kathaper lauēn tina diʼ eumēchanou toreias ōraïsme; nēn, to leion kai epipolaion tēs hēdonēs proteinōn tę̄ epaphę̄ tēs aisthēsei-isʼ epeidan en chersi genētai tou hapsamenou, kai tēn tōn algeinōn parousian synēmmenōs methʼ heautou synēgage, penthous kai sympho; rōn dēmiourgos tois anthrōpois ginomenos. Houtos edeixe ta eleeina kai plērē dakryōn theamata, paidas en aōria tēs hēlikias ērēmōmenous, ’ kai laphyron prokeimenous tois dynasteuousin, epimeidiōntas pollakis hypo tēs tōn kakōn agnoias tǭ dystychēmati. Chēreias de genesis tis allos, kai ouchi gamos estin? Oukoun hē anachōrēsis toutou, pan; tōn hathroōs tōn kakōn toutōn leitourgēmatōn tēn ateleian echei ; kai ouden apeikos. Hopou gar analyetai ē ex archēs horistheisa kata tōn peplēmmelēkotōn katakrisis (ouketi de thlipseis tōn mēterōn. kata to gegrammenon plēthynontai), oude lypē tēs anthrōpinēs proēgeitai geneseōs, synanę̄rētai pan; tōsē apo tou biou symphora, kai aphę̄rētai tōn prosōpōn to dakryon, kathōs phēsin ho Prophētēs; Ou gar en hanomiais estinē syllēpsis eti, oude en hamar; tiais hē kyēsis ; oude ex haimatōn, oude ek thelēmatos andros kai ek thelēmatos sarkos, allʼ ek Theou monon hē gennēsis ginetai. Touto de ginetai, hotan syllambanę̄ men tis en tǭ zōtikǭ tēs kardias aphthax; sian tou pneumatos o tiktei de sophian kai dikaiosynēn. agiasmyn hōsautōs kai apolyt rōsin. Panti gar exesti mētera genesthai tou tauta ontos, kathōs phēsx pidy ho. Ixiÿieiilïn hoti e O to thelēma mou “noth ktxi hadelphos kai adelphē kai mētēr mou estinʼ Tit. ran echei epi toutōn kyēmatōn ho thanatosi Outiix ekeinois ho thanatos hypo tēs zōę̄s ’ kai eoiken eikōn tis einai tēs en tǭ mellonti aiōni mēkas riotētos ho en parthenią bios, polla pherōn en heantph tōn diʼ elpidos apokeimenōn agathōn gnōrismata. Esti de epignōnai tēn tōn eirēmenōn alētheian ton logon katexetazontas o prōton men hoti tę̄ hamartią kathapax apothanōn, zę̄ to loipon tǭ Theǭ ouketi karpophorōn tǭ thanatǭ, kai hoson to ephʼ eautǭ synteleian tēs kata sarka zōēs en eautǭ poiēsas, anamenei loipyn tēn makarian elpida kai epiphaneian tou megalou Theou, ouden diastēma metaxy autou te kaitēs parousias tou Theou dia tōn dia mesou geneōn ergazomenos. Eita ho ti exaireton tōn en tę̄ anastasei kalōn, kai en tǭ paronti karpoutai biǭ. El gar isangelos ē zōēē meta tēn anastasin para tou Kyriou tois dikaiois epēngeltai o tēs de angelikēs physeōs tdion to apēllachthai tou gamou estin o ēdē dedektai ta tēs epangelias kala. tais lamprotēsi tōn hagiōn anamignymenos, kai tǭ hamoldntir tēs zōēs tēn katharotēta tōn asōmatōn mimoumenos. Ei oun toutōn kai tōn toioutōn hē parthenia gegone proxenos, tis men logos epaxiōs tēn charin tautēn thaumasetai? Ti de allōn tōn tēs psychēs agathōn houtō phanēsetai mega kai timion, hōs tę̄ teleiotēti tautę̄ parisōthēnai dia synkriseōs?
That virginity is stronger than the dominion of death. But since paradise is the dwelling of the living and does not receive those who have been put to death through sin, while we are fleshly and mortal, sold under sin, how can one who is held by the dominion of death come to be in the land of the living? What way and what device might one find by which he will come outside this power? For this too the guidance of the Gospel is certainly sufficient. We have heard the Lord saying to Nicodemus, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.” And we know that the flesh is subject to death because of sin, while the Spirit of God is incorruptible, life-giving, and immortal. As, then, with birth according to the flesh there is certainly born also the power that dissolves what is born, so clearly the Spirit too lays up life-giving power in those born through it. What, then, do we infer from what has been said? That, having withdrawn from life according to the flesh, which death certainly follows, we should seek a life that no longer draws death after it. And this is the life in virginity. And that these things are true will become clearer when a little has been added. For who does not know that the work of bodily union is the making of mortal bodies, while from communion with the Spirit life and incorruption come to those united, in place of children? And one may well apply the apostolic saying here, that the mother of such children “is saved through this childbearing” and rejoices, as the Psalmist praised her in divine hymns, saying, “He who settles the barren woman in a house as a mother rejoicing over children.” For truly the virgin mother rejoices as a mother, conceiving immortal children through the Spirit, called barren by the Prophet because of her chastity. Such a life, then, is to be preferred by those who have sense, since it is stronger than the dominion of death. For bodily procreation (and let no one be offended at the statement) is for human beings an occasion not of life rather than of death; for corruption has its beginning from birth. Those who have ceased from this through virginity have set the limit of death within themselves, preventing it from going further through them, and, setting themselves as a kind of boundary between death and life, they have checked its forward course. If, then, death cannot pass beyond virginity, but ends and is dissolved in it, it is clearly shown that virginity is stronger than death; and a body is well called “incorrupt” that has not served the ministry of corruptible life nor consented to become the instrument of mortal succession. For in it the continuity of the sequence of corruption and dying has been cut, which ran from the first-formed man to the life of the one living in virginity. For death could not ever be idle while human birth was at work through marriage; but travelling with all past generations and passing through along with those always being brought into life, it found virginity as the limit of its activity, which it is impossible to pass. For as in Mary the Mother of God death, which reigned from Adam until her, when it came to her too, struck against the fruit of virginity as against a rock and was shattered about her, so in every soul that passes through life in the flesh by virginity the power of death is in a way shattered and dissolved, having nothing in which to plant its sting. For fire too, unless wood or straw or grass or something else consumed by fire is put on it, has no power to remain by itself; so neither will the power of death be active unless marriage supplies it with material and prepares those who will die like condemned prisoners. If you doubt it, consider the names of the misfortunes that death brings on human beings, as was said at the beginning of the discourse, and where they have their beginning. Is it possible to lament widowhood, orphanhood, or misfortune over children, unless marriage has gone before? For the much-sought delights, joys, pleasures, and everything pursued in marriage end in such sorrows. For as the handle of a sword is smooth and pleasant to the touch, polished and shining and fitted to the shape of the palm, while the rest is iron, an instrument of death, fearful to look at and more fearful to experience, so marriage is something of this kind: holding out to the touch of sense, like a handle made beautiful by skilful turning, the smooth surface of pleasure, but when it is in the hands of one who has grasped it, it brings with it the presence of painful things joined to itself, becoming for human beings the maker of mourning and misfortunes. It is marriage that has shown the pitiable sights full of tears: children left destitute in the untimely season of their age and laid out as plunder for the powerful, often smiling at their misfortune through ignorance of their evils. And what else is the origin of widowhood but marriage? Withdrawal from it, then, brings exemption at once from all these evil services; and this is not unlikely. For where the condemnation fixed from the beginning against those who transgressed is undone (and the sorrows of mothers are no longer multiplied, as it is written), and grief no longer goes before human birth, every misfortune is certainly taken away from life, and the tear is taken from faces, as the Prophet says. For conception is no longer in iniquities, nor childbearing in sins; nor is the birth from bloods, nor from the will of a man and the will of the flesh, but from God alone. And this happens when someone conceives in the vital part of his heart the incorruption of the Spirit and gives birth to wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption likewise. For anyone may become the mother of him who is these things, as the Lord says somewhere: “Whoever does my will is my brother and sister and mother.” What place does death have in such offspring? In them death is … by life. And the life in virginity seems to be an image of the blessedness in the age to come, bearing in itself many marks of the good things laid up through hope. One may recognize the truth of what has been said by examining the account. First, that having died to sin once for all, it lives henceforth to God, no longer bearing fruit for death; and having made in itself, as far as it lies with it, an end of life according to the flesh, it awaits henceforth the blessed hope and appearing of the great God, putting no interval between itself and the coming of God through intervening generations. Then, that it enjoys even in the present life what is choicest among the goods of the resurrection. For if a life equal to the angels after the resurrection has been promised by the Lord to the righteous, and it is proper to the angelic nature to be free from marriage, the virgin has already received the goods of the promise, mingling with the splendours of the saints and imitating by the undefiled character of his life the purity of the incorporeal beings. If, then, virginity has brought about these and similar things, what word will admire this grace worthily? What other good of the soul will appear so great and precious as to be put on a level with this perfection by comparison?
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Rom 7:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 27:13 (26:13 LXX) (echo, medium confidence) · John 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 2:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 113:9 (112:9 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 5:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:55 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 3:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 25:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Rev 21:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 51:5 (50:7 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:30 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 12:50 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:4 (echo, medium confidence) · Rom 6:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 7:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Titus 2:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 20:36 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Bodily birth leads to death, but spiritual birth through virginity halts death’s advance, as it was shattered against the virginity of Mary; the virgin already shares the angelic life of the resurrection.
- The opening sentence is the chapter’s heading as printed in the edition. “Mother of God” renders θεοτόκος (Theotokos). A word is lost in the scan in “In them death is … by life” (compare 2 Cor 5:4, “swallowed up by life”). Gregory’s statements that bodily procreation is an occasion of death, and that marriage is the origin of the sorrows of death, are translated exactly as written. References: Rom 7:14; Ps 27:13 and 116:9 (“land of the living”); John 3:6; 1 Tim 2:15; Ps 113:9 (112:9 LXX); Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:55–56; Gen 3:16; Isa 25:8 and Rev 21:4; Ps 51:5 (50:7 LXX); John 1:13; 1 Cor 1:30; Matt 12:50; Rom 6:10; Rom 7:4–5; Titus 2:13; Luke 20:36.
Topics: Marriage, Christology, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 13 (PG 46:376d–381b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/12/#p-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 14
14PG 46:381b–384b
Ὀτι ἠ ἀληθὴς παρὲἓῖυὲιέῖ παντί ἐπιτηδεύματι εωοειται. σεωρειται. Ἀλλʼ εί κατείληπται ἡμῖν ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τοῦ χαρίσματος, συνιδεῖν προσήκειʼ καὶ τὸ ἀκόλουθον, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλοῦν, ὡς ἄν τις οἰηθείη, τὸ κατόρθωμα τοῦτό ἐστιν, οὐδὲ μέχρι τῶν σωμάτων ἱστάμενον, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πάντα διῆκον καὶ διαβαῖνον τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ, ὃσα κατορθώματα ψυχῆς ἐστι καὶ νομίζεται. Ἡ γὰρ τῷ ἀληθινῷ νυμφίῳ προσκολληθεωα διὰ παρθενίας ψυχὴ, οὐ μόνον τῶν σωματικῶν μολυσμάτων ἑαυτὴν ἀποστήσει, ἀλλʼ ἐντεῦθεν μὲν ἄρξεται τῆς καθαρότητος, ἐπὶ πάντα δὲ ὁμοίως κιαι μετὰ τῆς ίσης ἀσφαλείας πορεύεται, καὶ δεδοικυῖα. μήπου τῆς καρδίας παρὰ τὸ δέον ἐπικλιθείσης, πονηροῦ τινος κοινωνίᾳ μοιχικόν τι πάθος κατᾶ τὸ μέρος ἐκεῖνο προσδέξηται. Οἶόν τι λέγω (πάλιν γὰρ τὸν λόγον ἐπαναλήψομαι)· Ἠ τῷ Κυρίῳ προσκολληθεῖσα ψυχὴ εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἓν πνεῦμα, καθάπερ ὁμολογίαν τινὰ συμβιωτικὴν κσιτα θεμένη τὺ μόνον ἐκεῖνον ἀγαπᾷν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας τε καὶ δυνάμεως, οὔτε τῇ πορνείᾳ προσκολληθήσεται, ἵνα μὴ γένηται σῶμα ἓν πρὸς αὐτήν· οὔτε ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀντικειμένων τῇ σωτηρία προσδέξεται, ὡς μιᾶς οὔσης ὲν ἆπασι τῆς τῶν μιασμάτων κοινότητος · καὶ εἰ διʼ ἑνός τινος μολυνθείη, μηκέτι τὸ ἄσπιλον ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῇ δυναμένη. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ διʼ ὑποδειγμάτων τεκμηριῶσαι τὸν λόγον. Ὥσπερ τὸ ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ ὕδωρ τέως μὲν λεῖόν ἐστι καὶ ἀκίνητον, εί μηδεμία τις τῶν ἔξωθεν ταραχὴ προσπεσοῦσα τὸ σταθηρὸν τοῦ τόπου διακινήσειε ο λίθου δέ τινοςέμπεσόντος τῇ λίμνῃ, ὅλον συνεκινήθη τῷ μέρει ° ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ βάρους εἰς τὸν βυθὸν καταδύεται ο τῶν δὲ πε pl αὑτὸν κυμάτων κυκλοτερῶς ὲν ἄλλοις ἐγειρομένων, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἄκρα ταῦ ὓδατος ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ κινήσεως ἐξωθουμένων, πᾶσα ἐν κύκλῳ περιτραχύνεται τῆς λίμνηςὴ ἐπιφάνεια, συνδιατιθεμένη τῷ βάθει · οὕτω καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς γαληναῖον καὶ ἥσυχον, διʼ ἑνός τινος παρεμπεσόντος είς αὐτὴν πάθους ὅλον συνδιεσείσθη, καὶ τῆς τοῦ μέρους βλάὸης συνῄσθετο. Φασὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξητακότες, μὴ ἀπεσχίσθαι τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀλλή· λων, μηδὲ δυνατὸν εἶναι μιᾶς τινος ἀρετῆς κατά τὸν ἀκριβῆ περιδράξασθαι λόγον, τὸν μὴ καὶ τῶν λοιπιῖιν ἐφαψάμενον· ἀλλʼ ᾧ ἀν παραγένηται μία τῶν ἀρετῶν, ἀναγκαίως ἐπακολουθεῖν καὶ τάς λοιπάς. Οὐκοῦν ἐξ ἀντιστρόφου καὶ ἡ περί τι βλάβη τῶν ὲν ἡμῖν είς ὅλον τὸν κατʼ ἀρετὴν διατείνει βίον, καὶ ὅντως, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, τοῖς μέρεσι τὸ ὅλον συνδιατίθετοιι, ἄν τε πάσχῃ μέλος ἓν, συναλγοῦντος τοῦ παντὸς, ἐάν τε καὶ δοξάζηται, τοῦ ὅλου συγγαίροντος. Β
Oti ē alēthēs pareeiyeiei panti epitēdeumati eōoeitai. seōreitai. Allʼ ei kateilēptai hēmin hē hyperbolē tou charismatos, synidein prosēkeiʼ kai to akolouthon, hoti ouch haploun, hōs an tis oiētheiē, to katorthōma touto estin, oude mechri tōn sōmatōn histamenon, allʼ epi panta diēkon kai diabainon tę̄ epinoią, hosa katorthōmata psychēs esti kai nomizetai. Hē gar tǭ alēthinǭ nymphiǭ proskollētheōa dia parthenias psychē, ou monon tōn sōmatikōn molysmatōn heautēn apostēsei, allʼ enteuthen men arxetai tēs katharotētos, epi panta de homoiōs kiai meta tēs isēs asphaleias poreuetai, kai dedoikuia. mēpou tēs kardias para to deon epiklitheisēs, ponērou tinos koinōnią moichikon ti pathos kata to meros ekeino prosdexētai. Oion ti legō (palin gar ton logon epanalēpsomai); Ē tǭ Kyriǭ proskollētheisa psychē eis to genesthai pros auton hen pneuma, kathaper homologian tina symbiōtikēn ksita themenē ty monon ekeinon agapąn ex holēs kardias te kai dynameōs, oute tę̄ porneią proskollēthēsetai, hina mē genētai sōma hen pros autēn; oute allo ti tōn antikeimenōn tę̄ sōtēria prosdexetai, hōs mias ousēs en apasi tēs tōn miasmatōn koinotētos ; kai ei diʼ henos tinos molyntheiē, mēketi to aspilon echein en heautę̄ dynamenē. Esti de kai diʼ hypodeigmatōn tekmēriōsai ton logon. Hōsper to en tę̄ limnę̄ hydōr teōs men leion esti kai akinēton, ei mēdemia tis tōn exōthen tarachē prospesousa to stathēron tou topou diakinēseie o lithou de tinosempesontos tę̄ limnę̄, holon synekinēthē tǭ merei ° ho men gar hypo tou barous eis ton bython katadyetai o tōn de pe pl hauton kymatōn kykloterōs en allois egeiromenōn, kai epi ta akra tau hydatos hypo tēs en tǭ mesǭ kinēseōs exōthoumenōn, pasa en kyklǭ peritrachynetai tēs limnēsē epiphaneia, syndiatithemenē tǭ bathei ; houtō kai to tēs psychēs galēnaion kai hēsychon, diʼ henos tinos parempesontos eis autēn pathous holon syndieseisthē, kai tēs tou merous blaoēs synę̄stheto. Phasi de kai hoi ta toiauta exētakotes, mē apeschisthai tas aretas allē; lōn, mēde dynaton einai mias tinos aretēs kata ton akribē peridraxasthai logon, ton mē kai tōn loipiiin ephapsamenon; allʼ hǭ an paragenētai mia tōn aretōn, anankaiōs epakolouthein kai tas loipas. Oukoun ex antistrophou kai hē peri ti blabē tōn en hēmin eis holon ton katʼ aretēn diateinei bion, kai hontōs, kathōs phēsin ho Apostolos, tois meresi to holon syndiatithetoii, an te paschę̄ melos hen, synalgountos tou pantos, ean te kai doxazētai, tou holou syngairontos. B
That true virginity is seen in every pursuit. But if we have grasped the excellence of this gift, we must also see what follows: that this achievement is not simple, as one might think, nor does it stop at bodies, but extends and passes in its meaning to all that are and are thought to be achievements of the soul. For the soul joined by virginity to the true Bridegroom will not only keep itself from bodily defilements, but will begin its purity from there and go on in all things alike with equal care, fearing lest, the heart inclining where it should not, it receive some adulterous passion in that part through fellowship with something evil. I mean something like this (for I shall take up the argument again): the soul joined to the Lord so as to become one spirit with him, having made as it were a covenant of life together to love him alone with all its heart and strength, will neither be joined to fornication, so as to become one body with it, nor admit anything else opposed to salvation, since the communion of defilements is one in all of them, and if it is defiled through any one, it can no longer keep its spotlessness. One may confirm the argument by examples too. As the water in a pond is smooth and still as long as no disturbance from outside falls on it and moves its settled state, but when a stone falls into the pond the whole is moved together with the part (for the stone sinks by its weight to the bottom, while the waves around it rise in circles one within another and are pushed out to the edges of the water by the motion in the middle, and the whole surface of the pond around is roughened, affected together with the depth), so too the calm and quiet of the soul is shaken all together by one passion falling into it, and feels the damage of the part. Those who have examined such things say that the virtues are not separated from one another, and that one cannot grasp any one virtue in the exact sense without laying hold of the rest also; but whoever has one of the virtues necessarily has the others follow. Conversely, then, the damage in any one thing in us extends to the whole life of virtue, and truly, as the Apostle says, the whole is affected with the parts: if one member suffers, the whole suffers with it, and if it is honoured, the whole rejoices with it.
1 Cor 6:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 12:30 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:26 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Virginity is not only bodily: the soul wedded to Christ must keep itself from every sin, since, as a stone disturbs a whole pond, one passion upsets the whole soul, and the virtues stand or fall together.
- The chapter heading is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. References: 1 Cor 6:16–17; Mark 12:30; 1 Cor 12:26. The unity of the virtues was a common philosophical doctrine (Stoic and Platonic). The word rendered “fornication” is πορνεία (rendered “sexual immorality” elsewhere on this site); here it is the personified partner opposed to the Lord, following 1 Cor 6:16.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 14 (PG 46:381b–384b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/12/#p-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-virginitate-14) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 15
15PG 46:384b–385a
Ὀτι τὸ ὁπωσοῦν ἔξω γενέσθαι τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸν ἴσον κίνδυνον ἔχει. Ἀλλά μυρίαι κατά τὸν βίον ἡμῶν αἱ πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν παρατροπαὶ, καὶ πολυτρόπως αἱ Γραφαὶ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦτο διασημαίνουσι · ι Πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ ὲκδιώκοντές με καὶ θλίβοντες με· ι καὶ, ι Πολλοὶοί πολεμοῦντες με ἀπὸ ὕψουςο ι καὶ ἀλλα τοιαῦτα. πολλά. Τάχα τοίνυν κυρίως ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ οἱ μοιχικῶς ἐπιβουλεύοντες, πρὸς τὸ διαφθεῖραι τὸν τίμιον τοῦτον ὡς ἀληθῶς γάμον ’καὶ τὴν ἀμίαντον κοίτηνο εί δὲ χρὴ καὶτῷ ὀνόματι τοὺς τ[οι]ούτους ἀπαριθμήσασθαι, μοιχὸς ὴ ὀργὴ, μοιχὸς ἡ πλεονεξία, μοιχὸςὸ φθόνος, ὴ μνησικακία, ὴ ἔχθρα, ἡ βασκανία, τὸ μῖ· σος, πάντα ὅσα παρά τοῦ Ἀποστόλου κατείλεκται ὡς ἀντικείμενα τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ, μοιχῶν ἐστιν ἀπαρίθμησις. ’Υποθὼμεθα τοίνυν εἶναέ τινα ὲν γυο ναιξὶν εὐπρεπῆ τε καὶ ἀξιέραστον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο βασιλεῖ πρὸς γάμον συναρμοσθεῑσανι ἐπιβουλεύεσθαι δὲ διὰ τὴν ὥραν ὑπὸ ἀκολάστων τινῶν. Ούκοῦν ἠ τοιαύτη ἕως μὲν ἂν πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ἐπὶ φθορᾷ παρ· εδρεύοντας ἐχθρῶς ἔχῃ καὶ κατηγορῇ τούτοιν ἐπὶ τοῦ νομίμου ἀνδρὸς, σώφρων ἐστὶ, καὶ πρὸς μόνον τὸν νυμφίον ὁρᾷ, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἔχουσι χώραν κατʼ αὐτῆς αί τῶν ἀκολάστων ἀπάται. Εἰ δέ τινι πρόσθοιτο τῶν ὲπιβουλευόντων,ούκ ἐξαιρεῖται αὐτὴν τῆς τιμωρίας ἡ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν σωφροσύνη. Ἀ pacet γάρ είς xariκρισιν καὶ τὶ διʼ ὲνὺς μιανθῆναι τὴν κοίτην. Οὕτως καὶ ἡ τῷ θεῷ ζῶσα ψυχὴ, οὐδενὶ τῶν διʼ ἀπάτης αὑτῇ προφαινομένων καλῶν ἀρεσθήσεται· εἱ δὲ παραδέξαιτο διά τινος πάθους τὸν μιασμὸν τῇ καρδίᾳ, ἔλυσε καὶ αὐτὴ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ γάμου τά δίκαια · milii; φησιν ήνΓραφὴ, εἰς κακότεχνον ψυχὴν μὴ εἰσελεύς σεσθαι σοφίανο οὕτως ἔστιν ἀληθῶς εἰπεῖν, μηδξ είς θυμὼδη καὶ βάσκανον, ἢ ἄλλο τι ἔχουσαν ἐν ἑαυτῇ πλημμελὲς, δυνατὸν εἶναι τὸν ἀγαθὸν νυμφίογ sit”? κισθῆναι. Τίς γὰρ ἐπίνοια συναρμόσει τὸ τῇ φύσει ἀλλότριόν τε καὶ ἀκοινώνητον; ’Ἄκουσον τοῦ ’Λιπίν στόλου, μηδεμίαν εἶναι κοινωνίαν φωτὶ πρὸς “ff”; διδάσκοντος, ἢ δικαιοσύνῃ πρὸς ἀνομίαν, ἦ συνελόντι φάναι, πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν ό Κύριος κατὰ τὴν διαφορὰη τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ θεωρουμένων νοούμενός τε καὶ ὀνομαζόμενος, πρὸς πάντα τὰ ὲν κακίᾳ κατὰ τὸ ἐναντίον νοούμενα. Et οὖν ἀμήχανος τῶν τῇ φύσει ἀμίκτων ὴ κοινωνία, ἀλλοτρία πάντως καὶ ἀνεπίδεκτος τῆς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ συνοικήσεως ἡ ὑπὸ κακίας τινὸς κατειλημο μένη ψυχή. Τί οὖν ὲκ τούτων μανθάνομεν; Τὸ δεῖν τὴν σώφρονα καὶ λελογισμένην παρθένον παντὸς πάθους κατὰ πάντα τρόπον τῆς ψυχῆς ἁπτομένου χωρίζεσθαι, καὶ φυλάσσειν ἑαυτὴν ἁγνὴν τῷ ἁρμοσαμένῳ αὐτὴν νυμφίῳ, μὴ ἔχουσαν σπῖλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἦ τι τῶν τοιου των.
Oti to hopōsoun exō genesthai tēs aretēs ton ison kindynon echei. Alla myriai kata ton bion hēmōn hai pros tēn hamartian paratropai, kai polytropōs hai Graphai to plēthos touto diasēmainousi ; i Polloi gar hoi ekdiōkontes me kai thlibontes me; i kai, i Polloioi polemountes me apo hypsouso i kai alla toiauta. polla. Tacha toinyn kyriōs estin eipein hoti polloi hoi moichikōs epibouleuontes, pros to diaphtheirai ton timion touton hōs alēthōs gamon ’kai tēn amianton koitēno ei de chrē kaitǭ onomati tous t[oi]outous aparithmēsasthai, moichos ē orgē, moichos hē pleonexia, moichoso phthonos, ē mnēsikakia, ē echthra, hē baskania, to mi; sos, panta hosa para tou Apostolou kateilektai hōs antikeimena tę̄ hygiainousę̄ didaskalią, moichōn estin aparithmēsis. ’Ypothōmetha toinyn einae tina en gyo naixin euprepē te kai axieraston, kai dia touto basilei pros gamon synarmostheisani epibouleuesthai de dia tēn hōran hypo akolastōn tinōn. Oukoun ē toiautē heōs men an pros pantas tous epi phthorą par; edreuontas echthrōs echę̄ kai katēgorę̄ toutoin epi tou nomimou andros, sōphrōn esti, kai pros monon ton nymphion horą, kai oudemian echousi chōran katʼ autēs ai tōn akolastōn apatai. Ei de tini prosthoito tōn epibouleuontōn,ouk exaireitai autēn tēs timōrias hē epi tōn loipōn sōphrosynē. A pacet gar eis xarikrisin kai ti diʼ enys mianthēnai tēn koitēn. Houtōs kai hē tǭ theǭ zōsa psychē, oudeni tōn diʼ apatēs hautę̄ prophainomenōn kalōn aresthēsetai; hei de paradexaito dia tinos pathous ton miasmon tę̄ kardią, elyse kai autē tou pneumatikou gamou ta dikaia ; milii? phēsin ēnGraphē, eis kakotechnon psychēn mē eiseleus sesthai sophiano houtōs estin alēthōs eipein, mēdx eis thymōdē kai baskanon, ē allo ti echousan en heautę̄ plēmmeles, dynaton einai ton agathon nymphiog sit”? kisthēnai. Tis gar epinoia synarmosei to tę̄ physei allotrion te kai akoinōnēton? ’Akouson tou ’Lipin stolou, mēdemian einai koinōnian phōti pros “ff”? didaskontos, ē dikaiosynę̄ pros anomian, ē synelonti phanai, panta hosa estin o Kyrios kata tēn diaphoraē tōn en autǭ theōroumenōn nooumenos te kai onomazomenos, pros panta ta en kakią kata to enantion nooumena. Et oun amēchanos tōn tę̄ physei amiktōn ē koinōnia, allotria pantōs kai anepidektos tēs tou agathou synoikēseōs hē hypo kakias tinos kateilēmo menē psychē. Ti oun ek toutōn manthanomen? To dein tēn sōphrona kai lelogismenēn parthenon pantos pathous kata panta tropon tēs psychēs haptomenou chōrizesthai, kai phylassein heautēn hagnēn tǭ harmosamenǭ autēn nymphiǭ, mē echousan spilon ē rhytida ē ti tōn toiou tōn.
That to be outside virtue in any way whatever carries the same danger. But the deviations into sin in our life are countless, and the Scriptures indicate this multitude in many ways: “Many are those who persecute and afflict me,” and “Many are those who fight against me from on high,” and many other such sayings. Perhaps, then, one may properly say that many are those who plot adulterously to corrupt this truly honourable marriage and the undefiled bed. And if we must count such adulterers by name, anger is an adulterer, greed is an adulterer, envy is an adulterer; resentment, enmity, malice, hatred, all the things listed by the Apostle as opposed to sound teaching, are a list of adulterers. Let us suppose, then, that there is a woman among women, comely and lovely, and for this reason joined in marriage to a king, but plotted against because of her beauty by certain licentious men. Such a woman, as long as she is hostile to all who wait about her to corrupt her and accuses them before her lawful husband, is chaste; she looks to the bridegroom alone, and the deceits of the licentious have no room against her. But if she gives herself to one of the plotters, her chastity toward the rest does not rescue her from punishment; for it is enough for condemnation that the bed has been defiled even through one. So too the soul that lives for God will be pleased by none of the beauties deceitfully shown to it; but if through some passion it admits defilement into its heart, it has itself broken the rights of the spiritual marriage. For as Scripture says that wisdom will not enter a soul that plots evil, so one may truly say that the good Bridegroom cannot dwell in a soul that is angry and envious or has anything else faulty in it. For what device will join what is by nature foreign and incompatible? Hear the Apostle teaching that there is no fellowship of light with darkness, or of righteousness with lawlessness, or, in a word, of all that the Lord is, conceived and named according to the variety of what is seen in him, with all that is conceived as opposite in vice. If, then, fellowship between things by nature unmixable is impossible, the soul held by any vice is certainly foreign to and incapable of the indwelling of the good. What, then, do we learn from this? That the self-controlled and sensible virgin must be separated in every way from every passion that touches the soul, and keep herself pure for the Bridegroom who betrothed her, having no spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind.
Ps 119:157 (118:157 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 56:2 (55:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 13:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 1:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 5:20 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 6:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 11:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 5:27 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Every vice is an adulterer that defiles the soul’s spiritual marriage to Christ; as a queen who yields to one seducer is condemned, so the virgin soul must keep itself pure from every passion.
- The opening sentence is the chapter’s heading as printed in the edition. References: Ps 119:157 (118:157 LXX); Ps 56:2 (55:3 LXX); Heb 13:4; 1 Tim 1:10 and 2 Tim 4:3 (“sound teaching”); Gal 5:19–21; Wis 1:4; 2 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:27.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 1:4 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 15 (PG 46:384b–385a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/12/#p-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-virginitate-15) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 16
16PG 46:385b–388a
’Ὅτι ἀτελὴς εις τὸ ἀγαθόν ό καὶ ἐπί τινι τῶν κατʼ ἀρετὴν· ἐλλείπων. Μία γάρ ἐστιν ὁδὸς εὐθεῖα, στενή τε ὠς ἀληθῶς καὶ τεθλιμμένη, καὶ τὰς ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα παρατροπὰς οὐκ ὲπιδεχομένη, καὶ τὸ ὁπωσοῦν ἔξω ταύτης γενέσθαι ἴσον ἕχει τὸν τῆς ἀποπτῶσεως κίνδυνον. Et δὴ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, διορθωτέον ὡς οἷόν τε τῶν πολλῶν τὴν συνήθειαν, ὅσοι πρὸς μὲν τὰς αίσχροτέρας τῶν ἡδονῶν ἰσχυρῶς ἀπομάχονται, ἄλλως δὲ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐν τιμαῖς καὶ φιλαρχίαις θηρεύουσι ο παραπλήσιον ποιοῦντες, ὥσπερ ἂν εί τις οἰκέτης ἐλευθερίας ἐπιθυμῶν, μὴ ὅπως τῆς δουλείας ἔξω γενήσεται σπεύδοι, ἀλλʼ ὲναμείὸοι τοὺς κεκτημένους, τὴν ἐναλλαγὴν τῶν κεκτη μένων ἐλευθερίαν οἰόμενος. Δοῦλοι γάρ εἰσιν ἐπίσης πάντες, κᾶν μὴ ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν κυριεύωνται, ἕως ἂν ὅλως ἐπικρατῇ τις αὐτῶν μετὰ δυναστείας ἀρχή. Εἰσὶ δὲ πάλιν οἳ τῇ πολλῇ πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς μάχῃ, εὐκαταγώνιστοί πως τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ πάθει γεγόνασι, καὶ ὲν τῇ ἑπιτεταμένῃ τῆς ζωῆς ἀκριβείᾳ, λύπαις, καὶ παροξυσμοῖς, καὶ μνησικακίαις, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶ· σιν, ὅσα πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν πάθους ἁντικαθέστηκεν, εὐκόλως τε ἁλίσκονται, καὶ δυσχερῶς διεκδύνουσι ο τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται, ὅταν μὴ ό λόγος ὁ κατʼ ἀρετὴν, ἀλλά τι πάθος τῆς κατὰ τὸν βίον πορείας ἡγεμονεύῃ. Ἦ μὲν, γὰρ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Κυρίου σφόδρα τηλαυγὴς, ὡς καὶ νηπίων ὀφθαλμοὺς φωτίσαι, μόνῳ τῷ Θεῴ προσκολλᾶσθαι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι λέγουσα · ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὕτε λύπη ἐστὶν, οὕτε ἡδονὴ, οὔτε δειλία, ἢ 0ράσος, ἦ φόβος, ἢ ὀργὴ, ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον πάθος, ὃ υ τῆς ἀπαιδεύτου κυριεύει ψυχῆς· ἀλλʼ ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, αὐτοσοφία καὶ ἁγιασμὸς, ἁλήθειὰ τε καὶ χαρὰ. καὶ εἰρήνη, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Πῶς οὖν ἔστι τῷ ταῦτα ὖντι προσκολληθῆναι τὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων κρατούμενον; ’Ἡ πῶς οὐκ ἄλογον τὸν τῷ ἑνί τινι τῶν παθῶν ὅπως μὴ ὑπαχθείη σπουδάζοντα, ἀρετὴν νομίζειν τὸ ἀντικείμενον; Οἷον, ἡδονὴν μὲν φυγόντα, λύπῃ κατέχεσθαι ο τὸ δὲ θρασὺ καὶ προπετὲς διακλίνοντα, δειλίᾳ ταπεινοῦν τὴν ψυχήνο ἤ θυμοῖς ἀνάλωτον μένειν ἐσπουδακότα, κατεπτηχέναι τῷ φόβῳ. Τί τὰρ διαφέρει οὕτως ἦ ἄλλως τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκπεσεῖν, παντελὴς aperi]; Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἀρκ ρωστημάτων, οὐκ liv διαφέρειν τὸ κακόν τις εἴποι διᾊ ὑπερβαλλούσης ἐνδείας, ἢ ἀπὸ πλησμονῆς ἀμέτρου διαφθαρῆναι, εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ πέρας τῆς ἐν ἑκατέροις ἀμετρίας ληγούσης. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ό τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ζωῆς τε καὶ ὑγιείας ἐπιμελόμενος, ἐπὶ τοῦ μέσον τῆς ἁληθείας ἑαυτὸν τηρήσει, ἀμιγὴς καὶ ἀμέτοχος διαμένων τῆς ἑκατέρωθεν τῇ ἀρετῇ παρακειμένης ὲναντιότητος. Οὐκ ἐμὸς ὁ λόγος, ἀλλʼ αὐτῆς τῆς θείας φωνῆς. Φανερῶς γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου διδασκαλίας τὸ δόγμα τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἐν οἷς διδάσκει τοὺς μαθητὰς, ὡς ἄρνας λύκοις συναναστρεφομένους, μὴ περιστερὰς εἶναι μόνον, ἀλλʼ ἔχειν τι καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως ὲν τῷ ἤθει. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι, τὸ μήτε τὴν ἁπλότητα δοκοῦν ἐπαίνει τὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις είς ἄκρον ἐπιτηδεύειν, ὡς τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἀνοίᾳ τῆς τοιαύτης ἕξεως πλησιαζούσης · μήτε τὴν ἐπαινουμένην ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν δεινότητα καὶ πανουργίαν, ἀμιγῆ τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ ἄκρατον ἁρετὴν νομίζεινο ὲκ δὲ τῆς δοκούσης ἐναντιότητος μίαν τινὰ συγκεκραμένην ἤθους κατάστασιν ἀπεργάζεσθαι, τῆς μὲν τὸ ἀνόητον, τῆς δὲ τὸ ἐν πονηρία σοφὸν περικόψαντας” ὼς ἐξ ἑκατέρων ἓν ἀποτελεσθῆναι καλὸν ἐπιτήδευμα, ἁπλότητι γνώμης καὶ ἀγχινοίᾳ συγκεκραμένον. ι Γίνεσθε ι γὰρ, φησι, ι φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὼ, αί περιστεραί. ι
’Hoti atelēs eis to agathon o kai epi tini tōn katʼ aretēn; elleipōn. Mia gar estin hodos eutheia, stenē te ōs alēthōs kai tethlimmenē, kai tas ephʼ hekatera paratropas ouk epidechomenē, kai to hopōsoun exō tautēs genesthai ison hechei ton tēs apoptōseōs kindynon. Et dē tauta houtōs echei, diorthōteon hōs hoion te tōn pollōn tēn synētheian, hosoi pros men tas aischroteras tōn hēdonōn ischyrōs apomachontai, allōs de tēn hēdonēn en timais kai philarchiais thēreuousi o paraplēsion poiountes, hōsper an ei tis oiketēs eleutherias epithymōn, mē hopōs tēs douleias exō genēsetai speudoi, allʼ enameiooi tous kektēmenous, tēn enallagēn tōn kektē menōn eleutherian oiomenos. Douloi gar eisin episēs pantes, kan mē hypo tōn autōn kyrieuōntai, heōs an holōs epikratę̄ tis autōn meta dynasteias archē. Eisi de palin hoi tę̄ pollę̄ pros tas hēdonas machę̄, eukatagōnistoi pōs tǭ antikeimenǭ pathei gegonasi, kai en tę̄ hepitetamenę̄ tēs zōēs akribeią, lypais, kai paroxysmois, kai mnēsikakiais, kai tois loipois pa; sin, hosa pros to enantion tou kata tēn hēdonēn pathous hantikathestēken, eukolōs te haliskontai, kai dyscherōs diekdynousi o touto de ginetai, hotan mē o logos ho katʼ aretēn, alla ti pathos tēs kata ton bion poreias hēgemoneuę̄. Ē men, gar entolē tou Kyriou sphodra tēlaugēs, hōs kai nēpiōn ophthalmous phōtisai, monǭ tǭ Theǭ proskollasthai agathon einai legousa ; ho de Theos houte lypē estin, houte hēdonē, oute deilia, ē 0rasos, ē phobos, ē orgē, ē allo ti toiouton pathos, ho y tēs apaideutou kyrieuei psychēs; allʼ hōs phēsin ho Apostolos, autosophia kai hagiasmos, halētheia te kai chara. kai eirēnē, kai hosa toiauta. Pōs oun esti tǭ tauta ynti proskollēthēnai ton hypo tōn enantiōn kratoumenon? ’Hē pōs ouk alogon ton tǭ heni tini tōn pathōn hopōs mē hypachtheiē spoudazonta, aretēn nomizein to antikeimenon? Hoion, hēdonēn men phygonta, lypę̄ katechesthai o to de thrasy kai propetes diaklinonta, deilią tapeinoun tēn psychēno ē thymois analōton menein espoudakota, kateptēchenai tǭ phobǭ. Ti tar diapherei houtōs ē allōs tēs aretēs ekpesein, pantelēs aperi]? Kai gar epi tōn tou sōmatos ark rōstēmatōn, ouk liv diapherein to kakon tis eipoi diĄ hyperballousēs endeias, ē apo plēsmonēs ametrou diaphtharēnai, eis to auto peras tēs en hekaterois ametrias lēgousēs. Oukoun kai o tēs kata psychēn zōēs te kai hygieias epimelomenos, epi tou meson tēs halētheias heauton tērēsei, amigēs kai ametochos diamenōn tēs hekaterōthen tę̄ aretę̄ parakeimenēs enantiotētos. Ouk emos ho logos, allʼ autēs tēs theias phōnēs. Phanerōs gar tēs tou Kyriou didaskalias to dogma touto estin, en hois didaskei tous mathētas, hōs arnas lykois synanastrephomenous, mē peristeras einai monon, allʼ echein ti kai tou opheōs en tǭ ēthei. Touto de esti, to mēte tēn haplotēta dokoun epainei tēn tois anthrōpois eis akron epitēdeuein, hōs tę̄ eschatę̄ anoią tēs toiautēs hexeōs plēsiazousēs ; mēte tēn epainoumenēn hypo tōn pollōn deinotēta kai panourgian, amigē tōn enantiōn kai akraton haretēn nomizeino ek de tēs dokousēs enantiotētos mian tina synkekramenēn ēthous katastasin apergazesthai, tēs men to anoēton, tēs de to en ponēria sophon perikopsantas” ōs ex hekaterōn hen apotelesthēnai kalon epitēdeuma, haplotēti gnōmēs kai anchinoią synkekramenon. i Ginesthe i gar, phēsi, i phronimoi hōs hoi opheis, kai akeraioi ō, ai peristerai. i
That one who falls short even in one point of virtue is imperfect in the good. For there is one straight road, truly narrow and hard pressed, admitting no deviations to either side; and to be outside it in any way whatever carries the same danger of falling away. If this is so, we must correct as far as possible the habit of the many, who fight strongly against the more shameful pleasures but hunt pleasure in another way in honours and love of power. They act much as if a slave who desired freedom were eager not to get out of slavery but to change masters, thinking a change of owners to be freedom. For all are equally slaves, even if they are not ruled by the same masters, as long as any rule at all holds them with power. Again, there are those who, through their great battle against pleasures, have become in a way easy prey to the opposite passion, and in the strained exactness of their life are easily caught by griefs, fits of temper, resentments, and all the other things set over against the passion of pleasure, and escape them with difficulty. This happens when it is not reason according to virtue but some passion that leads the course of life. For the commandment of the Lord is very clear, so as to give light even to the eyes of infants, saying that it is good to cling to God alone. And God is neither grief nor pleasure, nor cowardice nor boldness, nor fear nor anger, nor any other such passion that masters the untrained soul, but, as the Apostle says, wisdom itself and sanctification, truth and joy and peace, and all such things. How, then, can one who is held by their opposites cling to him who is these things? Or how is it not unreasonable for one eager not to be brought under some one passion to think its opposite a virtue: for example, having fled pleasure, to be held by grief; or, avoiding boldness and rashness, to abase the soul by cowardice; or, having striven to remain uncaptured by anger, to cower in fear? For what difference is there in falling from virtue this way or that, …? For in the diseases of the body too one would not say that it makes any difference to the evil whether one is ruined by excessive want or by immoderate fullness, since the immoderation on either side ends in the same result. One who cares for the life and health of the soul, then, will keep himself in the middle of the truth, remaining unmixed with and without share in the opposition that lies beside virtue on either side. The saying is not mine, but that of the divine voice itself. For this doctrine is plainly the teaching of the Lord, where he teaches the disciples, living as lambs among wolves, not to be doves only but to have something of the serpent in their character. This means neither to practise to the extreme the simplicity that seems praiseworthy to people, since such a habit borders on the last folly, nor to think the shrewdness and cunning praised by the many to be a virtue unmixed with its opposite and pure; but out of the apparent opposition to produce one blended state of character, cutting off the folly of the one and the wisdom in wickedness of the other, so that from both one fine way of life may be achieved, blending simplicity of mind with sharpness. “Be,” he says, “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Matt 7:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 19:8 (18:9 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 73:28 (72:28 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:30 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 5:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 10:16 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Virtue is a narrow road between opposite vices; fleeing one passion into its opposite (pleasure into gloom, rashness into cowardice) is no gain, as Christ’s command to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves teaches.
- The opening sentence is the chapter’s heading as printed in the edition. A word or two is garbled in the scan at the end of the question “in falling from virtue this way or that” (marked …). References: Matt 7:14; Ps 19:8 (18:9 LXX); Ps 73:28 (72:28 LXX); 1 Cor 1:30; Rom 14:17; Gal 5:22; Matt 10:16.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 16 (PG 46:385b–388a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/12/#p-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.