Homilies 3.1–3.6
Greek text: PG 40.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 3
3.1PG 40:195
Γ'. Ἄλνδοες Χριστιανοὶ, καὶ χλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι ἄνδρες" ὑμεῖς ὁ χωριχὸς δῆμος, καὶ πάντες, ὅσοι. τῶν πόλεων ἐχφοιτήσαντες, πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν συμφώνως ἑορτὴν συνεδράμετε (γενιχῷ γὰρ ὑμᾶς πάντας περιλαμδάνω χηρύγματι), ἄρα ἕχαστος ὑμῶν ἐνεδάλετο τῇ διανοίᾳ φροντίδα, συνεἶδεν δὲ καὶ χατενόησεν, ὑπὲρ τίνος ἠθροίσθημεν; ἀνθ᾽ ὅτου δὲ τιμῶνται μάρτυρες οἴχων περιφανῶν χατασχευαῖς, καὶ τοῖς ἐνιαυσίοις τούτοις συλλόγοις, καὶ πρὸς τίνα σχοπὸν βλέποντες οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐνομοθέτησαν τὰ ὁρώμενα, καὶ ἰσχυρὸν ἀφῆχαν τὸν νόμον τοῖς μετέπειτα; Ἢ πρόδηλον τῷ καὶ μιχρὸν πυχνώσαντι τὴν διάνοιαν, ὡς ζήλῳ ἡμῖν εὐσεθδείας ταῦτα διετυπώθη, καὶ χοινὰ παιδαγωγεῖα τῶν ψυχῶν αἱ πανηγύρεις συνάγονται, ἵνα μάρτυρας τιμῶντες, τὸ τῶν μαρτύρων ὑπὲρ εὐσεδείας καρτερὸν μιμησώοὖς, μάθωμέν τι χρηστὸν, ὃ πρὸ βραχέος οὐχ ἐγινώσχομεν, ἣ δόγματος ἀσφάλειαν, ἣ λύσιν ἀπορουμένης Γραφῆς, ἢ τινα λόγον τὴν τῶν ἠθῶν ἐπανορθοῦντα κατάστασιν; Ὑμεῖς δέ μοι δοχεῖτε τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμέλειαν ἀφέντες, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὴν ψυχὴν σπουδῆς ἐχλαθόμενοι, ὅλην ἑαυτῶν μετατεθειχέναι τὴν μέριμβναν πρὸς τὸν συρφετὸν τοῦ μαμμωνᾶ, καὶ τὴν ἀσχο-λίαν τῶν πρατηρίων" οἱ μὲν αὐτοὶ συναλλάττοντες, οἱ δὲ χεχηνότες εἰς τὰ ἀλλότρια, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς ὠνίοις φιλονειχκοῦντας ἱστοροῦντες, ὅπως τὰ ἀλλήλων ἐπενωνίζωσιν. ᾿Αλλὰ μετάθετέ μοι τὸν πόθον ἐπὶ τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν " χαταλείψατε τὴν φιλαργυρίαν, τὴν ἀγόσμον ἑταιρίδα, προσγελῶσαν τῷ πλήθει, ταῖς ἀλλο-τρίαις ὕλαις χαλλωπιζομένην, καὶ τοῖς ἄνθεσι τοῦ φαρμαχοπώλου. Ἐράσθητε ταύτης τῆς θείας καὶ σώφρονος ἐσταλμένης χοσμίως, σεμνὸν καὶ ἀμετεώριστον βλεπούσης. Οὕτω γὰρ Σαλομῶν ἐν. τῇ παροι-ἀνθέξεταί σου. Ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς, καὶ τηρήσει σε. Μὴ παρέλθῃς καταφρονήσας, μηδὲ τὰ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης ταύτης προχείμενα, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὰ νομίσῃς ἄτιμα, ἐπειδὴ προῖχά σοι ἔξεστιν τὴν χτῆσιν περιποιήσασθαι ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπιθύμησον, ὅτι ἕν δὲ κέρδος ζητοῦμεν, τὴν τοῦ μαθητοῦ σωτηρίαν. ᾿Ανεγνώσθη ἡμῖν ἐχ τῶν Πράξεων Παύλου λόγος Ὁ πρὸς Φῆστον καὶ ᾿Αγρίππαν, Παύλου τοῦ πιστοῦ ἀποστόλου, καὶ σοφοῦ δημηγόρου. Εἶδες πάντως, ὦ ἀχροατῆς, εἰ τὸν νοῦν ἐπέστησας, ὅπως καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὐ προδίδωσιν ἐκ δειλίας, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ᾿Αγρίππαν θεραπείαν τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ χεράσας, τὸ τραχὺ χριτήριον ἐχμαλάσσει πρὸς ἀγαθότητα, ὥσπερ θηρία τινὰ κατεπάδων ταῖς τοῦ λόγου μεταχειρήσεσιν. Προεἐφήτευσεν καὶ σήμερον Ζαχαρίας, τῶν μεγάλων ἡμῖν μυστηρίων τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ὑπανοίγων τὴν θύραν, διὰ τοῦ λίθου, τοῦ τὰς ἑπτὰ βολὰς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν χεχτημένου, διὰ τῆς χρυσῆς λυχνίας, ἐφ᾽ ἧς οἱ ἑπτὰ λύχνοι καὶ τὰ δύο στελέχη τῶν ἐλαιῶν. Πολλαὶ αἱ ἑξῆς Γραφαὶ, πλούσιον τὸν θησαυρὸν τῆς ὠφελείας ἔχουσαι, αἷς ἐδουλόμην πάσαις ἐπελθεῖν, καὶ δεῖξαι ὑμῖν τὴν τῆς πνευματιχῆς πανηγύρεως εὐθηνίαν. Ἐπείγει δέ μὲ πρὸς τὴν ἕχτισιν τοῦ χρέους ἡ τῆς προτεραίας ὑπόσχεσις. ᾿Αρξάμενοι γὰρ πολλαῖς χατητορίαις τῆς πλεονεξίας χαθάπτεσθαι, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἔφθημεν αὐτῆς γυμνῶσαι τὴν ματαιότητα, εἰς τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμέραν τὸν ἔλεγχον τῆς χατηγορίας ὑπερεθέμεθα. ᾿Αχούσατε οὖν, καὶ γένεσθε εὐγνώμονες τῆς ἀληθείας χριταί. Ἐπειδὴ μήτε ἄλλοις τισὶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίᾳ διχάζετε, καὶ πάσας τὰς χαταχριγούσας ψήφους ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπεύθυνον φέρετε ἕχαστος τῆς ἰδίας ψυχῆς, ὥσπερ οἰκία: ἣ πόλεως αὐτὴν ἀπελάσαντες. " Πλεονεξία τοίνυν ἐστὶν, οὐ μόνον τῷ ἀργυρίῳ σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις χτήμασιν ἐπιμαίνεσθαι, καὶ βούλεσθαι τοῖς παροῦσι τὰ μὴ προσόντα συνάπτειν" ἀλλὰ, γενιχώτερον εἰπεῖν, τὸ ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος πλέον ἔχειν βούλεσθαι τοῦ ὀφειλομένου καὶ ἐπιδάλλοντος, Καὶ δὴ τοῦτο τὸ πλημμέλημα πρῶτος ἔπαθεν ὁ διάδολης, ἀρχάγγελος μὲν ὧν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καλλίστης ζωῆς καὶ τάξεως τεταγμένος, τυραννίδα δὲ καὶ ἐπανάστασιν χατὰ τῆς θεότητος ἐννοήσας ὁ ματαιόφρων᾽ εἶτα χαταδληθεὶς, καὶ εἰς τὸν περίγειον τοῦτον ἀέρα χαταπεσὼν, χαχὸς γείτων τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς. Οὔτε γοῦν χατέλαδεν, ὃ ἐδίωχεν, τὴν θεότητα" χεὶ ἀπῶλεσιν, ὃ ἐχέχτητο, τὸ ἀρχάγγελον " δοῦλος ἄπιστος, καἷς χατὰ μικρὸν τόλμαις εἰς λῃστὴν ἐξελθών’ χύων τοῦ παρ᾽ Ἕλλησιν μύθου, καὶ τοῦ χρέως στερηθεὶς, καὶ τῆς σχιᾶς οὐ δραξάμενος, (πῶς γάρ;) ἀκαταλή- Μετὰ τοῦτον ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος εἰς ἡδυπάθειαν δελεασθεὶς, ἀπηγορευμένῃ βρώσει τὴν ἀθανασίαν ἀπὠλεσεν ὡς Ἡσαῦ ὕστερον διὰ φαχὴν "δ τὰ πρωτότοχα, Καὶ τὰς διαλέχτους δὲ ταύτας, καὶ τὰς πολλὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων φωνὰς, ἔρως τοῦ πλείονος εἰς τὸν θίον εἰσήγαγεν. Οἱ γὰρ τῇ ἀνθρωπιχῇ εὐθηνίᾳ ὑπερμαζήσαντες, βατὸν δὲ ἑαυτοῖς ἔσεσθαι τὸν οὐρανὸν προσξοχήσαντες, καὶ πύργον γελοῖον ἐπὶ τὴν ἐχείνου ματαιοποιοῦντες ἀνάδασιν, οὗτοι τοὺς ὁμοφώνους ἀνθρώπονς, ἐτερογλώσσους ἐποίησαν" καὶ τὸ πλέον, οὗ εἶχον, ζητοῦντες, αὐτοί τε συνεχέθησαν, καὶ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατέλιπον χάμνειν ἐν ἀχοαῖς ἀσήμων φωνῶν καὶ ἑρμηνειῶν ξητήσει.
G'. Alndoes Christianoi, kai chlēseōs epouraniou metochoi andres" hymeis ho chōrichos dēmos, kai pantes, hosoi. tōn poleōn echphoitēsantes, pros tēn parousan symphōnōs heortēn synedramete (genichǭ gar hymas pantas perilamdanō chērygmati), ara hechastos hymōn enedaleto tę̄ dianoią phrontida, syneiden de kai chatenoēsen, hyper tinos ēthroisthēmen? anth᾽ hotou de timōntai martyres oichōn periphanōn chatascheuais, kai tois eniausiois toutois syllogois, kai pros tina schopon blepontes hoi pateres hēmōn enomothetēsan ta horōmena, kai ischyron aphēchan ton nomon tois metepeita? Ē prodēlon tǭ kai michron pychnōsanti tēn dianoian, hōs zēlǭ hēmin eusethdeias tauta dietypōthē, kai choina paidagōgeia tōn psychōn hai panēgyreis synagontai, hina martyras timōntes, to tōn martyrōn hyper eusedeias karteron mimēsōous, mathōmen ti chrēston, ho pro bracheos ouch eginōschomen, hē dogmatos asphaleian, hē lysin aporoumenēs Graphēs, ē tina logon tēn tōn ēthōn epanorthounta katastasin? Hymeis de moi docheite tēs aretēs epimeleian aphentes, kai tēs peri tēn psychēn spoudēs echlathomenoi, holēn heautōn metatetheichenai tēn merimbnan pros ton syrpheton tou mammōna, kai tēn ascho-lian tōn pratēriōn" hoi men autoi synallattontes, hoi de chechēnotes eis ta allotria, kai tous epi tois ōniois philoneichkountas historountes, hopōs ta allēlōn epenōnizōsin. ᾿Alla metathete moi ton pothon epi tēn Echchlēsian " chataleipsate tēn philargyrian, tēn agosmon hetairida, prosgelōsan tǭ plēthei, tais allo-triais hylais challōpizomenēn, kai tois anthesi tou pharmachopōlou. Erasthēte tautēs tēs theias kai sōphronos estalmenēs chosmiōs, semnon kai ameteōriston blepousēs. Houtō gar Salomōn en. tę̄ paroi-anthexetai sou. Erasthēti autēs, kai tērēsei se. Mē parelthę̄s kataphronēsas, mēde ta par᾽ hēmin epi tēs trapezēs tautēs procheimena, dia touto auta nomisę̄s atima, epeidē proicha soi exestin tēn chtēsin peripoiēsasthai alla kai mallon epithymēson, hoti hen de kerdos zētoumen, tēn tou mathētou sōtērian. ᾿Anegnōsthē hēmin ech tōn Praxeōn Paulou logos Ho pros Phēston kai ᾿Agrippan, Paulou tou pistou apostolou, kai sophou dēmēgorou. Eides pantōs, ō achroatēs, ei ton noun epestēsas, hopōs kai tēn alētheian ou prodidōsin ek deilias, kai tēn pros ᾿Agrippan therapeian tę̄ parrhēsią cherasas, to trachy chritērion echmalassei pros agathotēta, hōsper thēria tina katepadōn tais tou logou metacheirēsesin. Proeephēteusen kai sēmeron Zacharias, tōn megalōn hēmin mystēriōn tou Monogenous hypanoigōn tēn thyran, dia tou lithou, tou tas hepta bolas tōn ophthalmōn chechtēmenou, dia tēs chrysēs lychnias, eph᾽ hēs hoi hepta lychnoi kai ta dyo stelechē tōn elaiōn. Pollai hai hexēs Graphai, plousion ton thēsauron tēs ōpheleias echousai, hais edoulomēn pasais epelthein, kai deixai hymin tēn tēs pneumatichēs panēgyreōs euthēnian. Epeigei de me pros tēn hechtisin tou chreous hē tēs proteraias hyposchesis. ᾿Arxamenoi gar pollais chatētoriais tēs pleonexias chathaptesthai, epeidē mē ephthēmen autēs gymnōsai tēn mataiotēta, eis tēn parousan hēmeran ton elenchon tēs chatēgorias hyperethemetha. ᾿Achousate oun, kai genesthe eugnōmones tēs alētheias chritai. Epeidē mēte allois tisin, alla tę̄ heautōn sōtērią dichazete, kai pasas tas chatachrigousas psēphous epi tēn hypeuthynon pherete hechastos tēs idias psychēs, hōsper oikia: hē poleōs autēn apelasantes. " Pleonexia toinyn estin, ou monon tǭ argyriǭ syn tois allois chtēmasin epimainesthai, kai boulesthai tois parousi ta mē prosonta synaptein" alla, genichōteron eipein, to epi pantos pragmatos pleon echein boulesthai tou opheilomenou kai epidallontos, Kai dē touto to plēmmelēma prōtos epathen ho diadolēs, archangelos men hōn kai epi tēs kallistēs zōēs kai taxeōs tetagmenos, tyrannida de kai epanastasin chata tēs theotētos ennoēsas ho mataiophrōn᾽ eita chatadlētheis, kai eis ton perigeion touton aera chatapesōn, chachos geitōn tēs hēmeteras zōēs. Oute goun chateladen, ho ediōchen, tēn theotēta" chei apōlesin, ho echechtēto, to archangelon " doulos apistos, kais chata mikron tolmais eis lę̄stēn exelthōn’ chyōn tou par᾽ Hellēsin mythou, kai tou chreōs sterētheis, kai tēs schias ou draxamenos, (pōs gar?) akatalē- Meta touton ho prōtos anthrōpos eis hēdypatheian deleastheis, apēgoreumenę̄ brōsei tēn athanasian apōlesen hōs Hēsau hysteron dia phachēn "d ta prōtotocha, Kai tas dialechtous de tautas, kai tas pollas tōn anthrōpōn phōnas, erōs tou pleionos eis ton thion eisēgagen. Hoi gar tę̄ anthrōpichę̄ euthēnią hypermazēsantes, baton de heautois esesthai ton ouranon prosxochēsantes, kai pyrgon geloion epi tēn echeinou mataiopoiountes anadasin, houtoi tous homophōnous anthrōpons, eteroglōssous epoiēsan" kai to pleon, hou eichon, zētountes, autoi te synechethēsan, kai tǭ genei tōn anthrōpōn katelipon chamnein en achoais asēmōn phōnōn kai hermēneiōn xētēsei.
Homily 3. Christian men, sharers in a heavenly calling, you people from the countryside, and all of you who have come out of the cities and run together with one mind to the present feast (for I include all of you in one general proclamation): has each of you taken thought, and seen and considered, why we have been gathered? Why martyrs are honoured with the building of splendid houses and with these yearly assemblies, and with what aim our fathers made law for what we see here and left the law in force for those after them? Is it not clear to anyone who has concentrated his mind even a little, that these things were established for us out of zeal for godliness, and that the festivals are gathered as common schools for souls, so that, honouring martyrs, we may imitate the martyrs' endurance for godliness, … and learn something good which we did not know a little before: either soundness of doctrine, or the solution of a perplexing passage of Scripture, or some word that sets right the state of our morals? But you seem to me to have dropped the care of virtue and forgotten your zeal for the soul, and to have transferred your whole concern to the rubbish of mammon and the business of the market-stalls: some of you doing deals yourselves, others gaping at other people's affairs and watching those who quarrel over wares, how they outbid one another. Transfer your desire, I beg you, to the Church. Leave love of money, the disorderly courtesan who smiles at the crowd and beautifies herself with other people's materials and the flowers of the drug-seller. Love this divine and sober one, modestly dressed, with a grave and steady look. For so Solomon in the Proverbs … “she will hold on to you. Love her, and she will keep you.” Do not pass by in contempt, nor think the things set before you at this table of ours worthless because you may acquire them for nothing; desire them rather, because we seek one gain only, the salvation of the disciple. There was read to us from the Acts the speech of Paul before Festus and Agrippa, Paul the faithful apostle and wise orator. You saw, my hearer, if you paid attention, how he does not betray the truth out of cowardice, and, mixing his courtesy toward Agrippa with boldness, softens the harsh tribunal toward kindness, charming it, like wild beasts, by the skill of his speech. Zechariah too prophesied today, opening to us the door of the great mysteries of the Only-begotten, through the stone that has the seven glances of eyes, and through the golden lampstand on which are the seven lamps and the two olive branches. Many are the Scriptures that follow, holding a rich treasure of profit; I wished to go through them all and show you the abundance of the spiritual festival. But yesterday's promise presses me to pay my debt. For we began to attack covetousness with many accusations, and since we did not manage to strip its vanity bare, we put off the proof of the charge until today. Listen, then, and be fair judges of the truth. Since you are judging not for anyone else but for your own salvation, cast all your votes of condemnation against the guilty party, each of you driving it out of his own soul as from a house or a city. Covetousness, then, is not only raging after money and other possessions and wishing to add what one does not have to what one has; but, to speak more generally, wishing in every matter to have more than is owed and fitting. The devil was the first to fall into this offence. He was an archangel, set in the finest life and rank; but the vain-minded one conceived tyranny and rebellion against the Godhead; then he was cast down and fell into this air around the earth, a bad neighbour to our life. So he neither seized what he pursued, the Godhead, and he lost what he had possessed, the rank of archangel: a faithless slave who by small acts of daring went out to become a brigand; the dog of the Greeks' fable, deprived of the meat and not grasping the shadow (how could he?), ungraspable … After him the first man, enticed into pleasure, lost immortality by forbidden food, as Esau later lost his birthright for a lentil dish. And these languages, the many tongues of men, were brought into life by the love of more. For those who were over-fed with human plenty, and expected that heaven would be accessible to them, and vainly built a ridiculous tower to climb up to it, made men of one speech into men of different tongues; and seeking more than they had, they were themselves confounded, and left to the human race the toil of hearing unintelligible sounds and seeking interpretations.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Heb 3:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 26:1–32 (allusion, high confidence) · Zech 3:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Zech 4:2–3 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 14:12–15 (echo, low confidence) · Gen 3:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 25:29–34 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 11:1–9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: At a martyrs' festival Asterius reminds the crowd why martyrs are honoured, recalls the day's readings, and begins his case against covetousness with the devil, Adam, Esau and the tower of Babel.
- The homily was preached at an annual martyrs' festival in the country; Asterius describes the honours paid to martyrs (shrines and yearly assemblies), translated as written. Leaked Latin and footnote references were removed by logged corrections; words lost in the scan's OCR are marked “…”. The quotation from Proverbs is Prov 4:6, its opening lost. “Harsh” renders τραχύ, corrected from the OCR's βραχύ (probable). The readings were Acts 26 (Paul before Festus and Agrippa) and Zech 3:9; 4:2–3. The dog that drops its meat for the shadow is Aesop's fable. The devil as a fallen archangel is Asterius's view, translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references and fragment of Migne's Latin column; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column splitting a word; stray numeral; OCR β for τ (probable)): δ (65. τὸ γεγραμμένον, "3" Μά. ΧΧΥ, 1 566: πο εἶο ἴδοι! δρυὰ δυάΐϊοοιῃ : που νοςὶθι8, υἱ 'Ύ, ᾿ Κἰεῖρε8 δ" εἴδει] νἱγῖ, ρ]6 08 τυδιίσπα, ἃς αιοίᾳυοι Α → ; πάνγὸ} ὀχροϑβιοη6πὶ Οὐ βοιγὶ, 46 Δη ΐ ι}} ἰοςΐ πος πὶ δι αἰ Διὰ Εοϊοβίλιῃ ἰΓδηβίσγιθ, γος τα τυ ΐηΐ ἀτγιἰδηίθην, Αἰ δ ΐς ογηῖδη ἰα πιοη 15, εὐπιγοοίδιίοα ᾿πον Δ Γ65. 56 οἱ Ζ2οΠαγίδ5. οὐ ΐα δ. ΠΡ ἢν. πὶ, 1. τες, → πάντες,; τὸ βραχὺ 37 χριτήριον → τὸ τραχὺ χριτήριον.
Extrabiblical texts: Aesop (Aesop, Fables; allusion)
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 3.1 (PG 40:195; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
3.2PG 40:195
Τί δὲ ὁ Φαραώ; Πόθεν ταῖς διαφοραῖς καὶ ποιχίλαις περιέπεσε φάστιξιν; οὐ διὰ πλεονεξίαν, καὶ τὸ … ἐχείνου βασιλείᾳ προσέχοντος; Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους οὐχ ἀφεὶς, τοὺς ἰδίους ἀπώλεσεν’ τοὺς μὲν ἐν πληγῇ τῶν πρωτοτόχων᾽ τοὺς δὲ, ἐν τῇ διώξει τῇ κατὰ θάλασσαν. ᾿Αφίημι γὰρ ποταμοὺς εἰς αὖμα ῥνέντας, καὶ βατράχων ἄπλετον γένεσιν, καὶ πκετραπόδων τὸν θάνατον, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν χάχωσιν ἣν Αἴγυπτος χατεδιχάσθη διὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν τοῦ ἄρχοντος. ᾿Αλλαχοῦ πάλιν τέλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας χατέμαθον, λέπραν ἀθρόον τῷ πλεονέχτῃ περιχυθεῖσαν. Καί μοι συνδιαμνημόνευσον, εἴ τις φιλοΐστωρ, καὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων ᾿Ἐλισσαίου φιλήχοος, ὅπως μὲν ὁ Σύρος Νεαιμὰν ἐχαθαρίσθη τῆς λέπρας, ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῇ λουσάμενος" ὅπως δὲ μετῆλθεν τὸ πάθος εἰς Γιεζεῖ τὸ παιδάριον, νεανίσχον πλεονέχτην καὶ ἀφιλόσοφον, πνευματιχὸν πωλήσαντα χάρισμα, καὶ τὴν ἄμισθον ἰατρείαν τοῦ διδασχάλου. Πόθεν ὁ ᾿Αδεσσαφλεγμαίνων καὶ θρασὺς νεανίσχος; οὐ πρὸ χαιροῦ ζητήσας τὴν χληρονομίαν τῆς βασιλείας, ἐπιπηδήσας δὲ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, ὡς ἅρπαξ; Τὸν Ἰούδαν δὲ πάλιν, τί τοῦ χαταλόγου τῶν μαθητῶν ἐξέδαλεν, ἐποίῃ σεν δὲ προδότην ἀντ᾽ ἀποστόλου; οὐ τὸ γαζορυλάχιον, πρῶτον ῥᾳδιουργούμενον, εἶτα ἡ χτῆσις τῆς ἀτίμου τιμῆς; ᾿Ανανίαν καὶ Σάπφειραν διὰ τί τραγῳδοῦσιν τῶν ἀποστόλων αἱ Πράξεις; οὐχ ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἰδί ἐγένοντο χλέπται, καὶ τῶν οἰχείων ἀναθημάτων ἱερόσυλοι; Ἐπιλείψει με τάχα καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα τοὺς τῆς πλεονεξίας ὑπηρέτας ἀπαριθμούμενον. ᾿Αφέντες δὲ τὴν παλαιὰν ἱστορίαν, τὴν πεῖραν ἐξετάσωμεν τὴν παραχολουθοῦσαν τῷ βίῳ οἷον οἶδεν θηρίον τὴν πλεονζον ἀεὶ καὶ οὗ μαραινόμενον' συγγηράσχον δὲ τοῖς ἁλοῦσι, καὶ εἰς τέλος συνόν. Ὁ λάγνος καὶ σωμάτων ἐραστὴς, χἂν ἐπὶ πολὺ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις λυσσήσῃ, ἣ αὐτὸς εἰς πρεσδυτιχὴν ἡλιχίαν ἐλθὼν, ἣ τὸ ποθούμενον ἑωραχὼς παλαιωθὲν, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἀποδαλὸν, στάσιν εὑρίσχει τῆς νόσου. Ὁ γαστρίμαργος ἀναχωρεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς φιληδονίας, ἣ τοῦ χόρου πληρώσαντος, ἣ τῶν πεπτιγῶν μένην ὄρεξιν. Ὁ φιλόδοξος πολλαῖς ἐγχομπάσας πεεξίας νόσος, χαχόν ἐστι δυσαπάλλαχτον. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ χισσὸς οὗτος, τὸ εὐθαλὲς φυτὸν καὶ ἀείφυλλον, ἐπὶ τὰ παραπεφυχότα τῶν δένδρων ἀνέρπων, ἰσχυρῶς περιελίττεται τοῖς ξύλοις, ὥνπερ ἂν δράξηται' καὶ οὔτε πεπονθότων, οὔτε ξηρανθέντων ἀναχωρεῖ, εἰ μή τις αὐτοῦ σιδήρῳ, χαθάπερ δράχογτος, διατέμῃ τοὺς ἑλιγμούς. Οὕτως οὐδὲ τοιούτου ψυχὴν ἐλευθερῶσαι ῥάδιον, εἴτε νεάξοντος τοῦ σώματος, εἴτε καὶ ὑπομαρανθέντος, ἐὰν μή τις νηφαλέος λογισμὸς ἐπἐλθὼν, ὡς μάχαιρα διαχόψῃ τὴν νόσον. Τοῖς οἰχείοις ὁ πλεονέχτης ἐστὶν ἀηδὴς, οἰχέταις ὀχληρὺς, γυναιχὶ μοχθηρὸς σύνοιχος, παίδων φειδωλὸς καὶ μιχρολόγος τροφεὺς, ἑαυτοῦ χαχὸς τάτης, νύχτωρ φροντίζων, μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν πεπυχνωμένος, διαλεγόμενος ἑαυτῷ χατὰ τοὺς ἐξεστηχότας, ἣ παραφέροντας" πάντων εὐθηνούμενος, γαὶ στένων ὡς ευδεής᾽ τῶν παρόντων οὐχ ἀπολαύων, καὶ τὰ ἀπόντα ζητῶν" τοῖς ἰδίοις οὐ χεχρημένος, ἑποφθαλμιῶν δὲ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις. Πολύαρνον τοῦ τοιούτου τὸ ποίμνιον, πεδιάδας ἐν αἷς νέμεται. Κἂν εὔσαρχον ὀφθῇ τοῦ προσοΐχου πρόθδατον, ἀφεὶς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀγέλην, τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἀλλοτρίῳ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ προσχάθηται. Τὸ αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῶν βοῶν’ ὁμοίως ἐπὶ τῶν ἵππων" οὐχ ἄλλως ἐπὶ τὴς γῆς. Πάντα στενοχωρεῖ τὴν οἰχίαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐν τῇ χρήσει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπολαυστιχὸν οἷόν τε εἷναι τὸν ἄπληστον ἀλλ᾽ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ οἰχία τάφου παραᾳπλησία. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οἱ τάφοι γέμουσι πολλάχις ἀργῦροῦ καὶ χρυσοῦ" ἀλλ᾽ αἱ ὕλαι τοὺς χρωμένους υὐχ ἔχουσιν. Τὸ σῶμα οὐ τρέφετα'" ψυχῆς οὐχ εὑρίσχεται κέρδος. Οὐχ εὐθηνεῖ γὰρ ἐχ τῆς δεξιᾶς ἢ ἐλεημοσύνη. Τί δὲ τέλος τοῦ μόχθου, διδαξάτω μέ τις τῶν ταύτῃ προειλημμένων τῇ νόσῳ᾽ οἶδα δὲ πολλοὺς ἐγὼ, γνωρίσας ἐπὶ τῆς πείρας, ὡς καὶ ἐν νότοις μᾶλλον τῆς ὑγείας ἀγαπῶσι τὰ χρήματα. Κἂν μὲν ὁ ἰατρὸς διά τινος ὕλης εὐώνου τὸν τῆς θεραπείας εἰσηγή ση- -ἀι τρόπον, οἷον διὰ σελίνου, ἣ θύμου, ἢ ἀνήθου, ὧν αχούοντας᾽ ἂν δέ τινος φαρμάχου γένηται μνήμη τῶν οἷα τὰ ποιχίλα καὶ πολυσύνθετα, καὶ ἐλθεῖν σϑῶσιν, θᾶττον τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφιέντας, ἣ λύοντας τὸ βαλάντιον. Γήιϊνοι γὰρ ὄντες τὸ φρόνημα, τὴν χτῆσιν τῶν γηΐνων ὑλῶν νομίξουτι τὴν ζωὴν.
Ti de ho Pharaō? Pothen tais diaphorais kai poichilais periepese phastixin? ou dia pleonexian, kai to … echeinou basileią prosechontos? Kai dia touto, tous allotrious ouch apheis, tous idious apōlesen’ tous men en plēgę̄ tōn prōtotochōn᾽ tous de, en tę̄ diōxei tę̄ kata thalassan. ᾿Aphiēmi gar potamous eis auma rhnentas, kai batrachōn apleton genesin, kai pketrapodōn ton thanaton, kai pasan tēn chachōsin hēn Aigyptos chatedichasthē dia tēn pleonexian tou archontos. ᾿Allachou palin telos tēs hamartias chatemathon, lepran athroon tǭ pleonechtę̄ perichytheisan. Kai moi syndiamnēmoneuson, ei tis philoïstōr, kai tōn katorthōmatōn ᾿Elissaiou philēchoos, hopōs men ho Syros Neaiman echatharisthē tēs lepras, en tǭ Iordanę̄ lousamenos" hopōs de metēlthen to pathos eis Giezei to paidarion, neanischon pleonechtēn kai aphilosophon, pneumatichon pōlēsanta charisma, kai tēn amisthon iatreian tou didaschalou. Pothen ho ᾿Adessaphlegmainōn kai thrasys neanischos? ou pro chairou zētēsas tēn chlēronomian tēs basileias, epipēdēsas de tois allotriois, hōs harpax? Ton Ioudan de palin, ti tou chatalogou tōn mathētōn exedalen, epoię̄ sen de prodotēn ant᾽ apostolou? ou to gazorylachion, prōton rhądiourgoumenon, eita hē chtēsis tēs atimou timēs? ᾿Ananian kai Sappheiran dia ti tragǭdousin tōn apostolōn hai Praxeis? ouch epeidē tōn idi egenonto chleptai, kai tōn oicheiōn anathēmatōn hierosyloi? Epileipsei me tacha kai hē hēmera tous tēs pleonexias hypēretas aparithmoumenon. ᾿Aphentes de tēn palaian historian, tēn peiran exetasōmen tēn paracholouthousan tǭ biǭ hoion oiden thērion tēn pleonzon aei kai hou marainomenon' syngēraschon de tois halousi, kai eis telos synon. Ho lagnos kai sōmatōn erastēs, chan epi poly tais epithymiais lyssēsę̄, hē autos eis presdytichēn hēlichian elthōn, hē to pothoumenon heōrachōs palaiōthen, kai to anthos apodalon, stasin heurischei tēs nosou. Ho gastrimargos anachōrei kai autos tēs philēdonias, hē tou chorou plērōsantos, hē tōn peptigōn menēn orexin. Ho philodoxos pollais enchompasas peexias nosos, chachon esti dysapallachton. Kai hōsper ho chissos houtos, to euthales phyton kai aeiphyllon, epi ta parapephychota tōn dendrōn anerpōn, ischyrōs perielittetai tois xylois, hōnper an draxētai' kai oute peponthotōn, oute xēranthentōn anachōrei, ei mē tis autou sidērǭ, chathaper drachogtos, diatemę̄ tous heligmous. Houtōs oude toioutou psychēn eleutherōsai rhadion, eite neaxontos tou sōmatos, eite kai hypomaranthentos, ean mē tis nēphaleos logismos epelthōn, hōs machaira diachopsę̄ tēn noson. Tois oicheiois ho pleonechtēs estin aēdēs, oichetais ochlērys, gynaichi mochthēros synoichos, paidōn pheidōlos kai michrologos tropheus, heautou chachos tatēs, nychtōr phrontizōn, meth᾽ hēmeran pepychnōmenos, dialegomenos heautǭ chata tous exestēchotas, hē parapherontas" pantōn euthēnoumenos, gai stenōn hōs eudeēs᾽ tōn parontōn ouch apolauōn, kai ta aponta zētōn" tois idiois ou chechrēmenos, hepophthalmiōn de tois allotriois. Polyarnon tou toioutou to poimnion, pediadas en hais nemetai. Kan eusarchon ophthę̄ tou prosoïchou prothdaton, apheis tēn idian agelēn, tǭ heni kai allotriǭ tę̄ epithymią proschathētai. To auto epi tōn boōn’ homoiōs epi tōn hippōn" ouch allōs epi tēs gēs. Panta stenochōrei tēn oichian, kai ouden en tę̄ chrēsei. Oude gar apolaustichon hoion te heinai ton aplēston all᾽ estin autou oichia taphou paraąplēsia. Idou gar hoi taphoi gemousi pollachis argyrou kai chrysou" all᾽ hai hylai tous chrōmenous yych echousin. To sōma ou trepheta'" psychēs ouch heurischetai kerdos. Ouch euthēnei gar ech tēs dexias ē eleēmosynē. Ti de telos tou mochthou, didaxatō me tis tōn tautę̄ proeilēmmenōn tę̄ nosǭ᾽ oida de pollous egō, gnōrisas epi tēs peiras, hōs kai en notois mallon tēs hygeias agapōsi ta chrēmata. Kan men ho iatros dia tinos hylēs euōnou ton tēs therapeias eisēgē sē- -ai tropon, hoion dia selinou, hē thymou, ē anēthou, hōn achouontas᾽ an de tinos pharmachou genētai mnēmē tōn hoia ta poichila kai polysyntheta, kai elthein sϑōsin, thatton tēn psychēn aphientas, hē lyontas to balantion. Gēiïnoi gar ontes to phronēma, tēn chtēsin tōn gēïnōn hylōn nomixouti tēn zōēn.
And Pharaoh? Why did he fall into the different and varied plagues? Was it not through covetousness, and … that man's kingdom? And for this reason, by not letting other people go, he lost his own: some in the plague on the firstborn, others in the pursuit by the sea. I pass over rivers turned into blood, the measureless brood of frogs, the death of the cattle, and all the affliction to which Egypt was condemned through the covetousness of its ruler. Elsewhere again I have learned the end of this sin: leprosy suddenly poured over the covetous man. Recall with me, if anyone loves history and loves to hear of Elisha's achievements, how Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of leprosy by washing in the Jordan, and how the disease passed to Gehazi the servant, a covetous young man with no philosophy in him, who sold a spiritual gift and his teacher's free healing. What was the source of Absalom's ruin, that inflamed and bold young man? Was it not that he sought the inheritance of the kingdom before its time, and leapt on what belonged to another, like a robber? And Judas again, what cast him out of the list of the disciples and made him a traitor instead of an apostle? Was it not the money-box, first pilfered, then the acquisition of the dishonourable price? Why do the Acts of the Apostles tell the tragedy of Ananias and Sapphira? Was it not because they became thieves of their own goods and temple-robbers of their own offerings? The day would fail me if I counted up the servants of covetousness. But leaving ancient history, let us examine the experience that accompanies life: what a beast covetousness is known to be … always and never withering, but growing old with those it has caught and staying with them to the end. The lustful lover of bodies, even if he has raged with desires for a long time, finds a halt to his disease, either when he himself comes to old age, or when he sees the object of his desire grown old and its bloom shed. The glutton too retires from his love of pleasure, either when satiety has filled him, or … appetite. The lover of glory, having boasted in many … the disease of covetousness is an evil hard to be rid of. As this ivy, a flourishing and evergreen plant, creeping up the trees that grow beside it, winds strongly round the trunks it takes hold of, and does not withdraw whether they suffer or dry up, unless someone cuts through its coils with iron, as one would a serpent's: so it is not easy to free the soul of such a man, whether his body is young or withered, unless some sober reasoning comes upon him and cuts through the disease like a sword. The covetous man is unpleasant to his own household, troublesome to his servants, a wicked partner to his wife, a stingy and petty provider for his children, a bad … of himself: anxious by night, frowning by day, talking to himself like the deranged or delirious; well supplied with everything, yet groaning as if in need; not enjoying what he has and seeking what he has not; not using his own, but casting envious eyes on what belongs to others. Such a man's flock is rich in lambs, [wide] the plains on which it grazes. Yet if he sees his neighbour's sheep looking plump, he leaves his own herd and sits in desire beside the one that belongs to another. The same with oxen; likewise with horses; and not otherwise with land. Everything crowds his house, and nothing is in use. For the insatiable man cannot enjoy anything; his house is like a tomb. Tombs are often full of silver and gold, but the materials have no one to use them. The body is not fed; no gain is found for the soul; for almsgiving does not flourish from his right hand. Let one of those seized by this disease teach me what the end of his toil is. I have known many, having learned it by experience, who even in sickness love money more than health. If the physician introduces a treatment through some cheap material, such as celery or thyme or dill, … listening; but if mention is made of some drug of the varied and compound sort, and … [you would see them] give up the soul sooner than loosen the purse. For, being earthly in mind, they think that life is the possession of earthly materials.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Exod 7:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 8:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 9:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 12:29 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 14:23–28 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 5:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 5:20–27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 15:1–12 (allusion, high confidence) · John 12:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 26:14–15 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 5:1–11 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius lists biblical examples of covetousness (Pharaoh, Gehazi, Absalom, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira) and describes the covetous man's lifelong, ivy-like disease.
- A long fragment of Migne's Latin column and footnote references inside the opening question were removed by logged corrections; other words lost in the scan's OCR are marked “…”. Asterius treats Pharaoh's refusal to release Israel as covetousness. Examples: Exod 7–14; 2 Kgs 5:1–27; 2 Sam 15; John 12:6; Matt 26:15; Acts 5:1–11.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column and footnote references; Greek lost; stray margin letter and marks): οὐδ δϑίοῖθ. Νοὴ δπὶπὶ ἀδ δ᾽ θη 5, 566. (46 νϑϑίγὰ ἃ ἀοπῖο νοὶ υτῖγ6 Εἰ πὶ 6] οἰ δηὁ5, αἶα πι} 118. αἰ] νυ 1 ργαϑιεριίοπο, ἱπιπιογι δ τϑιο ἀπ ἶϑὶι δ᾿, ἰάϊοπιαίυπι ἐπ) οι 6Γαί8 οὐρὶ 185 ἰ ἤϑη6 να! ἰη- ὨΔΌΟΘΤΘ αι Γοηο5, τ ᾿ρϑὶ ΟΠ 1 δυ}} ἃ αἰ}, τ} 5 σομεἱ πο] ϑι8:) ἐχ τοσοῦ} οὐϑευτυ ὁ, ἥ γλι. οἱ ἫΝ φαχόν, ὅν. "1, 9. 0 Ζδεῖ!. τιν, 3. ει. 1, 1 544. ὁ" σε. χχν, 29 56. πος διυύίοϑιιδ, ᾳυΐ 5ρ᾽ γ ἰΔ]6 ἢ φΓϑι12π| Γαι} δι} 0} οὐ σα Ζορ Υ]δοὶ! ἰη ἢ 18 δι πη ηἰδίγδιΐο, ἔστη ρταίίυκη ἀοηδιίογιπ βου δ χὶο σου ᾿απ 4886θηι ἢ ΒὨο( οἷοι → … ; ΦΙΥ͂ ἤερ. ν, 14 54η.; [νυς. τν, 937, 5611 Πὲς. χν, 1 84η. 57 704η. χιι, θ, "5 Δεῖ, Υ, 1 546. → ; οἰχέταις Α σι) ὀχληρὺς → οἰχέταις ὀχληρὺς.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 3.2 (PG 40:195; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
3.3PG 40:199
Τούτους λυποῦσιν ἄγαν καὶ αἱ χοιναὶ εὐπραγίαι" εὐφραίνουσι δὲ αἱ περιστάσεις. Εὔχονται καὶ φόρων ϑωσι τὸ ἀργύριον. Ἐπιθυμοῦσι βλέπειν τοὺς πιρὰ ἣ τὸ σχεῦος, ἣ τὸ ζῶον, εὐώνως ἐχ τῆς ἀνάγχης ῥιπτόμενον. Συνεχῶς δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναδλέτῶυσι χατὸ τοὺς φιλοσόφους τοὺς τὰ μετέωρα φρονπίζοντας, οὐχ ἀστέρος ἐντολὴν ζητοῦντες, οὐδὲ τίς οἷχο; ἕνα τῶν πλανητῶν ἔχει περισχοπούμενοι" ἀλλὰ πἰν τοῦ ἀέρος πολυπραγμονοῦντες χατάστασιν, εἰ τὰ προφαινόμενα σημεῖα ὄμόρων ἐπιῤῥοὴν, ἣ αὐχμὸν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Κἂν ἴδωσί τι τοῖς πολλοῖς δυσχερὲς προσδοκώμενον, εὑφραίνονται τῇ τῶν ἄλλων χαχὼσει, Πάντα συνάγουσιν ἐν τοῖς ταμιείοις, ἀσφαλῶς λουμένου δὲ τοῦ πλεονέχτον περὶ τὴν τοιαὐτην ἐλπὲδα, καὶ τέως ὄναρ πλουτοῦντος ἐν τῇ σχιαγραφία τῶν ἐννοιῶν, ἐὰν ἐπιγένηται νέφος βαθὺ, φοδεῖται ὑποδαχρύειν ἄρχεται" ἂν δὲ καὶ ὑ:τὸς πιγένηται … τὸν αὐχμὸν ἐξιάσασθαι, πένθος τέλειον τὸ πρᾶγμα. … τοῦ σίτου, ὡς υἱοῦ χινδυνεύοντος, τίς ἴασις, τίς μηχανὴ, ἵνα πρὸς πολὺν αὐταρχέσῃ χρόνον, ἵνα τῶν σητῶν διαφύγῃ τὸ πάθος. Κἂν αἴσθηται χαύσωνος, ὡς οἱ μερίζει καὶ χαταψύχει, μοχθῶν προσχαθέζεται, σχέπὴν χατὰ τὴν μεσημδρίαν σοφίζεται, τὰς σχιὰς νυχτὸς ἀπογυμνοῖ, ἵνα ταῖς αὔραις ταῖς νυχτεριναῖς … Ταῦτα αὐτῷ ταλαιπωροῦντι ὁ πένης περιίσταται, ζητῶν ἐχ τοῦ κινδυνεύοντος σίτον, καὶ οὐ δίδωσιν " ἣ δοὺς, φειδωλῶς χαρίζεται καὶ ἡμίθνητος, τοῦ͵ σίτου σφόδρα περιεχόμενος. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπέραντα καὶ χαλέπα, ὁ τοιοῦτος, παραχαλῶ. Ἐλέου μὲν γὰρ ἄξιος καὶ ὁ τρυφῶν πλεουέχτης, ὁ τῇ γαστρὶ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἡδοναῖς περιορίξων τὸν βίον, τοῦτο τέλος νομίξων τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος. Ὃ δὲ μιχροπρεπὴς καὶ σμιχρολόγος, οὐδὲ μέτρον ἔχει τῆς ἀθλιότητος, λαμθάνων τὰ τῶν πολλῶν, καὶ ἑαυτῷ μὴ διδοὺς, εἰς οὐ δὲν δὲ χαταλήγων τῆς σπουδῆς ἀποτέλεσμα. Τίς γὰρ οὐχ οἵδεν, ὡς οὐδὲν τῶν γινομένων, πλὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν, αὐτὸ δι᾽ ἑαυτὸ γίνεται, ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερόν τι πράττομεν, ἵν᾽ ἄλλο χατορθώσωμεν; θΘύὑδεὶς πλέων, δι᾽ αὐτὸ τὸ πλεῖν, θαλαττεύει" οὐδὲ γεωργῶν, δι᾽ αὐτὸ τὸ γεωργεῖν, τοῖς πόνοις συζῇ ἀλλὰ πρόδηλον, ὡς τοῖς λυπηροῖς ἐγχαρτεροῦσιν ἀμφότεροι. ὁ μὲν ἵνα τὴν ἐπιχαρπίαν τῆς γῆς, ὁ δὲ ἵνα τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς ναυτιχῆς ἐμπορίας χομίσηται. Σὺ δὲ, τί τὸ σὸν πέρας εἷπέ. Ἵνα συναγάγῃς; Καὶ ποῖον τοῦτο τέλος τὸ, ἄχρῃ στον ὕλην σωρεύσαντα, βλέπειν; Τέρπει με, φησὶ, καὶ ἡ θέα. Οὐχοῦν ἄλλως τὸ σαυτοῦ νόσημα μέτελθε. Ἔξεστιν γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις χρήμασι προσαᾶνα παύειν τὸν πόθον. Εὲ εὐφραΐνει σς τὸ στιλπνὸν τοῦ πὲ πρὸς τὴν πυχνὴν καὶ στίλθουσαν αὐγήν" ἣ καὶ τὰ σχεύεσιν, ὀψφοφόροις τε καὶ προχόοις᾽ προῖΐχα γάρ σοι καὶ ἀχώλυτον ἡ θέα. “Ὅρα καὶ τοὺς ἀργυρογνώμονας τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν τραπεζῶν ψηλαφῶντας καὶ ἀριθμοῦντας συνεχῶς τὰ νομίσματα - μᾶλλον δὲ, παραινέσει πεισθεὶς ἀγαθῇ, μετάθου τῆς γνώμης. Ἑὔχολος γὰρ ἡ διόρθωσις, ἐπειδὴ μὴ φύσεώς ἔστιν ἀνάγχη πλεονεξία, ὁρμὴ δὲ προαιρέσεως" ἣν μεταδαλεῖν τοῖς τὸ συμφέρον ἐπιλογιζομένοις οὐ χαλεπόν. Ὑπέρχυψον τῷ λογισμῷ εἰς τὸν ἑξῆς χρόνον, ὅτε οὐχ ἔσῃ" ὅτε μιχρὰ γῆ χαθέξει σου διηπλωμένον τὸ σῶμα ἀναίσθητον’ πλὰξ δὲ ὀλίγων σπιθαμῶν ψει τὸ λείψανον. Ποῦ τότε ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ τὰ συναχθέντα χειμήλια; Τίς ὁ τῶν χαταλειφθέντων χληρονόμος … προσδοχᾶς. Ἂν παῖδας χαταλείπῃς, τυχὸν χονδυγοῦντας αὑτοὺς τῆς οἰχίας τῆς πατριχῇς ἀπελάσει. Κἂν ἅπαις ἐπέ τινα τῶν φίλων παραπέμψης τὸν χλῆβθον, μὴ πρόσεχέ σου τῇ διαθήχῃ, ὡς ἀχινήτῳ νόμῳ, ὡς; πράγματι ἀναντιῤῥήτῳ καὶ ἰσχυρῷ. Ὁλίγη σπουδὴ ἄχυρον ποιεῖν τὴν γραφήν. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς συνἐχῶς ἐν τοῖς διχαστηρίοις χατὰ τῶν διαθηχῶν ἀγωνιζομένους, ὅπως αὐτὰς ποιχίλοις ἐγχειρήμασι παραχρούονται, τοὺς τῶν νόμων τεχνίτας προϊπτάμενοι συνηγόρους, τοὺς δεινοὺς ῥήτορας ἐπαγόμενοι βοηρόντες; Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐξ ὧν ὁρᾷς ζῶν, περὶ τῶν μελλόντων τῶν μετὰ σὲ παιδεύου. Εἰ δίχαιον ἔχεις ἄδιχον, ἀνάλυσον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς βιασθέντας χυρίους, ὡς αἰχμάλωτον ἐχ πολέμου" ἢ αὐτὸν ὃν ἕλαδες, ἣ μετὰ προσθήχης, ὡς ὁ Ζαχχαῖος. Εἰ μὴ ἔχης, μὴ χτῆσῃ χαχῶξ:. Σοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἀχολουθήσει πιχρὸν ἐφὁδιο) ἡ ἁμαρτία, τὴν ἀναγκαίαν πορευομένῳ πορείαν" ἡ δὲ ἀπόλαυσις τῶν χτηθέντων, οἷς οὐ γινώσεις λέγοντα" Θησαευρίζει, καὶ οὐ γιγνώσχει τίγι συγάξει αὐτά. Γνωρίσῃς δὲ καὶ τὸν πλούσιον τὸν ἀντίθετον τοῦ Λαζάρου, τὸν ἀρτίως ἡμῖν ἐχ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀναγνωσθέντα, οὐ μῦθον συγχείμενον εἰς χατάπληξιν, ἀλλὰ τύπον ἀχριδὴ παραδοθέντα τοῦ μέλλοντος.
Toutous lypousin agan kai hai choinai eupragiai" euphrainousi de hai peristaseis. Euchontai kai phorōn ϑōsi to argyrion. Epithymousi blepein tous pira hē to scheuos, hē to zōon, euōnōs ech tēs ananchēs rhiptomenon. Synechōs de kai pros ton ouranon anadletōysi chato tous philosophous tous ta meteōra phronpizontas, ouch asteros entolēn zētountes, oude tis hoicho? hena tōn planētōn echei perischopoumenoi" alla pin tou aeros polypragmonountes chatastasin, ei ta prophainomena sēmeia omorōn epirrhoēn, hē auchmon epangelletai. Kan idōsi ti tois pollois dyscheres prosdokōmenon, heuphrainontai tę̄ tōn allōn chachōsei, Panta synagousin en tois tamieiois, asphalōs loumenou de tou pleonechton peri tēn toiautēn elpeda, kai teōs onar ploutountos en tę̄ schiagraphia tōn ennoiōn, ean epigenētai nephos bathy, phodeitai hypodachryein archetai" an de kai hy:tos pigenētai … ton auchmon exiasasthai, penthos teleion to pragma. … tou sitou, hōs huiou chindyneuontos, tis iasis, tis mēchanē, hina pros polyn autarchesę̄ chronon, hina tōn sētōn diaphygę̄ to pathos. Kan aisthētai chausōnos, hōs hoi merizei kai chatapsychei, mochthōn proschathezetai, schepēn chata tēn mesēmdrian sophizetai, tas schias nychtos apogymnoi, hina tais aurais tais nychterinais … Tauta autǭ talaipōrounti ho penēs periistatai, zētōn ech tou kindyneuontos siton, kai ou didōsin " hē dous, pheidōlōs charizetai kai hēmithnētos, tou͵ sitou sphodra periechomenos. Mē toinyn aperanta kai chalepa, ho toioutos, parachalō. Eleou men gar axios kai ho tryphōn pleouechtēs, ho tę̄ gastri kai tais allais hēdonais periorixōn ton bion, touto telos nomixōn tēs anthrōpotētos. Ho de michroprepēs kai smichrologos, oude metron echei tēs athliotētos, lamthanōn ta tōn pollōn, kai heautǭ mē didous, eis ou den de chatalēgōn tēs spoudēs apotelesma. Tis gar ouch hoiden, hōs ouden tōn ginomenōn, plēn tōn aretōn, auto di᾽ heauto ginetai, all᾽ heteron ti prattomen, hin᾽ allo chatorthōsōmen? thThyydeis pleōn, di᾽ auto to plein, thalatteuei" oude geōrgōn, di᾽ auto to geōrgein, tois ponois syzę̄ alla prodēlon, hōs tois lypērois encharterousin amphoteroi. ho men hina tēn epicharpian tēs gēs, ho de hina ton plouton tēs nautichēs emporias chomisētai. Sy de, ti to son peras heipe. Hina synagagę̄s? Kai poion touto telos to, achrę̄ ston hylēn sōreusanta, blepein? Terpei me, phēsi, kai hē thea. Ouchoun allōs to sautou nosēma metelthe. Exestin gar kai tois allotriois chrēmasi prosaana pauein ton pothon. Ee euphraïnei ss to stilpnon tou pe pros tēn pychnēn kai stilthousan augēn" hē kai ta scheuesin, opsphophorois te kai prochoois᾽ proiïcha gar soi kai achōlyton hē thea. “Hora kai tous argyrognōmonas tous epi tōn trapezōn psēlaphōntas kai arithmountas synechōs ta nomismata - mallon de, parainesei peistheis agathę̄, metathou tēs gnōmēs. Heucholos gar hē diorthōsis, epeidē mē physeōs estin ananchē pleonexia, hormē de proaireseōs" hēn metadalein tois to sympheron epilogizomenois ou chalepon. Hyperchypson tǭ logismǭ eis ton hexēs chronon, hote ouch esę̄" hote michra gē chathexei sou diēplōmenon to sōma anaisthēton’ plax de oligōn spithamōn psei to leipsanon. Pou tote ho ploutos kai ta synachthenta cheimēlia? Tis ho tōn chataleiphthentōn chlēronomos … prosdochas. An paidas chataleipę̄s, tychon chondygountas hautous tēs oichias tēs patrichę̄s apelasei. Kan hapais epe tina tōn philōn parapempsēs ton chlēbthon, mē proseche sou tę̄ diathēchę̄, hōs achinētǭ nomǭ, hōs? pragmati anantirrhētǭ kai ischyrǭ. Holigē spoudē achyron poiein tēn graphēn. Ē ouch horąs tous synechōs en tois dichastēriois chata tōn diathēchōn agōnizomenous, hopōs autas poichilois encheirēmasi parachrouontai, tous tōn nomōn technitas proïptamenoi synēgorous, tous deinous rhētoras epagomenoi boērontes? Kai dia touto ex hōn horąs zōn, peri tōn mellontōn tōn meta se paideuou. Ei dichaion echeis adichon, analyson auton epi tous biasthentas chyrious, hōs aichmalōton ech polemou" ē auton hon helades, hē meta prosthēchēs, hōs ho Zachchaios. Ei mē echēs, mē chtēsę̄ chachōx:. Soi men gar acholouthēsei pichron ephodio) hē hamartia, tēn anankaian poreuomenǭ poreian" hē de apolausis tōn chtēthentōn, hois ou ginōseis legonta" Thēsaeurizei, kai ou gignōschei tigi sygaxei auta. Gnōrisę̄s de kai ton plousion ton antitheton tou Lazarou, ton artiōs hēmin ech tōn Euangeliōn anagnōsthenta, ou mython syncheimenon eis chataplēxin, alla typon achridē paradothenta tou mellontos.
Such people are greatly grieved by the common good fortune, and gladdened by calamities. They pray also … the silver. They long to see … either a vessel or an animal thrown away cheaply out of necessity. They continually look up to heaven, like the philosophers who think about the heavenly bodies, not seeking the rising of a star, nor examining which house one of the planets holds, but busying themselves about the state of the air, whether the signs that appear announce a flow of rain or a drought. And if they see something expected that will be hard for the many, they are glad at the affliction of others. They gather everything into storerooms, securely … And while the covetous man is … in such a hope, and meanwhile rich, as in a dream, in the shadow-painting of his thoughts, if a deep cloud comes up he is afraid and begins to weep; and if rain also comes … to cure the drought, the affair is utter mourning. … of the grain, as for a son in danger: what cure, what device, so that it may last a long time, so that it may escape the damage of the moths? And if he perceives a heat wave, … he divides and cools it, he sits by it toiling, he contrives shade for it at midday, at night he uncovers it from the shades, so that in the night breezes … While he is thus toiling, the poor man stands by, asking for grain from the store in danger, and he does not give; or if he gives, he grants it grudgingly and half-dead, clinging hard to his grain. Do not, then, such a man, I beg you, … For even the luxurious covetous man deserves pity, who limits life to the belly and the other pleasures, thinking this the goal of humanity. But the mean and petty man has no measure to his wretchedness: he takes what belongs to the many and does not give to himself, and his zeal ends in no result. For who does not know that, except for the virtues, nothing that is done is done for its own sake, but we do one thing in order to achieve another? No one who sails goes to sea for the sake of sailing; no farmer lives with toil for the sake of farming; it is plain that both endure hardships, the one to obtain the fruit of the earth, the other the wealth of trade by sea. But you, tell me your end. To gather? And what kind of end is this, to look at useless material heaped up? “The sight delights me,” he says. Then treat your disease another way. You can satisfy your longing with other people's money too. If the shine of … delights you, … to the dense and gleaming lustre; or the vessels, dish-carriers and ewers: the sight is free and unhindered for you. Look also at the money-changers at their tables, constantly handling and counting the coins. Or rather, persuaded by good advice, change your mind. Correction is easy, since covetousness is not a necessity of nature, but an impulse of choice, which those who reckon what is to their advantage can change without difficulty. Peep ahead in thought into the time to come, when you will not be; when a little earth will hold your body stretched out without feeling, and a slab of a few spans [will cover] your remains. Where then is the wealth, and the treasures you gathered? Who is the heir of what you leave behind … do you expect? If you leave children, perhaps [someone] will beat them and drive them from their father's house. And if, being childless, you pass the inheritance to one of your friends, do not rely on your will as an immovable law, as a thing indisputable and strong. A little effort makes the document void. Or do you not see those who constantly fight against wills in the courts, how they overthrow them with various attempts, putting forward the experts in the laws as advocates and bringing in the clever orators as helpers? So learn from what you see while you live about what will come after you. If you hold anything unjustly, release it to its owners who were wronged, like a captive taken in war: either the very thing you took, or with something added, as Zacchaeus did. If you have nothing such, do not acquire wickedly. For sin will follow you as bitter provision on the journey you must travel; but the enjoyment of what was acquired [will go] to people you will not know, as it says: “He stores up, and does not know for whom he will gather them.” You will also know the rich man, the opposite of Lazarus, who was read to us just now from the Gospels, not a fable composed to frighten us, but an exact pattern handed down of what is to come.
Luke 19:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 39:6 (38:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 16:19–31 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius describes the covetous hoarder of grain who rejoices at shortages and refuses the poor, and urges him to restore what he holds unjustly, since his heirs and his will are uncertain.
- The scan's OCR loses many words here (marked “…”); leaked Latin was removed by logged corrections. “If you hold anything unjustly” renders εἰ δίκαιον ἔχεις ἄδικον, whose first word is probably an OCR error; the sense is clear from what follows. Examples: Luke 19:8 (Zacchaeus); Ps 39:6 (LXX 38:7).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column splitting a word; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; Greek lost; stray margin letter; Greek lost; stray numeral and mark): ἀρῦ Ἴ κοῖ, δυο γγ δὶ ἰηεὶρὶ! : δὶ πιδῆηᾶ 8375 νἷβ, ἃς α χῶν → … ; πρᾶ- Οἰδυγ θα 6 Π 5 οὐ 0108, διυ οἱ ιο δαγιο ποῦς οὐπ δ᾽ 10 ἰδ᾽Δ5 πιο 65.138 δυ δαί: → πρᾶγμα. …; χλειρονόαυὰ τοΐα ἢ δι θογοῦ Γυδοϊ νι Γ, ἃς ἀϑῖιν ὀχ] 518. → χληρονόμος …; νυχτεριναῖς Β Ταῦτα → νυχτεριναῖς … Ταῦτα; 5" ἀχολουθήσε: → ἀχολουθήσει.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 3.3 (PG 40:199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
3.4PG 40:199
Ἢ βύσσος ἐσάπη, ἡ βασιλεία μετῆλθεν εἰς ἕτερον, … αἱ τρυφαὶ χατηργήθησαν" ἣἡ ἀπ᾽ ἐχείνων ἁμαρτία συνεξεδήμησεν, ὡς σχιὰ παραμένουσα βαδίζοντι σώματι, Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μετὰ τὴν πολυτέλειαν τῶν συμδα ζητεῖ δαχτύλου λεπροῦ ἀποστάζουσαν' καὶ χαλεῖ τὸν πτωχὸν τῆς τιμωρίας θεραπευτὴν, τὸν οὐδὲ χεῖρας ἔχοντα τάχα, ἡνίχα τῷ πυλῶνι προτεῤῥίπτετο᾽ ἢ γὰρ ἂν τοὺς χύνας ἀπεσόδησεν, τοὺς ἐπιλειχομένους τὰ τραύματα. Ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ συμμίξαι τῷ Λαξάρῳ ἐχ τοῦ χατάντιχρυ βλεπομένῳ, καὶ μέσῳ διείργεται τῷ ὀρύγματι, ἢ τῷ χάσματι: οὐ βόθρου τινὸς ὄντος ὡρυγμένου, οὐδὲ τάφρου πεποιημένης, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸ τοῦ πολέμου μεταίχμιον" ἀλλὰ τὸ χώλυμα, οἶμαι, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ λόγος ἐγδείχνυται, ὃ τῷ χατεγνωσμένῳ τῆς πρὸς τὸν δίχαιὸν παρόδου ἀπετείχισεν. Καί μου τὴν ἑρμηνείαν Ἡσαῖας ὁ προφήτης ἐπισφραγίζεται, πρὸς λαὸν ἄφρονα βαρέως ἀποτεινόμενος, καὶ λέγων: Μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει χεὶρ Κυρίου διασῶσαι; ἣ ἐδάρυνεν τὸ οὖς αὑτοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι; ᾽Α.11᾽ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν διστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ. ΕἸ δὲ ἁμαρτήματα ἀνθρώπους χωρίζειν οἶδεν θεοῦ, οὐδὲν ἂν πλεονεξίας ἁἀμαρτωλότερον γένοιτο, ἣ καὶ παρὰ τς ἀψευδοῦς φωνῆς Παύλου, τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας χήρυχος, εἰδωλολατρεία προσαγορεύεται, καὶ πιύτων τῶν χαχῶν ῥίζα καὶ μήτη. εἰ μὴ γάρ. … καὶ χοινωνοὶ τῶν μυδτηρίων, πρὸς τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων λατρείαν εἰλχύσθησαν; οὐχ ἔρωτι τοῦ πολλὰ χτήσασθαι, καὶ χύριοι γενέσθαι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων; Λαδόντες δὲ ὑποσχέσεις παρὰ τῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεθῶν, ἣ ζωῆς ἀρχοντιχῆς, ἢ περιουσίας τῆς ἐχ βασιλιχῶν ταμιείων, ὥσπερ ἱμάτιον ταχέως τὴν θρησχείαν μετἡμφιέσαντο. Καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἀνωτέρω χρόνων, τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς μνήμη καὶ ἀχοὴ διεσώτατο καὶ ἐδίδαξεν. "Ἔστιν δὲ ἃ καὶ ὁ χαθ᾽ ἡμᾶς βίος τῇ πείρᾳ παρἐδωχεν. Ὅτε γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐχεῖνος, ὁ τὸ προῦωὠπεῖον τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ ἀθρόον ἀποθέμενος, γυμνώσας δὲ τὸ δρᾶμα τὸ χωμιχὸν, ὅ ἐν πολλῷ τῷ χρόνῳ χαθυπεχρίνατο, αὐτός τε ἀναιδῶς ἔθυεν δαίμοσιν, καὶ τοῖς τοῦτο βουλομένοις ποιεῖν πολλὰ προξτέθη τὰ γέρα, πόσοι τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν ἀφέντες, ἐπὶ τοὺς βωμοὺς ἔδραμον : πόσοι δὲ, τὸ τῶν ἀξιωμάτων δέλεαρ εἰσδεξάμενοι, μετ᾽ ἐχείνου χατέπιον τὸ τῆ: παραδάσεως ἄγχιστρον; Στιγματίαι δὲ περινοστοῦσι χατὰ τὰς πόοὗτοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ δι᾽ ὀλίγον ἀργύριον' ἑἐξόριστοι τοῦ χαταλόγου τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ὡς Ἰούδας τῶν ἀποστόλων’ ἀπὸ τῆς προσηγορίας τοῦ παραθάτου μενοι, ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν σημάντρων οἱ ἵπποι ἐἑλχυσθέντες μόνον εἰς τὴν χαλεπωτάτην παταγὴν πασῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ εὐθὺς ἀχολουθήσαντες τῷ τῆς βεδήλου καὶ Οὕτω τοίνυν χατὰ τὸν ᾿Απόστολον ἡ πλεονεξία καὶ εἰδωλολατρεία γίνεται, καὶ ῥίξα πάντων τῶν χαχῶν δ Γοσ, οὐχ ἀνοίχειον. γὰρ οἱ τὸν χρυσὸν ἐπὶ τῶν χόλπων τῆς γῆς ἀνιχνεύοντες, φασὶν τὴν χρυσῖτιν γῆν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς μὲν τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τῆς χυριωτάτης γενέσεως σωρηδὸν σθαι" ἐχεῖθεν δὲ ὥσπερ φλέθας τινὰς ἀπό τινος ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν εἰς μαχρὸν διήχειν, καὶ πολυσχιδῶς ἁποτείνεσθαι χατ᾽ αὐτάς που τὰς ῥίζας τῶν δένδρων, τὰς ἐκ τοῦ πρέμνου διαπλουμένας " οὕτως χἀνταῦθα, πολλὰς βλέπων τὰς ἀποφύσεις, μιᾷ ῥίζᾳ τῆς πλεονεξίας τὰς πάσας συνδεδεμένας εὑρίσχω. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ οὐχ ἂν οἰχεῖον δ᾽ εὗρεν ὁ λόγος πρὸς πλεονεξίαν ἐχ τοῦ χρυσοῦ τὸ ὑπόδειγμα. Ἐντεῦθεν ὁρῶ τὸν παμῶντα" οὐχ αἰδούμενον δὲ οὔτε τὴν πολιὰν, οὔτε τὸ πατριχὸν ἀξίωμα, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐπὶ πλέον ζωῇ τοῦ γέροντος βαρούμενον. Πάντα γὰρ ὁρῶν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰχίας ἄφθονα, καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν βλεπομένων οὐχ ἔχων, ἐπιθυμῶν δὲ χύριος εἶναι αὐτῶν τε καὶ τῆς περιουσίας, στενοῦται τῇ πατριχῇ αὐθεντείᾳ. Καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα σιωπᾷ, καὶ ἐν τῷ βάθει χατέχει τὴν νόσον" τῷ χρόνῳ δὲ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν πλεονάσας, καὶ πληρώσας τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀθρόον ἐχρήγνυσι τὴν χακχίαν, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν σωλήνων τὰ ὕδατα. Καὶ λοιπόν ἐστιν ἀφόρητὸς τῷ πρεπθύτῃ, μονονουχὶ συνελαύνων αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς τάφους ὑγιαίνοντα καὶ βαδίξοντα. ᾽ν χούφως θινὸς διεγείρει πρὸς τὰς ὑπηρεσίας, τῇ ἐγρηγόρσει καὶ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ γέροντος ἄχθεται. "Ἂν δὲ καὶ δωρήσεταί τι τῶν χειμηλίων, ἢ οἰχέτην ἀφῇ τῆς δουεἰας͵ τότε δὴ τότε, καὶ λῖρρος, καὶ παραπαίων, καὶ τοὺς τῆς ζωῆς ὑπερύὰς ὄρους, καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων σπαθητῆς, καὶ πᾶν βλάσφημον ἀχούων ἐμπαρνεῖται" διὰ τί μὴ ταχέως ἀπέθανεν, ἐγχαλούμενος.
Ē byssos esapē, hē basileia metēlthen eis heteron, … hai tryphai chatērgēthēsan" hēē ap᾽ echeinōn hamartia synexedēmēsen, hōs schia paramenousa badizonti sōmati, Kai dia touto meta tēn polyteleian tōn symda zētei dachtylou leprou apostazousan' kai chalei ton ptōchon tēs timōrias therapeutēn, ton oude cheiras echonta tacha, hēnicha tǭ pylōni proterrhipteto᾽ ē gar an tous chynas apesodēsen, tous epileichomenous ta traumata. Epithymei de symmixai tǭ Laxarǭ ech tou chatantichry blepomenǭ, kai mesǭ dieirgetai tǭ orygmati, ē tǭ chasmati: ou bothrou tinos ontos hōrygmenou, oude taphrou pepoiēmenēs, hōs epi tōn stratopedōn estin idein to tou polemou metaichmion" alla to chōlyma, oimai, tōn hamartēmatōn ho logos egdeichnytai, ho tǭ chategnōsmenǭ tēs pros ton dichaion parodou apeteichisen. Kai mou tēn hermēneian Hēsaias ho prophētēs episphragizetai, pros laon aphrona bareōs apoteinomenos, kai legōn: Mē ouk ischyei cheir Kyriou diasōsai? hē edarynen to ous hautou tou mē akousai? ᾽A.11᾽ hai hamartiai hymōn distōsin ana meson hymōn kai ana meson tou Theou. EI de hamartēmata anthrōpous chōrizein oiden theou, ouden an pleonexias haamartōloteron genoito, hē kai para ts apseudous phōnēs Paulou, tou tēs alētheias chērychos, eidōlolatreia prosagoreuetai, kai piytōn tōn chachōn rhiza kai mētē. ei mē gar. … kai choinōnoi tōn mydtēriōn, pros tēn tōn daimonōn latreian eilchysthēsan? ouch erōti tou polla chtēsasthai, kai chyrioi genesthai tōn allotriōn? Ladontes de hyposcheseis para tōn atheōn kai asethōn, hē zōēs archontichēs, ē periousias tēs ech basilichōn tamieiōn, hōsper himation tacheōs tēn thrēscheian metēmphiesanto. Kai ta men tōn anōterō chronōn, tēs hēmeteras zōēs mnēmē kai achoē diesōtato kai edidaxen. "Estin de ha kai ho chath᾽ hēmas bios tę̄ peirą paredōchen. Hote gar ho basileus echeinos, ho to prouōōpeion tou Christianou athroon apothemenos, gymnōsas de to drama to chōmichon, ho en pollǭ tǭ chronǭ chathypechrinato, autos te anaidōs ethyen daimosin, kai tois touto boulomenois poiein polla proxtethē ta gera, posoi tēn Echchlēsian aphentes, epi tous bōmous edramon : posoi de, to tōn axiōmatōn delear eisdexamenoi, met᾽ echeinou chatepion to tē: paradaseōs anchistron? Stigmatiai de perinostousi chata tas pooutoi tou Christou di᾽ oligon argyrion' heexoristoi tou chatalogou tōn Christianōn, hōs Ioudas tōn apostolōn’ apo tēs prosēgorias tou parathatou menoi, hōs apo tōn sēmantrōn hoi hippoi heelchysthentes monon eis tēn chalepōtatēn patagēn pasōn hamartiōn, kai euthys acholouthēsantes tǭ tēs bedēlou kai Houtō toinyn chata ton ᾿Apostolon hē pleonexia kai eidōlolatreia ginetai, kai rhixa pantōn tōn chachōn d Gos, ouch anoicheion. gar hoi ton chryson epi tōn cholpōn tēs gēs anichneuontes, phasin tēn chrysitin gēn ep᾽ autēs men tēs archēs kai tēs chyriōtatēs geneseōs sōrēdon sthai" echeithen de hōsper phlethas tinas apo tinos enthen kai enthen eis machron diēchein, kai polyschidōs hapoteinesthai chat᾽ autas pou tas rhizas tōn dendrōn, tas ek tou premnou diaploumenas " houtōs chantautha, pollas blepōn tas apophyseis, mią rhizą tēs pleonexias tas pasas syndedemenas heurischō. Kai mentoi kai ouch an oicheion d᾽ heuren ho logos pros pleonexian ech tou chrysou to hypodeigma. Enteuthen horō ton pamōnta" ouch aidoumenon de oute tēn polian, oute to patrichon axiōma, alla tę̄ epi pleon zōę̄ tou gerontos baroumenon. Panta gar horōn epi tēs oichias aphthona, kai tēn exousian tōn blepomenōn ouch echōn, epithymōn de chyrios einai autōn te kai tēs periousias, stenoutai tę̄ patrichę̄ authenteią. Kai ta men prōta siōpą, kai en tǭ bathei chatechei tēn noson" tǭ chronǭ de tēn epithymian pleonasas, kai plērōsas tēn psychēn, athroon echrēgnysi tēn chakchian, hōs epi tōn sōlēnōn ta hydata. Kai loipon estin aphorētos tǭ prepthytę̄, mononouchi synelaunōn auton pros tous taphous hygiainonta kai badixonta. ᾽n chouphōs thinos diegeirei pros tas hypēresias, tę̄ egrēgorsei kai tę̄ dynamei tou gerontos achthetai. "An de kai dōrēsetai ti tōn cheimēliōn, ē oichetēn aphę̄ tēs doueias͵ tote dē tote, kai lirros, kai parapaiōn, kai tous tēs zōēs hyperyas orous, kai tōn allotriōn spathētēs, kai pan blasphēmon achouōn emparneitai" dia ti mē tacheōs apethanen, enchaloumenos.
The fine linen has rotted, the kingdom has passed to another, … the luxuries have been brought to nothing; but the sin that came from them went abroad with him, staying with him like a shadow beside a walking body. And so, after the costliness of … he seeks [a drop] dripping from a leper's finger, and calls the poor man to attend him in his punishment, the man who perhaps did not even have hands when he was flung down at the gateway; otherwise he would have driven off the dogs that licked his sores. He longs to be with Lazarus, whom he sees opposite him, and is kept apart by the trench, or chasm, between them: not that some pit has been dug or a ditch made, such as one may see in military camps as the no-man's-land of war; the passage shows, I think, the barrier of sins, which walled off from the condemned man the way to the righteous one. The prophet Isaiah seals my interpretation, addressing a foolish people severely and saying: “Is the hand of the Lord not strong to save? Or has he made his ear heavy so as not to hear? But your sins stand between you and God.” And if sins can separate people from God, nothing could be more sinful than covetousness, which the truthful voice of Paul, the herald of the truth, calls idolatry, and the root and mother of all evils. For unless … and sharers in the mysteries, were drawn to the worship of demons? Was it not by the love of acquiring much and becoming masters of what belongs to others? Receiving promises from the godless and impious, either of a life in office or of riches from the imperial treasuries, they quickly changed their religion like a garment. What happened in earlier times, the memory and hearsay of our lifetime have preserved and taught us. But there are things that our own life has handed down by experience. For when that emperor suddenly put off the mask of the Christian and stripped bare the comedy he had acted out in pretence for a long time, and himself shamelessly sacrificed to demons, and many rewards were offered to those willing to do the same, how many left the Church and ran to the altars! How many took the bait of honours and swallowed with him the hook of transgression! Branded men go about through the [cities] … of Christ for a little silver; banished from the list of Christians, as Judas from the apostles; [named] after the Apostate … like horses, drawn by the brands only, into the most grievous … of all sins, and at once following the … of the profane and … So, then, according to the Apostle, covetousness becomes idolatry too, and the root of all evils, … not inappropriately. Those who track gold in the bosom of the earth say that gold-bearing earth lies heaped up at its very beginning and chief source, and that from there, like veins from some [heart], it extends far this way and that, and stretches out in many branches, rather like the roots of trees spreading from the trunk. So here too, seeing many offshoots, I find them all bound to one root, covetousness. And indeed the discourse has found from gold an example well suited to covetousness. From this I see the [son] … respecting neither the grey hair nor the father's dignity, but weighed down by the old man's longer life. For seeing everything abundant in the house, and not having authority over what he sees, but desiring to be master both of these things and of the property, he chafes under his father's authority. At first he is silent and keeps the disease in the depths; but in time, as the desire grows and fills his soul, he suddenly bursts out with the evil, like water in pipes. From then on he is unbearable to the old man, all but driving him to the tomb while he is healthy and walking. If [the old man] … lightly rouses [the servants] to their duties, he is vexed at the old man's wakefulness and strength. And if he gives away any of his treasures, or frees a slave from slavery, then indeed he is called a dotard and deranged, one who has outlived the limits of life, a squanderer of others' goods, and he hears every kind of abuse, accused of this: why did he not die quickly?
Luke 16:21–26 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 59:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 3:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 5:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Tim 6:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius reads the chasm in the parable as the barrier of sin, calls covetousness idolatry and the root of all evils, recalls Christians who apostatized for rewards under the apostate emperor, and describes a son's greed for his father's estate.
- “That emperor” who put off the Christian mask and sacrificed to demons is Julian “the Apostate” (361–363), whom Asterius calls the Apostate (παραβάτης); those who lapsed under him for rewards are described as branded and banished from the list of Christians, translated as written. Leaked Latin and footnote references were removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. The image of veins of gold is unattributed by Asterius. References: Luke 16:21–26; Isa 59:1–2; Col 3:5 and Eph 5:5 (covetousness as idolatry); 1 Tim 6:10.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references and fragment of Migne's Latin column; Greek lost; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; leaked margin letter and Latin fragment splitting a word): αὶ γϑθδ8 σοπιρι νυ; Γοζηυπὶ δὰ ἑαυ ἰγηβὶν; → …; ὃ δὲ [ες μὲν, ἢ, 3. 01} γα, δι} ἀραόγοιν, 4ιΆ]6 πὶ ἰπ ολϑιγίβ ἀμοί μι γο υδῖ1. ἢ ς γ γὸ ὀχρ) οαιίοπὶ δ 5ονι νι δ: ΕρΙΙ658. ν, δ᾽; {Τίιη. νἱ, 10, εὐ ηἰ οθη 8 δὸ ἰδγαιοπΐ8 ἃ.» ἱπρὶ 5 (Δεῖ, οἱ ἴάγυηῖ. Εἰ δὸ φυϊάθηι δηϊδγίογι! ἢ Ἔσο ρ 8 ἰδ πηρονῶν, → …; Τμ!Παηΐ!α8. (Δι. δ Π 8 δαὶ ρμοδίαίαιη → ; πληρω- Α πιογθιην Γαιΐηδι; ἀθίη τότ δυο ρὸγ (6περι8 ουρὶθὲς τὴν → πληρώσας τὴν.
Topics: Ethics, Persecution
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 3.4 (PG 40:199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
3.5PG 40:199
Σ)ς οὗτος, ὦ μιαρὴ πλεονεξία, χαρπός᾽ παρὰ σοῦ τὰ χέντρα λαμθάνων ὁ παῖς, πολέμιος γίνεται τοῦ γξυνέσαντος, Σὺ πληροῖς τὴν γῆν λῃστῶν καὶ φονευτῶν, χαταποντιστῶν δὲ θάλασσαν, τὰς πόλεις θορύἔων, τὰ διχαστήρια ψενδομαρτύρων, συχοφαντῶν, προζοτῶν, συνηγόρων, διχαστῶν ἐχεΐ ῥεπόντων, ὅπου δ᾽ ἂν σὺ χαθελχύσῃς. Πλεονεξία, μήτηρ τῆς ἀνισότῆτος, ἀνηλεὴς, μισάνθρωπος, ὠμοτάτη. Διὰ ταύτὴν ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος ἀνωμαλίας γέμει" καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐχ τοῦ χόρου ναυτιῶσι τὴν περισσείαν τῶν χτημάτων, οἷον τροφὴν ἄπληστον ἀποθλύξοντες " ἄλλοι ὅξ λιμῷ καὶ ἐνδείᾳ πιεζόμενοι χινδυνεύουσιν. Οἱ μὲν χρὰς πόλεις οἰχοῦσι τὰς οἰχίας, λουτροῖς καὶ οἴχοις καὶ παντοέχ πολυτελείᾳ χεχοσμη μένας ἕτεροι δὲ δύο δοχὼν σχέπη» οὐχ ἔχουσιν" ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ἐν ὑπαίθριμ διαζῆῦν μὴ δύνωνται, ἢ πρὸς τὰς χαμίνους γουσε τῶν λουτρῶν, ἣ καὶ τοῖς βαλανεῦσι περιτυχόντες, παραπλησίως τοῖς χοίροις τὴν χόπρον ὀρύττοντες, τὴν ἀναγκαίαν θέρμην ἑαυτοῖς μηχανῶνκαι. καὶ τὸ ὁμότιμον ζῶον, ὁ ἄνθρωπος, τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν διαφορὰν «τἧς διαίτης πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλην᾽ οὐχ ἄλλου τινὸς τὴν ἀταξίαν ταύτην καὶ τὴν ἀνωμαλίαν, ἣ τῆς πλεονεξίας ἐπεισαγούσῃης. Ὁ μὲν γυμνοῖς ἀσχημονεῖ μέλεσι" καὶ ὁ ἄλλος πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐσθῆτα δυσαρίθμητον ἔχειν, πορφυραῖς πλαξὶν τοὺς τοίχους ἐνδύει. Ὁ πένης ἐπὶ ξυλίνης τραπέξης ἄρτον ἀπορεῖ διαθρύψαι" καὶ ὁ τρυφῶν ἀργυρὴν τράπεζαν ἐλάσας εἰς πλάτος, τῷ στίλθοντι ψυχαγωγεῖται τῆς ὕλης. Καὶ πόσῳ διχαιώτερον ἦν, τὸν μὲν ἑστιᾶσθαι ἀρχούμενον τῇ ἄλλῃ τρυφῇ, τῆς τραπέζης δὲ τιμὴν τῶν ἀπόρων εἶναι τρυφήν δ"; ΓΑλλος γηραιὸς, καὶ βαδίξειν ἀδυνατῶν, ἣ διά τινα λώδην χωλεύων, ὄνον οὐ χέχτηται, ἀναγχαῖον τῆς χρείας ὄχημα" καὶ ἕτερος διὰ πλῆθος τὰς ἀγέλας οὐ γνωρίζει τῶν ἵππων. Τῷ᾽ μὲν ἔλαιον ἐνδεῖ πρὸς τὸ λύχνον ἀνάψαι" καὶ ἄλλος μόναις ταῖς λυχνίαις πλουτεῖ. Ὃ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφοὺυς ἔῤῥιπται" καὶ ὁ μάτην πλουτῶν, τῷ χόσμῳ τῆς χλίνης περιαστράπτεται, ἀργυρᾶς σφαίρας ἐχούσης καὶ ἁλύσεις ἀντὶ τῶν σχοίνων. Ταῦτα τὰ τῆς ἀχορέστου … τὸν βίον τὴν ἀνισότητα, οὐχ ἂν αὗται ἦσαν τῆς ἀνωμαλίας αἱ ἐξοκαὶ καὶ χοιλότητες, οὐδ᾽ ἂν αἱ ποιχίλαι συμφοραὶ ἀηδῇ καὶ πολύδαχρυν τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἀπ’ Ἐντεῦθεν τὴν φυσιχὴν πρὸς ἀλληλοὺυς φιλίαν ἀπτοῦσι παρατάξεις, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ θηρία μετὰ πολλῇς τῆς ἀγριότητος ἀλλήλοις συνάπτουσι. Τὰ δὲ ἀχόλουθα τούτοις πῶς ἄν τις καὶ ἐξηγήσαιτο; Τείχη χαρτερὰ τοῖς μηχανήμασι χάτασείεται, καὶ πόλεις ἁλίσχονται, καὶ γυναῖχες ἄγονται, καὶ παῖδες ἀνδραποδίζονται" τέμνεται γῇ καὶ χείρεται, καὶ τὰ δένδρα. πολεμοῦνται ὡς ἀδιχήσαντες ἄνθρωποι" φόνος δὲ τῶν ἐν ἀχμῇ πολὺς, καὶ οἱ τοῦ αἵματος ῥύαχες ῥέουσι τῶν ἀθλίων σωμάτων’ ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος τῶν ἡττηθέντων, ἄθλον τῶν χρατησάντων. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ὀδυρμοὶ χηρείας, ὀρφανῶν δάχρνα, καὶ πατέρας ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν θρηνούντων’ ὁ δὲ πρώην κύριος πλούτου πολλοῦ, ἄρτου μεταιτεῖ τέμαχος, προτείνων τὴν δεξιάν" καὶ ὁ πολλοὺς ἔχων δούλους ὑφάντας, καὶ οἰχίας γεμούσας ἐσθήτων, ῥάχια δουλεύει, ὕδωρ πρὸς ἀνάγχην χομίζων, καὶ τοῦ ἐππῶνος ἀποξύων τὴν χόπρον, χκαὶ ταῖς αἰσχραῖς ὑπηρεσίαις διαχονούμενος" ἄλλα μυρία χαχὰ, ἃ περιλαδεῖν ἀθρόως ἀδύνατον. Τούτων ὃὲ πάντων ἀρχὴ, καὶ αἰτία, καὶ ῥίζα, ἡ τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμία, ἔρως ἄδικος τῶν ἀλλοτρίων χτημάτων. Εἰ δέ τις τοῦτο τὸ πάθος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξέχοψεν, οὐδὲν ἐχώλυσεν εἰρῆνην μὲν τῷ βίῳ βαθεῖαν ἐμπολιτεύεσθαι, πολέμους δὲ καὶ ταραχὰς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων φυγαδευθῆναι, θεῖν δὲ πάντας ἐπὶ τὴν χατὰ φύσιν στοργὴν καὶ φιλίαν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐπιμελῶς τοῖς παραγγέλμασι ταύτην ἐξιᾶται τὴν νόσον, ποτὲ μὲν ἀποφαινόμενος" Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν, καὶ τῷ μαμωνᾷ' ποτὲ δὲ τὸν πλούσιον ἐχεῖνον ἄθλιον ἀποφαίνων, τὸν τῇ ἑξῆς τελευτᾷν μέλλοντα, καὶ τὴν μα- Χροχρόνιον ἀπόλαυσιν τὴν τρυφῆς ἑαυτῷ προτυποῦντα᾽ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ τὸν τέλειον ἐχεῖνον εἷναι διδάσχων, ὃς ἂν πάντων, ὧν ἔχει, τοῖς δεομένοις παραχωρήσας, πρὸς τὴν ἀχτήμονα φιλο σοφίαν αὐτομολήσει, τὴν μητέρα τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ ὁμό- ᾿Αλλά μοι δοχῶ καὶ σιωπώντων ἀχούειν τῶν ἐν συνηθείας τὰ τοιαῦτα φθεγγομένων πρὸς τοὺς διδά σχοντας" Καὶ πῶς πρὸς τὸν βίον διατελέσομεν, εἰ ἡ χτῇσις τῶν χρημάτων ἀμελῃθείη; πῶς δὲ ταῖς πῶς δὲ καὶ δοθήσεται δάνος τῷ ζητοῦντι, ἂν πάντες ὦμεν διὰ τὴν σὴν παραίνεσιν ἄποροι; ᾿Απίστου τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀσύνετος ἣ φωνὴ, οὐχ εἰδότος, ὅτι Δεσπότὴν ἔχομεν τὸν Θεὸν, οἱχονόμον τοῦ βίου, τῷ γενομένῳ ζώῳ παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ χορηγοῦντα τὰ χρήσιμα, καὶ τοὺς ἀναγκαίους πορισμοὺς τῆς τροφῆς, καὶ τῶν σχεπασμάτων τὴν χρείαν. Ἡ γὰρ πρόνοια τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν οἰχείων ποιημάτων ἐστὶν περιεχτική᾽ καὶ τὸν … πίστει πλουτοῦντα, πενίας οὐδεπώποτε χατέσχεν συμφορά. Ἕν δὲ τῶν θείων προχομίσας λόγων εἰς ἀξόδειξιν τοῦ προχειμένου, ἰχανὴν, ὡς οἶμαι, μαρτυρίαν παρέξω.
S)s houtos, ō miarē pleonexia, charpos᾽ para sou ta chentra lamthanōn ho pais, polemios ginetai tou nxynesantos, Sy plērois tēn gēn lę̄stōn kai phoneutōn, chatapontistōn de thalassan, tas poleis thoryeōn, ta dichastēria psendomartyrōn, sychophantōn, prozotōn, synēgorōn, dichastōn echeï rhepontōn, hopou d᾽ an sy chathelchysę̄s. Pleonexia, mētēr tēs anisotētos, anēleēs, misanthrōpos, ōmotatē. Dia tautēn ho tōn anthrōpōn bios anōmalias gemei" kai hoi men ech tou chorou nautiōsi tēn perisseian tōn chtēmatōn, hoion trophēn aplēston apothlyxontes " alloi hox limǭ kai endeią piezomenoi chindyneuousin. Hoi men chras poleis oichousi tas oichias, loutrois kai oichois kai pantoech polyteleią chechosmē menas heteroi de dyo dochōn schepē» ouch echousin" all᾽ hotan en hypaithrim diazēun mē dynōntai, ē pros tas chaminous gouse tōn loutrōn, hē kai tois balaneusi peritychontes, paraplēsiōs tois choirois tēn chopron oryttontes, tēn anankaian thermēn heautois mēchanōnkai. kai to homotimon zōon, ho anthrōpos, tosautēn echei tēn diaphoran «tēs diaitēs pros to homophylēn᾽ ouch allou tinos tēn ataxian tautēn kai tēn anōmalian, hē tēs pleonexias epeisagousę̄ēs. Ho men gymnois aschēmonei melesi" kai ho allos pros to tēn esthēta dysarithmēton echein, porphyrais plaxin tous toichous endyei. Ho penēs epi xylinēs trapexēs arton aporei diathrypsai" kai ho tryphōn argyrēn trapezan elasas eis platos, tǭ stilthonti psychagōgeitai tēs hylēs. Kai posǭ dichaiōteron ēn, ton men hestiasthai archoumenon tę̄ allę̄ tryphę̄, tēs trapezēs de timēn tōn aporōn einai tryphēn d"? GAllos gēraios, kai badixein adynatōn, hē dia tina lōdēn chōleuōn, onon ou chechtētai, ananchaion tēs chreias ochēma" kai heteros dia plēthos tas agelas ou gnōrizei tōn hippōn. Tǭ᾽ men elaion endei pros to lychnon anapsai" kai allos monais tais lychniais ploutei. Ho men epi tou edaphouys errhiptai" kai ho matēn ploutōn, tǭ chosmǭ tēs chlinēs periastraptetai, argyras sphairas echousēs kai halyseis anti tōn schoinōn. Tauta ta tēs achorestou … ton bion tēn anisotēta, ouch an hautai ēsan tēs anōmalias hai exokai kai choilotētes, oud᾽ an hai poichilai symphorai aēdę̄ kai polydachryn tēn zōēn hēmōn ap’ Enteuthen tēn physichēn pros allēlouys philian aptousi parataxeis, kai hōsper tina thēria meta pollę̄s tēs agriotētos allēlois synaptousi. Ta de acholoutha toutois pōs an tis kai exēgēsaito? Teichē chartera tois mēchanēmasi chataseietai, kai poleis halischontai, kai gynaiches agontai, kai paides andrapodizontai" temnetai gę̄ kai cheiretai, kai ta dendra. polemountai hōs adichēsantes anthrōpoi" phonos de tōn en achmę̄ polys, kai hoi tou haimatos rhyaches rheousi tōn athliōn sōmatōn’ ho de ploutos tōn hēttēthentōn, athlon tōn chratēsantōn. Epi toutois odyrmoi chēreias, orphanōn dachrna, kai pateras homou kai tēn eleutherian thrēnountōn’ ho de prōēn kyrios ploutou pollou, artou metaitei temachos, proteinōn tēn dexian" kai ho pollous echōn doulous hyphantas, kai oichias gemousas esthētōn, rhachia douleuei, hydōr pros ananchēn chomizōn, kai tou eppōnos apoxyōn tēn chopron, chkai tais aischrais hypēresiais diachonoumenos" alla myria chacha, ha periladein athroōs adynaton. Toutōn hoe pantōn archē, kai aitia, kai rhiza, hē tou pleionos epithymia, erōs adikos tōn allotriōn chtēmatōn. Ei de tis touto to pathos tōn anthrōpōn exechopsen, ouden echōlysen eirēnēn men tǭ biǭ batheian empoliteuesthai, polemous de kai tarachas ex anthrōpōn phygadeuthēnai, thein de pantas epi tēn chata physin storgēn kai philian. Dia touto kai ho Kyrios hēmōn epimelōs tois parangelmasi tautēn exiatai tēn noson, pote men apophainomenos" Ou dynasthe Theǭ douleuein, kai tǭ mamōną' pote de ton plousion echeinon athlion apophainōn, ton tę̄ hexēs teleutąn mellonta, kai tēn ma- Chrochronion apolausin tēn tryphēs heautǭ protypounta᾽ kai allachou ton teleion echeinon heinai didaschōn, hos an pantōn, hōn echei, tois deomenois parachōrēsas, pros tēn achtēmona philo sophian automolēsei, tēn mētera tēs aretēs kai homo- ᾿Alla moi dochō kai siōpōntōn achouein tōn en synētheias ta toiauta phthengomenōn pros tous dida schontas" Kai pōs pros ton bion diatelesomen, ei hē chtę̄sis tōn chrēmatōn amelę̄theiē? pōs de tais pōs de kai dothēsetai danos tǭ zētounti, an pantes ōmen dia tēn sēn parainesin aporoi? ᾿Apistou to rhēma, asynetos hē phōnē, ouch eidotos, hoti Despotēn echomen ton Theon, hoichonomon tou biou, tǭ genomenǭ zōǭ par᾽ heautou chorēgounta ta chrēsima, kai tous anankaious porismous tēs trophēs, kai tōn schepasmatōn tēn chreian. Hē gar pronoia tou Theou tōn oicheiōn poiēmatōn estin periechtikē᾽ kai ton … pistei ploutounta, penias oudepōpote chateschen symphora. Hen de tōn theiōn prochomisas logōn eis axodeixin tou procheimenou, ichanēn, hōs oimai, martyrian parexō.
This is your fruit, foul covetousness: taking the goads from you, the son becomes the enemy of the one who begot him. You fill the earth with robbers and murderers, the sea with pirates, the cities with riots, the courts with false witnesses, slanderers, traitors, advocates, and judges who lean wherever you drag them down. Covetousness, mother of inequality, pitiless, misanthropic, most savage! Through it human life is full of unevenness. Some, out of satiety, are sick of their abundance of possessions, like men vomiting up food they could not stop eating; others, pressed by hunger and want, are in danger. Some live in houses [as large as] cities, adorned with baths, halls and every extravagance; others have not the shelter of two beams; but when they cannot live in the open air, they [crouch] by the furnaces of the baths, or, when they find the bath-keepers, dig in the dung like pigs and contrive for themselves the warmth they must have. And man, the animal of equal honour, has such a difference of living from his own kind; and nothing else but covetousness brings in this disorder and unevenness. One man is shamed by his naked limbs; another, so as to have clothing beyond counting, clothes his walls with purple hangings. The poor man has no bread to break on a wooden table; the man of luxury has beaten a silver table out wide and amuses himself with the gleam of the metal. How much more just would it be for him to dine content with his other luxury, and for the price of the table to be a luxury for the needy! Another, old and unable to walk, or lame from some injury, does not possess a donkey, the vehicle his need requires; another, because of their number, does not know his own herds of horses. One lacks oil to light a lamp; another is rich in lampstands alone. One is flung down on the ground; the man rich to no purpose flashes with the ornament of his bed, which has silver balls, and chains instead of cords. These are the things of the insatiable … [If one removed] the inequality from life, there would not be these peaks and hollows of unevenness, nor would the various misfortunes [make] our life unpleasant and tearful. From this source battle lines … natural friendship toward one another, and men close with one another like wild beasts with great savagery. And how could one describe what follows? Strong walls are shaken by siege engines, cities are captured, women are led away, children are enslaved; the land is cut and ravaged, and trees are warred upon as if they were men who had done wrong; there is great slaughter of men in their prime, and streams of blood flow from wretched bodies; and the wealth of the defeated is the prize of the victors. On top of this come the laments of widowhood, the tears of orphans mourning their fathers and their freedom together; the man who was formerly master of great wealth begs a piece of bread, stretching out his right hand; and the man who had many slave weavers and houses full of clothes serves in rags, carrying water under compulsion, scraping the dung from the stable, and serving in shameful tasks; and countless other evils, which cannot be taken in all at once. And the beginning, cause and root of all these is the desire for more, an unjust love of other people's possessions. If someone cut this passion out of men, nothing would prevent deep peace from dwelling in life, wars and disturbances from being banished from among men, and everyone from running to natural affection and friendship. For this reason our Lord too carefully cures this disease by his commands: at one time declaring, “You cannot serve God and mammon”; at another showing that rich man to be wretched, who was to die the next day and was picturing for himself a long enjoyment of luxury; and elsewhere teaching that he is perfect who gives up all he has to the needy and deserts to the philosophy that owns nothing, the mother and companion of virtue … But I seem to hear, even while they are silent, those who are accustomed to say such things to their teachers: “And how shall we get through life, if the acquisition of money is neglected? How … And how will a loan be given to the one who asks, if we all become poor through your exhortation?” The saying of an unbeliever, the voice of a senseless man, who does not know that we have God as Master, the steward of life, who supplies to the creature made by him what is useful, the necessary provision of food, and the coverings it needs. For God's providence embraces his own works; and the one who is rich in … faith, the misfortune of poverty has never held. Bringing forward one of the divine words as proof of the matter before us, I will provide, I think, sufficient testimony.
Matt 6:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 12:16–20 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 19:21 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius blames covetousness for the inequality of rich and poor and for wars and their miseries, cites Christ's commands against wealth, and answers the objection that renouncing wealth makes life impossible by appeal to God's providence.
- Leaked Latin was removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. “Battle lines …” renders παρατάξεις with an unclear verb (ἀπτοῦσι, perhaps for λύουσι, “dissolve”). References: Matt 6:24; Luke 12:16–20; Matt 19:21.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; Greek lost; leaked margin letter and Latin fragment; Greek lost): Μ᾿ ἴσ, τροφὴν. ἴῃ πιοιύϊυπι τ ΓΑΓῚΓ 80 βίυραί; δἱ ἰλιρίυβ, οἱ αἱ "δπὸ δἰ θ᾽ οδϊογοπι ργούιγδηί, ἀο ὑόγο, υἱ δα θη) γί οἴ ΓΑ, τηθ θη) οἱ Οουἷ05 ρᾷϑόδι, Αἱ αυληῖο "ΟΝ ἷκ ν᾽ 18 ἃς ἰΔογ πη }}}}}5 γι μόγθιιγ. → …; Α (δῖ δὺ8 ορογα; πὸ ὑηαυδηὶ τη Βά6.ἀϊν ηι οὁρπίστει → … πίστει.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 3.5 (PG 40:199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
3.6PG 40:199
Ἐν τῇ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἱστορίᾳ γυνή τις ἀναγέγράπται χήρα, βαρυνομένη λίαν τῇ συμφορᾷ τῆς γυρος καὶ μισάνθρωπος, ἐνέχυρον τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀφαιρούμενος, οὖς μόνους εἶχεν ἀντὶ πάντων ἡ μήτηρ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς ἀμηχανίαν αὐτῇ περιειστήχει τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἡλέει τῶν ἐχόντων χρυσίον, ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν ἔχοντα φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ πίστιν. Ἐλισσαῖος δὲ οὗτος ἦν ὁ προφήτης, ἀνὴρ ἀχτήμων τῶν γηίνων ὑλῶν, καὶ περισσευόμενος τῆς ἀσωμάτου περιουσίας" νεωστὶ μὲν χληρονομήσας, τὴν δὲ χλῃρονομίαν λαδὼν βηλωτὴν εὔωνον, καὶ εὐλογίαν ἀόρατον, τοῦ πυρίνου ἅρματος ἐχπεσοῦσαν. Οὐ μὴν ἄπραχτον τὴν ἱχέτην ἀπέπεμψεν, οὐδὲ ἀπέγνω τῆς βοηθείας, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ταρῖνν τὸ ζητούμενον οὐδὲ εἶπεν ἀγεννῇ τινα καὶ ἄπιστα ῥήματα, ὡς εἷς τῶν πολλῶν" Καὶ πόθεν ἐμοὶ ἀργύριον, ὥστε διαλῦσαι τὸ ὄφλημα; Ὥσπερ δὲ ἄριστος ἰατρὸς, καὶ φαρμάχων μὴ παρόντων, ἐξ ἐπινοιῶν παραδόξων εὗρε τῇ νόσῳ τὴν ἴασιν, καὶ, Τί σοι, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῆς οἰχίας, ὦ γύναι; Μνημόγευσον, εἴ τι καὶ ὀλίγον ἔνδον τυγχάνει. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὕτως πένης, ὡς χαθάπαξ μηδενὸς χύριος εἶναι. Ὡς δὲ εἶπεν, ὅτι χεράμιόν ἐστιν, καὶ λείψανον ἐν αὐτῷ βραχὺ ἐλαίου " ἸΙαρασχεύασό, μοὶ, εἶπεν, πλῆθος ἀγγείων. Καὶ ἣ μὲν ηὐτρέπισεν " ὁ δὲ δι᾽ αὐτῆς ἐπλήβωσεν, καὶ τῷ δανειστῇ διελύθη τὸ ὄφλημα" ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἀπῆλθεν, ἐξ ἀπόρων εὑροῦσα τὸν πόρον. Τὸ γὰρ ὑλίγιστον ἔλαιον, ὃ εἶναι παρ᾽ αὐτῇ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν προφήτην, ἐπήγασεν ἐχ τοῦ παραδόξου, καὶ πάντας δὲ τότε τῆς ῥύσεως, ὅτε ἀγγεῖον οὐχ ἔτι ἦν τὸ δεχόβενον " καὶ τῇ χρείᾳ συνεμετρήθη ἡ χάρις. ᾿Αληθῶς ἔλαιον ἐχεῖνο, ὃ φυτὸν οὐχ ἑκαρποφόρῃησεν, ἀλλ᾽ οἱ ποῦ Θεοῦ οἰχτιρμοὶ ἐγεώργησαν. Ταύτην ὠνήσασθε τὴν ἐπιστήμην, εἰ δύνασθε, οἱ ἀπὸ ἡλίου ἀνίσχοντος, μέχρι καὶ δυομένου, βασιλεῖς, δυνάσται, πλούσιοι. Οἱ σοφοὶ τῆς ἐγχοσμίου σοφίας, χτήσασθε τοῦ ἀπὸ ἀροτήρων προφήτου τὸ χάρισμα, ὃ ἀναφαίρετον τῷ λαθόντι συνῆν. Τὰ γὰρ τῆς ὑμετέρας σπουδῆς χτήματα μυρίους ἔχει παραχειμένους τῆς ἀπωλείας χινδύνους " λῃστὰς τοιχωρυχοῦντα:, τυράννους ἀρσαν χαταποντίζουσαν, καὶ γῆν ὑπεῤῥηγνυμένην τοῖς χάσμασιν. Ἔστω τοίνυν ἐλπὶς καὶ ταμιεῖον ἀνθρώ τοῖς ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεξιὰ, ἡ τὸν λαὸν Αἰγύπτου ἐξαγαγοῦσα͵ καὶ ἐν ἐρήμω χώρᾳ τὴν εὐθηνίαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τἰ … ἀποῤῥιφέντα" καὶ τοῖς χαθ᾽ ἐχάστην γενεὰν ἐπαρχέσασα καὶ τελευταῖον πέντε χριθίνους ἄρτους, ὡς ἄπειρον Τεωργίαν πληθύνασα, ἵνα ὁ εἷς ἄρτος χιλίων ἀνδρῶν πεινώντων πληρώσῃ γαστέρα, καὶ πρός γε χόφινον τῶν λειψάνων. Τῷ ὃΣ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἣ δόξα, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.
En tę̄ tōn Basileiōn historią gynē tis anagegraptai chēra, barynomenē lian tę̄ symphorą tēs gyros kai misanthrōpos, enechyron tous huious aphairoumenos, ous monous eichen anti pantōn hē mētēr. Epei de eis amēchanian autę̄ perieistēchei to pragma, kai oudeis hēleei tōn echontōn chrysion, ēlthen pros ton echonta philanthrōpian kai pistin. Elissaios de houtos ēn ho prophētēs, anēr achtēmōn tōn gēinōn hylōn, kai perisseuomenos tēs asōmatou periousias" neōsti men chlēronomēsas, tēn de chlę̄ronomian ladōn bēlōtēn euōnon, kai eulogian aoraton, tou pyrinou harmatos echpesousan. Ou mēn aprachton tēn hichetēn apepempsen, oude apegnō tēs boētheias, epeidē mē tarinn to zētoumenon oude eipen agennę̄ tina kai apista rhēmata, hōs heis tōn pollōn" Kai pothen emoi argyrion, hōste dialysai to ophlēma? Hōsper de aristos iatros, kai pharmachōn mē parontōn, ex epinoiōn paradoxōn heure tę̄ nosǭ tēn iasin, kai, Ti soi, phēsin, epi tēs oichias, ō gynai? Mnēmogeuson, ei ti kai oligon endon tynchanei. Oudeis gar hytōs penēs, hōs chathapax mēdenos chyrios einai. Hōs de eipen, hoti cheramion estin, kai leipsanon en autǭ brachy elaiou " IIarascheuaso, moi, eipen, plēthos angeiōn. Kai hē men ēutrepisen " ho de di᾽ autēs eplēbōsen, kai tǭ daneistę̄ dielythē to ophlēma" hē de gynē apēlthen, ex aporōn heurousa ton poron. To gar hyligiston elaion, ho einai par᾽ autę̄ eipen pros ton prophētēn, epēgasen ech tou paradoxou, kai pantas de tote tēs rhyseōs, hote angeion ouch eti ēn to dechobenon " kai tę̄ chreią synemetrēthē hē charis. ᾿Alēthōs elaion echeino, ho phyton ouch hekarpophorę̄ēsen, all᾽ hoi pou Theou oichtirmoi egeōrgēsan. Tautēn ōnēsasthe tēn epistēmēn, ei dynasthe, hoi apo hēliou anischontos, mechri kai dyomenou, basileis, dynastai, plousioi. Hoi sophoi tēs enchosmiou sophias, chtēsasthe tou apo arotērōn prophētou to charisma, ho anaphaireton tǭ lathonti synēn. Ta gar tēs hymeteras spoudēs chtēmata myrious echei paracheimenous tēs apōleias chindynous " lę̄stas toichōrychounta:, tyrannous arsan chatapontizousan, kai gēn hyperrhēgnymenēn tois chasmasin. Estō toinyn elpis kai tamieion anthrō tois hē tou Theou dexia, hē ton laon Aigyptou exagagousa͵ kai en erēmō chōrą tēn euthēnian tōn agathōn ti … aporrhiphenta" kai tois chath᾽ echastēn genean eparchesasa kai teleutaion pente chrithinous artous, hōs apeiron Teōrgian plēthynasa, hina ho heis artos chiliōn andrōn peinōntōn plērōsę̄ gastera, kai pros ge chophinon tōn leipsanōn. Tǭ hoS Theǭ hēmōn hē doxa, eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. amēn.
In the history of the Kingdoms a certain woman is recorded, a widow, heavily weighed down by the misfortune of … [a creditor] … and misanthropic, taking away as a pledge her sons, whom alone the mother had in place of everything. When the affair had brought her to helplessness, and none of those who had gold took pity on her, she came to the one who had love for humankind and faith. This was Elisha the prophet, a man without possessions of earthly materials and abounding in incorporeal wealth; he had recently come into an inheritance, receiving as his inheritance a cheap sheepskin mantle and an invisible blessing that fell from the fiery chariot. He did not send the suppliant away empty-handed, nor despair of helping because what was sought was not at hand; nor did he say ignoble and faithless words, like one of the many: “And where would I get silver to pay off the debt?” But like an excellent physician who, even with no drugs at hand, finds the cure for the disease by extraordinary devices, he said: “What do you have in the house, woman? Think whether there is anything inside, even a little. For no one is so poor as to be master of nothing at all.” And when she said that there was a jar with a small remnant of oil in it, “Prepare for me,” he said, “a great number of vessels.” She prepared them; he filled them through her; the debt to the creditor was paid; and the woman went away, having found means where there were none. For the very little oil which she told the prophet she had sprang up miraculously, and ceased flowing only when there was no longer a vessel to receive it; and the grace was measured to the need. Truly that was oil which no plant bore, but the compassions of God cultivated. Buy this knowledge, if you can, you kings, princes and rich men from the rising of the sun to its setting. You who are wise in worldly wisdom, acquire the gift of the prophet taken from the ploughmen, which remained with the one who received it and could not be taken away. For the possessions you labour for have countless dangers of loss lying beside them: robbers breaking through walls, tyrants … sinking [ships], and earth splitting open with chasms. Let, then, the hope and storehouse of men be the right hand of God, which led the people out of Egypt and [supplied] the abundance of good things in a desert land … thrown away; which sufficed for those of each generation; and at last multiplied five barley loaves as if in boundless harvest, so that one loaf filled the bellies of a thousand hungry men, with a basket of leftovers besides. To our God be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.
2 Kgs 4:1–7 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 2:11–13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 19:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 113:3 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 6:19 (echo, low confidence) · Exod 16:4–35 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 6:9–13 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius tells how Elisha multiplied the widow's oil to pay her debt, and urges trust in God's providence, which fed Israel in the desert and the crowds with five loaves.
- Leaked Latin was removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. “The history of the Kingdoms” is the books of Kings (LXX 1–4 Kingdoms). Elisha was called from the plough (1 Kgs 19:19) and inherited Elijah's mantle (2 Kgs 2:11–13). The figure of a thousand fed by each loaf divides the five thousand by the five loaves. References: 2 Kgs 4:1–7; Exod 16; John 6:9–13.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; Greek lost): εἰ δϑἰπλυ5 τ δα ἶσα, [Δ4πι|6 ἰδ πιθ 4 Ἰ 0 Δηλοῖ δὰ πδηυπὶ νυ Θχοορίανὶ : οἱ : ᾿μίά παῦέδ, Ἰηαυι, περ εν, ΑἸιογυ δε ΐ) ΟΧΙογηδγ πῇ δογάϊι πὶ 651, τυ} 8 πὶ οἱ ᾿μϑι {πὴ Ορρογίῃ 6 πη} νἱ λης → ….
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 3.6 (PG 40:199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/3-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.