Be strong in the Lord; no crown without sweat; David’s courage
mind, departing from boldness unto virtue, although it is very possible through Christ to spring up toward every praised thing whatever, and toward this also the most holy Paul spurs us, saying: ‘For the rest be empowered in the Lord, and in the might of his strength.’
Palladius: You speak well.
Cyril: For we will make power in Christ; yet I do not think anyone would succeed without sweat at playing the youth against passions, and at being able to set his own mind upright unto this.
Palladius: I agree.
Cyril: Therefore a thing clear and worth taking, and not capturable for those who fall back, yet easy to obtain for those who have honored toiling. And it is written that ‘A man toils in toils for himself, and constrains his own destruction.’ And to be able to succeed at the exceptional of deeds with small sweats is, I think, ignorant even only to think. Or would not the most precious of all other things for us be saving the soul, and contending for one’s own life?
Palladius: Very much so.
Cyril: And what is already conspicuous in glory—to which of the athletes do you think it most belongs: to those competing rightly and trained, and for whom winning is in account, or to those most sweetly dissolving into luxuries, and having chosen the life in ease instead of the best?
Palladius: And how, or from where, is it disputed that winning would least belong to those sick with laziness, yet being able to master to the more decent?
Cyril: Will we then say that the matter also belongs to them unto power of good fame, who will say one must be strong to toil, yet have chosen to be let loose and to live luxuriously?
Palladius: Not at all.
Cyril: Therefore approving will follow those most loving of toil, and no one would succeed at being conspicuous even without contests.
Palladius: Fixed.
Cyril: One must go then, Palladius, straight toward the praised things, and must take care of manliness unto virtue, and of the very courage also wondered at both beside God-breathed Scripture and familiar and dear to saints’ souls. Therefore also the divine David was addressing those having nodded very well unto this, saying: ‘Play the man, and let your heart be strengthened, all who hope upon the Lord.’ And as having himself succeeded at this very thing even before the others, he is solemn for himself, and says: ‘The Lord is my illumination and my Savior; whom will I fear? The Lord is protector of my life; from whom will I cower?’ For scandals around us are as many as ten thousand, stronger
Greek
νῷ, τῆς εἰς ἀρετὴν εὐτολμίας ἀποφοιτᾷν, καί τοι παρὸν εὖ μάλα διὰ Χριστοῦ πρὸς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἀναθρώσκειν δύνασθαι τῶν ἐπαινουμένων, καὶ πρός γε τούτῳ, ἡμᾶς παραθήγει, λέγων, ὁ ἱερώτατος Παῦλος· «Τοῦ λοιποῦ ἐνδυναμοῦσθε ἐν Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ λέγεις.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ποιήσομεν γὰρ δύναμιν ἐν Χριστῷ· πλὴν οὐκ ἂν οἶμαί τις ἀνιδρωτὶ κατορθώσειε τὸ κατανεανιεύεσθαι παθῶν, καὶ ἀπορθοῦν εἰς τοῦτο τὸν οἰκεῖον ἰσχῦσαι νοῦν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Σύμφημι.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τοιγάρτοι χρῆμα διαφανές τε καὶ ἀξιόληπτον, καὶ ἀναπίπτουσι μὲν οὐχ ἁλώσιμον, ἐκτετιμηκόσι δὲ τὸ πονεῖν, εὐπόριστον. Γέγραπται δὲ, ὅτι «Ἀνὴρ ἐν πόνοις πονεῖ ἑαυτῷ, καὶ ἐκβιάζεται ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἀπώλειαν.» Μικροῖς δὲ ἱδρῶσι δύνασθαι κατορθοῦν τὰ ἐξαίρετα τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀμαθὲς οἶμαί που, καὶ τὸ μόνον ἐννοεῖν. Ἢ οὐχὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἡμῖν ὅτι μάλιστα τιμαλφέστατον εἴη ἂν, τὸ διασῶσαι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τῆς ἰδίας ὑπεραθλῆσαι ζωῆς;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Μάλιστά γε.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τὸ δὲ ἤδη περιφανὲς ἐν δόξῃ, τίσι μάλιστα τῶν ἀθλητῶν οἰήσῃ πρέπειν, πότερα τοῖς ἀθλοῦσιν ὀρθῶς καὶ ἐξησκημένως, καὶ οἷς ἐν λόγῳ τὸ χρῆναι νικᾷν, ἢ τοῖς ὡς ἥδιστα διαχεομένοις εἰς τρυφὰς, καὶ τὴν ἐν ῥᾳστώνῃ ζωὴν, τῆς ἀρίστης ἀνθῃρημένοις;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ πῶς, ἢ πόθεν ἀμφίλογον, ὡς ἥκιστα μὲν τὸ νικᾷν πρέποι ἂν τοῖς ἠῤῥωστηκόσι τὸ ῥᾳθυμεῖν, τό γε μὴν δύνασθαι κρατεῖν τοῖς ἐπιεικεστέροις;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀρ' οὖν ἐροῦμεν ὡς καὶ προσήκοι εἰς εὐκλείας δύναμιν τὸ χρῆμα αὐτοῖς, ἐῤῥῶσθαι μὲν φράσουσι τὸ χρῆναι πονεῖν, τόγε μὴν ἀνεῖσθαι καὶ τρυφᾷν ἑλομένοις.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Οὐ μὲν οὖν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἕψεται δὴ οὖν τοῖς ὅτι μάλιστα φιλοπονωτάτοις, τὸ εὐδοκιμεῖν καὶ ἀγώνων δίχα κατορθώσειεν ἂν οὐδεὶς τὸ εἶναι περιφανής.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἄραρεν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἰτέον δὴ οὖν, Παλλάδιε, κατ' εὐθὺ τῶν ἐπαινουμένων, καὶ ἀνδρείας τῆς εἰς ἀρετὴν ἐπιμελητέον, εὐψυχίας τε τῆς ἄγαν καὶ τεθαυμασμένης παρά τε τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ, καὶ τῆς ἐντριβοῦς καὶ φίλης τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαῖς. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Δαβὶδ εἰς τοῦτο διανενευκόσιν εὖ μάλα, προσεφώνει λέγων· «Ἀνδρίζεσθε, καὶ κραταιούσθω ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν, πάντες οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπὶ Κύριον.» Ὡς δὲ αὐτὸ δὴ τουτὶ καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων κατωρθωκὼς, αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ σεμνύνεται, καί φησι· «Κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ Σωτήρ μου, τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; Κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου, ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω·» Μύρια γὰρ ὅσα περὶ ἡμᾶς τὰ σκάνδαλα, κρείττων
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 4 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 4 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 4 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 4)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 4)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.