Horns of rulers shattered; fire of passions
Like the word in David: “he will crush all the horns of the sinners.” And he means now the rulers, in whom is the strength of the nation just as in the horn-bearing among animals, and because they stand out from the body as rulers from the subjects. And Daniel also likened the kingdoms to horns. And horn also shows the arrogance of the leading part, as in: “do not lift your horn unto height.” Having turned away, then, his saving hand he made them easy to take for the enemies, whom indeed he also called a flame consuming all. And you would also say every outstanding thought a horn, and fire the “passions of dishonor,” to which the one stumbling is handed over, having lost all the surrounding help according to: “the angel of the Lord will encamp round about those who fear him.”
Greek
Klagel. Jerem. 2, 3. Ομοιον παρὰ Δαβὶδ τὸ πάντα τὰ κέρατα τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν συνθλάσει. λέγει δὲ νῦν τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ἐν οἶς ἡ τοῦ ἔθνους ἰσχὺς καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς κερασφόροις τῶν ζώων, καὶ διότι τοῦ σώματος ἐξέχει καθὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων οἱ ἄρχοντες. καὶ Δανιὴλ δὲ τὰς βασιλείας ἀπείκασε κέρασιν. δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπεροψίαν τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ τὸ κέρας, ὡς ἐν τῷ «μὴ ἐπαίρετε εἰς ὕψος τὸ κέρας ὑμῶν. ἀποστρέψας οὐν αὐτοῦ τὴν σῴζουσαν χεῖρα τοῖς πολεμίοις εὐαλώτους ἐποίησεν, οὒς δὴ καὶ φλόγα πάντα δαπανῶσαν ἐκάλεσεν. εἴποις δ' ἂν καὶ πᾶν ἐξέχον νόημα κέρας, καὶ πῦρ τὰ «πάθη τῆς ἀτιμίας«, οἶς ὁ πλημμελῶν παραδίδοται, πᾶσαν τὴν κυκλοῦσαν ἀπολέσας βοήθειαν κατὰ τὸ « παρεμβαλεῖ ἄγγελος κυρίου κὐκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν‘.
About this text
Origen, Fragments on Lamentations. Original English Translation from the Greek (Klostermann).
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.