1
Ὥσπερ καὶ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἐλεαζάρου λογισμὸς, πηδαλιουεχῶν τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ναῦν ἐν τῷ τῶν παθῶν πελάγει,
The reasoning of our father Eleazar, like a first-rate pilot, steering the vessel of piety in the sea of passions,
2
καὶ καταικιζόμενος ταῖς τοῦ τυράννου ἀπειλαῖς, καὶ καταντλούμενος ταῖς τῶν βασάνων τρικυμίαις,
and flouted by the threats of the tyrant, and overwhelmed with the breakers of torture,
3
κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον μετέτρεψεν τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας οἴακας, ἕως οὗ ἔπλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς θανάτου νίκης λιμένα.
in no way shifted the rudder of piety till it sailed into the harbor of victory over death.
4
Οὐχ οὕτως πόλις πολλοῖς καὶ ποικίλοις μηχανήμασιν ἀντέσχεν ποτὲ πολιορκουμένη, ὡς ὁ πανάγιος ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἱερὰν ψυχὴν αἰκισμοῖς τε καὶ στρέβλαις πυρπολούμενος, ἐκίνησεν τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας, διὰ τὸν ὑπερασπίζοντα τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμόν.
Not so has ever a city, when besieged, held out against many and various machines, as did that holy man, when his pious soul was tried with the fiery trial of tortures and rackings, move his besiegers through the religious reasoning that shielded him.
5
Ὥσπερ γὰρ πρόκρημνον ἄκραν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διὰνοιαν ὁ πατὴρ Ἐλεάζαρος ἐκτείνας, περιέκλασεν τοὺς μαινομένους τῶν παθῶν κλύδωνας.
For father Eleazar, projecting his disposition, broke the raging waves of the passions as with a jutting promontory.
6
Ὦ ἄξιε τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἱερεῦ, οὐκ ἐμίανας τοὺς ἱεροὺς ὀδόντας, οὐδὲ τὴν θεοσέβειαν καὶ καθαρισμὸν χωρήσασαν γαστέρα ἐκοινώνησας μιεροφαγίᾳ·
O priest, worthy of the priesthood! thou didst not pollute thy sacred teeth; nor make thy appetite, which had always embraced the clean and lawful, a partaker of profanity.
7
Ὦ σύμφωνε νόμου, καὶ φιλόσοφε θείου βίου.
O harmonizer with the law, and sage devoted to a divine life!
8
Τοίουτους δεῖ εἶναι τοὺς δημιουργοῦντας τὸν νόμον ἰδίῳ αἵματι, καὶ γενναίῳ ἱδρῶτι τοῖς μέχρι θανάτου πάθεσιν ὑπερασπίζοντας.
Of such a character ought those to be who perform the duties of the law at the risk of their own blood, and defend it with generous sweat by sufferings even unto death.
9
Σὺ πάτερ, τὴν εὐνομίαν ἡμῶν διὰ τῶν ὑπομονῶν εἰς δόξαν ἐκύρωσας, καὶ τὴν ἁγιαστίαν σεμνολογήσας οὐ κατέλυσας, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιστοποίησας τοὺς τῆς φιλοσοφίας λὸγους.
Thou, father, hast gloriously established our right government by thy endurance; and making of much account our service past, prevented its destruction, and, by thy deeds, hast made credible the words of philosophy.
10
Ὦ βασάνων βιότερε γέρων, πυρὸς εὐτονώτερε πρεσβύτα, καὶ παθῶν μέγιστε βασιλεῦ Ἐλεάζαρ.
O aged man of more power than tortures, elder more vigorous than fire, greatest king over the passions, Eleazar!
11
Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ Ἀαρὸν τῷ θυμιατηρίῳ κατθωπλισμένος, διὰ τοῦ ἐθνοπλήθου ἐπιτρέχων τὸν ἐμπυριστὴν ἐνίκησεν ἄγγελον.
For as father Aaron, armed with a censer, hastening through the consuming fire, vanquished the flame-bearing angel,
12
Οὕτως ὁ Ἀαρωνίδης Ἐλεάζαρος διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ὑπερτηκόμενος οὐ μετετράπη τὸν λογισμόν.
so Eleazar, the descendant of Aaron, wasted away by the fire, did not give up his reasoning.
13
Καίτοι τὸ θαυμασιώτατον, γέρων ὢν, λελυμένων μὲν ἤδη τῶν τοῦ σώματος πόνων, καὶ περιεχαλασμένων δὲ τῶν σαρκῶν, κεκμηκότων δὲ καὶ τῶν νεύρων, ἀνενέασεν.
And, what is most wonderful, though an old man, though the labors of his body were now spent, and his fibers were relaxed, and his sinews worn out, he recovered youth.
14
Τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ λογισμοῦ, καὶ τῷ Ἰσακείῳ λογισμῷ τὴν πολυκέφαλον στρέβλαν ἠκύρωσεν.
By the spirit of reasoning, and the reasoning of Isaac, he rendered powerless the many-headed instrument.
15
Ὦ μακαρίου γήρως, καὶ σεμνῆς πολιᾶς, καὶ βίου νομίμου, ὃν πιστὴ θανάτου σφραγὶς ἐτελείωσεν.
O blessed old age, and reverend hoar head, and life obedient to the law, which the faithful seal of death perfected.
16
Εἰ δὲ τοίνυν γέρων τῶν μέχρι θανάτου βασάνων περιεφρόνησεν διʼ εὐσέβειαν, ὁμολογουμένως ἡγεμών ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός.
If, then, an old man, through religion, despised tortures even unto death, confessedly religious reasoning is ruler of the passions.
17
Ἴσως δʼ ἂν εἴποιέν τινες, τῶν παθῶν οὐ πάντες περικρατοῦσιν, ὅτι οὐδὲ πάντες φρόνιμον ἔχουσιν τὸν λογισμόν.
But perhaps some might say, It is not all who conquer passions, as all do not possess wise reasoning.
18
Ἀλλʼ ὅσοι εὑσεβείας προνοοῦσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, οὗτοι μόνοι δύνανται κρατεῖν τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς παθῶν·
But they who have meditated upon religion with their whole heart, these alone can master the passions of the flesh:
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οἱ πιστεύοντες, ὅτι Θεῷ οὐκ ἀποθνήσκουσιν, ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πατριάρχαι ἡμῶν Ἁβραὰμ, Ἰσαὰκ, Ἰακὼβ, ζῶσι τῷ Θεῷ.
they who believe that to God they die not; for, as our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they live to God.
20
Οὐδὲν οὖν ἐναντιοῦται τὸ φαίνεσθαί τινας παθοκρατεῖσθαι διὰ τὸν ἀσθενῆ λογισμόν.
This circumstance, then, is by no means an objection, that some who have weak reasoning, are governed by their passions:
21
Ἐπεὶ τίς πρὸς ὅλον τὸν τῆς φιλοσοφίας κανόνα εὐσεβῶς φιλοσοφῶν, καὶ πεπιστευκὼς Θεῷ,
since what person, walking religiously by the whole rule of philosophy, and believing in God,
22
καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν πάντα πόνον ὑπομένειν μακάριόν ἐστιν, οὐκ ἂν περικρατήσειεν τῶν παθῶν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν;
and knowing that it is a blessed thing to endure all kinds of hardships for virtue, would not, for the sake of religion, master his passion?
23
μόνος γὰρ ὁ σοφὸς καὶ σώφρων ἀνδρεῖός ἐστιν τῶν παθῶν κύριος.
For the wise and brave man only is lord over his passions.
24
Διὰ τοῦτο γέ τοι καὶ μειρακίσκοι τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας λογισμῷ φιλοσοφουντες χαλεπωτερων βασανιστηρίων ἐπεκράτησαν.
Whence it is, that even boys, imbued with the philosophy of religious reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures:
25
Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην πεῖραν ἐνικήθη περιφανὴς ὁ τύραννος, μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἀναγκάσαι γέροντα μιαιροφαγῆσαι.
for when the tyrant was manifestly vanquished in his first attempt, in being unable to force the old man to eat the unclean thing—