The Oration of Eusebius 15
15.1 Chapter XV
1. What now remains, but to account for those which are the crowning facts of all; I mean his death, so far and widely known, the manner of his passion, and the mighty miracle of his resurrection after death: and then to establish the truth of these events by the clearest testimonies?
Τί δὴ λείπεται ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀλλ' ἢ αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ τοῦ τὸς κεφάλαιον ὁποίαν ἔσχε τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξειπεῖν, λέγω δὴ τὸ πολυ- θρύλητον τοῦ βίου τέλος καὶ τοῦ πάθους τὸν τρόΠον καὶ τῆς τὸν θάνατον ἀναβιώσεως αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγα θαῦμα. μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων θεωρίαν τὰς πάντων πόντων δι' πιστωσόμεθα μαρτυ- ριῶν.
15.2
2. For the reasons detailed above he used the instrumentality of a mortal body, as a figure becoming his Divine majesty, and like a mighty sovereign employed it as his interpreter in his intercourse with men, performing all things consistently with his own Divine power. Supposing, then, at the end of his sojourn among men, he had by any other means suddenly withdrawn himself from their sight, and, secretly removing that interpreter of himself, the form which he had assumed, had hastened to flee from death, and afterwards by his own act had consigned his mortal body to corruption and dissolution: doubtless in such a case he would have been deemed a mere phantom by all. Nor would he have acted in a manner worthy of himself, had he who is Life, the Word, and the Power of God, abandoned this interpreter of himself to corruption and death.
ὀργάνῳ μὲν οὖν θνητῷ δἰ ὃς προείπομεν αἰτίας δἷα δὴ ἀγάλματι θεοπρεπεῖ κεχρημένος τούτῳ τε αὐτῷ ola μέγας βασιλεὺς δι' ἑρμηνέως τὸν ἀνθρώπειον διεξελθὼν βίον, πάντ' ἐπαξίως θεϊκῆς δυνάμεως διεπράξατο. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλως πως μετὰ τὰς ἐν ἀνθρῶποις διατριβὰς ἀφανὴς γεγονὼς ἐξαίφνης ἀπέπτη, ὑποκλέψας γάθρα τὸν ἑρμηνέα καὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον ἄγαλμα φυγῇ τὸν θάνατον διαδρᾶναι σπουδάσας, κἄπειτά που τὸ θνητὸν αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ φθορᾷ καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ συμψήσας, φάσματι ἂν ἐᾠκει τοῖς πᾶσι καὶ οὔτ' ἂν αὐτὸς αὐτῷ τὰ πρέποντα διεπράξατο. ζωὴ μὲν τυγχάνων καὶ θεοῦ λόγος καὶ θεοῦ δύναμις· φθορᾷ δὲ καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ τὸν αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ παραδοὺς ἑρμηνέα,
15.3
3. Nor, again, would his warfare with the spirits of evil have received its consummation by conflict with the power of death. The place of his retirement must have remained unknown; nor would his existence have been believed by those who had not seen him for themselves. No proof would have been given that he was superior to death nor would he have delivered mortality from the law of its natural infirmity. His name had never been heard throughout the world nor could he have inspired his disciples with contempt of death, or encouraged those who embraced his doctrine to hope for the enjoyment of a future life with God. Nor would he have fulfilled the assurances of his own promise, nor have accomplished the predictions of the prophets concerning himself. Nor would he have undergone the last conflict of all; for this was to be the struggle with the power of death.
οὔτ' ἂν τὰ κατὰ δαιμόνων αὐτῷ πεπραγμένα διὰ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου συμπλοκῆς τέλους ἠξιοῦτο, οὔτ’ ἂν ἐγνώσθη ὅπη ποτὲ ὑπῆρεν
χωρήσας, ουτ αν ἐπιστεύθη τοῖς μὴ παρειληφόσιν , οὔτ’ ἂν θανάτου τὴν φύσιν ἐφάνη κρείττων, οὔτ' ἂν τὸ θνητὸν τῆς οἰκείας ἠλευθέρου φύσεως, οὔτ' ἂν καθ’ ὅλης τῆς ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένης ἠκούσθη, οὔτ’ ἂν θανάτου καταφρονεῖν τοὺς αὐτοῦ μαθητὰς ἔπεισεν, οὔτ ἂν τῆς μετὰ τὸν θάνατον παρὰ θεῷ ζωῆς τὴν ἐλπίδα τις τὴν αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίαν μετιοῦσι παρεστήσατο, οὕτ' ἂν τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἐπλήρου, οὔτ’ ἂν ταῖς προφητικαῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ προρρήσεσι σύμφωνα παρεῖχε τὰ ἀποτελέσματα, οὔτ' ἂν τὸν ὕστατον ἀπάντων ἀγῶνα διῆλθεν· οὗτος δ’ ἦν ὁ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου.
4 διὸ δὴ τούτων ἕνεκα πάντων, ἐπειδὴ ἐχρῆν ἐξ ἅπαντος τὸ τὸν ὄργανον μετὰ τὴν αὐτάρκη διακονίαν, ἣν τῷ θείῳ λόγω̣ διηκο- νήσατο, τέλους θεοπρεποῦς τυχεῖν, ταύτῃ πη καὶ αὐτῷ ὁ θάνατος οἰκονομεῖται. δυεῖν γὰρ λειπομένων τῷ τέλει, ἢ φθορᾷ καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ παραδοῦναι τὸ πᾶν καὶ τοῦ παντὸς δράματος αἰσχίστην ποιήσασθαι τὴν καταστροφήν, ἢ θανάτου ἑωυτὸν κρείττονα ἀποφῆναι θεϊκῇ δυνάμει τὸ θνητὸν ἀθάνατον παραστησάμενον, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀνοίκειον ἦν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. οὐ οὐ γὰρ πυρὸς οἰκεῖον τὸ ψύχειν, οὐδὲ ·φωτὸς τὸ σκοτίζειν· οὕτως οὐδὲ ςωῆς τὸ θανατοῦν, οὐδὲ Μου λόγου τὸ παραλόγως ἐνεργεῖν. ποῖον οὖν οὖν λόγον τὸν ἑτέροις ζωὴν ἐπαγγελλόμενον τὸ οἰκεῖον ὄργανον φθειρόμενον παριδεῖν ἀπωλείᾳ τε παραδοῦναι τὸ αὐτοῦ ἄγαλμα, καὶ τὸν τῆς θεότη- τος αὐτοῦ ἑρμηνέα θανάτῳ λυμήνασθαι τὸν τοῖς πρόσφυξιν ἀθανα- σίαν προμνώμενον;
15.4
4. For all these reasons, then, and inasmuch as it was necessary that the mortal body which had rendered such service to the Divine Word should meet with an end worthy its sacred occupant, the manner of his death was ordained accordingly. For since but two alternatives remained: either to consign his body entirely to corruption, and so to bring the scene of life to a dishonored close, or else to prove himself victorious over death, and render mortality immortal by the act of Divine power; the former of these alternatives would have contravened his own promise. For as it is not the property of fire to cool, nor of light to darken, no more is it compatible with life, to deprive of life, or with Divine intelligence, to act in a manner contrary to reason. For how would it be consistent, with reason, that he who had promised life to others, should permit his own body, the form which he had chosen, to perish beneath the power of corruption? That he who had inspired his disciples with hopes of immortality, should yield this exponent of his Divine counsels to be destroyed by death?
15.5
5. The second alternative was therefore needful: I mean, that he should assert his dominion over the power of death. But how? should this be a furtive and secret act, or openly performed and in the sight of all? So mighty an achievement, had it remained unknown and unrevealed, must have failed of its effect as regards the interests of men; whereas the same event, if openly declared and understood, would, from its wondrous character, redound to the common benefit of all. With reason, therefore, since it was needful to prove his body victorious over death, and that not secretly but before the eyes of men, he shrank not from the trial, for this indeed would have argued fear, and a sense of inferiority to the power of death, but maintained that conflict with the enemy which has rendered mortality immortal; a conflict undertaken for the life, the immortality, the salvation of all.
οὐκοῦν τὸ δεύτερον ἀναγκαῖον ἦν, λέγω δὴ τὸ θανάτου κρείττονα ἑαυτὸν φῆναι; πῶς οὖν ἐχρῆν τοῦτο ποιήσασθαι; λαθραίως ἄρα καὶ κλοπιμαίως ἢ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀριπρεπῶς καὶ καὶ ἀριδήλως; ἀλλὰ σκότιον μὲν καὶ κρυφαῖον αὐτῷ πραχθὲν τὸ κατόρθωμα μηδενί τε γνωσθὲν οὐδένα ’ν ὤνησεν· βοηθὲν δὲ καὶ ἀκουσθὲν εἰς ἅπαντας τοῖς πᾶσι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θαύματος παρεῖχεν ὠφέλειαν. εἰκότως ἄρα, ἐπειδὴ ἐχρῆν τὸ αὐτοῦ ὄργανον κρεῖττον θανάτου φῆναι καὶ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι μὴ εἰς τὸ λεληθὸς ἀλλ' ἐπ' ὄψεσιν ἀνθρώπων, οὐ
φεύγει μὲν τὸν θάνατον· ἠν γὰρ ἂν δειλὸς καὶ θανάτου χείρων ἐνομίσθη· διὰ δὲ τῆς πρὸς τὸν θάνατον συμπλοκῆς οἶα πρὸς ἀνταγωνιστὴν τὸ θνητὸν ἀθάνατον παρίστη, τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦτον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπάντων σωτηρίας καὶ ἀθανασίας ἀναδεδεγμένος.
15.6
6. Suppose one desired to show us that a vessel could resist the force of fire; how could he better prove the fact than by casting it into the furnace and thence withdrawing it entire and unconsumed? Even thus the Word of God who is the source of life to all, desiring to prove the triumph of that body over death which he had assumed for man’s salvation, and to make this body partake his own life and immortality, pursued a course consistent with this object. Leaving his body for a little while, and delivering it up to death in proof of its mortal nature, he soon redeemed it from death, in vindication of that Divine power whereby he has manifested the immortality which he has promised to be utterly beyond the sphere of death.
ὥσπερ δὲ εἴ τις ἄκαυστον ἡμῖν καὶ πυρὸς κρεῖττον οκεῦός τι δεῖξαι ἀθέλησεν, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως τὸ θαῦμα παρεστήσατο ἢ τῷ πυρὶ παραδοὺς τὸ μετὰ χεῖρας κἄπειτα αὐτὸ σῶον καὶ ἀδιάφθορον τοῦ πυρὸς ἐξελών, κατὰ ταῦτα δὴ καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ζωοποιὸς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος τὸ θνητὸν ὄργανον, ᾧ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων κέχρητο σωτηρίαν, κρεῖττον θανάτου δεῖξαι βουληθεὶς κοινωνόν τε ἀποφῆναι τῆς οἰκείας ζωῆς τε καὶ ἀθανασίας, εὐ μάλα χρησίμην ὑπῄει τὴν οἰκονομίαν, τὸ σῶμα πρὸς βραχὺ καταλιπὼν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τῷ θανάτῳ παραδίδους εἰς ἔλεγχον τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως, εἶτ' οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν αὐτὸ τοῦ θανάτου πάλιν ὑφαιρούμενος, εἰς παράστασιν τῆς ἐνθέου δυνάμεως, δί ἡς παντὸς θανάτου κρείττονα τὴν πρὸς αὐτοῦ καταγγελθεῖσαν ζωὴν ἀίδιον ἔφαινεν.
15.7
7. The reason of this is clear. It was needful that his disciples should receive ocular proof of the certainty of that resurrection on which he had taught them to rest their hopes as a motive for rising superior to the fear of death. It was indeed most needful that they who purposed to pursue a life of godliness should receive a clear impression of this essential truth: more needful still for those who were destined to declare his name in all the world, and to communicate to mankind that knowledge of God which he had before ordained for all nations.
ἡ δ’ αἰτία πρόδηλος καὶ σαφής. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῖς αὐτοῦ φοιτηταῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἰδεῖν ἀναγκαῖον ἦν ζωῆς τῆς μετὰ θάνατον ἐναργῆ τὴν παλιγγενεσίαν, ἐφ' ἣν τὰς αὐτῶν ἐλπίδας ἀναρτᾶν αὐτοὺς ἐδίδασκεν, κρείττονας εἶναι θανάτου παρασκευάζων , εἰκότως τοῦτ' αὐτοῖς ὁρᾶν ὀφθαλμοῖς παρεῖχεν· ἐχρῆν γὰρ τοὺς μέλλοντας εὐσεβῆ μετιέναι βίον τοῦτο πρῶτον πάντων ἀναγκαιότατον μάθημα δἱ ἐναργοῦς ὄφεως παραλαβεῖν, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἐκείνους τοὺς εἰς ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην μέλλοντας αὐτὸν ὅσον οὕπω κηρύττειν καὶ τὴν τὴν αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθενσι προβληθεῖσαν θεογνωσίαν εἰς πάντας καταγγέλλειν ἀνθρώπους.
15.8
8. For such the strongest conviction of a future life was necessary, that they might be able with fearless and unshrinking zeal to maintain the conflict with Gentile and polytheistic error: a conflict the dangers of which they would never have been prepared to meet, except as habituated to the contempt of death. Accordingly, in arming his disciples against the power of this last enemy, he delivered not his doctrines in mere verbal precepts, nor attempted to prove the soul’s immortality, by persuasive and probable arguments; but displayed to them in his own person a real victory over death.
οὕς δὴ πεῖσμα μέγιστον ἀναλαβεῖν ἐχρῆν τῆς μετὰ τὸν
θάνατον ζωῆς, ὡς ἄν ἀδεεῖς καὶ ἄφοβοι θανάτου τὸν κατὰ τῆς τῶν Μνῶν πολυθέου πλάνης ἀγῶνα προθύμως ἀναδέξοιντο· μὴ γὰρ θα- νάτου καταφρονεῖν μελετήσαντες, οὐκ ἂν Πώποτε πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ παρεσκευάζοντο. διὸ δὴ ἀναγκαίως όπλίςων αὐτοὺς κατὰ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου δυναστείας, οὐ ῥηματίοις καὶ φωναῖς παρεδίδου τὸ μάθημα, οὐδὲ λόγιος ὁμοίως ἀνθρωπίνοις τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς ἀθανασίας πιθανῶς καὶ ἐξ εἰκότων συντάττων, αὐτῷ δὲ ἔργῳ τὰ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου ἐπεδείκνυ αὐτοῖς τρόπαια.
15.9
9. Such was the first and greatest reason of our Saviour’s conflict with the power of death, whereby he proved to his disciples the nothingness of that which is the terror of all mankind, and afforded a visible evidence of the reality of that life which he had promised; presenting as it were a first-fruit of our common hope, of future life and immortality in the presence of God.
πρώτη μὲν οὑν αὕτη καὶ μεγίστη αἰτία τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου παρατάξεως· τὸν γοῦν φοβερὸν τοῖς πᾶσι θάνατον τοῖς αὐτοῦ φοιτηταῖς τὸ μηδὲν ὄντα ἐδείκνυ, καὶ τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην πρὸς αὐτοῦ ζωὴν τοῖς αὐτῶν ἀφθαλμοῖς δέ ἐναργοῦς ὄψεως παρίστη, ἀπαρχὴν τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν ἐλπίδος ζωῆς τε τῆς παρὰ θεῷ καὶ ἀθανασίας αὐτὴν ἐκείνην πεποιημένος.
10 δευτέρα δ' ἂν εἴη αἰτία τῆς ἀναβιώσεως τῆς ἐν σώματι κατοι- κησάσης ἐνθέου δυνάμεως ἔνδειξις. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ πρότερον τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου νενικημένους ἄνδρας θνητοὺς ἐθείαζον ἅνθρωποι, ἥρωάς τε καὶ θεοὺς ὠνόμαζον τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου κεκρατημέ- νους, κἀκεῖ εἰκότως ἑαυτὸν ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας ἔφηνεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, κρείττονα θανάτου φύσιν ἀνθρώποις δεικνύς, καὶ τὸ μὲν θνητὸν μετὰ τὴν λύσιν ἐπὶ τὴν δευτέραν ζωὴν ἄγων, τρόπαιον δὲ ἀθανασίας κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς πᾶσι παρέχων ὁρᾶν. καὶ μόνον τοῦτον ἐν θανάτῳ θεὸν ἀληθῆ εἶναι διδάσκων ὁμολογεῖν τὸν τὰ βραβεῖα τῆς κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκης ἀναδησάμενον.
ἔχοιμ' ἄν σοι καὶ τρίτην ὑπογράφειν αἰτίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου θανάτου.
15.10
10. The second cause of his resurrection was, that the Divine power might be manifested which dwelt in his mortal body. Mankind had heretofore conferred Divine honors on men who had yielded to the power of death, and had given the titles of gods and heroes to mortals like themselves. For this reason, therefore, the Word of God evinced his gracious character, and proved to man his own superiority over death, recalling his mortal body to a second life, displaying an immortal triumph over death in the eyes of all, and teaching them to acknowledge the Author of such a victory to be the only true God, even in death itself.
15.11
11. I may allege yet a third cause of the Saviour’s death. He was the victim offered to the Supreme Sovereign of the universe for the whole human race: a victim consecrated for the need of the human race, and for the overthrow of the errors of demon worship. For as soon as the one holy and mighty sacrifice, the sacred body of our Saviour, had been slain for man, to be as a ransom for all nations, heretofore involved in the guilt of impious superstition, thenceforward the power of impure and unholy spirits was utterly abolished, and every earth-born and delusive error was at once weakened and destroyed.
ἱερεῖον ἧν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ γένους ἀναπεμπόμενον τῷ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ , ἱερεῖον ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν άνθρώπων ἀγἐλης καθιερούμενα, ἱερεῖον δαιμονικῆς πλάνης ἀποτρόπαιον. ἱερείου δῆτα ἑνὸς καὶ μεγάλου θύματος, τοῦ πανιέρου σώματος τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους σφαγιασθέντος καὶ πάντων Μνῶν τῶν πρὶν ἀσεβείᾳ δαιμονικῆς πλάνης ἐνεσχημένων ἀντίψυχον ἀνενεχθέντος, πᾶσα λοιπὸν ἡ τῶν ἀνάγνων καὶ ἀνιέρων δαιμόνων
δύναμις καθῄρητο, ἐλέλυτό τε καὶ παρεῖτο αὐτίκα δυνάμει κρείττονι πᾶσα γεώδης καὶ ἀπατηλὸς πλάνη.
15.12
12. Thus, then, this salutary victim taken from among themselves, I mean the mortal body of the Word, was offered on behalf of the common race of men. This was that sacrifice delivered up to death, of which the sacred oracles speak: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” And again, as follows: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb.” They declare also the cause, saying: “He bears our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction. But he was wounded on account of our sins, and bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his bruises we were healed. All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in this way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins.”
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων σωτήριον θῦμα, αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου σωματικὸν ὄργανον, ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλης καθιεροῦτο, καὶ τοῦτ᾿ ἄρα ἦν τὸ τῷ θα- νάτῳ παραβεβλημένον σφάγιον, περὶ οὗ λόγων ἱερῶν βοῶσι φωναί, τοτὲ μὲν ὧδέ πη λέrουσαι· „ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου,“ τοτὲ δὲ ὧδε προαναφωνοῦσαι· „ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφω- νος,ι“ καὶ τό γε αἴτιον διδάσκουσιν ἐπιλέγουσαί· „οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρ- τίας ἡμῶν φέρει, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται. καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν πληγῇ καὶ ἐν κακώσει, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐμαλακίσθη διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν. τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν. τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἐπλανήθη. καὶ κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν.“
15.13
13. Such were the causes which led to the offering of the human body of the Word of God. But forasmuch as he was the great high priest, consecrated to the Supreme Lord and King, and therefore more than a victim, the Word, the Power, and the Wisdom of God; he soon recalled his body from the grasp of death, presented it to his Father as the first-fruit of our common salvation, and raised this trophy, a proof at once of his victory over death and Satan, and of the abolition of human sacrifices, for the blessing of all mankind.
τὸ μὲν οὖν ὄργανον τὸ ἀνθρώπειον τοῦ θείου λόγου διὰ ταύτας καθιεροῦτο ροῦτο τὰς αἐτίας, οὗτος δὲ ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ τῷ πανηγεμόνι καὶ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ ἱερωμένος, ἕτερος ὢν παρὰ τὸ ἱερεῖον, θεοῦ λόγος, θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία, τὸ θνητὸν οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἀνεκαλεῖτο τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ τοῦτο τῷ πατρὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας τὴν ἀπαρχὴν παρίστη, τρόπαιον ἐπινίκιον κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς δαιμονικῆς παρατάξεως τῶν τε πάλαι συντελουμένων ἀνθρωποθυσιῶν ἀποτρόπαιον τοῦτο ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀνεγείρας.