Solomon condemns luxury; Eustathius' living tomb
Chrysostom is arguing that martyrdom is determined by intention, and he has just introduced Solomon as a witness who called the dead blessed; now he quotes Solomon's own account of his luxury and applies it to Eustathius' exile and enduring memory.
Every form of luxury came his way, and he devised all kinds of diversions. He discovered varied and manifold forms of enjoyment, and as he described them he said: “I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards, I made for myself gardens and parks, I made for myself pools of water, I acquired male and female slaves, and home-born slaves became mine. I possessed herds and flocks. I gathered silver and gold equal to sand. I made for myself male and female singers, male and female cupbearers” (Ecclesiastes 2:4-8). What then did this same man say after such abundance of wealth, possessions, luxury, and ease? “I counted the dead blessed above the living,” he said, “and better than both is the one who has not yet come into being” (Ecclesiastes 4:2). Truly this man is a trustworthy accuser of luxury, since he passes such a judgment on it. If someone who had lived in poverty and want had brought this verdict against luxury, he would seem to accuse it not from truth but from inexperience. But when the man who explored all of it and searched out every one of its paths dishonors it, the accusation is beyond suspicion.
Perhaps you think our discourse has wandered from the present subject. But if we pay attention, we will find that what has been said is closely tied to it. For in commemorations of martyrs it is necessary and fitting to stir up words about the virtuous life as well. And we say these things not to accuse the present life—God forbid—but to discredit luxury. For living is not evil, but living carelessly and without purpose is.
If someone lives this present life with good deeds and the hope of the good things to come, he will be able to say with Paul, “To live in the flesh is far better; for this is the fruit of work” (Philippians 1:22). This is what happened with the blessed Eustathius, who used both his life and his death as he ought. For he endured this not on his own soil but on foreign soil, for Christ's sake. This was the achievement of his enemies. They drove him from his homeland as if to dishonor him, but he became more brilliant and more distinguished by his removal into exile, as the outcome of events proved. So great was his distinction that although his body was buried in Thrace, his memory blooms among us every day. The tomb is in that barbarian place, but the longing is here among us, separated by so great a distance, and after so much time it grows with each passing day. Or rather, to speak the truth, his tomb is also among us, not only in Thrace. For the memorials of the saints are not coffins, chests, pillars, and inscriptions, but achievements of deeds, zeal for the faith, and a conscience sound before God. This church has risen up as a monument to the martyr more brilliant than any pillar, bearing inscriptions that are not silent but proclaim his memory and his splendor through the very facts more loudly than a trumpet. And each one of you here present is that saint's tomb—a living and spiritual tomb. For if I unfold the conscience of each one of you here present, I find this holy man dwelling within your mind.
Greek
Ἅπαν γὰρ εἶδος ἐπῆλθε τρυφῆς, καὶ ψυχαγωγίας παντοδαποὺς ἐπενόησε τρόπους, καὶ ποικίλας καὶ πολυτρόπους τέρψεων εὗρεν ἰδέας, καὶ ταύτας δι ηγούμενος ἔλεγεν· Ὠκοδόμησά μοι οἴκους, ἐφύτευσά μοι ἀμπελῶνας, ἐποίησά μοι κήπους καὶ παραδείσους, ἐποίησά μοι κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων, ἐκτησάμην δούλους καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ οἰκογενεῖς ἐγένοντό μοι· κτῆσις βουκολίων καὶ ποιμνίων ἐγένετό μοι· συνήγαγον ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον ἴσα ψάμμῳ· ἐποίησά μοι ᾄδοντας καὶ ᾀδούσας, οἰνοχόους καὶ οἰνοχοούσας. Τί οὖν ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος μετὰ τοσαύτην περιουσίαν τῶν χρημάτων, τῶν κτη μάτων, τῆς τρυφῆς, τῆς ἀνέσεως; Ἐμακάρισα, φησὶ, τοὺς ἀποθανόντας ὑπὲρ τοὺς ζῶντας, καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ τούτους ὅστις οὔπω ἐγένετο. Ὄντως ἀξιόπιστος οὗτος κατήγορος τρυφῆς, ὁ τοιαῦτα περὶ αὐτῆς ψηφιζόμενος. Εἰ μὲν γάρ τις τῶν ἐν πενίᾳ καὶ πτωχείᾳ βεβιωκότων ταύτην ἐξέφερε τὴν ψῆφον κατὰ τῆς τρυφῆς, ἔδοξεν ἂν οὐκ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλ' ἀπειρίᾳ ταῦτα κατηγορεῖν· ὅταν δὲ ὁ πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἐπελθὼν καὶ διερευνησάμενος αὐτῆς ἑκάστην ὁδὸν, οὗτος αὐ τὴν ἀτιμάζῃ, ἀνύποπτος ἡ κατηγορία λοιπόν. Τάχα νομίζετε τῆς παρούσης ὑποθέσεως ἡμῖν ἐκπεπτωκέναι τὸν λόγον· ἀλλ' εἴπερ προσέχωμεν, εὑρήσομεν, ὅτι ταύτης μάλιστα ἔχεται τὰ εἰρημένα. Ἐν γὰρ μαρτύρων μνείαις ἀναγκαῖον καὶ ἀκόλουθον, καὶ τοὺς περὶ φιλοσοφίας κινεῖν λόγους. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγομεν οὐ τῆς παρούσης κατηγοροῦντες ζωῆς, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ τὴν τρυφὴν διαβάλλοντες· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ζῇν κακὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἰκῆ καὶ ἁπλῶς ζῇν. βʹ. Ὡς ἐάν τις ἐπὶ κατορθώμασι καὶ τῇ τῶν μελλόν των ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδι τὸν παρόντα ζήσῃ βίον, δυνήσεται κατὰ Παῦλον λέγειν, ὅτι Τὸ ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ πολλῷ κρεῖσσον· τοῦτο γὰρ καρπὸς ἔργου· καθά περ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου γέγονεν Εὐσταθίου, ὃς καὶ τῇ ζωῇ καὶ τῇ τελευτῇ πρὸς τὸ δέον ἐχρήσατο. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας γῆς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας ταύτην ὑπέμεινε διὰ τὸν Χριστόν· τοῦτο τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὸ κατόρθωμα. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ τῆς πατρίδος αὐτὸν ἐξήλασαν ὡς ἀτιμάζοντες· ὁ δὲ λαμπρότερος ἐγίνετο μᾶλλον καὶ περιφανέστερος τῇ πρὸς τὴν ὑπερορίαν μεταστάσει, ὡς καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ τέλος ἀπέδειξε. Τοσαύτη γὰρ ἡ περιφάνεια γέγονεν, ὡς τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ταφέντος ἐν Θρᾴκῃ, τὴν μνήμην αὐτοῦ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρ' ἡμῖν ἀν θεῖν, καὶ τὸν μὲν τάφον εἶναι ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ βαρβα ρικῷ χωρίῳ, τὸν δὲ πόθον παρ' ἡμῖν, τοῖς ἐκ τοσού του ἀπειργομένοις διαστήματος, μετὰ χρόνον τοσοῦ τον καθ' ἑκάστην αὔξεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν· μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ χρὴ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, καὶ ὁ τάφος αὐτοῦ παρ' ἡμῖν, οὐκ ἐν Θρᾴκῃ μόνον. Μνήματα γὰρ ἁγίων οὐ σοροὶ, καὶ λάρνακες, καὶ στῆλαι, καὶ γράμματα, ἀλλ' ἔρ γων κατορθώματα, καὶ πίστεως ζῆλος, καὶ συνειδὸς πρὸς Θεὸν ὑγιές. Καὶ γὰρ πάσης στήλης λαμπροτέρα ἀνέστηκεν αὕτη ἡ Ἐκκλησία τῷ μάρτυρι, γράμματα ἔχουσα οὐκ ἄφωνα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν λαμπρότερον σάλπιγγος βοῶντα τὴν ἐκείνου μνήμην καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα, καὶ ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῶν παρ όντων τοῦ ἁγίου τάφος ἐστὶν ἐκείνου, τάφος ἔμψυχος καὶ πνευματικός. Ἂν γὰρ ἀναπτύξω τὸ συνειδὸς ἑκάστου τῶν παρόντων ὑμῶν, εὑρίσκω τὸν ἅγιον τοῦτον ἔνδον τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν ἐνδιαιτώμενον.