30. The first, and most preposterous alternative, is intended to suit the capacity of his congregation; the second, to appease his own conscience that smote him for thus wantonly insulting his former benefactor.
31. Used in calculation, and which, as Polybius remarks in narrating the fate of Achaeus stand for thousands of gold pieces, or for a single copper, at the will of him that uses them. The intolerant bigotry and insolence of this Confessor, so much admired by Gregory, plainly shows that the "persecution" he complains of ought rather to be called well-merited punishment inflicted on disturbers of the public peace----the first to violate the rights of conscience.
32. Answering to the "ungula" of the Roman tribunals; Prudentius has of it: ----
"Cessit his lacerans fortiter ungula,
Nec carpsit penetralia."
33. It is very remarkable that Gregory should confound the earlier-written treatise "Against the Christians and their God" with the "Misopogon" not finished till after Julian's departure from Antioch. The quotations following prove that Gregory had read the "Misopogon," and that in its original state it contained no attack on Christianity, as some have suspected. The book "Against the Christians, &c.," appears not to have come in his way, or perhaps, he might think it prudent to ignore its existence.
34. The sth&lh was erected to proclaim the infamy of offenders, as well as to denounce curses against transgressors of certain rules therein specified. Thus sthliteu)w came to its later sense of "libelling," "exposing to ridicule." Our word "pillory" presents a curious analogy in derivation.
This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, 2003. All material on this page is in the public domain - copy freely.
Greek text is rendered using the Scholars Press SPIonic font, free from here .