Methodius of Olympus, Banquet of the Ten Virgins Discourse 9
For this reason I declare that those who are eager for the contests and exercise great wisdom should especially hasten to possess and honor purity as the most beneficial and approved virtue. In the new and painless creation, whoever is not found adorned with the branches of purity will not attain rest, because they have not fulfilled God's command according to the law; nor will they sojourn in the land of promise, since they have not first celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. Only those who have celebrated the tabernacle are led into the holy land: they depart from the so-called tabernacles and continue until they reach the temple and the city of God, advancing to greater and more glorious joy, just as the types that occurred among the Jews also show. For just as the Israelites, after leaving the borders of Egypt, journeyed first to the tabernacles and then, departing from there, entered the promised land, so it is with us. Having journeyed from here and departed from this present life as from Egypt, I come first to the resurrection, the true tabernacle, and there I pitch my tent, adorned with the fruits of virtue, on the first day of the resurrection feast, the day of judgment. On that day I celebrate with Christ the millennium of rest — the so-called seven days, the true Sabbaths. Then, following Jesus who has passed through the heavens, I come again to the promised land, the heavens, just as they did after the rest of the tabernacle — not remaining in tabernacles, which means my mortal body does not remain as it is, but after the millennium is transformed from human frailty and corruption into angelic magnitude and beauty. From that wondrous tent, O virgins, once the feast of resurrection is completed, we proceed to greater and better things, ascending into the very house of God above the heavens, with a voice of rejoicing and the sound of confession, celebrating as the psalmist says (Psalm 42:4). Accordingly, O Arete, I gift you with this robe according to my own power.
EUOULIS: I am deeply anxious, Gregory, as I consider what turmoil Domnina must now be in — her heart troubled and fearing she may be at a loss for words and utter something inferior to the other virgins, after so many varied things have already been spoken on the subject. If it is clear that she has been moved, then come, let this also be brought to completion; for I wonder whether, having been called last, she has anything left to say.
GREGORY: 'She was indeed troubled, Euboulis, and very much so,' Theopatra told me, 'but not at a loss for words.' After Arete fixed her gaze on her and said, 'Come, daughter, give your speech, that we may fulfill the banquet completely.'
Greek
Διὰ τοῦτο πάντων μάλιστα τοὺς τῶν ἀγώνων ἐφιεμένους καὶ μεγάλῃ φρονήσει χρωμένους τὴν ἁγνείαν ἀμελλητί φημι εῖν καὶ τιμᾶν ὡς ὠφελιμωτάτην καὶ ἐπίδοξον. ἐν γὰρ τῇ καινῇ καὶ ἀλύπῳ κτίσει, ὅς ἂν ἁγνείας μὴ εὑρεθῇ κλάδοις κέκοσμημένος, οὐ τεύξεται τῆς ἀναπαύσεως, μὴ πληρώσας τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν νόμον, οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐπιδημήσει τῆς ἀπαγγελίας, μὴ ἑορτάσας πρῶτον τὰς σκηνάς. οἱ γὰρ ἑορτάσαντας μόνοι τὴν σκηνοπηγίαν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν καταίρουσαι γῆν, ἀπάραντες ἀπὸ τῶν καλουμένων σκηνῶν ἔστ' ἂν εἰς τὸν νεὼν φθάσωσιν ἐλθεῖν καὶ τὴν πόλιν τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰς τὴν μείζονα καὶ ἐνδοξοτέραν προκόψαντες χαράν, καθὼς καὶ οἱ τύποι συνιστᾶσιν οἱ γεγονότες ἐπὶ Ἰουδαίων. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐξελθόντες τῶν ὅρων ἐκείνων τῆς Αἰγύπτου ὥδευσαν πρῶτον καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὰς σκηνὰς κἀκεῖθεν ἀπάραντες πάλιν ἦλθον εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς. ὁδεύσασα γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐξελθοῦσα κἀγὼ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τούτου τοῦ βίου, ἔρχομαι πρῶτον εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν, τὴν ἀληθινὴν σκηνοπηγίαν , κἀκεῖ τοῖς καρποῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς πήξασα τὴν σκηνήν μου κεκοσμημένην, τῇ πρώτῃ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμέρᾳ τῇ κρίσει, συνεορτάζω τῷ Χριστῶ̣ τὴν χιλιονταετηρίδα τῆς άναπαύσεως, τὰς ἑπτὰ καλουμένας ἡμέρας, τὰ σάββατα τὰ ἀληθινά. εἶτα αὐθις ἑπομένη τῷ διεληλυθότι τοὺς οὐρανοὺς« Ἰησοῦ ἔρχομαι πάλιν καθάπερ κἀκεῖνοι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν τῆς σκηνοπηγίας εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἐν σκηναῖς μὴ ἀπομείνασα, τουτέστι τοῦ σκηνώματός μου μὴ ἀπομείναντος τοιούτου, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν χιλιονταετηρίδα μεταβληθέντος ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς ἀγγελικὸν μέγεθος καὶ κάλλος· ἔνθα λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ τῆς σκηνῆς, ὦ παρθένοι, τόπου μετὰ τὸ συμπερασθῆ- ναι τὴν ἑορτὴν τῆς ἀναστάσεως εἰς τὰ μείζω καὶ κρείττω διερχόμεθα, εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτὸν ἀναβαίνουσαι τὸν ὑπὲρ τοὺς οὐρανούς »τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ἤχους ἑορτάζοντος«, καθώς φησιν ὁ ψαλμῳδός. Τούτῳ κἀγώ, ὦ Ἀρετή, κατὰ τὴν ἐμαυτῆς, δέσποινα, δύναμιν δωροῦμαί σε τῷ πέπλῳ. ΒΥΒΟΥΛ. Λίαν ἀγωνιῶ, ὦ Γρηγόριον, κατ' ἐμαυτὴν ἐννοουμένη έν ὁποίῳ θορύβῳ νῦν ἄρα ἡ Δομνίνα ἦν, ταρασσομένης αὐτῇ τῆς καρδίας καὶ φοβουμένης μὴ ἀπορήσῃ λόγων καὶ ἐνδεέστερόν τι τῶν ἄλλων παρθένων ἀποφθέγξηται, τοσούτων ἤδη ῥηθέντων εἰς τὸ προκείμενον καὶ ποικίλων. εἰ οὐν εὔδηλος ἐγένετο κεκινημένη, φέρε καὶ τοῦτο περαίωσον· θαυμάζω γὰρ εἴ τι ἔσχεν εἰπεῖν τελευταῖα κεκληρωμένη. ΓΡΗΓΟΡ. Τεταράχθαι μὲν αὐτήν, ὠ Εὐβούλιον, καὶ σφόδρα, ἔφη μοι ἡ Θεοπάτρα, οὐ μὴν ἠπορηκέναι λόγων. μετὰ <δὲ> τὸ τὴν Τυᾶιανὴν ἡ Ἀρετὴ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς αὐτὴν ἐπιβαλοῦσα , Δεῦρο δὴ καὶ σὺ θύγατερ, ἔφη, τὸν λόγον ἀπόδος, ἴνα πληρώσωμεν ἐντελῆ την ευωχιαν.