Considerations Of Saffron

Nάρδος καὶ κρόκος κάλαμος καὶ κιννάμωμον μετὰ πάντων ξύλων τοῦ Λιβάνου σμύρνα αλωθ μετὰ πάντων πρώτων μύρων Ὑπόλοιπον δ’ ἂν εἴη τοῦ κρόκου τὸ αἴνιγμα παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ. Φασὶ μὲν οὖν οἱ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἄνθους τούτου κατανοήσαντες μέσως ἔχειν ψύξεώς τε καὶ θερμότητος καὶ τῷ φεύγειν τὴν ἐφ’ ἑκάτερον ἀμετρίαν παρηγορικὴν τῶν ὀδυνῶν ἔχειν τὴν δύναμιν, ὡς διὰ τούτου τάχα τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡμῖν λόγον φιλοσοφεῖν τῷ αἰνίγματι, διότι πᾶσα ἀρετὴ δύο κακιῶν ἐστι μέση, τῆς τε ἐλλείψεως τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς ὑπερπτώσεως. Oἷον τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἢ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν φασί, τὴν μὲν δειλίας τε καὶ θρασύτητος, τὴν δὲ μικρολογίας τε καὶ ἀσωτίας ἐν μέσῳ θεωρεῖσθαι· καὶ τὴν μὲν δειλίαν τε καὶ μικρολογίαν κατ’ ἔλλειψιν τοῦ καθήκοντος ἐν κακίᾳ λέγουσι γίνεσθαι, τὴν δὲ ἀσωτίαν καὶ τὴν θρασύτητα κατὰ πλεονασμὸν καὶ ὑπέρπτωσιν, τῆς δὲ καθ’ ἑκάτερον ἀμετρίας τὸ μέσον ἀρετὴν ὀνομάζουσιν. Oὐκοῦν ἔχοι ἄν τι πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁ περὶ τοῦ κρόκου λόγος ἀκόλουθον τῇ τῆς δυνάμεως μεσότητι τὸ ἀνελλιπές τε καὶ τὸ ἀπέριττον τῆς ἐναρέτου καταστάσεως ἑρμηνεύων, ἐγὼ δέ φημι, κἂν ἰδιωτικώτερον ᾖ τὸ λεγόμενον, τάχα μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸν τῆς πίστεως λόγον οἰκειότερον τὸ αἴνιγμα τοῦ κρόκου παραλαμβάνεσθαι· τριπλῷ μὲν γὰρ ὑποτρέφεται τὸ ἄνθος τῷ κάλυκι καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κάλυξ ἐν ἀεροειδεῖ τῇ χρόᾳ ἄνθος ἐστίν, ἐκδυθείσης δὲ τῆς τῶν καλύκων περιβολῆς τρία εὑρίσκεται πάντως τὰ εὐπνοοῦντα καὶ χρησιμεύοντα πρὸς τὰς ἰάσεις ἄνθη τὰ ὑποκεκρυμμένα τοῖς κάλυξι, μεγέθει καὶ κάλλει καὶ εὐπνοίᾳ καὶ τῇ τῆς δυνάμεως ἰδιότητι ὡσαύτως πρὸς ἄλληλα ἔχοντα καὶ ἓν τὰ τρία διὰ πάντων δεικνύμενα εὐχροίᾳ τε, καθὼς εἴρηται, καὶ εὐπνοίᾳ καὶ τῷ ποιῷ τῆς δυνάμεως. Oἷς συμπαραπέφυκεν ἕτερα τρία, ξανθὰ μὲν ἰδεῖν ἄποια δὲ πρὸς πᾶσαν ὑγιεινὴν εὐχρηστίαν. Περὶ ἃ γίνεται τοῖς ἀπείροις ἡ πλάνη τοῖς διὰ τὴν εὔχροιαν τὸ νόθον δρεπομένοις ἀντὶ τοῦ κρείττονος. Ὅπερ καὶ νῦν ποιοῦσιν οἱ περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐξαμαρτάνοντες τὰς σεσοφισμένας ἀπάτας πρὸ τῶν ὑγιεινῶν δογμάτων αἱρούμενοι. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος Νύσσης, Ἐξηγησις Του Αἰσματος Των Ἀσμάτων, Ὁμιλία θʹ Source: Migne PG 44.969d-972c

Nard and saffron, sweet cane and cinnamon, with all the trees of Lebanon, myrrh and aloes with all the best perfumes. 1 What remains is to express in words the mystery of saffron. Those who have acquired some understanding of the power of this flower say that it is a mean between cold and heat, and that because of its avoidance of extremes to which the latter incline it has the power of easing pain. Perhaps, then, because of this, one can use the mystery of saffron to philosophize on virtue, that is, that every virtue is a mean between the two evils of falling short of the good and of exceeding it. 2 Courage and liberality, they say, are to be understood as the means between terror and recklessness and miserliness and prodigality, and they say that because terror and miserliness fall short of what is right they are evils, and prodigality and recklessness are evils because they exceed and exaggerate what is right, and thus they name virtue as the mean between each extreme. Therefore what is said of saffron may have analogy with virtue and because the power of saffron produces a median state thus interpret for us the lack of defect and excess in the condition of virtue. But as inexperienced as my speech may be, I say that it perhaps may be more correct to consider that the mystery of saffron touches on the understanding of faith, for this flower is nourished with a threefold corolla and it is the colour of the sky, and when the cover of these outer petals are removed, three flowers which were previously hidden by the petals are revealed, which are replete with fragrance and useful for healing, and which flowers are similar in size and fairness and fragrance and special power, and the three are one in all things, in the freshness of appearance, and as said, in fragrance and in special power. Then another three grow with them, yellow to the eye, but without any power of healing. And concerning these error besets those who are inexperienced, for they pluck what is inferior instead of what is better because of the attractive hue. And even now those who err regarding the faith do this by taking hold of clever deceits rather than the teachings which restore health. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary on The Song of Songs, from Homily 9 1 Song 4.14 2 Aristotle, Nic Eth 1107a