Διαπεινῶμεν ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ πῦρ

[sc. This is said] contrary to expectation. As if he said 'we always drink by the fire'; but he said 'we go hungry' instead.¹ For during winter drinks are taken by the fire. But he spoke this way because of the famine;² in other words 'we go hungry extremely', so that we also take off our cloaks and sit by the fire because of the cold. Or 'we are ardently and unusually hungry', which is even better.