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you saved, O Lord, with a merciful spirit, and you healed his wound from the stake with your own, by the name of Christ you cleansed all his pains— for his sake the whole man-slaying earth is made to shine, the heaven is stretched out, and the earth is fixed, waters are poured forth, and the whole starting line knows you alone as king, the all-ruling; come, save your handmaid with your mighty will, and may dread reproach not conquer me; for your sake, worker of immortal deeds, I wish to remain patiently a very chaste virgin. For from my heart, O best one, I have exceedingly loved you, Jesus, my much-praised master; for you lit a blazing torch of longing for you, and placed it in my spirit. Therefore, now, may you never subdue your handmaid under the hand of the adversary, the hateful one, the lawless, the anti-god, nor let me, blessed one, transgress your oracles, but ward off the sinful conspirator, the terrible sophist.” Thus she, declaring each of these things, quickly armed her own body with the seal of God, and immediately drove out the loathsome demon by the name of Christ; and she sent him forth utterly dishonored. He with great shame went into the presence of the magus. And Cyprian asked the demon: “Where is she, whom I ordered you to bring here as quickly as possible?” The adversary spoke: “Do not question me about all things clearly; for I was greatly terrified, having perceived a fearful sign.” But the magus, smiling, confident in his harsh deeds, summoned again another mischievous Beliar. And he spoke to Cyprian: “I have learned your command and also this one’s weakness; whence my father sent me as a helper for your griefs.” And the magus, rejoicing, quickly spoke: “Take this, O demon; moisten the whole house of the chaste virgin with a potion. And I am coming after you; and I think I will persuade her quickly.” And he departed. But the most revered, modest virgin, in the middle of the night, to the Lord sent up a prayer, uttering these things from her mouth: “In the middle of the night, rising from my bed, I will recount, most glorious one, the sins which I have committed, in the presence of your righteousness and true judgment. O ruler of parents, abundant giver of mercy, lawgiver of the ethereal and helper of the heavenly, whom the earth trembles before; and of the destructive anti-god who most shamefully destroyed his might, and of father Abraham received the sacrifice as if a great hecatomb; who cast down Bel and killed the dragon and through your pious servant Daniel taught all the nations of the Persians your divinity; who through Christ your beloved Son, well ordered all things and kindled a light upon the earth; who brought the dead back to the light after their fate; I beseech you, Lord, do not let me fall upon evils, but guard my body, Lord, ever unharmed and grant me the burning torch of virginity, so that I may behold the bridal chamber with my betrothed, Christ, and I will repay the covenants which I undertook; for his is the power and honor together with glory. Amen.” Thus she prayed for each of these things, but the demon, on account of arrogance, fled dejected with shame. And coming before the magus, he stood by, and Cyprian asked: “Tell me, demon, where is she, the maiden whom I ordered you to bring.” And he answered: “Indeed, a sign has mightily conquered me, which I have seen, dreadful enough for all, exceedingly strong, not to be yielded to.” But Cyprian called another, a mightier one, who ruled over all and was the father of the dark-faced ones. To him he said: “Have you, being of no account, yielded, you weakling?” But he answered boldly: “I am bringing that maiden to you now, so be very ready.” And Cyprian replied: “Tell me a sign, that having accomplished it you may be within victory.” And he said: “First I agitate her limbs with fevers; but when after the sixth day I have again amazed her, during the night I shall bring her most ready to you.” And so coming insolently, standing over the chaste virgin, like another maiden in appearance and dress, he sat on the bed, and deceitfully brought up a speech: “I have come, with you from this very dawn to delight in lovely virginity, since indeed Christ the Lord sent me forth, that he might thus perfect me. But, dear friend, tell me this: how great is the prize of lovely virginity and how great a reward is extended— for indeed I see you with the dead ones

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ἐσάωσας, ἄναξ, ἐλεήμονι θυμῷ, κείνου δὲ σκόλοπι πληγὴν τεῷ ἐξακέσαο, Χριστοῦ ἐπωνυμίῃ πάντ' ἄλγεα τοῦδε καθήρας- τοῦδε γὰρ εἵνεκα πᾶσα φαείνεται ἀνδροφόρος γῆ, οὐρανὸς ἐκτετάνυσται, ἀτὰρ χθὼν ἠρήρεισται, ὕδατα δὲ προχέονται, ὅλη δέ σε μοῦνον ἄνακτα βαλβὶς παντομέδοντα ἐπίσταται-· ἐλθέ, σάωσον σῇ κρατερῇ βουλῇ δμωὴν σέο, μὴ δέ με δεινὸς μῶμος νικήσῃ· σεῦ γὰρ χάριν, ἀφθιτοεργέ, ἠνεκέως μενέμεν ἐθέλω μάλα παρθένος ἁγνή. κηρόθι γάρ σε, φέριστε, λίην ἀγάπαζον, Ἰησοῦ, δέσποτά μευ πολύαινε· σὺ γὰρ πυρσὸν φλεγέθοντα σεῖο ποθῆς πύρσευσας, ἐμῷ δ' ἐνεθήκαο θυμῷ. τὼ νῦν μή ποτε σὴν δμωὴν δαμάσῃς ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἀντιβίου, στυγεροῖο, ἀθεσμίου, ἀντιθέοιο, μηδὲ παρ' ἐξ ἐλθεῖν με, μάκαρ, σέο θέσφατ' ἐάσῃς, ἀλλ' ἀπάλαλκ' ἀλίτην συνθήμονα, αἰνοσοφιστήν.» ὣς ἡ μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα πιφαυσκομένη, ἑὸν αἶψα σῶμα θεοῦ σφρηγῖδι κορυσσαμένη, βδελυρωπὸν αὐτίκα δαίμονα σεῦεν ἐπωνυμίῃ Χριστοῖο· καὶ τὸν μὲν προέηκεν ἀτίμητον μάλα πάγχυ. ὃς δὲ σὺν αἴσχεϊ πολλῷ ἔβη κατ' ἐνῶπα μάγοιο. δαίμονα Κυπριανὸς δ' εἰρώτεε· «ποῖ πέλει αὕτη, ἥν σοι ἐγὼ κελόμην δεῦρ' ἀξέμεν ὅττι τάχιστα;» ἔννεπε δ' ἀντίπαλος· «σάφα πάντα σὺ μήτι μετάλλα· ἦ γὰρ ἐγὼ φοβερὸν περιδείδια σῆμα νοήσας.» μειδήσας δὲ μάγος, χαλεποῖς ἔργοισι πεποιθώς, κίκλησκεν πάλιν ἄλλον ἀταρτηρὸν Βελίαρον. Κυπριανῷ δ' ἀγόρευε· «μάθον καὶ σεῖο ἀνωγὴν καὶ τοῦδ' αὖ κακότητα· ὅθεν γενέτης μ' ἀνέπεμπε σῶν ἀχέων ἐπαρωγόν.» ὁ δ' αἶψα μάγος κεχαρηὼς ἔννεπε· «τῆ τόδε, δαῖμον· ὅλον δῶ παρθένου ἁγνῆς φαρμάκῳ ἐγκατάδευσον. ἐγὼ δ' ὄπιθεν σέο βαίνω· πείσειν δ' αἶψ' ὀίω μιν.» ὁ δ' ᾤχετο. σεπτοτάτη δὲ παρθένος αἰδοίη νυκτὸς κατὰ μέσσον ἄνακτι εὐχωλὴν ἀνέπεμπε, τάδ' ἐκ στομάτων προϊεῖσα· «μεσσατίην κατὰ νύκτα ἐμῶν λεχέων ἀνόρουσα ἐξερέειν, κύδιστε, ἁμαρτάδας, ἅς περ ἔτευξα, εὐδικίης κατ' ἐνῶπα τεῆς, κρίσεως δέ τ' ἀληθοῦς. ὦ κρατέων γενετῶν, ἐλεητύος ἄφθονε δωτήρ, αἰθερίων νομοδῶτα καὶ οὐρανίων ἐπίκουρε, ὃν γαίη τρομέει· καὶ ἀντιθέου ὀλοοῖο ὃς μένος αἰσχίστως ὀλέσας, γενέτου Ἀβραὰμ δὲ δεξάμενος θυσίην ὡσεὶ μεγάλην ἑκατόμβην· ὃς Βῆλον κατέριψας ἐπί τε δράκοντα κατέκτας καὶ διὰ σοῦ θεράποντος ἐυσεβέος ∆ανιήλου Περσῶν ἔθνεα πάντα τεὴν θεότητα δίδαξας· ὃς διὰ τηλυγέτου Χριστοῦ, σέο παιδός, ἅπαντα εὖ διακοσμήσας καὶ ἐν χθονὶ φέγγος ἀνάψας· ὃς νέκυας μετὰ πότμον ὑπότροπον ἐς φάος ἦξας· λίσσομ', ἄναξ, σέο, μή με κακοῖς ἐπιβήμεν' ἐάσῃς, ἀλλά γ' ἐμεῖο φύλαξον, ἄναξ, δέμας αἰὲν ἀπῆμον δᾷδά τε παρθενίης γε παράσχεό μοι ζείουσαν, ὄφρα σὺν ἡμετέρῳ μνηστῷ νυμφῶνα κατείδω, Χριστῷ, συνθεσίας δ' ἀποτίσομαι, ἅς περ ὑπέστην· αὐτοῦ γὰρ κράτος ἐστὶ γέρας θ' ἅμα κύδεϊ. ἀμήν.» ὣς ἡ μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα λιτάζετο, αὐτὰρ ὁ δαίμων εἵνεκ' ἀγηνορίης σὺν αἴσχεϊ φεῦγε κατηφής. ἐλθὼν δ' ἄντα μάγοιο παρίστατο, Κυπριανὸς δὲ εἴρετο· «ἔννεπε, δαῖμον, ὅποι πέλει, ἣν κελόμην σε ἄξειν παρθενικήν.» ὁ δ' ἀμείβετο· «ἦ μάλα δή με νίκησε κρατερῶς σημήιον, ὅττι δέδορκα, φρικτὸν ἅδην πάντεσσιν, ὑπέρβιον, οὐχ ὑποεικτόν.» αὐτὰρ ὁ Κυπριανὸς κάλεσε κρατερώτερον ἄλλον, ὃς πάντων ἤνασσε καὶ ἦν γενέτης μελανώπων. τῷ δ' ἔφατ'· «οὐτιδανὸς σὺ πέλων ὑπόειξας, ἀφαυρέ;» ὃς δέ γε θαρσαλέως ἀπαμείβετο· «ἄρτι κομίζω κείνην παρθενικήν σοι, ἑτοιμότατος δὲ μάλ' ἔσσο.» Κυπριανὸς δ' ἀπάμειπτο· «ἐμοὶ σημήιον εἰπέ, ὅττι τελεσσάμενος νίκης ἔντοσθε γένηαι.» ὃς δ' ἔφατο· «πρῶτον κλονέω μέλεα πυρετοῖσιν· αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ μετὰ ἕκτον ἐγὼν ἦμαρ πάλι κείνην θάμβησα, κατὰ νύκτα ἑτοιμοτάτην σοι ἀγεινῶ.» καί ῥ' ἐλθὼν ἀσύφηλος, ἐπιστὰς παρθένῳ ἁγνῇ παρθενικῆς ἑτέρης εἶδος καὶ εἵμαθ' ὁμοῖος, ἐν λεχέεσσι καθῆστο, δόλῳ δ' ἀνενείκατο μῦθον· «ἦλθον ἐγώ, μετὰ σεῖο ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆσδέ κεν ἠοῦς παρθενίῃ ἐρατῇ ἐπιτερπομένη, ἐπεὶ ἦ με Χριστὸς ἄναξ προΐηλεν, ὅπως κέ με ὧδε τελέσσῃ. ἀλλά, φίλη, τόδε λέξον ἐμοί· πόσον ἐστὶν ἔπαθλον παρθενίης ἐρατῆς καὶ μισθὸς ὅσος τετάνυσται- καὶ γὰρ δή σ' ὁρόω ἀλιβάντεσιν