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her terrible love for him increased, and the innate fire of desire consumed her heart. And indeed, planning to deceive the youth, she proceeded through all the things that deceive the eyes of the young. adorning her face like a meadow with flowers, reddening her cheeks with rouge, and whitening her forehead with white lead, and outlining her eyes with black kohl, and beautifying her neck and her hands with golden ornaments, and fumigating her soft clothing with various perfumes; and she was, in short, a death-bearing trap, through all the senses, as she thought, to deceive the youth, sight by her visible adornment, and hearing, bewitching it with flatteries, and smell, charming it with perfumes. But behold for me the courage of a noble athlete; 56.588 for I think that God allowed the temptation to be brought against the boy, so that He might both reveal a hidden virtue in a youth, and leave his life as a great lesson for the Church. For there is no good deed done by the fathers that God has not established in the Church like a pillar bearing a memorial of that life. Behold, then, for me the courage of a noble athlete, how many things were fighting against him: His own youth warred against him, pleasure tickled him from within, and the woman wrestled him from without, caressing with her promise, and flattering with her caress; the women sent to him tried to break him down, and flattery irritated his hearing and his sense; but none of these things was able to overcome him. For neither being made vain by flatteries did he give up the reins, nor being puffed up by promises did he despise temperance, nor being humbled by threats did he betray the wealth of virtues; but he bridled all the members of his body with sober reasoning. And since she was not able to deceive the youth through so many instruments at her disposal, by herself in a certain small room she secretly and violently held him for a disorderly union. It was possible, therefore, to see a very great theater, not earthly, but heavenly. For Joseph was fighting in the arena of temptation; the stadium was spread out, the contests were being completed, the trumpet sounded, the judge of the contest looked down from above on the wrestling match, and the host of angels, stooping down, watched; the demons below set forth the prizes for the Egyptian woman, and the angels above wove the crowns for Joseph; for demons ran with the Egyptian woman, and angels breathed with Joseph. Great was the contest, who would conquer whom; there was great concern for the angels about Joseph, lest perhaps the perfumes of the woman should make the youth vain, lest the soft garments, lest the glance, lest the posture, lest the gait, lest the hearing, lest the caress, lest the flattery should unnerve the youth; great was the concern for the angels, great was the hope of the demons. Joseph contended for a crown, the Egyptian woman fought for shame; the one for life, the other for death. And what sort of things were said by the Egyptian woman? Some with threats, others with flatteries; frightening the youth with threats, and bewitching him with flatteries; and with threats saying: I am your mistress, you have become mine, bought with silver; for this purpose you were sold to me; and if you should speak against it, bonds and prisons await you, and after these, an inevitable death; but if you are persuaded, honors, and bodyguards, and authority over my entire house will be given into your hand. But do you fear discovery? It is possible to escape the notice of both my husband and those in the house; only be persuaded, only agree to the deed, and you will be master of all. Hearing these things, Joseph said to the Egyptian woman: O woman, I have never been a slave; for I am a descendant of noble parents; for Abraham and Isaac, who spoke with God, have become my grandfathers, and Jacob who wrestled with an angel is my father; for which reason I also wrestle with you boldly; but I was sold to you through the envy of brothers; but it will in no way harm the nobility of my soul that

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ἐκείνης ὁ περὶ αὐτὸν δεινὸς ἔρως ἐπηύξανε, καὶ ἔμφυτον τὸ πῦρ τοῦ φίλτρου τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς διενέμετο. Καὶ δὴ ἀπατῆσαι τὸν νέον σκεπτομένη διὰ πάντων τῶν ἀπατώντων τὰς ὄψεις τῶν νέων ἐχώρει. τὴν μὲν ὄψιν ὥσπερ λειμῶνα διανθίζουσα, φύκει τὰς παρειὰς ἐρυθραίνουσα, ψιμμυθίῳ δὲ τὸ μέτωπον λευκαίνουσα, καὶ μέλανι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑπογράφουσα, χρυσέοις δὲ κόσμοις τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καλλωπίζουσα, καὶ τὴν μαλακὴν αὐτῆς ἐσθῆτα μυρίσμασι διαφόροις καπνίζουσα· καὶ ἦν ἁπλῶς παγὶς θανατηφόρος, διὰ πασῶν τῶν αἰσθήσεων, ὡς ἐνόμιζεν, ἀπατῆσαι τὸν νέον, τὴν μὲν ὄψιν ἐκ τοῦ φαινομένου καλλωπισμοῦ, τὴν δὲ ἀκοὴν ταῖς κολακείαις μαγεύουσα, τὴν δὲ ὄσφρησιν τοῖς μυρίσμασι γοητεύουσα. Ἀλλ' ὅρα μοι γενναίου ἀθλητοῦ 56.588 τὴν ἀνδρείαν· οἶμαι γὰρ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρει κατὰ τοῦ παιδὸς φέρεσθαι τὸν πειρασμὸν, ἵνα ὁμοῦ τε κρυπτομένην ἀρετὴν ἐν νέῳ φανερώσῃ, καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ παιδευτήριον μέγιστον τὸν ἐκείνου βίον καταλείψῃ. Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὑπὸ τῶν πατέρων γεγονὸς ἀγαθὸν, ὃ μὴ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὥσπερ στήλην ὑπόμνημα φέρουσαν τοῦ βίου καθίδρυσεν Θεός. Ὅρα οὖν μοι γενναίου ἀθλητοῦ τὴν ἀνδρείαν, ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ τὰ μαχόμενα· Ἡ ἰδία νεότης αὐτῷ ἐπολέμει, ἡ ἡδονὴ ἔσωθεν ἐγαργάλιζε, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἔξωθεν προσεπάλαιεν τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ θωπεύουσα, καὶ τῇ θωπείᾳ κολακεύουσα· τὰ ἐπιπεμπόμενα γύναια ἐμόχλευε, καὶ ἡ κολακεία τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν ἔκνιζεν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων κατισχῦσαι αὐτοῦ ἠδυνήθη. Οὔτε γὰρ ταῖς κολακείαις χαυνούμενος τὰς ἡνίας ἐνεδίδου, οὔτε ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις φυσώμενος κατεφρόνει τῆς σωφροσύνης, οὔτε ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς ταπεινούμενος προεδίδου τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν ἀρετῶν· ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ μόρια τῷ σώφρονι λογισμῷ ἐχαλίνου. Καὶ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη τὸν νέον διὰ τοσούτων ὀργάνων ἀπατῆσαι τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, δι' ἑαυτῆς ἐν οἰκίσκῳ τινὶ λαθραίως καὶ βιαίως κατεῖχεν αὐτὸν πρὸς ἄτακτον εὐνήν. Ἦν οὖν ἰδεῖν θέατρον μέγιστον, οὐκ ἐπίγειον, ἀλλ' οὐράνιον. Ἦν γὰρ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν τῷ σκάμματι τοῦ πειρασμοῦ μαχόμενος· τὸ στάδιον ἥπλωτο, οἱ ἀγῶνες ἐπετελοῦντο, ἡ σάλπιγξ ἐβόα, ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ἄνωθεν ἐπεῖδε τῇ πάλῃ, καὶ ὁ δῆμος τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐπικεκυφὼς ἐθεώρει· οἱ δαίμονες κάτω τὰ βραβεῖα προετίθουν τῇ Αἰγυπτίᾳ, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἄνω ἔπλεκον τῷ Ἰωσὴφ τοὺς στεφάνους· τῇ γὰρ Αἰγυπτίᾳ συνέτρεχον δαίμονες, καὶ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ συνέπνεον ἄγγελοι. Πολὺς ἦν ὁ ἀγὼν, τίς τίνα νικήσει· φροντὶς ἦν τοῖς ἀγγέλοις πολλὴ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, μή ποτε ἄρα τὰ μυρίσματα τοῦ γυναίου χαυνώσῃ τὸν νέον, μὴ τὰ μαλακὰ ἱμάτια, μὴ τὸ βλέμμα, μὴ τὸ σχῆμα, μὴ τὸ βῆμα, μὴ ἡ ἀκοὴ, μὴ ἡ θωπεία, μὴ ἡ κολακεία ἐκνευρώσῃ τὸν νέον· πολλὴ ἦν φροντὶς τοῖς ἀγγέλοις, πολλὴ ἡ ἐλπὶς τῶν δαιμόνων. Ὁ Ἰωσὴφ περὶ στεφάνου ἠγωνίζετο, ἡ Αἰγυπτία περὶ αἰσχύνης ἐμάχετο· ὁ μὲν περὶ ζωῆς, ἡ δὲ περὶ θανάτου. Καὶ οἷα ἦν τὰ ὑπὸ Αἰγυπτίας λεγόμενα; Τὰ μὲν ἐν ἀπειλαῖς, τὰ δὲ ἐν κολακείαις· ταῖς μὲν ἀπειλαῖς πτοοῦσα τὸν νέον, ταῖς δὲ κολακείαις μαγεύουσα· καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἀπειλαῖς λέγουσα· ∆έσποινά σού εἰμι, ἀργυρώνητός μου γέγονας· ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς χρείας μοι πέπρασαι· κἂν ἀντείπῃς, δεσμὰ καὶ φυλακαί σε μενοῦσι, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπαραίτητος θάνατος· ἐὰν δὲ πεισθῇς, τιμαὶ, καὶ δορυφορίαι, καὶ παντὸς τοῦ οἴκου μου ἡ ἐξουσία ἐν τῇ χειρί σου δοθήσεται. Ἀλλὰ φοβῇ τὸν ἔλεγχον; ∆υνατὸν λαθεῖν τόν τε ἄνδρα τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ· μόνον πείσθητι, μόνον σύνθου τῇ πράξει, καὶ πάντων ἔσῃ δεσπότης. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τῇ Αἰγυπτίᾳ εἶπεν· Ὦ γύναι, δοῦλος μὲν γέγονα οὐδέποτε· εὐγενῶν γὰρ γονέων εἰμὶ ἀπόγονος· Ἀβραὰμ γὰρ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ οἱ τῷ Θεῷ ὁμιλήσαντες ἐμοῦ πάπποι γεγόνασιν, Ἰακὼβ δὲ ὁ μετ' ἀγγέλου παλαίσας ἐμὸς πατήρ· δι' ὃ καὶ θαῤῥῶν σοι παλαίω· πέπραμαι δέ σοι διὰ βασκανίαν ἀδελφῶν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν βλάψει τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς μου εὐγένειαν τὸ