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not strengthened by any logical curiosity and technical intricacies, but proclaimed to all alike through simplicity of words; which, in the very fact that it is beyond proof, has its trustworthiness. For if what was said were of such a nature as to be comprehended by the power of human reasonings, it would have differed in nothing from Hellenic wisdom (for they too believe that to be, whatever they are able to comprehend), but since the comprehension of the transcendent nature is inaccessible to human reasonings, for this reason faith takes the place of reasonings, extending itself to those things that are beyond reason and comprehension.

For these reasons, just as Scripture says of Moses that he was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; so also this great man, having passed through all the education of the Greeks, and having learned by experience the weakness and inconsistency of their doctrines, became a disciple of the Gospel; and before being brought through the mystical and spiritual birth, he so ordered his life as to bring no stain of sin to the font. And while he was living in Egypt in the great city of Alexander, to which the youth from all parts, who were zealous for philosophy and medicine, flocked together; it was a difficult sight for his peers, a young man adorned with a self-control beyond his years. For the praise of the pure one was a reproach to the defiled. Therefore, so that the licentious might have some apology, in not seeming to be the only ones of such a sort, a certain scheme was devised by them out of malice, to attach some blame to the life of the great man. And a harlot is put forward by them, for his slander, a woman from a house condemned for its infamy. 46.904 And while he, as was his custom, was discussing and practicing with the select men in a serious manner concerning some matter of philosophy, the woman approaches, mincing and acting wantonly, and through all she said and did, pretending to be on familiar terms with him; then she said she was being deprived of her wages, adding shamelessly the occasions for which she blamed him for the withholding of her pay. And while those who knew his pure life were indignant and moved with anger against the woman, he was neither disturbed by those who were angry on his behalf, nor, being slandered, did he say anything such as one who is vexed would be likely to say; he did not call witnesses to his life, he did not repel the charge with an oath, he did not expose the wickedness of those who had contrived these things against him; but in a calm and steady voice, turning to one of his companions, he said, “You there, pay her the money, so that she may not, by troubling us any longer, interrupt the present serious discussion.” And when the one who was commanded had learned from the courtesan how much money she was asking from him, he readily counted it all out, and the plot of the licentious against the self-controlled man had reached its conclusion, and the gain was already in the hands of the dishonorable woman; then indeed came from God both the testimony to the young man’s self-control, and the refutation of his peers’ slander. For at the same moment she received the money in her hand, she was convulsed by a demonic spirit, and roaring with a beastly howl instead of a human voice, she fell on her face in the midst of the assembly; having suddenly become a dreadful and fearful sight to those present, with her hair dishevelled, tearing at it with her own hands, her eyes rolling back, and her mouth spewing foam. And the demon that was choking her did not release her until that great man called upon God and made supplication for her.

Such are the tales of the great man’s youth, truly worthy preludes to the life he lived afterwards. And yet the marvel is so great, that even if there were nothing else to say in addition to these things, that he was inferior to none of those who excelled in virtue, from

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δεμιᾷ λογικῇ τινι περιεργίᾳ καὶ τεχνικαῖς πλοκαῖς κρατυνόμενον, ἀλλὰ δι' ἁπλότητος ῥημάτων ὁμοτίμως πᾶσι καταγγελλόμενον· ὃς ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ὑπὲρ τὴν πί στιν εἶναι, τὸ πιστὸν ἔχει. Εἰ γὰρ τοιοῦτον ἦν τὸ λεγόμενον, ὡς τῇ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων λογισμῶν δυνάμει καταλαμβάνεσθαι, οὐδὲν ἂν τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς σοφίας διήνεγκε (κἀκεῖνοι γὰρ, ὅπερ ἂν καταλαβεῖν ἐξισχύ σωσιν, ἐκεῖνο καὶ εἶναι δοξάζουσιν), ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνεπί βατός ἐστι λογισμοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις τῆς ὑπερκειμένης φύσεως ἡ κατάληψις, τούτου χάριν ἡ πίστις ἀντὶ τῶν λογισμῶν γίνεται, τοῖς ὑπὲρ λόγον τε καὶ κατάληψιν ἑαυτὴν ἐπεκτείνουσα.

∆ιὰ ταῦτα, καθὼς περὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως φησὶν ἡ Γραφὴ, ὅτι ἐπαιδεύθη πάσῃ σοφίᾳ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων· οὕτως καὶ ὁ Μέγας οὗτος, διὰ πάσης ἐλθὼν τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων παιδεύσεως, καὶ γνοὺς τῇ πείρᾳ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς δογμάτων τὸ ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀσύστατον, μαθητὴς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καθίσταται· καὶ πρὶν ἀχθῆναι διὰ τῆς μυστικῆς τε καὶ ἀσωμάτου γεννήσεως, οὕτως κατώρθου τὸν βίον, ὡς μηδένα ῥύπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ τὸ λουτρὸν εἰσενέγκασθαι. Οὔσης δὲ αὐτῷ τῆς διαγωγῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ κατὰ τὴν μεγάλην τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου πόλιν, εἰς ἣν καὶ ἡ παντα χόθεν συνέῤῥει νεότης τῶν περὶ φιλοσοφίαν τε καὶ ἰατρικὴν ἐσπουδακότων· χαλεπὸν ἦν τοῖς ὁμήλιξι θέαμα, νέος ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡλικίαν τῇ σωφροσύνῃ κο σμούμενος. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ καθαρεύοντος ἔπαινος, τῶν μολυνομένων ὄνειδος ἦν. Ὡς ἂν οὖν ἀπολογία τις εἴη τοῖς ἀκολάστοις, τὸ μὴ μόνους αὐτοὺς εἶναι δοκεῖν τοιούτους, ἐπίνοιά τις ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς παρ' αὐτῶν ἐπ εσκευάσθη, τοῦ μῶμόν τινα τῷ βίῳ τοῦ Μεγάλου προσ τρίψασθαι. Καὶ προβάλλεται παρ' αὐτῶν, εἰς διαβο λὴν ἐκείνου, γύναιον ἑταιρικὸν, ἐξ οἰκήματος ἐπ' 46.904 ἀτιμίᾳ κατεγνωσμένον. Τοῦ δὲ, κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες, τοῖς λογάσι τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐν σεμνῷ τῷ σχήματι περί τινος τῶν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν διασκοπουμένου καὶ συνασκου μένου, πρόσεισι τὸ γύναιον ἀκκιζόμενόν τε καὶ θρυ πτόμενον, καὶ διὰ πάντων τὸ εἶναι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν συν ηθείᾳ, δι' ὧν ἐφθέγγετό τε καὶ ἐποίει, σχηματιζόμενον· εἶτα ἔλεγε τῶν μισθωμάτων ἀποστερεῖσθαι, προστιθεῖ σα καὶ τὰς ἀφορμὰς ὑπ' ἀναιδείας, ὑπὲρ ὧν ᾐτιᾶτο τὴν τῶν μισθῶν ἀποστέρησιν. Τῶν δὲ συνεγνωκότων αὐτῷ τὸν καθαρὸν βίον, ἀγανακτούντων τε καὶ ὀργῇ κατὰ τοῦ γυναίου συγκινουμένων, οὔτε συνεταράχθη τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ χαλεπαίνουσιν, οὔτε τι τοιοῦτον εἶπεν συκοφαντούμενος, οἷον εἰκὸς τὸν ἀχθόμενον· οὐ μάρ τυρας τοῦ βίου προσεκαλέσατο, οὐχ ὅρκῳ τὸν μῶμον ἀπώσατο, οὐ τὴν κακίαν τῶν ταῦτα κατ' αὐτοῦ συ σκευασαμένων διήλεγξεν· ἀλλ' ἐν ἠρεμαία τε καὶ καθεστώσῃ φωνῇ πρός τινα τῶν συνήθων ἀποστρα φεὶς, «Ὦ οὗτος,» ἔφη, «διάλυσον αὐτῇ τὸ ἀργύ ριον, ὡς ἂν μὴ διὰ πλεῖον διοχλοῦσα, τὴν προκειμέ νην τοῦ λόγου σπουδὴν ἐπιταράσσοι.» Ἐπεὶ δὲ μα θὼν παρὰ τῆς ἑταιρίδος ὁ τοῦτο προστεταγμένος, ὅσον ᾔτει παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀργύριον, ἑτοίμως ἅπαν ἀπηριθμήσατο, καὶ πέρας εἶχεν κατὰ τοῦ σώφρονος ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ τοῖς ἀκολάστοις, καὶ ἦν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ἤδη τῆς ἀτίμου τὸ κέρδος· τότε δὴ γίνεται θεόθεν ἥ τε μαρτυρία τῆς σωφροσύνης τοῦ νέου, καὶ τῆς τῶν ὁμηλίκων συκοφαντίας ὁ ἔλεγχος. Ὁμοῦ γὰρ τῷ ὑποδέξασθαι τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ἀργύριον, πνεύματι δαιμο νίῳ στρεβλωθεῖσα, καὶ βρυχηθμῷ θηριώδει παρὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φωνὴν ἀνοιμώξασα, πίπτει πρηνὴς κατὰ τὸ μέσον τῶν συνειλεγμένων· θέαμα φρικτόν τε καὶ φοβερὸν τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀθρόως γεγενημένη, τῶν τρι χῶν τε διεῤῥιμμένων, καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ σπαρασ σομένων, καὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀπεστραμμένων, καὶ τοῦ στόματος τὸν ἀφρὸν παραπτύοντος. Καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀνῆκεν καταπνῖγον αὐτὴν τὸ δαιμόνιον, πρὶν ἢ τὸν Μέγαν ἐκεῖνον ἐπικαλέσασθαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἱλεώσασθαι.

Τοιαῦτα τῆς νεότητος τοῦ μεγάλου τὰ διηγήματα, ἄξια ὡς ἀληθῶς τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα βεβιωμένων αὐτῷ τὰ προοίμια. Καίτοι γε τὸ θαῦμα τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὡς εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἦν ἕτερον ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰπεῖν, μηδενὸς αὐτὸν τῶν ἐπ' ἀρετῇ διενεγκόντων, ἐκ