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And having saved many disobedient, evil-worshipping men, persuading them to long for Christ, with toil he brought them into the flock of the ruler, who forever has honour. Amen. 2 "All you for whom the mystic faith of much-praised Christ is a care, look upon my flowing tears, so that you may learn from where my so great sorrow comes- and I know well, that you know; for I speak true things-; and all you who delight in shameful idols, learn; for I shall declare their deceits. For no other man among mortals was more impious than I and attended upon demons, nor was a follower of vain idols, neither to learn what they are nor that there is strength in them. - I am that Cyprian, whom once as a boy my parents gave as a gift to Apollo. And while still a little child I learned the rites of the womb-wandering serpent beast. And having come to my seventh year I was then initiated in turn to Mithraic Phaethon; and I lived in the steep city of the noble Athenians. And I became a temple-dweller, since this pleased my parents, who begot me. And having entered my tenth year I kindled torches for Deo, and I undertook the shining grief of the Maiden. And of Athena, who is in the city on the acropolis, I performed the serpentine rites. And having been made a temple-servant I came to a glen of Olympus, which the ignorant indeed call the dwelling place of the feeble blessed ones. There I heard the sound and din of certain words. I saw grasses and tree-stumps, enough to amaze the sight, which dread evil spirits were observing in vain. There I saw the seasons and the changing winds, and in the same way many days, which certain ones, wakeful within, harsh adversaries, fashion by fantasy. And I saw a great shameless chorus of singers, and others in turn in a throng performing the works of Ares. And of others again I saw ambushes and mocking ways and those who were bewildered. There I saw the many companies of goddesses and blessed ones; for I myself remained there for forty days and eight more besides. From there indeed are sent, as from mighty palaces, air-roaming spirits to the earth, to do to all nations as many shameful things as they wish, of the very worst sort. And I had a meal of topmost leaves from flourishing trees at the setting of Phaethon. And having come to my fifteenth year, I myself was being taught about all the spirits and gods by seven hierophants, and the works, as many as belong to lawless demons. For my parents were eager that I should learn all that is in the earth and in the air and in the sea, not only those things which are for the destruction of men, but also as much as belongs to flourishing grass and fair-stemmed plants, whatever entwines itself about the weaker body of man and whatever the evil-minded adversary has devised, the ruler of this land, the wily-minded serpent, dishonouring in strife the counsel of the immortal ruler. - From there I came to flourishing, horse-pasturing Argos; and it was the love-season of Tithonus' white-robed Dawn. And I became an initiate in turn, and there I saw the bond of the air and the blast of the many-folded vault of heaven, and the kinship of waters and of the fertile land and in turn of the dewy streams into the divine air. - And I went as far as Elis; and in Sparta I saw the mighty image of the Roaring Tauropolos, so that I might learn the raging, exceeding multiform nature of the woods and by inquiry the pebbles and styluses and characters of the world and the old-womanish myths. But treading the land of Phrygia I became a very wise diviner, and from the midriff and liver I learned all that they portend, and from the Scythians omens and resounding signs and also the winding courses of animals besides, the ominous sayings of vigorous men, who might see things to come, the buzzings of wooden planks, and of stones likewise, and voices from the tombs of those long since dead, and in turn the thud of doors, the throbbings of mortal cares, and bloody swellings, which stain the limbs; and when the feeding of ants goes along the joints; and the familiar converse of stories and in turn the numbers of words; and the visible pains of the flesh, and the pillars of nature; and which oaths are true and which are not; and what are the contrary counsels of men. And no deed of things earthly or airy or of the deep escaped me, no manifold phantom, no hidden mind, not a deceitful one nor in turn one of many counsels nor a crafty one, as long as of feeble deceit and

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πολλοὺς δ' ἐκσώσας δυσπειθέας, αἰσυλοθρήσκους, παρφάμενος Χριστὸν ποθέειν, μογέων ἐκόμιζεν εἰς ἀγέλην μεδέοντος, ὃς αἰὲν ἔχει γέρας. ἀμήν. 2 «Ὅσσοις δὴ Χριστοῦ πολυυμνήτοιο μέμηλε πίστις μυστιπόλος, θαλεροῖς ἐμέθεν δακρύοισι λεύσσατε, ὄφρα μάθητε, πόθεν τόσον ἐστί μοι ἄλγος- καὶ σάφα οἶδ', ὅτι ἴστε· ἀληθέα μυθέομαι γάρ-· ἠδ' ὅσσοι τέρπεσθε ἀεικέσιν εἰδώλοισι, πεύθεσθ'· ἐξενέπω γὰρ ἐγὼν ἀπατήλια τῶνδε. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' ἕτερός τις ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν ἐμεῖο ἔπλετο δύσθρησκος καὶ δαίμοσιν ὠμάρτησεν οὐδέ τε μαψιδίων εἰδώλων ἔσκεν ὀπηδός, οὔθ' ὅ πέρ εἰσι μαθεῖν οὔτ' αὖ μένος ἐστὶν ἐκείνοις. - οὗτος ἐκεῖνος ἔφυν Κυπριανός, τόν ποτε κοῦρον ἡμέτεροι τοκέες δῶρον δόσαν Ἀπόλλωνι. εἰσέτι νηπίαχος δέ τ' ἐὼν μάθον ὄργια θηρὸς νηδυπόροιο δράκοντος. ἔτος δ' ἐπὶ ἕβδομον ἐλθὼν Μιθραίῳ Φαέθοντι πάλιν μετέπειτα τελέσθην· ᾤκεον εὐγενέων δέ τ' Ἀθηναίων πόλιν αἰπήν. καὶ ναέτης γενόμην δέ, ἐπεὶ τόδε ἥνδαν' ἐμεῖο πατράσιν, οἵ μ' ἔτεκον. δεκάτῳ δ' ἐπιβὰς λυκάβαντι ∆ηοῖ δᾷδας ἀνῆψα, Κόρης δ' ἀργεννὸν ὑπέστην πένθος. Ἀθηναίης δ', ἥτις πόλιν ἐστὶν ἐς ἄκρην, ῥέξα δρακοντείους τελετάς. ζάκορος δὲ τελεσθεὶς ἦλθον ἐς Οὐλύμποιο νάπος, τό γε δὴ καλέουσιν ἀγνῶτες μακάρων ἀμενηνῶν εἶναι ἔδεθλον. ἔνθα τινῶν ἐπέων ἦχον καὶ δοῦπον ἄκουον. λεῦσα πόας πρέμνους τε, ὅσον θαμβῆσαι ὀπωπήν, ἅς περ ἐπισκόπεόν γε μάτην κακοδαίμονες αἰνοί. ἔνθ' ὥρας κάτιδον καὶ ἀμειβομένους δέ τ' ἀήτας, αὕτως δ' ἤματα πολλά, τά πέρ τινες ἔνδον ἀνιγροὶ φαντασίῃ τεύχουσιν ἀπηνέες ἀντιπάλαμνοι. καὶ χορὸν εἰσιδόμην μέγ' ἀναιδέα μελπομένων γε, ἄλλους δ' αὖτ' ἐς ὅμιλον Ἀρήια ἔργα τελεῦντας. ἄλλων δ' αὖτε λόχους καὶ κέρτομα ἤθεα εἶδον ἠδέ τ' ἀτυζομένους. ἔνθ' ἔδρακον, ὅσσα θεάων καὶ μακάρων στίφη· αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἔμιμνον ἔγωγε ἤματα τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἄλλ' ἐπὶ τοῖσι δέ τ' ὀκτώ. ἔνθεν δὴ στέλλονται ἅτ' ἐκ κρατερῶν βασιλείων πνεύματα ἠερόφοιτα ποτὶ χθόνα, ἔθνεα πάντα ῥέζειν ὅσσ' ἐθέλουσιν ἀεικέα, οἷα κάκιστα. ἦν δέ μοι ἐκ δένδρων θαλερῶν δαὶς ἀκροπέτηλος δυομένου Φαέθοντος. ἐπὶ πέμπτον δέκατόν τε ἐλθὼν εἰς ἔτος, αὐτὸς ὅλων πνοιῶν τε θεῶν τε ἦα διδασκόμενός γε παρ' ἀνδρῶν ἱεροφαντῶν ἑπτά, καὶ ἔργματα δ', ὅσσα ἀθέσμοις δαίμοσίν εἰσι. καὶ γὰρ ἐμοὶ γλίχοντο γονεῖς, ὅππως κε μάθοιμι, ὅσσα περ ἐν γαίῃ τε καὶ ἠέρι ἐστὶ καὶ ἅλμῃ, οὐ μόνον ὅσσα πέλουσι κατὰ φθορὰν ἀνθρώποισιν, ἀλλ' ὅσα καὶ θαλερῆς ποίης πέλει εὐπρέμνου τε φυταλίης, ὅσα τ' ἀνδρὸς ἀκιδνότερον περὶ σῶμα εἰλεῖται καὶ ὅσσα κακόφρων ἀντιπάλαμνος εὗρεν, ὁ τῆσδε γύης ἀρχός, ὄφις αἰολόμητις, εἰς ἔριν ἀθανάτου βουλὴν μεδέοντος ἀτίζων. - ἔνθεν ἐς ἱππόβοτον θαλερὸν γενόμην κατὰ Ἄργος· ἦν δὲ Τιθωνιάδος ἔροτις λευχείμονος Ἠοῦς. μύστης δ' αὖ γενόμην, καὶ αὐτόθι ἠέρος ἅμμα ἠδὲ πολυπτύχοιο πόλου καὶ εἶδον ἄημα, συγγενίην δ' ὑδάτων καὶ εὐφόρβοιο ἀρούρης ἠδ' αὖτις δροσερῶν ναμάτων εἰς ἠέρα δῖαν. - Ἤλιδος ἄχρι δ' ἔβην· καὶ Ταυροπόλου Κελαδεινῆς ἐν Σπάρτῃ ἔσιδον βρέτας ὄβριμον, ὄφρα δαείην ὑλομενῆ, πολύμορφον ἄγαν φύσιν ἠδὲ μεταλλὰξ ψήφους τε γραφίδας τε χαρακτῆρας δέ τε κόσμου γραιώδεις μύθους τε. ἀτὰρ Φρυγίης χθόνα βαίνων μαντιπόλος γενόμην πινυτὸς μάλα, ἐκ πραπίδων δὲ ἥπατος ὅσσα πέλουσιν ἐγὼν ἐδάην κατὰ μέσσον, ἐκ Σκυθέων δ' οἰωνοὺς σήματά τ' ἠχήεντα ἠδ' ἄρα καὶ ζῴων καμπτὰς ἐπὶ τοῖσι πορείας, κληδόνας αἰζηῶν, τοί κεν τὰ ἔπειθ' ὁρόωσι, βόμβους δουρατέων σανίδων, πετρῶν δέ θ' ὁμοίως, φωνὰς δ' ἐκ τύμβων πρόπαλαι κατατεθνηώτων, δοῦπον δ' αὖ θυρέων, παλμοὺς βροτέων μελεδωνῶν, ὄγκους δ' αἱματόεντας, ὅσοι μέλεα χραίνουσιν· εὖτε δὲ μυρμήκων βρώμη κατὰ ἅψεα βαίνει· καὶ μύθων ὀάρους καὶ ἀριθμοὺς αὖτ' ἐπέων γε· καὶ σαρκὸς ὁρατούς γε πόνους, στήλας φύσιος δέ· ὅρκοι δ' ὅσσοι ἔασιν ἀληθέες ἠδὲ καὶ οὐκί· ἠδὲ καὶ ὅσσα πέλουσιν ἐναντία μήδεα φωτῶν. οὐδέ τί με χθονίων πρῆξις λάθεν ἠερίων τε καὶ βυθίων, οὐ φάσμα πολύτροπον, οὐ κρύφιος νοῦς, οὐ δολόεις οὐδ' αὖ πολυμέρμερος οὐδὲ τεχνήεις, εἵως ἠπεδανῆς ἀπάτης καὶ