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and his birth. a rumor as a messenger quickly went throughout the city everywhere; and the porticoes and courts and houses of men were filled with them gathering; for many marveled upon seeing him, and asked each other who he might be and from where he might have come; for he was a mighty wonder, nor did he seem to be the child of a mortal man, but of a god, who rules over all mortals and immortals. His son then came upon them, and Theoclymenus was his name; he took up his father's scepter, ever imperishable. Seeing him from nearby, the herald perceived him, and kissed his head and both his beautiful eyes, and cried out piercingly, shouting to articulate-speaking men: "The man is near—we shall not seek for long—if you wish to escape evil death and black doom; for no one can match his strength. I liken him to a ram with a thick fleece; for he was a ram, by far the best of all the sheep. He himself, if he wishes, will heal, and no other." So speaking, he roused the spirit and heart of each. And leaping up, he embraced and kissed him and addressed him: "O friend, since you have returned to us who greatly yearned for you, praying much and hoping to see you, hail and rejoice greatly; and may a god give you all blessings, as many as you wish and are dear to your heart." And when they saw one another and perceived all, they greeted each other with the right hand and with gentle words, and taking hand in hand, each pledged his faith. And so his care was as steadfast as a god's. But when they came to the ford of the fair-flowing river, where the Cydones dwelt about the streams of the Jordan, which flows, by far the most beautiful of rivers, upon the earth; he knew it as it flowed before him, and prayed in his heart and bringing him forth, he washed him in the river's streams beside the walls of Pheia, about the streams of the Jordan, and anointed him with ambrosia, and clothed him in immortal garments, into the river, where the best place appeared to him; a brightly shining splendor went through the ether to heaven. And the herald, a little older than he, bringing him far forth, washed him in the river's streams. But when he had washed and anointed him with rich oil, and put on garments, which an unwed maiden gave him, with an ambrosial robe, that was fragrant for him, he prayed, stretching his hand to the starry heaven. And high above the clouds he saw a timorous dove midway between the earth and the starry heaven, which came manifest to him for the rich feast of a god. And he put on garments, which an unwed maiden gave him. And a splendor reached heaven, and all the earth around laughed; and the wave rushed back down the beautiful streams. But when he was about to enter the lovely city, the people followed, as sheep follow a ram, gladly toward the town. And the city was filled with those who gathered, and the marketplace was in turmoil, and the earth groaned beneath; and there was one language after another of the wide-scattered people. And he saved cities, and especially he himself would have recognized the honor, which bends the minds of other good men. as one to win fair prizes by his skills, he made many wondrous things with his knowing skills, many and graceful things, and he warded off evil even so.

12 Concerning Jesus' going out into the wilderness.

But he, having his steadfast spirit, as before, bearing pleasing things to his dear father, who rules over all, himself mortal, and he suckled a woman's breast, and he saw the cities of many men and knew their mind. And he endured such things as no other mortal on earth yet had, having neither done anything outrageous nor said anything. Beginning good counsels and weaving plans he went; and his heart was much troubled as he went. And when they went down from the city, they soon came to the country, where they ate and sat and slept. And he cared for them kindly in the country, away from the city. No plant, no fig-tree, no vine, nor indeed olive-tree, no pear-tree, no garden-bed flourished in its place. There neither the works of oxen nor of men appeared, he went nearer, testing the fruitful threshing-floor, and bears and wild boars and bright-eyed lions.

7

τε τόκον τε. ὄσσα δ' ἄρ' ἄγγελος ὦκα κατὰ πτόλιν ᾤχετο πάντῃ· πλῆντο δ' ἄρ' αἴθουσαί τε καὶ ἕρκεα καὶ δόμοι ἀνδρῶν ἀγρομένων· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐθηήσαντο ἰδόντες ἀλλήλους τ' εἴροντο, τίς εἴη καὶ πόθεν ἔλθοι· καὶ γὰρ θαῦμ' ἐτέτυκτο πελώριον, οὐδὲ ἐῴκει ἀνδρός γε θνητοῦ παῖς ἔμμεναι, ἀλλὰ θεοῖο, ὃς πᾶσι θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσει. τοῦ μὲν ἄρ' υἱὸς ἐπῆλθε, θεοκλύμενος δ' ὄνομ' ἦεν· εἵλετο δὲ σκῆπτρον πατρώιον, ἄφθιτον αἰεί. τὸν δ' ἐξ ἀγχιμόλοιο ἰδὼν ἐφράσσατο κῆρυξ, κύσσε δέ οἱ κεφαλὴν καὶ ἄμφω φάεα καλά, ἤυσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον, μερόπεσσι γεγωνώς· «ἐγγὺς ἀνήρ-οὐ δηθὰ ματεύσομεν-, αἴ κ' ἐθέλητε ἐκφυγέειν θάνατόν τε κακὸν καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδέ τίς οἱ δύναται μένος ἰσοφαρίζειν. ἀρνειῷ μιν ἔγωγε ἐίσκω πηγεσιμάλλῳ· ἀρνειὸς γὰρ ἔην, μήλων ὄχ' ἄριστος ἁπάντων. αὐτὸς δ', αἴ κ' ἐθέλῃσ', ἰήσεται, οὐδέ τις ἄλλος.» ὣς εἰπὼν ὤτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου. κύσσε δέ μιν περιφὺς ἐπιάλμενος ἠδὲ προσηύδα· «ὦ φίλ', ἐπεὶ νόστησας ἐελδομένοισι μάλ' ἡμῖν, πολλὰ μάλ' εὐχομένοισι καὶ ἐλπομένοισιν ἰδέσθαι, οὖλέ τε καὶ μέγα χαῖρε· θεὸς δέ τοι ὄλβια δοίη πάντα μάλ', ὅσσ' ἐθέλεις καί τοι φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ.» οἱ δ' ἐπεὶ ἀλλήλους εἶδον φράσσαντό τ' ἐσάντα, δεξιῇ ἠσπάζοντο ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι, χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρα λαβόντες ἐπιστώσαντο ἕκαστος. τόφρα δέ οἱ κομιδή γε θεῷ ὣς ἔμπεδος ἦεν. ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον ἐυρρεῖος ποταμοῖο, ἧχι Κύδωνες ἔναιον Ἰορδάνου ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα, ὃς πολὺ κάλλιστος ποταμῶν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἵησιν· ἔγνω δὲ προρέοντα, καὶ εὔξατο ὃν κατὰ θυμὸν καί μιν ἄπο προφέρων λοῦσεν ποταμοῖο ῥοῇσιν Φειᾶς πὰρ τείχεσσιν, Ἰορδάνου ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα, χρῖσεν δ' ἀμβροσίῃ, περὶ δ' ἄμβροτα εἵματα ἕσσεν, ἐς ποταμόν, τῇ δή οἱ ἐείσατο χῶρος ἄριστος· αἴγλη παμφανόωσα δι' αἰθέρος οὐρανὸν ἷκεν. καὶ τὸν μὲν κῆρυξ, ὀλίγον προγενέστερος αὐτοῦ, πολλὸν ἄπο προφέρων λοῦσεν ποταμοῖο ῥοῇσιν. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ λοῦσέν τε καὶ ἔχρισεν λίπ' ἐλαίῳ, ἀμφὶ δὲ εἵματα ἕσσαθ', ἅ οἱ πόρε παρθένος ἀδμής, ἀμβροσίῳ δ' ἑανῷ, τό ῥά οἱ τεθυωμένον ἦεν, εὔχετο, χεῖρ' ὀρέγων εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα. ὕψι δ' ὑπὲρ νεφέων ἴδετο τρήρωνα πέλειαν μεσσηγὺς γαίης τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος, ἥ οἱ ἐναργὴς ἦλθε θεοῦ ἐς δαῖτα θάλειαν. ἀμφὶ δὲ εἵματα ἕσσαθ', ἅ οἱ πόρε παρθένος ἀδμής. αἴγλη δ' οὐρανὸν ἷκε, γέλασσε δὲ πᾶσα περὶ χθών· ἄψορρον δ' ἄρα κῦμα κατέσσυτο καλὰ ῥέεθρα. ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ ἄρ' ἔμελλε πόλιν δύσεσθαι ἐραννήν, λαοὶ ἕπονθ', ὡς εἴ τε μετὰ κτίλον ἕσπετο μῆλα, ἀσπάσιοι προτὶ ἄστυ. πόλις δ' ἔμπλητο ἀλέντων, τετρήχει δ' ἀγορή, ὑπὸ δὲ στοναχίζετο γαῖα· ἄλλη δ' ἄλλων γλῶσσα πολυσπερέων ἀνθρώπων. καί τε πόλεις ἐσάωσε, μάλιστα δέ κ' αὐτὸς ἀνέγνω τιμήν, ἥτ' ἄλλων περ ἐπιγνάμπτει φρένας ἐσθλῶν. οἷος δὴ πραπίδεσσιν ἀέθλια κάλ' ἀνελέσθαι, ποίει δαίδαλα πολλὰ ἰδυίῃσι πραπίδεσσι, πολλά τε καὶ χαρίεντα, κακὸν δ' ἤμυνε καὶ αὔτως.

12 Περὶ τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον.

Αὐτὰρ ὃ θυμὸν ἔχων ὃν καρτερόν, ὡς τὸ πάρος περ, πατρὶ φίλῳ ἐπίηρα

φέρων, ὃς πᾶσιν ἀνάσσει, αὐτὸς μὲν θνητός τε, γυναῖκά τε θήσατο μαζόν, πολλῶν δ' ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω. ἔτλη δ' οἷ' οὔπω τις ἐπιχθόνιος βροτὸς ἄλλος, οὔτέ τινα ῥέξας ἐξαίσιον οὔτε τι εἰπών. βουλάς τ' ἐξάρχων ἀγαθὰς καὶ μῆτιν ὑφαίνων ἤιε· πολλὰ δέ οἱ κραδίη πόρφυρε κιόντι. οἱ δ' ἐπεὶ ἐκ πόλιος κατέβαν, τάχα δ' ἀγρὸν ἵκοντο, ἐν τῷ σιτέσκοντο καὶ ἵζανον ἠδὲ ἴαυον. ἐνδυκέως κομέεσκε δ' ἐπ' ἀγροῦ, νόσφι πόληος. οὐ φυτόν, οὐ συκῆ, οὐκ ἄμπελος, οὐ μὲν ἐλαίη, οὐκ ὄγχν', οὐ πρασίη θαλέθεσκον ἑὸν κατὰ χῶρον. ἔνθα μὲν οὔτε βοῶν οὔτ' ἀνδρῶν φαίνετο ἔργα, ἆσσον ἴεν, πολυκάρπου ἀλωῆς πειρητίζων, ἄρκτους τ' ἀγροτέρους τε σύας χαροπούς τε λέοντας.