7

uttering a voice. 7. But since my discourse has come to this point, now I set the beginning to the encomiums of my mother; for I have not yet touched upon what I know firsthand, but some things I heard from my father, some from my mother, from those who bore her, and others from others who knew her precisely, and some things I myself recalled and conjectured; but from this point on, I had both seen and heard and understood more philosophically. and I would declare, summarizing the whole matter, that no mortal woman could rival her, for I leave aside those to whom alone immortality has been proclaimed. for who was more ready in judgment than she, or more graceful in character, or who was more steadfast in reasoning or more discerning of things spoken or done? and who more than she set measures for the tongue, both in speaking and in being silent? and what other was so adorned with modesty? and who blended the mixtures of opposites so suitably, I mean precision and simplicity, timely attention and measured gentleness, a lofty spirit and a reserved mind? O that modest eye of hers, indeed «to the earth» «bowed down» and comprehending things far off, O «tender hands» by nature and age, yet having received roughness from kneelings and bowings toward the Divine, O every sense made precise for what is dear to God, and every inclination directed to that alone. O paintings and «under-paintings» to my mother alone unknown, O «deceitful flower» and artificial whiteness, commonly shrinking back and retreating from her, O «hair additions» having nothing to be added to, but incomparably defeated. O mind of her eyes and character of her brows and spirit seated in all her senses, O one who knew nothing feminine, except what was of nature, but for the rest was strengthened in soul and made masculine, or rather appeared more steadfast than the other part of the race, and conquered all men and all women, the latter by being incomparable, the former by her greater virtue. But how could one recount your life and conduct hidden with God, the nocturnal and early morning standings, the winging of the soul, the «ecstasy of the mind,» the illumination, the ascent? oh, how I wish I had spared none of your deeds! I wished to know your affairs from a stranger, and then indeed to wish to praise them, so that your praise might not be suspected; I ought to speak before incorruptible judges and unsuspected arbiters, so that no one might look upon my account with suspicion. now I fail in two of the greater things and am assailed from both sides; for by relating your deeds sparingly and being silent about the more numerous and better ones, I am still disputed even concerning the lesser ones by the majority, except for those who know. but I do not know, «having fallen in» «to the deep» of your virtues, which of the onrushing waves I shall first push away or which I shall receive evenly. And how, having swum through, shall I stand far from the influx from either side? and I do not know to which I shall give the first place, since all have proven to be first and «stand round about» me, and each one pulls and draws me toward itself. I wish to admire your prudence, and the uplifting of your soul toward better things pulls me the other way; I am lifted up there, and the depth of your humility pulls me down. from there again your gentleness transfers me to itself, and again another and yet another virtue transfers and removes me, so as to be able to praise no part of your virtues sufficiently, being pulled back and forth and winding this empty dance, or rather, this unfinished journey; for the infinite multitude of your virtues does not allow a return to the first ones. 8. I, therefore, having become much less than your hopes, will be subject to your reproaches for not having lived according to your precepts. but you from the beginning, just as midwives with the newly born, were shaping for me every sense, and were sounding in me every «divine...

7

ἱέντα φωνήν. 7. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδή μοι ἐς τόδε ὁ λόγος ἀπετελεύτησε, νῦν τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις ἐφίστημι τῆς μητρός· οὔπω γὰρ ἡψάμην ἐπεγνωκώς, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πατρός, τὰ δὲ μητρὸς ἤκουσα, τῶν ἐκείνην γεννησαμένων, τὰ δὲ ἑτέρων τῶν εἰδότων αὐτὴν ἀκριβῶς, τὰ δὲ αὐτὸς ἀνεμνήσθην καὶ εἴκασα· τὰ δ' ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἑωράκειν καὶ ἠκηκόειν καὶ συνίην φιλοσοφώτερον. καὶ ἀποφήσαιμ' ἄν, ἐν κεφαλαίῳ τὸ ξύμπαν ποιούμενος, ὡς οὔτις ἐκείνῃ τῶν θνητῶν ἐρίσειε γυναικῶν, ἐῶ γὰρ ἐκείνας αἷς δὴ μόναις ἐπιπεφήμισται τὸ ἀθάνατον. τίς γὰρ ἐκείνης ἢ τὴν γνώμην ἑτοιμοτέρα ἢ εὐσχημονεστέρα τὸ ἦθος, ἢ τίς ἢ σταθηροτέρα τὸν λογισμὸν ἢ κριτικωτέρα τῶν λαλουμένων ἢ πραττομένων; μέτρα δὲ γλώσσῃ καὶ λαλούσῃ καὶ σιωπώσῃ τίς μᾶλλον ἐπέθηκεν; αἰδοῖ δὲ τίς οὕτως ἄλλη κεκόσμητο; τὰς δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων μίξεις τίς καταλλήλως ἐκέρασεν, ἀκρίβειάν φημι καὶ ἁπλότητα, ἐπιστασίαν τε εὔκαιρον καὶ πρᾳότητα ἔμμετρον, ὑψηλόν τε φρόνημα καὶ ὑπεσταλμένην διάνοιαν; Ὦ σώφρων ἐκείνης ὀφθαλμὸς «ἐς γῆν» μὲν «κεκυφὼς» καὶ τὰ πόρρω κατειληφώς, ὦ «χεῖρες ἁπαλαὶ» μὲν τῇ φύσει καὶ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ, ταῖς δὲ πρὸς τὸ Θεῖον ἐς γόνυ κλίσεσί τε καὶ ὑποκλίσεσι τὴν τραχύτητα εἰσδεξάμεναι, ὦ πᾶσα μὲν αἴσθησις πρὸς τὸ φίλον Θεῷ ἀπηκριβωμένη, πᾶσα δὲ νεῦσις πρὸς ἐκεῖνο μόνον συντεταμένη. ὦ γραφαὶ καὶ «ὑπογραφαὶ» τῇ ἐμῇ μητρὶ μόνῃ μὴ γινωσκόμεναι, ὦ «δολερὸν ἄνθος» καὶ λευκότης ἐπείσακτος, ἐκείνῃ κοινῶς ὑποσταλέντα τε καὶ ὑποχωρήσαντα, ὦ «κόμης προσθέσεις» οὐκ ἔχουσαι ᾧ προσθήσεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀσυγκρίτως ἡττώμεναι. ὦ νοῦς ὀμμάτων καὶ ἦθος ὀφρύων καὶ φρόνημα πάσαις αἰσθήσεσιν ἐγκαθήμενον, ὦ μηδὲν εἰδυῖα θῆλυ, πλὴν ὅσον τῆς φύσεως, τὰ δ' ἄλλα ῥωσθεῖσα τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ἀρρενωθεῖσα μᾶλλον δὲ στερροτέρα φανεῖσα καὶ τῆς ἑτέρας μερίδος τοῦ γένους καὶ πάντας καὶ πάσας νικήσασα, τὰς μὲν τῷ ἀσυγκρίτῳ, τοὺς δὲ τῷ πλείονι. Ἀλλὰ πῶς ἄν σου τίς διηγήσαιτο τὴν κεκρυμμένην σὺν τῷ Θεῷ ζωὴν καὶ διαγωγήν, τὰς νυκτερινὰς στάσεις καὶ ἐπορθρίους, τὴν πτέρωσιν τῆς ψυχῆς, τὴν «ἔκστασιν τοῦ νοός», τὴν ἔλλαμψιν, τὴν ἀνάβασιν; ὤ, πῶς ἂν μηδενὸς ἐφεισάμην τῶν σῶν; ἐβουλόμην ἀλλοτρίου εἰδέναι τὰ σά, εἶτα δὴ καὶ ἐγκωμιάζειν βούλεσθαι ἵνα μή σου ὁ ἔπαινος ὑπωπτεύετο· ὤφελον ὑπὸ ἀδεκάστοις λέγειν κριταῖς καὶ ἀνυπόπτοις διαιτηταῖς, ἵνα μηδεὶς τὸν λόγον ὑφεωρᾶτό μοι. νῦν δὲ δύο τε τῶν μειζόνων διαμαρτάνω καὶ βάλλομαι ἑκατέρωθεν· πεφεισμένως γὰρ τὰ σὰ διηγούμενος καὶ τὰ πλείω καὶ κρείττω σιγῶν, ἔτι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐλαττόνων διαμφισβητοῦμαι πλὴν τῶν εἰδότων, τοῖς πλείοσιν. οὐκ οἶδα δὲ «ἐς τὸν βυθὸν» τῶν σῶν «ἐμπεπτωκὼς» ἀρετῶν ποῖον πρῶτον ἀπώσομαι τῶν ἐπεισρεόντων κυμάτων ἢ ποῖον εἰσδέξομαι ὁμαλῶς. Πῶς δέ γε διανηξάμενος πόρρω τῆς ἑκατέρωθεν ἐπιρροῆς στήσομαι; οὐκ οἶδα δὲ καὶ τίνι δώσω τὰ πρῶτα, πάντων πρώτων εἶναι νενικηκότων καὶ «κύκλῳ περιϊσταμένων» με καὶ ἑκάστου πρὸς ἑαυτὸ ἀντισπῶντός τε καὶ ἐφέλκοντος. βούλομαί σου τὴν σωφροσύνην θαυμᾶσαι καὶ ἀνθέλκει με ἡ πρὸς τὰ κρείττω ἀναγωγὴ τῆς ψυχῆς· ἀνῆγμαι ἐκεῖσε καὶ καθέλκει με τὸ βάθος τῆς σῆς ταπεινώσεως. ἐντεῦθεν πάλιν ἡ πρᾳότης πρὸς ἑαυτὴν μετατίθησι καὶ αὖθις ἄλλη καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρα μεταβιβάζει καὶ μεθιστᾷ, ὥστε μηδέν τι μέρος τῶν σῶν εὐφημεῖν ἱκανῶς δύνασθαι, ἀνθελκόμενον καὶ μετατιθέμενον καὶ χορείαν ταύτην κενὴν ἀνελίττοντα, μᾶλλον δὲ πορείαν ἀνήνυτον· ἡ γὰρ ἄπειρος πληθὺς τῶν σῶν ἀρετῶν ὑποστροφὴν ἐπὶ τὰς πρώτας οὐ δίδωσιν. 8. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὗν πολὺ τῶν σῶν ἐλπίδων ἐλάττων γενόμενος εὐθύναις σοι ὑποκείσομαι μὴ κατὰ τὰς ὑποθήκας πολιτευσάμενος. σὺ δέ γε ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ὥσπερ αἱ μαῖαι τὰ ἄρτι γεννώμενα, πᾶσαν μέν μοι ἐρρύθμιζες αἴσθησιν, πᾶσαν δέ μοι «θείαν ἐνήχεις