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utterly invisible. For this is the care of the unseemly ones, to be seen and even with flesh to accomplish their lasting might. For whom these things are needed, libation and the savor of sacrifice give all things; for the shadowy, dark-like shades, sitting, draw the thick smoke going into the air from the sacrifices, with which they clothe their bodies like cunningly-wrought robes, or as fine wool and the delicate flower of flax- and the many shadowy phantoms of high-roofed ships-, and instead of reality, entering this air, they possess it. For this reason it has need even of the sacrifice of an ant; but it also asks for water and at the same time skin and fruits and all things that the nursing earth nourishes, so that it may reveal only a phantasm to mortals. Just as we see in our mind the forms of the dead, and we seem to speak with them though they are not present; so also the Adversary fashions his own shape for the mystics, which he puts on their faces and the forms of idols, in which there is never any strength; pouring, forsooth, much rain, but not real, making a fire just like chilling snow, and when giving a fish to see only, not to taste, and gleaming gold, the companion of wretched poverty. But imitating also material things, he accomplishes works, cities and chambers and well-wooded groves and shady glens and the fatherland that nourished a mortal, and flowery cloths, which mortals complete, bringing all shadowy things to the blood-devouring demons; thus also do night-wanderers sweetly slumber seeing them. But these things are of the much-wandering demon, and this is the work of impious mortals, adversaries of the gods, of foul worship. - But what should I suffer, that wishing to tremble before the heavenly God, having learned the deathly power of the chilling dragon and the emptiness of his pride, I hide myself in a dark hollow? For from a holy maiden, from the most revered virgin Justa, I learned of demons, how utterly powerless they are; for beside her I have seen the exceedingly cunning, scaly, unspeakably puffing, monstrous, terrible dragon; but not even so did he have the strength of a worthless gnat. From the most revered virgin I learned that the lord, though praying very much, never did true things; but such a serpent the maiden alone cast down with her feet.

O heavens, the ruler of much-wandering idols drew back from going inside the doors of a woman, terribly trembling; he who, calling upon so many phantoms, had not the strength to strike the doors of the maiden; he who, thinking to rule over all, was subdued by a maiden; he who, wishing to shake the earth, yielded to a woman; he who, having a much-devising heart, did not cast down the maiden; he who, thinking to roar like a ravenous lion and to frighten all, was toyed with like a gnat in the forecourts of a woman. For when I left the land of the Persians for Antioch, the great city of Syria, performing many wonders by means of dreadful magic art, to some providing a cure for love, but to others envy itself and hateful jealousy, and of wickedness, which is a care to the flesh. - There a certain lovely Aglaides, beseeching me much when many others did, supplicated me on account of a maiden by the name of Justina, that he might be joined with her in love. Thence the deceitful demon first appeared to me; for of as many ranks as he ruled, they came gathered about the holy virgin, but unaccomplished they went back again; but the faith of the virgin also showed the helper of Aglaides to be unseen and made him powerless. And while Aglaides had many sleepless nights, and for my sorceries and the strife of the adversary for seven weeks and another three after these, the leader of the demonic phalanx with his attendants came warring against the virgin; for not only did love subdue the young Aglaides, but raging it also touched my heart. It was an amazement to see so many ranks of adversaries being subdued by the prayers of the maiden, along with the dragon; for not even Belial was able to inflict desire on us, although he warred very dreadfully against us. For to this one I will speak thus: "3If you have so much power, let love cease from our minds, so that we may not suffer so many pains in vain."3 And indeed, as I listened, he said to the ruler of the air that he was doing the wanton things which I had related. And he accomplished very many things, but he had accomplished none of these works before. and he showed the rulers,

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πανάιστος. καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο μέμηλεν ἀεικελίοισιν, ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ μετὰ δὴ σαρκὸς τελέειν μένος ἔμπεδον. οἷς περ ταῦτα δέοι, λοιβὴ καὶ κνίση πάντα δίδωσιν· ἐξ ἱερῶν καπνὸν γὰρ ἐς ἠέρα πουλὺν ἰόντα αἱ σκιαὶ ἑζόμεναι ζοφοειδέες εἰρύουσαι ὃν δέμας ἀμφιέσανθ' ἅτε φάρεα δαιδαλόεντα ἢ ὡς εἴρια καλὰ λίνοιό τε λεπτὸν ἄωτον- νηῶν δ' ὑψορόφων σκιοειδέα φάσματα πολλά-, ἀντὶ δ' ἀληθείης τόνδ' ἠέρα δύντες ἔχουσι. τοὔνεκα καὶ μύρμηκος ἔπι χρῄζει γε θυηλῆς· ἀλλά γε καὶ ὕδωρ πέσκη θ' ἅμα ἠδέ τε καρποὺς αἰτίζει καὶ πάνθ', ὅσα φέρβει γαῖα τιθηνή, ὄφρα γε φαντασίην μούνην μερόπεσσι φαείνῃ. ἠύτε τεθνεώτων μορφὰς κατὰ θυμὸν ὁρῶμεν, καὶ λαλέειν δ' αὐτοῖσι δοκείομεν οὐ παρεοῦσι· τὼς καὶ ἀντιπάλαμνος ἑὸν ἀναμάσσεται εἶδος μυστιπόλων, τό κεν οἷσι προσώπασιν ἀμφιτίθησι μορφαῖς τ' εἰδώλων, οἷσιν σθένος οὔ ποτ' ἔνεστιν· ὄμβρον μὲν χεύων δῆθεν πολύν, οὐ δέ τ' ἀληθῆ, πυρκαϊὴν τελέων χιόνος κρυερῆς πανομοίην, ἰχθὺν δ' εὖτε διδοὺς ὁράαν μόνον, οὔ τι πάσασθαι, χρυσόν τ' αἰγλήεντα, κακῆς πενίης συνέριθον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑλήεντα μιμούμενος ἔργα τελείει, ἄστεα καὶ θαλάμους καὶ εὐδένδρους πλαταμῶνας καὶ νάπεα σκιόεντα καί, ἣ βροτὸν ἔτρεφε, πάτρη, ῥήγεα δ' ἀνθεμόεντα, τά περ βροτοὶ ἐκτελέουσι, δαίμοσιν αἱμοβόροις σκιοειδέα πάντα φέροντα· τὼς καὶ νυκτιπόροι ἡδὺ κνώσσουσιν ὁρῶντες. ἀλλὰ πολυπλανέος τάδε δαίμονος, ἀντιθέων τε καὶ δυσεβῶν μερόπων ἔργον τόδε, μιαροθρήσκων. - ἀλλά γε τίπτε πάθω, ὅτι βουλόμενος τρομέεσθαι οὐρανίωνα θεόν, δεδαὼς κρυεροῖο δράκοντος ἰσχὺν νεκροτάτην καὶ ἀγηνορίης κενότητας, κεύθομαι ἐς ζοφερὸν γύαλον; κούρης ἁγίης γὰρ ἔγνων παρθενικῆς ἀπὸ σεπτοτάτης κεν Ἰούστης δαίμονας, ὡς μάλα πάγχυ ἀνάλκιδες ὧδε πέλουσι· πὰρ γὰρ τῇδε δέδορκα περισσόνοον, φολιδωτόν, ἄσπετα φυσιόωντα, πελώριον αἰνοδράκοντα· ἀλλ' οὐδ' ὧς κώνωπος ἔχεν μένος οὐτιδανοῖο. ἔγνων παρθενικῆς ἀπὸ σεμνοτάτης τὸν ἄνακτα εὐχόμενον μάλα πολλά, ἀληθέα δ' οὔ ποτε δρῶντα· ἀλλὰ τόσον κεν ὄφιν μούνη ποσὶ κάββαλε κούρη.

ὢ πόποι, ὁ κρείων δὲ πολυπλανέων εἰδώλων θηλυτέρης θυρέων ἀπεχάζετο ἔνδοθι βαίνειν ἐκπάγλως τρομέων· ὃς φάσμασι τοσσατίοισι κεκλόμενος τὰ θύρετρα βαλεῖν οὐκ ἴσχυσε κούρης· ὃς πάντων δοκέων κρατέειν ὑπεδάμνατο κούρῃ· ὃς γαίην κλονέειν ἐθέλων ὑπόειξε γυναικί· ὃς πολυμέρμερον ἦτορ ἔχων οὐ κάββαλε κούρην· ὁ ζαβόροιο λέοντος ὁμῶς βωστρεῖν γε νομίζων καὶ πάντας φοβέειν κώνωψ ἅτε ἐν προδόμοισι παίζετο θηλυτέρης. Περσῶν ὅτε γὰρ λίπον οὖδας εἵως Ἀντιόχου πόλεως Συρίης μέγα ἄστυ, θαύματα πολλὰ τελῶν τέχνης μαγικῆς ὑπὸ δεινῆς, τοῖς μὲν ἔρωτος ἄκος παρέχων, τοῖς δὲ φθόνου αὐτὸς καὶ ζήλου στυγεροῦ, κακίης δ', ἣ σαρκὶ μέμηλεν. - ἔνθα τις Ἀγλαΐδης ἐρατός, μάλα λισσόμενός με εὖτ' ἄλλοι πολέες, γουνάζετο εἵνεκα κούρης τοὔνομ' Ἰουστίνης, ὅππως φιλότητι μιγείη. ἔνθεν ἐμοὶ δαίμων πρώτως ἀπατήλιος ὤφθη· καὶ γὰρ ὅσων στιχέων ἦρχεν, περὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν ἦλθον ἀολλισθεῖσαι, ἀνήνυτοι ἂψ ἐνέοντο· ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἀγλαΐδου ἐπαμύντορα δεῖξεν ἄιστον πίστις παρθενικῆς ἠδ' ἀδρανέα μιν ἔθηκε. πολλὰς δ' Ἀγλαΐδαο ἀύπνους νύκτας ἔχοντος, μαγγανίας δ' ἐμέθεν καὶ νείκεα ἀντιβίοιο ἕπτ' ἐπὶ ἑβδομάδας καὶ ἄλλας τρεῖς μετὰ ταύτας, δαιμονίης γε φάλαγγος ἀγὸς σὺν ἑοῖσιν ὀπηδοῖς ἤλυθε παρθενικῆς ἐναντίβιον πολεμίζων· οὐ γὰρ μοῦνον ἔρως νέον Ἀγλαΐδην ἐδάμαζεν, ἀλλ' ἄρα καὶ κραδίης ἐμέθεν ψαῦσεν μενεαίνων. θάμβος δ' ἦν ὁράαν τόσσων στίχας ἀντιπαλάμνων, κούρης δαμναμένων εὐχῶν ὕπο, σύν τε δράκοντι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμέτερον Βελίαρ πόθον εἶχε χαράξαι, καί περ πολλὰ μάλ' αἰνὰ καθ' ἡμείων πελεμίξας. τῷδε γὰρ ὧδ' ἐρέειν· "3εἴ σοι τόσσον κράτος ἐστί, λωφήσειεν ἔρως πραπίδων ἀπὸ ἡμετεράων, ὄφρα κε μαψιδίως τόσσ' ἄλγεα μήτι πάθωμεν."3 καὶ δή μευ κλύοντος ἔφη ἀετῷ μεδέοντι μαχλοσύνης ῥέζειν ἅ περ ἔννεπον. ὃς δ' ἐτέλεσσε πολλὰ μάλ', οὐ δέ τι τῶνδε παροίτερον ἤνυσεν ἔργον. δεῖξε δὲ κοιρανέων,