Aelia Eudocia Augusta, Martyrdom of Saint Cyprian

stronger because the nature of man is of all hateful Beliars; but whenever he should find the nature of a man flourishing, then indeed, thinking great things, his heart exults, no longer seeing the flower of life of mortals, but he kindles glory for himself upon his own strength; when someone weak and lame goes to war, sitting upon a horse well-versed in impetuous valor, having attached great glory to himself, he rejoices greatly; for when love increases for young beginners, when a vapor more violent than flaming fire is raised. - And again there was a great strife between me and my adversaries, and they warred against each other for a long time. And then with mischievous words I addressed the dragon, that he would quickly lose his great glory; but he remained speechless, seeing his own wickedness. And driving him on much, I shouted loudly; but he went on quietly, knowing his lesser strength, and feeble. - And once he contrived such a thing, having deceived Aglaidas; he brought a maiden, and at once the trick was revealed; for she was not like the limbs of the revered Justina. Thence, having learned each of these things, I came to hate the serpent. Then indeed the chief of blameworthy mortals changes his form, having a beauty like that of the prudent Justina. And when he came very near to Aglaidas, he said, rejoicing: "3Welcome, golden beauty of the renowned Justina."3 And as he named the maiden, the demon fled, having heard the name; and now Aglaidas, trembling, would have quickly lost his life. - O friends, I myself was present at the accomplishment of these wicked plots; I know the maiden's longing for God who rules on high, and the weakness of the dragon, receiving shame with him, never resting, standing beside him when he was present; and I was made a woman from a man, and a winged bird; and as I was walking in the vestibule, the phantom was gone, vanished, but I, Cyprian, again remained, persuaded by worthless magic. - I know that I myself made Aglaidas a bird; and from on high he came and sat on the maiden's roof. And when the revered maiden cast her eye from the light-bringing door, she destroyed the well-winged bird. And he himself, the wretched one, was about to reach the gates of fate, standing as a bird upon the very summit, if the fair, prudent maiden had not pitied him, who also spoke a good exhortation to him, so that in peace, fearing God, he might remain at home; and she commanded him to withdraw quickly from the vestibule. - Not a disease, nor a pain, but some other grievous thing was subduing the maiden; for the evil-doing demon stirred up countless evils for her. And her parents, when physicians declared it to be the end of her life, were weeping. And she spoke: "3To me, O dear parents, it is not yet fated to meet the end of death. But there is a pain in my heart, not in my limbs; when a fiery vapor coming from the air consumes my body."3 And we poured many other things upon these, upon the limbs of the young maiden; but she destroyed with the Christ-bearing cross those arrows of the much-wandering, scheming evil demon. - But when, having devised them, I wrought evils against her parents, killing the flocks and herds and mules, at once the maiden persuaded their minds: "3Be not vexed at these things, but rejoice in small things, because from the blessing of the undefiled one, there will be unspeakable things."3 - For the dread wrath against the maiden did not escape her fellow-countrymen, and they commanded the youth to hand over the maiden as quickly as possible in true wedlock; but the young woman sent strength into her parents' minds with the Christ-receiving cross. - At another time the demon sent a fierce plague upon the people and sent an oracle to the neighboring people, that the unbearable wrath would not cease until Aglaidas should quickly lead Justa to his bed, as is right. But the handmaid of Christ quieted the shout of the people with holy prayers, and drove the plague from the city. - Thence those who dwell around the city, having been tested, glorified Christ, but poured out outrage upon me; as I was the destructive man of that city, all hated me terribly. But I went on, ashamed of both kinsmen and fellow-citizens alike. - And at last, seeing how much the power of the cross had accomplished, I thought this in my mind, and said to the evil demon: "3Alas, destructive offspring, giver of all lawless things, field of impiety, why have you so deceived my soul, being worthless and powerless, as you yourself also know? For if only a shadow so powerfully subdues you

σθεναρωτέρη ὅττι φύσις γε ἀνδρομέη πέλεται πάντων στυγερῶν Βελιήρων· ἀλλὰ φύσιν ἀνέρος κεν ὅτ' ἀκμάζουσαν ἐφεύροι, δὴ τότε δὴ μεγάλα φρονέων βρενθύεται ἦτορ, οὐκέτι δὴ μερόπων ὁρόων βιοτήσιον ἄνθος, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ σφετέρῳ ἐπὶ κάρτεϊ κῦδος ἀνάπτει· εὖτέ τις ἠπεδανὸς καὶ ἀμφιγύης πολεμίζων, ἵππῳ ἐφεζόμενος εὖ εἰδότι θούριδος ἀλκῆς, αὐτῷ οἱ μέγα κῦδος ἐπαρτήσας μάλα χαίρει· ἀρχομένοισι νέοις γὰρ ὅταν φιλότης ἐπαέξῃ, εὖτε πυρὸς φλογεροῦ σφεδανώτερος ἀτμὸς ἀέρθη. - ἦν δ' αὖ μευ μέσατον καὶ ἀντιβίων μέγα νεῖκος, αὐτοὶ δ' ἀλλήλοισιν ἐπὶ δηρὸν πολέμιζον. καὶ τότ' ἀταρτηροῖσιν ἐγὼν ἐπέεσσι δράκοντα ἔννεπον, ὅττι γε θᾶσσον ἑὸν ἀπολεῖ μέγα κῦδος· ὃς δέ τ' ἄναυδος ἔμιμνεν ἑὴν ὁρόων κακότητα. πολλὰ δέ μιν κλονέων μεγάλ' ἤπυον· ὃς δὲ ἕκηλος ἤιε, γινώσκων μεῖον σθένος, ἠδ' ἀμενηνός. - καί ποτε τοῖον ἔτευξε, τὸν Ἀγλαΐδην ἀπατήσας· ἤγαγε παρθενικήν, καὶ αἶψα δόλος γε φαάνθη· οὐ γὰρ Ἰουστίνης σεπτῆς μελέεσσιν ἐῴκει. ἔνθεν ἐγὼ τὰ ἕκαστα μαθὼν στυγέεσκον ὄφιν γε. δὴ τότε καὶ ψογερῶν μερόπων ἀρχὸν μεταβάλλει κάλλος ὁμοῖον ἔχοντα σαόφρονος Ἰουστίνης. ὡς δ' ἦλθ' Ἀγλαΐδαο μάλα σχεδόν, εἶπε γεγηθώς· "3χρύσεον εὖ μόλε κάλλος Ἰουστίνης περιπύστου."3 ὡς δ' ὀνόμηνε κόρην, δαίμων φύγεν οὔνομ' ἀκούσας· καί νύ κεν Ἀγλαΐδης τρομέων τάχος ὤλεσε θυμόν. - ὦ φίλοι, αὐτὸς ἔγωγε τελειομένῃσι παρήμην τῇσι κακορραφίῃσιν· ἐγὼ κούρης πόθον οἶδα ἐς θεὸν ὑψιμέδοντα ἀναλκείην τε δράκοντος, αἴσχεα σὺν κείνῳ καταδέγμενος, οὔ ποτ' ἰαύων, παρβεβαὼς παρεόντι· γυνὴ δ' ἐξ ἀνδρὸς ἐτύχθην, καὶ πτερόεις ὄρνις· ὡς δ' ἐν προδόμοισιν ἔβαινον, φάσμα μὲν ᾤχετ' ἄιστον, ἀτὰρ πάλιν αὐτὸς ἔμιμνον Κυπριανὸς μαγίῃσι πεπιθμένος οὐτιδανῇσιν. - οἶδα τὸν Ἀγλαΐδην τεύξας πετεηνὸν ἔγωγε· ὑψόθε δ' ἐν τέγεϊ κούρης ἐλθὼν ἐκάθητο. ὡς δ' ἀπὸ φωτοφόροιο θύρης σεπτὴ βάλεν ὄμμα παρθενική, κείνη μὲν ἐΰπτερον ὤλεσεν ὄρνιν. αὐτὸς δὲ πότμοιο πύλας ἤμελλε κιχῆσαι κάμμορος, ἑστηὼς εὖτ' ὄρνεον ἄκρον ἐπ' αὐτό, εἰ μὴ τόνδ' ἐλέηρε καλὴ κούρη πινυτόφρων, ἣ καὶ παρφασίην ἀγαθὴν μυθήσατο τῷδε, ὄφρα μεθ' ἡσυχίης, τρομέων θεόν, οἴκαδε μίμνοι· ἐκ δ' αὐτὸν προδόμοιο τάχος χάζεσθαι ἀνώγει. - οὐ νοῦσος δ', οὐκ ἄλγος, ἀνιηρὸν δέ τι ἄλλο δάμνατο παρθενικήν· καὶ γὰρ κακὰ μυρία τῇδε ὦρσε κακορρέκτης δαίμων. τοκέες δ' ἄρ' ἐκείνης, ἰητρῶν βιότοιο παραιφαμένων τέλος εἶναι, μύρονθ'. ἡ δ' ἀγόρευεν· "3ἐμοί, φίλοι ὦ γενετῆρες, οὔ πω μόρσιμόν ἐστι τέλος θανάτοιο ἐπισπεῖν. ἀλλ' ἄλγος κραδίης γε πάρεστί μοι, οὐ μελέων δέ· εὖτε δ' ἀπ' ἠερόφιν πυρόεις ἀτμός τις ἐπελθὼν σμύχει ἐμεῖο δέμας."3 καὶ ἄλλα δὲ πόλλ' ἐπὶ τοῖσι παρθένου ἠιθέοιο καθ' ἅψεα χεύαμεν ἄμμες· ἡ δέ γε Χριστοφόρῳ σταυρῷ κατενήρατο κείνη ἰὰ πολυπλανέος κακοδαίμονος, ἀντιπαλάμνου. - ἀλλ' ὅτε οἱ γενετῆρας ἐπιφρήσας κάκ' ἔοργα, πώεα μὲν κτείνας καὶ βουκόλια καὶ ὀρῆας, αἶψα δὲ παρθενικὴ κείνων παρέπειθε νόημα· "3μὴ ἄχθεσθ' ἐπὶ τοῖσιν, ἐπὶ τυτθοῖς δὲ γάνυσθε, ὅττι κεν εὐλογέοντος ἀκηράτου ἄσπετα ἔσται."3 - μηνιθμὸς κούρης γὰρ ὁμώλακας οὐ λάθεν αἰνός, αἰζηῷ δ' ἐκέλευον ὅσον τάχος ἐγγυαλίξαι παρθενικὴν ἁρμοῖσιν ἀληθέσιν· ἀλλὰ νεῆνις σταυρῷ Χριστοδόκῳ σθένος ἐς τοκέων νόον ἧκεν. - ἄλλοτε καὶ δήμῳ μαλερὸν λοιμὸν κατέπεμψε δαίμων καὶ χρησμόν γε περικτιόνεσσιν ἕηκε, μὴ πρὶν λωφήσειν κότον ἄσχετον, ἄχρις Ἰούστην ἐς λέχος Ἀγλαΐδης ἀγάγοι τάχος, ἣ θέμις ἐστίν. ἀλλὰ βοὴν δήμου Χριστοῦ κατέπαυε θεραπνὶς εὐχωλαῖς ὁσίῃσι, καὶ ἄστεος ἤλασε λοιμόν. - ἔνθεν πειρηθέντες ὅσοι πόλιν ἀμφινέμονται, Χριστὸν μὲν κύδαινον, ἐμοὶ λώβην δ' ἐπέχευαν· ὡς κείνης πόλεως δ' ὀλοφώιον ἄνδρα πέλοντα ἐκπάγλως ἐμὲ πάντες ἀπέστυγον. αὐτὰρ ἔγωγε ἤιον αἰδόμενος πηούς, πολιήτας, ἅμ' ἄμφω. - ὑστάτιον δ' ὁρόων σταυροῦ μένος ὅσσα ἔοργεν, ἐν φρεσὶ τοῦτο νόησα, κακῷ δέ τε δαίμονι φάσκον· "3ὤμοι ὀλοίιον ἔρνος, ὅλων δωτὴρ ἀθεμίστων, δυσσεβίης γύαλον, ψυχὴν τί μευ ὧδ' ἀπάτησας, οὐτιδανὸς καὶ ἄκικυς ἐών, ὡς οἶσθα καὶ αὐτός; εἰ γάρ σε κρατερῶς μοῦνον σκιὴ ὧδε δαμάζει