is it, child?" And she, pausing for a little, said, "But now I understand what was said. For as they, weeping, handed these things to me, they said, 'Consider, child; for we, having been carried to the western ocean, will return immediately.'" This most clearly proved that those who appeared were daemons. 6.8.1 And so they departed and went away, wherever it might be; but her father, having received the girl, divinely inspired and soberly possessed, allowed her to live as she wished, and did not meddle in any of her affairs, except that he was troubled by her silence. 6.8.2 And she, advancing to the measure of her prime, and not having had any other teachers, had by heart the books of the poets and philosophers and rhetors, and whatever things those who have toiled and labored barely and dimly manage to know, these she explained with indifference, easily and painlessly running through to clarity. 6.8.3 It seemed good to her, then, to also be joined with a husband. And it was indisputable that of all men, Eustathius alone was worthy of the marriage. And she, speaking to Eustathius and those present: "But listen, <you,> Eustathius, and let those present be witnesses. I will bear three children by you, and they will lack <nothing> of what seems good to humans, but toward the 6.8.4 divine, [not] one. And you will leave me behind first, having obtained a fine and fitting end, and I perhaps a better one. For your dance is around the moon, and you will no longer serve and philosophize about the fifth element, for so your eidolon tells me, but you will also pass through the sublunar region with 6.8.5 a good and well-guided motion; but as for me, I wanted to speak of my own affairs," then, falling silent in her speech for a short time, she exclaimed, "but my god forbids me." 6.8.6 Having said these things, for thus the Fates decreed, she was joined with Eustathius, and the things spoken differed in no way from immovable prophecies, for all came to pass and turned out just as they had been uttered. 6.9.1 But it would be necessary to add this to what has been related; Sosipatra, after the departure of Eustathius, having returned to her own properties, was living around Asia and old Pergamum; and the great Aedesius 6.9.2 attending her loved her, and he educated her children. And Sosipatra sat opposite him, philosophizing in her own house, and, after a session with Aedesius, visiting her, there was no one who did <not> greatly love and admire the precision in Aedesius's arguments, but who did not revere and venerate the woman's divine inspiration. 6.9.3 A certain Philometor, then, being her cousin, overcome by her beauty and her words, fell in love, even though he knew the woman was more than human; but love compelled and constrained him. And he was much occupied with these things, and the woman sensed his attempt; and to Maximus—this man was carried to the first ranks of Aedesius's circle, and was not without 6.9.4 family ties—: "But learn, O Maximus, so that I may not have troubles, what this feeling concerning me is." And when he replied, "For what is the feeling?" "When Philometor is present," she said to him, "he is Philometor, and 6.9.5 differs in no way from the many of you; but if I see him departing, my heart within is somehow bitten and twisted toward his exit. But see to it that you strive on my behalf and show something dear to the gods," she added. And so Maximus went out, having heard such things, being very proud, as if he were already conversing with the gods, because 6.9.6 he had been entrusted with such things by so great a woman. Philometor persisted in his proposals, but Maximus opposed him, having learned through sacrificial wisdom what he was employing, and destroying the lesser thing with something more violent and powerful. And Maximus, having accomplished these things, ran to Sosipatra, and asked her to observe very carefully if she would suffer the same thing for the rest of the time 6.9.7; and she said she no longer suffered, and she reported to Maximus the prayer and the entire action, and added the hour, as if she had been present, at which these things
ἐστιν, ὦ τέκνον;" ἡ δὲ ἐπισχοῦσα μικρόν, "ἀλλὰ νῦν γε" ἔφη "συνορῶ τὸ λεχθέν. ὡς γὰρ ταῦτα ἐμοὶ δακρύον τες ἐνεχείριζον, σκόπει, ἔφασαν, ὦ τέκνον· ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑσπέριον ὠκεανὸν ἐνεχθέντες, αὐτίκα ἐπανήξομεν." τοῦτο συμφανέστατα δαίμονας εἶναι τοὺς φανέντας ἀπήλεγξεν. 6.8.1 καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀπιόντες ᾤχοντο ὁπῃδήποτε καὶ ἀπῄεσαν· ὁ δὲ πατὴρ τὴν παῖδα παραλαβὼν τεθειασμένην καὶ σωφρόνως ἐνθουσιῶσαν, συνεχώρει τε ζῆν ὅπως βούλεται, καὶ περιειργάζετο τῶν κατ' ἐκείνην οὐδέν, πλὴν ὅσα γε πρὸς 6.8.2 τὴν σιωπὴν αὐτῆς ἐδυσχέραινεν. ἡ δὲ προϊοῦσα εἰς μέτρον ἀκμῆς, διδασκάλων τε ἄλλων οὐ τυχοῦσα, τά τε τῶν ποιητῶν βιβλία διὰ στόματος εἶχε καὶ φιλοσόφων καὶ ῥητόρων, καὶ ὅσα γε τοῖς πεπονηκόσι καὶ τεταλαιπωρημένοις μόλις ὑπῆρχε καὶ ἀμυδρῶς εἰδέναι, ταῦτα ἐκείνη μετ' ὀλιγωρίας ἔφραζε, εὐκόλως καὶ ἀλύπως εἰς τὸ σαφὲς ἐπιτρέχουσα. 6.8.3 ἔδοξε γοῦν αὐτῇ καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνελθεῖν. καὶ ἀναμφίλεκτον ἦν ὅτι ἐξ ἁπάντων ἀνδρῶν μόνος Εὐστάθιος ἄξιος ἦν τοῦ γάμου. ἡ δὲ πρὸς Εὐστάθιος καὶ τοὺς παρόντας εἰποῦσα· "ἀλλ' ἄκουε μὲν <σύ,> Εὐστάθιε, συμμαρτυρούντων δὲ οἱ παρόντες. παῖδας μὲν ὑπὸ σοὶ τέξομαι τρεῖς, πάντες δὲ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον δοκοῦν ἀγαθὸν <οὐδὲν> ἀτυχήσουσι, πρὸς τὸ 6.8.4 θεῖον δὲ [οὐδὲ] εἷς. καὶ σὺ δὲ προαπολείψεις ἐμέ, καλὴν μεταλαχὼν λῆξιν καὶ πρέπουσαν, ἐγὼ δὲ ἴσως κρείσσονα. σοὶ μὲν γὰρ περὶ σελήνην ἡ χορεία, καὶ οὐκέτι λατρεύσεις καὶ φιλοσοφήσεις τὸ πέμπτον, οὕτω γάρ μοί φησιν τὸ σὸν εἴδωλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ σελήνην παρελεύσῃ τόπον σὺν 6.8.5 ἀγαθῇ καὶ εὐηνίῳ φορᾷ· ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἐβουλόμην μὲν εἰπεῖν τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτήν," εἶτα ἐπισιωπήσασα τῷ λόγῳ βραχύν τινα χρόνον, "ἀλλ' ὁ ἐμός," ἀνεφθέγξατο, "θεός με κωλύει." 6.8.6 ταῦτα εἰποῦσα, Μοῖραι γὰρ οὕτως ἔνευον, τῷ τε Εὐσταθίῳ συνῆλθε, καὶ τὰ λεχθέντα οὐδὲν διέφερε τῶν ἀκινήτων μαντειῶν, πάντα γὰρ ἐγένετο καὶ ἀπέβη καθάπερ γεγενημένα. 6.9.1 Προσιστορῆσαι δὲ τοῖς γεγενημένοις τάδε ἀναγκαίως εἴη· Σωσιπάτρα, μετὰ τὴν ἀποχώρησιν Εὐσταθίου, πρὸς τὰ αὑτῆς ἐπανελθοῦσα κτήματα, περὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν Πέργαμον διέτριβεν· καὶ ὁ μέγας Αἰδέσιος θερα6.9.2 πεύων αὐτὴν ἠγάπα, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἐξεπαίδευε. καὶ ἀντεκάθητό γε αὐτῷ φιλοσοφοῦσα κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς οἰκίαν ἡ Σωσιπάτρα, καί, μετὰ τὴν Αἰδεσίου συνουσίαν, παρ' ἐκείνην φοιτῶντες, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις τὴν μὲν ἐν λόγοις ἀκρίβειαν Αἰδεσίου <οὐ> περιηγάπα καὶ συνεθαύμαζεν, τὸν δὲ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐνθουσιασμὸν προσεκύνει καὶ ἐσεβάζετο. 6.9.3 Φιλομήτωρ γοῦν τις αὐτῆς ἀνεψιὸς ὤν, τοῦ τε κάλλους ἡττηθεὶς καὶ τῶν λόγων, εἰς ἔρωτα ἀφίκετο, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα εἰδὼς θειοτέραν· ἔρως δὲ συνηνάγκαζε καὶ κατεβιάζετο. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀμφὶ ταῦτα ἦν πολύς, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ συνησθάνετο τῆς πείρας· καὶ πρὸς τὸν Μάξιμον, οὗτος δὲ ἀνὰ τὰ πρῶτα τῆς ὁμιλίας ἐφέρετο τοῦ Αἰδεσίου, καὶ οὐδὲ συγ6.9.4 γενείας κεχώριστο· "ἀλλὰ κατάμαθέ γε, ὦ Μάξιμε, ἵνα μὴ πράγματα ἐγὼ ἔχω, τί τὸ περὶ ἐμὲ πάθος ἐστί." τοῦ δὲ ὑπολαβόντος· "τί γάρ ἐστι τὸ πάθος;" "ἂν μὲν παρῇ Φιλομήτωρ," ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν "Φιλομήτωρ γέ ἐστι, καὶ 6.9.5 διαφέρει τῶν πολλῶν ὑμῶν οὐδὲ ἕν· ἂν δὲ ἀποχωροῦντα θεάσωμαι, δάκνεταί μου καὶ στρέφεταί πως πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον ἔνδον ἡ καρδία. ἀλλ' ὅπως ἀθλήσῃς περὶ ἐμοὶ καὶ θεοφιλὲς ἐπιδείξῃ τι," προσέθηκεν. καὶ ὁ μὲν Μάξιμος ἐξῄει τοιαῦτα ἀκηκοώς, ὑπέρογκος ὤν, ὡς ἂν ἤδη τοῖς θεοῖς ὁμιλῶν, ὅτι 6.9.6 ὑπὸ τοσαύτης γυναικὸς τοιαῦτα ἐπεπίστευτο. Φιλομήτωρ δὲ τοῖς προτεθεῖσιν ἐνέκειτο, Μάξιμος δὲ ἀντενέκειτο, διὰ σοφίας μὲν θυτικῆς καταμαθὼν ᾧτινι κέχρηται, βιαιοτέρῳ δὲ καὶ δυνατωτέρῳ καταλύσας τὸ ἔλαττον. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα συντελέσας ὁ Μάξιμος ἔδραμε παρὰ τὴν Σωσιπάτραν, καὶ παραφυλάττειν ἠξίου μάλα ἀκριβῶς, εἰ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦ λοιποῦ 6.9.7 πείσεται· ἡ δὲ οὐκέτι πάσχειν ἔφη, καὶ τήν γε εὐχὴν ἀπήγγειλε τῷ Μαξίμῳ καὶ τὴν ἅπασαν πρᾶξιν, καὶ τήν γε ὥραν προσέθηκεν, ὥσπερ συμπαροῦσα, καθ' ἣν ταῦτα