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with various, as the Apostle says, schemes, devising sophistries against our souls to subtly introduce the sophisms of deceit against the divine law. And I say these things looking in my discourse toward the Egyptian serpents, that is, toward the various evils of deceit, whose destruction the rod of Moses works, concerning which the fitting things have already been moderately contemplated. 2.64 Therefore, this one who possessed that invincible rod of virtue which makes the sophistical rods disappear, by a certain path and sequence proceeds toward the greater of the wonders. And the working of wonders does not happen for the purpose of astonishing those who encounter them, but looks toward the benefit of those being saved. For by the same wonders of virtue the enemy is cast down, while that of the same race is increased. 2.65 First, let us learn the more general purpose of the particular wonders according to the allegorical sense; then it would thus be possible for us to apply the meaning to each one. For the teaching of the truth changes according to the dispositions of those who receive the word. For when the word shows what is good or evil equally to all, the one who is obedient to what is shown has his mind in the light, but for the one who is resistant and does not allow his soul to look toward the ray of truth, the gloom of ignorance remains. If, then, what is universally understood by us in such matters is not false, neither would the particular things be entirely otherwise, since the particular examination is demonstrated together with the whole. 2.66 Therefore it is not at all surprising for the Hebrew to remain unaffected by the Egyptian evils while living among the foreigners, since even now it is possible to see the same thing happening. For of those in the populous cities who are divided by contrary opinions, for some the stream of faith is drinkable and clear, which they draw through the divine teaching, but for those who act like Egyptians through their wicked conception, the water becomes corrupt blood. 2.67 And often the sophistry of deceit attempts to make the drink of the Hebrews blood with the pollution of falsehood, that is, to show our doctrine even to us as not being what it is; but it would not make the drink completely useless, even if through deceit it readily makes its appearance crimson. For the Hebrew drinks the true water, even if it is plausibly slandered by opponents, paying no attention to the appearance of deceit. 2.68 So also the race of frogs, repulsive and noisy, whose life is amphibious, and whose leap is like a reptile's, and not only is its appearance unpleasant, but also the stench of its skin, which creeps into the houses and beds and store-chambers of the Egyptians, but does not touch the life of the Hebrews. 2.69 For truly the destructive offspring of evil are openly the race of frogs, being brought to life from the filthy heart of men as if from some mire. These frogs inhabit the houses of those who live like Egyptians according to their life's choice, and are shown even on their tables and they do not keep away from their beds and they enter the storehouses of provisions.

2.70 For when you see the filthy and licentious life being born from what is truly clay and mire, and by its imitation of the irrational according to its manner of life not remaining precisely in either nature, being human by nature, but becoming a beast through passion, and on account of this displaying that amphibious and ambiguous form of life, you will find also in this the signs of such a disease, not only on the bed, but also on the table and in the store-chambers and throughout the entire dwelling. 2.71 For such a person makes his profligacy conspicuous through everything, so that all may easily recognize through the things pursued in the house the life of both the licentious and the pure, when in the one, on the plaster of the wall are shown by art through certain images the kindling-materials of passionate pleasure, through which the nature of the disease is recalled, through sight from the dishonor of the spectacles the ... being poured into the soul

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ποικίλαις, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, μεθοδείαις κατὰ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν σοφιστεύων ἀντιπαρεισάγειν τῷ θείῳ νόμῳ τὰ τῆς ἀπάτης σοφίσματα. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω πρὸς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους δράκοντας βλέπων τῷ λόγῳ, τουτέστι πρὸς τὰς ποικίλας τῆς ἀπάτης κακίας, ὧν τὸν ἀφανισμὸν ἡ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ῥάβδος ἐργάζεται, περὶ ἧς μετρίως ἤδη τὰ εἰκότα προτεθεώρηται. 2.64 Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ τὴν ἄμαχον ἐκείνην κεκτημένος τῆς ἀρετῆς ῥάβδον τὴν τὰς σεσοφισμένας ἐξαφανίζουσαν ῥάβδους ὁδῷ τινι καὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ πρὸς τὰ μείζω πρόεισι τῶν θαυμάτων. Ἡ δὲ θαυματοποιΐα οὐ τῷ σκοπῷ τῆς ἐκπλήξεως τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων γίνεται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον τῶν σωζομένων βλέπει. Τοῖς γὰρ αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς θαύμασι καθαιρεῖται μὲν τὸ πολέμιον, αὔξεται δὲ τὸ ὁμόφυλον. 2.65 Πρῶτον δὲ γενικώτερον τῶν ἐπὶ μέρους θαυμάτων τὸν κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν καταμάθωμεν σκοπόν· εἶθ' οὕτω δυνατὸν ἂν γένοιτο ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς καθ' ἕκαστον ἐφαρμόσαι τὸ νόημα. Ἡ γὰρ διδασκαλία τῆς ἀληθείας πρὸς τὰς διαθέσεις τῶν δεχομένων τὸν λόγον συμμεταβάλλεται. Ἐπίσης γὰρ πᾶσι τοῦ λόγου τὸ καλὸν ἢ τὸ κακὸν προδεικνύντος, ὁ μὲν εὐπειθῶς πρὸς τὸ δεικνύμενον ἔχων ἐν φωτὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχει, τῷ δὲ ἀντιτύπως διακειμένῳ καὶ μὴ καταδεχομένῳ πρὸς τὴν ἀκτῖνα τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ψυχὴν διαβλέψαι παραμένει τῆς ἀγνοίας ὁ ζόφος. Εἰ δὴ τὸ καθόλου νοηθὲν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ψεῦδος οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδ' ἂν τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον πάντως ἑτέρως ἔχοι, τῆς ἐπὶ μέρους ἐξετάσεως συναποδειχθείσης τῷ ὅλῳ. 2.66 Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἀπαθῆ τὸν Ἑβραῖον μένειν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων κακῶν ἐν μέσοις τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ἀναστρεφόμενον, ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν τὸ ἴσον ἔστι γινόμενον ἰδεῖν. Τῶν γὰρ ἐν ταῖς πολυανθρώποις πόλεσι πρὸς τὰς ἐναντίας δόξας διεστηκότων τοῖς μὲν πότιμόν τε καὶ διαφανές ἐστι τὸ νᾶμα τῆς πίστεως, ὃ διὰ τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας ἀρύονται, τοῖς δὲ διὰ τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑπολήψεως αἰγυπτιάζουσι διεφθορὸς αἷμα τὸ ὕδωρ γίνεται. 2.67 Καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιχειρεῖ ὁ παρασο φισμὸς τῆς ἀπάτης καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἑβραίων ποτὸν τῷ μολυσμῷ τοῦ ψεύδους αἱματοποιῆσαι, τουτέστι τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον καὶ ἡμῖν δεῖξαι μὴ τοιοῦτον ὄντα οἷός ἐστιν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀχρειώσειε καθόλου τὸ ποτόν, κἂν ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου δι' ἀπάτης περιφοινίξῃ τὸ εἶδος. Πίνει γὰρ ὁ Ἑβραῖος τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὕδωρ, κἂν παρὰ τῶν ἐναντίων πιθανῶς διαβάλληται, οὐδὲν πρὸς τὸ εἶδος τῆς ἀπάτης ἐπιστρεφόμενος. 2.68 Οὕτω καὶ τὸ τῶν βατράχων γένος τὸ εἰδεχθὲς καὶ πολύφωνον, ᾧ ἀμφίβιος μὲν ἡ ζωή, ἑρπηστικὸν δὲ τὸ πήδημα, ἀηδὴς δὲ οὐ μόνον ἡ ὄψις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ χρωτὸς ἡ δυσωδία, ὃ τοῖς οἴκοις καὶ ταῖς κλίναις καὶ τοῖς ταμιείοις τῶν Αἰγυπτίων εἰσέρπει, τῆς δὲ τῶν Ἑβραίων ζωῆς οὐκ ἐφάπτεται. 2.69 Ἀληθῶς γὰρ βατράχων ἄντικρυς γένη ἐστι τὰ φθοροποιὰ τῆς κακίας γεννήματα ἐκ τῆς ῥυπαρᾶς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἷον ἔκ τινος βορβόρου ζωογονούμενα. Οὗτοι οἱ βάτραχοι οἰκοῦσι μὲν τὰς οἰκίας τῶν αἰγυπτια ζόντων κατὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου προαίρεσιν, δείκνυνται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τραπεζῶν καὶ τῶν κλινῶν οὐκ ἀπέχονται καὶ εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα τῶν ἀποθέτων εἰσδύνουσιν.

2.70 Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδῃς τὸν ῥυπαρόν τε καὶ ἀκόλαστον βίον ἐκ τοῦ ἀληθῶς πηλοῦ τε καὶ βορβόρου τικτόμενον καὶ τῇ πρὸς τὸ ἄλογον μιμήσει κατὰ τὸ εἶδος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν οὐθετέρᾳ φύσει ἀκριβῶς μένοντα καὶ ἄνθρωπον μὲν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ὄντα, κτῆνος δὲ διὰ τὸ πάθος γινόμενον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ἀμφίβιον ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἐπαμφοτερίζον τῆς ζωῆς εἶδος ἐπιδεικνύντα, εὑρήσεις καὶ ἐπὶ τούτου τὰ τῆς τοιαύτης νόσου γνωρίσματα, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης καὶ ἐν τοῖς ταμιείοις καὶ κατὰ πᾶσιν τὴν οἴκησιν. 2.71 Ἐπισημαίνεται γὰρ διὰ πάντων ὁ τοιοῦτος τὴν ἀσωτίαν, ὥστε πάντας ῥᾳδίως ἐπιγνῶναι διὰ τῶν κατὰ τὸν οἶκον σπουδαζομένων τὸν βίον τοῦ τε ἀκολάστου καὶ τοῦ καθαρεύοντος, ὅταν ἐν τούτῳ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ τοίχου κονιαμάτων δείκνυται παρὰ τῆς τέχνης διὰ εἰδώλων τινῶν τὰ τῆς ἐμπαθοῦς ἡδονῆς ὑπεκκαύματα, δι' ὧν ὑπομιμνῄσκεται τῆς νόσου ἡ φύσις, διὰ τῆς ὄψεως ἐκ τῆς ἀτιμίας τῶν θεαμάτων ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπεισχεομένου τοῦ