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her feet were not moved, nor did they provide their natural function, did she perhaps then give up chanting in an upright posture? Far from it. But someone might ask: “And how then was she able to do what she wished?”. For when the time of hymnody came, leaning herself on two of her handmaidens, or rather, they, getting under each arm and embracing her, then lightly lifting her up, stood her in an upright posture. And thus until the dismissal “she paid her vows” to God. For a long time she had loved the more divine habit, but she feared the matter, as not having the preparation for it; but again she no less feared to fail to attain this greatest and most splendid dignity. Therefore, while she was doubting and hesitating about this, a more divine vision guided her in the matter; for a certain old woman, who had grown old from her very swaddling clothes in an undefiled life, is snatched up in soul in her sleep, and the snatching did not lift her into the air, but carried her into the form of a theater, not leading her down into the stadium, but raising her up somewhat to where the king had to make his tribunal. For looking around she saw one golden throne, possessing much that is ineffable; for the gleam of the material neither allowed the eyes to see, nor permitted her to say anything about it. And on either side many prepared thrones, some golden, but most of ivory, and in the midst of these on the right, one beyond the others. For she could not know what material it was made of, except that it was dyed a black color; but the dye gave a certain brightness, and not even this was deprived of certain rays. And about this the old woman inquired, and he who had led her away said that it was Theodote's throne—for that was the mother's name—and he had also spoken the other names “by name”; “for to her,” he says, “the king has prepared this, as she is about to arrive here not long after.” At these words, the visionary left her sleep, she runs to the mother and reports the vision. But she, understanding— O soul that has surpassed all height and knowledge and virtue— interprets the dream to her otherwise and dismissed her from thinking great things about that woman. 23. Since, therefore, she knew her departure, so that she might not “arrive” there “uninitiated,” she commands that the mystery be performed for her on a designated day. And when all things were prepared, the cross, the belt, and before these, grace, and “the fatted calf” was sacrificed and the table was set forth, and the lamp was lit and “the daughters of Jerusalem” were prepared in order and array to escort the queen, we indeed thought she would be “carried out on a litter”—for what else was there to suppose? —but she; how could I relate the wonder, how could I persuade by speaking? For what I myself saw and hardly believed, how could others be persuaded by the account? But yet, let God and the witnessing angels know that I do not lie in the narrative. While we, therefore, were thinking thus, she appears suddenly as if “from a royal chamber,” presenting herself to the king and bridegroom, beautiful in her comeliness, radiant in her face, in the prime of her strength, bringing bridal gifts to the bridegroom such as no other; “filthy hair,” “calluses on her knees,” hardened bones and the roughness of her skin. And he gave back more generously; a ring upon her hand flashing “with a golden bezel,” “sandals for her feet,” so that they might tread “upon scorpions and serpents,” “the trophy of the cross,” “the helmet of salvation,” the sharp “sword of the spirit.” O, those gifts. And even as I speak “my soul is bitten” at having failed to obtain what I desired. Finally, having sacrificed himself, he gave the bride to eat of the sacrifice. And when she had partaken of all the bridal gifts, only the sacrifice was left; then she was ordered to proceed with the cherubim, and she followed and flew along with them. And I beheld that ineffable spectacle, straightway

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κεκίνηντο οὔθ' οἱ πόδες τὴν φυσικὴν ἐδίδουν ἐνέργειαν, μή ποτε ἆρα ἐνταῦθα καθυφῆκε τοῦ ἐπ' ὀρθῷ ψάλλειν τῷ σχήματι; πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ. ἀλλ' ἀπαιτήσειέ τις· «καὶ πῶς ἄρα δεδύνητο ὃ βεβούλητο;». ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἥκοι ὁ τῆς ὑμνῳδίας καιρός, δυσὶ τῶν θεραπαινίδων ἐπερείδουσα ἑαυτήν, ἢ μᾶλλον αὖται ἑκατέραν ὑπιοῦσαι ἀγκάλην καὶ περιπλεξάμεναι, εἶτα δὴ καὶ κούφως διαβαστάσασαι ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀρθοῦ ἵστασαν σχήματος. καὶ οὕτως ἄχρι τῆς λύσεως «ἀπεδίδου τὰς εὐχὰς» τῷ Θεῷ. Τοῦ δὲ θειοτέρου σχήματος ἤρα μὲν ἐκ πολλοῦ, ἐδεδοίκει δὲ τὸ χρῆμα ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσα πρὸς τοῦτο παρασκευήν· πάλιν δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐδεδίει ἀποτυχεῖν τούτου δὴ τοῦ μεγίστου καὶ λαμπροῦ ἀξιώματος. ἐνδοιάζουσαν οὖν περὶ τούτου καὶ ἀμφιβάλλουσαν, θειοτέρα ὄψις περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀπηύθυνε· πρεσβύτις γάρ τις ἐκ σπαργάνων αὐτῶν τῷ ἀκηράτῳ βίῳ καταγηράσασα, ἐν ὕπνοις ἁρπάζεται τὴν ψυχήν, ἡ δὲ ἁρπαγὴ οὐκ εἰς ἀέρα ἐκούφισεν, ἀλλ' εἰς θεάτρου σχῆμα μετήνεγκεν, εἰς τὸ στάδιον μὲν οὐ καταγαγοῦσα, ἄνω δέ τι μετεωρίσασα ἔνθα ἔδει τὸν βασιλέα τὸ βῆμα ποιήσασθαι. περιβλεψαμένη γὰρ χρυσοῦν μὲν ἕνα τεθέαται θρόνον, πολὺ τὸ ἄρρητον ἔχοντα· ἡ γὰρ ἀστραπὴ τῆς ὕλης οὔτε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρᾷν ξυνεχώρει, οὔτε ταύτῃ ἐδίδου εἰπεῖν τι περὶ ἐκείνου. ἑκατέρωθεν δὲ πολλοὺς παρεσκευασμένους θρόνους, τοὺς μὲν καὶ χρυσοῦς, τοὺς πλείους δὲ ἐξ ἐλέφαντος, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ τούτων ἐκ δεξιᾶς ἕνα παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους. τὴν μὲν γὰρ ὕλην οὐκ εἶχεν εἰδέναι ἥτις αὐτῷ ὑποβέβλητο, πλὴν ὅσον μέλανι μὲν ἐβέβαπτο χρώματι· ἐδίδου δέ τι λαμπρότητος ἡ βαφή, καὶ οὐδὲ αὕτη ἀκτίνων τινῶν ἀπεστέρητο. περὶ ἧς δὴ καὶ ἔρεσθαι τὴν πρεσβύτιν καὶ εἰπεῖν τὸν ἀπαγαγόντα ὅτι Θεοδότης ὁ θρόνος-τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκαλεῖτο ἡ μήτηρ-, «ὀνομαστὶ» δὲ καὶ τἆλλα εἰρήκει· «ἐκείνῃ γὰρ ὁ βασιλεύς φησι τοῦτον παρασκευάσασθαι μελλούσῃ οὐ μετὰ πολὺ ἐνταῦθα ἀφίξεσθαι». ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀφεῖσα τὸν ὕπνον ἡ θεωρός, δρομαία πρὸς τὴν μητέρα χωρεῖ καὶ ἀπαγγέλλει τὴν ὄψιν. ἡ δὲ γνοῦσα καί- ὢ ψυχῆς πᾶν ὕψος καὶ γνώσεως ὑπεραναβάσης καὶ ἀρετῆς- ἑτέρως αὐτῇ διαλύει τὸν ὄνειρον καὶ ἀφῆκε μὴ μέγα περὶ ἐκείνης φρονεῖν. 23. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τὴν ἀνάλυσιν ἔγνω, ἵνα μὴ «ἀτέλεστος» ἐκεῖσε «ἀφίκηται», εἰς ὡρισμένην ἡμέραν παραγγέλλει προβήσεσθαι αὐτῇ τὸ μυστήριον. ὡς δὲ πάντα εὐτρέπιστο, ὁ σταυρός, ἡ ζώνη καὶ πρὸ τούτων ἡ χάρις, ἐτύθη δὲ καὶ «ὁ σιτευτὸς μόσχος» καὶ ἡ τράπεζα προὔκειτο, ἥ τε λαμπὰς ἀνῆπτο καὶ «αἱ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ θυγατέρες» ἐν τάξει καὶ κόσμῳ ἑτοιμασθεῖσαι δορυφορήσειν τὴν βασιλίδα, ἡμεῖς μὲν ᾠόμεθα «φοράδην ἐκκομισθήσεσθαι»-καὶ τί γὰρ ἦν ἄλλο ὑπονοεῖν; -ἡ δέ· πῶς ἂν διηγησαίμην τὸ θαῦμα, πῶς δὲ πείσαιμι λέγων; οἷς γὰρ αὐτὸς ἑωρακὼς οὐ πάνυ πεπίστευκα, πῶς ἂν ἕτεροι τῷ λόγῳ πεισθεῖεν; ἀλλ' οὖν ἴστω Θεὸς καὶ μάρτυρες ἄγγελοι ὡς οὐ ψεύδομαι τὴν διήγησιν. Ἡμῶν τοίνυν οὕτως οἰομένων, ἐκφαίνεται αὕτη ἀθρόον ὥσπερ «ἐκ κοιτῶνος» βασιλικοῦ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ νυμφίῳ προσάγουσα ἑαυτήν, ὡραία τῷ κάλλει, φαιδρὰ τῷ προσώπῳ, ἀκμαία τὴν δύναμιν, ἔδνα προσάγουσα τῷ νυμφίῳ οἷα οὐκ ἄλλη· «κόμην πιναράν», «τύλους γονάτων», ὀστᾶ κατεσκληκότα καὶ τὴν τοῦ δέρους τραχύτητα. ὁ δὲ ἀντεδίδου φιλοτιμότερον· δακτύλιον ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἀστράπτον «σφενδόνῃ χρυσῇ», «ὑποδήματα περὶ τοὺς πόδας», ἵνα δὴ ἐπιβαίνοιεν «ἐπάνω σκορπίων καὶ ὄφεων», «τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ τρόπαιον», «τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου», τὴν ὀξείαν «τοῦ πνεύματος μάχαιραν». ὢ δώρων ἐκείνων. καί μου καὶ λέγοντος «δάκνεται ἡ ψυχὴ» ἀποτυχόντος ὧν προτεθύμημαι. τέλος καὶ ἑαυτὸν καταθύσας, ἐδίδου τῇ νύμφῃ φαγεῖν τοῦ θύματος. ὡς δὲ καὶ πάντων δὴ κεκοινώνηκε τῶν νυμφικῶν δωρεῶν, ἐλέλειπτο δὲ μόνον τὸ θῦμα· εἶτα δὴ συμπροϊέναι ἐπετάχθη τοῖς χερουβίμ, καὶ εἵπετό τε καὶ συμπαρίπτατο. κἀγὼ τὸ ἄρρητον ἐκεῖνο τεθέαμαι θέαμα, εὐθὺς δὴ