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simply in the measure, but in the middle of it the woman appeared, or that she had preoccupied the middle of all evil, ruling tyrannically. 1.373 But into her mouth is thrown the talent of lead that was taken out. And this is a burdensome and downward-dragging word, deprived of brightness, being the opposite of the word of one who has possessed virtue; "for the tongue of the just," it says, "is refined silver." 1.374 For the word concerning orthodox opinion and practical virtue has much that is precious and brilliant, but not the one in the mouth of lawlessness, since it is heavy and downward-dragging, especially because it is deceitful and crafty. Such was also the word of Elymas the magician, uttered "with all readiness for evil and all deceit." 1.375 But one must not consider it strange if the appellation of "woman" is applied to the worst state and a base opinion and the evil power that produces such things. For just as here lawlessness is called a woman, so in the divine Proverbs folly has been named a woman. 1.376 The saying about this is as follows, spoken from the person of the wise man to the hearer: "My son, attend to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my words, that you may keep a good thought; and I command to you the perception of my lips. For honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a little while sweetens your throat; but afterward you will find it more bitter than gall." And after a little: "For the feet of folly lead down with death to Hades." 1.377 And concerning intemperance in the book of Proverbs itself, it is spoken of as a woman, how she lies in wait at a corner when it is dark and gloomy, in order to deceive and harm the young man who is wanting in sense. For having appeared in the guise of a harlot, uttering talkative words, she says, to him whom she wishes to beguile, addressing him with a shameless face, since she is flighty and profligate, in order to inflame the heart of the young man: 1.378 "A peace offering is with me; today I pay my vows. For this reason I have come out to meet you, desiring your face, I have found you." And after other things: "Come and let us roll ourselves in love, come and let us enjoy friendship until morning." After such talkative words and those connected with them, the wise man says: "She led him astray with much conversation," or "homily," as some of the copies have it, "and with the snares of her lips she drove him out." 1.379 Yet even if the young man was led astray, still the teacher again rouses him: "Do not go in the way with her. Her house is the ways of Hades, leading down to the chambers of death; for she has cast down many wounded, and they whom she has slain are without number." 1.380 In the same way that vices are named women, so also are virtues. The wise man, at any rate, says concerning wisdom: "I became a lover of her beauty, and I led her to live with me." Concerning the one who has thus taken her as a wife, the proverbial oracle declares this: "Wisdom bears prudence for a man." 1.381 To this man it is commanded: "Encircle her with a hedge and she will exalt you; honor her that she may embrace you." To the excellent man who has begotten children from virtue, the Holy Spirit is directed, saying: "Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the inner parts of your house; your sons like young olive plants around your table." But that these things are not decreed concerning a mortal woman and her sons, the following verse makes clear: "Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord." 1.382 For if one were to take such things in a human way, many of the great saints, being most devout, did not have the blessing, not having lived with women, having begotten no children at all. And it is sufficient for conviction to bring forward Elijah the great prophet and Elisha, who was his spiritual son according to godliness, ... to speak of John the Baptist; and there are many others who devoted themselves to celibacy, in order "to be careful for the things of the Lord." 1.383 For whole many thousands

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ἁπλῶς ἐν τῷ μέτρῳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ μέσῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὀφθεῖσα γυνή, ἢ ὅτι τὸ μέσον πάσης κακίας προκατείληφεν, ἄρχουσα τυραννικῶς. 1.373 Εἰς τὸ στόμα δὲ αὐτῆς ῥίπτεται τὸ ἐξαιρόμενον τάλαντον τοῦ μολίβου. Λόγος δ' ἐστὶν οὗτος ἐπαχθὴς καὶ κατωφερὴς κ̣αὶ λαμπρότητος ἐστερημένος, ἀντικειμένως ἔχων τῷ λ̣όγῳ τοῦ ἀρετὴν κεκτημένου· «ἄργυρος γάρ, φησίν, πεπυρωμ̣ένος γλ̣ῶσσα δικαίου.» 1.374 Ὁ γὰρ περὶ τῆς ὀρθοδόξου γνώμης καὶ πρακτικῆς ἀρετῆς πολὺ τὸ τίμιον καὶ λαμπρὸν ἔχει, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ἐν τῷ στόματι τῆς ἀνομίας, ἅτε δὴ βαρὺς καὶ κατωφερὴς τυγχάνων, μάλιστα ὅτι δολερὸς καὶ πεπανουργευμένος ἐστίν. Τοιοῦτος ἦν καὶ ὁ τοῦ μάγου Ἐλύμα «σὺν πάσῃ ῥᾳδιουργίᾳ καὶ παντὶ δόλῳ» προφερόμενος. 1.375 Οὐ δεῖ δὲ παράδοξον ἡγεῖσθαι εἰ τάττεται ἡ γυναικὸς προσηγορία κατὰ χειρίστης ἕξεως καὶ φαύλης γνώμης καὶ τῆς ἐμποιούσης τὰ τοιαῦτα πονηρᾶς δυνάμεως. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὧδε ἡ ἀνομία γυνὴ εἴρηται, οὕτως ἐν ταῖς θείαις Παροιμίαις ἡ ἀφροσύνη γυνὴ ὠνομάσθη. 1.376 Ἔχει δὲ τὸ περὶ τούτου ῥητὸν οὕτως, ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ σοφοῦ ἀπαγγελλόμενον πρὸς τὸν ἀκροατήν· «Υἱέ, ἐμῇ σοφίᾳ πρόσεχε, ἐμοῖς δὲ λόγοις παράβαλλε σὸν οὖς, ἵνα φυλάξῃς ἔννοιαν ἀγαθήν· αἴσθησιν δὲ ἐμῶν χειλέων ἐντέλλομαί σοι. Μέλι γὰρ ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πορνῆς, ἣ πρὸς ὀλίγον γλυκαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα· ὕστερον δὲ πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσιν μετὰ θανάτου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην.» 1.377 Καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀκολασίας ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ τῶν Παροιμιῶν βίβλῳ ὡς περὶ γυναικὸς εἴρηται ὡς ἐνεδρεύει ὅταν σκότος καὶ ζόφος ᾖ παρὰ γωνίαν ἵν' ἀπατήσῃ καὶ βλάψῃ τὸν ἐνδεῆ φρενῶν νεανίαν. Εἴδει γὰρ πορνικῷ ἐπιφανεῖσα, στωμύλους λόγους προφέρουσα, φησίν, ᾧ φενακίσαι θέλει ἀναιδεῖ προσώπῳ προσφθεγγομένη αὐτόν, ἅτε ἀνεπτερωμένη οὖσα καὶ ἄσῳτος, ἵν' ἐξάψῃ τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ νέου· 1.378 «Θυσία εἰρηνική μοί ἐστιν σήμερον, ἀποδίδωμι τὰς εὐχάς μου, ἕνεκεν τούτου ἐξῆλθον εἰς ὑπάντησίν σου, ποθοῦσα τὸ σὸν πρόσωπον ηὑ´̣ρηκά σε.» Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· «∆εῦρο καὶ ἐγκυλισθῶμεν ἔρωτι, δεῦρο καὶ ἀπολαύσωμεν φιλίας ἕως ὄρθρου.» Μετὰ τοὺς τοιούτους στωμύλους λόγους καὶ τοὺς ἑξῆς συνημμένους, ὁ σοφός φησιν· «Ἀπεπλάνησεν αὐτὸν πολλῇ ὁμιλίᾳ», ἢ «ὡμυλίᾳ», ὡς ἔχει ἔνια τῶν ἀντιγράφων, «βρόχοις δὲ τοῖς ἀπὸ χειλέων ἐξώκειλεν αὐτόν». 1.379 Ὅμως εἰ καὶ ἐπλανήθη ὁ νεανίας, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὁ διδάσκαλος διεγείρει αὐτόν· «Μὴ πορευθῇς ἐν ὁδῷ μετ' αὐτῆς. Ὁδοὶ ᾅδου ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς κατάγουσαι εἰς ταμίεια θανάτου· πολλοὺς γὰρ τρώσασα καταβέβληκεν, καὶ ἀναρίθμητοί εἰσιν οὓς πεφόνευκεν.» 1.380 Ὅνπερ δὲ τρόπον γυναῖκες ὀνομάζονται αἱ κακίαι, οὕτω καὶ αἱ ἀρεταί. Ὁ σοφὸς γοῦν περὶ τῆς σοφίας λέγει· «Ἐραστὴς ἐγενόμην τοῦ κάλλους αὐτῆς, καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὴν πρὸς συμβίωσιν ἐμαυτῷ.» Περὶ τοῦ οὕτως ἠγμένου αὐτὴν γαμετῆς δίκην διαγορεύει τὸ παροιμιῶδες θέσπισμα τόδε· «Ἡ σοφία τίκτει ἀνδρὶ φρόνησιν.» 1.381 Τούτῳ τῷ ἀνδρὶ προστάττεται· «Περιχαράκωσον αὐτὴν καὶ ὑψώσει σε· τίμησον αὐτὴν ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ.» Πρὸς τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀρετῆς τεκνώσαντα σπουδαῖον ἄνδρα ἀποτείνεται τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα φάσκον· «Ἡ γυνή σου ὡς ἄμπελος εὐθηνοῦσα ἐν τοῖς κλίτεσιν τῆς οἰκίας σου· υἱοί σου ὡς νεόφυτα ἐλαιῶν κύκλῳ τῆς τραπέζης σου.» Ὅτι δὲ οὐ περὶ θνητῆς γυναικὸς καὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῆς ταῦτα θεσπίζεται, ὁ ἐπιφε̣ρόμενος στίχος δηλοῖ· «Ἰδοὺ οὕτως εὐλογηθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβου´̣μενος τὸν Κύριον.» 1.382 Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνως τις ἐκλαμβάνοι τὰ τοιαῦτα, πολλ̣οὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἁγίων εὐλαβέστατοι ὄντες οὐκ ἔσχον τὴν εὐλογίαν, οὐ συνοικήσαντες γυναιξίν, τεκνώσαντες οὐδαμ̣ῶς̣. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ πρὸς πληροφορίαν παραγαγεῖν Ἠλίαν τὸν μέγαν προφήτην κ̣αὶ Ἐλισαῖον, τὸν κατὰ θεοσέβειαν ὄντα αὐτοῦ υἱὸν πνευματικόν, τ····· περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ φάναι· καὶ ἕτεροι δέ εἰσιν πλ̣είονες ἀγαμίᾳ σχολάσαντες, ἵνα «μεριμνῶσιν τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου». 1.383 Ὅλ̣ας γὰρ πολλὰς χιλιάδας