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8.13 But the divine Aphraates showed his own virtue even in that storm, and when calm came, he continued doing the same things; and he worked countless other miracles, of which I will mention one or two. A certain woman of noble birth, dragging the yoke of marriage with an intemperate man, came to that blessed man, lamenting her own misfortune. For she said that her husband, attached to a concubine, had been bewitched by some sorcerous trickery and hated her, who was joined to him by the law of marriage. The woman said these things standing before the outer door; for thus he was accustomed to hold conversation with the female sex, for he had never admitted any woman inside the door. Then, therefore, pitying the supplicating woman, by prayer he dimmed the power of the sorcery, and having consecrated a flask of oil brought by her with the divine invocation, he commanded her to anoint herself with it. The woman, having fulfilled these instructions, transferred her husband's love to herself and persuaded him to prefer the lawful bed to the unlawful one. 8.14 They say that once, when a locust plague suddenly attacked the land and, like fire, was consuming everything—both crops and plants and marshes and groves and meadows—a certain pious man came to him begging him to help, since he had one field, and from this he fed himself and his wife and children and household, and in addition to these was subject to the imperial tax. Again, therefore, he who imitated the Master's love for mankind ordered a pitcher of water to be brought to him. And when he who announced the prayer brought the pitcher, he laid his hand upon it, and besought God to fill the stream with divine power. Then, having concluded the prayer, he instructed him to sprinkle the water on the boundaries of the property; and the one who had brought it did as he was ordered, and it became an invincible and inviolable fence for those fields; for up to those boundaries the locusts, crawling and flying around like armies, retreated back again, fearing the blessing that had been placed there, and as if restrained by some bridle, they were prevented from proceeding forward. 8.15 And why must I recount everything worked by that blessed soul? For even these things are sufficient to show the splendor of the grace that dwelt in him. Of this I too became a spectator, and I gathered the blessing of that holy right hand, being still a boy, having shared with my mother the journey to the man. And for her, as was his custom, opening the door slightly, he deemed her worthy of conversation and blessing; but receiving me inside, he shared with me the wealth of his prayer. May I enjoy this even now, believing him to be alive and dancing with the angels and to possess greater boldness before God than of old. For then this boldness was measured by his mortal body, so that greater boldness might not become a pretext for folly; but now, having laid aside the burden of the passions, as a victorious athlete he speaks freely to the judge of the contest. For this reason I also beseech to obtain his intercession. 9.t PETER 9.1 We hear of the Galatians, the western ones in Europe, but we know those in Asia, their descendants, who were settled beside the Euxine Pontus. From these sprung Peter, the blessed, and thrice blessed, and many times so. For seven years, as they say, from his birth pangs, having been raised by his parents, he spent his entire remaining life in the contests of philosophy; and he is said to have died having lived ninety-nine years. Therefore, him who contended for ninety-two years and through every day and night journeyed victoriously, who could worthily admire? And what tongue would suffice for the narration of the things in boyhood and youth and young manhood and in the mature man and

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8.13 Ὁ δὲ θεῖος Ἀφραάτης καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ζάλῃ τὴν οἰκείαν ἔδειξεν ἀρετὴν καὶ γαλήνης γενομένης τὰ ἶσα δρῶν διετέλεσε· καὶ ἄλλα δὲ μυρία εἰργάσατο θαύματα ὧν ἑνὸς ἢ δύο μνησθήσομαι. Γυνή τις τῶν εὐπατριδῶν ἀκολάστῳ ἀνδρὶ συνέλκουσα τὸν τοῦ γάμου ζυγὸν ἀφίκετο πρὸς τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον ἄνθρωπον τὴν οἰκείαν κωκύουσα συμφοράν. Ἔφασκε γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα παλλακίδι προσκείμενον γοητικῇ τινι μαγγανείᾳ καταγεγοητεῦσθαι καὶ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὴν γάμου νόμῳ συνεζευγμένην. Ἔλεγε δὲ ταῦτα ἡ γυνὴ πρὸ τῆς αὐλείου θύρας ἑστῶσα· οὕτω γὰρ εἰώθει τὴν πρὸς τὸ θῆλυ ποιεῖσθαι διάλεξιν· εἴσω γὰρ τῆς θύρας οὐδεμίαν εἰσεδέξατο πώποτε. Τότε τοίνυν οἰκτείρας τὴν γυναῖκα ποτνιωμένην, εὐχῇ τῆς γοητείας ἀμαυροῖ τὴν ἐνέργειαν καὶ ἐλαίου ληκύθιον ὑπ' αὐτῆς προσενεχθὲν τῇ θείᾳ ἐπικλήσει καθαγιάσας χρίσασθαι τούτῳ προσέταξεν. Ταύτας ἡ γυνὴ πληρώσασα τὰς ὑποθήκας, μετέθηκεν εἰς ἑαυτὴν τὸν τοῦ ὁμοζύγου ἔρωτα καὶ πέπεικε προαιρεῖσθαι τῆς παρανόμου κοίτης τὴν ἔννομον. 8.14 Φασὶ δέ ποτε καὶ ἀκρίδος ἐξαπιναίως προσβαλούσης τῇ γῇ καὶ πυρὶ παραπλησίως ἅπαντα προσδαπανώσης καὶ λήϊα καὶ φυτὰ καὶ ἕλη καὶ ἄλση καὶ λειμῶνας ἧκέ τις παρ' αὐτὸν εὐσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἀντιβολῶν ἐπαμῦναι, ἕνα μὲν ἀγρὸν ἔχοντι, ἐκ τούτου δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ παῖδας καὶ οἰκείους τρέφοντι καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὴν βασιλικὴν εἰσφορὰν εἰσπραττομένῳ. Πάλιν τοίνυν ὁ τὴν δεσποτικὴν φιλανθρωπίαν μιμούμενος χόα ὕδατος αὐτῷ προσενεχθῆναι προσέταξεν. Ὡς δὲ τὸν χόα προσήνεγκεν ὁ τὴν εὐχὴν ἐπαγγέλλων, ἐπετίθει μὲν τούτῳ τὴν χεῖρα, ἱκέτευε δὲ τὸν θεὸν δυνάμεως θείας ἐμφορῆσαι τὸ νᾶμα. Εἶτα τὴν εὐχὴν συμπεράνας παρηγγύησε τοῖς τοῦ χωρίου ὅροις ἐπιρρᾶναι τὸ ὕδωρ· πεποίηκε δὲ ὁ τοῦτο κομισάμενος ᾗ προσετάχθη καὶ ἀντὶ ἕρκους ἀμάχου τε καὶ ἀσύλου ταῖς ἀρούραις ἐκείναις ἐγένετο· μέχρι γὰρ τῶν ὅρων ἐκείνων ἕρπουσαί τε καὶ περιπετόμεναι στρατοπέδων δίκην αἱ ἀκρίδες, εἰς τοὐπίσω πάλιν ἐχώρουν τὴν ἐπιτεθεῖσαν εὐλογίαν δειμαίνουσαι καὶ ὥσπερ τινὶ χαλινῷ ἀγχόμεναι καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω χωρεῖν κωλυόμεναι. 8.15 Καὶ τί δεῖ πάντα καταλέγειν τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης εἰργασμένα ψυχῆς; Ἱκανὰ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα τῆς ἐνοικησάσης αὐτῷ χάριτος ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν αἴγλην. Τούτου κἀγὼ θεατὴς ἐγενόμην καὶ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκείνης δεξιᾶς τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐτρύγησα, μειράκιον μὲν ὢν ἔτι, τῇ δὲ μητρὶ κοινωνήσας τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα πορείας. Καὶ αὐτῇ μὲν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ὑπανοίξας τὴν θύραν διαλέξεώς τε καὶ εὐλογίας ἠξίωσεν· ἐμὲ δὲ εἰσδεξάμενος ἔνδον τοῦ τῆς προσευχῆς μοι μετέδωκε πλούτου. Ταύτης καὶ νῦν ἀπο λαύσαιμι, ζῆν αὐτὸν πιστεύων καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις συγχορεύειν καὶ πλείονι ἢ πάλαι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν παρρησίᾳ κεχρῆσθαι. Τότε μὲν γὰρ αὕτη τῷ θνητῷ τοῦ σώματος ἐμετρεῖτο ἵνα μὴ πρόφασις ἀπονοίας ἡ πλείων γένηται παρρησία· νῦν δὲ τῶν παθῶν ἀποθέμενος τὸ φορτίον ὡς νικηφόρος ἀθλητὴς πρὸς τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην παρρησιάζεται· οὗ χάριν καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ πρεσβείας ἱκετεύω τυχεῖν. 9.t ΠΕΤΡΟΣ 9.1 Γαλάτας ἀκούομεν μὲν τοὺς ἐν τῇ Εὐρώπῃ τοὺς ἑσπερίους, ἴσμεν δὲ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ τοὺς ἐκείνων ἐγγόνους οἳ παρὰ τὸν Εὔξεινον κατῳκίσθησαν Πόντον. Ἐκ τούτων ὁ μακάριος καὶ τρὶς τοῦτο καὶ πολλάκις ἐβλάστησε Πέτρος. Ἑπτὰ δέ, ὥς φασιν, ἐξ ὠδίνων ἔτη παρὰ τοῖς γονεῦσι τραφεὶς τὸν λοιπὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἐν τοῖς τῆς φιλοσοφίας διετέλεσεν ἄθλοις· τελευτῆσαι δὲ λέγεται ἔτη βιώσας ἐννέα καὶ ἐνενήκοντα. Τὸν τοίνυν δύο καὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἀγωνισάμενον ἔτη καὶ διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας τε καὶ νυκτὸς νικηφόρον ὁδεύσαντα, τίς ἂν ἀξίως θαυμάσειεν; Ποία δ' ἂν ἀρκέσειεν εἰς διήγησιν γλῶττα τῶν ἐν παιδίῳ καὶ ἀντιπαιδὶ καὶ μειρακίῳ καὶ ἀνδρὶ τελείῳ καὶ