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having thrown off all foreign adornment, she lived according to the laws set down by the physician, neither wearing embroidered clothing nor beautifying herself with gold, and this although she was altogether young in age; for she was in her twenty-third year from birth, not yet having become a mother; for after surviving another seven years, so she received my birth-pangs, which she received as both the first and the only ones. So much did she profit from the teaching of the great Peter and received a double cure, both seeking healing for the body and also acquiring good health for her soul. Such things he effected by speaking and was able to do by praying. 9.9 Another time, she brought a cook who was a servant, being troubled by some evil demon, and begged to receive his help. And the divine man, after praying, ordered the demon to tell the reason for its power over the divine creation. And it, just like some murderer or burglar standing before a judge's tribunal and being ordered to tell what he has done, so it went through everything, being forced by fear to speak the truth contrary to its habit; and it said that in Heliopolis the servant's master had fallen ill, and that his mistress sat beside her spouse since he was ill; and the maidservants of the mistress of the house where they were staying, were narrating the life of the monks who were practicing philosophy in Antioch and how much power they have over demons; then these girls, being young and enjoying a game, pretended to be possessed by demons and mad, and that that servant, putting on a goat's-hair cloak, exorcised them in the manner of a monk. "While these things," it said, "were being done, standing by the door and not bearing the boastful words about the monks, I wished to learn by experience the power which they boasted those men had. For this reason, leaving the maidservants, I forced myself into this man, wishing to learn how I might be driven out by the monks. And now," it said, "I have learned, and I have no need of another experience; and I will depart immediately at your command." Saying these things, it fled, and the servant enjoyed his freedom. 9.10 And my nurse, who was my mother's mother, brought another countryman who was possessed, and she begged the adversary of wickedness to help. And he again inquired whence it was and from whom it had received power over the divine creation. But when it stood silent, not making a reply, he bent his knees and prayed and implored God to show the sinner the power of His own servants. And again he stood up, and again it resisted and was silent, and this went on until the ninth hour. But when he had offered a more fervent and earnest prayer to the Master, he stood up and said to the sinner: "It is not Peter who commands you, but the God of Peter. Answer, therefore, being compelled by his power." The avenging spirit, though shameless, was awed by the saint's gentleness and using its loudest voice it shouted that "I spend my time on Mount Amanus, and having seen this man on the road drawing water from a certain spring and drinking, I have made him my own dwelling." -"But depart," said the man of God, "with the one crucified for the world enjoining this upon you." It heard and fled, and the farmer was restored to the nurse, free of his madness. 9.11 And having countless other such stories of that blessed soul, I will omit most of them, fearing the weakness of many; for looking to themselves, they disbelieve the miracles of divine men. But having narrated one or two, I will pass on to another champion. 9.12 There was a certain licentious general in former times. A certain maiden, therefore,

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ἐπείσακτον ἅπαντα ἀπορρίψασα κόσμον κατὰ τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰατροῦ τεθέντας νόμους ἐπολι τεύετο οὔτε ποικίλην ἐσθῆτα περιβαλλομένη οὔτε χρυσίοις ὡραϊζομένη καὶ ταῦτα νέαν ἄγουσα κομιδῇ τὴν ἡλικίαν· τρίτον γὰρ καὶ εἰκοστὸν ἐκ γενετῆς ἦγεν ἔτος, μήτηρ οὐδέπω γενομένη· ἑπτὰ γὰρ ἄλλα ἐπιβιώσασα ἔτη, οὕτω τὰς ἐμὰς ὠδῖνας ἐδέξατο ἃς καὶ πρώτας καὶ μόνας ἐδέξατο. Τοσοῦτον τῆς τοῦ μεγάλου Πέτρου διδασκαλίας ἀπώνατο καὶ διπλῆν ἐδέξατο θεραπείαν καὶ τῷ σώματι τὴν ἰατρείαν μαστεύουσα καὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς προσεκτήσατο εὐεξίαν. Τοιαῦτα ἐκεῖνος καὶ λέγων ἐνήργει καὶ προσευχόμενος ἴσχυεν. 9.9 Ἄλλοτε δὲ οἰκέτην ὀψοποιὸν ὑπό τινος πονηροῦ δαί μονος ἐνοχλούμενον ἀπαγαγοῦσα, τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ τυχεῖν ἐπικουρίας ἱκέτευεν. Προσευξάμενος δὲ ὁ θεῖος ἀνὴρ ἐκέλευσε τῷ δαίμονι τῆς κατὰ τοῦ θείου ποιήματος ἐξουσίας τὴν αἰτίαν εἰπεῖν. Ὁ δὲ καθάπερ τις ἀνδροφόνος ἢ τοιχωρύχος πρὸ δικαστικοῦ βήματος ἑστὼς καὶ λέγειν ἃ δέδρακε προστατ τόμενος οὕτως ἅπαντα διεξῄει παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ὑπὸ δέους ἀληθεύειν ἀναγκαζόμενος· καὶ ἔφασκεν ἐν Ἡλιουπόλει τὸν μὲν τοῦ οἰκέτου ἀρρωστῆσαι δεσπότην, τὴν δέ γε δέσποιναν τῷ ὁμόζυγι ἅτε δὴ ἀρρωστοῦντι παρακαθῆσθαι· τὰς δὲ παιδίσκας τῆς δεσποίνης τῆς οἰκίας ἐν ᾗ κατέμενον, τῶν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ φιλοσοφούντων μοναχῶν διηγεῖσθαι τὸν βίον καὶ ὅσην κατὰ δαιμόνων ἔχουσι τὴν ἰσχύν· εἶτα ταύτας μὲν οἷα δὴ κόρας παιδιᾷ χαιρούσας ὑποκρίνεσθαι τὰς δαιμονῶσας καὶ μεμηνυίας, αὐτὸν δὲ ἐκεῖνον τὸν οἰκέτην σισύραν περιβαλλόμενον μοναχικῶς ἐξορκίζειν ἐκείνας. "Τούτων, φησίν, ἐπιτελουμένων, παρὰ τὴν θύραν ἑστὼς καὶ τοὺς ἀλαζονικοὺς περὶ τῶν μοναχῶν λόγους οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν τῇ πείρᾳ μαθεῖν ἠβουλήθην ἣν ἔχειν ἐκείνους ἐνεανιεύσαντο δύναμιν. Τούτου εἵνεκα τὰς παιδίσκας καταλιπὼν εἰς τοῦτον ἐμαυτὸν εἰσέφρησα, μαθεῖν ἐθελήσας ὅπως ὑπὸ τῶν μοναχῶν ἐξελαύνωμαι. Καὶ νῦν, ἔφη, μεμάθηκα καὶ πείρας ἑτέρας οὐ δέομαι· παραυτίκα δέ σου κελεύοντος ἔξειμι." Ταῦτα λέγων ἐδραπέτευε καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ὁ οἰκέτης ἀπέλαυεν. 9.10 Καὶ ἕτερον δὲ ἄγροικον τῆς μητρὸς μὲν ἡ μήτηρ, ἐμὴ δὲ τιτθή, δαιμονῶντα προσαγαγοῦσα ἐπαμῦναι παρεκάλει τὸν τῆς κακίας ἀντίπαλον. Ὁ δὲ πάλιν ἐπυνθάνετο πόθεν τε εἴη καὶ παρὰ τίνος λάβοι τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θείου ποιήματος ἐξουσίαν. Ὡς δὲ σιγῶν ἐκεῖνος εἱστήκει τὴν ἀπόκρισιν μὴ ποιούμενος, τὰ γόνατα κλίνας προσηύχετο καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἠντιβόλει δεῖξαι τῷ ἀλιτηρίῳ τῶν οἰκείων θεραπόντων τὴν δύναμιν. Καὶ πάλιν ἀνίστατο καὶ πάλιν ἐκεῖνος ἀντιτείνων ἐσίγα καὶ ταῦτα μέχρις ἐνάτης ὥρας ἐγίνετο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ θερμοτέραν καὶ σπουδαιοτέραν τῷ δεσπότῃ προσενήνοχε τὴν προσευχήν, ἀναστὰς ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν ἀλιτήριον· "Οὔ σοι Πέτρος ἐπιτάττει, ἀλλ' ὁ Πέτρου θεός. Ἀπόκριναι τοίνυν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου δυνάμεως καταναγκαζόμενος". Ἠιδέσθη, καίπερ ἀναίσχυντος ὤν, ὁ ἀλάστωρ τοῦ ἁγίου τὴν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ φωνῇ μεγίστῃ χρησάμενος ἐβόα ὡς "τῷ ὄρει μὲν τῷ Ἀμάνῳ σχολάζω, τοῦτον δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν θεασάμενος ὕδωρ ἀπό τινος πηγῆς ἀρυόμενόν τε καὶ πίνοντα, οἰκη τήριον οἰκεῖον πεποίηκα". -"Ἀλλ' ἔξιθι, ἔλεγεν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης τοῦτό σοι παρεγγυῶντος." Ἤκουεν ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἔφευγε καὶ τῆς λύττης ἐλεύθερος ἀπεδίδοτο τῇ τιτθῇ ὁ γεωργός. 9.11 Καὶ ἕτερα δὲ μυρία τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης ψυχῆς τοιαῦτα ἔχων διηγήματα, παραλείψω τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν πολλῶν δεδιὼς τὴν ἀσθένειαν· εἰς σφᾶς γὰρ ἀφορῶντες ταῖς τῶν θείων ἀνδρῶν ἀπιστοῦσι θαυματουργίαις. Ἓν δὲ ἢ δύο διηγησάμενος ἐφ' ἕτερον ἀγωνιστὴν μεταβήσομαι. 9.12 Ἦν τις ἀκόλαστος στρατηγὸς ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις. Κόρη τοίνυν τις