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of the great day, according to what is written. For if this were not so, but he were perceptibly in the sea and in Tartarus, how is it written in the vision before this one that he contrived many things against both the Lord and against his mother? Except that according to the letter of the history, which is not to be set aside, he has been allotted Tartarus and the abyss. But this is the second one. The one now before us is introduced in the book of Job, both conversing with God, and demanding Job, and bringing countless trials upon him, and indeed also saying that he is present, having walked about under heaven. And not only the book of Job, but the Lord also has made mention of him in 150 John, addressing the Jews: You are of your father the Devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it, calling the father of the Devil, this one now set before us for contemplation, the apostate dragon, as being their originator and first-worker of the apostasy; just as the holy Abraham is called the father of nations, as having been the first to begin faith for them, according to what was said to him, I have made you a father of many nations. These things having been thus clarified according to my own opinion, let us return to the subject at hand. I saw, he says, a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten diadems. He sees it rising out of the sea; for its ascent and, as it were, its exaltation is from the troubled and unstable life of men, who have appointed it as a tyrant over themselves. The ten horns indeed foretell a great dominion for it, just as the seven heads foretell certain methods and principles of deceit and machinations; for both ten and seven are perfect numbers. And its diadems were about its horns, showing it had become a ruler over humanity, we having of our own accord handed ourselves over to it through deception. And upon its head, he says, names of blasphemy. Rightly upon its head; for it rages against itself and against its own head by behaving insolently toward God, and stealing reverence from God, and ascribing it to itself. And the beast, he says, which 151 I saw was like a leopard, because of its swiftness, I think, and its quickness to plots. And its feet, he says, were as a bear's, as if strong and enduring so as to walk about under heaven for the plotting against men. And its mouth, he says, was as the mouth of a lion; for our adversary the Devil prowls about like a lion, seeking whom he may devour, according to what is written. And the dragon, he says, gave it his power. And indeed the power of the apostate dragon is in the deceits and guiles of these things, and he has become a cause and teacher for it. And I see, he says, one of its heads as if slain to death; and its death-wound was healed. The Spirit-bearing evangelist himself would know what this signifies; but as it appears to me, it signifies something like this: for the mortal wound which the Devil received against one of his heads through the piety of Israel, this he healed through their idolatry in turn. And the whole earth, he says, marveled after the beast. For how was it not to be expected, when even the pious nation of Israel had worshipped it? And this is what was said by Isaiah from the person of God to Israel: Because of you my name is continually blasphemed among the nations, but they also worshipped along with it the author of evil, the dragon, who is the cause of so much deception and of the guileful methods for the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is able to make war with it? And a mouth was given to it speaking great things and blasphemies, 152 and authority was given to it to act for forty-two months. And it opened its mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And it was given

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μεγάλης ἡμέρας κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, ἀλλ' αἰσθητῶς ἦν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐν τῷ ταρτάρῳ, πῶς ἐν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης ἀναγέγραπται θεωρίᾳ πολλὰ μηχανησάμενος κατά τε τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ; πλὴν ὅτι κατὰ τὸ γράμμα τῆς ἱστορίας, οὐδὲ αὐτὸ ἀθετητέον, τὸν τάρταρον καὶ τὸν βυθὸν κεκλήρωται. οὗτος δέ γε ὁ δεύτερος. ὁ νῦν ἡμῖν προκείμενος, εἰσῆκται ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τοῦ Ἰώβ, καὶ προσδιαλεγόμενος τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ ἐξαιτούμενος, καὶ μυρίας πείρας αὐτῷ προσφέρων, καὶ μέντοι καὶ λέγων ὡς ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν πάρεστι. καὶ οὐ μόνον ἡ βίβλος τοῦ Ἰώβ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Κύριος μνήμην αὐτοῦ πεποίηται παρὰ 150 τῷ Ἰωάννῃ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις προσφωνῶν· ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ ∆ιαβόλου ἐστὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν. ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐχ ἕστηκεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ. ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ, ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, πατέρα τοῦ ∆ιαβόλου καλῶν, τούτου δὴ τοῦ νῦν ἡμῖν εἰς θεωρίαν προκειμένου, τὸν ἀποστάτην δράκοντα, ὡς ἀρχηγέτην αὐτῶν καὶ πρωτουργὸν τῆς ἀποστασίας γενόμενον· ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ ἱερὸς Ἁβραὰμ πατὴρ ἐθνῶν χρηματίζει ὡς προκατάρξας αὐτοῖς τῆς πίστεως κατὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰρημένον, πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε. τούτων οὕτω κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν οἴησιν διευκρινηθέντων, ἐπανέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ προκείμενον. εἶδόν φησιν ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον, ἔχον κέρατα δέκα καὶ κεφαλὰς ἑπτά, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ δέκα διαδήματα. ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ὁρᾷ αὐτὸν ἀναβαίνοντα· ἡ γὰρ ἄνοδος αὐτῷ καὶ οἷον ἡ ὕψωσις ἐκ τοῦ τεταραγμένου καὶ ἀστάτου βίου τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστί, τῶν χειροτονησάντων αὐτὸν καθ' ἑαυτῶν τύραννον· τὰ δέ γε δέκα κέρατα δυναστείαν αὐτῷ μεγάλην προμαρτυρεῖ, ὥσπερ καὶ αἱ ἑπτὰ κεφαλαὶ μεθοδείας τινὰς καὶ ἀρχὰς δόλων καὶ κατασκευῶν· τέλειοι γὰρ ἀριθμοὶ ὅ τε δέκα καὶ ὁ ἑπτά. διαδήματα δὲ ἦν αὐτοῦ περὶ τὰ κέρατα δεικνύντα δυνάστην αὐτὸν κατὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος γενόμενον, ἡμῶν ἐξ ἀπάτης αὐθαιρέτως ἑαυτοὺς παραδεδωκότων αὐτῷ. καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ φησιν ὀνόματα βλασφημίας. καλῶς ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ· καθ' ἑαυτοῦ γὰρ μαίνεται καὶ κατὰ τῆς οἰκείας κεφαλῆς εἰς Θεὸν παροινῶν, καὶ συλῶν μὲν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ σέβας, ἑαυτῷ δὲ ἀνατιθείς. καὶ τὸ θηρίον φησὶν ὃ 151 εἶδον ὅμοιον ἦν παρδάλει, καὶ διὰ τὸ ὀξύρροπον, οἶμαι, καὶ ταχὺ πρὸς ἐπιβουλάς. καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου φησίν, οἱονεὶ εὐσθενεῖς καὶ ὑπομονητικοὶ ὡς καὶ ἐμπεριπατεῖν τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν εἰς ἐπιβουλὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ φησιν ὡς στόμα λέοντος· περιέρχεται γὰρ ὁ ἀντίδικος ἡμῶν ∆ιάβολος ὡς λέων, τίνα καταπίῃ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. καὶ ἔδωκέ φησιν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ. ἡ δέ γε δύναμις τοῦ ἀποστάτου δράκοντος ἐν ταῖς ἀπάταις καὶ τοῖς δόλοις ἐστὶ τούτων, καὶ αὐτῷ γέγονεν αἴτιος καὶ διδάσκαλος. καὶ ὁρῶ φησι μίαν τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐσφαγμένην εἰς θάνατον· καὶ ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη. τοῦτον τὸ σημαινόμενον εἰδείη ἂν αὐτὸς ὁ πνευματοφόρος εὐαγγελιστής· ὡς δὲ ἐμοὶ καταφαίνεται, τοιοῦτόν τι δηλοῖ· ἣν γὰρ ἔλαβεν ὁ ∆ιάβολος θανατηφόρον πληγὴν κατὰ μιᾶς τῶν κεφαλῶν διὰ τῆς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ θεοσεβείας, ταύτην ἰάθη διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων πάλιν εἰδωλολατρείας. καὶ ἐθαμβήθη φησὶν ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλε καὶ τὸ θεοσεβὲς ἔθνος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ προσκεκυνηκὸς αὐτῷ; καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραήλ· δι' ὑμᾶς τὸ ὄνομα μου διὰ παντὸς βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀρχέκακον συμπροσεκύνησαν δράκοντα τὸν τῆς τοσαύτης ἀπάτης καὶ τῶν δολερῶν μεθοδιῶν αἴτιον ὑπάρχοντα τῷ θηρίῳ. καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θηρίῳ· καὶ τίς δύναται πολεμῆσαι μετ' αὐτοῦ; καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασ 152 φημία, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ποιῆσαι μῆνας τεσσαρακον ταδύο. καὶ ἤνοιξε τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἰς βλασφημίαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, βλασφημῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ σκηνοῦντας. καὶ ἐδόθη