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He says this of the demons who activate them. For just as a human is joined to a human because of their common nature and like to like, so also the demons hold to one another, even if in their activities they are opposed to themselves—for their one purpose is the destruction of man, even if they seem to advise contrary things, that is, one fornication, another pride, and the vices are joined one to another. 41, 10 In his sneezing a light appears. Sneezing is a sign of well-being; he therefore, it says, takes pleasure in evils and 374 flashes in them. And in another way: sneezing is a cleansing of the brain. Since, therefore, he also transforms himself into light, he pretends also to be able to cleanse. For example, sorcerers also have certain purifications that fill them with all folly and impurity. And there are also some men who are his nostrils, promising to cleanse, like those from the heresies. They pretend to have words of light, but they are entirely impure. 41, 10 And his eyes are the appearance of the morning star. Through deceit; for they do not have the true light. And the eyes of the dragon are certain men who seem to be more knowledgeable, like those from the heresies, being not morning stars nor having the light of day, but the appearance of the morning star, pretending to be this through deceit. 41, 11 From his mouth go forth burning lamps. The blasphemies and the words of the impious and atheistic teachers. 41, 11 And hearths of fire are scattered. He repeated the saying. 41, 12 Out of his nostrils goes smoke of a furnace burning with a fire of coals. Smoke is harmful to the eyes; and folly and false speech darken the intelligible eyes of the soul. 375 And it is possible to understand also the foul odors of sacrifices and incense. And in another way: since his inward parts are a furnace, he does not have pure breath. Let us therefore be on guard not to inhale anything of the dragon, lest we become agents of fire for ourselves. 41, 13 His breath is coals, and a flame goes forth from his mouth. He seems to call his breath extreme pride; and the boastful and arrogant words proceeding from his mouth are nothing else. Except a flame that burns those who use them. 41, 14 In his neck abides strength. By neck: by conceit. And it abides, because it does not cease, but is always in conceit. And the women walking with a high neck, who drag their tunics and go forth with adornment, common women, happen to be his neck, having powers for deceit. 41, 14 Before him runs destruction. As if destruction is some forerunner of his and attends him as a bodyguard; for unless one first admits the destructive pleasures and vices, which run before him. he does not house the devil. 41, 15 And the flesh of his body is joined together. 376 The passions are joined one to another. And his body are the sinners and the demons who work sin, just as the church is of the Lord. And he did not say: are united, but: are joined; for unity is not with him. For not even the leaders of his doctrines agree, even if they seem to say similar things. 41, 15 He pours upon him, he shall not be moved. For whatever remedies and dousings one might use on him and even if one should bring them to him, he is insensitive and incurable. 41, 16 His heart is hardened like a stone, and it stands like an anvil that cannot be beaten. His heart, it says, has been turned to stone and cannot be beaten, it is not persuaded by reason, it is not bent, but is entirely hardened and rash and unchangeable. 41, 17 And when he turns, there is fear for the four-footed beasts leaping on the earth. And when he turns against those who obey him, those of beastly ways and like irrational four-footed creatures, those who mind earthly things, they tremble, being terrified by him. 41, 18-21 If spears should encounter him, they shall do nothing to him, nor a raised spear and breastplate. For he regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. A bronze bow will not wound him, he regards a stone 377 sling as grass. Hammers were reckoned as stubble to him. Through these things he revealed the rashness of the beast and that, as many things as
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ἐνεργούντων αὐτὰς δαιμόνων τοῦτο λέγει. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπῳ διὰ τὸ ὁμοφυὲς κολλᾶται καὶ τὸ ὅμοιον τῷ ὁμοίῳ, οὕτω καὶ οἱ δαίμονες ἀλλήλων ἔχονται, κἂν κατὰ τὰς ἐνεργείας ἑαυτοῖς ἐναντιῶνταιεἷς γὰρ σκοπὸς αὐτοῖς ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀπώλεια, κἂν ἐναντία συμβουλεύειν δοκῶσιν, τουτέστιν ὁ μὲν πορνείαν, ὁ δὲ ὑπερηφανίαν, καὶ αἱ κακίαι μία τῇ μιᾷ συγκεκόλληνται. 41, 10 ἐν πταρμῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπιφαύσκεται φέγγος. πταρμὸς εὐεξίας σημεῖον· ἐνηδύνεται οὖν, φησίν, τοῖς κακοῖς καὶ 374 ἀναστράπτει ἐν αὐτοῖς. καὶ ἄλλως δέ· πταρμὸς καθαρτικὸς ἐγκεφάλου. ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς φῶς, προσποιεῖται καὶ δύνασθαι καθαίρειν. αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ οἱ γόητες ἔχουσί τινας καθαρμοὺς πάσης αὐτοὺς πληρούσης ἀνοίας καὶ ἀκαθαρσίας. εἰσὶ δὲ καί τινες ἄνδρες μυκτῆρες αὐτοῦ, καθαίρειν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι ὡς οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων. προσποιοῦνται μὲν φωτὸς ἔχειν λόγους, ὅλοι δέ εἰσιν ἀκάθαρτοι. 41, 10 οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ εἶδος ἑωσφόρου. κατὰ ἀπάτην· οὐ γὰρ ἔχουσι τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς. ὀφθαλμοὶ δέ εἰσι τοῦ δράκοντος ἄνθρωποί τινες δοκοῦντες εἶναι γνωστικώτεροι ὡς οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων, οὐκ ὄντες μὲν ἑωσφόροι οὐδὲ φέγγος ἡμέρας ἔχοντες, ἀλλ' εἶδος ἑωσφόρου, κατὰ ἀπάτην τοῦτο εἶναι ὑποκρινόμενοι. 41, 11 ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύονται λαμπάδες καιόμεναι. αἱ δυσφημίαι καὶ οἱ λόγοι τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ ἀθέων διδασκάλων. 41, 11 καὶ διαρριπτοῦνται ἐσχάραι πυρός. ἐδευτέρωσε τὸν λόγον. 41, 12 ἐκ μυκτήρων αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύεται καπνὸς καμίνου καιομένης πυρὶ ἀνθράκων. ὁ καπνὸς ὀφθαλμῶν βλαπτικός· ἡ δὲ ἄνοια καὶ ψευδηγορία σκοτίζει τοὺς νοητοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς. 375 ἔστι δὲ νοῆσαι καὶ τὰς μιαρὰς τῶν θυσιῶν καὶ καπνισμάτων ὀδμάς. καὶ ἄλλως δέ· ἐπειδὴ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ κάμινός ἐστιν, οὐ καθαρὰν ἔχει τὴν ἀναπνοήν. ἐπιτηρήσωμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς μηδὲν ἀναπνεῖν τοῦ δράκοντος, ἵνα μὴ πυρὸς ἑαυτοῖς γενώμεθα πρόξενοι. 41, 13 ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἄνθρακες, φλὸξ δὲ ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύεται. ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔοικε λέγειν τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑπερηφανίαν· τὰ δὲ μεγάλαυχα καὶ ὑπεροπτικὰ ῥήματα ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐκπορευόμενα οὐδὲν ἕτερόν εἰσιν. εἰ μὴ φλὸξ κατακαίουσα τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτοῖς. 41, 14 ἐν τραχήλῳ αὐτοῦ αὐλίζεται δύναμις. τραχήλῳ· τῇ οἰήσει. αὐλίζεται δέ, ὅτι οὐ παύεται, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν οἰήσει τυγχάνει. καὶ αἱ πορευόμεναι δὲ ὑψηλῷ τραχήλῳ, αἱ τοὺς χιτῶνας σύρουσαι καὶ μετὰ καλλωπισμοῦ προιοῦσαι πολύκοινοι γυναῖκες τράχηλος αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσι δυνάμεις εἰς ἀπάτην ἔχουσαι. 41, 14 ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ τρέχει ἀπώλεια. οἷον πρόδρομος αὐτοῦ τίς ἐστι καὶ δορυφορεῖ αὐτὸν ἡ ἀπώλεια· εἰ μὴ γάρ τις πρότερον εἰσδέξηται τὰς φθαρτικὰς ἡδονὰς καὶ κακίας, αἵτινες αὐτοῦ προτρέχουσιν. οὐδὲ εἰσοικίζεται τὸν διάβολον. 41, 15 σάρκες δὲ σώματος αὐτοῦ κεκόλληνται. 376 τὰ πάθη ἓν τοῦ ἑνὸς κεκόλληνται. σῶμα δὲ αὐτοῦ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ οἱ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐνεργοῦντες δαίμονες, ὥσπερ τοῦ κυρίου ἡ ἐκκλησία. οὐκ εἶπε δέ· ἥνωνται, ἀλλά· κεκόλληνται· τὸ γὰρ ἓν οὐκ ἔστι παρ' ἐκείνῳ. οὐδὲ γὰρ συμφωνοῦσιν οἱ τῶν αὐτοῦ δογμάτων προεστηκότες, εἰ καὶ δοκοῦσιν ὅμοια λέγειν. 41, 15 καταχέει ἐπ' αὐτόν, οὐ σαλευθήσεται. οἵαις γὰρ ἄν τις θεραπείαις καὶ καταντλήσεσιν αὐτῷ χρήσαιτο καὶ εἰ δ' ἂν αὐτῷ προσαγάγοι, ἀναλγής ἐστι καὶ ἀθεράπευτος. 41, 16 ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ πέπηγεν ὥσπερ λίθος, ἕστηκεν δὲ ὥσπερ ἄκμων ἀνήλατος. ἀπελιθώθη, φησίν, ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ δύναται ἐλασθῆναι, οὐ λόγῳ πείθεται, οὐκ ἐπικάμπτεται, ἀλλ' ὅλος ἐστὶν ἀπεσκληκὼς καὶ ἰταμὸς καὶ ἀμετάθετος. 41, 17 στραφέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ φόβος θηρίοις τετράποσιν ἐπὶ γῆς ἁλλομένοις. ὅταν δὲ στραφῇ κατὰ τῶν πειθομένων αὐτῷ, τῶν θηριοτρόπων καὶ δίκην τετραπόδων ἀνοήτων, τῶν τὰ γήινα φρονούντων, τρέμουσιν ἐκδειματούμενοι παρ' αὐτοῦ. 41, 1821 ἐὰν συναντήσωσιν αὐτῷ λόγχαι, οὐθὲν οὐ μὴ ποιήσωσιν αὐτῷ, δόρυ ἐπηρμένον καὶ θώραξ. ἡγεῖται μὲν γὰρ σίδηρον ἄχυρα, χαλκὸν δὲ ὥσπερ ξύλον σαθρόν. οὐ μὴ τρώσει αὐτὸν τόξον χάλκειον, ἡγεῖται πετρο 377 βόλον μὲν χόρτον. ὥσπερ καλάμη ἐλογίσθησαν αὐτῷ σφῦραι. διὰ τούτων τὸ ἰταμὸν ἐδήλωσε τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ὅτι, ὅσα