125

I pursued him, and thus as he was going away, coming, hiding, appearing, I did not turn back, I did not hesitate at all, I did not give up running, nor did I consider him an illusion (228) or one tempting me at all, but with all my strength, but with all my power I sought him though he was not seen, I searched the roads and hedges for where he might appear. And I was filled with tears and I asked everyone, those who had once seen him. But who do you suppose I say that I asked? Do you think I mean the wise of this world or the Gnostics? Not at all, but prophets, apostles, and fathers, the truly wise, those who possessed that very wisdom itself, which is that very Christ, the wisdom of God. These, therefore, I asked with tears and intense pain of heart to tell me, where they had ever seen him or in what place, or how and in what manner. And when they spoke to me, I ran with all my might, I did not sleep at all, but forced myself. Wherefore, seeing my desire (229), he was moderately seen by me, whom, seeing, as I said before - I pursued vigorously. When therefore he saw me considering all things as nothing, but all things in the world, with the world itself, I say, and all those in the world, considering them from my soul as not existing in my perception and separated from the world

125

κατεδίωκον καί οὕτως ἀπιόντος, ἐρχομένου, κρυπτομένου, φαινομένου οὐκ ἐστράφην εἰς τοὐπίσω, οὐ κατώκνησα οὐδ᾿ ὅλως, οὐκ ἐνέδωκα τοῦ τρέχειν, οὐδ᾿ ὡς πλάνον ἡγησάμην (228) ἤ πειράζοντά με ὅλως, ἀλλά πάσῃ μοι ἰσχύϊ, ἀλλά πάσῃ μου δυνάμει μή ὁρώμενον ἐζήτουν, τάς ὁδούς περιεσκόπουν καί φραγμούς, τό ποῦ φανεῖται˙ ἐπληρούμην τε δακρύων καί τούς πάντας ἐπηρώτων, τούς ποτε αὐτόν ἰδόντας. Τίνας δέ ὑπολαμβάνεις λέγειν με, ὅτι ἠρώτων; Τούς σοφούς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἤ τούς γνωστικούς με οἴει; Οὔμενουν, ἀλλά προφήτας, ἀποστόλους καί πατέρας, τούς σοφούς ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, τούς αὐτήν ἐκείνην ὅλην τήν σοφίαν κεκτημένους, ὅς ἐστίν αὐτός ἐκεῖνος ὁ Χριστός Θεοῦ σοφία. Τούτους οὖν μετά δακρύων καί σφοδροῦ καρδίας πόνου ἐπηρώτων τοῦ εἰπεῖν μοι, ποῦ ποτε αὐτόν κατεῖδον ἤ ἐν ποίῳ τοῦτον τόπῳ εἴτε πῶς καί ποίῳ τρόπῳ˙ καί λεγόντων μοι ἐκείνων ἔτρεχον δυνάμει πάσῃ, οὐκ ἐκάθευδον οὐδ᾿ ὅλως, ἀλλ᾿ ἐβίαζον ἐμαυτόν. Ὅθεν βλέπων μου τόν πόθον (229) καθωρᾶτό μοι μετρίως, ὅνπερ βλέπων ὡς προεῖπον - κατεδίωκον εὐτόνως. Ὡς οὖν εἶδέ με τά πάντα εἰς οὐδέν ἡγησάμενον, ἀλλά πάντα τά ἐν κόσμῳ, σύν αὐτῷ τῷ κόσμῳ λέγω, καί τούς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ πάντας ὡς μή ὄντας ἐν αἰσθήσει λογιζόμενον ἐκ ψυχῆς καί τοῦ κόσμου χωρισθέντα