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in the harbor. What shall I call her? Dead? But she moves. But alive? But she does not know what she is suffering. I do not know how to find a name to interpret the suffering. Have mercy on me. If my little daughter had died, I would not have suffered such things. I would have committed her body to the bosom of the earth, and with time introduced forgetfulness, and dispersed the wound. But now I have a dead person causing me a continuous spectacle, weaving for me my traumas, increasing my wound. How did I see eyes being distorted, hands being choked, tresses being unbound, foam coming forth, the executioner being inside, and not appearing, the scourges appearing? I stand a spectator of another's evils, with nature goading me. Have mercy on me. The surging is difficult, suffering and fear. Suffering of nature, and fear of a demon. To approach; I am not able, nor to restrain. The suffering pushes me away, and fear drives me off. Have mercy on me. But consider the wisdom of a woman. She did not go to soothsayers; she did not make amulets; she did not hire sorceresses, these who exercise the demons and increase the wound, but she left the workshop of the devil. Have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. As many of you as have become fathers, help the discourse, and as many as have been made mothers. I am not able to interpret the storm which the poor woman endured. You saw the endurance, the courage, the patience. But he did not answer her a word. Strange things! She beseeches, she begs, she weeps for the calamity; she increases the tragedy; she narrates the suffering, and the philanthropist does not answer, the Word is silent, the spring is shut off, the physician holds back the medicines. What is this new thing? What is this paradox? You run to others, and you drive away this one running to you. But consider the wisdom of the physician. But he did not answer her a word. 95.1448 What then? Since she did not obtain an answer, his disciples came and say to him, Send her away, for she cries after us. Another evangelist says, before us. The things said are contrary, but not false. For she did both. Before this she was crying behind. When he did not answer, she came before him, like a dog licking the feet of the master. Send her away. She shook the theater, she gathered a crowd. Send her away, for she cries after us. What then did he say? I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. When he answered, he made her wound worse. What then? For this reason did you become man, did you take on flesh, did you work so many economies, that you might save one corner? The Canaanites were forbidden, abominable for their impiety, accursed, defiled, unclean, the Jews could not bear even to hear of them, observing the law, and fulfilling it. Since the woman was a Canaanite, and from that forbidden border, where also rabies, and madness, and impiety lay, and the tyranny of the devil, and bacchanals of demons, and nature was trampled, and brought down to the irrationality of irrational creatures, to the evil of demons. And the law commanded, Let there be nothing between you and the Canaanites; do not give, do not take with them. Do not take a wife, no contracts, no transactions. For this reason he placed a fence around. So that the Jews might not say, "Because you left us, and went outside, for this reason we did not believe you." Behold, from the nations they come, and I do not receive them, but you who are fleeing I call: Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, and you do not come. But this one I cast away, and she remains. I was made manifest to those who did not seek me. Send her away, for she cries after us. Let us see then what he says: I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she, having heard, came and worshipped, saying: Yes, Lord. And he says, It is not good to take the children's bread and cast it to the little dogs. What then? Yes, Lord. You call me a dog, I call you Lord; you insult me, I praise you. Yes, Lord; for even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. O wisdom of a woman! You call me a dog? Feed me as a dog. I do not refuse the reproach; let me therefore receive

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ἐν τῷ λιμένι. Τί αὐτὴν καλέσω; νεκράν; ἀλλὰ κινεῖται. Ἀλλὰ ζῶσαν; ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδε τί πάσχει. Οὐκ οἶδα εὑρεῖν ὄνομα ἑρμηνεῦον τὸ πάθος. Ἐμὲ ἐλέησον. Εἰ τεθνήκει τὸ θυγάτριόν μου, οὐκ ἂν τοιαῦτα ἔπαθον. Παρέδωκα ἂν τὸ σῶμα τοῖς κόλποις τῆς γῆς, καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τὴν λήθην εἰσήγαγον, καὶ διεφόρησα τὸ ἕλκος. Νῦν δὲ νεκρὸν ἔχω διηνεκῆ μοι θεωρίαν ἐργαζόμενον, ὑφαίνοντά μοι τὰ τραύματα, πλεονάζοντά μοι τὸ ἕλκος. Πῶς εἶδον ὀφθαλμοὺς διαστρεφομένους, χεῖρας στραγγαλουμένας, πλοκάμους λυομένους, ἀφρὸν προϊεμένην, τὸν δήμιον ἔνδον ὄντα, καὶ μὴ φαινόμενον, τὰς μάστιγας φαινομένας; Ἕστηκα θεωρὸς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κακῶν, τῆς φύσεώς με κεντριζούσης. Ἐλέησόν με. Χαλεπὸν τὸ κλυδώνιον, πάθος καὶ φόβος. Πάθος φύσεως, καὶ φόβος δαίμονος. Προσελθεῖν· οὐ δύναμαι, οὐδὲ κατασχεῖν. Ὠθεῖ με τὸ πάθος, καὶ διακρούεταί με ὁ φόβος. Ἐλέησόν με. Ἀλλ' ἐννόησον γυναικὸς φιλοσοφίαν. Οὐκ ἀπῆλθε πρὸς μάντεις· οὐ περίαπτα ἐποίησεν· οὐ μαγγανιστρίας γυναῖκας ἐμισθώσατο, ταύτας τὰς γυμναζούσας τοὺς δαίμονας, καὶ αὐξούσας τὸ ἕλκος, ἀλλ' ἀφῆκε τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ ἐργαστήριον. Ἐλέησόν με· ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Ὅσοι πατέρες ἐγένεσθε, βοηθήσατε τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ ὅσαι μητέρες κατεσκευάσθητε. Οὐ δύναμαι ἑρμηνεῦσαι τὸν χειμῶνα ὃν ὑπέμεινε τὸ γυναῖον. Εἶδες τὴν καρτερίαν, τὴν ἀνδρείαν, τὴν ὑπομονήν. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῇ λόγον. Καινὰ τὰ πράγματα! Παρακαλεῖ, δέεται, κλαίει τὴν συμφοράν· αὔξει τὴν τραγῳδίαν· διηγεῖται τὸ πάθος, καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος οὐκ ἀποκρίνεται, ὁ Λόγος σιγᾷ, ἡ πηγὴ ἀποκλείεται, ὁ ἰατρὸς τὰ φάρμακα συστέλλει. Τί τὸ καινόν; τί τὸ παράδοξον; Ἄλλοις ἐπιτρέχεις, καὶ ταύτην ἐπιτρέχουσαν ἀπελαύνεις. Ἀλλ' ἐννόησον τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὴν σοφίαν. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῇ λόγον. 95.1448 Τί οὖν; ἐπειδὴ οὐκ Ἐπέτυχεν ἀποκρίσεως, προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ἀπολῦσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. Ἄλλος εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγει, ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν. Ἐναντία τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀλλὰ οὐ ψευδῆ. Ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἐποίει. Πρὸ τούτου ὄπισθεν ἔκραζεν. Ὅτε οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη, ἔμπροσθεν ἦλθεν, καθάπερ κύων περιλείχων τοὺς πόδας τοῦ δεσπότου. Ἀπόλυσον αὐτήν. Θέατρον περιέσεισεν, δῆμον συνήγαγεν. Ἀπόλυσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. Τί οὖν αὐτός; Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην, εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ. Ὅτε ἀπεκρίθη, χεῖρον ἐποίησεν αὐτῆς τὸ ἕλκος. Τί οὖν; διὰ τοῦτο ἄνθρωπος ἐγένου, σάρκα ἀνέλαβες, οἰκονομίας τοσαύτας εἰργάσω, ἵνα μίαν γωνίαν σώσῃς; Ἀπειρημένοι Χαναναῖοι, βδελυκτοὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας, ἐναγεῖς, μιαροὶ, ἀκάθαρτοι, οὔτε ἀκοῦσαι αὐτῶν ἠνείχοντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, τὸν νόμον τελοῦντες, καὶ πληροῦντες αὐτόν. Ἐπειδὴ ἡ γυνὴ Χαναναία ἦν, καὶ τοῦ ὁρίου ἐκείνου τοῦ ἀπειρημένου, ἔνθα καὶ λύσσα, καὶ μανία, καὶ ἀσέβεια ἐπέκειτο, καὶ διαβόλου τυραννὶς, καὶ δαιμόνων βάκχαι, καὶ φύσις πατουμένη, καὶ εἰς ἀλόγων ἀλογίαν κατενεχθεῖσα, εἰς δαιμόνων κακίαν. Προσέτασσε δὲ ὁ νόμος, Μηδέν σοι καὶ Χαναναίοις· μὴ δῷς, μὴ λάβῃς μετ' ἐκείνων. Μὴ γυναῖκα λάβῃς, μὴ συμβόλαια, μὴ συναλλάγματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο φραγμὸν περιέθηκεν. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ λέγωσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, Ὅτι ἀφῆκας ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἀπῆλθες ἔξω, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπιστεύσαμέν σοι. Ἰδοὺ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν ἔρχονται, καὶ οὐ δέχομαι αὐτοὺς, ὑμᾶς δὲ φεύγοντας καλῶ· ∆εῦτε πρός με, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεσθε. Ταύτην δὲ ἀποῤῥίπτω, καὶ παραμένει. Ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν. Ἀπόλυσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. Ἴδωμεν οὖν τί λέγει· Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην, εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ. Ἡ δὲ ἀκούσασα, ἦλθε, καὶ προσεκύνησε λέγουσα· Ναὶ Κύριε. Ὁ δέ φησιν, Οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ βάλλειν τοῖς κυναρίοις. Τί οὖν; Ναὶ, Κύριε. Κύνα με λέγεις, ἐγώ σε Κύριον καλῶ· σύ με ὑβρίζεις, ἐγώ σε αἰνῶ. Ναὶ, Κύριε· καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυρίων αὐτῶν. Ὦ σοφία γυναικός! Κύνα με λέγεις; ὡς κύνα με θρέψον. Οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ὄνειδος· λάβω οὖν