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Bodiless I descended for your sake, it is profitable for me to be there with the body; for I have chosen to draw your race to heaven; it is necessary for me with the flesh to receive the seat at the right hand of the Father; it is necessary for me to inaugurate the new way and to show heaven to be accessible to men; I travel first through the air, so that you also later may be "caught up into the air in clouds to meet us". 10.74 And I thought the reader heard this, how He cries out explicitly about man's aversion to death, and how this man, through the passion and the resurrection, receives incorruption and a renewal of nature and a quickening, who was formerly subservient to passions and toiling because of the weakness that encompassed him, and was moreover drawn to heaven and deemed worthy of the seat at the right hand and was the first to run the new course and make heaven accessible, the first of men to do so. 10.75 O the harmony of the disharmonious, O the involuntary connection of the separated, O the unwilling praise, that is, consent, of the revilers. How in every way have we not been shown to be children of the Church? How is it not manifest that we have not trodden a strange road? How are not those who disobey or contradict all these things condemned in every way? How is not our scripture in every way attested to be a genuine offspring of the ecclesiastical tradition? God is my witness, then apostles, prophets, the many-named choir of holy fathers. 11.t DISCOURSE 11 A description concerning Indian animals and concerning Indian trees and concerning the island of Taprobane. 11.1 This animal is called the rhinoceros because it has its horns on its nostrils; when it walks, the horns shake, but when it charges with anger, it extends them and they are found to be immovable, so that it is able to uproot trees with them, especially the one in front. It has its eyes low down around its jaws. It is a very formidable beast indeed and in a way an opponent to the elephant; its feet and its hide are similar to the elephant's. The thickness of its hide when dried is four fingers, and from it some people attach it to their ploughs instead of an iron share and plough the earth. 11.2 The Ethiopians call it in their own dialect *arouè harisi*, aspirating the second alpha and so adding the *risi*, so that by *arouè* it means 'beast', and by *harisi* 'ploughing', having given it the name from the shape around its nostrils, and also from its hide. I have seen it both alive in Ethiopia, standing at a distance, and dead, flayed and stuffed with chaff and standing in the royal palace, from which I have accurately described it. 11.3 This animal, the bull-stag, is found both in India and in Ethiopia. But those of India are tame, and on them they carry loads of pepper and other goods in double sacks, and they milk them for milk and butter. At the same time we also eat the meat, the Christians by slaughtering them, but the pagans by striking them on the neck. But those of Ethiopia are wild and untamed. 11.4 The camelopard is found in Ethiopia only; and these again are untamed and wild. But in the palace, for the king's account, they tame one or two from a young age for his viewing. When they set before it to drink in the presence of the king, in a basin either milk or water, unless it spreads its two front legs, it is not able to reach and drink on the ground because its legs and its chest and its neck are so high; accordingly, therefore, by splitting its front legs apart, it is then able to drink. And these things we have described as we know them. 11.5 The wild ox is a large animal, this creature of India, from which comes the so-called *toupha*, with which the rulers adorn their horses and standards on the plains. They say concerning it that if a tree catches its tail, it no longer moves, but stands, being loath to leave a single hair from it; then the natives come and cut off the tail, and then it flees, having lost its entire tail. This is the nature of the animal. 11.6 The small animal is the musk-deer; the natives call it in their own dialect *kastouri*. And pursuing it

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Ἀσώματος κατῆλθον δι' ὑμᾶς, ἐκεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ τοῦ σώματος συμφέρον· πρὸς οὐρανὸν γὰρ ὑμῶν ἑλκύσαι τὸ γένος προῄρημαι· δεῖ με μετὰ σαρκὸς τὴν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς καθέδραν ἀπολαβεῖν· ἐγκαινίσαι με δεῖ τὴν ξένην πορείαν καὶ δεῖξαι βατὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὸν οὐρανόν· ὁδεύω πρῶτος διὰ τοῦ ἀέρος, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ὕστερον "ἁρπαγῆτε εἰς ἀέρα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπάντησιν". 10.74 Καὶ τούτου ἀκοῦσαι ᾠήθην τὸν ἀναγινώσκοντα, πῶς τὸν ἄνθρωπον διαρρήδην βοᾷ δυσχεραίνοντα πρὸς ἀποβίωσιν, καὶ τοῦτον διὰ τοῦ πάθους καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ ἀνακαινισμὸν φύσεως λαμβάνοντα καὶ ζωοποίησιν, τὸν πρώην πάθεσιν ὑπουργοῦντα καὶ κοπούμενον διὰ τὴν περικειμένην ἀσθένειαν, καὶ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἔτι ἑλκυσθέντα καὶ τῆς ἐκ δεξιῶν καθέδρας ἠξιωμένον καὶ τὴν ξένην πορείαν πρῶτον δραμόντα καὶ βατόν, πρῶτος ἀνθρώπων, τὸν οὐρανὸν ποιήσαντα. 10.75 Ὢ τῶν ἀσυμφώνων συμφωνία, ὢ τῶν ἀποσχιστῶν ἀκούσιος συνάφεια, ὢ τῶν λοιδόρων οὐχ ἑκούσιος εὐφημία, ἤγουν συγκατάθεσις. Πῶς κατὰ πάντα οὐκ ἐδείχθημεν τέκνα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας; Πῶς οὐ πρόδηλον ὅτι ξένην ὁδὸν οὐκ ἐτρίψαμεν; Πῶς οὐ κατὰ πάντα κατάκριτοι οἱ τούτοις πᾶσιν ἀπειθοῦντες, ἢ ἀντιλέγοντες; Πῶς οὐ κατὰ πάντα μεμαρτυρημένη ἡ ἡμετέρα γραφὴ γνήσιον τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς παραδόσεως γέννημα; Θεὸς μάρτυς, εἶτα ἀπόστολοι, προφῆται, ἁγίων πατέρων πολυώνυμος χορός. 11.τ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΑʹ Καταγραφὴ περὶ ζῴων ἰνδικῶν καὶ περὶ δένδρων ἰνδικῶν καὶ περὶ τῆς Ταπροβάνης νήσου. 11.1 Τοῦτο τὸ ζῷον καλεῖται ῥινόκερως διὰ τὸ ἐν τοῖς μυκτῆρσι τὰ κέρατα ἔχειν· ὅτε δὲ περιπατεῖ, σαλεύονται τὰ κέρατα, ὅτε δὲ ὁρᾷ μετὰ θυμοῦ, ἀποτείνει αὐτὰ καὶ ἀσάλευτα εὑρίσκονται, ὥστε καὶ δένδρα δύνασθαι ἐκριζοῦν ἐν αὐτοῖς μάλιστα τὸ ἔμπροσθεν. Τοὺς δὲ ὀφθαλμοὺς κάτω περὶ τὰς γνάθους ἔχει. Φοβερώτατον δέ ἐστι πάνυ μάλιστα καὶ τῷ ἐλέφαντί πως ἀντικείμενον· οἱ πόδες δὲ καὶ τὸ δέρμα παραπλήσιά εἰσι τῷ ἐλέφαντι. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ τὸ πάχος τοῦ δέρματος αὐτοῦ ξηραινόμενον δακτύλους τέσσαρας, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔνιοι βάλλουσιν ἀντὶ σιδήρου εἰς τὰ ἄροτρα καὶ ἀροτριοῦσι τὴν γῆν. 11.2 Καλοῦσι δὲ αὐτὸ οἱ Αἰθίοπες τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ ἀρουὴ ἅρισι, δασύνοντες τὸ δεύτερον ἄλφα καὶ οὕτω προστιθέντες τὸ ῥισί, ἵνα εἴπῃ διὰ τοῦ μὲν ἀρουὴ θηρίον, διὰ τοῦ δὲ ἅρισι ἀροτριοῦν, ἐκ τοῦ σχήματος τοῦ περὶ τοὺς ῥώθωνας, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοῦ δέρματος τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν αὐτῷ τεθεικότες. Τεθέαμαι δὲ καὶ ζῶντα ἐν τῇ Αἰθιοπίᾳ ἀπὸ μακρὰν ἱστάμενος καὶ νεκρὸν ἐκδαρὲν καὶ καταγγισθὲν ἄχυρα καὶ ἱστάμενον ἐν οἴκῳ βασιλικῷ, ὅθεν ἀκριβῶς κατέγραψα. 11.3 Τοῦτο τὸ ζῷον ὁ ταυρέλαφος καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἰνδίᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ Αἰθιοπίᾳ εὑρίσκεται. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν τῆς Ἰνδίας ἥμερά εἰσι,καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς ποιοῦσιν ἐν δισακκίοις βασταγὰς πιπέρεως καὶ ἑτέρων φορτίων, καὶ γάλα ἀμέλγουσιν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ βούτυρον. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὸ κρέας ἐσθίομεν, οἱ μὲν χριστιανοὶ σφάζοντες, οἱ δὲ Ἕλληνες κοτραφίζοντες. Τὰ δὲ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας ἄγριά εἰσι καὶ ἀνήμερα. 11.4 Ἡ δὲ καμηλοπάρδαλις ἐν τῇ Αἰθιοπίᾳ μόνῃ εὑρίσκεται· καὶ αὗται πάλιν ἀνήμεραι καὶ ἄγριαί εἰσιν. Ἐν δὲ τῷ παλατίῳ εἰς λόγον τοῦ βασιλέως ἡμεροῦσιν ἀπὸ μικρόθεν μίαν ἢ δύο πρὸς θέαν αὐτοῦ. Ὅτε δὲ παραβάλλουσιν αὐτῇ πιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς λεκάνην ἢ γάλα ἢ ὕδωρ, εἰ μὴ ἁπλώσει τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν δύο πόδας, οὐ δύναται φθάσαι καὶ πιεῖν εἰς τὴν γῆν διὰ τὸ καὶ τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὸ στῆθος καὶ τὸν τράχηλον ὑψηλὰ ὑπάρχειν· ἀναλόγως οὖν διασχίζουσα τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν πόδας τότε δύναται πιεῖν. Καὶ ταῦτα ὡς οἴδαμεν διεγράψαμεν. 11.5 Ἀγριόβους ἐστὶ μέγας, τῆς Ἰνδικῆς τοῦτο τὸ ζῷον, ἐξ οὗ ἐστιν ἡ λεγομένη τοῦφα, ᾗ κοσμοῦσι τοὺς ἵππους καὶ τὰ βάνδα οἱ ἄρχοντες εἰς τοὺς κάμπους. Φασὶ δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι, ἐὰν ἀντιλάβηται δένδρον τῆς οὐρᾶς, οὐκ ἔτι κλίνεται, ἀλλ' ἵσταται ἀηδῶς ἔχων ἐᾶσαι μίαν τρίχα ἐξ αὐτῆς· λοιπὸν ἔρχονται οἱ ἐγχώριοι καὶ κόπτουσι τὴν οὐράν, καὶ τότε φεύγει τὸ πᾶν τῆς οὐρᾶς ἀπολέσας. Αὕτη ἡ φύσις τῷ ζῴῳ. 11.6 Τὸ δὲ μικρὸν ζῷόν ἐστιν ὁ μόσχος· καλοῦσι δὲ αὐτὸ τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ οἱ ἐγχώριοι καστοῦρι. ∆ιώκοντες δὲ αὐτὸ