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I explained, so that the true form of Faustus might appear to my own eyes. Therefore, being exceedingly astonished, I marvel at the magic of Simon, because though standing here you do not recognize your father. And as the father and the mother and we ourselves were weeping, Annubion also, sympathizing with the common misfortune of us all, shed tears. Then Peter also promised us the restoration of our father's form, saying to him: You have heard, O Faustus, our circumstances. When, therefore, the deceitful form that surrounds you becomes useful to us, and you serve us in what we command, then I too will restore to you your true form, after you have first done what is told to you by me. And when our father said: Whatever is possible for me, I will do most readily, only restore my own form to my own people, Peter answered: You yourself have heard with your own ears from my forerunners who came from Antioch, and told how Simon, having been there, strongly incited the crowds against me, calling me a magician and a murderer, a deceiver and a sorcerer, to such an extent that all the people there longed to taste my flesh. Therefore you will do as I say, leaving Clement with me and preceding us to Antioch with your wife, and also Faustinus and Faustinianus your sons. And some others will be with you, whom I judge able to serve my will. When you are in Antioch with these men, while you appear as Simon, publicly proclaim your repentance, <saying:> I, Simon, proclaim these things to you. I confess to having falsely accused Peter unjustly; he is not a deceiver, not a murderer, not a sorcerer, nor any of the evil things I have said about him, driven by anger. I myself, who was the cause of your hatred toward him, beg you, cease hating him; for he is a true apostle of the true prophet sent by God for the salvation of the world. Therefore I myself advise you to obey him in what he preaches, since your whole city will be utterly destroyed. And for what reason I have confessed these things to you, I want you to know. This night angels of God severely scourged me, the impious one, as an enemy to the herald of truth. I entreat you, therefore, even if I myself should come at another time and attempt to speak against Peter, do not receive me. For I confess to you: I am a magician, I am a deceiver, I am a sorcerer, but I repent; for perhaps it is possible through repentance to be absolved of the sins I have previously committed. As Peter was suggesting these things, “I know,” said the father, “what you wish; so do not weary yourself. For it will be no less my concern, upon arriving there, to say what ought to be said about you.” And Peter again suggested: “When, therefore, you perceive that the city has changed from its hatred, and desires to see us, send and let me know, and we will overtake you there. And being there on that very day, having driven away your alien form, I will make your own appear without deception to your family and to all others.” Having said these things, he made his sons, my brothers, be with him, and ordered Mattidia our mother and some of the more genuine ones to depart with him. But our mother was reluctant to go with him: “For I seem to be an adulteress, being with the form of Simon. But if indeed I am forced to go with him, it is impossible on the same couch

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διηγησάμην, ἵνα τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡ ἀληθὴς Φαύστου φαίνηται μορφή. ἐκπεπληγμένος οὖν σφόδρα θαυμάζω τὴν Σίμωνος μαγείαν, ὅτι ἑστῶτες τὸν ὑμέτερον οὐ γνωρίζετε πατέρα. κλαιόντων δὲ τοῦ τε πατρὸς καὶ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, ἐπὶ τῇ κοινῇ πάντων ἡμῶν συμφορᾷ συμπαθήσας καὶ ὁ Ἀννουβίων ἐδάκρυσε. τότε καὶ ὁ Πέτρος τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς μορφῆς τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν ἡμῖν ἐπηγγείλατο εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἤκουσας, ὦ Φαῦ- στε, τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς. ὅταν οὖν ἡμῖν χρήσιμος ἡ περικειμένη σοι πλάνος μορφὴ γένηται καὶ ὑπουργήσῃς ἡμῖν πρὸς ἃ κελεύομεν, τότε κἀγώ σοι τὴν ἀληθινήν σου μορφὴν ἀποδώσω πρότερον ποιήσαντι τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ σοι λεγόμενα. τοῦ δὲ πατρὸς εἰπόντος· Πᾶν ὅτι ἄν μοι δυνατὸν ᾖ, προθυμότατον ποιήσω, μόνον τὴν ἐμὴν τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἀπόδος μορφήν, ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρίνατο· Aὐτὸς ἰδίοις ὠσὶν ἀκήκοας τῶν προόδων μου ἀπὸ Ἀντιοχείας ἐληλυθότων καὶ εἰπόν- των ὡς ἐκεῖ γεγονὼς ὁ Σίμων ἰσχυρῶς τοὺς ὄχλους κατ' ἐμοῦ παρώξυνε, μάγον καὶ μιαιφόνον πλάνον τε καὶ γόητα ἀποκαλῶν, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὡς γλίχεσθαι πάντας τοὺς ἐκεῖ τῶν ἐμῶν ἀπογεύσασθαι σαρκῶν. ποιήσεις οὖν ὡς ἐγὼ λέγω, καταλιπὼν Κλήμεντα παρ' ἐμοὶ καὶ προαγαγὼν ἡμᾶς εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν μετὰ τῆς συμβίου σου, ἔτι δὲ Φαυστίνου καὶ Φαυστινιανοῦ τῶν υἱῶν σου. συνέσονται δέ σοι καὶ ἄλλοι τινές, οὓς ἐγὼ κρίνω δυνατοὺς ὑπουρ- γῆσαι τῷ ἐμῷ θελήματι. μετὰ τούτων ἐν τῇ Ἀντιοχείᾳ γενόμενος ἐν ὅσῳ ὡς Σίμων φαίνῃ, δημοσίᾳ κήρυξον τὴν σεαυτοῦ μετάνοιαν <λέ- γων·> Ἐγὼ Σίμων ταῦτα ὑμῖν κηρύσσω. ὁμολογῶ ἀδίκως καταψεύσασθαι Πέτρου· οὐκ ἔστι πλάνος, οὐ μιαιφόνος, οὐ γόης οὐδὲ ὅσα ποτὲ φαῦλα περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγων ἔφθανον ὑπὸ θυμοῦ ἐλαυνόμενος. δέομαι ὑμῶν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ὁ τοῦ πρὸς ὑμᾶς μίσους αἴτιος αὐτῷ γεγονώς, παύσασθε μισοῦντες αὐτόν· τοῦ γὰρ ὑπὸ θεοῦ πρὸς σωτηρίαν κόσμου ἀπεσταλμένου ἀληθοῦς προ- φήτου ἀληθής ἐστιν ἀπόστολος. διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς συμβουλεύω αὐτῷ ὑμᾶς πείθεσθαι περὶ ὧν κηρύσσει, ἐπεὶ πᾶσα ὑμῶν ἡ πόλις ἄρδην ἀπολεῖται. δι' ἣν δὲ αἰτίαν ὑμῖν ταῦτα ὡμολόγησα, εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς θέλω. ταύτης τῆς νυκτὸς ἄγγελοί με τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν ἀσεβῆ ὡς ἐχθρὸν ὄντα τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας κήρυκι δεινῶς ἐμαστίγουν. παρακαλῶ οὖν, μηδ' ἂν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἄλλοτε ἐπελθὼν κατὰ Πέτρου ἐπιχειρῶ λέγειν, μὴ ἀποδέξησθέ με. ἐξομολογοῦμαι γὰρ ὑμῖν· Ἐγὼ μάγος, ἐγὼ πλάνος, ἐγὼ γόης, ἀλλὰ μετανοῶ· ἔξεστι γὰρ ἴσως μετανοίᾳ ἀπολῦσαι τὰ προπεπραγμένα μοι ἁμαρτήματα. ταῦτα τοῦ Πέτρου ὑποτιθεμένου· Oἶδα, ἔφη ὁ πατήρ, ὅτι βούλει· διὸ μὴ κάμνε. ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐχ ἧττον μελήσει ἐκεῖσε ἐλθόντι διαλεχθῆναι ἃ χρὴ περὶ σοῦ διαλέγεσθαι. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος πάλιν ὑπετίθετο· Ὅταν οὖν νοήσῃς τὴν πόλιν μεταβαλομένην τοῦ μίσους, ἐπιθυμοῦσαν δὲ ἰδεῖν ἡμᾶς, πέμψας δήλωσόν μοι, καὶ αὐτόθι ἐπικαταληψόμεθά σε. γενόμενος δὲ ἐκεῖ αὐθήμερον τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν σου μορφὴν ἀπελάσας τὴν σὴν τοῖς σοῖς καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀπλανῶς φαίνεσθαι ποιήσω. ταῦτα εἰπὼν συνεῖναι αὐτῷ τοὺς υἱούς, ἀδελ- φοὺς δὲ ἐμούς, ἐποίησε καὶ Ματτιδίαν τὴν μητέρα ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν γνησιω- τέρων τινὰς συναπέρχεσθαι ἐκέλευσεν. ἡ δὲ μήτηρ συναπελθεῖν αὐτῷ ὀκνη- ρῶς εἶχεν· Μοιχὰς γὰρ εἶναι δοκῶ τῇ Σίμωνος συνοῦσα μορφῇ. εἰ δ' ἄρα συναπέρχεσθαι αὐτῷ ἀναγκασθήσομαι, ἀδύνατον ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς κλίνης