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to learn his power. Therefore they wanted to seize him, and he escaped from their hand, and went away beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing at the first, and many came to him, and said: that John did no sign; but all things that John spoke of him are true. For whenever he says something great and lofty, he withdraws quickly, yielding to their anger so that their passion might abate and cease through his absence; which indeed he also did then. But for what reason does the evangelist mention the place? So that you may learn that for this reason he went there, reminding them of the things that had happened and were said there by John, and of his testimony. At any rate, having come there, they immediately were reminded of John; for this reason they also say, that John indeed did no sign; since what sequence was there in adding this? but because the place brought them to the memory of the Baptist, and they came to the memory of his testimony. But see how they weave indisputable arguments. John indeed did no sign; but this man does, he says. Therefore, from this also his superiority is shown. If, then, we believed him, when he did no sign, much more this man. Then, since it was he who had testified, lest the fact that he had not performed a sign should seem 59.340 to render his testimony unworthy, they added: Even if he did no sign, yet he spoke the truth in all things concerning him, no longer proving this man from that one, but rendering that one trustworthy from the things this one did. Therefore many believed in him. For there were many things that drew them. For they remembered the words which he spoke, calling him stronger than himself, and light, and life, and truth, and all the rest, and of the voice that came from above, and of the Spirit that appeared then in the form of a dove and showed him to all; and with these, the proof from the miracles, at which they looked and were finally confirmed. For if one ought to believe John, he says, much more this man. If him without signs, much more this man, who has with his testimony also the proof from signs. Do you see how much their stay in that place profited them, and their separation from wicked men? For this reason he continually leads them out and takes them away from their company; which indeed he is also seen to have done in the Old Testament, forming and ordering the Jews in all things in the wilderness, far from the Egyptians. Which he also exhorts us to do, commanding us to flee marketplaces and noises and disturbances, and to pray in the closet with quietness. For a ship freed from disturbance sails with a fair wind; and a soul that is outside of affairs sits in a harbor. For this reason women ought to be more philosophical than men, being for the most part confined to the house. Thus, at any rate, Jacob also became guileless, because he dwelt in a house, and was free from the noises in between. For Scripture did not simply state this, saying, "Dwelling in a house." But also in a house, you say, there is much noise. Because you wish it, and you surround yourself with a crowd of cares. For the man, being involved in the midst of marketplaces and law courts, is as if drenched by certain waves of external noises; but the woman, sitting in the house as in a school of philosophy, and collecting her mind into itself, will be able to attend to prayers and readings and the other philosophy. And just as those who dwell in the deserts have no one to disturb them, so also she, being always indoors, can continually enjoy tranquility. And if ever there should be a necessity to go out, not even then is there a cause for disturbances. For either for a presence here, or when the body needs to be cared for with a bath, are the goings-out necessary for women; but for the greater part of the time she sits indoors, and it is possible for her both to practice philosophy herself, and, when she receives her husband, to calm him when he is disturbed, to order him, to prune away the superfluous and wild thoughts from him, and thus send him out again, having put away whatever evils he drew to himself from the marketplace, and whatever he learned from the house

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δύναμιν μαθεῖν. Ἠθέλησαν οὖν αὐτὸν πιάσαι, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ὅπου ἦν Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων τὸ πρότερον, καὶ πολλοὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔλεγον· ὅτι Ἰωάννης ἐποίησε σημεῖον οὐδέν· πάντα δὲ ὅσα εἶπεν Ἰωάννης περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ. Ὅταν γάρ τι μέγα καὶ ὑψηλὸν φθέγξηται, ἀναχωρεῖ ταχέως, ἐνδιδοὺς αὐτῶν τῷ θυμῷ ὥστε λωφῆσαι καὶ λῆξαι τὸ πάθος διὰ τῆς ἀπουσίας αὐτοῦ· ὃ δὴ καὶ τότε ἐποίησε. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν τὸν τόπον ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγει; Ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἀπῆλθεν ἐκεῖ, ἀναμιμνήσκων αὐτοὺς τῶν ἐκεῖ γενομένων τε καὶ λεχθέντων παρὰ Ἰωάννου, καὶ τῆς μαρτυρίας τῆς ἐκείνου. Ἐλθόντες γοῦν ἐκεῖ, εὐθέως ἀνεμνήσθησαν τοῦ Ἰωάννου· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ λέγουσιν, ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν οὐδὲν σημεῖον ἐποίησεν· ἐπεὶ ποία ἀκολουθία τοῦτο ἦν προσθεῖναι; ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὁ τόπος αὐτοὺς εἰς μνήμην ἤγαγε τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτοῦ μνήμην ἦλθον. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς συλλογισμοὺς πλέκουσιν ἀναμφισβητήτους. Ἰωάννης μὲν σημεῖον οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν· οὗτος δὲ ποιεῖ, φησίν, Οὐκοῦν κἀντεῦθεν ἡ ὑπεροχὴ δείκνυται. Εἰ τοίνυν, ἐκείνου σημεῖον οὐδὲν ποιήσαντος, ἐπιστεύσαμεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τούτῳ. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ μαρτυρήσας, ἵνα μὴ τὸ σημεῖον αὐτὸν μὴ πεποιηκέναι δόξῃ 59.340 ἀνάξιον τῆς μαρτυρίας ἀποφαίνειν, ἐπήγαγον· Εἰ καὶ σημεῖον οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ὅμως πάντα ἠλήθευσε τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἔτι τοῦτον ἐξ ἐκείνου, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον ἀφ' ὧν οὗτος ἐποίησεν ἀξιόπιστον ἀποφαίνοντες. Πολλοὶ τοίνυν ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἦν αὐτοὺς τὰ ἐφελκόμενα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐμέμνηντο τῶν ῥημάτων ὧν ἔλεγεν, ἰσχυρότερον ἑαυτοῦ καλῶν αὐτὸν, καὶ φῶς, καὶ ζωὴν, καὶ ἀλήθειαν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἅπαντα, καὶ τῆς φωνῆς τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐνεχθείσης, καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἐν περιστερᾶς εἴδει φανέντος τότε καὶ δείξαντος αὐτὸν ἅπασι· καὶ μετὰ τούτων, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀπόδειξιν, εἰς ἣν ὁρῶντες ἐβεβαιοῦντο λοιπόν. Εἰ γὰρ Ἰωάννῃ, φησὶ, πιστεύειν ἐχρῆν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τούτῳ. Εἰ χωρὶς σημείων ἐκείνῳ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τούτῳ, μετὰ τῆς ἐκείνου μαρτυρίας καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἀπόδειξιν ἔχοντι. Ὁρᾷς ὅσον αὐτοὺς ὤνησεν ἡ περὶ τὸν τόπον διατριβὴ, καὶ ἡ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπαλλαγή; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς συνεχῶς ἐξάγει καὶ ἀπάγει τῆς ἐκείνων συνουσίας· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς ποιήσας φαίνεται, πόῤῥω τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου τοὺς Ἰουδαίους διαπλάττων καὶ ῥυθμίζων ἐν ἅπασιν. Ὃ καὶ ἡμῖν παραινεῖ ποιεῖν, ἀγορὰς μὲν φεύγειν κελεύων καὶ θορύβους καὶ ταραχὰς, ἐν δὲ τῷ ταμιείῳ προσεύχεσθαι μετὰ τῆς ἡσυχίας. Καὶ γὰρ πλοῖον ταραχῆς ἀπηλλαγμένον, ἐξ οὐρίας πλεῖ· καὶ ψυχὴ πραγμάτων οὖσα ἐκτὸς, ἐν λιμένι κάθηται. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας φιλοσοφωτέρας τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐχρῆν εἶναι, οἰκουρίᾳ προσηλωμένας τὰ πλείονα. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἄπλαστος ἐγένετο, ἐπειδὴ οἰκίαν ᾤκει, καὶ τῶν ἐν μέσῳ θορύβων ἐλεύθερος ἦν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικεν ἡ Γραφὴ εἰποῦσα, Οἰκῶν οἰκίαν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ πολὺς, φησὶν, ὁ θόρυβος. Ἐπειδὴ σὺ βούλει, καὶ περιιστᾷς σαυτῇ φροντίδων ὄχλον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐν μέσαις στρεφόμενος ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ δικαστηρίοις, ὥσπερ ὑπό τινων κυμάτων τῶν ἔξωθεν περιαντλεῖται θορύβων· ἡ δὲ γυνὴ καθάπερ ἔν τινι διδασκαλείῳ φιλοσοφίας τῇ οἰκίᾳ καθημένη, καὶ τὸν νοῦν συνάγουσα εἰς ἑαυτὴν, καὶ εὐχαῖς προσέχειν καὶ ἀναγνώσεσι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ δυνήσεται φιλοσοφίᾳ. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ τὰς ἐρήμους οἰκοῦντες, οὐδένα ἔχουσι τὸν ἐνοχλοῦντα· οὕτω καὶ αὕτη διαπαντὸς ἔνδον οὖσα, διηνεκῶς δύναται ἀπολαύειν γαλήνης. Εἰ δέ ποτε καὶ ἐξελθεῖν ἀνάγκη γένοιτ' ἂν, οὐδὲ τότε ἐκεῖ θορύβων ὑπόθεσις. Ἢ γὰρ μέχρι τῆς ἐνταῦθα παρουσίας, ἢ ἡνίκα ἂν τὸ σῶμα λουτρῷ θεραπευθῆναι δέῃ, ἀναγκαῖαι ταῖς γυναιξὶν αἱ ἔξοδοι· τὸν δὲ πλείονα χρόνον ἔνδον κάθηται, καὶ δυνατὸν αὐτήν τε φιλοσοφεῖν, καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα δεχομένην, τεταραγμένον καταστέλλειν, ῥυθμίζειν, περικόπτειν αὐτοῦ τὰ περιττὰ καὶ ἄγρια τῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ οὕτω πάλιν ἐκπέμπειν, ὅσα μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐφελκύσατο κακὰ, ἀποθέμενον, ὅσα δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας ἔμαθε