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and taking courage, he reveals the things concerning himself, promising to be of service. But the illusion of hope did not advance for the impostor. For he failed in his expectation, having offered some kinds of medicine to the sick3.23 child of the king. At last, then, the boy dies in his hands, so that all the vain promises accompanied by falsehood might be exposed. And when this turned out so, by a royal command he is cast into prison. For the kings of the Persians do not immediately inflict punishments on those who commit the greater offenses, but they devise some more extraordinary sentence of death with tortures to deal with those who are threatened. And these things were so. 5. But Manes, also called Cubricus, remained continually in prison, and was visited by his own disciples. For the charlatan had already gathered3.24 for himself an army, so to speak, whom he called disciples, now about twenty-two in number. From whom, having selected three, one called Thomas, and Hermeias, and Addas, he devised *, having heard about the sacred books throughout Judaea and in the whole world, I mean the Christian books, of the law and the prophets, the gospels and the apostles. Therefore, having given gold to the aforementioned, he sent them to the region of Jerusalem. And this he did before he was confined in the prison, when, while discoursing with many, he was not able to establish his own doctrine; but having heard of the name of Christ and of His servants, I mean the Christians, he had determined to deceive the erring through the name of the doctrine of Christ. And they, having gone away, bought them. For they did not delay. But having returned, as they no longer find him in the open air, but in the prison, and having entered there, they showed him the books. And he, having taken and examined them, practiced villainy, weaving his own falsehood into the truth, wherever he found a turn of phrase or a term capable of producing a semblance of his own way of thinking, and from that point on he strengthened the counterfeit character of his own pasture. But also in the meantime, having begged for silver from the one in charge of the prison, he gives him a large amount and departs as a fugitive,3.25 having left the land of the Persians, and made for Roman territory. And being now in the middle of Mesopotamia and Persia, still being in the deserted places, and having heard about a certain great man excelling in the highest piety, Marcellus by name, who dwelt in the city of Caschar in Mesopotamia, who was in every respect a Christian man and most wonderful in works of righteousness, helping widows and the poor, and orphans and the needy, he resolves to attach himself to the man, so that having acquired him as a subordinate, he might be able through him to rule not only Mesopotamia, but also the whole region towards Syria and Roman territory. And he writes a letter to him through a certain Turbo, one of his disciples, from the border of the Stranga river, from a fort called Arabion, which letter contained the following. And taking it, read to me the contrivance of the impostor's wickedness. 6. "Manichaeus, an apostle of Jesus Christ, and all the 3.26 saints and virgins with me, to Marcellus, our beloved child: grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, and may the right hand of light preserve you from the present evil age and its calamities and the snares of the evil one, Amen. Perceiving that the love concerning you was very great, I rejoiced exceedingly, but I was grieved that your faith was not according to the right doctrine. Wherefore, having been sent for the correction of the human race, and sparing those who have given themselves over to deceit and error, I considered it necessary to send this letter to you; first for the salvation of your own soul, and then also of those who are with you, so that you may not have an indiscriminating mind, like those of

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καὶ τολμήσας μηνύει τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, ὠφελεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενος. ἀλλ' οὐ προεχώρησε τῷ γόητι ἡ τῆς ἐλπίδος φαντασία. ἤμβροτε γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς καραδοκίας, τινὰ εἴδη φαρμακευτικῆς προσενέγκας τῷ νοση3.23 λευομένῳ παιδὶ τοῦ βασιλέως. τέλος γοῦν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ θνήσκει τὸ μειράκιον, ἵνα πάντα τὰ μετὰ τοῦ ψεύδους διελέγχηται μάταια ἐπαγγέλματα. ὡς δὲ τοῦτο οὕτως ἀπέβη, προστάγματι βασιλικῷ ἐμβάλλεται εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον. οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς οἱ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεῖς τὰς τιμωρίας κατὰ τῶν τὰς μείζους αἰτίας τῶν ἀποπημάτων δρώντων ἐπιφέρουσιν, ἀλλὰ περιττοτέραν τινὰ ἐπινοοῦσι θανατικὴν ψῆφον μετὰ βασάνων τοὺς ἐπαπειλουμένους διατίθεσθαι. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως. 5. Ἐπέμενε δὲ ἐν τῇ εἱρκτῇ διατελῶν ὁ Μάνης, ὁ καὶ Κούβρικος, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων μαθητῶν ἐπισκεπτόμενος. ἤδη γὰρ ὁ ἀγύρτης συνα3.24 γήοχεν ἑαυτῷ στρατὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν, οὓς δὴ μαθητὰς ἐκάλει, τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἤδη περὶ δύο καὶ εἴκοσιν. ἐξ ὧν τινας τρεῖς ἐκλεξάμενος, Θωμᾶν τινα οὕτω καλούμενον καὶ Ἑρμείαν καὶ Ἀδδᾶν, διενοήθη *, ἀκηκοὼς περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ἱερῶν βιβλίων, φημὶ δὲ τῶν Χριστιανικῶν, νόμου τε καὶ προφητῶν, εὐαγγελίων καὶ ἀποστόλων. δοὺς τοίνυν χρυσίον τοῖς προειρημένοις ἐπὶ τὰ μέρη τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἀπέστειλε. τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίησε πρὶν ἢ καθειρχθῆναι ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ, ὅτε διαλεγόμενος πολλοῖς τὸ ἴδιον δόγμα οὐκ ἴσχυσε συστῆσαι· ἀκηκοὼς δὲ περὶ ὀνόματος Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ δούλων, Χριστιανῶν δέ φημι, διεγνώκει διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τῆς ὑποθέσεως Χριστοῦ ἀπατῆσαι τοὺς πεπλανημένους. οἱ δὲ ἀπελθόντες ὠνήσαντο. οὐ γὰρ ἀνεβάλλοντο. παλινδρομήσαντες δέ, ὡς οὐ καταλαμβάνουσιν αὐτὸν οὐκέτι ἐν ἐλευθέρῳ ἀέρι, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, κἀκεῖσε εἰσελθόντες, ἐπεδείκνυον αὐτῷ τὰς βίβλους. ὁ δὲ λαβὼν καὶ ἀνερευνήσας ἐρρᾳδιούργησε προσπλέξας τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τὸ ἴδιον ψεῦδος, ἔνθα που εὗρε πρόσωπον λόγου ἢ κλῆσιν δυναμένην ἀποτελεῖν ὁμοίωμα τοῦ αὐτοῦ φρονήματος καὶ ἐντεῦθεν λοιπὸν ἐκράτυνε τὸ ἐπίπλαστον τοῦ αὐτοῦ βοσκήματος. ἀλλὰ καὶ μεταξὺ ἄργυρον προσλιπαρήσας τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου δίδωσι πολὺν καὶ φυ3.25 γὰς ἀπαλλάττεται, καταλείψας τὴν τῶν Περσῶν χώραν, καὶ τῇ Ῥωμανίᾳ προσέβαλε. μέσον δὲ ἤδη τυγχάνων τῆς Μέσης τῶν ποταμῶν καὶ τῆς Περσίδος, περὶ τὰς ἐρημίας ἔτι ὑπάρχων, ἀκούσας τε περὶ μεγάλου τινὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐν θεοσεβείᾳ ἀκροτάτῃ διαπρέποντος, Μαρκέλλου τοὔνομα, κατοικοῦντος ἐν Κασχάρῃ πόλει τῆς Μεσοποταμίας, ὃς ἦν ἀνὴρ κατὰ πάντα Χριστιανὸς καὶ ἐν ἔργοις δικαιοσύνης θαυμασιώτατος, χήραις μὲν ἐπαρκῶν καὶ πένησιν, ὀρφανοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς ἐνδεομένοις, διανοεῖται προσπλέξαι πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, ἵν' ὑποχείριον τοῦτον κτησάμενος δυνηθείη δι' αὐτοῦ κατάρξαι οὐ μόνον τῆς Μεσοποταμίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ κλίματος παντὸς τοῦ πρὸς τὴν Συρίαν τε καὶ Ῥωμανίαν. γράφει δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπιστολὴν διὰ Τύρβωνος τινὸς τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πέρατος τοῦ Στράγγα ποταμοῦ, ἀπὸ καστέλλου Ἀραβίωνος οὕτω καλουμένου, ἥτις ἐπιστολὴ περιεῖχε τάδε. καί μοι λαβὼν ἀνάγνωθι τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα τῆς τοῦ ἀπατεῶνος μοχθηρίας. 6. «Μανιχαῖος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες 3.26 ἅγιοι καὶ παρθένοι Μαρκέλλῳ τέκνῳ ἀγαπητῷ· χάρις, ἔλεος, εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ τοῦ φωτὸς διατηρήσῃ σε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος πονηροῦ καὶ τῶν συμπτωμάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ παγίδων τοῦ πονηροῦ, ἀμήν. Τὴν μὲν περὶ σὲ ἀγάπην μεγίστην οὖσαν αἰσθηθεὶς λίαν ἐχάρην, τὴν δὲ πίστιν οὐκ οὖσαν κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον ἠχθέσθην. ὅθεν πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους ἀποσταλείς, φειδόμενός τε τῶν ἀπάτῃ καὶ πλάνῃ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδεδωκότων, ταῦτα τὰ γράμματα πρὸς σὲ ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην ἀποστεῖλαι· πρῶτον μὲν πρὸς σωτηρίαν τῆς σεαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἅμα σοὶ τυγχανόντων, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀδιάκριτόν σε ἔχειν τὸν λογισμόν, ὡς οἱ τῶν