355
in Cashcar itself, both Marcellus and Archelaus, having previously chosen judges together for their debate of the question, a certain Marsipus by name, and Claudius and Aegialeus and Cleobulus, the one a philosopher of secular learning, another a medical sophist, another a grammarian by nature, and the other a sophist. And many words having been spoken from both sides, with Manes putting forward the points of his fabulous teaching and Archelaus like a champion hoplite destroying with his own power the arrows of his opponents, in the end Manes came off worse and the judges judged the prize to belong to the truth—which was no wonder, since truth is self-subsistent and cannot be overthrown, even if lawlessness, borne by shamelessness, should oppose the decree of truth, as falsehood has no substance nor basis, just as the shadow of darkness and of the serpent the treacherousness of its step and the lack of support from its lack of feet—11. From there Manes ran away, as the people wanted to stone him, had not Marcellus come forward and with his venerable 3.32 person put the people to shame, since the wretch, remaining dead, would long ago have been killed, and having departed he comes to a certain village of the Chalchari, to one called † Diodoris, in which a certain very gentle Tryphon was at that time the presbyter of that place. With whom Manes, having come, again caused a stir, boasting. having found the man, good in other respects and admirable in piety, but poor in speech. But even in these things he did not have the strength as he supposed to mock the servant of Christ. For God always prepares and supplies the gifts from the Holy Spirit for those who hope in him, as he also promised, being without falsehood, that "do not be anxious what you should say. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of my Father who speaks in you." From there, when he again wished to debate with Tryphon the presbyter and he contradicted him on many points, he wrote to Archelaus about this matter that "A certain man has come here like a grievous wolf and is trying to destroy the fold; but I beg you, send me word what I should do with him or with what words I might contradict his evil teaching. And if you yourself deign to come, you would make the fold of Christ and his flock free from care," and he sent him two discourses so as to readily confute Manes, and he indicated to him to await his arrival. But Manes came forth into the middle of the village rather early in the morning, pretending that he had come at the outset to challenge Tryphon to a debate. And while Tryphon was appearing, and answering him word for word on the things he had asked according to the understanding given to him by God, and confounding the deceiver, while he was somehow quietly hesitating within himself, Archelaus appears like a strong householder caring for his own, and coming upon him with boldness he rebuked him who was attempting to plunder. And as soon as Manes 3.33 saw Archelaus, he said fawningly in hypocrisy, "Let me debate with Tryphon; for your rank surpasses me because you are a bishop." But he, with a word of refutation, showed him to be a greater hypocrite and silenced him, and having made refutations of the arguments put forward by him, he again put him to shame, so that he could no longer open his mouth. And the people, again filled with zeal, tried to lay hands on the sinner. But he, fleeing from the people, and * to the aforesaid castle of Arabion arrives again. 12. And from there the king of the Persians, having learned of Manes's refuge, sent and seized him in the aforesaid castle, dragged him away dishonorably to Persia and having ordered his skin to be flayed with a reed thus he gave him his punishment; whence also having been flayed with a reed and the
355
αὐτῇ τῇ Κασχάρῃ, Μάρκελλός τε καὶ Ἀρχέλαος, πρότερον εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν ἀντιβολὴν τοῦ ζητήματος αἱρησάμενοι ὁμοῦ κριτάς, Μάρσιπόν τινα ὀνόματι καὶ Κλαύδιον καὶ Αἰγιαλέα καὶ Κλεόβουλον, τὸν μὲν τῶν ἐκτὸς λόγων φιλόσοφον, τὸν δὲ ἰατροσοφιστήν, τὸν δὲ φύσει γραμματικὸν καὶ τὸν ἄλλον σοφιστήν. καὶ πολλῶν ῥημάτων εἰρημένων ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν μερῶν, τοῦ τε Μάνη τὰ τῆς μυθώδους διδασκαλίας προβαλλομένου καὶ τοῦ Ἀρχελάου ὥσπερ ἀριστεύοντος ὁπλίτου καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτοῦ δυνάμει καθαιροῦντος τὰ βέλη τῶν δι' ἐναντίας, τὸ πέρας τὸ ἧττον ἀπενεγκαμένου τοῦ Μάνη καὶ κρινάντων τῶν κριτῶν τὸ βραβεῖον εἶναι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ-ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν θαῦμα, αὐτοσυστάτου οὔσης τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ μὴ δυναμένης καθαιρεῖσθαι, κἄν τε ἀντιπράττοι ἡ ἀνομία ἀναισχυντίᾳ φερομένη τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας θεσμῷ, τοῦ ψεύδους μὴ ἔχοντος ὑπόστασιν μηδὲ βάσιν, ὡς καὶ ἡ σκιὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως τὸ σφαλερὸν τῆς ἐπιβάσεως καὶ ἀνέρειστον τῆς τῶν ποδῶν στερήσεως-11. ἐντεῦθεν ὁ Μάνης ἀποδράσας, βουλομένων τῶν δήμων αὐτὸν λιθοβολῆσαι, εἰ μὴ ὅτι παρῆλθεν εἰς μέσον Μάρκελλος καὶ τῷ αἰδε3.32 σίμῳ αὐτοῦ προσώπῳ κατεδυσώπησε τοὺς δήμους, ἐπεὶ ἂν ὁ τάλας νεκρὸς μένων πάλαι ἐτεθνήκει, ἀναχωρήσας τε ἔρχεται εἰς κώμην τινὰ τῆς Καλχάρων εἰς † ∆ιοδωρίδα καλουμένην, ἐν ᾗ Τρύφων τις ἐπιεικέστατος κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ ἐτύγχανε τῶν αὐτόθι πρεσβύτερος. παρ' ᾧ ὁ Μάνης γενόμενος πάλιν ἐκύκα καυχώμενος. καταλαβὼν τὸν ἄνδρα, ἀγαθὸν μὲν τἄλλα καὶ θαυμαστὸν τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ, πενιχρὸν δὲ τῷ λόγῳ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτοις οὐχ ὡς ὑπείληφεν ἴσχυσεν ἐπιτωθάζειν τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δούλῳ. ὁ θεὸς γὰρ ἀεὶ τοῖς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐλπίζουσιν ἑτοιμάζει τὰς ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου δωρεὰς ἐπιχορηγούμενος, ὡς καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο ἀψευδὴς ὢν ὅτι «μὴ μεριμνήσητε τί εἴπητε. οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ πατρός μου τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν». ἐντεῦθεν πάλιν βουληθέντος διαλέξασθαι πρὸς Τρύφωνα τὸν πρεσβύτερον καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν πολλοῖς ἀντειπόντος, γράψαντός τε τῷ Ἀρχελάῳ περὶ τῆς ὑποθέσεως ταύτης ὅτι «ἀνήρ τις ἦλθεν ἐνταῦθα οἷα δὴ λύκος βαρὺς καὶ διολέσαι τὴν μάνδραν ἐπιχειρεῖ· ἀλλὰ παρακαλῶ ἀπόστειλόν μοι τί ἂν πρὸς τοῦτον ποιήσωμαι ἢ ποίοις λόγοις ἀντείπω τῇ αὐτοῦ κακοδιδασκαλίᾳ. καὶ εἰ μὲν αὐτὸς καταξιοῖς παραγενέσθαι. ἀμέριμνον ποιήσειας τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μάνδραν καὶ τὰ θρέμματα αὐτοῦ», ὁ δὲ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτῷ δύο λόγους ὡς ἐν προχείρῳ καταλαβέσθαι τὸν Μάνη, ἐκδέξασθαι δὲ τὴν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν αὐτῷ ἐσήμανεν. ὁ Μάνης δὲ ἐν τῇ μέσῃ κώμῃ προῆλθεν ὀρθριαίτερον, προσποιούμενος ἐν τῷ συνάρξασθαι προκαλεῖσθαι τὸν Τρύφωνα εἰς λόγους ἥκειν. καὶ τοῦ Τρύφωνος ἰνδαλλομένου, ἀποκριθέντος τε αὐτῷ πρὸς ἔπος ὧν ᾔτησε κατὰ τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ δοθεῖσαν αὐτῷ σύνεσιν καὶ στροβήσαντος τὸν ἀπατεῶνα, ἠρέμα πως ἐν ᾧ ἑαυτῷ ἐνεδοίαζεν, ἀνακύπτει ὁ Ἀρχέλαος ὥσπερ ἰσχυρὸς οἰκοδεσπότης τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιμελούμενος καὶ μετὰ παρρησίας ἐπελθὼν τῷ συλᾶν ἐπιχειροῦντι ἐνεβριμεῖτο. εὐθὺς δὲ ὡς εἶδεν ὁ Μάνης 3.33 τὸν Ἀρχέλαον, ὑποκοριστικῶς καθ' ὑπόκρισιν ἔφη «ἔα με πρὸς Τρύφωνα διαλέγεσθαι· ὑπερβαίνει γάρ με τὸ σὸν ἀξίωμα διὰ τὸ ἐπίσκοπόν σε εἶναι». ὁ δὲ καὶ μετὰ ἐλέγχου τοῦ λόγου μείζονα αὐτὸν ὑποκριτὴν ὑποδείξας ἀπεφίμωσεν, τῶν δὲ ὑπ' ἐκείνου προτεθέντων λόγων τὰς ἐπιλύσεις ποιησάμενος αὖθις εἰς αἰσχύνην αὐτὸν κατέστησε, μηκέτι δυνάμενον διαίρειν στόμα. οἱ δὲ λαοὶ ζῆλον πάλιν ἀνειληφότες ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀλιτήριον διαχειρίσασθαι. ὁ δὲ ἀποδρὰς τοὺς δήμους καὶ * εἰς τὸ προειρημένον κάστελλον Ἀραβίωνος πάλιν ἀφικνεῖται. 12. Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεύς, γνοὺς τὴν τοῦ Μάνη καταφυγήν, ἀποστείλας καὶ χειρωσάμενος αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ προειρημένῳ καστέλλῳ, εἰς τὴν Περσίδα ἀτίμως καθείλκυσε καὶ τὸ δέρμα αὐτοῦ καλάμῳ κελεύσας ἐκδαρῆναι οὕτω τὴν τιμωρίαν αὐτῷ ἀπέδωκεν· ὅθεν καὶ ἐκδαρέντα καλάμῳ καὶ τὸν