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for the sake of. 12. But if I were to describe the women of Memphis and Heliopolis celebrating their orgies, receiving their enchantment for themselves with timbrel and flute, and the women dancers and celebrants of the triennial festivals and those at Batheia and in Menuthis, who have gone outside of feminine modesty and composure, with how many volumes of language, or with how great a breadth of composition, giving myself to the aforementioned number, would I be able to deliver myself to that countless number? For even if I should take upon myself an excessive labor, I would leave the comprehension of these things incomplete, since it is said, "maidens of whom there is no number." And the temples in Sais, and in Pelusium, and in Bubastis, and in Abydos, and of Antinous, and the mysteries there, those in Pharbaithos, those concerning the goat of Mendes, and as many as are in Busiris, and how many in Sebennytos, and how many in Diospolis, how in one place they perform rites to the donkey in the name of Seth, who is supposed to be Typhon, and others to Tithrambo, interpreted as Hecate *, others are initiated to Senephthys, others to Thermouthis, and others to Isis. And how many such things are there to mention, for one attempting to speak of them in detail, much time will be spent. Therefore the account will be completely summarized, being fulfilled by "maidens of whom there is no number." And again of many other mysteries and heresiarchs and schismatics † of which the leaders among the Persians are the Magusaeans, and among the Egyptians those called prophets, leaders of the inner shrines and temples, and of the Babylonian magi both those called Gazarenes, wise men and enchanters, and of the Indians those called Euileans and Brahmans, and of the Greeks hierophants and temple-wardens, the multitude of Cynics and leaders of other countless philosophers. 13. Therefore, as I said before, among the Persians those called Magusaeans, who abhor idols, † but worship idols in fire and moon and sun. And others again in Greece, Mysians called Abioi, 3.513 using the milk of horses and inhabiting a wholly wild country. And how many of such great names, and counted among the praised, will the mind of men be able to collect, how many differences there are of "maidens of whom there is no number," some for praise, but others not praised, some from their own mind gathering for themselves things for the exercise of life and custom, proceeding conspicuously with long hair, and others in manifest sackcloth, and other holy brothers sitting at home in sackcloth and ashes, and still others in ways of life and excessive fastings adding to their labor in youth, on account of a perfect conscience toward the bridegroom, but others, as I said before, not rightly, but according to some preconception of the mind, acting youthful tyrannically contrary to the truth, as Zacchaeus who died a short while ago in the hill country around Jerusalem, who did not pray with anyone at all, but also for the same reason, being a layman, he boldly and unsparingly attempted to touch the holy mysteries and perform sacred rites. And a certain other one, whoever that man was and one of those who seemed to have lived a life of perfection, having settled in a monastery in Egypt in the desert places, and another near Sinai, who acted youthful from dreams, as having received the laying on of hands for the episcopate, and they themselves attempted to sit and do the things of bishops. And others, and not a few, dared to eunuchize themselves contrary to the commandments, supposedly for the sake of youthful zeal. And others thinking to show youthful zeal dare, contrary to the canons, coming from the orthodox, to draw to themselves an assembly, but also without a judgment of an ecumenical council to rebaptize those who come to them supposedly 3.514 from the Arians, the matter not yet having been decided by a judgment of a council as I said, because the peoples still exist mixed up to this day and many are orthodox, but by hypocrisy towards those who are Arians

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ἕνεκεν. 12. Τὰς δὲ Μεμφίτιδας καὶ Ἡλιουπολίτιδας ὀργιώσας, τυμπάνῳ τε καὶ αὐλῷ τὸ θέλγηστρον εἰς ἑαυτὰς λαμβανούσας εἰ διηγησαί3.512 μην, χορίτιδάς τε καὶ τριετηρίτιδας καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῆς Βαθείας καὶ ἐν Μενουθίτιδος ἔξω βεβηκυίας αἰδοῦς τε καὶ καταστάσεως γυναικείας, πόσοις ὄγκοις γλώττης, ἢ πόσῳ πλάτει συντάξεως ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν προειρημένον ἀριθμὸν τὸν ἀμύθητον ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι δυνήσωμαι; εἰ γὰρ καὶ κάματον ὑπερβάλλοντα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ἀναδεξαίμην, ἀτέλεστον καταλείψαιμι τὴν τούτων κατάληψιν, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ «νεάνιδες ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός» εἴρηται. τά τε ἐν Σάϊ τά τε ἐν Πηλουσίῳ τά τε ἐν Βουβαστῷ τά τε ἐν Ἀβύδῃ τά τε τοῦ Ἀντινόου τεμένη, καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖσε μυστήρια, τὰ ἐν Φαρβήτῳ, τὰ κατὰ τὸν τράγον τοῦ Μενδησίου, ὅσα τε ἐν Βουσίρι, πόσα τε ἐν Σεβεννύτῳ, πόσα τε ἐν ∆ιοσπόλει, ὡς πῆ μὲν τῷ ὄνῳ εἰς ὄνομα τοῦ Σήθ, δῆθεν τοῦ Τυφῶνος, τελετὰς ἐργάζονται, ἄλλοι δὲ τὴν Τιθραμβώ, Ἑκάτην ἑρμηνευομένην *, ἕτεροι τῇ Σενέφθυ, ἄλλοι δὲ τῇ Θερμούθι τελίσκονται, ἄλλοι δὲ τῇ Ἴσιδι. καὶ πόσα ἔστι τοιαῦτα λέγειν, ὧν τὸ κατ' εἶδος εἰπεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντι πολὺς χρόνος ἀναλωθήσεται. διὸ περιλήψεται πάντη ὁ λόγος πληρούμενος διὰ τοῦ «νεάνιδες ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός». ἑτέρων δὲ πάλιν μυστηρίων πολλῶν καὶ αἱρεσιαρχῶν καὶ σχισματοποιῶν † ὧν μὲν ἀρχηγοὶ παρὰ Πέρσαις Μαγουσαῖοι, παρὰ δὲ Αἰγυπτίοις προφῆται καλούμενοι, τῶν ἀδύτων τε καὶ ἱερῶν ἀρχηγοί, καὶ μάγων Βαβυλωνίων δὲ οἵ τε καλούμενοι Γαζαρηνοί, σοφοί τε καὶ ἐπαοιδοί, Ἰνδῶν δὲ οἱ Εὐίλεοι καλούμενοι καὶ Βραχμᾶνες, Ἑλλήνων δὲ ἱεροφάνται τε καὶ νεωκόροι, Κυνικῶν πλῆθος καὶ ἄλλων ἀμυθήτων φιλοσόφων ἀρχηγοί. 13. Τοίνυν, ὡς προεῖπον, παρὰ Πέρσαις Μαγουσαῖοι καλούμενοι, οἱ εἴδωλα μὲν βδελυττόμενοι, † εἰδώλοις δὲ προσκυνοῦντες πυρὶ καὶ σελήνῃ καὶ ἡλίῳ. ἄλλοι τε πάλιν ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι Μυσοὶ καλούμενοι Ἄβιοι, 3.513 γάλακτι ἵππων χρώμενοι καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀγρίαν χώραν κατοικοῦντες. καὶ πόσα δυνήσεται ὁ νοῦς τῶν ἀνθρώπων συλλέγειν τῶν τοσούτων καὶ μεγάλων ὀνομαζομένων καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐπαινουμέναις ἀριθμουμένων, ὅσαι εἰσὶ διαφοραὶ «νεανίδων ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός», τῶν μὲν πρὸς ἔπαινον, ἄλλων δὲ μὴ ἐπαινουμένων, τῶν μὲν ἀπ' ἰδίου νοὸς τὰ πρὸς πολιτείας ἄσκησιν καὶ θεσμὸν ἑαυτοῖς συλλεγόντων, ἐν κόμαις τε προόπτως προερχομένων, ἄλλων δὲ καὶ ἐν σάκκῳ προφανεῖ, ἄλλων δὲ ἁγίων ἀδελφῶν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ οἴκαδε καθεζομένων, καὶ ἔτι ἄλλων ἐν πολιτείαις καὶ νηστείαις ὑπερβαλλούσαις καμάτῳ προστιθέντων ἐν νεανιότητι, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον τελείαν συνείδησιν, ἑτέρων δέ, ὡς προεῖπον, οὐκ ὀρθῶς, ἀλλὰ κατά τινα πρόληψιν νοὸς τυραννικῶς παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν νεανιευομένων, ὡς Ζακχαῖος μὲν πρὸ βραχέος τελευτήσας ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ τῇ περὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, ὃς οὐδενὶ ὅλως συνευχόμενος διετέλεσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν τολμηρῶς ἁγίων μυστηρίων ψαύειν καὶ ἱερουργεῖν λαϊκὸς ὢν ἀφειδῶς ἐπεχείρει. ἕτερος δέ τις, ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐκεῖνος καὶ τῶν δοκούντων ἐν ἀκρότητι βίου πεπολιτεῦσθαι, πρὸς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐπὶ τὰ ἐρημικὰ κατοικήσας ἐν μοναστηρίῳ, καὶ ἄλλος πρὸς τῷ Σιναίῳ, οἳ ἀπὸ ὀνειράτων ἐνεανιεύσαντο, ὡς ἐπισκοπῆς δεξάμενοι χειροθεσίαν, καθῆσθαί τε καὶ τὰ ἐπισκόπων πράττειν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπεχείρουν. ἕτεροι δὲ καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγοι εὐνουχίζειν ἑαυτοὺς παρὰ τὰ προστεταγμένα δῆθεν νεανιεύματος χάριν ἐτόλμησαν. ἕτεροι δὲ δοκοῦντες νεανιεύεσθαι τολμῶσι παρὰ τοὺς κανόνας, ἀπὸ ὀρθοδόξων ὁρμώμενοι, σύλλογον ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισπάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνευ ἐπικρίσεως συνόδου οἰκουμενικῆς ἀναβαπτίζειν τοὺς ἐρχομένους πρὸς αὐτοὺς δῆθεν 3.514 ἀπὸ Ἀρειανῶν, μηδέπω τοῦ πράγματος ἐξ ἐπικρίσεως ὡς ἔφην συνόδου τμηθέντος, διὰ τὸ ἀναμὶξ τοὺς λαοὺς ὑπάρχειν ἔτι δεῦρο καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν εἶναι ὀρθοδόξους, κατὰ δὲ ὑπόκρισιν πρὸς τοὺς ἀρειανίζοντας