Orationes 23

Translated by Thothica

36 min

It seems to me that I shall make my account after the manner of Homer's Helen. For she too says that one could not tell all the labours that belong to enduring Odysseus,
but, taking up some single deed of his, she recounts it, I think, to Telemachus and Menelaus. And I likewise could not tell all the contests of the Saviour, which I have enjoyed up to this present day. And I shall not here add the saying of Homer, "not even if I had ten tongues and ten mouths"; for that is too little. But not even if I should surpass all the power and voice and judgment that there is among men, could I ever come even near to them. And indeed, however many of my friends have begged me, or urged me, to speak and to write about them, I was never persuaded by any, shunning the impossible. For it seemed to me much as if a man, having passed underwater through the whole of the sea, were then compelled to render account of how many waves in all he had met with, and what kind of sea he experienced at each of them, and what it was that saved him. For each of our days, and likewise of our nights, has its own record, if anyone present wished either to write down what occurred, or to relate the god's providence — some part of which he showed openly while present, and some by the procession of dreams, so far at least as it was granted me to obtain sleep at all; but that was rare, owing to the surging waves about my body. Considering these things, then, I had resolved to provide myself truly, as to a physician, to the god, to do in silence whatever he wished. But now I wish to disclose to you how the matter of my abdomen stood. And I shall reckon each thing day by day. It was the month Poseideon — you know what sort of storm there was; and my stomach was distressed by night, and the sleeplessness was prodigious, so that I could not digest even the smallest things. The cause was not least the continuity of the storms, which, it was said, not a single tile could withstand; and the sweat too stopped for all this time, except so much as came while I bathed. On the twelfth of the month the god enjoins abstention from bathing, and on the day after the same, and on the day after that. These three days in succession I passed entirely without sweating, night and day, so that I did not even need to change my tunic; and never before
had I felt myself easier. I passed the time taking walks about the house, and at the same time in play, as is fitting in festival seasons. For the all-night festival of the god had caught up with the earlier festival, that of Poseidon. After this a dream comes, having indeed some notion of bathing, yet not without misgiving; for I seemed to have been somehow defiled. Nevertheless it seemed best to bathe — at all events, even if I had really suffered this defilement, there was need of water. And straightway I was not at all comfortable in the bath, and when I came back, everything seemed full, and my breath was like that of one panting; so that at the very beginning of my food I stopped at once. After this came a derangement in the night, and it went so far that it scarcely settled a little before noon.

The vision of a dream was somewhat thus: that I was in hot waters, and bending forward I saw the lower parts of my belly disposed in a rather strange way. I had indeed resolved to remain abstaining from the bath. But someone said that the trouble that appeared lay not in the bath itself, and that it was not reasonable to guard against it as the cause. So I bathed toward evening, and at dawn I felt pain in my abdomen, and the pain extended to the right and down as far as the groin. On the seventeenth, abstention from bathing in consequence of a dream; on the eighteenth, abstention from bathing. On the nineteenth I dreamed that certain of the barbarians had got control of me, and that one of them came at me and gave the impression that he would brand me; then he put his finger down thus, as far as my throat, and poured in something, according to some native custom, and called it "sharp-feeding"; and that later I recounted these things as a dream, and the hearers marvelled and said that this was the cause of being thirsty, yet unable to drink — namely, that the food was turning to vinegar. Out of this, vomiting was indicated, and the barbarian commanded me to abstain from the bath and to set one attendant beside me. The day proved to be one of abstention from bathing and of vomiting, with relief; for I seemed, so far as I could guess, to be in the forecourt of Asclepius, and one of my acquaintances, meeting me, embraced me and greeted me warmly, as having seen me after a long time; and I said to him that I had fallen into ill health,

and as the conversation went on I mentioned how many disturbances had occurred about the temple too. And while we were saying these things we went inside. And when we came to where the Good Fortune and the Good Daemon stood, we were still conversing. And seeing one of the attendants about the temple, I asked where the priest was. He said, "Behind the temple; for it is already about the time of the sacred lamps, and the warden is bringing back the keys." And it happened that in this interval the temple was being shut — yet in such a way that, even when it was shut, some entrance was left and the things within could be seen. So I went up to the doors, and I see another statue, downcast, in place of the old one. And as I wondered and inquired where the ancient one might be, someone brings it, and not even this did I quite seem to recognize; but I made obeisance, at any rate, in haste.

After this, going round, we meet the priest, and I began with him a speech of this sort: "To me, even in Smyrna, dreams came that I should converse with you about the temple; and thinking the matter too great for me, I kept silent; and now, just lately, things have come to me about these very matters." And at the same time I had in mind to speak about restoring the statue to its ancient place. And as I was walking, the sandal fell off my other foot, and the priest, taking it up, hands it to me. And I, for my part, was pleased at the honour, but wishing as it were to requite him and to give him my hand, I stoop and take it. And in this moment a bull was coming at me, right at the very ears of the god. And I was afraid and somehow tried to guard myself. But it did nothing else, only it crushed me beneath the right knee. And Theodotus, taking a lancet, cleaned out the wound; so that I was about to say to him that he himself had made it a sore. These were the things that appeared, and there the fear ceased, and there came beneath the right knee a small sore like a carbuncle, and it seemed to be a good thing for the upper parts. On the tenth from the end of the month I seemed to have the dress of a priest and to see the priest himself present; and I seemed also, seeing one of my acquaintances

limping somewhat from trouble about the seat, to say to him that quiet would heal these things. Vomiting too was enjoined, by means of many things; and this was the fifth of abstentions from bathing in a row. It is worth telling also the by-work of the dreams. For I seemed, as in my customary exercise of speeches, to be handling some piece of Demosthenes, and to say to the Athenians, as though I were he: "You, then, ask through the herald who wishes to speak; but I would gladly ask you which of you wishes to act." "What remains is comedy," I said, referring to the Telmessians of Aristophanes, how there someone contended in word, but not in deed. On the ninth I seemed, as in Smyrna, to approach toward evening the temple of Asclepius which is in the gymnasium, and to approach with Zeno, and that the temple was larger and had taken in of the colonnade as much as is paved. And at the same time I was considering this as a fore-temple. And as I prayed and called upon the god, Zeno said nothing was more gracious, himself too naming the god, calling him a refuge and such-like names. And I looked about, as in this fore-temple, for a statue of myself; and at one moment I saw it as being mine, but again it seemed to me to be of Asclepius himself, a great and beautiful one. These things too, as appearing to me in a dream, I recounted again to Zeno himself; and the matter of the statue seemed exceedingly honourable. And again, in turn, I saw the statue, as in the long colonnade of the gymnasium. About a bath I dreamed thus. First, that while being rubbed down in the middle of it I went into one of the private baths; then I said that I had entered without noticing, the days being already bathless ones. Then it seemed to me that Phoebus, being present, gave me courage, so that I now went into the water without misgiving.

Again I seemed, before Asclepius himself, to converse about baths with a certain youth of the athletes, still beardless, who praised the great baths and set down such things as the enjoyments of life. So, showing him the

sea, I asked whether it was better to bathe there too, or in a small place. "In a small place," he said. After this I showed him a certain lake and asked whether even in so great a lake it was better, or in a small place. He agreed here too that the small place was preferable. "Then it is not," I said, "everywhere that the greater is preferable, but there is a certain charm in the small as well." And at the same time I considered to myself that, for one making a display, it would be a fine place to say that, whereas the pleasures of other men run the risk of being the pleasures of some swine, mine would be purely the pleasure of a man, since I associate with and rejoice in discourse. The youth seemed, then, to be saying these things about the bath near the gates that lead to Ephesus. And in the end it seemed to me that I should make trial — for when else should I take courage, if not now? So I arranged with him for the sixth hour, as being then safest to be active. But when the hour came, I blamed Bassus for delaying. "Do you see," I said, "how the shadow is already passing by?" — pointing to that of the columns. And we set off, and when we arrived, standing by the cistern of cold water outside, I tested the water, and beyond my expectations it seemed not very cold, but dark-blue and pleasant to see. And I said, "Fine!" — as one recognizing the goodness of the water. And when I went inside, again I found another cistern in a warmer room, more relaxed. And at the same time I came to be in the warm room and stripped, and I bathed very pleasantly. On the eighth, vomiting toward evening — this too in accordance with a dream. On the seventh I dreamed I was somewhere in hot waters. There happened to be near at hand some men holding daggers, and in other respects not free from suspicion. And indeed some of them approached me, as if needing some protection, for they were being accused by certain persons. And as soon as I was surrounded, I was in utter perplexity, neither trusting them nor willing to show that I distrusted. And I went along a certain road and came upon a very long arched passage, in which I was greatly afraid lest they should set upon me. And when I had passed gladly through, I appeared in the city of the Smyrnaeans, in the marketplace, and looked how, as quickly as possible, many might be gathered and I might show what was the matter. And after this I myself take a torch,
and all who were in the marketplace carried torches, and I said that Euripidean line, "O Sun, whirling the flame with thy swift horses"; for at the same time I seemed to enter at the rising of the sun. These things too I afterward seemed to recount as a dream to Quadratus the governor, and he said, "Do it so"; and the torch was raised.

On the sixth I seemed, together with Alexander my teacher, to approach the emperor, and that he was seated upon a tribunal. And when Alexander addressed him first, and was greeted by him and by those about him, as being one long known and familiar, after this I approached. And when I too had addressed him and stood there, the emperor wondered that I had not myself come forward and kissed him. And I said that I was the servant of Asclepius; for it sufficed me to say only so much about myself. "In addition to the rest," I said, "the god has charged me also not to kiss in this fashion." And he said, "It is enough." And I kept silent. And he said, "And indeed in healing Asclepius is mightier than all." On the fifth there appeared the temple of Apollo which is on the mountain in Milyas; and certain buildings seemed to have been added, and the name of the place was Elephantine, after Elephantine in Egypt. And I rejoiced both at the buildings themselves and at the kinship of the place with the place; and indeed the priest of the god was the priest of Isis at Smyrna, with whom I lodged, and I considered to myself that I had many ties of intimacy with him of long standing; and that I happened to have bought something from him before, and then, having some balance left, I wished to make an exchange. And from this I seemed to say that someone should bring "kuphi" with wine; and I took it at once as a remedy, and considered whether I should apply it to my face or to my inner parts. And when someone said that it burns wherever it is applied, I reflected that it would be suitably a remedy above all for any chill. And somehow from these things I said to the priest

that it was clear from what I had been reading that I should not need to eat. And indeed straightway I had in mind to continue without food for the day; and I did fast. And the next day was again one of abstention from bathing. On the third from the end of the month I seemed, my food being spoiled, to take counsel about a bath with Zosimus my foster-father, and to ask whether I should bathe more. He did not agree. And after this, that I had bathed, and was in a poor way as to the stomach, and said to Zosimus, "Ought I to have fasted?" And he said, "You ought." I fasted again. And the next day I vomited again toward evening. The dream was as of a bone lodged within and needing to be cast out, and there was also a notion of drawing blood from the ankles; and I did so, and made not much progress. On the new moon of Lenaeon I seemed, in the Hadrianeum, to have been anointed but not bathed; and on coming back I said to one of my friends that I had not bathed but anointed myself; and he said, "And indeed I too have only been anointed." Abstention from bathing for six days. On the second I seemed to be in the temple of Asclepius early in the morning, having just come from a journey somewhere, and to rejoice that it was opened so soon. And I seemed too that the boys were singing the ancient hymn, of which the beginning is, "Zeus, the highest of all, I invoke"; and that I was in that part of the hymn, "For long, long is the midpoint of life for me

to celebrate the gods, and in good cheer

to warm the heart,

under such a child-leader." So that I marvelled how of its own accord the hymn had come to the middle. Again, as a birthday was approaching, I sent ahead to the temple my household servants, carrying certain things, and at the same time inscribing letters upon them, of what they were carrying; and I took pains, for the sake of a good counsellor, that he should supply whatever was needed for the speech. On the third a bringing-in of lamps appeared to the temple by the doorkeeper, in fulfilment of a vow on my behalf; and I had to vomit, and I vomited. On the fifth I seemed to pray to the gods — partly to those to whom I am accustomed in common, but again privately to Zeus and Ares and the gods who hold Syria; and the things there appeared similar to those at home, according to my dwelling. And after this came the audience

with the emperor; and I had sent to the emperor who was then in Syria, and it turned out well. On the seventh, in a certain undressing-room of a bath, I saw Charidemus the orator from Phoenicia, beaming and just bathed, and I said to him, along with my greeting, just this, that he had bathed rather early; and I myself at the same time stripped, and I bathed.

And again on the tenth of the month it seemed to me that Antoninus the son of Pythodorus was discoursing in praise of the Nymphs; so I too said that there were no more gracious goddesses, and that by all means even the modest man might enjoy them, even if not bathing much, at least in moderation. These things, then, and something in praise of Health, I seemed to say. On the twelfth I seemed that Antoninus the elder emperor and the king of the enemy had made a treaty and friendship with one another; and as the party of Vologesus approached, there was no small clamour of voices, and they seemed to be speaking Greek. Then both came to me with their royal array, and Antoninus was suitably in his prime, and the other looked somewhat grim; and he sat down by me, not far off, while Antoninus was on the other side upon a throne. And the Mede seemed to me to be experienced in certain matters of medicine, and greeting me he said, "When will you read for us?" And I was pleased at the word and said, "Whenever you bid." And they were preparing themselves for the recitation, and I went off to choose from my books. And it seemed to me that I should compose some prologue, briefly, addressed to them, and it ran somewhat thus — and I seemed even to remember the whole of what was composed — what, at any rate, I preserved: "Already someone else, too, when something good had befallen him and wishing to show his pleasure, said that he had become more than double; and another, that he seemed to be in the Islands of the Blessed; and I myself am likewise disposed by the present day and fortune." And at the same time I considered whether I should make the

speech common, or assign more to our own king, and then so follow with the matters addressed to the other. And I said somewhat thus: "So that," I said, "had I not been trained in divine visions, I do not think I could easily hold out even against the mere sight, so wonderful does it seem to me and greater than belongs to man." And I called them divine visions, indicating above all Asclepius and Sarapis.

These things, then, were such. As for the books, for a while I thought fit to make a selection, but then it seemed best to me to bring the box and to make it possible for them to take up whatever they wished; for this, I thought, both had a certain grace in itself and at the same time would astonish them most. These things too I seemed afterward to recount word for word, as dreams, to Pelops. And later I seemed, after I had bathed, to have brought to me something, now like cold water, now like milk; so I was in doubt and said to Zosimus that I was neither thirsty nor hungry. "What, then, should one eat?" And after this fasting was confirmed, and the priest seemed to suck my lips. This was a dream of fasting; and the next was of abstention from bathing; and the one after that of abstention from bathing, and of vomiting. On the fifteenth I seemed that the governor, writing to me, made his address thus: "To Aristides the priest, greetings"; and this too was a day of abstention from bathing. And on the following day I had to pour certain jars over myself; then abstention from bathing. On the eighteenth it seemed to me that Metrodorus the poet was competing in Smyrna in the contest of poets, which indeed was being held nearly on that very day; and before he went in, he was chatting with me about certain matters, and at the same time eating leaves of leeks and an egg with bread, and leaving a part of the egg. And I, for my part, said to him, having held back a little, "Go in and compete." And the talk turned also to the temple in Pergamum and the well — what sort of thing it was for a man to go and drink from it, what sort to see another drinking, what sort to see the thing itself. These things I seemed to discuss thus, and I happened to have heard that, if I should come into the hands of the god, there would be hope. And somehow along with these things I seemed to stand, as at home, in the entrance-way, and, my foot growing numb,

to pass into the great room. And one of those from the temple of Olympian Zeus came in, and I related to him how dreams had come to me from the god, and bade him assist. And he too said that a dream had come to him, that taking a leg of pork he should sleep in the temple of Asclepius, having prepared it as I am wont to use it. After this I seemed, as in Pergamum, to send to the god a garland of the long ones, which are those they bring privately to Asclepius, having charged the bearer — and he was Agathion — to bring back to me from the warden another. And when he brought it back, I set it beside me, as I happened to be reclining on the right. After this I seemed to be somewhere, and rising up I sought my nurse; and she lived across the way from me; and someone answered that certain hindrances had befallen her — until at length I caught sight of the nurse herself bringing it, and her foster-sister Callityche following. And the nurse was bringing what I first guessed to be apples, but then they were three boiled eggs, carved round about, as though I were now about to eat. And bringing them she said they were such things as come from the country. And I wondered and said that the eggs came according to the god; "for the god commanded," I said, "to use an egg today, and greens, and to set beside me a garland from the god." I did these things. And the garland was from the temple of Asclepius Zeus. And abstention from bathing too was indicated, through many things. On the nineteenth I seemed to be passing time in the palace, and that the care and honour of the emperors toward me was wonderful and unsurpassable through all the things they did one after another. For to me alone everything was done, of which not even a little was to anyone else. And this indeed, that I lived and dwelt within with them, no other of the proud being present; and again, in turn, they took me round with themselves; and they went off to inspect a certain trench which they happened to have thrown about the city, that the water falling in might do no harm; and indeed I saw the earth being cast out. And wonderful things were shown me also along
the way. For I often came to be between the two, and whenever I wished to go round, so as to set the elder in the middle, the younger did this himself; but I always remained in my place. And he seemed to me to have the age of a boy — this too often happened. And indeed, when one had to come up to something high and like a ladder, first the younger helped me, and I cried out as one grateful; then, at the top, at the end, the elder. And when he asked how, I said that he had helped me wholly and entirely. And upon these things I now said, wishing to take my leave: "I thank you, emperors, for all the forethought and honour with which you have honoured me." And they, taking up my word, said: "We, for our part, thank the gods for having made trial of such a man; for we hold that he is the same with regard to speeches too." And from this the elder began to say that it belonged to the same man both to be a good man and to be good at speeches. And the younger pursued the remark of someone, saying that the qualities of one's speeches follow one's character. And I said that I should wish these things to be so; for it would profit me toward my speeches, if indeed I have been supposed by you to be such in other respects; and at the same time, if I am to have the good things twofold instead of single. Such things I answered them. And there were ten thousand other things both done and said, beyond word and beyond hope. Then, falling asleep upon these things, I seemed that one of my acquaintances, Diophanes by name, was saying to me that he had been present and seen the excesses of the honours, and that one of the younger companions had been present too and marvelled to hear how I was so well esteemed among all. And from this I appear in a certain bath. And first it came into my mind what a thing I had done, before seeing the emperors, in bathing — for I seemed to have met them yesterday; then, as I was already being rubbed down and some sweat was coming on, I said, "Let us go inside." So I bathed and vomited toward evening, having taken to heart the matter of the earth that had been heaped up.

Nevertheless I was still considering about the journey to

Pergamum, on account of the earlier dreams; and here it was clearly indicated that I should hold back. For, in the first place, toward evening I had somehow bestirred myself and changed my mind, saying that it was impossible to make my way through Hadrian's Hunt; and, in the second, I seemed that someone came from Hadrian's Hunt carrying a certain book of Menander's, and said that the mud was beyond contending with, and a slough, and impossible to traverse. Again I seemed that it was raining, and that someone came to me and said that one of my adversaries-at-law was at Hadrian's Hunt, and that I must go down to do something. "And what is the good of it," I said, "when the god has told me beforehand to remain?" This too I seemed again to say to certain persons, and to take the whole thus: that since I was more reluctant about staying, the god showed me an outlet, wishing to change my judgment, so that I might stay more gladly. And there were tokens of abstention from bathing too. And rain came on, and a terrible storm from the evening. And the next day was one of abstention from bathing and of vomiting up food. And when I had vomited, I was in such a state as to be content if I should hold out till the next day. And the next day fasting was enjoined, and it was enjoined thus. I seemed to be in Smyrna, disbelieving with all disbelief the things plain and seen, because I was not conscious of having travelled. And figs were set beside me; then Corus the seer, being present, showed that there was in them a poison of the kind that acts within a day; and from this I became full of suspicion and vomited in haste, and at the same time considered, "But what if I have not vomited it up exactly?" Then someone said that there was poison in some other of the figs too; so I was still more at a loss and vexed that I had not heard sooner. When these things had appeared, I suspected that fasting was indicated; but if not, at any rate I chose it. And I begged the god to signify more clearly which of the two he meant, fasting or vomiting. And I fell asleep upon it, and seemed to be by the temple in Pergamum, and that it was already midday, with fasting upon me, and that Theodotus came in with certain friends, and entering
sat down beside me, reclining thus as I was. So I said to him that I was fasting; and he showed that he knew, and said, "I, for my part, was waiting, after all these things which these men do, for you to make use of phlebotomy; for the pain is of the kidney, and the fasting," he said, "is a kind of bastard outlet of the fire, passing out through the chest." And while he was saying these very things, two sparks were seen from the front. And I looked toward Theodotus in wonder, and made a token of the saying, and asked him what these things were. And he said, "From this fire," showing me something that lay beside me. And I awoke, and found it to be that very hour at which I seemed Theodotus was conversing with me, and friends were present to meet with me.

These, then, were the dreams that appeared, a physician having come and being prepared to help in whatever he could devise. But when he heard the dreams, he himself withdrew, having good sense before the god, and we recognized our true and fitting physician, and did what he enjoined. The night was now altogether easy and everything free from pain. Afterward he gave goose-fat, with the warden's Asclepian arrangement, and bade me ask the god — him for whom they hold the market in the Mysian plain — for I should learn from him about whatever I needed. And the god declared that nothing would be troublesome. Now, what should one say of the abstentions from bathing? For they came to me continuously for five years already, and months besides, save so much as he bade me, in the winter season, make use of the sea, or rivers, or wells. And likewise the matter of the upper purgation came to nearly two years, and two months besides, in a row, together with clysters and phlebotomies, such as no one ever counted, and these in the smallest measure of food, and that food forced. But during all these very fastings, and those that occurred even before these and after, we passed nearly the whole day, in this winter, among speeches, writing and speaking and examining what had been written; and we prolonged it not less than to the middle of the night for the most part; then, on

each succeeding day, having done the customary things again, we thus took such food as we did; and when, after the vomiting, fasting set in, this was what consoled me — the occupation and pastime about these things. So that, whenever I think of Socrates from the Symposium passing the whole day in the Lyceum, I think it fitting that I should be no less grateful to the god for the endurance and power in these matters.

So much, then, for the affairs of my abdomen. And similar to what happened about the abdomen was the matter of the tumour, many years before. For the god foretold, long beforehand, that I must guard against dropsy, and gave both other antidotes and Egyptian sandals, such as the priests are accustomed to use. And indeed it seemed good to him to draw the flux downward. And a tumour arises, from no visible beginning, at first such as might come to anyone else, but then it advanced to an enormous swelling, and the groin was full and everything swelled up, and dreadful pains attended, and fever on certain days. Here the physicians let out cries of every kind, some to cut, some to cauterize with drugs, or else that it must wholly become suppurated and destroy me. But the god set down the opposite, to hold out and to nourish the swelling; and plainly there was no choice but either to listen to the physicians or to the god. And the swelling rose still more, and there was great perplexity. Of my friends, some marvelled at my endurance, some blamed me for doing everything too much by dreams, and some reproached me even as faint-hearted, since I neither allowed cutting nor would endure drugs. But the god, in turn, held out to the end, bidding me bear the present; for it was wholly for my preservation, since the springs of this flux were above, and these gardeners did not know to which channels they must turn the conduits. So wonderful things came about. For there were about four months of this pastime. And in these my head was so light, and the upper parts of the belly, as one might most pray for; and besides, it was like a festival assembly about the house. For my friends, being the foremost of the Greeks of that time, were always coming to meet me and joined me in speeches, while I made my contests from the very couch.

Many strange things, then, were enjoined upon us; of those I remember, there is a running which I had to run unshod in the winter season; and again, horsemanship, the most impossible of things. And one thing I remember of such a kind: for when the harbour was billowing from a southwest wind, and the boats were tossed, I had to sail across to the opposite shore and, having eaten honey and acorns of the oak, to vomit; and indeed a complete purgation came about. And all these things were done while the inflammation was at its height, and indeed when it was retreating toward the navel itself. And at last the Saviour signifies, on the same night, the same thing to me and to my foster-father — for Zosimus was still alive then — so that I was sending to tell him what the god had said, and he was coming to tell me himself what he had heard from the god. And it was a certain drug, of which I do not remember the particulars, except that it had salt as an ingredient. And when we had sprinkled it on, the greatest part of the swelling quickly flowed away, and at dawn my intimates were present, rejoicing with disbelief. And from this point the physicians ceased from their reproaches and marvelled extraordinarily at the god's forethought in each thing, and that there was after all something else greater which he was secretly healing; and they considered in what manner the cavity might be set right. And it seemed to them that now, at all events, there was wholly need of an incision, for there was no other way to be restored to the former state. And after this they begged me to consent, since the god's work, at any rate, had now been wholly accomplished. But he did not yield even this to them; rather, the abscess being of a wonderful size, and all the skin seeming to be alienated, by bidding me anoint it with an egg he healed it thus and drew everything together into one, so that, a few days having passed, no one was able to find in which of the two thighs that tumour had been, but both were clean in every respect. This was Zosimus, to whom a great gift comes from the god some time later; and it happened thus. We were going off through Mysia to Pergamum, and a dream having held me back on the road, I stayed several days, the same
vision coming continuously. And he, in the meantime, ran back to a certain place of ours, some need arising, and not long after fell ill. And it happened to me too to be so disposed as to stomach and palate and whole head and the entire body that I came to the last extremity, and was shut off from food, and whatever I took was at once spoiled, and I could not breathe, and my strength was destroyed. And we were apart from one another by about a hundred and twenty stades. So it happened that, inquiring how each of us was, we were far more weighed down by what we heard than by what was present to each of us. And the god having appeared, I take hold of my head with my hands crosswise, and taking hold I begged him to save Zosimus for me. The god nodded refusal. So again, taking the same hold, I begged him to nod assent. Again he nodded refusal. The third time, taking hold, I tried to persuade him to assent; but he neither nodded refusal nor assent, but held his head straight, and says to me certain words, such as one ought to say in such cases, as being efficacious; which, though I remember them, I do not think I ought to publish at random. He said, then, that it would suffice if these were spoken; and one of them was, "Guard." What, then, befell him after this? First, beyond expectation, Zosimus rises from that illness, purged through barley-water and lentil, the god having told me about him beforehand; then he survived four months; so that we met one another and kept festival together, there having come to me too from the god much continuous help, with strange things in it. Of which one was, when I was fainting and altogether at a loss, to make songs — a marriage of Coronis and a birth of the god — and to draw out the antistrophe to the greatest length; and I made the songs in quiet, just thus, considering by myself, and there was now forgetfulness of all the troubles. And indeed I was enjoined to use a clyster. So that the physician did not dare to apply it, seeing the thinness of my body and the weakness, but thought he would be, as it were, my murderer with his own hand; but I persuaded him with difficulty, and at once I recovered. And he gave me as food wild herbs, which afforded me both digestion and a certain strength.
These things, then, happened thus. And Zosimus was counted blessed by all, and he himself did not know what to become of himself, having gratitude to the god for his forethought and to me for his service. And it seems to me that he would have lived a longer time, had it not been for a certain virtue of his own. For learning that one of my servants, and one of the most useful, was ill, he went off, in the winter season, forty stades, to visit him and to help in whatever he could; for he was indeed good in the art of medicine. And falling out of the carriage in much snow and frost, and suffering many dreadful things, going and returning, he falls a second time into a dreadful and grievous illness; so that he himself did not at first dare to disclose to me any of what had befallen him. And I, when I perceived it, did not approach him, being angry that he had not been persuaded. For on the night just past there had come to me a vision of a dream of this sort: the Asclepian warden seemed to say to me that Zosimus ought to recover himself while it was permitted. So I, on account of this dream, would not let him stir, when the news about the servant came. But he, disobeying, went off, and from this his end came about. So that, so long as he survived, it was the grace of the god, who truly guarded him for me, and he died through having moved contrary to what had appeared; and the things shown at first by the god, when I took hold of his head and entreated, ended in this. As for my old nurse, than whom nothing is dearer to me — Philumene was her name — he saved her ten thousand times beyond expectation, and once, when she lay sick, he raised her up by sending me away from Pergamum, having told me beforehand that I should make the nurse too lighter. And at the same time I take a certain letter lying before the feet of Asclepius Zeus, making it a token; and I found, well-nigh in so many words, each thing inscribed. So that I went out overjoyed, and I find the nurse holding out just so long as to perceive me approaching. And when she perceived it, she cried out and stood up not long after.