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Life of St Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza

Mark the Deacon, tr. Hill, 1913

Chapter 28

Now it falleth out that another marvellous thing cometh to pass, calling many to come to the knowledge of the truth. For God, being compassionate, findeth occasions to turn the race of men unto his light that enlighteneth the mind.¹ The thing that happened was on this wise. A certain lady of the notable people of the city, called Aelias,² being about to give birth to a child, fell into great peril; and the cause of the peril was this. Her child came not forth after the natural manner, but was turned aside contrary to nature, and having put forth one hand the rest of his body could not be delivered; for it lay crosswise in the womb and the midwives availed not to move it into the natural place. But the pain that was upon the woman was unspeakable, since³ in the throes of her travail she sought to bring forth the child; and her labours increased the more when the second day followed after the first; and the third day likewise was more painful than the second. And her labours endured unto seven days, the evil being ever increased. But the physicians also desired to cut the child out of her, and when they beheld how her strength was fallen away, they despaired of her life. Her parents, therefore, and her husband Heros, being superstitious, offered up sacrifice each day for her, and they brought in also enchanters and soothsayers, thinking to profit her thereby, but accomplished naught.

Notes

that enlighteneth the mind, εἰς τὸ νοητὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς, as distinct from the light perceived by the physical eye.
Aelias. The text is Αἰλίας; the Moscow Metaphrasis has Αἰλιάς. This is an unusual form for a female name; but for that very reason it is improbable that it should be a corruption of Αἰλία, so common a name. It is just possible that ὀνόματι Αἰλίας may be a construction analogous to the English ‘by the name of Aelia’, though I can give no parallels from Greek. But the Moscow Metaphrast evidently understood Αἰλιάς as a nominative.
since . . . the child, τῶν κατὰ ὥραν ὠδινῶν τὸ βρέφος ὠθουσῶν.