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Updated: May 26, 2025
Behind her came a gardener, carrying, half hidden in his long beard, an ivory Eros. She made a sign to the man to stop, and approaching Paphnutius, showed him the little god. "My father," she asked, "should this also be thrown into the flames? It is of marvellous antique work, and is worth a hundred times its weight in gold.
Paphnutius sent away the women and the Greek men-slaves, and said to the others "Bring wood to the middle of this place, make a huge fire, and throw into it pell-mell all that there is in the house and grotto." They were astonished, and stood motionless, looking at their mistress.
And when the musician heard that, he threw away the flutes which he held in his hand, and went with Paphnutius into the desert, and passed his life in hymns and prayer, changing his earthly music into heavenly; and after three years he went to heaven, and was at rest among the choirs of angels, and the ranks of the just.
Whilst the warriors enshrouded the victim with a veil, and covered her with lilies and anemones, terrified screams and groans rent the air, and Paphnutius, rising from his seat, prophesied in a loud voice. "Gentiles? vile worshippers of demons! And you Arians more infamous than the idolaters! learn! That which you have just seen is an image and a symbol.
"Strike him, O God! strike him!" he cried. "It is Nicias! Let him weep! let him groan! let him grind his teeth! He sinned with Thais!" And Paphnutius woke in the arms of a sailor, as strong as Hercules, who cried "Quietly! quietly! my friend! By Proteus, the old shepherd of the seals, you slumber uneasily. If I had not caught hold of you, you would have tumbled into the Eunostos.
"Take care, both of you!" replied Thais. "He is a mage and an enchanter. He hears words that are whispered, and even thoughts. He will tear out your heart while you are asleep, and put a sponge in its place, and the next day, when you drink water, you will be choked to death." She watched them grow pale, then she turned away from them, and sat on a couch by the side of Paphnutius.
Having passed through this funeral city, Paphnutius fell exhausted before a tomb which stood near a spring surrounded by palm trees. This tomb was much ornamented, and, as there was no door to it, he saw inside it a painted chamber, in which serpents bred. "Here," he sighed, "is the abode I have chosen; the tabernacle of my repentance and penitence."
In her play of Paphnutius, Roswitha made use of a story taken from the Historia Monachorum of Rufinus, a contemporary of St. Jerome, who had journeyed through Palestine and Egypt to visit the Hermits of the Desert.
God, in His mercy, had used these two means to prevent him from committing a great sin. But Paphnutius had not been grateful to Him for that, because at that time he was blind to his own interests, and did not know that he was lusting after false delights.
At this question the monk, opening his borrowed robe, showed the cassock, and said "I am Paphnutius, Abbot of Antinoe, and I come from the holy desert. The hand that drew Abraham from Chaldaea and Lot from Sodom has separated me from the present age. I no longer existed for the men of this century.
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