The Shepherd of Hermas

He who brought me up sold me to a certain[*](Hermas and Rhoda) Rhoda at Rome. After many years I made her acquaintance again, and began to love her as a sister.[*](As it stands this is hardly intelligible: presumably the meaning is that Hermas was born a slave, and that his owner sold him to Rhoda. It is implied that he then passed out of her possession, and later on made her acquaintance again. The alternative is that ἀνεγνωρισἀμην merely means came to know her properly. )

After some time I saw her bathing in the river Tiber, and gave her my hand and helped her out of the river. When I saw her beauty I reflected in my heart and said: I should be happy if I had a wife of such beauty and character. This was my only thought, and no other, no, not one.

After some time, while I was[*](Hermas goes to Cumae) going to Cumae, and glorifying the creation of God, for its greatness and splendour and might, as I walked along I became sleepy. And a spirit seized me and took me away through a certain pathless district, through which a man could not walk, but the ground was precipitous and broken up by the

Now while I was praying the Heaven was opened, and I[*](The Vision of Rhoda speaking from Heaven) saw that woman whom I had desired greeting me out of the Heaven and saying: Hail, Hermas.