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308 Credibdilij of the Gospel History.
widow that purchased him tor a slave soon set him at liberty,
adopted him for her son, gave him a good education, and in
the end made him her heir.
But I think it may be questioned w hether Mani ever was
a slave ; for there is no notice taken of it in the eastern
and even the Greek authors speak of him as rich,
writers ;
learned, educated among philosophers, and at the court of
Persia in his early age. Manes among the Greeks was a
common name for" slaves : and one may be almost apt to
think that this gave occasion for the common opinion of the
Greek writers concerning Mani's servitude.
The eastern authors, cited byP Hyde andi Herbelot, say
that Mani was a painter and engraver by profession : what
use he is said to have made of his skill in painting- will be
seen hereafter.
It is said by the same writers, quoted both by"" Hyde and*
Herbelot, that he had so fine a hand as to draw lines and
make circles without rule or compass : and he made a ter-
restrial globe with all its circles and divisions.
It may be argued that Mani was skilful in the science of
astronomy, because Epiphanius says he*^ wrote a book of
astrology, and that his followers boasted of their understanding
in astronomy.
Augustine too says, that" the Manichaean writings were
filled with a fabulous philosophy about the heavens and the
" Maj//;^ yap f^i duXoc- Aristoph. Av. ver. 1329. et passim. r«Xotov f^?/,
ti MavrjQ jxiv x^ptc ^loytvug Zy Aioyfvr}i is X*^?'? MavH oo SvvaTai. Diog.
Laert. 1. 6. n. 55. Vid. Maneg. in locum, et in. 1. 5. n. 55. Conf. Senec.
de Tranq. Anim. c. 8. Vid. et Suid. V. Mavrjc, cum Kusteri notis, et Fabr.
Bib. Gr. T. V. p. 281, 282.
P Manes Perea, in corum libris dictus Mani pictor. Nam tails fuit professione
sua. Hyde ubi supra, c. 21. p. 280. '' Mani. Manes
etoit peintre et gravcur de sa profession. Herbelot. Bib. Orient.
" Orientales aiunt, quod ex pictoriae artis, qua excellebat, superbia clatus,
se prophetam venditaret. Ferunt eum potuisse ad 20 ulnarum longitudinem
duccre lineam, in qua applicando normam nulla curvitas deprehendi potuit.
Hyde ib. p. 282. m.
* Ce Manes savoit faire quelques prestiges, et avoit la main si juste, qu'il
tiroit des lignes, et decrivoit des cercles sans r^gle et sans compas. 11 fit aussi
un globe terrestre avec tons ses cercles et ses divisions. Herbelot. ib.
' a\X}]v Se rr}V mpi ct^poKoyiaQ' h yap aTToStsui ttjq roiavTtjQ vepitp-
•yiaf, aWa fiaWov avrotg ev izpo-^^upi^ Kavxtiiiarog TrpoKiirai aTpovOftut.
llxT. 66. n. 13. p. 629. D.
" Libri quoque eorum pleni sunt longissimis fabulis, de coelo et sideribus et
sole et luna:— quae tamen ubi consideranda et discuticnda protuli, modeste
sane ille nee ausus est subire ipsam sarcinam. I^overat enim ?e ista non nosse,
nee eum puduit confiteri. Non erat de talibus, quales multos loquaces passus
eram, conantes earn docere, et dicentes nihil. Iste vero cor habebat, etsi non
rectum ad te, nee tamen nimis incautum ad seipsum. Conf. I. 5. c. 7. n. 12
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