24. The books, however, which were the
records of his impiety, remained; and both these and his money the
widow inherited. And having neither kinsman nor any other friend,
she determined to buy with the money a boy named Cubricus Cf. Acta Arch.
cap. liii. “A boy about seven years old, named
Corbicius.”: him she adopted and educated as a son
in the learning of the Persians, and thus sharpened an evil weapon
against mankind. So Cubricus, the vile slave, grew up in the
midst of philosophers, and on the death of the widow inherited both the
books and the money. Then, lest the name of slavery might be a
reproach, instead of Cubricus he called himself Manes, which in the
language of the Persians signifies discourse See a different
account in Dict. Chr. Biogr., “Manes.”. For as he thought himself something of
a disputant, he surnamed himself Manes, as it were an excellent master
of discourse. But though he contrived for himself an honourable
title according to the language of the Persians, yet the providence of
God caused him to become a self-accuser even against his will, that
through thinking to honour himself in Persia, he might proclaim himself
among the Greeks by name a maniac.