MANICHAEAN LITERATURE 619
The father took the first step.
He empowered his angels and said,
Come together, all of you. Beware
of the evil one's eye. It glanced up.A SON OF LIGHT LOOKED DOWN
A son of light looked down from high
and saw him. He said to rich brethren,
0 my brethren, sons of light
in whom no flaw or loss lives,
1 looked down into the abyss.
I saw the evil one, the son of evil.
I saw the evil one, the son of evil,
who wanted to get into war.
I saw his seven companions too
and his twelve helpers.
I saw their tent pitched
and a roaring fire in it.
I saw miserable myrmidons^3 living there,
plotting war.
I saw their hanging armor
ready for the campaign.
I saw the traps all put in place
and the nets cast and spread
to catch a bird if it comes
and fish not escape them.
They lay around drinking stolen wine
and devouring plundered meat.- This may refer to the "ant people" of Aegina, created by Zeus when the island inhabitants
were killed in a plague, who later fought under Achilles in the Trojan War.