Middle Region
Next, after the region of the right, comes that of the middle (the topos meson), the spirits of which are specially entrusted with the guardianship of human souls. Among them the fourth book names (besides the Zarazaz or Maskelli, which probably belongs here,) the great Iao the Good, and the little Sabaoth the Good, to which the first book adds the little Iao. In this place of the midst the light-maiden (parthenos lucis) has her seat, and is the judge of souls, who either discloses for them the gates of the light-realm, or sends them back into earthly existence.
Under her are placed (according to the text of the later description) seven other light-maidens with their fifteen helpers (parastatai). In the topos Parthenou sun and moon also have their seats (the diskos solis and the diskos lunae), and thence transmit their light, obscured indeed by many veils (katapetasmata), into the lower realms of creation. The diskos solis is described in the fourth book as a great dragon carrying his tail in his mouth, and drawn by four great powers in the form of four white horses. The basis of the moon has the form of a ship drawn by two white cattle and steered from the stern by a boy; a male and a female dragon forming the rudder.
Read more about this topic: Pistis Sophia
Famous quotes related to middle region:
“If these Essays were worthy of being judged, it might fall out, in my opinion, that they would not find much favour, either with common and vulgar minds, or with uncommon and eminent ones: the former would not find enough in them, the latter would find too much; they might manage to live somewhere in the middle region.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)