0365-00425- Palladius - De Vitis Patrum [Historia Lausiaca] De Vitis Patrum, Book VIII by Palladius, bishop of Helenopolis translated by Gentianus

Hervetus Prologue of Palladius, Bishop of Helenopoleos In the Eighth Book of the Vitae Patrum Kno n as the !ausia" History #his book "onsists of a des"ription and e$planation of ho the blessed and holy fathers gre in spiritual strength in the "ourse of their onderful lives in solitude, to provide a model for those ho ant to enter upon the path to the Kingdom of Heaven and live a heavenly life% &e remember also the reno ned ise omen inspired by God, ho entered upon the task of developing in spiritual strength ith holehearted "ourage% 'ay they serve as e$amples for those ho seek redemption through "ontinen"e and "hastity, and may they en"ourage a desire to imitate them% I am indebted to the inspiration and en"ouragement of a man learned in various ide(ranging sub)e"ts, gentle in manner, religious and devout in heart and mind, liberal in giving help to the needy% *mong the most prominent people he has been "hosen for the highest honours be"ause of the integrity of his life% He is a man governed by the po er of the Holy +pirit% He it is ho motivated me, or rather, to be more truthful, inspired my dull mind to the "ontemplation of higher things% He anted me to set forth ho our holy and immortal spiritual fathers struggled to develop in spiritual strength, as an e$ample to be emulated% In order to serve God they spent their lives in hard and rigorous bodily dis"ipline% He anted me to send him des"riptions of the lives of these famous athletes, and to make kno n the hard on virtues of ea"h one of these great men% #his man,s name is !ausus, a man ho is devoted to everything spiritual and godly% By the gra"e of God he is the "hamberlain of the divinely inspired and religious emperor -#heodosius II, ./0(.1/2 I, ho ever, am unskilled in riting, I have not attained to a spiritual kno ledge any deeper than a sort of lip servi"e, I am not orthy to e$amine the roll of holy fathers and the ay they led their spiritual lives% I fear that this great "ommission ill be beyond my strength% I "an s"ar"ely bear the responsibility of it, for it demands both ide(ranging kno ledge and spiritual dis"ernment% 3evertheless I trust in the isdom of him ho has bidden me undertake this task% I believe it ill be useful to those ho may read it, and I am a are of the danger I might be in if I refuse to agree% +o I take this "ommission to have been given to me by divine providen"e, and have used the utmost diligen"e in undertaking this task, upheld by the inter"ession of the holy fathers, simply setting out as in a sort of "atalogue the struggles and signs of these great men, famous athletes as they ere% *nd I des"ribe not )ust the men ho lived su"h outstandingly good and virtuous lives, but also those blessed omen ho led their lives in blameless integrity% I have been blessed in having been able to look upon the holy fa"es of some of them myself before at last they finished their faithful "ourse% I have learned about the heavenly life of others from those still running their godly ra"e% I have )ourneyed on foot to many "ities and villages, to all the "aves and tents of the monks, to learn assiduously about their piety and religion% +o I have ritten do n partly hat I have seen, partly hat I have heard from the holy fathers, "on"erning the struggles of these great men and omen% Be"ause of their hope in 4hrist they ere stronger than you ould think nature ould allo % I have "ommitted this book to riting and "ommend it to your friendly ear, 5 !ausus, brother and friend of 4hrist, servant of God% 6our divine elo7uen"e is e$"eptional% 6ou are a paragon among the best and most religious of men, an ornament to this most faithful and religious empire% *s far my limited skill ill allo , I mention by name ea"h one of those remarkable athletes for 4hrist, omen as ell as men, briefly saying a fe ords about ea"h of their many great triumphs% 8or many of them I am able to say hat nation and "ity they "ame from as ell as the pla"e here they spent most of their lives% &e mention also some men and omen ho began by seeking the strength to perfe"t their lives, but ho su""umbed to that stupid mother of arrogan"e "alled vainglory and ere "ast do n into the lo est pit and abyss of torment% #hrough studious pra"ti"e and hard ork over a long period they had brought to birth in themselves great benefits hi"h they lost in one moment of time through arrogan"e and empty self de"eption% But by the gra"e of our +aviour, by heartfelt repentan"e, and ith the help of the holy fathers, they ere snat"hed out of the 0

spiritual snares of the devil and through the prayers of the saints had follo ed previously%

ere restored to the life of virtue

hi"h they

-Palladius, dates are "%9:1 to .;12 4hapter I #he life of I+5D5<E, priest and $enodo"hus -=Greek, >one offi"ial position in many of the "hur"hes of that time2 ho gives hospitality>% It seems to have been an

I first "ame to the "ity of *le$andria during the se"ond "onsulship of #heodosius, the great emperor, ho be"ause of his faithful life in 4hrist no rests ith the angels% #here I met Isodore, a onderful man, a""omplished in every ay, in spee"h, isdom and ay of life% He as the priest and $enodo"hus of the *le$andrian "hur"h% *s a young man he ent to live in solitude, taking upon himself the dis"iplined struggle% I have seen his "ell in 't% 3itria, though I "ame a"ross him hen he as seventy years old, fifteen years before he died in pea"e% ?p to the day of his death this holy man ore no linen apart from his headband, he had no bath, he ate no meat, he never rose from the table ith his appetite fully satisfied% But he al ays appeared to be in su"h good bodily health that if you did not kno about the sort of diet he had you ould have thought he lived ell and sumptuously% #ime ould fail me ere I to try and re"ount all his many virtues% Be"ause of his uns erving faith in 4hrist he as so gentle, kind, and pea"eful that even the unfaithful and hostile people respe"ted him @or the aura of 4hristA for his sheer goodness% He possessed su"h spiritual gra"e, kno ledge of the +"riptures, and theologi"al understanding that sometimes even at the a""ustomed time of dining ith the brothers his holy mind ould go off in a daBe, he ould fall silent and go into a sort of tran"e% &hen asked to tell hat had been going on in this state he ould say, >'y mind had gone off some here else, snat"hed up in a sort of "ontemplation%> I kno myself that he as often in tears at the dining table and hen asked the reason I heard him say, >I am distressed at having to be fed ith this alien food for the reason that I am destined to be led into the delights of paradise, to be fed on ambrosial food, a""ording to the po er given to us by our !ord Cesus 4hrist%> *t <ome he as ell kno n to the hole senate and the ives of the nobility from the time that he first there ith the blessed bishop *thanasius, and later ith the holy bishop Demetrius% ent

*lthough he as ell provided ith the goods and ne"essities of life he left no ill% He gave no money or anything else to his sisters ho ere members of a "onvent of seventy virgins% 8or he said, >God ho "reated you ill also provide for you as he has for me%> &hen I as young I ent to him and asked to be initiated into monasti" life% I as a lusty youth at the time, in need not of sermons but of hard labours to subdue the flesh, and a rigorous and severe rule of life to dis"ipline the body% !ike a good horse breaker he led me out of the "ity into the pla"e "alled the 4ells of the hermits, about five miles from the built up areas% 4hapter II D5<5#HE?+ of #HEBE+ He took me to a "ertain Dorotheus, a #heban athlete ho had been living in a "ave for si$ty years% He told me to live three years ith him in order to learn ho to "ontrol my troubled thoughts, for he kne that the old man lived a fairly hard and dis"iplined life% *t the end of that time I as to go ba"k to him for further spiritual tea"hing% But I be"ame very ill and being unable to fulfil the three years I left him before the due time% His ay of life as very dis"iplined, s7ualid and 7uite meagre% *ll day, even in the midday heat, he ould gather stones from the aste land near the sea and build "ells hi"h he gave to those ho didn,t kno ho to ;

build% He built one ea"h year% 5n"e hen I said to him, >&hat is the point, father, in your old age, of killing your poor little body in this terrible heatD> He replied, >I kill it so that it on,t kill me%> Ea"h day he ate si$ small pie"es of bread and a handful of small olives, and drank a little ater% *s God is my itness, I never kne him to put his feet up% 5f set purpose he never slept in a bed or even a "ou"h but sat the hole night long eaving a rope from palm bran"hes to make a shroud for himself% I ondered hether he had pra"tised su"h an e$treme regime only sin"e I had "ome to be ith him, so I sought enlightenment from several of his dis"iples as to hether this elaborate and demanding regime as su"h as he had al ays pra"tised% #hey ere good and virtuous people, ho had ea"h been ith him one after another, and they told me that from the beginning he had arranged his life in this ay, never deliberately going to sleep e$"ept that sometimes in bet een orking and eating he "losed his eyes for a "at(nap% +ometimes through la"k of sleep the food ould )ust fall out of his mouth hen he as eating% 5n"e hen I urged this holy man to lie do n for a hile he sharply replied, >6ou "ould persuade the angels to go to sleep first, before persuading someone on a 7uest for perfe"tion%> 5ne day he sent me to the ell at about the ninth hour to fill the )ar from hi"h he refreshed himself hen the hour for eating as at hand% It so happened that hen I got there I sa an asp do n belo in the ell and as too frightened to dra any ater and ran ba"k to tell him% >&e are in great danger, father,> I said, >for I sa an asp do n belo in the ell>% He laughed out loud, understanding my fear very ell, and ith a shake of his head he said, >If the devil ere kno n to have put serpents, asps, tortoises or any other venomous "reature into every ell or fountain ould you therefore not drinkD> He left the "ell, dre some ater himself, blessed it ith the sign of the "ross, drank ithout taking any food, then said, >&here the "ross is, the po er of the devil "annot prevail%> 4hapter III #he a"ts and dis"retion of P5#*'I*E3* Blessed Isodore the $enodo"hus told me that he had met the blessed *ntony and heard from him a story of being put into riting% orthy

Potamiaena as a beautiful girl ho at the time of the 'a$imian perse"utions as the servant of a most intemperate and le"herous person% He importuned her persistently, promising her all sorts of things, but did not su""eed in beguiling her% 4onsumed ith rage he de"ided to denoun"e her to the Prefe"t of *le$andria as a 4hristian and as one ho be"ause of the perse"utions had slandered the Emperor and his de"rees% He promised the prefe"t a large sum of money for her do nfall, saying that if he "ould persuade her to "onsent to his desires he ould not press for any punishment from her guards% If ho ever she persisted in the infle$ibility hi"h she had sho n from the beginning he asked for her punishment to be death, lest she should be able to make a mo"kery of his intemperan"e if left alive% #his brave virgin as brought before the tribunal and sub)e"ted to bodily torture by different instruments of punishment, but remained mentally as firm and steadfast as a to er in spite of many various arguments put to her% *mong all the instruments of torture the )udge devised one more "ruel than all the others that ere there% He ordered a large "auldron filled ith pit"h to be heated by a s"or"hing fire% &hen the pit"h as hot and boiling fier"ely, this heartless )udge turned to that blessed oman and said, >4ome no , submit to the ill of your master, other ise, you must understand, I shall order you to be thro n into the "auldron%> +he replied, >'ay a )udge never be so i"ked as to order me to submit to his unrestrained le"hery%> Infuriated, he ordered her to be stripped and thro n into the "auldron% +he "ried out, >By the head of the emperor hom you serve I beg you not to have me stripped, but lo er me bit by bit into the "auldron that you may see ho bountifully I have been endo ed ith the patien"e of the 4hrist hom you deny%> 8or a spa"e of three hours she as lo ered into the pit"h and gave up her spirit hen the pit"h rea"hed up to her ne"k% 4hapter IV #he !ife of DID6'?+ the blind 9

*t that time there as a great "ompany of holy men and omen gathered together in the "hur"h of *le$andria, ho ere found orthy of being numbered among the meek of this orld% *mong them as the blessed Didymus, a riter ho as blind% I met ith him four times over a period of ten years% He died aged eighty(five% He told me that he had lost his eyes hen he as four years old, never learned to rite, and never resorted to any tea"hers% *ll he had as his o n "ons"ien"e, a naturally strong and authoritative tea"her% He as so greatly endo ed ith the gra"e of spiritual kno ledge that in him as literally fulfilled hat as spoken by the prophet, >#he !ord gives light to the blind> @Psalms% 0.:%EA% He as able to interpret the ords of both old and ne testaments, and e$pounded their tea"hings so subtly and for"efully that he e$"eeded in isdom all ho had gone before% In his "ell he on"e asked me to say the prayers but I as not illing to do so% He said to me, >Blessed *ntony "ame to see me three times in this "ell, and hen I asked him to say the prayers, he immediately prostrated himself in this "ell% He did not make me ask him t i"e, and in so doing gave me a valuable lesson in obedien"e% +o then, if you ant to follo in his footsteps by be"oming a monk and seeking virtue, don,t argue%> He also told me the follo ing story, >5ne day I as feeling troubled and distressed in mind be"ause of the terrible "areer of the Emperor Culian and his perse"utions, so mu"h so that I "ould eat nothing from Vespers until late at night, hen I fell asleep sitting in my "hair% I dreamt that I sa four hite horses ith riders, galloping along and "rying, ,#ell Didymus that today at the seventh hour Culian died, so get up and eat, and send this ne s to the house of Bishop *thanasius, so that he may kno about it also%, I made a note,> he said, >of the hour, the day, the eek and the month, and so it turned out to be%> 4hapter V #he life of *!EF*3D<* #his blessed man also told me about a "ertain oman "alled *le$andra, ho left the "ity and shut herself up in a tomb% +he as supplied ith hat as ne"essary for life through a indo , and as seen by neither man nor oman for ten years% #hey say that in the tenth year she died in her sleep, so that hen those ho usually visited her got no reply they "ame and told us about it% &hen e got there e broke do n the door of the tomb, ent in and found her dead% Blessed 'elania of <ome, hose life I ill talk about in due "ourse @4h 4FVIIA had this to say about her, >I as not able to see the fa"e of this blessed oman,> she said, >but I stood outside her indo and asked her hy she had left the "ity and shut herself up in a tomb% +he spoke to me through the indo and said, ,#here as a "ertain man ho as infatuated ith me, and so as not to seem to despise him or "ause any ill ill, I preferred to shut myself up in this tomb, rather than "ause offen"e to anyone "reated in the image of God%, >I said to her, ,Ho do you manage, you servant of 4hrist our God, to go on ithout "onsulting anybody, and do nothing but battle all alone ith your thoughtsD, >,I pray from morning to the ninth hour,, she replied, ,and for the rest of the time I meditate upon the lives of the holy fathers and patriar"hs, and the struggles of the blessed apostles, prophets and martyrs% *fter I have given praise to God at Vesper time I take my meal of bread, and spend the greater part of the night in prayer, looking for ard to the time hen I shall leave this orld and appear before the fa"e of 4hrist our God%,> I shall not omit to tell of those ho have also lived in this kind of ay, and let those ho read be "ir"umspe"t and attentive if they ould "ondemn su"h a one hile at the same time praising those ho have lived ordinary lives of virtue% 4hapter VI * "ertain VI<GI3 ho struggled ith the love of money% #here as a "ertain oman of *le$andria kno n only as #he Virgin ho dressed 7uite modestly but hose nature as niggardly, proud and insolent, governed by avari"e, fonder of gold than of 4hrist% +he ould not spend a single obol of her money on guests, the poor, the affli"ted, the monks, the virgins, or the "hur"h% In spite of the many arnings given her by the holy fathers she ould not get rid of the heavy burden of her ri"hes% .

+he had a family ho ever, for she had adopted her nie"e as her o n daughter% 3ight and day she thought of nothing but spending her treasure on this daughter, and in so doing began to "are less for treasure in heaven% 5ne kind of de"eit hi"h the devil offers is to en"ourage avari"e under the disguise of family "on"ern% It is obvious that he has no real "on"ern for families, for it is he ho en"ourages fratri"ide, matri"ide and patri"ide, as +"ripture proves% @Deut%0;%90A% *nd although it may seem that he sometimes en"ourages "on"ern for family, it is not in order to do people good but to provoke parents, souls to i"kedness% He is not ignorant of that far( rea"hing pre"ept, ,the un)ust shall not inherit the kingdom of God, @0 4or%:%GA% 5f "ourse hen your family la"ks anything it is 7uite possible to supply their needs ithout danger to your soul, as long as you are spiritually a are and your motives are dire"ted to ards God% But hen you set your hole mind on "on"ern for family to the negle"t and e$"lusion of all else you fall under the "ondemnation of the la as one ho rates the salvation of your o n soul as of no importan"e% David the sa"red psalmist ho feared God sings about those ho seek their soul,s salvation, hen he says, ,&ho shall as"end into the hill of the !ord, @as if to say, not manyA ,or ho shall stand in the holy pla"eD Even he ho has "lean hands and a pure heart, and has not re"koned his soul to be of no value, @Psalms%;.%9A% #hose negle"tful of their spiritual health re"kon that their souls are of no value and ill disappear hen this little body dies% &hen the holy priest, 'a"arius, sa that this oman, kno n only by the name of Virgin, had be"ome very negligent in her prayer, he de"ided to take a"tion to remove from her this insidious fault of avari"e% He as the arden of a hostel for physi"ally disabled people, and in his youth had been a )e eller% >I have "ome a"ross some pre"ious stones, green emeralds and blue irises,> he said to her% >I don,t kno hether it is a genuine mer"hant or a thief ho has them, but no pri"e has been put upon them, be"ause I think they are pri"eless% Ho ever, the person ho has them is selling them for five hundred solidi% If you ould like to have them, give me five hundred solidi% 6ou ill be able to get five hundred solidi for one gem alone, and the rest you "an use for your nie"e,s benefit%> #otally absorbed in this nie"e as she as, she immediately "on"eived a desire to see her de"ked )e ellery, and falling at 'a"arius, feet she begged him not to let any one else get hold of it% >4ome to my house and you "an see them,> 'a"arius said% >3o,> she said, >but take these five hundred solidi and buy them yourself if you ill% I don,t ant to see the man ho is selling them%> 'a"arius took the money and put it into the funds of the hostel% +ome little time passed by and she hesitated to say anything to him, su"h as the respe"t in hi"h he as held among the *le$andrians for his faith and generosity% But at last she ent to him at "hur"h and said, >4an I ask hat is happening about those stones that I gave you five hundred solidi forD> >8rom the day that you gave me that gold,> he said, >I have been spending it on the gems, and if you ould like to see them "ome to my hostel% #hat is here the gems are% 6ou "an see them and if you don,t like them you "an have your money ba"k%> +he "ame eagerly% 3o in the hostel the omen ere in the upper floor and the men in the lo er% &hen they got there 'a"arius asked her in the vestibule hi"h she anted to see first, the irises or the emeralds% >&hatever you like,> she said% +o he took her upstairs and sho ed her the sores% >#hese are the irises,> he said% 1 omen, ith distorted limbs and fa"es disfigured by all kinds of ith this

He took her do nstairs and sho ed her the men% >#hese are the emeralds>, he said% >I don,t think there is anything more pre"ious than these% But if you disagree of "ourse you "an have your money ba"k%> #he Virgin as over"ome ith shame% +he ent ba"k home grieving greatly that she had not given money for God,s sake instead of parting from it as a "ase of ne"essity% +he later sho ed her gratitude to the priest hen the girl she looked after got married and died ithout having had any "hildren, after hi"h she regularly gave some of her money to "haritable uses% 4hapter VII #he !ife of abba *<+I+I?+ and those ho ere ith him in 'ount 3itria%

I spent three years living ith that "ompany of holy people in the "ells around *le$andria% #here ere about t o thousand admirable and indefatigable men there, e$amples of every kind of virtue% 8rom there I ent into 'ount 3itria% #here is a lake "alled !ake 'aria bet een *le$andria and the mountain here there ere about seventy thousand men% * day and a half,s )ourney further on I arrived at the southern part of the mountain% #here is a vast desert here stret"hing as far as Ethiopia, 'aBi"es and 'auretania% 8ive thousand men live there, of various different life styles, ea"h one a""ording to his ability and his aspiration, some alone, some in t os or threes, or in any "ombination you like to mention% #here are seven mills in the mountain hi"h provide for them and the si$ hundred an"horites ho live in the vast empty spa"es% I lived for a hole year in the mountain ith those blessed and holy men, *rsisius, Putaphastus, Hagio, 4ronius and +erapio, after hi"h I ent into the inner desert, inspired by the spiritual stories of many an"ient fathers% #here is one great "hur"h in this 'ount 3itria, and in this "hur"h there are three palm(tree trunks from ea"h of hi"h hangs a hip% #he first is for punishing delin7uent monks, the se"ond for any robbers ho turn up, and the third for any ho "ome and fall into some other offen"e% *ny transgressor ho is )udged to deserve punishment hugs the palm tree, re"eives on his ba"k the due number of lashes and is then released% #here is a hostel ne$t to the "hur"h "onstantly re"eiving guests, ho stay even for t o or three years if they ant, until they de"ide to go of their o n free ill% 8or the first eek they are allo ed to be idle, but from then on they are given ork to do, either in the garden, the mill or the kit"hen% If anyone ants a book for some good reason he is given one, but is not allo ed to talk until the si$th hour% #here are no physi"ians or entertainers -pla"entarii2 in this mountain, but they do drink ine, hi"h is also on sale% #hey all make linen "lothes for themselves, and no one goes short of anything% *round about the ninth hour, ork stops and in all the "ells "an be heard the singing of psalms and prayers to 4hrist, ith prayers added to the psalms, so that you might think you had been transported into the Paradise of delights% #hey go to the "hur"h only on +aturday and +unday% #here are eight priests offi"iating in the "hur"h, but for as long as the senior priest is alive no one else makes the offering, or sits in )udgment or prea"hes, but )ust sits ith him in silen"e% #his great man *rsisius, and many others hom e sa ith him, had been "ontemporaries of the great *ntony% *nd *rsisius told me that he had also seen *moun of 3itria hose soul *ntony had seen being taken up into heaven by the angels @VP, V*%9;A% He said he had also seen Pa"homius, that famous man ith the gift of prophe"y, hose virtues I shall des"ribe later @4hapter FFFVIIIA 4hapter VIII Holy *'5?3 and his ife% He told me ho *moun spent his life% He as about t enty(t o hen his parents died, and his un"le made him get married% He "ouldn,t argue against his un"le,s "laim that it as ne"essary, so he agreed to be de"ked ith the "ro n, enter the marriage "hamber :

-5rthodo$ eddings to this day in"lude the giving of a "ro n to both bride and groom% 'any "ultures observe the "eremony of es"orting the bride and groom to bed2 %and a""ept the married state% *fter being es"orted into the bedroom and put to bed, the blessed *moun got up as soon as the guests had left, shut the door, sat do n and spoke to his blessed ife like a brother talking to a sister% >4an you bear ith me hile I unburden myself of somethingD 6ou are not )ust a married oman @dominaA, you are like a sister to me% #he fa"t that e have been )oined together in matrimony is not really anything very marvellous% !et,s do something really spe"ial for the love of 4hrist% !et,s sleep separately right from the beginning and keep our virginity inta"t%> *t this he pulled out of his po"ket a little book and read the greater part of it to her, as she as unable to read% !ike an *postle and +aviour he added some divinely inspired tea"hing of his o n, setting out the reasons for living a life of virginity and "hastity% #he effe"t of this as that she be"ame filled ith the gra"e of 4hrist and said, >'y dear husband @domine miA, I also am "onvin"ed that I "an gladly embra"e a life of "hastity% +o if that is hat you ish, I agree, right from the start%> >&hat I ant and ask you for,> he said, >is that e should live apart%> >I don,t agree ith that,> she said% >!et us stay in the same house but have separate beds%> +o he lived ith her for eighteen years in the same house, passing his time in the garden and in the balsam room% 8or he as a produ"er of balsam, hi"h is planted out like vines, and involves a great deal of labour in "ultivating it and looking after it% He ould go home in the evening and after saying prayers ould have a meal ith her% *t night he ould pray and do the syna$is -* non(Eu"haristi" servi"e of psalms, +"ripture and prayers%2, and first thing in the morning go out into the garden% !iving like this they both "ame at last to be entirely free from passions, and his prayers "ame to be very strong and po erful% #hat blessed oman said to him at last, >#here is something I ant to say to you, my husband, and if you ill listen to me it ill sho me that you truly love me for God,s sake%> >&ell, say it,> he said% >6ou are a devout, religious and upright person>, she said >and I too have follo ed the same rule of life% It ould be only right if e ere to live apart for the benefit of others% It is not fair that for my sake su"h great virtue and isdom should be hidden a ay hile you go on living ith me in "hastity%> He thanked her and gave glory to God% >I think you have made a good de"ision>, he said, >and if you like you "an have this house and I ill go a ay and build another%> He left, and ent into the inner parts of 'ount 3itria, here at that time there ere no "ells, and built himself a t o(roomed "ell ith domes% - lit ,t o domes of "ells, @duos "ellarum tholosA% #he riter, Philo, des"ribes the "ells of the #herapeutae, a pre(4hristian Ce ish "ommunity near *le$andria, as follo s, In ea"h house there is a "onse"rated room hi"h is "alled a san"tuary @semneionA or "loset @monasterionA and "loseted in this they are initiated into the mysteries of the san"tified life% #hey take nothing into it, either drink or food or any other of the things ne"essary for the needs of the body, but la s and ora"les delivered through the mouth of prophets, and psalms and anything else hi"h fosters and perfe"ts kno ledge and piety% ( De Vita 4ontemplativa In an arti"le in +obornost, vol 0:%0, 0GG., Cohn Binns des"ribes present day monasti" "ells in the &adi 3atrun as "onsisting of t o rooms, an inner and an outer, normally surmounted by a dome%2 He lived for another t enty(t o years, dis"iplining himself into the highest degree of virtue% Holy *moun died as a monk, or rather as translated into heaven, at the age of si$ty(t o, having never failed to visit the blessed "ompanion of his life t i"e a year%

&hile he as living alone in 3itria, a boy shaking ith rabies as brought to him, having been bitten by a rabid dog% He as bound in "hains, for the for"e of the disease had been making him "ut himself% &hen *moun had seen them "oming and had listened to their "ries for help he said to them, >&hy are you telling me all your troubles, my friends, and asking me for something hi"h is beyond my po ers hen the remedy lies in your o n handsD 4ompensate the ido oman hose o$ you se"retly slaughtered, and your son ill be healed%>

#hus they ere "onvi"ted, and illingly did hat they had been told, so that by *moun,s prayers the boy as healed% #here ere some others ho sought him out hose integrity he tested by asking them if they ould bring him a dolium @ @ @ @ @i%e% a large globular ater )arA so that he "ould store enough ater to satisfy the needs of those ho "ame to visit him% #hey promised they ould% &hen they got ba"k to their village, ho ever, one of them "hanged his mind% >I don,t ant to kill my "amel,> he said% >If I load it up ith a dolium it ill die%> &hen he heard this the other one ith great diffi"ulty managed to yoke his asses together and transported the dolium to *moun% &hen *moun sa him "oming he said, >&hatD Has your friend,s "amel died in the meantime hile you have been on the )ourneyD> *nd hen he got ba"k home he found that that the "amel had been eaten by olves% *moun as responsible for many other things like this also% *thanasius the bishop of *le$andria narrated the follo ing story in his !ife of *ntony% *t the time hen *ntony as in his inner mountain, he sent some of his monks to *moun, ho then began to alk ba"k ith them% &hen he "ame to "ross the river !y"us ith #heodore, his dis"iple, he as orried about getting undressed, lest anyone should see him naked% &hile they ere still dis"ussing the problem, he suddenly found himself on the other side of the river% &ithout the aid of any boat he as "arried a"ross by an angel hile in an e"stasy% #he brothers ho ever had to s im a"ross% *s soon as *ntony had el"omed them he said, >God has revealed many things to me about you, and in parti"ular the ay you "rossed the river sho s me that your visit to me is absolutely ne"essary for our mutual benefit so that e "an pray for ea"h other%> &hen he had established ho far a ay it as that *moun lived he begged him not to go ba"k there to die, but hen eventually he did die a long ay off from him, *ntony sa his soul being taken up to heaven by the angels% +o there you have *moun, ho he lived and ho he died% I myself on"e "rossed the <iver !y"um ith great trepidation in a flat(bottomed boat% It forms a gully hi"h is a tributary to the great 3ile% 4hapter IF #he !ife of abba 5<% In 'ount 3itria there as a marvellous abba "alled 5r, held in high regard be"ause of his angeli" demeanour, ho had monasteries in hi"h ere a thousand brothers% *t the age of ninety he had lost nothing of his physi"al strength, and his e$pression as so bright and lively that you only had to look at him to reveren"e him% -* ,monastery, is a pla"e here someone may live monos, alone% It may "onsist of a single "ell or of any number of people2 He had lived for a long time further into the desert before he gathered the monasteries together nearer at hand% He brought a s amp into "ultivation ith his o n hands and made an area of intense "ultivation in the desert% #he fathers ho ere ith him told me that there as not a single gro ing thing there hen he first arrived, but he planted it all so that the brothers ho ere "oming to him ould not have to ander abroad to find the ne"essities of life% He "ared for them all, praying to God and labouring for their salvation, so that they should E

la"k nothing ne"essary, or have any e$"use for laBiness% He had been a""ustomed to a life of privation hen he first ent into solitude, eating herbs and s eet roots and drinking ater hen he "ould find it, hile persevering "ontinuously in prayers and psalms% &hen he had arrived at a state of perfe"tion in his old age, an angel appeared to him in a dream as he lay all alone, saying, >6ou ill be"ome a great nation and many people ill believe be"ause of your faith% #en thousand people ill be saved through you, and all those you bring light to here ill appear in the orld to "ome% Have no doubt that you ill ever la"k anything you need to the time of your death, so long as you keep "alling upon God%> &hen he had been told this, he "ame to the nearer desert, alone and possessing nothing, here he built himself a small hut, managing on nothing more than dried vegetables, often eating only on"e a eek% *t first he had been unable to read, but hen he "ame ba"k out of solitude to more settled parts divine gra"e as given to him to enable him to e$pound +"ripture from memory% *nd hen the brothers gave him a book he began to read it as if he had al ays been able to read% He as also given the gra"e of being able to e$pel demons, as everyone kno s% 'any of the demons as they "ame out of people shouted that it as be"ause of him, even hen he had not ittingly done anything -to e$pel them2% #hree thousand monks "ame to meet him as a result of all this, and hen he sa them "oming he greeted and embra"ed them ith great )oy% He ashed their feet himself and then began to "onverse on spiritual matters% His kno ledge of +"ripture as immense, divinely inspired% He "larified many points of +"ripture a""ording to the orthodo$ faith, and then invited them to prayer% 8or it as the "ustom among these great men to provide spiritual food first of all, the 4ommunion of 4hrist, before providing for the needs of the body% +o therefore only hen they had all shared in the giving of thanks -I the Eu"harist2 did he summon them to a meal, during hi"h he moved among them speaking of things hi"h are good and honourable and ne"essary to salvation% He as a man ho stood out among many of the fathers% &hen many monks arrived he ould "all all the "ompany together, and make sure that they ould all have a "ell that same day by making one responsible for "olle"ting "lay, another for making blo"ks and another for dra ing ater% 5n"e the "ells ere built he ould sho them hat to do% *n untruthful brother on"e "ame ho lied about ho mu"h "lothing he had% 5r e$posed him in front of everyone% 3o one after that had the temerity to tell him lies, so greatly as he filled ith the gra"e hi"h had resulted from the integrity of his life% #he throng of monks ith him in the "hur"h as like a "hoir of angels praising God% #he hole brotherhood testified to the great virtue of this holy man, espe"ially that handmaid of the !ord, 'elania, ho visited the mountain before me% Indeed I did not "ome a"ross him during his lifetime, but all these famous things about this man ere told me by 'elania% He never told lies, never s ore oaths, ished no evil to anybody, never said anything hi"h had no effe"t% 4hapter F #he !ife of abba P*'B5 3ear this mountain lived *bba Pambo, ho as the tea"her of Bishop Dios"uros, the brothers *mmon, Eusebius and Euthymius, 5rigen his nephe , and that famous and praise orthy man Dra"ontius% #here ere many different 7ualities hi"h enabled this Pambo to govern his life in an upright and virtuous fashion, among hi"h as an ability to despise both gold and silver, a""ording to the "ommand of the !ord, to a greater degree than any one else% 5n this sub)e"t the blessed 'elania told me ho she had heard about his virtues from the blessed Isodore, priest and $enodo"hus, hen she first "ame to *le$andria from <ome% +he told me that Isodore had es"orted her to Pambo,s se"luded "ell% >I brought to him,> she said, >some silver vessels eighing three hundred pounds, be"ause I anted to share some of my ealth ith him% He )ust kept on orking, eaving rushes together, and spoke 7uite kindly to me in a loud voi"e ith the ords ,'ay God re ard you,% He then said to 5rigen his ste ard ,#ake them and distribute them among all the brothers in !ibya and the islands, for their monasteries are very poor, but don,t give anything to the Egyptians beause they live in a mu"h ri"her and more fruitful region,% I )ust stood there e$pe"ting some sort of blessing, or at least praise, for giving so mu"h% He said absolutely nothing at all, so I said to him ,#here,s three hundred pounds of silver there, to make sure he kne e$a"tly ho mu"h it as% *gain he sho ed G

absolutely no rea"tion, did not even take the "over off the vessels, but simply said ,He to hom you have given these things, my daughter, does not need you to tell him ho heavy they are% If he "an eigh the mountains and forests in a balan"e @Isaiah ./%0;A ho mu"h more likely is he to be a are of the eight of your silverJ 5f "ourse, if it is me you are giving this silver to, you are "orre"t to have stated the eight, but if to God ho values the t o mites -of the ido 2 more than all the rest @'ark% 0;%.;A, then you had better stay silent%, *nd so, by the gra"e of God,> she said, >this is the ay he shared things out, hen I visited him on the mountain%> #his man of God died a short hile after this% He asn,t ill, had no pain in any part of his body, but as )ust finishing off a basket hen he "alled me% He as a are of a fatal atta"k "oming on, and said to me ,!et me give you this basket for you to remember me by% I don,t possess anything else that I "an give you%, *nd hen he had said this he )ust passed a ay ithout any fuss, "ommending his spirit to God% He as seventy years old% I laid his holy body out, rapped it in linen "loths, buried him, and departed from his retreat% I shall keep that basket till the day of my death% It is also said that before Pambo died, in the very hour of his departure, he said to all those ho ere there, 5rigen the priest and ste ard, that famous man *mmon, and all the rest of the brothers, >+in"e the time that I "ame into this pla"e of solitude, and built my "ell and settled do n here, not a day has passed by ithout my doing some ork ith my hands, nor do I remember ever having eaten bread provided free for me by someone else, nor do I have any regrets at this time about anything that I have ever said% 6et no as I go to God I have not even begun to be truly holy and devout%> #he servants of 4hrist, 5rigen and *mmon, also had this to say about him, that henever they asked him anything about +"ripture, or about hat ould be the right thing to do in any situation, he ould never ans er immediately, but said, >I don,t kno yet hat the right ans er to that is%> +ometimes he ould ait three months ithout ans ering, saying, >I haven,t got to the bottom of it yet%> He sought the ans ers from God so earnestly, that that every one reverently a""epted those ans ers as if they really did "ome from God% He as said to surpass even the great *ntony in this virtue, and to have taken more trouble than any of the other holy people to ensure that hat he said as a""urate and perfe"t% 4hapter F0 #he !ife of abba PI5< *mong other things that Pambo did it is said that hen Pior, ho also lived a monasti" life, ent to visit him in his "ell he took his o n bread ith him% >6ou need not have done that,> Pambo rebuked him% >I did not ant to be a burden on you,> Pior replied% Pambo said nothing more about this and eventually brought the visit to an end% * little hile later the great Pambo "ame to Pior,s "ell and brought ith him his o n bread already steeped% >&hy have you brought bread already steepedD> asked Pior% >I,ve steeped it so that in my turn I ould not be a burden to you either,> replied Pambo% -It as the pra"ti"e in the desert to keep a supply of dried bread for up to si$ months or more, steeping it in ater hen re7uired2 4hapter FII #he !ife of abba *''53 and his brothers and sisters% *mmon as a dis"iple of the great Pambo along ith his three brothers and t o sisters% &hen they had attained to a high degree of holiness and devotion they "ame into solitude and built separate monasteries, one for omen and one for men, ith an appropriate spa"e bet een them% 0/

*mmon, this best of men, be"ame so distinguished for his isdom that one parti"ular "ity ished to have him for bishop% #hey ent to the blessed bishop #imothy asking him to ordain *mmon bishop% >Bring him to me,> he replied, >and I ill ordain him%> * great army of people ent to try and get him, but he immediately took to flight% But hen he realised that he "ould not es"ape he "onfronted them and begged them to desist% #hey did not "omply, but the old man s ore that he ould have nothing to do ith the idea and refused to leave his solitude% &hen they persisted he seiBed a knife and as they at"hed "ut off his left ear "ompletely% >3o you must realise this,> he said% >I "annot do hat you ant me to be"ause the la forbids anyone to go for ard to the priesthood ho has had his ears "ut off%> He told them to go, and they ent, returning to tell the bishop hat had happened% >#hat as the Ce ish la ,> the bishop said% >*s far as I am "on"erned if you ere to bring me someone ith his nose "ut off I ould still ordain him provided he as of an upright life%> #hey ent ba"k to *mmon again% He still refused, so they threatened to take him by for"e% >If you keep on threatening to for"e me,> he said, >I ill even "ut my o n tongue out%> #hey "ould not do anything but let him go, and they returned to their o n pla"e% E$traordinary to relate, he is also said to have burnt his o n flesh ith hot iron henever any little bit of his body rea"ted to some illi"it pleasure, ith the result that he had s"ars all over him% *nd from his youth up till the day he died his food "onsisted of nothing but the barest essentials% He never ate anything "ooked e$"ept bread% He "ould re"ite both 5ld and 3e #estaments by heart, and as so ell versed in the ritings of 5rigen, Didymus, Pierus and +tephen that he "ould 7uote si$ million lines, as many of the venerable solitaries "an testify% He also had the gift of prophe"y, and as a greater strength to the brothers in solitude than anyone else% Evagrius also gave this unsoli"ited testimony that he as a man outstanding in the po er of dis"ernment, and that he had never met anyone ho as more serene, ith a mind "ompletely free of disturbing thoughts% 4hapter FIII #he !ife of abba BE3C*'I3 In 'ount 3itria there as a onderful man "alled Ben)amin, ho lived an upright and virtuous life for eighty years% *t the height of his po ers he as given the gift of healing, so that homever he laid hands on, or anointed ith blessed oil, as freed from any si"kness from hi"h he as suffering% 6et even though endo ed ith su"h a gra"e as this he began to suffer from dropsy for the last eight months before his death% His body s elled up so mu"h that be"ause of his sufferings he be"ame kno n as the Cob of our times% Dios"uros the priest of 't% 3itria at that time @ ho as later a bishopA took the blessed Evagrius and me to see him% > 4ome and see this ne Cob,> he said, > ho in spite of being so si"k in body and of su"h an immense siBe, by God,s gra"e sho s su"h great patien"e%> &hen e got there e "ould see that his body as so s ollen that e "ould not even get the fingers of both hands round his little finger% &e )ust "ould not bear to look upon su"h grievous affli"tion and turned our eyes a ay, hereupon that blessed Ben)amin said to us, >Pray for me, my sons, that I may not be internally diseased% 8or this body has not been of mu"h benefit to me even hen behaving itself, and "ertainly of no lasting harm to me no it is not%> 8or those last eight months he had to stay seated on a very ide "ou"h% He "ould not lie do n on a bed by reason of his bodily ne"essities% Even hile suffering from this untreatable disease he "ontinued to minister to people suffering from all kinds of ailments% I feel it is ne"essary to des"ribe the illness of this holy man lest anyone should think that it is impossible for holy people to suffer ill fortune% *fter he died the lintel and doorposts of his "ell had to be removed in order to get his body out, su"h as the siBe of this holy and reno ned father Ben)amin,s body% 00

4hapter FIV #he life of *P5!!53I?+, kno n as ,the e$(businessman,% &hen *pollonius, ,the e$(businessman,, -a negotiatoribus2 left the orld and "ame to live in 'ount 3itria, he as too old to learn ho to read or learn a "raft, so for his t enty years in the mountain this is hat he did% He used his o n money and energy to buy in *le$andria medi"al supplies of all kinds, and ministered freely to the illnesses of the hole brotherhood% 6ou ould see him from first light to the ninth hour all round the "ells going in to see if anyone as ill% He "arried ith him dried grapes, pomegranates, eggs, fine hite bread, and everything else needed for the si"k% Handing out these things be"ame the life ork of this servant of 4hrist right up to old age% &hen he as about to die he handed over all his bits and pie"es to someone else, asking him to "arry on ith the same ministry% &ith five thousand monks living in that mountain there as "ertainly a great need for su"h a servi"e, desert pla"e that it as% 4hapter FV K FVI #he life of PLE+I?+ K I+*I*H PMesius and Isaiah ere the sons of a +panish mer"hant, and hen he died they divided up the disposable assets, hi"h turned out to "onsist of five thousand sester"es, besides "lothing and slaves% #hey had a meeting and took "ounsel together as to hat sort of life they should lead from then on% >If e "arry on our father,s business,> they said, > e shall only end up leaving the fruit of our labours to someone else, 7uite apart from the risk of robbery, or ship re"k% !et us embra"e the monasti" life, and so make good use of our father,s property and save our o n souls%> +o they ea"h looked for a suitable type of solitary life, one of hi"h turned out to be different from the other% #hey divided up the money and the rest of the goods, united in the intention to "hoose a ay of life pleasing to God, but differing in the ay they ould go about it% 5ne of them gave his money a ay to monasteries, "hur"hes and other "harities, learned a "raft hereby he "ould earn his bread and gave himself totally to a life of prayer and labour% #he other gave nothing a ay, but founded a monastery ith a fe brothers, and took in travellers, "ared for the si"k, looked after the elderly and gave to the poor% 5n +aturday and +unday he and the brothers set up three or four tables and provided food for the needy, and in this ay he spent the rest of his life% *fter they died various blessings upon them ere uttered by the brothers, but they ondered among themselves hi"h of them ould be "onsidered the more perfe"t in virtue, some saying the one ho had given up everything, others the one ho ministered to the needs of the poor% +o there arose a "ontention among the brothers about the t o different kinds of life hi"h they had follo ed, ea"h one being greatly praised in a different ay% #hey ent to *bba Pambo and asked him to give them an ans er to the 7uestion of hi"h kind of life as of greater value% >Both of them ere perfe"t in God,s eyes,> he said% >5ne of them possessed the gift of *braham in offering hospitality, the other had the steadfast, unshakeable Beal of Eli)ah the prophet ho also pleased God%> >But ho "an that beD> some of them asked% >&e fall at your feet and beg you to e$plain to us ho they "an be e7ual%> *nd some of them made out a "ase for the man of prayer, saying ho he had obeyed the gospel pre"ept of selling all and giving to the poor, ho he had persevered in prayer night and day, bearing the "ross, and follo ing the +aviour% 5thers ho ever disagreed, pointing to ho the other man had sho n "ompassion to all the needy, gone out into the high ays and gathered up all those in distress to give them relief, saving not only his o n soul but that of others, "uring the si"k and providing aid% >!et me repeat,> said the blessed Pambo% >Both of them ere e7ual in the sight of God, and I shall satisfy ea"h one of you on this point% Granted, if it had not been that the first brother had laboured un"easingly I "ould not "ompare him ith the goodness of the other% 8or this other brother sho ed himself on a par ith the !ord ho said ,I "ome not be ministered to but to minister,, in so far as he re"eived and refreshed the eary travellers and ministered to the needy% *nd although it may seem that to be this kind of minister involves nothing but burdens and hard ork, yet it also forms an agreeable and satisfying ay of life% !eave it ith me for a little hile until I "an seek some guidan"e from God, hi"h I ill tell you about hen you "ome again%> 0;

*fter a fe days they returned to ask the great man hat the out"ome as% He replied, >In God,s sight I tell you, I have seen them both standing together in Paradise%> 4hapter FVII #he !ife of '*4*<I?+ the younger% &hen the younger 'a"arius as eighteen years old he a""identally killed someone hile playing around ith his "ompanions hen they ere tending the "attle near !ake 'areotis% He did not tell anyone but fled to the desert and lived so deeply in fear of God and man that he stayed for three years in the desert ithout a roof over his head% *s everyone kno s, either by hearsay or from e$perien"e, that is a very arid part of the orld% #his 'a"arius after ards built himself a "ell, and hen he had lived there for a further t enty(five years he had gro n so full of gra"e that he really en)oyed living in solitude and had nothing but "ontempt for the demons% *fter I had been a"7uainted ith him for 7uite a long time I learned ho he had "ome to terms ith his sin of murder% He said that far from allo ing in remorse about it he a"tually had "ause to give thanks for this "rime% >#hat a""idental death as a springboard for me into the ay of salvation,> he said% !ook hat the +"ripture has to say about the murder hi"h 'oses, that great servant of God, "ommitted in Egypt% If it had not been for that murder and his fear of Pharaoh he ould never have been found orthy of the vision of God, or of his other great gifts, or of being numbered by the +pirit among the holy riters, for it as to 'ount +inai that he fled out of Egypt%> I mention this not to "ondone the sin of murder, but to sho ho virtue "an sometimes "ome forth out of a great fall, hen someone has had no previous desire to seek for goodness of his o n free ill% #o make up your mind to follo the path of virtue of your o n free ill is one thing, to follo it from for"e of "ir"umstan"es is another% 4hapter FVIII #he !ife of abba 3*#H*3*E! *mong the holy men of old there as one other outstanding athlete of God named 3athanael% I never met him in the flesh for he died about fifteen years before I ent up to the mountain% But hen I met up ith those ho had orked ith this holy man I 7uestioned them eagerly about his virtues% #hey sho ed me a "ell in hi"h no one as living any longer as being too "lose to inhabited areas% But it as the "ell hi"h the blessed man had built for himself hen as yet an"horites ere fe and far bet een% #hey told me hat as truly note orthy about his ay of life, namely that he kept so firmly to his "ell that nothing as able to prise him out of it% *t first he had been de"eived by the de"eiver of all, ho "aused him to slide gradually into laBiness and bitterness of mind in order to drive him out of the "ell% It seemed too gloomy and mind("onstri"ting there for him so he abandoned it and built himself another "loser to the village% *fter being there three or four months the demon "ame to him by night "arrying a hip su"h as li"tors @<oman la enfor"ersA do, looking like a soldier, but dressed in ragged "lothes, and roaring like a bull% >&ho are you, "arrying on like this in my refugeD> the blessed 3athanael asked him% >I am the one ho drove you out of your first "ell,> the demon "ried, >and no I have "ome to make you run a ay from this one%> 3athanael realised ho he had been de"eived and ent straight ba"k to his first "ell, and for thirty(seven years did not stir outside the door, striving ith the demon, ho made more efforts more often to try and drive him out than anyone "ould possibly "ount% *mong other things, the enemy of mankind tried to drive him a ay from his first good intentions by putting thoughts of shabby and una""eptable behaviour into his mind% &hether by God,s providen"e or by the devil,s temptation this holy man very nearly broke his rule hen seven holy bishops visited him% 8or they "ame in and prayed together, but hen they ere leaving that holy man ould not stir one step outside to see them on their 09

ay, lest he give pla"e to the devil% #he dea"ons said to him, >6ou "ondu"t yourself rather arrogantly, abba, do you not, by refusing to a""ompany the bishopsD> >I have every respe"t for the bishops,> he replied, >and, indeed, all the "lergy% *nd I a""ept that I am the most sinful of men, but as far as I am able I "onsider myself to be as dead in the sight of all of them and of their ay of life% God ho kno s the hidden depths of my heart kno s that there are deep reasons for my not going out ith them%> &hen this ruse of the devil did not su""eed, about nine months before 3athanel died the devil disguised himself as a boy aged about t elve, driving an ass "arrying bread in its panniers% He appeared late in the evening outside the "ell, making a sho of his ass having "ollapsed, and "rying out to 3athanael to take pity on him and lend him a hand% &hen 3athanael heard hat sounded like a boyish voi"e he opened the door of his "ell and said ithout going out, >&ho are you and hat do you ant me to do for youD> #he demon replied, >I am helping this monk ho is a ell kno n brother of yours by "arrying bread hi"h ill be needed for the offering= at +aturday,s !ighting of the !amps tomorro % Please don,t turn me a ay, lest I be devoured by the hyenas hi"h abound in this pla"e%, -I have translated the ord agape here by ,offering%, #he pra"ti"e as to have a vigil from the time of the !ighting of the !amps on +aturday evening through the night, "ulminating in the offering of the Eu"harist on the +unday morning% #his ould in"lude an agape or "ommunal meal%2 #he blessed 3athanael stood saying nothing, sad at heart, stirred by a great "ompassion, and ondering hat he ought to do% >Either I bend my rule or transgress against the 4ommandments,> he thought% But then, having se"ond thoughts, he rightly said, >It is better not to allo any "ompromise to my long standing rule of sho ering disgra"e on the devil and defeating him%> He prayed to the !ord and then said, >!isten, boy, or hatever you are% I believe in God, the !ord of all spirits, and orship him only% If you really are in need of help, the !ord ill "ome to your aid and neither the hyenas nor any other "reature ill do you any harm% But if you are #emptation the !ord ill make this plain to me at this point%> *nd he ent inside and shut the door% 'ortified at being thus beaten on"e again, the demon dissolved into a raging tornado and disappeared ith a sound like the frenBied flight of ild asses% +u"h as the struggle of the blessed 3athanael, and the po er of his ay of life and un"on7uered battle against the adversary% *nd here ends the life of this famous man% 4hapter FIF K FF #he !ife of '*4*<I?+ of Egypt and '*4*<I?+ of *le$andria% I am almost afraid of "ommitting to riting the story of these holy and immortal fathers, those famous and unbeaten athletes, 'a"arius of Egypt and 'a"arius of *le$andria, lest I be labelled a liar% #heir integrity of life and their many great battles ould be unbelievable to anyone ithout faith% But )ust as God destroys liars @Psalms 1%:A, so it is plain to be seen hen the Holy +pirit speaks% +in"e then by the gra"e of God, !ausus, I do not lie, let your deep faith prevent you being s"epti"al about the struggles of the fathers, but rather help you to glory in emulating the labours of those ho indeed ere 'a"arius, i%e%, ,blessed,% #he first of these athletes of 4hrist "alled 'a"arius as born in Egypt% #he other ith the name of 'a"arius as born in *le$andria here he had been a dealer in pre"ious ob)e"ts% *lthough )unior in years he as an outstanding monk, e$"elling all others% I ill deal first of all ith the virtues of 'a"arius of Egypt, ho lived for ninety full years, for si$ty of hi"h he as a solitary% 8rom being still a young man of thirty he spent the ne$t ten years bearing the rigours of the life ith su"h gra"e that he gained a reputation for having great dis"ernment and as spoken of as being in puerili aetate sene$, that is, ,old head on young shoulders,, sin"e his virtues gre mu"h more 7ui"kly than you ould have thought possible for his age% By the time he as forty he had developed as"endan"y over the spirits, the gra"e of healing, and the ability to see the future, and so as )udged orthy of being ordained priest% # o 0.

dis"iples lived ith him in the inner desert kno n as +"ete, one of hom as his helper, al ays ith him hen people "ame to him for healing% #he other remained al ays by himself in the "ell% #his first helper as "alled Cohn and later as ordained priest in 'a"arius, pla"e @for the great 'a"arius had been an ornament to the priesthoodA% *s 'a"arius developed the gift of se"ond sight in the "ourse of time he said to Cohn, >!isten to me, brother Cohn% *""ept a arning from me ithout getting upset but dra profit from it% 6ou ill be tempted, and your tempter ill be the spirit of avari"e% +o I have seenN and I kno that if you ill a""ept this arning ith an open mind you ill overflo ith the fear of God and in doing his ill in this pla"e% 6ou ill be praised, and no s"ourge ill affli"t your d elling% But if you don,t listen to me you ill end up like GehaBi, suffering an affli"tion similar to his> @; Kings 1%;0A% *nd it so happened that after the holy man,s death Cohn did not take this arning to heart fell vi"tim to the snare hi"h entrapped Cudas be"ause of his avari"e% *fter about fifteen or t enty years, hen he had "heated the poor of their money, he be"ame so badly atta"ked by leprosy that you "ould not have put a finger on a sound pla"e in his hole body% #his is hat the holy 'a"arius had prophesied% #here as a "ertain lustful Egyptian ho be"ame infatuated ith a free(born married oman, but he had no su""ess in trying to sedu"e her, for she modestly maintained her "hastity to ards the husband she had had sin"e her virginity% #his repulsive man then "onsulted a sor"erer% >Either persuade her to love me,> he said, >or by your arts make her husband divor"e her%> #he sor"erer a""epted his fee and began his spells and in"antations% He found it impossible to make her give in to him, so instead he made it seem to anyone ho looked at her as if she ere a mare% &hen her husband ent outside he sa his ife as if she ere a mareN hen he ent to bed it seemed very strange to see a mare lying there% #he husband ept, lamenting that he "ould not understand hat as happening, imagining that he as talking to an animal but getting no ans er e$"ept that she looked very angry% #ormented in his mind he at last realised that it really as his ife, "hanged into a mare by some e$traordinary human iles% +o he approa"hed the lo"al priests, took them home ith him and sho ed her to them, but they had no idea of ho su"h a "alamity "ould have happened% 8or three days she had eaten nothing, unable to eat either hay as a horse or bread as a human being% *t last, that God might be glorified and that the po er of 'a"arius might be seen, it o""urred to the husband to put a halter on her and take her to the holy man in the desert% *s he dre near the brothers standing in front of his "ell "onfronted him and asked hy he as bringing this mare ith him% >#hat mer"y may "ome from the holy man,s prayers>, he said% >&hy, hat,s the matterD> they asked% >#his mare that you see is my unhappy ife,> he said, >and I have not the faintest idea ho she got "hanged into a mare, and it,s no three days sin"e she had anything to eat%> &hen they heard this they took him inside to here the holy 'a"arius as already praying, for God had already revealed the matter to him hile they ere still on the ay to him, in ans er to his prayers that he should be sho n the reason for this visit% *s the brothers told began to tell him about this person ho as bringing a horse to him he said, >It,s you are horses% 6ou,ve got horses, eyes% #his is simply a oman in her natural "reated state% +he has not been transformed% It is )ust that she appears to be so to the eyes of people ho are under a delusion%> He asked her to "ome near, blessed some ater and poured it over her bare head, and prayed over her% *t on"e it appeared to everyone that she as indeed a oman% He asked for bread to be brought, made her eat some and delivered her ba"k, "ured, to her husband, giving thanks to God% *nd the man of God admonished her, saying, >3ever negle"t the "hur"h% Don,t stay a ay from the "ommunion of the +a"raments of 4hrist% *ll this has happened to you be"ause you have not been near the in"omparable +a"raments of our +aviour for the last five eeks%> Here is another aspe"t of his e$traordinary ay of life% &hen he as in the prime of life he dug a tunnel a hundred yards long from his "ell to here he hollo ed out 7uite a large "ave% &hen he as bothered by too large a "ro d of people he ould slip out of his "ell hile no one as looking and go into his "ave here no one "ould find him% 5ne of his devoted dis"iples told us that he ould re"ite forty(four prayers on the ay to this "ave through the tunnel, and the same on the ay ba"k%

01

He also had the reputation of having brought a dead person ba"k to life in order to dis"redit hereti"s ho denied the <esurre"tion, and this story as ell kno n throughout the desert% 5n"e a mother eeping "opiously brought him her son, grievously affli"ted by a demon% He as held se"urely on ea"h side by t o young men% #he ay the demon atta"ked him as that after he had had three measures of bread and a )ar of ater, he ould bring it all up turned into a fiery vapour% *nything he had eaten and drunk looked as if it had been "onsumed by fire% @8or there is a "lass of demons kno n as igneus, that is ,fiery,A% Indeed, there are as many kinds of demons as there are humans, not essentially different, but different in their purposes% If his mother did not give him anything to eat he ould eat his o n e$"rement and drink his urine% His eeping mother lamented this strange "alamity that had befallen her son, and begged and pleaded ith the holy man, until that vi"torious athlete of God humbly prayed to God for him% *fter one or t o days the holy 'a"arius drove the demon out, and he said to the youth,s mother, >Ho mu"h ould you like your son to be able to eatD> >5h, please ask for him to be given ten measures of bread,> she replied% *nd he as angry ith her for asking too mu"h% >&hy ask that, omanD> he said% *nd hen he had fasted and prayed for seven days, and e$pelled the dangerous demon of gluttony, he ordered that he be given three measures of bread to eat, hi"h is hat he ould have had normally any ay% In this ay, by the gra"e of God, he "ured the boy and gave him ba"k to his mother% &onderful, unbelievable things God did through the holy 'a"arius, hose immortal soul is no ith the angels% I never met him myself, for he died the year before I ent into the desert% But I met the one ho had been the "ompanion of his faithful deeds, hose name also as held in deep respe"t% I ill turn no to the holy 'a"arius of *le$andria, ho as the priest of that pla"e kno n as the 4ells% I lived there myself for nine years, three of hi"h ere near this same 'a"arius, ho lived in 7uiet solitude% I sa 7uite a lot of his onderful ay of life, and the ork and the signs that he performed% 5ther things I have learned from those ho lived ith him% 5n"e hen he as ith that great and holy father, *ntony, he noti"ed some 7uite e$"ellent palm bran"hes hi"h he as orking ith, and begged for a handful of them for himself% >It is ritten, ,#hou shalt not "ovet thy neighbour,s goods,>, said *ntony% *nd hile he yet spoke the palm bran"hes shrivelled as if destroyed by fire% &hen he sa this *ntony said to 'a"arius, >#he Holy +pirit indeed rests on you, and you ill ear my mantle after me%> *gain, the devil "ame upon him on"e in the desert in a state of e$treme bodily e$haustion, and said to him, >+ee no , you have been given the blessing of *ntony% &hy not use that po er and ask God for food and strength to "ontinue your )ourneyD> >'y strength and praise is in the !ord,> he replied% >Do not tempt the servant of God%> +o the devil made him see a mirage in the shape of a "amel andering through the desert heavily loaded up ith everything he needed% &hen it sa 'a"arius it "ame and knelt do n beside him% But he re"ognised it for the mirage that it as and fell to prayer, hereupon it as s allo ed up by the earth% 5n another o""asion 'a"arius of *le$andria ent to visit the great 'a"arius in +"ete% In order to "ross the 3ile they both got into a large ferry along ith t o tribunes a""ompanied by great pomp and "ir"umstan"e% #hey had their o n private four( heeled "arriage made of bronBe, horses ith golden harness, soldiers "ro ding around them, servants, and boys adorned ith golden ne"kbands and girdles% &hen the tribunes noti"ed those t o dressed in old and tattered "lothing, sitting in a "orner, they thought ho blessed it must be to have su"h a lo ly and simple life style, and one of them said, >Blessed are people like you ho make a mo"kery of the orld%> 'a"arius of *le$andria replied, >&e may ell make a mo"kery of the orld, and it is the orld hi"h makes a mo"kery out of you% But you should kno that hat you have said "ame not of your o n free ill but by a spirit of prophe"y, for e are both "alled 'a"arius, that is ,blessed,%> 4ut to the 7ui"k by these ords, hen the tribune got home he dis"arded his fine "lothes and de"ided to live as a solitary, giving a ay mu"h of his ealth in alms%

0:

5n"e 'a"arius as given a truly appetising bun"h of fresh grapes hi"h he as really looking for ard to eating, but instead he gave proof of his great self(dis"ipline by giving it to another brother ho had e$pressed a great desire for it% 5n being given these grapes the brother appeared absolutely delighted ( but this as really in order to hide his self(dis"ipline, for he gave them to another brother ho had e$pressed a desire for them% He too a""epted the gift and made out ho delighted he ould be to eat them% *nd so it ent on, the grapes passed through the hands of many of the brothers, none of them having ventured to eat them% In the end the last person to re"eive them gave them ba"k in a magnifi"ent gesture of generosity to 'a"arius himself% 'a"arius investigated and marvelled, giving thanks to God that so many of them "ould be so dis"iplined as to forbear eating those grapes% #here is something else about the ay of life of the great 'a"arius that I and many others a""urately learned about him, and that is that if he heard of any great feat that someone else had "arried out he ould eagerly do it himself, ithout fail% +o hen he heard that the monks of #abennisi ate nothing "ooked during !ent this holy man de"ided to eat nothing "ooked for a period of seven years% 8or the hole seven(year period he ate nothing but ra olives, e$"ept that sometimes he ould soak in ater some herbs hi"h he might have happened to find% He "arried out this programme faithfully and then abandoned it, for this best of monks heard of another monk ho restri"ted himself to one pound of bread% In order to go one better 'a"arius broke up his loaves and put the pie"es into a narro (ne"ked )ar, de"iding to eat only hat he ould be able to get by putting his hand in% He treated his body ith great austerityJ He told us that on a feast day he as anting to get several pie"es out but as unable to do so be"ause of the narro ness of the opening% >'y o n personal rationing offi"er prevented me from eating any more,> he said% He kept up this abstinen"e for three years, eating only four or five oun"es, e$"ept that during one hole year he also ate the si$th part of an olive% Here is another thing this athlete did% He made up his mind that he as determined to "on7uer sleep% He told us ho he ent about it in order that e might profit from it% 8or t enty days and nights he stayed outside, so that by day he as restless be"ause of the heat and by night he shivered ith "old% >By not going inside any sooner,> he said, >my brain be"ame so ina"tive that I as able to enter into e"stasy% I as able to do this only by "on7uering sleep% &hen I returned to my normal ay of living I "eased from it%> 5n"e he as greatly troubled by the spirit of forni"ation, so he "ondemned himself to e$pose his flesh for si$ months in the empty desert of the marshlands of +"ete, here there ere midges as big as asps, "apable of penetrating even the hides of ild boars% He be"ame so "overed in bites that you ould have thought he had leprosy% &hen he returned to his "ell after si$ months it as only by the sound of his voi"e that he "ould be re"ognised as being indeed 'a"arius, the master% He told us on"e that he anted to visit the garden here there as the monument kno n as the kepotaphion @,memorial garden,A of Cannes and 'ambres, the magi of the time of Pharaoh% He did not )ust ant to see it, but also he anted to "onfront the demons hi"h "ame from there, for it as said that Cannes and 'ambres had gathered together by means of the po er of their most infamous arts a great number of demons in that pla"e of the most fero"ious kind% #his monument had been built by the brothers Cannes and 'ambres ho be"ause of the for"e of their magi" arts ere at that time the most po erful in the land after Pharoah% Be"ause they had more po er at that time of their life than anyone else in Egypt they ere able to build this great ork out of s7uared stone in order to make a monument for themselves% #hey spent a great deal of money, and planted all kinds of trees, and dug a very large ell, for there as plenty of ater in the ground there% But they did all these things in the hope that after their death they ould en)oy the delights of paradise% +eeing that 'a"arius the holy servant of God did not really kno the ay to this garden he set a "ourse by the stars and )ourneyed a"ross the desert like a ship sailing over the sea, and having gathered together some rods he planted one after every thousand steps so that by these signs he ould be able to find his ay ba"k again% He travelled the desert for nine days, and as not far from the garden hen that night as he as taking a little sleep an enormous demon appeared, the eternal enemy of the athletes of 4hrist% He had "olle"ted all those rods hile 'a"arius slept, pla"ed a stone from the monument near his head and s"attered the rods all around it before disappearing from sight% &hen 'a"arius a oke he found all those rods gathered together hi"h he had put out as signposts% Perhaps God allo ed this to happen in order to in"rease his ability to put his trust not in signposts but in the gra"e of God hi"h guided the Israelites by means of a "loudy pillar through the fearful ilderness for 0H

forty years% 'a"arius "ontinued, >&hen I dre near to the monument seventy of those demons that I mentioned "ame rushing out at me in various shapes, some of them shouting, some of them leaping, some frighteningly gnashing their teeth at me, some flapping their ings like "ro s, some reviling me fa"e to fa"e% >&hat do you ant, 'a"ariusD> they said% >&hat are you monks trying to doD &hy do you "ome hereD Have e atta"ked any of your monks like thisD 6ou and those like you en)oy the same thing in your pla"e as e do here, that is, solitude, and you have driven our brothers out of your pla"e% 6ou and e have nothing in "ommon% &hy are you invading our territoryD If you are an an"horite hy "an,t you be "ontent ith your solitudeD #hose ho built this pla"e gave it to us% 6ou "an,t stay here% &hy should you seek to enter our possessions into hi"h no living person has ever entered, here e ourselves are entrusted ith "ommemorating those ho built itD> *s this "ro d of demons rudely rushed about, the holy 'a"arius said, >I only ant to go in, have a look and go a ay again%> >Give us your solemn promise on that,> the demons said% >I do,> the servant of 4hrist said% *nd the demons vanished% But hen he ent into the garden the devil rushed threateningly at him ith dra n s ord% >6ou "ome at me ith dra n s ord>, said the holy 'a"arius, >but I "ome to you in the name of the !ord of Hosts, the God of Israel ready for battle% I have "ome in, ho ever, and all I have found is a bronBe )ar hanging over a ell on an iron "hain rusty ith age, pomegranates ith nothing inside them be"ause of being dried up by the sun, and several golden altars%> #he holy man departed from the tumult and "lamour and for the ne$t t enty days ent ba"k to ards his "ell, suffering a great deal hen he ran out of bread and ater% 8or a further t enty days he ent on through the desert, eating nothing as I understand it% Perhaps he as being tested to see ho mu"h he "ould stand% &hen he as almost ready to "ollapse, he sa something hi"h looked like a young oman dressed in a "lean linen garment, so he told us, "arrying a )ar dripping ith ater% 'a"arius said that it ent before him about a furlong a ay for three days% He "ould see her standing there ith the )ar, taunting him, but not letting him get near, and this he bravely endured for three days in the hope of having something to drink% But then a herd of o$en appeared, one of them ith a "alf turning round to ards him% @It as a pla"e here there ere many o$enA% *""ording to hat 'a"arius told us, the udder of this "o as full of milk, and he heard a voi"e from above saying, >'a"arius, go up to this "o and milk it%> >I did so, and as satisfied,> he said% >*nd the !ord, to sho me even greater favour in my littleness, ordered the "o to follo me to my "ell% #hat mother "o obeyed the order, feeding me, hile not allo ing her "alf to "ome near%> 5n another o""asion this man of e$emplary virtue as digging a ell for the monks near some leafy bran"hes out of hi"h an asp "ame and bit him% @#hey are vi"ious and poisonous beasts%A #he holy man took both )a s of the asp in both hands and tore it apart, saying, >'y God did not send you% Ho "an you dare to "ome nearD> &hen the great 'a"arius heard that at #abennisi there as an institution famous for its ay of life he "hanged his "lothes, putting on a orking man,s "lothing, and ent off into the desert for fifteen days till he arrived at #abennisi, here he asked for the *r"himandrite, Pa"homius by name% He as an e$"ellent man ho also had the gift of prophe"y, although it as not revealed to him that this as the great 'a"arius% &hen he "ame out 'a"arius asked to be allo ed to be"ome a monk in his monastery% >6ou are too old no to be"ome a monk> said the great Pa"homius% >6ou ould not be able to manage it% 5ur brothers have been here sin"e they ere young and have got used to hard ork% *t your age you ould not be able to put up ith the trials of our life, you ould get disillusioned, and go a ay and slander us%> *nd he ould not a""ept him, neither on that day or the ne$t day nor on the seventh day after ards% But he persisted, staying there, fasting% *t last 'a"arius said to him, >#ake me in, abba, and if I "an,t fast and "arry out all the other duties then order me to be thro n out of the monastery%> +o the great Pa"homius persuaded the brothers that he should be allo ed in, and in he ent% @8orty thousand men have been gathered together in that one monastery up to the present time%A 0E

* short time after ards the season of !ent arrived, and the old man 'a"arius noti"ed that ea"h of them undertook various dis"iplines% 5ne did not eat till evening, another after t o days, another after five% #here as one ho remained standing all night e$"ept for sitting do n from time to time in order to ork% 'a"arius soaked some palm leaves and stood in a "orner for the hole of !ent up till Easter, eating no bread, drinking no ater, neither kneeling, sitting or lying do n, and taking nothing e$"ept a fe "abbage leaves on +undays, so that he "ould be seen to eat and save himself from appearing arrogant in hat he as doing% If he had to go out for the ne"essities of nature he 7ui"kly ent ba"k in again to his ork still standing up, saying nothing, standing in silen"e, doing nothing e$"ept sustaining silen"e in his heart, and praying, and orking ith the palm bran"hes in his hands% &hen the others in the monastery sa hat he as doing they "omplained to his dire"tor that they ere being undermined% >&here did you get this unearthly man from ho is sho ing us all upD> they asked% >Either you get rid of him, you kno , or else e shall all leave%> &hen Pa"homius heard this from the brothers he asked hat it as all about% #hey told him hat 'a"arius as doing, and he prayed to God, asking ho this man really as% It as then revealed to him that it as the monk 'a"arius% #he great Pa"homius took him by the hand and led him out into the oratory before the altar, embra"ed him and said, >6ou are el"ome, an old man orthy of respe"t% 6ou are 'a"arius, and it as hidden from me% 8or many years, ever sin"e I first heard about you, I have anted to meet you% *nd I thank you that you have given my brothers an ob)e"t lesson, to prevent them getting "on"eited and proud of hat they are doing themselves% But no , I beg you, return to your o n pla"e, and pray for us% 6ou have taught us 7uite enough%> 5bedient to this re7uest and the prayers of all the brothers, he departed% 5n another o""asion he told us the follo ing storyO >*fter having lived ithout faltering through all the paths of monasti" life I began to have even deeper spiritual desires% I de"ided that for a period of five days I ould try to keep my mind totally "entred on God ithout any distra"tion, refusing to think about anything else% #he moment I de"ided this I shut the "ell door and "losed off the outer room, so that I ould not have to open up to any visitors% *nd standing up, I immediately began to say to my thoughts, ,Don,t "ome do n out of heaven% 6ou have the angels and ar"hangels and all the heavenly po ers, "herubim and seraphim and God the po er behind them all% #urn thither% Don,t sink lo er than the heavens lest you fall into orldly thoughts%, I persevered in this for t o days and t o nights, hi"h so annoyed the demon that he be"ame a flame of fire, and set light to everything I had in the "ell, in"luding the rush mat I as standing on, so that I as afraid that I too as about to go up in flames% *t last, on the third day, I as so frightened that I gave up the hole idea% I "ould not keep my mind "on"entrated any longer, so I "ame do n to earth% I suppose God allo ed this lest I be "arried a ay by pride%> I on"e ent to visit him and found outside his "ell the priest of a neighbouring village hose head as so eaten a ay by the disease kno n as "an"er that his mouth appeared to be almost at the top of his head% He had "ome hoping to be "ured, but 'a"arius ould not even speak to him% >Have pity on this poor ret"h,> I said, >and at least say something to him%> >He does not deserve to be "ured,> he replied% >#his has been sent to him by God to tea"h him a lesson% If he ants to be "ured urge him to give up administering the holy sa"raments%> >&hy thatD> I asked% >He "arries out his ministry even though he is a forni"ator,> he replied, >and that is hy he is being punished% 3o then, if he gives up in fear hat he has dared to do ithout shame, the !ord ill "ure him%> +o I ent and spoke to this affli"ted person, and he s ore an oath that he ould no longer e$er"ise his priesthood% 'a"arius then let him in and said to him, >Do you believe in God from hom nothing is hiddenD> >4ompletely,> he replied% >6ou kno you "annot de"eive GodD> 'a"arius asked% 0G

>Indeed, sir, I "an,t,> he said% >&ell, if you a"kno ledge your sin and a""ept that God has punished you for it the result ill be a "ure%> +o he "onfessed his sin, and promised to sin no more, to give up ministering at the altar and embra"e the lay state% #hen the holy man laid hands on him, and after a fe days he as "ured, his hair gre ba"k and he ent ba"k home giving glory to God and thanks to the great 'a"arius% #his holy man had several "ells, one in +"ete, hi"h is the inner part of the desert, one in !ibya, one in the 4ells, and one in 3itria% +ome of them had no openings, and during !ent he stayed in them in "omplete darkness% *nother as rather narro , so that he as unable to stret"h his legs in them, but he did have a bigger one in hi"h it as "onvenient to meet those ho "ame to visit him% He "ured so many ho ere ve$ed ith demons that it ould be impossible to number them% * ri"h and noble oman as "arried to him hile I as there% +he had "ome from #hessaloni"a, the furthest part of Gree"e, and had been paralysed for many years% He took pity on her here she had been put outside his "ell, and for t enty days he prayed and anointed her ith oil ith his o n hands, until he as able to send her a ay, "ured, to her o n "ountry% +he ent ba"k on her o n t o feet, and sent a generous offering to the holy brothers% I sa a boy ve$ed ith a spirit brought to him% 'a"arius put one hand on his head and his left hand on his breast, and prayed over him for 7uite some time until he made him float up in the air% *nd the boy s elled up, getting so big as to be "ompletely distorted% +uddenly he "ried out, and e$pelled ater from all his bodily openings, after hi"h he returned to his normal shape% 'a"arius anointed him ith oil and poured ater over him, after hi"h he gave him ba"k to his father, ordering him not to eat meat nor drink any ine for the ne$t forty days% *nd so he "ured him% He as on"e troubled by vainglorious thoughts hi"h suggested to him that it ould be a good plan and in a good "ause to go to <ome for the sake of all those ho ere si"k there% But gra"e strongly "ountera"ted su"h in"linations% He fought against them for a long time and as greatly disturbed by them% He flung himself do n on the threshold of his "ell, thrust his feet outside and said, >4ut them off and drag them a ay, you demons, if you "an, but I shan,t go ith my feet%> He vo ed he ould stay there till evening if they ould not let him go, and in any "ase ould not listen to them% *fter he had lain there a long time night "ame on, and the argument intensified% He filled a large basket ith sand, shouldered it, and alked off into the desert% Here he met #heosobius 4osmetor of *ntio"h ho said to him, >&hatever is that you are "arrying, abbaD !et me ease your burden by "arrying it for you> >I am simply putting a burden on him ho is a burden to me,> he replied% >8or I am so remiss and unstable that he is making me ant to go off andering about%> Having gone about like this for 7uite some time he returned to his "ell ith his body suitably "hastened% #he servant of God Paphnutius, ho as a dis"iple of this famous holy man, told us that on"e hen 'a"arius as sitting in his outer room praying to God, a hyena brought to him its "alf ho as blind% +he pushed upon the door ith her head, ent in to here he as sitting and laid the "alf do n at his feet% 'a"arius took the "alf, spat in its eyes and prayed% Immediately the "alf "ould see% #he hyena fed it, pi"ked it up and departed% #he ne$t day she brought a large sheepskin to 'a"arius% &hen 'a"arius sa it he said, >Ho did you get hold of this if it asn,t through killing somebody,s sheepD I "an,t a""ept this, as it is the out"ome of "rime%> But the hyena gently lo ered its head, bent her knees and pla"ed the skin at the holy man,s feet% >I said I "an,t a""ept this> he said >( unless you promise never to hurt poor people any more by eating their sheep%> +he nodded her head as if "onsenting, and then 'a"arius pi"ked up the sheepskin% #hat blessed handmaid of 4hrist, 'elania, told me that she had a""epted that same skin from 'a"arius, kno n as the hyena,s skin% Is it anything to be ondered at that a hyena should sense that here as a man "ru"ified to the orld, and should bring a gift in return for the kindness it had re"eived, to the glory of God and the honour of his servantD He ho in the prophet Daniel tamed the lions also enlarged the intelligen"e of the hyena% It as also said about this man that from the time he as baptised he never spat upon the ground% He as baptised at the age of forty and lived for si$ty years after that%

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In stature he as like this% @It behoves me to tell you this, 5 servant of 4hrist, as one ho kno s hat I am talking about, sin"e my poor life as "ontemporary ith his%A He as small and thin and some hat bent in stature, ith hair gro ing only on his upper lip, and very little on his head% Be"ause of the intensity of his physi"al dis"ipline no hair gre on his "hin% I "ame to this holy 'a"arius one day rather distressed in mind and said to him, >&hat shall I do, *bba 'a"arius, for my thoughts bother me saying, ,Give it up and go a ay,D> >+ay to your thoughts,> said the holy father 'a"arius,>, 8or 4hrist,s sake I ill maintain the defen"es%,> +o, 5 loving and diligent servant of 4hrist, I have no told you about some of the many signs and struggles of the famous 'a"arius, ho e$"elled in virtue% 'a"arius told us @he as a priestA that at the time of the 4ommunion of the +a"raments of 4hrist he never gave 4ommunion to 'ark, for an angel took it to him from the altar, but he sa only the finger of the hand that brought it% 4hapter FFI #he !ife of abba '*<K% &hen 'ark as young he learnt by heart the old and ne testaments% He as a very gentle person ith a "alm temperament% 5n"e hen I had some time to spare in my "ell I ent to visit him hen he as very old and I sat outside the door of his "ell% *s is natural in an ine$perien"ed youth I reveren"ed him as someone superhuman, but so indeed he as% I "ould hear hat he as saying and doing% *s he sat there inside, for all that he as a hundred years old and had lost his teeth, he as still fighting ith himself and the devil% >&hat are you after no , you kakogere @, i"ked old man,AD> he as saying to himself% >!ook, you are a inebibber and you massage yourself ith oil% &hat are you after no , you tholiophage @, allo er in filth,A and koiliodole @,slave to your stoma"h,A, bringing blame and guilt upon yourselfD> *nd to the devil, >Get a ay from me, you devil% 6ou have embroiled me in strife, you have brought me to infirmity of body, you have made me drink ine and use oil, turning me to dissipation% Do I o e you anything at this present timeD 6ou on,t find anything in me that you "an destroy% Get a ay from me this instant, you enemy of the human ra"e%> *nd as if provoking and stirring himself up he ent on sayingN >*re you still there, you no(good, you allo er in filth, you elderly glutton% Ho mu"h longer do I have to put up ith youD> 4hapter FFII #he !ife of abba '56+E+ ho as a robber

'oyses as a bla"k man, an Ethiopian by ra"e, the slave of a "ertain prominent "ivi" offi"ial% #his offi"ial got rid of him be"ause of his la$ morals and thievery% +ome say that he had even "ommitted murder, and I must be 7uite frank about the depth of his depravity in order to emphasise the heroi" virtue of his repentan"e% #hey say that he be"ame the head of 7uite a large band of robbers% *mong his other evil deeds it is said that he be"ame very hostile and vindi"tive to ards a "ertain shepherd, ho together ith his dogs had be"ome an obsta"le in his ay hen he as trying to "arry out a raid% He vo ed to kill him, and ent off to find out here the shepherd as feeding his flo"ks% &hen he as told that the shepherd as on the other side of the 3ile he s am a"ross holding his t o(edged s ord bet een his teeth and "arrying on his head the tuni" he had been earing, even though the 3ile as in flood at the time and over a mile ide% #he shepherd had time to hide a ay in a "ave hile he as "rossing, and hen 'oyses "ould not find him he killed four prime rams, tied them together ith a rope and s am ba"k over the 3ile% &hen he got to a "ertain small village he skinned the rams, ate the best parts of the meat, e$"hanged the skins for ine, drank about eighteen Italian measures of it and then set out to alk the fifty miles ba"k to here he had left his band%

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#his robber "hief later as over"ome by remorse through something hi"h happened to him, )oined a monastery and did penan"e a""ording to the measure of his "rimes% *mong other things told about him it is said that four robbers burst in upon him in his "ell, not kno ing ho he as% Blessed 'oyses su""eeded in tying them up like a bundle of stra , "arried them on his shoulders to the door of the "hur"h% >I took these men in the a"t of atta"king me, but sin"e I may not do harm to any human person, hat do you think should be done to themD> Having been "aptured thus by 'oyses, they "onfessed their sins to God% &hen they realised that this man as 'oyses, ho had been the famous leader of a robber band, they glorified the name of 4hrist, renoun"ed the orld also, inspired by his "hange of heart, and ended up as most e$emplary monks% >If this enormously strong man "ould so fear God that he turned his ba"k on his robbery,> they thought, > hy should e delay in seeking our o n salvationD> #he demons then began to rise up against 'oses the Blessed @for so e must "all himA, by driving him "ontinually to violent thoughts of forni"ation% ?p till then, so he told us, he had not been tempted by anything very mu"h to make him renoun"e his "alling% He ent to the great Isidore in +"ete and told him about his battle ith forni"ation% >Don,t orry too mu"h, brother,> the holy man replied% >#hey are only )ust beginning, but they atta"k the more vigorously if there is a prior el"ome for them% * dog ho goes into a but"her,s shop to gna a bone ill not stop doing so if he is al ays made el"ome% But if the shop is shut and no one gives him anything he is left hungry but "omes no more% +o if you keep on being "ontinent, mortifying your members hi"h are on earth, allo ing no entry to anything hi"h might give rise to disordered gluttony, the demon ill find things diffi"ult% If there is no one to give him food he ill go a ay%> 'oses the servant of 4hrist ent ba"k and from then on ards shut himself up in his "ell, testing himself to the limit, abstaining from food to the e$tent that he ate nothing but t elve oun"es of dry bread, orking "onstantly and saying fifty prayers a day% *fter a hile, ho ever, although his body be"ame some hat ema"iated, he still remained over(stimulated, espe"ially in his dreams% He got up and ent to see a "ertain ell(respe"ted holy monk and said to him, >&hat shall I do, abbaD #he dreams pour out from my spirit into the darkness of my mind as if I am still taking pleasure in the things I as on"e used to%> >6ou have not turned your mind a ay from the visions hi"h "ome into it,> the holy man said, >and that is hy they still "ontinue% 8ollo my advi"e and undertake a fe vigils, pray )udi"iously, and you ill soon be free from these things%> 'oyses listened to these ords "oming from the mouth of an a"kno ledged e$pert, ent ba"k to his "ell and de"ided to do hat his o n "ons"ien"e prompted, namely to go all night ith sleep, and not to prostrate himself under the prete$t of praying, in order to banish the tyranny of sleep% He spent si$ years standing up in the middle of his "ell, ithout shutting his eyes, praying earnestly to God, but he still as not able to over"ome his intemperate desires% *fter this he thought up another method of living a hard life% #his adversary of +atan ould go by night to the "ells of those monks ho had gro n old in the pra"ti"e of their ay of life and ho ere no longer able to "arry ater for themselves ithout help% He ould take their ater )ars ithout anyone kno ing and fill them ith ater% #hey had some distan"e to go to get ater in these pla"es, for some it as t o miles, for others five, for some only a half% #he demon noti"ed hat he as doing and de"ided that he "ould put up ith the tena"ity of this athlete no longer% +o one night he hit him in the ba"k ith a "lub as he as bending over the ell to fill the )ar of one of the monks, and left him there for dead, ignorant of ho or hat it as that had hit him% 3e$t day another monk "ame to dra ater and found him lying there lifeless% He ent to tell Isidore, that great priest of +"ete, ho "ame ith some others, pi"ked him up and took him into the "hur"h% 8or a hole year he lay there grievously ill, ith body and soul s"ar"e hanging together% #hen Isidore that fine priest of 4hrist said to him, ;;

>Brother 'oyses it is time you stopped fighting ith the demons and "arrying on the battle in this parti"ular ay% 6ou need some moderation in your ay of life%> >I ill not stop fighting ith them,> he replied, >until the phantasies of my dreams stop%> >In the name of our !ord Cesus 4hrist> said Isidore the priest, the servant of 4hrist, >your foul dreams ill stop from this moment of time, so that ith a good and faithful "ons"ien"e you "an re"eive the +a"raments% But don,t boast about this as if it ere through your o n efforts that your desires have been tamed% It is God ho has sho n his po er in you, to your great benefit, lest you should fall into an overrated opinion of yourself%> *t this 'oyses returned to his "ell and lived more 7uietly, having taken up a more moderate ay of life% *fter t o or three months the blessed Isidore asked 'oyses hether the demon had been giving him any more trouble, to hi"h he replied, >8rom the moment hen the servant of 4hrist prayed for me nothing of that sort happened any more%> But this holy man as found orthy of being given gra"e in his fight against the demons% He be"ame as free from the attentions of demons as of flies in intertime% +u"h as the holy religious life lived by the indomitable athlete, 'oyses the Ethiopian ho as numbered among the great% He be"ame a priest and died in +"ete aged seventy(five, leaving behind him seventy(five dis"iples% 4hapter FFIII #he !ife of abba P*?! #here is a mountain "alled Pherme in Egypt on the edge of the vast desert of +"ete here about five hundred men live the as"eti" life% *mong them as a fine monk "alled Paul ho had never lived any other kind of life than this% He had never had paid employment, nor engaged in any sort of business, and never a""epted more food from anybody than he "ould eat in the "ourse of one day% He devoted his life to the ork of perpetual prayer% He used three hundred distin"t set prayers, and kept the same number of pebbles in one of his po"kets% 8or ea"h prayer he ould transfer one pebble to another po"ket% -Po"kets% #he !atin has sinu, the ,fold, in a garment, espe"ially in a <oman toga% #he !atin also has that at ea"h prayer he ,thre , a pebble% I thought it best to translate this passage in terms hi"h are more easily understandable to modern ears% In"identally, is this the first ever re"orded instan"e of the use of prayer beadsD2 He on"e visited the holy man 'a"arius Polli"itus in sear"h of gra"e and spiritual profit and said to him, >I am e$tremely distressed, abba 'a"arius%> *nd the servant of 4hrist began to e$plain the reason hy he as troubled by telling him ofO 4hapter FFIV #he !ife of a VI<GI3 ho said H// prayers% >In a "ertain village lived a virgin ho had been an as"eti" for 9/ years% I have been told by many people that she ate nothing e$"ept on +aturdays and +undays, dragging out the hole eek ithout eating for five days, and saying seven hundred prayers daily% &hen I heard about this I felt very ashamed, for here am I, "reated ith the strength of a man, and yet I "an,t manage more than three hundred prayers%> >+i$ty years I have been at this life,> replied the holy 'a"arius, >and I have said only a hundred prayers, as ell as labouring ith my hands to supply myself ith ne"essary food, and "arrying out my obligations to the rest of the brothers, and I have no reason to think that I have been negligent% +o if your "ons"ien"e is making you feel guilty about the three hundred prayers you say, you are obviously not praying properly% Either that or perhaps you "ould be able to say more prayers than you are doing%> 4hapter FFV #he priest 4<53I?+ ;9

4ronius the priest of 3itria told me the follo ingO >I as very young hen I began, and as very depressed and unstable, so mu"h so that I fled from my monastery and ar"himandrite and andered off to holy *ntony,s mountain% Blessed *ntony lived bet een Hera"lea and Babylon in that vast desert hi"h leads to the <ed +ea, about thirty miles from the <iver 3ile% *ntony,s dis"iples 'a"arius and *matas, ho buried *ntony after his death, had their "ells near the river in the pla"e "alled Pisper% *fter I arrived there I aited five days before I "ould see the holy *ntony% I as told he "ame do n to these "ells sometimes at ten day intervals, sometimes t enty, sometimes five, to give help to visitors% +everal of us brothers met him for various reasons, among hom as Eulogius, a monk of *le$andria, and ith him someone disabled in all his limbs% #he reason they had "ome as as follo sO 4hapter FFVI E?!5GI?+ and the disabled man% @#his story is told in substantially the same ords in Book VII%$i$%9%A 4hapter FFVII #he Vision hi"h abba *3#536 sa @#his story is told also in Book VII%$i$%.A 4hapter FFVIII #he !ife of P*?! #HE +I'P!E #he +ervant of 4hrist, Hiera$, as ell as 4ronius and several other brothers, told me the story I am going to tell you about Paul the +imple% He as a peasant farmer of transparently inno"ent and simple life, and he had taken a most beautiful oman for a ife ho nevertheless as of very la$ morals% !ed by providen"e to an out"ome hi"h he as in fa"t half hoping for, he "ame ba"k from the fields une$pe"tedly one day, ent inside, and found her and a man together% &hen he sa her and the man she as having se$ ith he gave a forthright and heartfelt laugh% >8ine, fine,> he said% >#his means that she is no longer any responsibility of mine% In Cesus, name I a"kno ledge her no longer% Go, take her ith you, and her "hildren, for I am leaving to be"ome a monk%> &ithout saying anything to anybody else he took an eight day )ourney to holy *ntony and kno"ked on his door% >&hat do you antD> asked *ntony hen he "ame to the door% >#o be"ome a monk,> replied Paul% >6ou must be at least si$ty% 6ou "an,t be"ome a monk,> said *ntony% >!ive in the to n, ork for your living, trusting in the gra"e of God% 6ou ould not be able to "ope ith all the trials of solitude%> >&hatever you told me to do I ould do it,> the old man replied% >I have told you,> said *ntony% >6ou are old% 6ou "an,t be a monk% Go a ay% 5r if you do really ant to be a monk go to a "enobium here there are many brothers to support you in your frailty% I am here all by myself, fasting for five days before eating%> *nd ith these ords he tried to drive Paul a ay% <efusing to admit him *ntony shut the door and for three days did not go outside, not even to ans er the "all of nature% But the old man stayed here he as%

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5n the fourth day he really had to go outside, but hen he opened the door and ent out he sa Paul still there and said, >Go a ay, old man% &hy do you keep on bothering meD 6ou "an,t stay here%> >I don,t intend to stay any here else e$"ept here,> said Paul% *ntony looked at him and sa that he had nothing ith him to sustain life, no bread, no ater or anything else, and he had no been fasting for four days% >He is so unused to fasting he might die,> thought *ntony, >and I ill be to blame%> *nd so he took him in% >If you "an be obedient and do hat I tell you,> said *ntony, >you,ll be all right%> >I ill do hatever you say,> Paul replied% *ntony in those days follo ed )ust as rigorous a ay of life as he did hen young% In order to test the Paul,s mettle he said to him, >+tay here and pray, hile I go in and fet"h something for you to ork ith%> He then ent into his inner room and at"hed Paul through the indo % 8or the rest of the eek he stayed there ithout moving, even though s"or"hed by the heat% *t the end of the eek he brought some palm bran"hes hi"h he had soaked in ater% >#ake these and eave a rope as you see me doing%> he said% #he old man ove until the ninth hour, "ompleting fifteen arms(lengths ith great diffi"ulty% *ntony inspe"ted hat he had done and as not satisfied ith it% >6ou,ve done that very badly,> he said% >?ndo it and do it again%> It as no the seventh day that this elderly man had been fasting, but *ntony as treating him severely like this to see hether he ould give up and abandon the life of a monk% But he )ust took the bran"hes and re ove them, and ith great labour put right the unevenness ith hi"h he done them at first% *ntony sa that he had neither grumbled, nor been do n"ast, nor turned aside, nor be"ome resentful to the slightest degree, and he began to feel sorry for him% *nd as the sun set he said, >&ell, little father, shall e break some bread togetherD> >If you think that,s right, abba,> replied Paul, thus leaving the de"ision to *ntony ithout )umping up eagerly at the mention of food% *ntony began to "hange his mind% >Get the table ready then,> he said% *nd he did so% *ntony put the bread on the table, four si$(oun"e rolls% He put one to soak for himself @for they ere dryA and three for Paul% *ntony sang a psalm hi"h he kne , and hen he had repeated it t elve times he also said a prayer t elve times% #his he did in order to test Paul further% But the old man prayed too, as promptly and eagerly as the great *ntony himself% @I really think that he ould rather feed on s"orpions than live falsely%A >+it do n,> the great *ntony said to Paul after the t elve prayers, >but e on,t eat until vespers% &ait till the bread is eatable%> #he time for vespers "ame and Paul still had not eaten, hen *ntony said, >Get up% &e,ll pray and then sleep%> #hey left the table and did so% Half ay through the night *ntony oke Paul for prayers and ent on ith them right through to the ninth hour% But at last hen vespers "ame and the table had been prepared and they had sung and prayed they sat do n to eat% *ntony ate one roll and did not pi"k up another one% #he old man as eating more slo ly and still had the roll hi"h he had started% *ntony aited till he had finished and said, >4ome, little father, eat another roll%> >If you have another one, I ill,> said Paul, >but not if you on,t%> >I,ve had 7uite suffi"ient for one ho is a monk,> said *ntony% >+in"e I ant to be a monk,> said Paul, >that,s enough for me too, then%> *nd he got up and said t elve prayers and sang t elve psalms% *fter the prayers they slept a little for the first part of the night, then rose and sang psalms again till da n% He then sent him out to ander in the desert% ;1

>4ome ba"k after three days,> he said% #his he did% &hen some brothers "ame on a visit he paid "lose attention to *ntony and did hatever *ntony anted% >+ee to the visitors, needs and keep silen"e,> he said, >and don,t eat anything till they have started on their )ourney ba"k%> *t the end of the third eek in hi"h Paul had not eaten anything the brothers asked him hy he kept silent, to hi"h he replied nothing at all% >&hy keep silentD,> said *ntony% >+peak to the brothers%> +o he spoke% 5n"e hen *ntony as given a )ar of honey he told Paul to break the )ar% He did so and the honey spilled% >3o s"rape up the honey ith this shell,> he ordered, >but don,t get any dirt mi$ed up in it%> 5n"e he ordered him to dra ater all day% &hen his garment got a bit tattered, he told him to )ust get used to it% In the end this man had grasped su"h firm hold on obedien"e by the divine gra"e given him, that he as able to "ommand the demons% &hen the great *ntony sa that this man had promptly "arried out everything he had asked him to do in the ay he ordered his life, he said, >+ee if you "an keep on doing this day by day, brother, and stay ith me%> >I don,t kno hat else you "an sho me,> said Paul% >I do hatever I see you doing, 7uite easily and ithout any strain, the !ord being my helper%>

5n another day *ntony admitted ,in the name of Cesus, that he had indeed be"ome a monk% #he great and blessed *ntony had be"ome "onvin"ed that the soul of this servant of 4hrist had be"ome almost perfe"ted in all things, even though he as some hat simple% *fter a fe months *ntony as moved by the gra"e of God to build a "ell for him three or four miles a ay from his o n "ell, and said to him, >+ee no , by the help of the gra"e of 4hrist you have be"ome a monk% 3o live by yourself, and even take on the demons%> +o a year after Paul the 'ost +imple "ame to live ith him he as highly e$perien"ed in a dis"iplined ay of life and as found orthy to battle against the demons and against all kinds of diseases% 5ne day there as brought to *ntony a young man ve$ed beyond measure by one of the most po erful and savage demons ho railed against heaven itself ith "urses and blasphemies% *ntony had a look at the young man and said to those ho had brought him, >#his is not a task for me% I have not yet been given the gra"e to deal ith this very po erful type of demon% Paul the +imple has the gift of dealing ith this one%> #he great *ntony ent to Paul, that most e$"ellent man, taking them all ith him% >*bba Paul,> he said, >4ast out this demon from this person so that he may return home "ured and glorify God%> >&hy not youD> asked Paul% >It is not for me,> said *ntony% >I have other "on"erns%> *nd the great *ntony left the boy there and returned to his "ell% #he unassuming old man stood up and poured out a strong prayer to "hallenge the demon and said, >*bba *ntony says, ,Depart from this man,>

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>I ill not, you disgusting, pompous old man,> said the demon, ith many "urses and blasphemies% Paul put on his sheepskin and belaboured him in the ba"k, "rying, >,Go out,, *bba *ntony says%> #he demon abused both Paul and *ntony ith "urses, saying, >6ou are disgusting old men, laBy and greedy, never "ontent to mind your o n business% &hat have you got in "ommon ith usD &hy are you bro beating usD> >Either go no ,> said Paul, >or I ill "all upon the po er of 4hrist to bring destru"tion upon you%> But this un"lean demon railed against Cesus also ith "urses and blasphemies >I am not going,> he shouted% #his made Paul get angry ith the demon% He ent outside% It as midday ( hen the Egyptian heat bears "omparison ith the furna"e of Babylon% #he holy old man stood up straight, like a statue, on top of a ro"k, and prayed, >5 Cesus 4hrist, you ere "ru"ified under Pontius Pilate, take note that I ill not "ome do n from this ro"k, nor ill I eat or drink even if I die, until you hear me and "ast out this demon from this man and liberate him from the un"lean spirit%> *nd even as the simple and humble Paul as praying, before he had even finished, the demon "ried out, >I,m going, I,m going, driven out by for"e, over"ome by tyranny% I,m getting out of this man and on,t "ome ba"k any more% It is the simpli"ity and humility of Paul hi"h has driven me out and I don,t kno here to go%> #he moment he ent he "hanged into an enormous dragon about seventy "ubits long hi"h "rept off to ards the <ed +ea% #hus ere fulfilled the ords of Holy +"ripture, ,#he righteous man sho s his faith by hat he does, @Proverbs 0;%0HA, and ,5n hom shall I look, says the !ord, if not on him ho is gentle and humble and trembles at my ordsD, @Isaiah ::%;A% *lthough lesser @humilioresA demons "an be "ast out by the faith of men in authority @prin"ipalesA, it takes humble @humilesA men to be able to put to flight the demons of greatest po er @prin"ipalesA% +u"h ere the mira"les of the humble Paul the +imple, and there ere many others he did, even greater than these% He as kno n as +imple by all the brothers% 4hapter FFIF #he !ife of abba P*4H53 #here as a "ertain Pa"hon living in +"ete ho had rea"hed the age of seventy hen I be"ame tormented by a desire for a oman% I as labouring under thoughts and visions at night% It as all I "ould do to refrain from leaving the desert be"ause of this temptation, so great as this turbulen"e of mind that as fier"ely atta"king me% I did not tell any of my neighbours about this, not even Evagrius my superior, but unkno n to anyone ent into the desert here I andered about among the older brothers in +"ete for fifteen days% *mong them I "ame a"ross the holy man Pa"hon% &hen I realised ho sin"ere he as and ho skilled he as in the dis"ipline of his life, I as emboldened to open up my heart to him% >Don,t think that this is anything strange or unusual,> this holy man said to me% >It is not "aused by voluptuousness, laBiness or "arelessness ( your o n "hara"ter bears itness to that% 6ou make do ith the minimum of hat is ne"essary, you have not made a habit of "onsorting ith omen% It is more likely the "ase that this is "oming to you from the devil, be"ause of your sear"h for purity% #here are three ays in hi"h the enemy drives one to ards forni"ation% +ometimes if the flesh has been too deli"ately pandered to it runs riot and takes "ontrol, sometimes thoughts "an provoke assent in the mind, sometimes it is a demon in person ho harasses us through envy% #his hat I have found as a result of the many "ases I have seen% !ook at me no , an old man% I,ve been forty years in this "ell orking out my salvation, and I have arrived at this age being tempted right up to the present day% *nd I solemnly de"lare that for t elve years from the age of fifty on ards there had not been a single day or night hen I as not atta"ked% I began to think that God had forsaken me, so fier"ely did the devil sho his po er against me% I felt I ould rather go mad and die than do something disgra"eful driven by vi"e and bodily desires% I ent out from my "ell into the desert and found a hyena,s "ave% I stripped and stayed in that "ell all day in the hope that the hyenas ould "ome and devour me% *fter vespers, as the s"ripture says, ,#he sun kno s it is time to set% 6ou bring on the darkness and it is night hen all the ild beasts "ome out% #he young lions roar and strike, seeking their meat from God%, @Psalms ;H

0/.%0G(;0A% *nd the ild beasts did indeed "ome out at that time, male and female, and sniffed at me from head to toe as they pro led around me% Cust as I as e$pe"ting that they ould devour me they ent a ay% Even though I lay there all night I as not devoured% I realised that God had "ertainly spared me, and I got up and ent ba"k to my "ell% But after a fe days the devil returned and atta"ked me even more fier"ely than before, so that I "ould hardly refrain from blaspheming% He "hanged himself into the image of an Ethiopian girl that I had seen gathering ears of "orn in the days of my youth% It seemed as if she "ame and sat on my knee, and got me so e$"ited that I thought I had had se$ ith her% I gave her a bo$ on the ear and she vanished% I,m telling you this, believe me% 8or t o years I asn,t able to bear the smell given off by my hand% 8or these reasons I be"ame so eak and despondent of mind that I a"kno ledged defeat and gave up all hope% I andered off into the empty desert, here I "ame a"ross a small asp% I pi"ked it up and pla"ed it on my genitals so that I might be bitten and die% I put its head on my manhood, the sour"e of all my troubles, so that thanks to providen"e I might be bitten% *nd then I heard a voi"e saying in my thoughts, >,4ome, Pa"hon, put up a fightJ I have allo ed this po er to be e$er"ised over you lest you be"ome puffed up and arrogant in spirit% 'aybe no you "an over"ome your desires, a""ept your o n eakness, trust not in the ay you have organised your life, but rely only on the help of God%, #hus admonished and strengthened I returned to my "ell and stayed there ith "onfiden"e from then on% I as no longer orried about the out"ome of the battle, but lived out my days in pea"e% &hen the demon realised ho mu"h I despised him he as dis"on"erted, and bothered me no longer%> &ith this advi"e he "onfirmed me in my o n strife against +atan, instru"ted me in the nature of the battle and prepared me by his tea"hing for the atta"ks of the demon% *nd so he sent me ba"k home, telling me to be of good "ourage in all things% 4hapter FFF #he !ife of abba +#EPH*3 +tephan as a !ibyan and lived for si$ty years on the borders of 'armari"a and 'areotis% &hen his dis"iplined life had be"ome thoroughly developed he be"ame ell kno n for his po ers of dis"ernment, and as given this gift that if anyone "ame to him ith hatever kind of trouble they never left him ithout this trouble being entirely removed% #he blessed *ntony kne him ell% He lived right through to our time, but I never visited him be"ause he as so far a ay% But the holy *mmon and Evagrius visited him, and they told me that they found him to have an advan"ed infe"tion in his testi"les, and a large "an"er, kno n in Greek as a phagidaina, in his penis% #hey said that even as he as being attended to by a do"tor he as orking ith his hands eaving palm bran"hes and talking to us at the same time, hile the surgeon as treating the rest of his body% #his outstanding person, by the gra"e of God, obviously had su"h patien"e that he as affe"ted no more than if it ere somebody else,s body that as undergoing surgery% Even hen the knife as sli"ing bits off his members he might simply have been having a hair"ut, so little did he rea"t% >&e ere half revolted and half terrified,> they said, >that the life of su"h a great man should be violated by su"h a terrible disease and be sub)e"t to su"h e$"isions by the do"tors, but the blessed +tephan realised hat e ere thinking and said, ,Don,t be upset by this, my sons% 3othing that God ills is ever meant for evil but for an ultimate good% Perhaps it is the "ase that these members deserve punishment% Better to be punished no than after departing from this orld%, &ith these ords he en"ouraged us and helped us to be indifferent to pain and bear "alamity "heerfully%> I have told you all this so that it on,t seem strange to you hen good people suffer affli"tions% 4hapter FFFI V*!E3+ ho fell from gra"e% Valens as a Palestinian by ra"e but a 4orinthian by in"lination, in that he shared the vi"e hi"h +t Paul attributed to the 4orinthians hen he said, ,6ou are puffed up, @0 4or%1%;A% *fter "oming into the desert he lived for several years among us before he as de"eived by the devil and gave ay to pride% !ittle by little he as beguiled into thinking himself to be brilliant and important, "onversing ith angels ho ministered to his spe"ial ;E

needs% He "laimed that on"e he as orking in the gloom hen he lost the needle hi"h he as using to stit"h up a basket% &hen he "ould not find it a demon made a light for him and the needle "ame to hand% 8rom su"h in"idents as this he "on"eived a highly inflated opinion of himself and be"ame so self(important that he even felt that he had no need to parti"ipate in the +a"raments% But the !ord had mer"y on him and sa to it that his failings should 7ui"kly be"ome kno n to the hole fraternity% It so happened that some guests offered some bellaria @presentsD holy reli"sD blessed medalsD some kind of food stuffDA to the brothers in "hur"h% #he holy 'a"arius, our priest, a""epted them and distributed a handful of them to ea"h person in the "ells round about% &hen it "ame to Valens, turn the person delivering them as sub)e"ted to verbal abuse% >Go and tell 'a"arius,> he said, >that I am not inferior to him that he should besto blessings on me%> 'a"arius realised that he as suffering from delusions and ent to see him ne$t day in order to admonish him% >Valens,> he said, >you are being led astray% Give it up and ask God,s pardon%> Valens ould not listen to his arning, and 'a"arius ent a ay very troubled in mind, lamenting be"ause Valens had fallen% #he demon as no "onvin"ed that Valens believed in his de"eptions impli"itly% He de"ided to impersonate the +aviour and at night time sent to Valens a vision "onsisting of a thousand angels bearing tor"hes and a fiery heel in hi"h "ould be seen the image of the +aviour% 5ne of the angels pro"laimed, >4hrist loves hat you are doing% He loves the freedom and "onfiden"e of your life% He "omes to greet you% Go out of your "ell, and do not fail to fall do n and orship him hen you see him and then go ba"k to your "ell%> He ent out of his "ell for about a mile, follo ing the vision of tor"hes, and there fell do n and orshipped the *nti"hrist% #he ne$t day, in a state of mental disturban"e, he ent into the "hur"h and said to the assembled brothers, >I have no need of 4ommunion, for I have today seen 4hrist himself%> #he fathers then imprisoned him for a year in iron sha"kles, and prayed that he might be "ured of his shameful behaviour% By this e$tremely severe treatment his delusions ere dra n out of him% *s the saying goes, "ontrary things are "ured by "ontrary medi"ines% It is very ne"essary to in"lude the lives of su"h people in this book to serve as a arning to the le"tor% #here are sa"red t igs on the tree of paradise, that is, the kno ledge of good and evil, so that if anyone plu"ks them hile doing the right thing they might not get "arried a ay and fall from virtue% 8or virtue itself "an often be the o""asion of sin, if not performed ith the right aim% 8or it is ritten, ,I sa the righteous perishing in his o n righteousness% #his also is vanity%, @E""les H%01A% 4hapter FFFII E<5 'y neighbour Ero as a "ity youth from *le$andria, very intelligent, and of an upright life% He too, after orking and struggling e$"eptionally hard, fell headlong into pride and presumption% In his pride he insolently defied the holy fathers, among them the blessed Evagrius, upon hom he poured s"orn, saying, ,#hose ho listen to your tea"hing are de"eiving themselves, for e should "all no one our master e$"ept 4hrist%> #hus he perverted the #estament by interpreting in his o n foolish ay the saying, ,4all no one on earth your father%, @'atthe ;9%EA% His mind as so darkened by the empty obstina"y of his o n opinion that he too as sha"kled hen he refused to "ome to the +a"rament% But let us be faithful to the truth% In the beginning his life as e$tremely ell planned and pun"tilious, so that many ho lived near him spoke up for him, saying that sometimes he ent for three months ithout a proper meal, being "ontent ith the +a"rament and hatever ild olives he "ould find% I also had had o""asion to observe him hen the blessed *lbinus and I travelled ith him to +"ete forty miles a ay% In the "ourse of those forty miles e ate t i"e and drank some ater three times% But he ate nothing, and as he alked he re"ited first fifteen psalms, then the long psalm, then the epistle to the Hebre s, then Isaiah and part of the prophet Ceremiah, then the gospel of +t !uke, then Proverbs% *nd e "ould not keep up ith him as he alked% ;G

But in the end he as "aptured by the evil orkings of a demon, and stirred up by his burning fire he found he "ould stay in his "ell no longer% In some mysterious dispensation of providen"e he ent off to *le$andria, driving out one nail by another% He deliberately adopted a dissolute and "areless ay of life, hi"h brought him later to a state of health he had not asked for% 8or from going to the theatre and the horse ra"es, and giving himself up to gluttony and drunkenness, he eventually fell into a s7ualid lust after omen% Having su""umbed to this he asso"iated ith a "ertain a"tress and as re arded by developing a sore spot, hi"h by divine providen"e developed into a "arbun"le in his testi"les% In the spa"e of a eek he be"ame so ill that his genitals ent "ompletely putrid and fell off of their o n a""ord% *s he "onvales"ed after this he turned ba"k to the things hi"h he kne ere of God% He ent ba"k to the desert and "onfessed all these things to the fathers, but before he "ould even return to his former ork he died% 4hapter FFFIII P#5!E'6 ho fell from gra"e #here as another "alled Ptolemy ho lived in further +"ete in the part kno n @in GreekA as Klima$, that is, ,!adder,% It is diffi"ult to talk about his life but better that than not talk about it at all% Klima$ is a pla"e here no one should be able to live be"ause the nearest ell is eighteen miles a ay% But he had a great number of earthen )ars, and during De"ember and Canuary he "olle"ted de , soaking it up off the ro"ks ith a sponge% #here is a great deal of de in those parts% 8or fifteen years he managed to live like this% But deprived as he as from the tea"hing and fello ship of the holy men, and from the benefits of regular parti"ipation in the +a"raments, he began to depart from the right path% 'any people think that this is the root "ause of all error, and he unfortunately is a good e$ample of this, as the demon of error began to gain "ontrol over him% #he enemy suggested to this empty headed man that res nullam habere essentiam, @lit% ,things had no essen"e,, i%e% ,nothing had any essential meaning,, or even ,his ay of life had no foundation,A sin"e all things e$isted be"ause the orld itself e$isted of its o n a""ord% +o the enemy of life insinuated into his mind these 7uestions, >If this is the ay things are hy do you live in these remote partsD &hat pleasure is there in it, Ptolemy, if there is no re ard for itD *nd ho is going to give you a re ard for your many great labours if there is no one to do the givingD Is there any value in the )udgement threatened by +"ripture if there is no su"h thing as providen"eD> ?ndermined by these satani" thoughts this miserable Ptolemy be"ame so disturbed in his mind that he andered off to Egypt here he gave himself up to gluttony and drunkenness, talking to no one, but silently fre7uenting the market pla"e as a miserable and tear( )erking spe"ta"le to the eyes of 4hristians and a laughing sto"k for those ho ere ignorant of our ay of life% #his in"urable disease affli"ted the unfortunate Ptolemy from a sort of irrational arrogan"e, de"eived by the sedu"tions of a demon% He thought he as better off ith his o n brand of isdom apart from all the holy fathers% His s elled head made him his o n orst enemy and he rushed headlong into profound destru"tion, be"ause he never paid attention to the ise leadership of any of the holy fathers and as not established in their spiritual tea"hing% He had no guide and so alked into the ays of death% * tree may be flourishing ith healthy leaves and beautiful fruit but "an be made sterile in a moment of time if stripped bare% #hose ithout guides fall like leaves% 4hapter FFFIV * lapsed VI<GI3 I kne a "ertain virgin of Cerusalem ho as en"losed and ore sa"k"loth for si$ years% +he ould not allo anything hi"h tended to ards self(indulgen"e but as reno ned among omen for her temperan"e% But pride, that root of all evils, made her a stranger to divine gra"e, so that she opened her door to the one ho ministered to her and ent to bed ith him% #hey ere not living for "harity or the la s of God, but only on a human level, hi"h leads only to vainglory and the beginning of depravity% 8or hile she as busying herself in pious thoughts about damning others she as driven mad by the demon of pride ho as absolutely delighted% #he angel of temperan"e ho ever deserted her entirely% 3o , 5 most faithful of men, I have ritten about the lives of those ho have been upright and virtuous, and also about those ho after many labours have fallen through laBiness and stupidity from the high standard they 9/

had set, led astray by all kinds of devilish snares% *nyone ho kno s hat hidden nets the demon ill set for him in his o n life may then kno ho to es"ape su"h snares% #here are many great men and omen ho in the beginning faithfully pursued their "hosen ay of life but then ere rooted up by the enemy of the human ra"e% I have made mention of )ust a fe of them% #he rest I pass over in silen"e, for I ill do neither them nor myself any good by d elling on them to the negle"t of des"ribing the virtuous divine ork of the athletes of 4hrist ho prevailed% 4hapter FFFV #he !ife of abba E!I*+ Elias, best of orkers, as a great friend of omen, and took great "are of the eaker se$% He as one of those people for hom the end in vie a"ts as a spur to the e$er"ise of all their skills% He gave a great deal of help to a group of omen ho ere living a dis"iplined life, and used resour"es hi"h he had in the "ity of *thribe to build them a large monastery, and there he gathered together all virgins ho had gone astray% He took "are of them in all things, supplying them ith everything they needed, a garden and tools to "ultivate it, in a ord, everything ne"essary for a life of dis"ipline% #hey had been dra n together ho ever from living private lives in various diverse "ir"umstan"es ith the result that they 7uarrelled a great deal% +o it as ne"essary for this holy man to listen to them and try to make pea"e among them% 8or he had gathered together about three hundred of them and for t o years he been having to a"t as mediator among them, even though at about thirty or forty years of age he as 7uite young% He began to be tempted by lust% He ent out from the monastery and andered about in the desert for a "ouple of days, besee"hing and praying, >Either kill me lest I abuse them, or take a ay from me this disordered desire, so that I "an look after them in a rational manner%> #hat evening in the desert he dreamed% He told me that three angels "ame and "onfronted him, saying, >&hy have you left this monastery of omenD> He told them all% >I am frightened that I ill do both them and me some great in)ury%> >If you ere to be liberated from these desires ould you go ba"k and "ontinue to take "are of themD> >6es, I ould%> #hey told him he ould have to s ear an oath, and spelled out the details, >+ ear this to us, ,By him ho "ares for me, so ill I "are for them%,> *nd he s ore% 5ne of the angels then grasped his hands, another his feet, and the third took a raBor and, in his vision, seemed to "ut out his testi"les% *nd it seemed to him in his dream that the dismemberment had "ured him% >Do you feel any benefit from thisD> the angels then asked him% >*n enormous benefit,> he said% >I feel I have lost a great burden, and been freed from the diffi"ulty of "ontrolling my desires%> >Go ba"k to your monastery,> the angels said% 8ive days later he turned ba"k and ent in to the monastery to find them all mourning for him% 8rom then on he lived in his "ell by the side of the monastery, and be"ause of his nearness he as able to govern them "ons"ientiously to the best of his ability% He lived ith them another forty years, and during all that time, so he told the fathers, he did not have a single lustful thought "ome into his mind% +u"h as the life of that holy man Elias, his dis"ipline and the ay he ruled his monastery of omen% 4hapter FFFVI #he !ife of abba D5<5#HE?+

90

Elias as su""eeded by Dorotheus, a most orthy man, ho gre old in the kno ledge of ho to live a good life% He found that he "ould not look after the monastery in the same ay as the blessed Elias% Instead of living in Elias, "ell he shut himself up in an upper room of the monastery and made a indo overlooking the omen hi"h "ould be opened and shut% He as forever sitting at the indo , ensuring that they lived together in pea"e% #here ere no stairs, so he gre old in this upper room ithout anyone able to go up to him, nor as he able to go do n% +u"h as the religious life, adorned ith many virtues, of the blessed Dorotheus% 4hapter FFFVII *mma PI*'?3 #here as a virgin "alled Piamun ho lived ith her mother all the days of her life, spinning fla$, and eating alone ith ea"h other every evening% +he had the gift of being able to foretell people,s future% It so happened that one year hen the 3ile flooded villages began to invade ea"h other, 7uarrelling about sharing the ater, "ausing in)uries and deaths% * stronger village threatened to invade hers, and a "ro d of men "arrying spears and pointed sti"ks set out, intent on destroying the village% But an angel of the !ord appeared to this blessed oman telling her of this invasion% +he "alled the village priests and said to them, >Go out of the village and run to those ho are "oming out against you and ask them to desist from these evils they are preparing against you, lest you perish along ith the hole village%> #he terrified priests fell at her feet% >&e don,t dare to go out and meet them,> they implored her, >for e kno only too ell their drunken fury% But if you have any pity for us and the village and your o n house go out to meet them yourself, "alm them do n and turn them ba"k%> +he ould not agree to do that but ent ba"k to her o n little house and stood all night in prayer, hardly prostrating herself at all% >5 !ord, )udge of the orld,> she prayed, > ho hate in)usti"e, let this prayer "ome to you and let your po er stop them in their tra"ks like a "olumn of stone herever it finds them%> *nd as this holy virgin prayed so it happened% Early in the morning, about three miles a ay, the enemy stood transfi$ed, like "olumns of stone, unable to move% *nd it as revealed to them that they had been brought to a halt through the prayers of Piamun, the servant of 4hrist, and they made pea"e ith her village, saying, >#hanks be to God and the prayers of Piamun that e ere prevented from doing you any harm%> 4hapter FFFVIII #he !ife of abba P*4H5'I?+ and those ho ere ith him Pa"homius lived in a pla"e "alled #abennesi, hi"h is in the #hebaid% He as among those ho lived in the greatest and most perfe"t ay of life, and as found orthy of the gift of angeli" visions and foretelling the future% He as a great lover of the poor and as full of "harity to all% *n angel of the !ord appeared to him as he sat in his "ave% >Pa"homius,> he said, >6ou have done properly and thoroughly all the things given you to do% 6ou no longer need to live in this pla"e, so get up, go out, gather together all the young monks and live ith them% Give them rules a""ording to the formula hi"h I ill give you%> *nd he gave Pa"homius a bronBe tablet on hi"h as ins"ribed the follo ing, ,*llo ea"h person food and drink a""ording to his strength% ,Give diffi"ult tasks to the strong% Give lighter, less arduous tasks to those ho find things diffi"ult be"ause of their eakness% 9;

,Put several "ells in ea"h ing and put three in a "ell, but let all the food be prepared in one building% ,!et them not lie do n to sleep, but provide semi(re"lining "hairs, give them blankets and let them sleep there sitting up% !et them ear at night linen shifts and girdles and let ea"h person have a sheepskin of hite ool% #hey should not eat or sleep ithout them% ,&hen they go to the 4ommunion of 4hrist on +aturday and +unday let them put off their belts and sheepskins and let them go in earing only their "o ls hi"h should have no shaggy ool on them, but have a purple "ross superimposed on them% ,!et there be t enty(four groups of monks a""ording to the t enty(four letters of the -Greek2 alphabet% Ea"h group should be kno n by its Greek letter, from a, b, et"% do n to % If the ar"himandrite ants to en7uire about any parti"ular person out of su"h a great number, he should ask, >Ho is group aD> or >Ho is group bD> or >Give my greetings to group r,> a""ording to the letter belonging to ea"h group% #he more sin"ere and simple ones should be given the letter i, the more diffi"ult ones the letter $ % #hus you "an "onveniently mat"h every group to ea"h letter of the alphabet a""ording to the dis"ipline and style of life of ea"h one, ithout anyone e$"ept the spiritual tea"hers understanding the meaning%, *lso ritten on the tabletO ,If you have a guest from a different monastery hi"h has a different rule let him eat and drink separately and do not admit him into the monastery unless he is simply on a )ourney% ,8urthermore, hen on"e a person has entered, do not finally admit him till he has proved his ability to endure the battle for three years% But hen he has "oped ith this diffi"ult life for three years then let him "arry on ith the "ontest% ,!et the brothers ear their hoods up in the refe"tory so that one brother "annot see another "he ing% #hey should not speak hile eating, nor should they take their eyes off the table and their plates% ,#hey should say t elve sets of prayers during the day, t elve at the lighting of the lamps in the evening, t elve during the night vigil, and three at the ninth hour% &hen they are eating together en masse let ea"h group sing one psalm before ea"h set of prayers%, &hen the great Pa"homius ob)e"ted to the angel that the prayers ere rather fe , the angel replied, >I have de"ided it this ay so that even the least "an fulfil the rule ithout being overburdened% #he more profi"ient ones don,t need to keep these la sN they "an give their hole lives to "ontemplation hen they are in their "ells% #hese rules I have given for the sake of those hose understanding is less developed, so that like stubborn servants going in fear of their master they may fulfil the dis"ipline of their lives se"urely and freely%> &hen the angel had finished his task in setting up these rules he departed from Pa"homius% #here are about seven thousand men in monasteries follo ing these rules% #he prin"ipal great monastery here Pa"homius lived, from hi"h the others sprang, "ontains about fourteen hundred men% 4hapter FFFIF #he !ife of abba *PH#H53I?+ *mong them is a servant of God "alled *phthonius, a "lose and sin"ere friend of mine, ho is no se"ond in "ommand of that monastery% Be"ause he is strong in 4hrist, stable and reliable, and unlikely to be distra"ted, they send him to do their business in *le$andria, by selling their goods and doing their shopping% #here are other monasteries of t o or three hundred people, and I entered one of them in the "ity of Panos here there ere three hundred men% #hey pra"ti"e all kinds of trades, and besides hat I list belo they even build monasteries for omen, and also prisons% *fter rising in the morning, they go a""ording to their individual gifts, some to the kit"hen, some to laying the tables ith bread, "ountry herbs, olives, "heese, animals, feet and di"ed vegetables% #he eaker go in to dine first, at the seventh hour, others at the ninth, others at the tenth, others at 99

evening, but some only after t o days, some three days, four days or five days, so that ea"h group had its o n hour% #he ork they did as as follo s, some orked in the fields, some in the garden, some in the "orn mill, some in the forge, some in building ork, some in the laundry, some in the tannery, some in shoemaking, some in "alligraphy, some eaving big baskets, some smaller baskets and some bread baskets% *nd all learned the +"riptures by heart% #here as also a monastery of about four hundred omen ho had the same rule and ay of life, e$"ept that they did not have the sheepskin% #hese omen ere on the other side of the 3ile, opposite the men% &hen one of them died the others sa to her burial by taking her out and pla"ing her on the banks of the 3ile% #he brothers then "rossed over, "arrying palms and olive bran"hes and singing psalms, brought her ba"k and buried her in their o n graveyard% *part from the priest and dea"on, and then only on +undays, nobody else ent over the river to the omen,s monastery% 4hapter F! #he VI<GI3 ho as falsely a""used% #he follo ing in"ident o""urred in the omen,s monastery, a se"ular shoemaker "rossed the river in ignoran"e, looking for ork% He made his re7uest to a )unior sister ho happened to meet him as she as going out @for the pla"e as a desertA% >&e have our o n shoemaker,> she replied% #hey ere seen by another sister ho had a mind burning ith mali"e% Inspired by the devil she made this "onversation a "ause of s"andal and bla"kened the name of the brothers% 5thers believed her, though not moved by mali"e% #he )unior sister as grief stri"ken at being a""used of a rong hi"h had not even entered her mind% ?nable to bear it she se"retly thre herself into the river and died% &hen the sister ho had started the "alumny realised that her s"andal(mongering as unfounded and that she had "ommitted a grievous "rime she too as unable to bear it and hanged herself% &hen the priest "ame and the sisters told him about it, he said that no mass should be said for either of them, and he e$"ommuni"ated for seven years those ho had been party to the "alumny by not re"ognising it for hat it as and believing the false tale% 4hapter F!I #he VI<GI3 ho pretended to be a half it 4hapter F!II Holy PI#I<?' #hese t o "hapters "overed in V%$viii%0G 4hapter F!III *bba C5H3 of the "ity of !y"us #here as a "ertain Cohn in the "ity of !y"us ho from his boyhood had learned the building trade% He had a brother ho as a dyer% &hen he as about t enty(five years old he renoun"ed the orld, and after five years in a monastery ent alone from !y"us into the mountain% 5n the top of the mountain he built a three(roomed "ell 9.

ith three domes and alled himself into it% 5ne of the rooms as a latrine, one as here he orked and one as here he prayed% *fter living like this for thirty years, ith the help of someone ho brought the ne"essities of life to him through the indo , he as found orthy of re"eiving the gift of foretelling the future% It proved obvious from hat he did that this gift of prophe"y had been given him% He as able to tell the pious Emperor #heodosius hat God as bringing into the orld before anyone else did, and "ould foretell future events, in parti"ular the revolts of the t o tyrants, their subse7uent speedy do nfall, and the destru"tion of the people ho rebelled against him% -#heodosius the Great "%9.:(9G1% Emperor in 4onstantinople from 9HE% #here as a revolt in Britain by 'a$imus in 9E9, and by Eugenius in the &estern empire in 9G;%2 &hen the Ethiopians burst out over their borders and laid aste the neighbouring regions as far as +yene in the #hebaid, a "ertain general asked him hether he ould be able to defeat them% >If you go up against them,> said Cohn, >you ill surround them, "on7uer and subdue them and you ill be most famous among generals%> *nd so it happened% #he event "onfirmed the predi"tion% He also used to say that the most 4hristian Emperor #heodosius ould die at the same time as his o n death% #his admirable man e$"elled in the gift of prophe"y% #his as endorsed by the fathers ho had anything to do ith him, men hose reputation stood high among the "ommunity% #hey eren,t e$aggerating anything about him, but ere in"lined to say even less than he deserved% 8or there as a "ertain tribune ho "ame to see him and begged permission for his ife to pay a visit% +he had suffered a great deal and longed to "ome to him at +yene so that he "ould pray for her and send her a ay ith his blessing% He as no ninety years old and had not even seen a oman for forty years% He never ent outside his "ell, he ould never allo a oman to be seen, and "ertainly did not ant to see the tribune,s ife% 3o man had even been inside his "ell% He simply used to give blessings from his indo , and deal kindly ith visitors, dealing ith ea"h one a""ording to their needs% +o hen the tribune arrived asking if he "ould send for his ife @for Cohn lived five miles into the desertA he ould not agree, said it "ould not be done, and sent him sadly a ay% But the ife ould not stop nagging her husband day and night about it and s ore that she ould never give up until she had seen the prophet% #he husband returned and told Cohn of her determination% >In that "ase,> said Cohn, re"ognising her faith, >+he shall see me tonight in a dream% But she on,t get any nearer than that to seeing my fa"e in the flesh%> #he husband told his ife hat the father had said, and in her dreams she sa the prophet "oming to ards her% >&hy should a oman bother about meD> he said% >&hy should you ant to see my fa"eD *m I a prophet ho has obtained a pla"e among the ele"tD I am )ust a sinful man, vulnerable as you are, but I have prayed for you and your husband,s house that it may be to you a""ording to your faith% 3o go in pea"e%> Having said this he departed% &hen the oman a oke she told her husband hat the prophet had said and des"ribed to him hat he looked like and hat he ore% +he sent her husband ba"k to him to give him thanks% &hen blessed Cohn sa him he el"omed him and said, >+ee no , I have done hat you asked% +o having seen her, I have arned that she should not see me any more% Go in pea"e%> #he ife of another prefe"t ent into labour hile her husband as absent% #he baby as born at the e$a"t time that her husband as "onsulting 8ather Cohn, hile she herself be"ame dangerously ill ith mental depression% *nd the holy man as able to tell the husband about this% >Cust think hat God has given you% * son is born to you this day, so you may glorify God% But his mother is in some danger% &hen you get ba"k, ho ever, you ill find that your son is seven days old% 3ame him Cohn, bring him up stri"tly, and hen he is seventeen send him to the monks in the desert%> #his sort of mira"le he often sho ed to people ho "ame from afar% His o n lo"al "ommunity fre7uently resorted to him also to their o n advantage% He foresa and predi"ted the future for them and "ounselled them on all the se"rets ith hi"h they entrusted him, as ell as -predi"ting the 91

Inundation of2 the 3ile, and the fertility of the approa"hing year% In like manner he fore arned his "lients of the )udgments of God, and )ustified his reasons for doing so% #he blessed Cohn did not openly perform "ures on anyone, but he did give them oil hi"h relieved many of their "omplaints% #here as a senator,s ife ho had lost her eyesight be"ause of a hite film hi"h "overed her eyes% +he asked her husband to take her to Cohn% &hen he told her that Cohn never re"eived omen, she begged that if only he ould ask Cohn on her behalf he ould do something for her% He did soN he sent her some oil% *fter she had treated her eyes ith the oil for only three days, she re"overed her sight and gave thanks to God% I hardly need add that there ere many other things he did hi"h e sa ith our o n eyes% #here ere seven of us brothers andering in 3itria, in"luding the blessed Evagrius, and *lbinus and *mmon% &e sought diligently to determine a""urately the po er of this man,s life% >I ould gladly learn hat this man is like,> said the great Evagrius, >from someone skilled in mental and spiritual assessment% 8or if I "an,t see him myself, I "ould learn a""urately about his ay of life from hat somebody else tells me% I ill find out if I "an visit him, and if I "an,t I on,t go to his mountain%> Hearing this I said nothing to anyone for a hole day, then gave up my "ell to someone else, and "ommending myself and my "ell to God, I set out for the #hebaid% I arrived there after eighteen days, travelling sometimes on foot, sometimes on the river% It as the time of the Inundation, hen many be"ome ill, hi"h indeed happened to me% &hen I got there I found the door of his vestibule lo"ked @for the brothers had later built this great vestibule holding about a hundred people hi"h they kept lo"ked and opened up only on +aturdays and +undaysA% &hen I learned hy it as lo"ked I kept silen"e until the +unday% I got there at about the se"ond hour and found that he as sitting in his indo , listening to people and "ounselling them% >&here are you from and hy have you "omeD> he said to me through an interpreter, after greeting me% >I do kno that you belong to the "ongregation of Evagrius%> >I am a stranger from Galatia,> I said, >and I do belong to Evagrius, "ompany%> &hile e ere speaking, the governor of the region, *lypius by name, "ame running in and he stopped talking to me% I yielded my pla"e and ithdre out of earshot% #hey seemed to be talking together for su"h a long time that I as very upset and resented the ay in hi"h this venerable person had treated me ith "ontempt hile honouring this other man% I as so irritated that I as on the point of going off in disgust, hen he "alled the interpreter, #heodore by name, to tell me not to be upset for he ould soon be finished ith the governor after hi"h he ould be talking ith me% It stru"k me that although I had been "riti"ising him he really as a spiritual man and as dealing ith me very gently% >&hy ere you angry ith meD> he asked me, hen he summoned me after the governor had gone% >&hat as there that you "ould s ear on oath had offended youD 6ou ere imputing to me things hi"h ere totally absent from my mind, and hi"h did you no "redit at all% Don,t you kno the +"ripture, ,It is not the healthy ho need a physi"ian but the si"k,D I "an "ome to you henever I ant, )ust as you "an "ome to me% *nd if I "an,t help you, you have many other brothers and fathers ho "an% But this man ho is bedevilled by pressing orldly affairs has managed to snat"h a small spa"e of time to seek for some help, like a slave es"aping from a severe master% It ould have been ridi"ulous for me to have ignored him in order to attend to you hen you have all the time in the orld to ork out your o n salvation%> I asked him to pray for me% I had established that he as indeed a spiritual man% He then playfully stru"k me on the right "heek and saidO >#here are many diffi"ulties ahead of you% 6ou have already gone through many struggles about hether or not you should leave the desert% 6ou have be"ome fearful and you have "hanged% #he demon has put many pious e$"uses into your mind, ith many apparent good reasons, su"h as longing to go to ba"k home so that you "an initiate your brother and sister into monasti" life% &ell, I have got good ne s for you% #hey are both seeking salvation and ill renoun"e the orld% *nd your father ill live for another seven years% +o don,t go ba"k home 9:

for their sakes but be strong and persevere in the desert% It is ritten, ,3o one ho has put his hand to the plough and has turned ba"k is fit for the kingdom of God%,> #hese ords greatly helped and strengthened me, and I gave thanks to God hen I realised that the motives hi"h had been driving me had been sho n up as e$"uses% >&ould you like to be made a bishopD> he asked, playfully teasing me again% >3ot possible%> I said% >I already am one%> >&hereD> he asked >I am bishop over a flo"k of kit"hen utensils, food supplies, dining tables, storage )ars% I at"h over them diligently% If the ine is sour I e$"ommuni"ate @segregoA it% I only drink it if it is good% I like ise keep a "areful eye on the "anisters, and if the salt or spi"es are lo I replenish then ready to be used% #his is my epis"opa"y, my )urisdi"tion% It is to ards these things that my in"lination is dra n%> >Coking aside,> he said, laughing, >6our future is to be made a bishop, along ith many labours and troubles% But if you ish to avoid these troubles don,t leave the desert% 6ou "an,t be made a bishop if you stay in the desert%> But I forgot his ords% #hree years later I fell ill from spleen and stoma"h disorders% #he brothers sent me to *le$andria, for the disease as developing into dropsy% #he do"tors advised that I should go from *le$andria to Palestine, for the sake of the air, for they thought that hat I needed as a more temperate, mello "limate% 8rom Palestine I ent to Bithynia, here someho or other, hether by a human de"ision or by divine ill I don,t kno , God kno s, I as found orthy of being ordained, given a higher strength than my o n, and so it happened to me as Cohn had predi"ted% I spent eleven months in a "heerless "ell, taking note of this blessed man ho foretold my future% #o ards the end he told me that he had been in his "ell for forty years ithout seeing either omen or money% He had not seen anyone hile they ere eating, nor had anyone ever seen him either eating or drinking% He told me this to help me bear my o n solitude% *fter I left him I ent ba"k to my o n usual pla"e of solitude and told all these things to the blessed fathers, ho after a "ouple of months ent to see him themselves% *nd this is hat they told meO >&hen e arrived he re"eived us and el"omed us most armly, ith a "heerful ord for ea"h one of us% &e asked him immediately if he ould offer prayers ( for this is the "ustom among the Egyptian fathers% He asked hether there as a "leri" among us% &e all said that there asn,t, but he looked us all over and singled out one of us ho had a se"ret, in that he had in fa"t been found orthy of being ordained dea"on% #here as only one other brother ho as a are of this but the dea"on had asked him not to tell anyone% In his humility he as so far from anting any parti"ular honour that in "omparison to the fathers he felt he as hardly even orthy to be "alled 4hristian% >#his man is a dea"on,> said Cohn, pointing him out to everyone% He denied it vigorously and tried to es"ape, but Cohn grasped his hand through the indo % >Don,t spurn the gra"e of God, my son,> Cohn admonished him, >lest by telling a falsehood you tarnish God,s gift% 4hristians should not tell lies% &hether in big things or small it is al ays reprehensible% #he +aviour himself says, ,!ying is of the devil,> @Cohn%E%..A% His guilt e$posed he a""epted this paternal rebuke and protested no more% *fter prayers ere done one of our brothers asked to be "ured of a fever hi"h had been plaguing him for three days% He told the brother that he as suffering this illness be"ause of the eakness of his faith, but nevertheless gave him some oil and told him to anoint himself ith it% &hen he had done so he vomited out hat as in his stoma"h, his fever subsided, and he ent ba"k to the guest house on his o n t o feet% 9H

Cohn as obviously about ninety years old, very frail of body, and as a result of his regime no beard gre on his fa"e% 8or he ate nothing but fruit and that not till after sunset even in his e$treme old age% He observed a very stri"t regime, eating neither bread nor anything else "ooked% He asked us to sit do n and e gave thanks to God that e ere to en)oy a "onferen"e ith him% He a""epted us as if e ere beloved long lost sons, and smiled as he spoke% >&here are you from, my sonsD &hat "ountry have you left in order to "ome and see this frail and unimportant old manD> &e told him our native land, and added, >&e have "ome to you from Cerusalem for the good of our souls, so that hat e have heard ith our ears e might see ith our eyes% 8or ears are not so reliable as eyes% It is easy to forget hat you hear, but hat you see is not easily erased from the memoryN it is someho imprinted on the mind as part of your history%> >*nd hat marvels ere you hoping to see, my beloved sons,> said the blessed Cohn, >undergoing su"h a long )ourney ith great hardship in order to get hereD &as it really some frail and unimportant human beings you anted to see, ho have nothing orth looking at or admiringD *fter all, there are admirable and praise orthy prophets and apostles of God appointed in all the "hur"hes, good e$amples for you to follo % I am amaBed at your enthusiasm and ho you have braved all kinds of dangers to "ome to us hoping for some kind of benefit, hen e ourselves are so laBy that e have never even anted to travel outside our "ell% >#hink no , is this venture of yours so praise orthy, after allD It is as if you are putting your trust in some splendid thing that you have done, hen hat is really needed is to sear"h for the virtues hi"h your fathers sought% *nd even if you possessed them all, a rare thing indeed, you ould still not have anything in yourselves to boast about% 8or some ho are "onfident that they have arrived at the very pinna"le of virtue have fallen at last from their high estate% #ake "are rather that your prayer is sound% Is the purity of your heart disturbedD &hen you pray is your mind distra"ted ith all kinds of other thingsD Does some thought or other in your mind )ump about to something elseD Is there some thought in your memory hi"h is doing damage to your soulD *sk yourself hether you have truly renoun"ed the orld% Have you "ome here simply to gaBe at our freedom of spiritD *re you "hasing after virtue simply for the sake of vaingloryD ( as if you "ould then sho off to people by imitating hat e are doingD >#ake "are that you do not be"ome entirely governed by turbulent thoughts, by honour and glory and human praise, by putting on a sho of your "on"ern for holy things, by self love% Don,t "onsider yourself to be righteous, for if you glory in your o n righteousness you are liable to be puffed up above yourself by a sense of your o n virtue% Don,t even think about your family hen you are praying% Don,t d ell on thoughts of mer"y or indeed of anything else in the hole orld% 8or if you do your prayer "omes to nothing% *nyone seeking God is dragged do n by these thoughts hi"h "ome against you% #hese mental anderings happen to anyone ho has not entirely renoun"ed the orld but "hases after subserving it% Be"ause of the multitude of matters o""upying his attention his mind is fragmented by earthly and bodily orries, and for as long as he is arguing a ay ith his disturbed thoughts he "annot see God% But even your kno ledge of God should never be "onsidered full and e$a"t, for you may not really be orthy of su"h a priBe% 5r perhaps in getting part of the ay you may rongly think you have attained it all and so fall into destru"tion% >6our progress to ards God should be gentle and devout, tempered to the mind and human potential of ea"h individual person% #hose ho ould seek God must free their minds from all other things% ,Be still,, he said, ,and kno that I am God, @Psalm .:%0/A% *nyone ho gains even in part the kno ledge of God @for no one "an gain it in fullA, gains ith it an insight into everything else% He understands the mysteries hi"h God sho s him, he sees into the future, grasps su"h revelations as are fitting for a saint, gro s in virtue, and obtains from God all his petitions%> He had mu"h to say also on the sub)e"t of the as"eti" ay, and ho to think of death as a "hange to a better life% &e should not orry about the eakness of the body, nor should e indulge it ith every passing fan"y% >8or,> he said, >anyone ho satisfies every desire is the same as someone living in lu$ury% <ather, it is ne"essary to deaden the appetites by the e$er"ise of dis"ipline% #here is no need to rela$ your mind ith everything on offer% !et us no be eak, affli"ted and oppressed if only e may possess the inheritan"e of the kingdom of God 9E

in all its breadth% &e "an enter the kingdom of God only through many affli"tions% ,It is a narro gate and a "onstri"ted ay hi"h leads to life,, he said, ,and there are fe that find it% *nd it is a broad ay hi"h leads to destru"tion and there are many ho go in by it%, @'att H%09K0.A% It is ne"essary to berate ourselves here, for after a little hile e go to eternal life% 3either "an e boast about hat e have done that is right, but must al ays be humble, and seek for longer periods of solitude if ever e get "on"eited% 8or even those ho ere perfe"t have often been led astray by living in the midst of the "ity, as happened to David "ausing him to say, ,Behold I have fled far a ay and lived in solitude, and have looked for him ho saves me from terror and tempest%, @Psalm 11%HKEA% 'any of our brothers have had this happen to them and be"ause of their arrogan"e they have fallen out of sight%> 4hapter F!IV * tale of *bba C5H3 about someone ho fell >#here as a "ertain monk,> he said, > ho lived in the nearer desert, keeping every proper dis"ipline and orking for his daily bread% *fter he had persevered for a long time in prayer and gro n in virtue he began to trust in himself alone and in the beauty of his o n settled life% #he tempter then began to try him as he tried Cob, and one evening sho ed him the image of a beautiful oman andering in the ilderness% 8inding the door open she "ame right in to his "ell, knelt at his feet and begged to be allo ed to stay, overtaken as she as by the night% He took pity on her and let her in, hi"h he ought not to have done% >* further mistake as to 7uestion her "losely% +he told him a long story, sprinkled ith all sorts of flattery and falsehood, and spun out the "onversation at great length% !ittle by little, she someho enti"ed him on to thoughts of love% #hey "hattered together, laughing and giggling% #he ay she talked fas"inated himN she began to hold his hand, his beard, his ne"k, and finally "aptivated this athlete "ompletely% His mind as in a turmoil, a safe opportunity of pleasure as presenting itself, the deed as as good as done, and he gave "onsent in his mind to all these thoughts% He tried to have inter"ourse ith her like a foolish horse breaking out ildly in sear"h of a mare% +he suddenly "ried out ith a loud voi"e and vanished out of his hands, as nothing but a sort of shado % #he "ro d of demons ho had de"eived him "ould no be heard in the air mo"king him and laughing, and "rying ith a loud voi"e, ,>He ho e$alts himself ill be humiliated> @!uke 0.,00A% 6ou ere on"e lifted up into heavenly things, so no ill you be "ast do n into the lo est depths%, >He spent the night eeping, got up in the morning and "ontinued to lament the hole day through% Despairing of his o n salvation @ hi"h he ought not to have doneA he ent ba"k to the orld% #his is hat the devil ants% *s soon as he makes a mo"k of anyone he redu"es him to a foolishness from hi"h it is not possible to es"ape% &herefore, my sons, it is not good for us to live near the to ns, nor to "onverse ith omen, lest images of them stay in your mind hi"h you "annot get rid of, images hi"h have been put there by hat you have seen and heard% But neither should e let our minds be eighed do n, driving us into despair, for those ho do not lose hope ill not be deprived of the mer"y of the mer"iful God% 4hapter F!V * tale of the same *bba C5H3 about someone ho as led to repent% #here as a "ertain young man in the "ity ho had done many evil things and sinned gravely% He began to be sorry for his sins, inspired by God, and ent into a graveyard here he fell on his fa"e, eeping for his past life, spee"hless, not daring so mu"h as to "all upon God to ask pardon, so little did he estimate his life to be orth% +o having shut himself up in a tomb and fa"ed up to the sort of life he had been leading, he groaned from the depths of his being% *t the end of a eek the demons ho had been leading his former life into damnation "ame shouting at him by night% >&here is this profane ret"h, sated ith lust and pleasure(seeking, ho no suddenly pretends to be honest and moderate in this untimely mannerD Has he got beyond itD Does he no ant to be a 4hristian, ith upright and "lean habitsD *s if you "ould e$pe"t anything good to be"ome of you in future, stuffed full as you are ith the i"kedness e have given you% 6ou are going to get out of here 7ui"kly, aren,t you, and return to hat e are a""ustomed to give you% #here are lots of brothels and taverns left for you yet% &ill you not "ome and indulge your desires, sin"e there is no other hope left for youD Doubtless )udgment ill "ome s iftly, but you are

9G

destroying yourself% &hy rush madly to ards your o n punishmentD &hy are you so intent on being punished before the due timeD> #hey said mu"h more% >6ou belong to us% 6ou are enrolled in our "ompany% 6ou are familiar ith every kind of i"kedness% &e all find you disgusting, but ill you dare to fleeD *ren,t you going to listen to usD &on,t you ans erD *nd "ome a ay ith us as ellD> He )ust kept eeping, shutting his ears, replying never a ord, ho ever mu"h the demons kept on at him% &hen they sa that all their "ontinued urgings ere having no effe"t these i"ked and disgusting demons took him and laid about him heavily ith hips, beating every in"h of his body% &hen they had finished their torment they ent a ay leaving him half dead% He lay here they had left him, unable to move more than anything else% He "ame to his senses and began groaning again% &hen his family "ame to look for him and learned the reason for hat had happened to his body they begged him to return home, but he refused, even hen they tried to for"e him% #he ne$t night the demons tormented him again orse than before% #o prevent his relations persuading him to go ba"k home they kept telling him that it ould be better to die than return to his former sinful ays% 5n the third night they invaded him ith su"h "ruel torments that they pushed him to the limits of enduran"e and nearly made him give up the ghost% But they sa that he ould not give in and they departed leaving him lifeless% *s they ent they "ried, >6ou have on, you have on, you have on%> 3o further harm "ame to him% 8or the rest of his life he d elt simply in that tomb, "leansed of all evil, displaying nothing but pure virtue% He as very pre"ious in the sight of God for his virtues and for the mira"les that he did, for he led many to admire him and a akened their Beal to emulate the integrity of his ay of life% #hus it "ame about that many of those ho had given up hope for themselves ere led into doing good things, and "ondu"ted their lives properly% In them the +"ripture as fulfilled, ,He ho humbles himself ill be e$alted%, @!uke ;.%00A% +o let us pra"tise humility, my sons, the foundation of all virtues% * long spell of solitude at a distan"e also brings many benefits% 4hapter F!VI *nother tale of *bba C5H3 about someone ho fell and as led to repent% #here as another monk ho lived in the Inner Desert, "ondu"ting himself properly and s"rupulously for many years% &hen he as already getting to be 7uite elderly he as severely tested by the iles of the demons% His usual pra"ti"e "onsisted of passing his days in silen"e, ith many prayers and psalms and periods of "ontemplation% He had "lear insights into many divine visions, sometimes aking, and sometimes even hen asleep, although he a"tually slept hardly at all, living a life apart from the body% He did not till the ground, he took no thought for the ne"essities of life, he "ultivated no garden to supply his bodily needs% 3or did he "at"h birds or hunt any other animal, but full of the faith in hi"h he had abandoned human "ommunity he "ared nothing for hether or not his body ould be nourished% 8orgetful of all else he as sustained solely by his desire for God, aiting for his "all to depart from this orld, feeding above all on those unhoped for delights hi"h "annot be per"eived ith the senses% #hroughout all this time his body did not aste or sho any ill effe"ts, nor as he gloomy in spirit, but he "ontinued to appear his normal attra"tive self% *nd God truly honoured him indeed, for after a due interval of time he supplied his table ith bread for t o or three days, not )ust apparently but a"tually, for him to use% He ould go into his inner room hen he felt the pangs of hunger and find this food there% *nd having praised God and taken some food he ould again sing psalms, persevering in prayers and "ontemplation, gro ing daily, giving himself to the pursuit of virtue in hope of the future% He ent on progressing more and more, until he almost got to the stage of putting his trust in his o n po ers of improvement ( and thereby "ame to his do nfall, almost perishing in the temptations hi"h then "ame upon him% &hy should e not spell out the very "ause of his fallD His thoughts had arrived at su"h a pass that he as little by little imprudently beginning to think more of himself than anyone else, and that he possessed mu"h more than other men, and for this reason he began to put his trust solely in himself% 3ot long after he first thought like this his vigilan"e rela$ed slightly, but so little that he did not even noti"e that there had been any rela$ation% But his negligen"e gre until it progressed to the e$tent that he "ould not fail but noti"e it% He as later in aking up to ./

sing psalms, his prayers be"ame shorter, his psalm singing did not last so long, his soul said to him that he anted to rest and his mind agreed ith that, his thoughts andered and s"attered, his se"ret meditations ere vapid% But the impetus of his earlier routine still motivated him, and kept him safe for a hile, so that hen he ent in after his usual prayers of an evening he found the bread supplied by God on his table and refreshed himself a""ordingly% But he still did not "ut off his un orthy thoughts, he despised the idea that his soul as being damaged, he made no attempt to seek a remedy for these evils% !ittle by little he fell into omitting many of the things hi"h he ought to have been doing% In thought he began to develop a desire for human "ompany% #he ne$t day he put a temporary restraint on himself, and returned to his usual e$er"ises, but after he had prayed and sung his psalms he ent into the storeroom, and found that the bread pla"ed there as not so ell baked or holesome as usual, but as dirty and polluted% He ondered about this and as very sad about it, but nevertheless pi"ked it up and ate it% 4ame the third night and ith it a third evil% 8or thoughts suddenly erupted in his mind, a"tivating his memory so mu"h that he imagined there as a oman lying ith him% #his image persisted in front of his eyes, and he a"tively en"ouraged it% But on this third day he ent out to his ork and his prayers and his psalms, although his mind as not "lean any more, and strayed fre7uently% He lifted up his eyes to the heavens, turning them this ay and that, but the images in his memory prevented his ork from being unspoiled% In the evening hen he returned feeling hungry, he found that the bread looked as if it had been "he ed by mi"e or dogs, and the s"raps left over ere dried up as if left outside% He began to groan and eep, but not so mu"h as to make him ant to "orre"t his faults% Having eaten less than he ould have ished he prepared himself for rest, but at on"e his thoughts ent ild, dan"ing around in every dire"tion, battling for possession of his mind, and taking it "aptive into un"leanness% He got up and began to go to the inhabited regions, alking through the desert by night% Daylight "ame and he as still a long ay off from any habitation% He began to be over"ome by the heat and felt very tired% He gaBed around him in a "omplete "ir"le, and sa at some distan"e hat appeared to be a monastery here he might go in and get some refreshment% *nd so it as% He as a""epted in by some good and faithful brothers, ho treated him as a real father and ashed his fa"e and his feet% #hey prayed ith him, put food before him, and invited him most kindly to partake of hat they ere offering him% *fter he had eaten, the brothers asked him for a ord of salvation, and hat means there ere of being able to be safe from the iles of the devil, and ho to over"ome un"lean thoughts% !ike a father admonishing his sons he urged them to be strong and "onstant in their labours, in order to arrive 7ui"kly to a state of being at pea"e% He dis"ussed many other aspe"ts of their dis"ipline ith them and helped them greatly% &hen he had finished he thought for a hile and marvelled at ho he as giving advi"e to others ithout looking to himself and trying to amend% He a"kno ledged he as beaten and straighta ay ent ba"k to the desert, eeping for himself, and saying, >,?nless the !ord had been my helper my soul had remained in hell, @Psalm G.%0HA% I have almost been over"ome by evil% #hey have brought me ba"k to earth%> #hus ere fulfilled in him the ords, ,* brother ho is helped by a brother is like a "ity built up on high, hose all "annot be brea"hed%, @Proverbs 0E%0GA% &hereas before he used to spend all his time ithout doing any physi"al ork, no he as deprived of the bread provided by the !ord and laboured for his daily bread% *nd hen he had shut himself up in his inner room and "overed himself in sa"k"loth and ashes he did not get up from the ground or "ease from eeping until he had heard the voi"e of the angel saying to him in a dream, >#he !ord has a""epted your repentan"e and has had mer"y on you% 8rom no on live in su"h a ay that you ill not be de"eived% #he brothers you gave advi"e to you ill "ome to you and ill sho the high opinion they have of you% *""ept them, live ith them, and give thanks to God al ays%> I have told you these things, my sons, that you may al ays "ultivate humility and be seen to do so in small things as in great% #his as the first of the +aviour,s pre"epts, ,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, @'atthe 1%9A% *nd do not be de"eived by the demons, stirring you up ith visions and fantasies% If anyone approa"hes you, hether brother, friend, oman, father, tea"her, mother or sister, first lift up your hands in prayer% If they are fantasies they ill flee% *nd if either demons or human beings ould de"eive you by agreeing ith you and flattering you, don,t listen to them or get "arried a ay by them% 8or the demons ould often try to de"eive me at night also, preventing me from praying, disturbing my pea"e, presenting fantasies to me the hole night through, and mo"kingly prostrating themselves in the morning, saying, >8orgive .0

us, abba, for giving you su"h hard ork all night%> I )ust say to them, >Depart from me, all you ho ork evil, do not put the servant of the !ord to the test%> @Psalm :%EA% Do you like ise, 5 my sons, seek pea"e% Dire"t your hole self al ays to ards "ontemplation, begging God that your mind may be purified% *nyone pra"tising his faith in the orld may also be a good orkman, engaged in doing good, sho ing humanity and pity, hospitality and "harity, giving alms, blessing those ho "ome to him, helping those in diffi"ulties and avoiding giving offen"e to anyone% +u"h a person is to be "ommended, for he keeps the "ommandments and gets things done, even hile busy ith earthly affairs% But a greater and more e$"ellent thing is to be turned to ards "ontemplation, given not to a"tion but to thought, leaving to others the produ"tion of material goods% Denying himself he ill "ontemplate heavenly things, "ompletely forgetful of self, standing before the God of all "ompletely free and unen"umbered, turning a ay for no other "onsideration hatsoever% +omeone like this may not yet en)oy God yet turns al ays to ards God in eager songs of praise% I kno someone in the desert ho never tasted earthly food for a spa"e of ten years% *n angel fed him every third day ith heavenly food, pla"ing it dire"tly into his mouth% #o him it as as good as food and drink% I kno also that the demons "ame to this man in the form of fantasies, sho ing him heavenly armies, "hariots of fire, a "ro d of follo ers, as if some king ere "oming, and saying, >6ou have done all things ell and virtuously, 5 'an% *ll you need no is to orship me and I ill take you up like Elias%> But the monk replied, >Daily I orship my King and +aviour, but if he ere here no that is not a demand that he ould make of me%> 8rom the bottom of his heart he then "ried, >God is my !ord and King hom I ever adore% 'y king you are not%> *nd the vision vanished immediately% ?nlike some, he strove to keep se"ret his ay of life and the things he did% It as the fathers ith him ho said that he had seen these things% #hese and many other things the blessed Cohn told us, nourishing our souls up to the ninth hour for three days% *nd as he blessed us, bidding us go in pea"e, he also gave us a prophe"y% >It has been announ"ed today in *le$andria,> he said, >that the most devout #heodosius has on a vi"tory over the tyrant Eugenius, -in the year 9G.2 ho has died his o n ell(deserved death>, hi"h "ame to pass e$a"tly as he had said% &e ere also a are of a great number of monks ho ere ith him in the "hur"h, like a great "hoir of the righteous, dressed in hite robes, glorifying God in fervent psalms% *fter e sa many other fathers some brothers "ame and told us that the blessed Cohn had died a onderful death% 8or he had given orders that no one should visit him for three days, during hi"h he passed a ay as he knelt in prayer into the presen"e of God, to hom be glory for ever% 4hapter F!VII P5E'E3I* Poemenia, a servant of the !ord, on"e ent to visit abba Cohn% He did not speak to her but sent her a arning message not to turn aside to *le$andria hen going do n from the #hebaid, lest she be put to very severe trials% But either she simply ignored this or else forgot all about it, for she did go do n to ards *le$andria in order to see the "ity% *s she as on the ay near the to n of 3i"ia some boats passed by in hi"h she as offered a passage% But they ere all fier"ely atta"ked by some orkmen, aggressive and destru"tive people living lo"ally% #hey "ut off the finger of one of the eunu"hs and killed another% In their ignoran"e they thre the holy bishop Dionysius into the river, treated Poemenia to abusive "urses and severely ounded all the other servants% 4hapter F!VIII #he life of abba *''53, and his "ompanions% &e also sa another man of the #hebaid "alled *mmon, the father of three thousand monks% #hey ere "alled #abennisiites and had an impressive ay of living their lives% #hey all ore sheepskins ith hi"h they "overed their fa"es hen eating, leaning for ard so that no one "ould see the person ne$t to him% #hey pra"tised silen"e so thoroughly that they seemed to be entirely alone, ea"h one pursuing his o n hidden order of life, only making an appearan"e to sit at table, here even there they tried to hide from ea"h other% +ome of them on"e or t i"e pi"ked up some bread or an olive to eat, or hatever else as set out for them% &hen they had tasted from ea"h .;

dish they re"koned they had had enough% +ome )ust 7uietly persevered in eating some bread, hile only pretending to taste other things% 5thers tasted three only and abstained from the others% I admired the ay in hi"h ea"h ate hat as right for himself, a are of the benefit ea"h one as gaining% 4hapter F!IF *bba BE &e sa another old man "alled Be ho e$"elled all others in gentleness% #he brothers ho lived near him said that he never used strong language, never lied about any one, never berated anyone, as never angry% He as al ays 7uiet and mild in manner as an angel, of great humility, "ounting himself as nothing% &e asked him eagerly to give us a ord of e$hortation, but he "ould hardly bring himself to believe that he "ould tea"h us anything about gentleness% &hen a hippopotamus ran ild in neighbouring "ountry the farmers asked for his help% He stood near the river here he "ould see this enormous beast and said, >In the name of Cesus 4hrist I forbid you to do any further damage to this region%> *s if driven by an angel it "ompletely disappeared% He also dealt ith a "ro"odile in the same ay% 4hapter ! *bba #HE53* #heona as another e sa % He lived in solitude not far from the "ity, a holy man ho had shut himself up in his little "ell and had pra"tised silen"e for thirty years% He as held to be a prophet be"ause of the many virtues he possessed% * great number of si"k people ent out to him every day, on hom he laid his hands through the indo and sent them a ay healed% He seemed to have the fa"e of an angel, ith smiling eyes, totally full of gra"e% 3ot long ago some robbers broke in one night ready to kill him for the sake of the gold they imagined they ould find in great 7uantity% But he prayed, and as a result they remained rooted to the spot in the door ay until morning% &hen the usual morning "ro d arrived they ould have burnt the robbers alive, he )ust said one ord to them, >!et them go in safety, other ise the gra"e of healing ill depart from me%> #hey listened to hat he said, they did not dare disobey, and the robbers ent ell a ay to some monasteries hi"h ere s"attered about, here they "hanged their ay of life and did penan"e for hat they had done% He as able to speak and rite in three languages, !atin, Greek and Egyptian, a""ording to hat many people said and as e "an testify ourselves% 8or hen he realised that e ere foreigners he rote on his tablets, giving thanks to God for us% His food as un"ooked "ereals% It as said that at night he ent out and mingled ith the ild beasts, giving them ater out of his o n supply% 6ou "ould see all around his "ell the tra"ks of the ild asses, o$en and goats in hi"h he delighted% 4hapter !I *bba E!I* *nother old man e sa as "alled Elia, ho as a hundred and ten years old and lived in the desert hi"h takes its name from *ntinous, the "hief "ity of the #hebaid% #he spirit of the prophet Eli)ah as said to have fallen upon him% He as ell kno n for having lived in that terrible desert for seventy years% &ords are not ade7uate to des"ribe the harshness of the mountain in that desert pla"e here he lived, and from hi"h he had never "ome do n into the inhabited regions% #here ere a fe footpaths by hi"h people visited him, offering very little foothold, so )agged ere the ro"ks they ere built up ith% He sat in a ro"ky "ave, an a e(inspiring sight% His hole body trembled, a sign of his great age% He performed many signs daily, and al ays brought relief to the si"k% #he fathers ho lived near him said that nobody "ould remember the time hen he "ame to the

.9

mountain% In his old age he ate a three oun"e loaf and three olives every evening, though in his youth he used to eat only on"e a eek% 4hapter !II #he !ife of *bba *P5!!5 &e sa another holy man in the valleys of the #hebaid near Hermopolis, hi"h is the pla"e to hi"h the +aviour "ame ith holy 'ary and Coseph, fulfilling the prophe"y of Isaiah, ,Behold the !ord shall "ome into Egypt upon a s ift "loud and the idols of Egypt shall shake before his presen"e and fall to the ground, @Isaiah 0G%0A &e sa there the very temple in hi"h the idols fell to the ground on their fa"es hen the +aviour entered the "ity% In the deserts there e sa a man "alled *pollo ho had a monastery in the mountains% He as the father of about five hundred monks, and as very ell kno n and admired throughout the #hebaid% He did great things, the !ord endo ed him ith many po ers and many signs and onders ere done through him% 8rom boyhood he had used a stri"t dis"ipline and he gre in gra"e ith age% &hen he as eighty he had gathered a great monastery of fla less men, ho ere all "apable of performing signs% He had left the orld at the age of fifteen and spent forty years in solitude, developing all the virtues, hen he seemed to hear the voi"e of the !ord saying, >*pollo, *pollo, through you I ill "onfound the isdom of the ise in Egypt and the pruden"e of the peoples% 8or my sake you ill do a ay ith the ise men of Babylon and plu"k from their midst all their orship of demons% 3o go to the pla"e here they live, and you ill bring forth for me a pe"uliar people eager for good orks%> >#ake pride a ay from me, 5 !ord,> he replied, >lest if I be pla"ed above a brotherhood I "orrupt any good ork that may be done%> *gain he heard the divine voi"e% >Put your hand upon your ne"k, grasp hat you find there and bury it in the sand%> *s soon as he had done so he found that he had grasped a small Ethiopian, hom he buried in the sand as he "ried out >I am the spirit of pride%> *nd again the voi"e "ame to him, >Go, &hat you have asked for you ill be given%> *nd he ent immediately to the inhabited pla"es @it as in the time of the tyrant CulianA, and from there to the nearby desert% He remained there on @the side ofA the mountain, having o""upied a small "ave% #his as ho he orked, He said prayers throughout the hole t enty(four hours, a hundred at night, and the same number by day, ith prostrations% His food had al ays been supplied in the same ayN "ontrary to any reasonable e$pe"tation he as fed dire"tly by God% In that desert pla"e the angels brought him food% He as "lothed in a simple tuni" -lebiton @GreekA or "olobium @!atinA2, ith a small linen head "overing% #hese did not ear out hile he remained in the desert hi"h as not far a ay from inhabited pla"es% He performed many signs and onderful deeds in the po er of the +pirit% 3o one "ould tell the e$a"t number, there ere so many of them, a""ording to the old men ho had had dealings ith him% +ome of them ere men of very advan"ed stature @viri perfe"tiA, and had many brothers under their "are% He as famous and for ever being talked about, as if he as some ne prophet or apostle for our generation, and as his fame spread all the monks s"attered about nearby al ays used to "ome to him as to a father, freely opening their hearts to him% +ome of them he guided to ards "ontemplation, others he taught ho to a"tively "ultivate the virtues, first of all illustrating by his o n e$ample hat he as advo"ating by his ords% He often sho ed them the ay he dis"iplined his life, mingling ith them only on +undays, taking no bread, fruit or vegetables, none of the "ooked dishes that people are a""ustomed to use, nothing e$"ept ild herbs% During the reign of Culian he on"e heard that a brother had been "ons"ripted into the army and "hained up in prison% He visited him along ith some brothers, urging him to remain strong and steadfast in adversity, and to hold his imminent danger in "ontempt% He arned him about a "oming time of "onfli"t, hen his resolution ould be sorely and suddenly tried% 3o sooner had he en"ouraged him ith these ords than the tribune arrived% +omeone pointed the monks out to him, hereupon, yielding to some evil impulse, he "losed the gates of the prison, shutting in *pollo and the monks ho ere ith him as suitable to be"ome soldiers in future% Having appointed a suffi"ient number of guards he ent home ithout even allo ing them a hearing% In the middle of ..

the night an angel bearing a tor"h appeared to the guards, illuminating everyone in the prison, and making the guards fall do n in a stupor% &hen they "ame to they opened the doors of the prison and begged everyone to go, for they said that they ould rather be put to death for doing that than ignore the liberty hi"h as being offered by God to these people ho ere being rongly detained% *nd hen the tribune arrived in the morning ith the magistrates he sa to it that those prisoners should get right out of the "ity, for he said that his house had "ollapsed in an earth7uake during the night and "rushed the best of his slaves% *t this they gave thanks to God and departed into the desert, here, as the *postle puts it, they ere all of one heart and mind% He taught that one should daily develop in virtue, espe"ially in the po er of "ontinually repelling the atta"ks of the devil through thoughts% 8or if you "an "rush the serpent,s head its hole body dies% #he !ord arns us that e should look out for the serpent,s head, that is, that e should refuse entry right at the start to all evil and sordid thoughts, not )ust in order to drive obs"ene fantasies out of our minds but to over helm them by "ontrary virtues, and to let no other priBe be more valued than this% 8or this is the sign that you have progressed in virtue hen you are free from the po er of all urges and desires% #his is the highest of the gifts of 4hrist% But hen God gives anyone mira"ulous po ers let him not get proud as if he has no need for further progress, nor get "arried a ay by the thought that he is honoured above other people, or dra attention to the gra"es that he has re"eived, lest ith a "losed mind he de"eives himself and is deprived of gra"e% His tea"hing as full of this most important do"trine, as e later often heard from him ourselves% But the things he did ere greater, for his every petition as immediately granted by God% He as even granted visions% He had an elder brother ho had also lived out his life in the desert and even surpassed him in the beauty of his life% He had lived ith him in the desert for a long time% #his brother he seemed to see sitting on the same sort of throne as the apostles, having left him a lega"y in the shape of all his virtues% +o he prayed to God that his o n translation might be s ift so that he might en)oy the pea"e of heaven ith his brother% But it seemed that the +aviour said to him that he had to stay on earth for a hile yet, in order that many might be brought to perfe"tion, sin"e there ere many ho ould "ome to emulate his virtues% His faith ould be responsible for a vast number of monks, a devoted army hose labours ill give great glory to God% #his is hat he sa , and so it turned out, for many ho had heard about him "ame to him from far and ide to be"ome monks% #hrough his tea"hing and ay of life a great number totally renoun"ed the orld, so that a "ommunity of up to five hundred brothers "ame into being, living a "ommon life, eating at a "ommon table, all "lothed in hite% In them as fulfilled the +"ripture, ,<e)oi"e, 5 desert ithout ater, break forth and shout you have not given birth, for many are the "hildren of the desert, more than the "hildren of men @Isaiah 1.%0A% #hat elo7uent prophe"y has indeed been fulfilled by the e$isten"e of the "hur"h gathered up out of all the nations, but sho n up to perfe"tion in this Egyptian desert, here more "hildren of God "an be seen than in the inhabited pla"es% &here in the "ities "an you find as many flo"ks on the road to salvation as you "an find in the deserts of EgyptD #here are as many monks in the desert as there are ordinary people in the "ities, and it seems to me that this also is a fulfilment of hat the *postle said, ,&here sin abounded, there gra"e abounded more abundantly, @<omans 1%;/A% 8or in Egypt there used to be a great deal of idolatrous orship, more than in any other "ountry% +ome orshipped dogs and monkeys, others garli" and onions, many humble vegetables they thought to be gods, a""ording to hat this same holy father told us as he e$plained the ignoran"e of former times% >8or sin"e the people ho lived here in former times,> he said, >had tamed the o$ for agri"ultural purposes, they made a god out of it% #he same ith the aters of the 3ile, sin"e it atered all the fields, making the land "ultivated there more fertile than any other% *ll the other abominations, the dogs and the monkeys and the rest of the disgusting "olle"tion of animals and vegetables, they made "ults out of be"ause they had been saved by them in Pharaoh,s time hen he had been dro ned in pursuit if the Israelites% #hose ho did not follo Pharaoh made gods out of hatever they had been o""upied ith at the time, for they said, >#his is my god today, for it has been the reason that I did not perish ith Pharaoh%> +o *pollo in his dis"ourses taught us% It is more important, ho ever, to rite about hat he did than hat he said% 3o there ere a number of heathen @gentilesA orshipping demons s"attered about in various pla"es fairly near at hand, and ten parti"ular distri"ts even "loser% In one of the villages there as a great temple "ontaining a very famous idol made of ood% It used to be "arried about in a pro"ession through various villages by disreputable priests in drunken revels ith the "ro ds, as they "elebrated the mysteries of the aters of the <iver% 5n one o""asion, ho ever, it so happened that *pollo as there ith some of his brothers and hen he sa the "ro ds throughout the region going mad in their devilish "elebrations, he prostrated himself before the +aviour, ith the result that all those people suddenly be"ame rooted to the spot% #hey "ould not move out of the pla"e, ho ever mu"h they pushed .1

ea"h other, but s eltered all day in the burning heat, unable to understand hy this should have happened to them% #he priests ho ever told them that it as a "ertain 4hristian living nearby in the desert ho as responsible, meaning *pollo% He ould need to be approa"hed, if not they ould all be in great peril% 'ean hile, people living at some distan"e had heard their shouts and eeping% >&hat is this hi"h has suddenly hit youD> they asked, as they "ame running up% >Ho did it happenD> >&e are not sure,> they said, >but e suspe"t a "ertain person ho ill have to be appeased%> >6es, e sa him going along ith us,> others said% *nd all begged that help be speedily brought to them% #hey brought o$en and tried to move the idol, but it remained immovable, along ith the priests% *fter e$hausting all means of trying to move, they sent the neighbours on a delegation to *pollo promising to renoun"e their errors if they ere freed% &hen *pollo, the man of God, heard this he immediately ent do n, prayed, and released them% &ith one a""ord they all "ame to him professing belief in the God and +aviour ho "ould do su"h great things and "onsigned the idol to the fire% #hey ere then enrolled in the "ate"humenate and added to the "hur"hes% 'any of them sin"e that day have been in monasteries right up till no % #he fame of this happening spread every here, and so many believed in the !ord that soon no heathen @!at, gentilisA "ould any here be found in those distri"ts% 3ot long after this t o villages began to fight ith ea"h other in a dispute over some fields% &hen *pollo heard about this he ent do n immediately to try and make pea"e bet een them% #he aggressive side did not make an appearan"e, but refused, relying on a "ertain robber "hief ho as an outstanding man of ar% *pollo @ ent andA "onfronted him in his refusal, saying, >If you make an appearan"e, my friend, I ill pray to God for your sins to be forgiven%> Hearing this he laid do n his arms ithout hesitation, fell on his knees and begged for mer"y% Pea"e as restored at his plea, and he ordered his men ba"k to their o n pla"e% &hen they had agreed to make pea"e and had gone a ay their famous fighting leader follo ed *pollo, openly fulfilling hat he had promised% *pollo took him ba"k ith him into the desert, taught him and en"ouraged him to be patient and steadfast of heart, for God as able to forgive% #hat night they both had a dream in hi"h they sa themselves before the )udgment seat of God% Both of them gaBed on the *ngels adoring God along ith the saints% #hey both fell do n ith them and adored the 8ather% *nd they both heard the voi"e of God saying, >,&hat has light got to do ith darknessD 5r hat part do the faithful have ith the unfaithfulD, @;4or%:%0.(01A% Ho is it that a murderer ho is un orthy of su"h "ontemplation stands among the righteousD 4ome a ay, 5 man% #o you it has been granted to be born again and abandon your former life%> #hey fervently told their "ompanions of many other onders they had seen and heard, hi"h spee"h dare not des"ribe nor ear dare hear% *ll ere filled ith onder as they ea"h des"ribed e$a"tly the same vision% * murderer no longer, the former leader of the robbers remained ith these dis"iplined men, amending his life right up to the time of his death, "hanged from a olf into a simple and inno"ent lamb% In him as fulfilled the ord of Isaiah the prophet, ,#he olf and lamb shall graBe together, the lion and the o$ shall both eat stra %, @Isaiah :1%;1A% Ethiopians also "ould be seen orking ith the monks, and surpassing many of them in virtue, and the +"ripture as fulfilled in them also, ,Ethiopia shall hold out her hand to God%, @Psalms%:E%9A% 5n another o""asion there ere some heathen @!at, gentilesA in a dispute ith 4hristian farmers over their land% #here as a large band of armed men among them, to hom *pollo ent ith the intention of making pea"e% #he heathen battle(leader, a big, savage man, had no intention of "ooperating% He s ore positively that he ould die rather than make pea"e% ->battle(leader> in pugna antesignanus% #he name for the soldiers ho fought in front of the standards as the army ent into battle%2 4hapter !II @"ontinuedA >Be it unto you even as you have "hosen,> said *pollo% >3o one ill be killed before you% But after your death you ill not be buried in the earth% 6ou ill fill the bellies of the ild beasts and vultures%> *nd it so happened that these ords "ame true almost immediately, sin"e on both sides of the battle no one as killed e$"ept this battle(leader% #hey buried him in the sand, and the ne$t morning they found his limbs torn to bits by hyenas and .:

vultures% &hen they sa the mira"le of ho things had turned out e$a"tly as he had said they a"kno ledged that he as a prophet, and all believed in the +aviour% 'u"h earlier than this the holy *pollo had )ust five brothers ith him in his mountain "ave% #hese ere his first dis"iples after "oming out of his solitude% &hen Easter had "ome and they had orshipped God they prepared to eat hat food they had% But all there as ere a fe dried loaves, and "ertain dried herbs% >If e are faithful members of 4hrist,s family, my sons, > *pollo said to them, >let ea"h one of you ask God for hat he ould most like to eat%> But ith one a""ord they all entrusted that task to him, "onsidering themselves to be un orthy of re"eiving su"h a great gra"e% &ith shining fa"e he prayed, and they all said *men% *nd that very evening there arrived at the "ave some "omplete strangers, ho said they had "ome from a long ay a ay% #hey brought all sorts of things ith them, things hi"h nobody had ever heard of, things hi"h did not gro in Egypt, garden fruits of all kinds, grapes and pomegranates, even some honey"omb and a )ar of fresh milk, large ni"olai, fresh arm foreign made loaves% #he bearers @of this foodA handed it all over as from some great ri"h person and promptly ent a ay again% &hen the monks had taken sto"k of all this food they found that there as enough to see them through to Pente"ost, so that they all marvelled and said, >#hese things truly are sent by God%> 5ne of the monks asked *pollo to pray for him as a father that he ould be granted some kind of gra"e% *pollo prayed, and the monk as given the gra"e of humility and gentleness, so that they ere all amaBed at ho gentle he had be"ome% #he brothers ho ere ith him told us of these po ers, and there ere many other brothers to "orroborate it% 3ot long before this there had been a famine in the #hebaid% #he people in the neighbouring regions heard that, "ontrary to all hope and reason, those ho lived near the monks ere eating daily% &ith one a""ord they "ame ith their ives and "hildren, seeking both food and blessing% &ithout any fear that the food supply might run out, *pollo gave to everyone ho "ame suffi"ient food for one day% &hen the famine gre orse and there ere only three large baskets of bread left, he ordered the baskets to be put in the middle of the pla"e here the monks ere to eat, and in the hearing of the monks and the "ro ds of people shouted aloud, >4an the hand of the !ord not keep these fullD #hus says the Holy +pirit, ,#he bread in these baskets ill not fail until e have been fed to the full ith ne grain%,> *nd those ho ere there have testified that the bread lasted four months% *nd the same thing happened ith the grain and vegetables% #hen +atan appeared% >&ho do you think you areD EliasD 5r some other prophet or apostle, doing thisD> >&hat,s the matter ith youD> *pollo replied% >&eren,t the apostles and prophets holy people ho handed this tradition on to usD If God as ith them then hy should he no have departed far offD God "an al ays do these things and there is nothing that God "annot do% If God is good hy are you evilD &hy should e also not speak of hat e have seen, brothers going in to take bread to the tables, satisfying the appetites of five hundred people, and finding the baskets still fullD> It is right that e should also des"ribe another mira"le e sa hi"h astonished us% &hen e ent to visit him, e had been on the ay for three days hen the brothers met us, having seen us in the distan"e after having been told by *pollo e ere "oming% #hey hastened to ards us on the road, singing psalms, as it is "ustomary for monks to do% #hey first prostrated themselves, then embra"ed us, ea"h one in turn% >+ee no ,> they said, >these brothers our father told us about three days ago have arrived% He told us that in three days time there ould be three brothers arriving from Cerusalem%> *nd some ent on in front of us, some follo ed on behind, all singing psalms, until e got near to *pollo, ho hen he heard the psalmody "ame out to meet us, as he al ays did for every brother% &hen he sa he prostrated himself, embra"ed us, introdu"ed himself and said some prayers% He ashed our feet ith his o n hands and urged us to take some refreshment% He al ays did this for any brother ho "ame to visit him% But those ho ere ith him did not eat anything till after re"eiving the Eu"harist of 4hrist, hi"h they "elebrated at the ninth hour% .H

Having eaten they sat listening to *pollo tea"hing them over a ide range of sub)e"ts @do"entem omnia prae"epta, lit% ,tea"hing all the pre"epts,A until time for the first spell of sleep% -#he pra"ti"e as to sleep for a hile after Vespers before aking up again for the psalmody of the 3ight 5ffi"e, 'attins, after hi"h there as an opportunity for a ,se"ond sleep, @4assian, Institutes, book iiiA% +ome monks evidently "arried on psalmodising even during their sleep time%2 *fter that some of them ent ba"k into solitude, re"iting the +"riptures from memory for the rest of the night, others stayed on praising God ith fervent psalms until the ne$t day% I sa ith my o n eyes ho some had begun ith the psalms of Vespers and kept up their singing until 'attins% #here ere many ho only "ame do n from the mountain at the ninth hour and ent ba"k again after the Eu"harist, satisfied ith that spiritual food until the ne$t evening% 'any of them kept this up for many days at a time% #hey "ould be seen to be really happy in their solitude, and unable think of en)oying any other form of pleasure or rela$ation on earth% *nd there as no one among them sad or gloomy, although if anyone did seem to have a bit of gloominess about him *pollo as a father ould ask him hy, and he ould reveal the se"rets of his heart% >It does not do to be gloomy about your prospe"ts of salvation,> he ould say, >for e are heirs of the kingdom of heaven% #he heathen may be sad, the Ce s may eep, sinners may be fearful, but the righteous "an only re)oi"e% #hose ho are orried about earthly matters have only got earthly things in hi"h it is possible for them to re)oi"e% But e ho have been found orthy of being given su"h great hope, ho "an e fail to re)oi"e perpetuallyD Indeed it is the *postle ho urges us to re)oi"e al ays and give thanks in all things%> @0#hess 1%0:,0EA% &e "annot ade7uately des"ribe the gra"efulness of his spee"h, or the rest of his virtues, hi"h e observed for ourselves and hi"h others told us about% #hey are so mira"ulous they strike us dumb% He talked to us a great deal about their dis"ipline and ay of life% In the matter of el"oming visitors he often said ho e ought to orship brothers on their arrival% >8or it is not them you are orshipping,> he said, >but God% 6ou have seen your brotherD 6ou have seen the !ord your God% &e learn this from *braham% 8rom !ot ho el"omed angels e learn that you should al ays offer brothers refreshment, and e learn that monks should re"eive the +a"rament daily, if at all possible% If you separate yourself from the +a"rament God ill separate himself from you% But if you partake devoutly you devoutly re"eive the +aviour% ,&hoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood,, the +aviour said, ,remains in me and I in him%, @Cohn :%1:A * monk should daily prepare himself for "elebrating the saving passion ith a pure heart, so that he is ready at all times to re"eive the heavenly +a"rament, espe"ially sin"e the remission of sins follo s on from this% >#he general 4atholi" fast days should not be negle"ted e$"ept in "ases of great need% 8or the +aviour as betrayed on #hursday and "ru"ified on 8riday% #o negle"t these days is to be identified ith those ho betrayed and "ru"ified% But if a brother "omes to you ho really needs refreshment on a fast day give him a table by himself, but don,t "ompel him to if he ob)e"ts% &e do have a tradition of living in "ommon%> He as parti"ularly s"athing about those ho ent to great trouble to keep their hair trimmed% >#hose people are simply dra ing attention to themselves and trying to please others rather than dis"iplining their bodies ith fasting and keeping their good deeds se"ret% #hat is hat they don,t doN instead they parade themselves in full vie of everyone%> &hat need I say moreD *ll his tea"hing as mirrored in the ay he lived his life, hi"h no one "ould ade7uately talk or rite about% 'any other things he said to ea"h of us individually, often over the "ourse of the hole eek, until dismissing us ith the ords, >Be at pea"e among yourselves and stay together on the ay%> He asked the brothers ith him hi"h of them ould like to take us to visit some of the other fathers, then "hose three men to go ith us ho ere a""omplished in ord and deed and skilled in Greek !atin and Egyptian% He told them not to leave us until our desire to see the fathers as satisfied, although of "ourse a hole life time ould not suffi"e to see them all% He bade us fare ell ith a blessing, >'ay the !ord bless you out of +ion, that you may see the good of Cerusalem all your life long%> @Psalm 0;E%1A% *s e ere alking through the desert in the middle of the day e sa the tra"ks of a large beast, -!at% dra"o, a dragon2 as big as if a tree had been dragged through the sand% &e ere absolutely terrified at the sight% But the brothers ho ere guiding us urged us not to be afraid but to be of good "ourage and follo the beast,s tra"ks%

.E

>6ou ill see ho our faith ill enable us to over"ome the beast,> they said% >&e have killed many a beast and horned serpent in fulfilment of the +"ripture, ,I have given you the po er of treading do n serpents and s"orpions and over every po er of the enemy,,> @!uke% 0/%0GA% &e ere not "onvin"ed, over"ome as e ere by great fear, and e begged them not to follo the tra"ks of the beast but to keep to the beaten path% But one of the brothers said fare ell to us at that point and set off ith great eagerness in pursuit of the beast He found it not far a ay near a "ave >#he beast is in a "ave,> he shouted% >4ome and see hat is going to happen%> #he other brothers urged us not to be afraid, and so e all began fearfully to go off to see the beast% But another brother suddenly ran up to us and took us by the hand into his o n "ell% >6ou have never seen su"h a beast,> he said, >and you ould not be able to endure it, hereas I have often seen su"h beasts of up to fifteen "ubits long% 6ou stay here%> He then ent off to the brother in front of the "ave and suggested that he "ome a ay, hi"h he as un illing to do until he had done his best to kill the beast% But he as at last persuaded, and "ame ba"k ith him, mo"king us for being of little faith% &e stayed ith that brother, hose "ell as about a mile a ay, until e had re"overed suffi"iently -to "ontinue2% 4hapter !III #he !ife of *bba *'?3 @also in II%%viiiA #his brother also told us that he had been a dis"iple of another holy man of many virtues "alled *mun, ho used to live in that region% #hieves often "ame and robbed him of bread and other food% ?nable to put up ith this any longer he ent out into the desert one day and brought ba"k t o ild beasts hi"h he ordered to stay and keep guard over his door% &hen those murderers arrived as usual and sa this mira"le they gasped ith astonishment and fell flat on their fa"es% *mun "ame out and found them dumb and half dead% He roused them up and told them hat he thought of their misdeeds% >!ookJ 6ou are orse than these animals,> he said% >#hey at least out of respe"t for God are obedient to my ill% But you neither fear God nor have any respe"t for the religion of the 4hristians%> He took them into his "ell, gave them a meal and urged them to "hange their ay of life% #hey departed, and immediately be"ame kno n as leading better lives than many others% 3ot long after ards they also had the reputation of being able to do similar mira"les% 5n another o""asion there as a ild beast "reating havo" in the region, killing so many "attle that the people living near the desert all "ame to *mun begging him to rid the pla"e of this beast% But he sent them a ay, saying that there as nothing he "ould do to remedy their distress% But ne$t morning he got up and ent to the pla"e here the beast usually passed by% &hen he had prostrated himself in prayer three times the beast appeared, breathing out heavy vapours ith dis"ordant noise, s ollen up, hissing, totally repulsive in appearan"e% >'ay you be sub)e"t to Cesus 4hrist, the son of the living God, ho has po er over all beasts%> he said, turning to ards the beast ithout a sign of fear% *s soon as he had spoken the beast burst asunder, spe ing out poison and blood from his mouth% &hen the villagers "ame ba"k ne$t day and sa this great mira"le their hearts sank ithin them% #hey ere afraid to "ome too "lose to it even though it as dead, so merely piled up a lot of sand round it as the old man stood by% #here had been a boy tending his flo"ks ho had seen a living ild beast and fainted ith sho"k, lying there lifeless all alone all day% *t evening time his friends found him barely breathing but beside himself in a sort of tran"e% #hey "ould not understand hat had happened to him but they took him to *mun ho prayed for him and anointed him ith oil% #he boy immediately "ame to his senses and told them hy he had been stru"k do n% It as this event hi"h moved the old man to be "onverted to the idea of eliminating ild beasts entirely% 4hapter !IV .G

#he !ife of *bba 45P<E+, a priest% #here as a "ertain priest "alled 4opres ho had a "ell in the desert, a holy man, nearly ninety, leader of about five hundred brothers% He as a man of many strengths, a physi"ian to the si"k ho "ured many, ho drove out demons and performed many great deeds, some of hi"h ere done before our very eyes% *fter he had met us, greeted us, prayed ith us and ashed our feet, he asked us ho e ere getting on in the orld% But e told him e ould mu"h rather he tell us about the virtues of the ay of life he as leading and the gifts hi"h God had given him and the ay in hi"h he as sharing in God,s gra"e% &ithout sho ing any signs of being flattered by hat e had asked he 7uite simply told us about his life, and the life of those ho had gone before him on hom his o n life as modelled% >#here is nothing marvellous about me, my sons,> he said, >"ompared ith hat as sho n forth in the lives of our fathers%> *nd hile he as in the midst of telling us about the good and virtuous deeds done by the fathers, one of our brothers began to get dro sy, as if he as not setting mu"h store by hat as being said% He suddenly sa in 4opres, hands a beautiful book ith golden letters and a man in hite standing by ho said, >*re you listening attentively, or are you going to sleepD> He gave a start, and as e eagerly listened, told us immediately in !atin hat he had heard and seen% &hile 4opres as speaking a peasant "ame to ards us "arrying a i"ker basket full of sand, and stood aiting until 4opres had finished speaking% >&hat does this peasant ith the sand antD> e asked% >'y sons,> he replied, >it is not for me to glorify myself, not even in telling you of things done by our fathers, lest e be"ome mentally "on"eited and lose our re ard% Ho ever, to help you in the 7uest hi"h has brought you from su"h a great distan"e, e on,t deprive you of any possible benefit, but ill tell you brothers here no of hat the +aviour has done through us% >8arming land near us o ned by the peasants used to be so sterile that they ere barely able to reap the same amount of grain as they had so n% Pests flourished in the ne ears destroying the hope of harvest% &e introdu"ed them to the "ate"humenate and made 4hristians out of them, and they asked us to pray for the harvest% >,If you have faith in God,, I said to them, ,even the sand of the desert ill bring forth fruit for you%, >#hey lost no time in filling their laps ith the sand e alk upon and brought it to us asking us to bless it% I prayed that it might be done to them a""ording to their faith, after hi"h they so ed some of the sand in their fields along ith the seed% #he land then brought forth bumper harvests, better than anything else in Egypt% +o they have been in the habit of doing this for all the years sin"e they had this trouble% >God also did a marvellous mira"le through me in the presen"e of many people% 5n"e hen I ent do n into the "ity I found a 'ani"haean had been leading the people astray% I failed in publi" to get him to "hange his tea"hings, so I turned to the people and said, ,Build up a funeral pile out in the open and let us both go up into the flames% !et the one ho stays unharmed in the flames be the one ho has the true faith%, >3o sooner said than the "ro d built up a funeral pile and dragged us both to ards the fire% >,Ea"h one ought to go in separately,, the 'ani"haean said% ,6ou ere the one ho suggested it% 6ou should go first%, >I signed myself in the name of 4hrist and alked into the flames% #hey divided on either side of me, and I suffered no harm even after having been in there for half an hour% #he "ro d shouted loudly hen they sa this mira"le and began to "ompel the 'ani"haean to go into the pyre, but he as terrified and refused% #he people pi"ked him up and thre him into the middle of it% #otally engulfed in flames he as eliminated from the "ity as the people "ried, ,Burn this impostor aliveJ, >*s for me I as taken in pro"ession into the "hur"h, pre"eded by the "ro d singing praises%> >5n"e I happened on a "ertain temple here some of the people ere sa"rifi"ing to their idols% 1/

>,+in"e you are people ith the gift of reason,, I said to them, , hy are you sa"rifi"ing to things totally la"king in reasonD *re you even more devoid of reason than theyD, ><ealising that I had said something that as absolutely right they believed on the +aviour and began to follo me% >I on"e used to have a garden plot on a neighbouring farm, looked after by a "ertain poor man, in order to provide vegetables for brothers ho "ame to stay ith me% * "ertain heathen person broke in to steal the vegetables, and hen he had loaded himself up ith them he ent a ay and tried to "ook them, but for the spa"e of three hours had no su""ess% #hey stayed in the bottom of the pot in e$a"tly the same state as hen he had put them in, for the ater )ust ould not "ome to the boil% Gathering his its together he pi"ked up the vegetables and brought them ba"k to us, asking us to forgive his "rime and make him a 4hristian, hi"h e did% In that same hour e re"eived some brothers as guests, so it as most opportune that the vegetables had been brought ba"k to us% *fter e had eaten e ere doubly thankful to God, as mu"h for the hospitality sho n to the brothers as for the salvation of a soul%> 4hapter !V #he !ife of *bba +?<?+ He -i%e% 4opres, see "hapter !IV2 also told us about the abbas +urus, Isaiah and Paul, ell kno n for their devout and dis"iplined lives, ho une$pe"tedly met together on the banks of a river hen they ere on their ay to visit the great *bba *nuph% #hey ere still a three days )ourney a ay -from their destination2% >!et us reveal to ea"h other the ay e lead our lives and ho God has blessed us in our lives,> they said% >I ask as a gift from God,> said *bba +urus, >that by the po er of the spirit e get to our destination ithout being tired out%> He as the only one of them to make this prayer, but immediately they found that a ship as ready and the ind as favourable, so that in a moment of time they had "rossed the river and found themselves at their destination% 4hapter !VI #he !ife of *bba I+*I*H Isaiah in his turn said, >&ould it not be a onderful thing, my friends, if the man himself -i%e% *nuph2 "ame to meet us and told us hat the life of ea"h one of us as likeD> 4hapter !VII #he !ife of *bba P*?! Paul in his turn said, >&hat if God revealed to us that he ould take this man to himself after three daysD> #hey had hardly gone on any distan"e before this man "ame to meet them and greeted them% >#ell us ho you have lived su"h a righteous life,> said Paul, >for the day after tomorro you go to God%> 4hapter !VIII #he !ife of *bba *3?PH >Blessed be God,> *nuph said to them, > ho has arned me of your "oming and revealed to me your ay of life%> He then ent though all the good things ea"h one of them had done before telling them of his o n deeds% >+in"e the time hen I openly "onfessed the name of the +aviour in this orld there has no falsehood "ome out of my mouth% I have taken no human food but have been fed daily by an angel ith food from heaven% #here has been no other desire in my heart than desire for God% #here is nothing on earth hi"h God has hidden from me, he has sho n me ho to interpret all things% I do not sleep mu"h, I get no rest at night but "ontinue to seek God% 10

#here is al ays an angel ith me arning me of the po ers of this orld% 'y lamp of meditation has never been e$tinguished% God has al ays ans ered my petitions% I have often seen numberless myriads of angels in the presen"e of God, ith the "hoirs of the righteous, the "ompany of martyrs, the ranks of the monks, all of them praising God% I sa +atan "ast into the fire and punished ith his angels and the righteous re)oi"ing in eternity%> 'any other things he told them, and on the third day he yielded up his spirit% *nd they sa the angels and the "hoir of martyrs and heard their songs of praise as they took up his soul and bore it into heaven% 4hapter !IF #he !ife of *bba HE!!E3 #here as another father "alled *bba Hellen, ho from an early age had lived a life of dis"ipline% #ime and again he ould give 7uite fiery e$hortations to the brothers ho ere ith him, urging them not merely to be dis"iplined in their lives but to sho results by in"reasing in virtue% 5n"e hen he as by himself in the desert he as obsessed by a desire for some honey, hen believe it or not he "ame a"ross a honey"omb under a ro"k% >Be off, you inordinate desireJ> he "ried% >8or it is ritten ,&alk in the +pirit and you ill not fulfil the desires of the flesh,> @Gal 1%0:A% *nd he left the honey"omb here it as and alked a ay% *fter fasting three eeks in the desert he found some fruits hi"h had been s"attered about, but he said, >I on,t eat them, I on,t even tou"h them, lest I sho"k my brothers, never mind do harm to my o n soul% 8or it is ritten, ,'an does not live by bread alone%,> @!uke .%.A% *fter fasting another eek he fell into a heavy sleep and an angel "ame to him in a dream, saying, >*rise, take hat you find, and eat%> He got up, looked about him, and sa a spring hi"h had made various plants gro in a "ir"le all around it% He ate the fruits and drank the ater, de"laring that he had never tasted anything so deli"ious% He found a small "ave nearby and stayed there fasting for several days% &hen he needed food he prostrated himself and prayed, and immediately all kinds of food ere pla"ed before him, arm bread, olives and various kinds of fruit% He ould sometime visit the brothers to give them instru"tion, after hi"h he ould hasten ba"k to the desert, taking ith him anything he needed% He sa some asses feeding, and said, >In the name of Cesus 4hrist, one of you "ome and "arry my par"els%> *nd immediately one of them "ame% He put his sheepskin on it and sat on it, and arrived ba"k at his "ave after only one day% He left his bread and fruit outside in the sun, but hen the ild beasts "ame to drink as usual at the spring they fell dead if they so mu"h as tou"hed any of it% 5n another o""asion he ent to visit some monks on a +unday and asked them hy they had not "elebrated the syna$is=% #hey immediately replied that it as be"ause the priest had not "ome% >I ill go and get him,> he said% >6ou on,t be able to "ross the river,> they replied% >It,s too deep% Besides, there is an enormous beast of a "ro"odile there hi"h has eaten many people%> &ithout delay he got up and ent to the "rossing point, here the "ro"odile took him on its ba"k and "arried him a"ross to the other side of the river% &hen he found the priest at home he begged him not to negle"t the brothers% #he priest looked at Hellen,s "lothing, all pat"hed and tattered% >6our "lothing bespeaks great beauty of soul, my brother,> he said% *nd in admiration of his humility and frugality he a""ompanied him to the river% #here as of "ourse no ferryboat there, but *bba Hellen "alled out to the "ro"odile% It "ame up obediently and offered his ba"k%

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>Get on it ith me,> Hellen asked the priest% But he moved a ay, over"ome by fear% * estru"k, he at"hed the beast "arry Hellen a"ross the river, as did the brethren living on the other side% He then lured the beast to ards him, and saidO >It is better that you should die, rather than "ontinue to be "ondemned for killing people%> *nd the beast fell do n and died% He remained ith these brothers for three days, tea"hing them and bringing out into the open all their se"ret thoughts% #his person he de"lared to be tempted by forni"ation, that one by vainglory, another by gluttony, another by anger% 5ne he de"lared to be a gentle person, another a pea"emaker% He made "lear the vi"es of the one group and the virtues of the other% *s they listened they onderingly agreed that hat he said as true% >Prepare some vegetables,> he then said, >for there ill be some more brothers "oming to visit us today%> &hile they ere still in the pro"ess of preparing them the brothers arrived and they all greeted one another% 5ne of the brothers asked to be allo ed to "ome and live ith him in the solitude of the desert% >6ou ould not be able to ithstand the temptations of the demons,> said Hellen% >I "ould ithstand anything,> he said, in a rather aggrieved tone of voi"e% +o he took him ith him and sho ed him a separate "ave to live in% #hat night the demons "ame and first of all atta"ked him ith filthy thoughts and then tried to suffo"ate him% But he ran and told Hellen immediately hat as happening% Hellen "ame and signed the pla"e ith the "ross @!it% ,impressed a figure upon the pla"e,, "um lo"o figuram impressissetA, and bade him rest se"ure% &hen the supply of bread ran out an angel in the shape of a brother brought him food% 5n another o""asion there ere ten brothers travelling through the desert to visit him ho had been fasting for seven days hen he met them% He invited them to rest in his "ave, and hen they asked him for some food he saidO >I have nothing that I "an offer you, but God is able to provide a meal in the desert%> #hey )oined together in prayer and immediately a young man arrived in a boat and kno"ked at the door% #hey opened up to him and found that this young man as "arrying a large basket of bread and olives% #hanking God they took and ate, and the young man immediately disappeared% #his and many other things 8ather 4opres told us about% He treated us kindly and armly, sho ing us into his garden here there ere palms and other fruit bearing trees hi"h he had planted himself in the desert, at the instigation of those farmers to hom he had said, >8or those ho have faith in God the desert shall bring forth fruit%> >*fter I had been to see those ho had so n seed in the desert and reaped a harvest I also did the same and follo ed him%> 4hapter !F #he !ife of *bba *PE!!E &e also sa another priest in the more distant parts of the region "alled *pelle, a good man ho used to be a "oppersmith before being "onverted to the dis"iplined life% #he devil on"e "ame to him in the shape of a oman hile he as orking his smithy for the monks% In his haste pi"ked up a red hot pie"e of metal from the fire and belaboured her fa"e and body ith it% #he brothers heard her shrieking in his "ell% 8rom that time on ards he al ays pi"ked up hot metal in his hand ithout being burnt% He greeted us kindly and armly and told us about many famous men and friends of God ho had been ith him and some ho still ere% 19

4hapter !FI #he !ife of another C5H3 >#here is in this desert,> he said, >a brother "alled Cohn, already 7uite advan"ed in age, ho e$"els all the other monks in virtue% He is 7uite diffi"ult to find for he anders about from pla"e to pla"e in the desert% He stood for three years under a "liff fa"e in perpetual prayer, ithout sitting do n, and not sleeping e$"ept for hat sleep he "ould snat"h standing up% He ate nothing e$"ept the Eu"harist hi"h a priest brought to him on +undays% #here "ame a day hen +atan "hanged himself into the likeness of a priest and "ame 7ui"kly to him "laiming that he ould like to bring him the Eu"harist% But blessed Cohn re"ognised him and saidO >,6ou father of all lies and de"eit, enemy of all that is )ust, un"easing de"eiver of 4hristian souls, ill you also dare to insult the holy +a"ramentsD, >,I may not have "ome any here near dragging you do n and "asting you into the flames,, he said, ,but there as one other of your brothers hom I "orrupted hose mind I disturbed to the point of insanity% 'any righteous people prayed for him a great deal but ere not able to restore him to a sound mind%, >Having said this the demon departed% >His feet had be"ome sore through standing so long and had begun to fester hen an angel "ame and tou"hed him, sayingO >,#he real 4hrist ill be your food and the real Holy +pirit ill be your drink, but this spiritual food ill be suffi"ient for you in the meantime so that you ill not be given more than you "an take @lit% ,lest being filled you vomit,, ne repletus evomasA% He then "ured him and departed% >*fter that Cohn andered about in the desert, using ild herbs for food, but on +undays he ould al ays be in the same pla"e to re"eive 4ommunion% He begged a fe palm leaves from the priest from hi"h he made animal harness% *nyone ho as lame and seeking a "ure from him as immediately healed the moment he mounted an ass and tou"hed any harness hi"h the holy man had made% &henever he delivered any other kind of blessings to the si"k they ere healed at on"e% >8urthermore it as revealed to him that there as someone in one of the monasteries ho as not living aright, and he rote letters for the priest to deliver, spe"ifying some ho ere laBy and others ho ere striving for virtue% &hat he said as al ays found to be true% He also rote to the fathers pointing out hi"h of them ere la"king in "are for the brothers and hi"h of them ere helping them as mu"h as possible% He suggested suitable re ards and punishments a""ordingly% @Interfering old busybodyJ ( -#ranslator2A He urged others to move to ards a state of perfe"tion by relying not on hat their five senses told them but on their o n interior kno ledge @lit% ,he urged them to transfer themselves from sensible things to those things hi"h are per"eived by intelligen"e, @admonebat ut a sensilibus se transferrent ad ea 7uae per"ipiuntur intelligentiaA >,It is time,, he said, ,to spell out the purpose of su"h a life% 8or e ought not to remain "hildlike and infantile for ever% &e should dire"t our thoughts into more perfe"t paths, develop in greatness of soul, seeking every possible virtue to the uttermost%,> #his and many other things *pelle told us about Cohn% &e haven,t ritten them all do n be"ause they are so e$"eedingly mira"ulous that some people might not believe them, even though they are indeed true% &e are 7uite "onvin"ed about these things, ho ever, for e sa ith our o n eyes the many remarkable men ho told us of them% 4hapter !FII *bba P*PH3?#I?+ &e sa also the pla"e here the an"horite Paphnutius lived, a great man famous for his virtues, ho had died not long sin"e in the region of Hera"leotas in the #hebaid% 'any people have said many things about him% 1.

4hapter !FIII #IBI4I3E -I flautist2 *fter living a dis"iplined life for a long time, Paphnutius asked God to sho him hether there as anyone else among the holy people living an upright life ho "ompared to him% *n angel appeared to him and said, >#here is a flautist in this region like you%> He hastily sought him out to find out ho he lived and a"7uaint himself ith everything he had done% >#he truth is,> the flautist said, >that I am a sinner, a drunkard and a forni"ator% It is not long sin"e I stopped being a thief%> >But you must have done some things right,> said Paphnutius, trying to e$amine him "losely% >I,m not a are of anything good in parti"ular,> said the flautist, >unless hen I as a robber I helped a virgin of 4hrist to es"ape from some robbers ho ere offering to molest her, and took her by night ba"k to her home% #here again, I on"e found a beautiful oman andering about in the desert% +he as eeping "opiously, fleeing from bailiffs and other "ourt offi"ials be"ause of her husband,s failure to pay his ta$es, for hen I asked her hy she as eeping all she ould say as, ,Don,t ask% Don,t pry into my misery% Cust have me as you servant and take me here you ill% It is t o years no sin"e my husband as shut up in prison and beaten be"ause he o ed ta$es to the e$tent of three hundred gold pie"es% *nd my three lovely sons ere sold into slavery ( so I have fled, andering from pla"e to pla"e% Here I am no andering in the desert% It has often happened that I have been severely atta"ked, and for three days no in this desert I have had nothing to eat%, >&ell, I took pity on her,> said the robber% >and took her ba"k to my "ave, gave her three hundred gold pie"es and took her ba"k to the "ity here her husband and "hildren ere freed from all disgra"e and shame%> >I "an,t point to anything like that in my o n life,> said Paphnutius, >but you have doubtless heard that I have some reputation for living the dis"iplined life% I "ertainly do not spend my time in idleness% It as God ho revealed to me that you in your deeds ere by no means inferior to me% +o, my brother, if you have any great longing for God at all do not rashly negle"t your o n soul%> Immediately, he thre a ay the flute he had in his hands and e$"hanged the musi" of lyri" poetry for a melody of the spirit by follo ing Paphnutius into the desert% 8or three years he follo ed this ay of life to the utmost of his ability, "ompleting his life in hymns and prayers, after hi"h he departed for the heavenly realms, resting in pea"e ith "hoirs of angels, and numbered in the "ompany of the )ust% 4hapter !FIV P<5#545'E+ *s soon as Paphnutius "ommitted to God that man ho had striven after e$"ellen"e to the best of his ability he imposed upon himself an even greater and stri"ter rule of life than before% *nd he then asked God if there as anyone else ho "ould "ompare ith him% *gain he heard a divine voi"e, saying, >#here is a "ommunity leader -proto"omes2 in a neighbouring village ho is as good as you%> Immediately he sought him out and kno"ked on his door% #his man "ame out and offered him hospitality as usual, invited him in, ashed his feet, set food before him, and urged him to eat% Paphnutius then began to ask him about himself% >#ell me, my friend,> he said, >about your ay of life, for God has told me that you e$"eed many monks in virtue%> >3o, I,m a sinner,> he replied%> I am not orthy to be "ompared ith monks%> 11

But Paphnutius urged him more insistently, until he replied, >I feel under no "ompulsion to tell you about the things I have done e$"ept in so far as you say that God has sent you, in hi"h "ase I ill tell you about myself% It is thirty years no sin"e I separated from my ife% I lived ith her for only three years, and she gave me three sons ho still assist me in my business% I have never refused hospitality to anyone right up to the present day% #here is no one among my asso"iates ho "an boast of being more hospitable than me% I have al ays seen guests and beggars on their ay ith plenty of foodN no one has ever left my door ith empty hands% I have never passed by any poor beggar ithout giving him enough to satisfy his needs% In any 7uarrel I have never been pre)udi"ed in favour of my o n sons, no stolen goods have ever entered my house, there has never been a legal argument in hi"h I have not a"ted as mediator and pea"emaker, no one has ever a""used my sons of behaving dishonestly, my flo"ks have never graBed anyone else,s pasture, I have not given priority to so ing my o n fields, but de"lared them "ommon to all and simply gathered up hat as left over% I have never permitted the poor to be oppressed by the po er of the ri"h, I have done no in)ury to anyone in my life, I have never pronoun"ed an unfair )udgment against anyone% #his is the ay, as far as I am a are, of ho I have been follo ing the ill of God%> &hen Paphnutius heard the deeds of this man he kissed his forehead and said, >,#he !ord bless thee out of +ion, that you may see the goods of Cerusalem all the days of your life%, @Psalm 0;E%1A In all these things you have done ell% 5ne thing remains to "ro n your virtues, and that is kno ledge of the isdom of God in every part of your being, hi"h you "annot find ithout great labour, separating yourself from the orld, taking up your "ross and follo ing the +aviour%> ?pon hearing this, he immediately follo ed Paphnutius out to his mountain, ithout even letting his family say fare ell% &hen they "ame to the 3ile they found there as no boat, so Paphnutius told him to ade through, hi"h nobody as doing at that parti"ular time be"ause the river as high% #he ater "ame up their aists, but after the "rossing Paphnutius set him up in a "ertain pla"e% -#hat is, follo ing the usual pra"ti"e, he ould help him build a "ell, sho him ho to eave mats and baskets and instru"t him in psalmody and prayer%2 *fter leaving him he asked God that this man should be seen to e$"el all others of this kind% 3ot long after ards he sa his soul taken up by the angels as they praised God saying, >,Blessed is he hom you have "hosen and taken up on high% He ill d ell in your "ourts, @Psalm :1%.A%> *nd the "ries of the )ust responded, saying, >,Great is the pea"e of those ho love thy la and are not offended by it%, @Psalm 00G%0:1A%> *nd then he kne that the man as dead% 4hapter !FV 'E<4*#5< *bba Paphnutius "ontinued to orship God in prayer and fast rigorously% He again asked God to sho him someone else like him% *nd again the divine voi"e "ame to him, >6ou are like a mer"hant gathering fine pearls% But get on your feet ithout delay, for someone similar to yourself is "oming to meet you%> He "ame do n from the mountain and met a "ertain mer"hant @mer"atorA of *le$andria orth t enty thousand gold pie"es, a devout lover of 4hrist, "oming do n -the 3ile2 from the upper #hebaid ith a hundred ships, giving a ay all his goods and "hattels to the poor% *long ith his sons he "ame and offered ten bags of vegetables to Paphnutius% >&hat is all this about, my friendD> asked Paphnutius% >#hese are the profits of my business,> he replied, > hi"h are offered to God by ay of a fair return%> >Ho is it then,> said Paphnutius, >that you have not yet en)oyed a reputation like mineD> >But that is hat I am earnestly seeking,> he replied% >&ell ho mu"h longer,> asked Paphnutius, >are you going to go on in your orldly business ithout getting any nearer to a heavenly re ardD &hen you have given all you possess to other people you ill then be able to take to yourself something infinitely more valuable, that is, to follo the +aviour, and indeed to enter his very presen"e not long hen"e%>

1:

&ithout any argument he told his sons to give the rest of his things to the poor% He himself ent up into the mountain, embra"ed solitude in a pla"e here t o others had laboured before him, and gave himself up to prayer% It as not long after ards that he left his body and entered the kingdom of heaven% Having seen this person go before him into heaven he as ready to give up the ghost himself, as one ho "ould labour no longer% *nd an angel "ame to him and said, >*pproa"h hither no % Do you also, 5 blessed one, enter into the taberna"le of the !ord% +ee, the prophets are "oming to el"ome you into their "hoirs% 6ou have not been told this ould happen before lest you had be"ome proud and stained your good re"ord%> 5ne day later "ertain priests ere led to him by a revelation -from God2% He told them all these things and then gave up his soul% *nd the priests praised God as they plainly sa him taken up among the saints and angels% 4hapter !FVI #he !ife of *bba *P5!!53I?+ #here as a "ertain monk in the #hebaid "alled *pollonius ho shone ith many virtues and orthy deeds% He had been blessed ith the gift of tea"hing above many others famous for their virtues% *t the time of the perse"utions he inspired those ho "onfessed 4hrist ith the mind of 4hrist so that many of them be"ame martyrs% *t last he as himself arrested and imprisoned, here many of the more depraved among the gentiles "ame to revile him and atta"k him ith "urses and mo"kery% 4hapter !FVII PHI!E'53, and those ho ere martyred ith him% #here as a fluteplayer, a man ith a bad reputation, among those ho "ame to pour s"orn upon *pollonius, de"laring him to be a blasphemer, a fraud and "heat, an ob)e"t of universal hatred and orthy of sudden death% >'ay the !ord have mer"y on you, my friend,> replied *pollonius% >'ay he not hold against you as a sin hat you have said%> 5n hearing this the fluteplayer, hose name as Philemon, as "ons"ien"e stri"ken, so dis"on"erted as he by hat *pollonius had said% He ent immediately to the "ourtroom and stood before the )udge in the presen"e of the people% >6ou are a"ting un)ustly,> he said to the )udge, >in punishing these religious and blameless men% 4hristians are neither evil speakers nor evil doers%> Hearing this, the )udge thought at first that he as )oking or speaking ironi"ally, but hen Philemon persisted he said% >6ou must be mad% #he balan"e of your mind has suddenly been disturbed%> >I am not mad,> he replied% >6ou are a most un)ust )udge% I am a 4hristian%> #he )udge and all the people tried hard to make him "hange his mind, ith many persuasive arguments, but hen he remained adamant the )udge "ondemned him to suffer the hole range of tortures% *pollonius too as seiBed, grievously abused, and put on the ra"k for being a "heat% But he "ried out, >I "ould ish that you and all those present ould agree ith my so("alled error%> Hearing this the )udge ordered them both to be "onsigned to the flames in the presen"e of all the people% &ith the flames already li"king around him the blessed *pollonius "ried out for the )udge and people to hear, >,Deliver us not, 5 !ord, into the po er of the i"ked, but sho yourself openly to us, @Psalm H.%0GA>% *nd immediately a brilliant, rain(bearing "loud appeared, hiding the men from vie and putting out the fire% >#here is none like the God of the 4hristiansJ> everyone in the "ro d shouted out, in"luding even the )udge himself% +ome spiteful person reported this to the prefe"t in *le$andria, ho got together a band of vi"ious 1H

heavy eights to a"t as boun"ers and se"urity guards -prote"tores et apparitores2 and sent them to arrest both Philemon and the )udge% *pollonius and a number of the other "onfessors ere also arrested% &hile they ere all on the ay -to *le$andria2 *pollonius as given the gra"e to begin prea"hing to their guards% #hey too ere all "ons"ien"e stri"ken and believed in the +aviour ith the result that they too ere all ith one a""ord taken into "ustody% &hen the prefe"t be"ame "onvin"ed that nothing ould "hange their minds he ordered them all to be taken out to sea and thro n overboard% #his they a""epted as being their Baptism% &hen their fello 4hristians found their bodies "ast up on the shore they made there one single shrine for them all, here many po erful signs are no orked% 8or this man as so full of gra"e that the !ord honoured him by hearing his prayer hatever he asked for% &e sa it ourselves and prayed there, along ith others ho ere deeply moved by this martyrs, shrine% &e orshipped God and paid our respe"ts to this holy pla"e in the #hebaid% 4hapter !FVIII #he !ife of *bba DI5+4?<?+, priest% &e also sa another priest in the desert "alled Dios"urus, the father of a hundred monks% &hen anyone by the gra"e of God "ame to be ith him he ould say to themO >+ee that you do not "ome to the Holy +a"rament if you have had fantasies about omen during the night% 3one of you should have gone to sleep under the influen"e of visions and fantasies% It is a different matter if you have simply had a no"turnal emission of semen ithout any fantasies% #hey do not "ome to anyone by a deliberate a"t of ill but involuntarily% #hey are a perfe"tly natural e$pulsion of superfluous matter, and there is nothing sinful about them% Visions and fantasies are something hi"h are sub)e"t to your o n free "hoi"e, and are symptomati" of a si"k mind% It is in"umbent upon a monk to trans"end the la s of nature, to purify the body so that no eakness of the flesh be found in it, but rather to "hastise the flesh until there is no superfluous matter to be found in it% +trive therefore to ear it do n by fre7uent and severe fasting, so that e shall be less likely to be aroused by our appetites and desires% It is not right for a monk to be at the mer"y of his mental desires% In this e are different from those in the orld% Don,t e often see su"h people abstaining from "ertain pleasures for health reasons, or some other su"h strange irrational impulse% Ho mu"h more should a monk take "are for the health of his mind and spirit% 4hapter !FIF #he *n"horites of 3I#<I*% &e also visited 3itria here e sa many great an"horites, some native born, some foreign% #hey rivalled ea"h other in virtue, living their lives ith great Beal, ea"h of them trying to outdo the others% +ome of them ere given to "ontemplation, others to a"tion% &hen any of them sa us "oming afar off, some ould run to us ith ater, others ould ash our feet, others our "lothes, some ould offer us food, others ould share their "ontemplation and kno ledge of God ith us% Ea"h one as eager to do hatever he "ould for us% *nd hat "an e say about their virtuesD It is impossible to do )usti"e to them% #hey live in this desert pla"e at great distan"es from ea"h other, so that none "an be easily seen heard or re"ognised by his neighbour% #hey live in "omplete 7uietness, ea"h one shut up by himself% #hey meet ea"h other only on +aturdays and +undays hen they gather together in the "hur"h% 'any therefore often go at least four days ithout even seeing anyone else, until they gather together% +ome of them are so far apart from ea"h other that they have to travel three or four miles to get to the meeting% #hey sho a great deal of love among themselves, far more than other monks do, so that anyone seeking salvation in the "ompany of so many like them is more than "ontent to find that his o n "ell provides him ith all the refreshment that he needs% 4hapter !FF #he !ife of *bba *''53, and those ith him% &e sa the father of those an"horites, a man "alled *mmon, ho had a really splendid "ell, ith a large front room, a ell and other ne"essary rooms% * brother anting to save his soul "ame to him and asked him to find him a "ell to live in% 1E

>+tay here and don,t go a ay till I have found you some little pla"e,> said *mmon, and leaving him in "harge of everything, "ell and all, he ent and o""upied another tiny little "ell himself% If a group of people "ame anting to save their souls he gathered the hole brotherhood together and organised some to bring building materials, some to fet"h ater, and in the spa"e of one day ne "ells ere ready% He summoned their future o""upants to a el"ome party in the "hur"h, and hile they ere all there re)oi"ing and rela$ing the brothers filled sheepskins and baskets ith bread or other ne"essary things and left them in the ne "ells so that none -of the ne "omers2 ould kno ho had given hat, but found everything they needed hen they "ame ba"k to their "ells at night% #here ere some ho ate no bread or fruit but only ild intyba -herbsD leavesD grassD hat elseD2% #here ere some ho did not sleep at night but sat or stood until da n, persevering in prayer% 4hapter !FFI #he !ife of *bba I+5D5<E, and those ith him% In the #hebaid e also visited the monastery of a "ertain Isodore, a great man, here there ere a thousand monks% #here ere ells and gardens inside, providing everything ne"essary for the life, so that no one needed to go outside the monastery% #here as a priest at the door ho ould not allo anyone outN nor allo anyone in unless he had an intention of staying there till death ithout going any here else% +ome ho ever ho "ame in through the gate he offered hospitality in a small guest house, and having spoken kindly to them ne$t morning sent them on their ay in pea"e% #here ere t o priests ho ere the only ones to go out, in order to sell hat the brothers had made and bring ba"k hat they needed for their ork% #he priest ho kept the gate told me that those inside ere so holy that that they ere all able to do mira"les% 3one of them ever fell ill before death, but hen the time for their departure had "ome they told all the others before lying do n and falling asleep 4hapter !FFII #he !ife of *bba *''53, priest% #here is another pla"e of solitude in Egypt, in very diffi"ult "ountry near the sea not far from the "ity of Diol"os, here many great an"horites lived% &e met there a holy and very humble priest "alled *mmon ho had visionary gifts% 5n"e hen offering the Holy +a"rifi"e he sa an angel standing at the right hand of the altar taking note of the brothers ho "ame seeking God,s gra"e and riting their names in his book% If anyone as missing from the syna$is he sa their names being "rossed out, and ithin three days they ere dead% Demons often tortured him so badly that he as unable to stand at the altar to make the offering, but an angel "ame and took him by the hand and immediately gave him strength so that he as able to stand firmly at the altar% #he brothers ere amaBed at the sight of his torments% 4hapter !FFIII #he !ife of *bba C5H3 &e sa someone else in Diol"os named Cohn, the father of a monastery, ho also as blessed ith many gra"es% He had the "lothing of *braham and the beard of *aron% He did many mira"les and "ures, Espe"ially he "ured many paralyti"s and those suffering from gout% 4hapter !FFIV #he !ife of *bba PI#6<I53, and those ith him% &e also sa in the #hebaid a high mountain overhanging the river, pre"ipitous and fearsome% #he monks lived there in "aves% #heir father as "alled Pityrion, ho as one of *ntony,s dis"iples, and the third person to live in that pla"e% He sho ed forth many virtues and as an adept at driving out spirits% In su""eeding *ntony and his dis"iple *mmon he deservedly inherited their gifts% He gave a great deal of tea"hing to us and many others ith 1G

us, dis"oursing on the a""urate dis"ernment of spirits% He said that there ere some demons asso"iated ith psy"hologi"al patterns @motus animiA, ho ere able to turn our desires @affe"tionesA into evil paths% >+o, my sons,> he said to us, >anyone anting to e$pel demons must first get his desires under "ontrol% #he measure of being able to e$pel demons is the measure of being able to "ontrol your desires% !ittle by little therefore you must "on7uer your desires so that you "an drive out the demons asso"iated ith them% #he demon loves gluttony% *nyone ho over"omes gluttony drives out the demon of gluttony%> He himself ate only t i"e a eek, on +undays and #hursdays% His meal as a little pulse ithout flour, hi"h he had got so used to that he simply "ould not eat anything else% 4hapter !FFV #he !ife of E?!5GI?+, priest% &e sa another priest "alled Eulogius, ho as given su"h a gift of kno ledge at the 5ffertory that he as able to read the minds of those monks ho ere dra ing near% He fre7uently stopped monks from approa"hing the altar, saying, >Ho "an you presume to approa"h the Holy +a"rament hen your thoughts are so evilN you have been entertaining filthy thoughts of forni"ation last night% #here is another ho thinks that it doesn,t matter hether you are a sinner or a righteous person in approa"hing the gra"e of God, and another ho reasons that surely the mere fa"t of offering the gifts at the altar ill san"tify him% +tay a ay from the +a"raments for a hile, do penan"e that your sins may be forgiven and you ill then be orthy of the 4ommunion of 4hrist% ?nless you first "lean up your thoughts you "annot enter into the gra"e of 4hrist%> 4hapter !FFVI #he !ife of +E<*PI53, priest% In the *rsinoe area e also sa a "ertain priest "alled +erapion, the father of many monasteries, making him the leader of a large brotherhood of about ten thousand monks% He administered an e$tensive "harity on behalf of the brothers, in that at harvest time they all handed over to him the profits re"eived from the sale of their grain% Ea"h one as able to supply t elve artabas, -one artabas I appro$ ; gallons2 the e7uivalent of hat e ould "all forty modii% He used this to help the poor, so that there as no one destitute in the surrounding region, and he even sent some to the poor in *le$andria% But throughout the hole of Egypt none of the fathers negle"ted this servi"e, so that be"ause of the labours of the brothers they ere able to send so many ships full of grain and "lothing to *le$andria that there as s"ar"ely any real poverty there% 4hapter !FFVII #he !ife of *bba P5+ID53I?+ #here are so many things about Posidonius of #hebes that it is diffi"ult to tell of them all% He as very gentle, and very severe in his ay of life, and there as an inno"en"e about him su"h as I have never met in anyone else% I lived ith him for a year in Bethlehem, in the pla"e here Poemon had lived, and took note of all his virtues% *mong other things one day he told me the follo ingO >I lived in Porphyria for a hole year and sa no other human being for all that time, and therefore heard no sermons% I lived on ild herbs and ate very little bread e$"ept an o""asional small portion% 5n"e hen I had "ompletely run out of bread I left my "ave to go to a village, but having alked all day I "overed no more than t o miles% !ooking about me a sa a horseman dressed in military uniform and earing a helmet% I realised he as a soldier and I follo ed him to a "ave here I found a "ontainer full of grapes both dried and ne ly pi"ked% I a""epted them )oyfully and so returned to my o n "ave ith t o months food supply%> #here is also this mira"le hi"h Posidonius did in Bethlehem% * pregnant oman as possessed of an un"lean spirit hi"h as tormenting her grievously hen she "ame to give birth% He husband, seeing her being atta"ked by a demon, "ame and asked that holy man to help% &e ent in to offer prayers, he prayed then stood up, and after doing this t i"e the spirit as driven out% He stood up and said to usO >Keep praying% *lthough the spirit :/

has been driven out e need some sign to be 7uite sure%> *nd as the demon ent he split the "ourtyard all from top to bottom% #he oman had not spoken for si$ years, but after the e$or"ism she gave birth and began to speak% 4hapter !FFVIII CE<5'E 8rom this holy man I also heard this ord of prophe"y about a "ertain Cerome% He as a priest ho lived in this distri"t, elo7uently fluent in !atin ritings and of a brilliant intelle"t, but so filled ith a spirit of )ealousy that his a areness of sound do"trine perished% Posidonius spent a lot of time ith this man, and he said to me that % % % 4hapter !FFIF P*?!* P* noble oman ho looked after him, ould be delivered from his )ealousy only by dying before he did% He divined that be"ause of this man no holy person ould be able to live in that area, but that his )ealousy ould affe"t even his o n brother% *nd so it turned out% 4hapter !FFF 5F6PE<E3#I?+ He drove the blessed 5$yperantius the Italian from this pla"eP 4hapter !FFFI PE#E< P*nd Peter, another EgyptianP 4hapter !FFFII *nd +I'E53% and P5+ID53I?+

I kne all these men and they ere admirable people% Posidonius as a most abstemious person ho pra"tised all the virtues% He ate no bread for the last forty years of his life and to the day of his death bore no grudge against any in)uries done to him% +u"h ere the struggles and mira"les of the famous Posidonius, hat his spirit of prophe"y as, the greatest of all his virtues% #his is the end of the life of this blessed and outstanding man% 4hapter !FFFIII #he !ife of +E<*PI53 +I3D53I#E+ +erapion +indonites as so "alled be"ause he never ore anything e$"ept a sindon -I a simple linen garment2% He possessed no property and as totally unskilled, for hi"h reason he as thought to be totally impassibilis -indifferent to all kinds of physi"al dis"omfort2% *lthough unable to read he nevertheless learned the +"riptures by heart% Even though he had nothing and meditated on the +"riptures he as one ho found it 7uite impossible to stay 7uietly in a "ell, but this as not be"ause he as led astray by orldly desires, but be"ause he as dra n to an *postoli" life% He travelled the orld over, embra"ing the most demanding form of poverty, and developed :0

his po ers of enduran"e to perfe"tion% He as born ith this kind of nature ( for even though all people share one humanity there are many different kinds of nature -sunt enim naturarum, non substantiarum, differentiae2% #he fathers relate that hen he as approa"hed by someone ho ished to learn from him ho to live the dis"iplined life he ent instead into the "ity and sold himself as a slave to some non(4hristian -gentilibus2 a"tors for t enty shillings% #his money he hid in a se"ret pla"e and did not spend it% He "ontinued to serve these a"tors ho had bought him, eating nothing but bread and ater, and speaking "onstantly of hat he learned from Holy +"riptures, until he "onverted them to 4hristianity and turned them a ay from the theatre% 8irst it had been the husband after 7uite a long time, then the ife and then the hole family% #he saying is that even hile they ere taking no noti"e of him he as -spiritually2 ashing their feet% Both of them ere baptised% Both renoun"ed the theatre% #hey embarked on a ne life, honest and devout, and held their slave in great respe"t% 4hapter !FFFIII @"ontinuedA >4ome, brother,> they said, > e are going to give you your freedom, sin"e you have liberated us from a sordid ay of life%> >It is God ho has done it all,> he replied, >you have "ooperated ith him% *nd so you have saved your souls% 3o I ill tell you the hidden reason for hat I have done% I as moved ith "ompassion for you be"ause of your false ay of life% I am a free monk -liber e$er"itator2 of Egypt, and it as in this "ause that I sold myself to you and be"ame your slave% +in"e it is God ho has a"ted to bring your souls into safety, please take ba"k the money you gave me, and let me go and bring help to someone else%> >But you are our lord and father% Please stay ith us,> they urged him again and again% But he ould not be persuaded% >&hy not give the money to the poor ( for it has been the "ause of our salvation,> they saidO >3o, you give it to them, > he said% >It,s yours, after all, I "an,t give somebody else,s money to the poor%> >&ell at least "ome ba"k and visit us ne$t year,> they urged him% *nd so he departed from them% In the "ourse of his various anderings he "ame at last to Gree"e, and stayed for three days in *thens ithout anyone offering him any bread% *s for money, or a bag, or a sheepskin, or a staff, he had none of these things% He as dressed only in his sindon% By the fourth day he as very hungry, for he had eaten nothing all this time% 8asting hi"h is for"ed upon you is a very serious thing, espe"ially hen you ould not have believed it possible% He ent to the pla"e here the leading "itiBens ere a""ustomed to "ongregate and stood up on the "itiBens, platform% >'en of *thens, please help,> he "ried, ith mu"h eeping and urgent shouting% +ome of the leading "itiBens -lit% ,those ho ore the pallium and birrus,2 "ame up to him% >&hat is the matter ith youD> they asked% >&here do you "ome from and hat,s rong ith youD> >I am an Egyptian,> he said, >a monk by profession% *bsent from my o n true homeland, I have fallen in ith three moneylenders% I have paid the debt to t o of them and they have gone a ayN there is nothing else they "an bother me ith% But there is one that is still ith me%> >&here are they thenD> they asked, as they looked around impatiently in order to pay them off% >&ho is it that is bothering youD Point him out to us and e ill "ome to your assistan"e%> >It is *vari"e, Gluttony and 8orni"ation that bother me,> he replied% >I have been delivered from t o of them ( *vari"e be"ause I have no money or anything else, and 8orni"ation be"ause I do not indulge in that kind of lu$urious living hi"h gives rise to it% But I "an,t get a ay from Gluttony, for it is no four days sin"e I have had anything to eat, and my stoma"h atta"ks me vigorously, seeking payment of a debt ithout hi"h I shall not be able to live%> <ealising that he as spinning them an allegori"al tale some of those ise men then gave him a shilling, hi"h :;

he took into a bakery, pi"ked up some bread, left the "ity and did not "ome ba"k there again% #hey realised then that he as a man of great virtue and paid the miller the pri"e of the bread so that they "ould have their shilling ba"k again -as a souvenir2% He travelled to a pla"e near !a"edMmonia, here he heard that a prin"ipal "itiBen of that pla"e as a 'ani"hMan together ith all his household, although he as good man in every other ay% +o this best of monks sold himself to this man in the same ay as he had done before% &ithin t o years he had "onverted this man from his heresy together ith his ife and his hole family and brought them into the 4hur"h% #hey regarded him so highly that they no longer treated him as a slave but held him in as high honour as a brother or a father% #ogether they all praised God% He gave them a great deal of en"ouragement before giving ba"k to his master the pri"e of his freedom and leaving them% He then ent aboard a ship about to sail for <ome% +ome of the sailors thought he had already paid his fare, others assumed he had suffi"ient money to "over e$penses, all thought someone else had seen to his baggage, and they made no ob)e"tion to his presen"e, ithout really going into the matter very "arefully% &hen they had set sail and ere about fifty miles from *le$andria, the sailors had a meal about sunset, follo ed by the passengers% 5n the first day they noti"ed that he ate nothing but put it do n to seasi"kness% #he same thing happened on the se"ond, third and fourth day% 5n the fifth day they noti"ed him sitting 7uietly hile everyone as eating and saidO >6ou,re not eating anything, friendD> >#hat is be"ause I haven,t got anything to eat,> he replied% +o they began to ask 7uestions about ho might have taken "are of his baggage or taken any money for his fare, and realised that nobody had% Indeed he had no baggage to take "are of% >&hat do you mean by "oming on board ithout any moneyD> they said angrily% >Ho are you going to pay your fareD Ho are you going to eatD> >I don,t possess a thing,> he replied% >+o you ill have to take me ba"k and leave me here you found me%> >3o fear of that, > they said, >no that e have got a favourable ind ( not unless you "ould give us a hundred gold pie"es% +o e ill )ust have to a""ept it, and put up ith hat e "an,t "hange%> +o he stayed in the ship, and they fed him until they arrived at <ome% #here he began to en7uire here the greatest as"eti"s, either men or omen, ere to be found% 4hapter !FFFIV #he !ife of abba D5'3I5 *mong these as a "ertain Domnio, a dis"iple of 5rigen, a most strong and as"eti" person% <umour a""redited him ith many mira"les% *fter his death his bed "ured the si"k% 4hapter !FFFV * +ilent VI<GI3 +erapion profited greatly from meeting Domnio, as he as an e$emplary person, learned, ise in spee"h and of unblemished life% He asked him hether there ere any other lo"al spiritual athletes, either men or omen, and as told about a "ertain virgin pra"tising 7uietness and silen"e, ho had been en"losed in a "ell for t enty(five years ithout speaking to anyone% He ent to the pla"e here he had been told that she lived and spoke to the old oman ho served herO >#ell this virgin that I must needs meet her,> he said% :9

>+he has not met anyone for many years,> the old oman replied >#ell her that I have "ome to meet her for God has sent me,> he said% But even then the old oman ould not agree% *fter he had persisted in his re7uest for t o or three days, ho ever, he did at last meet her% >&hy do you stay put hereD> he asked >I don,t stay put,> she said% >I am "ontinually on the move%> >'oving hereD> >'oving to ards God%> >*re you alive then, or deadD >I trust in God that I am dead to the orld, for those ho live a""ording to the flesh "annot "ome to God%> >6ou ould more readily "onvin"e me that you ere dead to the orld if you did hat I do%> >&ell, "ommand me, and anything I "an do, I ill%> >*nything is possible for one truly mortified, as long as it is not anything sinful, so "ome out of your se"lusion and alk outside ith me%> >I,ve not been out for t enty(five years, so hy should I go out no D> >Go onJ Haven,t you said you are dead to the orldD In hi"h "ase it is obvious that the orld must be dead to you% If that is really true, and those ho are dead have no feelings, it "an,t make any differen"e to you hether you go out or not%> +o she did "ome out and ent ith him as far as the "hur"h% >If you really ant to "onvin"e me,> he said to her in the "hur"h, >that you are dead to the orld and indifferent to hat people think of you, do hat I do and I ill then kno that you are truly mortified% #ake off all your outer "lothing as I have done, "arry it over your shoulder, and alk though the middle of the to n ith me in front of you, dressed as I am in nothing but this sindon%> >#hat ould be a terrible thing to do% I ould offend many people, and they "ould a""use me of being mad or possessed by a devil%> >&hy should you orry even if they did "all you mad or possessed by a devilD 6ou are supposed to be dead to their opinions% #he dead have no orries% #hey "an,t feel anything hether they are praised or disparaged%> >#hink of something else for me to do% I "an,t "laim to have arrived at that measure -of mortifi"ation2%> >&ell then,> said +erapion, ho had great po ers of enduran"e, >"ease from boasting and pleasing yourself, as if you ere more pious and mortified than anyone% Even I am more mortified than you are, for I do this ithout any shame or mental hesitation%> *nd so he took leave of her, having dented her pride and pointed her in the dire"tion of humility%

:.

#here are many other great and illustrious deeds illustrating the enduran"e of this great and pre(eminently virtuous #ea"her of 4hrist, but the purity of his life ill be evident from the fe hi"h I have ritten do n% He died in the si$tieth year of his life and as buried in the desert% 4hapter !FFFVI EV*G<I?+, a famous dea"on% I "annot pass over Evagrius, a distinguished dea"on ho lived like an apostle, but I feel bound to rite something, to the glory of our good +aviour and the edifi"ation of anyone ho might read it% +o I give a full a""ount of ho he "ame to the monasti" life and the orthy ay in hi"h he lived it% He died in the desert aged fifty(four, thus, in the ords of +"ripture, ,being made perfe"t in a short time he fulfilled a long time, @&isdom .%09A% He as indeed a soul pleasing to God% He as born at Ibora, in Pontus -near the Bla"k +ea, "%9.:2, the son of a priest, appointed as a le"tor by +aint Basil the bishop of 4aesarea% *fter the death of the holy bishop Basil, he as ordained dea"on byBasil,s brother, Gregory bishop of 3yssa, ho had taken note of his abilities% Gregory as a most ise man, orthy of being "ompared to the apostles, ith a very serene temperament, and 7uite brilliant in e$pounding do"trine% He took Evagrius ith him to the Great +ynod of 4onstantinople @9E; *DA, and relin7uished him to the blessed bishop 3e"tarius, ho appre"iated his skill in the art of summing up arguments in all kinds of sub)e"ts% -omnium differendi artis peritissimus2% He gained a reputation as a young man in that great "ity for refuting all kinds of heresies in publi" debates% It "ame to pass, ho ever, that this man, honoured by the hole "ity for his upright life, be"ame lustfully obsessed by a portrait of a oman, as he told us himself in later life hen he had been freed from su"h obsessions% *nd the oman also, belonging to one of the leading families, be"ame obsessed by him% But Evagrius feared God and feared his "ons"ien"e also% He kept before his eyes the publi" disgra"e that "ould "ome from sin, and ho mu"h pleasure the hereti"s ould take from the sins of other people% He humbly begged God to take a ay from him the prospe"ts afforded him by this oman, fed by lust as he as and held "aptive by mad desire% But ho ever mu"h he ished to es"ape he had no po er against the insidious pleasures hi"h held him in "hains% But a short time after his prayer, and before his desires "ould be "arried into effe"t, he had an angeli" vision in hi"h he sa a military "ommander seiBe him and bring him before the )udgment seat, "arry out the senten"e of imprisonment by putting an iron "ollar around his ne"k and fi$ing iron "hains to his hands, hile those ho had follo ed him previously "ould say nothing in his defen"e% Pri"ked by "ons"ien"e he felt that he deserved these punishments, and supposed that the oman,s husband had brought him to this )udgment% His mind in a turmoil, he "ame to this "on"lusion sin"e he had been involved in similar trials debating the "rimes of other people% His fear and mental anguish as intense% *nd then the angel of the initial vision be"ame transformed in his eyes into a kind and brotherly friend ho as astonished and saddened by the shame of his being "hained up ith forty other "onvi"ted "riminals% >&hy are you being detained so ignominiously among "riminals, my reverend dea"onD> he askedO >#ruly, I don,t kno ,> he replied% >But I suspe"t that 3P%% ho is a high(up offi"er has organised my arrest in a fit of Beal beyond all reason, and bribed the )udge to impose the greatest possible penalty%> >#ake the advi"e of a friend,> said the angel, still in friendly guise% >It ould be best for you not to stay in this "ity any longer%> >If you "an see me freed from this "alamity ba"k in 4onstantinople,> Evagrius replied, >I s ear I ould a""ept that punishment, kno ing that I deserve a mu"h greater%> >If that is the "ase I ill bring the holy gospels and hen you have s orn an oath on them that you ill leave this "ity and take thought for your o n salvation I ill free you from your imprisonment%>

:1

>Please do that, and I ill gladly s ear the oath% 5nly get me out from under this dark "loud%> #he gospels ere brought, the oath as demanded, and Evagrius s oreO >I ill not stay in this "ity longer than one day in hi"h I "an get my things on to the ship%> #he moment he had s orn the oath he a oke from the dream hi"h had "ome upon him that night% >Even though it is only in a dream that I have s orn this oath,> he said as he got out of bed, >I have nevertheless s orn%> *nd he "onveyed himself and everything he possessed by ship to Cerusalem, here he as a""epted by the blessed 'elania of <ome% But being of a lusty youthful age, his heart as hardened by the devil again, like Pharaoh of old% He as full of doubt, of t o "ontrary minds, though as yet he had not talked ith anyone about it% #he result as that he thought of "hanging ba"k to se"ular dress again% In all this disturban"e of mind vainglory rapidly led to laBiness, but the God ho saves us from falling led him on"e more into a "risis, in that he first of felt feverish, then be"ame seriously ill, so that he as in"apa"itated for the spa"e of si$ months% He as unable to summon up any strength at all, and the do"tors "ould not understand hat as the matter ith him and "ould offer no "ure% >I don,t like this disease of yours,> said the blessed 'elania, >going on day after day% #ell me hat is going on in your mind% Bodily illness is not the real thing, is it%> +o he "onfessed hat had happened to him in 4onstantinople% >Promise me as God is your itness,> she said, >that you ill embra"e the monasti" life, and sinner though I am I ill pray to God for you that you may be given food for your )ourney and find a purpose in life%> He agreed, she prayed, and after a fe days he got mu"h better% +he herself then "lothed him in the monasti" habit, and he ent off to a far "ountry, that is, to 'ount 3itria in Egypt% He lived there for t o years and ent into solitude in the third% *fter fourteen years in the region kno n as the 4ells he as eating only a pound of bread a day and a pint of oil very three months ( and he as a man ho had been brought up in the lap of lu$ury% He "omposed a hundred essays @orationesA, marking them do n ea"h year as the only pri"e he "ould afford in e$"hange for hat he ate% He as a most elegant and speedy riter% * month into his fifteenth year, he as found orthy of being granted the gifts of kno ledge, isdom and dis"ernment of spirits% He rote three books for monks "alled *ntihrreti"a, that is, <efutations, outlining the means of fighting against the demons% He told us that on"e hen tormented by a demon of forni"ation he stood all night in a ell, even though it as inter, in order to dis"ipline his body ith "oldness% 5n another o""asion, as he told us, hen he as tormented by a spirit of blasphemy, he stayed outside for forty days, so that his body be"ame like that of the ild beasts and broke out in s"abs% *nd three demons dressed like "leri"s appeared to him% 5ne of them a""used him of being an *rian, the se"ond of being a Eunomian, the third an *pollinarian, but he over"ame them ith a fe ords inspired by the spirit of isdom% 5ne day the key of the "hur"h as mislaid, but he "alled on the name of 4hrist, made the sign of the "ross on the "rossbar, pushed it ith his hand and it opened% It ould be diffi"ult to tell of all the beatings he had from demons and all the other torments they devised for him% He foretold to one of his dis"iples hat ould happen to him in eighteen years time, des"ribing everything e$a"tly as it as to happen @omnia ei praedi"ens in spe"ieA% He also saidO >+in"e the time I be"ame a solitary I have not tou"hed lettu"e or the smallest parti"le of green vegetables, or anything fresh, fruit, grapes, laua"rum @DA, meat, ine or anything "ooked% *ll I have had is ild herbs and ater%> But in the si$teenth year, ithout "ooking sin"e beginning this kind of life, eakness of body and stoma"h persuaded him of the need for his flesh to take in some "ooked food% 8or t o years he ate some bread, though never any "ooked vegetables, e$"ept some barley(groats and lentils% By these means this blessed man ore do n his body but brought life to his soul through the Holy +pirit% He "ommuni"ated in "hur"h at Epiphanytide% ::

#his holehearted athlete of 4hrist also told us hen on his death bed that it as only for the last three years that he had not been bothered by the desires of the flesh% +o even to ards the end of a life rooted in virtue, after immense labours, un avering purpose and sober un"easing prayer the mali"ious demon, the enemy of everything good, "ould still atta"k this immortal soul% If that is the "ase hat must the laBy ones suffer from that i"ked demon through their o n negligen"eD +omebody on"e brought him the ne s that his father as dead, and all he said to the messenger asO ,Don,t blaspheme% 'y father lives for ever%> He as, of "ourse, talking about God% +u"h as the ay in hi"h this amaBing Evagrius lived his e$a"ting and perfe"t life% 4hapter !FFFVII #he life of abba PI5< @"f 4hapter FIA #here as an Egyptian "alled Pior ho renoun"ed the orld and left his family home hile still a young man, at hi"h time he promised God that he ould not set eyes on them again% 8ifty years later his sister in her old age learnt from someone that he as still alive and she be"ame totally obsessed ith the desire to see him% +he "ould not venture into the emptiness of the deserts by herself so she asked her lo"al bishop to rite to the fathers in the desert, asking them to send him to her so that she "ould see him% * great deal of pressure as brought to bear on him, so at last, obedient to the fathers, he de"ided to go, taking one other person ith him% He told the brother to approa"h his sister,s door and stand outside% &hen he heard the door being kno"ked and his sister "oming out to meet him, he shut his eyes and "alled out >3PP%, my sister, I am Pior your brother% Here I am% 4ome, look, gaBe as mu"h as you like%> 4onvin"ed it as he, she praised God and did all she "ould to persuade him to "ome inside, but he simply said a prayer on the threshold and returned to his solitude, hi"h for him as )ust as important as his o n native land% He is also "redited ith this mira"le, that he dug do n in the pla"e here he had built his "ell and found ater, hi"h as ho ever bitter% But he stayed there till his death, "ontent ith the bitter ater he had found, so that the ability of this generous man to put up ith things be"ame idely kno n% *fter his death many monks tried to live in his "ell, but ere not able to manage it, not even for so long as a year% It as a terrible pla"e, bereft of all "omfort% 4hapter !FFFVIII #he life of abba '5+E+ of !ibya 'oses of !ibya as a most gentle man, reno ned for his great "harity% He had been found orthy of being given the gift of healing% He told us this storyO In the monastery on"e hen I as 7uite young I as digging a deep ell, t enty feet deep% Eighty of us had been digging for three days and got to the usual ater bearing level, but having seen it and gone into it for about a "ubit,s length e found no ater% Greatly dis"ouraged, e ere thinking about giving up, and ere in the middle of dis"ussing it hen Pior appeared out of the empty desert, dressed in his sheepskin% *nd this as at the hottest si$th hour of the day% *fter greeting us he askedO >&hy are you so do n"ast, you men of little faithD I kne yesterday that you ere losing heart%> +o saying he immediately put do n a ladder into the ell, said a prayer over them, took a rod and stru"k it three times% >5 God of our holy fathers,> he said, >let not the ork of your servants be a useless aste of time, but send them the gift of ater%> :H

*nd ater immediately gushed forth, spraying over us% >It is "lear that this is the reason I have been sent to you,> he said, after praying on"e more% >Please stay and have a meal ith us,> e urged him% >3o, I "an,t do that,> he replied% >I have finished doing all that I as sent to do%> +u"h is the admirable story of Pior, that famous pillar standing strong against all storms, and the re ard of his virtue is that no , instead of his bitter(tasting ater, he en)oys for ever a river of flo ing s eetness in great e$altation of spirit% 4hapter !FFFIF #he life of abba 4H<53I?+ @see also "hapter $$v for another 4hroniusA #here as a "ertain man "alled 4hronius ho lived in the village of Phoeni$ on the edge of the desert% 4ounting out fifteen thousand steps on his right foot, he ent out from his village, said a prayer and dug a ell% He found good ater at a depth of seven arms(lengths and there built himself a small hermitage @hospitiolumA% 8rom the day in hi"h he thus began a monasti" life he prayed to God that he ould never need to go ba"k to the pla"e here he used to live% 3ot many years later he led a brotherhood of about t o hundred men ho had gathered around him, and it as then than he had the dignity of the priesthood "onferred upon him% In praise of his ay of life it is said that for the hole of the si$ty years that he served the altar in his priesthood he never left the desert and never ate bread that he had not earned ith his o n hands% 4hapter F4 #he life of abba C*45B Ca"ob, kno n as ,4laudus, @i%e% ,lame,A, from the same neighbourhood also lived ith him% He as a man ell kno n for the depth of his kno ledge% Blessed *ntony kne them both% 4hapter F4I #he life of abba P*PH3?#I?+ 4EPH*!* Paphnutius 4ephala also "ame to him, a marvellous man ho had the gift of kno ledge of the Holy +"riptures, both old and ne testaments, interpreting them all even though he "ould not read% He as a modest man, ho did not make any sho of his propheti" gift% It is said of him that for over eighty years he never possessed t o tuni"s at the same time% #he blessed dea"ons Evagrius and *lbinus "ame ith me to visit him, and e asked him about the details of some ho fell a ay and lapsed into s"andalous living% 4hapter F4II 4HE<E'53 In those days it happened that a "ertain 4heremon fell a ay and as found dead sitting in a "hair, ith his ork in his hands% 4hapter F4III *35#HE< #here as another brother ho as digging a ell and as dro ned in it% :E

4hapter F4IV *35#HE< #here as another travelling from +"ete ho died of thirst% 4hapter F4V +#EPHE3, ho lapsed &e remember also +tephen ho lapsed into disgra"eful over(indulgen"e, and Eu"arpius, Hero of *le$andria @see "hapter $$$iiA, Valens of Palestine @see "hapter $$$iA, and Ptolemy of Egypt @see "hapter $$$iiiA, all of hom ere in +"ete% *t the same time e asked hy it as that some ho lived in solitude be"ame mentally unbalan"ed hile others lapsed into over(indulgen"e% #hey gave us the follo ing ans er, Paphnutius among them, a man ell kno n for his great kno ledge% >&hatever happens falls into t o "ategories% Either it is pleasing to God or else it happens ith his permission% &hatever is done virtuously to the glory of God is pleasing to God% &hatever is damnable, dangerous and leads to a fall is done ith God,s permission% It is given to those ho fall either be"ause of their limited intelligen"e or be"ause of their unfaithfulness% #hose ho live devoutly and think "orre"tly "annot fall into disgra"e or be de"eived by demons% #hose ho make a sho of attempting to be virtuous in the sight of other human beings, hile living a defe"tive life full of arrogant thoughts are the ones ho fall% God allo s this to happen for their o n benefit, in that hen they feel ho mu"h their life has "hanged be"ause of their fall they ill "orre"t their rule of life and a"t a""ordingly% +ometimes hat is intended goes rong be"ause it is misdire"ted, as hen e$"essive gifts are given to young people ith an evil and "orrupting end in vie , and even hen the a"tion seems morally )ustified, as in giving assistan"e to orphans or to monasti" good orks% 8or although it is a perfe"tly good thing to give alms to the si"k, or the destitute, or the aged, it "an be done grudgingly and sparingly% * good intention is thus translated into an un orthy a"t% #aking pity on the poor should al ays be done ith )oy and generosity% >'any souls are given spe"ial gifts,> he "ontinued% >#o some is given naturally pleasant personality, to others a "apa"ity for as"eti"ism, but they must be e$er"ised disinterestedly and ithin the divine plan% If they do not as"ribe their a"tions, their pleasant personality and their spe"ial gifts to God the giver of all good, but to their o n free ill and "hara"ter and self(suffi"ien"y, then they are abandoned by Providen"e, and fall into evil ays, falling vi"tim to i"kedness, depravity and disgra"e% >In this state of dereli"tion, through shame and humility they "an someho or other drive out little by little the arrogan"e hi"h "ame upon them through doing hat they thought as virtuous% #hey trust no longer in themselves, but by their o n "onfession attribute all their benefits to God ho is the giver of all things% #here are those ho are "on"eited, I say, "arried a ay by their o n pleasant personality% #hey don,t as"ribe to God their pleasant personality, nor the kno ledge hi"h "omes ith it, but think that it is either a natural gift or something hi"h they have a"7uired by their o n efforts% 8rom them God ithdra s the *ngel ho mediates the gift of providen"e% >&hen this happens those ho are obsessed ith their o n pleasant personality are over"ome by the po er of the adversary, and through their "on"eit fall into immoderate ays% !a"k of moderation takes all "redibility from anything they might say% Honest people re)e"t any tea"hing that might "ome from su"h a sour"e as they ould a spring infested ith lee"hes% *nd thus the +"ripture is fulfilled hi"h says, ,God says to the i"ked >&hy do you presume to talk about my )usti"e or take my "ovenant in your mouthD>, @Psalm 1/%0:A% >#hose ho are imprisoned in vi"e are like various different kinds of springs% #he gluttonous and inebibbers are like springs hi"h are muddyN the greedy people al ays anting more are like springs infested ith frogsN the envious, ho "ould be 7uite kno ledgeable, are like springs here serpents drink% #he light of reason is not al ays apparent in su"h people, so nobody ants to listen to them be"ause their ay of life is sour, their deeds have the smell of ini7uity about them% :G

>David, taught by God, begs for three things, integrity, dis"ipline and kno ledge @the referen"e is to Psalm 00G, probably verses 99(91A% &ithout integrity, kno ledge is useless% But if anyone like this reforms his ays and renoun"es the "ause of his fall, namely his arrogan"e, by "ultivating humility and by taking full kno ledge of hat he has been doing, then he "an be turned ba"k to God% He ill no longer set himself up as a "riti" of every one else, but ill give thanks to God, and this kno ledge of himself ill be his itness% +piritual spee"hes hi"h la"k honesty and moderation in e7ual measure are like "haff blo ing in the ind, hi"h look like grains of heat but hi"h have lost all po er to nourish% #he measure of every fall from gra"e, hether in spee"h or feelings or a"ts, is the measure of the arrogan"e that goes ith it, and is "aused by being abandoned by God, ho yet has mer"y on those ho are abandoned% But even if the !ord a"kno ledges the pleasant personality of su"h people, hen "leverness of spee"h is added to their la"k of moderation, their pride makes demons of them all and they soil themselves by be"oming self(opinionated% >&hen you "ome a"ross someone ho is obviously perverse,> these holy men and best of fathers ent on to say, >but ho have great po ers of persuasion, remember the demon in +"ripture ho spoke to 4hrist, and also the te$t hi"h says, ,#he serpent is the most ingenious of all the beasts of the earth, @Genesis 9%0A% But his ingenuity did him no good sin"e there as no other virtue to go ith it% It behoves a good and faithful servant then to think the thoughts given him by God, to speak a""ording as he thinks, and to perform the things that he says% If his life does not agree ith his ords he is like bread ithout salt, as Cob says, hi"h "annot be eaten @Cob :%:A% If it is eaten it makes the eater si"k% Eating bread ithout salt is like the taste of unprofitable and empty ords hi"h are not proved in good orks% #here are many aspe"ts to disaster% Very often it is the o""asion of hidden virtue being brought to light, like the virtue of Cob to hom God said, ,Do not re)e"t my )udgments% Do not think that my ans ers have had any other purpose but to prove your righteousness @Cob ./%EA% 6ou are kno n to me ho kno all things that are hidden and ho sear"h the depths of human thought @Cob 9.%;0(;;A% #hose ho do not really kno you suspe"t that you orshipped me simply be"ause you ere ri"h% It is for this reason that I have brought you to your present state% I have taken your ri"hes a ay to sho them the depth of your isdom and ho you alk in gra"e%, >Paul also speaks of avoiding pride% 8or he as given over to misfortunes and buffetings, and "ast do n by all sorts of affli"tions, as he says, ,I as given a thorn in the flesh to buffet me lest I get "on"eited, @;4or%0;%HA% Be"ause of his mira"les he "ould have taken things easy% &ith all the su""ess in his dealings and the honour hi"h he as a""orded he "ould have su""umbed to a diaboli"al and arrogant pride% >#here as a paralyti" also, "ast out be"ause of his sins, to hom the !ord said, ,6ou have been made hole% +in no more%, @Cohn%1%0.A% Cudas also fell be"ause he loved money more than the ord of life and hanged himself% @*"ts%0%0EA% Esau also fell and lapsed into intemperan"e, in that he preferred a mess of pottage to his father,s blessing% @Genesis%;1%9;A% #he blessed apostle Paul understood all these things% #here ere those of hom he said, ,#hey did not value the kno ledge of God, so God gave them up to a reprobate mind to do things hi"h are rong%, @<omans 0%;EA% #here ere others of hom he said, ,#hey seemed to have a kno ledge of God but their minds ere "orrupt and s ollen ith foolishness% #hey did not glorify God as God or give him thanks, so God gave them over to disgra"eful passions% 8rom all this e "an be "ertain that no one "an fall into intemperan"e e$"ept he is abandoned by the providen"e of God% It is be"ause of their negligen"e and "arelessness that this has happened to those ho have lapsed and fallen a ay% 4hapter F4VI #he life of abba +5!5'53 I lived for forty years as a "itiBen of *ntinoe in the #hebaid region and during that time I got to kno all the monasteries there% *bout t o thousand men lived in that "ountry, orking ith their hands and striving spiritually% #here ere an"horites among them ho lived in "aves in the ro"k fa"es, among hom as +olomon, a most gentle and ell ordered man, ho lived for fifty years in his "ave, supporting himself by the ork of his hands% He learned the hole of the +a"red +"riptures by heart% 4hapter F4VII #he life of abba D5<5#HE?+ H/

Dorotheus as a priest ho lived in a "ave, a man of blameless life and of great goodness% He as orthy of being ordained to the priesthood, and ministered to the brethren in the "aves% 5n one o""asion 'elania the younger, granddaughter of 'elania the great, hom I shall mention later, sent him five hundred shillings for him to share out among the brothers% He ould only keep three of them, ho ever, giving the rest to the an"horite Dio"les, a man of the greatest per"eption, mentioned belo % >6ou are mu"h iser than I am, brother Dio"les,> he said, >and you "an distribute these in a mu"h more fair and faultless ay than I "ould% 6ou kno better than I ho deservedly needs help% #hese three shillings are enough for me%> 4hapter F4VIII #he life of abba DI54!E+ #his Dio"les as edu"ated at the Grammati"a @i%e +"hool of <hetori" and PhilosophyA, and gave himself to the study of Philosophy, until at the age of t enty(eight, led by gra"e, he abandoned the liberal arts and turned to 4hrist and the philosophy of heaven% *t thirty(five he ent to a "ave% He used to say to us that the mind of one hose thoughts depart from the "ontemplation of God be"omes either demoni" or bestial% >Ho do you meanD> e asked him% >#he mind hi"h departs from God,> he replied, >of ne"essity is either "aptured by the demon of desire ho drives you into las"iviousness, or by the malignant spirit of anger from hi"h "ome all kinds of irrational impulses% !as"iviousness is bestialN anger is the movement of the devil%> >But ho "an a human mind be ith God ithout intermissionD> I asked% >#he soul is al ays ith God henever it is immersed in thoughts or deeds hi"h are devoutly given to God,s ill,> he replied% 4hapter F4IF #he life of abba 4*PI#5 3ear to him lived 4apito ho had been a robber% 8or fifty years he lived in his "ave about four miles from the to n of *ntinoe, and never on"e departed from it even as far as the river 3ile% >I "an,t stand "ro ds,> he said% >*nd up till no the "ommon adversary has stood ba"k from me%> 4hapter 4 #he life of an *34H5<I#E ho as de"eived 3ear them e also ere a are of another an"horite ho like them lived in a "ave% He suffered from a sort of dreamlike frenBy of vainglory, feeding on air and "hasing shado s% *nyone at all vulnerable to de"eption as easily de"eived by him% *nd yet he kept a good bodily dis"ipline, though perhaps that as )ust due to his age and "ir"umstan"es, or even inspired by pride% It as ho ever the vainglorious dissipation of his soul hi"h "orrupted him and eventually led to his abandoning of religious life% 4hapter 4I #he life of abba EPH<*E', a dea"on 6ou have doubtless heard of Ephraem @in Vitae Patrum, Book IA ho as a dea"on in the "hur"h of Edessa @a +yrian "ity on the banks of the EuphratesA% He as one of those ho are orthy to be mentioned among the holy servants of 4hrist @died 9H9A% *fter follo ing diligently the ay of the spirit ithout deviating from the right H0

ay, he as found orthy as a result of his theology of being given the gift of insight into natural things, a gift hi"h leads to blessedness% He lived a life of 7uietness for many years building up those ho "ame to him, until something o""urred hi"h made him leave his "ell% 8or a great famine had stru"k the "ity of Edessa% Being full of "ompassion for those ho ere perishing from hunger he approa"hed the ri"h people of the "ity% >&hy do you not bring aid to all these human beings ho are perishing,> he asked, >instead of letting your ealth moulder a ay to the detriment of your o n soulsD> >&e don,t kno anyone e "an trust, > they said in e$"using themselves, >to distribute bread to the needy% #hey ould all be interested only in profiteering%> >&hat is your opinion of meD> he asked% 3o there as no doubt that he as genuinely regarded very highly by all% >&e kno that you are a man of God,> they said% >If you have formed that opinion of me,> he said, >trust me in this matter% +ee, I am offering myself to take "are of looking after people%> #hey gave him money, and he built an en"losed pla"e surrounded by a all, provided three hundred beds, arranged for medi"al treatment to those ho ere ill, brought relief to the hungry, buried the dead, "ured those for hom there as still hope ( in short from the money ith hi"h he as supplied he brought friendship and help in pla"e of famine% By the end of the year the "rops ere gro ing ell again and everything returned to normal% +o hen there as nothing more for him to do he ent ba"k to his "ell% He died at the end of a month% God had given him in his last days this opportunity of "ro ning his life ith glory% Besides, he left ritings ell orth studying hi"h bear itness to his greatness% 4hapter 4II #he life of abba C?!I*3 +omeone in these parts told me that Culian as a man ho pra"ti"ed very vigorously, ho punished his flesh so mu"h that he as )ust skin and bone% #o ards the end of his life he as found orthy to re"eive the gift of being able to heal the si"k% 4hapter 4III #he life of abba I3354E3# 6ou have heard from many great people about Inno"ent the priest of 5livet% 6ou ill nonetheless hear more about him from me also, for I lived ith him for three years and observed "losely hat might have es"aped the noti"e of others% But indeed, hether it ere I or they or ten other people it ould be impossible to tell all the virtues of this man% He as a transparently simple man% He used to have a high position in the "ourt of the Emperor 4onstantius at the beginning of his reign% * married man, he renoun"ed the orld, even though he had a son "alled Paul, ho served in the pala"e guards @militabat inter domesti"osA% #his son "ommitted forni"ation, and even though it as his o n son Inno"entius "alled do n a "urse upon him% >Give him over into the po er of a demon, 5 !ord,> begged Inno"entius, )udging that it ere better for him to have a demon to "ontend ith rather than try to over"ome his lust% *nd so it turned out% 8or right up to the present time he is in the 'ount of 5lives, aging ar on and being harassed by a demon% *nd marvelous to relate, this father ho heals others has had no pity on his o n son ho has been tormented all this time by a demon% H;

#his Inno"ent as su"h a mer"iful person @I,m telling the truth, ho ever mu"h you may think I am making it upA, that it as often hispered about among the brethren that he as giving alms to the needy% He as indeed a simple and inno"ent person% He had been granted great po ers against the demons% #here as a paralyti" young man possessed of a demon ho as brought to us, and hen I sa him I ould have 7uite frankly dis"ouraged his mother and the other people ith him, as I thought he as beyond "uring% But Inno"ent "ame along and sa her standing there, "rying and shouting be"ause of her son,s appalling disability% #his e$traordinary man as deeply moved and shed tears% He took the young man ith him into the "hapel @martyriumA hi"h he had built himself in hi"h ere the reli"s of Cohn the Baptist% He prayed ith him from the third hour through to the ninth, and took the young man ba"k to his mother, "ured both of his paralysis and his demoni" possession all in the same day% #he illness had "aused his body to be so t isted about that hen he slobbered the spit ran do n his ba"k% Here is another sign that he did% #here as an old oman pasturing the sheep in fields near to !aBarius ho "ame to him eeping be"ause she had lost one of them% >+ho me the pla"e here you lost it,> he said to her, giving her his full attention% +he led him to the pla"e near !aBarius, here he stood and prayed% #he young men ho had a"tually killed the sheep earlier ere hispering among themselves nearby, but none of them o ned up to it hile the holy man as praying% * "ro suddenly fle do n on to the stolen "ar"ass hi"h as hidden among some vines, snat"hed up a morsel from it and fle off% #he blessed man noti"ed it and so found the slaughtered body, hereupon the youths flung themselves at his feet and "onfessed to having killed the sheep% #hey ere "ompelled to pay up a fair pri"e for the "ar"ass, and ere so fier"ely punished that they never dared do su"h a thing again% 4hapter 4IV #he life of abba *D5!I?+ In Cerusalem I kne another person "alled *dolius ho "ame from #arsus% 8rom the time hen he first "ame to Cerusalem he entered upon a ay of life hi"h as rather unusual% It as a ne routine hi"h he thought out for himself, not one hi"h follo ed the multitude% It as su"h a superhuman ay of living that even the i"ked demons ere terrified by his austerity, and ere frightened of "oming near him% It as almost as if you "ould think he as a spirit and no man, su"h as his as"eti"ism and vigilan"e% In !ent he ate only every fifth day, at other times every other day% #he e$traordinary a"hievements due to his virtue ere as follo s% 8rom Vespers until the time hen the brothers met for prayers ne$t day, he stood on the mount of 5lives ( that mount from hi"h Cesus as"ended into heaven ( singing psalms, fasting and praying ithout intermission, ithout moving hether it rained or poured% *t the a""ustomed time he "alled the brothers to prayer by taking a mallet and kno"king on their doors% *t every part of the servi"e he sang ith them the psalms and one or t o antiphons, prayed ith them, and at last as day as approa"hing he retired to his "ell% His "lothing as often so et that the brothers ould divest him of them and give him others to ear% He rested until the third hour, then turn to his psalm singing again and "on"entrated on this until it as time for Vespers% #his as the virtue sho n by *dolius of #arsus ho lived out his life in Cerusalem and there entered into eternal rest and as buried% 4hapter 4V #he life of abba *B<*'I?+ #here as a "ertain Egyptian "alled *bramius ho lived a very hard and severe life in solitude% His mind be"ame filled up ith untimely delusions, so that he "ame into the "hur"h and started arguing ith the priests% >4hrist himself has ordained me last night to the priesthood,> he said, >so take me into your fello ship%> #he fathers took him out of his solitude into a more regular and ordinary sort of life, "ured him of his pride, and led him to a"kno ledge his o n eakness in being de"eived by the demon of pride% By their holy prayers he as restored to his former holiness of life% H9

4hapter 4VI #he life of abba E!PIDI?+ #his Elpidius as a 4appado"ian, and lived on 'ount !u"a, in the "aves of the *morites hi"h had been built by those people fleeing from Coshua the son of 3un hen he as laying aste the people of this foreign land% He as later honoured ith the gift of priesthood to serve the monastery there% He as ordained by the e$"ellent #imothy, a bishop of the 4appado"ian region% Elpidius lived in a "ave and gave eviden"e of su"h dis"ipline in his ay of life that he overshado ed everyone else% 8or t enty(five years he ate only on +aturdays and +undays and stood singing the hole night through% *s bees seek out their 7ueen, so many others follo ed him and populated that mountain, though you ould find among them many different ays of life% Elpidium @I >foot of God>A lived up to his name on one o""asion as a s"orpion stung him hen e ere singing psalms ith him one night% He lived ith a sure hope and as illing to suffer for 4hrist,s sake, so that he simply stamped on the s"orpion ithout moving from here he stood% +o great as his po er of bearing pain that he took no a""ount of the in)ury done him by the s"orpion% 5ne day hile still living in the mountain one of the brothers gave him a bit of a t ig, hi"h the holy man stu"k in the ground even though it as not the planting season% It gre so mu"h and sho ed su"h vigorous life that it "overed over the hole "hur"h% 4hapter 4VII #he life of abba *E3E+I?+ *long ith this "elebrated holy athlete of God as in"luded the servant of God *enesius, a man highly esteemed, and outstanding in his ay of life% 4hapter 4VIII #he life of abba E?+#*#HI?+ *nd his brother Eustathius as e7ual to him in honour, living out the battle of life ith a keen and eager mind% It as his e$ample that Elpidius follo ed, punishing his body, ignoring the pain, so that his "omplete bone stru"ture as defe"tive% In des"ribing his virtues his diligent dis"iples also re"orded that for all of t enty(five years he never on"e looked to ard the &est, even though the mouth of his "ave as situated on the top of the mountain% 8rom the si$th hour hen the sun as overhead he never looked to ards here it as going do n into the &est, and for t enty years he never sa the stars hi"h arise in the &est% 8rom the time that he ent into the "ave this great patient athlete did not "ome do n from the mountain until he as buried% +u"h ere the heavenly e$ploits of the vi"torious un"on7uered athlete Elpidius, ho no rests in paradise along ith many others like him% 4hapter 4IF #he life of abba +I+I33I?+ #here as a dis"iple of Elpidius "alled +isinnius, a 4appado"ian by ra"e, a slave but a free man in faith% It is important for the glory of 4hrist to mention his origins, for it is 4hrist ho e$alts us from our origins, leading us to the truly blessed nobility hi"h is indeed the Kingdom of Heaven% He spent a long time ith the blessed Elpidius, a keen athlete in the ay he trained himself in all the virtues% He learned the virtues of Elpidius for si$ or seven years, the fortitude of the ay he laboured in his ay of life, and then shut himself up in a tomb% He stayed there and prayed for three years, neither sitting do n or lying do n or gong out% He as given po er over the demons% H.

He has no gone ba"k to his native land here he has been honoured ith the gift of the priesthood and has "olle"ted around him a "ompany of both men and omen% He bears itness to the virtue of developing the po ers of enduran"e by the honesty of the ay his life is lived, in that by pra"tising stri"t "ontinen"e he has e$pelled from himself both mas"uline avari"e and feminine pliability, so fulfilling the +"ripture, ,In 4hrist there is neither male nor female, bond nor free, @Galatians 9%;EA% He as famed for his hospitality though possessing little, to the shame of the ri"h ho shared little% 4hapter 4F #he life of abba G*DD*3* I also kne an old Palestinian "alled Gaddana ho for the hole of his life lived ithout a roof over his head near the river Cordan% &hen the Ce s inspired by greed invaded ith dra n s ord the area around the Dead +ea, a great mira"le as performed by this blessed hermit% 8or hen a soldier lifted up his s ord intending to kill Gaddana, the hand hi"h held the s ord ithered and the soldier fell do n insensible% +u"h as the prote"tion given by God to the blessed Gaddana, hi"h the blessed man en)oyed till the end of his life% 4hapter 4FI #he life of abba E!I*+ #here as a highly respe"ted monk "alled Elias living in a "ave in the same area% His life as upright and above all religious% He lived his life in "ontinen"e and prayer and had a ready el"ome for all ho "ame to him% 5ne day several brothers arrived, making a stop ith him on their )ourney, and he had run out of bread% >I as very upset be"ause I had no bread,,, he told us, s earing that hat he had to say as true, >so I ent into my "ell in great perple$ity of mind, ondering ho I "ould possibly fulfil the duty of "harity to ards these arrivals, and I found that three loaves had )ust been put there, hi"h I )oyfully took and pla"ed before them% # enty of them satisfied their hunger and there as still one loaf left, hi"h I found as enough for me for the ne$t t enty(five days%> #his as a gift from the !ord to the hospitable Elias, for hom the re ard of his labours is laid up in the presen"e of the kindly !ord% 4hapter 4FII +*BB*#I?+ +abbatius as a married man of Ceri"ho, ho as so friendly disposed to ards monks that he ould go the desert and the "ells at night and leave outside every hermitage a portion of fruit and vegetables% #his as all they needed, be"ause those living this ay of life in the Cordan ate no bread% #his benefa"tor of "elibate monks ho sa to the filling of their larders "ame fa"e to fa"e ith a lion one day hen he as "arrying some of the ne"essities of life to them% #he lion had evil designs on him, an immense ild animal sent by the devil, the enemy of monks and their ministry, intent on destroying not only him but the sour"e of the monks, food% He as about a mile a ay from here the monks lived hen the lion sa him, stret"hed out his "la s and thre him do n% But he ho bade the lions refrain from eating Daniel forbade this lion to devour this servant of those ho served God, even though he as very hungry% He merely ate the ass belonging to the man, and thus the ass both besto ed life on him and satisfied the lion,s hunger% 4hapter 4FIII #he life of the priest PHI!5<5'?+ &e met the most devout priest and lover of God Philoromus in Galatia and stayed ith him for a long time% He follo ed his ay of life most stri"tly% He as the son of a slave oman though his father as free% But he gave H1

su"h great and noble eviden"e of 4hristian virtue in his ay of life that even the leading monks re"koned his life and the po er of his virtues to be e7ual to that of the angels% He renoun"ed the orld during the rule of that a""ursed Emperor Culian% Philoromos, that open(hearted 4hristian athlete, spoke his mind freely to that impious man, ith the result that Culian ordered his servants to shave him and severely s"ourge him% He bore it bravely and magnanimously, and even giving thanks for it, as he himself told us% He told us that in the beginning -of his life of dedi"ation2 he began a great battle against forni"ation and gluttony% +truggling against these tyrannous illnesses he over"ame them, like putting out a fier"e fire ith plenty of ater, by striving for "ontinen"e, by shutting himself up, by abstaining from meats and heaten bread and all "ooked dishes% He aged this ar for eighteen years ith great bravery and magnanimity, so that at the last, having "on7uered, he "ould sing a hymn of vi"tory, ,I ill praise you, 5 God, be"ause you have sustained me and not allo ed my enemies to triumph over me, @Psalms9/%0A% He persevered for forty years in the monastery, being atta"ked by the spirit of forni"ation from time to time% >8or thirty(t o years,> he told us, >I ate no fruit% But then I as atta"ked by a spirit of fearfulness, so that I daily felt afraid% +o I en"losed myself for si$ years in a tomb, and by this means I on through, aging ar through the po er of enduran"e ith the spirit ho as endeavouring to enslave me% > #he blessed bishop Basil took a great interest in this outstanding man, admiring his austerity, his "onstan"y, his diligent ork% ?p to the present day, aged eighty, he still keeps going at his eaving and his riting% >8rom the time that I as brought into ne life by ater and the +pirit,> this blessed man said, >right up to the present day, I have never eaten bread at someone else,s e$pense, but only hat I have prepared ith my o n hands% *nd as God is my itness I tell you I have given t o hundred and fifty shillings -solidosA out of my earnings to those handi"apped and disabled ho have not done anyone else any in)ury% I have )ourneyed on foot to <ome in order to pray at the shrine of the martyrs ++% Peter and Paul and have even got as far as *le$andria in fulfilment of a vo to venerate +t 'ark% I have also been found orthy of t i"e being able to go to Cerusalem on my o n t o feet to venerate the holy pla"es and I have paid the e$penses myself% >I do not remember,> he said, to give us something to benefit from him by, >ever having departed from God in my soul%> +u"h ere the struggles of the blessed Philoromus in hi"h he on an unblemished vi"tory, and to him is given the re ard of his blessed labours, a "ro n of undying glory% 4hapter 4FIV #he life of the blessed +EVE<I*3?+ and his ife In *n"yra Galatia it so happened that I as able to speak ith a "ertain nobleman "alled +everianus and his ife, although I did not have any great intima"y ith them% #hey pla"ed all their good hope in a future life, to the disappointment of their "hildren% #hey had four sons and t o daughters, but they disbursed all the revenues of their estates among the needy, making no settlement upon any of them e$"ept in marriage settlements% >It ill all be yours after e are dead,> they said to the other "hildren% >8or as long as e are alive e shall save our surplus earnings and distribute them to "hur"hes, monasteries, guestmasters and to anyone ho is needy% #heir prayers ill bring the re ard of eternal life to us and you and our family in e$"hange for the labours of this present time%> #hey also displayed notable virtue during a time of great famine hen everyone as feeling hungry, for they opened up their storehouses on many of their estates and gave to the poor, ith the result that many ho ere then hereti"s "ame ba"k to the true faith% It as their other ise ine$pli"able kindness hi"h persuaded hereti"s to "ome ba"k into agreement ith the true faith, giving thanks to God for their simpli"ity and immense generosity% H:

#hey had another admirable pra"ti"e% &hat they ore as very old and unpretentious, they ere sparing in hat they ate to a degree almost impossible to des"ribe% #hey ere simply "ontent ith enough ne"essary to support life% * onderful devotion to ards God ent along ith this% #hey spent most of their time in the "ountry, avoiding the "ity and its vi"es, lest the e$"itement and "onfusion of "ity life dra them a ay from a truly )oyful life and they should fall a ay from the "ommandments of God% *ll the good deeds and upright life of these blessed people helped them to keep their eyes fi$ed on the eternal re ards prepared for them by the glory of God% 4hapter 4FV #he life of the monk E!EE'53 &e met in this "ountry a monk ho had refused the offer of the priesthood% He had de"ided this after a short spell of military servi"e% *fter t enty years of living as a monk he began a different life in the servi"e of the very holy bishop of that area% He as a kind and mer"iful person and he used to go about the "ity helping not only the needy but everyone, the guards, the hospitals, the beggars, ri"h and poor% He did good to everyone% If the ri"h ere "areless and la"king in pity he spoke to them of mer"y% He provided hat as ne"essary for the needy% He re"on"iled those ho ere 7uarrelling% He "lothed the naked% He supplied medi"ines to "ure the si"k% *s is usual in all big "ities there as al ays a "ro d of si"k and disabled people on the steps of the "hur"h begging for their daily bread% +ome of them ere married, some not% It happened one day that the ife of one of them began to give birth ( and it as intertime% +he began to "ry out as she under ent intolerable pain, and the blessed man heard her as he as praying in the "hur"h% He immediately abandoned his a""ustomed prayers, ent outside and sa hat as happening% #here seemed to be no one about ho as able to help in this emergen"y so it as he ho took upon himself the fun"tion of a mid ife, not minding at all about the messiness of omen in labour% In this most profound a"t of kindness he displayed as little "on"ern as if he had been a oman% #he "lothes that he ore "ould not have "ost more than one obol% &hat he spent on food as even less% He o ned hardly a single book ( a"ts of mer"y kept him a ay from reading% If any of the brothers gave him a book he promptly sold it and gave the money to the poor% >&hy are you selling this bookD> some people ould ask him% >Ho "ould I possibly "onvin"e my master that I have thoroughly learned his tea"hing e$"ept by using his very tea"hing to put it into pra"ti"eD> he ould reply% @"f% Book V%vi%1 and Book III%H/A He "ontinued a"ting in this manner to su"h an e$tent that he left an undying memory of his name in the hole region round about% He no is given eternal )oy in the kingdom of heaven, re"eiving a orthy re ard for his blessed labours% He fed the hungry and "lothed the naked and no en)oys all manner of delights as a re ard for his good orks% 4hapter 4FVI #he life of abba BI+*<I53 #here as a "ompassionate old man living in poverty "alled Bisarion ho on"e "ame into a "ertain to n and sa a naked beggar lying there dead, hile he himself as earing a tuni" in the gospel tradition and a small "loak% He possessed nothing else besides this ne"essary "overing and a small gospel hi"h he "arried under his arm% #his reminded him of the danger of not being al ays obedient to the voi"e of God and also gave him advi"e on ho to a"t% +o admirable as this man,s life, more beautiful than any other, that he as like an earthly angel, pursuing a really heavenly path% &hen he sa the dead body he immediately took off his "loak and spread it over him% *fter going on a little further he sa a beggar, "ompletely naked% He stopped and reasoned thus ith himselfO >Here am I ho have renoun"ed the orld and yet I still have "lothes to my ba"k, yet this my brother is stiff ith "old% If I ere to see him die I ould be guilty of my neighbour,s death% &hat should I doD #ake off my tuni" and divide it so as to give him halfD 5r rather give it hole to this person "reated in the image of GodD But hat HH

use ould it be to either of us "ut in halfD Besides,> he kept on arguing, >is any one ever "ondemned for doing more than the "ommandments re7uireD> +traighta ay this generous athlete briskly be"koned the beggar into a por"h ay and sent him off "lothed hile he himself remained there bare, "overing himself ith his hands and s7uatting do n ith bended knees, keeping nothing save the gospel under his arm hi"h made him ri"h% He as providentially re"ognised by an irenar"h -a sort of lo"al pea"ekeeper or "onstable2, passing by on his o n business% >!ook there,> he said to his "ompanion% >Isn,t that abba BisarionD> >Indeed it is> as the reply% #he irenar"h got do n from his horse% >&ho has stripped you nakedD> he asked% >#his,> he replied, taking the gospel out from under his arm% #he irenar"h took off his o n "loak and "lothed this perfe"t soldier of 4hrist in it% He a""epted it as a sort of little monasti" habit and 7uietly slipped a ay from vie , un illing to be praised by someone ho had brought his ay of life out into the open, but looking rather for that honour hi"h "omes from keeping good deeds se"ret% Having fulfilled e$a"tly all the gospel pre"epts, and ith no orldly "onsiderations any longer in his mind, he yet ent on to an even more perfe"t obedien"e to the demands of God% 8or having seen a poor person in passing through the forum he thought for a little hile and then ent and sold his gospel% * fe days later his dis"iple Dulas as ith him and asked, >*bba, hat have you done ith your little gospelD> #he old man "almly replied ith a beautiful saying, apt and deeply ise% >Don,t look so sad, brother,> he said, >for I do believe that I have sold it in obedien"e to that ord hi"h bids me ,sell hat you have and give to the poor,>% @'ark 0/%;0, !uke 0E%;;A #here are many other things done by this great and virtuous father, ith hom may e also be found orthy to have a share through 4hrist,s gra"e% *men 4hapter 4FVII #he life of the blessed 'E!*3I* I have thought it ne"essary to mention in this book some strong and virtuous omen to hom God has given re ards e7ual to those of the men ho have lived virtuously, and ho have been a arded the "ro n due to all those ho please him% #heir gentleness and tenderness should not be used as an e$"use for labelling them as unenterprising, or la"king in the strength needed for the battle to develop a virtuous and honourable life% *nd I met many pious and religious omen, and even more virgins and ido s of great virtue, among hom as the most blessed 'elania of <ome, the daughter of the "onsul 'ar"ellus, and the ife of a man in a very important position hose name I "annot remember% &hen she as ido ed at the age of t enty(t o, she as found orthy of being filled ith the love of God% +he found someone ho ould take "are of her "hildren, ithout telling anyone @for this as forbidden at that time under the Emperor ValensA, took ith her hat luggage she "ould and took ship for *le$andria, together ith some servants and maids% #here she realised her assets -suas res vendidisset2 into small gold pie"es -aurum minutum2 and ent into 'ount 3itria here she met the holy fathers Pambo, *rsisius, +erapion the great, Paphnutius of +"ete, bishop Isodore the 4onfessor of Hermipolis, and Dios"uros% +he travelled around among them for about si$ months, visiting all the holy people in the desert% *fter ards *ugustus of *le$andria e$iled to Dio"aesarea in Palestine Isidore, Pissimius, *delphius, Paphnutius, Pambo, *mmonius ,Parotius, or ,one(eared,, together ith t elve bishops, priests, "leri"s and an"horites to the HE

number of a hundred and t enthy(si$% 'elania follo ed them there, and defrayed out of her o n money the e$pense of supplying the ne"essities of them all% I visited the holy Pissinius, Isodore, Paphnutius and *mmonius, and they told me that she as then prohibited from e$er"ising this ministry, but she bravely dressed herself as a slave and "ontinued to take some food to one of them% &hen the "onsul of Palestine heard of this he arrested her in the hope of terrorising her and filling his o n purse% He thre her into prison, una are that she as a free oman% But she soon disabused him of this idea% >I am the daughter of 'ar"ellus and as married to a man in a very important position,> she said, >but I am no the handmaid of 4hrist% Don,t be misled by the ay I am dressedN I am perfe"tly at liberty to dress other ise should I so ish% 6ou "an,t terrorise me or take any of my money ithout un ittingly getting yourself into real trouble, hi"h is hy I am telling you ho I am%> *gainst stupid men it is sometimes ne"essary to a"t ith a strong mind, like a hound or a bird of prey, and s oop do n on their self importan"e% #he )udge believed her and apologised most obse7uiously, and gave orders that she be allo ed to visit the holy men ithout any hindran"e% 4hapter 4FVIII #he life of the priest <?88I3?+ &hen the e$iles ere allo ed ba"k home 'elania built a monastery in Cerusalem here she lived for t enty( seven years ith a "onvent of fifty virgins% &ith her as the most noble and "apable <uffinus ho as of a like mind ith her% He as from *7uileia in Italy and as later found orthy of being ordained priest% 6ou "ould not have found a more learned or more gentle man any here% +o for t enty(seven years they el"omed all those "oming to Cerusalem on pilgrimage -voti "ausa, ,for the sake of a vo ,2, bishops, monks, virgins, married people, private "itiBens and those in publi" life, and they provided for them all at their o n e$pense% #hey also took "are of about four hundred men leading a monasti" life ho ere follo ers of the s"hismati" Paul -of +amosata, a notable hereti" of that time2, and also hereti"s among the Pneumatoma"hi ho played do n the divinity of the Holy +pirit% #hey persuaded them to "ome ba"k into the 4hur"h% &ithout "ausing any offen"e to anybody they transformed the lot of the lo"al "lergy by gifts of food, and indeed brought help to everyone from hatever part of the orld they "ame% I have already talked briefly above about the onderful holy oman 'elania% I ould also add a fe ords about her other gifts, espe"ially hat I "an remember of her virtues% I "ould not begin to des"ribe the generosity of this most religious oman% By her labours she has oven a blessed garment of in"orruptibility, and by her almsgiving an unfading "ro n of glory for her o n head, hi"h she no ears sin"e departing to the !ord, faithful to the end% #ime fails me to say hat I kno , as I begin to tell of the deeds of this blessed oman% 4ompletely filled ith love of God she e$pended so mu"h material goods on the needy that I think that the bonfire "ould not be "onstru"ted big enough to "onsume them all% It is not only I ho "an say this but everyone from Persia to Britain and the distant isles% 8rom East to &est, from 3orth to +outh, all benefited from the generous almsgiving of this immortal oman% 8or thirty seven years she "arried out this ork of hospitality, using her money to help ith the e$penses of "hur"hes, monasteries, guesthouses and prisons% !et me say on"e and for all she never failed to share some portion of her ealth ith everyone ho "ame to her% +he as supported by her family, espe"ially her son, and by her ste ards ho administered her in"ome as if they ere providing oil to produ"e a shining light% Indeed, by lighting a flame of su"h burning brillian"e she illuminated everyone by the generosity of her almsgiving% *nd even as she persevered in her ork of hospitality, it as not only an earthly reputation she as seeking% 3ot even the needs of her son "ould distra"t her from her love of solitude% Indeed, she did not make any distin"tion bet een the needs of her only son and her love of 4hrist% By her prayers this young man be"ame deeply imbued ith 4hristian tea"hing hi"h sho ed itself in the e$emplary ay he lived his life% He made a brilliant and distinguished marriage and as sho ered ith orldly honours% He had t o sons ho ere a living itness to ho good his marriage as% 'any years later ne s "ame to her that a granddaughter of hers in <ome had married but ished to renoun"e the orld in order to avoid falling into false tea"hing or heresies or an evil life% *lthough an old oman of si$ty she immediately took ship from 4aesarea and after t enty days arrived at <ome% HG

#here she "onverted to 4hrist her nie"e *vita,s husband *proniamus, and initiated him into the "ate"humenate% He as a gentilis -I member of the same gens or "lan2, a most blessed and lovely man of the highest reputation% +he persuaded them to live in "ontinen"e% +he persuaded her granddaughter 'elania and her husband Pinianus like ise, together ith her daughter(in(la *lbina to sell all they had and leave <ome ith her and enter the haven of a tran7uil and virtuous life% #his plunged her into a bitterly fier"e "ontroversy ith the order of +enators and their ives ho ere totally against the idea of anyone giving up to others their family shrines% >'y "hildren,> the handmaid of the !ord then said, >it is ritten that the last days ill be upon us in forty years time% &hy should you "heerfully ant to stay any longer amidst the vanities of this lifeD #he days of the *nti"hrist may soon be upon us hen you ill no longer be able to en)oy your possessions or the "ustoms of your an"estors%> #hese ords freed their minds and she as able to lead them into a monasti" life% +he gave a "ourse of instru"tion to the younger son, Publi"ola, and took him to +i"ily% +he sold the rest of her possessions and took the money ith her to Cerusalem, here she shared it all out% *fter forty days she died serenely in a good old age% Her memory is venerated for the abundan"e of the lega"y hi"h she left to the monastery at Cerusalem and its upkeep% *fter all those hom 'elania had introdu"ed to the "ate"humenate had left <ome a sudden barbarian atta"k fell upon the "ity, as had been prophesied% #he bronBe statues ere ripped out of the forum hi"h as defiled by all manner of barbarian degradation% #he <ome hi"h for t elve hundred years had been the most beautiful and sought after of "ities lay in ruins% It as a desert% *s the +ibyl had said, it as no no longer <ome but <u(me, that is, a village% #hen all those ho, ithout very mu"h hesitation, had )oined the "ate"humenate praised their God ho had dra n them from unbelief into a "hanged life% &hereas all the other families ere redu"ed to slavery, their family alone ere saved as a sa"rifi"e to the !ord be"ause of the Beal of the blessed 'elania% *long ith those ho turned ith them to ards salvation, they ere prote"ted from the punishment hi"h fell upon the others% 4hapter 4FIF #he life of 'E!*3I* #HE 65?3GE< +in"e I have promised to tell the story of 'elania,s granddaughter I must redeem my promise% It ould not be right to have mentioned the life of a younger 'elania and pass over in silen"e the great virtues of this granddaughter of 'elania the great, ho surpassed many prudent and profi"ient people mu"h older than herself% Her parents then gave her in marriage ithout her "onsent to one of the leading men in the "ity of <ome, hen she as still very young in years but old in piety and isdom% #ales of her grandmother had so inspired her that she had not really anted to get married at all% +he gave birth to t o sons but they both died% #his so turned her against marriage that she "omplained to her husband, Pinianus the son of +everus% >I kno you are my lord and my hole life lies in your po er, but if you ant to "ontinue living ith me let it be in "ontinen"e% *s a young man you may find that hard to bear, but you have all my property for your o n use% Cust leave my body free that I may fulfil the longing hi"h God has given me to be the inheritor of the virtue given by God to my grandmother, hose name I bear% If God has ished us to "ontinue living in this orld and en)oy the things of this orld he ould not have taken a ay our sons so prematurely%> #hey argued about this for a long time, until God at last had pity on the young man and inspired him ith a religious eagerness to turn his ba"k on all the material goods of this orld% #hus as fulfilled hat as ritten by the *postle, ,&ife, ho do you kno that you on,t save your husbandD, @0 4or%H%0:A% +he had been married at the age of thirteen and had lived ith him for seven years, so she as t enty hen she renoun"ed the orld% #he first thing she did as to dedi"ate all her silken outer garments to the servi"e of the altar @ hi"h is hat the venerable 5lympias did ( see 4hapter 4F!IVA% #he rest of her "lothing she "ut up to make various other pie"es of "hur"h linen% Her silver and gold she entrusted to the "are of a "ertain Paul ho as a priest(monk of Dalmatia% He took it by sea to the East, distributing ten thousand shillings to Egypt and the #hebaid, ten thousand to *ntio"h and the regions roundabout, fifteen thousand to Palestine% +he gave money in person to "hur"hes in the &est, and also to monasteries, guesthouses and the poor% +he freed eight thousand of E/

her slaves if they so desiredN the rest ho did not ant freedom she left ith her brother% +he distributed the pro"eeds of the sale of her possessions in +pain, *7uitania, #arra"onensis and Gaul, but kept hat she o ned in +i"ily, 4ampania and *fri"a in order to help monasteries and the needy% #hese are the ise things that 'elania the younger did first of all% Her attitude to ards money as one of great maturity% #he ay of life she developed as as follo sO +he ate only every se"ond day, though at the beginning it as only every fifth day% +he as the means of bringing many of her maids into the ay of salvation, turning them into athletes of God% +he kindled a divine ardour in many of her relations, so that they sought God in the same religious ay as she did% +u"h as the life of 'elania the younger, through Cesus 4hrist our !ord% 4hapter 4FF *!BI3* +he had her mother *lbina ith her ho lived in mu"h the same sort of ay% +he also had given a ay her o n money% #hey lived in the "ountry, sometimes in +i"ily, sometimes in 4ampania, ith fifteen eunu"hs, virgins and maids% 4hapter 4FFI PI3I*3?+ Pinianus like ise, her former husband, is no of one mind ith her in striving to a"7uire the virtues% He has thirty monks ith him and studies the Holy +"riptures% He orks in the garden as ell as giving "onferen"es% #hese monks honoured us greatly hen e "ame to <ome to visit blessed Cohn the bishop, giving us hospitality, providing us ith food for our )ourney, and offering a pi"ture of the life of our !ord Cesus 4hrist and of the ay this best kind of life is lived% 4hapter 4FFII P*''*4HI?+ 5ne of his relations as a man of the pro"onsular "lass "alled Pamma"hius, ho after renoun"ing the orld lived this best of lives% He gave part of his ealth a ay hile still alive, and at his death left the rest to the poor% 4hapter 4FFIII '*4*<I?+ #here as another "alled 'a"arius, formerly Vi"arius% 4hapter 4FFIV 453+#*3#I?+ 4onstantius also, ho had been assistant to the prefe"ts of Italy, made one of these eminent and learned en, ho a"hieved the heights of piety and religion% I believe they are still at present alive, living the best kind of life imaginable, looking for the life of bliss and the avoidan"e of destru"tion% 4hapter 4FFV P*?!* 58 <5'E

E0

Paula of <ome as one of this "ompany, the mother of #o$otius and the ife of 3P%+he as very highly advan"ed in a spiritual ay of life, but Cerome of Dalmatia as a great hindran"e to her% 8or she "ould have been a leader over many, not to say everyone, as she as very skilled and kno ledgeable about leading the life of virtue% But for sheer envy Cerome prevented her, dra ing her into his o n sphere of influen"e% 4hapter 4FFVI E?+#54HI?' Her daughter Eusto"hium also lives the life% I have not met her but she is said to be a most "haste oman ith a "onvent of fifty virgins% 4hapter 4FFVI VE3E<E* I did meet Venerea, ho ever, the daughter of Ballome"us of the imperial "ourt% +he gave a ay enough to break the ba"k of a "amel and so freed herself from the ounds hi"h "an be "aused by material goods% 4hapter 4FFVII #HE5D5<* #heodora, the daughter of a tribune as another% +he gave a ay so mu"h of her possessions that hen she died she as re"eiving alms, not giving them% 4hapter 4FFVIII ?+I* In the monastery of Hesy"ha(on(sea I met a oman "alled ?sia, ho had lived an e$emplary life for a very long time% 4hapter 4FFIF *D5!I* Her sister *dolia also lived a life of virtue, not in order to demonstrate the dignity of su"h a life, but to demonstrate ith the e$er"ise of all her strength that she lived in Beal for God% 4hapter 4FFFI B*+I*3I!!* I also kne Basianilla, the daughter of an army offi"er "alled 4andianus% +he sought after a"7uiring the virtues ith a devout and eager mind, battling keenly from day to day% 4hapter 4FFFII PH5#I3* Photina as an e$emplary virgin, the daughter of #heo"tistus, a priest in !aodi"ea% 4hapter 4FFFIII

E;

*+E!!* In <ome I also met *sella, a most e$emplary virgin of God, ho lived to an unblemished and gentle old age in the monastery% +he also "ondu"ted a s"hool here I met several men and omen hom she had re"ently indu"ted into the "ate"humenate% 4hapter 4FFFIV *VI#* I met also the blessed *vita, deserving of God, and also her husband *pronianus and daughter Eunonia% In all things they ere pleasing to God, having been openly "onverted from a "areless and voluptuous life to a life hi"h as e$emplary and "ontinent% It as granted to them to fall asleep in 4hrist freed from all sin, having battled their ay to perfe"tion in unremitting struggles, held in pre"ious memory by those from hom they have departed% 4hapter 4FFFV '*G3* In the "ountry of *n"yra there ere many other virgins, up to about ten thousand of them, ho lived dis"iplined lives and fought to develop all the virtues, omen ho ere famous and ell kno n every here for their as"eti" "ustoms, and the Beal ith hi"h they aged the heavenly battle% *mong them all the "ro n of devotion as held by 'agna, a oman of probity and integrity% I am not sure hether to "lass her as a virgin or a ido , for after her mother for"ibly )oined her to a husband, she "ontrived to avoid violation and retain her virginity inta"t, so her family says% +he ould put her husband off ith various e$"uses for delay, and plead various bodily infirmities% Her husband died not very long into the marriage and left her the sole heir% +he offered herself to God entirely, e$"hanging the "on"erns of this orld for the "on"erns of God, and this she did for the rest of her life% Custi"e as her at"h ord in ruling her household, taking great "are to order all things ith due orderliness% +he as very stri"t in her dealings ith the "ommunity, so that even the most highly esteemed bishops stood in a e of her outstanding religious devotion% +he possessed far more material goods than ere ne"essary, but s"orned them by living in poverty% Her surplus ealth she entrusted to ste ards ho distributed alms to monasteries, hostels for the homeless -pto"hotrophiis, those ho "are for beggars2, guesthouses, "hur"hes, the poor, travellers, bishops, orphans, ido s and anyone in need% +he never "eased to nourish a hidden life of devotion both in herself and in her faithful slaves, attending "hur"h ithout fail, espe"ially in the night vigils, "ondu"ting herself virtuously in everything for the hope she had of the true eternal life% 4hapter 4FFFVI #he VI<GI3 ho sheltered bishop *thanasius% I happened to "ome a"ross this virgin in *le$andria hen she as about seventy years old% *ll the lo"al "lergy "ould testify to the fa"t that hen she as a very attra"tive young girl of about t enty anyone seeking to be "elibate kept a ay from her, be"ause she as so beautiful that people might have suspe"ted there as something going on% 3o at that time the *rians ere stirring up trouble for *thanasius the bishop of *le$andria% #hey not only slandered him but also a""used him of various i"ked "rimes before Eusebius, ho as then the governor under the emperor 4onstantius% He kne ho biased that "ourt "ould be in its )udgment and also ho useless it ould be to try and es"ape from it by hiding ith relations or friends or fello ("lergy or household slaves% &hen the offi"ers of the governor suddenly appeared at the bishop,s house looking for him in the middle of the night he put on slaves, "lothing and fled to no one else but this same virgin% +he as naturally astonished and very frightened% E9

>I am being a""used of terrible "rimes by the *rians,> said *thanasius, >and I have de"ided to fly rather than be publi"ly "ondemned and drag into the same "ondemnation anyone ho might have sheltered me% God has revealed to me this night that I "annot possible be safe ith anyone else e$"ept you%> Being totally on the !ord,s side, her fear as "ast out and e$"hanged for )oy% &ith illing and eager heart she "on"ealed that holy bishop for si$ years, for as long as 4onstantius lived% +he ashed his feet and emptied his "hamber pot and provided for all his needs, making sure that he had plenty of books% 8or all those si$ years nobody in *le$andria kne here that blessed bishop as% &hen he heard the ne s that the emperor 4onstantius as dead, he dressed himself in his a""ustomed vestments and appeared in "hur"h one night% *ll ho sa him ere over"ome ith amaBement, as if they ere looking at someone ho had risen from the dead% His friends ere all asking him about the hiding pla"e that nobody kne of or had been able to find% >I did not flee to any of you,> the blessed *thanasius said to his friends and relations, >so that you ould truly be able to s ear to your o n ignoran"e in the event of your being interrogated% Instead, I sought refuge ith one upon hom no suspi"ion "ould possibly rest, be"ause of her beauty and youth% # o good things have resulted, one of hi"h is her o n salvation% 8or I have been able to give her some guidan"e, as ell as providing for my o n reputation and se"urity%> 4hapter 4FFFVII #he life of *mma #*!ID* In the state of *ntinoe there as a monastery of t elve omen, among hom I met *mma #alida ho had been living the life for eighty years, so her sisters told me% #here ere si$ty younger omen ith her ho all held her in su"h great respe"t that there as no key to the main gate as there as in other monasteries% #hey ere held there simply by love% &hen I ent in to see her and sat do n she "ame in and sat do n beside me% +he as so liberated from any kind of emotional instability that ith great freedom and trustfulness she even put her hand on my shoulder% 4hapter 4FFFVIII #he life of *mma #*5< #here as a dis"iple of #alida,s in this monastery "alled #aor, ho had been there for thirty years, so those ho kne her told me% +he ould never ear ne "lothes, or a "loak or shoes% >I don,t need them,> she ould say% >#hat ay no one "an "ompel me to go out%> +o hen everyone else ent to "hur"h on +unday for 4ommunion she stayed at home dressed in rags, hard at ork% +he as so daBBlingly attra"tive that even the most resolute might easily have been led astray by her beauty had she not had su"h a marvellous gift of self(denial that she as able in all honesty to turn a ay lustful eyes into reveren"e and respe"t% 4hapter 4FFFIF #he VI<GI3 ho renoun"ed the orld #here as another virgin ho lived near me, follo ing a stri"t religious rule, but hose fa"e I never had seen% #hey say that she had never been outside sin"e she first began this kind of life% &hen she had lived ith her o n mother for si$ty years like this the time "ame for her to leave this orld% +he sa in a vision 4olluthus ho had been named a martyr and ho used to live lo"ally% >#oday you are to go to the !ord,> he said, >and you ill see all the +aints% 4ome then, and dine today ith us in the martyrs, "hapel%> E.

3e$t morning hen she a oke and got dressed she pa"ked some bread and olives and a fe herbs into a basket and ent out for the first time in all those years% +he ent into the "hapel and prayed all by herself the hole time up until the ninth hour hen she sat do n and prayed dire"tly to the martyr% >Bless this food, 5 holy 4olluthus> she asked, >and guide me along the ay by your prayers%> *fter she had eaten her food and prayed for some time more she ent home at about sunset and handed to her mother her book on the prophet *mos by 4lement +tromoteus% >+ee that the e$iled bishop gets this,> she said, >and pray for me, for today I go to my !ord%> +he died that same night% +he had not suffered a long illness, her reason as unimpaired% +he prepared for her burial herself and "ommended her spirit into the hands of God% 4hapter 4F! * VI<GI3 ho lapsed and did penan"e% #here as a "ertain virgin ho had lived the dis"iplined life ith t o others for nine or ten years hen she as led astray by one of the "antors and began a shameful affair ith him% +he "on"eived and gave birth to a "hild, ith deepest "ompun"tion in her soul and the most intense hatred for him ho had de"eived her% +he imposed a most severe penan"e on herself, being illing to die from hunger should she persevere in it% >5 almighty God,> she prayed in tears, >you ho bear all our sins and the infinite i"kedness of the hole orld, ho do not ill the death of sinners or those ho fall into ruin @EBekiel 99%00A, but have mer"y on every "reature, it is your ill that all should be saved @0#im%;%.A% If it is your ill that I ho am perishing should be saved pour out on me your loving kindness and sho me your onderful orks% 4ommand that this fruit of my ini7uity be taken a ay and gathered up% It as "on"eived in lust and born in sin% #his all makes me ant either to hang myself or thro myself over a "liff%> Her prayer as heard and ans ered, for the "hild she bore died not long after ards% Ever sin"e that time she had nothing to do ith the man ho enslaved her, but ith great determination gave herself totally to maintaining her "hastity% 8or the ne$t thirty years, she dedi"ated herself to "aring for the si"k, the lame and the ounded, making su"h a""eptable reparation to God that it as revealed to a "ertain priest that she as more pleasing to God in her peniten"e than ever she had been in her virginity% I rite this so that e do not "ondemn those ho have grievously sinned and sin"erely do penan"e from the heart% #his blessed oman as one ho for"ed herself to pour out her heart to the !ord in humility of life, and she is not least among those "onstrained by peniten"e% 4hapter 4F!I #he D*?GH#E< of a priest ho falsely a""used a le"tor @a minor "leri"al orderA, and the le"tor E?+#*#HI?+ #here as a priest,s daughter in 4aesarea of Palestine ho fell from gra"e and as urged by her sedu"er to impli"ate a "ertain le"tor% +he as persuaded, and did put the blame on him, for hen she as 7uestioned by her father about her s elling aistline she named Eustathius% #he priest as very upset and took the matter to the bishop, ho, upon hearing this, summoned the le"tor to appear before a "oun"il of the priests% Questioned about the matter by the bishop the le"tor ould not "onfess, for hat "ould he say seeing that he had not done anythingD >6ou unfortunate and un"lean person,> said the bishop, in a distressed and stern tone of voi"e% >&on,t you "onfess your faultD> >5h, please,> replied the le"tor% >I,ve told you ho it is% I have had nothing to do ith the matter% I am totally free of blame% #his thing had never even entered my head% But if you ant to hear me tell a lie, then yes, I did it%> E1

Hearing this the bishop deposed him from the offi"e of le"tor% >'y lord bishop,> he said, falling at his feet, >seeing that you think I am guilty, in spite of hat I have said, I am no stripped of my e""lesiasti"al position, and un orthy to be one of your holiness,s "leri"s% 5rder that she be given to me as a ife from no on, for I am no longer a "leri" any more than she is a virgin%> &hen the bishop and the priest heard this the father handed the girl over to the le"tor, trusting that the young man as kindly affe"tioned to ards her, and that in any "ase it ould be impossible to keep them apart% *""epting her from the bishop and her father he "omforted her, led her a ay and took her to a monastery of omen% He begged the one in "harge of this brotherhood @si"JA to "are for her until she gave birth% Having left her in the monastery the le"tor ent a ay and shut himself in a primitive "ell, taking upon himself a life of the greatest as"eti"ism, approa"hing the !ord ith a "ontrite heart and ith many tears and groans% >6ou kno my deeds, 5 !ord,> he prayed% >6ou kno everything% 3othing is hidden from you% #here is no se"ret pla"e here anyone may hide from your all(seeing po er% 6ou see all things before they even happen% 6ou alone see into the depths of the mind% Every mental idea is dis"erned by you as if open to vie % *nd sin"e you kno all hearts e$a"tly you )udge )ustly% 6ou bring help to those ho are un)ustly "ondemned% 6ou "annot be rong% 6ou e$onerate those ho are oppressed by slander% In)usti"e is abhorrent to you% 6ours is every eight going into the s"ales of )usti"e, for light unapproa"hable is yours for ever, and every human deed is done in your sight% Cust and un"hangeable )udgment belongs to you% Pronoun"e therefore your )udgment on me%> *s the young man ent on praying purposefully and fasting diligently the young oman,s birth pangs began% #he )ust )udgment of God began at that very hour, for that slanderer suffered the most bitter and intolerable pains, huge groan after groan, unspeakable birth pangs% #errible visions of the punishments of hell beset this miserable ret"h, and still the infant be"ause of its great siBe ould not "ome forth from the omb% #he first day and the se"ond day "ame and ent and still she suffered unbearable pains% #he third day and the fourth day follo ed and her pains ere more grievous than many births put together% #he fifth, si$th and seventh ere darker still, and the unhappy oman plumbed the depths of misery% In all this time she had eaten nothing and not had a moment,s sleep% But after the hard heart of this false a""user had been so grievously given up to su"h severe torments and groans of agony, after all that she as at last "on7uered by God% Into the midst of her groaning she brought to light things hi"h had been hidden and "onfessed% >*las, hat a ret"h I amJ> she sadly e$"laimed% >I have brought myself into grievous danger of perishing% I have "ommitted t o serious sins, not only forni"ation but also slander% #o the loss of my virginity I have added defamation of "hara"ter% It as somebody else ho led me into sin, but I a""used the le"tor%> Hearing this the virgins of the monastery immediately told the father% But he as frightened of being impli"ated in the slander, and as relu"tant to believe hat as being told him, so did nothing for t o days% 'ean hile the ret"hed oman "ontinued to be affli"ted ith grievous pains, hovering bet een life and death% &hile he did nothing the eighth and ninth days stru"k her do n into the deep darkness of unrelieved semi("ons"iousness% #he "onvent realised she had stopped "rying, and hastened to tell the bishop that this as no the ninth day and that she had "onfessed to a""using the le"tor un)ustly, and that she as unable to give birth as a punishment for her "alumny% &hen the bishop had heard hat the virgins had to say he sent t o dea"ons to the le"tor to tell him everything and beg for his prayers that the miserable oman might be released from her plight% But the le"tor gave no ans er and ould not even open the door% 8rom the day that he had gone into this "ell he had not ventured out, but had "arried on ith his regular routine of fasting, and pouring out his prayers to God% #he father then "hanged his mind and took pity on his daughter% He ent to the bishop and asked that prayers be said for her in "hur"h% But even hen prayers had been said to the !ord by everyone she still as not released from her plight% #he prayers to God of him ho had been "alumniated ere preventing the prayers of the others from being heard% +o the bishop himself ent to the le"tor,s "ell, but he still ould not "ome out% *fter the bishop had been outside for some time, ith the le"tor inside, he ordered the door to be taken off% He ent in and found the young man prostrate on the floor, praying ithout "easing% E:

>Brother Eustathius, le"tor,> the bishop said, >by the providen"e of God the "alumny against you has been revealed and your prayers have been heard% 3o have pity on her ho sinned against you and ho is suffering torments orse than being hipped% Have pity on the ret"hed oman% <ise up and loose hat you have bound% +he is suffering be"ause of your prayers% Beg the !ord to allo her to give birth%> #he le"tor and the bishop prayed fervently together and at on"e the poor oman as freed from her plight% #he "hild as born% #hey all prayed that her sin should be forgiven through the prayers of that righteous man, hom from then on they famously held in as mu"h honour as they ould a martyr% 8reed from the "loud hanging over him he attained to the highest possible level of the virtuous life hi"h he had begun, so that he as found orthy of being granted spiritual gifts% &e have ritten about these things lest anyone else ho slanders should be embroiled in the snares of the enemy and suffer intolerable bodily pains su"h as I have des"ribed befell this false a""user% Even after having been liberated from the body there is the danger of the pains of eternal torment from hi"h there "an be no respite% 8or God has nothing but anger for anyone ho slanders% But let him ho is un)ustly a""used bear it "almly and "haritably, praying that all ill be revealed and that God,s )udgment ill be )ust, e$a"tly like Eustathius ho as "ro ned by 4hrist% +u"h a man is to be praised and had in honour and given an eternal "ro n% !et us also learn from this the un"on7uerable po er of prayer, strengthening the faithful, bringing mer"y to sinners, moving and turning the "reator of all, "ro ning those ho a"t righteously, and granting the kingdom of heaven to those ho persevere% 4hapter 4F!II #he life of holy +I!V*3I* *t that time it happened that hen e ere sailing from *elia in Egypt e had ith us the blessed virgin +ilvania, the sister of <uffinus, the former governor% 4hapter 4F!III I?BI3?+ &e also had ith us Iubinus, at that time a dea"on, but no the devout and learned bishop of the "hur"h in *s"alon% #he heat as terribly severe, and hen e ent ashore at Pelusius it so happened that Iubinus took a basin, ashed his hands and feet in very "old ater, spread his "loak on the ground and lay do n% &hen +ilvania noti"ed this, like a good mother "orre"ting her o n son she admonished Iubinus for his softness% >&hat are you thinking of,> she said, >to pamper your miserable flesh like this, at your age, hen the blood still "ourses freely in your veinsD *re you not frightened of being "ondemned for thisD Believe me, believe me, I am si$ty years old, and apart from ashing my hands before 4ommunion no ater has tou"hed my feet or my fa"e or any part of my body, even hen I have been ill% Even hen urged by the do"tor to take a bath I have not allo ed my mind to give in to the flesh% 3or have I ever used soft "hairs or been "arried in a litter%> +he as very learned, filled ith su"h a love of learning that she ould burn the midnight oil reading all the "ommentaries of the an"ient riters, all of 5rigen,s three hundred thousand lines, Gregory, +tephen, Pierus and Basil, t o hundred and fifty thousand lines of other famous men of outstanding virtue% +he did not merely skim lightly through them, but devoured ea"h book "arefully seven or eight times, in order to be "arried a ay on high by the gra"e of their ords, in good hope of be"oming like a spiritual bird flying a ay to 4hrist and re"eiving from him everlasting re ards% 4hapter 4F!IV 5!6'PI*+ 5lympias follo ed in +ilvania,s footsteps by seeking after all the divine virtues of the spiritual life +he as someone to be revered for her integrity% &ith steadfast Beal she kept to the paths hi"h lead to heaven, follo ing the pre"epts of the divine +"riptures in everything% EH

*""ording to the flesh she as the daughter of a nobleman @"omesA "alled +eleu"us, but a""ording to the spirit a true daughter of God% Her grandfather as *blavius, one of the governing "lasses @praefe"tiA, and for a fe days she as married to 3ebridius, one of the governing "lass of the "ity of 4onstantinople, although to tell the truth she as the ife of nobody% +he is said to have slept alone as a virgin ( effe"tively living ith only the divine ord as "ompanion% Her husband as a "ompletely humble man ho sympathised ith her and provided her ith all her needs% +he shared her immense ealth ith everyone, "ompletely undis"riminating about hom she might help% #o n, "ountry or desert ( no one es"aped the generosity of this famous virgin% +he helped build "hur"hes in pla"e of shrines here sa"rifi"es ere madeN she supported monasteries and "oenobia and pilgrim hospi"es and guardhouses and e$iles ( in a ord, she gave alms to all the "orners of the earth%* ,monastery, might "onsist of only one "ell or many% * ,"oenobium as a "ommunity of many monks%2 #his blessed oman more than anyone else attained to the greatest heights of humility #here as no false glory in her life, she had no guile, she ore no make(up, she as physi"ally fit, not given to boasting, ith a mind free from arrogan"e, a pea"eful heart, keeping sleepless vigils, not a meddlesome spirit, of immense "harity, more than you "ould possibly grasp, earing "heap and ugly "lothing, "ompletely "ontinent, her thoughts al ays rightly ordered, her eternal hope al ays in God, her almsgiving beyond re"koning, "hief among all humble people, beset by many temptations from the one ho of his o n ill is totally evil and ithout one shred of goodness, that is, the devil ho fre7uently atta"ked her, floods of tears ere a "onstant part of her life -of "ompun"tion2, her human nature "ompletely sub)e"t to God, devoutly obedient to the holy bishops, respe"ting the priesthood, honouring the other "leri"s, maintaining dis"ipline, "aring for virgins, helping the ido s, "omforting the bereaved, prote"ting the aged, visiting the si"k, taking pity on sinners and leading those ho have strayed ba"k into the right path, sho ing "ompassion to all but espe"ially the poor, bringing many deserted ives into the "ate"humenate, even helping them by providing them ith food% +he spread a reputation for generosity about her throughout her hole life% +he restored from slavery to freedom an innumerable "ro d of slaves, fitting them out as splendidly as any of the nobility% #o tell the absolute truth, they ere a great deal better "lothed than this holy oman% It ould not be possible to find "heaper "lothing than this oman ore% Even people dressed in rags ould s"orn this holy oman,s "lothing% +o great as her meekness that she 7uite surpassed her o n servants in simpli"ity of life% Her neighbours never had anything to "omplain about in this oman ho as a living embodiment of 4hrist himself% *ll her leisure time @vita non vitalisA as given up to "ompun"tion a""ompanied fre7uently by floods of tears% #his noble oman ould rather the summer heat dry up her o n household ater supply than that her eyes fi$ed on 4hrist should fail to pour forth tears% &hat else "an I sayD 8or the more I turn my mind to the story of her struggles and virtues, her ro"klike solidity, the more I find that my ords are no here near doing )usti"e to the fa"ts% *nd don,t let anyone think that I have gathered up all this splendid and magnifi"ent material by seeking for information at se"ond hand about this most "haste 5lympias% +he as a pre"ious vessel filled ith the Holy +pirit and I itnessed ith my o n eyes her blessed and angeli" life% I as her spiritual friend, more familiar to her than all her relations% It as I ho distributed mu"h of her money at her dire"tions% #here is no more to say about her but that she as do n to earth, sub)e"t to the governors, obedient to the po ers that be, respe"tful to the priesthood, holding all the "lergy in honour, valiant for truth having been found orthy to suffer various un)ust a""usations% #he faithful in 4onstantinople regard her as a 4onfessor, and venerate her almost as they ould -4hrist,s2 mother, for she as tried and tested in all the struggles she endured for God,s sake% 8or these things she has been given the blessing of glory after her death% 4ro ned in eternity she lives in splendour, d elling in everlasting mansions ith saints like unto her, here no ruin or evil may have pla"e, re"eiving from 4hrist the due re ard of her faithfulness and good orks% 4hapter 4F!V 4*3DID* *fter 5lympias there as the blessed 4andida, living for the !ord in the same ay% +he as the ife of #ra)an, an army offi"er, and had be"ome a person of the highest integrity% +he gave suitable alms to the "hur"hes, venerated the bishops for their privilege of administering the +a"raments of 4hrist, and gladly honoured all the EE

4hristian "lergy% +he gave her o n daughter, the fruit of her omb, to 4hrist as a dedi"ated virgin% !ater she follo ed in her daughter,s footsteps% +he as temperate, "haste and generous ith her money% I sa ho this onderful oman toiled and travailed all night making bread for the altar ith her o n hands to use up her bodily energy% >8asting isn,t enough for me,> she said% >I take part in this laborious vigil as ell, in order to break do n the Esau in me, that is, to eaken my las"ivious desires%> +he abstained from eating all living "reatures, e$"ept that on feast days, and only then, she might eat some fish ith oil and vegetables% *t all other times she as "ontent ith dry bread and o$y"ratum -a mi$ture of vinegar, arm ater and eggs2% *fter this austere life this blessed oman fell asleep into blessed rest, and no en)oys those eternal good things prepared for those ho love the life of striving after virtue% 4hapter 4F!VI GE!*+I* Gelasia, the daughter of a tribune, is orthy of being esteemed among the greatest% Inspired by the Beal of that good oman, 4andida, she also entered into the ay of truth and took on the yoke of virginity% He greatest virtue as that she never let the sun go do n upon her rath, to ards slaves, maids or anyone% #his blessed oman did not alk in the ay of those ho never forget in)uries done to them% #hat leads to eternal death% +he avoided this snare of the devil, hatred and ran"our% +he anted sins to be eternally forgiven, so she overlooked the smallest pe""adilloes in the hope that she ould be forgiven for even the greatest% 4hapter 4F!VII C?!I*3* Culiana as a most learned and faithful virgin in 4aesarea of 4appado"ia% +he took the riter 5rigen in hen he as es"aping from the perse"utions of the state% +he hid him for t o years, supporting him from her o n in"ome and ith her o n personal ministry% I dis"overed this hile I also as being hidden by Culiana% It as in an an"ient book of verses belonging to Culiana, hi"h had been ritten in by 5rigen,s o n hand, though he himself used to say that he had been taken in by +ymma"hus the Ce ish interpreter% I have thought it right to put on re"ord the virtues of these omen as being not in"ompatible ith the virtues of monasti" life% &e "an be enlightened by all sorts of different "ir"umstan"es, if e ill% 4hapter 4F!VIII * noble &5'*3 ho retained her virginity In another an"ient book ritten by Hippolytus, ho kne the apostles, I found the follo ing story% #here as a "ertain noble and very beautiful virgin in 4orinth ho as living the life of dis"ipline% +he as a""used of being someone ho had "ursed the poli"ies of the Emperor and his statues, and as brought before someone ho as a perse"uting )udge at that time% 8illed ith the lust that al ays threatens danger to omen, her a""users ho ere brothel keepers brought her in all her beauty to this "orrupt )udge% He as a man ho not only had little in"lination to listen impartially -e7uinis auribus, lit%, ith the ears of a horse,2, but as of an habitually lustful "ast of mind% He a""epted their a""usations hen she as brought before him and be"ame even more po erfully governed by lust% He sho ed this brave oman of God all the instruments of torture, and hen this did not persuade her to submit to him he pro"eeded to use some of these instruments against her% But this "ould not persuade her to do hat he anted either, for by no means ould she deny 4hrist% Instead then of handing her over to be "ru"ified by the torturers, inflamed ith "ruelty he sent this "haste and temperate oman to the brothel% >#ake this oman,> he said to the o ner, >and I ant three shillings a day for hat you "an get out of her%> EG

#he o ner needed to profit from this i"ked deed so he immediately offered her to anyone ho anted her in that fa"tory of disgra"eful obs"enity% #hose ho habitually lusted after omen "ame flo"king around to this i"ked fa"tory of destru"tion hen they heard about her, offering the usual pri"e for their intended i"ked a"t% But this most upright oman, hom e should venerate above all others, resorted to a little de"eption% >I have got an ul"er in my private parts,> she said, > hi"h gives off a rather horrible smell% I,m afraid you ould re)e"t me and revile me be"ause of this ul"er% Give me a fe days and then perhaps you "an do hat you ant ith me%> By this means the blessed oman persuaded those lusting after her to desist% Her fervent prayers ere pleasing to God and he had mer"y on her for her "ompun"tion% God ho kno s all our thoughts as ith her, and he provided for her salvation in proportion to the hole(hearted "are she had taken to preserve her "hastity% 4hapter 4F!IF '*GI+#<I*3?+ #here as a young man "alled 'agistrianus, of handsome appearan"e and devout frame of mind, to hom God had given a burning spiritual Beal that as more important to him than death% Pretending a lustful desire he ent to the brothel after dark, ent in and gave the o ner five shillings% >!et me be ith this girl tonight,> he said% #ogether they ent into a private room% >#ake my "lothes,> he said, >and save yourself% Put on my tuni", shoes, "loak, and all the rest of my male garments, and hen you go out muffle yourself up in the "loak%> +he did as she as bid, signed herself ith the "ross and ent out from that pla"e "ompletely unpolluted and in"orrupt% +he as freed by the gra"e of 4hrist and the sa"rifi"e of this young man, ho by his o n blood saved her from a horrible fate% #he affair "ame to light the follo ing day and 'agistranius as brought before an e$"eedingly rathful )udge% Having interrogated this bold athlete of 4hrist and got all the details out of him, he ordered him to be thro n to the beasts, thus "overing ith "onfusion even the evil(minded demon% 8or he thought that by this punishment he as sub)e"ting the young man to disgra"e, hereas in reality he as the "ause of a t o(fold itness to 4hrist% 8or not only had the young man fought bravely for the honour of his o n soul, but by his labours he had given that blessed oman the means to persevere% 8or this double honour 4hrist in his kindness found him orthy to be given a double "ro n% 4hapter 4! #he +enator,s &I8E I have thought of another story hi"h it ould be a shame to omit% #here as a gang leader -insurre"tor2 ho as in the habit of having pornographi" sessions -"onsuetudo stupri2 ith many different kinds of people% He took it into his head to try this on ith 4hristians% But they ould rather die than take part in su"h shamelessness% He took a fan"y to the ife of a government senator in a "ertain to n he "ame to% >Have her, by all means,> said the senator, paralysed ith fear% *rmed men "ame to get her% >Cust give me a fe moments to put on my make(up as usual,> she said% +he ent into her bedroom, took a s ord, and drove it into her stoma"h% Hear this and blush, all you virgins ho profess that 4hrist is your spouse and turn from him to le"heryJ 'ay God grant that ea"h one of us may serve the "ause of virginity and shout in )oy ith the Psalmist, ,!et me fear G/

you that my flesh may be subdued, @Psalm 00G%0;/A% +t Paul said, ,I live, yet not I, but 4hrist lives in me,, @Galatians ;%;/A, and let it be agreed that as you thoughtfully say to yourselves, ,'y "ousin @patruelusA is mine and I am his, @+ong of +ongs :%9A you interpret ,"ousin, sometimes as meaning ,brother, and sometimes ,spouse,, to avoid any suspi"ion of "arnality% If you understand the meaning to be ,husband, and ,bride,, it is the spiritual union ith the 8ather hi"h is intended% &e visited many other fathers and monks throughout the hole of Egypt ho did many signs and displayed many virtues% #here are so many e "an,t re"ord them all, but e give a sele"tion on behalf of the many% &hat "an e say about the ?pper #hebaid beyond +yene, here there are an infinite number of praise orthy monksD &e believe that there is no one ho has undertaken that kind of life ho has not begun to live in a superhuman sort of ay% <aising people from the dead and alking on ater like Peter are "ommonpla"e o""urren"es% #hey do everything in our time that the +aviour did through the holy apostles% &e ere not bold enough to go beyond the river !y"os be"ause of the great danger of being atta"ked by robbers% But even visiting the fathers e have mentioned as not ithout danger, and it as very diffi"ult getting to see those holy omen% &e had to suffer a great deal and go through many dangerous pla"es in order to visit them% ,+even times our lives ere in danger and on the eighth time e suffered no evil for the !ord as ith us%, @Cob 1%0GA 5n"e e alked for five days through the desert almost perishing for la"k of food and ater% *gain, e had to alk through dreadful pri"kly thorn marshes, hi"h "ut up our feet% #his as e$"eedingly painful, besides hi"h e ere almost dead ith "old% #hirdly, e got stu"k in mud up to our loins ith no seeming ay of es"ape and e shouted aloud the ords of the blessed David, ,+ave me, 5 !ord, for the aters are "ome in even unto my soul% I am stu"k in a deep bog here there is no solid ground% +ave me from the mire lest I am stu"k for ever, @Psalm :G%0 K 0.A% 8ourthly e had to ade for four days through deep aters and half submerged door ays hen the 3ile as in flood% &e "ried out, ,!et not the stormy aters overpo er me nor the deep s allo me up%, @Psalm :G%01A% 8ifthly, e fell among thieves on the sea "oast as e ere "oming in to ards Diol"os% #hey follo ed us for ten miles trying to "at"h us until e had hardly any breath left% +i$thly, hile sailing on the 3ile e ere overturned and nearly dro ned% +eventhly, hen e ere in the marshes of 'areotis here the papyrus "omes from, e ere "ast upon a small desert island% &e remained there out in the open for three days and nights in heavy rain and "old% It as Epiphanytide% It is almost superfluous to mention the eighth time, though it does have its points% It happened hen e ere "rossing a "ertain part of 3itria, here there as a large hollo pla"e in hi"h a number of "ro"odiles had been left behind after the floods had re"eded% &e ent to have a "loser look at three of them near the edge of the hollo , &e thought that they ere dead but they immediately "harged us% &e "ried out loudly to the !ord, ,4hrist save usJ,, and the beasts thre themselves ba"k into the ater as if turned a ay by an angel% &e "ontinued ith our long )ourney through 3itria, meditating on the ords of Cob here he says, ,,+even times our lives ere in danger and on the eighth time e suffered no evil for the !ord as ith us%, @Cob 1%0GA &e give thanks to God ho has defended us in su"h great dangers and sho n us su"h marvellous things% 4hapter 4!I #he life of the B<5#HE< ho travelled ith Palladius I ill finish by saying something about the brother ho "ame ith me from his youth up to the present day% I have kno n him for a long time% He as never greedy about his food% He as not distressed by fasting, for he as one ho had "on7uered his emotions% #here as never a tra"e of avari"e in him, he as "ontent al ays ith the present moment, he dressed simply, re)oi"ed hen spoken ill of, illing to undergo danger for the sake of his friends, more kno ledgeable about the iles of the demons than thousands of others% G0

5ne day the devil tried to make a pa"t ith him% >'ake pea"e ith me,> the devil said, >and sin )ust on"e, and I ill give you hatever you ask for in this life, hether status or ri"hes%> *nd again, he fought ith him and trampled him underfoot for fourteen nights, so he told me% >+top orshipping 4hrist, and I ill leave you alone,> he said% >I ill orship him all the more,> he replied, >and glorify him in many more pla"es% I ill pray more often, sin"e orshipping him bodes evil for you%> He stayed for a hile in a hundred and si$ "ountries, and )ourneyed through many more% He had never kno n a oman, not even in dreams, e$"ept hen fighting the demon of forni"ation during sleep% I kno that an angel brought him food three times hen he as hungry% 5n"e hen he as in the far desert ithout a "rumb to eat he found three freshly "ooked bread rolls in a sheepskin, bread and ine on another o""asion% *nd on"e a voi"e "ame to him, sayingO >I kno you are short of food% Go to that man "alled 3%%%%% and he ill give you some bread and oil%> +o he ent to this person% >*re you the monk in 7uestionD> he as asked% >I am,> he replied% >#he head of the family has told me to give you thirty rolls of bread and t elve measures of oil%> #here are other sides to his nature hi"h I "an des"ribe and glory in% I have kno n him shed tears over those ho had to ork very hard for hardly any re ardN he ould share ith them hatever he had apart from selling himself into slavery% I have kno n him shed tears over those ho have fallen into serious sin, and I have seen his tears move sinners to repentan"e% He on"e said to me, ,I have begged God that no one, espe"ially if they are ri"h and respe"table, need ever find me su"h an ob)e"t of pity that they felt obliged to provide me ith the ne"essities of life%, 8or myself it is suffi"ient that I have been found orthy to "ommit to riting all I "ould remember% It "ould not have been done ithout the help of God ho inspired you to en"ourage me to rite this book of the lives of the holy and blessed 8athers% *nd you, !ausus, most faithful and venerable servant of 4hrist, my most dear and "losest friend, as you read this book may you find it is an aid to your immortal soul in the resurre"tion of the )ust% 'ay you "herish the ay of life follo ed by these famous athletes, their labours, and the manner in hi"h they endured the pains of living in su"h an austere ay% ?se these things as an e$ample for yourself, sustained by an imperishable good hope, realising ho short are the days that have already passed by, and pray for me as you keep yourself free from evil and maintain your integrity, as I kno you have done "onsistently from the time of the "onsulate of #atian right up to the present day% 6our personal "hara"ter has no been re arded by being given the post of -the Emperor,s2 personal private se"retary @praepositum pii "ubi"uliA% *lthough you have been given su"h a high dignity, ith all the many great dangers hi"h "ome ith su"h great po er, you have not a"ted other ise than the fear of God demands% >*ll these things I ill give you if you fall do n and orship me,> @'atthe .%GA is hat the man dedi"ated to God hears the devil say% But the !ord gives him the gra"e to be able to say, >Get thee behind me%> Do you, therefore, alk in the same path% 4are not for ri"hes or the fragile glory of this present orld% +trive after the immortal life of heaven, the eternal kingdom, the everlasting glory, and those hidden good things hi"h eye has not seen, nor ear heard, and hi"h have not entered into the human heart, hi"h God has stored up for us along ith the holy patriar"hs and prophets, the apostles and martyrs and those hose memory e have G;

"elebrated in this book through the gra"e of our +aviour Cesus 4hrist, to hom be glory ith the 8ather and the Holy +pirit, unto the ages of ages% *men%

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